Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-18
CITIES WRANGLE
OVER TERRITORY
TERMINAL ISLAND ELECTION
TO BE CONTESTED
SAN PEDRO DENIES DEFEAT
Trustees Of Harbor City Order Pro-
eeedlngs Begun to Set Aside Re-
suit Of Annexation Issue Be-
cause OF Fraud

cause OF Fraud
San Pedro citizens are very wroth
because Of what they term illegal and
unfair methods by which the result of
the election held in Terminal Island
Wednesday, to vote upon the PROPOSE
tion to annex that place to Long
Beach, was obtained.
AT an adjourned meeting of the board
Of trustees held last night, a resolution
was passed calling an election for Sep
tember Is to vote upon the annexation
of Terminal Island, East San Pedro
and all that territory lying 1000 feet
south of the limits of Wilmington, the
government breakwater and all the
territory west of San Pedro included in
the tracts owned by George II. Peck,
the Dodson ranch and John T. Gaffey
The trustees also decided to bring
suit in contest of the result Of the cleo
ton held in Terminal Island and East
serted that illegal votes were cast by
sixteen citizens of Los Angeles and
Pasadena, who transferred their resi-
dence to Terminal Island to vote in
favor of the annexation to Long Beach.
1t is said that Attorney J. S. Chap
man of Los Angeles has been retained
by the trustees to aid the city attorney
of San Pedro in the contest proceed
ings and that a committee of three citi-
zens went to Los Angeles from San
Pedro yesterday to consult with Mr..
Chapman regarding plans for the pro-
posed contest.
Charge Fraud
It is asserted by citizens and was an
nounced at the meeting Of the trustees
last night that evidence is in possession
of the San Pedro city attorney tending
to prove that fraud and the liberal use
of money secured the favorable vote
in Terminal Island and that when this
evidence was produced in court it
would border on the sensational.
A conference will be held this after
noon between the trustees of San Pedro
and Wilmington to agree upon the fut-
ure boundaries between the two cities
in the inner harbor. A movement is be-
ing organized to submit the question
of annexation of Wilmington to San
Pedro, and this question will be dis
cussed by the conference of trustees of
the two cities.
Long Beach Excited
Long Beach citizens are very much
wrought up by the reports circulated
yesterday of the proposed contest by
San Pedro citizens. The narrow mar
gin by which annexation issue won
for Long Beach, while appreciated,
final decision of the courts and in some
quarters the fear is expressed that
technicalities may overrule the voters
and defeat the result Of the election.
However the opinion is not general and
determination is expressed by the
officials and business men of Long
Beach to accept the contest issue and
fight it stubbornly until a favorable
verdict is rendered.
City Attorney Knight is the most op-
timistic person in Long Beach. When
the first breath of mutterings from San
Pedro reached his ears he began the
preparations for making a winning
fight, and after spending nearly four
hours in consulting decisions of the
courts upon the issue he announces that
Long Beach has nothing to fear from a
contest.
1.-THE result of Wednesday will stand
and Terminal island is annexed so far
as the voting is concerned. Decisions
innumerable, bearing directly upon the
Irregularities cited by San Pedro en-
thusiasts, convince me that a contest
will avail nothing towards setting aside
the verdict of the people.
Intention of Voter Governs
1.-THE intention Of the voter governs
and when his intention is clearly ex-
pressed his ballot must be counted,
although he may express his intention
in manner not prescribed by statute.
Although the statute says he must
mark his ballot with cross inside the
square opposite the proposition he
wishes to vote upon, if he marks that
cross outside the square and thereby
gives evidence Of how he wishes to
vote the courts hold that his ballot
must be counted. This ends the con-
test, and 1 am not in the least fearful
of the decision Of the courts"
Trustee r. S. Oakford, who has
worked hard and ceaselessly for an
nexation, was very much worried by
the report of intention to contest. but
buoyed his spirits by declaring that he
could not convince himself that the
courts would overrule the will OF the
people once expressed in a clear and
decisive manner.
However, 1 would feel much better
and be considerably happier tonight If
the majority in favor of annexation had
been more decisive. The chances for
technicalities overruling the result ex-
pressed at the polls is greater because