The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-01-19
FRAUD CLAIMED IN CONTEST IF
 BALLOTS
Douglas Precinct, Showing Erasures on 53 Tickets, Causes Sensation.

fifty-three ballots, which have been changed from Campbell to Hunt, in Douglas precinct No. 1 involving, ac- cording to the inspectors, a possible | fraud, constituted the sensation of the last full day of the ballot survey here today, and the disclosure of a possible loss of the entire precinct by Hunt, caused a deep gloom to set tie over the camp of the former gov ernor. Advance information as to possible irregularities in this precinct ask that it be inspected before some other precincts in Cochise county. | Certain similarities in the markings of the crosses on these ballots indi- cate that all may have been worked over by the same hand.
 Forty-one of the ballots have been changed from straight republican to straight democratic, or from Camp bell to Hunt. The balance were shifted from socialist or prohibition ist to Hunt.
 The last table issued here by the republican committee showed net gain for Hunt of seventeen votes In ten counties based on | undisputed ballots. !. hs
 He gained an additional five in Navajo, complete today, but lost 27 ! in. .Gila, 92. in Cochise and. 13 in 1 Greenlee, making a total onet gain on the undisputed ballots of 110 for Campbell to date, with 1900 Cochise and 1850 Greenlee ballots yet to be inspected.
 One precinct, Globe No. g, cannot be found. The official returns on this precinct gave Hunt 12, Campbell 2.
 Numerous ballots have also been found marked straight democratic and for Wilson. Among the Douglas bal lots inspected today every one which had been evidently first marked for Wilson exclusively had then been crossed in the straight democratic square.
 CampbelIs attorneys will not say whether they intend to allege fraud or not, but point to the fact that it will not be necessary to amend their complaint, which alleges that many ballots were voted for Campbell and counted" for Hunt.
 When the ballot inspection neared the bottom of the Cochise ballot bags today, remarkable condition of af- fairs disclosed series of ballots, the markings of which were so peculiar as to lead the inspectors for Campbell to gloat gleefully and those for Hunt to settle down into the depths of gloom The republican inspectors ? asked the inspection of Douglas No. 1 out of it's turn. This request followed that of MT. Ladd, secretary to Hunt, one day previous, that the inspection of Cochise~ county be delayed "A hours.
 The disclosures in Douglas No. 1 ] may be summarized as follows: Fifty three ballots, originally voted for } Campbell, Dunlap and Robertson, bore ensures, and had been remarked for ] Hunt. Forty-one of these were Camp bell ballots changed to Hunt, some of them having been shifted from straight republican to straight demo- cratic Similarities in the pencil markings led to the belief that the work had all been done by single hand.
 The other Cochise precinct is being awaited with keen interest by repub- lican inspectors, who had information that caused them to be eager to delve into the mysteries of Douglas No, l.. Gila county, the other big strong hold, returned a gain of 27 for Camp entirely The bag containing these ballots, had not been located at the court. house this evening.
 A compilation by the republican in tspectors, following today's inspection disclosed a gain in the state to date tof no for Campbell. Adding these te the official 30 for Campbell, showing in the Willgus total of 8 and subtract
 ing the ,91. which represents the ma jority Hunt has over Campbell among the disputed ballots and it leaves the republican. eontestee with a clear ma fjority of 57..
 According to Judge T. w. Nealon
 the courts inspector, the inspection
 will end about noon Monday, but h'
 intimated that the work might go ol
 during the rest of that day, but tha
 the final ballot box would be opened
 and it's contents sorted out by thu F time the noon hour arrived.
 Up to quitting time tonight, ther'
 had been inspected all ballots excep % between 300 and $50 in Greenlee coun # ty and about 1900 in Cochise. Th
 three boards will combine Monday o saf these 2100 or so and ought to pu H. them out of the way early.
 Hunts lead on disputed ballots i # 91. Campbell workers believe, how M ever, that on a trial of these ballots E they will gain more than Hunt. H Homer R. Wood stated tonight ths B the total net gain of Governor Hur H up to closing time today, was 165. H r. explained that this was not above tn Campbell official majority of 30, br ' meant that Hunt was now, in the opil
 ion of his inspectors, 125 votes to ~ = good. The tabulated returns from tf
 Hunt angle, are in possession of w F
 Plunkett, who could not be reached t
 night.