The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-30
Rev. T. Benton Hill, of Newport
News, Starts Vigorous Crusade
ABOLITION OF THE CHANGING
This VIII Be the Q ,ject of the Move
ment Set Going by Treatment Re-
3 ceived by j. n. Hahn at the
Hands Of Commissioners.
lsoec1al Dispatch to The Times.o


NEWPORT NEWS. VA. Dec. %
Rev. T. Benton Hill. pastor OF the Bap-
fist Tabernacle. preached last night a
sensational sermon on the sweat-hoX, the
whipping-pos; and the Mayors declsion
in the Hahn case. j. IA. HAM. 1t VIII
be recalled, is the man who came here
several days ago from Norfolk, was at
rested as "a suspicious character. lock-
ed up nut In the sWeat-boX for seven
hours for refusing to work on the chain
gang and logged on the bare back the
following day for like rciractoiiness.
The preacher signed his name to the ap-
pncaslon for writ OF habeas corpus.
which was granted by Judge Barhan,
who ordered the prisoners permanent
release upon the ground that he had been
improperly detained in the first place.
The Mayor made an investigation in
which he found that the street commits
sioner was within the law in subJecting
Hahn to the sweat-box and the whip
ping, but censured the official for ms
;eeverity.
In his sermon Mr.. Fill bitterly de-
snounced the torture of the sweat-boX
and the degradation inflicted by the
lash, particularly In this case, when II
was shown that the man should never
have been arrested, much less made 10
suffer such ignominious punishment. MI.
Hill held that the Mayors action should
have gone further. LAT the street COM
missioner had exceeded his authority,
and had above all been guilty of brutal
sRnd uniustfable conduct.
: This Is the beginning of campaign
thnt has for its object the abolition of
the changing system, that has in some
ways been decided benefit to the CITY,
enabling the street department to do
much work that could not otherwise have
' nd at time
ideally rid1ing the city Of the tramp
nuisance. with which It was badly
pestered before the Changing was or
ganized- The opposition to the insti-
tuition is almost wholly from the labor
men. who, Of course, form the bulk OF
the population. The Central Labor Cl-lon
has already passed resolutions condemn
sng 1t.
CASE OF CRUMP.
An effort Is now being made to prove
that J. W. Crump. the young man ar
rested the other day with several torg-
cry charges against him, is mentally I'M
balanced. At the instance of the young
mans parents, commission of lunacy
was ordered The CruInps are charles
City people Of good family 4he two
bows w. A, and John w. Cru.np, lived
in Manchester. Va. for some time, but
came down here and went on the police
force, one as a regular o.-.cer, the other
as special. John got the position VI
1ailer under City Sergeant Miistead. W. y.
Crump eventually lost his position on
the police force on a charge OF lnsuhor-
d;nation Johns services were dispensed
with by MIR. Milstead for reasons not
given out, and the young man has be-
come more or less involved financially,
with the unfortunate result Stated.
A mass meeting Of citizens tonight
formally endorsed j. l.. Patton, presl-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce, foI
one of the Virginia commissioners to the
ST. Louis Exposition. The Executive Com
nittee of the Jamestown Exposition
Company has endorsed Mr.. Patton and
j. G. Tilton, of Norfolk.
LOST HIS MIND.
II IS stated that W. -. Hubbard, OF
xhe New York Journal Of Commerce and
Stock Bulletin has lost his mind as the
result of his experience several days ago
when he and four companions drifted
a storm and were rescued by the pilot
boat Relief, just off Cape Henry.
Elwood Iukens. an inmate of the Sol
x7;ers' Home, was dangerously hurt by
being thrown this morning from buggy
TO which was attached a runaway horse.
JIe will probably die.
Fire Chief W. x. Stowe was suspended
to-day by the Mayor anu Thomas F.
Stennett appointed acting chief. Stowe
IS sick and the ten days vacation allowed
him has expired The Mayor alleges
that this is the only reason for the sus-
pension.
A. J. Hammond, a merchant. was fined
ten dollars to-day for selling firearms to
a minor This is the first case Of the
sort in this city.