The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-21


election and the way the votes were
counted If the committee were to re-
count the votes and find that | was elect
ed | would not have the office | want
to say that | propose to support Chief
Wier in the future as I have in the
past. and that the fact that we were
opposing candidates will have no effect on
my support of him as chief
"a friend of mine told me that in one
ward he saw ticket which was marked
for me counted for Chief Nier, and an
other said that he could prove another
incident of the same kind. | believe that
where so many votes are cast mis-
take might be made honestly, and that
they might be made In favor of either
candidate, therefore l have no cause for
Hing a contest, neither will | allow any
of my supporters to file one.
Il know the men handling the Eighth
ward box would not knowingly have al
lowed me to be defrauded out of one
vote. I had and have implicit confidence
in their honesty"
Members of the executive committee
last night assured both Captain O'Brien
and Mr.. Bodeker that if there were any
contests filed they would get the most
careful consideration.
Rountree Tells How 1t Happened.
In reference to the filing of the con-
test by Captain o'Brien J. A. Rountree,
who was one of the clerks appointed to
conduct the count in the Eighth ward
had the following to say last night:
II wish to state positively that there
could not have occurred any mistake in
the counting of the votes of the Eighth
ward box on last Monday night, and to
emphasize my conviction that every vote
cast was faithfully and accurately ac-
counted for.
II am thoroughly convinced that Mayor
Ward carried that box by 40 votes, and If
any mistake did occur. and l am positive
that none did, that mistake could not
have affected the count of the votes cast
either for Mayor Ward or Captain
O'Brien.
ut happened this way. In order TO ia
eilitate matters, 1t was suggested that
the count of votes cast for Mayor be
first made. This was done, and 1t was
announced that Ward had carried the box
by 49, This count was made prior to the
time that the light went out. And immedi-
ately after the lights went out a dozen
men, friends of both candidates for
Mayor and friends of aldermanic and
other candidates struck matches to pre-
vent any votes disappearing either by ac-
cident or by fraud.
1.-THE ballots were taken out of the box
by Fred Enslen, who was appointed an
OBrien manager in place of John Leedy.
He handed the ballots to Manager Motion
Smith, a Ward man, and Brooks Forbes,
an O Brien man. The count then proceed
ed Enslen proposed that the votes for
the mayoralty candidates be first count
ed in order that the newspapers might
have an early report. This was done, and
it was found that Ward had carried the
box by 40. Some minutes after this state
ment the lights went out, and as | stated
a dozen matches fared up. There could
not have been any fraud, even had there
been a wish to commit such. There were
numerous gentlemen present during the
time the lights were out
Professor Hogan Gives His Version.
fGOl II. l.. Hogan OF lioNdIu tOleSSt
brother of Alderman Dan Hogan of the
Eighth ward stated last night that it was
his belief that no mistake could have oc-
CURED in the counting of the Eighth ward
ballots. Professor Hogan is a nephew of
DIR. John Davis, who is a son-in-law of
Captain O. Brien. Professor Hogan was
an Brien supporter in the recent NUM-
cpal primary.
when the lights went out" said Pro-
fessor Hogan, Il was standing immed!-
ately behind Motion Smith | instantly
struck a match and continued to strike
matches until the light came on again. /
saw Motion Smith place his arms about
the ballots which were on the table and
am confident that none of them dsap-
peared [ paid especial attention to tho
counting, because did not know at that
time whether any of the gentlemen were
friends of my brother. l saw every ballot
counted except the first few, and these
were seen by my brother, Dan Hogan
am confident that no mistake occurred at
the counting of the ballots. l am satisfied
too. that the entire day, as concerns the
Eighth ward passed off without any at
tennis oven to practice fraud In any way.
There was hardly possibility of error