Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-11-20
ORD GUT.
T0C0UNTYSEAT
MAJORITY Of Il
Hobson' S First Score in
ContestM MadebyC
of w. Garneill Vote.
l3 Absentee Ballots
Under Attack When
Adjournment Taken.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
Stanford, Nov. 19.-With the clerh
of the court as teller and the court
stenographer as clerk, Judge William
| Carroll Saturday counted the missing
votes on the county seat question III
! the West Garneill precinct, which in
| the event these returns are finally
+, accepted by the court, will affect the
| reduction of Stanfords majority to II.
| The vote from this precinct was found
| to be the same as that unofficially
reported from that precinct. with the
| exception of the loss by Hopson Of one
vote. which was held by the court to
be defective.
Pouches In Bad Condition
Most of the afternoon was consumed
in court by an examination of various
election pouches, with a view to OBJ
tanning therefrom applications and
affidayits bearing upon absent vote
ballots. Many Of the pouches were
found to be in far worse condition
than was the one received from West
Garneil, some Of the pouches contain
ing ballots and other election papers
from several distinct precincts, while
the ballots and the papers of some
precincts were scattered through sew
eral pouches.
Shortly before adjournment, counsel
for Hobson introduced applications of
13 persons for absent voters ballots
to be cast in Stanford precinct SO.
each of which bore the signatures of
two registered electors as witnesses.
OF these two witnesses. it was shown
in each case that only one was Il
registered elector of that precinct
the other witness being an elector of
Stanford precinct 3S1a. This line of
evidence had not been completed when
court adjourned.
Capt. Moran On Stand
Another peculiar phase Of the cleo
ton investigation was brought out
when John f. Moran, clerk and re-
corder Of Cascade county, was placed
on the stand and produced the regis
ters and poll books of the precincts Of
Geyser. Raynesford and Dry Wolf,
formerly in Cascade county
Asked by the court how he expected
to show that all the alleged illegal
votes in those precincts had been cast
for Stanford. Judge Rasch said that
if he was unable to prove any par
ticular votes the court could appor-
ton such illegal votes upon the basis
of the total number Of votes cast for
each of the two candidates.
Over the objection of counsel for
Stanford, Judge Rasch was allowed to
follow out that sort of inquiry and
Mr. Moran read from the poll and
registers of those precincts the names
of those by whom it was indicated
absent voters ballots had been cast,
there being three in Raynesford pre-
cinct. IL in Dry Wolf and nine in
Geyser.
Evidence Burned In Great Falls
When asked to produce the applica-
tions for absent voters ballots, the
witness testified that they had been
accidentally destroyed by, fire in his
office about two months ago. He tes-
titled that the applications had not
been sent to the election judges for
the reason that such applications were
infrequently returned and that in their
stead he had merely sent certificate
showing that such applications had
been made. He testified that he was
convinced these persons for whom
ballots had been issued were quail
fled electors.
In support of the allegation Of the
that one John Rigla was
not qualified to vote at the election
of Nov. ?. 1920, the plaintiff called ]
Margaret Rauch. clerk to the superin-
tendent Of schools Of Fergus county.
who produced the school census rec
ords of Fergus county for the years
1915 to 1920, inclusive. and read there
from the entries pertaining to John
Rigla, Jr., of Stanford, each of which
gave the date of his birth as June
16. 1900. and that he was the son Of
John Rigla.
II. u Brownlee, clerk and recorder
Of Judith Basin county produced the |
registration cards of Warren Streetor |
and of H. f. and Pearl II. johnson,
all of Stanford. which had been trans
mitted to him by the clerk of Fergus
county. with whom they had originally |
been filed. He testified that the regis
tration cards for the two Johnsons
had not been signed nor verified.