The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-08
BUCkNtR CLAIMS
THREE MAJORITY
Notices of Contest Served on
Sen. Griffith Yesterday,
BASEDON TECHNICAlITIES
The Sleeping Republicans in Michel and
Madison mol Willing TO Admit That
They We're Caught Mapping
on Eltc ion Day.

iSolCideiy iiotItc NdS St1Ntu OH SeHd-
tor Griffith. of the 36th district. (com-
posed of Madison, Mitchell and Yancey
counties, that his seat would De con-
tested by his Republican opponent, Mr.
VIM. M. Buckner. The following is the
notice of contest:
NORTH CAROLINA-Thirty- Sixth Sena-
torial District.
William NJ. Buckner, Contestant VS.. w.
II. Griffith, Contestee.
To w. E. Griffith Contestee:
You will hereby take notice that the
Undersigned will contest your right to Il
seat in the State Senate as Senator from
the Thirty Sixth Senatorial District of
North Carolina
l. Upon the ground that the paper
writing purporting to be a certificate of
election issued to you from the return
ing board of the Thirty Sixth Senatorial
District is not the certificate OF the re-
turning board as required under the
Statute in such eases
2. That the said so-called certificate
upon its face shows that all the votes
said to be cast for you We're not votes
for you, but for. one Edwin e. Griffith
3. That said certificate that was issued
To you was issued in fact or the Sth
day after the election instead of the 9th
day, as required by law
4. That said certificate was issued to
you before the returns were all received
from all the counties. especially the
county of Mitchell that is to say from
the voting precincts of Cranberry and
Montezuma in said Mitchell county.
5. That in the last mentioned voting
precincts in said Mitchell county the un-
dersigned contestant received thirty-six
votes. to-wit, % in Cranberry precinct
and IL votes in Montezuma precinct,
whereas at said precincts not one vote
was cast for you.
g. That by reason of the unlawful
counting of the return of votes that were
received within ten days after the cleo
ton the undersigned contestant was I'M
lawfully deprived of the benefit of his
majority over all other candidates voted
for at said election: he the undersigned
contestant of right was due a certificate
emitting him to the seat in the Senate
of North Carolina, which you now I'M
lawfully hold.
I. That upon a fair count of all the
votes cast ut said election the under
signed contestant received 90S votes and
Edwin E. Griffith sos votes.
s. That your true name and the name
by which you are uniformly known in
said Thirty Sixth Senatorial District. is
w. f. Griffith while the only persons
voted for at said election We're the I'M
dersgned contestant William NJ. Buck
ner, Edwin E. Griffith, David B. Adams
and Samuel J. Turner While the pre-
tended count of said vote by ]. Hughes.
Chairman of the County Election Board,
of Yancey county, and one J. P McIn-
turf shows that Edwin e. Griffith and
rot w. Z. Griffith was the person voted
for at said election.
g. That you were qualified by taking
the oath of the Senator of the Thirty
Sixth District of North Carolina. by the
name of w. e. Griffith on the 2Sth day
of January, 1908 or on the Sth day after
the election was held in said district in
violation of law and without even a pre-
tended certificate of election. the said
pretended certificate of election not hav-
ing been started to you in the mail from
Micaville, Yancey county, North Caro-
lima. until early in the morning of Janu-
airy the 29th, and without any meeting
of the Chairman of the Election Boards
of the several countless constituting the
Thirty-Sixth Senatorial District who
. alone are authorized by law to count the
vote of the several counties and issue
certificate of election to the successful
candidate. Thus depriving the under
signed contestant of the privilege to as
sert his rights before said beard and tc
have a certificate of election issued to
him upon a count of all the votes cast in
the several counties in said district to
which he was entitled by law
WILLIAM III. BUCKNER.
February eth, 1908.
II will be seen that the grounds of the
contest are mainly technical. There is
no contention that there is any other
man named Edwin Griffith Talking
Yesterday with Senator Griffith and his
friend and attorney, w. w. Zachary, OF
Marshall, they denied that the Returning
Board met on the 2Sth, as alleged, but
said ii met on the Goth, at huntsville,
counted the vote, and sent him his certi-
fcate Here is the vote as 1t was added
up by them from the returns sent in:
Griffith Buckner