The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-08-05
FRAUD UNBARTHBD
Have the Democrats Been Cheat
ing one AnOther9
Evidences of Bogus Ballots and Other
Kinds Of Irregularities Dis
covered.
CONTEST CASE NOT FINISHED

The Democratic judicial committee
did not finish its work of canvassing
the ballots cast for comm onwealth's
attorney in Marshall county at the
primary May 10, and adjourned yes
terdsy afternoon late until tomorrow,
when it will reconvene at Benton.
Chairman Morrison of Paducah and
Chairman Edwards of Benton consti-
tute the committee, and are going over
the vote. Attorney l.. X. Taylor of
Paducah, who is contesting the nom.
ination Of Attorney John G. Lovett Of
Benton, thinks he has already clearly
established the charge of fraud
According to his version it has been
clearly shown that votes cast for At.
torney Taylor were not counted, to
start with.
In the Heights precinct many bal
lots, il is claimed, exhibit a difference
in type and spacing, showing that
bogus ballots were printed somewhere
and voted by friends of Attorney Low.
EFT, while in the North Benton pre-
cinct a number OF ballots apparently
voted for Attorney Taylor by marks
made with pencil were tempered with
and stamped after Attorney Lovett's
name, so much so, In fact, that Chair
man Edwards himself agreed yester.
day TO throw five of them out.
The Lovett supporters of course
deny the allegations of the Taylor side
and claim that the ballots claimed to
have been printed and '"stuffed" into
the box were the ones used at the cleo
ton.
1t was suggested that Mr.. @. M.
Leake of Paducah be brought down to
testify whether or not the ballots
were the same printed b- him when
he printed the ballots. Mr.. Lovett's
attorneys objected to this, claiming
that the time for taking evidence was
over. 1t is the intention of Attorney
Taylo however, to take Mr.. Leake
down tomorrow and have him exam
inc the ballots and testify as to wheth-
er they are genuine or bogus.
Another claim made by Attorney
Taylor is that about $50 ballots left
over from the primary have disappear
ed. That several of the ballot books
were not used mp, and now all the
extra ballots have vanished, supposed.
ly voted for Mr.. Lovett after the pri-
mary and those voted for Attorney
Taylor destroyed.
Attorney Taylor is very emphatic
in his assertions that there has been
gross fraud. He stated this morning
that he ventured to say that there
were 20 differences in the bogus bal
lots and the regular ones. 1.-THE bo-
gus ballots" he declared, ARE not
even printed with type from the same
font, or on the same kind of paper.
Another instance he mentions is
where some voter, evidently an old
man whose hend shook, marked cross
es after the names of candidates he
wished TO vote for. The crosses, or
lines, are irregular and il is plain that
the pslsied hand Of the voIer was I'M
certain as il traced the marks. The
line thus made after Attorney Tay-
lor's name was erased and a cross
mark in firm, unwavering hand made
after Attorney Lovett's name. The
indeDture made by the palsied hand is
plainly visible OH the paper after At.
torney Taylor's name, although the
coloring has been raised.
I The purpose in meeting tomorrow is
to argue the points of law and evi.
dence. Attorney Taylor will ask that
owing 70 hagrant and palpable frauds,
the primary be declared off. He
stated TODAY that the law was that
where the primary is so tinctured
with fraud that it cannot be reasona-
bly, determined who is nominated, the
primary may be declared void. He
will ask that this be done, but as it
will require majority OF the commit
tee to decide any question, and Ed.
wards, of Marshall county. Is known
to be for Loyett right or wrong, no
agreement will be reached and Attor-
ney Taylor will have to go to the
courts.