Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-16
CITY AND STATE NEWS.


CITY AND STATE NEWS.
VIRGINIA MECHANICS INsTIrUTE.-We ins"'
no attention Of our readers 10 the appeal III ee,
t ths Virginia Mechanics Institute" TO be iou'lu Il
mother column, and sincerely hope mar ess'
riend Of educsfion-every lover OF Hic"'""ha
very one who feels 40 interest in the wo!k'pE eiaa
3 of the Soufh-will respond Literally 10 inc t"i
made upon them. Ths Mechanics lnsiuts na'
'sen in existence but three years, and YET us Ism
cial effects already apparent IN Inc %orhsnop'
{ city. Let the Institute be fosteren anu gu,
aimed. and in lees than ten years every nechahi' u
ur midst will become man of rarning' anu y. :"
iuence. Read the Appeal" alluded 10, I;'l II n.t
.ubscribe literally to the erection OF hall on '''
,lreet.
DEATH OF DR.. CRAGGIrr.-We regret TO near o.
the death of DIR. Craggitl of Danville, Va dc die1
N Monday last, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, when
Jlace he was passing through. His disease was y
hold Pneumonia. DR. Craggitt was physician o.
us professional requirements, and one OF the esdine
;itizena Of Dauyille.
DEATH OF A VENERABLE Ci1IzEs OF FAUeUIRR
-Tns last Alexandria Sentinel comes to us shrouded
in mourning for the death of Col. VIM. r. smith, n'
Fauquier, father of the editor Of that paper. 20!
smith was one of the most useful and beloved c','
z.ns Of hia county. He had filled many responsible
offices In Fanqnier, and had several times represented
il IN the Legislature.
SCARCITY OF CoRs.-The Norfolk Herald states
that the Raleigh and CASTOR Railroad Company, III
Of the great scarcity OF corn III Norm
Carolina, charging only halt price on all The corn
carried into that State on their road. pubic meet
ing Of the citizens of Halifax county, N e., was held
at Weldon few days ago. at which the sum OF II ooV
was contributed to buy corn for the poor.
The CRops.-The army worm Tor war bug as our
Williamsburg frisnds cali itl i, making sad ravage'
in The wheat oat and corn fields OF James City,
Charles City, York and Warwick; and If il continues
much longer in its destructive course onethird VI the
crops in ihsse counties will oe Lost.
The "war bug" is at present the principal topic OF
conversation in the ancient capital, and it has IN
crossed 80 much attention that tho poor comet il
QUITE forgotten Nearly every farmer that rides into
that city brings bad news from the crops and along
with il a specimen Of his wheat and few OF the
worms.
Wethnk the reports of the ravages Of this detesa,
BILE insect are exaggerated, but nevertheless we
heartily wish the farmers rid Of them and respectfully
advise this green loving invader 'to so To graft
Norfolk Argus.
PROPERTY IN WHEELING The returns Of the az
ses cor of Wheeling Va, Tor the year 1851 show the
total value nf the real estate 10 oe the TAX
upon the assessment is &c jog 10 The Gazette saysthr
number ftithablss az rhOwn by the 92l 5
cents tax upon each making 81 .460 So There are
$40 dogs, assessed at 81 each. making Sif0 There
hr. W SUITS assessed A. IS Zach. making Sl3o. The
total assessment then il S2S, 43O ~
SAD ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SuIcIDE.-Professor d
Barton Ross, author OF tho "Southrrn Speaker and
other class books, attempted TO commit suicide III
Petersburg, Va, on Thursday, by taking chloroorm
and sabbing himself in the region Of the h art with
clasp knife. He was not dead at o cluik on Friday
morning though little hope is entertained Of his IT
covery The wound was Inflicted while shut up in
his room at PgwePs Hotel and when found hs was
lying on the fonr in pool of blood. On the bed wsre
letters addressed to his friends and vile
indicating disappointment and depression ct spirits
and intimaug and attrbutng the intention OF ing
his life 10 reverse of fortune, and the misrepresentation
of his efforts 10 the urtherance Of Southern literature
NAILS OF LAND NEAR THE NoRTHwEsT VIRGINIA
White and Purviance, OF Bal
imurs have lust made another sale Of part OF their
large tract bought the trustees Of The North Amer
can Land Company, and about furty miles from
Parkersburg. The sale was oil seVon hundred AEo
8 xty. nine acres at three dollars and seventy hYe
cents per acre, largs advance IN their sale oi con
tguous parcels made a few weeks since. The present
purchaser is Mr.. A. j Wilson, surveyor of Ritchie
county, Va. The rise in value of land in this region
within few years from forty cents per acre to " ~
is almost unparalleled.
NJ. L.
