CONTESTED CONSTABLE RACE IN WARD 3
Crowley Signal, January 19, 1928
News Article from Adadia Parish
Submitted by Winston Boudreaux, 2006

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CONTESTED CONSTABLE RACE IN WARD 3
Crowley Signal, January 19, 1928

The primary election for constable in the third ward Tuesday resulted as follows:

				ETIENNE MATTE 	PIERRE J. MATTE 
Church Point Precinct 			426 		322 
Adolphe Miller Precinct 		35 		131 
Total 					461 		453 

P.J. MATTE CONTEST SUIT IN CONSTABLE RACE

Crowley Signal January 24, 1928

A suit has been filed with Clerk of Court F.M. Fontenot, in district court 
by Pierre J. Matte of the Church Point community, who was defeated by 
Etienne Matte, in the January 17 primary for the office of constable of the 
third ward, charging that 31 tickets were thrown out of the Adolph Miller 
box and marked spoiled and that out of the 31 tickets, he had 27 or enough 
to hive him a majority of 15 over his opponent who has been declared the 
nominee by the parish democratic executive committee.

Mr. Matte through his attorneys, D.T. Canan, Jr., and P.S. Pugh of this city, 
claims that the alleged spoiled tickets were good insofar as the votes for 
constable were concerned but were thrown out for the reason that the voters 
either voted for one senator or one representative or for some other cause 
which had no effect upon the votes cast for constable.

By the official count, the votes at Church Point and Adolph Miller polls were 
given as follows: Pierre J. Matte, 453; Etienne Matte, 461.

By the recount, which he claims would give him 27 votes and his opponent 4, 
the votes would be Pierre J. Matte, 480 and Etienne Matte, 465, or a majority 
of 15 votes which would duly nominate him for the office, he contends.

CONTEST SUIT IN COURT HERE
Crowley Signal January 30, 1928

The case was brought to district court, Judge W.W. Bailey presiding.  
Percy T. Ogden is the attorney for Etienne Matte.

Witnesses examined this morning were Seth Young, A.J. Lavergne, 
Oscar Guidry, commissioners, Allen Laughlin, deputy sheriff and 
F. M. Fontenot clerk of court.

It developed in the questioning that the ballot boxes were kept overnight 
at the Laughlin home, the polling place, and brought to Crowley on the 
afternoon of the day following the election. Clerk of Court Fontenot 
testified regarding the place where the boxes were kept after being 
brought to the court house.

February 2, 1928

In the Crowley Signal of February 2, 1928, P.J. Matte was declared 
winner of the suit.