Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-03-16
Witnesses Tell Stories on
Stand of Drunken Flee
ton Officials and Easy
Chance to Change Ballots

That the count OF the Dallots III
Douglas precinct No ! was loosely II
not criminally conducted was the bur
den of the testimony yesterday of
cloud of witnesses summoned from
Douglas in support of the contention
of the attorneys for Governor Camp
bell that the vote of that precinct
should be thrown out This precinct
gave Governor Hunt a majority OF l23
i'm the election last November There
We're several points on which the more
than a dozen witnesses were agreed
One was that the election board was
made up of men who were not resi-
dents of that precinct; that one OF
them \. c. Pearson, who handled the
ballots a considerable part of the time,
was drunk; that he was betting on
Governor Hunt that night and that
having bet all of his own money he
frequently left the room where the
counting was in progress to telephone
friends for more money with which TO
bet on Hunt.
one witness testified that H. H.
Hart. who assisted in the handling of
the ballots was part of the time I'M
der the influence of liquor and that
on his own admission he, too, had bet
on Governor Hunt. Several of the
witnesses testified that there were fire.
auent intermssions in the counting
and that on one occasion everybody
left the room except Hart who re-
manned unattended bv the open ballot
box 1t was shown too, that the polls
were manned entirely by democrats
and that when one republican who had
been designated by the republican pre-
cinct committee to take the place of
republican member of the board who
had been called away he was told by
Pearson the nonresident that his ser
vices would not be needed; the board
was already full. The above is sub
stantiauy the result of yesterdays
questioning in the most sensational
phase of the contest now running into
the third month.
Douglas Precinct No. I
Almost Immediately after the cleo
ton ugly rumors began to be circu-
lated regarding Douglas Precinct No
!. Not much attention was given them
at first but they persisted and on the
word OF reputable citizens of Douglas,
democrats as well as republicans, an
investigation was begun. None of the
rumors We're as ugly as the sworn
statement yesterday of the dozen wit
ncSses examined.
1t had been known that the counsel
for Governor Campbell would move for
the exclusion of the whole precinct
from the recount and that move was
slated for Wednesday. On Tuesday
evening Mr. Ives, for the contestant,
asked for a recess until yesterday
morning though the Douglas witnesses
had arrived in the city the day before.
Among the witnesses subpoenaed by
the attorneys for the cOntestee was ii.
H Hart member of the election
board of the precinct whose name had
been associated with the allegations of
fraud. Why he was summoned was
not understood by outsiders until II
was limited at in a statement on the
stand yesterday by Assistant County
Attorney Bruce Stevenson of Cochise
county But Hart was not among The
witnesses. Instead. a telegram was re-
ceived saving that he was too i'll TO
come to Phoenix. 1t was added that a
physicians certificate was on the way.
Members of the Douglas delegation
here said that they were curious 10
learn the identity of a local physician
who would sign such a certificate.
The Douglas Witnesses
on the assembling of the court yes
terday morning the Douglas precinct
was taken up Judge Sloan announced
that witnesses were present to testify
as to what had happened in that pre-
cinct. The witnesses were called. four
teen of them, and at the request OF
MT ives, COuIlStl IOl NIONtIuOi iihil
they were put under the rule. Among
the witnesses We're three members oil
the bar and it was suggested by Judge
Sloan that the rule be modified as tC
them Mr. Ives however. refused tC
yield and the witnesses went into the
library of Judge StanfOrd's chamber.
What Happened
The first witness was Assistan
County Attorney Bruce Stevenson o
Douglas. Mr.. Stevenson is a democrat
He said that the election board of pre-
clint No l was composed of A. c
Pearson. H. H. Hart. Carlisle, Pet
Nelson and George Waters. All o
them, he said except Waters were
non residents of the precinct WheI
Mr.. Stevenson was questioned as t.
the residence of the members of th'
board Attorney Struckmeyer for thu
contestant objected on the ground tina
an attempt was thus indicated on tn
whole precinct Tho objection wa
overruled and then Mr.. Stevenson toll
what he saw He said that he was il
and about the polling place all even
ing and through the night until 81
O'Clock in the morning.
About eight o'clock he said his at
tention was attracted by the conduC
of Pearson. The latter had before hir
a half dozen ballots spread out. hay
ing been taken by him from the ballr
hox He had a short lead pencil, abou
an inch in length, clamped in the pail
of his hand where it could be easil
concealed. The witness saw Pearso
passing the hand over the ballots q
if he We're remarking them. The wit
ness told Attorney H. E. Pickett whs
ne saw and said he believed they wei
changing the ballots" Stevenson tie:
tilted that Pearson was drunk. +
left the room frequently to telephor
about bets on Hunts election and
a conversation with the witness Pea
son said to him that he had bet all
money on Hunt and all he could bo
row. He added that if Hunt we
beaten he would be broke"
When Pearson left the ballot be
the witness said that Hunt took h
place.
Harris Weakening
The witness said in reply to, que
tions by Judge Sloan that Hart h!
come to his office to make a stat
ment. This was as late as March
Mr. Ives entered a strenuous objecti
to the introduction of any stateme
by Hart as hearsay. But Messvs Bt
lard and Campbell urged that it W
proper in as much as it was alleg
that all the members of the board we
in conspiracy though the word "co
spiracJr had not been actually us
in the contestee's answer to the col
plant of the contestant. Judge Sta
ford overruled the objection and \
Stevenson proceeded with his relati
of Harris visit to him. He said he h
not sent for Hart and did not KIN
that he yVaS coming Hart seemed Il