The Cairo bulletin., 1910-11-04
Men Who Filed Charges Asked
Permission to Withdraw Them
When Proof Was Asked :
Commissioners Objected and Interesting Stories
We're Told-Sheriff NsIIis and Deputy Jones
Accused Of Inducing Negroes to
Sign Papers

would be sufficient, in connection
with the original oaths OF the absent
voters themselves.
Mode of Procedure.
The commissioners decided to go
through the affidavits by wards. TAX,
ing up the batch of As filed by G. NJ.
Ellis, they asked him what reason
he had for believing that the persons
name,i we're not entitled to vote.' He
expressed a desire to withdraw all
the affidavits, but the commissioners
would not permit him to do this. HIS
plea was that in most cases he had
been informed by others that the men
were not entitled to vote. He was
permitted to withdraw his affidavits
one by one after he had given his
reasons for causing them to be IS
sued, which, in the opinion of the
board were not sufficient. 1t APP
peared that few if any of them were
based on his own personal knowledge.
A specimen case was that of e. p,
Comings. Mr.. Ellis had filed an aff-
iayit alleging that Mr.. Comings was
| not legal voter. He understood that
Mr.. Comings' family resided in ST
| Louis. He was not here to answer
| TO the charge; but Frank Sebille APP
peared and swore. that Mr., Cominss
had occupied room in the same
| building he occupies on Eighth
street for eighteen months.
Some Striking Incidents.
John W. Grief who had been con
cerned in a large number of cases, as
notary public or as complainant. He
| also wished to withdraw his com.
| plants without a hearing and the
board refused to permit it, going over
the affidavits one by one and dc,
| handing to know what reasons he
had for filing them. 1t was he who
Ihad complained against the people
in ST Mary's Infrmary and on being
questioned, he admitted he did not
know any of them. 1t was even de
veloped that he had not been to st
Mary's InfTmary and did not kno y
that some Of the men against whom
he had complained lived there, al
though his affidavits bore the street
number of the hospital correctly. His
plea was that he had filed the affi-
davits because the men had re
naturalization papers.
Glow do you know this?" he was
asked.
/ 81 have never seen them," was his
reply
u "Did yor~ever ask to see themT
mo"
Then why did you file these affi
davits?"
~ was told they had no papers.
He was asked particularly about
one OF the men against whom he had
complained, Barry Smith.
DID You call at his house?'
i yes"
what kind of house Is it?"
7 Why a cottage; just an ordinary
house"
J, rs it one story or two story?"
Just an ordinary sized house"
did you find him at homer"
Z. mo, they told me he was out"
"WhyTfd you file the affidavit?".~
Because he had not resided in tn,
s state long enough
Don't you know that Smith re
1 sides in the hospital large buildin'
: covering an entire block that he ha
resided there for years; that he wa
horn in New York and therefor
. needs no naturalization papers?"
Il did not know that"
Mr.. Smith ~ veteran of the Mexi
y can war; is over 80 years old, and !
blind; but in full possession of hi
/ other faculties. DR. Walsh was pres
1 ,ent and informed the commissioner
/. THAT word from the Mother Superio
Iof the hospital was that Mr.. Smit
i. was not-afSfe to appear in person,
Another case in which Grief ha
e made complaint was that of Pat Ca
Is n7C.y, who had resideT in Cairo owe
IS so years. He was Crippled but wa
O brought 70 the hearing in an auto H
n could not get up stairs to answer tn
S summons without pain, and the Goa
" nrfssr0GsTg excused him.
e A Lumber of other cases of like n.
o ture were developed. Grief withdre'
1t all his affidavits, that were not d.
T. clarei invalid by the board, one b
d enc, as the names were called
d Commissioner Magee reprimande
Is him severely for swearing to matte,