Cleveland, Tenn., March 18.~ The fact if developing that Col. Meyers, counsel for Turney, expects to throw out the entire vote of Bradley county. He is attempting to prove that bogus tax receipts were used in the August election; then the committee and the legislature are to presume that the same receipts were used in November, necessarily, because, poll tax receipts are issued only once a year.
He has so far failed to prove that a single bogus receipt was used in the November election.
All the morning hour was occupied with the eight, Charleston district. W. A. Henderson, a witness for the contestant testified that he saw one Ambrose Pierce, a republican worker, with what purported to be a book of blank poll tax receipts. This was at the August election. Henry Harris had two poll tax receipts. That is Wood Wilson had procured a receipt for Harris and when election day came he found that Harris had another receipt. Pierce was asked to explain matters. He said he could show where one of the Harris receipts came from and then pulled the little receipt book from his pocket; he would not tell where he got the receipt.
When cross examined the witness said that he could not tell but what the book was an ordinary receipt book. Did not know for what years the Harris receipts were issued and did not know whether Harris voted on either receipt either at the August or November election.
F. L. Mansfield, Esq., of Athens, who is assisting Mr. Tipton, as counsel for Evans objected to the testimony of Henderson as it had no connection with the November election. Objection over-ruled.
J. F. Cleveland, of Charleston, was present when Pierce and Wilson had the controversy over the Harris receipts. Pierce had a book which Cleveland believed to be a regular tax receipt book. He examined the receipts issued to Harris and both were issued for 1893 taxes. Harris had one receipt and Wilson held the other. He could not say whether Harris voted either in the August or November election. After the poll had closed the witness and several others including John Haskins. W. F. Barrett and Ambrose Pierce went to a spring near the river. Pierce pulled a book out of his pocket which looked like a tax receipt book. As he did so he remarked that "while the democrats had been pulling this boys" he had pulled about forty of their's. Several receipts had been torn out of the book. Col. Barrett looked at the book and then threw it in the river.
Counsel for Evans again objected to the evidence as it had no connection with the November election. Objection overruled by Chairman Caldwell.
On cross-examination Cleveland testified that both the receipts issued to Harris were signed by "Randolph." He could not say however, that both signatures were in the same hand writing nor that Randolph signed either one of them. He did not examine either one of them to see whether one was a duplicate or not. Democratic workers had some receipts at Charleston already filled out for voters. He got one of these at Knox's store for a man named Rowland who was working for him. Her his memory seemed to fall him and he could not remember at all who gave him the receipt. Knox's store was democratic headquarters and Eden Knox was the democratic candidate for circuit court clerk. J. W. Aiken was constable of the eighth district but the witness did not know whether he issued receipts on election day or not but Aiken was told that it would be illegal for him to do so.
Last Friday Col. Meyers placed W. F. Barrett on the stand and asked him what Will Palmer, a republican worker, had told him about the tactic used by the republicans in the August election. Counsel for Evans objected to the question and Senator Beene, chairman pro tem, would not allow the question to be answered but reserved his decision.
This morning Senator Caldwell decided that the question was incompetent.
Counsel for Evans placed J. L. Jones of the fourth district on the stand. He testified that the judges in that district required the voters to show their poll tax receipts or make affidavit. He could not state how many voted on affidavits. One man voted in the district whose poll tax receipt had been issued in Hamilton county but he had lived in Bradley county six months prior to the November election.
D. S. Lauderback, the democratic judge in the Twelfth district swore that voters were required to show their poll tax receipts. Those who had no receipts with them signed the regulation blank receipt but were not required to swear to it. Between twenty and forty at least twenty, voted on these affidavits. Lauderback was asked if all the voters in his district liable for a poll tax had paid the same. Objection by counsel for Turney and objection sustained.
A right interesting part of the proceedings was a little skirmish over the admissibility of evidence between Col. Meyers and Col. Bill Tipton. Thomas Lee, one of the judges in the Twelfth district was placed on the stand by counsel for Evans. He told how the election was held in his district. The judges required voters to produce poll tax receipts or make affidavit. They had a number of the regular blank affidavits and when they were exhausted written affidavits were made. A number of voters signed these. Then it was suggested that all those who had signed the written affidavits should attach their names to one affidavit. This was filed as a part of the deposition of Mr. Lea after a vigorous protest form Col. Meyers.
The doughty colonel then proceeded to spring a sensation. He has in his possession the certified election returns of Bradley county. On cross examination he wanted to file the poll list of the Twelfth district as a part of the deposition. Chairman Caldwell wanted to know of Col. Meyers how he came in possession of the official returns of Bradley county. He replied that he had procured the returns from the office of the secretary of the state at Nashville. Chairman Caldwell intimated that it was doubtful whether the had any right outside of Mr. Morgan's office and decided that he could not take the returns and make them a part of the record in another case.
Col. Meyers then insisted that he might file a copy of the returns. Cols. Caldwell would not allow that after an examination of the returns. There was the form of an affidavit at the top of a sheet of the poll list and Judge Caldwell decided that it was no part of the returns. It was only memoranda for, the use of the officers of election.
The great poll tax mystery has at last been cleared up. Democrats have charged Mr. John K. Randolph, ex-trustee of the county with only returning 900 pools as collected for the year 1893. Bascom Rodgers, county court clerk was placed on the stand and stated that there were 1,822 polls assessed for 1893. That Randolph in his settlement made September 1 last had accounted for 1,501. D. H. Hambright, present trustee, testified that he had collected 89 polls for 1893 prior to the November election, making a grand total of 1,620 collected. This is a splendid showing for the county.
M. L. Ross, of the Ninth district, testified that the election was all right in his district.
