The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-28
CLERK UPsHUR
DENOUNCED BY
MAJOR LAN|ER
His Friendship Like a
Serpent. Says Former
Assistant Clerk,
CLEAR TESTIMONY
OF MIR. III. c.. STUART
Commissioners Tells of Woeful
Lack of Clerical Help-Paid
for Clerk Himself.
TOLD JUDGE CRUMP THAT
LANlER MUST RESIGN
Suggested This As Soon AS He
Learned OF His Connection With
Virginia Corporation Conn
pany-ought to Ask
for His Resig-
nation.
Commissioner Tells of Woeful
Lack of Clerical Help-Paid
for Clerk Himself.
TOLD JUDGE CRUMP THAT
LANlER MUST RESIGN


the State Corporation Commission by tho
legislative committee has In no degree
abated, and continues the all-absorbinK
subject of conversation and conjecture, the
session on yesterday was marked by 4
more quiet tone and by a moro dIgnifleG
presentment of evidence OH the part of
the witnesses than at the first two sit
tings on Monday.
II is true that Major Lanier ON one oc-
casion, in heated moment, alluded to
Mr.. upshur as serpent but Chairman,
Byrd reproved the witness sharply, and
said the committee would not tolerate
such utterances.
The testimony of Messrs. Norvell, New
by and Campbell was unimportant, ex-
cept that the statements of the witnesses
tended to connect Judge crump with the
affairs of the Virginia Corporation Conn
pany.
Mr.. Stuart As Witness.
With the appearance of Commissioner
Stuart on thefstand- came .. nrw order
Of testimony. Witnesses who had pre-
ccded him all evinced 4 degree OF par
tisanship that was apparent TO evory
one some of them testlfyIng with marked
bitterness.
Mr.. Stuart was quiet and digrlifieL.
He testified pointedly and answered tho
questions propounded by the committees
without long explanations, which had
been the method employed by some OF
his predecessors on the stand.
For the first time since "the Lanier'
affair had been noised abroad, many
he tla r., Lon ~
position taken by the members of tho
commission. and was told why that body
had not given out the charges made
by Mr. Upshur against certain employees
In his office.
Mr.. Stuart told OF his desire to make
the Charges public, and explained how
his hands had been tied by legal advice, .
which forbade him to divulge "a privl-
legged communication
The atct that he held the welfare of
the Commonwealth close at heart. was
apparent when 1t was brought out that
he employed a clerk at his own expense
OF sl,b00 a year to perform the neces-
sary duties OF the office, for which tho
Office was not able to pay.
"Corlrnission's Ear Marks"
Major Lanicr. during his testimony.
read u letter from Mr.. A. II. Williams,
in which Mr.. Williams suggested plan
for an adjustment of his difficulty with
the commission.
Major LanIer in commenting on this
letter. stated that it bore the ear
marks" of the Corporation Commission,
and that he believed 1t had eminated
from that body
Counsel for the commissioners stated
last night that this suggestion was abso-
ilutely without foundations and that it
would be positively denied on the stand
N..N
portant to note that Chairman Byrd di-
rected a number of pointed questions, all
bearing upon every phase of Judge
Crump's connection with the Virginia
Corporation Company
II this line of investigation is followed
out. every pertinent fact concerning the
real relations between Judge CruInp and
the Virginia Corporation Company will
undoubtedly be ellclted.
The story OF Major Laniers connection
with the now noted company was re-
hearsed at great length. Major Ianier
admitted that he had sent daily memo
randa to Mr.. Irving Campbell, general
counsel of the company, advising him
what corporations had applied to the
State Corporation Commission for char
ters.
An interesting side light was thrown
on this phase OF the situation by Mri
Campbell's statement that he hnd pur- 4
chased for Mr. Tyler the "file' which
caused Mr., upshur stct violent excite
inent when Mr.. Tyler carried it ont ot
the office of the Corporation Commission
IN Direct Conflict.
a feature OF the evidence that is be-
INK much discussed Is that Mr.. Upshur
testified on tho stand that no did not
know Ut the time OF making his Charges"
that Judge Crump owned stock In the Vlr-'
ginla, Corporation Company. while this
statement Is positively denied by Major
I.anier and Mr., Campbell and is partially
denied by Captain Barrow and Mr.
Newly. ts
Major Lanier WAS on the stand for
nearly two hours yesterday. He showed
such Il desire to go into explanations and
to argue his case TINT Chairman Byrd
had more than once to insist that he am
swer the questions directly.
"A crowd larger than on Monday flied
tho cuurt-room.
Among those who sat throughout the
sessions were Pembroke Petit. James
Lewis Anderson. Alfred Il, Thom, w. Il.
Moncure. Henry Taylor. Julien Gum,
George G. Jefferson. Dr. j, a, Hodges,
George Gregory, u. s. Goodman. colonel
Miles Gary. w. Graz. Watson, J. Esnr