The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-15
GOV. RUSSELL OF
NISSISSIPPIW|LL
Be TRIE.ID.N0NDAY
Chief Executive Of Southern
State Must Face Trial on
Serious Charge.

JACKSON, Miss, Sept, 15-An-
otliet chapter I'm the adminlstra-
ion ot Lee ~. Russell, governor Of
Mississippi, Is expected to be writ
lon ~ the terms Of the Kinds
epunty circuit court, which opens
Monday with the hearing Of a suit
fer 100000 damages filed by
Miss Frances Cleveland Birkhead,
Of New Orleans, La. stenogIapher
and former secretary to Mp. Rus
sell, charging the governor with
seduction breach Of promise and
responstble for a criminal opera
ton.
The charges made by Miss Birk-
head thus far have resulted in a
legislatiYe Investigation OF allega-
tons mad by. Mr.. Russell that the
suit was inspired by agents Of
what he termed "outlawed" FIRE
Insurance concerns; transfer Of
the snit from the federal court
here ln which 1t originally was
tised % the state courts when at
torneys Tor Governor Russell chal-
lenged the Jurisdiction Of that
federal court, and a recent refill
ing ofithe suit in the United States
district court at Oxford, the gov
efnors home.
As the case now stands 1t is
PENDING ON the dockets OF both the
Kinds county court here and the
federal court for the northern dis
tftct Of Mississippi 1t Oxford.
miss Birkhead charges In her
complaint that she was betrayed
while acting as, q stenogrdphcr at
t1e state capitol, assigned to the
pttice OF Mr., Russell, then lIeuten-
GOVERNOR; that she was prom
ised that Nj. Russell would obtain
divorce and marry her and that
subsequently she went to Memphis
n mis- insttgation and that an
opefation performed there had re-
suited In a permanent injury.
Governor Russell las vigorously
tented all the allegations made by
Miss Birkhead; charged that an
atfempt had been made to black
mail him; declared that the suit
was fostered by outside influences
and that the complaint was filed at
The particular time was. early this
sear IN an effort to discredit him
before the legislature then in
sessipn
Tie legislative inquiry, which
oiillyestfgated charges made by
he governor that certain fire in
;urance interests was maintaining
spernicious1 lobby in Jackson In
the interest Of pending legislation,
eesulted in a committee finding
which declared the governors al
legations mot proven. The COM
nittee was named by the lower
branch of the state assembly in
response to a request made by Mr..
Russell after a proposal TO cItv
1imibefore the bar OF the senate in
nlpeaehment proceedinSs-based
IN the allegations ade by Miss
Bifkhead-had been voted down.
SoEernor Russell did not appear
'efore the committee but submit
edfnswriting his charges and out
med circumstances on which, he
Splained, he based the allega-
ions.
request that he be permitted
q have a Representative present at
he hearings to cross-examine wit
aesses was denied by the commit
Governor Russell has charged
hat alleged anlmus against him
IA thes part Of certain fire insur-
ince concerns was due to the filing
II anti-trust proceedings asking
penalties aggregating more than
sS,00Q;000. A wholesale with
dFawal of foreign" companies
from Mississippi followed chan
cesy court ruling in favor OF the
state revenue agent who brought
the suit, The case now Is await.
ing Adhesion by the state sup
RENE court.
Dismissal OF Miss Birkhead's
original petition in the federal
court for the Jackson district was