The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-01
.LENTz DIES
HARD DEATH.
SERVES NOTICE OF CONTEST
ON TOMPKINS.
is FREE WITH CHARGES
Claims Republicans Success Was
Due to Bribery and Whole
sale Corruption.

man Lentz will contest the election Of
Tompkins, who defeated him. He
bases his claim OH the charges of
wholesale bribery and a fraudulent
| count.
| In his notice OF contest addressed to
Tompkins, Lentz says: Il claim, and
shall prove that your alleged plurality
Of l8 votes was obtained by bribery,
debauchery and corruption Of voters;
by inducing certain students in the
various educational institutions of the
district to remain here and vote for
you without having any legal right to
vote i'll this district; by inducing
many employees connected with var
ious state institutions located in this
city to remain here and vote for you,
although their voting residence was
in some other district OF the state; by
importing and colonizing voters in
this district for the purpose of having
them vote in your behalf and against
myself. In your alleged plurality Of
l8 votes, out Of a total of 81, 392 votes
cast in the district. you are the, bene-
ficiary Of the methods and proceedings
aforesaid, as we'll as the beneficiary of
manifest errors in the count and re-
turn Of votes and divers and sundry
illegalities and irregularities.
Lentz then sets forth in detail the
specific grounds Of contest, alleging
that "a systematic plan of campaign
was projected by republican leaders,
connected with the administration at
Washington and that large corrup-
tion fund, amounting to many thou
sands Of dollars, was procured by men
residing beyond the boundaries of this
district and sent into this district with
the determination to secure your cleo
tion and compass my defeat by bribery
because certain republican leaders
connected with the national admins
tration at Washington feared the
effect Of my exposures of the meaning
of the Egan pardon by President Nc
Kinley and my exposure. Of President
McKin)ey's misapprehensions as to
the conditions in the Philippines; of
McKinley's use of the United States
army to intimidate and destroy union
labor in the Occur d'Alene district Of
Idaho and President McKinley's ap-
pOintment of Orson Smith and j. G.
Graham, polygamist postmasters at
Logan and Provo City, Utah; and my
criticism of President McKinley's
ratification Of the treaty perpetuating
slavery and polygamy in the Zulu
islands, part of the Philippine archi.
pelAgo, aud my exposure Of President
McKinley's appointment Of Rufas W.
Lane as consul to Smyrna Immediately
following and in consideration of his
voting for Marcus A. Hanna for
Rufus W. Lane was elected to the leg
islature of Ohio on the democratic
ticket; also on account Of my ex-
posure of President McKinley's treat
ment of Secretary of State John Sher-
man. -
Lentz alleges that VIM. J. Burns,
assistant chief of the United States
secret service, participated in bribing
and debauching of voters Tin further
ance of an alleged scheme to elect
Tompkins and he was assisted by var
ious other agents of the federal govern
ment."
Specific instances of bribery are al
legged, but the names of the persons
alleged to have received bribes are
not given.
There are in all 80 specifications,
alleging bribery, illegal voting and
other irregularities.