The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-24
REPEATS CHARGE
AGAINST BANKS
Mayor Riddick Attempts 10
Prove l'lc Is Not All Amcri-
can Citizen.
MEMBER OF LEGISLATURE
In Letter Tells Of Investigation
Made Of Baltimore
Records.
MEMBER OF LEGISLATURE
ESPECIAL to The Times Dispatch.


development In the controversy be.
tween Mayor james c. Riddick and
member Of the House OF Delegates Vi
the Virginia Legislature. Benjamin A.
Banks. Is letter from the Mayor In
which he gives details to prove his
assertion made several days ago that
Mr. Banks Is not an American cit
zen and has no right to his seat IN
III. Legislature.
MY. Banks replying to the Mayors
Original charge. issued statement in
winch he claimed 10 have been born
IN Baltimore twcnty-:our ycars ago
Inc man who rurnlshed the alnyor, has
nniduvlt that DIR. Banks was not an
American citizen went to Balrimor..
and employed attorneys to look UP tn,
records OF the family. Tho ilndinu are
embodied In letter the Mayor has
just mailed to Mr.. Banks at Richmond.
which is as follows:
Hon. 3. A. Banks, State Capitol, Rich
mond, Va:
MY Dear sir.-over your signature
In the January 2, 1912. issue of tho
Flrsinian- Pilot. there appeared a state
nent s'Gnityin6 your deep dlsupproval
OF my suggestion that you might not
be duly qualified voter. I had ques-
toned your naturalization and you
LOOK lesue tn me.
i quote from your statement: The
charge lie utterly false. and may have
arisen from the fact that several of
my brothers were born abroad, and
one OF these latter died In infancy in
sa!timore, before 1 was born
IT Is naturally the height OF pre-
sumption to place In just a position
20 your word such tribe as the off,
cial records, but am constrained 70
do so. The death records of Baltimore
disclose the fact that Fanny Bonk. an
infant child Of Elias and Rache Bonk.
dleo In Baltimore on June 80. 1881. and
search OF those records falls 10 re-
sci any other death In your family.
except that OF your father
again l quote from your statement:
am a native-born American citizen.
years ago
Unfortunately the official records
are at variance with your assertion
The United States Treasury Depart
incnt certi1cs that your mother. Rachc
bonk, or Bonck. and five children
Leib. Fiege. Abraham, ScholemI and
Leioe' arrived In Baltimore on July 10,
ise", from Bremen. The name BEN
ia min a. Banks does not appear anon.
the five. but the same authority re-
ports that Belle Brodow'tcz. after
wards Belle krausz. arrived On the
same boat, at the same time and Nrs
hrausz states that you were at that
lilne known as Abraham Bonk: that
she Knew YOU then and has known w,
ever since; that she has visited vour
neople In Portsmouth and Norfolk. ana
that she knows you to be the hoy WIN
was Abraham Bonck An andayIt
from another source In Baltimore yeri
hcs this statement
further quote from your signed
statement: The records will show thar
my rather. dead many years. a practic-
ing physician in Baltimore WAS a
voter In that city before | was horn"
1t would bc unjust to blame Vol, for
iailure 10 know what occurred before
you were born; but your statement
mere apears 10 be in error The IIni,cd
states treasury records show that YOUR
rather. Elias Bonck. arrived in Amer
lea, ut the port of New York on Sem
TENDER IL. 1883. and the health records
of Baltimore show that he died in Tho,
city on July 9, 1891. He. tberaforn
could not have been voter since he
had not lived in this country Ionp
enough TO obtain his naturalization
papers Furthermore, he was no, a
pract!cing physician In that city so far
as the authorities know. but II Is un-
aerstood thta nc did practice a profess
sion somewhat In the azure or mid
gives no occupa ton. On this subiect
you We're doubtless misinformed.
But the same charitable, vicw. can
scarcely be entertained in respect TO
the other Measurements. You say thai
you We're born In this country, while
inc RECORDS prove that you were born
IN Russia. and that you did not come
to this country until you were tbror
and a half years old. That Is an i'm
questionable age for child. and 1t is
lnconce'Hable that you would have for
gotten the long sea voyage
on say that one of your brothers
died in Baltimore before you were
born. while the records of that CITY
attest the death Of sister as the
only child of the family who died
there. You were over five years old
when your sister died, and must have
been able TO discriminate between a
sister and a brother.
You say that you were born in Bal.
timorc twenty-four years ago. The
records show that your mother did
not arrive in this country untu the
10th day of July. 1889. or two years
after You claim as the date of your ma
tive birth.
There are many of your fellow Rus
SLAMS now in this city. Among them
arc number of our most cstimable
citizens. Arc you ashamed OF your
birthplace? You may have some othc;.
way of proving citizenship than the
means you have employed in the Vir-
ginian-Pilot Interview; but there
would seem to be no way that you
could venture to continue claiming
American birth. Tho testimony OH
that point is unassailable.
Very truly yours,
(Signcd)
JAMES G. RIDDIcK, NJ. D..
Mayor"
The controversy between Mayor Rid
dick and Mr.. Banks started last fall,
when 3Ir. Banks, as a member Of tho