davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
HEARING IN DETAIL
Many witnesses Appear and Testify
for Judge Blackstone.

Many Witnesses Appear and Testify
for Judge Blackstone.
Mr.. ". c. stuart, of Newport News,
was the first witness.
"Do yon practice in Judge Black
stones court?" asked Mr.. Ashby.
Yes. sir. M
.,Frequenty?''
''Yes. sir"
"Did 'yol see the judge at any time
at the hotel during the trial of the
damage suit in which you were coun-
sci In January last?''
Yes, sir.
What was the judges condition.?
..He was sick in bed. and we argued
the instructions before him in his room.
EIe passed upon them and marked his
conclusions on each"
DO you thinlSsaJudge. Blackstone Is
mentally competent to grasp and COM
prehend legal propositions"
Undoubtedly, SIR
Mr.. stuart was not cross-eNamined.
and Mr. W. r. Moss. of Newport News.
also a lawyer, took the stand.
''Did you see Judge Blackstone when
he was last, in Newport News?" asked
Mr.. Ashby.
''Yes. sir"
'.Do you consider him competent to-
carry on the business of his court2'
Yes, sir"
"what have been your means of obs
servation?" sl
II have been practlcing in his court
ever since ne has been on the bench
On cross-eXamination witness said
he had only ore case in Judge Black
stones court within the past twelye
months. He declared he had never seen
the judge either asleep or drunk on
the bench.
Judge dudley on stand.
Former Judge S. j. Dudley, OF Fiamp-
ton, was next examined
Does Judge Blackstone comprehend
the business OF his court in your opin-
ion?" he was asked.
"Unquestionably.
Does he transact the business en-
peditiously?"
More so than any judge ever saw
"You are in his court freauentiy?"
Yes, sir and am commissioners
of accounts in his court"
"Is he quick and accurate in the
handling of your accounts?"
''He can add mp three columns OF
figures while am adding one, and he
is quick to discover an error If 1t only
involves 1 cent
ross-examined by Mr.. Lewis. witt
ness said he had known Judge Black
stone for twenty six years. and he
thought his mental condition as good
now as when he first met him. He had
not heard Judge Blackstone's reputa-
tion for sobriety and morality ques-s
toned In Hampton until the petition
against him had been circulated. but
since that time he had heard the
matter discussed by both his friends
and enemies
is va r
Judge Dudley combated the testis
mony OF a former witness that upon
recent application for an Injunction
in Hampton Judge Blackstone was
drunk. Atthis point he stood aside
Good Witness,
Commonwealth's Attorney r, 81;
George WILCOX of Warwick Nountg
was a good witness for Judge Black
stone. tg
Were you in Hampton at any tlns
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
SPLIT HIS HEAD OPEN
Brutal Murder by Bad Negro In
Brunswick County.
a.. .r-,,, u.;r

LAWRENCENILLE, VA. February
22.-This morning about 5 o'clock
Grant Goode killed Sam Riyors by
splitting his head open with an ak.
Both are colored men. 1t is charged
that Goode killed and then robbed
Rivors of money that he had on his
person. He was taken before Squire
Merit, where preliminary trial was
held and the case sent on to tile grand
jury term, which is set for Tuesday.
Goode has very bad reputation IN
the community, having served a term
in the epenitentlary several years ago.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
SHAFT OF WHIsKEY JUGS
Man Who Had Drank Long and IInrt
Wished Such II Monument.

COLUMBIA, MO. Feb. 22.-James w.
Turner, a hermit farmer living six miles
from here who had frequently declared
he want a monument built, OF whiskey
jugs, died last night.
On his farm is an abandoned corncrib.
which is almost filled with empty whis.
key jugs, which Turner is said TO have
emptied himself within twenty years, and
which he saved for his monument.
1t is ayerred he drank not less than a
years old and owned well-stocked farm
of 4S0 acres, on which he lived the life
of a hermit His only companion was a
dog.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
CRANES SPEECH A SURPRISE
Speaking In London He Disnpprovcs Of
Fleets Pacific Cruise

