The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-22
Fearing Result of Trial Indict-
ed Men and Suspects Has
ten to Emigrate
MANY VOTE-BUYERS
GAIN IMMUNITY BY
GIVING TESTIMONY
County Officers and Their
Campaign Managers Grant
ed Immunity--lnvestiga-
ton Over til February

Especial to The Richmond virginian-)
BRISTOL, VA, Dec. 2l.-Following
si,s adjournmant OF the special grand
Jury which Judge skcen empanelled
In Leo county ON December 4 TO con-
slde9 Wholesale election bribery
charges, which occurred at four
O'Clock this evening, IL WAS discovered
thns many OF the induced men had
0ed the county and State, many going
20 Kentucky and others across the
Tcnnessce border Line. II Is beloved
that many win not return. 1t II also
learned that many men suspected OF
selling their vote, but not yet In
dictcd, have fed the county.
One hundred and sixty-three indict-
ments were turned over to Com
monwealth's Attorney Ely this after
noon In addition to one hundred and
one given him last night and hfry
true bills found to-day. In the list
Of persons indicted to-day where three
web known county politicians, A. Cam
Witt, C. II. Wiiloughby and John
Hines They all served as election
judges in the November election and
Mers charged with Irregularities
There were six indictments for vio-
lations Of the BarksdaIe pure cleo
hands OF the Commonwealth attor-
nay one hundred and dfty-four are
for vote selling.
Many boodiers who confessed be-
fore tho grand jury to having bought
votes were not indicted and will not
In consideration OF their testimony.
They were reluctant witnesses and
only after grilling and threats from
Judge Skeen to offer immunity to
the vote sellers did they agree to
"sQucal'' ON the men whose votes
they had bought. The county officers,
all Republicans and elected in No
*eFabeF. were promised immunity and
also their campaign managers.
Says Game OF Politics.
A prominent Republican OF Lee
county tonight intimated that the
prosecution has some political signi-
fcance. He stated that nine MEM
bers OF tho special grand jury were
Democratic He further predicted that
the bulk of the indicted men and
tho greater number OF suspects will
not approve Judge Skeen's so-cailed
Involvement to confess. but will stand
trial There seems to have been only
ono witness against each vote seller
before tho grand jury.
Judge Skeen left tonight for his
nome AT dig DSOHc 0dps dAtcT etayAa6
close with his special grand Jury at
Jonesviile for three weeks. He left
With . grim determination, he told
die SPECTATOR I'm the court room In
adjourning, 70 return in February and
70 decpcr into tho matter and in
dict every man who 10 guilty and who
fails 70 come I'm and enter plea
At guilty before that time. Adjourn
inent II only to give the alleged vote
sellers the opportunity to save the
HtAte trouble and expense and to
cave the vote sellers from a heavy
penalty that VIII follow conviction
IN the event they stand trial and are
oouv1cted
Skecn Determined.
judge Skeen ID determined to con-
v1ct and forever disfranchise every
man IN Leo county. N well as Wise
and Dickinson, who has sold his vote.
but In order to do this in Lee coun-
" he has already had to grant i'm
munity to the vote buyers. The in
vesttgat1on will at once be extended
into the counties Of Wise and Dick
snson, but what methods Judge Skeeu
Will adopt are not known. He shows
no sign Of relenting and is carrying
out his announcement from tho
bench Z year ago that he intended to
oIop I8mCkln8 IN votes IN the tuIco
counties Of his circuit
II II reported tonight that certain
leaders Of political factions may ad-
vfse the vote sellers to refuse TO con-
Ie0 and stand trial In Judge Skeen's
court. but tho general opinion il that
after thinking the matter over that
hundreds Of the vote sellers will con-
fess and that there will be little work
left for the grand jury when It con-