Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-11
Republican city Primaries.


election in the history OF the city Mayor
Frank =. Moores won out yesterday for a
denomination for mayor on the republican
ticket. While his margin in the conven-
tion will be narrow, his victory is none
the less signal when the obstacles over
come are taken into consideration. AR
rayed against him were the combined forces
OF all the railroads and the franchised cor
porations. The entire machinery OF the
primary election, including the judges and
clerks in every voting booth, was in the
hands of his opponents. Added to all this
was the lavish use Of money furnished by
the corporations, and the most unscrupu-
lous welding of the police club under the
personal direction OF william J. Broatch.
With all these odds against him Moores
carried the First, Second Third, Fourth
and Eighth wards, with seventy-three out
of 143 delegates in the convention, and
would also be entitled to the Fifth ward
delegation. with thirteen votes more, II he
were given all the votes that belonged to
him.
Antis Become Desperate.
After it became known that the Moores
following had carried the day the oppo-
stion, In its desperation, sought by every
means at fits command to steal the election
by doctoring the returns in the Third ward
and manipulating the count in the Eighth.
Broatch, with a detachment Of police,
swooped down on the Third ward voting
place and undertook to prevent the count
ing Of the ballots and the Issue of GER
tihcate to the Moores delegates, who had
won out by nearly two to one. The antis
had cooked up a scheme to steal the ballot
box and substitute set of doctored bal
lots for the real ones. The vigilance of
the Moores watchers and the prompt sum-
moning Of Mayor Moores and City Attorney
Connell foiled the conspiracy. Sheriff
Power was called in and the count allowed
to proceed.
Attempt at Fraud in Eighth.
In the Eighth ward the antis were al
most as bold. The count of the ballots
gave n small but clear majority for all of
the Moores delegates, but the demand for
recount was eagerly complied with by
the judges, only to give the same result,
! and third count was then begun in the
! hope of gouging enough votes from the
! Moores column to split the delegation and
! throw enough strength from one side to
! the other to change the controlling ma
/ jorty. The antis finally found 1t impossible
to change the result Of the first count.
The defeat OF Bingham in his own ward
! leaves only two avowed opponents Of
Mayor Moores in the convention. Charles
|
| OF the Ninth The successful Sixth and
Seventh ward delegations were supposed
TO have been divided between Bingham and
! Benson, and with Bingham eliminated
would probably rally TO Benson. While the
| Sixth ward is labeled for Karr, IL Is known
that the delegates were named in disregard
I of Karr's preferences and would not stay
by him.
Tr.k of Il. A. Fry.
There was considerable talk among the
antis during the day OF projecting Thomas
A. Fry Of the Sixth ward as a new candi-
date and it is known that the delegates
pledged to the other anti candidates were
being sounded out in behalf OF Fry.
AS to the remainder of the ticket the
personnel is still indefinite. The result in
the Second ward brings Fred Bruning to
the front for tax commissioner and in the
Eighth ward A. C. Walstrom for building
inspector. The other candidates aligned
with the Moores following happen to come
from the wards In which the Moores delega;
tions lost.
When the result became known about IL
0 clock last night there we're crowds on
the streets cheering for Mayor Moores.
while the defeated anti leaders gathered
in secret caucus to devise means OF pulling
themselves out OF the hole.
The vote was the largest cast at any
primary election in Omaha since the pri-
mary law went into effect.
The convention will meet in Washington
hall at o'clock this afternoon.
First ward.
The total vote in the First ward was 532.
OF which Moores delegates received 2S6. de-
feating the anti delegation by an even hun
dred. Failure on the part OF the voters to
understand the confusing instructions on
the sample ballots spread by the anti work.
ers caused a loss Of nearly twenty votes to
the anti delegation Some Moores support
ers also blundered IN marking their bal
lots. supposing their delegation to head
the list. but making sure by making both
delegations and thereby losing their votes.
The primaries were fairly orderly.
The councilmanic contest in the First
was a walkover for Peter NJ. Back. who won
over Hascall by a vote Of two 10 one. David
Cole made Back a very close competitor,
receiving 10 votes. Hascall was third with
"a. Clyde sunblad next with 81, Charles
I,anley with e3 end Walter Bell a.
second ward.
In me Second ward. Mayor Moores wo
cut by q majority Of 90 votes, while coun-