Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-10
BENSON -SCANLAN
CONTEST LOOMS
AS POSSIBILITY
Clouds of recount on the results of the
representative election loomed high thruout the
night, as the official canvassing board.
checking up the tally
sheets on Tuesdays s
election held as irregular

sheets on Tuesdays
election held as irregular
the vote in several precincts. The
boards action threatened to herious-
ly affect the majority Ole Benson,
Independent candidate over William
NJ. Seaman, the present Republican
representative, whom he defeated
Until 8 o'clock this morning the
board worked and then adjourned
until today, when they again met to
rule on the pecinct votes in question.
After a short conference today, they
adjourned until 5 o'clock tomorrow
afternoon, None of the official totals
will be known until after the board
finishes their work
BY the results of the canvas it
looked as though Mr. Benson might
,ose a total of 7lS1a votes from the
unofficial ret,tns and Mr. Seaman
might lose a total of 57Sh votes.
This would bring Mr.. .Benson's
pluralitydown about 200 votes.
WV oShoO'i sOACo SGOPdi ufECus
For a time it looked as though 600
votes cast for Benson in the 1st pre-
cinct in Eden might be ruled out, as
the clerks had not tailed these, and
had Just brought out the figures of
500 votes in the columns designated
for them. Mr.. Benson summoned the
election clerks from Eden to appear
before the board and testify as to
the correct vote, in case this was
ruled out In that township a total
of 6691a votes were cast for Benson
Only 69M votes were tailed, and the
remainder which were straight votes
were just tabulated in figures. The
clerks stated that not more than 800
votes could be tailed on the sheets
provided for them. so the straight
votes We're just carried out in num-
bers
In the fourth precinct in Bruce the
figures at the end of the sheet show
ed that $40 votes were cast for Ben
son and 104 for Scanlan. Only 1870
of Benson's votes We're tailed and
80 of Scanans, so the board threw
out $50 Benson votes and "A for Scan
Ian.
In the second precinct in Mendoza.
no talies We're made on either the
Benson or Scanlan votes, so the en-
tire representative vote of the two
candidates was thrown out. Benson
lost 32512 votes there and Scanlan
lost 437.
A few votes were lost by each can
didate in other precincts, where tai
/ S did not correspond with f9
of votes.
Challenge 9Th of Ottawa.
In the fifth precinct of Ottawa the
vote, similar to that in Eden town
ship, was also questioned. Here
Benson got 2J012 votes and Seaman
GOT $50 votes. Of these 243 Benson
votes and 90 Scanlan votes which
but were designated by figures. This
was allowed to stand by the board.
WeIter Shows Gain.
Watchers say thjte VIII not be
any great difference in the majorities
iQen the other candidates. f. j.
Welter republican sherif-elect, is
ga Il tgj have gained approximately
% votes, and the other candidates
lost and gained few, but not enough
to make any material change in the
results.
For a time Benson supporters fear
I'd that enough votes might be
thrown out to change the result of
his election. Mr.. Benson did not
know things We're going against him,
uutN late last night, when he drop
ned in the court house to see how
the canvas was going. AS soon as
he was told that some of his votes
were in question, he summoned his
attorney, Roy Wilhelm, who remain
ed on the job watching the count un-
til the board adjourned.
Both the Eden, lst. and the Bruce.
4th. Judges will appear before the
board tomorrow.
After Legal Opinion.
County Clerk Thomas Ferguson.
who with Justices of the Peace 5. G.
Ankeny and George Koenig, form the
canvassing board, stated this after
noon that the adjournment until to-
morrow was taken SO that the mem
bers of the canvassing board might
have time to take under advisement
the issues of the precincts under
question, and see what ruling should
be made in the matter.
ScanIan May Contest.
From Peru today came statements
from the same source that yesterday
denieds Mr.. Scanlan would ask a re-
count. Saying that it was more than
likely Mr.. Scanlan would contest the
election in face of the official can
vass board rulings.
Friends of Mr.. Benson today. stated
that they were not satisfied with the
vote count, and even though Mr. Ben
son was proclaimed the winner at the
close of the official canvass, as they
believed If anything his majority
should be larger than the one the