Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-11
TOLD BY POLICE IT WAS
ALL RIGHT TO Sell LIQUOR
Italians Tell Consul Camille Eera
Of Their Treatment at
HopcweIl.
WILL GO BEFORE GRAND JURY
All Evidence So Far Presented Has
Come Through Governors Agents.
Prince George County Officers Have
offered No Testimony.

z
/ Following reports that Italians at
! Hopewcll had received what he e
gardcd as unfair treatment at the
hands of the local authorities in rriuce
George County. DIR. Camille Nerta. Itll-
ian consul at Richmond. went to the
powdcr-plant town yesterday TO in
veStiSate. Tho consul WAS informed
by men he considers reliable that Of
hccrs had told them that il would be
"all right to sell liquor and other in
/ toNicants. provided they had Il Cni.ed
states internal revenue license. and
that many Of them had paid various
sums Of money to officers for "prot.c :
! ton.
None OF the officers who arc said To
I have told the Italians they could sell
liquor reported the violations OF the
law to tire grand jury at FRINGE George
! Courthouse. All OF the indictments so
far returned in connection with the
Hope we'll probe were based OIL nforma
ton supplied by investigators sent tc
lIopcwell by Governor stuart or hy
Du Font officers. .5t
ACCOMPANIED nv
GOVERNORS HErRESENTATIvE
pr. Neria was accompanied on his
, trip by l.. X. Driver who has been the
/ personal representative of Governor
Stuart in Investigations OF awlcsSness
at li"rcwcll. They spent the greater
part Of the day in the town. and more
, than hfty Italians were interviewed
| regarding their knowledge of graft and
bribery on the part of policemen and
'othcrs.
1t is believed that through Or. Vcr;a S
- ha Sfn,n q
been given an opportunity to open ur
a new line of investigation which will
have the effect of supporting previous
revelations OF conditions at Hopewell
, Ia addition. there are likely to he
! further developments when the cviticu, G
of the Italians interviewed by the con
sui is laid before tho grand jury when
/ IT reconvencs at Prince George Cour, :
house.
ITALIANS HAD BI:EN
WARNED NOT TO TESTIFY
1t was also learned that Italians who
were known TO have knowledge Of graft
and bribery at lIopcwcll had been
warned by certain men Interested in
the acauittal OF men indicted for
bribery that the Italians would get into
trouble If they testified in these cases
/ Twenty-Five Italians have been in.
dicted by the grand jury for selling
IintoNicantS at liopcwell. and many OF
these pleaded guilty. being nn,U 81!
each and required 10 pay the costs
! which amounted to approximately soa
. for each individual Several Of these
complained 10 their ,ountrN's rcprcssn
tatirc and Informed him shat they had
! been told by officers that the% cou!G
sell intoNicants They could no, un-
deratand why they should he fined
GONEHNORH AGENTS SECURE:
ALL EVIDENCE PRESENTED
! The Italians. Of whom there are 4oo
actually employed in the Du Font plan
and perhaps 800 more working in Hope
well. talked freely with the consul and
| EaVc him much more information re-
GardinE the situation than the state
authorities had been able 10 secure
! from these sources in two months ths
! foreigners apparently had greater con.
fidcncc in their country'S representa-
! i've than in Americans.
OF approNimatcly 80 indictments re.
I turned by the special grand jury i'm
/ pannc!cd 10 investigate lawlessness at
! llopcwell. the evidence on which c.ch
/ wa: based was furnished by detectives
| from the Baldwin !elts Agency at Roa-
i nokc. employed by Governor Stuart: by
The Governors representative l.. R
! Driver and by officers Of the On ron,
. police force. who are paid by the pow.
! dcr-plant company. Mr.. Driver sup
piled evidence on which more than I5C
indictments for the Illegal sale o,
I liquor we're based
No evidence which resulted i'm indict.
ments was supplied by the recula,
! Prince George officers
| EiNED O>E-IIhI.E OF
LAWS REQUIREMENT
| la Police Court at Hopewell ycstcr-
day morning Greek restaurant kcerer
| was fined So and costs by MAGISTRATE es
Perry and Brit,ou for Violating the
Byrd liquor law.
Attorney General Pollard. when asked
last night about the authority for i'm
posing a se5 penalty for an offcuse OF
| this nature. said the minimum tine, ror
Il violation OF the Byrd law is $40 Hc
declined TO comment on the action OF
tho magistrates
The Greeks place oil Railroad Ave
! Continued on Second Page.)