Evening Star Newspaper, January 29, 1896, Page 7

CARSON AND GLEESO 2 a ed Leaders Still at the The Old = Head. BIG MAJORITIES. AT THE PRIMARIES Scenes and Incidents at the Polling Places Yesterday. 2 VOTING EARLY AND OFTEN ‘The result uf the primary election which was held in the District yesterday afternoon fgr the purpose of choosing two delegates and thefr alternates to the republican na- tional convention in St. Louis, June 17 next, was what every one who was at all familiar with local politics and the methods that govern them expected. While there had been a very lively campaign waged ever since iast August, and a number of novel and unexpected features introduced, that, for the time being, suggested that there might be a change in the old and popularly e@pproved order of things, the events of the past few days showed that the men who Propcced taking part in the election were making up their minds to follow their old leaders, and the consequence was that they = out this intention with little devia- jon. The fact that Messrs. Andrew Gleeson and Perry Carson were arrayed against each other so far as their influence was concerned instead of being bound in the vsual combination they have always hither- to effected on similar occasions, led many of the other candidates to cherish strong hopes that they might have a chance to get in through the breach thus occasioned; but all such hopes were doomed to disappoint- ment. The voters proved firm in their old- time loyalty to Carson and Gleeson, careless Andrew Gleeson. ef the others who were supposed to be friendly to the two champions. Mr. Glec- son's tickets carried the name of L. Bailey in many of the assembly districts, while Carson's bore that of Saunders and the various white candidates other than Gleeson, but these conditions had no effect on the ultimate result. How It Passed Of. The election passed off quietly, and there ‘Wags no disorderly happening at any of the polls of a nature sufficient to be noticeable. There was little or no distnrgance, and an vnusually small amount of drunkenness was visible. Owing to the absence of any election laws or rules in the District of Columbia, there were no safeguards of any substantial character placed about the poll- ng boxes. Anyone had the right to vote at any precinct almost without questions be- ing asked as to his residence, political sen- timents or bis right to vote in the District of Columbia. Consequently a great many men, as much in the spirit of a joke as on any other account, made visits to several of the polling places and cast ballots at each. In many instances they voted sev- eral times at the same voting place. It is aid, however, that this practice did not in- jure any one candidate more than at cther. The individuals who voted more than once Were pretty well divided up between all of the aspirants. The result in the twcnty- two districts when the count was completed at a late hour last night showed that Mr. feeson had received @ votes cut of a total of 34,860, while Mr. Carson had re- ceived 7,929 votes, or only tweaty-elght less than Mr. Gleeson in the entire District. Each voter voted or had the privilege of Voting for two candidates. Both Carson and Gleeson were so far ahead of their Nearest competitors that the throwing out of every district over which there was gcrious coutention on the part of the de- feated candidates would scarcely charge the result. The count began last night shortly after 7 o'clock at the Glover build- ing on F str: neer 15th, and was conduct- ed by the election board, consisting of My- ron M. Parker, president, and Messrs. Per- ry Carson and Andrew Gle2son. The Crowd at the Count. The crowd on the outside comprised near- ly all of the men who have taken active part in the campaign, and as the pavement m F street wasn’t wide enough to hold Prem all, they sprinkled themselves over @ asphalt roadway in groups, and made conveyances go slow. Every now and then Scme person who was fortunate enough to gain admission to the building would come out. and be sorry for it because of the way he would be besieged for information. At longer intervals a little group would come along bearing a ballot box, and each guar- dian of the precious thing would be velley- ed with questions as to what district it ‘was and how the vote stood. It soon be- came apparent that Andrew Gleeson had swept everything, just as he had cot:fident- ly declared he would, and there was a unanimous sentiment of approval over this fesult, but the interest was none the less Perry Carson. Keen in the outcome of the fight for the oth- ér delegate, and there was much excitement when it was announced that Perry Carson @nd Bailey were running neck and neck. “What's become of Col. Saunders? Quired a newcomer, with much anxiety. “He's finding out how much soup he got for fifteen hundred dollars," responded a man in the crowd, and the hearers shouted. ‘The returns were received in asmail room on the second floor of the Glover build- ing, at the rear, and the beard of in- €r3 consisted of several newspaper report- be! and other amiable volunteers. Presi- lent Myron M. Parker sat at the end of the table and supervised the count, while Messrs. Gleeson and Carron stood in the Jarge room near by, or in the corridor ex- 9 apn courtesies with their lieutenants id other visitors. There was no nois2 either inside the building or out, and if there had been there was a sufficient force of policemen on hand to stop any dis- turbance. Three officers were at the door, and Sergeant Acton with a squad of re- gerves was near by, while Licut. Amiss oc- casionally strolled around to see how things were getting on. The lieutenant and his qmen were much amused over the immense Yote returned from the tenth district, as the polling place in that delectable locality D aap at the barber shop on 12th street next the corner of C, and but a few doors from the first precinct police station. The = operandi followed at this polling was described in The Star yesterday, and after reading it some people were sur- Drised last night that the tenth didn't Pile afew thousand more as a sort of good Seasure. ‘The Returns From the Tenth. QWhen the announcement of the remark- in- . THE EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY, JANU ARY 29, 189¢~FOURTEEN “PAGES, able vote reported from the tenth district was made there was great jubilation among the friends of Messrs. Gleeson and Bailey, but the inttmates of the former were particularly pleased. Pretty soon, however, it began to dawn upon some of the more intelligent of them that perhaps the thing had been a little overdone. “Ob cose,” said one dark-skinned politi- cian of the decidedly