Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-01
Circat Court Of tic Distritt Of Co!&a,6ia, for
TIE C2Mltyto .flerGairia,

Circuit Court Of tIc District Of Co!&m5ia, for
TIE toaafysof .s'eraalria:
JuxE 1855
A summons was issue, from tie CLERKS Office
of the count, OF Aiexanitia in the District oil Co
lumbia. directed 70 Tie marshal of the Eastern
District OF Virginia, a!id commanling him to suca
mon Join II. Peasants 70 appear before The hon
orAbe The United Sd'es Jidges Of the circuit
court Of the District Of COiuns5ia for the County
of .tle1mdr;e. a, the court house in the town Of
.Aexanlria. Immediately, to testify and the truth
to saw an behalf Gt the United States. bsfUre the
Grand Jury Of the said county OF Alexandria
JuvE 8. 1888.
Thomas Woodward, Deputy Marshal OF the
Dis;tlc, oi Columbia, she was sent express trom
Washington to Richmond, there 10 serve a sum-
mons ulrected 70 The marshal al the Eastern Dis
tl.t Of Jirgiaia made oath in open court that he
had served the summons on .hr said Peasants in
the City ot Richmurd. IN VIRGINIA, On the 9th
June: aud that said PicasantS sand - he should
not attend" Thereupnn the District Attorney
moved the court fn au attachment agau,t said
| Peasants; and being required b. the court to
state what evidence he expected said Peasants
could give to the Gsaud Jury for Alexandra
county, the said attorney made IN affidavit to The
! following effect:
| g That he hath heeu informed aud believes that
said Peasants is the Editor Of the newspaper pub
lished In the city of Richmond, called Daily
Richm0nd Wing and Public Advertisers" at he
hath seen in said paper liter published, pur
ipst ring 10 bear Gae 9Th May, from some person
in Alexandria to some person IN Redmond: which
I newspaper is produced aud annexed to the affida
Wit as EXHIBIT {. tina, he Grand jury have now
before them for consideration bill Of Indictment
cha, cling r. B Randolph and sundry ",her per-
sons as hauing conspired and coniedera'ed TO-
gftner to commit an assault On the President of
the United States in thu county of Alexandria:
tina, re expects the said Pcasan.s can prove tchO
was me WIi.sr of said letter. that he idcrs the
facts anu Cig1umstanceS stated 10 said letter as
tending to prcyc, in cOGnexion with other facts
and CrCumstaUCPs which he has reason 10 believe
have D, en- proved or may De proved I'ioGe the
Grand ju,y, that there was such a CODsprafI -
He further states that he con 'ders the facts aud
circumstances stated IN sald letter as teUdOg ID
prove, II moi such a conspiracy, yet, N conneX
I ION with other facts and circu stances ut which
ne believes evidence has been laid before The
Grand Jurv. an illegal and impr2per 5iaa'ion
70 prersnt The arrsst Of sad Randolph. WHO !. -,
on the President Of the United States, and WHICH
assault hath been presented BY the Grand Jury;
ADD by preventing such arrest to obstruct the adj
minjstration of Justice. lie further states, that
it appears from the said letter tina, the t0riter
thereof was acquainted with said offence of said
Rdad0tph, both befure and after the same was
cOmmi;cd; and that, for the reasons above sta.
ted. he hath considered it his official duty to
have the said witness subpenaed to give EVIL
denre, to the to:iter Of the said letters, to the
Grand Jury"
Upon the strength of this affidavit (presuming,
/ IA We must, that its weakness was ITS strength)
the court instantly laid rule on ] II Peasants
to show cause in court, on Monday, the 18th
June, why an attachment should not issue against
him for not attending agreeably to the former
summons.
| Thi, rule was, on the 18th June, served on
said Peasants, by the same Deputy Marshal
| Woodward, who was second time despatched
| from Washington to Richmond OH this most i'm.
portaBt errand.
| Deputy Marshal Woodward, of the District of
Columbus, at the same time, served second sum-
mons upon said Peasants, directed as before to
the marshal Of the Eastcrn District Of Virginia.
| and commanding that marshal, in the same vague
terms as before. to summon said Peasants TO ap.
peas. SC. and F" to testify and the truth to say
90 behalf of the United States, before the Grand
VI so'u S"uu'y VI out WIFI
following addition TO what was required by the
former summons: - and to bring with him the
Original Of letter, dated Alexandra. MAY 7,
published in newspaper called DAILY Richmond
Wing and Public Advertiser. OF the 9Th of MAY.
1885, under the head. the Alexandria case"
To the Judges Of the Circmt Court of tie Dis
trict Of Columbia, for The County IF .dteraadria.
John Ii. peasants, Of the City Of Richmond,
in the Commonwealth Of Virginia, by way of
shelving cause against an attachment for a sup.
posed contempt in not Obeying certain sum
mons mentioned in the rule Of your Court grant.
ed at the instance OF the U. States Attorney for
the District of Columbia, that II, in con-
temptation Of law. he has done or omitted to do
any act, the commission or omission of which
may amount to technical contempt of the au,ho
rity of your Court, he is gutless of any such
offence in design and inteu!ion; for that If the
said summons had been ISSUED BY the order or with
the privity Of the Court, and If its authority to
issue such process had been less questionable than