Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-03-11
DELEGATE fLAYS
FORMER SENATOR
Weaver, Of Warren, Delivers
Caustic Address on
George B. Keezell.
C CAUSES SENSATION.
Charged with Irregularities -keezell
Goes to Richmond to Answer the
Charges.

Richmond, Va, March 11.-Declar-
ing that Former State Senator Geo.
B. Keezell had been guilty of conduct
which, hal he served in the FEDERAL
congress, would have landed him be-
hind prison bars, that Mr.. Keezell was
q manufacturer of false evidence and
a man who prostituted his public Of
flee to his private gain, Delegate
Aubrey Weaver, of Warren, chairman
of the House finance committee, arose
yesterday to a question of personal
privilege and excoriated the "Giant of
Rockingham"
Mr.. Weaver, after having read a
letter addressed by Mr.. Keezell to
Speaker Cox, in which Weaver was
taken to task, said:
81 take consolation to myself when
| consider that no statement r1ia:e b.
that gentleman can injure ME in the
section where | am known, and that
no statement which he could make
would carry either conviction or
truth which would be believed by those
who know me.
81 charge that in his attack upon
me he based his argument upon man
ufactured evidence. manufactured by
the former senator from Rocking
ham,"
MIR. Weaver then said that when
Mr. heezell charged him with being
"a malicious liar" the former sena-
tor knew that he was falsifying Tho
record and slandering an honest man.
"While my head is hot" said the
speaker, 'no man can employ suci
language as that directed against ne
by Mr.. Keezell find it doubly Of
fensive when such an attack eminates
from such d source-from such a
man.
81 charge that George B. Keezell,
former senator from Rockingham
county mad he served in the federal
congress, would today be behind pris-
on bars
Mr.. Weaver explained that Mr..
keczell had acceptei retainer from
the Chesapeake anG; Western railroad
while he was a state senator, that this
retainer amounted to S229.06, which
amount was taken by Mr.. Keezell,
and placed in his private pocket"
Mr.. Weaver explained that Senator
keezell had been responsible for q
reduction in the county levy of Rock
ingham, which had saved the Chesa-
peake, Western railroad S229.06 ir
taxes. That for this reason the rail
road felt itself enabled to pay him
over this amount, which he had felt
himself able to accept.
"When a man is capable of prosti-
tuting his public office for his private
gain he IS not in a position to cal
any one liar.
"But the worst is yet to CORE
cried the :elegate from Warren.
"When the charges now preferred by
me were first printed by newspaper
in Mr.. Keezel's neighborhood, he en-.
tered suit against this paper. He next
proceeded to purchase majority o1
the papers stock. The suit is still
pending. This woub&' seem to NEAR
that Keezell is suing himself.
when, in his letter to Speake,
Cox, Keezell charged that l hac
charged that he had used his position
of chairman of the same finance com
mittee to pay himself off as mert
Der of the state fisheries boar5, hi
charged me falsely.
"But while I did not bring tha
charge I bring it now, and, by th'
grace of God and the records of th'
general assembly, l shall prove il"
Mr.. Weaver then read from S sectiol
2O92 Ais of the code prohfbitin;
members of the fisheries board from
receiving compensation other than tn
expenses of their office.
Mr.. Weaver then proved from tn
record that Keezell had been drawing
an annual salary Of s400 as mem
Der of the state board Of fisheries
"And Coz knows how long he ha
been drawing it," said the speaker.
In concluding his remarks Weave