Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-01-01
LENTZSERVES NOTICE
Formally Notified Tompkins Of
a Contest.
HE ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING.
Ne Also Made Charges of Bribery and
Other Allegations All There Were
20 speeifications--Dec Declares Fights on

Columbus, Jan. Congressman
John j. Lentz. Of this district, served
formal notice on Congressman-elect
Everett Tompklns that he viii con
test the latter's seat in the house
Mr.. Lentz stated that he will base
his claim on charges of wholesale
bribery and fraud In the count Of the
ballots
In his notice of contest addressed
to Mr.. TompSins Mr. Lentz says:
Il claim, and shall prove. that your
alleged plurality Of Is votes was OBJ
tanned by the bribery. debauchery
and corruption of voters; by inducing
certain students in the. various edu
cational institutions of the district to
remain here and vote for you without
having any legal right to vote In this
district: by inducing many of the EN-
ployes connected with the various
state institutions located III this city
to remain here and vote for you al
though their voting residence was IN
some other district of the state: by
importing and coloniZing voters in
that district for the purpose of hay
ing them vote in your behalf and
against myself. In your alleged plu-
raiity of Is votes out of a total of
81 1872 votes east in the district. you
are the beneficiary of the methods
and proceedings aforesaid, MS well as
the beneficiary of manifest errors in
the count and return of votes and
divers and sundry illegalities and
irregularities"
Mr.. Lentz then sets forth in detail
the specific grounds of contest. alleg-
ing that a systematic plan of cam
paign was projected by the Republi-
can leaders connected with the adj
ministration at Washington, and
that a large corruption fund amount
ing to many thousands of dollars was
procured by men residing beyond the
boundaries of this district and sent
into this district with the determina-
ton to secure your election and com
pass my defeat by bribery. because
certain Republican leaders connected
with hte national administration at
Washington feared the effect of my
exposures of the meaning of the Ea-
gan pardon by President Mckinley:
my exposure of President MeKinley's
misrepresentation as to the condi-
tions in the Philippines: of President
McKinley's use of the United States
army to intimidate and destroy union
labor in the Couer d Alene district
of Idaho and President MeKinley'S
appointment of Orson Smith and J.
G. Graham, polygamist postmasters
ut Logan and Provo City, Utah; and
my criticism of President McKinley's
ratification of the treaty perpetual
ing slavery and polygamy i'll the Sulu
islands. Il part of the Philippine arch
ipelago: and my exposure of Presi-
dent McKinley's appointment of Ru-
fus w. Lane as consul to Smyrna
Immediately following and iii consid-
Grafton of his voting for Marcus A.
Hanna for United States senator, al
though said Rufus W. Lane was
elected to the legislature of Ohio on
the Democratic ticket; also on ac-
count of my exposure of President
McKinley's treatment of Secretary of
State John Sherman
Mr.. Lentz alleges that William J.
Burns, assistant chief of the United
States secret service, participated in
the bribing and debauching of voters
.'in furtherance of the alleged scheme
to elect Tompkins, and he was as
sisted by various other agents of the
federal government"
Specific instances of bribery are al
legged, but the names of the persons
alleged to have received the brides
are not given There are in all 20
specifications, alleging bribery, Illegal
voting and other irregularities.