The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-30
Election commissioners Guard the
Handling of the Ballots With
Caution.
MAY FINISH BY SATURDAY.
Butler and Wagner Are Allowed
to Oversee the Work-Taking
of Dispositions in Congress
sional Contest Proceeds.

The Wagner Butler contest for a seat IN
Congress from the Twelfth District was
carried into the Election Commissioners
Office yesterday, when the work of count
ing the ballots cast at the last election and
comparing them with the poll books was
commenced
Under the rules OF the contest no one was
allowed TO enter the room in the basement
Of the CITY Hall. where the counting was
in progress. except the Election Commits
sionerS. the principals. their attorneys, no.
taries and four clerks. William NJ Kinsey
represented George c. r. Wagner and
James J. Butler was represented by Thorn
as J. Rowe.
The participants in the count were sworn
to an oath of secrecy by Commissioner
Aloe in the presence of Commissioners Nc
Canery and Wood.
The Commissioners were present in obedi-
Fhce to the citation. which requires them to
open the ballot boxes and compare the bal
lets with the poll books in eighty-four of
the liz precincts of the Twelfth District
ihe actual counting of the ballots Is per-
formed by Patrick j. Reagan. Republican,
and Martin f. Moore. Democrat, clerks in
the Election Commissioners Office. and the
comparing Of the poll books is being at
lenGed to hY Clerks John A. Sloane and
Robert Jordan.
ONLY PART OF BALLOTS EXAMINED.
Only that portion of the ballots pertaining
to the short term of Congress is allowed
to be examined. and the participants are
under oath not TO divuIse anything regard
ing the proceedings.
The contestant has until Saturday. Janu-
airy 3. to finish the comparison OF the bal
lots. The fifteen DAYS allowed the COM
r!ainant 10 take direct testimony will then
bs UP.
contestant charges most of the violations
were committed. the ballot boxes of that
ward were opened first
The cOntestee Will begin taking testimony
Monday. January .. and continue twenty
days He stated at the Election Commits
sioners' Office yesterday that IL is possible
he might also request the opening of bal
lot boxes
1t IS believed the count can be finished by
Saturday. If the present force is unable
70 complete the work additional clerks will
bs employed
In order to maintain the strictest secrecy
men Were detailed at the doors leading to
the basement of the City Hall. with in
structions to allow no one to enter
TAKING OF DISPOSITIONS.
Notary Public James u. Halter presided
over the deposition yesterday in the Kaiser
building, corner Of Broadway and Pine
Street.
Martin Delaney No. 3Wa Pine street, said
that the polling place Of the Thirteenfh
Precinct of the Twenty-second Ward was
connected with saloon. Though h. was a
Republican challenger. he was thrown out
Of the polling place by the police. who, he
sd Ice were m nPGT5ed fr9I9 Mo ether 5s heats
was a Republican clerk in precinct ) of the
Twenty-secono Ward. He testified that f,
H Nelson. proprietor of the livery stable
at No. 2GoT olive street had laughed when
asked if twenty nine names which were on
the .verification lists lived at that number.
t-ra.4I LIMO ply.a. . l,,.
were afterwards on the printed lists Tie
polling place OF the precinct. he testified
was in a wineroom attached to the saloor. of
John Fontana, Speaker of the House Of
Delegates.
George P Kolb. No. sl7 South Twenty
third street. an expressnan. was Republican
clerk in precinct Of the Fourteenth Ward
The saloon across the street, ne said was
open all the day. lie said strangers came
in the polls during the day and Instructed
people how to vote.
AFRAID OF VIOLENCE
Sigmund Kramer Republican City Central
committee, from the Fourteenth Ward
said that all Of the saloons in the ward
were open on election day. He said :hat
ne could not get business men to serve as
judges of election because they were
afraid Of violence. T'hs Hoard Of Election
Commissioners, he testified, refused to ap-
point ten men whom he had recommended |
for Judges of election. One was refused he |
he did not drink at all: another was refused
because he was a doctor: another because |
he was a lawyer. and another because he |
was q cripple. He appointed a Democrat.
Tom Reedy. in place of one Republican |
whom he had recommended. He claimed |
that he could get no Republican to serve. |
He said that ia names We're registered |
from No. 300 20 224l Chestnut street a sec
tion where only women of certain class |
are supposed 10 live.
At the afternoon session Joseph l., Schu-
Ter. No. 1890 Clark avenue. Republican City |
Central committeeman. testified TO padded /
registration al different numbers IN the |
Fifth Ward. He said that when he visited |
the hotels the proprietOrS would give him |
no satisfaction regarding tie names which |
Were registered from their houses. !
Mrs Mary Campbell, No 2it4 Olive street.
that number Of names which were regis !
tered from her house, I'D not live there |
November E.
George Dabney, 2 negro who lives at No. |
1887 Gag street. was, perhaps, the most sem |
sational witness of the Gay. Il" said that |
400 North Ievee. had induced him to join
gang of fourteen or fifteen negroes who
went to the polling place near the old Gus
tom house on Olive street, and there voted
from slips Of paper. The slip which was
given to him bore the name of William
also on the slip the statement that he had
lived in the State ten years and in the city
five. Dabney's nerve failed him and he
went UP the alley to Pine street. He took
the slip to the Republican headquarters in
the Temple building.
cinct l of the First Ward. He said that
when he made the canvass with the Demo-
cratic clerk the bosses of the cheap board
ing houses answered as they were advised
by the other clerk.
Dispositions will be resumed at 10 o'clock