Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-21
GOVERNOR ORDERS PROBE
OF LAWLEsS CONDITIONS
Detectives Make Investigation OF
Conditions at Hopewel; and
Colonial Beach.
STUART RETURNS SATURDAY
Lid On at Colonial Beach Last Sum
day for First Time in Fourteen
Years, According to Reports.-Raid
Made Saturday at HOpewell.

Investigations of 1awless conditions
at Colonial Beach. Wcstmo:cland
County and liopewell. Prince George
County, have been mace within the
last ten days by detectives employed
by :he state under directions from
Governor Henry G. Stuart before his
departure for San Francisco July 9
The reports OF the detectives will not
be made public until the Governor
returns % the city. lie will arrive
Saturday light and carly next week
will determine what action will he
taken.
The lid was on at Colonial Beach
sunday for the first time in fourteen
years. of tho eight places whore it
is alleged that intoxicants have been
sold III open violation of the law for
years. the detectives are said to have
gotten evidence against hut one The
proprietor OF this place closed his bar.
but guests who were known as reg
ular patrons had little difficulty in get
tinS drinks through bcll-hoyS and
other employees. How tho tip was
given to the resort proprietors At tho
beach is not known. for the move
mcnts of the detectives were supposed
TO be a secret to which only one or two
state officers and the operatives of the
detective agency were parties
COLONIAL BEACH PROVES
DISAPPOINTNIENT TO THIRSTY
However, the beach was quie: com
pared with previous SUNDAYS. and $500
cNcursionists who went there from
Washington. expecting to find things
wide open. were disappointed, for they
found nothing more than soft drinks
to Stake their thirst. \ very few
finally got on to the ropes at the one
oasis, but it was nothing like the
olden days. Colonial Beach has been
known as the Atlantic City of the
South, and the summer population OF
the resort is around about 5000. while
in the winter months there are no
more than 1,500 residents
What the detectives have found in
the way of evidence at Hopewell is
not known. but with the town run
wide open for months since the Du
Pont Powder Company opened its big
plant near City Point there is no
chance that they fell down" An at
tempt was made to put the lid on
there Sunday. following the arrest of
twenty "undesirablcs" late Saturday
night. These people were ordered to
leave the town ut once and did so. but
the absence of so few Of the habitues
of the white way" was scarcely no.
ticcablc.
PRINCE GEORGE AUTHORITIES
ASK FOR ASSISTANCE
There are no licensed saloons at
Hopewell, and the inability of the
Prince George County authorities to
cope with the situation resulted IN ap-
peals to the State authorities for as
Sistance. Gambling joints and other
lawlcss operations. patrorized by the
thousands of people of many national
tiles gathered there. have been as au-
mcrous as they were in the Klondilic's
palmicst days. If they have not cy-
ccedcd the latterS record
In April, 1914, Governor Stuart or
dered raid of the jamestown Jockey
Clubs race-track in Norfolk County
and wholesale arrests resulted The
county authorities had failed to sun
press gambling there, and the Cover
nor exercised the authority vested in
him by the Constitution to enforce the
laws OF the State.