The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-23
I Norfolk Landmark.j

In lengthy statement by r. -. Leg
ner, half brother ~ Estate senator
John 4. Lesner. Until recently Il. y.
Lesner acknowledges he occupied II
confidential relation to the leaders of
the Democratic county organic ION.
aud is In possession OF what ne gays
arr some OF the organizations pf'n-
cipal campaign book.
In his statement MIR. Lesner charges
that the senator. Ia reality. ~ "A y Dr.
folk county fusionist: that he az col
l4Stel money from various liquor in
teres's and paid poll taxes by the
Wholesale that at tlse time H. repre-
scented Norfolk county In .he State
SCI ate he WAS a resident OF the city
% Norfolk.
T.. -. i.esner's revelation q" puiiti-
cal lacthods in the county h4, NEST
tu do with those in Tanners Curtk
trtat71.t t. rfat district. one Of fhs M 1T
important Mr.. Lesner Is a Pullman
car conductor, and asserts that Tor
Years he kept the confidential books
of the county politicians.
He admits that he paid scores of
poll taxes during the gubernatorial
primary campaign of 1909 without
tne knowledge Of the voters, and has
now in his possession tax receipts
which should have been exhibited ny
the voters when they went To the
polls.
f.. u. Lesner lives at so Bousch
I street this city. ana he declares en-
( phatically that he is prompted TO
make the disclosures against his
brother and the Tanners Creek ma
chine because things have been
1 going on that way 100 long
He charges that Senator Lesner has
I worked with the Republicans and f'u-
Sionists to defeat down -the-line Demo-
/ cratS. at the same time claiming to
( be a supporter Of the city machine"
! He asserts that the senator in AIvah
( I'll, Martins right hand man. and that
on one occasion was "A deputy sheriff
. under his father. who was elected
sheriff ot Norfolk county on a Re
publican ticket
Senator Lesner' had a very good
plan Tor collecting Campaign money
ne says AT one place in his affidavit.
tie would call a meeting OF the WhiS-
Key people and throw d scare into
them, telling them the danger OF A
| local option election. and the money
/ they contributed would re used to pay
poll taxes FOR the down-the-line Vot-
"rs who put MIR. Lcsner and his
friends in office"
something of this kind. asserts T.,
-, Lesner. happened while Harry st.
George Tucker was candidate for
&
Judge William IL. Mann
At that time Judge Mann was the
Nice-president of the Virginia Anti
Saloon League.
Young Lesner declares he collected
TINS money and spent ii, and he FUR
hlShes the names of more than 100
voters whose poll taxes he says he
paid for Senator Lesner
+. ID. Lesner has in his possession
receipts Tor these
signed statements of various county
officers showing how much money
the| collected. Expense accounts for
hluor and cigars were allowed county
constables while they were collecting
campaign money. according to the
documents in Mr.. Lesner's possession.
me afhdavit was sworn in the Of
flee Of f. \. Bilisoly, secretary ana
treasurer of the Commission Govern
ment League. and the documents to
ne used as evidence are in his possess
sion,
This is only the opening gun" said
Lesner as ne signed the affidavit: I'VE
can support every charge we make
with documentary proofs. and there
are some surprises in store for Sena-
tor John Lesner and his friends"
statement sworn to by H.. ID. Lesner.
me statement made and sworn to
ny r. -. Lesner. in part. is as fol-
lows
i have read in the newspapers that
John \. Lesner, State senator from
/ Noriolk county and Portsmouth. re-
sents being called a fusionist. or class
I ed as such, and stating at the same
tune that he never voted other than
the Democratic ticket, and only voted
4 Tor such as were Democrats that
composed or Were to make up the fu-
sionist ticket; in other words. scratch
ed all who were Republicans.
IT Is fact that only Il few years
! back he received the nomination In a
/ Republican convention. The delegates
| at that convention were composed of
I bit''k aS we'll as white men and nom
mated him for their treasurer or com
missioner of revenue for Norfolk
county. After receiving the nomina-
/ tion. Tor some cause or other, his
name was dropped. The records of
the party viii show this to be a fact,
1T is also fact that Mr.. Lesner
attended meetings Of the fnsionists
and helped in many ways to gain a
Victory ssuer 81 the. nstTas ghtout 4i3ennt,-
| Gratis The records will show this 10
be fact.
1T is also true that the said Mr..
Lesner several years ago was a Re-
publican deputy sheriff under John
i.esner, Sr, who was Republican sher-
!
Years Furthermore, during the cleo.
ton for clerk of the court of Norfolk
county, in which Il. Finley Cromwell
Democrat, ran against Alvah II. Mar
tin. republican. John A. Lesner was
an active supporter of Mr. Martin, !
and persuaded me to cast my vote for /
him
ON the day OF the primary To nom /
mate a Democratic candidate for the |
State Senate from Norfolk county ana |
Portsmouth A c. Cromwell Demo. |
cratic leader of the fusion party, was ,
one of his strongest supporters: and |
at the time he was elected and dur. |
ing the time he was in office. he |
lived in the city OF Norfolk, in the !
Seventh Ward, at the residence OF L. |
Nj, lsaacs. / went to his sick room
and ate dinner with him several times. |
and am positive at the time that he |
lived at this house and not in Norfolk |
county, although he claimed his resi- /
dence in Norfolk county. and did /
maintain room on Washington ave-
nue.. In Huntersville.
Attended Meeting Of WhislScy Dealers.
Regarding Senator Lesner's politi- |
cal activity In Norfolk county politi- |
cal matters, he came to my house and |
asked me to be sure and be at the /
Rathskeller of the Consumers Brew
ing Company, as he was going to have
Il meeting of the whisksy dealers. and /
be sure to bring my books pertain