Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-30
AANSC0M'S CASE.
Claims His Legal Election a.
Hancock's Sheriff.
Hearing Before Governor and Council
Begun, Yesterday Afternoon.
Afternoon and Evening Oceupied r.
Case and Not Vet Settled.

the Governor and Council when il met
at O'Clock yesterday. was the hearing
on the application of Sylvanus L. Hans
com of Eden, praying that certain
corrections be made in the official re-
| turns OF the votes cast in Hancock
| county for sheriff at the recent election
| to correspond with the intention of the
voters. and that a certificate of cleo
uon De given to him. EX-Judge EnOch
Foster. and his law partner, Hon. o. H.
Hersey, both of Portland, and Judge 3.
| f. Clark of Bar Harbor. appeared for
MIR. Hanscom. Arno w. King, Esq, Of
Ellsworth, and E. S. Clark, ESQ, of Bar
| Harbor, appeared for Howard F.. Whit
comb the Republican candidate for
sheriff. who appears to be elected on
| the face of the returns. A number of
present.
| The case was opened by Judge B. E.
| Clark of the counsel for Mr.. Hanscom.
He began by stating that at the State
| election on Sept. 2. there were three
| candidates for sheriff of Hancock
county. Howard F. Whitcomb. Timothy
| Donovan and Sylvanus l.. Hanscom,
the petitioner. Whitcomb by the re-
| turns had 2233 votes; Hanscom 2161:
! and Donovan 1910. Hanscom comes
before you because he believes that all
| the votes cast for him have not been
| counted for him. He comes before you
asking that certain voters in certain
| towns be declared for him. He comes
here because he feels that the people of
Hancock county intended to elect him
to the Office of sheriff of that county.
| and he makes application, under the
provisions of Section of Chapter IS of
| the Revised Statutes, that the returns
be corrected in accordance with the
| actual intention of those who voted for
him.
Mr.. Clark then read that portion of
Hanscoms petition which refers to the
| vote of Bluehill and said that votes for
Mr.. HanscOm cast in certain other
| towns in the county We're not all count
ed for him; and that if the corrections
| asked for be made Hanscom would
| have 2441 votes in the whole county.
| Further, Mr.. Clark alleged that the re-
| turns from Wards and in Ellsworth
were defective, in that they were not
made in accordance with the law, and
II that therefore they should not be
i counted. BY throwing out these re-
/ turns. Whitcomb's vote would be re-
II duced to 2O60. which would give Mr..
II Hanscom "a plurality of 3S1 votes.
II The official return from the city of
II Ellsworth was produced. This certifies
Il that the votes for the various candi-
II dates in the city had been counted and
II declared in open ward meeting except
II in Wards 3 and A. Mr.. Clark contend
ed that on the face of this return it is
| shown to be defective. In Ward it
| was claimed that no record was made
i'm the ward book showing that any
votes had been cast for any candidates
in that ward. In Ward it was claim
ed that the votes were not sealed as re-
quired by law.
I'VE are handicapped by the fact
that we cannot compel the attendance
of Witnesses said Mr.. Clark. 'and> for
that reason may not be able to show
that all the votes which we claim were
cast for Hanscom. but not counted
were so cast; but we will be able to
show by positive proof that sufficient
number should be counted for him to
overcome Whitcombs apparent plural
ity of 70
| Several witnesses were then sworn
Among them was Sylvanus l.. Hans
! com of Eden, the applicant. He testl-
fled that there was one other man In
the town of Eden by the name OF
Hanscom Charles may be his frs,
name. His initials are c. S. He lives
i'm Eden but not in the corporation Of
Bar HarbOr. Have made personal ex-
animation of the records and ballots OF
several towns in the county, but nave
not visited all the towns, but nave
visited II out of 3. towns and planta'
tons Wards 8 and 4 in ELLSWORTH
| should not be counted, for the reason
that the law at several different points
was violated in these wards. The IN
sealed ballots in Ward were put II
Il the hands of IA man who was not al
official and he laid them down on tht
steps of store. did his marketing, ant
then gathered them up and the mex
| day took them to the city clerk. II
Ward there was no record made III
discovered in the examination OF bal'
lots that municipal officers did not taks
into consideration the intent OF the
voters. but threw out ballots whici
should be counted for him. He thoush'
however that generally the vofes we'e
counted in accordance with the law.
At this point Judge Foster asked |,
he thought the votes were couii'eo
fairly in his own town OF Edeh' ano
witness said he thought not; tnat III
that town, whole ballots were thrown
out because stekers with his name
thereon were put on upside down. MOI
lonlv was the vote for witness thrown
out, butythat for every candidate on the
ticket. ,.a
Mr.. Haascom then said that he dio
NOT, come here to make this contest De
osuse he desired the Office. but Tor the
treason that a majority of the people Oh
Hancock county wished him to ENFORCE
the prohibitory law in that county IN
accordance with the platform adopted
bv the last Republican State conveh-
tom He made the contest on tnat Is
sue and he desired the vote legaiiy
( counted: for he believed in the enfore-
men of all laws. ,s... -.
Witness then described ~ vcRe cast
in Fshr Harbor which were not cOunteo'
Fo,,r ballots had a Hanscom sticker Oh
up{ide down. Another had .. L.
Htnscom of Eden" instead of Syivanus
IIL Hanscom of Eden: and still announcer
u n