The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-20


of a United States court of the Western
Virginia district is growing in interest
and meets with the hearty approval of
the business mon Of the city. A TIMES
reporter interviewed more of; the law
yers on the subject yesterday, with the
following result:
Roy b. Smith, of the firm of Smith g.
King, said: The question of the hold :
ing of United States court in Roanok O
was first discussed by the Bar Associa
ton at the Montgomery White Sulphur
Springs two years ago." AS to the
practicability Of holding the court here
MIR. Smith said it might be we'll for the
bar to investigate the particulars con-
corning the workings of district court
and what the statutes are on tho sub
ject, and tho incentives which would
nave to be used as means of establish
ing it here.
'As regards it's effect on the city, it
would bring many people from the ad-
joining counties, who, when they be-
come acquainted, would patronize tho
stores and hotels of the city. If Gov.
eminent building was erected" he said :,
''it would be conducive to the holding of
a court in Roanoke"
@. Is. Moomaw, of the firm OF Moo
nav ~ Woods, was of the opinion that
all that had been said friendly to this
movement wa, indicative of sound pol.
icy, and that as Roanoke was so central
1t would be in closer touch with the
people of tho western counties Another
advantage would be tho aSsemblage Of
lawyers, witnesses, jurors and clients,
giving the city prominence it would not
Otherwise have; besides this it would
benefit tho home bar. as tho local law.
yers always get the lions share in any
court. Roanoke, he said, is tho most
accessible point in the Western dis.
trct
Thomas M. Wood said: "This is es-
sentially tho place for the United States
court. 1t Is the middle of the South
west, and it is too far for litigauts and
witnesses to go to Abingdon or Lynch
burg. This is really the me tropolis Of
all Southwest Virginia, and the United
States business from the surrounding
counties would be sufficient to amply
justify separate United States court
here"
Judge s. &. Williams said: 1.-THE con-
trail location, the great variety of bust
ness enterprises and the rapid growth
OF the city certainly point to Roanoke
as most desirable place for establish
ing United States court. There are
now more than forty lawyers here,
many of whom have good Libraries, with
a prospect OF very la ge general law
library being organized by tho bar of
the city. This would be of great aid to
the judges of the court and visiting at
torneys in tho proper discharge of their
duties connected with the courts. 1t
seems to me that every effort should be
made to hasten the erection of the
United States building, for which an
appropriation has already been made.
AS soon as this is done | think there
will be no difficulty in getting q court
established. Yet there is no reason
why court should not be established
before the erection of the building"
Judge w. 8. Gooch: From an
economic standpoint Roanoke is easily
better point for holding this court
than Lynchburg or Danville. A sitting
might be had here as compromise be.
tween the above named places" Judge
Gooch was chairman OF the legislative
committee of the board of trade, and
when plans for the government building
were being thought of :heir idea was TO
pre- vido room in the structure for the
holding of United States court.
lilo thought that litigants, wit.
nesses and other attendants on
these sittings would bring the
city into prominence. He also
advocated the building of the public
building as necessary TO the growing
want of the city.
L. w Miller said that he was of the
opinion that when the district attorney,
VIM e. Craig. was her re he said Judge
Paul was friendly to the holding of q
court in Roanoke. Mr.. Miller said
that an additional appropriation would
have to be made to secure the proper
room for such court and no thought
that there was no pressing necessity at
present for i is establishment.
Messrs. j. Alien Watts, w. A. Glas-
gov, Jr., and Lucien A Cooke, in sub
stance, said that for tho counties OF
Henry, Patrick, Floyd, Roanoke, Giles,
Botetourt Tazewell and tho Clinch Val.
10y, Roanoke would be most central
point, as people attending the present
court had first TO go to Radford and from
there to Abingdon, tho distance being
greater than to Roanoke. The holding
of a court here, on account of the geo
graphical location of the city, would
attract many people, and the compile
if properly built, be conducive 10 the
holding of United States court.
A. Blair Antrim: "In reference to the
location of the United States district
court in our city 1 will say that have
always though and have always said.
when approached in reference to this
matter, that Roanoke is admirably
adapted for this purpose on account of
its geographical location / think that
the public building would be great
help TO us in urging our claims for such
court and feel assured that Roanoke,
as city, would be greatly benefited"
Edward Lyle: This court would