Evening star., 1909-05-02
FIRE BUGS 0RGAN|zED2
People of Virginia Are Begin
ming to Think So.
SCHEME TO CHEAPEN LAND
Republicans Waking Up in Fifth
District of State.
VETS AND DRYS LINING UP
Tax May Be Imposed on Mineral
Output Of State-Finances at
Low Ebb.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

parts OF the state there is a growing be-
| lief that an organized band of incen-
diaries Is operating. In the last few
months there have been a score or more
OF mysterious fires in various parts of
the state, all OF which have been attended
by serious losses. The Powhatan horror
was one Of the most conspicuous cases, in
which robbery. murder and arson marked
the path Of gang OF negro laborers. In
Buckingham county there, has been q
repetition Of the crime on a small scale.
and SO far there have been no arrests
In Lynchburg there has been an in
| cendiary fire recently, but In this case
the parties implicated were white men.
and they are now In the penitentiary.
They burned a store which they owned
to get the insurance. Spottsylya MIA
county had burning, and two negroes
are now In Jail at Fredericksburg to an
swer for that crime. Amherst county has
had fire, and there have been a number
OF others. The department of insurance
has Investigated to ascertain II the crimes
were committed In order to get the in
surance. Several convictions have fol-
lowed, yet in only a single instance has 1t
been established that the owners were
responsible for the losses.
Whites Are Uneasy.
There is unrest in the country. due to
the belief that q concerted attempt is be-
ing made to drive more Of the whites out
of the counties and thus depreciate the
value Of lands so that they can be bought
up by the colored people. That Is be-
lieved to have been the case In the county
of whatan, for the negroes near the
scene Of the Skipwith tragedy desired to
get hold of the farm. With johnson. the
Coz 80
money which he and Mrs. Skipwith were
supposed to have had IN their possession.
the robbers would have been able to pur-
chase the farm and locate a negro colony
under the auspices of the negro secret
order which existed in that section. This
belief has had the effect OF placing many
country places on the market. 1t Is said.
although majority of the people attach
no Importance to the reports. holding that
IL such a thing were true 1t would mean
trouble for the negroes.
Want Stuart to Run.
Friends and supporters OF Henry c.
Stuart of Russell county, who Is now in
Paris, are anxious that he shall recon-
slider his declination to stand for the gu
bernatorial nomination and enter the race
at this late date. They are referring to
the unrest and dissatisfaction with which
the candidacy Of Judge Mann and Harry
81 'CoI &c uShSI 10 Ic6dIucus dIu openly
express the belief that were he to return
to America and declare that he will make
the race he would win the nomination
without any great amount OF trouble. The
matter has been discussed by many Of his
friends. and it was at one time suggested
that he be communicated with by cable
and requested to permit his friends here
to manage his campaign This, however,
has not been done. Mr.. Stuart has been
in Paris for some two months. having
been called to the bedside Of his wife.
who has been travelling in Europe to re-
gain her health. Her condition does not
show any Improvement. and it is not
known when he will be able to return to
America.
Those who are opposed to Judge Mann
Incline to the opinion that Mr.. Tucker
will not be able to muster the full
strength Of the opposition. and say that
chances are very much in favor Of Judge
Mann. For this reason they are anxious
to have Mr.. Stuart return to Virginia or
permit his friends to manage his cam
that practically all of the voters who
were for Stuart. and who have aligned
for the other candidates, would be free
to return to him in case he decided to
make the race.
Trouble in Fifth District.
The republicans are active in the fifth
district. They are aligning their strength
and getting ready for the election of a
governor this fall With the voters on
the books this fall there will be much less
trouble in the congressional election next
year, as the men who vote this time will
have to pay only one years poll tax in
order to vote next fall. It is known that
arrangements are under way to put in
that district this year the party's best
speakers, to perfect the organization and
to have everything in shape for the cam
paign year hence.
1t is understood that State Senator John
NJ. Parsons of Grayson is to claim the
nomination another time. He is the man
who came within less than one hundred
votes of defeating Judge Z. v. Saunders
last fall and he is now contesting that
election. Papers from that district are
already taking up the fight, declaring that
the democrats have only one hope of
retaining the district In the democratic
column. and that is by placing the honor
years represented the district and to
have him oppose Senator Parsons at the
polls.
Big Polling Lists Here.
The poll books OF this city contain a
much larger number of names of voters
today than they have at any time since
the new constitution became effective
The possibility and probability of a local
OpilOn ISnl IS DenlIlQ the enlarged voting
list For several days the employees of
the saloons and restaurants and hotels
have been presenting themselves and
paying their taxes in person. thereby
qualifying themselves for registration.
The temperance forces have not been
idle by any manner of means. They,
too have been calling on their voters to
pay up and to get ready, but the organ
lZatlon is not so perfect as that of the
liquor interests and there is not the same
systematic enrolling of voters as the
liquor men have been and are making.
That there is possibility Of the liquor
men taking the initiative and forcing an
election is accepted by some of those who
watch the trend of events. With all their
strength on the poll books and after a
brisk campaign they would be able to
make the contest brief and exciting. They
know almost to a man just how many
votes they can count on. They may pc
tition the judge of the corporation court
to order an election and have the matter
over with at an earlier date than the
temperance folks desire Then. too it
is pointed out that the AnIi-Saloon
League is engaged in working up local
option election in Norfolk. and as while
this is on the fighting force of the tenn
perance people Is divided it would be a
good time to try conclusions and have
the question settled for at least two years
to come.
Low Round-Trip Fares.
The Richmond Fredericksburg and
Potomac railroad has presented petition
to the state corporation commission for
permission to recognize and permit the
sale of round-trip tickets over it's. lines
in this state to Washington at rate
nf W cents a "a