The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-02-12
women SOLD
their Votes
Several Under Indictment
In Pike County.
Women Votes Brought Only One
Dollar While Men
Got Three.

Pikeville, KY, Feb. 5.-Nine more
persons were convicted of vote-sel-
ing here to-day, making thirty in
all who have been deprived of the
right of suffrage since the hearing of
the vote trafficking cases began last
Tuesday. owing to the many contin-
uances granted the list of ready
cases was exhausted at 2 O'Clock this
afternoon, and court was adjourned
until Monday Afternoon at l o'clock
when the hearing of election bribery
cases will be resumed.
Among the zoo or more persons in
Pike county indicted on the charge
of selling their votes are number
of women. According to Common
wealth's Attorney Fields they are al
legged to have been bought in school
election in which women were given
a voice under the law enacted dur
ing the 1912 session of the Kentucky
Legislature. Women's votes, it is
said, brought on an average of only
81 each, they not being held nearly
as high as the vote of the men. The
names of those indicted are not be-
ing given out in advance of trial.
1t fell to the lot of the Rev. w. T.
Romes, colored, Baptist minister
of this place, to draw the heaviest
fine of those convicted for vote-sell-
ing to-day. Notice of appeal to the
Appellate Court was filed by his at
torney, but if that body fails to in
terfere the Rev. Romes will have to
pay $3.50 or go to Jail. Others con-
victed to-day were Ransom Ratliff,
John CULLEN, Irwin Bentley, Dock
Stewart, Winfield Mullins, Grant
CULLEN, Greedy Ray and Ossie Quill
len. Several of those failed to make
a defense and were declared guilty
by default All except Irwin Bent
ley drew fines OF $50 each. Bent
iey was fined 500.
insufficient evidence resulted in
the quashing of several indictments
to-day, among them one against Sam
Elliott. II was said that although
Pres Newsome gave Elliott money on
one occasion, II was because Elliott
was a cripple and not because he had
sold his vote to Newsome. The
on one occasion Elliott refused 500
for his vote.
The jury failed to agree to-day in
the case of Kelly Keel, charged with
having accepted money from Will
Greer for having voted for the lat
ter's brother, Franklin Greer, in
race for Magistrate. Will Greer tes-
tiled that he had given money to
Keel at the request of Pres New
some, who said Keel was all right.
Pres Newsome one of the chief wit
nesses in the case, said he and his
brother, Noah Newsome were vieing
with each other in an effort to land
Keel's vote, Noah Newsome being a
worker for Joe Hopkins in the race
for Magistrate.
II saw Noah talking to Keel"
Newsome said, "and when he walk
cd away asked him what Noah
had said Keel held up four fingers
and a thumb, indicating that Noah /
had offered him SIS. | asked Keel |
who he was for and he said, Frank |
lin Greer. Then he went in and vot- |
ed. l am not sure | told him the |
Greer boys would make things right |
with him, but / have a hazy recol- |
lection 10 that effect. If ! did say |
cd in 10 vote for Greer. Later on
met Will Greer and told him to make !
Keel a present"
The Rev. Romes' case was the |
first gone into to-day, and he was
convicted on the charge of having |
accepted S4 from Don Ramsey for |
his vote on November, 1913 Ram
sey testified that he made the deal |
with the preacher and paid him the |
money in a negro barber shop. An
other witness in the case was Will |
Ramsey, who testified that he not on
ly bought the Rev. Romes' vote in
1908 and 1903. but that he bought
for s25 his. vote and influence in
1912. R0mes promising TO vote
members of his congregation as
Ramsey might dictate. Romes. when
placed on the stand, said he had
never sold his vote and asserted that
the S25 given him by Ramsey was a
contribution to his church building
fund. The money, he said, was
turned over 10 him in his pressing
establishment in the presence of sew
eral officers OF his church.
Ramsey testified that in 1905 he I.
entered The kitchen OF the minister's
home, gave him drink of liquor and /.
houofhf Ifs Hnt. Eap 90 nrr,.oa go "a