practical stripe, “dey ain’ no hahm in stuffin’ er ballit box, but dey ain’ no use in de worl’ er packin’ hit tight ez it'll hole. I cyant see how dey got A Repeater. dat menny tickets in dat leetle box, no- how, 'ceptin’ dey used wunner dese ram- mers whut de men er diggin’ sewers rams de dirt down wid,’ Col. Perry Carson had his suspicions quickly aroused by the enor- mity of the returns from the tenth. “De gang must ha’ woted ebry do’knol keyhole an’ winder shutter in de Division,’ he said significantly. His able Neutenant, Gen. Welborn, was at his side and agreed with his chief in every particular. Then Daniel Murray, one of the assistant li- brarians of Congress, and a man superior in intelligence and accomplishments, came along and declared that such a return as that from the tenth was fraudulent on the face of it, even from the common-sense standpoint of physteal impossibility. He figured out that it would have needed votes cast at the rate of seventeen a minute the entire three hours the poll was open to reach the sum total reported by the judges of the tenth, and drew up a protest in the name of the judges at the various voting precincts against the returns from the tenth being received, and requesting the election board to throw them out. Mr. Murray signed it himself, but was not very successful in getting many other judges to append their signatures thereto, but these names were secured: P. R. Harvey, S. W. Wormley, William Hunter, Charles Hodge, Ed. Odom, Chase Roys, Walter Welborn, J. W. Taylor, C. C. Johnson and C. Bahre. Another protest was received from a rep- resentative of L. M. Saunders, protesting against the tenth, as well as the eighteenth and twentieth districts. Protests, however, were not taken into much consideration by the crowd of hangers-on. The impression was general that no matter how many dis- tricts might be questioned, and even thrown out, nothing could affect the result in favor of Andrew Gleeson, and it soon be- came apparent that Carson was beginning to forge ahead of Bailey at a great rate. The Final Announcement. Shortly after 10 o'clock the announce- ment was made that Carson and Gleeson had been elected delegates beyond any question of a doubt, and Thomas and Bell alternates. This result had so long been discounted by the crowd outside that the announéement occasioned but little demon- stration. When the successful candidates appeared on F street, however, they were enthusiastically received. Andrew Gleeson came out first, and was overwhelmed with congratulations as he walked around on 15th street and lined his friends up in front of a convenient bar. His reception was nothing to that which was tendered to Col. Carson, as he stepped out of the Glover building, a few minutes later. A chorus of glad shouts went up, and in jess time than {t takes to tell it the gigantic form of the colored leader was taken up by a score of strong and willing arms and carried up F street to 15th, where his famous bugsy was awaiting him. Later on this crowd and the colonel went down the avenue, singing topical and timely verses to the tune of “John Brown’s Body.” The vote which was returned to the election board last night was as follows: ‘The vote for delegates— Bradshaw Brooks Carson Bailey .. Gleeson (w). Holland Keys .. Nauck Saunders . Goodman Edmonston Miller, Ge Ortlip’ .. Grand total... Gleeson’s majority over Saunders, 4,537. Carson's majority over Bailey, 2,864. The vote for alternates was as follows — Bell ... Davis . Edmonston Holland Peysor . W. Calvin Chase. Packet . Bradshaw Grand _ total. + 25,268 Protests Will Not Be Considered. The friends of the defeated candidates were emphatic in their declarations this morning that they would file :protests against the ejection of Gleeson and Car- son, and support them with overwhelming preofs of fraud. C. J. Ortlip visited Mr. M. M. Parker's office early and declared that Mr. Bell, who had been elected one of the alternates, was a native of Alexndria, and voted in Virginia. Mr. Parker told Mr. Ortlip that this charge would have to be considered, if at all, by the national repub- lican convention itself. “We will issue certificates of election to Messrs. Gleeson and Carson as delegates, and Messrs. Thomas and Bell as alter- nates,” said Mr. Parker, when asked by a Star reporter what the course of the elec- tion board would be. “When that ts done our board will be functus officio. I under- stand that several persons cont2mplate fil- ing protests, but I won’t receive them, I can assure you. If any protests are to be settled, the St. Louis convention will have to do it. I believe that if any fight is trans- ferred to St. Louis none Of the dele- gates will be admitted, and that the Dis- trict will be denied representation in fu- ture national republican conventions.” Speaking of the election, Mr. Parker said he felt no interest whatever in the result. He thought, however, that the disgraceful scenes that had attended the canvass would operate as a blessing to Washington, as they had been object lessons that would ef- fectually dispose of the question of suffrage for the next quarter of a century. Mr. Parker also said he believed that the pres- ent delegates would be the last that would be admitted.from the District to a national republican convention. Mr. Saunders Will Not Contest. Mr. L. M. Saunders, when seen this morn- ing by a Star reporter, said: “This being my first experience in Poli- tics, I do not think I need feel altogether disheartened or disappointed at the Tesult, particularly when it is discovered that I was defeated by fraud at the ballot boxes, treachery on the part of supposed friends, and by the wholesale use of bad whisky. That I should have received between four and five thousand votes under such cir- cumstances. shows to my mind that there is an element here of people who would like to raise the standard of political rep- resentation. I believe, however, that no very considerable progress will be made here in that direction until we have the right of suffrage restored, with such at- tendant laws as will protect the ballot and introduce issues among our people that will induce all ranks,of our citizens to come out and take an active part at the polls. I do not regret the canvass I have made. I have become acquainted with many people of both races, and can now the better form an opinion as to the safety and establishing home government forthe Dist trict of Columbia. I find upon contact with what is known as the unreliable class of this city that they compare favorably with such classes in other cities, and that no fear need be entertained from them, when it is-remembered that the white people out- number the