Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-11-04
.DESPICkBLE
AND DESPERATE
Methods of the Ring Leader
In Last Days of Cam
paign.
FALSE CHARGE MADE.
David Smith Object of an At
tack BY Clerk Jno. P.
Prowse.
FALSE CHARGE MADE.

The Messenger Of yesterday con-
tanned an official statement from
County Clerk Jno. P. Prowse to the
effect that David Smith was clerk of
election at Bluff Spring precinct in
1900 and no certificate was made of
the vote on the free turnpike ques--
ton at that precinct and that eff the
votes cast at said precinct against
said proposition had been properly
certified said proposition would not
have carried"
This statement is intended to mis-
represent the facts and place upon
Mr.. Smith a responsibility that be-
longs upon Mr.. Prowse himself.
The poll books of 1900 contained a
defective certificate in the back.
There was no blank space for certi-
flying the turnpike vote. The loose
certificates furnished the officers
contained the proper blank. Three
of these certificates were filled out,
signed by Mr.. Smith and given to
Geo. w. Barnes, sheriff, and L, w.
Hendrix and F. B. McCown, Judges,
in spite of Mr.. Prowse's statement.
The table furnished the Election
Commissioners by Mr.. Prowse show
ed that 1872 votes were cast
against and seventeen for the
question. Mr.. Prowse could have
obtained this information from no
source except one Of the certificates
signed by Mr., Smith. When the
Board met to count the votes, it was
found that in a majority of the pre-
cincts the books contained no certifi-
cate Of the turnpike votes. Some
clerks had written it on the margin
All of them had filled out the loose
certificates. Where these could be
obtained they were pasted over the
defective certificates and the full re-
turns thus canvassed.
The board officially notified Mr..
Prowse of the missing returns and
called upon him to furnish them.
He sent in a number of the loose
certificates from which his table had
been compiled-the books being
sealed-but there were still eight
precincts missing. The board noti-
fed him to get the returns in by
Monday and adjourned for two days.
Mr.. Prowse knew who had the GER
tifcates, but Monday came and only
four precincts had been brought in
and these had been secured by out
side parties. The returns were not
in Monday when the board met and
completed its canvass.
Mr.. Prowse was understood to be
for the proposition, and John Feland
was present at the count as attorney
for the turnpike committee. The
books now on file in Mr.. Prowse's
office will bear out these facts.
His sending out defective poll
books, which resulted in giving
Christian county free turnpikes, is
about the best service Mr.. Prowse
has ever rendered the county. Fav-
oring the proposition as he did and
refusing to supply returns missing
from his own office and then at
tempting to saddle the blame upon
only one Of four officers in one of
four uncOunted precincts is a sample
of what a ring candidate will do
when he Is scared.
Mr.. Smith called upon Mr.. ProWse
at his office one day this week and
told him that any statement made
that he failed or refused to sign the
returns and deliver the certificates
into the hands of the Republican |
Sheriff Geo. w. Barnes would be a
lie. 1t is almost certain that he will |
bring proceedings for malicious
libel against Mr.. Prowse.