The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-11-27
LOCAL MATTERS.

Serman citizen and one by his friends, left their
1nes at an early hour and repaired to Williams
s1ho on James river, a few miles West of Rich
| mono, to shoot duck. After getting there thev
| p.epared temporary blind and took their seats Ia
| H"aI the approach Of game The morning beno
| .oiu one, the two huntsmen soon became be-
| nahipeo, when Koch arose from his seat with the
.u'ehtlon OF taking short walk on the island bnt
~ a.temptinS to raise his gun, the hammer caugbt
asanis, pole, and being down on the nipple. pull
~ uaek 10 nearly halfcock, fell upon the CAP ex.
| hi'ueu II, and caused the gun to fire, dscharrine
MS contents in the right breast and producing deatb
al'host Immediately. As soon as the accident oc-
| eurred Koch placed his hand over the wound made
Wt sott 10 speak to his friend. and then fell dead
| eIday morning an inquest was held over the
oooy' when the jury returned verdict in accord
| aice with the above facts. Koch is said to have
oeeh steady, sober, industrious man, and an O =
Geheht workman. He was employed at the IRE
9esar W orks as ''finisher' at the time of his
aeath lie leaves wife, but no children. His
iunerai will take place this morning
q Circuit C0urt-Judge HALLIBURTON presiding
| ~iMs Court commenced its fall term in Bosher 8
Hal yesterday, but transacted very little business
OF Importance. The Grand Jury, after session
| OF three hours, found true bills against JOHN p
| HouCHINs, charged with mail robbery on two
indictments for msdemeanor; and true bill against
I-EoNAHD DoUGHERTY and others, OH an indict-
lnent ior misdemeanor. These men are charged
with refusing to do duty on board the shin Arc0le
| Capt. Pittman9 of New York, bound to Venice
Notwithstanding the fact that they had been rep,,
| larry shlpped and received their advance paw, al
eglnS as q reason for their conduct that thew had
been deceived in regard to the condition of the YES
| sell When arrested, they were armed with loaded
| pistols, but made no resistance The Grand Jury
was then adjourned until this morning
| O,a1oorh.-The ruinous practice of overwork in
TOBACCO factories, has been plainly pointed out
this year IN the variety of escapes and other losses
that tobaccOnists should resolve at once to give
over that system. Besides furnishing slaves with
the means for engaging in every variety of dssi-
patton ana vice, and thereby rendering them com
paratlVely worthless to their owners it offers them
facilities for escaping to the North while it places
| IN their hands an amount of money that ALWAYS
tempts the cupidity of abolition emissaries and
makes them doubly anxious to succeed in their un.
derSround operations. Indeed are perfectly
satisfied that If the system of oyerwork were abari-
doned, comparatively few slaves would be carried
away TOR the vile agents who aid them could never
oe induced to move peg, but for the tempting in
duence OF the almighty dollar. We invite the at
tention of owners of slaves to this subject as one
worthy Of serious consideration, and invoke them
to use their influence in breaking down the practice
which Is proving most ruinous to their servants,
and to their property.
H0rthy Of Attcntion-Several of our capitalists
nave said that If the State law governing the col
lection of rents were properly changed they would
readily build number of small tenements suited
to the wants of the laboring classes. Under the
present law q worthless character may get posses
sion OF house, having no more furniture than the
law exempts and hold it at pleasure, without pay
ing rent. These gentlemen only desire such a
change as will enable them to get possession of
their property, after a proper notice, and this
they say can be done, by empowering the
officers of the law to seize and sell all the
effects of the tenant, if he refuses to vacate the
premises after receiving the proper notice to va
cate; The subject is one worthy the attention of
our legislature and should be examined into. Tn
der the present law, the worthy, industrious, hon.
est man is made to suffer for the Incidence of the
unprincipled, while the city is deprived of large
revenue that would necessarily from the
erection of small houses on vacant lots.
Rirer Police-The developments made by the
fugitivcs who were on board the schooner Mary
Ann Elizabeth when she went ashore at the 'Hol-
lies five miles below Cape Henry, on Wednes-
day last, are proof positive of the necessity of es
tablishing river police to search ali vessels leav
ing the waters of Virginia, in order TO prevent the
stealing of negroes by the myrads of abolition en-
issaries who flock here to carry on their well de-
vlsed system of robbery. And that this force may
be competent to the task to be imposed on them,
the Legislature should take the matter in hand at
an early day, and pass a law giving them ample
| power to perform their labors. We can form no
idea OF what the cost would be to keep sufficient
force at the mouth of York and James rivers, to
search all vessels going to sea- but cost what it
may, something of the sort must be done to secure
our people in the rights of their property. The
State could well afford employ two or more rev.
enue cutters, well armed ard manned to Dc rform
this service, and whenever a vessel is found to
contain fugiiYes the officers of her should be sent
to prison for life and the vessel sod for the bent
of the State Indeed, do not know that it would
| not be wise policy to make every vessel coming
into Virginia waters take three more police
men appointed by the State, to keep watch until
she goes into port, discharges and receives her
cargo, and again makes to sea; and compel those
vessels to pay the expenses of the guard. Despe-
rate diseases require desperate remedies and as
this is a desperate case care not what remedy
the Legislature applies, that it cures the evil
The Vrgiaia Rifles, under the command of Lieut.
Schad paraded through the streets yesterday, pre-
ceded by the Cornet Band and made an imposing
appearance The corps turned out much stronger
than usual and from all we could learn have i'm
proved in drill and discipline. After paraiing
through the streets, they repaired to the Western
suburbs of the city to engage in the usual target
practice
Capturea.-Last Sunday night the watchman sue
ceeded in capturing negro fellow owned by Mr..
Thomas who in company with his wife had bun
died up his clothes .jewelry, money, etc, and were
prepared to emigrate TO q northern climate by
means of the underground railroad The woman
is vet at large but her supplies have been cut off
and her leader captured il is quite probable that
she too will be arrested in short time.
The Continental Guard, Capt. Crawford, attend
ed by the Arnory Band, paid visit to Petersburg
| Yesterday and met with most cordial reception
bv the volunteers of the Cockade city. They made
| beautiful appearance as they marched through
| our streets, and from their steadily increasing
| numbers bid fair to become one of the strongest
companies in the regiment.
| Stealing and BeatiRg.-Lewis Washington and
| Jack Holmes, two slaves, were arragned before
| the Mayor yesterday morning for examination
the first for stealing clothing from fellow servant
named Thomas and the last for beating him Sc
| verely. The evidence of such a conclusive
| character, that his honor ordered both the thei
and bully to be taken to the Valley Inn and soundly
| striped.
| observation-disclosures McCook got into pet
| with his sister-in.aw Mrs A. McCook, and thought
lessly threatened to do her personal violence
| which alarmed ther so much that she procured q
| warrant for his arrest. Yesterday morning the
| parties appeared before the Mayor, who, aftel
hearing the st. temens of both sides, dismissed thf
| warrant believing that the accused had no idea o
| carrying his threat into execution.
| Om Of f1 The eastern end of Main street is II
bad condition, where the pavement has been taker
up to lay the gas pipes. The stones should be re
placed as speedily as possible.
Kissing, in theatres and public meetings, ii
| always an unpleasant sound to refined ears, bu
not more disagreeable to many than loud applause
IL the audience have right to applaud that whicl
pieases them, by stamps yells and shouts the!
nave an equal right to hiss that which is distaste
| fui and the actor speaker has no more r1gh' :,
| take personal offence at one than the otnef. ~