LONDON. February 22.-Washington's
birthday was celebrated to-night by
the London section of the Amercan
Navy. League by a dinner at Hyde Park
Hotel. The speakers included MARSHALL
.. FoX, Fredericks Fisk, Colonel Ash-
ley Cole, It. c. Vanduse1' and r. New
ton Crane.
Mr.. Crane, who has represented the
United States government on several
on the yellow perl,' which he char
acterized as the bogey of labor union
demogogues. He also expressed strong
disapproval of the voyage of the Amer.
Francisco II might excite suspicion
which might result in war. A large
number of those present expressed dis
approval of Mr.. Cranes utterances by
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
TAKE FREEMAN's OATH
Two Thousand .First Voters" in Nc,,
York Swear Before bishop Potter, v

NEW YORK, Feb 22,--Two thousand
first voters and a number of bowery
"toaters" last night took the "freemans
OATH at meeting OF the Peoples In
stitute at Cooper Union. The oath4was
administered by Bishop Henry u. Potter,
who told of the origin of the oath in
1854, The words of the oath We're taken
as follows: II do solemnly' bind myself
that will give my vote and suffrage
as shall Judge in mine own. conscience
may best conduce to the public veal so
help me Cod Before asking those pres
ent to subscribe Mo. this pledge of good
citizenship, Bshop Potter spoke Of the
rssponsibllty resting on voters, and said
IL was al present EXERCISED without
Spiplef tluiiiiiis, Suheiaess ;,nu thew IL.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
PRESIDENT HONORED GUEST
IN NEW FRENCH EMBASSY

WASHINGTON, y. C., February 90 --
president Roosevelt was the guest at
dinner to-nlght of Ambassador jus
serand, of France, The occasion gave
the ambassador an opportunity to show
the President through the magnificent
embassy b'lild:iE which has been re-
Gently ers,;tod by the French govern
3nentSon SlEteenti Gtreet, d Intended.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
YOUNG woIAN's TONGUE POISONED
by LICKING; POSTAGE STA NIP.

time in two years Miss .Iyra Silvernale,
of Norfolk, Conn, is In a New York hos
pital suffering from a disease of the
tongue, which is said to have been con-
tractcd through contact with postage
stamps while she was engaged as an as
sistant in the Norfolk postaflice, The dis
ease Is exceedingly painful and the hos
pital surgeons are at a loss to account
for lit, but believe It to be the result Of
InoisonnG.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
LOCAL OPTION IN DANvILLE
Sufficient Signatures to Warrant Judge
IN Ordering Election,

TSnecIal TO The eTImes-DIspatcNJ
DANNIL1.E, VA, February ga po-
tltion is being circulated by the Anti
Saloon League asking Judge a. Al.
Aiken, of the Corporation Court, to or
der n special election in tile near
future to vote on whether to legallze
the sale of liquor in Danville. a suf-
iticlent number of signatures of regis
tered voters has already been secured,
and a wet and dry election, probably
liz April, is practically an assured fact,
AftN' n reign OF two wears as dry
town Danyille was voted wet again
by small majority about two years
ago
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
eject rir.. Nnt,onn, suIu,c.

LIMA. February 22.-The national
salute was fired from the assembled
warships In Cailao harbor at noon to-
day In honor of tho birth of General
Washington. Tho salutation was an
swered by the Peruvian ships of war in
port
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
q llIcct Latlmer's Successor.

#CoLuMBIA, S. c., Fehluary 2a.--The
General Assembly OF South Carolima
adjourned to-day, having, been IN ses-
on March Sd and remain in session
5,irtil nsuo,cssorso sof the late senator
y N. .sllalI ii NleNtt Y, a..a HlN
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
SESSIONS OF TWO HOUSES
Members of Both Branches Discus,
Many Important Matters,

Speaker Byrd called the House OF
Delegates to order and prayer was or
fered by the Rev. George Ii. McFaden
OF the Methodist Church. Only few
bills We're reported from the various
committees, and most of these We're of
an unimportant nature.
a communication from the Senate
conveyed notice that the upper branch
had refused to concur In the amend
ment to bill l54, offered by Mr..
Churchman. which provided for a tax
on pedlers of pianos. organs, lightning
rods, etc. Mr.. Churchman insisted on
his amendment, and asked for the
appointments of a joint committee to
confer in regard to the matter, The
Senate agreed to this.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
Open 10 Publlc.

