The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-07
CALM DAY At HOPEWELL
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

r
of evidence laid before 1t is certain
from the number of witnesses calle'l
Ia tell of occurrences IN the Mush-
room city during its few months of
3 existence.
Some OF these who have been placed
under arrest since Tuesday are also
likely to tell many things TO mem
bers of the grand jury. II Is declared
/ that one OF the members of the police
force deposed Tuesday will appear be-
fore the body and lay before 1t some
/ amazing evidence or the wholesale
violation of the law at Hopewell.
( That the whole story OF lawless-
+ ness win be told to the grand jurors
! that no details of the working of the
! system that has given protection
/ IN return for money extorted from
( operators OF dives. disorderly houses
h aud gambling deus will he withheld--
! is regar drd az certain bv those who
are familiar with Virginia law. 1t Is
! pointed out that some member OF the
/ ring" will offer to make clean
! breast Of II all in return for the i'm
/ munity that may he claimed by the
| informer. under the provisions of the
I anti-bribery law
TO "SpIiC' aud Take Immunity.
Al this time. with the beginning OF
the grand jury probe still two days
away IL is said that at least one Of
the arrested members of the former
Hopewell police force who is alleged
to have given and accepted bribes. Is
ready to make dispositions uneovering
the whole sordid story. This man will
be among those heard Monday morn
! ing fter the assembling of the grand
IntN On what he has 10 say. scores
OF indictments. IL Is expected, will be
based, He VIII be- held by the Stats
az a material witness for the prose-
/ cution,
The prosecution will be thorough.
| The Prince George County officials
ana representatives, OF the Common
wealth are determined that the law
must be obeyed and that further dras-
tie action will follow the arrests al
ready made is promised. Hopeweh
win be cleaned up. aud compelled to
stay clean. AZ was the jamestown
Jockey club. in which Governor
Stuart aut Attorney General Pollard
more than year ago took ii hand.
Forces OF Prosecution.
Judge Timothy Rives. Common
wenlth's attorney of Prince George
County, is being assisted in the prose-
| cutlon OF the cleaning ap or Hope
! well by Attorney George f Wise OF
/ this city. who has spent two DAYS
this week In Prince George. Hopcweli
ana Petersburg. Acknowledgement
Pollard has also been IN the field at
fIopewell aud u great mass OF evil
denCe has been secured
| Detectives employed bg the Business
Mems Association of Hopewel and
State officers have been quietly delv-
ing into the muck OF lawlessness and
{ disorder for some time past. aud 1t
was on evidence that thoS had accu-
mulated that the first steps toward
Kidding the town Of undesira bles and
law breakers and the airing of the
police force, most of which Is now
either under arrest or under bail to
await the action of the special grand
jury. were taken.
Becessi Gets Balf
Among the earlier developments OF
yesterday was The releasing OF Tony
Becessi. proprietor of the Hopewei
cabaret a notorious den of iniquity,
under bail OF 5000, with Becessi's
brother-in law as surety Hecess was
taken, with Lieutenant John a For-
ter. OF the deposed police force, TO
Prince George Courthouse Yesterday
morning by Sheriff Boisseau. They
were removed Thursday night from
Heurlco jail. where they had been
kept since Tuesday for the Prince
George authorities, and taken to Pc
tersburg,
Efforts maze by Porter yesterday
morning to secure bail were without
result, security offered for his release
amounting to but $2,60G, half of the
amount required by Judge West.
Judge West heard argument fer the
reduction of the amount of bond re-
quired for the release of the Two men
and denied the motion
on warrants issued Thursday night
Detective" Mullen and Officer" Pol
lard, of the police force that was
IopeWell's until the force was ousted
by an order of Judge West Tuesday,
were placed Under arrest yesterday
morning. Pollard was charged with
attempting To eXtort graft money, and
Mullen with imrersonating an officer
police CHER Henderson, head of
the deposed force. who had been re-
leased under bail To await the grand
jury's findings. was again arrested
yesterday. 1t developed that bond
given for him was defective and new
bond was required This was given,
and he was later released.
Would Make GETAWAY
The activity of the State and county
officers yesterday morning was the
reason for the departure of a humber
or the more timd of the law breakers
+, from Hopeweil during the day While !
IL Is true that the number leaving !
town was not large, there was an APP |
preciable change in the usual general !
appearance of the place. Ii was n !
more quiet, more ordMiy appearing |
populaCe that the town possessed dur !
ing the afternoon and early evening /
Those who have been a. part of the |
dlsnrderly element Watched them
selves closely and when anyone who /
might be regarded as 'sleuthing' APP !
peared among them they made effort |
To disguise their real character. Some |
of the more notorious of the women |
who have found rich pickings in |
Hopewell. since Richmond. Peters |
burg and other cities abolished their |
red light" districts. are getting ready /
to get out before the heavy hand OF
the law falls upon them.
A number Of the sellers OF whiskey |
aud beer and operators of gambling |
Joints. who are 80 situated that pull |
ing up stakesy is comparatively |
easy matter, are preparing TO make |
a getaway before the going gets too /
bad. That IL will be exceeding bad /
by Monday now seems certain. No /
fg, EI.xn 4 ~