The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-08
COMMITTEE CHECKS
POLL BOOKS AND
BALLOTS IN FOURTH
Action of Monday Night a
Week Ago Is Reversed
in Petersburg
START IN TO COUNT
VOTES IN PRIMARY
Watson Files Lengthy Answer
to Charges Made by Turn
bull of Fraud and Cor
ruption


Fourth district Democratic commit
tee, which met here tonight to hear
ihe Turnbtlil- Watson contest reversed
its action of Monday night week
ago. and decided to open the poll books
used In the Watson Turnbuli congress
sional primary, won by Judge watson
by a majority OF eight votes, and TO
check up by them the ballots cast In
each of the IFS precincts.
This work was begun at .: Is o'clock
and was not completed until about
O'Clock The net result being to leave
the result as at first announced, no
discrepancies being shown between
the number of votes certified by the
Judges as having been cast and the
number shown by the poll books. W men
this work was completed the commit
t,.,, aegaa the recount of the aaiAets-
The committee began its session
about so with w. II. Mckenny. OF
Petersburg. and r. +. Buford. OF Law
reuceyiiie. representing tohsressif'ah .
Turnbull and Speaker II. f.. BYRD, OF
Richmond. and X. II. Mann, Of Peters
burg. representing Judge watson
Watson ~Asks For Time.
Speaker Byrd read a statement from
Judge Watson which asked the com
mittee for a reasonable time In when
10 prepare his answer to the charges
contained In the petition presented 10
the -distric. committee by Congress
fns4, TurutuIs He, hard received the
lengthy petition containing a large
number Of charges at ! o'clock sat
,1rday. the statement read. and had
had insufficient time In Which TO HsTst
the charges.
Information coming To me today by
wire, letters and personal infornla-
ton" read the statement. complete
w refutes the charges brought as far
as I have been able TO take them up,
and IL Of ouch character az 10 war
rant the belief that / shall be able TO
vindicate entirely the conduct OF the
urinary insofar az the vote accorded
me e. concerned, and may add.
shall be glad II the same shall De
found true Of the vote returned for my
opponent" .. -
his statement that he knows OF ohiy
one negro and Of bat few RepuhA-
cans who voted for him. He does not
intend. he says. TO go into the oues-
tion as to the right of negroes ana
Republicans to vote in a Democratic
primary. that question oeing ioF the
committee to detirmine. but ADDS:
..In view of my declarations on this
subteot, I will say now. what / nave
said before, that II the result of the
ala.,,s.,n should hinge upon that vote
In Nottoway. / shall decline the nomi-
nation"
No Fraud. Watson Declares.
Admitting that some harmless mis-
takes may have been made hy the
tndses and that there may have been
few technical violations of the law
~ no great import. he declares that
he does not believe that there has been
INV fraud or grave attractions Of the
primary laws. In reference to sending
for the poli books. as asked last Mon
,fa,- night by counsel for MIR. Turnbutl,
Judge Watson says:
II have always been, and am now,
willing and DESTROYS that this commit
tee send for the poll books. inspect
item and permit inspection BY posh
narties. and ! request that this COM
mtttee consider the peli books all the
election returns and any matter essen :
tial to the merit of the contest and
decide the contest solely upon it's mer-
it, will cheerfully abide the de-
cision.
~ have entire confidence IN the in
+erritv of the officials who conducted
the election. and am satisfied the re-
suIt has been ascertained: I trust II
10 unnecessary for ME TO say to the
people of this district that / would
consent to hold no seat In congress
with cloud upon my title.
After this statement had been read
1: Taylor Thompson. committeeman
from prince Edward, brought up the
matter of costs. and II was decided To
8 ssess both candidates. the assessment
OF the winner Of the contest to be re-
turned to him.
All Want Books Opened.
w. r. McKenny. OF counsel Tor
Mr.. Turnbull. then read the petition
presented by his client to the com
mittee. The reading OF the petition.
which was printed in the Richmond
y!rgInian OF Sunday consumed the
greater part Of an hour. Mr.. Byrd
then stated that In behalf Of his
client he joined with counsel for Mr..
Turnbull In the request that the poll
books be opened by the committee and
the certified returns compared with
them.
.sThat, I understand. is what the
counsel for the petitioner aAks first,
said Mr.. Byrd.
att is." replied Mr.. Buford II
thank my friend for concurring in opr
request and am only sorry that II
was not done u week ago, when we
first made the request
Mr.. McKenny here took occasion
TO DENY iii behalf ~ Mr.. Turnh!ll that
the latter had any intention OF run
ming for congress as an independent.
"A stated IN dispatches set out from
Lawrencevilie.
On motion OF Chairman GILLIAN.
the committee Their went into sxsau-
tive session. counsel for both sides
and Newspaper men being admittsd,
wac taken. It was explained. 90 a. 20
>ua hlA <t,a c0Na mlttAa to Aarann fhA