Evening star., 1947-03-02
Dead Persons Voted
For Both IaImadges,
Atlanta Journal Says
BY the A,,eeiat.d Pres,

BY the Assoeiafsd Press
ATLANTA, Ca, Mar. 1.-Deal
persons, nonresidents and even non.
existent persons voted" for the lat,
Eugene Talmadge and his son, Her.
man, for Governor of Georgia il
the 1916 general election, the At.
lanta Journal said tonight.
Reporting document evidence oi
irregularities in the Helena district
OF Telfair County, home Of the Tai.
madges, the Journal said the votes
had played critical part in making
Herman Talmadge eligible for elec.
ton by the legislature to the term
of his dead father.
Eugene Talmadge was unopposee
as Democratic nominee for Gov.
nor. When he died before inaugura.
tion, the legislature voided his
$4,000 votes and elected his son
who was credited with SIS write-ir
ballots. Herman's write-in total was
six more than that of his fathers
principal opponent in the Democra-
tic primary. James Carmichael, anc
38 more than the vote for a Repub.
'ican, D. Talmadge Bowers.
Originally in Third Fiace.
Preliminary tabuiations by the
legislature placed Herman in thiro
place-out of the running for Gov.
ernor-but last-minute discovery Of
additional Telfair votes put him
ahead.
After his election Herman Tall
madge sieZed the Governors
Office and executive mansion,
ousting retiring Gov. Ellis Arnall
who refused to relinquish the
once to any one but newly
elected 1t. Gov: M. E. Thompson.
Mr.. Thompson took up the fight
to defeat Mr.. Talmadge and in
three Superior Court tests since
January l he has won one deci-
sion and Mr.. Talmadge has had
two rulings in his favor.
with each claiming the gov
ernorship, the final showdown
will start Thursday when they
present their cases to the State
Supreme Court. The decision
may be handed down before
March Is. The appeals, con-
solldated into a single case, will
be heard by seven justices. The
court has set maximum of six
hours oral argument and expects
to conclude the hearings in one
day.
Staff Writer George Goodwin of
the Journal said he found Telfair
returns listing at least two persons
long dead, at least five who had
moved away, and at least five who
said they did not vote November 5
1916. Another dozen could not be
found, he said.
Investigated Voting List.
Mr.. Goodwin said all were among
"a names, listed alphabetically ini
the numbered record of voters as
they appear at the polls. He said
he began investigating because "it
appeared impossible that "a citizens
anywhere could have appeared in
alphabetical order, starting with "a
and ending at *"
Mr.. Talmadge, when told of the
development, said: You can quote
me that the journal still has run
ming hydrophobia."
The Journal, in an exclusive story
which took over more than two
thirds of the front-page of its Sun
day edition, said the tally sheet,
consolidated returns and the list of
voters in Telfair's Helena district
showed various Irregularities.
Talmadge leaders solicited write
in votes for Herman Talmadge on
election day in a maneuver in.
tended as insurance" in case the
elder Talmadge died.
The paper said some election Of
ficials in the district could not recall
the exact returns, and some refused
comment.
Mr. Talmadge would not expand
on his "hydrophobia'' comment,
with which he previously had char
acterized the Journal.
Home of Elder Talmadge.
Telfair was the home county of
Eugene Talmadge who died Decem-
ber 81, 1916, three weeks before he
would have been inaugurated as
Governor of Georgia
The Journal said Telfair's local
newspaper, the Enterprise, credited
Herman Talmadge with 20 write-in
votes for Governor, and his father
with 1760.
Official consolidated returns gave
Eugene Talmadge the same total
but Herman's vote in final official
tabulation by the Legislature was
n. The final total put Herman
Talmadge in first place among
write-in candidates with 675 votes
and made him eligible for election
to the term of his late father.
(Georgia's Constitution pro-
vides that if no candidate for
Governor receives a clear ma
jority, the Legislature must elect
from the two highest candidates.
When Eugene Talmadge died,
the Assembly held his votes
voided, and elected Herman as
highest among three write-in
candidates.
The Legislatures Canvassing
Committee first credited Herman
Talmadge with 10 votes from Tel
fair, but later reported finding 8
second tally sheet in another en-.
velope which revised his vote to II
The missing So votes dramatically
pushed him into. the lead over Mr.
Carmichael, with 669, and Mr.. Bow
ers, who had 637. Had he placed
third, the Legislature would have
had to choose between Mr.. Car.
michael and Mr.. Bowers.
Photographs Published.
The Journal published photo.
graphs of the consolidated returns
and also the local tally sheet from