Honest Mistake or Fraud: Guessing Clinton Aldrich’s Age
Allegations of voter fraud in Southwick, Massachusetts, had residents questioning the integrity of the voting process following the arrest of Clinton Aldrich, who was charged with illegal voting on Election Day, 1868. The case attracted considerable interest throughout the region.
Aldrich appeared in the afternoon session of Westfield Police Court on Saturday, November 14, 1868, with Judge M. B. Whitney presiding. Massachusetts State Senator Henry William Fuller was counsel for the defense, while H. B. Stevens represented the Commonwealth.
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| Henry William Fuller, circa 1868 |
Southwick Selectman Aurelius Moore was called as a witness on behalf of the Commonwealth. Under direct questioning, he testified that he saw the young Aldrich place a piece of paper into the ballot box, but he was not sure what, if anything, was on it. Upon being recalled, Moore testified that when he counted all the ballots, each was filled in for either Republican or Democrat, and that there were no blank sheets or non-candidate write-ins.
Other witnesses were called, including Clinton’s father, Sylvanus Aldrich, who was peppered with a dozen or so questions. When asked to verify his son’s age, he said he couldn’t, claiming that he had lost track of such things following the death of his wife. He also testified that his wife died eleven years ago and that in the recent election, he voted a straight Democrat ticket.
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| Judge Whitney |
Among the defense’s witnesses was Clinton Aldrich himself and his grandmother. Both testified that they believed he was twenty-one years old and would turn twenty-two in December. The prosecution entered the Town of Southwick’s book of registered births into evidence. It showed that Clinton was born on December 16, 1848. This means it would have been illegal for him to cast a ballot in the 1868 election, because the legal voting age was twenty-one.
It was getting late, and the judge ordered a continuation for Monday morning, at which time he cited sufficient evidence to send the case to the December sitting of the grand jury and set bail at $200, double the maximum financial penalty if convicted.
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| Copy from the book of registered births in Southwick 1848 |
The grand jury’s three-day session closed on December 10, 1868. Among the cases was James Dyer of Holyoke, who was accused of murdering Catharine McCabe. His case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. They also dismissed the charge of illegal voting against Clinton Aldrich.
Later in life, Clinton Aldrich had several arrests for drunkenness. He had epilepsy and died from exhaustion while incarcerated at the State Farm and Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His body was donated to Harvard Medical School.
— Uncovered and preserved by the Southwick Time Machine
Clinton Aldrich
December 16, 1848 — February 26, 1909
This article is based on original primary-source research, including but not limited to official records and documents, biographies, census data, and period newspapers. Southwick Time Machine stories are living documents. Research is ongoing, and this account may evolve as new information comes to light.
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Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes
Sylvanus Aldrich: 1810 - 1844.
Justice Milton Burrall Whiney: October 6, 1825 - September 8, 1915.
Henry William Fuller: July 17, 1825 - June 14, 1913.
Marcus Aurelius Moore: March 29, 1830 - November 30, 1908.
Homer Bemis Stevens: September 9, 1835 - August 3, 1902.
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