Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-29
THE POLITICAL CASES.
REPUBLICANS STILL PRODUCING THEIR
TESTIMONY.
After Awhile. However. We will Show that
Challenging Illegal Voters 10 Duty.
Not Crime.


Pleasants at the United States Courtroom
yesterday morning at II o'clock.
Mr.. Floyd Hughes, OF Norfolk, son OF
Hon. Robert w. Hughes, appeared as coun.
sci for the cOmpanants and Messrs. c. V.
Meredith and Meade Uaskins represented
the defendants.
II was agreed between counsel that the
cases should be called by precincts. 9nd
therefore the charges against Messrs. Preston
'Belyn and II. NJ. Smith, Jr., challengers,
and Il. G.. Cot,re, Judge, was first aiken
| up.
Few persons were present except those
| Interested in the proceedings a. counsel,
| witnesses, or otherwise, out tbcse lnaue
| quite "A large gathering.
The examination was conducted In Com
missioner Pessants'' room on the second
/ floor Of the building.
The POTL-BoOKs.
| Soon after the matter was taken up Mr..
! Hughes asked the Commissioner 10 send
/ for the poll.books held in the custody OF
! the clerk OF the Hastings Court T. be used
| during the investigation. The deputy mar
I sbal was sent for them. Mr. Lawton, the
/ clerk, refused to allow the books t) 20 out
| OF his possession, but he himself carried the
/ books before the Commissioner and stated
| that he was willing At any time to give any
assistance In his power.
! Mr.. Lawton was excused. but he Will he
| called hereafter to give certain information
which can only be obtained from the books
/ In his charge.
THE FIRST WINES.
II was about noon when Lewis Stewart,
| the first witness, VINO liyes at S33 west Leigh
! street, was put on the stand.
Witness sad Mr.. Belyin, who reached the
precinct about the time the polls opened. took
| half the window most OF the time, and some
/ times al OF it. Mr.. HeiYIn challenged the
first voter who offered, and his conduct was
such that witness appealed to Mr.. Duncan,
! the supervisor, who threatened Mr.. Belvln's
| arrest All kinds of questions were asked,
and Mr.. Coltrei, who put The ballots In the
! box, would frequently hold them until Mr..
| Beyin could look over HE disfranchised list
! 10 see If he could find there the name Of the
| person Offering TO vote. The delay, the wit
| ness said, was such That three minutes was
consumed for every voter who was chal-
| lcn0ed. COttrel would ask the voters what
| kind Of tickets they had-wnether they
wanted TO vote on the question OF consuS
tuti0nal convention, and whether they would
like 10 have the proposition explained 10
! them.
Witness said Messrs Smith and Belvin ad-
yised the voters to bave the law concerning
the constitutional vote read to them 10y the
Judges, and one voter who did not under
stand the law had IT read twice.
The evidence OF George Minis (cOlOred)
showed that he was registered rs living at
Gl3 Kenncy street, whereas he had moved
from there some time ago to 1926 Boyd
street. The discrepancy In the figures eX-
plains why Minis was subjected 10 such
rigid questioning by the challengers.
RESULT OF CHALLENGING.
Mr.. A. c. Rockecharlie, who spent almost
the entire day at this precinct. was next eX-
amined He said II took three or four MIN
utes 10 vote a man where the Law concerning
the constitution vote was read. Mr.. R0cke.
charlie further gave 4 list. as far As be could
remember, OF those who were challenged
and the grounds upon which their right TO
vote was questioned. William Brown
was challenged by Belyin because his
name was not on the REGISTRATION book,
and he was rejected; W. III. Massey.
challenged by Smith and Belvip because the
number at which be claimed to reside and
the number on the regstratiOn-bOOks did
not correspond, did not ask 10 he sworn, and
he was rejected. MOst Of the others whom
the witness recalled voted. Witness hsd
book containing memoranda Of persons
challenged. These references, he said, were
transcribed from original notes made on
envelopes and other papers on the day Of
election. Counsel objected 10 his referring
10 the notebook, aud the commissioner said
he had rather have general testimony from
memory.
SUPERVISOR DUNCAN.
Perhaps the most interesting testimony
gwen at all during the day WAS that Of
George Duncan, who was the supervisor at
this precinct. lie said there wss delay OF
five minutes when the poll opened on &C.
count Of some question about the Use Of the
ballOt-box offered; that only two persons
voted in the next five minutes; that va
rious questions which he considered
irrelevant were asked; that Cottrell
would dily-dally with the ticket while
Belyin looked for names on the disqualified
list. The worst allegation made against Mr..
| smith was as to the case OF Robert Robert
son. given as residing at AOS west Duyal
street. On the disqualified list appeared the
name Of Robert Robinson. Nr. smith in-
sisted on the similarity Of the names,
and five minutes was thus consumed.
| Robertson voted. Witness further claimed
| that Messrs. Smith and BelYin consumed
time by asking unnecessary questions, and
that Mr.. Cotlrell Killed time asking voters
| ton. Sometimes one minute was thus
wasted and sometimes more. About thirty
white voters consumed two and half mln-
utes each, and il Smith aud Belyin had toe
right to challenge on the similarity OF names
they could have cut the vote down 10 one
half OF what il was.
witness spoke OF Messrs. Belvin and
smith as the Two DromiOs."
OTHER WITNESSES.
The other witnesses examined yesterday
were James Childress, Charles Robinson. W.
HI. Tillman, Robert Dabney, w. X. Lo-
max, and II. G. stokes. Their evidence was
Of the same general tenor as that gwen
above.
Several OF the witnesses when asked by
the Commissioner the direct question whether
they knew OF any unnecessary delay or him
drance that either OF the accused gentlemen
had caused had either TO reply IN an eyaslye
manner or admit that nothing was done but
TO challenge voters.
AT hsli.past O'Clock the examination was
adjourned uuul this morning at 10 O'Clock.
There are four or five more witnesses TO
be examined for the prosecution.
TIE wADDILL DISPOSITIONS.
The taking OF depostious for Judge Wad-
dill was continued all day yesterday by the
four notaries who have been engaged in the
work for several days The proceedings
were as monotonous IS on the previous
days.
Captain Wise was notified yesterday after
noon that two more notaries will be engaged
to-day -one in the Office OF Edgar Allan.
Esq, and the other at Mr.. I. Hill MOnta-
gue's office.
The Mozart Musicale Tonight
There will be special musicale to>night,
at which the rules governing admission to
all Mozart musicales will apply, and men,
| bers will be admitted as usual on presenta-
tion OF their membership ticket. The pro-
gramme will be as follows:
Part LII. Sonato Appassonata, Op. 81,
! Allegro, Andante con motto, Allegro, presto