Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-25
A HOT MEETING.
The Waterville School District
 Elected Officers Last Night.
BALLOT BOX WAS STUFFED.

Challenged-The Playing of Sunday
 Base Ball Figured Largely in tha
 Meeting-Those Opposed and Those
 in Favor of the Game Lined Up and
 Finally Split Even by Each Getting
 an Officer
 Very interesting, indeed, was the annual school meeting of the Water- vile school district, which was held last night. Things were rather warm and exciting at times. There were il- legal ballots cast and there was ballot stuffing; there were questions concern- ing the legality of votes and there were warnings given about the punishment due to persons wlo induge in the prac- tice of ballot stufting; there were fac- tional disputes and much rivalry for office. And when it was after | o'clock the meeting adjourned to Thurs day night. Inc Sunday base ball ques- tion was the primary cause of all the trouble at the meeting last night. AS is well known, a short time ago a pe- tition was started by the Rev J. J. Moffit of the Grace Methodist church and some of his parishioners asking the Pin Go officials to stop the playing of Sunday base ball at the local grounds. This move was distasteful to q large number of Wateryille residents and they went to the meeting last night with the avowed intention of defeating every person who was a candidate for office who had signed the petition against Sunday base ball. They pos csfrs rfh hpf meeting was of interest to the taXpay- CTS was well evidenced by the presence of 156 voters at the meeting. Horace Garrigus was appointed chairman of the meeting, which was started prompt- ly at o'clock. +. w. Randall was re- elected chairman for the ensuing year. After the reading of the minutes and the submission of the annual reports, the fun began. The election of a treasurer set the ball a-rolling, and here it was that the advocates of Sun day base ball did their good work. Frank B. Buck. secretary of the IT. l.. Welch Hosiery Co, was q candidate for reelection to the office of treasurer. He had signed the petition against the Sunday ball playing and consequently was defeated by William Flint, fore man in the employ of the American
  opponents B. His election was greet cd with loud applause by his followers. The election of committeeman was next. Louls Gates, Ferdinand Wolf and John 1T. Bride were nominated. Though Mir Wolf. who sought re-elec- ton, stoutly denied that he signed the petition, still it was reported that he had. and therefore he was opposed for the position by John IT. Bride. Wole received 77 votes, while Bride received "A. Just as the chairman was about to announce the election of Mir Wolf, Druggist T.. B. Carney arose and ques- toned the legality of the vote. MT Chairman" said he. II protest. The election is illegal. There is gentle- man in this room who cast ballot and had no right to vote. That man is the Re.- MT Moffitt." This was like the explosion of a bombshell in it's effect. Ii produced an uproar. Every eye was turned on the Rev Mir Moffitt, who was not a registered voter. Some person. suggested that Mir Moffitt's vote should be thrown out. Mir Carney immediate- Iy arose and said ''1he whole thing is illegal. We have no right to demand how MT Moffitt voted, one way or the other. He is not a voter and voted. Perhaps there are others. I move that
 
 Mir Moffitt arose and explained why he voted. He said that as he entered the hall some person told him he could vote. In reply to a question of Louis Gates the minister said that he had voted for treasurer. All the ballots up to this time were then cast out and the voting began anew, this time by the check list. 1t was at this time that the ballot stuffing took place. When the votes were counted there were 161 bal- lots while there were only 153 voters iii the hall Chairman Garrigus, after the confusion and excitement had sub- sided said that there was q heavy pens atty attached to ballot stuffing and that any person engaged in it would be heavily punished. Some of Brides fol- lowers had left the hall before the next ballot took place. 1t resulted as fol- lows: Wolf S2. Bride 65 r. B. Buck was again defeated for treasurer by A vote of S3 to 51. Other officers elected were Dr Joseph Holroyd tax collector; H. A. Tullar, assessor; +. E. Buck. auditor: Louis Gates. trustee for tha cemetery fund. IT. A. Tullar had a strong opponent in Daniel Lynch, who was defeated by a few votes John B. Chatfield and D. B. Welton refused to be considered as candidates for re- nomination TOT auult0f ana trustee re- spectively. The matter of laying a school tax was deferred, owing to tho change in the manner of assessing the value of property. On motion of George IT. Edwards it was voted to purchase for S4,000 or less the John Ray property adjoining the present school grounds. as a site for the proposed addition of four rooms to the present school buiIdings The addition will cost about $12,0O0. and the money for it will have to be Borrowed. The vote was a severe blow to the east side residents, who ue- sired that the new school should be- built at the junction of Clarke and Cooke streets. The meeting adjourned to Thursday evening at s o'clock, when there will be more business done in connection with additional school acS commodations.