Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-24

The JusricEs AzD CossfAsLEs.-By law,
Justices of the Peace for this county are obliged
to issue all United States warrants when called
for by complainant but for this service, although
they are obliged to purchase the blanks, pens and
ink and spend their time in trying the cases, they
receive no pay or emolument except for cases of
murder and theft. Such cases as assault, assault
and battery threats, assault with intent to kill,
fraud obtaining goods under false pretence, arson
rape and MAYHEM, although they the most
unpleasant to deal with do not pay at all; on the
contrary are losses to the magistrates and officers
These cases the officer Is expected to take and to
serve in them without regard to the tear of CLOTH
ing and fesh and frequently are obliged to employ
physicians in consequence of injuries received in
arresting desperate parties. The Constables are
frequently obliged to hire carriages to convey
persons to prison, but even for this they are not
repaid. In felony cases-that is, murder and
theft-the officer Is allowed for the service of
warrant 80 cents; for summons 16x cents; CON-
mitment 50cents. The Magistrate gets for war
rant, rex cents; summons, 12K cents; swearing
witness, 6 cents; judgment, l2K cents; commit
ment, 12K bond, l2H cents; release, 12k cents.
Formerly it was, for a warrant, l2K cents; sum-
mons, IL cents; swearing a witness, ~ cents;
Judgment, 12k cents commitment, 25 cents
bond; Is cents At present the county officers
have little inducement to risk their persons in ar
resting desperate offenders. The credit of making
arrests is but poor pay in such cases. The conse-
quence is that fewer offenders are arrested than
under the cid system.
THE RIVERA Mr.. John Dean, belonging to
the canal boat Mary Ellis, was drowned on Fri
day night at the wharf foot of Sixth street. He
was seen in state Of intoxication a short time
previously. The body was recovered on yester-
day about noon; when found, officer Lloyd of the
Seventh district, refused to have il removed from
the water, and it was accordingly fastened up to
the pile OF the wharf by line; and up to nine
O'Clock this morning no coroner had ar
rived There is certainly some lamentable defect
In the laws governing the coroners inquest in
this District. That dead body should remain
In the water at one of our wharves for space Of
more than forty-eight hours, without the pres
ence of coroner, is simply outrageous, and
should be made the text for the commencement Of
areform of the existing system, without DELAY
There ought to be coroner for this city, and he
ought to be prompt active man.
The Collyer took down to the White House
this morning the German Yagers and their friends
numbering between five and six hundred persons
for days pleasure at that pleasant Summer re-
sort
The schr. Margaret, Capt. Hensen, temporarily
for the Mott Bedell line Of packets arrived at the
wharf of Messrs. Stone & Magruder this morn
ing, from New York. Her consignees for Wash
ington are Messrs. ). Murray, George & Thomas
Parker Co., Col. Larned, Murray Il Semmes
J. w. Thompson, G. & F. Parker, F Markoe,
White, Commissioner of Patents, J. M. Thomp-
son Bro, Miller & Coates, w. p. Drury, G.
NJ. Wight, f.. French, s. Bacon & Co, Naval
Storekeeper, Howell Il Morsell, Brown & Sioussa,
The CODE OF HoNoR-This District has long
been the favorite stamping ground of belligerents
from all quarters to settle their personal Difficult
ties, and now ii would seem that our own citizens,
infected by the example, are waking up TO the
fact that wounded honor can only be healed by a
resort to the duello. On SATURDAY. Mr. H. s
Ward arrested John Reilly, barkeeper at the
restaurant OF NJ. D'Ivenois, in the First Ward
who was charged on the oath of George Boyd a
hackman, with sending him a challenge to fight
duel. The challenge fixed the time and place
Qhe latter near the city boundary when and
where the whole was to be settled. Reilly was
taken before Justice Clark, where he exhibited
considerable emotion, especially when the Squire
read to him the law on the subject Reilly stated
that it never entered his mind to fight with dead
ly weapons, and he only expected to use his fists
in the combat The Justice administered pointed
lecture to the accused. who listened with COM
nendao!e patience, and when II was concluded
he was dismissed.
FIGHT ABOUT WATERMELoN..-On Saturday
afternoon last, the neighborhood of East Capitol
street was the scene of desperate fight, between
three strappng big darkies, about the possession
OF watermelon. The party claiming the said
melon Tor the value of ii in money! chased the
party in possession from the street into the East
Capitol grounds, where desperate fight ensued ,
III which all three of the belliperentS came off sec
ond best; they all whipped each other, and those
who witnessed the affray say the parties were
covered with blood. The police of the Capitol
headed by Captain Huntington, hearing of the
melee, proceeded to the scene, and succeeded in
capturing two OF them. They were tried before
Justice Mckinney, and one of them held to bail
LOT his appearance at the next term of the Crimi-
nal Court; while the watermelon question remains
In Std:H quo.
FREE FIGHT.-Yesterday, as the funeral of MIR.
Further was passing to Glenwood Cemetery a
large number of persons, male and female, were
seen near Fourth and N streets engaged in dis
graceful fight. Quite a number of cut heads and
black eyes resulted from IL. The women ap-
peared to be the most desperate, for when the
males were engaged the females would Join in
with stones and strike the combatants on their
heads The police undertook to make arrests,
out when they approached the belligerents ran
into a house together, and all declared there had
been no fight at that place, but that there had
been row down in Swampoodle, several squares
Delow. order having been restored, the officers
being unable to identify the parties retired leay.
ing warning that another outbreak would cause
the arrest OF all engaged or looking on.
CORoxER's ISQUEsrs-wuoPA The phy-
sicians Of Albany, N. Y, to the number of sew
enty-fve, we see have refused any participation
In post-mortem examinations, because the Super
visors have failed TO audit their bills A similar
dlHculty occurs in this city, and though the
physicians have taken no united action, we be-
Ileve they have individually, in various instances
declined to hold post-mOTtem examinations on
the ground that no compensation was received
for this unpleasant task. In fact for services on
inquests neither coroner. jurors, physicians, or
witnesses have been paid since the refusal of
Government to liquidate those expenses. The
levy court has been applied to- but also declines
and apparently nothing short of a lawsuit will
decide who pays, or IL the parties are to he paid
al all.
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT Of the Balti-
more Clipper says: " For a week past there have
been rumors Of duel between Major Tyler of
the Marines. and Robert f.. Scott ESQ one of
The counsel who recently defended the per.ous
accused or participating in election riots on the
INST OF June. The Major, IL appears, took offence
at the remarks OF the gentleman, and a cores
pondence passed, which has had the effect. If not
OF removing entirely the desire to fight the most
ponement Of hostilites. At least, such is the
version Of gentleman whe ought to know all
about the mattern
Emusic HATH CHARMS" &c.-Almost every
Second Warder we meet has his ears stuffed with
raw cotton. serenading epidemic it seems has
burst out there amongst the Young folks. and
though the citizens feel complimented by the at
tention, they find IL convenient to protect their
tympanums until the musical amateurs get In
somewhat hpttPE nFaHtice Of