Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-12
COURTHOUSE RING
BLAMED BY POWELL

COURTHOUSE RING
BLAMED BY POWELL
Continued from First Pagco
had taken oath to support this Con-
s;itution when he became Judge
CHARGES FRAUD OF
SPOTSYLNANIA ELECTIONS
That among the frauds practiccd Mt
elections i'll SpOtsylvaniu County which
] personally know. was the crasure OF
II. NJ Usher, Il legally qualified voter.
registered III Thornsburg Precinct.
Berkeley District. Spotsylvania County,
from the voting list of November
1913. furnished the Judges OF said pre-
cinct for elections, Thornsburg being
the home precinct of &. r. Coleman
my predecessor In the House of Dele
gates. from Spotsylvanla County ana
the city OF Fredericksburg. and he also
had Il copy of said voting list with
same tshcr's name erased thercfrom.
and objecting 10 the judges OF said
precinct allowing said Usher to vote
a. said election on the ground that
he was not on the voting list furnished
said precinct judges by the county
electoral board for said election.
| held both of said lists up to The
light, and II showed the election of
tc!als and crowd of bystandcrs where
said name had been erased bv the cx
IRENE thtnness OF the paper AT that
place. and also by comparison with
an official list furnished me by the
clerk OF the Circuit Court OF said
county. which had kept I'm my pocket
up to that time, and which said Cole
man and said election officials did not
KNOW possessed. and only which said
lshers name appeared in the said
pincc as erased thcrefrom on the other
| TWO llsts. and as originally printed
, there, all Of said lists being printed
from The same original copy and
plates
VIII furnish evidence OF many other
tlecN"n frauds of which have in
formation 10 the Committee on Courts
OF justice when IL comes to Spotsyl-
wanna I" investigate the matter to-
sether with complete proof from eve
witnesses OF the one above referred TO
APPOINTMENT or
tRIsMOND As CLERIC
The latter par, OF January. 1912, the
c!-rN If he circuit Court OF Spotsvl-
wanna county G!cd: he had Just been
elected AT the preceding November elcc-
'''H :or term OF eight years. com.
m"h'iuS January. 1872. Judge T. II l.
chichester appointed y. H. Crismond.
Inc incumbent. as former clerks sue
eess"r FOR the uncXnired term OF seven
Years ard eleven months. Mr. II a.
Ir'smohd, his son and deputy clerk
under J. y. u. Crismond. VINO in 1903
,.ed the county and went TO parts I'M
hhoWh 10 ":fdpc prosecutions for an :
n':':iihE several thousand dollars fror.
the county and states finances, pass-
I !nS through his hands
l." exact amount Will be Furnish e.
In" Committee on Courts OF Justice
non i investigates the matter. and
from the h%uroS OF the committee tina {
investigated the clerks Office after tho
escape Of the said j. =. II. Chrismond.
N" appointment Of \. H. Crismond
"N 'uute chichester for the uncXpired
term OF seven years and eleven months,
az "lofcsaid. was against the wishes
|1I what is believed to have been the
ever "heNninS majority Of the people
OF SpOts!lNnnia County, and over the
Protest "i the largest and most rem
t'Sc"tatNe committee that ever assem-
"'ed III my legislative district I'm my
rr'oiiecil"u for purpose OF this kind
am reliably Informed that il was
/ i'hhe cnlcHy Mt the request Of former
ludSc \. I. Embrey. Messrs c. r.. +.
w ana l. ;. Coleman. all Of whom OK
c'pt {. II: and 7. :. Coleman, were non.
residents OF ,Spotsylvunia County W.T..
heSs.s as 10 this viii also be produced
i"f the Committee on Cosrts OF Justice
when the investigators request IT,
iIIAHGES "MIDNIGHT
CONSPIRACY" TO buy VOTES
\ II Crismond has always been on
posed 10 me politically. and, pre-
sumo VIII continue TO vote against me.
ana the night before my election To the
legislature, In November. 1919. took
part IN q midnight meeting and con-
: si"fac% with said j y. II Crismond
hi' i1thcr; Or. ". 4. Harris and r A
/ Harris. all OF Spotsylvania Courthouse
10 BUY al the votes nj that place they
touid get against me on the next day
'Hl they were all sccn, heard watche ed
+ hid prevented from carrying out ,hei,
Scn"me. This VIII also prove by eye
illnesses before the Comm!ttc. OF,
Courts .! Justice when they Investigate
this matter
yet in spite OF all this. fccl tina,
should say believe that A. n
,Fismoud IL. qualified vrom an educa
I upnal standpoint. for the position OF
clerk, ana. 30 far as ! know, mis- ac.
counts are all right ! have not OK.
Hin'ncd them. In July. 1918, r. $. Cole
nan. tho Commonweaith's attorney OF
Spoisylvania County, died At tn,
Wishes Of majority of the voters o,
Sp"tsyIvania County tas viii show
~ the original petitions. duly signed
~ them | applied to Judge Chichcstci
!o' appointment for the uncxpIrec
term. the present law giving him IN,
'Ieht to MI such vacancies for tn,
nAc1pired term OF the previous incum
bent I expressly stated in my ami
'""oh mat ] would assume no obli.