The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-07
COMMISSIONERS
MAKE DECISION
Could Not Discover Who Was
to Blame
FOR DETECTIVE BALLOTS
Think Error Was Made in the
Printing Office.

IN their decision given yesterday in
the Investigation regarding the matter
81 TIE printing and distribution o. Sons
81 TIC ballots vh--a wee Us1d in tins
Th.r1 ard t-f-h wards ana IN Alton
loelsiig. chs county commissioners say
tnaU TIE erI0. olculred IL the Office q
TIE E.ansas Con-EOaer anu not IL th1
oaloe OF lhe cola.y clerk, oct tney were
unable to locate the party wno was re-
sDouslDle.
lhe evidence In the case was taken yes
te.day aL-erloon ana Ms gwen IS was
sLacec il tEe Eagle. After the testimony
o. tne witnesses was heard the CON-
Inlss.orers aEd county c-erk looked over
The ballots which had been used aue
when had been returned 70 the county
ei=rk- among tEese ballots they found Z
number which had Uesn printed lncor-
rectly On the back; that Is. they f7unt
t.cActs which were intended FOX the Sev-
tl-y-thlrd Gist--C- hlG upon them th=
names OF the represeaCatIs es Of Jhe Sev-
e1ly-secoud district. IlLs settled the
matter as 10 whether Irregular ballots
had been printed
1t VII never be known who was q
blame for the olunder, but It nisht have
caused serious trouble. The invastlga -
VIII settle the dispute IS lar as TO where
th= error was COMMITTED. aad tnar IS an.
County CLERK Chain said that 1e was
confident that the error could not have
occurred in his Office. OF account Of the
manner III which the ballots were nan
died, and tie commissioners evidently
agreed with him. Tor their decision IS 70
that effect. The decision in full is:
The board OF county commissioners
having heard the testimony offered on the
stu inst. in the matter Of the printing
and distribution 81 the general ballots
havins duly considered the same, renders
lis decision as follows:
FIrst-That the errors pertaining to the
ballots for representative districts Sew
enty-two and Seventy occurred j.
the Office OF the Kansas ommoner. and
not in the Office Of the county clerk
Second-The board nnds as Instances
that tickets numbers unknown printed
on their lace with Husey ana Leland as
candidates for representative of the
Seventy-s district were printed on
the reverse OF back side for Alton town
ship which is in the Seventy-third dis
t-ict; that tickets printed on their face
(nurlber unkn0wnJ with Huisel ana Cs-
weller as candidates for representative
OF the Ssverty-third district. were print
en- on the back side for the Second pre-
ciuct of the Third ward ana distributed
70 that precinct by the county clerk; and
that The same condition prevailed in the
Third precinct Of the Third ward as in
the Second precinct which errors could
only occur in a printing 01iee-
Ihird-The board is uEabls 20 deter
mine from the evidence as n the person
or persons who should be he'd resnon-
sible FOR these unfortunate, blunderlng
errors
Fourth-That the evidence discloses not
even shadow of proof that there was
any malicious design. effort or intention
on the part Of any person or person
connected with the arduous duties If the
printing and Distribution Of these ballots.
10 deceive or Mis.e-d any voter in the
representative districts affected end il
Is the order Of the board that the clerk
enter Oh the commissioners journal zee
ord all the oral evidence presented in
the case. together vf-h the decision az
tha board ana attach thereto the ballots
marked in exhibits "a b and 'C~
THESE ballots were the oaes returned to
tia clerk
The commissioner did not allow the
ban for the printing Of the ballots as
they 3id not reach THAT matter before ad-
forming. 1T o'c,oek