The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-02
LOCAL MATTERS.

Crawford addressed the prisoners with great pro-
priety upon the enornity of the offence of which
they stood convicted, and administered to them,
as well as to their friends and comrades, much
wholesome advice and direction. And then, by
way Of impressing upon all persons the rigor with
which tho court would punish the crime of arson,
his honor sentenced the prisoners each to six years
confinement in the pententiary in each case
making an Imprisonment of twelve years for each
prisoner M
1t is to be hoped this severity the part of the
court will have salutary effect upon all those
who are disposed to perpetrate the cownrdly and
infamous crime of arson but it is also to be hoped
that though these eonvicts may be negroes, those
who may hereafter be arraigned for similar crimes
whatever their complexion or social position, may
receive, as these offenders have, fair trial, unin
luenced by any false or mawkish sympathies,
which too often, without being intended, renders
powerless if it does not altogether defeat the OK
ertons of the officers of the law Let it be known
far and wide that whoever in this community is
guilty Of arson is to be punished, and with severity
and the crime will become as rare as it should be-
Dorothea Gingenbaugh, an aged lady of Ger
man birth, was tried for keeping a disordery
mans, not being able to agree upon any fixed
facts, the Jury doubted, and the old lady was al
lowed to go free.
William Wheat, an aged gentleman, was put
upon his trial for assaulting Mr.. Smith, who is
nearly of his own age. The case was not con-
cluded when the court adjourned
THE CASE OF JAMES w. ScHAUmBERG.-Mr.
Baxter and Mr.. Key, of counsel for James w.
Schaumberg, yesterday appeared before the Grim
nal court and stated their inability to procure the
attendance Of Doctor Spence, an important wit
ness for the defence, and the uncertainty of time
when he could be found; they therefore asked
continuance of the case. After some argument,
in which it was shown that the defence had used
every exertion to procure the attendance of the
witness, the continued till the next ODE
cember) term Of the court
METROPOLITAN RAILROAD CoMpANy-The d.
rectors have unanimously elected Francis Dodge,.
esq.,, of Georgetown, president of the company.
The annual salary is eighteen hundred dollars.
Mr.. JAMES WALKER, the particulars of whose
death by drowning on Saturday last, ten miles
from Baltimore, were given in the papers of that
city yesterday morning, was favorably known to
the typographical fraternity of Washington, hay
ing been employed in one of our printing estab
lishments before his removal to Baltimore, where
he was compostsr in the Sun office. Of
cal, honest, frank, generous character--truly
man-many heart in this vicinity was made sad,
and many an eye suffused with tears, the recep-
ton of the mournful intelligence
r .a y IL
MANUFACTURING stPAssEs. by law of the
Corporation, no negro or mulatto is privileged to
be in the streets after ten O'Clock at night, unless
provided with ''pass" from some responsible
white person. But as the sscolored people, have
day well us Sunday schools, they are getting
into the way of writing their own ''passes," and
other papers, and may soon be independent of
their Caucasian neighbors in this particular.
A dandy negro, a barber, was detected on Sum
day night in his fraud, having produced paper
to 'spass him from Capitol Hill to his shop The
Auxiliary Guard, perceiving that the document
was out of date by two weeks, brought ssthe ar
fist" to the watch-house; and having been lodged
over night, he was confronted with Captain Birch
yesterday morning He told number of false
hoods concerning the paper, and it was not until
q witness had testified, under oath, that the facts
were elected. He had, it appeared, asked a ma
tronly colored woman for the use of her name to
the 'spass," which she granted, s'if it would be
of any use to him. So the barber wrote the
pass, and in very neat hand too, spelling the
words correctly besides XII
The offender was fined, and then suffered to de-
part, with an admonition of his fate should he
again be found offending in like manner.
The DEATH PENALrY.--Several of ''the oldest
inhabitants" inform us that since Washington has
been the seat of the General Government there
have been but two public executions in this city,
and these took place so long ago they cannot re-
member the periods. In anticipation of the death
by hanging of an individual, (whose sentence was,
however, committed to Imprisonment for life in
the District penitentiary,) Congress about seven
months ago passed an act providing that any
person under sentence of death within the Dis
trict Of Columbia shall be privately executed within
the walls Of some prison, or within the enclosure
adjoining, and not elsewhere; the marshal, or one
of his deputies, with such officers of the prison,
constables, or other peace officers the marshal
may deem necessary and proper, to attend at each
execution. The marshal or his deputy is required
to invite the District Attorney and the counsel of
the prisoner, two more physicians, and twelve
citizens and shall allow any ministers
of the Gospel, not more than three in number,
and any of the prisoners near relatives, to be
present, but others in the act not mentioned;
and no person under the age of twenty-one years
is to be allowed to attend at such execution
BEGGARs.--A good many of them are now cir
culating throughout the city, some of whom APP
pear to be real objects of charity but all of them
are rather shy of the police, whose business it is
to ARE st them as Migrants. a
The DRAMA. 1t will be seen, by reference to
our advertising columns, that the play of 'The
Str anger' will be performed This evening at