Tuesday, contains the following complimentary no.
tcs of the Editor OF the Virgininn-a notice which
(savs the Lynchburg Daily Lourisrl from long per.
sonal acquaintance with Mr. Sempe, we are prepared
fully to endorse. We may add, that in our hnmbl1
Judgment. Mr.. Semple az writer. ranks second to
none of the many talented editors OF whom virginia
may Justly boast:
"Ws arr glad to know that William NJ Ssmple,
Esq., late of this city, and the correspondent OF Inc
Wing, from Washington last winter, is now the Eat
tor of the Lynchburg Virginiau, and is winning gold.
.u opjuuns from all sorts Of men. Mr.. Srmpe IL a
gentleman of high talents and OF enlarged information
ON political sui jecs, and one OF The highest toned
,enilrmen and social companions in the Stale
W. congratulate thu VirgnSu and lie numerous
readers and patrons upon having secured The servi
Co.'S of able and efficient gentleman Ior Euilof.
LouIsIAsA-Ths Alexandria Gazette thus speaks OF
y... D.Avn and his surviving companion, Mr,
Smyth
Mr.. Dixon had completed his education at William
aud Mary College, aud finished his legal studies under
Judce Brockenbrough. With cultivated mind, and
uudrr the most favorable auspices, he determined to
commence his career in life in T-rai, there 70 pursue
the ursctcs of his profession. He was accompanied
nv a young friend, Abraham Smyth. E-q, of this
t,isce, leon of WIN. Smyth Esq., whOse widowed
mother most excellent and estoened lady, resides
in this city. Mr.. Smyth. also an esrimsbe young
gentleman intended to settle in Texas; and Wa are
henpy TO soe it reported tho; ia among thoae saved
We furb al at present from dwelling upon the suoJtc'
for we stll will not relinquirh Tho nope thst thH
pa;nrul suspense now experienced as to Mr. D;Ton,
ihsy ba relieved ny Intelligence WHICH VIII giaoooh
the hearts of all his friends. a.,
tslecraphic despa;ch has been received from DIT
Smyth from New Orleans, announcing ms saie afri'
val ,hsrs. but making no mention OF Mr. Dixon'
The Alexandria Ga=eae Of Friday says: "There
No longer remains doubt as to the fate OF young
Mr.. Dixon lare OF Alexandria, who was losf al Inc
destruction Of the steamer Louisiana OIL Tue 'is' u'
10 Galveston bay.
TIE TROUBLES AT PORT REPUBLIe-E1EcuTioS
or RAspALL-The excitement at Port. Republic
in Rockingham county, has at last come 10
crisis. tine Vigilance Committee were In ses
zion all day on Saturday, the DIN INST, 'ry
ing to dispose OF the case OF ms ii''ss aO's
vrs,oh. Jeff Randall whose thsfts aud wrong
dnings hsve 80 fsartully aroused the Indignation u
the locality which has been cursed by his presence
What the " Committed" determined on was not PER
mted to transpirs; but It was intinated that Ine!
decided TO hang him! Inc inten,ioos Oh ane I'm,
preacher and was augsgod in trying 10 make peace
With his Maker. The m;serab 3 wretch was taker
out ON Monday night last, about IL O'CLOCK; ane
hung by the neck until he WAS desd: ihs nang
ing took place in old unoccupisd house In 'ne VII
lsge.
A gentleman who slept ~ittiu MY y"'"e " 80
house. in which he WAS hung, says 1t was cnnoucset
very quietly much That he heard n mSiIn ns o.
The calm and better judgment of tho people VINO ha'
him in charge would come too late.
Tina, Randall was finished vain, we think IRON
MI we have heard, admts Of no manner OF DOUBT h'
mad plundered and robbed almost every body IN th'
nephborhoud for the last 10 or 20 years, and lately NJ
has commenced system Of burning barns, which ada
darker phase 70 bis Otherwise sufficiently dark cha
rscter. lie could hardly act worse than ne nos Done
unless he had supsraddsd the crime OF murder 10 tn
catalogue of his crimes. We have not hsa1a I'M,
highest crime known to the laws charged upon hiu,
although it is believed by thoss who knew him oest
that be- would not have hesitsted even to comm
murder, if it suited hs convenience TO DO H. AS ia
as VIZ have heard, he had mads himself an oullaS
TO the extent Of his ability. Ills outrages lave peer
generally indscrimnate, although. recently, be mac
been selecting special objects for the exercise Oh hi
vengeance and hellish nalics. And although tIl'
had bsen his character for years, aud although AL m
neighbors believed all the lime he was the gum.
wretch who was doing them harm. yet so st.atn)
ware his movsments-so covered by secrecy ana ln'
oarkusss of night his tracks, that NO legal proc
could be obtained to convict him.
Lo.o To- ufh deOr0datiOnl