The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-05
REPUBLICANS CRY FRAUD.
Say Drawings of Cont test Committees
ct Frankfort Were Unfair.

ct Frankfort Were Unfair.
Frankfort, KY, Jan 5.-The joint leg
islative committees which set in the
contests for governor and lieutenant
governor were drawn by lot as provided
by law yesterday. A lucky star presided
over the destinies of the Democrats as
the drawing resulted in giving them ten
out of the eleven members of the COM
mittee on the governors contest and
nine out of eleven on the lieutenant
governors contest. The committee TO
hear the governship contest is as fol-
lows:
Senators Frazier. Allen and Crenshaw
and Representative Hickman, Berry,
Finn, Rennick, Sledge, Lyon and Bar
ton, all Democrats and Yarberry, Re
publican.
In the lieutenant governors contest
the names drawn were Senators Har-
rell, Coleman and Watson and Repre-
sentatives Crawford, Alexander, Baird,
Bell, Holland and Sharp, Democrats,
and Representatives Reed and Lilly,
Republicans. The house members of
these two committees were sworn in
last night.
In the drawing over the formation of
the legislature contested elections the
committees were somewhat evenly d.
vided. In the case of the senatorial
contests the Republicans got only one
member out of nine on each committee
but in the house they got majoritieS on
ten out of the eighteen committees
pleted it's drawing and the only Incl
dent connected with it was when Sena-
tor Hayward (Rep) objected to Sena-
tor Goebel's name being placed in the
box Senator Goebel rose from his seat
and said:
Under the law the names of all SEN
ators present must be placed in the box.
but beg to assure the senator that if
my name should be drawn out, I of
course will not serve
The hOUSa was 0rpt1Die7 until re- in
the evening with the drawing of the
legislative committees, and there was
nothing noteworthy in the proceedings
until after gOVernOrShip committee had
the committee ON the lieutenant gov
ernorS contest. Representative Has
well, leader of the Republican minority,
charged Chief Clerk Ed o. Leigh with
manipulating the ballots so as to give
the Democrats the advantage. HasWelI
and Representative Berry, representing
the Republicans, stood at the clerk
desk as the names of the members were
placed in the box, and when the last
name was placed in it Haswel1 walked
to his seat and addressed the house.
charging that Leigh had in placing the
names in the box systematically thrown
the names of the Democratic members
on the right side of the box and in like
manner thrown those of the Republi-
cans to the left. He said he did not
know how it happened that the Demo-
ernor's contest committee, drawn a few
minutes before, he did know how the
ballots had been put in the box for the
drawing now and he asked that the
clerk at least be required to shake the
box thoroughly so as to mix the names
as contemplated by law.
Speaker Trimble invited HaswelI or
any other Republican member to shake
the box, but they declined to do this,
saying this was the duty of the clerk
Mr. (F2Rrl a asked the lxar n
allow members to inspect the box in
order to verify the charges made by
him andHasWell mentioning the alleged
manner the names had been placed in
the box, but MIR. Cantril (Dem.) said
the charges made by Haswell and Berry
were serious and that as long as they
had waited till the drawing was prac-
tically complete he thought they should
be compelled to file them in the proper
way and not merely verbally and per-
sonally as they were doing.
Speaker Trimble finally ordered the
box thoroughly shaken and this was
done with the result that six Demo-
Gratis and two Republican names were
drawn out.
1t is unofficially announced that the
Franklin county grand jury has found
indictments against CoLJohn H. Whai-
len and Charles Ryan, who 1t is alleged
attempted to bride Senator Harrell in
the gOyernorship contest. The indict-
ments are based on conspiracy and will
De similar TO those returned against
w. Godfrey Hunter, John H. Whallen,
E. T. Franks and others in the Hunter
alleged bribery cases growing out of the
Hunter Blackburn senatorial contest
in 1897. The safety deposit box which
Harrell designated as holding the mon
ey was turned over to the grand jury
and found to contain four 81. 1000 bills
and five 500 bills. The money was
sealed up in a plain white envelope
without writing. This in part corrob-
crates Harrells story.
The Democratic leaders in the legis-
ture decided to take the ballot for Uni
ted States senator next Tuesday AS it
| seems settled in advance that Black
burn will receive a majority in each
| house, "a joint ballot will probably not be
necessary. There is a question as to
whether the ballot should be taken next
Tuesday or Tuesday week. Blackburn S
| friends decided as matter of caution
| to have a ballot on both days, so there
| may be no bubble over the legality of
| this election. 1t has been understood all
| along that ballot would not be taken
until one week from next Tuesday.
HARMONY'S INTEREST.