colored more than two to one. “I shall make no contest in the matter,” he sald in conclusion. “If the people of the city of Washington are content, and the republican party here feel that they have the right men in the right place, I shail not attempt to defeat their apparent wishes hy @ contest at St. Louis.” First District. ‘When the polls were opened at Hillsdale there were probably 300 men in the im- mefiate vicinity. The great majority of these were colored. It had been rumored that there would be a good deal of fighting between the ad- herents of the various factions. To guard against possible trouble Sergeant Anderson took up station in Hillsdale with about half a dozen policemen scon after midday. The fifth precinct police station patrol wagon was also sent over from the city, and kept so close at hand that it could have been used at a moment's notice had it be- come necessary. However, everything passed off quietly. There was ro lack of tickets from the be- ginning of the election, but M. M. Holland arrived: shortly. after the balloting began and distributed more tickets among his followers. Bradshaw was also early on the ground. The most earnest efforts were made by the adherents of each candidate to gain votes for his favorite, and every car of the Anacostia Railway Company was boarded as it reached the terminus at Hillsdale, and the male passengers begged to come and vote. Farmers from the lower part of the District, and, it was alleged, some from Maryland, were pleaded with until they stopped their wagons and went to the polls and deposited a ticket. Lawyer John A. Moss, who, with Arthur West, represented Carson on the ground, became very much excited while talking with some of Carson's opponents, and for a time trouble was threatened, but all par- ties finally cooled down and no blows were struck. There was much surprise at the large vote polled by Nauck and Brooks. ‘There were the usual charges of repeat- ing, but it is hardly probable that’ this was indulged in to such an extent as to make the effect appreciable on the gen- eral result. Second District. There were many wordy battles, but no other disturbance at the first precinct in the second district. The colored brethren voted carly and often, and very few white men took the trouble to worm their way through the dense crowd that surrounded the voting booth at 623 Pomeroy street to exercise their right of ballot. All candi- dates had representatives there, but, being a Carson crowd through and through, only the friends of the black oak were much in evidence. It was remarkable how the spot- ters recognized repeaters when they were rot for Carson. When one was detected he was hurried out of line. The ballot box was placed in a small window, behind which the judges kept watch. At quarter to 3 Mr. L. M. Saunders drove up in his buggy, attended by a colored coachman. He jumped lightly to the ground and elbowed his way through the crowd, until he stood upon the small porch by the side of the poll. Then he surveyed the surging crowd, and made a rush for the window, where he was to cast his bal- Capturing a Voter. lot. Some one in the crowd recognized him as one of the candidates, and a cheer went up, as the voters ahead of him fell back to give him a chance to vote. Some one in the crowd asked: ‘‘Mistah Sanders, did yo’ vote fo’ Carson ard Sanders?’ but the latter deigned no reply, for he made his way to his buggy, followed by a motley crowd, cheering. They surrounded his car- riage, and he held quite a reception. Then he drove away and everybody voted again. It was expected that there would be trou- ble at this precinct, which is situated in what is known as “the Camp." Sergeant Harbinson, assisted by a squad of ‘the finest," circulated in the crowd, and kept the particularly bad cnes in check, con- stantly reminding them when they became boisterous that they were being watched. One incident of the voting there was the predicament an old colored man found him- self in just before the polls closed. He made his appearance between two of the steering committee, with a beaver perched upon his head that looked like a relic of ante bellum days. Now the crowd which frequents the Camp, while not aesthetic, knows a beaver out of style. So they were not slow to take exception to the visitor. “Look yonder at dat top piece,” exclaimed one in the crowd. That was the signal for a rally around the hat. The crowd took the prospective voter from his friends and proceeded to smash his hat. At first he took the whole matter as a joke, but after the beaver had been smashed over his ears, until the latter hung out like big wings, he yelled murder, and threw himself on the mercy of the police. But they could do nothing, for even as he was speaking to them bang went his hat over his eyes. Finally he was forced to fly out of the street. ‘The second precinct of the second district was located at the corner of Whitney ave- nue and 7th street, in a large frame build- ‘ing, that had been a barroom before the mile limit law went into effect. The vot- ing here was light, and a number of bal- lots were cast by white men. There were many challenges, however, but no disturb- ance. This was, perhaps, the quietest vot- ing precinct in the District. Third District. The voting in Georgetown yesterday, which includes the third and fourth dis- tricts, was qujet and orderly. The polling was not as heavy as was anticipated, and the heelers and lieutenants of the various candidates were hustling up votes. The ticket bearing the names of Gleeson and Bailey was polled heavily, and Carson tickets were almost unknown. Nauck‘poll- ed a comparatively light vote. The polling place of the third district in “twenty buildings” was perhaps the most orderly of any of the polls. This was Probably due to the fact that it was only ene square from the station, and also to the presence of a squad of blue coats, un- der Sergt. Jim Haney. The first vote was polled at 2 o’clock sharp by ‘“‘Gen."’ Logan Williams, and he voted-for Holland. He also looked out after the interests of Hol- led. The heeler for Keys was active. “Deres no reg’stration, gen'men,” shouted he, ‘an’ yer kin vote wherever yer want an’ as offen as yer pleases.” Perry Carson came up before 4 c'clock, and was ioudly cheered. He made a speech and left, much satisfied with his visit. Candidate Beiliey came up soon afterward, and he also was given a warm welcome. Fourth District, The polling place at the fourth district, 1328 28th street, was more lively, and the crowd surrounding it was much larger. Sergt. Robey and a squad of ight men had their hands full keeping back the crowd and preventing the heelers from in- juring voters through their anxiety and earnestness to capture voters. ‘The repeating here was something won- derful. One white man by changing his hat shoved in, according to his own state- ment, twenty-five ballots. This was the record, though there were others who claimed to have shoved in ten and fifteen votes each. Gleeson and Bailey were the favorites. One old, gray-haired negro walked up to the poll with his ticket far above his head to keep the heelers from getting hohl and destroying it. “I votes fo’ Perry Carson, the champion niggah ob de niggahs,” he said. No arrests were made during the polling hours, though there was plenty of excite- ment all the time. Later in the evening four arrests were made for drunkenness and disorderly conduct, three of those ar- | rested being colored and one white. Fifth District. ‘The voters of the fifth district were given an opportunity to cast their ballots at 1144 2ist street. This-{e-a two-story frame house, and the sign on the front indicates that the eccupant f)*e .drossmaker. The table on which was placed the ballot box was located in thé ddvrway, and the free- men of the district- stepped up on the porch, which was only slightly elevated above the level of the street,.and denosited their ballots. The voting began early und con- tinued up to the cloging hour. There was nothing to disturb the harmony cf the scene. Everybody vated who came there and wanted to vote, and apparently as fre- quently as they desired, There were no Around the Polls, questions asked, and while“the presence of the strikers of one or two candidates was evident, these men manifested their activi- ty in securing an orderly and rapid casting of the vote rather than attempting to ex- ercis2 any supervision over it. ‘The judges were Peter McCartney, George W. Phillips, Clarence McClure, and clerk, W. N. Karn: ham. Sixth District. In a small frame house at the southeast corner of 20th and K streets was located the polling place of the sixth precinct. The first floor was on a level with the street, ang a pane of glass had been removed from the iower sash of a window, and behind this opening was placed a table, on which the ballot box was located. The judges were C. T. 8. Brent, Michael Jennings, Dr. Rogers Watt, with Perry Simms as clerk, and they were the occupants of the room: As soon as the polls were announced to be open, which was at 2 o'clock, the voting begar, and continved steadily until the shutters were closed, which announced the closing of the polls. As the men deposited their ballots, which were recelved by the judges without any questions, they stood around in the vielnity, so that there was quite a crowd during the whole time the voting was in progress. A sort of self-con- stituted board of election supervisors was formed by the strikers of the various can- didates, who ranged along each side of the window and questioned some of the voters. Sometimes they alleged a man had voted before, and sometimes that he did not live in that district. Now and then a man, with a good-natured laugh, when thus chal- lenged, would step back, and make another trial after a while. There was really no in- terference with the voting, and the efforts of the self-ccnstituted’i guardians of tbe purity of the ballet only resulted in a good deal of loud talk and. much gesticulation, which, however, mzy have led to more se- rious demonstrations #f it had not been for the influence of the presence of the blue coats. Seventh District. There were lively times in the seventh district during the voting, without, how- ever, any serious disorder. The territory included in this distriet is densely populated with colored people; and, as"a natural con- sequence, a heavy, yotp was polled. The district embraces most;of that section of the city north of M stragt between Lith and 2ist streets, as well ag small contiguous sec- tions as far south as K street. The polling place jwas in a small room at the rear of Bland’s confectionery store, at the corner of 16th and M streets, It was in charge of John A. Gray, Louls Douglass and J. H. Hudnell, judges for the respective candi- dates, with Thomas F. Meany as clerk. The last named individual is said to have a speaking acquaintance with every resident of the District. The plan of voting was very simple. The ballot box rested on a small table, surrounded by the judges, with the clerk at one side with his tally sheet, The box was conspicuously placed, so that the voter had the satisfaction of seeing his bal- lot put in the small slot in the top. The judges held communication with the out- side world through an aperture six by eight inches, made by the removal of a single pane of glass from the window frame. Through this the voter was enabled to hand his ballot to one of the judges, by whom it was properly deposited. While the voter himself could not reach the box, he was able to see for himself that his ballot ‘got there.” Little formality was indulged in, and all that was required of a voter was that he give his name, to be recorded by the clerk. Voting began briskly with the open- ing of the polls, and was continued inces- santly until they weré closed. A line was formed in front of the window by 2 o'clock and remained unbroken until shortly before 5 o'clock, when the judges hauled down the curtain and refused to receive any more ballots. The peremptory closing of the polls a few minutes ahead of schedule time was due to the very apparent evidence of re- peating. Moreover, the ballot box was full, and the last ballots received had to be forced in with the ald of a marrow strip of iron. : Although there wag a strong’ predomi- nance of colored men at the voting booth in this district, there was a good repre- sentation of the white element, and so far as the observation of a Star reporter went, most of the repeating was done by the white men. The probable reason for this was that the judges, all of whom are col- ored, were pleased with the participation of the whites, and consequently were less vigorous in challenging the ballots tendered by the representatives of that race. Re- peating was made easy by reason of the system, or rather lack of system, employed. The only record taken was the voter's heme, and unless detected he couid vote as often as he could change his name. Several white mem were adepts in this, and it is no exaggeration to say that several of them voted six or elght times before tteir tactics were discovered. These men were aided by the heelers who thronged around the outside of the booth, who nat- urally interposed no objection to the pro- cedure, for the reason that the votes were going their way. Owing to the dust-cover- ed state of the window, the judges could rot see