The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1957-07-09

III committee , SuDppHtd,
The subpoena. secured through
Judge Floods court by the legls-
lative investigating com mittee.
headed BY Delegate John B Boat
wright, of Buckingham. requested
all records of the Branch here from
December. 1851 to the present. to
be provided by the Rev L. F Grit
fin, president of the Prince Edward
Branch
Four Hour Session
The judges order came after he
listened to two hours of testimony
from witnesses and two more of
arguments by counsel for the Com
mittee and the NAACP Branch. He
said he would hold Griffin in con
tempt Of court for failure to com
ply, Ia warning with which Nc
coupled a second one that should
Il II become necessary for con
tempt citation, II expect to punish
him Griffin severely"
Before the hearing adjourned
Judge Flood ampEfied the punish
ment statement in stating that ii
would be a $500 fine and six months
in jail
In support OF his ruling. Judge
Flood held that the Boatwright
Committee had not exceeded its
authority III securing the subpoena.
as contended BY NAACP counsel
He also ruled against the quash
motion in finding that the Acts Of
the 1856 special legislative session,
which constituted the Committee
and outlined its responsibilities are
not unconstitutional.
v The consttutionality Of the 1855
Laws, sometimes referred TO as the
4 "NAACP Laws. is under litigation
before Federal District Court an
complaints made by attorneys for
the NAACPl
Called Delay Attempt
The quash motion he dismissed
as IA deliberate attempt to delay
the Committees investigation and
held further that he knows Of moth
ing To prohibit the Circuit Court
from passing on the case. even
though case OF similar character
is under litigation in higher courts
Noting that the Committee has
but little time more than four
months IN which TO meet il direa-
tive 70 report to the General AS
sembly BY November is, Judge
Flood said Il should think that. If
It has been held that FBI records
are open. NAACP branch records
may be studied BY legislative in
vestigating committee under orders
from the legislature
Called as witnesses Friday By
william H. King, Of Richmond.
counsel for the Committee. were
Committee Chairman John B Boat
wright. John B Boatwrieht. il
committee secretary. and r. f.
Crawford. Of Farmville, state presi.
HNiit " Wig DtltihtfS VI NldlN
Sovereignty and individual Liber-
ties
Witnesses Questioned
Witnesses we're also questioned hv
Oliver w Hill. Of Richmond. and
Samuel w Tucker. Of Emporia !.
members of the NAACP state LEGAL
staff. who commended that the tall.
and everything demand Of the
subpoena constituted unreasonable
search and seizure.
HILL also expressed the opinion
that the Committees efforts here
were fishing expedition" to Oh
tain NAACP membership names.
Chairman Boatwright. under cues
tioning of King. with respect TO the
NAACP contention that supplying
the subpoena information amounted
! to supplying membership lists and
opening the way to economic re-
prisals, told the court.
The committee does not think ii
possesses the power to punish Our
task Is to investigate with respect
TO barratry tstrrrine up litigation
by attorneys with a view to fees
and similar offenses stirring IN
racial court proceedings without be
ing q party to the litigation and
report to the General Assembly
We arc very well satisfied from
information we have that barratiy
was practiced in the Prince Edward
school case. What We want here is
to learn the methods and means OF
conducting this harratry We need
such information properly 10 report
70 the Gene al Assembly
Chairman Replies
Asked by Tucker that if financial
ledgers of the branch were turned
over the Committee would not then
have names OF those paying men,
oership fees and making contrihu.
tors 70 the MACE, Boatwright
replied
What we're trying 70 find ont X
how this money is being expended
and for what purpose. If We get
checks and such records we can get
names Of persons to call to obtain
facts we are required TO get. ="
Crawford was questioned BY both
sides relative to his knowledge Of
reprisals. the substance Of his teSti-
mony being that he knew Of no in
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