The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-30
Committee Will Not CO.
Into Walker Election
Contests.
THREE CHAR GESTC
BE LOOKED u TN 10
80.
Bristol e, Census, Jordan Case and
Slemp- Rliea Contest Are Al:
loWed-First Witnesses to Be
Il Put Oh by Prosecu-
ton This Alter
noon.


Limiting the scope OF the st,vestiKn-
tion us to tile fitness OF y udge WI IF.
Rhea for membership on the stats
Corporation Commission to three
charge made by Senator John G. Noel,
LOT Lee, the Joint Committee on Cor
frnlation held three sessions yester.
day. listening to cross firing and open
Ing statements bySattorneys, and will
meet at 8 O'clock tnis afternoon to be-
4 gin the taking Of testinonS. ~
Senator Noel, under a respl lutionf st
the Committee, filed fuller and more
spacitic charges, and u was decidedsto
a so into matters toucbtng Judge Rhsn.s
i alleged connivance at,fruud lit the italr-
ing Of a census In Bristol to- ascertain,
4 whether the population wa IS sui lficient5
Il for a corporation court, to which ls
was later elected the case Of the Com
monwealth vs. j ordan. In which 1t sis
4 alleged that Judge Rlea accepted ~
i bribe and the Slemp- Rhea contest for.
\ Congress. rs. Il 5S.F 81 55ssssss "
Tne charges as to traudgin the two
Rhea.W kor contests were excluded
and that as to being IN .uns scrupulous
4 politician was likewise rejected. Tile
4 committee declined to- & hear evidenNs
4 as to the general, reputation OF Judge
Rhen on the latter charg but provided
q In the scope outlined~;that testimony
would be allowed touching the truth
and integrity, OF the defendant.
1t was a day OF CONTROVERSY between
lawyers. and though nothing very
SPECTACULAR occurred, number OF
spirited speeches were made.
Papers Asked For. - -
At the end OF theanight session Sen.
4 aror Noel asked that the clerk OF tho
Y Supreme Court and the Secretary OF thu
u Commonwealth be subpoenned to pro-
Il duce. respectively, the records in the
Il nlandamus proceedings. In the Rhel-
Slemp election case and the abstracts
Of returns from certain counties In the
same election. Judge Phlegar. who has
been acting with Hon. r.. Tate Irvine,
n and Hon. B. 7. Buchanan. FOR j udg,.
4 Rhea, LETT the city last nigh to keep
an Important engagement- hitherto
y made. q 5E s5s al ~ ,s az
4 The principal speeches westerdays
4 were by Judge Phlegar and Mr. 4 rvtno
for Judge Rhea, and Captain Bnllitt
for the prosecution. thong Sena tor
4 Noel took q hand now and then. Ter
the scope OF the inquiry had been OUT
lined by the committee Senator Noel
/ asked that certain witnesses sun3noned
i Walker election contests be dischargad,
J, as tho cificattons on this point han
been eliminated. 81
i. Counsel for the prosecution all-a
nounced that they would want about
J twenty-five ADDITIONAL witnesses sunl-
nloned and subpoenas for these VIII
!, be issued to-day. It Is expected that
Judge Rhea will augment his list as tho
!, ,Itnquiry proceeds,
The charge as to the takifg OF the
; Bristol census Is a new one q nd Is de-
/, MED in toto by Judge Rhea's lawyers.
: Indeed. they entered a general dental
J, to practically all the charges, though
n1av rod
Thorough investigat ion, and were con-.
!, hdent of Clearly dlsproving every alle-s
1 gation made n
Only One is New.
: All the charges made by Senator
! Noel have been set out at length
) Bristol census. m this II is alleged
4 that Jurge Rhea was @ par tya to the
) taking OF census in Bristol, which,
! was then q town, to ascertain II ttl
! rant The estabilsmsnt of a Corpora
g tion Court. It rs charged that. fallso
4 returns were ma de, and that The court
was created nd Istea elected Judge.
II a matter to be easily d!spelled, and
, declare t hat he had nothing ia do with;
the census: III Z, he was petitioned by
eag and s. Jud 81
s his term, when he bar urg gently re
Fl duested him to remain IN this otfiee.Ta5
{ Prosecution. to be Heard Era.
lnasmneha every point In the ease
! to this. time. It looks as Il slow pro.
\ gress Wi lr be mad de wi III ith hes stiplony.a
I and that the cirnmit ttee will be FIRE =
quently. calle upon to. pass pom The.
: releXen cS OF. evidence. s4ys 5s
! The first Witness SS III be put on bY
! the ~ prosecution, and there is every llrri
dteation that they vii be sharply
s ~ aeass sssaI
Z Z ing all other al uestions at the CAP it,ll.2
I I and is. serious ". interte erin q vi ltll thS
i progress of the work oi the Legisla. !.
4 a II luton to al lows the III oint Com
q eEmittee.to sit during the sessions Of the
! main bodies II this course should shaf
I found Desirable. 3a,t53s5$ 3 1ss
I. Mnrnins Session.
{ Chairman SNest ca lied the COMMITTEES
I 70 order a. S,1o :o3 {o'clo cls;; an The fpls
D low ms resoluti Ion was offered ana
p adopted: "; sss
\ Resolved That tina charges III l,,sa i
u ferred in This invest CATION agal!ist
Judge lshen shall sta te spec II tcally tie
:. acts relied on tos sus ia III til ia. to cd Y
q able saud y Sc q he: to- his ds-
I 3s ptain lit ked time In which
Nj to prepara amended charged aud
h speci fica tions. an "a at III IL N he aud
2 Senator Noel returnse aud presented,
. the folloWi ins; Is s ~ sss7
tich hnlond. ya. 4, Ianuafy .as. i 191s.s
lo fS ! ONT eospml ttse on Con Iirraaf
: Cent ans en-, - tFaaursuan Mt to- the reso-
!! lution. at the comni ttea = equiring that
: lsshall ma ks IN ore sspe ec't te the charges
:, ine object In SIT the leop firnaatt ton
|. ot his Y ON Ina II ion to, the State $Cprpnss
/. rat tlnn Conn Wtssi iops esps ctflll statal
II mI!lat. obissss y such sen tlsnaa tton or!
\ u lns he Yea II Ss3-l ovn-5
' MO wa 8 10 es bl tstlssa
sltolss j dga slIeu, was XII tho Elea,l
IS OF this EloVeule nj. NJ ID ess the 5layS.
i sucli vi ca sen I'LL IN OF be assa dis he'd
u 8lnl less tn ere We ne Is ma .0ao
81 nsad oEa ta g the sus spf HrtstpEs
j, 1uases Shsa had cha FEe pt n hs staklne