Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-12
CHARTER LEAGUE LOSES
INCORPORATION FIGHT
Judge West DismisScs Petition on
Ground That All Signcrs Are
Not Qualified Voters.
APPEAL TO SUPREME COURT
Arguments in Prince George Court
Arc Heated. Each Side Charging
Other With Attempting to Secure
Control Of Politics in HopewcIl.

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PRINCE GEORGE COURTHOUSE.
VA. December li.-Thc Charter League
OF Hopcw"l lost out in its effort 10 in
corporate that community as a town
here to-day, when Judge West dis
missed its petition for Incorporation
on the ground that all OF the twenty
one Stgncrs Were not qualified voters OF
Bland District. Prince George County.
An appeal TO the Supreme Court OF
Appeals was noted.
The motion for dismissal was made
b? Attorney :. Gordon Cumming, of
Hampton, who represented the old
Business Mems Association. which has
favored having tho community incor-
poratcd as :; city By the legislature
His motion was made soon after court
had convened for the afternoon session
EACH SIDI; CHARGES OTHER
WITH PLAYING POLITICS
United states District Attorney Mann
appeared for the Charter League The
testimony at times was sensational,
each side charging the other with at
tempting to secure control OF politics
. il. the powder town by eerrymandering
methods.
Only a lew witnesses were intro
duccd. DIR. J. II. IIareravc, \. r
Tucker and one or two others testified
for the petitioners that Honewell was
more in need Of an orEanizcd govern
,ucrt now than ever before. since the
powder town WAS completely wiped out
hy It disastrous lire.
Attorney Cummings rifidly cross
examined tho witnesses as To tho popu-
lation OF the community OF Hopcw.n,
hs.t Ian,
Charter League was attempting to in
corporate only Il small part of the
community. lie brought out on cross
examination that The total population
of the entire community was several
, thousand above the limit of 1000 the
maximum figure under which a COM
munity can incorporate rs a town.
STILL TO RE COUNTED
IN THE POPULATION
The point was made and sustained
! that people who had lived I'm Hopewcll
and expected to return after accomno-
dations could he secured there. were to
be counted in the population. although
they We're at present living in Peters
burg or Richmond
The morning session of the court was
taken up entirely in hearing evidence.
Nathaniel Simon. OF the Hopewrll
Times, was introduced by District At
torncy Mann for the petitioners to
prove the order of publication Mr.
Simon introduced four copies of his
paper in which the publication of the
, petition was said to have been printed.
The petition appeared in only three OF
the copies, and Attorney Cummings in
sisted that, as the law OF publication,
calling for publication once Il week for
four successive weeks. had not been
complied with, the petition should he
! dismissed.
! Mr.. Simon said that he had exhibited
! through mistake a sample copy OF his
paper OF November II, but that the
! petition was published in his regular
| edition of that date. The court re-
! served it's decision on this motion and
| the defense sent posthastc to Richmond
| to secure an issue OF the paper of No
vcmber 81. Mr. Simon had not re-
| turned when court adjourned, after
| sustaining later motion made by Al
| torncy Cummings to dismiss the peti-
tion on the grounds that all OF the
sgncrs were not registered voters i'm
| Bland District Attorney Mann an
| nounccd his intention to appeal the
| case as soon rs Judge West announced
! his decision.
| Many liopcwcll and Petersburg cit
| iIenS were present at the hearing, as
wide interest had developed in the ef-
! fort to incorporate Hopcwoll because OF
| various suggestions and reports to IN,
| effect that a commission would be an
| pointed to govern the powder town
| until the Legislature convenes in Jan
| uary.
| Lawrence Perry. president of the
Continued on Fifth Page)