Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-14
NEGROES ENTER SUIT.
IT IS BROUGHT AGAINST TIE GOV
ERSoH AND 3: OTHERS.
sI'A|LAR SUIT IN NORFOLK
Claimed in Latter C:ty That 81

/. Claimed in Latter CITY That 81
4 Enn,cs OF Negroes We're Erased
/ from Rcgis!rntion List il, orc Pre-.
ci1ct, After the Registration !las;
f,ccn Closed.
/ Suit was entered yesterday afternoon
/ IL i1e Circuit Court Of the United States
/ for the Eastern District Of Virginia
4 against Governor Montague. all the mem
.yers or the Constitutional Convention VINO
/ vo>ed for the pToclaiming of the Const-
tuition IS the organic law Of the State,
1 who live in the Eastern District, and
against SIX others: tie latter beng con
ncctcd with the registration in jackson
/: Ward under the new Constitution.
e plaintiff Is Edgar Foe Lee (colo-ed)
and he is represented by James Hayes,
Of Richmond. ant! J. c. Garter, of Hall
/ fax, both negroes. John S. Wise is also
counsel Cor the plaintiff.
The defendants in the case are
John s Barbour, Joseph L. Bar
ham. Thomas II Eavnes Hill Car
ter william L. Cobb. william +.
Dunaway. Albert Fletcher. G. Taylor
Garnet James ". Gordon. r. Lindsay
Gordon, Roger Gregory L. y. Hardy.
Goodrich Hat on JOAN H. ingram. Clag-
;s-tt T. Jones, Glmor Kendall, John ".
Lawson. Richard Mcllwaine. Charles V.
Meredith. .!ohn Garland Pollard, jon
athan &. Richmond, George P. Tar
~. James &. T Thornton. Robert
Ttrnhril C. Harding Walker. J. NJ
Willis. jonathan woodhouse ard Andrew
J. Mentague. and the registration officers
James Il. Bradley John A. Haley. John
McIIaney. Charles P. Nichols Plus KEEL
ler. and Alfred otto
THE CHIEF lA-LEGATION
The chief allegation is that defendants
s!d unlawfulls combine and conspire to-
gethSr with sunG!E other persons VINO are
tot made parties TO this action because
they ara not residents Of this district to
subject O.: cause to be subjected. the
plaintiffs. citizens Of The United States
ana Virginia and lawful voters OF Eir-
Sina. 10 deprive them OF their rights to
vote and BY means of the coordination and
conspiracy aforesaid and in the manner
hereinafter described did. under co,
OF certain alleged ordinances, cor
stitution and schedules of the so-called
convention OF Virginia and the proclama-
C!oT Of defendant Andrew ]. Montague.
of Virginia. did suhject or cause 10 he
Subjected the plaintiffs to the deprivation
=
70 the deprivation OF their rights, prisl-
'sc5eS and iEnrEurities secu.e! to them as
citizens of the United States and Ia wifi
voters IN lie State of Virginia by the con-
stitut:on AMI laws.
The complaint fui',ne. :Tcites the fail
ura Of the defendants members Of the
convention. TO take the oath prescribed
by law. and says: Said convention did
rot become. ard never was. Lawful!
f1,I1 o,II n,j 1,;.n ar4,Ii, Ms ~,
void a-rl - 10 ar'nnt
DESIGN OF. COEsPIRATORs.,
Another clause says tina, the design
Of the said co1epirators both in the
framing of said Constitution and In the
Enactment Of said registration ordinance
as, contrary to law 10 deprive these
plaintiffs Of their rights privileges ano
nmunities secured by the Constitution
nd laws Of the United States and the
aviul Constitution Of Virginia then in
cree" The refusal Of the conven ton to
li3ili, The Constitution to popular vote
next recitcs!.
One paragraph is devoted especially to
Governor Montague. i says that the
said Andrew ]. Montague. well knowing
hat said constitution, schedules and or
tl;nancc were invalid. unlawful and in
violation of his oath of Office and of the
lights Of the plaintiff and Of others, law
full citizens Of the United States and citi-
salls and voters OF Virginia. did then and
there become q partS~to said conspiracy
and did make said proclamation and call
upon the people Of Virginia TO obey and
respect said constitution, schedules and
ordinances as the organic law Of the State;
whereby said ndrew j. Montague became
:, party TO said conspiracy and was and
is responsible for all damage sustained
by plaintiffs.
The amount Of damages asked is S. goo
and judgment is demanded against the
.efendants, collectively and seyerally for
tt,&t sum. with costs.
SUIT IN NORFOLK.
A similar suit was entered IN Norfolk
yesterday. This suit is brought in the
name OF Antony S. Primer, colored let
ter-carr:cr.
The complaint of Pnner besides the
.oregoir. allegations, includes sepa
rate and specific allegations TO the eff
feet that under the new registration law,
lvi co!ored men were registered in Hun
tersville precinct; that after the registra-
r:on~1he registrars made a new list and
cut off 81 colored men. including school
eachers. doctors, preachers, bushes. men
and taxpayers. 1t Is alleged that some
Of the persons so cut off are among the
most intelligent and best educated people
So~fa'1 ora Of them being :, distin-
guished coloied preacher"
: Ill-I. ANOTHER TO COME.
a like salt, it is said. will be entered
in the Circuit Court of the United States
for the Western District against nine
teen other members OF the Constitutional
Convention who reside in the Western
District
The defendants in this case will be:
Rufus A Ayers. William II. Boaz. Allen
Captcrton. John Thompson Brown, Pres
ton W. Campbell. David Q. Eggleston,
Basil T. Gordon. Bergman Green,
George ". Jones, James II. Lindsay. E.
H. Lowell, James Mundy. James w. Orr.
Richard S. Parks. Julian NJ. Quares. |
Joseph Stebbns a. c. Walter, Eugene
Vt -I1ala