Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-19

AS a result OF information concerning the
movements OF certain Mercer workers, The
Bee has decided to make this offer Of re-
ward for the detection OF fraudulent vot-
ing done in the interest Of the nonresident
candidate for congress. 1t has been reliably
ascertained that the Mercerites, who have
had possession Of the primary enrolment
books, have been going through them for
names Of people who have moved away with
a view to having other persons vote on
these names.
1t is also known that the Mercerites are
contemplating swearing in large numbers
of men before the city clerk, who have no
right to vote at, the primaries, in order to
throw their votes into the wards where
they think they have a chance to win out.
The principal part of their scheme for de-
frauding the ballot box ~contemplates the
importation from Council Bluffs Of nonres-
ident voters to come to the rescue OF the
nonresident congressman.
Emissaries of the Mercer campaign man
ayers were in Council Bluffs Wednesday and
Thursday trying to arrange the details of
this conspiracy. 1t will be remembered that
similar importation of voters from Omaha
to Council Bluffs was charged a few years
ago during the holly contested primary fight
there for a convention in the interest Of
the reelection OF Senator Gear, in which
John N. Baldwin was actively interested.
The same men who engineered the impor-
tation of voters from Omaha to Council
Bluffs at that time are said to be engaged
IN similar work in behalf OF the Baldwin
Mercer alliance now, only with the direc-
tion OF the movement reversed.
One OF the Mercer recruiters, who went
90 Nn.,~aNI I,.H He1pa nD,ohn - NAEa -
J sion, asserted that they had all the money
they wanted an. intended to use It where
it would do the most good. He repre-
scented that Mercer expected to win in the
First, Fifth. Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and
Ninth wards, with a fighting chance in the
Fourth ward, admitting the loss of the
Second and Third wards. He declared that
the money was to be used in bringing votes
into the contested wards and that the bridge
motor line between Council Bluffs and
Omaha would do a big business on Friday.
The outcome of the primary election
fully confirmed the forecast made by
the secretary Of Governor Savage. The
imported Iowa repeaters and fraudulent
affidavit men had done their work
effectively. An examination of the cleo
" NAhAh AnNAOoCu NhC ldCI lldl
1853 men had voted on afidavits In
the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Sixth, Seventh and Eighth wards, while
In the Ninth. where there was no con-
test over Mercer, only a handful of men
were sworn in on afidavits.
Within three days after the primary
my informant at Council Bluffs was d.
rected to make a personal investigation
in the grading camps. The letter in
which he related his experience is the
story which Mr.. MERGERS manager
wants to discredit. In order to verify
the report in detail its publication was
withheld for nearly a week.
The first step taken was to locate
win Esancy, the man represented as
paymaster Of imported railroad graders
and manipulation Of the endless chain
In the Fourth ward. His name was
found on the register as having voted
late in the evening, and the affidavit
deposited by him represents him as liv-
ing at 1913 Howard street. L. B. Ken
nard and j. G. Kuhn certified under
path that they knew him to be a citizen
Of the Fourth ward, and knew that he
was absent from the city on registra-
ton days last year. Kennard and Kuhn
we're active Mercer workers at the
Fourth ward poll during the entire
afternoon. from the opening to the close
A thorough search OF 1918 Howard
street and adjacent buildings failed TO
disclose that any man by the name OF
Esancy had ever lived there. The resi-
dence portion Of 1919 Howard was va
ant on September 10 and is still va
cant A warrant was therefore sworn