The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-16
BE and His Lieutenants Now Claim
that They Have 13O of the 200
Precinct Committeeman.
CHAIRMAN TANNING ON FENCE
FsE SAYS 1T WILL TAKE THE VOTE
TONIGHT TO DECIDE NATTER.
Mr.. Taggart and others Not Members
ning's Fairness Commended.

'The contest is very close" said Chair
man Tanning. of the Democratic city COM
naittee, last night at midnight, land IL will
take the official vote I'm to-night's conven-
ton to determine who will be the new
chairman"
The meeting OF the committeeman to-
night will be the climax OF the bitter fight
between the Keach and machine factions
OF the Democrats. AS a large attendance
of spectators is expected. Chairman Fam
ming has ruled that the main floor of Ma
sonic Hall shall be held exclusively for
committeeman and the gallery for spec
tators. The new committee is TO organize
at o'clock, and il will not be long after
that hour until the new chairman Is I'm the
chair. 1t is still proper to hurrah for
- X"
The primary election commissioners
meeting last night was as quiet as a church
social. Occasionally the stentorian tones
of Keach or the laughter of Z. NJ. Johnson.
who found much humor in the proceedings.
penetrated the doubly-guarded door. but
the whole evening was without violence.
Eeach's presence may have had sedative
effect.
MR.. KEACHs RESOLUTION.
The meeting terminated with the follow
iag resolution, introduced by Keach and
adopted by a rising vote:
Resolved That we. the members OF the
primary election commission. do hereby ex-
tend to Joseph I. Tanning. our chairman.
q vote of thanks for his fair and impartial
rulings at all our meetings"
Reach left the meeting fuH OF confidence
but without further predictions. He said
there absolutely no question of hts
success at to-nights meeting. The Kern
supporters were without figures, except an
Intangible and unconfirmed report that in
ihe final count Kern would have 103 votes.
For a time Thomas Taggart was with the
commission. but he retired smiling when
the commission decided to exclude all that
were not members or attorneys for con-
testants. Later Mr.. Taggart returned and
remained in the room short tine. There
was no contest in his precinct Oh the Sixth
ward, which former Sheriff Bob Emmett
carried for Keach. Mr.. Tsggart was in
terested in the contest OF his nephrew. Rob-
ert Davidson. and the nephew won out.
w. W. Spencer. a member of the COM
mission, was the legal representative Of the
Kern side, and John r. Wilson appeared
DEFINITE WORK.
The result of the commissions work was
definite. II decided In ali cases where no
election was declared that such precincts
should not have voice In the convention
tonight. mo election was declared in
five cases, which reduces the whole number
of votes TO 195. and makes only ninety-eight
necessary to choice. The whole number
r2ay be reduced to 1893, as no one has heard
whether the Tuxedo precincts held primaries
or not, or whether there are Democrats
there or not.
The Reach men claim gain of five votes
by the contest. They figured that the re-
6uction i'm representation was also a posi-
tive benefit to Reach. as IL makes the nee
essary number required smaller. IL the
Reach calculations correct he now has
13O precincts. IL the count tonight shows
him defeated lot of explanations will be
necessary. The Keach men are alert In
protecting their committeeman from infu-
ence or intimidation. both of which have
teen used. but Reach declarfs he has abso-
lite confidence in the men who represented
Eim and were elected.
GAIN FOR KEACH
Another gain for Keach was In the sixth
precinct of the Fourteenth ward. Leo Pich.
who was elected committeeman, agreed To
call meeting Of Democrats TO vote upon
the choice for chairman. Tie meeting was
held last night at vollrath's Hail. and ser-
enteen of the twenty present voted for
Reach. Pich announced that he would be
bound by this instruction
The first contest heard was from the bon
ton precinct OF the Third ward. which in
Guides John W. Kern, (. M Johnson. Ster-
Ing r. Holt. Victor NJ. Backus. DR.. w S.
Beck A. G.. Smith. Evans Woollen, DIR. W.
- Knit
Christian was the Kern candidate and
Knight the Reach candidate. The face OF
the h returns. rstIrns showed 2 for Knight and "a
votes. those Of Charles Mayer and Slough
ton Fletcher. tr.. were challenged by the
fern kern sise. De rletchers y,i snidavit was pre-
Knight. showing that at the last election
he had voted for no candidate not on the
regarded giving him qualification TO
vote at a Democratic primary. vote cast
t;y man not living in the precinct for Dr.
ether two challenged votes. This Ieft the
vote tie and the commits sion declared no
election. The decision was declared satis-
THE OTHER CONTESTS.
The other contests decided were:
Fourth ward-Tenth precirct. no election.
Sixth ward-Eighth precinct. Robert Da-
wilson seated over r. NJ. Coleman: Elev-
enth precinct. william Foor seated over
Andrew Mcclure.
Seventh ward-Fourth precinct. oren s.
Rack seated ever Charles Pounds: thir-
tenth precinct. o. III. Smith seated over
l.. Vielhaber.
Eighth Ward-Eighth precinct. j. H
schaub seated over Niemanr-
Ninth Ward-Eighth precinct. J. Z. Shea
seated over John Curran. third precinct
j. j. Curran seated.
Eleventh ward-sixtn precinct. Joe Per-
klnson seated over Mike Hanrahan: eighth
precinct. no election. In this precinct o=a