The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-08
| way there to see that the Republican.

way there to see that the Republicans
got the advantage.
1t was 1850 o'clock when the testi.
n,ony was concluded, and counsel 81,
both sides said they were ready for
| argument.
| The prosecution appeared to want
about three hours, and Mr.. Irvine said
one hour would suffice for the defense
| though he commended that the division
Of the time should be equal.
Argument Begins.
The committee held a brief executive
session and when the body reconvcne,l
Chairman Echols announced that ons
hour and forty-five minutes would be
allowed to each side.
Counsel wrangled some time over n
division Of the time, and before the
opening speech by Senator Noel. Mr..
! D. 9. Eggieston. Secretary of the Com
monwealth, was recalled, and testified
, that the return from Russell county.
which Mr.. Ashworth swore he mailed
In Bristol. had been received In good
order In his Office.
Mr.. Chairman" said Senator Noel.
In opening the case, .'I shall not at
tempt to make any very elaborate ar
gument. but I shall attempt to make
fair and full opening and then leave
a
Captain Bullitt.
Tn bringing these charges I wish to
say that there Is nothing personal or
political in my position. and they were
brought because they had been so
widely circulated In my section OF the
State that felt it my duty to bring
them take 1t that we are not re-
CURED to show that Judge Rhea is
guilty of all OF these charges but that,
in view of the fact that this is such q
nigh and exalted position. the man to
fill it should be above suspicion. When
this commission was first organized the
men put upon 1t Were Of good charac-
ter and reputation, but public senti-
| ment drove one of them from 1t be-
cause of mere indiscretion on his
part. Now. we have shown that the
census taken for the establishment OF
a Corporation Court OF Bristol was a
| fraudulent census The question is
what connection did Judge Rhea have
/, with this matter? The evidence shows
| that he was city attorney. and that lie
came down here and lobbied through
the bill and he was shortly thereafter
elected Judge OF the newly created
court"
/ bribery Charge.
Coming to the bribery charge, Sena-
| tor Noel said lie had never commended
he could prove it. though his conten-
| ton was that the decision In the Jor-
dan case was most remarkable one.
and that 1t had caused storm of
indignation. The speaker declared that
the committee had SO limited the scope
Of the inquiry as to preclude the go
| ing into this matter more fully. and
now he passed on to tho Scott county
ballot, asserting that Judge Rhea had
been clearly connected with its use.
! 1--WE have shown" he said. "that the
| little slip OF paper taken to Bristol by
| W. .. Smith and shown Judge Rhea
and his friends was practically the
Scott county ballot, and that there was
|little or no difference between this and
the ballot used in Bristol and In Leo
and other counties OF the district"
| Senator Noel now took up the charge
as to alleged frauds inSthe Rhea-Slemp
contest. and read his specific Lam
guagc on this point.
1--WE find from the evidence" he said,
that the unofficial returns We're close:
that Colonel Slemp had small ma
jority; that there was meeting In