clearly outside, and were only able to recognize a voter when he put down his fece into the broken window space, a prac- tice followed by the repeaters only on their first appearance. Perfect police arrangements had much to do with the maintenance of good order in the seventh district. Lieut. Boyle and Sergt. McNeal were Tne e with five police- men. They devoted ;thejr efforts to keep- ing the sidewalks unobstructed and to see- ing that the people moved off after they had cast their votes. “All the candidates for election were represented by active and persuasive lieujenants, well supplied with ballots and arguments. During the veting Messrs. Gleésor, Bailey and Hol- land each spent a short«time In conference with their representatives, and supplied tkem liberally with bajlots. Gleeson and Bailey were supposed to be the favorite candidates in this distrift, but Carson, the “Black Piatti,” as ‘some one called ‘him, showed unexpected ‘gtréngth, Bailey being scratched in his int#réstt The soventh dis- trict was supposed'to tie Bailey's strong- hold. He lives there, and had made a par- ticularly earnest appeal,for the support of his neighbors. As a fact, he fell far be- hind Carson and Saunders, and polled only four votes more théin’ Gleeson. Eighth District. In the heart of what was once known as “Hell's Bottom,” a classic locality made famous by fights, brawls and murders, it was expected that trouble would occur be- tween the opposing factions, and a ser- geant and four policemen were detalfled to guard the polls. The ballot box was lo- cated in a little one-story frame house on Q street between llth and 12th. The box was placed inside of an open window, and the voters formed in line cn the street and marched up to it. By 2 o’clock three or four hundred negroes surrounded the vot- ing place, with here and there a white man in the crowd. There was very little drunk- enness among them, and the three hours devoted to voting passed without an affray, although there was a great deal of loud talk with angry threats from time to time, but at the most critical period a good-na- tured remark from some one was sure to = ore crowd laughing and roll away the clouds. ‘This precinct is in one of the most popu- lous sections of the city inhabited by the colored people, and a steady stream of men flowed up to the ballot box during the three hours for voting, and even then several hundred were deprived of their suffrage by the arrival of 5 o'clock, and the closing of the polls. There were innumerable charges of repeating, and, if these are true, this may account for the large business done at this ballot box. It was a motley crowd of colored people that thronged the sidewalks and streets around this voting place. Here and there vas the solid colored man of sibstance, intent upon exercising the right of modi- fled suffrage in all earnestness, and casting scornful glances at the reckless young bucks who regarded the whole thing-as a hig joke and a chance to get drinks and cigars. “Yo’ had better go home and cut yo’ mam- my some kindlin’ wood, boy,"’ remarked one old patriarch to a flashy young buck who wes handing out baliots. What you know about voting anyhow? Ef I was yo’ daddy I'd take you behin’ de house and lambaste you good, instid er having you trapesin’ revnd the streets huraying for candidates.” “Huh, nigger, what you talking "bout? said the young one, indignantly. “I belongs to de risin’ generation, an’ we is gwine to rtn things now. You ol’ men ‘ll have to go to de ra’ar. “Yaas, I'll go to yo’ ra’ar wid my stick if I gets at you,” answered the old man, as the other moved off, amid the jeers of the bystanders. The young bucks were in the majority in this precinct, and made themselves very much in evidence by their noise and elec- Uoneering. Each newcomer was surround- ed by a group of canyussers with tickets and entreated to vote the straight ticket. Bctween tmes the heelers for the different candidates amused themselves and the line of waiting, voters by dissertations upon the virtues of their candidates, investing them usuatly with a halo of glory. A kuot of spotters stood around the polling place to challenge suspected repeaters or men from other precincts. “Dat man don’t live in dis precinct,” they would shout, as some stranger presented himself. “Yaas he does,” the other side would ery; “an’ he is gwine to vote hyah, too. Go on, inan, and drop yo’ ballot in.’”” “Don't let dat man vote,” the opprsition would cry, and then the crowd would surge around the window in a wild mass, some trying to keep him from voting and the others supporting him. At just the right moment, when the casual onlooker would expect to see the flash of the deadly “raz- zer,” the heavy hand of the hig, six-foot sergeant of police would come down on the nearest shoulders, and the trouble would cease. If the applicant was refused the right to cast his vote he would go away laughing at having nearly outwitted the judges, and if he succeed2d, would be car- ried off triumphantly by his followers. When 5 o'clock arrived there was a line of nearly 200 men awaiting opportunity to get their ballots in the box, and they near- ly carried the place by storm in their ef- forts to get up to the window. The polls were closed promptly, however, and the characteristic philosophical nature of the negro race moved the crowd into good hu- mor as they turned away. The men went away in little groups, giving a cheer for their respective candidates as they went, or a shout of defiance to the opposition. Ninth District. A very light vote was cast at the polling place of the nirth district, at No. 906 lth street northwest. There «vas no serious dis- order, although at the opening there was talk of somebody being bulldozed. How- ever, as the charge was not made plain, the police officers simply cleared the side- walks, and the business thereafter pro- ceeded without incident. Tenth District. The polling place of the tenth district was located in the barber shop on the west side of 12th street, next to the corner of C northwest. There was a crowd present from the time the polls opened until they closed, and much amusement was created by the manner in which Bill Dudeney, who was managing affairs for Andrew Gleeson in that locality, secured votes for his fa- vorite. Few people who came along, whether they lived in the district or out of it, could resist the magnetic invitation which Dudeney held forth to come up and vote for a good man. No questions were asked here as to the qualifications of a voter or anything else. The judges were George D. McCoy, George Davis and F. F. Ferguson, and although the district is a small one, bounded by B and G streets northwest and 