The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-07-27
Big CROWD EXPECTED At COURT
HOUSE TONIGHT TO HEAR
CANDIDATES.
ALL CANDIDATES CLAIM
They WILL Be ELECTED
Politicians Estimate That Heavy Vote,
Ranging From $500 to 1900 Ballots,
Will Be Cast Tomorrow-Pienie at
McLaurin Was Well Attended.

A mass meeting tonight at the court |
house will conclude a hot race for
sheriff of Forrest county. The bill
poster which announces the meeting
5-ays that candidates for sheriff will
90 sdress the voters, but it does not say
4 A,w many of the candidates will be
)on the rostrum. It will be the final
shot to be fired in the present cam
paign, because the voting will begin
tomorrow.
The total registration for Forrest
county is estimated at something like
$500 by the registrars who are still
working on the lists. An average poll
for a sheriff's' race is about 1900.
Three years ago when state and county
officials were elected at the same time
the maximum for recent years was
reached at 1000 votes. 1t has been es-
timated that the vote tomorrow will be
somewhere between 1900 and 1900.
All the candidates have made an
active campaign both in the city and
in the county. The recent city cam
paign brought out 900 votes 1t has
been estimated that at least 300 addi-
tional votes will be polled in the city
boxes from voters who do not live
within the city limits but who are in
the city districts. Pine street divides
two districts in the county, one half
of the city and the surrounding terri
Mory voting in one district and the
e9ph,ther half in the other.
y "There are three things You can
never tell about" said an old politician
today when he was asked who Is going
to be the sheriff on Wednesday morn
ing. zone is the verdict of Missis-
sippi jury, another is who girl is
going to marry and the third and the
hardest of all is how Forrest county
election is going to turn out
All Candidates Confident.
It has been extremely difficult to
get an expression of opinion on who is
leading in the race Every one ap
preached had some friend in the race
and was unwilling to make a state
ment as to what he thought the rea
situation is. The candidates them
selves. however, when approached
separately each was frank enough te
admit privately that he had the offcf
~sewed up" and only needed the for
mality of the election to move in ant
: take charge.
One man summed up the situation
saying that If he was a bettint
Nan he would not take the small en'
x6f a two to one wager on who woui'
<be either the first or the last man II
the race. There is no way OF tellini
anything about it before the votes ar
counted, he said.
Some of the candidates have expires
sed an unwillingness to go into mas
meeting on the eve Of the electio
on account of the danger of being pu
into a false position and not havin
time to correct it before the votin
begins. Those candidates who prefe
to do their electioneering by face I
face talks with the voters Individual
do not care to go on the platform wit
those who are better speakers.
The meeting tonight will be larger
attended because it has been thorough
" advertised over the city today. II
of comparatively recent origin as
was, not talked on the streets betor
today.
Picnic at Mclaurtn.
Ell The picnic at McLaurin. on Saturda
ID, was an important political rally whic
Y was attended by all candidates IL
sheriff as well as by many Of the oth'
candidates. Judge w. H. Cook an
Judge Paul B. Johnson each spoke
the interest of his candidacy for cl
cult Judge and Bart Sharbrough,
Laurel. spoke in the interest Of Jud'
JIM. Arnold( who could not be preser