The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-22
Tremendous Election
Frauds Being Uncov-
cred by Grand Jury.
3, 500 VOTERS
R INVOLVED
Political Offenders Showing De-
sire to Flock to Court Confes-
'sional-Vote Buyers Will
Go Free, but Sellers Must
suffer-City Attorney
Willing to Tell All.
tsnccial to The Tlmcs.Dispatch.

tSpccial to The Timcs-Dispatch1
Danville. Ill, January 21.-The grant
jury SNOWFALL, rolling down the long
hiii of Vermillion county political cor
ruption. with the certainty of smoth-
erins s,ose voters at the bottom, gained
tremendous impetus to-day. a score O,
Dig politicians. present and former
oiicc-hoidcrs, sent word to Foreman
isaac woodward that they were ready
to give details of Wholesale vote sell
Ing IL they were subpocnaed. Some
of the campaign managers even ilnv,
detailed lists of vote sellers I'm thei,
precincts and the amounts paid them.
Two startling developments in the
franchise scandal probe are responsible
for tho desire OF the political offenders
TO flock to the grand jury confessional
Judge II. L. Kimbrongh. who started
the investigation, after consulting the
kecnest lawyers of East illinois. IL
ready to declare unconstitutional that
section of the special election law
which stamps vote buying as n crime
This means no Indictment for the big
men in politics in Joe Cannon's district.
1t leaves them with no excuse for not
telling what they know.
Bankers Roughly Handled.
The second spur consists OF whispers
of the rough handling which several
of the rich Danvillc bankers received
on Friday at the hands of the grand
iury. After they had told OF their
hard luck as bondsmcn for I5N-Treas-
urcr Hardy II. Whitlock, they were
asked about vote traffic. Their mcm-
cries suddenly failed.
You can go for to-day" Foreman
Noodyard said to the absent-minded
ones, but we Will have you back again
next week. See to 1t that you refresh
your memories
Then the grand jurors took iinmedi-
ate steps TO fortify themselves by call.
ing the nnderlings of tho his politi-
clans. Tho to return with
better memories was particularly di-
rected TO T.. y. Lescure, son-in-law OF
Joseph 8. Cannon, his campaign man
agcr, president Of the Danvillc Nation
cashier of the same bank. BY one OF
the strange tang1es of Nernlllion
county politics. Mct,lcnathcn, despite
his close Cannon business connections.
was made campaign manager for Will
liam L.. Cundiff, whom the Democrats
nominated to light at the November
election for Cannon's sent in Congress-.
II Is said to have been an expensive
campaign, and Cundiff polled 1880
votes to Cnnnon's 1906. Mr.. McClenn-
then, according to the grapevine wire
from the grand jury room, was asked
who handled the Cunditf money. He
could not remember. He will be re-
called after the grand jury hears from
certain lesser managers.
a si%delight on this particular polit-
zeal tangle lies in a Christmas present
of a tinc automobile, which Mir. McClen-
athen received from Mr.. Leseure, Can
mons son-in-law, last Yuletide. 1t was
given for long and faithful service In
the bank" The fact that M~cClenathcn
was the campaign manager of Joe Can
mons only rival mad the automobile
gift tho town joke.
Neat Point RAISED.
The fact that Judge Kimbrough is
ready to declare the election buying law
unconstitutional was learned to-day
from one of the attorneys whom the
court called into n secret conference.
The point raised is n neat one IN OF
interest to the entire State. The State
election law and the State primary law
make vote selling a crime, but say
nothing about vote buying. The
Springfield wise men passed what is
known as the special elections act for
cities, towns and villages, which pro-
vides for election commissions and
makes vote buying a crime against the
State OF Illinois. This net has been
adopted for the city of Danville by or
dinancc.
III dlIol lltN - 1tisSht NV wv
by Judge Eimbrough pointed out that
1t was unconstitutional for the LeGis.
laturc to declare an act q crime against
the state in ono part of the State when
1t was not a crime in another part
Judge Eimbrough is said to be ready
to hold tho v~ote-buying provision MI.
constitutional. lie Will Instruct the
grand jury to disregard vote-buying In.
dictmcnts. lie will send to iail for
! contempt any politician who refuses to
testify on the ground that he might
incriminate himself. Thus the bars arc
down for good and the political mau.
ayers are ready to take the low hurdle
The first rumor of the day was that
| City Attorney Frank w. Jones. one OF
the campaign managers of Sheriff John
modified this rumor somewhat by say
ing:
Il have not confessed. I don't like
that word, but I am ready to tell what
I know IL the grand jury sees fit to
/, subpoena me. / have q list of men
who did the campaign. work in my part
of Danville. and ! will show 1t to the
grand jury If that body desires. Some
of these men will tell which voters sold
out.
"If the grand jury wants to get at
tho bottom OF his vote-seiling, 1t
should have no trouble in getting the
evidence. There nro seven wards IN
Danville. and about twonty- cight pre-
cincts. There arc five or six men In
each precinct who should be called.
names for n littlo j%udicious asking"
Quarantine Abolished.
aI "a - 81 ~ fn ~ ~ II atfa $50 ~ u NAD NM