The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-31

ly afterwards Captain Guigon consulted
him about the same matter, after which
conversation he went to see the Common
! wealths Attorney. He told the company
that he as sheriff had no authority to APP
! point special policemen in view of the
strike, but that he was sure that Judge
TVickham would do so II he thought 1t
necessary. A day or two passed without
incident of speciai note. The first dis
order was the Guigon-Angle affair, on Sat
| urday, the goth. and as result of this
| disturbance he, on the advice of Judge
| Wickham, kept Angle away from the
| Reservoir, and the company kept Gulgon
away, so that there might be no repett-
| ton of the trouble.
| On the afternoon OF this day President
| Sitterding and Major Martin visited the
| courthouse and had a consultation with
| Judge Wickham. They asked for more
| police. and said that there was at that
| time mob, threatening and angry. at
| the Reservoir. The Judge sent Solomon
| out to communicate with Chief Ratcliffe
at the Reservoir with reference to the
| reported mob, and the chief stated that
| al. was quiet and peaceful there. which
| report the sheriff duly made to the Judge.
! Solomon then proposed to Judge WICK
| ham that he go out to the Reservoir HIM
self with him (solomon), see things first
hand, and thus set the rumors at rest.
TO this the Judge gave his assent When
they reached the Reservoir they found
everything quiet, and they afterwards
held a conference with Mr.. HUFF and other
officers OF the company. The question OF
running the cars on the next day-Sun-
day--when the strikers parade would be
held, came up, and the judge advised the
company not to run them, because II
mob gathered the county police would not
be able to protect the property Of the
company In this statement the sheriff
agreed and It was decided not to run
the cars on the next day. The sheriff de-
clared that the judge had said nothing
in his presence about the purchase of.
guns by the company and the arming Of
the company's guards. While they were
all there Judge Wickham went to the
'rhone and called up Mr.. Radcliffe. He
told the chief that he was entirely sat
isfed with his services, and he compli-
mented him and the men under him. me
sheriff was positive that he had said
nothing about his oath OF office. as de-
clarcd by Mr.. Wells one OF the witnesses
for the prosecution The gentlemen In
the crowd were very friendly, running
on and joking with one another, and he
might have said something about the fact
that while he was fooling with the COM
pany his opponent was out getting votes.
But If he did, he said it as 3 joke. He
was positive, however, that there was
nothing said about the oath. Any man..
he declared. would be a fool to make
| such statement as was attributed to
him by Mr.. Wells.
About the Military.
It was further stated by the witness
that at the conference held at the Reser-
volr that there was nothing whatsoever
said about calling out the troops. The
| first mention of the military was made
to him several days later-on the 20
| the day Mayor Taylor called for troops,
| and after the Mayor had made his appli-
| cation About o'clock in the afternoon
| Major Martin called him up over the tel
ephone and asked that he join with the
Mayor in calling out the troops This ne
declined to do, declaring that there was
no disorder In the county, and that untll
| the situation got beyond his control ne
| did not wish to have the soldiers there.
| Just as he left the jail office after TINS
| conversation with Major Martin he met
Mr.. Sitterdlng and Mr.. Wells, both OF
whom had come to the. courthouse 70
| ask him to call out the troops. To them
| he told the same thing he had told Major
Martin, and when Judge Wickham called
| him up short while after and said 1t
| might be wise to ask for military protec-
| ton, he told him also. Then he Went 10
| see Commemorative Attorney Sands. MI.
| sands told him he had done exactly right
and that he really had no right to call
for troops until he had exhausted all the
| resources at his command, and this had
| not been the case up to that time.
| On the next morning the Judge and
| the Sheriff held consultation. and Mr..
| solomon told Judge Wickllam that Mr..
Sands had endorsed the position he had
| taken. The CommonWealth's attorney
was sent for, and all three conferred
Judge Wickham agreed with the other
two that there was no disorder In the
county. and that from that point OF view
there was on need for troops. but he
thought that as the situation was really
one and that the soldiers had been
placed on duty In Richmond the same
had better be the case In the county. AT
least he thought there would be no harm
to arise from it. The sheriff told him
that the working people had no love for
the military, and that to call for troops
at that time would be like oDving red
flag in front OF bull. AS sheriff, he
had gone out and investigated the stu
alton and had consulted with everybody.
and he was positive that there was no
need for troops. When 1t became evil
dent that he could not handle the sltua-
ton he would ask for assistance. but not
before. That afternoon the Judge and
Mr.. Sands went to see the Governor.
Solomon started for the West End. but
before he REACHED there he received
phone message from the Governor. In
yiting him to call for the troops, following
the lead of the Mayor. Ha declined on
the grounds already stated.
The Shooting.
This was on the afternoon OF the gath.
| the day of the shooting. The sheriff. as
stated. was on his way to the West End.
During the day he had been asked by
Mr. Murray NJ. Mcclure to give the COM
pany two policemen for each car after
It left Lombardy Street. He replied that
this was Impossible. but that he would
give him one man each. and that he
would himself come out to look into the
matter He was now on his way out.
When he reached Lombardy and Main
he saw that the company had taken mat
tiers into Its own hands and had placed
on each car four of its own guards, armed
with uble-barrelled shotguns. He con-
cluded that there was. therefore. no need
for his men. whom he utilized in distribute
Ing about the place.