The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-03
NO CASE MADE

Assembly Will Confirm
Appointment Of Bris-
tol Man.
Concluding possibly tonight, and
certainly by tomorrow. the investiga-
tion OF the charges made by Senator
John c.. Noel against Judge W. +.
Rhea, nominated by Governor Swanson
Yor membership on the state Corpora
1ion Commission. the joint committee,
will make It's final report to the Gem
eral Assembly within the next few
days, and unless all present indications
are deceptive, the appointment Will
be confirmed before the end OF the
week.
The inquiry. which has been going
on at intervals for more than week.
has signaily failed up to this point to
connect the Bristol man with anything
charged or suggested by his political
opponents. and he and his friends are
confident that the joint Assembly VIII
give him clean bin of health. Judge
Rhea himself has been ready to pro-
ceed daily with the examination. In
order to complete 1t speedily. and the
main delays have been occasioned by
the difficulty Senator Noel has expe-
rienced In securing the attendance OF
some OF his witnesses. He now awaits
the arrival OF Captain j. G.. Gent. OF
Russell: J. II. Routh. Commemorative
attorney OF that county: former County
Clerk Stephenson, OF Scott, and several
others.
Features of Inquiry.
In some respects the Investigation
has been a most peculiar one. For the
most part 1t has resulted only In thresh-
ing over again alleged election frauds
In the Ninth District. heretofore aired
before the public In various contests.
The famous. or infamous. Scott county
ballot has been made n feature by
senator Noel and the prosecution. but
every effort to connect Judge Rhea.
directly or indirectly. with its prepara-
ton or use has been utterly futile. No
witness. whether hostile or friendly
to the defense, has been induced. while
on the stand under CAPTAIN Bnllitt's
severe questioning. to say that Judge
Rhea was In any way concerned in the
matter. Indeed, the trend Of this line
of testimony has been strongly the
other way. to say nothing of Judge
Rhea's own statement. In which he
positively denied any knowledge Of
the ballot.
Il knew nothing of the preparation
of the Scott county ballot" he declared,
while on tho stand last Friday night.
III I had known OF 1t, I should have
severely condemned 1t, not only be-
cause 1t was wrong, but because. It
worked an injury to me in the cleo
ton. got less votes in Scott county
than in others where the ballot was
plain"
About the Census.
NJ +. Powers, the man who took the
United States census in the city OF
Bristol in 1880. had told that Judge
Rfea made some suggestion to him as
to how to increase the figures This
Judge Rhea flatly denied, declaring
that the census could have had no
hearing upon the establishment Of the
Corporation Court, as the, court had
been in existence two months prior to
the taking of the Federal census by
Powers.
The prosecution weakened on the
attempt to sustain it. In fact this
could hardly bear the dignity of a
charge, as Senator Noel went only so
far as to Charge tl1a: 1t had been
charged" etc.
Prominent citizens OF Bristol testi-
tied as to the conduct of the Jordan
trial by Judge Rhea, and swore that
they had never heard 1T intimated that
the prisoner was released as the result
OF any Improper influence upon the
court. Judge.Rhea denied the intima-
ton that he had accepted bribe, and
declared that he had never heard OF
such thing except once before when
he had promptly resented it, denounc-
& GU , u as lie and Its author as lear.
For Political Effect.
The investigation was evidently
brought on for political purposes, and
so far 1t has accomplished no more
than to furnish to the Republicans an
islature and the public old charges OF
fraud and Irregularities growing out
! of bitter political campaigns in the
Ninth District. Witness after witness.
including many of the most reputable
and Influential citizens Of Southwest
Virginia, were called to testify to
Judge Rhea's high character, and after
one of them, Hon. Preston w. Camp
bell had been put on, Senator Noel
the rest, as he was willing to concede
that they would all SO testify. s
lie was then asked II he wished to
9 put on the witnesses to assail Jud ge
Rhea's character, and he declared that
he did not. This was generally taken
to be another indication that the In
auiry had been instituted for political
PURPOSES. Judge Rhea had been
:harged with being an unfit man to sit
on the Corporation Commission and
yet, when he challenged his accusers
10 bring witnesses to break down his
character, they declared they had none
10 offer. Senator Noel was the hero
ef the Republican meeting at Murphy's
IN Saturday night, and his party asso-
,lates appeared happy over the stand
he had taken. When he declared that
he had been engaged for several days
In turning the X-rays on the darkened
character OF w. II, Rhea" ythere was
\ much cheering. s55 ,.i s515
Say He "I.uid Down." ig
Democrats are saying, however, that
when challenged to make good his
charges as to- Judge Rhea's character
z Senator N Noel '''laid down." ana declared
that he had no character witnesses to
introduce. This is al matter OF record,
as the statement was made heforessth
4 Joint committee on Frid ay8n ight. The
1Continu nucd on Sec "a sPaEe.l