The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-28
PRIMARY PROBE BEGINS.
SUBCOMMITTEE WILL HOLD
MEETING AT SPARrNNBURG.
Detective Reed To Testify as to Green
Vile - Committees Prepare Evil
dcnce on Spartanburg.


spartanburg. Sebt. 23.--Sensational
evidence of fraud in the Democratic
primary election OF August 81 will be
laid before the subcommittee OF the
committee investigating the charges
of irregulations when they meet in
the court house tomorrow afternoon.
according To rumois which were cur
rent today. Committees which have
been investigating the vote cast in
spartanburg county have found over
500 ballots which seem to have been
Illegal and have only about half finish
ed the work. IL will lay what evil
dence IL has before the sub-commit-
tee and ask for an extension Of time
In order TO complete the investigation
and get affidavits In support of the
charges. The most startling evidence
In connection with the election is ex-
pected to come from f. s. Reed, a de-
tective. who has been at work In
,Greenviile. and according to a dis
patch from there was In conference
yesterday with several members OF
the county executive committee. Mr..
Reed us the same man who. posing as
"Mr. Porter" obtained the dictagraph
records from sam J. Nichols. Mr..
Reed was employed by william j.
Burns then. but has since gone into
business for himself.
None OF the members Of the sub
committee could be found at the
hotels tonight except ]. u. Bivens. a
Blease member. who accompanied the
governor from Columbia. The other
members are: w. +. Stevenson. chair
man: w. Il. Wilson. Jr.. J. Il. Park.
I. B. Butler. J. NJ. Greer and X. NJ.
Jeffries. They are expected to arrive
tomorrow morning. Messrs. Greer.
Bivens and Jeffries are Blease sup
portecs: the others are Jones men.
Judge Ira B. Jones will not at
tend the meeting Of the subcommit-
tee. but will be represented by attor-
neys. Gov. Blease. although in the
city. will not attend the meeting, but
will leave his interests In the HANDS
OF his attorneys. +. III. Dominick and
Eugene Blease.
j. Hertz Brown. I. A. Phifer and l..
w. Perrin. who have been examining
the poll lists of the first primary, have
put into a card index about one-half
the names of the voters I'm that cleo
tion. In the number they have .ound
approximately $50 duplicate names.
IL they continue to appear In the
same ratio there will be at least 500
duplicates among the names of all the
vodera
Some names appear three OF four
times and few as many as five
times. While II Is possible that some
OF these repetitions are merely cases
OF several men having the same name
there Is evidence In a number Of cases
TO indicate that one man voted several
times. Thus the same name will ap-
pear In the poll list OF neighboring
precincts and the numbers opposite
their names on the two poll lists will
show that the man OF his name voted
at different times at the two boxes.
The committee will ask time To
secure afiiaavits as To- where these
men live. So far as the committee
has been able TO learn not more than
dozen minors voted. Ten or 10 mel.
from other counties voted In this
county. and few negroes voted 4
number OF alleged Republicans voted.
but the fact that they took the oath
Co support the Democratic nominee.
which include presidential electors
and therefore Woodrow Wilson.
, makes them Democrats and their
votes are legal. Il is said.
The committee was embarrassed
somewhat by the fact that half the
people to whom they sent poll lists
for n report as 10 whether the voters
whose names appeared thereon were
qualified to vote failed 20 return the
lists or make n report.
Another committee. OF which w. w.
Lancaster was chairman. comp. red
the club rolls with the poll lists.
They obtained poll lists from oil but
two precincts OF the county. but were
unable TO get Is or 90 OF the club
rolls This committee has found on
tho poll lists about $50 Names not
appearing ON the club rolls