Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-05
ST, GEORGES POLLS
CLOSED FOR NOON
ON ELECTION DAY
All But One of the Election Officers
Left and Went Home to Their
Lunch.
HARRY LESTER LEFT IN
CHARGE OF BALLOT BOX

A ''most liberal" construction OF the
election law was evident Mt the election
in St Georges, the Second district OF He'd
Lion hundred, on Tuesday, when the cleo
ton officers closed the polls for ono hour
and went home for their lunch.
The fact is admitted by four OF the
election officers. who were seen today
while the fifth could not be located. Tho
four seen, however, admitted closing the
polls and going home, several OF them de
claring that IL haa been the custom to do
this for wears The fifth election officer,
Harry Lester, ono Of the clerks and
brother of Edward Lester, Republican,
candidate for the Legislature from lted
/ Lion hundred. was left nj the voting place
with the ballot box during the lunch hour,
! according 20 information given m Every
| Evening man
! T. T. Van Hcklc, Inspector OF the
/ election at St Georges, could not he iocat-
/ cd today James II Ratten. one oi the
/ Judges. said that the four election officers
! left the voting place about noon and that
/ they remained away for about three
1 quarters Of an hour He added that as
/ there is no place to secure anything 10
eat. The election officers Ind 20 go 10
/ their homes. or have their meals brought
to them Mr. Batteu said he docs not
believe any voters were deprived ~ their
voting right, as he said they knew Il waH
| the custom for the polls To be closed Mr.
1 Battcn also said that he thought MIR an
4 Hckle, the inspecto had notified the
people that the polls would be closed
during the noon hour
SAYS IRIS pEFN THT CUSTOM.
/ John W Carrow. the other Judge, was
located IN corn-tcld today on the tarm
OF his son He declared that the four eieC
tion officers went 20 their homes for thoir
lunch, he likewise adding that u had bccn
the custom az st Georges 10 do this TIC
said that Mr. Lester had been left ~ the
voting place with tho ballot box. Thus was
also declared by Mr. Batten, who, Mr.
Carrow said locked the ballot box and
took tho kew home with him Mr. Carrow
said that no ono was allowed 20 vote dur
ING the noon hour lie Sald the polls were
closed nearly an hour.
W h. Crompton. one Of tho election
clerks, said that hc and the other three
election officers left the voting place about
noon. leaving Lester at the voting place
while thev went 10 their homes for theu
lunch. He said he estimated that thu
time spent by the election officers ~ secur'
ING their lunch amounted to about three
quarters of an hour.
.Harr, Lester. the other election clerk
said today that no one trcd 70 vote dur
ing the noon hour. while the other clectioF
officers were AZ thslr lunch Mr. lHstcl
said he did not know whether it was th'
custom or not to close the polling place a
general elections. ~ he had never served
rs an election officer ~ q general election
He said Mr. Ratten had locked the hallo
~hox and took the key with hIm Mr.
Lester said that he ate his nOon-dav mca
Mt the voting place. He IS q brother q
Representative Edward lester WHO wa
reelected by q majority oi ~ votes oFel
Harry Pratt, Democrat.
From the versions of the election otflCerI
at St Georges. they seemed 70 see nothlnl
wrong with their mt thod Of conducting
the election and closing UP for the nooi
hour to 60 home and get Their lunches
WHAT THE LAW SAYS,
Article 1856. Section 80, Of the Revise,
Code states: ''The general election shal
be opened in every election district Of IN
State on the Tuesday next after the frs
Monday in the month OF November IN tn
wear IN which the same Is held, outsid
the city of Wilmington. between tn
hours of S and O clock and ~ the CIT
of WlmlT gton between and 81 Q cloc
IN the morning, by he fspector, or othe
officer authorized by law to hold tho cleo
ton, making proclamation that the sam
Is open
Article 1774. Section 81. relating TO tn
closing of elections Is as follows h
election shall be confined open until
o'clock in the afternoon, when 1t shall b
closed The Inspector or other office
/ authorized by law 10 hold the election
shall one-haf hour before closlr G the cle,
ton make proclamation that the sam
will be closed in that time.
Chief Deputy Attorney General !
. Warren Green said today that the Law
relating TO general elections provide the
: the voting place shall be open contin'
ouslv. He said there can be no questlo
about this and that no time can be take
: TO close the voting place to secure lunci