The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-03-17
VIR GINI A.
EXAMINATION OF HENRY D. BIRD.

The examination OF Henry ID. Bird, late Presi.
dent of the Petersburg and Roanoke Railroad, on
charge of embezzlement, resulting In sending the
&C ccused on for trial before the Circuit Court wa
alluded to yesterday under our telegraphic head =
From the interest felt In the case In this community
We are induced to give a summary of the evidence,
compiled from the Petersburg papers.
The first witness examined was Thos. s. Ghol
son, director of the company, who stated that on
18th ult, Bird executed deed of trust of his pro,
perty, and resigned ON the 10Th. The deed shows
an Indebtedness to the Company of about S26, 900,
but an investigation shows the real amount to be
s3l,2e8. The defalcations were not shown by the
books OF the company, but by statements furnished
by the President to the Board of Directors one
month before their annual meeting, by Mr.. Birds
own statements deed of trust, &c, and by the bs.
lance sheets of the company, furnished by their
book keeper
Mr. J, Ligon, the kook keeper, testified (says the
Express] that
ne mad nothing TO do with the disbursements of
tue company monies that according TO order of
the stockholders the balance sheets were comnleted
aoout tne middle of February and were furnished
10 the PRESIDENT He had no advice from the Pre-
sLueht as 10 the monies received from agents for
tiShCts, dIu MT Bro mad not informed
ni'n' as tne custom was monthly, that he (Mr b.
AZ received these monies from the agents and
ou.y ior the subsequent developments that came
OUT, the books of the company on the lst of Febru
a. couo NOT snow true account of the affairs of
.he company, and that money was at times remit
'eo 20 the Bank of Pennsylvania but the president
gave MIN no information thereof to enter the same
on the books
other witnesses testified that from time to time
Ar. Bird had received aud paid various sums OF
money for the railroad company, and none of them
suspected that his proceedings were informal as
they had dealings with him In his capacity as Pre-.
sident of the railroad
Inc defence called J. II. Patterson, who stated
that Oh she 10th of February, Mr.. Bird called on
HIN, saying that he had disclosures to make /;
seemed agitated showed witness two statements
one OF his indebtedness to the company, and the
other al estimate Of his property Mr. B. then
made decd OF trust to D May in favor of the rail-
road Company. The next day B. went to North
Carolina, to record the decd relative to his new
hoo, at Weidon, 10 it for the benefit of the
company. Afterwards, resigned his posi- as Preai-
dent, and has been acting since as Superintendent
OF the Road. Thought L. rather careless ia the
management of bis accounts
David May had no suspicion of the state of affairs
and was much astonished when B told him of 1t,
Estimated Birds property at about s32, 700.
The case was then argued by Mr.. Watson, the
prosecuting attorney, and by Messrs. Wallace and
Joynes for the defence after which the Court de-
cided upon sending the accused for trial on the
charge of embezzlement- admitting him to bail in
the sum OF $4,000.
large number of the most influential citizen of
Petersburg Immediately offered themselves as his
security. Mr.. B seemed to feel the unpleasantness
of his position very severely and even the sympa
thy of all VINO knew him, quite embarrassed him
CENTRAL. RA1LRoAD.-The Charlottesville JET.
fersonisn states that in few days the nine miles
of fiat bar rail between keswick Depot and Cor
louisville is to be taken up and re-laid with the
heavy rail, and by the end of April will be com.
pleted then the whole of the Central Railroad
between Richmond and Staunton will be heavy
rail. On Monday, the 10Th instant, % miles of the
road west of staunton Is to be let to contractors
for laying down the iron, the road being now in
order to receive 1t.
NE HoDisT PROTESTANT CoNFERENcE.-The
Maryland Annual Conference of the M. P. Church
assembled in Alexandria Wednesday last
Rev. Eli Hinkle presiding. Sixty-fve ministers
and thriy.f five lay delegates were present.
BLOODY AFFAY-On Saturday night last, in
Wheeling two Irishmen, returning from festival
became involved in fight which well nigh resulted
10 the death of both of them Patrick Murphy got
a broken head, and Lawrence Mullen got severe
cut in the neck.
FIRE ENaINE--The citizens of Charlottesville
are to vote to day upon the question of levying
corporation tax tor the purpose of procuring fire
engine, or whether they will allow the mayor and
aldermen to borrow money for such purpose.
FEMALE DEGRADATIoN.-A dissoIute woman
named Mary Ford, alias Mary Patterson, died in
Jail at Wheeling ON Sunday night last. The coro-
ner's jury rendered as their verdIct-"Died from
intemperance and exposure previous to her com.
mitment."
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.-Mr Thomas Bach, a
native of this State now residing in Philadelphia
has presented to the Library of the University
nearly a hundred Misunderstanding some rare
old books, which must be great acquisition to
the literary wealth of the Institution. The Char
lottesville Jeffersonian, from which we learn the
above fsct says further
The Jefferson Society of the University has pur.
chased portrait of Mr. Jefferson painted by the
lebrated Thos. Sully. This portrait was painted for
the late President James Monroe, three wears
prior TO the death of Mr. Jefferson, and was pur-
chased of Mr.. Gouverner for $3.50.
We also learn that amount sufficient has been
raised to purchase the School of Athens" and an
order has been sent 10 Pyris for it, This painting
lie to be placed In the Rotunda as the property Of
the Society OF Alumni.
MURDER TRIAL.-The trial of Cooke, for mur-
der was commenced in the Superior Court of Nor.
folk county, at Portsmouth, on Tuesday last
DEAD A negro named Ben Goats, who made a
murderous assault On white man, at Bridgeport,
near Wheeling and got bis skull cracked in return
died last Sunday The Jury of inquest returned a
verdict that he came to his death from wounds in
fiicted by VIM. Price.
AccIpENT.-While Mr.. William Luekey, OF MOI.
folk, was out cunning last Wednesday morning. he
was unucky enough to have his gun go of, lodging
the shot under his left jaw. The wound 10 not
fatal.
BAaGA1S.-Moses Sweetser, of Massachusetts,
has purchased of II Williams nearly two thous
and acres of land, lying two miles from Norfolk,
ior g., 500. The purchaser designs settling upon
It,