Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-19
STOLE The BALLOTS
New York Stun Methods Adop-
ted In the City Primaries
at Des Moines
nuns WERE BROUGHT INTO PLAY
y Fu.ilade of Shots Followed the
Fleeing Robber and He is Thought
to Have Been Wounded-Macvicar
May Contest the EIection-The Bal
lots Still Missing.

lots Still Missing.
DIS Moines, Jan. ia mixture of
Nammany and Kentucky methods COM
I. bined succeeded in getting away With
Everything In sight at the polling place
located at the corner of East Thir-
teenth and Walnut Streets, in the Third
precinc. of the Sixth ward, about a
quarter of o'clock last night. AS a
result fully one half of the ballots cast
Ia the primary election for that pre-
Cinct, all MacVicar ballots, have dtsap-
peared, and one at least Of the ballot
Ah.eves is probably shot.
About 1880 last night two men. rep
resenting themselves TO be r. F. Reed
and c. w. Smith. appeared before the
Judges of election at the polling place
located at the corner Of East Thir-
aeenth and Walnut streets.
The pair walked into the polls just
as the three judges began sorting out
khe ballots preliminary 10 a count, and
upon being informed that they could
not be allowed to remain in the room
they produced orders, apparently from
Chairman Harsh, OF the city central
nommittee. which purported to dele
gate to them authority to watch the
count fer candidates in that precinct.
The orders, which were typewriter.
eead as follows:
II hereby delegate r. F. Reed to Wit
ness the count for candidates in your
precinct.
.(Signed) 'W. F. HARSH,
Chairman"
The other order was identical with
ahis. with the exception that the name
o. C. w. Smith appeared in place OF
n. f. Reed.
Smith. who Is a negro, edged up to
The table and presented his order to
MIR. Nelson. one of the election judges,
and Reed did the same. The signatures
10 the orders were examined by the
three Judges, and appeared to them to
De genuine, and the two men were al
bowed to remain.
The ballots had been partially sorted.
! padr stood close to the table, watching
judges lay the ballots in separate
the Mattern ballots on one side
Sble and the MacVicar ballots
r side.
mad stood at the side OF the
-6se ...ss.ss ,,,s @tssn. minutes before
were sorted and ready for
The count. One OF them stood under
zach OF the two gas lights IN the room,
and both appeared TO be watching the
proceedings iatently.
Suddenly, without any warning
whatever. and while the attention of
every man in the room was directed to
khe table. the Nights were turned out,
nearest the door. made a grab at the
ballots. SELLING the pile OF MaeVicar
ballots. As he did SO the negro made a
Give for the other batch OF Macvdcar
ballots, which were across the table,
but w. D. Van Sittert. one of the
Judges. was too quick for him. and
quickly drew the ballots from the ta-
BILE, and held them. Tne negro then
seized pile of Mattern ballots and
made for the doors, in company with
the other man.
AS the pair rushed from the room.
carrying with them moro than half of
the ballots cast. Mr.. Van Sittert sue
ceeded In training revolver on them.
but was afraid to shoot for fear that
he might hit one OF the other men in
the room. OF whom there were quite
number.
Van sittsrt Hits One Man.
Mr.. Van Sittert followed the two
outside. however. and go. sight of them
before they had reached the street. He
raised his revolver and fired four times,
and one OF the men. thought by him to
be Reed, the. white man. fell to the
ground. exclaindng as he did so. my
God. don't shoot me, again; I'll give
1hefn to YOU"
Van Sittert rushed toward him. but
was prevented from getting to him by
two men who came between him and
the supposedly wounded man and who.
with an oath, warned him to keep of
Van Sittert had On the four shots ex-
hausted the loads of his revolver. and
dared not to go on alone and unarmed
The negro had in The meantime
stopped. and as Van Si.tert turned to
20 back he. with the assistance Of the
two unknown men who had last APP
peared, picked up the man called Reed
and hurriedly carried him down the
road to Court avenue. where they dis
appeared between the house on the
corner Of Thirteenth and Court avenue.
and some sheds that lie close to II.
Their escape was watched by several
Df the citizens OF the precinct, but none
Of them cared to follow tfle fellows up
The men were strangers to every one
In the precinct, and those who were in
the room at the time failed to recog-
nize either OF them as men they had
ever seen before.
A. v. Nelson, one OF the three judges,
was the man to whom the orders were
presented. Mr. Nelson was very much
wrought up over the affair last night,
and was emphatic in his denunciatdons.
II don't know who they were." said
Mr.. Nelson. II never in my Mfe saw
either OF them before: but when they
came In here with orders signed by
Harsh supposed. OF course. that there
was nothing to do hut to let them stay.
] could not understand for the life OF
me why 1t should be either necessary
Or right to have anybody in there to
witness the count as there were threa