Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-09
HOPEWELL HAS LID
ON FOR FIRST TIME
Illegal Resorts Closed by Order
Of Judge West at Mid
night Saturday.
GRAND JURY MEETS TO-DAY
Investigation of Graft and Law
lessness to Be Vigor-
ously Pushed.


terday for the first time since the town
came into existence. interest in condi-
tfons there turns to the grand jury in
Vestisation into graft. bribery and
other lawless operation at the powder
plant city. which begins at Prince
George Courthouse this morning. The
questionable resorts are no longer TO
be allowed TO run with the sanction of
the law on Sunday or any other day in
the week
More than 200 witnesses have been
summoned to testify before the grand
jury. which will be impanneled by
Judge Jesse F. West OF the Circuit
Court Of Prince George County Com
monwcalths Attorney Timothy Rives
VIII be assisted in the probe by At
torney General John Garland Pollard
and Special Prosecutor George Il. Wise.
Of Richmond How long the inresti-
cation will continue depends largely
on the rapidity with which the grand
jury is able TO secure information on
which TO base indictments against the
graftcrs. bribers. liquor dealers and
other evil-docrs who have operated at
Hopewell In open defiance Of the law
for several months.
TRIALS OF ACCUSED
WILL FOLLOW PROMPTLY
The court will go into the trial of ac-
cused men as soon as possible after
the indictments have been returned by
the grand jury. The defendants will
have an array Of legal talent TO repre-
sent them. and every technical OBJ
stac!e Will be thrown in the way Of
the prosecution in securing convictions.
Hopewell yesterday spent the quictest
sunday Of its mushroom period No
liquor or beer was sold. and /, Is sai
that IL was even impossible to get soft
drinks OF any kind.
The gambling joints. which have
thinncd out considerably since the
town police force was removed from
Office last Tuesday, were idle and the
resorts. freauented by the 200 women OF
questionable character in tho town,
were closed to the public.
LID WAS PUT ON
SATURDAY NIGHT
The lid went on at midnight Satur-
day. Judge Vests order for everything
OF questionable nature TO close down
was received by o. VI. Reeves. super
visor OF the Du Pont police. about s
o'clock. and Deputy Chief william a.
Mcdonald who is in actual charge OF
the powder plant policemen on duty in
the town. Immediately began to notify
the proprictors OF these places of the
instructions given by the court I, was
nearly IL o'clock before Mcdonald com
pleted his rounds and. after midnight,
a new atmosphere appeared TO pervadc
the town
No trouble was experienced in en-
forcing Judge Vests order Chief Nc
Donald made two more rounds before
daylight yesterday morning ard found
only one case of disOrdcrly conduct.
Following the arrest last Tuesday OF
Police Chief Henderson and Lieutenant
Porter, the Du Pont officers have had
little trouble in maintaining order in
the town. Chief Reeves held himself
and his men subject TO Judge Vests
orders and, when the word came to put
the lid on. they were ready to enforce
the instructions to the letter. Many of
the proprietors. who were gouged by
the grating system before the up
heaval came, have been aiding the au-
thorities by voluntarily furnishing in
formation and details of the operations
under which huge sums OF hush
money" went into the pockets Of half
dozen or more men. who appear to
have been In complete control of affairs
in HopewclI.
EDITOR BAUER CONsuLTS
ATTORNEYS FOR STATE
One of the most significant develop
ments OF the past week has been the
change In the attitude OF the Hopewell
DAILY News toward the efforts OF the
authorities TO "c!can up" the town.
fichard +. Bauer, the editor and man
ager or the paper, was member OF the
committee, headed by the then Chief
Henderson. who called on Governor
stuart two weeks ago and told him tina
conditions were Improving" in Hope
well and that there was no occasion for
the State to take n hand. Bauer has
been one OF Hendersons staunchest sun
porters, but now the paper makes O
excuses for conditions Bauer has been
in Richmond for several DAYS and yes
terday called on Special Prosecutor
Wise at the latter's residence He also
hoped to see Attorney-General Pollard
Inc nature or Bauer's disclosures IL
any, were not made public
According to police officials and sno-
cial Investigators lawless conditions a
Hopewell have not been exaggerated II
Is true that there has been compara
lively little open violence, considerin,
It's cosmopolitan population of 10000
people. gathered there in four months
from every quarter of the globe. But
on the other hand, no one now attemnta
to deny that there has been wholesale
graft and bribery connected with the
operation OF tho law -defying places In
the town.
IA
buy BEER FOR EVIDENCE,
So wide open were things last Tues
day that three bottles of beer yere