The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-03
LOCAL MATTERS

Q4Y 0lgnt, Dy CutMuR LnIOu8u tue outer wall with
piece Of iron. During the night Mr.. Tate, the
turnkey. was aroused by some Of the prisoners,
and on making an examination found that BeazIey
had worked .hree bricks out of the wall, and was
In fair way to get hole suf ciently large to make
his escape Before the hour arrived last Wednes.
day afternoon for locking the prisoners in their
cells Robert Heath, Silas Beazley, Henry Griffin,
James Welch and George Livingston entered into
an arrangement to escape from prison. The plan
agreed upon was, that they should bury Beaz!ey
in the snow in the yard, where he was 70 remain
quietly until the prisoners were locked up He
was then to set to work. cut a hole through the
outer wall, with large piece of iron, break the
prison doors, and release them all, and they were
then to leave the city for the city's good. The
plan was cunningiy devised. and but tor the alarm
given by prisoner not concerned with the break.
ing party, would doubtless have been carried out
Yesterday the jalor had these belligerants put in
irons, SO as to make sure Of them in future
Ma!feasdnce IN Otics.-One of the most remark
able cases Of nalfeasance in office came before the
Mayor yesterday morning that has ever occurred
in this city, within our knowledge. The case al
iuded TO was the arraignment of JOHN House,
MAN, Night Watch, on the charge of altering the
hours in the passes of two servants, and then
taking them to prison.
On Wednesday night last Mr. w. A f. Wicker
manager for James II. Grant, gave Warner, Mr.
g servant, special pass to last him until IL
o'clock on that night On the same night Mr.
John Womble gave his servant Joe pass to last
him until II O'Clock, by which hour he was to re-
turn home Some few minutes before IL O'Clock
Joe was arrested by Houseman and Gagged, and
Warner was arrested just before IL o'clock by the
same person and Gagged both of them on the charge
OF being out after hours. The next morning,
when the prisoners were brought before the Mayor
he heard the statement of Houseman and finding
that the time in both passes had been changed to
lO o'clock, and believing that the negroes had eff.
fected the changes, he directed them to be fogged
AS SOON as Mr.. Wombe heard of the arrest of
ant ha clIoI In &c
ing him that Joe's pass was given till ii o'clock
his Honor was satisfied that the servant would not
have cureailed his own time, and therefore con-
cluded that screw was loose somewhere. He
immediately made an effort to arrest his judgment,
but finding it too late, made enquiries about Warn
ers pass, and learned that Mr. Wicker had given
that to run until II o'clock. On further enquiry
it was ascertained that Houseman had been seen
to enter Schsd's Hotel and do some writing, and
az both of these negroes were charged The
watch house book to H., the Mayor determined to
hold him responsible for the alterations in the
passes.
When Houseman was called before the Mayor.
he protested bis innocence and was desirous of
proving his good character, but such course
WAS deemed useless under the circumstances.
After hearing the evidence of Messrs Wicker
and Womble, Augustus Fondler bar keeper at
Sehad's Hotel, was sworn and testified to the fol.
lowing facts:
Last Wednesday night Watchman Housemau
and his partner came into the bar room together
and got drinks About IL o'clock Houseman re-
turned alone, procured the use of a pen and ink
and did something on piece Of paper. About 12
O'Clock he again returned, alone, borrowed pen
and ink, and this time saw him scratch ont fig
ure and insert an on piece of paper He at
forwards held the paper to the gas light TO dry it,"
The pass of Warner was giren for 10 o'clock.
but when the Mayor saw it, the figure 2 had been
scratched out and an inserted and the paper " as
slightly scorched
These facts were 80 overwhelmingly conclusive
of the guilt of the prisoner, that the Mayor dis.
charged him from the Watch, and required him to
give bail in the sum of $780, to answer an indict-
ment by the next Grand Jury for malfeasance in
Office. Failing to do which, he WAS sent to pri
son.
The object of Houseman seemed to be, to in
duce the Mayor to believe that he was extraordi.
narily vigilant in the discharge of his duties BY
showing a larger number of arrests than any 9th.
er Watchman He appears to have had no com
Functions of conscience at having two innocent
persons punished, SO that he could get the credit
of arrestirg them; and as he was ambitious Of
being called great officer it is not at all improba.
BILE that he has played the same inhuman game
before. We shall not be at all surprised if he is
indicted for official perjury and for forgery, as well
as malfe asance in office.
City Poor House.-Thers are now one hundred
and thirty.four paupers at the Poor House, large
proportion OF whom are crpples for life, or so much
afflicted as to be incapable of doing any labor
At this time the number of male paupers is greater
than the female, and many of them have been
reduced to their present situation by intempe-
rance. In company with friend we visited all
the wards and hospitals, and on inquiry of the
inmates learned from them that they were kindly
treated and well provided for. Two or three fel-
lows that had been running off and getting drunk,
had appendages to their legs to prevent them from
leaving their rooms, but even they seemed dis
posed to attach no blame to the keeper for thus
compelling them to sobriety In the female apart.
ment the rooms seemed clean, and as good fires
were burning at the time we noticed degree of
cheerfalness which we were not prepared to wit
ness. Two or three old ladies were very commu
nicative and express great thankfulness for the
kindness they continually receive. The most
interesting sight to u.s. was the appearance OF the
boys and girls in this institution The little
creatures seemed as happy as if they were the
tenants of palace. Some of them are really
handsome, and most of them exhibited an unusual
| degree of sprightliness for their ages These
children, at suitable ages, taken charge of by
| the Overseers of the Poor and put to trades If
| they avail themselves of the advantages Of such
| an education as MIR. Pearce, the keeper is en-.
| deavoring to give them in the Poor House. they
will start out in the world with greater facilities
than many poor children who have been reared In
ignorance by their parents. A careful inspection
of the entire premises satisfied us that the wants
and comforts of the paupers were properly at
tended to; that the sick and afflicted had the ne
| cassary medical attention and nursing; and thai
| the keeper devoted his best energies to the dis
charge of those duties conded to his hands by the
| city
! Bier Bitten.-Yes esterday morning John Hasset
| came before the Mayor to answer the charge Of
| assaulting and beating Michael NJ Egan last Wed
| nesday night. Mrs. Egan, on being sworn, stated
| that John and his wife came to her house, an6
while there, John began to beat bis wife severel,
| with a large whip, seeing which her husband anG
herself attempted to stop, when John put at Mike
and cannibal.like bi. off the tip of his nose and
| part OF his lip, and would have eaten him up, i
| she had not like kind soul, seized the topgs ant
| whacked him across his mug till she made biz
| mouth fly open. John, when his turn came I,
speak, exhibited his cheek, ear, throat and nose
| from which Mike had made his supper, and vowed
that his life was only saved by the timely arriya
| of his brother who drove1of the hungry wretch
| and prevented him from being devoured. Johl
was prepared to prove his character for peace arc
| good order. but the examination was a1journet
| over until this morning.
| Filling Up.-Shockoe Hill Buryipg Ground i
rapidly filing up. few more years and this city
| OF the dead will be crowded with the lowly re
| mains of those who have passed away. Unles
! additional grounds can be procured, a new ceme
| terry viii then become necessary for the western
| part Of Richmond
H.e Hhipping.-Timothy McMahan gave hi
| wife q beating and then followed her into th
house to cut her mp, but was prevented from do