The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-11-03
{. C. SIMPSON
WINS OUT
Republicans Win the Major
ity in the City Coun-
Gil, Too.

Thomas E. Knots was elected the
first mayor of Gary yesterday in a
close contest. filled with feverish ex
element by a margin Of II votes. On
the rest OF the ticket the republicans
broke better than ever. as they won
the majority in the council and elected
the treasurer. E. c. Simpson.
The race was not decided yesterday
until the last precinct in the city was
heard from. It may be possible that
it has not been decided yet for the
close contest promises a contest for
several of the Offices and possible for
the mayoralty itself Joseph Cothery,
republican candidate for city clerk
lost on the returns by one vote. This
will be contested.
Both sides in the great political bat
tie were surprised at the result The
republicans seemed absolutely conf
dent Of victory. and the democrats
were boasting a plurality of Loco Up
until yesterday morning however, the
general expression of opinion indicated
that they believed Brennan would be
the lucky man.
II is the consensus of opinion that
the republicans lost their fight on the
day of the election. Two hours after
the polls were open the bottom dropped
out of the Brennan confidence and it
became a desperate grueling struggle
to the end. When the polls closed no
one could hazard a prediction.
The activity Of the police department
and the saloon element in the south
side fighting for their very existance
in the south side, and few traitorous
republicans in the north side. turned
the tide of victory.
Knots owes his election to the
fourth precinct of the Second ward
where he won over Brennan by 81. The
republicans should have broken even
IN tgis district at best. In fact the
returns in the First and Second wards
failed to give the republicans the vote
that they had right to expect In
the south side the vote was about as
the party had expected
The aldermanic race was also re-
markably close. In the First ward.
Bowser won over Laue by 141: in the
Second. Rowley had a walkaway. win
ming by 26S majority; in the Fifth.
Castleman beat Wolf by 4 votes. and
in the Fourth. Siemiasko. republican,
won over Jurie. the democratic police
man by 10 votes.
Charging of repeating and of slip
ping in Illegal voters were made
against the democrats. but this has not
been substantiated by any direct evil
&dence No howl will be raised in all
probability by either side in this re-
speet, as the fact would be difficult to
prove if it occurred among the for
eigners.
The returns from various parts Of
the city show that the saloon element
and the foreign population put Knots
more than a gamble. no one presuming
to guess how they would cast their
ballots. If they happened to he told by
their boarding bosses which way to
cast their ballot they probably voted
in that manner Many of them changed
their politics on their way to the polls.
by clever work on the part of both
sides 1t is probable that the naturali-
cation Of hundreds of these men by the
Knots faction helped to win the cleo
ton.
Last night as the returns came in.
the headquarters of the two parties
were jammed to suffocation awaiting
the decision of the voters. The min
ute that Knots election was assured
crowd of 500 men paraded down
Broadway with torches and red fire
yelling for their successful candidate
There will probably be no contest
FOR the mayeraity. Mr.. Brennan ex-
pressing the opinion that they would
not resort to this recount Five votes
at each Of the precincts. however
would be enough to swing the election
the other way.
The republicans though defeated fol
the mayoralty feel that they made 9
splendid fight for the place and there
can be no disgrace in this kind Of q
defeat Brennan last night was sur
rounded by mob of his friends and
eheered heartily by his loyal support
ers for his great race in the face o.
heavy odds.
The whole town seems to have re
signed itself to the decision of III,
voters and former political rivals ano
enemies are once more eIasping thei
hands IN friendship and shouting 70
the E,osperity OF Gary