Judge Martin Williams, of Giles. in
troduced a resolution providing that
on Tuesday night at IS o'clock the Gen
eral Assembly shall sit in the hall OF
the House of Delegates to consider the
question of the confirmation or reiec-
tion of the nomination by the Cover
Continued on Third Pnge.)
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

Did landmarks do not appear to be
attractive now as once they were.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

No extension of the session seems
probable, and an extra session is out
of the question. How to do thirtv
days work in ten days is tho problem
ehat now confronts the Legislature.
The answer will be found in the long
list of dead measures left on the cal
endar on the day of final adIournment
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

(Contlnued on Third Pase.)
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

Cc'ontlnued on second Pase)
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
HUNTING CONSOLATION.

Illinois endorsed Mr.. Bryan and its
State convention instructed the dele
gates to use call honorable means" to
secure his nomination. Now, because
the delegation was not instructed to
die in the last ditch rather than sur
render Mr.. Bryan's nomination, his
enemies are pretending to be very jubi-
liant, and claim this as Bryan defeat.
But where were John johnson, and
George Gray, and Judson Harmon ?
Did anybody hear their names men
toned? Where was the gentleman
who if nominated will win? He was
not heard of in that convention, I'M
less Mr.. Bryan was the man. Now
it does seem that if such knight
should be in the saddle, his name might
have at least been whispered in so inn
portant convention as that of a great
State like Illinois. The opposition
must seek consolation elsewhere.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
O." Go To Father. :"

AS general rule the Congressional
Record is not very humorous, but the
following brief paragraph from speech
made by John Sharp Williams and
embalmed in that melancholy publica-
ton deserves much wider circulation.
Mr.. Williams was talking about the
tendency of the Republican party to
defer action Indefinitely on all matters
of immediate importance. He said:
"Every time anybody wants to pass
any of this reform legislation, so much
of which is desired by honest men in
your own party, you cry out after the
election! After the election After
the election p You remind me of a
little bit of poetry my boy picked up
the other day somewhere at the public
school and brought home and recited
to me and his grandmother, and of
which when he got through his grand
mother said: Kit you ought never to
repeat that any more, because that is
just about the same as telling anybody
to go to the bad place The poetry ran
after this wise:
"sWhen I asked my girl to marry me,
she said:
Go to Father;
She knew that 1 knew her father was
dead
She knew that / knew the life he had
led;
She knew that l knew what she meant
when she said,
Go to Father
The public when asked to wait until
after election for needed legislation are
likely to feel as Mr.. Williams has hui
morously put it, that they are asked to
go very much further for the remedies
they seek.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
WHO is JOHN JOHNSON j?

John johnson is the only thing in
the shape of presidential candidate
the 1896 and 1900 boilers have
to offer. They are poor indeed.
Mr.. John johnson is very nice
Sweede. He can speak fair English,
and his native tongue quite well, and
no doubt deserves the presidency be-
cause he wants it, and the Wall street
end of the Democratic boilers and
Henry Watterson want him, to say
nothing of some little time tOos" here
and there. For these reasons millions
of American citizens who do not want
him. and do not want much of any
thing the Wall street contingent wants,
are told that they must give up what
they do want and accept Mr.. Johnson,
whom they do not want, else the bolt
ers of 1896 and 1900 will keep on bolt
ing, bucking and running away, and
the party cannot afford at this time to
lose them. So they say.
Let us see who Yon Yonson of Min
nesota, is any way. Minnesota is a
Republican State, very largely So Min
nesota has hundreds of thousands of
Sweeds in it, who are Republicans.
The city of Minneapolis has more
Sweeds in it than any city in Sweden.
They are all Republicans, and never
voted anything but the Republican
ticket in National election in their
lives. They vote for Yon Yonson, as
they call him, for Governor because he
is one of them and his election as Gov
ernor surrenders no principle in Ma
tional politics from their standpoint.
He has made a good Governor, we
hear, but he has never been thought of
by the people of Minnesota as a presi-
Dental possibility, and his own Sweed-
ish people laugh at the idea. The
Sweeds of Minnesota would really be
far more likely to vote for Mr.. Bryan
than Gov. johnson for president, for
many reasons, the cnle1 OF winch Is
that he being one of them they feel
that he is not big enough for president.
Johnson is not seriously considered.
But in order to defeat Mr.. Bryan at
Denver the Ryan-Belmont contingent
would put up money for Johnson or
any other man whom in their extremi-
ty they think could by the remotest
possibility be nominated. Poor john
son. If he does not rid himself of their
company he will soon be unfit to be
even talked of as a Democrat, much
less be Governor of Minnesota, and GER
tainly not President of the United
States.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
Judge McLaughlin's Portrait.

