The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-15
made
TO SCARE SIMS
Author of Bill to Prohibit Sale Of
Liquor in District Bonlbarded
With Hostile Epistles.
BLOW UP CAPITOL
Congressman Not Only Doomed
But BLACK Flag Declares
Many Will BE Blown Up.
Times Dispatch Burcnul
Nlunsey H,IIidit1 ~
"iuilseS IouIiulHG,
Washington. Doc. March IA

NnSnlnSION. u. u, March 4. I
Representative Sims. OF Tennessee,
the author Of bill now pending, to
prohibit the sale OF liquor in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, said to-day tina,
since the Introduction OF the bill he
had received nearly 400 letters. threat
ening his life II he did not withdraw
his measure.
This one. which came to-day. is a
sample" said Mr.. Sims, taking from
his pocket a neatly addressed envelope
and drawing forth u letter Which read.
"Wnsl,.nEton d. c., aTnrch III, 1905.
"Mr. SiInS,-YOu IRE doomed to de-
lstrHction for your vlrtuous tD efforts
TO take AWAY the liberty Of the people
of this city. You nre going to be
killed, nnd II your deviiisIi prohibition
bill should pnns the Capitol with every
body'in II, will he blown up. Red hnnd.
b 20 ..BLACk FLAG.
"YOur days nre nnp,bcrcd."
Il have not said anything about
these letters for the reason that / did
not wish my family to become dis
turbed over them said Mr.. Sims, to
The Ttmes-Dispatch correspondent,
but recently the anonymous writer's
have taken to addressing me at my
residence. and the family has come into
possession of some of the communities
tons. They do not disturb me. l am
confident the writer's do not propose to-
do me any harm, but simply want me
to think they mean to hurt me-"
Mr.. Sims says the general expression
of the letters indicates that they might
have originated from the same source.
They are all written on pape- OF good
quality.
Prohibitionists Must Wake Up.
The Committee on the District OF
Columbia will consider the bill at a
further hearing Monday. 1t Is regard
ed as certain that the measure Will
not be reported.
AS a matter of fact, there is not much
Likelihood of so-called temperance
legislation of any character at this
session. and 1t is equally true that the
advocates of prohibition will have to
their case more thoroughly in
order to secure legislation at any time
The hearing before the Committee on
the. District OF Columbia this week
demonstrated that the attorneys for the
liquor interests had put much more
work on their brief than was expended
by representatives of the temperance
people on theirs. The liquor attorneys
were ready to reply to any question
while the attorneys for the other side
had to admit in many instances that
they could not give information sought
by the members of the committee. 1t
Is probable that the prohibition people
learned something at this hearing, and
VIII be better prepared Monday
The Naval Investigations.
Make good or git" may be SAID. to
express the general sentiment of Con-
igress towards Representative Lilley.
the author of the resolution under which
a special committee of the House of
Representatives is now engaged in in
vestigating the manner in which the
Electric Boat Company. OF New Jersey.
has managed to influence members Of
the Committee on Naval Affairs to
grant IT SO many contracts for .S.
construction of submarines, or, ratzer,
to authorize the Navy Department 70
grant the contracts, limiting the au-
thorzation to contracts for boats of tho
type built by the New Jersey COM
pany. The investigation has not yeti
proceeded sufficiently far to show
whether Mr.. Lilley will make good, but
there are indications that the investi-
CATION will develop much more than
was thought at the outset.
1t is openly stated that IL the CON-
mittee should find. after fair inves-
tigation. that the charges made by Mr.
Lilley were unfounded and were made
without reasonable ground. proceedings
W VI dpout ulS eS pulSlOn from Con-
gress will be instituted. A Connecticut
man, not a member of Congress, said
to-day that If Mr.. Lilley were expelled
he would be Immediately reelected by
an Overwhelming vote. He Is under
stood to have been the author of sew
eral investigations Of Connecticut State
affairs. which resulted in the showing
up of much public corruption It is
thought he Will be the Republican
nominee to the governorship this fall.
Notwithstanding Bill.
Efforts are being made to push
through Congress bill which will pre-
Vent bookmaking at the approaching
spring meet of the Washington Jockey
Club at Bennlng. The Supreme Court
of the District has just held that book /
making cannot be prohibited under tlA
present statute, which does not apply
TO territory one mile from the District
line. A new bill has been introduced
which will undoubtedly prevent gam
bling on races In the District but 1t is |
not likely that 1t will get through be-
fore the spring meeting at Benning
track.
TLE \X1E ATAEp