McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)
December 14th, 1899 was a Thursday, and likely dawned cold and maybe icy in Newton, Iowa- temperatures can get down to 20 degrees below freezing there in December! At 10am the board that would determine the results of the race for sheriff in Jasper County, Iowa, began their work. They had 6,393 ballots to review.
The article printed that day on page one in the Iowa State Democrat was positive, despite previous articles that stated the Dems would lose the recount. Their comments included, “In our judgement a better board could not have been.” They went on to say,
We hope that the result may be reached without engendering any ill feeling.
By the time the paper went to print, three precincts had already been recounted, with Charles Hook losing one vote as the only change.
By Monday, December 18th, the count had been completed, and Charles Hook had won. His victory was not by many votes- only 8.
So what had happened with the original vote? The Newton Record article published on Dec. 21st stated that in two townships, a total of four ballots that were straight Republican tickets had mistakenly been counted with Democratic straight tickets. The actual count thus reduced F.A.’s votes by four, and increased Hook’s total by four.
The Newton Record applauded the recount commission: “…their work was done carefully and at the same time rapidly, so the count was finished in a remarkably short time.”
F. A. and some of his supporters were not so satisfied, however. He filed an appeal to the district court. Unfortunately F.A. had to file bonds that were equivalent to double the salary of the sheriff for six months, which would have been a considerable sum. We have not found any other mentions at a later date as to this appeal, and there is only one other mention of F. A.’s part in the election. After Charles Hook took office as Sheriff in January, one of the members of the review board noted that
Mr. Hook is fairly elected Sheriff and had no mistakes been made by the election boards of several precincts, Mr. Hook would never have needed to contest.
The above was said by the Democratic member.
The results must have been very disappointing to Frederick Asbury McMurray and family. Thankfully he kept his certificate showing that at one moment in time, it appeared he had been elected Sheriff of Jasper County, Iowa.
Notes, Sources, and References:
- “The contest is on,” Iowa State Democrat, 14 Dec 1899, vol.19, no. 50, p. 1, via newspaperarchive.com
- “Hook wins contest,” Newton Record, 21 Dec 1899, vol 6, no. 22, p. 4, via newspaperarchive.com
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