Evening star., 1927-12-01
ELECTION WRONGS
DENIED BY SHERIFF:
Four Names withdrawn
From Arlington Petition
Charging irregularities.


Strongly denying all allegations
Sheriff Howard 3. Fields Of Arlington
County today formally filed with the
clerk of the Circuit Court his answei
to charges of irregularities In the
| sheriff contest in the November
election. as contained in a court peti
ton signed by II county citizens
| Fields was the successful candidate
The petitioners charged that the eiec
! ton was 'illegal and undue and re
| uuested the court to declare 1t "nul
and void"
| Almost simultaneously with the
sheriff's action four citizens, whose
names appeared on the petition to the
| court. addressed letter to Judge
Samuel G.. Brent, requesting that then
names be removed from the document
claiming that they had been misin
| formed Of it's full intent. They are
George b. McKeown. Mrs. George b
| McKeown, J. Eustace Cfux and l.. w
King.
Petition Contents Not Known.
The letter to Judge Brent follows:
My name appears upon paper pur-
porting to contest the election or ii
r. Fields as sheriff of Arlington
County, Va, November 8. last. re-
spectfully request that my name be
stricken from said paper for the fol-
lowing reasons: I knew nothing Oh
the contents of said paper when j
signed it, and only learned OF It's
contents through the Washington
papers. 1 have no knowledge. either
direct or indirect. of Irregularities IN
the election, and signed the sald
paper only when 1 was informed b'
the person presenting it to me tina
the object of the contest was mercy
to obtain a recount of the votes.
Sheriff Fields answer to the
charges follows, in part:
That the petition was not niet
within Is days after the election anu
does not show any grounds sufficien'
for invalidation of the election.
THAT the petition does not set forth
any list of any voters improperly vot
ing. with the objections to each. which
is required by statute.
THAT the petition fails to ailege any
facts showing or tending to show tnal
the election was Illegal. undue or tna'
any false returns were made, the al
LEGATIONS edCu luotQhNC WING SA-~~
petitioners are advised ana tnereIore
allege and charge.
THAT the allegation that Fedora
EMPLOYEES served as judges of the cleo
ton. even IL true. is not sufficient to
invalidate the election.
THAT allegations that at Carne pre-
cinct persons other than those guam
fed to vote were permitted to enter ir
said precinct and there to solicit votes
even il true, would not invalidate any
ballots cast thereat in the absence o'
the names of the persons alleged TO Dt
involved. That the same is true OF the
allegation that votes were obtained BY
the use of money, and that the same
objections are valid as to the allega
tions that an official ballot was OBJ
tanned and marked to be voted and
illegally removed from the precinct te
be handed to other voters in turn.
THAT the allegations to the effect
that intoxicating liquors were used te
influence votes are insufficient because
they do not name the precinct re
ferred to and do not allege that the
persons using the same were friends
or adherents of the respondent.
Names Not Supplied.
THAT the petition does not allege
the names OF supposed friends and ad
herents of this respondent who Art
supposed to have paid to induce ant
influence voters, or the paying OF debts
due to the State for the same purpose
THAT the petitioners do not show
that the result of the election was
in any way affected by the alleged con
gregation of crowds within less thar
100 feet of the precinct, and even 81
the allegations do not constitute q
violation of the corrupt practices act
That the entire petition is Insult
ficient because 1t is too vague and gen
eral to put the respondent upon no
| tice of the facts charged against him
to enable him to produce evidence tt
| rebut the vague and unspeciht
| charges, and at most constitute allega
tions OF rumors and of conclusions o1
law and fact heard by the parties tt
said petition without allegation of tn.
truth or belief in the truth of the al
innate facts necessary to support the
conclusions"
"NOt Fifteen Signers."
Pointing to the fact that four sign
ers of the petition have requested
their names to be removed. because
of misinformation of the purpose ol
the document. the respondent denie:
that Is qualified voters did sign tn.
petition with knowledge of its con
tents, and asks that II this Is true
that the petition be dismissed on that
ground.
The respondent further denies tina,
the provision of the code of Virginia
governing elections has been violated
by him or any of his friends or adj
herents or with his knowledge or con
sent. and that the election is null and
void. .ss
With regard to the allegation that
Federal employees served as judges OF
election. the respondent contends that
he was in no way responsible for the
appointment of them. and that he Il
advised that the fact of this service
in no way invalidates the election
He points out that while E. W. Cush
ing, Federal employe, was appointed
as q Judge in the Carne precinct. he
did not serve in that capacity.
Fields Is represented by attorneys
Harry r. Thomas, Claude o. Thomas
and John S. Barbour.