The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-01-31
SERVE SUMMONS
in STRANGE SUIT
Alfred Krisses is Defend
ant in Suit Brought by
Felix Curly.
WANTS MONEY BACK
Alleges Votes We're Sold Con-
trary to Regulations; Asks
for Return Of Money Paid.

| An echo of the popularity contest
staged in Kenosha last September as
feature of the Fall Festival of the
Downtown Business Mems association
was heard in official circles here this
morning when it became known that
a summons had been served in suit
to recover $400, alleged to have been
paid out in a deal Of votes IN the
contest, which votes were not counted
in the final result because it was made
certain that they were not secured IN
keeping with the regulations OF the
contest.
The suit is not brought against the
association; Alfred Krisses, an en-
ployee of one of the members of the
association, is named as the defendent,
it being alleged that he sold the votes
in question to Felix Curly, the plain
tiff. 1t was stated, however, by At
torney VANDERBILT Of. the firm of
Stewart and Vaudreill, counsel for the
plaintiff, that action would be brought
against the association for the return
of the money in the event that~~the
present suit was not successful.
Airs the Whole Affair.
Il l.
summons airs the details of the en-
| tire affair, all of which will prove
most interesting to the Kenosha pub
lie. The contest in question was for
the election of a queen of the festl-
val to whom was to be presented a
new Nash carriole. Votes in the con-
! test were given out by the merchants
with the purchase of merchandise, it
being understood that no votes were
to be bought outright.
! One of the candidates in the con-
1 test was Mrs. Amelia Tirabassi, 1913
Park street, and it was in connection
with the support of her candidacy that
the votes in question were secured.
At the time of the contest, the COM
mittee in charge learned that there
had been some irregularity in the
securing of some votes and staged
an investigation.
Admitted Purchase of Votes.
1t is alleged that it was discovered
then that Krisses instead of giving the
votes with a sale of merchandise had
sold them outright to Felix Curly,
who had in his keeping a sum of
money raised to back the candidacy
of Mrs Tirabassi. 1t is claimed that
during the investigation, Mrs. Tira-
bassi admitted that votes for her had
been secured in this way and agreed
that 100000 votes secured thus should
be subtracted from her total.
The money paid for the votes was
not returned and it is now for re-
covery of this that suit has been
started
The outcome of the contest was not
materially affected by the incident.
Miss Madeline Engelhafdt came out
winner by total of 966,428 votes and
Mrs. Trabassi had only 379,335. Had
the entire number of votes been count
ed, she would not have won the contest
but she would have ranked higher.
Waiting for Answer.
The suit which has been brought
alleges fraud, it being maintained
that the votes were sold as if they
had some value in the contest when
in reality they were not counted
Krisses, it is said, has passed the buck
back to the merchants, maintaining
that the money which was originally
paid for the votes was not returned !;
the association maintains that on adj
vice Of counsel this money was not
returned, it being maintained that
Krisses by selling the votes outright
in violation of the rules of the con
test, invalidated them himself.
1t is also maintained that the plain
tiff in the case knew that the votes
were being secured in an irregular
manner and is therefore not entitled
/ 70 ho Of 4ba
Krisses recently left Kenosha, but
was served with a summons in the
suit before he left. 1t was stated
that attorneys for the plaintiff in the
present suit were waiting now for the
time to expire for an answer before
taking any other action