The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-31
One Mass-Meeting Adjourned in
Uproar and Second Meeting
Goes on Record.

| OpTOdr ana OeCOnQ meeting
Goes on Record.
After Chairman Haskins Hobson had
refused to entertain Il motion to de-
termine the sense of tho meeting as
I to whether Forest Hill should be an
nexe6 Ey Richmond, and while the
room was in an uproar, with half u
dozen men speaking at once, and all
of them standing in readiness for
more strenuous argument. Augustine
| Royal moved last night that the
mass-mceting called In the Swans
boro High School to consider the
terms ana conditions of annexation
adjourn and at once reconvene to con-
sider the general subject Of annexa-
ton. His motion was carried almost
unanimously, the citizens standing
and applauding to make their vote
more pronounced and emphatic
| Mr.. Hobson. whose rulings had
been repeatedly overriden in the heat
OF argument. Immediately vacated the
chair. and w. C. Lowry, OF Oak Grove
one OF the leaders of annexation, was
elected. a moment after, while tho
large crowd was still wavering in the
throes of excitement and beginning to
lose restraint. with j. b. Sadler. of
Forest Hill. attempting to pour oil ON
'he troubled waters. w. c. Blake
moved that the action of the com
mittce appointed by the county Board
or Supervisors in drawing another
line of annexation and leaving out
crest Hill altogether be disapprored
ana mat the meeting voice it's approval
OF the lines as originally drawn hv
tnc council Committee on Annexation.
w. 4. Jacob said that the meeting had
petter go SLOW in it's action: that ii
"ouiu be too late after annexation IN
"sh LOT anything, and that hand
once put in the fire couldn't be with
drawn without being burned. There
we're cries OF question. question"
The question was put and tbo mo
NV" was earned almost unanmousiy
Sentiment All One Way.
| In the words of George +, Wt.a
! augustine Royal, OF Forest Hin fbe
IIlihS was the most remarkable ever
I C,e 10 discuss public question
o,,a,iiI man iiobson refused to allow dis
S"ssioh on the general proposition or
/ dering that II must be confined to Tho
! terms ana conditions of the scheme M
+! annexation. The climax came when be
| poihted on map new line drawn nv
nc committee appointed by the Board
| OF SUPERVISORS. This line left Eorost
nm out altogether and also ,nothor
| largo block of territory, and Mfr wise
""ntcu 10 Know what the meeting was
called for If the committee had al
eauS decided what the county was to
/ T.
islactory 10 the crowd, and d. l.. Pull
iIhpi' one of the committee and the
! ohiy one present, was asked to answer
re sad that the committee had drawn
] ,he Inc Just as the Council committee
ii'lu uraWn It's line, but that the matter
! was still open to discussion, as the
! question had not been settled
sentiment for annexation was over
| whelminS. Oak Grove. according 10
w. - Lowry, wants TO come in because
| IL mas not had 10 cents worth of i'm
! proVcment In fifteen years Forest
| Hill. according to Mr. Wise. wants to
! come in because it's water HAD been
condemned an unfit for consumtpion.
whereas. with proper safeguards, 1t
would be the purest water in the world
Mooniahd Heights wants to come in
despite the fact that 1t has paved
| streets and other improvements
! r.. g. Hooker. of Oak Grove, Jumped
| early into the melee Of argument
oak Grove" he said. hasn't any
more protection than rabbit In the
| bushes. Talk about annexation. Why
! say let's get in by IL o'clock to-
! night"
| Early I'm the meeting, when It had
| become Swansboro's turn to speak on
i the terms and conditions Of annexation
! according to the rules laid down by the
| chair. Mr.. Hobson said that in the alb
! senco of any citizens from that suburb
| he would presume Swansboro was in
favor OF annexation. r. J. Hooker
| sprang to his feet and said Il am in
: favor of 1t, and ] speak for seven-
| eighths Of the people of Swansboro."
And am in favor of it," said w. c.
! Blake. land / speak for tho other
eighth"
| Want Protection.
Immediately after the meeting
| opened, with Commemorative Attor-
ney Hobson in the chair, ]. e. Sadler
was appointed secretary. l.. w. Cheat
| wood, OF Oak Grove. questioned some
| clauses of the annexation bill, and
wanted to know who would be the
| Judge OF the time when conditions
| would demand that water and gas
mains be put in the annexed territory.
He said that, under the reassessment
of 1915, Richmond would be able to
increase the tax ratio without waiting
for the expiration of the five years
| guaranteed in the proposed bill.
w. c. Lowry, of Oak Grove. COM
planned that the county Board of SUI
| pervisors had never done anything for
| Oak Grove since he had been living
there. and that tho people wanted an
nexation for the fire and police pro-
lection and the guaranteed improve
| ments 1t would give.
| Forest Hill, too" interjected Mr.
Royal. I'VE won't ask the Board Of
Supervisors to consider the subject
| with u.s. We are going to confer
among ourselves and with our own at
! torney."
! Chairman Hobson pointed out the
lines as drawn by the committee ap-
| pointed by the Board of Supervisors of
Chesterfield County. 1t begins at the
Belt Line Bridge, leaving the Southern
Railway in the county, inning along
| its northern side to Reedy Creek and
by circuitous route to n point on the
Petersburg Turnpike. where 1t meets
| the line drawn by the Council commit
tee. leaving out Forest Hill and tho
Seaboard Air Line Railway.
MIR. BrInser Objects.
III. d. Brinser. OF the Rrinser Manu-
featuring Company, offered immediate
objection. He said that nothing could
! he anttAn from tho cnilr,fx da yXaH