Arizona republican., 1908-04-13
THE OFFICIAL REPORT
 OF FXPARTE INQUIRY
A Document Which Relieved a Gre dentials committee of Whole Lot of Work.


 The following is the report to the administration iconyention of the com mission appointed to look into ru- mors of fraud at its primaries:
 To the Maricopa County Central Com
 mittee:
 Having been appointed by your committee to investigate certain ale gations of fraud and irregularities in the republican primaries held in this county April 4th, 1908, the members of this commission assembled at the district court room at's a. m. Friday, April 10th, and organized as a com mission by the election of Dwight B. Heard as chairman and Elliot Evans as secretary.
 The chairman and secretary of the republican county central committee appeared, under oath, before the com mission and produced copies of the call for the meeting of thc county cen tral committee. minutes of the meet ing of that committee, as well as a call for primaries throughout the county with copies of publication thereof from which evidence 1t ap pears that the republican primaries held throughout this county were regularly held after proper publication and in accordance with the customary procedure of the republican party.
 Copies Of the notices to members of the central committee, of the call for primaries, the publication of the regu- larly appointed boards of election, will be found in the attached report of the hearing of this commission.
 Over a dozen reputable witnesses appeared before this commission, their evidence given under oath being at tached to this report and made part hereof.
 In the testimony given it develops that other persons belonging to what is known as the Adams faction had particular knowledge of the contest in the First ward, and this commission sent, by special messenger. letter to these parties requesting them to ap- pear and testify as to the matter under consideration: a copy of which letter. together with their replies de- clining to appear are made d part of the attached report.
 In all the county precincts and in the Second and Third wards of Phoe- nix. upon diligent inquiry no evidence of any character was introduced to indicate either fraud, irregularity or contest In the Fourth ward of the city very complete records of the primaries produced show that unusual care was shown in getting a just and accurate expression of the wishes of the voters. While two tickets were in ff.,Iya was elected by an overwhelming ma jority. and.no evidence of the slight est fraud or unfairness was shown.
 In the First ward we found. after careful consideration of the evidence given. that the primaries were prop erly opened in accordance with the call of the county committee, at 9 o'clock at 2S North First street the board of election duly organized and sworn in. Two tickets were present. ed in this ward, one known as the regular administration ticket, the other known as the opposition or Adams ticket.
 From the testimony given, about 9:45 a. ma disagreement arose over an attempt on the part of the Adams faction to vote young Mexican whom the election board believed was not of age. but whose vote they agreed to accept if his mother or sis ter would swear, under oath, that he was twenty-one years of age. This affidavit the faction desiring to vote this young man refused to obtain, although one of their number offered to swear that the young man was over twenty-one years old. Evidence presented before this commission shows that this young man over whom | the trouble arose was but nineteen years Ot age.
 At this time, the evidence shows | that the parties attempting to vote | this young man, became so boistrous I, and threatening that an officer was called to maintain order and later an election marshal was secured. Short [ ly after ten o'clock the followers of ! Mir. Adams withdrew from the regu- | lar primaries and established a poll | ing place of their own a few doors i north of the regular polling place. i Before leaving, however, the evidence : in the interest of fairness the regular DOdIu lldu dlloWtu lO dCl dS CItlh, SC- cured a handful of the so called ad ballots, and quickly 1 placed them in the ballot box before le could be stopped, saying as he did SO, This will fix you" or words to that effect.
 After the withdrawal of the Adams faction the election proceeded in a Iuiet and orderly manner with no evidence of fraud or irregularity of my character. the polls closing at 2. m.
 At the closing of the polls the doors 1f the polling place were closed as a report had reached the election board that an attempt might be made to seize the ballots. number of per sons were, however, admitted, among | hem delegation of the Adams fac ton including J. C. Adams, $. J. Tribolet and Wm. Evans, and were present as the ballots were Assorted ,