The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-20
Rigid Investigation Into Sec
ond Monroe Matter.
OFFICERS ADMIT ERROR.
But Don't Believe There Has
Been Wrongdoing.
The BALLOTS ARE GENUINE.
Expert Testimony Establishes This
Beyond Question = Warm Words
Between Messrs. Hall, Fuller
and others-lnvestigationto
Be Resumed To-
Morrow Night.
THE BALLOTS ARE GENUINE.

The decided trend OF the testimony in
the investigation of the election returns
;of the Second Precinct OF Monroe Ward.
which was gone into at Murphy's Hotel
lat seren-hours' sitting of the specla!
tcommittee last night, is toward the Nindl-
cation of all parties concerned and a COM
plete exoneration OF Chairman Doherty,
in whose possession The ballots have
been in n sealed trunk since the day OF
The primary
4 large number of witnesses were eX-
emined among them being Messrs. Snead
and jacobs. who We're the Judges, ana
They and others took no stock IN the
rumors a1loat that the ballots had oeen
,ampereG with after they came into the
ipcssession of the City Committee. Secre-
i1ary Duke and Messrs. Dance and DUCK
l.ardt gave convincing testimony on the
iroirt and proved to the satisfaction OIL
ali that the ballots were genuine ana
that no spurious ones had been substl-
1uted 1t was brought out, too, IN clear
anG forccful manner that the seals OF me
trunk and ballot boxes were found M
tact when the recent recount was begun.
FEW STRIKING FEATURES.
Beyond the clearness of most OF
ilne. testimony tending to establish an IN
,iocent error, rather than any semblance
lo1 fraud. the only striking feature Of the
iirsl session of the committee, WAS me
3 sririted colequys between Oh airman af5aii
.,.l one side and Nessrs. puller. Brock
e,lbrough. Hughes, and Darlington on the
other. Mr.. Fuller was on the stand and OBJ
,1ectcd tos.c-rtain questions by CHAIRMAN
"A lAr->,1,r which he declared were not only
irrelevant 10 tie matte at issue. but " nich
tii5tncatea that he the witness. was under
investigation. and was being attacked oy
the Chair.
tho same lire and it looked for mo
r Ont as if there might be trouble. Inc
s,lar was appealed to finally and the
n;,cstion was withdrawn. The coolest
an in the house was capt Hall, ana
Though under heavy fire. ne stood ms
ground and Vas quick to withdraw WIaen
he found he was in error
The investigation will be resumed 10
morrow night at S o'clock, and Will prop-
sirly he concluded at this sitting. Up 10
last night. no further move had been
made by Mr. Epps in his contest but MS
counsel were hard at work making up
their case The conoensus OF OPINION
among the politicians seems to be ina II
>,r. Smith has been fairly nominated, ana
will retain the certificate OF elecuoll
awarded him by the committee.
Chairman Hall called the meeting to
order at 4:15 p. NJ, and Mr.. Brockcn-
Trough was at his desk as secretary.
Twelve Of the fourteen members Oh Inc
Especial committee answered to 1heir
names the only absentees being Messrs.
Welsh and W. D. lIarton.
Captain Hall brought with him the box
containing the ballots for the second
precinct of Monroe Ward. and it was
agreed that the box was not resealed
after the recount by the committee. Cap
iain Harry Lee Watson. a member OIL
ltte committee and notary public, ad-
ministered the oath of office to the mem
hers The room vas cleared OF all save
newspaper men and members of the conf
lmit,ce Captain Hall stated that he and
Captain Watson and Mr.. Taylor as
special committee. had visited Chairman
Dohert5's Office to get the box of Second
Monroe Ward tickets. and that they had
found the trunk containing all the ballots
properly locked and sealed.
BALLoT-BoXf EXAMINED.
The baliot-box WAS opened and every
thing, including the tally-sheess, was
found to be intact. Messrs. Darlington.
1,aSlor. Dance and Brockenbrough We're
apnniuted n subcommittee TO count the
ballots and to see il they tailed with the
etker counts. Meanwhile Captain Hall
and others we're verifying the figures on
been made in the calculations there.
Mr. Welsh OF the special committee,
came in at this point and was sworn.
The count of the total number of bal
lots in the box was found to be IN ac-
cordance with the original ones, the nun
Der being 413. Thnreahad been one ballot
short all along, the s1nn1ber reported as
cast being 4l4.
ar. W. C. Duke. being sworn, was put
on the stand az AN expert witness 70
testify as to whether the ballots We're all
genuine. He did the printing for the cleo
fion. and Is considered high authority II,
his line
Mr. Duke told how the ballots had been
Inder his direct charge from the time o.
the printing until placed in the hands o.
the election officers. He testified that ne
had used two grades of paper, and ex-
plained this in detail. but the sist of II
was that it had no significance. Mr. y
+. Oven. stenographer for the comn1is-
tee. was now brought IN and sworn by
Captain Watson. @ss SIS
Mr.. ~. D. Harton. tho other member
OF the committee. arrived. and was sworn
Chairman Dohcrtyi occupied seat IN
the room. but took no part in the pro-
ceedings.
MIR. DUKES EsAITToGRAPH.
Mr.. Duke resuming his testimony. SAID
that the autographs OF himself engraved
Oh the back or the tickets were MADE IRON
outs. all of which had always been y
his keeping. There were no other cuts
Gf this character in existence. Mr.. Duke
exploined the character of tspe used b,
himself in printing tho ballots. and sait
frat some of II used was such as colilt
not he found elsewhere in the city. Ht
explained again how carefully he hai
handled the ballots. and Was confidenl
that none sf them had gotten into osllel
hands than .ae proper ones He gaVs