Evening star., 1902-03-11
UNDER INVESTIGATION
Mr.. Mudd's Charges Against
E.A. Fuller.
{
ECHO OF CAMPAIGN
r
STATEMENT MADE TODAY BIZ
THE REPRESENTATIVE.
e q
Not Seeking to Restrict Mr.. Fuller's
Right to Exercise Political
Privileges.
ECHO OF CAMPAIGN

Col. John BiddIe. the Engineer Commits
stoner. Is investigating verbal charges pre-
ferred by Representative Sidney E. Mudd
of Maryland against E. A. Fuller, clerk
In the office of the superintendent OF the
water department at the District building.
The charges are the outgrowth OF the polit-
ical campaign Of last fall in Prince Georges
county, Md. Mr.. Mudd alleging that Mr..
Fuller was guilty at that time OF sharp
political practices Mr.. Mudd declares that
Fuller was one of a party of voters In the
county who signed certificate of nomina-
ton for so-called reform republican,
ticket, with no intention of supporting that
ticket, but rather an avowed supporter of
the regular democratic ticket 1t is fur
ther alleged that Mr.. Fuller did not support
the reform republican" ticket at the polls,
and that the ticket SO nominated was
fraud intended to confuse the voters and
draw them Away from the regular repub-
lican ticket.
Causes Stir.
AS stated, Colonel Biddle, who is in
charge of the engineer department under
which Mr.. Fuller is employed, is investigat
Ing the charges. The Commissioners had
hoped to keep the matter quiet until it was
out somewhere last night and this morning
caused quite stir at the bul.uing Com
missioner Macfarland ated today that he
would not favor the dismissal of any Dis
trlct employe on purely political grounds.
1t Is stated that while politics may be pri-
marily behind the charges preferred by Mr..
Mudd there are other elements contained in
them as well. Commissioner Biddle said to-
day that his Investigations had not pro-
gressed to the point where a statement could
District pmDiOyeS not
regulated by the civil service. The Com
missioners have repeatedly recommended to
Congress the extension Of the civil service
law to the District, but the measures drawn
up to that end have always been tabled by
the District committees. Similar action was
taken recently by the House committee dur
Mr.. Mudd's charges were made personally
to Col. Biddle and were not written. The
only documents in the case are printed
records from the Court Of Appeals Of the
state of Maryland in the case of Benjamin
F. Duvall against Richard ]. Swami and
others. the board Of supervisors Of election
Of Prince Georges county, being an appeal
from the circuit court of that county. The
action was for mandamus, brought by Mr..
Duvall, candidate of the republican party
for the Office Of county commissioner to
prevent the board Of supervisors from ac-
cepting the certfficate of nomination Of the
reform republican candidates. The man
damus was denied by the Circuit Court.
Signed the Certificate.
Mr.. Fuller Is resident Of Hyattsville, in
Prince Georges county, and Is the editor
Of weeklyipaper there, the independent :
He is popularity known as a democrat. Mr..
Fuller was one OF the signers Of the alleged
fraudulent nomipation certificate. The
charges in the Dpvall petition for manda-
mus. to which Mrs. Mudd points in his allie
cations against Fuller, as follows:
THAT the party designation adopted by
the said signers Of the pretended certificate
Of nomination Is 30 nearly similar to that OF
the republican pa4ty, of which your peu-
tioner Is candidate, that there Is a pc
culiar danger that the printing upon the
official ballot Of the names of said persons
so pretended to be nominated with the said
designation reform republican, of mislead-
ing the voters and especially abridges, in
terferes with and encEqaches upon the
rights of your, petitioner and other candi-
dates Of the republican party In said county.
Your petitioner is informed. ayers and
therefore believes. that the object Of many
of the persons who. have signed the said
pretended certificate Of nomination is. in
point of fact, to confuse the voters; that
this pretended certificate Of nomination is
signed by many persons who are publicly
ayowed supporters not Of the persons so
pretended to be nominated, but Of the regu-
larly nominated candidates Of the demo-
cratic party Of said county; that among
such signers upon said pretended certifi-
cate of nomination who are publicly sup
porters of the democratic candidates are
Dr. Charles A. Wells Of Hyattsville, Of
said county. who is the father of Robert w.
Wells, a candidate on the said democratic
ticket for the house Of delegates of the
state Of Maryland. said r. w. Wells also
being counsel to the said board Of super
visors of election of said county, and as
such advised them that the said pretended
certificate Of nomination was in legal form
and had been filed in time; E. A. Fuller.
also OF HyattSyille, and a brother-in-law
Of the said r. W. Wells: ]. C. Callan.
democratic officer of registration and a
Judge of election in the Bladensburg dis
trict Of said county; Edward Magruder.
democratic judge Of election in the thir-
teenth election district of said county; John
Schultz, democratic candidate In the year
1899 for county commissioner and now one
Of the most prominent democrats In his
district, and many others.
Insincerity Alleged.
THAT said persons do not intend to sup
port the said individuals pretended to be
nominated by them and do not intend to
vote for such persons pretended to be nom
mated. and did not so intend at the time
they signed the said pretended certificate
Of nomination, and that the only purpose
OF the preparation and filing of said pre-
tended certificate of nomination Is as afore-
said to confuse the voters Of the county SO
as to assist in securing an apparent major
ty for candidates whom the legal voters of
the said county would not otherwise select.
Your petitioner is informed. believes and
therefore AYERS that the said pretended
certificate of nomination is a fraud, has
been obtained by fraud, was prepared by
fraud. that the signatures thereto were OBJ
tained by fraud. and that the only object
thereof q fn 70 r. nd