Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-04-11
THE NEWS OF
WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston.-Judge Henry Brannon.
serving his twenty-fourth year as 9
member Of the West Virginia Supreme
Court of Appeals, in public state
ment, attacks the recall of judges
and judicial decisions. Judge Brannon
prefaces his statement with the re-
mark that he Is not candidate for
reelection, and, having served 80
years on the Circuit Appellate Bench,
he can express his opinion upon public
questions without improperly. Judge
Brannon knows that the adoption of
the proposition would result in q
mighty change of the fabric of govern
ment, fraught with grave danger to Its
safety and the security of life, liberty
and property and the rights of the
minority. The separation of the furc-
lions of government into three main
departments-the Legislative, judicial
and executive-he asserts, has proved
the very citadel of our liberties.
Fairmont-Rev. DIR. J. H Clarke,
pastor of the Methodist Protestant
Church at Morgantown, was dismissed
from West Virginia Conference by an
ecclesiastical court held here behind
closed doors. DR.. Clarke, in a letter
to Judge Fort, of Monmouth. N. j.,
urged the issuance of liquor license
to one of his friends. Through the
Woman's Christian Temperance
Union the Morgantown parishioners
were notified of the minister's letter.
The result was that Rev. Mr. Clarke
resigned his pastorate. The matter
was carried to the conference, which
stated in the letter Of dismissal that
he was not in sympathy with the
church. The board that heard the
charges consisted of Rev. J. N. Holt,
Of Parkersburg, president of the Con-
ference, and Rev. w. B. Morrison, Of
Grafton. ,.,s,.,,..,...
Martinsburg-In an opinion given
in the Federal Court here Judge
Aston G. Clayton decided that the
Washington and Berkeley Bridge
Company should reimburse the Penn
sylvania Steel Company for damages
the Pennsylvania Company paid as q
result Of the killing Of four men and
the injury of several more in the con-
struction of the bridge over the Po-.
tomac at Williamsport, Md. This was
a test case, selected from those insti.
tuted by the plaintiff and carries with
1t Judgments of $14, 000,which the
plaintiff had paid as damages. The
bridge company is composed chiefly of
residents Of Berkeley county, West
Virginia, and Washington county,
Maryland, and the bridge was erected
to connect the two counties at cost
of 100000.
Wheeling.-Fearing that his broth
er, William H. Seamon, a mining
engineer, may be held a prisoner by
either the federal or revolutionary
troops in the State of Chihuahua
Mexico, Andrew ]. Seamon. OF this
city, will appeal to Washington for
aid For months nothing has been
heard from the missing man. He has
in Mexico for 20 years and is former
grand master of the Masonic Lodges
in Mexico. The last word received
from him was that ho was taking no
part in the revolution,
Charleston. Governor Glascock was
asked to hold the militia in readiness
to send to Boomer as result of fire.
quent clashes there between American
and Italian miners. The trouble fol-
lowed the murder of Washington Boz
| stock, bank boss of the Boomer Coal
Company, by Joseph Satulli, an
Italian. The American miners are in
an ugly mood and the Italians are all
| armed. It will require little to start
q bloody riot.
Bluefeld.-For the second time in
two weeks floods are raging in South
ern West Virginia and the damage will
reach several hundred thousand dol
| lars. Heavy rains have caused hun.
dreds of tons Of earth to slide down
the mountain sides, in several places
| putting railroads out of commission.
-Four railroad bridges were washed
out on the Clearfork River The loss
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
/ is over 100000, and on the Norfolk
and Western upward of $4,000.
Elkins. Fire destroyed the sawmill
Of M. M. & D. Brown and the drying
kiln of the, Elkins Pail and Lumber
Company adjoining. The loss Is esti-
mated at $4,000, partially insured.
One hundred and fifty men are tempo
rarity thrown out of employment.