The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-21

Being unable TO decide what dispo.
sition to make of 81 ilIegaI votes cast
in the recent primary for congress
man from this district, the Third con,
gressional committee, after a fouT-daJ
session in Tallahassee, adjourned at
IL o'clock Saturday night in dead
lock. The point which the members
could not agree upon was whether 20
appOTtiOn the Illegal votes according
to the number received in the pre-
cincts by each candidate, OF throw
out the entire vote of the precinct. In
the former case Mays would be the
nominee and in the latter KehOe, foI
the latter lacks only about As votes
of having as many as MI. Mays. The
committee is to meet again next Mon
day at Tallahassee to again discuss
the matter
Attorneys Return Home.
Judge L. J. Reeves and Hon ThosA
F. West, attorneys for Mr.. Kehoe.
and Judge F. B. Carter, one of the
attorneys for Mr. Mays, returned
home Sunday morning, all showing the
strain of the four days of argument
before the committee Mr.. Kehoe also
returned, but he was so worn out
from the week before the COMMITTEES
that he has remained at his home.
The committee convened last We'd
nesday morning, and from that hour
until Saturday night the attorneys
fought every inch Of ground, espec-
| iaIIy when the contested counties
were being considered by the commit
tee.
Hon. A. H. DAIemberte, chairman
of the committee, was among those
to return 20 the city, and he was as
worn out as any Of the others
SO Illegal Votes.
According to Judge Reeves, who is
the leading counsel for Mr.. Kehoe,
the committee reached the decision
that 80 illegal votes had been cast in
the primary in Leon and Madison
counties The precincts in when
these irregular or Illegal votes had
been cast had been carried by Mays,
and parties representing M kehOe
had entered protests before the coUn-
| tv committees, as provided by law
when the returns were received In
| Calhoun county this had also been
done. and with the result that one pre-
cinct had been thrown out by the COM
mittee. but later. said Judge Reeves,
/ the committee during the absence or
representatives of Nh KehOe, had
| reconsidered the action and counted
| the votes.
The grounds upon which the latter
nrotest had been made before the
| county committee was that the re-
/ turns were unsigned by either clerks
or inspectors, and did not even sive
| the name of Mr.. Mays. The attoT-
news however. withdrew this protest
! before the committee. upon request or
Mr.. KehOe. who stated that he did
not desire to take advantage OF any
! technicalities
Leon and Madison.
The committee then continued its
| Investigation into the contest, result
| ing in finding that in one precinct in
| Leon county "a votes had been poll
| ed where there were only 81 register
| cd voters. not counting those not
qualified In another precinct of this
county II votes had been pOlled,
where there were only 10 qualified,
and in another 81 had voted when the
| books showed 10 registered This
makes a total of 80 illegal votes in
| con county, and adding Is Illegal
/ votes cast in Madison county made q
total Of % Illegal votes
The Disposition.
The committee after reaching this
decision took up the matter of what
disposition TO make Of these illegal
votes. whether to apportiOn them ac-
| cordfng to the number received in the
| precfnct bv the respective candidates
or TO throw out the entire vote OF
| these precincts. In case the former
action were taken Mr. Mays would
I be the nominee and in the latter in
| (contInued on Page Two.)