The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-23
ELECTION RESULTS IN DOUBT.
RumOred that Marked Ballots Were
Used at Concord and Challenged
Votes Counted I'm Ward 3.

The result Of the dispensary elec =.
ton of Tuesday is still In doubt.
which will not be removed until the
commissioners meet on next Tuesday
and count over the ballots, announc-
ing the official result in favor of one
side or the other.
There are rumors on the streets
that the dispensary is really ahead. as
ten votes in Ward were counted.
when those votes had been challeng-
ed and placed In sealed envelopes
There Is also rumOr that in Con-
cord number of votes which had
been scratched on before they were
voted were counted by the managers.
At the present time neither side is
willing TO concede the victory to the
other side, nor is either side posi-
lively certain of having won, so many
rumors are there one way and anoth-
er. The only actual change i'm votes
made Wednesday was from the re-
turns from Bloom Hill, where the
vote was said to be eleven for the
dispensary and three against il. thus
lessening the prohibition majority to
ten votes.
In regard to the counting of the
contested votes at Ward 3, it is stat
ed that twelve envelopes were opened
and the votes counted. all of them be-
ing against the dispensary, this chang
ing the vote at that precinct from a
majority OF one for the dispensary to
a majority of thirteen against the dis
pensary. 1t Is said that these envel-
opes were opened and counted by the
managers upon the advice Of some of
the spectators. and were replaced in
the envelopes and put in the box at
the close OF the count. 1t is contend
ed by the dispensary partisans that
these votes will have to thrown out
in the official count.
As to the counting of marked bal
lots at Concord. it is stated that some
j
around the polls merely scratched on
the ballots, not for any intent Of pre-
venting the votes from being counted
but simply by chance. 1t is contended
BY the dispensary advocates that these
votes are Illegal and will have to bo
thrown out at the official count Tues
day. They further claim that the ma
Jority of these marked votes are
against the dispenSary thus increas-
ing the majority for that institution
At ward there arc said to hc twelve
challenged votes, which are said to
be ten To two for the dispensary, while
In Ward l there are six chal-
lcnged votes, which go five to one
Tor prohibition. In Ward 4 there is
one challenged vote and il is not
known which side this vote is for.
In talking to reporter for the
Item this morning, Mr.. II. G. Cuttino.
ore of the leaders i'm the dispcnsary
hight, stated that he could not see
any hope for the rcestablishmcnt OF
the dispensary unless the twelve Chal-
iCnged votes I'm Ward ,, which had
been counted were thrown out. He
could not state now, az he had not
consulted u lawyer on the subject,
whether or not these votes would be
counted or thrown out. Mr.. j. H.
Clifton, who prepared the dispcnsary
petitions and had them circulated,
stated that hc could not see the re-
suit hut IL certainly lokcd like the
disp"nsary advocates would win out.
aH the marked b. .luts at Concord ana
the challenged ballots in Ward 3,
which had been counted, would have