Evening star., 1945-08-29
Darden Offers
State said in
Election Probe
Ends His Vocation,
Condemns Alleged
Theft Of Poll Books
BY the Associated Press,

Theft of Poll Books
BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, Aug. 29.-Gov.
Darden last night placed the facil-
tiles Of the Commonwealth at the
disposal OF John Roberts, Common
wealth's attorney in Wise County,
and instructed the State attorney
general to assist in the Investigation
OF alleged theft of poll books tabu-
lating the recent Democratic
primary returns.
After returning here from his
vacation at Virginia Beach, the Gov-
ernor issued a statement condemn-
ing the alleged theft.
The election returns are being con.
tested by L. Preston Collins, who
was defeated by 572 votes by Charles
R. Fenwick, Arlington, for the NOM
nation for Lieutenant Governor.
Fenwick Files Counter Action.
Counter action to quash the con-
test was filed yesterday by Mr.. Fen
wick in Richmond Circuit Court,
and his attorneys claimed the COM
plant would not result in a change
Of election results.
MIR. Fenwick said he had not OBJ
jected to the petition because of any
defect IN service of process, and
that his suit to quash the election
contest In no way will prevent the
proper authorities from making an
investigation and taking action un-
der criminal statutes in regard to
any election Irregularities.
Clean elections in Virginia, free
from any possible taint of fraud, are
far more important than my own
election as Lieutenant Governor Of
this commonwealth, or than the
election of any individual to any
position" he said.
Il know nothing of the irregu.
larities alleged to have occurred in
Wise County and have no informa-
ton relative thereto except what I
have gathered from the reports in
the press, nor do believe that Mr.,
Collins has any knowledge of ir-
regularities which have occurred in
some of the counties giving him an
overwhelming majority.
Charges Reports Are Unfair.
In Norton, C. o. Boiling. Judge
OF the primary election at the
Bonds Mill precinct in Wise Coun-
ty, issued a statement in which he
declared that recent newspaper &C.
counts of the Bonds Mill returns.
one OF the precincts on which the
poll books are missing. leave a
grossly inaccurate and unfair i'm
plication."
Mr.. Boiling said: The envelope.
sent to us from the County Electoral
Board. prior to the election, con-
tanned the names of our precinct
written on the face of the envelope,
listing the Judges as Alvin Boiling.
G. o. Boiling and j. o. Bolnne. and
further notation that the envelope
contained $50 ballots. All of this
information was written on the face
OF the envelope by the clerk of the
electoral board at Wise and sent to
us prior to the primary. @
THE night of the primary wa
placed back in the same envelope in
which had come 155 used ballots, thu
IS unused ballots being burned. as
mas been the custom for years, thus
accounting for the $50 ballots sent
to us. The official count, as made
by the county canvassers, showed
that Bonds Mill precinct had cast
l38 votes for Fenwick, Z for Collins
and 10 for Muse, a total of 155 ball
lots.
This is the same number of ball
lots taken from the envelopes and
counted by Mr.. Collins ATTORNEYS.
who Tailed 1876 votes for Fenwick.
Z for Collins and II for Muse, re.
porting one ballot spoiled, which
also makes a total of 155 ballots ac-
counted for.
Claims Tally Was Correct.
THE press reporss make it appear
that the 95 ballots which were un-
used and which we had burned had
not been properly accounted for and
might be subject for suspicion. They
were accounted for in the poll books
above our signatures, and not .un-
oer' our signatures on the envelope
containing the returned ballots as
press reports have stated and re.
stated for at least three days. Our
tally was correct and approximately
the same as the Collins ATTORNEYS
found, and the officers of that pre-
clnct resent the implication that
those 95 unused ballots were i'm.
properly counted for any one"