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A crowd of about 800 persons paid tribute to Judge Robert Darius Bailey, Jr., 77, last night at a dinner at Pineville.

There was a long list of speakers, including Rep. James Roosevelt (D-Calif.), Senator Hubert Humphrey, stumping West Virginia as a presidential candidate in next Tuesday's primary, and Robert Kennedy, brother of Senator John Kennedy, opponent of Humphrey in the popularity contest in the Mountain State.

A climax to the affair came when Clyde Beale, charge with murder in 1926 of Rissie Purdie in Mingo County, appeared at the rostrum. He thanked the "judge" for Bailey's help in winning him a pardon from the West Virginia penitentiary.

Beal[e] was found guilty while Bailey served as Mingo-Wyoming County Circuit judge. Later the state's ch[i]ef witness told Bailey he had not given true evidence in the case. Bailey refused to sentence Beal to hang and when the State Supreme Court ordered him to take such action, Bailey resigned as judge. Then Bailey spent most of his time in winning a commutation of sentence and finally a full pardon for Beal.

Roosevelt said the next president of this country would have the responsibility of increasing America's strength.

Such is needed, he said, that there will never be any doubt of the United State's position in the free world.

At a question-and-answer session after the dinner, Roosevelt was asked to comment on his brother's appearance in West Virginia in behalf of the Democratic presidential candidacy of Sen. John Kennedy (D-Mass.).

James Roosevelt said his family, including Franklin Roosevelt Jr., act as "free agents and each member can do as he or she pleases."