Nation warned of forged soldier votes
Faked ballots turn up in Tennessee
Jackson, Mississippi – (Aug. 19)
Stuffing of a ballot box in a Madison County country store with fraudulent absentee soldiers’ ballots Aug. 3 may serve as a warning to the nation of what might happen on a larger scale during the November election.
Farmers of Madison County, aroused over what they describe as “political crooks taking advantage of our boys while they are fighting for our country,” have demanded investigations by the FBI and the Madison County Grand Jury.
Twenty-seven soldier ballots were cast at the Jones store; six have been revealed as forgeries.
Election judge surprised
Two members of the county Democratic Primary Board, Eugene Bond and Robert Davis, brought the ballots to the Jones store. Bond tore open the envelopes and called out the names, it was related by S. T. Patterson, a judge in the Republican primary, which was being held simultaneously.
Mr. Patterson was startled to hear the name of his son, Pharmacist’s Mate Paul Patterson, called out. The young man had been home on leave a week earlier and had said he did not intend to vote, but Mr. Patterson made no protest at the time.
Not in Army
Then Bond called out the name of Gid Patterson. “Gid is my boy and he’s not in the Army,” Mr. Patterson said, “He’s been working in Jackson for three years.”
“Well, we won’t count that one then,” Bond said.
Interviewed later, Gid Patterson said he didn’t even know an election was being held.
When the name of R. T. Collier was called, a bystander spoke up: “He’s a Negro farmhand who’s never been in the Army. He might come here to vote his afternoon.”
‘Tell him he’s voted’
“If he does,” Bond was quoted as saying, “tell him he’s already voted.”
The next day when Collier was asked if he had voted, he replied: “They said I did.”
A ballot was cast for one soldier who had written his father that he had no intention of voting. “I don’t even know who is running for what. That is the least of my worries,” he wrote.
In same handwriting
The clerk of the board said all the ballots were written in pencil all were in the same handwriting and they were folded identically.
A. R. Darden, chairman of the election board, said he would “take full responsibility,” but he refused to permit reporters to see the applications for the absentee ballots.
At another precinct, Bond and Darden cast 125 absentee ballots. Only 32 other votes were cast there.
Candidate works to get blessing from farmer
Lewiston, Idaho (UP) – (Aug. 19)
Glen H. Taylor, Democratic senatorial nominee, told this one on himself today, and showed blistered hands to prove it.
Mr. Taylor stopped to talk with a farmer putting up hay. “You take this pitchfork and follow along and we will talk politics,” said the farmer.
Every time Mr. Taylor started to speak, the farmer said he’d have to wait until after the next load. Mr. Taylor pitched throughout the afternoon.
And not until supper time did the farmer shake the candidate’s hand and give him his blessing.