The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-11-08
A NEW CAMPAIGN.
WARFARE AGAINST OFFICERS OF
ELECTION. stsi''''5 0s''S'
7 independents stilI pushing.

Circuit Court of TIE City of Richmond
Your petitioner, William q. Knight, re.
spectlnlly shows that on the Cd day OF No.
vember,. 1876, be was q candidate for the
Virginia Senase from the city OF Richmond
against one Bradley. 7. Johnson. ], That he
has reason to believe and does believe that at
the Second preoinct of jefferson Ward gross
frauds were perpetrated upon him, aud many
votes csst' for him were abstracted from or
never allowed TO enter the bsllot-box at that
precincs, and others were substituted for
them. He has reason also 10 believe that
many spurious aud false ballots were cast at
that precinct. 2 Your petitioner Is advised
that by law he, is entitled at all times
to inspect the registration. books Of that
precinct; that the only way In which be
can obtain his proof of fraud is by copying
from those books the names Of those voters,
white and colored, that the registrar and
judges there allege to have voted. Possess
ing this copy and comparing 1t with the poll
books returned to the Hustiags Court BY the
judges Of that precinct, the truth OF those
returns can be verified or falsified without
difficulty. The returns from that precinct
show but 18S votes cast for your petitioner
against 474 cast for B. r.. johnson. Peti.
toner is satisfied, that this return is fraudu-
lent. In the gubernatorial contest between
Hughes and Kemper 500 votes were cast, of
which 53S were cast for Kempar and
26S for auehes, leaving, majority for
Kemper of but 270. In this contest
but 662 votes were cast. of which 474
are returned as cast for johnson and but
1SS for petitioner, giving johnson 2S6 ma
jorty. Your petitioner is satisfied that If
he is allowed, as by law he has the right to
do, to inspect the registration.lists Of said
precinct, and take down the names Of those
who were checked off as voting, he can
prove by the electors themselves that over
800 Of the votes cast were cast for him. 1t
is absolutely necessary that your petitioner
shall be allowed this his legal right at once,
for the law requires him to furnish bis ad.
versary full list of the fraudulent votes
within ten days after November 2a, 1875.
John A. Lacy, one of the judges at this
precinct and registrar, has in his possession
the registration-books Of said precinct.
Contrary to law, he absolutely refuses to
allow your petitioner or any one else to
copy the names Of those checked off
on said list as voting on election-day.
Said Lacy has been an active partisan In
behalf of johnson, and petitioner believes
and charges that his purpose and design is to
delay and hinder petitioner in procuring his
proofs until the expiration Of the ten days
allowed him by law, in plain violation Of
section "A. chapter Z, of the Code Of Vir.
ginia. Wherefore your petitioner prays
that said Lacy may be made party defend
ant hereto and summoned to appear before
your Honor forthwith; that the Common
wealth's writ of n1dndanus may be used forth.
with by your Honor to compel saiG Lacy
forthwith to allow petitioner to have access
- l>oal-o opf tho II hp
fl; and for such further relief as may be
necessary to protect your petitioner from this
fraud and enable him TO fairly contest an elec.
ton in which he has been 6 ossly defrauded.
May it please, &c. W. G.. KNIGHT.
Sworn to before r. D. Ward, N. p. 49,,
Another petition, simply alleging that he
desires to inspect the registration.book Of
the Second precinct in Marshall Ward, and
that Mr.. James 2. Sharpe, the registrar, de-
MES him that right, and asking the Judge to
compel Mr.. Sharpe to show his books, was
filed by Colonel Knight. The validity of
the returns from this precinct arc also to be
contested, the petition states.
The latter petition was sworn to by Colo
mel Knight in open court.
In each case Judge Wexford ordered the
registrar 10 appear at 4 O'Clock Saturday af.
ternoon and produce bis registration books,
land show cause why the prayer of said pc.
tition shall not be granted"
The sheriff at O'Clock made return that
Mr.. Lacy couldn't be found, as he had, as
was bis custom on Saturdays, gone to his
farm in New, Kent county. BE is expected
to return to-day, and the rule to show cause
why the nanddmus should not be awarded
was enlarged to O'Clock to-day.
Mr.. Sharpe appeared in person, and
brought his books with him. After con-
sultng with his counsel (Mr. W. L. Roy.
ally be filed response stating
"That be has never refused the said petit
toner, William G. Knight, the right to in.
spect and copy said books. On the contrary,
this respondent has always DECLARED to every
one inquiring about them that the said books
were al all times open to inspection by every
one. This respondent has been the registrar
at said precinct for two years, and iB all
that time, while always holding his said
books open to inspection, he has always re-
fused persistently to allow copies to be made
OF the same, and he submits to the court
whether he Is compelled by law to allow
copies of the same to be made. This respon.
dent has already been applied to to allow
copies to be made since the election held in
this city on the I'd of November, 1875, and
he has refused permission to that person." :.
Judge Wexford expressed the opinion in
the course of the proceedings That registra'
tion-oooks are public records, and are open
to the voters either for inspection or copy.
ing at all reasonable hours. Mr.. Royal
acquiesced. l.,
By consent the petition was dismissed at
Colonel Knights cost. Mr.. Wise made an
appointment with Mr.. Sharpe to copy his
books this morning.
THE CASE OF MR.. Walden.
Mr.. Walden was summoned before the Po-
lice Justice on Saturday morning, and upon
making disappearance was required to give
five hundred dollars security to be present
"a witness on Thursday next, when the
cases of Messrs. MacdougaL Marxhausen,
and Morrison are TO be examined. Police
man Micbaels undertook for Dir. Walden. y
CoSvEYANeE OF REAL ESTATE FOR THE
WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6.-Lots fronting
80 feet on Washington street near Buchanan
for $50; ~ feet on e street, corner twenty
fifth.for $4,000; go feet on e street, corner
Third, for S12, 900 ). 1872 fee. on James street.
corner Cedar, and 1872 feet on BucnaDah
street, corner Cedar, for 1892; rs feet on
Pine street between Beverly and AloemarIe
for S572; 81 feet on alley between j. andsh
streets for S205; 50 feet on TWenty-frst
street between D and E, for. S2, 600; "a feet
on Seventeenth street near Washington for
81, ,O32; 81 feet on Locust alley between cf
street and Tobacco alley for $2,400; u
feet on D street, corner Virginia, for - QUO ;
an foot nm Cherry street for S420: s23 feet