Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-01-15
PERSONAL IDENTITY.


The following curious cases showing the mistakes
which may sometimes occur in the identity of an ipd.
| idual, are copied from English paper:
| A young gentema artcled to an attorney in Inn.
don was tried on five indictments for different acts OF
theft person resembling the prisoner in size and ee-
neral appearance had called various shops il; tho me
tropos, Tor the purpose OF looking at jewelry book
and other articles with the pretended intention OF ma
king purchases, but made off with the property placed
| before him, while the shopkeepers were engaged in
looking other articles In each OF these cases the
prisoner positively identified by several persons
while in majority of them alb clearly and
positively established and the young man proved to be
OF orderly habits and rreproachabe character aud I'M
der no temptation from want of money, to to
acts OF dishonesty. Similar depredations on other
![aaesmen mad been committed by person resembling
Inc prisoner, and those persons proved that, though
there was considerable resemblance the prisoner he
was not the person who had robbed them The priso-
ner was convicted on one indictment, but acquitted
te others; and the Judge and Jurors who tried The three
last cases. expressed their conviction that the prisoner
mad been mistaken, and that the prosecutors had been
robbed by another person resembling the prisoner A
pardon was Immediately procured in respect of that
charge on which the conviction had taken D ace
Not many months before the last mentioned case.
respectable young man was tried for highway robbie
ry, committed in the neehbornood of Bethnal Green
10 10 which neighbohood he and the prosecutor resided
The prosecutor positively that the prisoner was
the man who robbed him Of his watch. The counsel
Tor the prisoner called gentee young woman to whom
the prisoner paid his addresses who gave evidence
which proved complete alibi The prosecutor was
then ordered out of the court and in the interval an
other young man. OF the name of Greenwood who
awaited his trial on capital charge of felony, in
uoduced, and placed by the side OF the prisoner. The
prosecutor was again placed in the witness box, and
addressed thus Remember. sir, the life of this young
man depends upon your reply TO the question about
10 pun. Will you swear again that the young at
the bar is the person who assaulted you" The wit
neps turned his head towards the dock when behoding
TWO men so nearly alike, he became pelriied with
constituent, dropped his hat ard speeches. for
time, but at length declined swearing to either. The
young man was OF course acquitted. Greenwood was
Tried Tor another offence, and executed and few
hours before his death acknowledged thathe had COM
ii'tteo the robbery with which the other charged
SLAVE Laws OF THE SLAVE STArEs-We have given
extracts OF the laws of Maryland, Virginia, Georgia
uni. ne District OF Coumbs. and Tennessee. showing to
what extent slaves protected under the law 10 these
several States. We add now opinion just given by
Chancellor Mason, of Aabama the case OF the State
vs. Doss, slave From the decision will be seen that
slaves are entitled in Alabama to the benefits OF the
VIII OF habeds corpus upon the petition of any free
"ne person. The object aud extent OF the writ is tc
release from any illegal confinement in which they may
De held This decision is based mainly upon The con-
s9ction that the term person in the bill of rights
ana The constitution, embraces slaves The Chancellor
says:
The slave, with US. occupies two-told position; for
WINE Tor all civil purposes, he property and s SO re-
garded and treated by the laws; yet, when he comes
TO be tried and punished for the highest grade of often
ees the law in its great tenderness OF human lie raises
HIM lar above the dignity of mere chael and secures
TO him the rights of human being Upon histria for |
ohences, he Is regarded moral agent, responsible
Tor ms acts and he has secured to him the same rights
OF trial BY an impartial jury OF the country that any
Tree white citizen would have 1t would be exceedingly
difficult to see how the slave could be thus treated as
moral andresponsble agent without digniiyng him with
the character OF person. But enot left grope our
way entirely in the dark this question In the State
OF North Carolina has been expressly decided by the
highest tribunal OF that State that slaves are persons
See the State VS.. Edmund Devrough, Rep. 24O .
lredePs Dig 100 and it will not b seriously conended
but that the condition OF The slave in North Carolina
The same point has been decided in South Caro-
lina.''
For these reason, and others, based uponkhe statute
allowing slaves TO be baed in certain cases Chancel-
lor Mason directed the Sheriff to deliver the prisoner
Doss, into the custody OF his owner without bail or
maln-prlze. We know that the citation OF these hl.
name laws OF the South gall and NORWOOD TO the
Abolitionss here We confess that we had no idea of
the extent and liberal character OF these provisions
til we investigated the statutes for information. We
happy to learn of such laws and such decisions and
to impar our information to Others If we would study
these provisions more than we do, we should under
stand each other better than do and in that way aid
in the restoration OF better feeling among the people
OF the two sections OF our countrv.-N Y. Express.
CENSUS OF ALBEMARLE.
The corrected returns make the population fall
two (25 662) showing an increase of 2799, or very
nearly IL per cent, since l840 We give below the
number OF whites, Tree blacks and slaves now and in
1910:
1850 1910
w Htes. ,II4 lO5l2 ,
Free Blacks. 562 COB
Slaves. 1886 1889
1862 1884
The above table shows that the white population has