The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-03
JUDGE LAWLESS
UPROLDS BACKUS
Court Believes Norfolk County
Police Chief Is Honest
Man.
PETITION is DISMISSED
Improvement League Told That
Its Zeal Has Been
Instructed.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch. ]

Norfolk. Va, August Fudge Jo-
seph Lawless. in the Norfolk County
Circuit Court late to day, dismissed the
petition for the removal OF Chief of
Police Backus OF Norfolk County.
which was signed by sixty citizens FOR
alleged failure to enforce the law at
Ocean View. Judge Lawlcss said he
had known Chief BaclluS for thirty
years, and believed he was an honest
man. He said there had been little
evidence offered To prove the charges
against Mr.. Backus
The whole matter was due to the
misdirected zeal of the Improvement
League" said Judge Lawless III half
the energy used in antagonizing Mr.
Backus had been employed in co-ope-
rating with him. conditions would have
been greatly improved"
Court-Room Crowded.
The proceedings drew many specta-
tors, and the room was crowded The
petitioners for Chief Backus's removal
mad sixty witnesses summoned Fol-
lowing the allegations Of the petition-
.rs' witnesses were put on to prove
that conditions at Ocean View had i'm
proved greatly and that order there
is perfect.
The petitioners handed In a bill of
particulars reciting the following allie
cations:
That liquors were sold at the Sprav
hotel. in Virginia Avenue on SUNDAYS
In l'ls and on Sundays in 1913, and
mat gambling was permitted. LIQUOR
being sold without license"
The same charge is made against the
arrow Club. on Lynnhaven Avenue.
against the Yale Cottage. in Virginia
avenue: against those operated by r.
~ l.. Andrews, against those operated
ny George Cabler. at the head OF Lit
tie BAY; against Pine View Cottage
III Lynnhaven Avenue
Inc plaintiffs allege they have not
received proper police protection and
that Chief Backus Is incompetent
Elwood S. Moore, editor of the Nor
foik Gazette. was one OF the star wit
hesSes The witness said he was in the
Spra% Hotel on Sunday. July Is, 1912.
He bought beer. and while drinking II
he was asked by Carlisle Hozier. whom
he understood to be one OF the pro
prietors. to leave the place. Hozier
said he knew what the witness was
there for. and he did not want any
trouble in the place. The witness went
out but stayed long enough to play
couple OF nickcls in the slot ma :
chimes and lost them. There were also
In operation, he said bird-cage ma
chimes and roulette There We're 200
people in the place. he asserted
The witness said that in consequence
of a story he printed in his paper Oc-
tobcr ., relative TO II. L.. 7. Andrcws's
place. Chief OF Police Backus in com
pany with Officers John Hayes and
Whitehurst. came to the witnesses Of
flee. Backus expressed establishment
that such things as the Gazette story
told OF were going on at ocean View.
He asked me II 1 would prosecute"
said Mr.. Moore. and | answered in the
negative, but said i would appear as 4
witness Later he told me that he had
gotten out warrant. I went to the
trial and helped to prosecute. chief
Baclkus gave me no assistance I called
him aside and asked n he had turned
his hand to get evidence. He replied
he had not, as he was relying on me.
Continued on Seventh PaGe)