The Detroit times., 1911-01-19
CRAFT PROBE WILL
Strike VOTERS IN
CANNON sDIsTR|cT
That Thirty-Hve Hundred Have
Bought or Sold Ballots, Il Belief
of Isaac Woodward, Foreman Of
Grand Jury. ~
Uncle Joe's" Skirts Are Clear %
Miro Of Corruption That Looms
Up In His Section.

DANvILLE, Ills, Jan. fs.-By ones
and twos they are sneaking over ia
Isaac Woodward's house, sometimes
late at night, SO that no one will see
them and they are telling this square
1awed. David Harum kind OF finan-.
cier the story OF vote buying and vote
selling In vermillion county, the home
and bailiwick OF Uncle Joe" Cannon.
And these secret visits will prob
ably result In open visits-and then
Wholesale fiocking to the grand Jury
room TO take an immunity bath.
In political circles IL Is conceded
that there has already been q leak
and that the grand jury has secured
sufficient evidence to conduct thor
ough investigation into the charge
that political corruption has been a.
prevalent In Vermillion county a. II
was In Adams county, Ohio.
There has not been q breath OF
suspicion directed towards Speaker
Cannon, and IL il admitted on all
sides that the speakers skirts are
absolutely clear of the mire Of car
ruption.
That $500 voters who have either
bought or sold ballots will be disfran-
chised Is the belief OF Isaac Wood
ward, the foreman Of the grand jury.
When Judge Kimbrough called the
attention of the grand jury to the
charge that vote-buying and selling
was prevalent, he considered his duty
done. States Attorney John r. Lew
man took the position that II was his
duty to present to the grand jury such
evidence as was presented to him, but
he didn't think he ought to be made
q detective In seeking the evidence.
Woodward took an entirely different
view of the matter. The Judge had
told. him to investigate the bribery
charges. II was. therefore, his duty.
Woodward would stick his right arm
fb:s.ore and hold II there until 1t was
burned on II 1t, was his duty. He u
Ridge Farm banker and . deter
mined, capable man. He doesn't live
in Danville, but his financial interests
have kept him In touch with every ac-
ton here In years.
And woodward IL going to the very
bottom of the charges. He In FIRMLY
OF the belief. that there has been vote
buying and selling. Already num-
Der of voters have confessed to him
He expects to take them before tho
grand jury and make them repeat
their stories. With these confessions
to work on. he intends to bring others
before the inquisitors. Wen dis
franchise $500 voters in this county"
said Woodward today.
The Acknowledgement OF such q
number of voters, II il said, will have
a peculiar effect upon the political
complexion Of the county. There has
been a bitter struggle for years be-
tween the vets and the 'drys." The
results have always been close. Each
side has won repeatedly. The drys
now confidently assert. that II $500
voters are disfranchised. they viii be
"wets" and that the drys viii carry
the county at the next election.
There Is a story going the rounds
here today that at the recent primary
the drain on the politicians was 20
heavy the money was soon expended
and 500 voters, unable to get their
Dit" got Disguised and left the polls
without voting.