The Forrest City times., 1906-04-20
Frauds May Be Investigated.


 ca,es the able and entertaining spe- c3al correspondent of the Memphis commercial Appeal, sent his paper ,he following sensational dispatch
 senator James II. Berry, senior s.nator from Arkansas, was in his seat fo'day for the first time in several tuoonths. the demands of the late cam naian in his state having necessitated P'S nrolonged absence. Although on ,he face of reputed official returns Senator Berry appears 10 have been 5sfeated for reelection by Gov Davis. bie friends in the senate greeted him cordially and affectionately, each of hjs colleagues expressing deep regret ,hat on the surface his defeat seemed annarent. For the solieitude and in Iaresr of his friends Senator Berry gaye in return a kindly smile and a iayial remark, indicating the while 9hat il was not an established fact that Gov. Davis had won his seat in the United States Senate.
 He said to the correspondent that he did not care 10 make statement in regard to the recent election in Ar Kansas. for the reason that he did not rnow what the returns showed That the two daily papers of Little Rock did not agree on the returns by several thousand votes. and that he had letters and telegrams from friends in different counties which did not aoree with the returns as published in either of the Little Rock papers Both of these papers and the Mem nhis papers also have published that Gov. Davis carried Mississippi county hy over 2OO0 votes. when, as q matter of fact. he (Berry) according to official returns received this morning, had carried the county by 263. He said that the returns sent to Little Rock were placed in the hands of John Page, seeretary of the state committee. who was also an appointee of Gov. Davis, and one of his campaign managers in the late election, and that he had no way of learning what these returns actually showed.
 In addition, Senator Berry said he had large number of letters and telegrams stating that gross frauds had been practiced in q number of counties in the state, but he had not been allowed time to investigate these charges.
 He said that he intended to insti- tue an investigation and would go to the bottom. When he has aScer- tiained what the election returns real ly show. and to what extent, if any, fraud had been practiced, Senator Der " will make a formal statement to the people of Arkansas, rather than express himself al present in a news paper interview.
 The Senator added: "YoH may be sure l will make no statement or no charges that l am not certain are ab- solutely true.
 The following from the Commercial Appeal Bureau al Little Rock. along the same lines. is significant
 Information comes from Washing ton that Senator Berry is dissatisfied with the manner in which results were obtained in some of the counties in the recent Democratic state pri- mary
 Ill is alleged that there were ir- regularities in some, while in others Yross irregularities were perpetrated The counties in which there were al leged discrepancies are not specified but 1t is said that the Senator has sui icient evidence 10 justify him in ma king Il thorough investigation that will siit the matter to the bottom.
 Some of his close friends here say that he still has q chance 10 win his race for the senatOrShip. Senator Der " will not make public his future plans. You may be sure, he says, I will make no statement or charges that l am not certain are absolutely true.
 Senator Berry cannot understand why the newspaper accounts of the re- suit of the senatorial race do not agree as to majorities in several counties. There has been no announcement of the official vote, and probably will not he until the meeting of the state con- yention al Hot Springs, June 6, when II will be certified to the convention bl the state central committee. The returns are received in Little Rock by John II. Page, secretary of the state committee, and those already at hand ne has given out to no one. Neither the newspapers nor Senator Berry nor anyone else, so far as known. has been accorded the privilege of looking over the official result of the senatorial race. By rule of the state central committee MT. Page is made the cus- todian of them, and he can keep them rom public view until the meeting of the state convention, or he can pub fish them when and wherever he pleaSes.
 senator Berry was telegraphed to today for d statement as to his future intentions. His immediate reply was that he would make no statement about the urinary in Arkansas until he knew the facts. and then he would probably make statement over his own signature
 Ii il is true that frauds have beer committed, it is due the senator and ms friends, and in fact the democrat ic party of Arkansas, to uncover them