Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-10-29
WANTS TO BE SHERIFF,
REV. Mr.. HANsCoM's APPEAL
TO GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL.
CLAIMS A PLURALITY OF 3st--HEAR-
ING AT AUGUSTA TO-DAY
ABLE COUNSEL FOR WHIT
COMB AND HANscoM.

"Now. therefore, your petitioner. syI-
vanus L. Hsnscom, AYERS and believes,
that the corrections he prays to have made
are according to the facts and the law
applicable to elections Tor State and
county officers. and that when the re-
turns are 30 corrected and made they
will show that Howard r. whitcomb re-
csived 2,o64 votes, Timothy Donovan
1910 votes, and your petitioner 2, al votes,
thus giving your petitioner plurality OF
3s1 votes. And he prays that . certificate
OF his election - sheriff Of Hancock
county may be given him In accordance
Herewith"
These are the words In which Rev. Mr..
Hanscom closes his petition to the COVER
nor and council, q hearing on which is
set for this afternoon, Oct. %, at Augusta.
This case ID likely to prove the most In.
teresting political contest OF the year.
Mr.. Hanscom will endesvor to make good
his claim to the office OF high sheriff OF
Hancock county.
1t will be remem bered that at the re-
publican county convention last May the
sensation OF the day was the preseuta-
tion of Mr.. Hsnscom's name for sheriff
by b. T. Sowie. And when the baiioting
was over II was found that twenty-five
delegates had voted for him. Howard f.
Whitcomb was nominated.
Later on Mr.. Hauscom was nominated
by petition, and figured on the official bal
lot as the reinforcement OF iawv candidate.
VIGOROUS CANVASS.
His canvass OF the county was of the
cyclone order. He spoke for himself in
almost every town In the county, having
as helpers only two or three of his
brot her ministers.
Early in the campaign his participation
was regarded very much In the nature OF
joke. But "a election day approached
1t became painfully evident to the party
managers, repub leans and democrats
alike, that the Hauscom vote was likely
TO be of szs that would have To be
reckoned with.
Ga ths lace OF the returns Howard F.
Whitcomb, the regular republican nom
inee, had plurality OF seventy two votes,
but Mr.. Hsnscom. who has examined the
ballots In the various towns OF the county,
claims that according to the manifest
intention OF the voters he was elected by
y plurality of ISL.
In other words, he claims that OF the
ballots thrown out a. defective, y ruf-
a.. n
IL plain that the voter In each case
thought he was voting Hsnseom ballot.
II is to make good this claim that Mr..
Hsnscom has flied with the secretary
OF state q formal petition TO the gov
ernor and council, asking them to make
correction In the returns from the county
of Hancock, and praying hat they issue
to him a certificate OF election as sheriff.
That Mr. Hanscom's interests will be
carefully looked after Is made certain by
his selection OF Foster 4 Hersey, OF Port
land. and Judge b. Il. Clark, of Bar Har-
Dor. as his attorneys. :
Sheriff Whitcomb, who will contest the
claim OF his reverend opponent, will be
represented by no less able counsel. and
battle royal. Mr.. whitcomb will be rep
resented by A. w. King, OF Ellsworth.
There has been sn iniimation that Mr..
Hanscom's attorneys may seek to have the
original ballots brought here for inspec-
ton, which will be something new, as in
all former contests the council has never
gone hey ond the returns, to the extent OF
bringing the original ballots into the
council chamber.
THE PETITION.
Mr.. Hsnscom's petition to the governor
and council Ais ten typewriter pages.
He says that by the tabulation of the
returns from the different cities and towns
In the county oi Hancock II appears that
be received 2 1el votes lie then takes up
the towns. one by one, and alleges the
circumstances whereby his vote should be
increased.
The return from the town OF Blnehill
gives him 1903 votes, but he contends that
There were "a votes cast for SyivaBus l..
Hsnseom, OF Eden, and l vote for =. l..
Hsnscom which were not counted for him.
In that return he claims that vote was
counted for Whitcomb, where Whit
combs name was erased, and, therefore,
whitcomb's vote should be 81 instead
of So.
The town OF Brooklin gives Hsnscom
81 votes on the return, bat the records OF
the town clerks Office show that there
were II votes cast for him which were not
included in the return.
The returns from Brooksyille show 30
votes for Hanscom, and be claims 10 more.
Backsport's returns give Hanscom 90
and he claims other votes.
Ia Deer Isle, where the returns show so
votes, Hauscom claims 10 more.
Dedhsm's "a votes, he claims, should be
increased by 3.
In Eden, bis home town, the returns
give him s67, but the clerks records show
that there were IS votes cast for him, /
vote for L. Hanscom, 8 for s. L. Hanscom,
/ for s. f. Hsnscom, of Eden. / for Syl-