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1350 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Mar. 29,
tion records, which we have been considering, and which it
is to be noted have been and are now in the custody of offi-
cials not at all partial to the cause of the contestants, and
therefore not at all likely to alter, if capable of so doing,
anything in their favor.
Glancing briefly at the evidence as bearing on other aspects
of the case, we come to the First (1) Legislatiue District,
Composed of the first seven (7) wards. We find through-
out this district, in every ward thereof, and nearly every
precinct, riot, disorder, and bloodshed, many brutal assaults
and general intimidation of voters, particularly colored. The
Police gave no protection at all and generally aided the rioters.
Repeating, ballot box stuffing also prevailed largely. All
these facts are proven by large numbers of witnesses, some
of them by respondents, witnesses.
In the second district we have not so much violence. Quiet
fraud, not less effective, is the method here adopted. Never-
theless, in the 8th, 9th and 11th wards, we find the monotony
broken by several assaults, in which the Police play the
part of amused spectators or active champions of violence.
In the third district, we find that in the 14th, 15th, 16th,
17th and 18th wards rioting, disorder and intimidation of
voters was almost universal. The police everywhere failed
in their duty, and (most notably at the 1st precinct of the
18th ward, and the 1st precinct of the 16th ward,) took
an active part with rioters, and sometimes lead them in
the r attacks on voters, partidularly colored.
Briefly summing up, we find in every ward, and in nearly
every precinct of the City of Baltimore, fraud, violence or in-
timidation, prevailing to an unprecedented extent, that a very
large proportion of the judges and clerks were in State and
city employ, and dependent for their living upon carrying
the election for the respondents, that very many of the judges
and clerks, particularly those appointed between the Muni-
cipal and State election, were corrupt and utterly unfitted for
the position; that many returns of elections were not written
or signed, that residences of voters were not noted on the lists
of qualified voters, and often these lists were not used at all;
that challengers were prohibited, and the right to witness the
count of ballots denied; that boxes for rejected ballots were
not used; and finally, taut not one single oue of the ten (10)
or fitfeen (15) requirements, which the law of Baltimore makes
essential to the validity of elections, has been generally, or
even in any considei able degree, observed in any instance..
It is insisted, therefore, that by reason of these fatal legs
informalities, as well as by reason of the fraud, violence anc
intimidation generally prevailing, and incontestably estab
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