Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-10
UNFIT FOR OFFICE
rvEnpISG CHARGES AGAINST
srpcE CAMPBELL, or AMHERST.
CHARGES,
AGAINST.
TEXT OF THE. SPECIFICATION,
VI. .een.er. Declare That he Hn.
rrostitutea the Progress. OF hi.
oeurt-Ho1,nes Conrad i. to APP
pear for the Defendant.

pear for the Defendant.
Charges and specifications in the case
Of Judge Campbell have been formulated
Tor presentation te The general assembly
sy tho committee appointed for the pur.
pose.
The charges and specifications are SUP.
United in support OF petitions heretofore
forwarded by the bars Of Amherst, Lrncn.
burg and Nelson.
TEXT OF SPECIFICATIONS.
They are as follows:
To the General Assembly@of Virginia.
IN supplement to the memorials here
toforc presented to the legislature of
Virginia, praying an investigation of the
official conduct of C. J. Campbell. as
i1ace Of the county court OF Amherst
and Specifications Of. the official 1niscon-
60ct Of .rne said. Campbell, are respect
fully submitted TO your honorable body.
2IRST
That the said c: J. Campbell conducted
his canvass for election to the house Of
delegates for the county of Amherst in
the summer and fall Of 1897. upon the
6eceitfri assurance TO. Judge William Dill
lard. then judge of the said county for
e!Shteeu years consecutivelv, and to the
friends Of Judge billiard, that he. the said
Campbell, would. If elected, favor the re-
election of the said billiard as judge of
the county court of Amherst. But the
said Campbell. after his election to the
tolise OF delegates as aforesaid, under
took to have himself selected by the leg
tslature as Judge Of the county court of
Amherst in the room and stead Of the
said Dillard. And finding himself foiled
II The accomplishment Of his purpose
Aforesaid. he entered into a compact with
his couasin. Bently 3. Campbell, by
-ghicb he the said c. J. Campbell, as
delegate from the county Of Amherst,
you'd nominate the said Bently B. Camp
bsn TO the legislature for the said Judge
Fbip (Which. as is well known. would be
End was equivalent 10 electjon) provided,
that at the expiration Of the first year
II the service as such judge, the said
Rently B. Campbell would resign the
taid 3udeeship, With a view to the said
c J. Campbell's securing the appointment
to said judgeship by the Governor; and
all Of this was accordingly SO done. the
appontment CT the said c. ). Campbell
by th= Governor Of Virginia have been
procured in not haste. ard through mis-
representations to the Governor.
SECOND.
That While thus occupying the Office
Of the judgeship of the county court Of
Amherst. what is known as the AM
herst Courthouse raagisterial district OF
said county. adopted the local option
Law. ana With. the knowledge and con-
T7ivance of the said. C. u Campbell, the
iiiicft sale Of liquor was conducted IN
the said district. and the .proprietors and
patrons Of the said illicit traffic became
friends nd CllpDOTI-
crs Of the said C. ]. Campbe;l, in all
electors that might in any wise affect
the said C. J. Campbell, and prominently
In the canvass Of the summer and fall
Of 1889, when r. e. Ware was the can
didate before the Democratic. primary.
avGHcdly in favor of the reelection OF
said c. T. Campbell as judge.nf the coun-
IN court ei- Aulhers. county. the said
Campbell himself tnHingstheE most active
part in the said canvass, making speech
es in his own behalf at every precinct IN
the county. That the, result was the
election of ths said Ware to the house
of delegates Of Virginia. and the nonlf-
Haiion Of. the said ca Campbell by inc
said Ware. and OF course. the reelection
Of said Campbell as judge of the county
COURT Of Amherst.
That the said c.. j. Campbell has been
derelict. IN the discharge Of his official
duty as Judge Of said court, In failing to
inquire into and have Investigated viola
lions OF the local option law as adopted
II! the said nagisterial district OF AM
kerEt CoUrthouse-in one instance espe-
eiallE.hiS attention having been called TO
the fact that certain jurors OF the said
court while in the jury room had sent
out and purchased liquor in the said VII
lase Of Amherst Courthouse, wherein &c
said local option law applied and should
nave been enforced
nevertheless, though the man who
bought the whiskey and furnished it to
the jury testified in open court that he
bought it down the street" the said
Campbell did not ask him where or from,
whatever 10 check the open, notorious
and fagrant violation Of the law thus
and IN other ways frequently brought to
MS attention, but on the contrary, the
said Campbell, judge, as aforesaid, con-
MVed at the said Illicit sale of liquor
within his jurisdiction and was himself
patron Of the said illicit traffic.
That when The aforesaid violations Of
the liquor law were reported to the grand
jury OF the county the said G. J. Camp
bell. as judge OF said county court OF
Amherst, wrongfplly Instructed the said
kfaEd. jury that il was not unlawful for
2 druggist to sell ''rledicated" whiskeY.
and that he, the said Campbell, issued to
druggist in said district q retail liquor
Acense in direct and open violation OF The
Jaw. and when a renewal Of the said
license was applied for, though the grant
81 the said renewal was most urgently
contested and though it was made indis-
pGtably clear 10 the said Campbell, judge
as aforesaid by the testimony OF, many
witnesses that the applicant had been
and was then evading and breaking the
isw, yer the said Campbell wrongfully re-
}a|ad the said Iice.>se-
THIRD.
That through the glazing misconduct
Of his high Office by the said c. J. Camp
Dell, judge Of the county court Of Am
herst county. the condition had attained
70 such nctoriety as very properly to
elicit comment by the public press. and
Dr. c. II. Crawford. as editor OF the
Christian Federation, having in his said
paper essayed to criticise the charge
given as aforesaid by said Campbell,
Judge, to the grand jury. the said Camp
bell issued a rule. from his said court, by
which The said Crawford was cited TO
appear and answer as for an alleged
contempt Of court. That upon the ap.
pearance OF the said Crawford before the
county court Of Amherst in response to
said rule, the said G. ]. Campbell, Judge
OF said court, came down from the bench
to the bar OF the courtroom, asked and
obtained a persona. Introduction to tile
said c. Il. Crawford, shook hands with
hin, and protested publicly from the
bench that he had nos personal feelings