Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Yeates - Clark Contest 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 3, 2006, 10:03 pm Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties YEATES-CLARK CONTEST.—At the election in September, 1865, Stephen J. Clark and James H. Yeates ran for the office of sheriff. When the votes were canvassed, the supervisors declared Yeates elected by a majority of five. He qualified, and entered upon the discharge of the duties of the office. The majority was so small that William H. Knowles, a warm personal friend of Clark, commenced action for the office in the county court before Judge A. P. Moore. Peter Van Clief and H. L. Gear represented Clark, while John R. Buckbee and John D. Goodwin conducted the case for the defendant. The decision was in favor of Yeates, and Knowles appealed to the supreme court. Creed Haymond represented Yeates in the higher court, and secured a decision sustaining the decree of Judge Moore. This was not the end. A petition for rehearing was granted, and in .October, 1866, the supreme court reversed its former judgment, and declared Clark the rightful possessor of the office upon a majority over Yeates of two votes. Yeates lost $1,500 in fees that the supervisors gave to Clark, on the ground that Yeates had not been in lawful possession of the office. The case created intense excitement in the county, and party feeling ran high; and in the following year, when Clark and Yeates were again pitted against each other for the same office, Clark was defeated, and Yeates held the office for several successive terms. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/plumas/history/1882/illustra/yeatescl82nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 2.2 Kb