Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-26
WETHERELL WINS.
Oskaloosa Captain Elected Major
in Fifty-Fourth Regiment.
FOUR ELECTIONS WERE REQUIRED
Winning Candidate Receives 25a Votes
Margin of Forty-Two Over Capt.
Haynes of ecntervilIe-Was Pro-
Ionged Struggle.

Captain F. E. Wetherell of Company
f., OF Oskaloosa, was last evening
elected to the position of major of the
F1fty-fourth regiment l. N. g., after a
prolonged struggle, during which four
elections were held. Captain G. G..
Haynes of Centerville, was the oppos-
ing candidate in the contest last even
ing and made hard fight, only being
defeated by AZ votes; he was unable
however, to pull the necessary strength
to land him winner, against the Os-
kaloosa. The official vote is Captain
Wetherell, 1858, Captain Haynes I'll.
Contest Was Fierce.
The contest for the position of ma
jor in the Ffty-fourth regiment has
been a fierce one and until the election
battle would continue for an intermin-
able length OF time. There were four
candidates in the first three elections:
Captains Wetherell OF Oskaloosa,
Haynes of Centerville, Kennedy of
| Newton, and Smeenk of Muscatine.
The guard regulations require that one
candidate receive the majority of the
votes cast, and owing to the fact that
the four men were all polling strong
vote it looked as if a choice was far
off.
Two Candidates Withdraw.
After the third election, however,
Captain Smeenk of Muscatine, with
drew, and few days later it was rum
ored that Captain Kennedy of Newton,
had withdrawn his candidacy, although
this was not officially verified. 1t be-
tcame generally known among the
guardsmen, though and in the election
last evening but two candidates re,
ceived votes.
Many Elections Held.
The position of major in the Fifty.
fourth regiment was made vacant by
the election of F. W. Bishop. of Musca
tine, the the lieutenant colonelcy, to
succeed H. G. Haynes, of Centerville
who resigned and went south to take
a position. The fight for lieutenant
colonel required several elections and
was finally won by Bishop over Majors
Lambert of Newton and Dunlap of
Keokuk. After this election was over
the guard was again shaken up in the
election for successor to the Musca
tine man and thus for several months
the battle of ballots has been on.
The Winning Candidate.
Captain F. E. Wetherell of Oska
loosa, the wining candidate is a strong
Ifavorite with many members of the OF
tumwa company and throughout tn,
| contest he received the majority o
the votes cast here. Captain Wetherel
, has been with the Oskaloosa compan.
in the guard for the past ten years
and has risen from the ranks to the
/ captaincy of his company and now tt
. major. He has been captain of com
, pany since the company was reor
ganized after the campaign in tn,
Philippines and has become know
! throughout the guard as an exceleln
) tactician and rigid disciplinarian
/. He is an architect by profession an
| stands high in Oskaloosa business Gil
D cles.
/ Captain Haynes Popular.
Captain Haynes of Centerville wa
t a close second in the race and prove
d by the vote he polled that he had man
s loyal friends in the guard. The fac
that he was not so well known in tn
: various companies as was the Oska
f loosa man was one of the features tina
! caused the defeat.
< Vote by Companies.
l. Following is the vote poled in tn
: election for major in the Fifty-fourt
l regiment of the Iowa guard by con
!. panies: