Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-22
Eiahth Precinct Contest.

The pivotal precinct in the county 10
! Center eighth, where the trouble start
! ed Saturday. The contest before the
credentials committee on this precinct
included a resume of the primary
There were two ballot taken, the first
one resulting fifteen for the Cummins
ticket and thirteen for the Perkins
delegates. This made total Of TWEEN
ty-eight ballots cast, three more than
the total number in attendance at the
primary. according to count made by
j. M. McElroy and two others. 1t was
aesssetAt takeI another vote and this
sSfsted thirteen to nine in favor of
the Perkins delegates.
In the meantime three Cummins men
and one Perkins man had left the room
and one Perkins man had come in.
The Perkins vote was the same on both
ballots, but on the second the Cum
Minis vote fell off six while the attend
ance fell off but three. These facts
were brought out in the examination
of witnesses before the credentials
committee and the majority report OF
that committee recommended the seat
ing of the Perkins delegates because
there was no discrepancy between the
number of voters and the number OF
votes on the second ballot.
The certificate signed by @. H. Pros
ser. chairman of the primary, and
Cummins man, failed to throw any
light upon the question, for Mr. Pros
ser certified to both delegations in
turn. He stated before the committee
that he considered the Chmmls dele
cation to be the legally elected delega-
ton but failed to justify that view with
an explanation of the discrepancy be-
tween the number of voters present
and the number of votes cast.
The affidavits presented in evidence
by the Perkins followers to support
their claims as to the rights of the
Perkins delegates from the eighth pre-
cinct follow:
"Ottumwa. Iowa, May Is 1906.
estate of Iowa, Wapello County, SIS.
81 hereby certify that l was chair
man of the eighth precinct caucus,
held in said precinct of Center town
ship. Wapello county, Iowa. That said
caucus was the republican caucus held
on May IL, 1906. That ballot was
taken for the selection Of delegates to
attend republican convention to be
held in Ottumwa, May 10, 1906. The
first ballot taken showed an error as
to the number present to vote; there
upon the chairman of the caucus put
a motion to take another ballot, which
motion carried by the vote OF the eau
Gus, and the chairman declared the
motion carried and ordered second
ballot That on said second ballot,
there were thirteen votes cast in ia
vor of the following delegates to at
tend said county convention:
George Lottridge, Palmer Chisman,
C. w. Schwartz and j. F. Knox
THAT nine votes were cast in favor
of the other delegates. That the chair
man of the convention, being myself,
thereupon declared said first named
delegates elected to attend the said
county convention and then the caucus
Immediately and regularly adjourned
"The first ballot stood fifteen for
Cummins and thirteen for Perkins,
''There were twenty-five voters pres
ent. The tally sheet showed twenty
eight. Three votes found in a hat were
not found till we had the ballots count
ed and we did not count these three.
There were twenty-eight without them.
Il consider the first ballot the legal
one and | protest against the second
one. c. H. Prosser.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 18th day Of May, 1906.
(Seal.) w. H. McElroy,
Notary Public"
Estate of Iowa, Wapello County, SIS.
1.-THE undersigned, being first duly
sworn, say, and each for himself SAYS
That he is resident of the eighth pre-
cinct of Center township, in Wabello
county, Iowa That he is a republican
and was entitled to vote in the %epub-
Lean caucus Of said eighth precinct