Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-04

yesterday he proceeded to Prince
George Courthouse. where he convened
a special term of the Circuit Court. On
It's own motion. the court revoked the
commissions issued TO Chief Henderson.
Lieutenant Porter and five policemen
and placed Supervisor Reeves, of the
Du Pont private police force, in charge
of the town
The warrants for Porter and Becessi
were placed in the hands Of Chief w
II. Mcdonald, assisted by Deputy Chief
Thompson. both OF the Du Pont force
together with a warrant for the arrest
OF Henderson. Mcdonald who re-
semhles the Western shcriffs, typical Of
frontier days, lost no time in taking
the accused men into custody. BY noon
he had them before Magistrate Armis-
tead, who was selected TO preside at
the preliminary hearings because of
his reputation for integrity.
SCENE WITHOUT PARALLEL
IN STATES HISTORY
The scene which surrounded the hear
ings. which continued for more than
three hours. is without parallel in the
history of the State, and rivaled court
proceedings in the gold mines of Cali
fornia and In the Yukon before the
majesty Of the law asserted itself in
those territories. a crowd of 5000
people. more than half OF them men
with pistols in holsters strapped to
their belts, surrounded the 20X30 shack
in which justice has been dispensed at
Hopewell-or rather where the pro-
ceedinGs have been more than a ira
vesty OF justice, according TO statements
secured by the authorities. The inside
OF the building was packed with
menacing throng. There was not an
inch OF space that was not utilized,
when the attorneys for the Common
wealth pushed their way through the
crowd with detail of Du Pont officers
acting as wedge
Undaunted by the display Of resent
ment on the part of the accused men,
the magistrate, who is seventy years
old and sturdy type OF the Virginia
farmer announced that he was ready.
and read the warrants.
Henderson, from whom the authority
as chief of police had been stripped
only a few minutes before, was un-
moved by the serious nature OF the
charge against him. lie took the stand
In his own behalf and admitted that
he had shared in a fund of 5000. which
had been raised as an attorneys fee"
to secure the release of an Italian,
charged with the murder OF a fellow
countryman. He got only $40, the
remainder having been DIVIDED between
associates in the system"
HENDERSON SAYS HE TOOK
MONEY TO GET EVIDENCE
Henderson asserted that he had taken
the money in order to get the goods"
on the "grafters" and bring them to
justice. He said he hoped to get evil
dence on an attorney, whose name was
not mentioned. He was subjected to a
rigid cross-eXamination by Attorney
Wise. who brought out that there had
been practically no attempt to Clean
up the town.
The former chief came from Georgia,
quently boosted that he had got his
man." His attitude on the witness
stand was more of contempt for the
proceedings than display of hostility.
and he told his side of the case-or at
least what the prosecutors were able
to get out of him-with some degree
VI iIaHhHeSS pniy one charge was
presented against Henderson at the
hearing, and the magistrate promptly
announced that sufficient evidence had
been presented to hold him for the
action of the grand jury.
Porter, who appeared the boidest OF
the trio caught in the first net which
the law threw out in Hopewell, was
tried on the charge of Offering n bride
of S25 to Supervisor of Police Reeves
of the Du Pont force. as hush money"
Reeves took the money. marked it in
the presence Of witnesses and later
turned 1t over to Governor Stuart.
Porter waived examination on three
other charges, involving bribes OF $50,
SIS and $3.50. In tho arrest Of Porter
the authorities are confident that they
have struck at the heart OF the "sys-