The sun., 1917-09-27
RECOUNT SHOWS
BENNETT LEADS
mitchell BY s4
Mayors Supporters Look
ing to Brooklyn to Offset
Manhattan Losses.
NO EVIDENCE OF FRAUD
Mistakes Laid to Ignorance Of
voters-Hot Campaign
Planned.

sfncial recapitulation Of the results OF
ths examination which the Board OF
Elections Is making Of the ballots cast
in the Republican primary gave William
N. Bennett a majority Of 81 over Mayor
John Purroy Mitchell. This result was
apparent after the ballots Of the Seven
teenth Assembly district had been ex-
amined.
In this district Mr.. Bennett gained
sb votes, while Mr. Mitchell lest si. maxi
ine net gain for Mr.. Bennett Of 15s
and destroying the Mayors lead Of 81.
which he appeared to have aftsr the
ballots Of the sixteenth district had been
esunted.
Up to 8 o'clock the Board Of Elec-
tions had canvassed ballots in the Ninth.
Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth.
Fourteenth. Fifteenth, Sixteenth and
Seventeenth Assembly districts. The re-
suit was a change for the day Of 42o
votes, destroying Mr.. Mitchers ma
jority and placing Mr.. Bennett ahead
In the race. Since the start Of the re-
count on Tuesday Mr.. Bennett has
gained 515 votes.
In most Of the uptown districts ex-
amined during the day there were fewer
defects found In tho ballots. such as
orasures and other evidences OF igno-
rance on the part of the voter.
This indicated, according to the
Mitchell representatives. that the many
srasure marks found on Mitchell ballots
h the lower districts were made by vot-
en- who honestly desired to vote for the
Mayor. but had inadvertently placed the
cross mark in front Of Benefits name
and then tried to rub 1t out.
There was no change whatever
IN the Ninth Assembly district. which
was the only one that did not show Q
gain for Nr. Bennett. In the Tenth As-
ssmbly district Bennett gained 81 and
Mitchell 10, . net Bennett gain Of J.
Nr. Bennett made Q net gain Of votes
n the Eleventh Assembly district. net
eain OF is In the Twelfth and . net gain
of in the Thirteenth.
Bennett gained 66 In the Fourteenth,
1S'in the Fifteenth and - in the Six
teenth.
Rrookyn May Help Mayor.
The examinations proceeded yer,
slowly yesterday. the promised help from
With only one clerk doing the countinl
II required some three hours, to exam
Inc three Assembly districts. To-day two
additional clerks will be on hand and
three Assembly districts win be counte<
at the same time BY this method II II
hoped to finish the Manhattan count lat
to-day and start in on The Broux. Aftel
The Bronx Brooklyn will be taken up
and the Mitchell men are basing all thei
hopes on the possibility that the Mayo
may pick up hundreds Of votes In tina
borough. They are confident that score
Of Bennett ballots will be found bearinl
marks Of erasure, which win void them
There appears to be a general agree
ment among those who have watched tn
examination Of the ballots that up u
date there has been absolutely no evi
dence Of fraud found. It In pointed ou
that in Samuel s. Koenigs Sixth Az
sembly district. in which Mr.. Bennett
charged wholesale fraud" had beei
committed, there was hardly chang
made. although fifteen crasure mark
we're found. The adjoining districts ais
showed hardly q change from the origins
count This. in the opinion OF the Re
pubicans dispels any suspicion thu
fraud was committed.
The steadily decreasing Mitchell plu
Tdity mas naQ tnc erect OIL putting Cut
siderable ginger into the managemer
Of the fusion campaign. This IL partl
due, 1t is understood, to Mayor Mitchell
sudden visit to headquarters in the la'
ter part Of last week. He is said
have made some pointed remarks cor
eerning the proper way to manage can
paigps. Since that time there has bee
new atmosphere around the place.
Campaign Opens Tuesday.
The fusion campaign committee al
nounced last night that the Mitchell can
paign will be formally opened Tuesda
night. October 2. at Cooper Union ar
at the Brooklyn Academy Of Musi
Mayor Mitchell will speak at both NEE
ings, as will also Comptroller Prende
cast and Fire Commissioner Adamso
Other speakers will be Marcus NJ. Mark
Borough President of Manhattan. ar
William l.. Ransom, fusion candida
Tor District Attorney. job z. Hedg
VIII preside over the Cooper Unis
meeting and Charles Jerome Edwar,
VIII Introduce the speakers in Brookly
A committee Of prominent Republics
and Democratic citizens yesterday Do
letter to all independent voters urgti
them to vote for William L. Ransom
District Attorney and thus take q
District Attorneyship out Of Murphy
hands" Some Of the sig1ers Of the Il
ter are Charles e. Hughes. Job
Hedges, Charles C. Burlingame. VILLA
G, Breed, Robert W. BonynRe Henry