Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-08
ELECTION BOARD
Is HELD IN BAIL
Officials of First Division Of
Fourth Ward Accused
by Voter
WAS DRIVEN FROM POLLS
Complainant Forced to Move Be
cause of Attack on Home
Election Night

Judge Brown. sitting as committing
| magistrate in the Municipal Court, today
held under $1,000 bail each the members OF
| the election board in the first division OF
the Fourth Ward, on charges Of conspiracy
| TO interfere with an elector. George Chris
| tan, coored, the Judge Of election in that
| division, had an additional charge of as.
sault and battery preferred against him.
| The other defendants who were held are
John Casey, an inspector in the Bureau OF
Highways and Republican watcher on
election day; Joseph Casey, majority in.
spector: John Coleman. colored. minority
inspector, and Freeman Snyder and Thomas
O'Toole, clerks of election. Immediately
after the hearing before Judge Brown, Sam
uel w Salus, counsel for the defendants,
appealed TO Quarter Sessions Court on
writ of habeas corpus, alleging that the men
were Illegally held.
Michael Dowbenko, who now lives at 52S
South Second street, in the Fifth Ward,
but prior to election day lived at COS South
Front street was the complainant against
the board. He said that he made three at
tempts to vote on election day but was each
time forcefuly elected from the polling
place. On the first occasion he received a
ballot from Christian and was stepping into
the booth when John Casey challenged him
on general grounds. He said he asked to
hear the objections stated. as he had voted
at the primary election, and he would not
give up his ballot until they explained
their objections. Christian, Dowbenko tes-
titled, then grabbed his arm and. twisting II
behind his back. made him release his hold
on the ballot
BRINGS NATURALIZATION PAPERS
Believing that the objection had been
raised because there might he some doubt
as to his citizenship and registration, Dow
benko went home and procured his naturali-
cation papers and certificate of registration
and again went to the polling place He
showed the papers TO Christian and again
asked permission to vote The judge of
election ordered him from the place and
when he would not go voluntarily he was
showed out by Christian. The third attempt
met with like results, and he then appealed
90 Clerk Thomas Sherman, in the Municipal
Court, for a warrant charging the men with
the offenses for which they were held.
On election night, Dowbenko testified |
while he was sitting I'm his house crowd
gathered outside and some one threw
piece of broken bottle through the window. |
other windows were broken by missiles |
thrown by members of the crowd. He said |
he was afraid TO continue to live there, so |
the next day, Wednesday, he moved to the |
South Second street address. He said he |
could not recognize any of those in the |
crowd that attacked his home.
HELD FOR ASSAULT
Frank G. Smith. of 1432 Poplar street. |
a Republican watcher in the Ninth Division |
Of the Fifteenth Ward, was held Under |
$1,000 bail for assault ard battery on |
George Dawley colored Of S3S North Fif. |
teenth street, clerk in the Municipal |
Court, and Town Meeting party watcher |
in the division on election day. Dawley told |
Judge Brown that on election day Smith |
entering the booths with voters and |
helping them mark their ballots, without |
any solicitation on the part of the voter
Dawley objected to this and appealed to
the judge of election to have Smith stop
ped from assisting the voters when his
service was not asked. Smith, the witness
said. became angry at him and ordered
him, Dawley, out of the polling place |
Dawley refused to go and Smith, placing his
hand on the shoulder of the Town Meeting
party's watcher, marched him from the
place. The assault was a technica; one, |
but sufficient, Judge Brown ruled to hold
Smith for court