The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-05-06

should not have been and that votes
were rejected for Oft which should
have been counted.
Mr.. Crair then read the agreement
under which Messrs. Blood and Henne.
man had counted the ballots
This agreement, he said, had been
In Mr.. Miller's hands for week be.
fore he would sign 1t. We were will.
Ing for the council to meet right after
this count and settle the matter quick.
~, but they would not agree to it.
They asked for recount and were
not satisfied. At O'Clock last night
they brought charges of fraud and /
don't know what they filed it for ii
they do not intend to use it.
We will produce the report OF the
two men who counted the ballots as
per agreement You will say that the
judges counted the votes properly at.
ter You examine them, if they ever get
into your hands and say that on the
race OF the official returns and the
count Of the two men, that there is no
doubt as to the correct result.
We can show that in the first ward
there were thirty votes for Sterne and
nineteen votes for Off, not properly
initiated on the back. II necessary,
we can show that in the first ward.
Mr.. Sawyer handed out ballots instead
OF the clerks and judges, an act which
would be enough to throw out the
whole ward.
Ballot Box Produced.
AT the close of Mr.. Craig's remarks,
the big tin box containing the ballots
was brought in by the city attorney
and bailiff Of the superior court the
box being placed in the center of the
room.
During the recess while the box was
being secured, Alderman Hickey arose
and asked the chair IL man had any
recourse when his name was dragged
through the mire and he was charged
with being an illegal voter. He said
| that those second ward men who hat
been mentioned as voting illegally
were indignant. The question was
not answered by anyone.
Objects to Opening.
Mr.. Sawyer suggested that the bal
lots be opened and taken up ward BY
ward and examined by the council.
Mr. Craig objected to the ballots be
ing produced, stating that they would
not be safe.
Mr.. Miller then introduced as evi
dence in the case, the agreement In
regard to the disputed ballots, the
agreement expressly stating that the
disputed ballots were to be submitted
to the council.
He asked that Messrs. Griffey. Nc
| Manus, Blood, Henneman and Moore
be sworn in as witnesses and also in
troduced as evidence the resolution
passed by the council authorizing the
opening of the ballots.
The chairman of the meeting swor&
the five men as witnesses and the
case proceeded the same as law suit
each witness being examined and an
swering the questions propounded tt
them by Mr.. Miller and Mr.. Craig.
| The First Witness.
City Clerk H. T. Moore was the first
witness. He testified that as clerk OIL
the council he had received the bal
lots after the election and had placed
them in the tin box in the vault in the
city office. He sealed the box after
wards and opened in on April 18th
for the official canvass, sealing il
again. He opened the box again or
April 81 when the recount was made
and the contents appeared to be the
same. After the recount he put the
ballots and report in the box, sealed
it and the box had been In his posses
sion ever since.
When the ballots were received or
election night be had thrown them OF
the floor of the vault, placing them il
the box the next morning. No one hal
been the vault that night as far al
he knew. All of the ballots were il
envelopes. Did not believe that any
one outside OF City Collector Luedtk.
had been in the vault while the ballot.
were on the floor. Did not remembel
] Of ballot being found On the table
after the examination and showed int
an envelope after 1t was sealed.
The Second Witness.
/ F. L. Griffey was the second wit
ness. He sealed the box on the da.
when the mayor and clerk made TIT