The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-10-15

lego % cast their vote rnr whnms"crer
hey saw III. N"s. tho" was gross
fraud, Il grave crime against society Wa
c"Iumirt"'l. What i tho u~N o. I"iinS
r such foul fraud rs TN" stat" has
shown YOU WAS committed out there
that day is allowed to go on un-
checked?
! Finding tho Motive.
J Now. who committed this fraudulent
! affair on, there in the Fort Henry pre-
, CinCt" w" hay" first as"crta in"G. h%
! the evidence whirh have just summed
, up for YOU. that such A crime against
snrlr,y actually WAS committed Then.
We must HHd the man who did IT, We
! first look for man who had r molly"
! for doing this thing. That's the way
good detective would start about It.
Could tho fraud have been perpetrat-
Cd by Il candidate" So far as the states
evidence goes. wo1I assume that the
! candidates are all above reproach. Then
| we've gone tho rcxt steT. Was Il some
! body whom tho election Of certain can
didates would benefit II they were put
! In office" We ind here man prom:-
/ ucntly connected with the affairs OF tho
! city or Wheeling: tho lines are drawn
! In campaign fight. and two states are
; in the fold. The state finds n man. or
men. supporting a certain sIate-frst.
| because he wants to see 4 relative elect
/ ed I" office: next. because he il CRATE
| full 10 the administration because il gave
him a good Job and third. because he
believes that II the administration slate
| Is elected no Will cot his job again.
We find that this man Is the head Of
! ono Of the large departments ~ the city.
| employing n goody number Of mon over
! whom he eX"rtS n strong influence.
Collected Funds
| "Gentlemen. the state shows YOU
hurley Thompson. CHIEF NJ the fire de-
rartment. with lot Of mon under him
and tho brother OF tho fire chief a can
! didate for council. And after eight or
ten years Of freedom from that sort OF
/ thing. we find Burley Thompson COL
Letting funds for political purpose. r
; thing that for that length OF time ha =
| hecn tabbooed In the fire department.
| Tho campaign is 90 hot that this official
| Ignores even bylaw Of the hremen's
organization. and demands money for
the campaign. Two men testified that no
asked for money In such a way as TO
mako II known that the men Of the fire
department would be taken care OF II
they did contribute. and that those who
did not contribute need not expect 70
| be taken care OF.
"Wo ind that Chief Thompson COL
lected over $500. The use IT was put
to is not quite clear In this testimony.
But We find that man (meaning Chief
Thompson) and every man under him
! determined to defeat certain candidates
three in particular. one Of whom was
CHARLES C!lliEan. who was opposing the
! chiefs brother in the Second ward.
That's pretty good start:-a man
with three motives for tho defeat Of
Charlie Gilllgan.
ELECTION day comes on. How can tho
defeat OF GilllGan and certain other
candidates be accomplished: Burley
Thompson knew tho vote In tho Second
| ward. but his brother and GilligRn were
to he voted on all over Wheeling. II
| Thompson's brother was not elected, the
defense admits, there Is danger OF Chief
Thompson losing his job. The thing
must be done. Gilllgan must be de-
feated.
THE taing was accomplished. But
how? All. we ind that this man who
has three motives for his activities.
stands close to certain city officials who
would have possession Of the election
ballots. Here. repeat. is an official
who has access TO the ballots and to the
ballot boxes. True enough. an election
judge may have had possession to the
ballot box keys all OF election day. but
for three or four dollars you ought to
! hs able TO get a hundred keys like that.
There would be TO trouble in getting
| ballots. The evidence shows that thou
sands were printed in excess Of what
was needed.
Easy to DO
Tho state shows YOU that this man
with tho motives procures a clerk to
serve at the Fort Henry precinct with
! PENDANT man named Bessemer Nall.
another clerk. an employe OF the de-
by arrangement by telephone or other
wise the defendant arranged with this
clerk. Charles w. Bellville. to meet him
at his office on the Monday night pre-
cedIng the general election.
! THE man Rellville goes IN tn tho
Chemical FIRE house and up to the chiefs
office. It's easy enough to put across
this sort Of a thing with the clerks.
They must have tho clerks. but don't