The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-03-23

all of the polls in the city were prop erly started out in the morning. He came down to Douglas No 1 and found only one man there whereupon he went out in search of four more. He found Carlyse, Hart Nelson and another man iii a few minutes. Still short one man he took the position himself although he thought he could do better work" outside of the polls.
 In explaining how so many ballots
 bore indications of erasure, Pearson said the precinct was composed of a number of illiterate laborers who did not understand the complicated bal lot. He admitted that he frequently
 accom- panied the voters into the polls when asked and showed them how to
 mark their ballots. He said he did
 not tell them who to vote for but
 when they named their candidate he showed them where to put the cross.
 In many instances the voter had al
 ready voted for Campbell or straight
 Republican ticket. he said, before be-
 coming confused. When they men
 tioned that they intended voting for
 Hunt and he saw that the mark had
 been placed after CampbelPs name he
 called their attention to the error and
 suggested that they erase the mark
 in the Republican column. Pearson
 said that N. H. Guise, sent by the
 Republican committee to serve on the election board, did not arrive until ' o'clock after the board had filled up and several voters had marked ballots.
 He admitted that he had bet on
 Hunt earlier in the evening but claims
 that the next morning when he heard
 of the Maricopa returns coming in so
 strong for the Republican nominee he bet $35 for Campbell. He denied that
 he was under the influence of liquor
 but admitted drinking on several diff
 ferent occasions.
 Shortly before noon, Judge Camp
 bell took the witness and started
 severe cross examination by shout
 ing his question and several times
 Pearson started to cross himself.
 O. B. Nelson, one of the election board, was the first witness called but
 hls memory failed him when asked questions the answers to which might be of some importance to the Camp bell side However, he was certain that no irregularity occurred while he , was in the room and he was present l with the exception of about three
 hours. He was certain that if any ir , regularity or fraud had been perpe . trated the rest of the election board would have told him of it.
 } Afternoon Session.
 , At 1:3O Judge Campbell reopenet his rapid-fire cross-eXaminatlon and a . late hour, had succeeded in mixing l the witness up to such an extent tha l he refused to swear positively to an! { statement Campbell started out b! l asking Pearson if he remembered see 5 ing any voter erase cross over tn' : straight Republican and change it t' ? the straight Democratic column. Pea
 son said he did not remember of see 3 ing anything like that. The records 3 were read and it was shown that Pear son stated positively in the mornin' : to Senator Ives that he rememberet l witnessing just such an occurrence 3 After this Pearson's answers wer' l enigmatic and ambiguous.
 The witness was asked if he lief | Douglas of his own accord and replied
 that he left Feb. 6 on vacation Judge Campbell then asked if lette , from a man named Erin was not re :, sponsible for his sudden determine ton to take a vacation. Pearson re X membered receiving a letter abou ], that time but could not remembe T what it contained; whether it referre U to the alleged fraud in Douglas NO U U or whether the Hunt-CampbeH COT u test was mentioned.
 Pearson's memory also failed whe U U questioned regarding the date of tn t paper he picked up in New Mex1c l. when he learned that he was fug . tive from justice. He even forge :. l. whether it mentioned his name, wht | ther Douglas No. 1 appeared in tn article. how long it was and what tn