The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-16

a
Der. 1870. Mr. y. j. Mcdowell asked me /
would accept "a place as guard at th'
Oakwood Cemetery. ! consented TO do so
He promised that + should hear from hin
in day or two; that = g "ouio put GuaTt
there. Respectfully,
w. n. SMITH, T24 ,Vest Clay street.
fIt will be observed that the certificate l.
dated IN JANUARY. 1879, and i eiers TO an oc
currence that took place loGa alterWard>.
ANOTHER DENIAL.
Mr.. Smith again denied emphat 'cally thai
a guard had ever been offered him .elther Dy
intima'ion or otherwise.
Mr.. Mcdowell then went on to sb, Dy
his questions and from Mr.. Smiths rel 'ort'
Of interments that there could not b. we
been as many as forty bodies taken up, "a.
he (Smitb) had published. but that he hat
reported twenty-thTee bodies taken up more
than had been disturbed.
TO this Mr.. Smith replied that he thought
IL better 10 have stated the facts, aS he had
stated what he believed to be the facts.
Mr.. Mcdowell then asked him what OBJ
ject he had in reporting twenty more
bodies stolen than had been buried; TO
which Mr. Smith replied that he had not so
reported; but he had stated he thought
about forty had been taken up.
THREE ROBBERIES IN ONE WEEK.
Mr.. Mcdowell: You say, Mr.. Smith, in
your letter TO me that the thieves visited
the cemetery three times in one week.
Now. do YOU not think, actiug under res.
olution of the committee, that il YOU had
done your duty on that occasion that you
could have caught the thieves? [rhe reso-
luuon adopted by the committee and here
tot ~ hero
Mr.. Smith, in reply. said he had perform
ed his duties faithfully, including watching
at night. but failed TO detect anything 60
ing on wrong in regard to body-illing, de-
predating, or any injury done to the cemc-
terry.
At this point Mr.. Smith had read recent
report from the Board Of Aldermen, made
by the Cemetery Committee, eulogiZing
Mr.. Smith and endorsing his conduct as
keeper of tie cemetery.
The investigation was continued, and in
reply to questions Mr.. Smith stated that the
bodies were stolen az fast as they were
buried that he had three hands employed
there in the daytime, but they were not
empioved for nlght-work, and therefore he
could not Use them for nlghi-watching, as
the cemetery day-work would have TO be
stopped il they were, and he had no al.
thOrity TO employ more hands.
THE SHOCKOE-HlLL CEMETERY-KEEPER.
Mr. Charles p. Bigger, keeper Of Shockoe-
Hill Cemetery, was next introduced and
questioned by Mr.. Mcdowell 10 show that
had the graves in Shockoe.IIil Cemetery
been rotbed he would have taken steps TO
break it up and then reported the c. Sc TO
the chairman.
Mr.. B. r. August, secretary Of the COM
mittee, was also examined.
THE SECRETARY ON TIE STAND.
Mr.. b. T. August, secretary Of the Com
mittce on Cemeteries, was next put upon
the stand and questioned by the chairman
and Mr.. Kelly TO show that Mr. Smith, the
keeper Of UakwoOd, had always been pre-
sent at the committee meetings, and that his
(Smith's; suggestions had always been fa-
yorably cons dered by the committee. 1t
was brought out in thc course OF his exam.
inatiOn that the committee was always well
attended, that the records were complete
and comprehensive, that the committee
were Jealous and careful, and that the re-
cord showed that they had passed reSolu-
tiOn for the protection OF the graves in Oak
wood.
THE PAUPERs' GRAVES.
Mr.. Mcdowell stated that Mr.. Smith had
done him injustice at the last meeting III
suppOsing that he meant to convey the ldea
that because the graves robbed were The
graves of pauperS that it was proper and
right that they should be robbed in prefer
ence TO the graves Of other persons. What
he meant was that as they (tne paupers) had
put themselves upon the charity OF the city,
and being buried in the PotterS fed, 1t
was more likely that that class OF graves
should be robbed than persons buried in
any her lOcaljty-nOt that he sanctioned
the robberies, but only as matter OF opin-
ion he thought that graves in the Potter's
! field would he robbed first.
THE COMMITTEE QUESTIONED.
The next step in the proceedings was Mr.
Smiths questions piled to the committee,
| the first OF which was whether The keeper
has the right 10 employ labor in any ca
pacity, 10 which Mr.. Mcdowell replied that
under the instructions Of the committee III
the resolution OF December %, 1873, the
! keeper would have been authorized 20 en-
! ploy extra help or labor. His action would
have been approved by the committee. IN
answer to other questions Mr.. Mcdowell
replied that at the suggestion OF two
members he had engaged guard, but
| bad not put him on because Mr.. Smith
/
| TO the robberies; that he had never called
the committee together TO consider the re-
port for the reason that the keeper said he
did not need one then (which the Keeper
denies1. Further, the chairman replied that
| he believed the keeper had ample authority
| to employ guard or to prevent the robbie
/ res in any other way. These questions ell
cited nothing new.
EFT CFTERA.
| Several times during the examination OF
| MIR. Smith he told Mr. Mcdowell that he
knew he meant to put this thing upon him If
he could: but lie was satisfied that he had re-
! Dorted the rObberies to the chairman. Mr..
! Mcdowell. on the other hand, told him be
did not propose 10 put anything more upon
him than the facts justified.
MIR. Smiths deuialS 10 the statements OF
| the chairman in regard 10 some questions
drew from Mr.. Mcdowell the remark that
he saw no Use III going on further, aS ne
! Smith would not say what was true about
! this matter.
Mr.. Smith vehemently repelled such an
! insmuatOn, and said he would not allow
| Mr.. Mcdowell or any other man to say so.
| He was as honorable Is any living man,
and merely wanted TO have square and
fair investigation; that lie wanted 10 get at
| the truth of this matter, and he meant to
| be perfecily straightforward throughout
the whole aiiair.
MIR. Mcdowell suggested, in reply, that
there was way to settle that matter.
Shortly before midnight the committee
having completed their investigation adj
ionrnel until Mr.. Lipscomb's health will
hermit him TO attend at which time they
will take final action in the premises.