Five months after the election the political turmoil in Warren became headline news when the Somerset County Grand Jury began hearing testimony about electoral shenanigans up in the hills.

"A striking feature of the opening of the Somerset courts on Tuesday morning was the big contingent from up Warren way," reported the Unionist‑ Gazette on April 18, 1907, "the members of which invaded the court yard and hovered about the sacred precincts of the grand jury room.... Without any previous knowledge of the unusual gathering, the outsider who strolled among the rural members, conversing in a low and mysterious manner in little groups about the courtyard, got the impression that politics was in the air."

"One representative who was wrestling with the ragged end of a town cigar was heard to remark: 'Wal, I'll be durned, if I know I voted. I was drunk when I handed over the paper an' there's no tellin' what it was. "'

... That ain't so, Bill," retorted a Warren political leader with a white hat. "I saw you vote and you were strictly sober."'

... Well, what was the matter with you, old man,' chimed in another member of the group, addressing the politician with the white head covering. You kept tally and ought to know whether things went right. "'

"'How in the mischief could I see everything with my eyes glued on the tally sheet,' retorted he of the white hat, 'the votes came out all right, according to the tally, but they are kicking because they took too many ballots out of the box of one kind, but that is no fault of mine."'

"As a sequel to this strange gathering and mysterious conversation on the part of Warren's typical representatives, it was later developed that no less than 116 voters from the township had been summoned before the grand jury to see if they could throw any light on the mysterious change of the returns of Warren township at last fall's election, where William M. Smalley, Republican, ran against William Steele, Democrat, for member of assembly."

"In nearly every voting precinct of the county, Mr. Smalley ran ahead of the usual Republican vote, and even in Somerville, Mr. Steele's hometown, Smalley held the usual Republican vote, much to the surprise of the Republican leaders. The returns from Warren could not be obtained until about noon of the following day, and then there was a surprise in the large vote given to Mr. Steele, when it was well known that the township was only normally Democratic by from 50 to 80 votes."

"It was expected that Mr. Smalley would run somewhat ahead of the usual vote, because he was well known in that township, and Mr. Steele had no special strength there. When the returns came in they showed a majority of 152 for Steele and 164 for Southwick, the Democratic candidate for Congress. Only 52 Republican votes were cast for Smalley, according to the returns, and 45 for Wood, who was running on the Republican ticket for Congress."

"The local Republican leaders declared that something was wrong with the returns and, upon investigation, they claim that they could produce at least 100 voters who would testify that they voted the Republican ticket"

"The 100 voters were on hand all right, but whether they all swore that they voted the straight Republican ticket has not yet leaked out of the confines of the grand jury room. The inference is that there has been some wonderful sleight‑of‑hand work with the ballots by one or more officers of the township, and that it is necessary to summon 116 witnesses and to produce the ballot box to prove the charge."

A week later the Unionist‑Gazette reported that no indictments were handed down in the Warren election controversy. "The Grand Jury was satisfied that there were irregularities of a serious character, but they found it difficulty to place the responsibility. The penalty is very severe for tampering with election ballots and the jury was loath to find any indictments without more definite proof as to the person or persons who did the act. Eighty three voters testified before the jury, it is said, that they voted for Wood and Smalley, the Republican candidates ... while the returns showed only 52 votes cast for Smalley.... There were 15 more voters who had been subpoenaed who stood ready to testify to the same effect, but the Grand Jury did not think it necessary to call them."

"The ballot box was also brought into the Grand Jury room and opened. It was found that 60 envelopes were missing from the box. The law requires that the election board must account for all envelopes received from the county clerk. Those left over must be placed in the ballot box at the close of the count.... The shortage of envelopes from the Warren township box was a significant feature of the investigation and convinced the Grand Jurors, it is said, that the box had been tampered with."

"If the Grand Jury found 60 envelopes missing from the Warren township ballot box, there can be no doubt about the ballots having been tampered with," editorialized the Unionist‑ Gazette on April 25. "Just who may be the guilty party seems to be a more difficult problem to solve. We can hardly think it possible that such dark tricks could emanate from a strictly Democratic district in these days when the Democrats are preaching reform. But it may be that there are not such big Democratic majorities up in Warren after all. This investigate would seem to indicate that the majorities were fixed up after the polls are closed to suit the exigencies of the occasion. Such a thing had better not be attempted too many times, even in a Democratic community."