LITTLE ROCK -- Mrs. Hattie Caraway's huge lead over her two opponents in the race for the vacant seat of the late Thaddeus H. Caraway gradually increased as returns dribbled in from rural precincts.
At noon, with approximately two-thirds of the state reported, her total vote was placed at approximately 16,000 while that of Rex Floyd was estimated at 950 and that of Sam D. Carson at 500.
Officials predicted the total vote would reach 18,500.
LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas voters in an overwhelming vote given Mrs. Hattie Caraway in Tuesday's special election have broken a precedent by electing a woman to the U.S. Senate.
Incomplete returns from 57 of the state's 75 counties gave the widow of the late Senator Thaddeus H. Caraway a lead of approximately 15 to one over her nearest opponent,, Rex Floyd. Trailing far behind was Sam D. Carson, Saline county farmer.
With fully two-thirds of the precincts reported the vote was: Mrs. Caraway, 14,943; Floyd, 987; Carson, 452.
Loses One County
On the face of the unofficial returns Floyd carried his own county, Marjon, where he received 344 votes to Mrs. Caraway's 135. Carson failed to carry a single county, trailing Mrs. Caraway in his own county, Saline, by four votes.
Mrs. Caraway's sweeping victory had been anticipated but the majority given her went behind the expectations of even her own supporters. In Jonesboro, her home, she lost only two votes. At Fayetteville not a single vote was recorded against her. The same was true in St. Francis county where she polled 200 votes while Floyd and Carson failed to scratch.
Administration forces led by Governor Harvey Parnell were jubilant over Mrs. Caraway's victory. They had supported her enthusiastically.
County Almost Solid
Mississippi county cast an almost solid vote for Mrs. Hattie Caraway, the regular Democratic nominee, at the special senatorial election held yesterday.
A little more than 1,000 votes were cast at ten boxes in the county. Two boxes, Leachville and Bassett, not reported as yet, are expected to swell the total to about 1250 votes.
Manila, where the late Senator T.H. Caraway had many friends and relatives and often visited, polled the larger vote of any box in the county. A total of 309 votes were cast at Manila with 306 going into Mrs. Caraway's column.
In Blytheville 216 votes were cast, 206 for Mrs. Caraway and 10 divided between her opponents, Rex Floyd and Sam Carson. George W. Barham of this city received one vote, his name being written in. Three votes, classed as irregular, were cast here. Two were purported to have been for C.J. Little.
The voting at other places was as follows: Armorel, Mrs. Caraway 44; Osceola, Mrs. Caraway 122, Carson one; Frenchman's Bayou, Mrs. Caraway 15, Carson one; Etowah, Mrs. Caraway, 21; Kelser, Mrs. Caraway 33; Joiner, Mrs. Caraway 29; Luxora, Mrs. Caraway 25, Carson and Floyd one each; Wilson, Mrs. Caraway 200.
