Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-05-22
GOVERNOR O'FERRALL ON ALEX.
ANDRIA COUNTY.

AN LIMA SOO ~ L
A reporter accompanied Gov. OFFER
rail- to Mount Vernon yesterday on hi'
annual visit. The governor expressed
himself very fully in regard to the con,
dilion of affairs in Alexandria county
aud the means at hand for the suppress
sion of the gambling. Ia talking Of
the general lawlessness the governor
said: III am surprised at the members
of the Washington board of trade sup
posing that the governor of State had
the power to abate charters and fran
chises granted by the Legislature. II
certainly shows very great ignorance
on their part. 1 am ready and more
than anxious at any time" he said
"to suppress the whole business
whenever proper and sufficient eyl
dence is furnished me-"
"The people criticise me very freely,
but they have not seen my hand, [ am
constantly having detectives on the
ground, but can find no one that will &c
on the stand and testify. Why receive
anonymous letters every day telling me
of the vices and adding that the writers
were afraid to give their names for fear
of being killed or having their homes
burned out, and you know man
can't act on any such information as
that.
.'What would like is for the Wash
ington board of trade, now that they
have gotten into this matter, to furnish
sufficient evidence before grand jury
and I will extradite every man caught
by the Washington authorities. bring
him to Virginia and see that he gets
the fullest extent of the law and we
will take care of those caught in this
State"
In speaking of his having signed the
race track bill, the governor said: Il
did that at the request Of Senator
Mushbach, who urged upon me the ne
cessity ofsigningit saying that it would
wipe Jackson City out of existence,
and I was also of the opinion that there
would only be little racing in the
fall under the county fair auspices.
You know the story about fellows
foresight and hiudsight; we'll, that's
my case. It's done now, and we will
have to wait for the action of the next
legislature"
Speaking of criticisms made on &C.
count of the signing of the excise bill,
taking the licenses out of the County
Courts hands, Governor O'Ferrall
said 81 want it distinctly understood
that 1 signed that bill at the request Of
the Senator and delegates from Alexan-
dria county, and there was not the
slightest opposition 10 it presented to
me. 1t passed both branches of the
Legislature by unanimous vote.
What was l to do? / could not play
the one man rule, you know. l agree
with Judge Chichester fully in
believing that the county should not
have saloons, but when the people OF
the county come to me with their rep
resentatives, / must accede to their re-
quests, so long as they are not uncon-
stitutional."
Twill you send the militia out there
to clean them out?"
II would if it were necessary, but
they would clean them out one day,
and they would come back the next,
and, besides, there is no large mob of
men making depredations on the State,
and 1 could not send militia without
the sheriff needed them"
The Governor deprecates the fact of
the general lawlessness existing
throughout the county, and regrets
very much the publicity that has been
given the matter.
"Why," he said, there is just as
much if not more gambling going on in
Washington city rs in Alexandria
county, and they send all these toughs
over into the county, anyhow. Let the
authorities of Washington catch them
on their side of the river as the Alex
andria county officers are so thorough
ly inefficient, and, as I said, will ex-
tradite every man and prosecute them
on the evidence furnished by them"
The Governor is not opposed to the
racing of horses, but, on the contrary,
expressed himself as being rather fond
of it. He seemed a great deal sur
prised to know that the honesty of the
racing at the track in the county had
been questioned, and he was also sur.
prised to learn that foreign book was
operated at both tracks. "Why," he
said, "that is very clearly against the
law. l thought they only bet on the 1
races actually being run at the track.
That is clearly against the Mushbach
law as signed it.
II was assured that there would be
nothing of that kind when signed that
bill at the request Ex-senator Mushbach.
You KNOW" he added, II am not the
county constable, nor am l detective,
though the people of Washington seem
to think that l should prowl around
the race tracks aud other gambling
dens and hunt this evidence myself
But that, you know, is ridiculously alb
surd.
"You can say" he said, in conclusion,
that am bitterly opposed to this con.
tinued lawlessness, and shall leave no |
stone unturned in order that stop may |
be put to it. l have competent attor-
ney in Alexandria looking after the
matter, and as fast as arrests are made
the criminals will be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law. 1 don't intend
for the county of Alexapdria and this
glorious old State of ours to have the
finger of public scorn pointed at US any
longer"
The Governor, ia speaking of the
strike situation in Pocahontas, said: II
intend to keep troops at Pocahontas
until it is very clearly demonstrated