Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-26
ITO SAY THEY
VOTED FOR nixon
String Of Witnesses Testi-
fled in First Ward Elec-
i ton Cases
nDEFENSE IS SUSTAINED
Court Holds Ballots Cannot Be Intro
duced as Testimony
Amusing Incidents.

Notwithstanding the fact that the
judges and clerks reported only %
votes for District Attorney T. Havis
Nixon, the successful candidate fol
prosecuting attorney Of the Eleventh
Judicial District, as having been cast
Tor him in the First ward in this city
at the primary election held March
30, 1910, one hundred and ten quail
fled voters of that precinct got on
the witness stand yesterday in the
Jefferson circuit court and swore tina,
they to a man voted for Mr.. Nixon
On that occasion.
The witnesses gave testimony at he
second days hearing of the First
ward election fraud cases, in which
District Attorney Nixon and his de-
putty, T. G. Parham, are prosecuting
William Miller, ]. H. Dellmon, S. D..
Wilson and Jack Kerwin, judges and
clerks who served in that precinct on
election day and who have since Nj.
Nixon's election been indicted for per-
jury and various forms of election
frauds.
When court opened Thursday
morning the state offered one or two
other witnesses tracing the ballots
used in the First ward to the witness
stand, at which time the state sought
to have THE ballots introduced aus evil
Aence in the trial. The defense
commended that the ballots having
passed out of the hands of the cleo
ton officials, having been placed in a
vault for safe keeping, their purity
had been legally destroyed On this
ground, S. M. Taylor, w. D. Jones and
s. J. Hunt, attorneys for the defense,
objected to their being used as evil
dence. The court sustained their
objections. to which ruling the state
excepted. This ruling was consider
ed first blood for the defense. The
state was able to make "a sufficient
showing, however, TO be permitted to
take from the box the poll books
used in the First ward and they were
admitted as testimony Immediately
after the court held that the ballots
were not admissible, the state began
introducing voters, all of whom testi-
fled THAT they had voted for Nixon
and had registered as Nixon Voter"
before notary public. directly across
the street from the polling place.
The State is about through with lie
testimony and the case will, prsbably
go to the jury today noon. Only two
witnesses, Jack Holland and Tandy
Barraque, one of the election com.
missioners, have BEEN sworn as wit
nesses for the defense, together with
the defendants. The defense how.
Yer, may int1ioduce other witnesses
before the case is closed. The ar
guments will likely begin at o'clock.
Apausipg incidents characterized
tie proceedings during the day, many
of the voters being unable, on cross
examination, to state the name, of any
person for whom they voted on that
day. except Mr.. Nixon. Several de-
clared that they remembered having
voted for Mr.. Nixon for the reason
that they had mo interest in any 9TH
er race and went to the polls solely
tor the purpose Of voting for him. One
voter, when being pressed for his
reason for going across the street,
after voting and making an affidavit
that he voted for Nixon. said THAT he
did It because he believed they were
fixing to hold crdoked election in
that ward and wanted to preserve
szysence in case fraud was practiced.
Another gave as his reason for doing
SO tbAt the public had been warned
IN 8eeches by Nixon at the close OF
the Campaign that there was a
movement ON loot to corrupt the bal
lot in the Firsis ward, and that II the
voters would furnish him with their
.aefidavits and any crooked work was
nracticed, he would see that the mat
was presented 10 the grand jury.