The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-09-01
COMING THE GRAB.-A very white fell

COMING THE GRAB.-A very white fel-
low, named George Drew some II or 18 years of age
whose mother is bright mulatto, named Mary Drew
and whose father is said to be white man. was ar
raigned before the Mayor Of the city yesterday on
warrant, charging him with having stolen Sc note
from Clarssa, the servant CT Mr.. S. T. Wesiger OF
Chesterfield, on the 9Th of August last.
As soon the called, &. 3. Minor Esq.,
counsel for the accused and protested against
the trial of his client free negro the ground
that he had less than oneourth part negro blood in
him. and therefore entitled to different charac-
ter of trial to that of free negro
The Mayor then asked to be shown the certificate
OF the Hastings Court declaring the prisoner TO be
person OF mixed blood-neither gro nor white
MIR Minor informed the Court that the certificate
asked for had not been obtaned but he proposed to
show by competent testimony, that such was the con-
dition of his Client and he felt assured that his Ho
nor would not deprive the prisoner of that protec
ton awarded him by the law if the facts were proven
simply because the required certificate had not been
procured in accordance with the law. Indeed, that
very question settled by Judge Meredith, on
Monday last habeas corpus case and the prisoner
discharged from custody on the facts being proven m
Court, notwithstanding the absence of certificate
that the party accused was person Of mixed blood
neither white nor negro in the eye of the law
The Mayor not disposed to settle the point IN.
der consideration, preferring that higher tribunal
should do so. At the time, he would willingly
inhict no punishment upon any illegally; and
while he should examine the accused free-negro
whatever his decision might be on hearing the evil
dence, his Judgment should be suspended sufficiently
long to give the prisoner fair opportunity testing
the legal point at issue between the counsel for the
defence and the commonwealth
The defence then called Susau Ann Rever4pe a
white woman who testified that she knew the pris-
ouer from the time Of his birth-that Mary Drew Yves
his mother; and that his reputed father white
man. She had heard her mother say that Mary
Drew's mother white woman, but she did not
know that to be fact.
After further argument between Mr., Minor and the
Mayor, the prisoner arraigned and proceeded
against free negro the substance Of the evidence
being follows:
On Saturday last Mrs. Weisiger sent her servant
Clarisse, to the city TO purchase marketing The me-
gro obeyed orders and while at the First Market
chased, among other things, two chickens from
gro belonging to Mr.. Randolph who had num-
Der of them for sale Drew, who standing at the
cart aided IN selling her the chickens and when she
rendered the negro 81 note to take fifty cents
tberefrom she was told 10 give the note to Drew
This she did, when D., who had no doubt seen Mr..
Hatcher give her Sc note few minutes before,
I
asked her if she had no other note and on her
swering that she had tol3 her to give him that one
as it would be easy to make the change. This
the servant woman did, and the prisoner under the
pretext of going of to get change, left the cart aud
| she saw no more of him. After waiting for some
time, and the prisoner failing to return, she demanded
| the change of the negro man, who declared to her
that he knew nothing of Drew and had nothing to do
with him. Ciarissa, finding that effort was being
made 10 rob her. called on Mr. Brauer to that she
was Justly dealt by, and his interfering, Mr. Ran
doph's negro started of he said in search of
Drew, but did not return to his car. again while she
| remained there.
/ George Liyington, white man, saw Drew at the
coops where Mr.. Randoph's man was selling chick
ems, and knew that he acted aid in disposng of
them.
The Mayor, on hearing the at length, found the
prisoner guilty, and ordered him to receive thirty
stripes On this decision the counsel for the defence
appealed the Hastings Court the ground of appeal
being that he was found guilty upon illegal testimony
SO the case win come up at the September term for
final sdisnos;fson