The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-06
BUNCLINC WORK.
Mayor Contest Tied Up on Ac-
count Of Errors.
Election Clerks Failed to Keep
Clean Record.
THE CHANGE OF VOTES
Totals Show One Thing the
Record Another.
City Council Refuses to Declare
the Result.
Tally Sheets Give Hughes Ma
jOrity of Seven.
THE CHANGE OF VOTES

who was elected mayor OF topeka
The committee which was appointed TO
4 go over the tally sheets which had been
turned in to the city clerk could not
determine what report to make TO the
council, and at i 80 o'clock this morning
a recess was taken until this afternoon
at 100 O'Clock.
Some Of the tally sheets which
were opened and gone over by the coun-
ell last night were in such bad shape
that no one was satisfied with the re-
turns. a number of the sheets showed
that there should be more intelligent
men appointed on the election boards.
Some Of the sheets were not signed and
some We're so carelessly kept that votes
had to be guessed at In a close election
this kind of carelessness IS almost Grim
inal
After the routine business had been
attended TO the council resolved Itself
appointed CounclImen SNendSOn, Round
tree. Warner and Clancy as a commit
tee to go over the tally sheets The cOun-
Gil chamber was packed almost to suffoca-
ion by crowd eager to see and hear
everything A majority of the crowd
were men who were personally interest
ed one way or another in the decision
of the council. The committee took the
reporters table in the center of the room
and spread their sheets. They were sur
rounded by Frank Thomas, A. B. Quin-
ton and David Overmyer. attorneys for
Mr. Parker and F. p Lindsay and J. b.
Iarimer. attorneys for Mr.. Hughes.
The recountng of the tally sheets pro-
ceeded without any change until the
tally sheet Of the first precinct Of the
Second ward was reached and here a
discrepancy of 10 votes was found be-
tween the tally and the total as set down
In the column for men, In the same pre-
cinct discrepancy was found of 3 votes
between the tally and the total In the
WOmen'S column. Both We're in favor of
Mr.. Hughes as the figures showed that
Mr. Parker had S42 votes in the total
and there were but 327 talIies on the
record The attorneys To- both sides al
once began to argue concerning now the
vote should be counted. The attorneys
dor Mr. Parker contended that the totals
were in all probability correct as the
clerk had evidently been poor one and
and had followed the clerk keeping the
other tally sheet. They said he had evi-
IDENTIFY not kept up in the count when
putting down the tallies and that he had
taken the totals from the other sheet
Inc Judges all signed the sheet on which
the totals must be correct. The commit
tee was not satisfied and the tally sheet
was put back in the envelope and mark
ed TO be rechecked."
The sheet from the third precinct #
me Third ward was the poorest sheee
opened Tt was very hard to determine
anything concerning il. The clerk had
marked five tallies in some blocks and
IL others ne had marked but two or
three The tallies and the totals did not
agree for either candidate. The lawyers
and the committee again got into a dis
she sheet After a great deal Of talking
and explaining Mr. Swendson and Mr.
ROundtree said that 15 votes should be
added to Mr.. Hughes vote and u should
be added TO Mr.. Parker's vote. This
@nade the totals 64l and PA respectively
1T also made a total vote in the precinct
uf S65. which is nine more votes than
We're cast This sheet was also objected
TO by Mr. Warner and Mr.. CLANCY and
was marked Ito be rechecked.' % The rest
To, fts
their tallies and totals.
The gain for Hughes in the first pre-
cinct OF the Second ward of Is. and the
Sair in the third precinct of the Third
ward of 10 made the total gain for
Hughes 80 The gain in the third pre-
cinct Of the Third ward Of u for Parker
left Hughes total gain Is which if ac-
cepted by the council win give him a
majority Of z as the total Of the tally
sheets before checked gave Mr.. Parker
Il majority
When the sheets were completed the
lawyers again took up the argument be
1ore the committee, Mr.. Overmyer
claiming that the sheet which showed 4
total OF more votes than We're cast was
not REGULAR and that the total as SIT
down by the judges and clerk in the first
precinct of the Second ward should be
counted and not the total of the tally a
made by the committee. Mr. Larimer
and Mr.. Lindsay both made speeches
urging the committee To report to- the
council that they had found that Mr.
Hughes was elected and that certifi-
cate be given him. The committee sat !
patiently and listened to the lawyers
and the crowd swarmed in and pressed /
close around. Mr.. Swendson attempt-ss
to keep Mr. Overmyer from talking or
quoting law. He said that he did not
want any advice and spoke Of hirnse7f /
a. we. The other members of the com
.nittee ceclded that they wanted to learn |
OH they could about how to conduct the 1
matter legally and they voted TO let Mr.
OveTmyer talk City Attorney Bird was
called up and asked his advice Of
coulse The lawyers did not agree and az
ger hearing them for a long time they
decided that they wanted to 60 home as
4 was evident that the matter could rot
be settled before daylight at the rate il
was going.
AIr Warner suggested that the con-
rnittee report to the council that il was
snable to reach a decision and that 4
recess be taken until Saturday morning
Mr.. Swendson agreed to this and then
objected to it when Mr.. CLANCY made
The motion that the council take a recess
until Saturday afternoon
While tine matter was being discussed
Mr. Warner erased the totals he har put
at the foot OF the column fer mayor and
Mr.. SWendsOn snatched the paper away
and said: What arc YOU doing that
for2 You have no right to erase those
figures
II guess I have" said Mr. Warner. Il
rnade them and can erase them If
want to. have not disturbed the figures