Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-22
SOLDIERS ACQUITTED
AFTER C0URT-MART|AL
Three Members Of Petersburg Grays
Are Tried for Accepting Money
From Man They Arrested.
HAD NO WRONG INTENTION
Maj. Bowles and Lieut.. Earnest Hear
Evidence and Decide in Their Fa-
vOr, as Money Was Not Taken I'm
I'll After Prisoners Release.

Special To The Times Dispatch.I
liOpEWEIL.. VA. December 2l.---The
three members Of the Petersburg
Grays. who were arrested here last
night and contaminated for accept
ing Sl.S5 from a person whom they
arrested but finally released, on the
charge OF gambling. were dismissed.
Major Bowles decided that as the
alleged gambler was released before
the men received the money, they were
not guilty OF wrong intention. The
men returned to duty.
Their arrest grew out of the Police
Court hearing yesterday on the charges
preferred by them against James
Pooley, a young white man, for i'm
pcrsonating an officer.
According to the evidence at that
hearing, Pooley appeared at the mill
tnry tent here on Sunday night and,
claiming that he was an officer, asked
three or four OF the soldiers TO assist
him in making raid on an alleged
gambling house in Death valley"
Corporal Undcrhill and Privates Brow
der and W. Peterson agreed to accom-
pany him. and the raid was made.
The charges against tho alleged
gambler were dropped as Pooiey
failed to appear in Police Court to
testify against him. When the SOL
diers released the man, he is alleged to
have given the soldiers the money and
TO have said Ego buy yourself some
cigarettes or something TO smoke with
this
Major Bowlcs learned Of the affair
he. If he.
hicrs.. They were locked UP in the
uu;.rdhous.. Major Bowles and Lieu
tenant Earnest sat ~ "A court-martial
and heard the evidence against the
three men las, night. They left for
Richmond Immediately TO confer with
tdjutant-Gcncral Sale.
The three men admitted that they
received the money. Private Browder
said that ne received II and divided II
equally with the others.
MILITIA PUTS END
TO THREATENED RI0T
No further trouble occurred to-day
along tho right of way OF tn" new spur
track being built for the Norfolk and
Western hallway in Du PCnt CITY. one
mile west OF here. where late ycster-
day Italians nearly prcciritatcd riot.
y patrol guard is nov bcinE maintained
along the right OF way hl the militi;,
stationed here.
The arrival OF the Petersburg Grays
on the scene yesterday. in answer TO the
riot call prevented trouble when two
Italians threatened to shoot the con-
Stru.tion gang foreman 70: refusing to
stoI, the work of laying rails The
Italians fed with the arrival Of the
militia. and only on" arrest was made
The Italian who was captured was not
on" OF the PRINCIPALS IT is said
The trnubl. which led ur TO the near
riot started Friday. when italians APP
pcarcd on the scene To protest against
the laying OF the track down the street
along which they lived.
They threatened III" negroes at work,
II is said. and the whole fore. quit.
Work was suspended until yesterday,
and with new force the Real Estate
Development and Construction Gem
pany, which is building the spur under
contract. nGain began work.
The Italians again appeared, and ].
Walter Long, president of the com
pany. seeing that trouble was threat
ened. drove hurricdlv 20 Hopewcll in
his automobile TO summon the militia
]ie left his foreman In charge While
he was away IL is said that two OF thu
Italians threatened The foreman and
toid MN that Trey We're going to stop
;hc constructed work, either bv law
or by force. iI necessary They He'd,
however. as the militia appeared
OLD DOMINION RUSHING:
WORK on IT'S NEW PIER
The Old Dominion Line is rushing
to completion the work on it's new
pier nj City Point. The pier Will be
about thirty feet wide and 100 feet
long. II will greatly increase the IN
t:lities for han Hing the Increased
freight now being received At this
port. and will cost several thousand
dollars.
The water front at City Point is
fast taking on the appearance of a
large port The new pier being erect
ed by the Du Pont Powder Company
also Is being rushed to completion. The
pier will cost above $4,000 when COM
pleted. and will he lighted by electric
lights for night loading and unload
ing. The large searchlights that will
light up the river for miles will be
placed OH the dock.
These two piers will mako a dozen
piers and docks 1t City Point, whereas
six months ago there was only one de-
lapidatcd structure on the river
Several hundred men are now en-
ployed at the water front, and il pre-
sents a very busy scene. other piers
have been planned for City Point by
different large corporations. and it is
believed that work on some of these
will begin within few weeks