The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-08-04
IMMENSE VOTE
IN PRIMARIES
SEVENTH PRECINCT OF THE
FIFTH AND THE FIGHT
OF FACTIONS.
HENRY HELD BALLOT BOX DUR
ING A RAID.
a Conspiracy to Steal It-Home Rulers
Say Members of Their Party Were
Voted.

A row in the seventh precinct of the
Fifth District, where an effort was
made at two a. m. Sunday to steal the
ballot box and where the extraordinary
enrolment of 494 votes out of 516 voters
of all parties in the precinct, was the
liveliest feature of the primary elections
on Saturday. Other noteworthy fea-
lures were a large increase in the Re-
publican vote everywhere, a crushing
defeat for the men who tried to buck
the compromise ticket in the second of
the fourth, and the enrolment of sew
eral well known Home Rule and Demo-
cratic leaders who announced their in
tention to vote the Republican ticket.
In both the precincts where there were
contests, protests were made and ap-
peals noted from the rulings.
The seventh precinct showed signs
of coming trouble all through the day.
Warden Henry, chairman of the cleo
ton board, had to listen to a constant
series of objections and controversies
between the rival factions, most of the
disputes being between T. McCants Ste
wart as representative of the Clark
Huddy ticket and w. T. Sims of the
other side. by nightfall both sides
We're in pugnacious mood and no polite
ness was lost between them. The husI-
lers for each side had voted practically
everyone in the precinct by eight o'cto~k
Home Rulers and all, and there was
large crowd awaiting the count.
1t appeared unsafe to open the ballot
box outside the reform school building
and permission was secured to enter it.
Captain Henry carried it in, guarded by
equal numbers of each faction, and the
crowd stayed outside and demanded ad-
mittance. Let twelve more of each
side in," said Henry and the room filled
up.
Stewart made a protest on the first
ballot. 1t contained the name of Henry
Vida, and the protest was on the
ground that as Vida had not enrolled
before being nominated, his name could
not be up. Some of the others tried to
shout Stewart down but he stayed with
them till be got the floor. His protest
was overruled, Henry remarking that
he had already secured legal advice on
the point.
For three or four hours after the
count began it was impossible to tell
results. The three men who were on
both tickets, Judge Wilcox, Henry and
William Sherwood, forged ahead, while
the other rival candidates of the two
factions ran along even. Sandwiches
and coffee were served and Stewart
perched himself in a corner and now
and then made remarks about brOtherly
harmony and all supporting the ticket
in the end. There was much bantering
some of it not al all good natured, Ste
wart went home before the row came,
probably luckily for him.
The lights were turned out by some
disgruntled partisan at about two
o'clock by which time the Clark Hubby
Wallace victory was evident, and in
stantly there was a grab for the bal
I lot box. Early in the day there had
been talk of a similar occurrence last
year, and Henry remarked that he had
the box this time, and he would guaran-
tee that he kept it. He did so, though
there was quite a rough house for a
time.
There were a few moments of scrim-
images in the dark and one or two wa
ter pitchers made flights through the
air. When the lights came again,
Henry was planted in a corner of the
room, holding the ballot box as If 1t
contained the Hope diamonds instead
of lot of worthless bits of paper. Cap
tain Cluney, another of the officials,
emerged from under the table and re-
marked that this was the last election
board he intended to sit on. The room
had been considerably reduced in popu-
lation through windows and doors. The
tally sheets had disappeared, but a
count of the ballots showed that there
were still 494 of them and it was de-
cided to begin all over again. With
police on guard, the work went on un-
Interrupted and the count was finished
at about o'clock Sunday morning, by
I which time Stewart had returned-in
time to propose the Doxology. Whether
it was because the Clark -Huddy ticket
had won or because Stewart always
sings it at that hour on Sunday did not
appear.
w. r. Sims is the man who is report
I ed to have turned off the lights, while
II. c. Birbe is credited with having,
with Sims put up the plan. Affidavits
have been made by members Of the
other faction who may bring charges
against the men who are said to have
caused the trouble. j. L. Holt publicly
accused Sims in the voting room, of
having turned off the lights, in accord
ance with ap Ian to carry off the box.
"Our side was 23 ahead" said Holt,
'and it could be seen from the kind of
paper of which the remaining few bal
lots in the box were composed, that we
had won. Birbe and Sims were seen
whispering together, and l think Birbe
put up the scheme. Aftidavits have
been made and others can be secured,
showing those who were in the
scheme"
The stout resistance of Warden Henry
and the opposition of Big Jim Kupihea
were what saved the ballot box. There
was an arranged plan for getting hold
of it, and If it had succeeded the bal
lots would have been destroyed and the
question of representation would have
been fought out in the convention.
Men were posted at various points
about the room, ready to make the
charge at a given signal, when lights
We're to be eXtinguished. The tally
clerks, all unconscious of the designs OF
the men who loiteTed about them, kept
up their work. The signal was given
the lights went out and the men who
charged on the tally clerks were all sue
Continues on page hve.)