The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-15
CLARKE HAS
 AN ANSWER
POINTS THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE TO OTHER coUN-
 TIES IF THEY WILL PROBE.
PURGE POINSETT COUNTY
Committee Will Receive the Report of the Special Probers at Morning Session and Contest May Be Ended Before Late Afternoon.
Special to The sentinel-Record.

Special to The Sentinel-Record.
 Little Rock April 14.-United States Senator James P. Clarke, whose nomination in the recent pri- mary election by the majority of 21l votes over Judge Kirby was con tested before the State Democratic Central Committee here this morn ing, filed an answer to the contest charges of Judge Kirby this after noon, asking that if the special com mittee desires to make a thorough probe of the primary election he is willing, but that the investigation should not be directed alone to Ponsett county.
 Senator Clarke stated that he was not unwilling to have the Poinsett vote probed, but that he thought it would be unfair to select one county alone for the probe, and that if the committee cares to take the trouble,
 
 but which he was willing to name, should be covered in the inyestiga- tion.
 The special committee of five which will report on the matter of how far the probe shall be extended, will report to the state committee this morning. It is not doubted but that the report will favor the certi- flying of the returns as they have been found, which means that Sena- tor Clarke will De certified to the state convention as the nominee for United States senator.
 When the committee reconvened at the afternoon session the subCOmmit- tee had not been able to report be- cause of a canvass of the vote for all state officers. therefore the state committee adjourned until 9:30 o'clock tomorrow morning.
 Senator James P. Clarke, candidate for reelection to the United States senate in the democratic primary March 25. won the first skirmsh in the contest for the nomination over Justice William F. Kirby, the other candidate for the office, before the Democratic Central Committee that convened at the Chamber of Com merce building at 10 o'clock this morning, for the purpose of canvass fr ho at bp fTou
 On motion of A. D. DuLaney of Little River county, the committee voted to appoint a subcommittee of five members to canvass the vote and make a report to the general committee at 2:30 o'clock this after noon A substitute motion by J. D. Head of Miller county, that the charges of Justice Kirby of fraud in the Poinsett county returns be acted on before the vote was officially can- vassed was lost.
 A. J. Walls, chairman Of the com mittee, appointed J. H. Parker of Ouachita county, Vince Miles of Se- bastian, June Wooten of Pulaski. w. c. Hutton, secretary, and w. r. Cole man of Jefferson, as a committee to make the canvass. The meeting was then adjourned at 11:15 o'clock until 2;20 D. m, when the returns will be received.
 The Kirby forces on the committee fought hard to have the canvassing of the returns postponed until the charges of Justice Kirby of fraud in the Poinsett county returns could be heard by the committee and acted on.
 J. D. Head followed the motion of Dulaney with a substitute that the canvassing of the returns be post poned until the charges of Justice Kirby could be heard. W. F. Cole man of Jefferson asked as a matter of information that these charges filed by Justice Kirby be read. This W. c. Hutton. secretary of the com mittee, did before the vote on the substitute motion was taken.
 The vote on the substitute motion of Head was lost by vote of 32 to 4. The chairman of the committee then proceeded to name the members of the committee.
 Will Lewis, representing Senator Clarke. as attorney with J. H. Carmi- chael, took the floor and stated that Senator Clarke received a copy of the charges by Justice Kirby for the first time this morning.
 Sam Deener of Independence cou- ty filed communication stating l that the name of T. J. Raney. candi-