The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-24
TEXAS RETURNS REVERSED AND
 ANTS NOW LEAD With Several Counties to Hear From Wet Majori-
 ty Is 3400 
 CRYING FRAUD" Both Sides Are Claiming Victory and Contest of the Election Is
 Probable, Irrespective
 of the Result

U
 Dallas, Tex, July 23.-All returns from the statewide prohibition election in Texas received by the Galveston-Dallas News thus far after being subjected U the most carefu, revision, give:
 For prohibition, 225 5SS; against proh- bition, 22s,93S Anti-majority s4Oo.
 No returns have been received from five counties, but these perhaps have cast no more than 1000 votes. Forty-seven coun- ties have made only partial returns, but in most of these only a few small boxes are missing.
 The total unreported vote probably will not exceed 22.oOO. it being indicated that the total vote boiled was about 475.0O. which is the largest vote ever boiled in Texas, except in 1896 when 5j4,ooo votes were cast.
 1 A survey of the territory not yet re- poned, which Is we'll scattered over the state, indicates that the returns yet to come hold about as much promise for one side as the other, and the result may bs put down as doubtful. but slightly more in favor of the antis than the pros.
 At anti-prohbition headquarters ma- joriiy of 5000 is claimed The prohibition leaders are quite as emphatic in asserting that they have gained a victory in the eletcion, and moreover they assert that frauds have been committed. Both sides have issued warnings that the ballot boxes should be carefully preserved, and it seems inevitable that there will be d contest in the courts and possibly leg islative investigation. regardless of the showing made upon the face of the re- turns.
 Full Returns Necessary
 With the anti-prohibitionists leading in the returns counted up to 12 o'clock
 in the statewide prohibition election Saturday with the leaders of each side issuing statements claiming victory Tn that contest and with the additional feature of fraud charges today made by prohibition leaders, the outlook shortly before midnight is that full returns will | be necessary to decide the result. Both
 sides stand ready to contest the vote.
 For "A hours the returns have about l divided themselves for and against pro | hbition.
 | While the returns received today kept changing the face of the results, the
 totals usually cast up majority aganst prohibition running from 20 D to 5000.
 only a few small counties. which lack l wire facilities have not been heard from and there are scattered boxes lnv l many other counties. The territory from which the returns are incomplets Is about evenly divided as between the
 wet and dry districts The indications A1 tA ha o n ti-n n n ists whose leaders claim the victory by | A majority of 5000. The prohibition
 leaders. however, insist upon the fuii
 returns and moreover are charging | fraudulent voting
 | The totals of the returns at 1l:30 ?.
 m. gave 222,474 for prohibition amend ment and 226,T04 against the amend ment.
 Returns at s:45 p. m. with several
 counties and parts of counties yet to
 hear from gave the antis lead of 265l. Leaders of both factions claimed vic | tory and Chairman Ball of the prohibit | tionists cries, fraud" | Contest of the election seems immi- nent which ever way the final returns go The amended election law enacted last winter provides for contests ar Austin, the state capital. Antis Take Lead At o'clock this afternoon it was in dicated that the -prohibitionsts had a good lead, but returns received since that hour cut this down. The contest is the closest in the his | tory of the state. Tens of thousands | of people collected around bulletin boards today watching the returns. It | is practically impossible to forecast what the final returns will show. The antis are claiming victory. but l the prohibition leaders are confident About 90 per cent of the total vote cast | is accounted for by the returns. The counties and boxes still missing ara | widely distributed over the state Soms | of them are admittedly prohibition an'
 others admittedly anti prohibition. None | of them are very large. The reports In hand include practically complete rs- l turns from every large city and county | in the state.
 l The ti-prohibitionists lead with nine l counties to be heard from ana @ couh'S | ,.rurLs incomplete.
 Indications are that the exact result will
 not be known until the last box Is ac- | counted for.
 | The anti-prohibitionist state headQuar- 1 ;ers. however, issued statement at
 |. m. claiming the election by good
 majority
 1 Houston, Tex, July 2S.-The following | statement was given out this evening by
 r. II. Ball chairman of the statewide | prohibition executive committee: | In spite of wholesale fraud in various
 sections of the state by poll tax payments | ty nauor interests and a practically solid l Mexican vote and S per cent of tho ne- gro vote against the prohibition amend Inent. prohibition, in my best judgment. has been carried by not less than 10000 r9ajorty."
 J. F. Wolters, chairman of the anti statewide amendment committee, issued | jhis statement: | Almost complete returns indicate be- yond question that we have won by good majority. It is absolutely necessary, how ever, to guard closely the boxes and re- | turns so that the actual results will | be protected everywhere" Tharas Clarke Dies | Nashville, July 2S.--Thomas Hopkins