Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1858 — Frauds in Huntington County. [ARTICLE]

Frauds in Huntington County.

The People's Press, of Wells, (the associate county ■with Huntington in the Sanatoria! district.) says: “It has been ascertained that flagrant frauds were committed at the election in Huntington. The circumstances, as nearly as. we have been able to gather them, are these: “On the morning of the election, it appears that, one of the Trustees, the inspector, was absent, (perhaps designedly,) when a Air. Hecock, a tool of the conpirators, was appointed and sworn in, as some reports say, by Mr. Coffroth: others say he acted without being sworn. At noon, when the Board adjourned, Mr. Hecock having the ballot-box in his possession, retired to his house, accompanied. as rumor says, by Messrs. Slack and Cottroth; but for the truth of this we cannot vou<;b. At the close of the election, and when the ballots were counted out, Mr. Coffro’h was found to be considerably ahead es his party, Which fact excited considerable suspicion that all was not right. On examining theballots, only 67 were found to be purely Republican and unseratehed. Since the election 1 15 voters have certified, and are willing to make xiatii,. that they voted the pure Republican ticket, w ithout scratching a name, which appears to be evidence conclusive that the ballot-box was opened, and the tickets interfered with in some way. Some 37 tickets were found with Air. Pettit’s name erased and Mr. Cofiroth’s inserted, all in the same handwriting. Other tickets, kijown to have been put in by different voters, are also missing from the box. /“An effort was made to have this fraudulent vote rejected by the Board of Canvassers, but a majority decided to receive them, which elects .Messrs. Slack and Firestone to the Legislature. Their election will, undoubtedly, be successfully contested by their opponents, Messrs. DeL-mg and Edwards.”