The fine portrait of the late Judge
VIM. Mclaughlin, who presided over
the Augusta circuit court for so many
years, was unveiled in the circuit court
room Monday before quite gathering
The committee of arrangements, Messrs.
w. A. Pratt, A. c. Gordon and J. Fred
Effinger, had all arrangements COM
plete and everything was carried out
without hitch. Deputy Clerk Jos. B.
Woodward unveiled the picture and the
presentation address was made by Capt.
James Bumgardner, which was re-
sponded to Hon. Absolom Koiner ON
behalf of the supervisors. Addresses
were delivered by Capt. Thos. d. Ran
son, Mr.. VIM. Patrick and Capt r. 8.
Ker. Mr.. Curry's address was read by
Mr.. J. A.Alexander, as Mr.. Curry was
out of the city. The portrait is the
work Of Mr.. H. M. Wagner, and is as
lifelike as it is possible to be, and Mr..
Wagner has received many hearty con-
CALCULATIONS on this admirable work.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
Senator Tillman on the Democratic
Outlook,

Senator Tiliman of South Carolina,
in an interview with representative
of the Atlanta Georgian recently said {:
ave have amagnificentc chance to win.
A spirit of unrest and discomfort is
abroad with the Republican party. L
believe that with Bryan and strong
man with him we can win. Every
thing now points to Taft as the Repub-
lican candidate. He is supposed to
represent and typify Rooseveltism, but
l believe Taft as president would be
another man compared with Taft as
secretary of war. He is a pretty indie
pendent spirit, and l do not believe
Roosevelt or any other man could con-
troll or dictate to him. If Taft makes
peace with the Wall Street crowd, and
it seems probable that he will, l believe
it would strengthen Democratic chan
ces of success. Roosevelt has appro-
priated large part of the Democratic
principles. He has talked much, but
accomplished actually in good for the
masses very little. There are many
important laws on the statute books
that he has not enforced. In lecturing
through the northwest last summer 1
found thousands of Republicans who
will vote for Bryan, because they know
he stands for things Roosevelt stands
for, and did so before Roosevelt even
thought of them. OF course there is
the old conservative Cleveland wing of
Democrats who would probably go to
Taft or whoever the Republicans NOM
mate. 1t is crowd that follows the
party that promises least in the way Of
reforms. Wall Street and that crowd
hate Bryan now even worse than they
ever have, which is saying much. With
them it is anybody to defeat Bryan,
and you will observe that most of the
hubbub against him comes from that
crowd"
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
MAY STILL GIVE DRINKS.
JUDGE HARRISON ISSUES STATEMENT
BEARING ON BYRD LAW MEANING.

JUDGE HARRISON ISSUES STATEMENT
BEARING ON BYRD LAW MEANING.
In view of the widespread misunder-
standing of certain provisions of the
Byrd law, recently enacted by the Vir-
ginia legislature. Judge Thomas w.
Harrison, of Winchester, gave out the
following statement last week, which
issn reply to an urgent inquiry from a
prominent clergyman: =
"In my opinion the law does not
forbid the use of wine at communion.
One clause of the Byrd law forbids any
person from selling or dispensing in
toxicating liquor on Sunday, Christ
mas or election days. Certain justices
of the peace in Loudoun county and
Alexandria are reported to have con-
strued dispensing as giving, and fined
persons for giving drink to a friend
on Sunday. My own idea Of, this is
that they are clearly wrong. The
words, "selling and dispensing" in the
particular clause have reference to the
authority to sell or dispense in the 9TH
er clauses in the law. Of course, if the
law is that no one can give drink to
friend, clergyman could not give
wine in the communion service. I'm
der the Byrd law no one can sell liquor
at any time but a licensed dealer He
can sell, but not on Sunday. Under
the Byrd law there is no prohibition
against any one giving or dispensing
liquor without sale at any time except
social clubs at their club house. Such
clubs must have license, and then
they are forbidden to do so on Sunday.
1t seems to me that this is the plain
of the law"
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
Friday, May |. 1908.
ALL GALL.

