The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-03
SENTENCES MEN y
/. FOR SELLING VOTES
Judge Blair Holds Impromptu Ses'
sion Around Table in Hotel
Office.

Eo L tNiON' oHio, Jan. o.. b''
lieving that so many voters have been
DISTINGUISHED i'm Adams county and
thus rendered ineligible for jury ser.
vice. that IL would be impossible 10
get together another grand jury "a
complete the probe into the vote sell
ing, Judge Blair today refused to per
nit the adjournment OF the grand jury
that has been In session now for over
two weeks and that has returned over
1920 indictments.
The situation Is causing Judge Blair
considerable concern. Several mem
bers OF the present jury have notified
the court that IL will be impossible for
them To serve after next Saturday be
cause of the necessity OF getting back
to business and to their farms.
No less than 800 Adams county resi-
dents are declared TO have crossed
over into Kentucky and to have an
nounced their intention OF not return
ing unless the vote probing is stopped
Some OF these men have been indicted
and some have not. AS yet Judge
Blair has not announced what he viii
do with them.
The probe was tardy I'm being re
sumed this morning because OF de
lay in trains which made Judge A
Il. Blair. sitting as special judge, late
IN arriving Not to lose time, how
ever, he held court in a hotel lobby
at PEBBLES at daybreak when 10 Adams
county vote-sellers met him at the
train after waiting hours in the drlzzl
ing rain and told him they wished tC
enter pleas of guilty.
Judge Blair requested them TO wait
until he had eaten breakfast, and he
then held an impromptu court session
around rough table in the hotel OF
fee, DISTINGUISHING the ID men and i'm
posing the minimum fines and bus
pended workhouse sentences. All
were from Franklin township and had
been previously indicted.
Their action in awaiting Judge Blair
at the train not only saved them ad-
ditioaal court costs, and saved time
for the court, but showed the effect
the fning OF five men who had been
indicted bui failed to come to court
promptly mas mad upon other vote
sellers. The FIVE in question We're
fined 5000 and costs each and sen
fenced to eight months in the Cincinr
lati workhouse. They will be taken
to Cincinnati today.
The meE who waited at the train
ranged in age from Fl years to 40
years. and some Of them had wake
in the rain half the night TO be Gil
hand.
~ thau told him
as the train stopped, and Judge Blair
stepped of onto the depot platform.
I'VE sold our votes like the others and
we want to do the right thing-take
our medicine
Although it was expected from the
action of Judge Blair Saturday that
probably several hundred indicted men
who have failed to come into court
would be dealt with severely. Judge
Blair is willing to extend further len
iency to those who now come prompt
ly before him, believing that the heavy
penalties imposed on the five Satur-
day will be effective In bringing
prompt response to the officers sum
mons
With the arrest yesterday OF six men
charged with making threats to kill
Judge Blair and dynamite the court
house and Adams county jail, 1t de-
veloped that an attempt to steal or
destroy the records in the vote selling
probe was feared and the more than
1.200 indictments already of record
were placed In bank vault on Sun
day. Judge Blair refuses to discuss
the threats against him.
The six men now in jail were from
Manchester and had been indicted pre-
viousy.
Long before daylight this morning
hundreds OF people from all over the
county were fiocking into West Union
and today is expected to prove the
biggest court day since Judge Blair
started the election probe.