The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-24
CITY COMMITTEE
ORDERS RECOUNT
Grants Petition Filed by John A
Curtis, Defeated Candidate
for the House.
TO BEGIN WORK TOMORROW
No Decision Reached as to Which
Form of Ballot Shall Be
Rejected.

Acting on the petition filed by Cap
tain John A. Curtis. the City Demo-
cratic Committee last night ordered a
recount of the votes cast i'm the pri-
mary of June - for the House of
/ Delegates but came to no decision as
TO which method of marking the bal
lots should prevail. This. as we'll as
the selection of the hall in which to
hold the canvass, was left to special
committees. The recount Will be held
tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock, and
Will be open to the public
The action of the city committee was
taken with perfect unanimity The
meeting was called to order by Major
Miles NJ. Martin promptly ut S o'clock
The roll call. reading of the petition
for recount and vote on the question
was finished and the meeting adjourned
in fifteen minutes. Eighteen of the
thirty four members OF the committee
were present and voted favorably on a
motion for a recount offered by CLYDE
/ w. Saunders. The manner of marking
the ballots was discussed briefly but
was left to a committee composed of
Major Martin, r. Il. Florance and j. H.
Price. The selection of suitable hall
was left to a committee consisting Of
CLYDE w. Saunders, Frank Ferrandini
and }. y. Purcell
Wants Uniform Count.
That there should be some uniformity
in the marking of ballots was the
unanimous opinion of the committee
but the majority favored the solid
shot plan adopted by the city COM
mittee. in preference to the procedure
laid down in the Byrd primary law.
1t was the conflict between these two
plans that caused the cloud OF unccr-
/ tainty which led Captain Curtis to ask
Tor recount
| The committee received and acted
iaNorably ON Il petition from Lloyd b.
Franklin, defeated candidate for JUS
ticc of the peace for Madison Ward.
asking for Il recount, Mr. Franklin
ran fourth on the ticket and lost out
by ten votes. lie cites tho curtis pc
ution as his ground for relief
Three precincts followed the COM
mittce plan, while the remaining three
precincts i'll Madison observed the pro-
visions OF the Byrd law.
Although making no direct or in
! direct charge of fraud. Captain Curtis
asked the committee to determine
/ which of the two plans should have
been follow ed. and then to recount the
entire vote by that plan. There is no
/ doubt but irregularities and inaccuracies
did occur, as seven precincts acted in
/ pursuance with the committees orders.
| "Hilt III III Nttll precincts the pan was
/, disrcgardcd.
Defeated by Fifty-Tuu Votes.
The failure to count 1876 ballots is
another reason advanced for the re-
/ count Captain Curtis was defea ted by
I hitN-two votes. and as 81 large number
+. OF ballots were thrown out as defective
} IA precincts whore he was particularly
/ strong. IL was thought probable that
lie could cut down this lead
Although the recount will be n
tedious undertaking, and will require
I time, the committee will meet in the
/ afternoon. order supper TO be served
ana cndcavor to complete the work in
4 single evening. With fresh men. IA
/ mlllar with the work. and with only
nine names TO tally. it should take hui
I q small proportion OF the time il took
/ the Tired election officials who had al
! ready served fifteen hours at the polls
ana many Of whom were unfamiliar
with the duties and without particular
training in rapid methods OF account
ing.
Captain Curtis notified the committee
That he was willing to pay all cX
ncnses OF the recount. Captain Will
liam NJ Myers aiid Graham r. Hobson.
both expressed their Willingness to bear
part 81 the burden. ID. l. Toney. of
south richmond. who will be affected
recount. appeared before the commit =
tee and. in y short talk. agreed to
abide 10y its decision.