Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-21
THE CHARGES GRAVE
Oflcer z. G. Lamkin Accused Of I'm
proper Use Of the Mails.
ALSO OF SEEKING A GIRLS RUIN.
Mis- Leila Lnyne Makes IA Serious
sfatement Before Commissioners
Peasants ana the Police Board
Arrested and Bailed.

Arrested and Bailed.
Mr.. z. @. Lamkin, one of the oldest
and best-known members Of the Rich
mond Police Department. who has for
several years been one OF the sanitary
officers of the city, has been arrested
on the charge OF sending an obscene
letter through the United States mails,
and has had the still graver accusa-
ton of attempting to entice the l6-year-
old daughter of Mr.. +. ID. Layne to
an immoral place. preferred against him
before the Board of Police Commission
ers.
officer LamkIn was bailed by United
States Commissioner Mclean Peasants
in the sum Of s1,Oc0 for his appearance
at noon to-day, upon the first charge,
and the Police Board spent five hours
last night investigating the second charge,
and adjourned over till O'Clock
Monday afternoon, to hear further evil
dence.
Mr.. IAyne resides at No. 321 north
Twenty-fourth street. and is a member
OF Mr.. Lamkin's street force, and the
officer had a number OF times gone to
Mr.. Layne's house, when the latter was
sick. to take his money on pay-days.
In this way Mr.. Lamkin is said to have
formed the acquaintance of the young
lady.
officer Lamkin stoutly denies that he
has ever written to the Layne girl at
all, and his friends assert II as their
belief that the Sanitary Inspector Is
being imposed upon, and will be fully
vindicated.
This is the first Instance in his long
period Of twenty years OF service on the
police force that Mr.. Lamkin has had
charges preferred against him before the
Police Board
BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER.
Mr.. Lamkin was arrested by Deputy
United States Marshal a. Janney Plea
SAINTS about 10 o'clock on Thursday
morning upon a warrant sworn out by
the girl, charging him with sending an
obscene letter through the mail. He was
at once taken before Commissioner
Pleasants, and partial preliminary ex-
animation was held, the accused being
balled in the sum Of 500. with Chief-of-
Police b. +. Howard az surety and the
case was continued until to-day at IL
O'Clock, when the United States District
Attorney, Hon. +. X. Lassiter. will be
present Although the young lady had
received five letters from the same per-
son. all save one OF which were signed
"A Good Fellow" the warrant was is
sued by Commissioner Peasants, be-
cause of letter No. 4. under the fede-
raj statute, which prescribes that com
munlcation sent through the mails by
a married man TO an unmarried woman,
having reference to a meeting for I'M
moral purposes, shall be construed to be
the improper use of the mails.
THE LETTER IN FULL.
Below is given Letter No. 4, which Is
postmarked "Richmond, Va, March II,
1886:
SATURDAY NIGHT.
Miss Lena.-I went at 7:45 O'clock 10
Twentieth and Marshall and waited un-
I'll S and after. Now, II you intend
TO be a friend. you meet me at o'clock
Monday. at Fourteenth and Broad, for
this is the last time / shall ask you. l
don't want to be fooled again. II you
want boys instead Of my friendship, that
II all right. You come. If you have to
STAY home from work, you shall be paid
for the weeks time Come sure; this
IA the last time 1 will ask you
YOUR FRIEND.
The following postscript was az the
bottom and top OF the epistle: Monday.
18th. 4 p. NJ; Fourteenth and Broad.
If YOU don't get this in time to answer
come. | will be at place, anyway. IN
the letter was a directed envelope, the
address being "Mr. A. Goodfellow. care
#. b. williams. corner Twenty-hrst ana
Marshall streets, city" Mr. Williams
81. or the named.
THE GIRLS STORY.
According TO the story told to Dis
match reporter last evening by the girls
rather. lust as soon as the letters were
received by his daughter she turned
tbe,n over TO him. and he concocted the
Mot TO trap the writer. When missive
No 4 reached the old gentleman's hands
he told the young lady that she must
meet the friend" and learn what he
wished. while he would have two men
close at hand TO witness what might
occur. Mr.. Layne selected Messrs. James
r. Thacker and Ike overly. and they
claim that they plainly saw Mr. Lamkin
meet Miss Layne at the appointed place
and time, that they passed the officer
and the girl twice. and that after Mr.
Jamkin had parted from the young lady,
he came over TO them and remarked: Il
hope your curiosity is satisfied"
Mr.. Lamkin, when speaking about this
matter TO Dispatch man last night
said il was true that he met the girl.
but that the meeting was purely acci-
dental. He remarked that he had known
Misc Layne for some time. and very
naturally chatted with her when he saw
her upon the street. The girl asserts that
officer Lamkin then and there urged her
TO 20 with him TO an immoral place, but
that she refused 10 do so. She says she
returned home and reported her ex-
perience TO her father with the result
already told.
BEFORE THE POLICE BOARD.
AT O'Clock last evening the Police
Board assembled in the Office Of the
Chief OF Police. the meeting having been
called by Mayor Taylor for the specific
purpose of examining into the charges
made to him as president OF the
board. by Mr.. Layne, against Officer
I,arnkin. Every member was present,
and the Mayor read the formal accu-
sation against Mr.. Lamkin, which set
forth that he had been guilty OF con-
duct unbecoming an officer and gentle
man. and asked that fpll inyestiga-
ton be made. Mr.. Layne, his daughter,
Messrs. James Thacker, and Ike OVERLY,
two boys named Bowery, and several
other witnesses for the young lady
were on hand, ana were alio"eu W
make statements before the board.
While representatives OF the press were
excluded II was ascertained that these
nersons gave testimony corroborating in
every reslaAt the story of the affair given
above.
The accused however, had a great
nuroher of witnesses, among them
Messrs. Joseph c. Dickerson. ex-president
~ she Board OF Aldermen; chief-of-
Police Howard: Hon. ID. c. Richardson.
DIR. w. T. Oppenhlmer, president OF