The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-20
City Committee Will Be Cal
ed to Meet Monday Night to
Consider Petition
NEW PRIMARY MAY
BE THE OUTCOME
candidate Who Ran Close Be-
hind Fifth Successful Man Will
Demand Accounting of
Nearly 500 Ballots

A meeting OF the city committee
will be held Monday night to con-
slider the petition of Captain John A.
Curtis, one of the defeated candi
dates for the house of delegates OF the
general assembly. for recount of
the votes cast in the city primary
last Thursday.
II the committee acts favorahly on
the petition, and the prospects are
that It will. date will be nxed at
Monday rights meeting for an Off
cial recount of the nearly 10000 ball
lots which repose now in sealed boxes
in the vaults of the Planters National
bank. The recount. II is granted, will
probably take place in the City audi
torium in the presence OF the com
mittee. he contestants and their
counsel. though the committee, If Il
sees At. may exclude the public and
hold the recoun. behind closed doors
Petition Presumably Filed.
The petition was presumably hled
with Major Miles Martin, chairman
of the city committee. at his resi-
dence last night. Major Martin
stated early In the evening that Cap
tain Curtis had notified him by tele-
phone after he reached home that
ne would deliver ii to him al MS
residence later, and the chairman
stated that on the strength Of that
assurance he had decided TO call
meeting CT the city committee Mon
day night at Murphy's hotel. Captain
Curtis, who retired indisposed last
night. sent message TO the reporter
to the effect that he had nothing TO
saw. and declined to either deny or
affirm the question of whether he had
filed the petition for a recount. nor
could Major Martin he reached later
in the night fer confirmation Of the
expected action That ne engaged
counsel 20 prepare the petition yes
terday is certain. and Chairman Mar
tin. upon telephone assurance that
1t would be filed. promptly fixed upon
the earIies. date possible for hear
ing.
The time limit for notice OF con-
test expires tomorrow at midnight
VIII Not Reveal Contents.
chairmai, Martin stated last night
that the nature OF the grounds upon
which the petition for recount 10
based would not be given out until
IT was submitted 10 the meeting OF
the committee Monday, but IL is known
that lack Of uniformity in treating
n1isuarked ballots, alleged tncomre-
tency OF some OF the judges Of election
and other discrepancies Will be point
ed out. though II lis not expected that
there will be any charges OF fraud.
Most OF the trouble seems to have
been due to misunderstanding on the
part Of the new election ofTlcials- In
some instances those voting for less
than 1--WE on the house Of delegates
ticket had their ballots thrown out,
while Chairman Martin has held that
where voter voted for less than for
ballot should be counted for those for
whom he voted. In some manner
nearly 500 ballots in the house of
delegates contest are yet unaccounted
for in the sum total, and II Is on this
ground that friends of Captain Curtis
have persuaded him TO ask for re-
count. He ran sixth in the race be-
tween the nine contestants for the
house. and was only 81 votes behind
d l.. Toney: the fifth man. who was
elected. A recount of the ballots may
change the complexion of the Rich
mond delegation insofar as the house
delegation Is concerned at least, and
may possibly affect the makeup of
khe city committee,
May Have New Primary.
pr gross mismanagement of the pri-
mary. II is within the power of the
new city committee to annul the re-
cent primary and call an entirely new
election with so days notice, and this
may yet be the outcome OF this un-
usually interesting situation.
1t Is presumed that one or more
of the successful candidates will OPP
pose the petition for recount IL the
city committee considers the petition
Monday night in open session, and
some spice will probably be injected
into the proceedings, On the other
hand 1t may decide to hold an execu-
tive session, which II has right to
do If 1t sees fit. and exclude counsel
for the Contestants. ss>,s..,4s