11th and 15th streets north- west, the total votes returned as being cast there in the three hours the polls were opened were no less than 2,600. Of these Mr. Gleeson received 2,111, Mr. Bailey 1,408 and Mr. Holland 986, while Carson got 201, Saunders 85, Nauck 65, Brooks 65, Key 180 ard Bradshaw 25. The returns from this district were protested last night by Daniel Murray and several others, who believed that it was a physieal impossibility for such a number of votes to be cast in such a small district. Eleventh District. ‘There was gond order at the eleventh dis- trict polling place during the afternoon. Although Sergt. Barry was there with a dozen policemen they had nothing to do but chat and jest with the scores of col- ored voters who hung about the place. From time to time the hilarious boys and young men, who seemed to be most active in peddling ballots, had to be cautioned against loud talking. The judges sat in the dining room of St. Paul's Methodist Church, which was approached by a long narrow ley at the side of the church. The crowd stayed out on the sidewalk, and but three or four voters were in the alley at one time. The voter found at the end of the alley a shut door with a little wicket win- dow about a foot square. Through this he could see one or two faces in the gloom, and to a hand reaching out of the dark- ness he handed his ballot. Now and then An Aged Voter. @ question came out of the dark “Where do you live?" Beyond this there was no trouble in getting in a ballot. Democrats voted and came out and boasted of it. Re- peating occurred, of course. Dozens voted who did not live In the district. The num- ber of voters in the district is supposed to be between 400 and 500. There were 733 ballots counted. There was just a little drunkenness, showing that grog was on tap somewhere in the vicinity. Tongues were thereby loosened and politics and men were thoroughly discussed. The variety of split tickets was multitudinous. All the com- binations possible were stuck under every voters’ nose by a dozen vociferating can- vassers. Twelfth District. “Tn and out; keep the joint hot; early and often for Carson,” was the refrain of one of the partisans at the polling place of the twelfth district on 8th street, just north of D. And the voting was early and often, but not for Carson. For fully an hour after the polls opened there was no ticket in the field except a Gleeson-Bailey ballot, and during the time in which the casting of votes was permitted there were scarcely any Carson tickets procurable. Those v-ho wanted to vote for the old “war horse” were obliged to scratch and most of the old negroes were very chary of this course. Groups of men stood around the window where the ballots were received and dis- cussed the ability of the various candl- dates. One man whose convictions were deép-seated was an advocate of trying one of the new men. He complained that those who had represented the republicans of the District at previous conventions had never lived up to their pledges and he was in favor of trying some new man and see- ing if he could do any. better. “Never change the old for the new,” was the ad- monition of the one man present who was an earnest supporter of Carson. There was nothing to prevent any one from voting at this precinct, no matter whether he was republican or democrat, or a resident of the precinct, or of any other t, passers-by were openly solicited to cast a vote and the judges re- celved and deposited in the tin box all bal- lots handed in tho window. pleasure, and many others voted in the twelfth district who had done at other polling places. One young fellow dropped off the end of a passing ice cart and voted on the run, catching the wagon before It had passed the corner. It was not until within about half an hour of the time for closing the polis that anything like challenging a vote was attempted. A Lesson in Voting. Then three. or four men, some of whom lived, according to their own statements, in the sixteenth district, 22d and E streets; or over on Capitol Hill, were turned down. But this supervision over the voting was continued only a few minutes and things soon relaxed into the old free-for-all fash- ion. There was, however, no disturbance of any kind, ind the only work required of the four policemen who were detailed for duty was to keep the sidewalk clear. The judges were Chase Roys, Alexander Hooe end William Crawford, and Lewis Lanfer- sick acted as clerk. Thirteenth District. Nothing of a sensational nature occurred at No. 1210 10th street, the polling place of the thirteenth district. The first-floor front room of a colored citizen’s house was used by the judges—J. E. Hayden, Wm. Paster- field and Arthur E. Payne. J. P. McCar- vey, who was appointed clerk, did not show up. His services, however, were not neces- sary, as no record of the votes cast was kept by the judges. Everything was con- ducted on a free and easy basis, and there was no drawback to the repeaters. The many voters who saw fit to cast their suf- frages two and three times were not mo- lested by judges or challengers. A Star re- Porter observed one white man vote twice and a colored citizen aid some candidate to the extent of three ballots. The judges may not have noticed this, as they were in a small, badiy lighted room, and could nut see the voters every time. The policemen Stationed at the precinct say they saw many instances of voting often and early. Early in the day circulars containing a Portrait and biography of “Honest Andy Gleeson” were circulated around the poll- ing place and read. The chief ‘‘stand-by” of the Gleeson and Batley ticket was George Boston. Nauck had a friend in J. M. Coombs, and one of Carson's leading’ sup- porters was a very dark individual named Beverly, a storekeeper in the vicinity. The colored citizenship had almost com- plete control of the polling place. Not over forty white men voted. The only one of the candidates who vis- ited the polls was Mr. Nauck. He remained a few minutes. It was noticeable that there were more straight tickets voted for Gleeson and Bai- ley. than for Saunders and Carson. Many of the Carson men voted for the old man straight, scratching every other name on the ticket. There vas a wordy war during the after- noon, when a wagon loaded with Key vot- ers was unloaded at the precinct. It was evident that they had voted at another pre- cinct and wanted to vote again. At any rate, several of the Gleeson and Bailey men backed up against the window at which the votes were put in and kept the visitors from voting. One of them yelled, “Yer dun voted in fourteen, and no sich a lot ob black niggers kin vote here agin.” ‘The police forced the