The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-27
YIRGINIA.


VIRGINIA.
TRIAL OF BnDsose, FoR MuRDER.-The case OF
the Commonwealth W. Henry Birdsong, for the
murder Of one OF his alavcs was taken up in the
Circuit Court Of Sussex county last Monday. We
Ind the following report In the Petersburg Express
of Wednesday: ~
The Commonwealth was represented by John
X Ghamolis., Esq; and the prisoner was defended
by Messrs. Gholson and Jones of Petersburg l.. w.
Mason, of Sussex, and William Stands, of South
ampton.
The trial drew together very large concourre
persons and deep interest is taken in the cause
The panel of twenty four freeholders was called,
and being exhausted, 1t was found that but nine
were deemed competent to sit upon the case.
The Judge thereupon directed the sheriff to sum
mon forty eight others and to have them in attend
ance next day yesterday by 10 o'clock.
STEAMER ON FrRR.-We learn from the Norfolk
Beacon that the steam tow-boat Bladen took fire
from the heat of Der boiler last Sunday as che
entering the harbor The fire was extinguished
without much damage.
NAvAL-The U. s. ship Columbia, Comdr Pen
de-grast, bearing the broad penant of Com. New
ton was towed into the harbor of Norfolk on Sat
urday evening" and anchored off the Naval Hos
pital.
THE GHOST sroRY.-The trial Of Laban Mercer
for the murder of John Gamble, involving the al
legged and mysterious appearance of the murdered
man or his ghost, something that looked like
him. four years after his death, and upon which al
legged circumstances Mercer was arrested-com.
menced in Wetzel county on Wednesday week.
The testimony on both sides having been closed,
the argument for the prosecution was commenced
on Thursday, by the prosecuting attorney, and
four lawyers followed for the defence. The
Wheeling Intelligencer, from which we gather
these facts not farther advised in regard to the
case.
FIRE.-The Fairmount Republican has some ad
ditional particulars in regard to the fire in Fetter
man on Thursday night last. Three dwellings and
two stores were destroyed. building containing
| some fifty barrels of powder barely escaped.
NARROW EscAPE,-On Tuesday morning, a rock
weighing % pounds, thrown by blast hundred
feet distant, passed through and demolished a win
dow in the third story of Mrs. Bush's boarding
house in Petersburg. Several inmates of the house
narrowly escaped injury.
SALE OF PRINTING OFFIcE.-The ofice of the
Daily Courier, belonging to the estate of the late
w. w. Davis, was sold at auction last Monday, for
$500. R. T. Halsted, of Norfolk, was the pur-
chaser.
ExPLANAToRY.-Ar report having gone abroad that
the recent murder and suicide in Elizabeth City CO.
was caused by drunkenness, neighbor of the de-
ceased James Parker writes to the Norfolk Herald
that he did not drink spirits of any kind, but was
temperate in his habits, a good aeighbor and an
honest industrious man. The cause" originated
in monomonia, produced by suspicion of the f.
deity of his wife, for which it is believed he had no
cause.
LAYING OF A CORNER SToNE.-The ceremonies
OF laying the corner stone of the Methodist Protes
tant Church took place in Norfolk on Tuesday,
The Masonry conducted the ceremonies.
WINCHESTER PREsBYrERY.-During the recent
session of this body, in Alexandria, it was decided
to establish a Presbyterian Male Academy in or
near Martinsburg and another in Shepherdstown
Three ministers and three elders were appointed
as board of Directors for the former, and four
ministers aHd four elders fur the latter. The Fall
meeting of the Presbytery ia to be held at Martins
burg, to commence September 27th
LIGHTNING.-The dwelling of James L. Wat
kins, in Dinwiddie, was somewhat damaged by
lightning on Saturday last
THE EPISCOPAL CONVENTIONAL Convention
of the Protestant Episcopal Church for the Diocese
of Virginia, will be held this year at Lynchburg,
commencing on Wednesday, the 18th OF May.
THE BoNDs-We are grstifed to be able to state
that $3.50 900 worth of the bonds OF the Southside
Railroad, guaranteed by the city of Petersburg
have been already disposed of here it is expected
that the larger portion of the residue will be sold
next Tuesday.-DtmOerat. -4a
A letter from Weaversvle, Fauquier county,
Va, states that the recent cold weather proved
very fatal to the cattle, sheep and lambs of that
neighborhood. One farmer lost thirty.five sheep,
other farmers, eight, ten and twelve cattle. 1t is
conjectured that these losses were occasioned by
the animals being suddenly chilled. All the fruit
is supposed to have been destroyed.
lin, La, have some marked peculiarities The Pio-
neer, paper published at Nspoleonsvile, narrates
the following recent incidents:
A negro had been sentenced to death. The exc.
cution was to have taken place last week. After
some rese arches, the sheriff, at last found man
sufficiently mis- cradle to undertake, for few dol
lars, the duty Of executioner The negro was hang.
ed and the sheriff. in order to protect the lie of him
who had saved him from the necessity OF perform
ing the revolving duty, locked up the executioner
At nighffall, however, furious mob of men, quite
as miserable at least, as he whom they wished to
IShoetiSo, OiohC Ato euc sclzcu eXcCut1OHer
and under the scourge Of thelash ed him to run
through the streets of Franklin The miserable
creature was so beaten, and whipped, that at
| length his strength failed him, and he fell down
senseless.
The rage ofnot b ia executioners. but his assas.
sins, did not however stop here. When they per-
ceved the nsensibilty OF their victim, one of the
band opened his knife and literally cut of the ears
| OF the sufferer. and not protest against the act
was to be heard
SAD VIsIrArIoN.-We extract the following
from the Augusta Constitutionalist OF Saturday:
"Died, at Jacksonville, East Florida, OF Scarlet
Fever, April I'd, Elliot Smith, aged IL years and 6
| months; April Z Lewis Franklin, aged 26 years.
April 9, Charles Carroll aged % years; April TO-
Alexander Mongin, aged 2s years, and Robert Walk.
| er aged 81 years. All children of George A. and
Mary c. Turknett, formerly OF Richmond county,
Ga" *, 80
Coz. BENroN's CARD.-The recent card Of Col
Benton. announcing that he win neither receive nor