Evening star., 1945-08-26
One Poll Book
Found, 25Sti||
Lost in Virginia
Attorneys for Collins
Seek Court Review
Of Wise Ballots
By the Associated Press.

.
WISE, Va, Aug. 25.-Attorneys
for L. Preston Collins, who con-
tested the Democratic primary re.
turns in Wise County after being
defeated by small majority by
Charles r. Fenwick in the race for
the Democratic nomination as
Lieutenant Governor, found one poll
book in investigating the vote today
but failed to find any trace of Is
which have been missing since Au-
gust 13.
George M. Warren, member Of
the House of Delegates and one of
Mr.. Collins attorneys, said the book
found, from South Coeburn precinct,
was in manila envelope along with
ballots as is the proper method Of
filing. The names corresponded to
the vote, Mr.. Warren stated.
Complete Investigation.
Attorneys for Mr.. Collins COM
pleted their investigation this aft
ernoon and located no discrepancies
in returns today.
Yesterday they found fewer ball
lots from Pound and Bond Mill
precincts than were officially r>-'
ported and Mr.. Warren said, that
in view of the check in those two
precincts, he expected to ask the
Circuit Court of Richmond, where
the contest was filed, to have records
brought to Richmond.
Counsel for Mr.. Collins planned
to confer Monday in the Marion
Court House on the next step to be
taken. Individual voters will be
interviewed, Mr.. Warren said, add
ing that while they have not yet
located discrepancies in other than
two precincts, attorneys are going
further with the investigation.
We're going to get proof" he as
serted, that returns are in error
in more than two precincts.
County Clerk Joe A. Gardner told
attorneys that he left August 8, the
day after the primary. for Gatlin-
burg, Tenn, and returned to Wise
August 13. He said when he re-
turned he found that someone had
gone into his Office with key. The
Office had not been broken into, he
stated. He did not advise anyone
about the loss of the books until
yesterday, Mr.. Warren reported
him as saying.
Only Three Keys.
He said he, his deputy clerk and
the janitor possessed the only three
keys to the clerks Office. g
Mr.. Gardner, in testifying. went
against advice of his counsel. de-
claring, Il don't care what your OBJ
jections are. I'm going to tell the
truth"
Envelopes containing the officially
certified returns from Pound and
Bond Mill precincts. when opened
yesterday, were found to contain
many ballots less than the number
listed on the outside of ballot boxes,
attorneys for Mr.. Collins said.
Mr.. Warren said mo effort is be-
ing made" to recover the missing
poll books. Normally the Common
wealth's attorney would investigate
any reported theft. Commonwealth
Attorney John Roberts, Norton, said
the matter had not been brought
to his attention.
Republicans Urge Action.
Meanwhile State Senator S. Flovd
Landreth, Galax, and Carl A. Mar
shall, Falls Church, Republican cam
didates for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor, respectively, said that if
there is no other way to prosecute
those responsible for the election
discrepancies the Governor should
take the matter to the attorney
general.
The trouble lies in the vicious
political system under the Byrd ma
chine, said Mr.. Marshall. Machine
bosses are the victims of their own
chicanery.
Republican candidates have
known for years that they were un-
fairly treated at the polling places
by the Byrd machine, but it now
appears that the lust for ONCE has
turned the machine members upon
each other"