Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-09
CITIZENS OBJECT TO
CITY ATTORNEYS RULING
Mass-Meeting Of Protest Against
Negro Invasion Held at High
School.
RAISE FUND TO APPEAL CASE

Charles ". Meredith Quoted as Dis.
agreeing With City Attorney Pol
lard AZ to Proper Construction OF
Segregation Law.
Another broadside against tho City
Attorneys Interpretation OF the segreA
cation ordinance and the "colored in
vaslon" which. It was charged, was
| taking place In the white section east
| of First street and North OF Broad
under the protection that Mr.. Pollard's
opinion afforded, was delivered last
| night In the John Marshall High School
| Auditorium ut a meeting of citizens
and property owners called to devise
means for opposing the Invasion. About
200 were present.
| TO the meeting came representatives
or the Elks and Eagles fraternnl orders
which maintain clubhouses In the dis
trict under consideration. who pledged
| the support of their organization In
the fight against further negro en-
croa ehment. benjamin Lovenstein
spoke for the Eagles and John Allen
for the Elks.
SEVERAL COUNCILMEN
OCCUPY SEATS on PLATFORM
On the platform with former Coun-
Gilman a. L. Vohderiehr who presided,
| were seated Councilmen Jones, Fuller.
and Chcatwood OF Madison Ward.
Councilman Butler. of Lee Ward; Coun-
Gilman English, OF Clay Ward, former
Councilman Umlauf of Clay Ward. and
| j. p. Richardson. secretary Of the meet
| Ing. Each Of the Councilmen spoke
briefly.
| After discussing ways and means for
| staying the "coiorcd invasion" tho
| meeting voted unanimously to retain
counsel to fight City Attorney Pollard,s
| Interpretation of the segregation ordi-
| nnDCa in the The nf N
negro arrested for an infraction OF the
| law Will be held In the Hastings Court
this month. 1t was proposed TO employ
| an able lawyer to aid In prosecuting
| this case until II Is finally passed upon
| by the State Supreme Court Of Appeals.
| None of those present was quite clear
! as to how counsel could proceed, In
view of the fact that the City Attorney.
| whose construction of the law Is op-
posed, would himself be the prosecutor
in the case, but It was the general be-
| lief that n way would be found
| WILL. RAISE FUND TO
RETAIN COUNSEL
| In order to provide a retaining fee
for the lawyer whom 1t Is proposed to
| employ and to pay the other costs in
cident to carrying the case to the State
| Supreme Court OF Appeals. the meeting
subscribed at once about 800. A com
mittce of ten was appointed to canvass
the property owners In the threatened
1t was stated that the cost Of the llti-
| CATION would be about 5000
| The segregation ordinance closes to
colored colonization any block In which
n majority of the houses are occupied
by white people Conversely. the same
inhibition applies to white colonial
] tion of II block In which n majority
| of the residences are occupied by coll
ored people. The City Attorneys much
| criticised opinion holds the word resi-
1 49, ty, a.
lies" The fact that one house fire.
quently contains several colored fami-
| lies, operates, 1t Is charged, under the
| City Attorneys ruling. to make n block
colored. which actually contains
larger number Of white residences than
! colorcd residences.
| Chairman Nonderlehr told the meet
| Ing of conversation that he had with
| Attorney Charles V. Meredith, In which
the latter declared that he could not
| see how Mr.. Pollard could possibly
| give the ordinance the Interpretation
he does. Mr.. Meredith. WHO was for
| merly City Attorney. said Mr.. Wonder
lehr. is of the opinion that the word
| residences In the ordinance, can only
/ mean separate houses-not families.
The meeting adopted resolutions ex-
pressing Its conviction as follows:
THAT the establishment of a colored
church at Fifth and Leigh Streets, and
the Invasion of white neighborhood.
Wy hCSio occupants, aI6 HaBf3nt NlO-
| latiohs OF the law and should not be
| allowed.
THAT we reject tile recent ruling on
the segregation law by the City Attor-
ney, as being incorrect. and tending
| practically to nuilify the operation Of
the ordinance In tho city
That we memorabilia on our behalf
the City Council, the Administrative
Board. the Mayor. the City Attorney,
the Chief Of Police, and all the city
officials. whose business 1t Is, to In
| terpret and inforce the laws"
COMMITTEES NAMED
| TO CARRY ON APPEAL
The resolutions which were prepared
! BY committee composed Of NJ Salo-
monsky, Miss, julia II. Henning and
Mrs. p. II. Elicit. were prefaced by a
long preamble declaring the condition
! OF racial segregation east of First
Street and north OF Broad n serious
| menace TO that section OF tho city, and
| expressing the fear that unless some-.
! thing Is done to check the invasion tho
negro race will soon overrun the en-
| tire central portion Of the city.
The following ways and means COM
mittee was appointed to devise means
to carry out the plans approved by the
mass ass- citing: NJ. Salomonsky. A. L.
voriderlehr. H. S. walierstein, Mrs. p.
II. Elicit Miss Julia r. Fienning and
| Mrs. w. r. voolfolk
MIR. Vonderlehr announced the fol-
| lowing general committee: II. S. WAL
| lerstein, Joseph e. Powers. l.. j. Cheat
wood, L.. T. Christian. J. NJ. Allen, T.. H.
| Elicit. Mrs. p. II. Elicit. ]. p. Richard
| son.. Miss Julia r. Henning, Charles
| Millhiser, Mrs. w. T. voolfolk, John
| 3. Gayle, John B. Goddin, w c. Gray,
John B. Bliley, Joseph Bllley, Mrs.
George Harrington, Mrs. E. J. REYNOLDS.
David II. Leake. BENJAMIN Lovensteiri,
! William Gowery, Rand Wexford, NJ
Salomonsky, C. Il. Tompkins. Jr., a. l..
Vonderlehr. g. r. Tabb. B. b. Vale ntine,
Garter C. Jones, Joseph e. Folkes,
| Henry T. Beck, c. l.. Denoon, Thomas
| a. .faeddin, James ]. Burke. John IT.
| Goidin. Joseph Merrydew. Gilbert X.
Pollock, Philip Feige, Joseph Baker,
e. r. Fuller and Mrs. e. r. Fuller.