Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-19
VOTED 20 TIMES:
ONE DOLLAR EACH
TESTIMONY IN THE COLORADO
ELECTION INQUIRY
Denver Waiter Declares That He Cast
Many Democratic Ballots and
Received Pay for
Each One
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
DENVER, Jan 1s-In the court Of
appeals charmber this afternoon the
committee of twenty. seven members
of the assembly, eighteen Republicans
and nine Democrats. appointed to hear
the contest of James II. Peabody for
the seat of Governor Alva Adams, held
its first open session to take testi-
mony from two witnesses. Chairman
Griffith announced that sessions would
be held night and day to hasten the
work of investigation to the utmost
degree.
Harry c. Riddle, minority member OF
the Denver election commission, was
called as the first witness by Attorney
Willis v. Elliott of counsel for contest
ant. Mr.. Riddle explained the manner
in which district registrations were
conducted and stated that registration
books were withheld by the county
clerk from all Republican judges who
appeared on the day prior to election
and offered to sign for the same. Mr..
Riddle affirmed that the clerk had
strict instructions from the majority
members of the commission to turn
over all poll books to Democratic
judges. He further testified that there
were at the time of the May city elec-
ton in the neighborhood of 40 persons
in the employ of the election commits
sion and that he had never been given
voice in the appointment of one of
this number. When any action was
contemplated by the majority members
along this line, meetings were arranged
| for, he said, of which he was not ad-
vised and he was kept totally in the
dark as to the method of procedure.
| Mr.. Riddle said he had received no
tice of all meetings where his vote
might be needed to legalize action, but
usually the commission passed upon
matters without his presence. Regard
ing the appointment of election judges
| for the May election, Mr.. Riddle stated
that it was his privilege to appoint one
judge for each precinct, the majority
members appointing two. The majority
refused to recognize his list until COM
PEELED by court.
Mr.. Riddle declared that a recheck-
ing of the registration list and COM
parson thereof with the names voted
at the previous election showed that
substantially 5000 names appeared on
the registration list representing nom
residents, persons deceased and purely
fictitious names.
When Mr.. Riddle had concluded
Joseph Totter, a waiter, testified that
between z and IL o'clock on the day Of
election he voted the Democratic ticket
at least twenty times. He said that
slips containing names and addresses
were given to him by men whom he
knew to be prominent in the politics
of the lower. wards of the city and he
was instructed to vote the Democratic
ticket. He testified to having agreed
to cast these votes for the considera-
tion of 81 each. When this witness
was excused a recess was taken until
7:3O this evening.
Before the taking of testimony be-
gan a protest of the minority against
the taking of testimony under the rules
adopted was made by Senator Jeffer-
son, who moved that it be spread upon
the journal and that record be made
of it's present action. A motion by
Senator Barela to lay the protest on
the table prevailed by a strict party
vote.
Two witnesses were examined by the
committee tonight, Joseph Coyle and
Harry Stringer. They testified to re-
peating on election day, Coyle asserting
that he voted in the neghborhood of
one hundred times and Stringer admit
ting that he cast at least 100 votes.
Both said they voted the Democratic
| ticket each time.