The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-27
Report Agreed Upon by City Com
mittes Last Night.
CONTEST TUESDAY NIGHT
All Parties and Counsel to Be Present
Viii Be Hot Battle-Motion Made
to Reject Mr.. Epps' Petition is
Voted Down-Mr. Meredith.
on Mr.. Smiths Behalf,
Says Hs is Ready.

The City Democratic Committee last
night adopted the majority report Of the
Investigating committee, as to the dis
crepancies in Second Precinct Monroe
Ward. and decided to take up the con-
test for City Sergeant on Tuesday night
at S o'clock.
There were three reports as to Second
Monroe One was signed by nine mem
bcrs and fully exonerated all the cleo
ton officers and Superintendent Ordway
PulIer. and vindicatcd and praised Chair.
man Dolierty. This one s;as adopted by
unanimous vote. after the others had
been rejected. Captain Hall presented
Que signed by himself alone which CEN
.,,red Mr. Fuller, designated the action
OF the election officers as careless in al
lowing the count and tally TO go on un-
witnessed, and which praised and yindl-
Gated Chairman Doherty. The other one,
which was signed by Messrs. Taylor.
Saunders G. w. Harton and Welsh, was
Captain Halls report, with notifications
ns 10 Mr.. Puller's conduct. This was
rejected by a vote of p to 3.
1t wac then decided TO take up the
contest made by MIR. Epps on Tuesday
f.icht ne1., when parties and counsel on
both sides are instructed to be present
and maintain their respective positions
before the committee.
Mr.. Smith was present with his at
tmreys last night, but neither Mr. tpps
Tor MS lawyers were present.
MOTION TO REJECT.
Mr.. Tul.e 1roveo tc reject Mr.. Epps.
petition for further time on the ground
that he had already had his day in court
Ilr. Dance made a warm speech III sup
por. of this molten. and declared that
TIC committee was asked to do a child
ish thing. not by Mr. Epps. but by lhose
who had doodle lip on the result
Mr.. Meredith urged that Nlesday night
Ire fixed for taking e, The case. and said
his client would be ready with his an
s,ser. and would be able to refute the
,larges made in Mr.. Epps notice. lie
submitted that his opponents had waitea
until the last hour to file their notice
Int his client would be ready. though,
as n matter of fact. he thought there
should be some end to the number or con-
tests a man should make tor an once
The contest to be taken up luesuas
night promises to he SPIRITED IN 'lc cA
iremc. and ii is likely to consume all
tho time intil Friday. when under the
,nw the names of candidates Tor munlc-
ipal Offices must be filed with the clerk
of the Hastings Court
CALLED TO ORDER.
Chairman Doherty called the meeting 10
o,der at S o'clock, and the roll call dis
coxerad the presence of twcnty-seven
members. and others came In later
Sergeant ]. g. Smith, accompanied ps
his counsel, Messrs. G.. v. Meredith ano
Roscoe Nelson. occupied seats IN 1he rear VI
Of .ho hail. Under the head Of reports oil
snecial committees, Captain Cunningham
Hail. chairman of the Special Investgat-
i.,r Committee appointed to investigate
tho discrepancies in Second Monroe, laid
before the committee two reports, IheY
we're read by Secretary Duke and lis
tened to attentively by the members OF
the committee.
The majority report recommended the
exoneration of all those connected with
tbe precinct under Investigation. as Well
as Chairman Dchcrty. in whose posses
SION the ballots have been in scaled
tr,ni, since the night of the primary.
This paper was signed by nine members
of the committee. as follows: Mcssrs. w.
d, Halton. G. E. Hughes, ii. l.. Watson,
T.. c. Haake, ]. S. BrockenbrouGil, John
r. Jcaman. Charles Y. Darlington. w. ".
Butler and 7. ]. Dance.
The minority report is Signed by Cap
tain Hall and by Messrs. j. c. Taylor,
NJ. D. IIarton, ]. B. Welsh and Clyde
w Saunders. who do not agree to section
G of Captain Halls paper, which sought
10 censure Mr.. Oriway Pulier for allow
in;, outsiders to tally votes without being
sworn. Both reports vindicate Chairman
noherty fully, and both call attention
to the carelesSneSS on the part OF the
election officers for future benefit.
CAPTAIN HALLS REMARKS.
Captain Hall submitted the following
statement in defense of his position:
LAS some criticism has been made Of
my inrcstga tion. as chairman of the In-
restigating Committee, into the discrep-
ancies at Second Monroe. desire to state,
in Justice to myself, that i was sworn to
do fny full duty to investigate every Of
fcer and member of this committee and
every election officer at Second Monroe,
and every witness who had anything to
do with those ballots from the nmethey
were printed until the time they were re-
counted by this committee. Believing that
the discrepancies could oniS occur thrcugh
fraud or through clerical errors or both
combined. went TO work to Investigate
for fraud and for errors. deemed had
the right to question every witness as to
his every act concerning that election. and
TO show whether any one OF them had
any motive for committing fraud ]
deemed 1t my duty to question closely
the chairman of this committee and the
ward superintendent. also an officer OF THIS
committee, to see whether or not by any
act on their part. whether through igno-
rance of the plan or neglect Of duty. they
had. in any way. contributed towards a
commission Of fraud or Of error. II had
investigated this matter. as chairman OF
this committee. less searchingly than l
did. would have been false TO my oath
and unworthy of the confidence the
committee had placed In me-. i believe the
City Democratir Committee desired the
fullest investigation and the Democrats
Of this city would have been satisfied
with nothing else II deem this statement
due to myself. -
DIR, CARRINGTON SPEAKS.
DIR. Darlington advocated the aiority
report. and Mr.. Fnlkes moved fits adop-
tcontinued on Second PaEc,)