The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-18
SA Us CONSTABLE
INCITLD OFFENSE
Attorney for Defendant Severely
Criticizes Officer, Who Also
Worked Up Standard Oil
Cases-Twenty More War
rants Against Each Oil
Company.

icHeu lllcSd' peuQlerS LOOK q ScnSa :
tional turn Yesterday morning during
the trial Of ono OF tho alleged offend :
cr3.
W. Kirk Mathews. counsel for sam
uol straus who was being tried be-
fore Magistrate Chez than on the iden-
teal charge that Is laid t the door
of tho opulent oil trust-peddling
without icense-directcd his at
tack against Constable Terrell, the
Chesterfield officer who was the in
formant in all these cases, with e
result that electrified the crowd Is
semblcd In the little Oak Grove court
room.
officers Incentive.
During the course OF the trial, Mr.
Mathews cross questioned officer Jcr-
rcll with unyiclding persistence. and
finally charged the officer with having
been led into his activity against
Straus BY desire for the recompensc
OF half the fine imposed. which Is all
ways allowed the Informant in such
cases under the law
DO You not know your duty?' ques-
toned Mr. Mathews. do YOU not
know that me duty of an officer As,
not TO lead an unsuspccting citizen
into law breaking. but to warn him
Of his offcnse and force him to desist :
1t Is only when he has refused your
warning that YOU are in duty bound
TO make an arrest
This case, in every way. except for
the article peddlcd, the facsimile of IN a
STANDARD charges to be tried next Fri
uaS. Is regarded as test for the out
come of the larger and more Important
cases against the STANDARD Oil Con-
pany. the independent Oil Company
and the deh.ncnd Oil Company.
Case to BE Appealed.
There Were two counts acajns.
Straus. only one of which was pressed
at yesterday mornings session and on
his be was fined 800, the minimum
penalty allowed by law for the offensc
OF peddiing without a license. Tho
case was Immediately appealed by AIR.
Mathews for his client, and will be re-
argued in the Chesterfield County Cir
cult Court.
To those interested in the far-rcach !
Ing allegations against tho oil com
panies, lodged by Officer Terrell and
Squire L. W. Chcethanl, this casa was
OF the utmost Importance, and the
cramped room of justice war pncLcd
with an eager thronG of spcctotors
The crowd was stilled with the tense
silence OF excitement as the dcfen-
dants attorney attempted to cStort
from officer Terrell an admission that
he originated the charges from a NOR
cenary standpoint
Urged Merchants to Buy.
IN tho opening OF the defense. Mt
Mathews said that Straus had driven
his load Of cheese to Swansboro
thinking he had an order with NOR
chant of that district. When the mer-
chant denied the existence OF anv
order, Straus entered Wesley Milbrey's
grocery store and asked him to pur-
chase some Of tho load Mr.. Milbrey
seplied that he was already over
stocked AT this point Mr. Mathews
attempted to show that Officer Jcrrel,
had watched the whole performance
from the outside OF tho store, slipped
In when Straus went out and. persuad
ed A1ilbrey to call the cheese vendor
back and purchase a supply from him.
The defense next brought forward
evidence against Ar. Jcrrell to the eff
feet that after seeing Stratus prepare
to dispose of The cheese bought h,,
Milbrey, the officer went across N =
street to Iarding's store and urged
this merchant to also buy from the
vendor.
When Harding had refused, Il was
stated, Terrell offered to defrav half
the cost OF the cheese IL the merchant
would buy cake. This ARA ngcment
was finally made. and after havins
thus obtained evidence Of two offenses
against Straus for peddIing without a
license, Tho officer sworc out war
rant and arrested tho cheese man
Charges Plot.
And now said Mr.. Mathews to Of
ficer Terrell. did you not deliberateIy
lay this plot for Straus to break tho
law In order that YOU might profit by
the half OF the fines always given In
cases like this to the informant?"
81,
cause 7 believed it was my duty 10
the county
When Mr.. Mathews pressed the Of
iicer moro vigorously. no received the
samo rerly and had to be content with
this. Last night, however, Mr.. Ma
thews said over the phone
II shall not hesitate In pleading my
case before the higher court to expose
the whole method employed BY Mr..
Jcrrcll in assisting my client TO com
init tho misdemcanor. and will try to
prove thai thc information was not
given from any sense OF the officers
duty to the county"
That this officer. who reported .llc
alleged cases of peddlng without a
license against the three oil companies
Will come IN for an even more scath-
. ing assault OF words when the oil cases
arc given n hearing next Friday. there
seems little doubt.
oil Chaes Coming.
In regard to tho charges prcfcrrcd
aga inst them by Squire Chcatham and
Officer Jerroll the three local agents
for the oil companies ore UP In the air
All refused 10 say anything about The
affair yesterday. but It was admitted
that they expected TO ,nd a real fight
awaiting them
Squire Cheatham, however, was more
willing TO explain the case the county
has against the offending oil concerns
Continued on Scc,nd Fage)