The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-27
Committe Spent Day and Night
in Considering the Chal-
lenged Votes
FACTIoNAL VOTE IN IN
vEsTIGATING COMMITTEE
Day Passed Without Outbreak
Although Large Crowd Filled
Streets at Late Hour

OtTeetS az LaLe Hour
Charleston, Aug. 23.-After mid
night subcommittee Of the city
Democratic executive. cemmlttee was.
still engaged in canvassing the -chal-S:
lenged votes in the municipal primary
election held here Tuesday Report-y
ers were not allowed to attend these
proceedings. Indications are that
the committee will be in session unf1l
daylight, or later. Each Of sthG' twenty 3
four ward clubs is represented on thes
committee. "A
The committee convened at $3.50
O'clock for the purpose of .canyassing
the returns and declaring the results
In Meeting street, in front Of the: hall,
hundreds of men congregated, anxious
to learn the result Of the, commit
tees action with respect to the 5chal-s
lenged votes, which total seventy
three. It was reported that tire
challenged men of the Grace faction
were all in a room in the rear or
the building, while the Hyde men: men:
were outside, their names being CALI
ed as they were wanted.
The crowd at the hall was orderly
and no untoward incidents. were re.-s5
ported. According to gossip In the
crowd the Grace followers fitennsE
to have a: parade or demonstration;.m ~
the event that John P. Grace3was de-
clared the nominee. AS. nidnight
drew near, however, the: crowd began
to: dissipate, the .tfeeling being tfag
the committee would not reach q de-
cision until daylight or later. .-,.-s..
| :: On. every vote taken before the cal-
| vassing committee retired the .DaH.
was IL ito 12, in each case the city
chairman, w. Turner Logan, casting
the deciding vote In favor Of the Grace
As the committee was called step
fder the chairman ~anneunceG nat
had. taken every. pxeGauticn tet tf,ae.:
vent recurrence. Of the. tragedy ~
four years ago; asserting. that none a0fs
the. Grace members of the $ ceg1-
mittee were armed and asking that
if any Of the Hyde. members were
armed they would at once disarfn.
Each of the Hyde commit nen aie-
clared that he had come to the meet
ing unarmed. r.-s - 3s-s -. : =. -. :
The gates to the hall were locked
and only those called were permittedA
to pass inside, excepting Grace. sup
porters interested in challenged votes.
these being assembled in a room ia the
rear of the building. .'j:s~2-z 1-.9s
John I. Cosgrove, member OF the
executive committee and a partner at
law of Mr.. Grace. said that several
petitions for recounts. had been :rs-
ceived by the committee and tl:at
there were a number of challenged
votes. He moved that the -challeng-
ed votes be taken. up first and that
they be referred to- the canyassins
committee.
William H. Grimball moved as a
substitute that the contests be heard
by the whole committee. On motion
Of Mr.. Cosgrove the motion was ta- a. !
bIed, a standing vote being taken the
result being IL to L.. Chairman Logan
casting the deciding vote and tab,,ns
the motion.
Mr.. Grimball offered resolution
that a stenographer be employed 10
report the proceedings in detail. both
of the canvassing committee and OIL
the whole executive committee. Mr.:
Cosgrove moved that this motion be-
tabled and the resulting vote was ! q 4
to IL, again the chairman casting NE
deciding vote, tabling the motion
BY the same vote the executive
committee recessed while the canvass
ing committee was hearing the conss
tests. The canvassing committee con-
sisted of John A. Cordray. John
Cosgrove, J. A. Livingston. E.
Hartman, o. H. Bissell, and William:
Burgeson, and the city chairman, e1-
offcio. Bissell and Burgeson are
Hyde supporters. @
Chairman Logan and James O!iear
went in a room. across the corrldol.s
and inspected the ballot boxes TO
make sure that the. seals were all iss-
tact. The door of the room had been
sea5ed when; the ballot boxes had
been stored in it.
The canvassing committee retired
to the same room to take evidence
with respect to the challenged voses.
Reporters were not allowed to enleE, 9
the proceedings being in camera
At midnight the canvassing cons
mittee was calling men from Ward ~
and it appeared that the committee
would be in session for hours vet.
Committeeman not on the canvasstngs
committee sat about the hall waiiag
for the canvassing committee to COM
plcte it's investigation and report
hack to the executive committee for
final action on the cases.
San Diego, Aug. 25.-The search
.an4;nnas for tents WaterhouSe and