Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-23
BY YESTERDAY EVENINGS MAILS.


The delegates to the Democratic Conscn-
ton. for the purpose Of nominating candi-
date to I'LL the vacancy created IN the Fourth
Congressional District, by the death Of Hon.
VIM. O. Goode, convened at Farmyille, on
Wednesday. All the counties III the Dis
trct, except MccklcnburS. were represented
Lewis f. llarvie, esq, Of Amelia, was chosen
President, and Samuel i. Paul, Z. q. James
and James Boisseau, esqrs., Of Petersburg
Secretaries. The friends Of Col. Henry l..
Hopkins, Of Petersburg retired, and after 4
brief consultation decided 10 withhold his
name from the Convention. The name of
Roger A. Pryor. esq, Of Petersburg, was
then proposed and he was declared the nom-
nee by reclamation. Speeches were made
by Roger 4 Pryor, Irving. Of Cumberland
W. j. Old, .ir., Of Powhatan; Vim. I. Flour
nov, of Prince Edward, and others The
Convention was hot III session two hours
having convened at ) p NJ, and adjourned
sine die before o'clock.
The SHOOTING AFFAIR Is RICHMOND
The particulars of the shootingof /. Oliver
Sims, clerk in the Exchange Hotel i'll Rich
mond. by Il. H. Melton, noticed in Yesterday
Gazette a given by the Richmond Wing, as
fnllows:-On Tuesday night, the Exchange
Hotel was the scene Of 4 murdcrouS assault
which ha. produced intense excitement and
iudcnationou the community. The asSa-
liant was a ncgro-trader. named Ii. IL Mel
ton, hailing from Richmond, in Madison,
Parish, La: the victim, L. Oliver Sims. the
rentlemanlv and popular book-keeper OF the
Exchange Hotel and Ballard House.
The particulars Of the sad affair, as commu-
nicated to US by some Of the witnesses, are
as follows:
On Thursday night, about half past .
o'clock, the bell Of 264, Exchange Hotel, oc-
cupied by Melton, was rung violently. Mr..
w. b. Hopkins, assistant clerk, sent SER
want to the room Immediately. Almost SIM
ultaneuusly. one of the chambermalds came
down and complained to MIR. III. that she had
been sent to .264' short time previously,
and had been roughly treated. Presently,
the bell was again rung, and another servant
was sent 10 Neltun's room. Ina lev minutes,
Melton made his appearance at the ONCE,
and demanded his bill, complaining Violent
" mt the same time of the inattenti"n OF the
servants, and applying harsh epithets to the
clerks. Mr.. Sims made out the bill, rccelp-
ted it, and handed it across the desk to Mel-
ton. After looking ut the account, and COM
menting upon the rates Of charge, NJ. return
ed the paper to Sims with the remark that
he would not settle until the morning, when
he would leave the hotel. Mr. Sims assem-
ted to this arrangement Melton then went
back TO 264. and was followed ,hither by Mr..
lIopkins, who stood at the closed d"ora few
minutes, and prcsuming that Nj. had retired,
proceedcd t. his own apartment. About
10 o'clock, Melton sent the following note to
the office.
"Dear Sir You have said you would have
mi bag age put On the street because called
20 know wi mi bell was not ansered | Am
now to see it Dane shall wait until .
minits After you receive this
L. ii. MrLroS."
This note, evidently written by an IN
steady hand, and almost illeglblc ut first
sight, was received 10y Mr.. Sims, VIII" re
NAMED on duty at his desk. Before hr had
dcciphered the note, Melton made hiS APP
pearance, and renewed his harsh language.
Sims told him he must leave the hotel or he
would have him taken to the watch house, as
his abuse was insuterable. Melton de'icd
Sims or the police to Interfere with hun, and
declared that his baggage should not be re
moved from his room. Finally, Melton
struck Sims in the face with his hat, and
Sims, either in wardins OF Il second blow,
or designcdly, struck NJ. in the face with his
open hand lie then seized wooden gas
KEY, used in Lighting chandeliers, and came
from behind the desk t" the place where
Melton was standing. lie warned vi. not
to draw his pistol as he had threatened, and
again directed one of the servants 10 20 to
No. 264, for Meton's baggage. Melton dared
the negro To do So, and the order beng rcit-
Grated, Nj. pulled cut his weapon IA Derrn-
ger singlc-barrcl pistol-ani discharged It a,
Sims. lie then ran up stairs to his room,
and threw the pistol into the alley which
separates the Hotel from Trinity Church,
where it was afterwards found Melton WAS
arrested. hut denied his guilt. He was ia
ken to the Mayors Office, but the Mayor
postponed the examination until Friday and
remanded Melton to Jail. Melton is = man
of about forty years OF age.
Mr.. Sims was badly wounded, and now
lies in critical situation at the Ballard
House. The ball entered about an inch ana
| half above. and I" the right Oh the
navel, penetrating the abdominal cavity, and
lodging in the kidney or bladder. There
is scarcely CLEAN Of hope Tor ms recovery,
as the wound IS Of Il character which almost
invariably proves fatal.
Destruction ~ TnE LATE SrnRA.
Front ROYAL Gazette says:--"rhc damage
done in this county by the storm of ram and
wind is, we fear. heavy, and especially IS
this the case ON the Shenandoah river and ITS
tributary streams. Happy Creek, which
| flows by our town. WAS several teet higher
than ever before known. The loss III Its
vicinity is considerable. The Games =
Roads Turnpike Company, SuIlcr loss OF
between $500 and 81 ,OO0 near town. Ecnc-
ing was swept away. There Is, perhaps, not
mill in our county but was more OF less
disabled, and many 50 much crippled that II
| will take considerable time to put them IN
their usual order.
The fine mill property known AZ the
Southern Aurora Mills" on the Shonan-
doah River, near town. owned bye. |. Wcis-
ton, esq, il entirely disabled for the present.
The Port Tobacco Times says Very
considerable damage has been done to the
crops Of Corn and Tobacco in the field, by
the storm Of Saturday last. Whole fields OF
| o., IN a orn,Sipp state and PARTIALLY ma