Mr.. Bryan when asked a question by
a New York reporter short time ago
said "Well, that is refreshing en-
quiry. We have read that 'all Gaul
is divided into three parts, but if that
statement were made now, surely two
parts would be omitted" Mr.. Bryan
might have applied his remarks to
more people than the reporter. We
have some here in Virginia who are
sail Gall" They stand up and insist
that the great majority of the Demo-
cratic party must surrender principle,
preference, and indeed manhood, in
order that THEY, the gentlemen who
bucked-or Palmer and Bucknered-in
1896, that is went into the Republican
fold hanging on to the coat tails OF
Mckinley, or were carried there in the
breeches pocket of Mark Hanna, in
order, we say that they may vote the
Democratic ticket once more, that they
may come back into the fold. AS de-
sirable as it may be to have everybody
in the fold who is voter, and who is
worth anything to the party, still 1t
must strike the most dull and idiotlc
of those who never deserted or who did
not flee at the first crack of the politi-
cal guns in 1896, that about "all Gall"
is to be found in these gentlemen who
tell us WE must surrender, but that
THEY never will; that what they did
in 1896 and 1900 they will do again I'M
less we, who did not do those things,
get down on our knees before them and
beg their pardon, ank ask them to kick
us, because they were all right, and we
were all wrong. This is what is now
being served up to the great mass OF
the Democratic party. They, whom
we will call conservatives" want
man who can win they say. Who
kept Mr.. Bryan from winning in 1896,
and who brought Parker on the track
in 1904? They, and the corruption
fund of Mark Hanna. With these
facts fresh before us, we reply that
those Democrats who stand by princi-
pie and party, and who were not led
by the noses in 1896, by those with dol
lars,-might surrender principle and
party fealty to those other gentlemen,
if our principles and party fealty sat
as lightly on us as theirs seem to have
done on them. But as the fear of
losing fifty cents on our dollars did not
worry us in 1896, and does not worry
us now, we most respectfully decline to
follow the lead any longer of those who
gave us "a candidate who could win"
in 1904. We prefer rather to lose on
principle than to lose our principles,
our self respect, and the chances of
success. You must support our candi-
date, we will not support yours, they
say. This is what they tell US. When
we make the sacrifice we will not be
Democrats, we will be knaves and
fools.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-05-01
THE NAVY NOT TO BE so BIG.

1t is extremely gratifying to know
that the hobby of the President for q
great navy was laid out cold and dead.
He had some Democratic as well as
Republican backing in the useless
waste of money proposed, chief among
which was the Hon. Richmond Pierson
Hobson of Alabama, who would spend
all the money in the treasury for battle
ships if allowed to do so, having made
the announcement before he came to
Congress that he intended to see built
a billion dollar navy. The only argu-
ment in favor of this wasteful and we
may say fool proposition, is that we
have outlying territory to defend. That
very territory belonged to Spain for
several hundred years and she had no
navy to defend it worth the name. If
the United States had had less naval
vessels than she did have at the time
we began the Spanish war, we would
not now be "the proud possessors" Of
the Philippines, curse that came to
us by reason of our having more navy
than we ought to have had then. If
Spain could hold these Philippine pos
sessions against all corners, but the
United States, with her apology for a
navy, it does seem that "dreadnaughts"
need not be multiplied to hold this
worthless territory against the people
who could have taken it from Spain in
a night, but who have never shown
the slightest desire to possess it. For
our part instead of spending billions to
hold these islands we would gladly
make a present of them to anybody
who would take them off our hands,
and yet there are people who would
waste billions on the theory that some
body might come along and try to take
them from us.