The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-15
FowLE, AND STEVENS. re
THE COMMITTEE HAVE 10 WAIT AGAIN
FOR AN IMPORTANT WITEEss-MR. HUE-
TEE NOT YET COME; TO T0WN-THE EDI-
.ToR OF THEsTATE JOURNAL SUMMONED
q BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. ~ East 4.

The House special committee appointed TO
ascertain the truth of the rumors In circula-
tion about Judge George Stevens, Of Nelson
county, in connection With the loss by
Delegate -Fowie of certain funds belonging
to the Montpelier Association, met at the
Capitol yesterday evening to hear the eyi.
dence or Mr.. . Alexander Hunter, of
Alexandria. y Mr.. Hunter lives in
Alexandria when he Is at home, but
is : now engaged = as reporter Ia
the gallery of the House Of Representa-
tiyes at Washington, and therefore cannot
be reached either by the processes Of the
committee or by Judge Guigon. a summons
10 attend the committee wss left at his resi-
dence in Alexandria, but he pays no atten-
ton to that. It is understood he will not
come TO Richmond unless his expenses are
paid. His testimony, it is thought, would
be VaIusble, as he recovered about half of
the Montpelier funds from Judge Stevens,
and, it Is said, received the confessions, or
rather statements, of both Fowie and Ste
vens as to the gambling transaction
The attention Of the committee was called
to an editorial article which appeared in yes
terday evenings Journal, headed 80 Testimo.
ny to Character" saying:
"No greater proof of the wretehedly low
average of the present Legislature could
have been given than the testimony OF MIR.
&. Whitehead to the character of the judi.
cial criminal now on trial before select com.
mitee of the House. .@s@
" It was gravely stated by this witness that
the Judge was in all respects very nice gen.
tlemdn, only that he bad bis ugly habit OF
gambling. a nice set of gentlemen are
these Nelson people, to be sure! The
facts that everybody knows are that
q few weeks ago this minister of justice
lived In celebrated gambling establish
.ment within q stones throw of Governor
kemper's chamber; that he entrapped In
his den weak young member of the Legis-
lature while in state of intoXication, and
won from him bonds that were held by him
only in sacred trust-=that this Judge was
bullied into disgorging his il.gotten gains,
and did disgorge part of, them on q CON-
promise. There is hardly sane man in the
State of Virginia who does not know and
believe these facts But when we come to
the official part of the business the witnesses
are all muses. and the committee become
fictions Of the Law, or blockheads.
"The torrent of evidence that has flooded
the State is filtered through the law into an
attenuated thread Of nothings, and practic.
ing lawyer Is brought for ward to whitewash,
to sustain, and fortify character that every.
body believed and now believes was abso'
lutely gone. t
'HIt is no doubt we'll that this case has been
SO clearly proved air ready before the people
of Virginia. 1t will afford the best opportu.
nifty to the whole State to see the true char.
acter>o of its General Assembly.
elf this man is acquitted, it will only dem
onstrate beyond a doubt the weakness, the
stupidity, and the miserably low character
of that body. We all know him to be guilty
| The Legislature all know it. But these mis-
called Conservatives, from their standpoint
aud with their spectac)es, viii turn him of
as . gentleman quite up to their standard
and possessing qualifications for the impor
tant position of Judge Of the County Cour
of Nelson. His specific gravity is the sane
as theirs, and SO he holds his own among
them. &. .......- .....fa. I'll .-g 7r....
"lt is to be hoped that every man of then
may be held to strict account.
| but this case is not yet before the Stat'
| in all its enormity, and it seems the piddlin!
committee is not likely to develop it. W.
have it from authority that ibis boaEder o
| Worsham Is an old hand at the business. /
is said that for fifteen or twenty years he ha
been familiar with legislative sports ant
pushed his trade to advantage, and that thl
| is notorious" ....... ...- .....
In concluding, the Journal requested th'
committee to call four gentlemen 1t namet
before them to tell of Stevens's past career
The committee ordered their clerk to sum
mon the four gentlemen, and also the edito
of the Journal, in order that they might OBJ
tain all possible information regarding Mr.
Stevens, and adjourned to meet at 9:3
O'Clock this morning. .