The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-10
Grand Jury COnVenes Today
To Start Investigation Into
Alleged Primary Irregularities
JUDGE BROWNIES
INSTRUCTIONS TO
THE GRAND JURY

Gentlemen OF the Grand Jury.
Not since the Republicans frau
IDENTIFY caused the vote Of the
third ward Of Key West To lee
thrown out by the CanvasSing
/ Board at TaallahaSSee. thereby
.lecting Rutherford b. Hayes 70
the presidency. has such = stu
j pendOuS fraud Oeen attempted
against the voters Of Monroe
County. as in the recent primary
There may at times have been
a few fraudulent votes cast. bun
never before has any fraud on q
huge scale been attempted
! One has only to inspect the re-
turns Of the alleged absentee bal-
lots. TO be conscious that upwards
Of 400 ballots were not the free
honest. and uncontrolled votes 81
the electors.
Early on the morning 81 the
e.ection. four known persons pre-
eted themselves II their proper
precincts and sought 10 vote. huJ
their ballots were refused bee
c"use they were marked en the
registration books a. having cast
ab: entee ballots. Upon Their APP
-plication to me. issued a wrIt ~
mandamus to the Election lnspec-
+ tors. commanding them O. count
these ballots, and the ballots Of
all others who were qualified o.
vote and had not voted. but whose
names appeared on the regLStra-
ton books as having cast absen-
tee ballots. With regard 10 these,
the attempted fraud was prevent
ed. but these compr Sod only q
small portion Of the alleged an
Scntee ballots. There were shout
$50 yet to be heard from. and
when they were counted the
showed some startling results
| shall not compare the votes
OF all the candidates cast a. the
polling place, and a marked on
absentee ballots, bet vii cal
your attention TO a few At the
free and honest Balloting a. the
several polling places IN the coun-
", there we're c.: I for Governor
about 1000 votes. Of which VII
liam c. Hodges received 460, O.
about 24",. OF the 450 atSen-
tee ballots he receI-ed only g.
or y r..
A strange psychology that cau--
cd about one out Of every four
who voted at the polls To vote for
Senator Hodges. and only one and
half out OF every hundred Who
voted in the county judges Of
flee.
For sheriff al the polling plac-
es there were cast about 27O0 hal
lots, of which Mr. Karl Thompson
received over 1900 There were
444 absentee ballots east. Of
which Mr.. Thompson received only
8. COO, or the ballo-S az the polls
%, Of the absentee ballots
At the polls out Of upwards %
$500 ballots cast for county
Judge. Mr.. Raymond Lord re-
ceived over 1900. and out q s50
absentee ballots he received only
81.
At the polls Mr. Ladd and Mr
Mcmahon ran almost neck and
neck for the office Of tax coIlec-
tor. but out OF an alleged aLsen-
tee ballot Of 42O. Mr- McMahor
received only %
II frequently happens on rhs
trial Of a case that there Is nc
eye witness 70 a certain act o.
event, but g condition exists thz-
makes an eve witness unnece-szry
This has been crystalized into .
3 1C-dA IAaA-AAs 81 4Aaa ---a1e
The thing speaks for itself" Il
all my la-al and Judicial experi.
ence. / have ne-er known An n
stance where this doctrine wzl
more applicable than TIE matte
you are called together 70 inves
tigate The facts speak fer then
selves.
While Il may be apparent rhz-
there has been an attempt a. Z
great fraud. II Is not clear whr
are the guilty parties To Ene
this out. 10 return indictments
against them. Is your province
your conscientious duty. and foi
that purpose you have been ezlie1
together. In the performances @.
your duty yOu may find tEzi
some friends Of yours is implcar
ed. but in the cath that each q.
you has taken. y0u have sEorn O.
1 Continued OF PAGE F0u-1