Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-31
THE PETITION FILED.
JUDGE MINOR, OF HENRlco, ASKED
TO ReIN5TATE MANY Al
LeesD VOTERS.
He WIN Hear Personal Appeals To-Day
and Two General Ones Are Fixed
for To-Morrow.

for Tomorrow.
Hon. Edmund G. Minor Of the Henrico
County Court. will sat to-day and to-mor-
row TO hear cases Of appeals made by al
legged voters to compel the registrars of the
county TO restore their names 20 the regis
tration-books.
To-day the Judge will only hear special
cases. where the persons claiming the right
Of suffrage appeal from the decisions Of
the registrars either in refusing to register
them or in striking their names from the
books.
Tomorrow the Court will only consider
! the two OF three general appeals that nave
| been taken from the action OF the regis
! trars. These embrace instances IN when
many petitioners unite in one petition set
ting forth their grievances and asking re-
| dress.
The hearings will take place each day at
| the county courthouse. commencing az II
| 4. NJ. and it is not unlikely that the taking
of testimony and hearing argument Will
consume more than two days. Both par.
| ties will be represented by counsel and
a large number of witnesses have been or.
/ deTed TO be summoned.
A CONVENIENCE HKID.
This matter was settled Yesterday at q
conference held in the Office Of Judge
Minor. in Skaters building. at which the
only persons present were the Judge. ex-
Judge Waddill representing the Repubii-
/ cans. Mr.. Conway K. Sands on behalf of
/ the Democrats (and himself their nominee
/ for the Senate. and "a reporter for the MS
( potcb
Il wan. % see You about these voters,
remarked judge Waddill 30 Judge Minor.
as he limped into the latter's Office, seated
/ himself. and cast q roll OF typewriter copy
/ down on the table. He asked Judge Minor
/ 10 permit him TO sit rather than stand. as he
was suffering from rheumatism. his re-
quest was Of course Willingly acceded 10.
Mr.. Sands had been notified that the mat
ter would be brought 20 the attention OF
the Judge at this time, and was therefore
III attendance.
TIE COMPLAINT.
Judge Waddll made q brief statement
| 10 the Court. In the first place, he SAID
I there are a large number of personal ap
pcals. which hc thought perhaps II would
/ be best to consider separate from the gen
cral ones from Smithers's and Jones's pre-
/ clncts These two. he said. were the most
important. and the ones upon which the
chief fight would be made.
The speaker complained that IN some IN
stances the registrars had acted arbitrarily
in refusing to sign q number of appeals
| When he (WaddilD was county Judge ht
always made II a rule ID set apart special
/ day 20 hear all complaints. whether writ
ten and signed or informally presented,
Auticipatiuc such q course as was pursued
on SATURDAY. he went TO the expense and
trouble to have blank forms printed, So
that those wishing 10 appeal could SIMPLY
fin these out and let the registrars sign
them.
NOTICE SERVED.
The speaker said that he had taken out
notices Yesterday morning To serve on the
registrars at Snithers's and Joncs's pre-
cincts hut found neither OF them present
He had left copy of the following With
the wife OF the registrar at the former
place:
70 j. r. Normcpf. registrar SnsithsfSs-NoTe Pfc
rinc,. HeHTiro C0uBfg:
Take notice. that we shall on this day, Wednes
day. October 30. 1899. move the Hon. J.. G. Minor'
Judge County Court Henrico county, at his once
IA -hefer binding Ia the city OF kcbmond, al
O'CLOCK T.. NJ. 20 grant us en appeal from your
notion in rem owing our names from the regaifa
on-boOks Of our yOting-precncts aforesaid anl
10 have our names reinstatei upon the sac
books you having so caused our names 10 be
struck from said books arbitrarily, Illegally. anC
Without any authority OF Law or precedent "hat
ever Respectfully CnAMBsaLAIs BosnER.
5. 4. CLAY, and others.
OctoJeras. Isso. BY counsel.
Judge Waddill at this juncture excused
himself and sent a messenger Tor horst
and buoy with which 10 scpd 10 serve the
notice on Mr.. Darlington, at JOness.
suTHrEs's PRECINCT.
Judge Waddnl here read the petition
conccrning Smitherss precinct. which Is
i fInnefaIl ltpnEl
Chris. Brown. Moses Booker, Jr., william
Brown. Griffin Bagby, ". II. Brown
Wash. Brooks Chambcrlaue BOsher, H.
Bel, George Burley, Moses Brooks, Jr.
s. A. CLAY. Rufus Gwathmey. J.. Hendcr
son. James II Jones, I. A, Roane, }. T.
Scott, and Robert Winston.
As TO TIE TIME.
Judge Minor suggested that FRIDAY
morning at IL o'clock st the county court
house be fixed as the time aud place tOI
the hearing. He said he would direct that
fhe REGISTRARS and such other witnesses ~
either side might wish and would furnish
him with the names Of be summoned by
that time.
not bc heard TO-DAY. He knew the time
intervening was short. but it was important
that the question should be settled a. soo1
as possible.
Mr.. Sands said he thought the witnesses
could hardly be summoned and the regis
trars prepare their answers before Friday
and the Court sustained him in this view
of the subject and designated this as the
time.
The LAW POINTS.
Judge Wadd Il very cheerfully accepted
the decision OF the Court. but suggested
tnat the leading law points might be ar
gued to-day so as 10 facllltate matters ~
much a. possible.
Mr.. Sands thought the evidence would
have to be heard before it could be ascer
tanned definitely what the leading questions
Of law will he.
After further informal discussion OF
the subject it was decided that such of the
personal appeals as are ready may be heard
to-day.
The papers submitted 10 the Judge were
handed TO Alr. Sands. and 1t was decided
that as soon as the notice had been served
on Registrar Darlington the Jones's Store
petition should also be handed TO him, Sc
that the answers may be prepared.
THE PETITION.
In opening their petition the slgners de-
clare that they are legally-Qualliled voters
TT the precinct, &c. ana add:
THAT under the color Of a statute Of Nir
cinia a bold, premeditated, ana deliberate ehOr
has been put Oh foot 20 disfrsnchise them, and
tnat the same has been carried oit. and viii
pro,e eGectual unless Though the lnieryentioi
or your Honor their rights shall be respected
end restored"
Following this the substance Of the law
regarding purging is given. The peti-
tiOners assert that their friends asked bOtl
the registrar and the Democratic managers
present 10 have the list. if there was auy
presented early in the morning to the enc
that the persons proposed to be disfran
chised might be sent for to defend then
rights; that in the event of failure 50 tc
do they should be forced to ask for con