The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-30

Especial from STAFF Correspondent
NORFOLK. VA. Sept. 3o.-Every
eye is on the subcommittee of the
State central committee, which is now
digging into the fraud charges, and
there are few who doubt that new
primary will be ordered. These few
are Young supporters, who declare
award OF the certificate to him by
the district committee VII eventually
be confirmed by the central BODY.
They give no special reasons. how
ever, contenting themselves with the
statement that Young has numerous
surprises up his sleeve ana will not
have great trouble refuting charges
brought against him. The ring has
been in tight places before, they adj
nit and they believe 1t VIII prove
equal to the emergency in this case.
Maynards followers are doing very
little talking, but that may be due
to the fact that the inquiry Is beng
conducted in Norfolk. the home OF
the ring. and not in Portsmouth,
where Maynard resides. Now, now
ever, the scene is shifting.
That the citizens made out a good
case Wednesday. when twenty-three
persons testified that they voted for
Maynard at the courthouse precinct
in Norfolk, although he was credited
with only nineteen votes in this pre-
cinct, is the general cencensus OF
opinion Counsel for the citizens are
being compimented. especially on
their success in getting more than
ffty persons to testify during the
DAY. despite the refusal of "a mum Der
i
this class availed themselves OF the
privilege to keep away, owing to the
absence of legal authority behind tho
subpoenas.
Expected Legaiiaed Primary Law.
\ iegalized primary law viii prob
ably he the outcome of the inveso-
cation. according IL many citizens
who now see the weak points OF the
party primary more clearly than ever.
They also realize the necessity OF a
more definite law as to purginR regis
tration books Of dead men and Of
those who are no longer voters in
their respective precincts. Necessity
for such enactment was brought home
to them rather forCihy Wednesday
night when an Anti-Ssloon League
worker testified before the commit
! tee in connection with dirnculties ne
encountered last year in attempting to
purge voting lists in the First aud
| Second wards of Norfolk He said
I that he succeeded in having twenty
/ FIVE or thirty names stricken on, nut
! there were a number or others wnich'
. in his opinion, ought To ne Off the
lists.
! Judge Hanckel. of the Corporation
! Court, 1t was shown, had ruled that
( the matter was one of the regis
/ the matter was one for the registrar
/ to settle and not the court. The Wit
/ ness then said that Jim Prince, boss
I of the Second ward, was particularly
opposed 10 purging any more names
/ than possible. contending that the
registrar had no right TO remove
them. In one instance, witness said
/ that he was told that he would have
1 TO see q man die before he could
/ convince the registrar that the man
/ was dead Not having been present
at the bedside when death came. wit
! ness said that ne had TO yield to SUI
perior forces. He produced a list OF
something like twenty names, which
! he believed had no right on the books
| The committee heard him patiently
! but had no power to offer any re-
dress His testimony, however. was
| admitted as evidence for what It war
| worth.
Several of the committeeman were
| questioned after the hearing as To
their views regarding the necessity OF
a leRalized primary law. but they pre-
ferred withholding opinions until after
the investigation. They did not think
II proper to discuss any question bear
ing on the probe. The commtteeme n
are especially silent as regards the
| probabilit of new primary before
| election. 1t is generally believed.
| however. that they cannot possibly
get around making such a rscommen-
| dation to the state committee next
| Tuesday when they are due to report
| their findings, If things continue TO
go as they have the last day or two,
| What IL Gross Fraud
/ Interpretation OF the term. gross
| fraud" will doubtless play an impor-
| tant part with the investigators in
! reaching a conclusion. 1t is admitted
that many OF the wholesale charges
! that have been brought will be dis
! proved. but it il contended by the
/ citizens committee that sufficient spe-
/ cific charges will be proved. and, in
fact, have been proved already. to
stamp the recent primary az fraudu-
lent and void. Indications are that
! few charges will be probed outside
I OF Norfolk, Portsmouth and Norfolk
/ county. Courthouse precinct; Norfolk,
/ was under fire the greaver part Of
/ Wednesday. and II Is contended by
/ some that sufficient fraud was proved
! in that precinct alone to justify an
! other primary
/ Young Had Them All.
! Methods practiced bv politicians in
! Norfolk and other parts of the dis
! trict are being recalled on many sides.
and II lis evident that the people Of the
/ district Will be more Nigiant In the
! future when election and primary days
! roll around. II IL generally conceded
that the now notorious Court house
/ precinct would proba bly, have escaped
| the limelight to large extent had r.. J.
| DigsE, who had been designated as
! Maynard's representative at this pre-
/ cincb reported at the poll both In time
| on the morning of the primary. As a
! result OF being ten minutes late, one
| of young's workers was sworn in at
| the appointed time In his stead. thus
giving Maynard's opponent all three
| men at the polls. Over in the sixth
ward 1t is said that prominent ium-
/ herman Of Norfolk. named as a May
nard judge. arrived At his precinct just
in time to prevent a Young Supporter
from being sworn. Report has 1t that
YcunE's friend arrived at the precinct