Indiantown Fraud Several newspaper articles on the Indiantown Voter Fraud of 1887, after the primary the original ballots were burned and a the new tally was based on who paid to win the primary in this district.

Lancaster Intelligencer

June 3, 1887
INDIANTOWN INKY
With the Grossest Frauds on the Ballot Box
. The Sixth Ward Corruption Nowhere
The Ballot Box Stolen and the Ballots All Burned
Dark Work Done In Manor Township


A Woman acting as a Member of the Election Board and Helping to Count the Vote - The Anti-Corruption Society on the Track of the Officers of the Election-Suspiciously Large Vote Returned
Ever since the primary election there has been a general belief that gross frauds were perpetrated in the Indian towns district, Manor township. Several of the candidates on the ticket headed by Mentzer are believed to have been cheated and ballot box stuffing is alleged. For several years past the primaries in this district have been loosely conducted and many of the prominent citizens were under the impression that the votes were not always counted as cast. For this reason some of the people of the neighborhood have refused to vote at primaries. The recent election in this polling placed showed a large vote and the people became suspicious. They began an investigation, and from what was learned concluded that more votes were returned than cast for certain candidates, and the names of people were taken as voters who were not near the election. These reports have raised considerable talk in the neighborhood, and there is great indignation among the good people of the district.

THE ELECTION BOARD
The election board of his district was composed of the following persons: Judge, Adam Fry: Inspectors, Samuel Henry and Charles Tillman; clerks, E. T. Kauffman and Isaac Kauffman. Under the party rules it is the duty of the election board to turn over the ballot box to the nearest justice of the peace within a reasonable time after the election. The primary in this district was held at the hotel of Jonas Stoner, in Highville, and the nearest justice of the peace was Squire A. R. Witmer. The box was not turned over to the squire and up to Thursday evening the whereabouts of it was unknown, except to the election board and a few others.
The facts of the case and the suspicion of people of the district were made known to Chairman Landis, of the Anti-Corruption society, who begun an investigation aided by the citizens who believed that their rights had been trifled with. Thursday afternoon a meeting was held at Squire Witmer�s office and about a dozen prominent gentlemen were present. They had a talk over the matter and resolved to investigate. A report to the office that the ballot-box was missing was made, Squire Witmer and John H. Landis were instructed to call upon Mr. Fry, judge of the election, for the purpose of securing the ballot box. The meeting then adjourned to meet in the evening at 8o�clock in Walnut Hill school house, and in case the ballot box was secured in the meantime it was to have been opened and the ballots counted.
PROBING THE FRAUD
Late in the afternoon Squire Witmer and John H. Landis called upon Mr. Fry, who told them that the ballot box was at the hotel of Jonas Stoner, at Highville. The gentlemen then called at the hotel and demanded the box from Stoner. The latter asked their authority for taking it, where upon the law on the subject was read to him. Stoner said that the box was no longer there and pretended that he did not know where it was. He was finally cornered and said that if it was any satisfaction to the gentlemen he could tell him where the box was. He then said the box was in the house, but the contents has been burned. Stoner said that his sister had burned the ballots on Sunday morning. When asked why she burned them Stoner said �she did not know any better. We burned them last year. In New York state they always burn them.� The gentlemen demanded the box anyhow, and it was finally given them. The box which was brought was found to be empty and was taken to Squire Witmer�s office. It bears no fresh marks as though it was sealed at all. On account of the heavy storm which set in just before sunset and lasted some time in the evening there was a small attendance at the meeting at the school house. Later quite a number of citizens of the district gathered at Squire Witmer�s office. It was then agreed to postpone the meeting until Thursday evening, June 9, when it will be held in Walnut Hill school house.