wrangling crowd from the window, and the Key men did not et to vote. The usual scenes of pulling floaters to the polls was witnessed. A country-looking colored man, on a rickety wagon, drove alcng, probably unaware that an election was in progress. The workers for the dif- ferent candidates tried to get him to stop and vote, offering him ballots. “I doan’ want no votes,” he said. “I'd vote to hang er lot ob youse lazy niggers,” and went on his way, grinning profusely, to the amuse- ment of the disinterested. Fourteenth District. With the exception of the arrest of two men for disorderly conduct, William Hen- derson and Louis Payne, the voting in the fourteenth district was of a very quiet and orderly character. The polling place was at 441 N street, and the close proximity of it to the second police precinct was, per- haps, greatly responsible for the good order prevailing. But while good order prevailed, it is thought the district was not at ali behindhand in the way of repeating. A Star reporter stood near the polling place for the greater part of the time during which the polls were open, and he not only saw time and again the same men vote, but he heard them brag to others upon the frequency and ease with which they voted. He saw, too, men fold up together two or more ballots and drop them in the box with open audacity. A police detective who was detailed at the polling place stated to the reporter that he personally knew of one man, a white man, too, who had voted six times,and who was only turned down by the judges when he attempted to cast his seventh vote. Another policeman informed the reporter that he saw another man care- fully fold up together at least a dozen bal- lots and then drop them in the box as one. The repeating was not confined to the workers of any one‘candidate, but, so far as it appeared, was indulged in by the workers of all the candidates, there seem- ing to be a spirited rivalry between them as to which party could accomplish the most of that kind of dirty work. A Saunders and Bailey worker explained to The Star reporter how easily the repeat- ing could be done. ‘Yo’ see,” he proudly explained, “yo’ jes’ fold yer ballot up like dis, an’ den stickin’ yer head down so dat de jedges won't see who yo’ Is, go right up an’ drap in de box wid yer head down jes’ as many of dese hyah ballots as yo’ want? to.” “How many times have you voted?” he was asked. “Well, I'll tell yo’, jes’ twice. But yo’ see de jedges.dey knows me.” “But did you only drop one ballot in at a eo?” “Only one? Well, now, what In de name of Gawd does yo’ s'pose I'm hyah fur, main?” One incident of the voting was the turn- ing down by the judges of a colored man named Ricks. He arrived at the polling place shortly before 5 o'clock, and when Detective Barnes inquired if he had not voted before down town, Mr. Ricks replied that he had been voting all over town. He then made his way to the box, but some one in the crowd cried out to the judges that he did not live in the district, and his vote was refused, although he became very indignant. It was sald that he lives in the fifteenth district. The judges were Eugene Pinckney, A. H. S. Davis and Thomas L. Blandford. Lemuel Penningham was the clerk. Fifteenth District. E The polling in the fifteenth district was done without serious trouble of any kind arising, although some few men who seem- ed to have installed themselves as chal- lengers were a little troublesome. The poils closed at 5 o'clock sharp, and not a few were turned away with their tickets still in their hands. There were many funny scenes toward 5 o'clock, when the votes were be- ing “rushed.” Gleeson and Carson secmed to be the favorites. The house where the balloting was done was next to a bar dispensary, and this es- tablishment was kept going full blast. Some of the men did not content them- selves with casting one vote. One tall and particularly conspicuous martyr was sham- bling up to the window with a tired, woe- begone expression when one of the watch- ful “coppers” shouted “Here, you! you've voted forty times already,” which remark was received with roars of laughter by the merry crowd. Sixteenth District. It was charged that a great desl of re- peating was done at the sixteenth Gistrict polling place on C street near the Baltimure and Ohio station. Most of the voters there were colored. There. was a great deal of disorder, but no actual outbreak. No effort beyond an occasional passing protest, it is said, was made to prevent men voting as often as they saw fit. After the polls were closed it was boasted by some that bad voted many times. t « 7 Seventeenth District. In the seventeenth and eighteenth districts the wheelhorses of the local, republican party voted early and often. The polls were opened at 2 o'clock, and already big crowds were in attendance ready to back their favorites. In the seventeenth the poll- ing place was in a little barber shop, 523 3d etreet southwest. On one side is a bar room ‘and on the other an undertaker’s shop, so that the crowd, as one man ex- prezsed it, could be taken care of dead or alive. bar room did a rushing business in bad whisky ‘and worse gin, and the re- sult was that as the afternoon wore away some of the crowd got very boisterous, but the presence of Sergeant Daly and a squad of police from the fourth precinct kept down the spirits of the more obstreperous, so that there was ro serious disorder. A curious feature of the election in these two districts was the fact that the colored voters, almest without exception, scratched the names of the white candidates from their tickets, under the impression that in voting for a colored man for delegate and a colored man for alternate they were voting a “straight ticket." There was nothing in the world to prevent repeating beyond the fact that the judges asked the voter where he lived and what his address was, but as no record was kept of the an- swers and the voters were not registered, it amounted to the same thing in the end. “See that man at the window,” said a Peliceman to a Star reporter. is the second or third time I have seen him vote, and I have not kept a very close Watch on him, either.” Eighteenth District. The voters of the eighteenth district gath- ered in front of 916 3d street southwest, and this was one of the liveliest spots In town. Both districts are cn the edge of Bloodfield, and consequently 9 per cent of the voters are colored. In this district no attempt at afl was made to supervise the election, and practically any one could vote who wanted to. One little nine-year-old pickaninny walked up to the window with a ballot in his hand, and the ticket was all but in the box, when a policeman