Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-15
Wheeler's Statement
South Paris. Maine.

July L., lSz4.
The undersigned, Alton c. Wheel
er of South Paris, on oath deposes
and says as follows:
Attached hereto is a list of one
hundred eighty-nine names and adj
dresses of citizens who have SUD-
mitted to me written statements
that they did not vote in the last
Primary Election on June To. 1924,
in Ward 4 in the City OF. Portland
although their names now or form
erly appeared upon the registration
lists in said Ward and were
checked upon the official check lists
used in said Ward as having voted
at the time of the last Primary
election on June Ii, 1924. A list of
twenty-six names and addresses or
former voters is attached who were
dead or removed from the Ward be-
fore the date of the Primary cleo
ton although their names are
checked on said ward lists as hav-
ing voted.
Investigation shows that at least
four hundred ballots were fraudu-
lently procured and secretly marked
and placed after the close of the
polls with the ballots actually cast"
in said ward on the day of said
Primary election and that names of
voters were Unfortunately and
secretly checked to approximately
equal the number of ballots thus
fraudulently and secretly placed
with the ballots actually cast" and
that all these ballots were then
fraudulently returned by said cleo
ton officials as lawfully cast" in
said Primary election in said Ward
4 and said fraudulently marked and
placed ballots were wilfully, falsely,
and fraudulently included by said
election officials in the record and
return of said ward.
In said Ward in the City of
Portland the fraudulent and void
record and return of the election
officials showed six hundred fifty
four votes for Frank G. Harrington
for the Republican nomination for
Governor and one hundred fifty-one
votes for Ralph o. Brewster for the
Republican nomination for Cover
nor. l have in my possession and
am prepared to submit to any tri-
bunal a list of names and addresses
of over one hundred voters residing
in Ward 4 in the City of Portland
and duly enrolled as Republicans
and qualified to vote in the Repub-
lican Primaries on that date who
state that they went to the polls in
said Ward on Primary Election
day, on June IL, 1924, and duly
marked and deposited their ballots
for Ralph O. Brewster for the Re-
publican nomination for Governor.
Attached hereto and marked List
CT is list of the names and adj
dresses of two hundred and twenty
six citizens not enrolled as Republic
cans either before or on the day of
the last Primary election, viz, June
IL, 1924, whose names are checked
as having voted in said Ward at
said Primary election. Eight hum
dred seventy-three Republican bal
lots were returnedS by the election
officials rs having been lawfully
cast at said election in Ward al
though there were only six hundred
forty-seven citizens checked as vot-
ing in this ward on the last Primary
Election day who were duly enrolled
as Republicans either before or at
the time of the Primaries.
Investigation of the conduct of
the last Primary election on June
IT, 1924, in the towns of Fort Kent,
Frenchville. Frand Isle, Madawaska,
Saint Agatha. Van Buren,, anu the
Plantation of Cyr, Hamlin, New
Canada and Wallagrass show that
over half the ballots were marked
by an election official instead of by
the voter in defiance of the law and
without color of authority. The
election officials reported two thou
sand and siXty-two votes in these
towns and plantations for the Re-
publican nomination for Governor,
of which two thousand and thirty
six were reported for Frank G. Far
rington and twenty-six for Ralph o.
Brewster. These voters numbering
over one thousand were physically
able to mark their ballots and had
no legal right to vote under our Con-
stitution unless they were able to
read and write. None of these bal
lots disclose any certificate, by the
election officials of their action in so
marking the ballots.
In Ward in the City of Lewiston
the ward officials reported two hun
dred twenty-eight ballots as claw
fully cast" for the Republican nomi-
nation for Governor although there
were no voters enrolled as Republi-
cans on the day of the Primaries
nor were any enrolment lists used
at the Primary election by the ward
officials. 1t further appears that the
maximum number of enrollments
ever made in this ward was one
hundred thirty-o one and that this list
was compiled prior to 1916 and has
never been corrected since that date.
1t is. therefore, evident that very
small number of the votes reported
from this ward could have been
lawfully cast" by duly enrolled Re-
publican voters.
Protest against the conduct OF
these ward officials in failing to re-
quire enrolment of voters prior to
voting in the Republican Primaries
was made by citizen at the opening
of the election but such protest was
entirely d:sregarded.
STATE OF MAINE
Cumberland, SIS.
Now personally appeared the
above nance Alton c. Wheeler and
swore that the above statement sub |
scribed by him is true.