St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1916-02-12
CONTESTED ELECTION FOR FOR PROVES
INTERESTING EXP OF ICN0R ANT IyC01lP PEIENCY
Counting by Torchlight Missing Tally Sheets
Various Figures for Same Count and Hle-
ines That Disclose the Remarkable
Inefficiency Exhibited at Polls.

The contested election case Of
Koepp ". Crawford filled the court
room, last Monday and Tuesday.
with an audience that crowded each
other in an effort to hear the testi-
mony, brought them to their feet
In an endeavor to sec the faces Of
witnesses, and finally to stand on
seats and to crush about the railing
that separated them from members
Of the bar, until the Court ordered
them back. It was but . few mo-
ments, however. when they were
axain on their feet, 40 the witnesses
told the story Of their part In an
election with processes Of tabulation
a. crude a. In q frontier mining
town Of 40. Bret Harte might have
told It and made It interesting. The
counting of votes by torchlight. the
early breakfast and the finishing up
IN 1 room in q boarding house In
Covington and the final depositing
Of the boxes in an open vault. boxes
barely sealed and seals broken.
The audience was not simply COM
posed of idle on-lookers. There
were those present who trembled IN
fear that they were violators OF the
law. and that before the case was
over some testimony might be given
that would implicate them. There
had been mutterings that the cleo
ton generally had had revolving fea-
lures and that the people Were over
tried. disgusted and In q temper to
grasp opportunities for prosecution:
But withal there was q streak OF
humor that crept into the proceed
ings occasionally, to draw the mind
from the contemplation OF the incl
flciency that marked the whole pro-
seeding OF ballot counting. 1t was
humorous to hear Of watcher peer
ing over the shoulder of . commits
sioner who was reading on the BAL
lots by the fiickering light OF . pine
knot fire and whose nose must have
been very near the ticket to read
It himself. and to afterwards hear
testimony that errors in the tally
sheet were due to lack OF practice
IN writing. It was humorous to hear
that the only tally sheet that had
been given to the clerk OF court as
returns was spoilt tally sheet that
had been given to witness by one OF
the commissioners; who said ne naa
NO use for It: that he could keep 1t Il
he wanted It; and 1t was humor-
ous to see the surprise and conster-
nation of defendants counsel. when
q witness who was to have been
shown as an illegal voter who voted
for Koepp, and who acknowledged
ON the stand that he lived In the
third ward and voted In the second
say, that notwithstanding he had
told defendants counsel he voted for
Koepp, he In reality had voted fos.
Crawford. It was humorous to near
witness testify that he could not read
or write, but that he was positive Ne
had voted for Koepp, and his conf
dence was we'll supported when ne
further testified that his ticket han
been made out by Tony Koepp. II
was humorous to hear witness tes-
tify that he had voted for koepp,
ana that he had ridden to poll In
Planche car. These things brought
smiles that softened the inward re-
bellion at conditions that the people
have resolved to correct.
Judge Robt. Ried, Of Amite City,
Harvey E. Ellis and Judge T. M.
Burns sat in the defendants corner.
Judge Ried handled defendants
case, and he handled it we'll. B. N.
Miller. A. L. Bear and L. C. Noise
were with the plaintiff. 1t was m
teresting to watch the battle between
Miller and Ried. They were the two
who fought in the arena. and It was
= very nicely fought battle; Keen
alertness against keen alertnese'
legal knowledge against legal knowi-
edge. Miller won most OF the rul-
ings of the Court, Ried always TAX
ing exceptions. When the hght
against recounting of the ballots was
lost by Ried, 1t could be seen Ina.
he had given up hope Of victory ana
was preparing to make mother 9nGnt
in the Supreme Court.
Throughout! the case was eonduct-
ed with the cleanest good numol.
While every legal advantage WAS tak
en- by counsel ON both sides, there
were no bitter or unpleasant inter-
change or passes, and comment ana
argument never reached strldent
or unusual tone. Both plaintiff ana
defendant expressed themselves %,
desirous of nothing more than Z
fair count. Neither wanted the OF,
flee of assessor unless it had been
won by them. but eacn
thought that a. fair count would give
1t to him.
Judge Lancaster made his rulings
and showed his famiiiarl-
ty with the election cases ana pre-
cedents. He had just passed through
q strenuous court week, ana was 70
leave for New Orleans WEDNESDAY
morning to consult his physician. but
he not only he'd out we'll during the
long day Monday. but feld : session
ut night. The case was finished ny
Tuesday and briefs were prepared