Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-26
DID HE GET LETTERS?
This the Most Important Question In
0lleer Lamkin'S Case.
Two MAIL CARRIERS TO TESTIFY.
They Are Expected 10 Tell Whether
They Made Amy Deliveries 20 sani-
tors DON'T Think Letters Obscene.

Until the grand jury OF the United
States court decides the case of SAM
tary-Inspector H. G. Lamkin, charged
with sending obscene letters through the
mails TO Miss Lena Layne. that officer
will remain suspended from the Police
Department.
The Police Board has asked that Mayor
Taylor shall not call a meeting Of that
body TO consider the Lamkin case until
the grand Jury has taken action upon 1t.
The grand jury will meet on Monday,
April 9th, and the following witnesses,
with. possibly, one or two others. will be
summoned to appear before the body:
+. ID. Layne, Isaac overly, James +.
Thacker, and Percy Bowry.
DID HE GET THE LETTER?
IT IS the general impression that Mr..
Robert Curtis. the letter-carrier who de-
livers the mail on the route in which Mr..
Layne's residence Is located. will prove
20 be by far the most important witness
in the case. He is expected TO testify as
10 the delivery of letters at the girls
home. and also whether he handed Officer
Lamkin one of the two notes written by
Miss Layne. and addressed TO "A. Good
fellow. care T. b. Williams. Twenty-first
and Marshall streets" Mr.. Curtis refused
10 testify before the Police Board without
first consulting Postmaster Cullingworth.
but there will be no question about his
right 10 appear before the grand jury as
a witness. 1t IS understood that he will
also tell the police commissioners what
he knows about the case in the event that
he is called again, as he has talked the
a ar uHtfh fln yaE ngfa ETY.
the last meeting.
Mr.. Bowry is a substitute carrier, and
what he says may also be of special in
terest. IL is said on the street that he
was requested to see what man appeared
at the place designated In one of the
notes asking Miss Layne TO meet the
writer. and that his observation viii be
used by the prosecution as a circumstance
tending TO prove that the accused did
write the letter in question
DID NOT GET LETTERS.
There is absolutely no proof that Officer
Lamkin received any letters AT Williams
drugstore addressed to "a. Goodfellow. -
or TO anybody else. unless IL can be es-
tablished by one OF the two carriers that
such missives were delivered. Mr.. VIII
liams. his son, and his clerk, the only
three persons who stay in the drugstore.
assert that the officer has not called for
or gotten any communications there This
fact was stated before the Police Board.
and the younger Mr.. Williams told a
Dispatch reporter last night that all three
were certain on this point. In answer to
further questions. Mr.. Williams said Off
cerd Lamkin was not a frequent visitor
70 the store. He has rarely called there
OF late, unless TO send a phone message
or something of the sort.
WERE THEY OBSCENE LETTERS?
The first question 20 be passed upon by
the grand jury, and the only one that
was considered by Commissioner Pleas
ants, Is whether the letters received by
Miss Layne come within the purview Of
the law prohibiting the sending OF certain
class OF matter through the mails.
Counsel differed on this question, and
Mr. Peasants decided to let the grand
jury construe the statute bearing on the
matter. Two post-oflice inspectors. who
were I'm the city yesterday. are quoted as
saying that, I'm their opinion. the letters
which were printed I'm yesterdays Dis
patch cannot be classed as obscene.