Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-24
TO TRY MR.. F0LKES.
COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THE
CHARGES Is AT WORK.
ACCUSED SERVED WITH A SUMMONS,
He Is Instructed to Appear Before
the Court-MartinI Monday Night
Judge II. II. IL. Wright Declines IN
Serve on the Veteran Committee.

The committee Of Sons of Veterans to
whom were referred the charges of i'm
proper conduct preferred against Com
mander Minetree Folkes, of Lee Camp.
Sons of Confederate Veterans. Monday
night, met last night in the office of Mr..
| Thomas w. Gardiner. corner of Eleventh
and Bank streets, and sat until some time
after midnight.
| They devoted their time to reviewing
! the evidence which was adduced before
the investigating committee and made
numerous abstracts therefrom. Their
| conception Of the duty assigned them is
| to ascertain from the evidence in hand
| whether or not the charges and specif-
| cations preferred against Mr.. Folkes are
| founded on facts and to report the result
Of their labors to the camp when 1t re-
solves itself into court-martiaL
They are sitting, in other words as a
grand jury, and will, by their report, rem
der either a true bill or not a true bill
TO the court of final judgment. The abb
stracts they are making are not for sub
I mission to the camp unless ii be necessary
| for them to substantiate their findings,
when, Of course, these will be introduced.
The committee will make no recommen-
| dations to the camp. This they deem TO
be beyond their province. They will sim
ply pass upon the innocence or guilt of
| the accused, and will leave it for the court
martial to say what, If any, his punish
ment shall be.
THE SUMMONS SERVED.
The constitution Of the camp provides
that when a member is to be tried by
martial law he shall receive at least six
days notice thereof. and in order to be
able to proceed with the trial Monday
night it was necessary that notice should
be given Mr. Folkes yesterday. Accord
ingly Mr.. j. NJ. NJ. Gregory secretary Of
the committee, served a warrant or sum-
mons on him yesterday morning, inform
ing him in detail of the charges alleged
against him and ordering him TO present
himself before the camp Monday nlgnt
and make answer to them.
Mr.. Folkes received the summons, but
gave no information as to what his ac-
tons will be. He was seen also by a
Dispatch man and asked II he would ap-
pear either in person or by counsel, but
said he could say nothing now. The con-
stitution permits him to testify in MS
own behalf and to have counsel or To
plead his own cause, as he may elect. II
is presumed that he will be present 10
testify, and it is more than likely that
Captain George ID. Wise will be on hand
to conduct his defence. Captain A. b.
Guigon will probably act as judge-advo-
cate of the court.
Judge Wright Also Declines.
Judge r. r. y. Wright, who was APP
pointed on the Veteran Investigating
Committee on the recommendation of Lee
EHtZUQTql1
who declined to serve, has also sent in
his declination, which was conveyed In
the following telegram:
Tappahannock, Va, November q, 1897.
Captain Thomas Elicit, Acknowledgement,
Richmond. Va:
/ feel very grateful for the high honor
and am intensely interested in the mat
ter, but my pressing official engagements
force me to decline. T. r. B. WRIGHT.
This leaves still a vacancy on the COM
mittee, and when Lee Camp meets again
Friday night it will have to recommend
some one else. Who this some one VIII De
is as yet a matter for speculation.