The Democratic Banner

EVEN PREACHER HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAD HIS PRICE NAME CAUCUS DATE Southern Ohio Election Scandal Hits All Classes. VOTERS PUT UP AT AUCTION Will Select Floor Leader Next Saturday.

VOTERS PUT UP AT AUCTION Men In Adams County Stood on Boxes and Political Workers Bid For Votes, Which Were Delivered to Judges at Election Booths.

Wealthy Citizen Accused of Selling Own Vote, and That of Son and Son-in-Law Below Scale.

Manchester, O., Dec. 24.—The special grand jury investigating the traffic in votes at the recent election returned 272 additional indictments, bringing the total up to 631. According to Former Congressman L. J. Fenton, who is foreman of the grand jury, to Judge A. Z. Blair, the end is not even near, it being expected that at least 1,500 voters will be indicted.

The investigation has even invaded the schools and churches, evidence having been discovered showing that a preacher had sold his vote for $10.

One man owning property worth $50,000 sold his vote and the votes of his son and son-in-law for $7.50, which is below the average price.

The average price for votes has been $10. One year, when both Republican and Democratic committees were well supplied with funds, $25 each was paid. That year men were placed in boxes opposite the courthouse and knocked off to the highest bidder.

When the Democrats bid highest their followers would cheer and the workers would walk to the booth with their purchase. If the Republicans got the men, they cheered.

There was no secret ballot. A boodler was taken to the booth by the worker, who winked at the judge for his party. The boodler got his ballot, marked it and handed it to the judge, who would open it to see how he voted. If he did as promised, the judge nodded to the worker and the voter was paid.

Seventy-five more of the indicted voters entered pleas of guilty and drew the regulation fine, imprisonment and disenfranchisement sentence.