The Caldwell committee completed the investigation of Loudon County yesterday. One district, the Eighth will be thrown out entirely and several scattering votes will not count for Evans.
In the Eighth district voters were not required to show poll tax receipts or make affidavits.
The fact was established that poll taxes had been paid and that the election was fairly held.
The committee will investigate Bradley county today.
Cleveland, Tenn., March 16,~ It has been proven that a few irregular spoil tax receipts were used in this county at the election last August. It has also been proven that these receipts were printed by order of the democratic executive committee, distributed by democratic agents to democratic constables to be to be given to democratic voters for the benefit of the democratic candidates.
It has been proven that more than one of these receipts was used in the November election which is popularly supposed to be under investigation. The sweeping charges of fraud in this county have not been sustained.
Hon. H. Clay Evans, through his attorneys filed with Chairman Caldwell today exceptions to the methods of taking evidence. The exception will not be acted upon until the full committee meets.
T. A. Wilson, one of the judges at the November election in the First district testified that it was agreed among the judges to have shown their poll tax receipts in August would not be required to present them in November. Democratic judges agreed to the plan. All who had not voted and show their receipts in August were required to show the in November.
W. R. Deatherow, of Cleveland, was examined as to the Second district. Col. Tom Meyers read a list of voters in that district and tried to prove they were illegal voters, but were allowed to vote in November. On cross examination swore that he was not at the polls in the Second district and he didn't know whether any of the voters named were exempt nor in fact anything about them.
W. J. Carrson, one of the judges in the Second district swore that voters were required to show their poll tax receipts or make written affidavits as to their loss. Witness did not use any blank tax receipts at the November election and had not told anyone that he had. He knew that some receipts were used in the August election. They were in a book. witness gave out some of the receipts.
Quite a controversy came up over the admissibility of evidence concerning the August election. Counsel for Evans insisted that the November election was being investigated and not the August election. Col. Meyers, for Turney, insisted that it was necessary to prove that fraudulent receipts were used in the August election so as to connect them with the November election. Chairman Caldwell ruled that the proof was admissible for that purpose. Col. Meyers failed to make this proof.
The Eighth district was re-opened by counsel for the contestant and John B. Haskins, of Charleston was recalled. He was given a list of voters in the Eighth district and questioned as whether they were liable for poll tax receipts. He said he thought they were. The vote of Walter Cate was a subject of contention. Cate presented a receipt dated July 24, 1894 when he voted in the November election. The receipt appeared regular on its place and he was allowed to vote. As far as he knew no bogus tax receipts were used in the November election. All voters were required to produce tax receipts or make affidavits. One man, Reese Campbell, was allowed to vote on the statement of his father that he was released by the county court. He did not show a receipt.
A. G. Hinser, constable of the Second district and a democrat, was placed on the stand in the afternoon and his testimony was quite interesting to the large number of republicans who were present. He swore that after he had turned in all of his blank receipts and other papers into the trustee's office as required by law he went to Trustee Randolph and asked for blank receipts to be used in the August election. Randolph refused to give him the receipts. Then by direction of the democratic executive committee he went to Hartshell's job printing office and got a large number of blank receipts. In the morning of the August election he filed out one of these receipts and the judges refused to allow the man to whom it was issued to vote and he took the receipt away form him and tore it up. He did not fill out any other receipt that day and did not see any other receipts filled out or used. Hartsell's printing office was where the democratic executive committee had blank receipts printed for their own use on election day and Kruser's statement somewhat rattled Col. Meyers.
Later on the witness stated that he wanted the blank receipts from Trustee Randolph for the case of democratic workers. Randolph told him that he would appoint no deputy collectors in county, but democrats and republicans could get all the receipts they wanted by paying the money for them.
Counsel for Evans raised the point that the evidence as to the use of irregular poll tax receipts in any of the districts but the eighth was incomplete as Turney specifically charged that in the eighth district such receipts were used and no charge was made as to other districts. After hearing considerable argument the committee decided that the evidence was complete because general fraud was charged by Turney in Bradley county. This leaves the gap down for Meyers to examine all the citizens of Bradley county as to the legality of votes cast in the November election and will probably keep the committee here for a week or at least a part of it.
J. C. Thompson, one of the judges, stated that in the second district the judges required every voter liable to pay poll tax to produce his receipt or an affidavit.
Mr. Pennington, one of the clerks in the thirteenth district said that up to twelve o'clock they required all voters to present receipts or make affidavits. During the dinner hour they discussed the matter of allowing those whom they knew had voted in the August election to vote without producing a poll tax receipt. They asked the advice of a justice of the peace, supposing that he knew the law (a violent presumption) and he stated that it was not necessary to produce receipts if they had been produced in August. This plan was in effect all the afternoon. A great many voted in the afternoon who were not liable for poll tax.
Commodore Hannah, a democratic worker, of the tenth district voters were required to make affidavits until about ten o'clock when the blanks gave out all but one. Then they read the blank affidavit to voters and had them to swear to the statement. Hannah issued a few poll tax receipts. He was not a deputy collector. Judge Traynor and Capt. McKamey authorized him to collect money for poll taxes. He did not know by what authority it was done. He came to town to see Randolph, the trustee, and could not find him. He went to Arthur Traynor, who was a candidate for re-election as circuit judge and he advised him to go to Capt. Bill McKamey and get authority to collect taxed. He did so. After the election he brought $6 to trustee Randolph who refused to take the money because he said it had been illegally collected. Hannah was constable but had turned his books over to the trustee some time in June. Capt. McKamey who was acting trustee in Randolph's place during the latter's absence told him he had no blank receipts and he then went to the Banner office and got seven blank receipts from Buford Hartsell, a democrat. Willie, Randolph, deputy trustee, afterwards accepted the $6 collected by Hannah and gave the latter a receipt for it.
Col. Bill Tipton then introduced what purported to be and is in fact a copy of the affidavit to which a number of voters had attached their names in the tenth district. He will prove that it is genuine Monday.
The committee adjourned until Monday at nine o'clock.