The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-02-23
JUDGE STANFORD
 GIVES DECISION
Maricopa County Superior Court Hands Down Several Decisions in Spite of Announced Intention.

PHOENIX, Feb. 10.-Contrary to his announced intention of withhold ing his decision on disputed ballots until the completion of the count, Judge Stanford yesterday morning handed down his ruling on4S ballots. Under his rulings 27 were counted for MT. Hunt and twelve for Governor Campbell. Ruling was reserved on 16 ballots claimed for the former and on one for the latter. The judge ruled that nine of the disputed ballots were to be counted for neither of the con testants.
 His ruling included the class of bal lots that were marked at the top with a cross to vote the straight ticket and then marked below individually for na- tional, state, county and precinct can. didates,Nbut not for governor. Some of these ballots show the mark after every candidate with the exception of governor, and on some of them the elector, beside voting the straight ticket and individually for many party candidates, has crossed over into oth- CT party columns. Counsel for Cover nor Campbell has argued that where the voter has placed cross after the names of various party candidates in addition to placing a cross at the head ! of the party column his intention clearly was. to vote for only those can didates after whose names he had marked his cross. Counsel for MT. Hunt argued that the cross at the | head of the party column should gov ern.
 This was a distinct victory for Sen ator Ives, as the figures compiled at Republican headquarters indicate that there are S61 ballots of this character in dispute, 666 for MT. Hunt and 195 for Governor Campbell, making ma jority for the former of four hundred and seventy-one.
 The same source, when asked if this decision would not determine the con test, stated that their analysis showed clear majority of 1855 at the close of the preliminary inspection in favor of Governor Campbell. These figures were arrived at after taking into con sideration only those ballots that were undisputed except for a few minor errors in voting on amendments.
 Counsel for Governor Campbell yes terday objected to four ballots bearing
 distinctive marks being counted for
 MT. Hunt but were overruled. Coun-
 sel also objected to the regular
 straight Prohibition and Hunt ballots
 being counted, but in this they were
 also overruled. One ballot yesterday
 showed a piece torn out where the
 name and voting space of Governor
 Campbell had been printed. This bal lot was taken under advisement by
 the court as Campbell's attorneys
 claimed that the preliminary inspec-
 tion notes did not show such bal
 lot It was a split Republican ticket.
 The court also took under advise ment one ballot showing numerous i cross lines at the head of the Demo ! cratic column, which had been before designated as an attempted pencil eras ure.
 Numerous ballots were taken under .. advisement by the court which were endorsed as void or not voted" and signed by the election board. The precinct of Naco instead of giv ing a gain of one for MT. Hunt as cal culated by his expert accountants !. showed net gain of one for Governor Campbell.
 Hunts net gain in completed ore cincts to date is ninety-seYen, whicf : is ten less than the figures submitted
 to the Supreme Court at the time O
 the mandamus. proceedings. ]. It should be understood that the rul
 ings of the court which seem to favo 4Mr Hunt are largely made at th1
 stage of the proceedings in court ol ballots selected by the contestant attorneys and probably selected in th' } light of the first rulings made by tn judge where the disputed ballots dl' favor the contestant.