The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-17
FIRST OPPOSES,
Then COMES over
Hart Makes Report On
of Mr.. Scherer
Unanimous
HIS ONLY OBJECTION
is EASILY REMOVEDs
Dr.. Darlington Does Not Ap-
pear Before Committee.
but His Attorney
Reads Statement

opposed from an unexpected Qu4&4
ter yesterday before the Senate CONS
mittee on nominations. Luther IL
Scherer will be unanim ously recom~
mended to the Senate for conflrmA4s
Mann as q member OF the board %
directors Of the State penitentiaEys
Tho name Of James d. Patton villa
also be recommended for confirmaas
ton as member of the beard. ThsE9
was no objection raised to him.
John NJ. Hart. senator from thu
Fourth district, objected to the ap-3
pointment Of Mr.. Scherer on the
ground that he 10 . detective aud
should not be on board that ma
to pass en- pardoas. No personal oh.-
jections were made.
DR.. Charles v. Darlington, depooed
penitentiary surgeon. who Is was aA14
would oppose the confirmation Of onos
or both Of the directors. was not pree~i
ent, but his attorney, Major Miles =
Martin. appeared for him with 49,
statement in which DIR. Carringfon
declared some Of the members OF thos
| board were not proper persons ~
serve The statement was read au0
laid aside.
MT, h0xu TVfV&8NAs
Protesting against the confirmAttou
OF Mr.. Scherer, Mr.. Hart said:
II came here To protest against tn
confirmation Of Mr.. Scherer. carr.
nothing about the Darlington contro
versy and have no interest in II ~
think the Governor was unwfse ~
naming Mr.. Scherer, because do not
think 1t 10 giving prisoners . fair deats
TO put man on board that hAA
to pass on pardons when he u en-s
gagged In chasing them behind tho
bars.
without knowing Mr.. Scherer G3
! all, had rather make my profess
! without the Darlington controversy
fbefffx 6rVuT4y4 upsss IN
| Speaker BYRD, OF the House, wao4
| on his feet almost before Mr.. Haf4s
sat down. He declared Mr.. Scherefs
was not detective and that h. WAn'
In the claims department OF the Cnee-S
apsake and Ohio railroad. "He II -
| pyrd, land had not the GovernOr
, thought him Mt for the place ~
would not have named him twice.
II have nothing to say regarding
the fitness OF Mr.. Scherer." replied
Mt. Hart. II know nothing and cara
nothing about the Darlington contro-
yersy, as said before. ! do noe
doubt that he Is worthy and that
! he II Mt man. but this II cAse1
where a mans vocation makes M
appointment out OF the question. ~
man who helps send men to the pen
should not pass on their pardons. Ho,
n not the proper man. Take the Conn
monwealth's attorney. who has been
for years in, the ofiice. Look with
| what reluctance he signs petition
to pardon a man. People all over
| the State are talking Of the appoints
| ment OF a detective to a place o.
the board Of directors OF the pentteu-s
tiary."
Schercr Speaks for Himself.
Mr. Byrd suggested that MEsI
Scherer would like to speak for hfm>s
self and he was given the floor. He
said:
II am not member OF any detectiv1l
agency. At present / am head O.
the claims department of the CheaaNs
peake and Ohio Railroad. and the
roads secret service department ~
under me and reports to me. At on
time l was in the employ Of a de-
tective agency. but arm not now. 81
Since l have been a member 81
the board Of directors OF the peni@
Tertiary one case where railr0AA3
was involved has come snp q1ar pAfA3
don and + declined to vote. I took
part In one case In Richmond recout@S
iy--the BeAteie case-only because ES
had personal friends who were clos
~ connected with It. ! received ne4
a cent OF pay for my services"
About twenty prominent business
and professional men. friends OF MA2s
Scherer. were On hand to add verb
for him. but Chairman Featherst6a
Of the committee, ruled that a. Mr.
Scherer's character or fitness had NO.