The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1957-05-21
So Questioned
Here In Study Of
1851 School Suit

Through the testimony of 80
witnesses callsd during a two-day.
12-hour span Of questioning the
Thomson Committee Of the Leg
iSlature gathered testimony here
last week which the Chairman
believes may indicate unethical
legal practices were involved in
the 1851 desegregation suit
against the Prince dward county
school board
Delegate James M Thomson,
Of Alexandria, who heads up the
committee of 10 members Of the
General Assembly, said after the
closed hearing that testimony in
dictated there could have been vio-
lational Of professional ethics.
since some witnesses testified that
they had no idea Of paying court
costs Of attorneys.
The laNmaker implied that in
some instances the normal attor-
NY client relation did not exist
then since six years after the
suit was instituted, some witness
es don't recognize themselves as
plaintiffs in that suit"
Thomson's committee the Leg
stature created committee Oh
Law Reform and Racial Activi-
ties. was in Farmville to discharge
its legislative task given in the
1856 special session. TO determine
if illegal Or improper legal prac-
tees were used in instituting the
suits. or in financing them
Specifically, the tasks assigned
are to determine if barratry. main
tenance, champerty and running
and Gaping which are the of
lenses of stirring up litigation in
the courts and improperly financ-
ing ii are involved.
Chairman Thomson said after
his committee had spent two
full days here that it had come
to learn how plaintiffs got into
the 1851 suit brought against the
n school board and how the suit
came to be brought
Despite charge by S. w. Tuck
er. Negro attorney OF Emporia,
VINO was present as counsel for
some Of the witnesses. that the
HEARINGS did not develop the full
story, Chairman Thomson indi-
Gated from his home after hear
ing the charges that his commit
tee had learned what it had come
to find out.
Counter-C Charge Made
Forty-eight witnesses were sub
poenaed here with the commit
tee calling SO. and excusing IL.
fuckers remark was III obvious
reference to the II uncalled, since
he charged the committee had
heard those who told the story
/. they wanted to hear ana excused
the others
Y Thomson refuted that charge
with the statement that the II
We're not heard because "of a
matter Of time, with the com
/ mittee adjourning each day at 5
p, IN, AS l recall" he added, the
witnesses were called in alphabet
cal order
Both ThomSons committee and
4 committee headed by Delegate
John B Boatwright are faced with
court tests of their constitutional
lty, with the NAACP lawyers ar
guing that the laws creating tho
committees are unconstitutional
The NAACP also has instituted
suits testing the constitutionality
Of five related laws passed by the
/ special session last fall designed
70 preserve Virginias traditional
system Of separate schools.
Thomson, in a prepared state
ment after the hearings in the
4 Prince Edward County Circuit
Court Room, said
Witnesses Thanked
Almost all of the witnesses
were or are plaintiffs in the suit
/ Drought against The Prince Ed
\ ward county The committee
wants to express its appreciation
TO the witnesses who appeared be-
fore the committee. Almost With
out exception the witnesses we're
cooperative and helpful"
He also expressed the commit
tees thanks to Sheriff James +.
CLARK and Commonwealth Attor-
ney Frank N Watkins. and
each and everyone who helped
facilitate the work Of the com
mittee..
Two committee investigators,
Maynard r. Powell and John B.
Simmons. had laid the ground
work for the hearing in invesdga-
tons ahead Of the committees ar
rival.
Appearing before the committee
were Fred Reid, Leonard r. Bland
Wllle Reid Frank Williams, Jim
Turner w c. West, Charlie Du-
puy. Carrie Brown. Leslie Wool
ridge, Sarah Elizabeth Hicks. FL
sic Hargwood Isiah Dennis, j n.
Pervall James N Brown, Agnes
Farrar Harry S. Hall
The Rev. L. F Griffin, who is
head Of the local NAACP branch
and county coordinator, Inez O.
Hicks Thomas ~ Allan Nellie I