Year: 1869




elected he would not be eligible to a


seat in the House of Delegates, for the


Board of registration had stricken ms


name from-the register book. The day


before the election a young man, a
friend Of Capt. Putnam, went to Clay


county with lot Of Illegal tickets,
printed with picture on the beck OF
each ticket and had the name OF A. B.


Patrick on them as q candidate for the


Senate aud Authony RAIDER for the


Honss of Delegates, and the young


man that bore the tickets was not
known by the people Of Clay county,
and he told them that he lived two
miles below Charleston, and was sent


by DIR. Patrick to hand out these


tickets before the election. The
young man lives in this county and we
all know him well. He rode horse


which Captain Putnam is in the habit
IF riding. After the polls wer. closed
at CLAY Court House one of Captain


Putnam's friends told the inspectors OF
election that illegal tickets had gone in
to the ballot box during the day, which
could not bs counted, that the law said
that any ticket having picture OF


mark or device on the back of it 80 that
it could be designated from another
ticket was net legal ticket. They
asked him for the law. He said he


had not the law there but drew out a
piece of paper and showed them that
Captain Putnam had written the words
Of the law. So in Nicholas county few
DAYS before the election word was sent
ont among the people by the balance OF
our Board Of Registration that there
would be no election held in Nicholas
county on the 2StA day Of October,
they would not furnish register books
for this county for they were
so badly threatened on the day they
had set to correct the register books-so
intimidated that they could not make
the books. Some of the supervisors
went to the effice the day before the
election to get the register books. They
found the Office locked and the clerk
gone. On the 2Sth day Of October there
WAS but one register book furnished in
the county of Nicholas aud that was
taken to one township where Captain
Putnam expected to get large msjo
ty. James S. Craig, our clerk and re-
corder and clerk of the Board of Super
yisore and one of the members of the
Board of registration locked up his office
on the day of the election and left his
own township and went to the township
where they had furnished register
book. heard of him doing all he could
for Captain Putnam. When Board of
registration could make one book every
L. ha, alya h., hal
ance. They succeeded in getting a
majority Of four votes for Putnam In
the township where they furnished the
register book and / do not believe that
Putnam would have got six votes in
either Of the other townships in this
county. There are two large townships
in this county that did not hold any
election which DR.. RAIDER would, think,
have swept clean, and there were three
that held their elections
without having registry book, and
the inspectors of the election said they
did not let any man vote only those
that were registered voters last year.
In Summersvile township, where Cap
tain Putnam lives, he got only one vote.
In Grant township Putnam got one vote.
In Wilderness township Putnam got
none. The majority of the supervisors
refuse to report auy election that was
held IN this county. If they did RAIDER
is elected by forty-ono votco in the two
counties $, and if they throw all the elee-
tions away in Nicholas, Putnam, by his
trickery, got majority in Clay county
of twenty-seven votes. Captain Put-
nam, the carpet-bagger, appears to have
our Board Of registration fully at his
control and the majority Of our super
visors. Some of our supervisors here
are good mon, still there are some
can't brag of. Ithink there has never
been such sn outrage committed in any
civil community. The people here do
not wish Putnam TO be theic representa-
tive. Capt. Putnam, | am credibly in
formed. rode around in this county and
tod men if they would vote the way he
wished them that their names should be
placed on the register book, and know
of ore man that We sent to Camp Chase
during the war that is now voter, and
know one more that was rebel Sol
der who has been voting, and they tell
that they were put on the register book
for promising 10 vote for Capt. Putnam;
they could not and would not take the
test oath.


have been soldier during this war,
volunteered in order to put this rebel
lion down and to have law and order
restored again, but do think the rebels
never d d worse than some of our citi
zsns are doing st tAis time. i say what
truly think, and | want my name to
stand in full under what | have written.
Or RAIDER has contested Pdtnam's seat,
and l hope the Legislature will sustain
the Doctor in his undertaking, a. he is
the sAoice of the people.


- ISAAC NICHOLS