Cleveland, Tenn., March 19.,~ The investigating committee no longer plays to crowded houses. The first two or three days the court room where the investigation is being held was crowded with interested spectators. But the farce begins to pall. No one can divine the object of the tiresome and tedious conduct of the investigation unless, as stated in this correspondence before, Col. Meyers, the able counsel for Peter Turney expects to throw out the entire vote of the county. Two great bubbles have been pricked by counsel for Evans. It was charged that ex-Trustee Randolph was a defaulter in his office and had issued bogus tax receipts. These charges have been smashed and Mr. Randolph shows up all right so far in the conduct of his office.
Another Mare's nest has been found in the Charleston district. There Turney specifically charged that bogus tax receipts were used in the November election. Two days at least have been spent on this one district and so far it has not been proven that a single fraudulent or illegal vote was cast there in the November election.
The testimony of A. A. Pierce which appeared below throws light on the subject one Henry Harris' vote.
G. A. Martin, of the twelfth district, witness for the contester, was first placed on the stand this morning. He saw "Dug" Wilhoite's poll tax receipt in August. It was signed by W. H. McKamey, clerk and master of the chancery court. Witness gave Wilhoite his poll tax receipt. He got it from Fayette Hall, democratic worker. Wilhoite voted on that receipt. The receipt was given to him on the day of the August election. Caption McKamey was receiver of the trustee's office when he issued the receipt.
On cross-examination witness said that John K. Randolph, trustee disappeared form the county a few days before the August election and Capt. McKamey was appointed receiver. Witness knew of no one distributing poll tax receipts on the election grounds in August except the one he gave to Mr. Wilhoite. He did not pay for it and did not know whether it was paid for or not.
D. H. Hambright, trustee, was placed on the stand by counsel for Turney and cross-examined on the assessment of poll taxes and the collection of the same. He brought his books along and a good part of the day was spent in showing whether certain men were assessed and paid their poll taxes. This is a tedious job and may occupy the time of the committee for tow or three days. So far nothing wrong about the books has been discovered.
Mr. Tipton, counsel for Evans, introduced a list of picked up poll taxes which Mr. Hambright identified as a paper turned over to him by John K. Randolph, the trustee. The list contains the names of ninety-seven tax payers. Hambright explained that a part of the list containing thirty-three names was accidentally destroyed by fire. This statement agrees with the evidence given by County Court Clerk Rogers who stated that Randolph had accounted for 130 picked up polls. A list of polls collected by Receiver McKamey containing eighty-nine names was introduced as a part of the evidence. Mr. Tipton stated that he wanted to prove that Capt. McKamey was not legally appointed receiver and that all the poll tax receipts issued while he was in the office were irregular. He said that the republicans of Bradley county knew what would be done at Nashville but while they were at it they wanted to show that all the illegal poll tax receipts used in the Bradley county were issued to democrats by the democratic machine managers. He stated that it was not the desire of any one to reflect in any sense on the integrity of the late Capt. W. H. McKamey who was appointed receiver of the trustee's office. Capt. McKamey had signed a number of bland receipts and they were filled out and issued by his deputy or deputies. Capt. McKamey was in bad health and rarely visited his office. Whatever he done, as everybody knows, he believed to be right and no one would for a moment say a word against him. He was clerk and master of the chancery court and when application was made to Chancellor McConnell for a receiver to take charge of Randolph's office Capt. McKamey was appointed. Randolph was only absent from his office for three days and during that time Capt. McKamey was the receiver. W. H. Tonkin was his deputy.
It is charged by Mr. Tipton that there is no record of Capt. McKamey's appointment as receiver on file in the clerk and master's office.
Ambrose A. Pierce of the Eighth
district who was accused of having in his possession a book of blank poll tax
receipts at Charleston on the day of the August election was placed the stand by
counsel for Evans. He was asked to tell the story in his own way. He testified:
"Some of the boys were teasing me about how they had worked things at the
polls that day. I then pulled out a private receipt book that I had used in my
store and remarked that I had voted about forty fellows that day. I then threw
the book down on the ground. I can't remember what became of it. It was not a
tax receipt book but a private receipt book. There were present at the time
Jesse Cleveland, W. B. Barrett, John Haskins. and Joe Palmer. The stubs had been
paid for by the democrats and the receipts you got from Mr. Tipton and others
were for votes whose taxes had been paid for by the democrats?"
Answer ~"I did not know when I got the receipts that the democrats had paid for any receipt. If I heard it at the time I don't remember it. I did not see Mr. Tipton fill out any receipts. The signature was in the same hand-writing as the one I got for myself from Mr. Randolph."
The witness was shown the famous Henry Harris tax receipt and identified it. He said that the date and the name in the receipt were not in the same hand-writing as the signature.
Counsel for Evans offered to concede that fact.
Witness said that the receipts he got from Mr. Tipton were in a book. He got from Mr. Tipton were in a book. He got them from Mr. Tipton either in a room in the court house or in the Herald office. None of the receipts were filled out in his presence. He never received a cent from any receipt given out from that book. Some of those whose receipts he had in his possession had requested me to get their receipts. Harris was not among them. Mr. Hambright or myself brought a list of voters to town that day to the best of his recollection. Was not confident that was the day. Did not see Mr. Randolph that day and didn't know where he was. Mr. Tipton told him he would get the receipts for him. Didn't know who had charge of the poll tax receipts. Saw no one else handling the receipts but Mr. Tipton. Tipton was not a trustee or tax collector as far as he knew. He was understood to be a managing member of the republican executive committee. Did not know what become of the tax receipts after August election; could not say they were used in the November election.
Re-direct examination: "At the time I got the receipts Mr. Tipton told me that the receipts were all paid for. They were filled up and signed. Nothing was said about who was acting trustee as far as I can remember. I did ask who was"
Witness identified the Harris tax receipt. One was for H. B. Harris land tax and poll combined. The other was a poll tax receipt for 1893 issued to Henry Harris. There were other Harris's in the Eighth district whose first name begins with an H. J. W. Allen was the constable. He is a democrat. "I applied to him for a poll tax receipt and he refused it. Then his friends persuaded him to issue it. I tendered the money for the receipt and he accepted it. The receipt was for a voter who did not have one. I could not find Aiken in the early part of the day and sent to Cleveland for some tax receipts. I got them and they had John K. Randolph's name signed to them."
M. V. Jones, of the Fourth district testified that the judges of the election in that precinct required voters to show poll tax receipts. Those who did not have receipts were required to sign and qualify to an affidavit. These voters stated that they left their receipts at home. Witness saw a man named Rony with a book that looked like a tax receipt book or an affidavit book. He did not read the papers filled out from the book that it was understood that they were affidavits. Men voted on them without question. Witness was asked to identify eighteen voters in that district.
Counsel for Turney stated that he wanted to prove that the eighteen men were republicans and were liable for poll tax.
Witness came to Cleveland a few days before the election to see Trustee Randolph. He couldn't find him in Cleveland.
On cross-examination witness stated that he came to town to get two or three receipts for friends. They had said they could no vote unless their taxes were paid and he came to town to get them their receipts. He did not get the receipts that day. Afterwards receipts signed by W. H. McKamey, receiver, were sent him. Saw one man and perhaps two vote on affidavits. Could not state the contents of the affidavit. This all occurred at the August election. Did not se any one distributing poll tax receipts, blank or filled out, either at the August or the November election.
(This story continues either on another page in this paper or in a later edition. I have not found it yet but will post it as soon as I do.)
transcribed by Pam Rathbone
