Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-01

(supplemental and reserved. $685.
Interests close to the board of inspectors
estimated that the adjudication of chal-
lenges and the elimination OF duplicates
and of lapsed policy votes would give a
total of 10000 votes to the administration.
against 10000 for the international COM
mittee.
It is predicted that the inspectors will
rule as good 10000 of the 176,s4S pro-
administration votes challenged by the
International committee, but Will accept
only 20, 900 Of the 1906 pro-international
votes which administration watchers chal-
lenged.
1t is believed that the board will "sus-
tain" less than per cent of the total chal-
lenged votes.
Some Peculiar Methods.
The actual count this week Of the inter-
national committees vote delivered to the
inspectors on the day of the election has
disclosed, it is said, peculiar methods
adopted by the committee or its adherents;
so novel. indeed. that 40 per cent of the
79,646 International votes challenged by
administration watchers have been chal-
lenged on the ground either that the
velopes were addressed to Richard Olney
at No. so Broad street, or that the en-
velopes or ballots, or both, had been altered.
opened previously and reseaied, or sent
open to the Broad street address, and there
sealed and so on.
The international committees manager
declares tndL the cOmmlItee ndU d right "
open mail addressed to Mr.. Olney, as chair
man. Open 1t, indeed the committee did
in number of instances, trimming the
envelope at the side and resealing it so
carefully that in many cases It, needs al
most the use of a microscope to show that
the envelope has been tempered with.
What Law Intended.
The administration watchers apparently
take the ground that if this mail was pri-
vate and opened as such. the use of rub
Der stamp to print New York Life Insur-
ance Company" across the envelope did not
convert the contents of the envelopes into
ballots. reading Of section "a of the in
surance law shows that it was the laws
intention that all mail ballots should be adj
dressed to the company.
This section goes on to say that all en-
velopes SO received and marked substantial
ly as ballot for directors shall be
preserved intact without opening before
delivery to the inspectors. The section con-
tinues:
spector, opening or being privy to the open
ing of any such envelope, shall be guilty of
miSdemeanor
The administration watchers have chal
lenged many international votes Also on
the ground that one or more persons have
amended ballots and envelopes by substitu-
ton or omission, in green or blue ink, the
ink used in the annexation and the hand
writing of the annexation alike being appar-
emily distinct from the poIicyholder's origi-
nal handwriting and the ink the policy
holder used in writing the original ballot
and envelope.
Signatures Initiated"
In many instances. according to the ad-
ministration watchers. policyholder's
original signature has been Initiated" on
an envelope which, it might have been
thought, would have been defective other
wise: the address has been made perfect
in the same unknown handwriting, ETC., the
staccato green or blue ink having been used
by the second writer or writer's.
The international committees manager,
in verbal statement which he made yes
terday, defended the committees action in
opening the Olney mail, and attributed the
annotations to a circular letter (NO. p
which the committee sent out to policy
holders, and which reads as follows:
We are in receipt of your ballot properly
executed. Under the New York law, how
ever, it is necessary that this ballot be in
closed in an envelope with your name and
address written thereon in your own hand
writing We inclose envelope for this
purpose, addressed to the insurance COM
spaces provided Din your own handwriting),
your name, your address and the number
Of your policy. Place this envelope, un-
sealed, in the second envelope. inclosed,
marked ballot for directors" and ad-
dressed to me. Kindly mail as soon as pos
sible, and we will make a record of your
ballot, forward to the company and
that same is voted and counted
(Sgned) RICHARD OLNEY, Chairman.