Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-29
DAILY EVENING STAR,
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

VI tne uuidlhsS 81 tue Navy ard are still in
pr0;ress, and In the new machine shop, the
workuen are busily EN- pioyed upon the sb afr.
iag. which Is intended to transmit motion n
the machinery the mascns are likewise en-
ployed in completing the new engine bon.o
attached to this department of the yarl. The
ny vince. and crank shaft OF the engine are
not yet liked in their places, but probably will
ee IN snort time Contiguous to the above
named building, brass foundry is in course
OF erection, and In another part of the ward,
worknsen are engaged In driving piles. on
winch there will DO built large shop, in
tended Tor the manufacture of chain cable, &c.
IN the operation of driving the piles, instead
Oh manual iaoor, two small portable engines
are employed to raise the weight, technically
ealed a : monkey" by which the piles are
arlyen. Ihe mar inc railway is likewise being
laid down, and large portion of the rack and
other iron work is fixed in its place.
Ihere Is at present in the machine shop of
the Navy Yard, an ingenious continuance in
tended for the Observatory. Ii consists Of an
adjustable chair so made, that the astronomer
while seated in it can alter with great facility
his position, to suit any angle at which the
telescope may be adjusted. 1t is worked by
means Of handle within reach Of the occ1.
pant, which, by turning screw, gives motion
to pinion wheel that gears into curved rack
As the weight of the chair and occupant are
counter balanced, a slight exertion only is
sufficient to raise the chair to any height, and
by means of casters on the legs. il INNS eas;Iv
around a double circular track, so that both
horizontal and lateral change of position can
be obtained when desired
CAUGHT AT IAsT.-It appears from the
newspapers, that the Fakir of silva. who has
been playing OFF his tricks upon the citizens O
washington and Baltimore, has been caught
at last. he has been arrested in Newark. N
j., on charge of swindling the citizen, of that
place. 1t appears that he went to Newark
short time since, and announced that he would
distribute $1,000 worth of jewelry and fancy
articles to purchasers of his tickets About
TWO thousand tickets were sold, at 81 each, and
ene distribution was advertised to take place
on frlday last, at Washington Hall On that
day motley group Of substantial citizens. We
men, children, and others, came in eager for a
prize and On unsealing the envelopes, which
had been presented TO them at the door, con-
tanning the lot, nearly every one was found TO
contain the words, % Life Of Fakir,' which is
Asneet Of small newspaper size, containing an
advertisement of his wonderful exhibitions
Only a few drew prizes of any value being
chleny rings and other small articles The
Faklr was also arrested on a charge of lottery
gambling, but, owing to informality in the pro-
ceeslngs. was discharged. In the matter of
the distribution. he compounded but efforts
are being made to have him arrested on anew
warrant.
TIE Law ON DUELING IN THE D1srR1cr
Fom the information Of our readers, who are
uniformed relative to the law against duel
Ing In the District We give the I'd section of
the law on the subject passed February Goth,
1889:
That if any person shall give or send, or
cause to be given or sent, to any person in the
District of Columbia, any challenge to fight a
duel. or to engage in single combat with any
deadly or dangerous instrument or weapon
whatever, or if any person in said District
shall accept any challenge to fight a duel, or
to engage in single combat with any deadly or
dangerous instrument or weapon whatever, or
shall be the bearer of any such challenge.
every person so giving or sending or causing
to be given or sent, or accepting such challenge
or being the bearer thereof and every person
aiding or sbetting in the giving, sending, or
accepting such challenge, shall be deemed
guilty OF high crime and misderDeanor and
on conviction thereof in any court competent
10 try the same in the said District, shall be
punished by imprisonment and confinement to
hard labor in the penitentiary. for a term not
exceeding i've years, in the discretion of the
court.
DISTRESSING ACCIDENr.-As VIM Gun
ton, Jr., Esq, the son of VIM Gunton Presi.
dent of the Bank of Washington was riding
on horseback towards the steamboat wharf
yesterday afternoon, a runaway horse and
dray dashed his horse down at the corner of
Maryland avenue and 1lth street, pitching
him upon pile of bricks, and injurIng him
very seriously. He was conveyed Immediately
to a house near by, where he remained until a
late hour last night, when he was removed in
an lnsensible condition to his fathers resi-
dence. on Pennsylvania avenue, at the corner
OF 9TH street. We learn, further, that his con-
dItlon continued most critical up to the hour
at which we went TO press to-day, when he was
still insensible
ARREST OF An ACrOR.-On Monday night, |
Mr.. Stewart. one of the actors at the Variete |
was robbed of between fifty and sixty dollars, |
while engaged in his professional duties DER.
forming at the time in the afterpiece PLAYED |
on that night. entitled delicate Ground. :" |
1t appears that Mr. Stewart had the money in |
q long dressing gown, which he wore in the |
first part Of the piece, and which he took off |
just before the last scene to change for another
dress, and left in his dressing room The |
party who is accused Of taking the money, is
also an actor, and dressed in the same room
with Mr.. Stewart. He saw the latter place it is |
said, the pocket book containing the money with |
great care. IN one of the many pockets that the |
dressing gown contained, and as it was of a |
peculiar shape, it would have been almost i'm |
possible for a stranger to have known by |
chance of the hiding place of the deposit Mr. |
Stuart, after the conclusion of the play, re-
turned to the dressing room for his pocket |
book, which he found was gone, and suspecting |
the other actor, obtained a search warrant on |
the following morning, from one of the magis- |
trates On searching the accused the sum of
30 was found about him, although he had ON |
the preceding day been SO destitute of funds, |
as to have remarked aloud that he had not |
money to buy frewood. His wife, on the |
above sum of money being discovered about |
him, accounted for his possession of it, by say.
lns that Mr. Risley had given it to him, but
wien Mr.. Risley went to her she denied having |
said so. although the officers who arrested the |
accused Swore decidedly that such had been |
her words. The accused was taken before |
magistrate, but as Mr. Stewart declined to |
press the charge, he was afterwards liberated. |
That gentleman is more annoyed at the loss of
some papers that were contained In the pocket 4
book together with the money, than at the loss |
OF the money itself.
HORTICULTURAL SocIETY-The above named |
held their first exhibition of flowers and plants, |
at the Patent Office, on Saturday last. There |
was large collection exhibited Of beautiful |
flowers by w D. Breckenridge, from the pub |
lie conservatory, including along list of various |
camelias, and several kinds Of azaleas, as well |
as OF other green house plants.
A. Jardin exhibited some fine camelias, a |
of Iamon baviny he |