The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-07
The Mayor and Two CounciImen
Among the Number,
CONTRACTORS AND ATTORNEY.
The Mayor and Councilmen Ask fox
Immediate Trial That Thcy May
Prove Their Complete Inno-
ceuce The Alleged Brides
Are i'll Connection With
Paving, Building, &c.
Especial Dispatch to Tho Timcs.)

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. Feb. 6.-The
grand jury to-day indicted Allan A Moss,
Mayor: ]. II. Hughes and Mark Nc
Iaughlin. Councilmen; Samuel r. Reyes
ter, of Richmond, attorney for the New,
port News Railway and Electric Com
pany; Philip NARROW, agent for a paving
company, and q. L. Smith. contractor,
for bribery and corruption in connection
with the awards of city contracts for
street paving bridge building and the
construction of the city Jail.
THE SPECIFIED CHARGES
The grand jury held two sessions to-day
and at 12:45 o'clock made q partial re-
port. indicting Mayor a. A. Moss for ac-
ccpting Il l,iibe: Councilman j. L. Hughes
for accepting a bribe; Samuel feSester,
OF Richmond, Va, counsel for the New
port News and Old Point Railway ana
Electric Company, for offering a b11pe'
Councilman Mark Mclaughlin 1or ac-
cepting bribe.
TWO MORE INDICTMENTS.
The grand jury at G:2o o'clock this al-
terIloon returned two more indictments,
making six to date. One was against b.
+. Smith, of Washington, ID. G., bridge
contractor, charged with Offering brlbe
of $50 to former Councilman B. b Corey
for his vote on the Jail contract October>
18th. 1895.
The other is against Philip NARROW,
arrisge-,naker, who. acting as agent Tor
T. vitritied brick company, is charged
with offering Councilman Burcher, on
April lst, 1900, a bribe of $1,000.
THE ALLEGED BRIBEs.
The indictments which were found this
morning make the following SPECIFIC
charges: Mayor A. a. Moss, on October
9TH, 1898, accepted $500 from B. r. smith,
lhe jaiI contractor, for his influence III
securing the jail contract CouhcllI'laH llna d.
f Hughes on December 18th. lS9S. ac-
cepted $500 from Samuel r. Register TO
influence his vote for the contract
Tor the Twenty-iifth and Thirty
fourth Street bridges over the chesapeake
and Ohio. Councilman Mark McLanSh-
lin. on December 10Th, accepted $500 from
Samuel REGISTER to influence his vote
for the contract for the Twenty-tifth and
Thirtv-fourth-Street bridges. Samuel Re
eester on November Goth, offered Sioo TO
r. E. Mountcastle to influence his vote
for the contract for lighting streets ana
highways of the city.
DECLARE INNOCENCE.
Mayor Moss and Councilmen Hughes
and Mclaughlin presented themselves at
the courthouse Immediately upon hearing
OF the indictments, but no formailties
We're. gone through with. They will be
;,rraigned before the Police Court in the
morning. the charge being mlsdemeailol,
punishable, if proven. with a year IN jail
and a fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars.
II can be stated for these three that
they ask for an early trial, promise to
:,roye their complete innocence and VIII
not avail themselves OF the statute OF
Limitation
The other three have not been heard
5l,Ns .lt El Ct hal
n dozen more indictments viii be found
to-morrow.
The action Of the Newport News grand
iury. so far as it relates to Mr. REGISTER.
was great surprise poth 10 LA. seilie-
man and to his friends. Mr.. REGISTER
was in North Carolina yesterday on other
business. He was seen by a Times writer
,,pon his return last night, but said he
was tired from travelling and did not care
TO make any statement. He added that
this whole matter was tight between
two street railway companies.
1T is all spite work, said Mr.. w. 7.
Moss brother of Mayor Moss, at the JEFF
ferson last night. The grand jury has
indicted my brother upon old charges.
The statute Of limitation would bar his
being convicted. He will not plead it.
however He wants a full investigation.
1t has all been threshed over. He went
before the people after the charges We're
made. and despite everything. was elect
ed bv the biggest majority he ever re-
cetyed 1t is my opinion that these
charges We're brought against my brother
in order to influence the Supreme Court
in its decision in the case submitted OF
briefs yesterday, and which may be de-
cided Tomorrow. The idea'