A WOMAN IN THE CASE
A witness has just been discovered who was present at the counting of the votes, after the polls had closed in the district. He says that Lizzie Stoner, a sister of the landlord, assisted the election officers in counting. One of the officers handed her the tickets one after another and she read them off.
The vote of the offices which are believed to have been affected by the frauds in this district are prothonotary, treasurer, commissioner, and delegates. For others, however, the figures seem to be suspiciously high. The vote on prothonotary as returned were as follows: Mentzer, 39 Hartman, 130; McMellen, 15; treasurer, Grissinger, 154; Schafiner, 32; commissioners�, Bitzer, 100; Derrick, 13, Gingrich, 28; Hershey, 63; Landis, 120; Whitaker, 3 and Worth, 41. The vote for delegates was Hart, 88; Long, 131; Walker, 101 and Witmer, 40. For register, Clayton F. Myers led everybody. He had 133 votes, and the next highest was Geyer, who had sixteen votes. The sentiment in this district was strongly in favor of Mr. Myers, however, and the gentleman investigating the matter say that he ran very well and they do not think the figures for him are too high. As to the county commissioner, it is aid that Bitzer, who received 100 votes, was almost unknown to the people of the district. Among the most popular of the candidates for this office in the district were Hershey and Wroth, whose votes, however, are not as large as others.

MUSIC PROMISED
It is believed that there will be considerable music before this investigation is over, as the men at the back of it are determined to unearth everything that looks like fraud. The sudden turn in affairs by the discovery that the ballots have been burned may complicate things, but it will probably land some person in jail.

The Columbia Spy
June 4, 1887
Will Meet to Investigate

The Intelligencer, which has been promoting this investigation, announces that the anti-corruption society will bring suit against the election officers of the Sixth Ward, "City" and also against the board of the Indiantown election district, Manor township, where much crookedness is alleged to have been discovered. The people down there are aroused, and held a public meeting on Wednesday, to promote the efforts at investigation.

Lancaster Intelligencer
June 10, 1887
INDIANTOWN�S FRAUDS
Prominent Fathers of Manor Township Have a Meeting

They Agree that the Election Officers Should be Prosecuted - Petitioning to Change the Polls from Stoner�s Hotel to the Rural Hall School House.

The citizens of the Indiantown election district held another meeting last night to inquire into the frauds, which were perpetrated at the Republican primary. The meeting took place in Walnut Hill school house, where one hundred of the citizens of the district gathered. Martin Overholtzer was elected president of the meeting and Squire A. R. Witmer secretary. Speeches were made by Mr. Overholtzer, John H. Landis, Bachman Herr, Dr. J. L. Mowery and others. It was unanimously agreed to present a petition to the court that the election polls be changed from Jonas Stoner�s hotel, at Highville, to Rural Hall school house. Squire Witmer drew up the petition and it was signed by every one present.

It was the unanimous opinion of those present that the election officers had been guilty of great frauds and they should be prosecuted; they hoped that something would be done in that direction. Quite a large number of affidavits of persons who had voted for different candidates were drawn up and signed. Nearly all of those present seemed to have voted for Worth, Gingrich or Hershey for commissioner, and none could be found who had voted for Blitzer, although 100 votes for him were returned. It was a late hour before the meeting adjourned
.
The people of the district are very indignant over the matter, and there are very few who do not think that the election officers were guilty of committing the greatest frauds. No efforts will be spared by the people interesting themselves in the matter. To obtain evidence against the officers. Prosecutions will surely be brought in a short time.
A young man named Kauffman, who was a member of the election board, is credited with being the worst of the party, while Stoner, of the hotel, is the bulldozer. It is said that the only honest election held in this district for some years was just last year, when Joseph D. Pyott want out from Lancaster and acted as a watcher. After that election some of those who had been running things to suit themselves up to that time, swore that they would not be bested in that manner soon again. This year they had sole control and did as they pleased. Before the election one of the members of the board was in this city and openly boasted that he was for the name who would give him the most money, It seems that some of the parties got the �boodle,� and there was a fight over it which had a great deal to do with their exposure. On the night of the election one of the principal men of the election board, who by the way is not blessed with a very good education, was so drunk while the count was proceeding that he could not tell whether he was at an election or a pigeon shoot.

President John H. Landis, of the Anti-corruption association, was in town this morning and said that suits would undoubtedly be brought against the election officers of Indiantown as well as those of the Sixty ward, this city. He says that although the investigation may cause a great deal of disturbances, suits must be brought if the people want honest elections in the future. They now have a good chance to make a move in the right direction.