Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-19
FRAUD is PROVEN
First and Fifth Ward Anti.Looney
Delegations Have Grounds
for Contest
AT THE CONVENTION TONIGHT
Chairman j. w. CaVanauRh Gives
Statement in Reference TO
Latter Primary.

The regular anti-LOOney delegations
in the First as well as the Fifth wards
have reasonable ground to contest be-
fore the democratic city-township
convention tonight. on the basis that
fraudulent and irregular practices
We're committed in accomplishing the
results shown on the face of the re-
| turns. Bearing out the story of the
inner workings of the Fifth ward
farce, as revealed in last evenings
| Argus, Chairman Cavanaugh, of the
democratic city-township committee,
today furnished the appended atfida-
Wit:
/. j. W. Cavanaugh. chairman of the
city central committee of the demo-
| cratic party of Rock Island, wish to
make the following statement for the
benefit of the public, and especially
the democratic voters of the Fifth
ward in this city. in regard to the pri
maries held in the Fifth ward for the
selection of candidates as delegates to
the city-townShip convention, and the
candidate for alderman and members
of the ward committee. The whole
thing was a farce from start to finish.
SO far as the citizens are concerned.
In the first place, there was con-
test for delegates TO the city conven-
ton, necessitating the placing of two
tickets in the field for the same. The
tickets were known as the Looney and
anti-Looney delegates. The Looney
faction had fun possession of the vot-
ing place. all the judges being in the
control of Mr.. Looney, as follows:
- IN Il L
nor, Thomas O'Ncil Jones and Simon
Drost. The voters were compelled to
hand their votes through the window
and unable to keep their ballot in
sight until it got into the box, by be-
ing kept outside the voting place.
John O'Connor and George =. Staud
uhar were interested parties through
being candidates on the Looney tick
ct, and could not therefore act under
the law as judges, and l am positive
that the votes were switched at the
ballot box, as could be proved by af-
fidavits if deemed necessary.
Voters Kept in the Dark.
The citizens of this city know full
well that the idea of compelling citi-
zens to pass their ballots through
closed window at a polling place is Il
late Introduction in the system of
voting in this city and. in my estima-
ton, has been introduced for the sole
purpose of carrying primaries at any
cost.
y further objection is raised by me
as to the manner in which said pri-
mary was carried out, that the Judge
(the above named Jones) who handled
the ballots, i'm getting them into the
box, was entirely unknown to any OF
the primary. l therefore protest
against the delegates elected to the
democratic city-township convention
to Ee held Saturday evening, March
10, at Turner hall, in this city, on be-
half of the democrats of the Fifth
ward that the Looney delegates elect
ed at said primary are illegal. and beg
of the delegates elected to take notice
of this fact. and, if necessary. proofs
can he furnished that the anti-Looney
delegation had vast majority of the
votes cast at said primary, but were
counted out through the manipua-
ton of the votes after they left the
hands of the parties casting the same.
JAMES w. CAVANAUGH.
State of Illinois, Rock Island Coun-
ty-ss. James w. Cavanaugh. being
first duly sworn. on his oath says that
the facts set forth i'm the statement
attached hereto are true to the best
of his knowledge, information and be-
lief.
Subscribed and sworn to before me,
this 18th day of March, y. ID. 1904.
JAMES F. MURPHY.
Notary Public.
As an evidence of how the registry
list, as well as the ballot box, was
stuffed, a list of the names taken from
two pages of the record of alleged
democratic voters of the ward used in
the conspiracy to defeat the will of
the regular democrats Of the ward may
be of interest. If anyone can come for
ward who knows them or where they
live. the same individual might en-
tighten the democrats of the ward as
to the real identity of one Thomas
O'Neil Jones. who manipulated the
ballot box in the commission of this
fraud not only upon the democracy.
but the citizenship of the ward. Here
* the sample list of LoCney voters in
the democratic primary: p. y. Hesin.
r. y. Sufeldt. f. \. Dutfield. H. ~ Pom
cry. II. Mallery. Aug Bile. II. Stogge. |
ID. Higgy f. Thur, II. ~ Loden. H. E
Daniels, r. Gawley, NJ Weisner. II. |
Hastings. And these are the names
taken from but two pages of this |
bogus list.
In the First ward. where the polling |
place was overrun by non-residentS. |
and the regular democrats over |
whelmed by numbers Of this gang
controlled by LoCney. the pages con |
tanning the names OF registered voters |
who dominated the primary are torn |
from the registry book. thus in itself |
affording the best kind of proof of |
the fraud.
The seventh Side Caucus.