Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-23
SEAT CONTEST
Continued from Page one)

evidence was not in at the close OF
the afternoon there would be con-
tinuance in the evening.
At the time when the hearing start
Cd there was but a small attendance
of spectators. and for the most part
those present in the Senate chamber
were witnesses and interested per
sons.
The hearing was opened by Repre-
sentative Louis j. Brann OF Lewis
ton. who with Thomas Leigh OF Au-
gusta represents the contestant. DR..
Henry L. Irish of Turner. who con-
tends for the seat to which Edward
T. Parent of Lewiston was declared
elected and Who has qualified. MI.
Parent Is represented by Judge Harr!
Mansur Of Auburn and Former Rep
rrscntative George s. McCarty Of
Lew IStOn.
Mr.. Braun assured The committee
that Dr I.ish. the contestant wos an
hun0rnbl. citizen and did believe that
hc had been deprived Of a seat IN the
Scnatc by ii fraudulent act OF acts or
acts of some election officer in Ward
~ the city Of Auburn. Reading
the agreement of counsel i'll the case.
Nj f;raun told the committee that
il was admitted that the correct vote
for state senator in AndrOscoggin
county outside Of Ward 4. Auburn.
was 4G6s for Parent and 47oS for
IriS,, that the report ed returns from
Ward four gave Parent IS? ard Irish
70 hn$ a
in going check last. so-called, showed
that the name of Herbert G. Lucas
was checked in and that +. T. Lucas
was checked in the out going check
list. was due to installing of names
by clerks.
Mr. Eiann sn;L tn" contestant
would show tnat the election officials
conducted tho election in that ward
very loosely. if not illegally. By so
doing they gave opportunity for the
fraud which it was demonstrated was
pcrpetlated IL. added that they
would show that when the ballo; box
was locked in the morning the key
should have been given by the warden
10 the ward clerk. but that he did not
do so. 1t would also be shown that
tho warden. Martin !. O'Connor. did
not give tho ballots TO the election
clerks hut that he took them lnto an
antcroom and left them there. Civ
ing them to the clerks a package at
q time. There was something pc
culiar in what took place with those
ballots after they were counted. Mr..
Brann stated that il would be shown
that there was a period of two hours
to two hours and half between the
time when those ballots were counted
and their delivery to the city clerk.
He mentioned this merely, he said.
10 show that there was ample time
for those ballots to he tempered with.
Judge Brann further commended
that 456 ballots were cast which did
not correspond with the names on the
list. Some one fraudulently placed
ballots in that box.
And l say" said Judge Brann.
"that some ward official fraudulent
]y marked So ballots and placed them
in the box. If you deduct from the
vote Of Parent 60 or 63 votes as the
case may be. you will find tina: Dr..
irish is elected
Eleven witnesses We're sworn in
behalf Of the contestant and Herbert
L. F1ahcrty of Auburn was called 10
the stand.
He testified that he was ward clerk
in Ward 4 in Auburn and that he
was present in the ward room on
Sept. . last. the day of the State cleo
ton. He officiated at the ballot box
during the day. two hours in the
afternoon when the warden, O'Con-
nor. was absent from the polling
booth. He did not take any ballots
from the anteroom but he saw O'Con-
nor touch the ballots in the anteroom.
He did not know whether O'Connor
was interested in the election or not.
He neglected TO state in the record
that there were defective ballots. He
never had the key to the ballot haX:
OConncr had il.
Questioned as to his acquaintance
with the men whose names We're
checked as voting. but w.,o were IN
the city Flaherty said he knew them
but that they did not Vote that day.
Rep. Brann-I am going to ask YOU
81 YOU fraudulently marked any bal
lots and put them in the box,
Flaherty-\o sir.
Brann-Did YOU mark any person
on your check lis; as voting who did
not vote"
Flahcrty-No.
Witness declared that he did not
see the ballot box after he left it in
the hall alone He went Ia Lewiston
and watched the Journals election
returns in Park street Had no
knowledge as To Sow many packages
OF ballots were used that day. Check
lists were not counted during the
day. O'Connor was not the only man
,n the enteroom during the day. All
The election officials were in and out
Of there
Cross-examined by Judge Manser,
witness said that he had served pre-
viously as ward clerk and that he
was not aware of any changes in the
election laws. The ballot box key
was cared for Ill the same way as
previously This was by the W 1den.
VINO also had charge Of the ballots.
Desc riding how these ballots were
Jared for he said that Warden Doom
nor placed then on 4 settee in the
anteroom Of the ward room. Both
she election officers and the outside
checkers ate their lunches in that
anteroom. The ballots were in plail
view of tie election officials. There
was n door into the anteroom by
which IL could lie rcac!.ed without en-
feriptv no WarI ro,,,,,