Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-06-25
Judge Barham Will Call Special,
Grand Jury at Request of
Captain Berkeley.
TO MAKE RIGID INVESTIGATION
{ There Arc to Definite Charges, But
Witnesses Will be Summoned to
Testify Concerning Ugly Rumors Cir
culated Throughout the city-capt.
Berkeley Explains His Position.

"A sensational was created In local
political circles yesterday when Judge
i. j. Barham, of the Corporation
Court ANNOUNCED that he would, in n
lew days, call special grand jury to
investigate into alleged violations of
the Bnrkstlale pure election law, during
the recent Democratic primary and
the campaign preceding it, The Jury
VIII be instructed to thoroughly sift
all reports of irregularities brought to
Its attention and, as it is likely that a
large number of witnesses will have TO
be examined. the work may consume
several days. What the result of the
investigation will be, no one seems
able to predict
Judge Barham calls the special jury
at the request of Captain C. C. Berke-
, ley, who was candidate for common
,wealth's attorney.
Rumors on the Streets.
!, Those who discussed the subject on
the streets yesterday only talked Of
rumors, no one saying publicly that he
personally knew of Irregularities. The
rumors concerned not one of those
.rWhose names appeared on the ticket
In the primary, but several, and the
. alleged free use Of money seems to be
the ground for the charge that tho
candidates in question violated the
law.
Penalty For oHense.
:. !: The charge is grave one. ANY
lone convicted Of violating The narks.
dale law would he liable to fine and
imprisonment and should one who was
successful in the primary he found
guilty of the offcnsc, he would not he
allowed to qualify if elected in the gen.
eral election.
IL was suggested that the proposed
investigation be postponed until after
the candidates have fled The lists of
their expenses during the primary
campaign, which they have until July
20 to do.
7. Without Delay.
Judge Barham stated yesterday .af-
ternoon, however, that Captain Bcrkc-
ley wanted All investigation Mt once
and that he should have it. The spe-
cial jury will he called i'm the next few
days and when It meets it will have n
list of witnesses from Captain Berke-
Icy, If nothing else, to work upon
Following 1t n letter received by the
Daily Press from Captain Berkeley
yesterday:
Newport News. Va. June "a, 1905.
MIR. Editor: 1t was stated ycster-
day 10 Tie effect that had
made charges of violations of
the pure election law before
lie grand jury. want my position
TO be distinctly understood. On the
morning of The ed of June spoke to
Judge narhnm on the street and told
him that rumors we're current and If
they were tue something ought to
be done, and II they were not true no
moro ought 10 he said about them, ami
that | would like TO go before the
could do so. ] went TO the court
house and Judge Barham had me
sworn and sent before the grand Jury.
ted the grand jury practically what
had told Judge l3arham. and that all
! hnew concerning the Inst primary
was hcarsay. and as far as contl
recollect. told then! what had heard
and who had told me. asked for
an Investigator of the primary cleo.
ton and gave'lhcm u list of witnesses
that they could have summoned.
learned this morning that the grand!
jury adjourned yesterday evening with
cut making an investigation, and re-
q,ested Judge Barham to coll a spe.
rial grand jury which he said he, would
dc. afterwards learned that, The
grand jury thought it advisable TO wait
until after tho candidates filed their ac.
'cdtinss before an investigations On
this differ with them. think the
investigation 0aEht to be now before
certain Il inss PASS ont of mind. l
haa no charges TO make icon
corning the primary. because l
had no evidence upon whichdt0 hase
charges. simply told the grand Jury
what hcarsay had come; to me, ma
propose 10 tell the special grand jury.
If III" pure election laWhas not boon
violated then no one can be hurt by
nm investigation and those TO whom
lHnior points will be aca,kssedS of s,lspi.
cien.fIf The pure election law hns been
violated then It ought to lie. carried
out. and now. before we have anoth.
er nrinnrY is The ha.t Lima ~ az, a.