The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-04-23
Illegal Voting Cases in Cairo
Yesterday
After the Perjurers--Pure Ballot
League Looking Up All Voters
Sworn i'm at Election.
NUMBER UNUSUALLY SMALL

I
ing in Judge Coming's court. There
were present as prosecutors states
Attorney Wilson and members of the
directing board OF the pure ballot
/ league as follows: w. b. Huette,
president; t. c. Clendenen. secre-
tary; T. j. and f. G. Kerth. W. ID.
\ Bannister. N. V. Lewis. DIR. Field,
DR.. S. b. Cary. ]. b. Magee. A. j.
Reese. Chas. Feuchter. Douglas Hal
liday, John J.. Parham, Chas. Cum
bingham, Henry Haseniaeger, p. T.
Langan.
! There we're a number OF witnesses
nearly all negroes. and large audi
ence. also nearly all negroes. The
defendants had no attorney, but the
prosecuting attorney and court gave
them every opportunity TO make a
defense, calling for any witnesses
they wished TO have. and questioning
them only with a view TO getting at
the truth. not to confuse or TO in
volve them.
The defendants were all negroes.
but one. James Fitch. who admitted
that his home was in New Albany.
Ind, where he said he had a wife
and children. lie admitted that he
had voted here Tuesday and also at
the primary election April 18th. and
that he was TO get a dollar for his
vote, but was arrested before he got
It. He could not tell who promised
him the money. He was held to bail
in the sum of s300
The negroes were Henry Ellis.
Henry Spencer. John Young. VIM.
Cole, Chas. johnson and Eddie Keys
Three of these were arrested az the
Fifth ward pole and three at the
FIRST ward poll Keys was the man
|. who was taken from Constable Hud-
son by the crowd on election day.
and Hudson got him the next day. II
developed yesterday that Keys had a
right to vote and he was discharged.
Chas. Johnson was also dis
charged. He had been arrested by
Officer Casey at the First ward poll,
not at the Instance of the League.
The officer stated at the hearing yes
terday that he had learned the man
was entitled to vote. The other de-
PENDANTS told varying stories. Two
of them admitted they did not live
in the wards where they voted. and
two others called for witnesses to
prove that they did live where they
voted. The witnesses demanded were
brought intofcourt but failed to sub
stantiate the prisoners statements.
Members of the Pure Ballot league
who had been active in connection
with the arrests. Messrs. Kerth and
Lewis in the Fifth ward. and Par
ham in the First ward testified.
Five of the prisoners were sent to
the county jail under $500 bond
each to appear before Judge Dewey
They will have hearing there, and
be fined and given short terms in
the county jail.
Important Case Monday.
The case Of John Wilson who was
arrested by Deputy Sheriff John S.
Aisthorpe. after he had come out of
the First ward poll with a ballot in
his pocket. will have a hearing Mon
day. Attorney Leek has been en-
ployed to defend him. Wilson con-
fessed when arrested that he had
been sent in TO steal a ballot and
bring II to some one outside. for
which he was to be paid, but the !
sum was not stipulated. Il is UNDER
stood that he will deny making such |
a statement and VIII contend that |
he acted through ignorance. having |
been told to go in and vote. and |
there being a number of people in
the poll, with no one to tell him |
what to do with the ballot. he did
not think it made any difference
whether he voted ii or not.
After Perjurers.
The league officers are not salts
fed with catching these small-fry.
They are after bigger game. They
have procured lists OF all the men
Who were sworn in at all the polls
on Tuesday, which. by the way. are
not nearly so large as at former
elections; and they will trace the
voter in each case. II any Of them
shall be found illegal. the League
purposes to go after the men who
swore them in, as well as the voters
themselves. the purpose being to
make men more careful about going |
on affidavits. While the ordinary |
illegal voter can be found guilty |
only Of a misdemeanor. the man who
swears falsely to an affidavit can be
sent to the penitentiary for perjury.