The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-09
INTERFERING POINTERS ~ mr.
GARD TO RECENT coNcuLMANIC
-, RACE ARE CLEANED.
VEL SH TO THE FRONT
SUCCESSFUL JEFFERSON WARD
CANDIDATE HAD WARM SUP
FoHTERS-T. W. F0LkE~
THREATENS DISCLOSE RE

jury inquiry in the recent council
manic scandal at the Second jefferson
precinct. The inauisitors will resume
| their inquiry this morning. following
n recess Of two days, which was taken
| IN order to Summon additional Wit
nesses, II was stated The Identity Of
these witnesses have not been made
public
There was some speculation yester>
day az to whether Theophelus W.
Eolkes. the city employe who tam
pered with stray ballot. according
to his own admission. will he asked
TO appear before the grand jury as
witness The fact that no formal
charge has been preferred against
h!4n makes 1t possible far him ia lac
I indicted. even though he appears as
"a Witness 1t Is general 4eHAd,
/ however. that ne wilt mot he sum-
moned before tho inquisitors.
In statement yesterday Mr..
t Eo4Ees declared that ht. VIII lay bare
all the facts within his knowledge
I If the grand jury gives him a chance
TO do so. He even intimated that he
would incriminate politicians higher
up If they continued Ia make q scape-
goat Of him.
Boosted Welsh.
Mr.. Foikes' activity in boosting
Joseph h. Welsh for Council has ex-
cited considerable comment on the
ticket which he used In directing az
! least one voter at Second Jefferson
these names were unscratched: Jo-
seph b. Welsh. William +. Sullivan.
b. Gallagher, E. c. Dawson and John
A Selph.
OF these candidates Messrs. Sulli-
van and Welsh were the only ones who
emerged victorious. Mr. Welsh ran
fifth on the ticket, the. next candidate
below him on the list being Frank l..
fectors maabut hTr. .,Fk mig m
Butler. member of the Board of AL
| dermen, who was fegtsiated out of
that Office by the new government
plan.
Among the warm supporters of Mr..
| Welsh was John Mann. Jr.. fire COM
missioner. former councilman, and
one OF the seven members of the
grand jury which is now probing the
primary scandal
Mr. Welsh is former police com
missioner and 1t is asserted that
members of the police force cam
vassed ION the quiet for him in the
councilmanic race. He liz a clerk in
City Treasurer PAGES office and as
such is understood 10 have II hand In
! the issuance Of poll tax receipts when
| nese taxes are made. 1t is the belief
of many persons that he is disqualified
! to serve as councilman because of his
| Is hardly likely that the issue viii be
| raised
| Others DisgrnntIed.
The fact that Mr. .Foikes and other
! political workers used every endeavor
ito land Mr.. Welsh In Council il call
! ing forth criticism from friends Of
| other Jefferson ward candidates. some
| Of whom went down to defeat. even
| though they had voted to raise the
salaries many OF those who worked
| against them, as one councilman
| pointed out yesterday.
! II was stated yesterday that MIR.
| folkes, in addition to his position
/ as lanitor and armorer at the First
| regiment armory. which pay him Il
! total of 500 approximately per
]ss...4-tA .t+.tsf+ --.-..3Ieet.,f-f<sstas--
| tail Liquor Dealers Association. which
| il largely Interested In city politics
and especially in the complexion of
| the poll tax list. 1t was also stated
! that 1t was largely through the in
| fiuence of this city employe that the
Of Third district Republicans were
! enabled to pack Belvidere Hall with
: alleged rbewery workers and others
| OF that type at the time the Allan
| Moore faction were crowded out of
! the hall several months ago when the
| two factions held city conventions.
What Foikes Says.
I Mr.. Folkes made the following
! stateInenr yesterday:
" am a poor devil Of a janitof. and
! am trying TO support my wife and
seven children, But / am going to tell
! the grand jury every thing | know.
! Mf4n. higher np Ia, 4he party ~ q maxi
I ing me the goat,
| When am called before the grand
| jury / will tell. ii / am asked, how
! in a certain precinct certain election
! officials We're not allowed to mark
| the ballots of men who could not
/ mark them FOR themselves. Another
| judge did ali the marking. I will tell
who he is. / will tell what his job
Is. ] have been in politics a long
time. / know all about It, and If the
grand jury wants the facts I will give
tne4a. Then the public viii sec that
did not start the thing.
II will also tell of a number of ball
lots being left in a small store at
- and streets. {Mr. FolKes
gave the address of the store and the
merchants name. The store is in the
neighborhood Of the Seven Pines sta
tion.) How these ballots got there l
don't know. but do know that upon
certain occasions In former elections
signed orders would be given by
strong politicians for twenty-five or
thirty blank ballots. The ballots would
be delivered without question. and
would be used by the bosses to the
best advantage. If the grand jury
wants to know all about that Ill tell
It. ] believe the grand Jury does want
the facts, and l am going to give
them.
After that / don't know what I'll
do. T9e water department is after
me. 1t Is bigger than ! am. i am
only poor devil Of n janitor, but, so
help me God. IN going TO tell the
grand jury the truth about that. pri-
mary"
Mills Welcomes Light.
Commenting on this statement, Cap
tain Morgan r. Mills. chairman OF the
Council Committee on Water and
practically the head or the City Water
Department., said that ii was absurd
for anyone to suppose that the Water
Department was on the trail of the
janitor of the First regiment armory
Let all the light possible be turn
cd on" declared Captain Mills In his
usual vigorous style. THAT is all /
ask -