Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-08-11
PURPLE INKS USED
Bogus Ballots Differently
Stamped From he Regulars.
TayIor-Lovett Contest is Again
Taken Up

Further inquiry in the contest Of
L. K. Taylor against John G. Low
EFT, for the Democratic nomination
for commonwealth $ attorney, serves
to lay bare apparent gross frauds
in Marshall county.
Mr.. Taylor and has lawyers now
state as a positive fact that bogus
ballots in number have been found
in at least one box and that their
presence is suspected IN many eth
ers. This fact, they say today,
was proven Thursday evening be-
You'd a reasonable doubt.
The committee of the Second ju
dicial district, composed of C. w.
Morrison, of McCracken, and
George H. Edwards, of Marshall,
will meet here tonight to vote on the
question of declaring the primary
of May 9, null so far as it pertains
to the race for commonwealth's at
torney. 1t is foregone conclusion
that Mr.. Morrison will vote for
such action and Mr.. Edwards
against it. This will leave dead
lock.
The party law says such a con-
test may go before the state central
committee, while the state law is
silent on the subject, If 1t should
be found that Mr.. Taylor has no
recourse in the state courts he will
probably lose his contest. In this
event some of his friends have urged
him to run as an independent can
didate.
Mr.. Taylor stated to-day that
the manner in which fraud had
been practlced, was evident. He
said that some person or persons
had made false returns of the vote
cast in Marshall county and that,
then finding a contest would be
made and the ballots actually
counted, took steps 10 cover up the
fraud. He alleges that first num-
| Der of ballots cast for him were re-
moved and that unused ballots in
the back of the stub books were
marked in favor of Lovett and SUBJ
stituted. There still being a de.
icency he says the parties to the
fraud had forged ballots printed.
He declares he is in possession of
proof showing that the ballots were
printed in this city and promises
further sensations.
Mr.. Taylor declared this morn
ing that whether or not he loses his
contest he will send the men whom
he says robbed him to the peniten-
tiar5.
| Mr., Taylor, Chairman Morrison
and c. M. Leake, who printed the
official ballots, returned from Ben
ton Thursday evening, all fully
satisfied that gross fraud and felo-
ny had been perpetrated in Mar
shall With these gentlemen came
w. M. Reed and Tom Gree, counsel
for Mr.. Lovett, and &c. Flournoy,
who is one of Mr.. Lovett's legal
representatives.
The contest was taken up again
Thursday afternoon at the court
house in Benton. Lovett S side
objected to Mr.. Leake being allow
ed to testify. Chairman Morrison
finally decided that Mr.. Leake
should be heard.
Being sworn he testified positive
ly that many ballots cast at
Heights for Mr.. Lovett were rank
forgeries. He affirmed that he
printed the official ballots and that
the ballots shown him were evident.
ly printed elsewhere, the type being
different from any in his establish
meut. Only the ballot box at Height
} was examined. Mr.. Flournoy de.
, manded that the other boxes be
opened, but he was told that the
keys were in the possession of the
) election officers.
, 1t was also discovered that the
. bogus ballots were stamped with
purple ink, where all the legal bal
lots we're stamped with either red or
black ink.
After these facts had been devel-