The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-19
THE MISSING BOX GAVE
HIG0ON THREE MAJORITY
County Committee Will Meet Again
This Morning to Declare Result
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. After
Parties Who Stole Box.


During the early afternoon 1t was said
that returns from all the voting places
something then unofficial, gave Stiles
majority of something like forty or forty
five. When the committee adjourned IL
had found majority Of five for Stiles
with the Lewisburg box missing. And the
vote of this missing box, 1t Is claimed
gave Higdon majority of eight. This
would throw the majority in the county
to Higdon by three votes.
The whole thing hinges on the Lewis
burg box. 1t is lost While being
brought in yesterday morning by the re-
turning officer from that place, Joseph
Beasley, it disappeared fYom the union
passenger station. Without this box the
returns from every other voting place in
the county, as canvassed yesterday by the
executive committee give stiles ATS and
Higdon APO.
The question is, will the county execu-
tive committee, which meets this morning
at II o'clock, decide in the absence of the
box itself to accept the affidavits OF all
the election officers at LewisDurg, which.
it is said will be given, as TO the results
at that place
With view of obtaining all authentic
information possible concerning the
Lewisburg box and to ascertain If, as
prescribed by the law, signed certficate
of the result of the vote at Lewisburg
had been posted at the polling place,
committee of four, p H. Harris, w. 7.
Poe p ]. McGeever and r. D. Thomp-
son, went to Lewisburg yesterday at 2:SO
o'clock. They will report to the execu-
tive committee this morning.
The Higdon supporters are confident
that the committee will accept these af-
fidavits and declare Hgdon the nominee
for sheriff On the other hand Stiles par
tisans claim that several Illegal votes for
Higdon were received at the Lewasburg
box, and that under the primary law
there is no provision made for the COM
mittee's canvassing anything but the of,
fetal certificates of the resuft at each
polling place.
Matter of Conjecture.
Whether or not the committee will de-
eide this morning that 1t has the right
under the law to accept affidavits in
lieu of the certificate of the results which
is usually brought in a sealed envelope
by the returning officer, but which was
not done in the case of the Lewisburg
box is a matter of conjecture.
The primary election law provides that
the inspectors of elections at each polling
place shall count the votes and sign
certificate in writing of the result of the
election and post the same In con-
nj
is understood that this was done at Lewis
burg It is also provided that the election
returns shall be deposited with the COM
mittee at the place the committee appoints
to canvass the returns. 1t is made the
duty of the committee upon receipt of
such returns to canvass the same and de-
clare the result accordingly. 1t is the duty
of the inspectors of elections to send by
the hand of the returning officer their
certificate of the result of the election in
a sealed envelope which is not placed In
the box but is brought by the returning
officer at the same time he brings the box
which must contain the original ballots
as well as a copy of the poll list. The
box containing the ballots can only be
opened in the event of a contest.
With regard to the disappearance of
the box, Mr.. Beasley, the returning Of
ficer states that he set the box down at
the depot yesterday morning when he ar
rived in Birmingham, and that when he
returned after leaving the room for
few minutes 1t was gone. He said he had
no idea what had become of It, He at
once reported the matter to Chairman B.
A. Thompson who made the announce
ment as soon as the committee met
In the light of subsequent events it
might seem evident that the box was
stolen by outside parties with the object
of protecting bets on the election. De-
tectiyes Bodeker and Hamilton have the
names of persons who are believed to be
guilty. No arrests have yet been made
though 1t is expected that they will fol
low today. 1t was reported to the police
late last night that the box had been left
at the Southern express office at the union
station.
Capt Lucien c. Brown, who has been
one of Higdon's active workers in the
campaign, said he was approached last
night by three different men who offered
to produce the missing Lewisburg box for
$4,000. The men all claimed to know where
the box might be found.
Lucien Browns Statement.
In speaking of the matter last night
Captain Brown said:
Three men approached me tonight and
offered to produce the box for $4,000. Two
men have also called on Colonel Higdon
and asked him to pay them for the box
When the men first approached me I told
them it was not my affair and that
would meet them later. They failed to
show up at the appointment. but after
wards saw one of them and he confirmed
the offer in the presence of Mr.. O'Neill.
IT have placed the entire matter in the
hands of Detectives Bodeker, Hamilton
and Patton and asked them to arrest the
man who has the box in his possession II
they can find the box and man. would
be willing to go before the grand jury
with the facts in my possession, and I
think that it Ia a clear case of accessory.