Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-11-28
TESTIMONY AS To
METHODS OF VOTING
Witnesses Testify thai Many Voters
Were Unable to Get 70 the Polls
in Municipal Elecriol

the election cases. The first witness
called TO the stand was r. A. Some
hane. local real estate man.
Mr.. Somahane's testimony in part
follows
II live in the second ward. | did not
vote in the city election. | was at
the polls on April the second.
went there at 1880 o'clock in the
morning and remained until seven
o'clock until seven O'Clock IN the ey-
ening. 1t very frequently resulted
that the voter from both lines was
an Independent. | was in front OF
the line notifying the voters to go
to the polls when the officer sig
nailed. | am well acquainted in the
second ward and know who are in
dependent and who are democrats
can give the names of some of the
independent who came through the
democrats line When the Reds came
through the blue line they had on
blue badges The first voter of the
Independent party who came through
the Blue line was Tomas Monies +.
Villareal and man by the name of
Flores presented themselves in the
blue line and, while | was objeeting
TO the officer against allowing them
to vote through that line, Monies
passed me and went to the polls.
The officer told Villareal and Flores
to leave The group. The police eff
Ger was an independent. 1t S
the agreement that the American vI-
ters should be allowed to enter the
polls without interruption. When an
American uDer came to our line,
we held back a Mexican voter. but
when an American came through the
Red side he was accompanied by an
Independent voter. We objected to
this several times during the day.
AL the ClOSe VI the pOllo IhSiC
were about 45 men in the Blue line
who had voted, many of them had
been there since morning"
Cross examination witness said !:
81 had not paid my poll tax and
did not attempt to vote. received
no compensation for my services az
the polls The American voters wore
no badges"
The next witness was w. F. Den
nett, who testified in part:
81 voted in the fourth ward.
went there about nine O'Clock in the
morning, before the adjutant general
had taken charge of the polls. was
assaulted by Two police officers.
started for the polls and Mr.. Puig
took me by the arm and told me to
get into one of the lines. | told
him to take his hands off me. An
other officer who | afterwards learn
was Joe Cara kept pushing me from
behind. protested and finally threat
ened to strike him with my cane.
e. G. Green, at that time in
charge Of the South Texas Gardens
came and offered me his turn at the
polls | did not take it, do not re
member clearly what happened ex-
cept that | found myself inside the
polls and they gave me a chair, as
I was exhausted. | protested to the
presiding officer that he had no right
to have armed men in the polls. He.
read me something rom the election
law which had no bearing on the sub
ject. | objected to going through one
of the two lines out Of regard for the
secrecy of the ballot"
Upon cross examination witness
said:
If Puig said anything to me be-
fore he took hold of me | did not
hear it. | am a trifle hard OF hear
ing. Neither OF the Officers told me
that | would have to wait my turn
Mr.. Green's offer of his place did
not convince me that the polls were
full. Had they been full, Mr.. Green
would not have been there.
The next wieness was c. Everson,
who testified in part as follows:
Il went TO the polling place in
the second ward first at two o'clock
in the afternoon and again al $3.50
o'clock The last time / remained
about 10 minutes before the polls
closed. did not get to vote When
! first went | started across the street
but was told by an officer to get in
line. | did not intend TO vote either
ticket straight. | intended to vote
for Mr. Cole. | got over in the blue
line Il appeared to me that the vo-
ters We're sorted. | was no nearer
the polls when left than when
came II anneared fo mo that they