Evening star., 1949-08-05
Virginia Board
To Study Action
On BribeCharqe
FuI|-ScuIe Probe
Pledged if Preliminary
Inquiry Warrants 1t
By the Associoied Press


State Board Of Elections ha
promised a preliminary investiga
tion of a bribery charge in tn
Democratic primary for Governor
to see if the facts warranted ,
full-scale probe.
Levin Mock Davis, board secre
tary. said yesterday he woul,
transmit any facts that could b'
collected to the members for de
cision on the possibility of an Off
cial investigation.
The charges were made in tn,
last heated days of the campaign
by Robert Hazelwood, State cam
paign manager for Remmie L
Arnold, who was the also-ran IL
the four-way race. Mr.. Hazelwoot
told an Arnold meeting here Sun
day he had been offered $4,000
to desert Mr.. Arnold. Later D.,
newsman reported Mr.. Hazelwoot
told him the offer came from 1
man very close to Senator Byrd.
Byrd Denounces Charge.
Senator Byrd denounced tn
charge linking him to the matte
as false and ridiculous and asket
for an investigation in the public
interest. Mr.. Hazelwood had tele
graphed the Senator that h
hadn't mentioned his name di
rectly or indirectly.
Under Virginia election laws at
tempted bribery may be punished
by a sentence of not more than l:
months in jail and a fine of no
more than $1,000.
In other developments. q
Spotsylvania County court clerk
who served as co-chairman O.
the Miller for Governor force!
in the county. has been charged
with altering the name on a pol
tax receipt to enable his sister te
vote in the Virginia primary Tues.
day.
Commemorative Attorney T
Stokely Coleman swore out war.
rant yesterday charging w. Cary
Crismond, IS, clerk Of the Circuit
Court, with fraudulently seeking
to validate the mail ballot of hi.
sister, Mrs. Ruth c. johnson o1
West Point, Va.
Receipt Issued to Wife.
The warrant charged that Girls
mond altered the name on a 1941
poll tax receipt issued to Mrs
Janet T. Crismond, his wife.
Payment of the poll tax for the
previous three years Is a prereq-
uisite to voting rS. Johnson s
name was not listed as having
paid the ls49 hA Msttond rs
issued by T. Towels Dickinson
deputy treasurer, according to Mr.
Coleman.
Mr.. Dickinson examined his
records and said the receipt hac
not been issued to Mrs. johnson
but had been issued to Mrs. Girls.
mond. Mr.. Coleman said Mrs
Crismond's name had been erased
and Mrs. Johnson's name inserted
Crismond's attorney, Francis B
Gouldman. denied the charge.
MY client is absolutely limo
cent" he said.
Union Leader Suspended.
At Front Royal. meanwhile
Frank Nesbitt, a Textile Workers
Union official who supported Joh1
S. Battles candidacy for Gov
ernor, was suspended from his pos
as president Of TWUA Local 371
The Executive Board of tn
local announced it suspended MI
Nesbitt for conduct unbecomin,
an officer Of the union and detri
mental to the Textile Workers
Union Of America"
It was Mr.. Nesbitt who causet
a late sensation in the guberna'
torial race by issuing an AFFIDAVIT
backing up Mr.. Battles charg'
that Francis Pickens Miller wa
"the CIO candidate" for Cover
nor. The affidavit said Mr.. Mile
attended a CIO-PAC meeting IL
Richmond February 10; that h
criticized Virginia labor laws ans
gave tacit agreement to CIO sup
port in his campaign for Cover
nor.
Other Developments.
Mr.. Miller. runner-up for th'
gubernatorial nomination, an
nounced he is planning to spens
full time in organizing the Dem
ocratic forces within our party"
Mr.. Battle said he may re-
sign his Senate seat within th'
next day or two" Delegate E. o
McCue, jr.. of Charlottesville wal
mentioned as a probable candidat,
to succeed Mr.. Battle. Mr.. McCue
party whip in the House. said hi
was naturally interested" but die
not commit himself to run for tn.
upper house.
The State Board of Election.
meets in about 10 days to make
the official election canvass, ant
a decision on launching an in.
quiry into the bribe offer may bs
made at that time.
In the only Statewide Repub'
lican primary, Thomas E. Nc.
Guire Of Petersburg led Berkeley
Williams. former Richmond post.
master. by 224 votes on the basi
of incomplete returns in theil
contest for nomination for Lieu.
tenant sGovernor.
Alexandra Jail Given