Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-03-10
HULL MEN STIR
A BIC SENSATION
Present Evidence to Conven-
ton Charging Serious
Fraud.
BOGUS BALLOTS ARE PRODUCED
eerryhiI Flashes a Bundle Of Them
at Convention and Tells a Story
of How They We're to Have Been
Counted.

Des Moines, March FRAUDS Of a
gigantic and startling character were
sworn to at the investigation Of the
Polk county republican primaries
held on Monday last, before the COM
mittee on credentials at the county
convention Saturday, and as a result,
the committee made singing report.
recommending that none Of the six
teen delegates shown to have been
elected by illegal and fraudulent
means be allowed seats In the con-
vention. The recommendation of the
committee was adopted without dis
senting vote, and resolution demand.
ing action upon the primary law from
the legislature was carried.
James G. Berryhill in an impassiOn-
ed statement under oath to the cred
entails committee, exhibited a pack
age of forty-two Of the official ballots
used in the last primaries. These
ballots, Mr.. Berryhill said, had been
given to him by one Of the Prouty
judges in one of the largest precincts
in the city the day after the primary.
The mans name Mr.. Berryhill said he
was under promise not to divulge, for
the reason that if his disclosures be-
came known, he would suffer damage
from those with whom he is asso-
ciated.
IAe statement made by this man to
Mr.. -Berryhill was that at 2 o'clock
of the afternoon of the primary, one
of the prominent politicians in charge
of the Prouty campaign, came into
the polling place and called him
aside He gave the package of ballots
all marked for Judge Prouty delegates,
to the election judge, and instructed
him that when, the time for counting
the ballots arrived, all Hull supporters
were to be excluded from the room.
He was then to abstract the same
lot box. and substitute therefor the
ballots which were given him.
The forty-two ballots exhibited by
Mr. Berryhill all bore the official stamp
Of the judge who OBLIGATED in the pre-
cinct in which the fraud was to have
been perpetrated. Mr. Berryhill said
that the Judge had told him that he
intended to carry out the instructions
given him, but that at a late hour, he
received peremptory orders not to
make the substitution. The package
OF ballots still remained in his DOS
session, and on the following day he
went to Mr.. Berryhill and told him
the facts, as Mr.. Berryhill related
them to the committee on credentials.
Mr.. Berryhill said he could not give
the name Of the election Judge nor
the precinct for which the fraud was
intended, as that would lead to the
Identification Of the informant whom
he was under promise to protect
The statement made by Mr.. Berry
hill created a sensation among the
members Of the committee, and upon
further inquiry, Mr.. Berryhill stated
that this same man had told him that
the politician who had given him the
marked ballots had said that the same
instructions had been given to all the
judges OF election throughout the city.
and that the same plan was to be car.
ried out in the precincts. That 1t was
not done, Mr.. Berryhill said, was as
he believed, due only to the fact that
the men who were charged with the
work lost nerve at the last moment.
and became fearful of the conse-
Quences.
The convention unanimously in
dorsed J. A. T. Hull for congress. eu-
logized President Roosevelt and com.
mended the administration Of Gov. AL
bert B. Cummins.
But the state delegation chosen ia
in it's makeup and to
this the Cummins people are making
objection.
The delegates to the state conven-
ton were instructed to vote for Sen.
ators Allison and Dolliver and ]. w.
Blythe, In addition to Gov. Cummins,
for delegates-at-large to the national
convention. In a signed statement.
Gov Cummins declares that Mr.. Hull
promised him that he would be per-
mitted to name the delegates to the
state convention, and, in view of this
breach OF faith, he will do all In his
power to secure the selection of Sen
ator A. B. Funk instead Of Mr.. Blythe,