Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-23
rup SITUATION IN WARWICK.
An Explanation Touching the Crimi
nal Expenses OF the County.

nal Expenses OF the county
10 the Editor of the Dispatch:
In the Sunday issue Of your paper re-
bort appears Of the committee appointed
Nv the General Assembly to investigate
ne criminal expenses of the several coun-
ses. The county OF Warwick seems to
ave had special attention paid her' ana
rom their report the committee were NOT
ionversant with reference to the position
III this little unoffending county. HAD
they been more fully advised as TO the
locality and circumstances surrounding
he case they no doubt would have made
, far different report from the one re-
,erred TO. That those who are not con-
fersant with reference TO her situation
nay be able TO understand this article
Is written.
Up to the year 1896 the county of War
wick had no troubles of her own. After
hat time they came on thick and fast'
and why? The city Of Newport News
Was at the time above mentioned incor-
,orated bringing about state OF az
lairs unprecedented in the history OF any
county in this State. In that year the
;ity took all the records of the County
Court of Warwick, and by an act of the
General Assembly placed them i'm the
custody Of the Clerk, leaving the county
If Warwick with no records in the Clerk
office VI the county; and when the pres
mt Judge was placed on the bench or the
County Court ne was without a single
,ecord and there is no doubt but what
he gentlemen who composed the COM
nittee referred TO will be called upon 10
egislate along the line above indicated.
L should also be remembered that the
I'D records that belonged to the county
IF Warwick are fifteen miles distant from
he county courthouse, therefore making
impossible for the Judge Of the County
court TO examine them. The city of New
bort News IS well advertised, as sne
should be- which induces many laborers
% visit her borders, and the morals OF
such a class that perform the work OF a
rapport town are not different from cities
Af like situation. Nine-tenths of these
people referred TO above live i'm the coun-
" of Warwick in a place called Blood
seld." That the place is well named the
criminal expenses of the county in ques-
don will show; and had the gentlemen
Who made the report above referred TO
aave had an opportunity to view the
situation as II is they would not have
wondered at what they termed excessive
criminal expenses. Now as TO the com
nittee's report; let us see what there is
u
committed / think l have Shown that
With such a class of people as live In
Bloodfeld nothing else could be expected
md, further, there IS a question OF law
involved in the first section OF their re-
port which no doubt these very legisla-
tors will be called upon TO look into. The
Iecond section OF their report is explained
N fun by the record In the office of the
Auditor Of Public Accounts and had the
committee referred TO the report Of the
County Clerk n question, which report Is
bn file I'm the Auditors office no doubt
hey would have left this section out
rhe only negligence that the Clerk was
tuIlty of was IN allowing the state OF
Virginia to hold his money for iongel
line than is the custom Of clerks to do
rhe Auditor referred to, together witt
ais assistants have made careful ex
animation Of the above charge from thu
records on file I'm that office. and have
promised TO enlghten the committee a
heir meeting TO be held some time atte
The holidays In fact, in nearly every
sharge they made against the officials o
he county of Warwick the records OF
sle In the Auditors Office will explain.