Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-09-07
10 nc Editors a he Enquirer.

AccoMac CcURr tloU,E, Sept. l, 1917.
Messrs. Editors: .accomac Cour, House, on
MONDAY last, was The scene Ct one Of the mosl
on .aeeous mobs which ever disoraced any COM
mnui.J.
You know that General Bayly, who enjoys q
personal and political irfue.cr in The county Of
Accomac, (aeyer greater than al this time
which few men ever enjoyed in any community,
has Tor a long time been hated 10y a few OF his
political opponents with intense malignily. This
feeling was greatly exasperated by the result OF
the late election, in which he carried line county.
lin despite OF inc mast desperate means resoried
10 TO defeat him) b. an unprecedented majority /;
and two DeGsccfa;s were trinrnei TO The Lcgisla-
,nre By large majo+i les in the place oitwo Wings.
For seye,ai days before he la.e Court, reports
were rile in lie county lhat on thai day General
BaylY was 10 be mabbcd, and The members OF The
Cour, TO DC taken from The bench by the same
persons, bu, for different offences. These re
ports reached The ears oiGen. 3ayly,a as was proven
in the investigation, but he did not attach much
importance 10 them, saying, as was also proven,
that men who aimed at any thing more than q
mere row, would scarcely select a public court
day TO make their attack.
Monday came. and every thing passed of very
quietly until near night. III true, that The same
band which subsequently attempted 10 mob Gen.
Bayiy once went into The Courthouse 10 carry
oul their ,hrea, against The Coart; but rome Of
their fliends got wind Of il, and prevailed upon
them 10 desisi. This attracted hnl !.iile notice,
ard the quiet OF The day was moi disturbed. Most
Of Gen. Bayly's friends and The peaceable por-
lion of The community, imposed upon by ihsse
appearances, had left town. General Bayly had
been occupied in Courl, fiom the morning until
candles were lii, in an important criminal cause.
As soon as be was through with ii, be proceeded,
unaccompanied, from the Courl.house 10 the la
vern. He ordered his horse, and was standing
for some lime in front OF The tavern conveFsing
with Two or three gentlemen, when a client took
him to The opposite side Of The street 10 advise
with him alone about some professional business.
The gentlemen with whom he had been conveIs-
ing walked of. The mob, which had already
collected in The tavern porch, headed by Mr.. Vii
lam q Finney. The lale Wing member OF The
Legislature who was defeated last Spring, start.
ed out, with their loaded whips wound in their
hands, and with other weapons. Closely follow.
ed by his bullieS, he approached General Bayly,
which seemed 10 be designed to draw out a pre-.
text for the allack. The witnesses did not hear
any other part OF The conversation than The con-
GLIDING remark Of Gen. B., which was: "Sir, You
will receive no other answer from me-" There
caused him 10 blundeI back, and he fell over an
old cannon which was planted Immediately a.
the corner Of The street.. As scon as he wasdown,
several persons cried out "Kill him"-"Damn
him, kill him, while he is down." They were
upon him, when, partially recovering
himself, he drew a pistol from bis green bag and
shot, Mr.. Finney. This for a moment checked
The mob, hut in a short time they rallied, and
General Bayly was Knocked down again
he was recovering a second time, with his
pistol presented, Mr.. John C.. Wise, a Jus.
lice OF The Peace, who had been drawn to The
scene by the report OF The pistol, snalched The ris-
Iol from bis hand aud placed him in custody
The mob sill rushed upon Mr. Wise and Gen. !