The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1916-12-22
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE CHAIR
MAN ISSUES STATEMENT OF
FACTS AND FIGURES.
MANY ILLEGAL ACTS EXPOSED
impeachment Of Partisan Courts win
Probably Follow Investigation Of
Frauds - Negro Colonization
Scheme Partly Thwarted.

election day, which demonstrate be.
yond any doubt that there was an in
sidious and widespread attempt on
the part Of some Of the Republican
state organizations to commit a series
Of illegal acts leading up to the recent
general election, with the object of
casting a lot Of fraudulent votes and
causing to be miscounted votes le-
gally cast.
This concerted action on the part
Of some OF the Republican managers
was of such nature and of such wide
extent that It jeopardized the lawful
will Of the people Of this state as ex-
pressed by their ballots,
So wrongful was this attempt and
so many instances OF its existence
have come to light that we feel It is
due to the people Of the state Of
Missouri that these acts should be
made public and that they be put on
their guard in the future against any
such williul, malicious and wrongful
conduct on>the part Of a few unscru.
pulous men. With that object in view
this statement is made and is given
to the public.
There existed a conspiracy to regis
ter and to vote, in the city Of St,
Louis alone, thousands of negroes
brought here from places outside OF
the state Of Missouri only a short
time before registration day. They
were induced to register. as required
by the law Of the city of st. Louis,
before they could vote. To support
that allegation we hereto append a
few names COPIED from a report made
by order OF the chief Of police of the
city OF st. Louis and now on file in
his office. This report is the result
Of a canvass that was made in order
to determine whether or not there ex-
listed any fraud in registration and
was made before election day. II
contains nearly a thousand names Of
persons not entitled to vote for vari-
GUS reasons specified in the report.
These names are just a few picked out
simply as giving substantial evidence
OF the charge made and to point to
particular cases and individuals. The
report in part reads as follows:
Ward rs. Precinct 4.-Louis Benion, 424
city.
Ward %, Precinct s-Wm. L. Chandler.
1923 W. Bell place. In the city only eight
months from Frankford. Ind.
Ward %. Precinct S-Robert Howell.
4O6S w. Bell place. Here only six months
from the south.
Ward -. Precinct civilian Bradley,
from Arkansas.
Ward II, Precinct 15-Charles Prich-
ARD 5000 Lawton avenue. Only IN city
three months.
To further substantiate the charge,
attention is called to the fact that an
election was held in the city Of ST.
Louis during the early months OF
1916, at which the question Of negro
segregation was to be voted upon.
This was a question Of peculiar i'm
port to the negro race. A special
registration was held, prior to the
election, in order that all who were
not regularly on the books and who
were entitled to be registered might
be so registered. After that registra.
ton 1t developed that there was near.
ly, but not quite, nine thousand ne
groes registered as voters. After the
rumors Of negro colonization had
spread through the country, and after
the reports had been dignihed by com.
ment thereon by the attorney general
Of the United States, and after a hur.
ried and cursory Investigation at the
hands Of the department OF Justice.
and after the registration in the city
Of ST. Louis preceding the recent gen.
eral election. there appeared nearly
fourteen thousand negroes registered ;
an Increase Of nearly FIVE thousand
In the city Of st. Louis alone.
Besides registration Of negroes re-.
Gently moved here from the south.
there was an attempt to register and
vote many thousands Of negroes who
had forfeited their right to vote be
cause Of conviction OF certain offenses
specified by law. Quoting from this
same police report. there are hereto
appended the names OF a few Of many
individuals taken from that report:
Ward %, Precinct il-Abe Shelton. 42s.
Kennerly avenue. Served term OF III
months In city jail on charge OF attemptet
robbery also term In city workhouHe a
SIX months for murder In second degree
Ward 16, Precinct 1-James Buclner
1893 Papin street. Served one year In eli,
gorkhouse on charge OF burglary, seconi
Ward 8. Precinct i4-Bdw, Moore. 2st
Scott avenue. Served one year In elf
workhouse on charge Of burglary Becon,
degree n larceny.
Ward Z PRECINCT IO-charles Postle,
two terms In penitentiary in Joliet, mi.
Entirely separate and distinct from
the names appearing on the police re
port there was made at the request O
the Democratic state committee a lis
OF persons not entitled to vote becaus
they had been convicted Of certail
crimes. The names Of the person.
the o~ffenses with which they wer
charged, the fact that they were foun
guilty and the sentence with whlc
they were punished, together wit
the date Of the sentence. were take