Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-09
Break Bctwecn Sheriff and
Coroner Confirms Re-
ports That Secrecy
Is Violated.
{ Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l ]

lawlessness at Hopewell is indicated
by developments which have come TO
i light within the last few days.
In one of the leading hotels OF this
city on Monday afternoon Sheriff w.
f. Boisseau. OF Prince George County.
publicly accused DR.. James II. Har-
p, grave, OF Hopcwcll. county coroner. Of
making statements before the grand
jury regarding the shcrins conduct at
tho powder plant town, which the chief
peace officer OF the county declared
were absolutely false. Only the inter
vention of Deputy Sheriff Hawthorne.
Of Prince George. and other friends
prevented an exchange Of blows. or
perhaps more serious trouble.
DECLARES SHERIFF KNEW
OF LAWS VIOLATIONS
The statements attributed TO Coroner
Hargrave by the sheriff were to the
i effect that Boisseau knew that liquor
and other intoHicants were being sold
at Hopewell previous to the revelations
which led TO the removal OF the forrner
police force on August and the sub
sequcnt grand-jury probe. II was
serted that the grand Jury had been
told that tho sheriff had drunk intoxi-
cants in tho Hopewell Hotel on at least
one occasion during ,he month OF July.
md that the drinks were paid for by
the agent for Baltimore brewery, who
had his headquarters in Hopewell
Sheriff Bo!sseau denounced the state
ments which. he said. had been made
ny tho coroner as absolutely false, and
in plain words told DR.. HarCravc that
he was liar" Deputy Hawthorne
stepped between the two men. and TO
by ISLANDERS II appeared that a fight
would have started then and there but
for the timely Interference Of the Of
! hcer, who is husky man OF six feet.
! The sheriff handed his pistol 10
I friend and afterwards remarked thar
! nc had invited the coroner to meet HIM
! lin tho woods" or any other place the
latter might name and they would there
J settle the matter The two men were
separated into different groups Of their
friends, but neither left the hotel TOR
an hour or more. Attempts to patch
up their differences proved absolutely
futile. Each officer showed his resent
! mcnt Of the others attitude The
sheriff was plainly !ncensed and tnti-
mated knowledge Of certain acts on the
part Of the coroner
BREAK Is BELIEVED
TO CONFIRM REPORTS
4
the coroner is regarded as confirmation
OF well authenticated reports that the
secrecy OF the grand jury in session at
Prince George Courthouse since August
g had been violated on more than one
occasion. Men involved in the HONEYWELL
| investigation are said TO have been
| given m undue advantage over the
attorneys for the Commonwealth To
what extent these so-called leaks"
have gone is not known definitely at this
time, but there Is reason to believe
that there have been systematic dis
closures which have operated to give
men whom the grand jury might In
dict an opportunity TO cover their tracks
or escape arrest altogether
! DR.. Hargrave was a witness before
the grand jury last week-on a day
previous to last Friday, when the body
| dld not 20 to Its room. although all
the members are reported TO have heen
present during the day Several wilt
nesses had been summoned to appeari
and give evidence upon which the Com
monwealth expected to base indict-
ments No witnesses were called tol
| go before the grand jury, however, and
a recess was taken until Tuesday. Sep
| tember IA. to which day court adjourned
on Saturday afternoon
The law OF Virginia. governing the
conduct OF grand Jury Investigations,
| is exceedingly strict No one is per
| mitted to enter the room in which its
sessions are being held except wit
nesses whom the foreman NAV call and
| those only who have been sworn in
| open court. The Commonwealth's at
torney may go only as far as the door.
when called TO give advice on cues
| tions Of law.
SECRECY OF GRAND JURY
EMPHASIZED BY COURT
The secrecy which is supposed to
surround the grand jury's delibera-
tions was emphasized on the first day
of the special term Of the Circuit Court
OF Prince George, convened by Judge
Jesse F. West, to investigate lawless-
ness at Hopewell Attorneys repre-
| senting several men held for tho action
Of the grand Jury in connection with
the bribery and graft revelations in
| the mushroom city, learned that at
torneys for the Commonwealth pur-
posed sending a stenographer into the
grand jury room to take in shorthand
the evidence Of important witnesses
They Immediately called Judge Vests
| attention to the intentions OF the prose-
cution and stated the law, forbidding
| such practice as was said to be con-
| templated. The Commonwealth aban-
doned the plan.
Just how Sheriff Boisseau learned of
| the statements said to have been made
| by Dr.. Hargrave to the grand jury
regarding the officers knowledge OF
conditions at Hopewell is not known.
The sheriff would not say. The cor
oner told friends that he had been
| asked certain questions by the fore
| man. a. n. Cocks. but what replies he
| made were not revealed by him. Il
The Hargrave and Boisseau families |
have heen residents of Prince George |
for years. and the coroner and sheriff
CONTINUED on Third Page)