The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-19


grand it terrific. Heavy rain. wind, deep
rolling and crashing thunder, and floods of light
ming, were its constituent parts. The alternate
darkness and illumination by the electric fluid
presented a contrast pleasant now to recall to
mind than it was to witness. The doleful cry of
"Fire!" was heard at half past three O'Clock, and
the bells Of the several engine ringing their
alarms at that hour, suggested that the lightning |
had somewhere kindled a flame. This proved to |
be true.
About mile and half from the city, the barn
house Of Mr.. VIM. J. Stone was ignited, and the |
| reddish vapor from the fire doomed in bold relief
from the dark background of the sky ina northern
direction, and heightened the effect of the general
| aspect of the storm.
Dreadful as was the morning, two three of the
engine companies proceeded towards the farm, but
prudently retraced their steps before they were
half way.
Mr.. Stone, learn, has sustained loss of about
three thousand dollars. Four horses, and other
live stock together with the barn and its contents,
were consumed.
The lightning struck the apothecary store of Mr..
| Mcpherson, on the corner of and Seventh
streets-knocking off from side of it the wea-
Their boarding, and scattering shingles in various
directions. 1t then entered the garnet, left its
mark long strip of wood. and cut splinters
from the door sill leaped to the bell-wire, rung
the bell, alarmed two young men who were asleep
by noise like the report Of pistol, and took its
departure at the street door, clipping of small
| piece of the frame.
| The cabinet mandatory of Mr. J. Connolly,
the opposite side Of Seventh street, bears marks
Of the force of the electric fluid the exterior Of
| the building, though the deep burrows had been
made witha nail. A large and splendid rocking
chair nearly under the handle of the hanging
bell in the sales-room. The handle split, and
half of it thrown of distance of six eight
feet, and the covering Of the Chair ripped from
the nails, and part Of the frame work of the
back, towards the seat, broken.
The chimneys Of the tenements occupied by Mr..
| Thomas Sutton and Mr.. Richard Myers, the
corner of Third street, on Massachusetts avenue,
were attacked by the lightning bricks were torn
out and shingles scattered. The clock on one of
the mantel-pieces Of the house of Mr. Sutton was
thrown to the floor.
Fortunately, go far can learn, nobody has
been injured, although certain that not a
few persons were much frightened.
DEATH from SINGLE BLow.-A coroner's in.
quest was held yesterday morning over the body of
John Merinder, who died on the morning Of the
| 18th instant.
From the testimony of several witnesses, it ap.
1
| lying at anchor in. the Potomac river, off place
called White Point distance of ninety miles from
this city, dispute between the captain of the
vessel, James II. Powell, and Of the sailors,
John Merinder. The captain had just returned
from the shore, and was going into the cabin, when
| Mernder called to him and asked, "Do you want
me any longer" To which the captain replied,
Eyes, as long as you behave yourself" Other
words passed, when Mernder called him ''a liar
and suddenly sprung from his seat sin savage
manner" advancing towards the captains face
with his open hands. The captain, in defence, i'm
medately took up thick round stick--one of those
made of for removing stone by rolling it-and
struck the deceased on the back of the head. The
blow fclled him. He was afterwards taken into the
cabin, and the wound bathed with what the wit
ness called "embrocation."
| Merinder had been drinking "good deal" and
| was quarrelsome. The captain thought him to be
a valuable hand, and liked him; and after he struck
him expressed much regret, saying that if he had
! known that Merinder was drunk he would not have
inflicted the blow. The captain not "a drinking
man., was not subject to outbursts of passion, and
had treated the hands with uniform kindness.
! DR.. Morgan, who made post morton examina-
ton, testified that the man came to his death in
consequence of the blow received. The skull was
very thin, not more than two-thirds as thick as
/
tured.
Justice J. L. Smith testified that he had Captain
Powell before him on the 14th instant, and dis
charged him, not considering, from the evidence
of MISUNDERSTANDING DR.. Morgan-that Merlin
der's life was then in danger.
Officer Hazard testified that Captain Powell had
informed him that he struck Merinder in self-d de-
fence and that he would not have had the affair to
have happened for all the money in the United
States. M
The above are the main facts elected by the jury.
Charles S. Wallach, esq., was present as counsel
for the prisoner.
The jury rendered the following verdict, namely:
That the said John Merinder engaged as a
hand on board of the schooner Patrick Henry, COM
manded by Captain James II. Powell, on the eighth
day Of May, 1851, and while the said vessel was
lying at anchor in the Potomac river, off place
called White Point, dispute arose between the
captain and the deceased-the deceased being in
toxcatcd at the time-when the deceased call
ed the captain damned liar, and at the
same time rose from where he sitting and
made at the captain. At the same time the captain
seized billet of cedar wood which lay close by, and
which had been used to roll stone on, (t was about
three inches thick,) and struck the deceased
heavy blow on the head, which felled the deceased
scnsecss to the deck; the said blow fracturing the
skull from the effects Of which the said John Me-
rinder died on the morning Of the nth Of May,
| 1851"
1t should be stated that, when it was known that
Merinder was dead. Justice Smith caused war
rant to be issued for the arrest of Captain Powell.
While the officer was in search of him, the captain
voluntarily surrendered himself; and he was COM
mttcd TO Jail to await further legal proceedings,
which will take place to-day.
Mr.. Merinder was buried yesterday. from his
late residence, on the Island He was about thirty
three years of age, and has left wife and three
| children.
| THE CAPITOL GRouSps- Workmen are engaged
in repairing and renewing portions of the tagging
of the terraces, and in the vicinity of the naval
monument. The pavement directly at the western