pulled the small boy back and pushed him out of the line. A Star reporter thought he would try it, so he walked up to the window and said: “I live up on R street northwest. Can I vote here?” “Certainly; hand ft in.” And thai one vote went, at any rate. In the seventeenth district the same ef fort failed, however, and The Star man was told that-he would have to go to his own polling place to vote. Nineteenth District. The number of votes cast in the nine- teenth district is considerably greater than the number of voters who dropped their ballots in the box, for repeating was the order of the day. ard the man who did not repeat was strictly out of order. - Some of the repeaters beasted of having voted as many as thirteen times. The ef- fcrts ef the police to maintain ordef dur- ing the three hovrs of the voting proved successful, for there were no serious dis- tcrbances, and it only reguired an occa- sicnal “move on” order or a shove to quell an obstreperous “statesman,” or subdue one of the voters who imagined himself the all-important individual, and they were numerous. Long before the hour of opening the poll in Saloonkeeper O'Brien's woodshed a large crowd of colored men and a small sprinkling of white voters were about the polling place. “Jocko” Brown, a colored resident of an alley pear the government printing office, fell from grace at an early stage of the proceedings, and he insisted on taking the place of a watcher at the polls, until blows were about to be passed, when Seret. Ei ‘ward Wall of the ninth precinct hustled him across the sidewalk from the poll in the shed. A one-armed man, who was upon the scene of action early in the Jay, with- held his vote until about the time for the polls to close, and then when he went to deposit his baliot in the box he was chal- lenged. To say he imagined he had been Geprived of the rights guaranteed him hy the fifteenth amendment to the Constitu- tion but mildly expresses the manner in which he den@unced the action of the jivdges. He announced that he would ap- peal to the country at large to have his rights passed upon. An elderly colored man, one of the first te arrive at the polls, was sought by the heelers of different candidates. Finally the old man, turning to one of the heelers, in- quired: ‘What is dah ticket?” “Look here, man,” said the old man, dcne voted for Perry Carson, and uii @ “publican?” “Yes, indeed, uncle,” was the response. “Den what yer want?” he asked. “If he's & "publican, and Ise done voted fo’ him, what mo’ does yer spec?” “Come on up and drop this ticket in the box,” said one of the workers to a little colored men, just as the judges were about to say “Closed.” “Ain't I dropped one In there yet?” was th i rent innocent response. “Then give it to me,” and ir went the ticket, end when the voter had left the v: ing piace he announced that his last vote was the tweifth ballot he had cast All during the three hours the is were open gangs of men from other districts ap- peared end deposited their ballots without being questioned. An hour after the polls closed in the nineteenth district a young man named John Gibson was assaulted and cut about the face and arms, it is alleged with a razor. He had a picture of Gleeson stuck in his hatband. A colored man who was interested in another candidate wanted the picture removed, and because Gibson re- fused to accommodate him a fight ensued. It is alleged that a colored barber named Edward Wilson did the cutting, and a war- rant for his arrest was sworn out today by Policeman Gordon, Twentieth District. The voting in the twentieth district was very ornlerly. Before the polls were opened a crowd of Key men marched up 34 street southeast to between C and D streets.where the baliot box was located In “Prof. J. W. Fowler's” tonsorial parlors, and planted their transparency near the sidewalk. This transparency informed the public that the bearers of it were “the peopl and that every one should follow them. There were also a large number of Bailey men on hand, but Bailey's vote fell short of that of Glee- son, while Perry Carson got in many votes. There were some differences of opinion among the voters, and at times It seemed that their disputes might cause trouble, but nothing happened to break the record of the precinct for good order. The judges were John Middleton, W. H. Harris and Brooks Burr. Louis Cornish was clerk. Twenty-First District. All in all, the proceedings attendant upon the casting of the vote in the twenty-first district were rather orderly. True, there were impromptu speeches made among the five hundred or more persons assembled about Lincoin Hall, at 14th and B streets southeast, and these were followed by ap- plause, hooting and jeering, but the only semblance of real trouble occurred between two brothers coon after the polls were opened. One of the pair declared that his brother, being a resident of another dis- trict, wuld not be allowed to vote in the twenty-first, and an extended and angry exchange of words resulted. During the wrangle a razor was drawn, and, as it was Stated, somebody would have run up against the “real thing” had not half a dozen stalwart policemen been standing near by. Later some of the men drinking, and it was necessary for the po- jice to assert their authority and shove the boisterous ones away from the window. An effort was made by the judges to in- sure fairness, and every voter was required to state his age and residence before the slip was deposited in the box. Attempts were made to check “repeaters,” so that In this district few succeeded in casting more than one vote. Every few minutes a dis- cussion would ensue as to the right of a man to vote, and thereby much delay was caused. Quite a number of white men yot-d in this district, a large proportion being letter carriers, in uniform. All the cendidates had representatives in attend- ance, While several visited the polls in per- son. When the window was closed at 5 o'clock a score or more of vot ad not passed in their slips, and a how! of disap- pointment was raised, but it availed noth- ing. The judges for the district were John A. Briscoe, A. P. Clark and W. E. Reed, with L. G. Fletcher, jr., as clerk. Twenty-Second District. In the twenty-second district, where the ballot box was located in a barber shop at 728 7th street southeast, there was an ex- ceedingly quiet and orderly time expe rienced during the voting. At least one half of the voters were white men, and the Nauck-Brooks ticket was the favorite among the white voters. Mr. Nauck him- self visited the polls during the afternoon, irs “is jeale us Teena eet foliowe! district were Ed: Scott, Matthew Keb ly, John McNeilly and Geo. Moran.