Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-12
En- N, EDJBiTs

hIes,r. E!i;uIs The writer has seen com
muncalon published in lhe Enquirer 81 the II
instant. over the signature oil "Ciizen,' giving
a Startling account Of a violent attack upon pri-
va,e and public property by a SCI Of ,awless men,
in pulling down one oi The Dams on me line oil
improvement OF The upper APpoinauox Compa-
nv, near The village oil jamestown, III Prince Ed
ward. Now Mcssrs Editors, a tale is good un-
Ill the other side is heard. That there was
great excitement in Fafmville, in consequence ot
The act IS true bur there has been much greater
excitement in The vicinity oi the dam, for con-
siderable time previous, IN consequence o the
destruction OF health and property. The writer
will now endearor 10 give lew iacts oil The
case In the first place, The actors " The case are
not only the most respectable 10 that whole COM
munily. but are nideI-lovins, peaceabe citizens,
many Of them good and acceptable members OF
The various Orthodox Churches Q! Cur County,
and are certainly responsible, and Hen Of proper
~, aud are amenable 10 The laws ol the land. But
The writer promised some OF The acls OF The case.
Some Ten wears since, las The writer was INFORM
ed, by one Of the parties most lnluTed,) The pin.
clpal agent Of the company applied ~ Mr.. Eli
sha Woodhn Tor permission u erect dam, and
10 cul a cana across his land, few hundred yards
below Green Creek, Ca considerable sream) on
more than mile, that belonged TO Mr. Woodhn
and Mr. Fitzgerald He, Woudin, objected say
ing that il would destroy his land, and affect The
aeallh of his family This willy agent insisted
that he was misiaken that the injury lie APP
pretended would never be realized; and II he
would consent 10 The erection OF The dam, &c,
that the company would pay more than The da-
images ne might sustain; and that alter The
erection ol the dam, The company would get
The lury that he, Woodhn, should have no lrou-
bic upon that score; and that after the dam was
erected The jury could then better determine
the extent Of inJury-all OF which 10 good
man, as Mr. Woodfin is known 10 be, appeared
reasonable and right: he gave his consent and
no sooner was The dam erected, and The locks
built, report says, Than This honorable agent
boasied OF having ovcrrcachrd The unsuspecting
old man, and instead OF getting the jury pIomis
ed, resisted the verdict OF as intelligent jury as
could be raised in he county OF Cumberland
because, was alleged, The damages were e1
cessive. This Jury was obtained by The lppli
cation Of Messrs. Woodtn and Fitzgerald, and
assessed the damages al some So, 100, which IS
now generally conceded 10 be nothing, compared
with The full extent OF The injury sustained by The
parties injured. Their verdict was set aside OF
quashed by the conrl another jury was, II cor
reclly remembered, empannelled, and returned
verdict upon which the court have never acted
So these parties have been labcring with their wit
nesses attending every Quarterly Court for near
~ Ten years, al an expense OF some $500; and
this soul.ess corporate body, the Upprr Apo
mallox Company ( or al least their principal asen)
boasted Of having over-reached them. The wri-
lsr OF this lives some or 10 miles from The place,
and like many others, thought The cutting down
OF The dam rash lie, al the request Of Mr..
Wooifn, visited the injured lands, and he will
now say, thai although he has ever had respect
and reverence Tor the laws Of The land, yet he
thinks that there is a law above all other laws
the Law Of Nature, (sel prcservalion,) which IS
The FIRST law oil Naurc that presents itself in bold
relief in this case. During The last FAN those
families in the vicinity of This drowned land (say
some $50 or 200 acres) were visited with lever 10
such an extent, that there were not enough who
we're we'll TO attend 10 the sick. The writer
wi. al least say, Messrs. Editors, that il you
were 10 see for yourself you would not think II
comparable 10 the "Anli-Rent cases Of New
York. bul feel assured that YOU would think that
sood men 10 The country might do all that was done
in removing public nuisance. II may be ask
ed why the mailer was mol reached in legal
way, by lodgin9a pfesentrnent as pubic nun
sance2 II is answered, that no time was 10 BIZ
lost the season was fast approaching when such
body Of stagnant water would have poisoned
The atmosphere, and no family Whln i've iLiles
would have been sai. from its influence. Il was
considered Al first by many good men great
outrage, and there was considerable excitement
until all The circumstances became known; but
all is now calm, and The writer thinks "CitiZsn
IS mistaken in snpposing that The Company will
alIempt 10 enforce The laws Tor, il they can
strike even with the parties injured, they would
do well 10 do .. The navigation is considered
as good IL not better, by cutting down the dam;
and il tull and even handed Justice were accorded
the injured land holders, the amount If The yer
dict OF the jury would moi reimburse them for
their loss now though the dam is out ol The way.
The writer has no motive in this communica-
ton, but desire that justice may be accorded 10
the parties He is not interested in the Compa
ny, nor with any Of the parties injured is not re-
lated To any, or either, and with many OF the ac-
tors has no acquaintance but teels, as is be-
ieved the whole community feels and thinks, that
The case was an extraordinary case. and required
extraordinary means 10 be used.
A FRIEND TO Public WORKS.
y>~Wh;o rennesIe1 IN cony