Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-12-08
GRAND JURY FINDS HONEST
ELECTIONS THERE ARE
UNKNOWN.
THE DEAD CAST BALLOTS
Report in Which Many Indictments
Are Returned Flags Election Off.
cials for countenancins
Law Violations.

~ pduots OF temporary abSenteeS,
the ballots Of the insane and even the
dead We're cast in the primary cleo
tion or last August in Chicago. re-
peaters' voted in platoons with the
connlvance of wilfully unseeing Judges
ana clerks of election. and fraud, ram
pant to an extent hitherto unknown
IN city never famous for the purity
of its political atmosphere. rendered
Tue resultant party nominations NOR
ally worthless.
Startling allegations were made in
the report of the special grand iurv
Which, afte' several weeks Of tielving
INTO charges growing out of Chicagos
hrst primary and returning twenty
one lndicfDentS against two score or
more politicians and others. adjourn
ea. me investigation. owing TO physi-
cat foundations, merely scratched the
SURFACE OF the situation, according to
the report, and doubt Is expressed
'nat there mas been an honest CITY
OF general election in Chicago in
years. The findings or the inqusitoriai
Body characterize the primary cleo.
tIon as disgrace to the city Voting
nlachines are urgently advised as a
step in remedial direction, and
wider application of civil service II
is stated that while the iurv cannot
affirm that no frauds were perpetrated
by civil service employees il is sipni.
meant that the inquisitors found none
such. on the other hand the report
remarks the fact that, although the
ponce Were in the vicinity of every
poiiing place, the investigators re-
eeived no aid from them in seeking to
fasten responsibility for the conditions
which prevailed.
Used Personal Funds.
referring to the fact that Frank ].
Loeach, the special states attorney
appointed ic conduct the investiga.
ton, had been compelled by iniunc-
ton to perform his public duty with
out compensation, even drawing on
his, own purse for the necessary eS-
penses in one instance, the report
says:
We denounce the men who have
thrust upon the county the shame OF
forcing Nh Loesch TO perform. his
public duty without compensation to
which he is entitled and which. thus
tar, ne has earned. and we denounce
the measures by which those men
nave achieved this ignoble end. and
we especially condemn the disgracefuI
conduct Of the superintendent Of pub
lic service which deprived Mr.. Loesch
H reimbursement OF funds for emer.
gency and other expenses to the
amount OF SOIL. which with generosity
and high sense of duty. he advanced
from his private purse"
IouchinS on conditions which have
obtained at elections, the report saws.
IN addition to the testimony direct
y bearing upon the crimes and mis-
oeneanors, for which true bills were
found, the grand jury beard much
testimony regarding the conduct of
sald primary election and general e,er-
t1ons. and finds a deplorable condition
OF aHairs IN certain wards, not credit ,
able 70 officials who are charged bv
raw with the conduct of elections. and
dlsgracefnl to the city OF Chicago
which has permitted such election
FRAUDS TO so on almost unquestioned |
until this time.
Election Cost $4,000.
We find and so report that no
confidence can be placed in the re-
ported results in favor or against anv
candldate for party nomination at I
the primary election, and that that !
election cost taxpayers of Chicago full
ly $4,000. J, ~
Fraudulent registration leading to |
Irauouiept voting: repeating by plat
cons Of men who voted first for on.
party. then for other party candidates
aS the same precinct; voting names o. .
aosentees, non residents, insane and
dead men, accepting false affidayits on |
beila!f OF disqualified voters. known tt !
tne Judges to be So. numerous ana /
perjuries by party voters to
n 1x.i -. - 3
IN votes from nonresident voters
without affidavits in support
OF such votes; fraudulently writing
names on the poll books and putting
ballots in the boxes to correspond:
Keeping upon the registers names OF
men who had removed from the re-
spectIve precincts and voting them; +
voting the same name more than once
at the same precinct: disfranchising
voters by permitting their names to be
voted BY others: marking ballots after
ne boxes Were opened; handing voters
ballots already marked for certain
marking ballots for voters
against their wishes; putting ballots
into the ballot box: intimida fin.
voters and compelling them to vote
for their candidates contrary to their
wishes: strangers and police officers
being permitted to handle the ballots
AFTER the boxes were opened so as to II
permit or fraudulent marking OF ball
lots were proven by us and bv no
means all of the devices which We
nave reason to belive we're resorted to
In violation Of every provision Of the
election laws intended for the security
,f the voter the sancity Of the ballot Il
md the accuracy of the result and go
1ffent the will of the people as er
pressed by the lawful votes cast at 4
said election.
No Honest Election.
Prom the facts coming To opr
We express serious doubts
whether there has been any honest
general or city election in Chicago for !,
years past
we report that in our opinie,,1 much
'f the said fraudulent voting was done
n pursuance of general schemes Of
the nature, character and
extent OF which we had not the time {
'uliy to Develop .
The attitude OF the police, the re-
BORT continues, was one of piyin..
aid to such frauds by seeing
md hearing nothing which Was to the
r'sJudfce Of their patrons. however
we'll It may have been seen and heard
W ottfers no better situated than thei
t9lacstf,an AT the polls,