Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-12
RUBBER IN THE BALLOT BOX
Eraser with Which Alterations Were Made
Found by Board,
EIGHTH WARD SEES END OF CHANGES
Discovery of the Joker MARKS the
Finish OF the Erssures witch
substituted EIbOurn's Name
for GreeRIears.

rubber eraser was found snugly tucked
away amid the ballots in the box belong
ing to the third precinct Of the Eighth
ward during the progress Of the recount
last night
This was the feature OF the proceedings
UP to date and created something Of a SEN
sation II also marked the end OF the al
terations In the ballot. The several boxes
opened after that disclosed no further eras-
ures and no change from the published
count
Two precincts of the Eighth ward were
counted, In one OF which nineteen ballots
showing the erasures were found and in
the other, seventeen we're disclosed In
each of these the erasures were Of the
cross mark opposite the name of Greenleaf
and its insertion in front of the name Of
Elbourn. The marking indicates that it
was all done by the same party. The
eraser was found in the second Of these
boxes
The recount proceeded through the Ninth
ward and two precincts OF the Seventh
ward, without disclosing any further eras-
ures or other signs of tampering with the
ballots and without making any change in
the face OF the poll books as canvassed.
The work Of recounting will be continued
today, but 1t is not thought likely any
further changes will be discovered, as the
party engaged in the work evidently quit
after losing his little rubber, which is now
in the possession Of Treasurer Fink.
BrOatch ana stOekham out.
1t now seems certain investigation is
to be made through court channels. At
torney Burbank. who represents S. X.
Greenleaf, the nominee for city clerk, is
securing affidavits from the election OFF,
GERS in the precincts involved. Several
| that have been obtained swear the ballots
were correctly counted by the election
boards and that when the ballots left the
hands Of the board they bore no evidences
OF tampering.
Developments in the primary election re-
count Wednesday morning were the with
drawal OF w. ]. Broatch from the con
| test to determine whether he or Hennings
ran second to Benson; similar action on
| the part of ". f. Stockham, candidate
! for clerk, who started the whole affair,
and a statement by City Clerk Elbourn
| that in view of the fact It was clear at
| tempts had been made at fraud, he would
| accept the poll book returns in the
/ precincts where tampering was manifest.
| Nevertheless, through his lawyer, T. J.
Mahoney. he insisted upon a recount of
all the republican ballots cast on the office
| all over the city Mayor Zimman, as
| chairman of the canvsssing board, held
no reason existed why the board should
proceed merely to determine the facts re-
garding the changed ballots inasmuch as
the candidates asked merely for recount
| on the ground of error. He said he was
willing to investigate for fraud, but first
wanted the returns as canvassed approved
and certificates OF nomination issued to
| the successful candidates. He pointed out
| that more than a week had elapsed since
the primaries and the republican candi-
! dates were anxious 10 get their campaign
! started.
EIbOurn objects 10 This.
b. EIboarn and his attorney objected strenu-
ously to this plan and the board add
! iourned to , o'clock without counting any
ballots. in order to get an opinion from the
t.ty legal department
W. J. Broatch, unsuccessful mayoralty
candidate, appeared before the board in
person and said he wanted to withdraw
mis- petition for recount on the office of
mayor.
II would not have started the recount
/ il IA contest had not been opened on the
/ cleTkship," said he. Il thought as long
/ us the votes on clerk were TO be counted
| IL would be good opportunity to check
1 up the mayoraIty votes. as Hennings APP
| parent plurality over my figures is small
/ II has developed there were raw. crude
and unmlstakeable efforts to tamper with
! the ballots I'm certain precincts and / do
not care to have any further effort made
! to verify the returns | am satisfied to let
/ It drop
City Clerk ElbOurn said the evidences OF
! fraud we're so plain they could not be dis
! regarded and that he was willing to accept
/ the poll book returns in the districts af-
| fected, but he asserted he wanted to see
! the recount made complete in order to
! develop all possible evidence of tampering
Change After ORciaI Count.
Treasurer Fink the third member of the
/ board said:
There is no doubt that the bal
! lots were changed after the count was
| made by the election officers and no fair
minded man can believe otherwise after
! investigating the conditions. Whether the
! alterations were made while the boxes
] mora m fhaiv vvaH IN the CITY hall ar ffar