The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-26

before the Congress Of the United
States, which, in both instances, We're
Republican, in one contest the com
mittee reported In his favor by vote
OF to 4, and that the other conf
mittee reported unanimously In his ia
vor. and That both reports were unanl-
mousy confirmed by Republican
House of Representatives.
We, therefore, find TINT this Charge
against Judge Ithcn is not sustained by
the evidence.
Telegram to NJ. C. Clark md Others.
Your committee deems 1t proper to
suit of it's investigation in respect to
a certain telegram, which purported
to be sent by. w. Il. Rhea to Mr. M: G.
Clark and others, at Lebanon. In No
yember, 1902. This telegram was sent
from Bristol. or appears to have been
sent from Bristol, to Honaker, within
a mile of which Mr.. Clark, who Is
treasurer of Russell county, resided;
that this telegram was forwarded over
a private wire telephone limo of Hon.
Henry C. stuart from Honaker. the
telegraph station to the store of Mr..
Stuart. at Elk Garden, and was taken
by one of his clerks and written out
on pad lying on the telephone; that
Mr.. Stuart came in his store on the
9Th of November and saw the pad. does
not recolleot whether the telegram was
dated the 9Th or 9Th Of November, but
remembers 1T as follows:
@. Well, sir. will you give us the
substance of that telegram?
a. The telegram was dated Bristol
headed Bristol; cannot recall whether
1t was OF the date on which 1 saw II
or the day previous.
G. What was the date on which you
saw 1t?
vember 9Th. 1t read this way. about
this way: Meet party at Lebanon to-
morrow, who leaves here to-day
Either that way or, Meet party to-
day at Lebanon who leaves here yester-
day" That was the sense of 1.-THE
party was leaving the day before and
was TO be met that day. That was all
that referred to any matters in Russell
Q. Did it have any reference to
Buchanan county?
A.. 1t follows In this language, and
I still quote only substance: Get pos
an returns and hold them" or with
hold them,'' probably "hold them" I'm
portant that I should have certificate"
or must have certificate, II possible"
those words that I have given in the
alternative.
Mr.. Stuart Not Certain.
Mr.. Stuart stated that he did not
know whether Judge Rhea sent that
telegram or not: but upon seeing 1t
upon the pencil pad and In consequence
of information which he had received
from Mr.. Routh. who came from Leba-
non and was acting for NJ G. Clark in
letter. to Mr.. Bert Wilson. Common
wealth's attorney. which appears upon
the record, but need not be copied
here.
AS soon as Mr.. Stuart left the stand.
without knowing whether the original
telegram could be produced or not.
Judge Rhea at once testified that he
had never sent such telegram. Every
effort seems to have been made on
the part of the defense to secure pos
sible the original telegram and ali
possible information in relation there
to. telegram was sent. to Bristol
make all possible inquiries for the
original telegram. which appears from
the telegram to Mr.. Peters and his re-
ply, which are as follows:
ITO H. G. Peters. John W: Price
and j. a. Stone, Bristol. Va:
Go TO Western Union office and
see If you can find message al
NJ. C. Clark. Honaker. dated No
vember or 6, 1909. Wire me
fully quick. wNL. +. RHEA."
II received this message this at
ternoon:
Judge W. f. Rhea. care Rich
mond Hotel. Richmond. Va.
All kilograms destroyed when
twelve months, old by telegraph
Ashworth and Lebanon parties act
ed regarding Buchanan. You had
no reason to do So
Old TeIegrnnls Were Destroyed.
Mr.. Thompson. who is In the employ
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, testified that all kilograms of
that company We're destroyed after six
that a telegram from Bristol
to Honaker went through two relays
that is, 1t was twice repeated, ana that
it went through some fifty telegraph
offices: and that While ordinarily tele-
grams were only listened to by opera
tors, for whom they We're intended
that in election times. where there
was much excitement, more interest
was exhibited 1t, therefore. appears
heard by at least fifty people. The tes-
timony Is that Lebanon was forty or
fcrty-two miles from Grundy, the coun-
ty seat or Buchanan, and that Honaker
was eighteen miles from Grundy, and
had been dated OF the 9Th for a mes
senger to have been sent either from
Honaker or Lebanon to Grundy, the
county seat of Buchanan, In time to
have ACCOMPLISHED any results In ref
erence to the returns.
out of view Judge Rhea's denial, how,
after going through two contested
elections and knowing the bearing
which such q message would have In
the event of a contest. he should have
sent a telegram such as has been de-
scribed in this report. and liable to
have been heard by Republican as we'll
as Democratic operators.
Not Signed in Regular Way.
There is another circumstance which
Rhea always signed his name "Wm: T.
u. Rhea." Mr.. Davis, the confidential
secretary of Judge Rhea for four years,