Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-01-15

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ECs!Ilet OF Columbia, made their report to the
Secfetsry OF the Treasury yesterday Theyhnye
Tel ofted avorably upon go entire petit ems,
ana entirely 3s petitions, and In part 81
ptu'icns The whole number Of seryasats for
wnom compensation has been awarded is 1890
ana me wnois number Of servants for whom
o'mpe,nssfion has been withheld is III, making
q total Of 3,1Co included in the I,os6 petitions.
AZ regards, the question of loyalty, there are
out few instances in which the evidence wa,
OF nstnre 10 warrant the conmissioners in
withnoiding compensation. The few cases of
This Kind In which the evidence Of unpatrietic
or cfiCyai symp1thies are most manifest are
those OF ladies' ad vancedin years. They were
required like other petitioners to take the oath
OF aliegfance, and to produce two witnesses to
attest their loyalty. They received their pro-
portlonate allowance OF compensation.
SeyeIal claims have been put in for slaves
VINO have absconded prior to April l6th 1885,.
In these cases both the claimant and the la YES
were interested in favor of q construction of
the act which would entItle the owner to COM
ptnsation. In some instances the fugitives
came back in order TO avail themselves OF the
oenent OF the act, but in others this WAS not the
The commissioners, after a careful I'm yestiea
ton, have decided that where the owner Of the
fugitises could give evidence that he had used
ordinary dHigence to recover his slaves, and
where the lapse OF time has raise no pres ump.
ton on death or abandonment, compens alton
may be allowed a.. - 30. =
The commissioners say there are IN w persons
especially In community like Washington,
where slavery has been for many years an ir.
tefest OF comparatively triAing importance,
VINO possesses the nowledge aud discrimina.
lion as The value OF slaves which Is necessary
70 JUST apportionment OF compensation under
the law. None Of the commissioners could lay
cia,m TO this species of Information, and to
supply 1t they determined to sumnon to their
aid an experien eed dealer in slaves from Bal.
timore, hr. II N. Campbell, who was at the
same time ignorant, In almost every instance,
OF the individuals upon whose claims he was
called 70 pass Judgment. His testimony ac-
corded with that OF others whose Information
IN The premises was entitled to weight-thst in
the disturbed state OF the country since the
commencemento Of the war, it would be difficult
to assign values to slaves.
The sales have been few, and generally under
circumstances Of pecuniary pressure which
lert no discretion with the seller. Slaves in
fact, cannot be said to have had current sala-
apIe value since the commencement of the war;
while their intrinsic value on the 10th day OF
april, as determined by the undimnished
value OF the produce of the soil and tho ,sdi.
mlnished wages of labor, was not less than for
merry Indeed. In both these respects il was
greater, since there has been 4 constant rise of
prices 10th oflabor and of products.
Inc minutes of the evidence taken by the
commlss1tn furnish sufficient data to as tabIish
an actual value OF slaves, in many cases far
greater Than The compensation made by the law.
BURGLARY AND ARREsT.-Yesierday morn
ing, about half past two O'Clock, roundsrnan
Greer and patrolman Johnson, Of the Third
ward, arrested a man named John Harding
nhoer circumstances that led TO the suspicion
About two o clock, as roundsman Greer W as
gong around his section, he saw from the south
SIDE OF PENNSYLVANIA avenue a man knocking
at The door of Clagett & Mays store, north side
between Ninth and Tenth streets The officer
st2rted over, and as he approached the man he
walked quietly away to Ninth street Greer
followed. keeping in sight OF the fellow Pa
trolman Johnson, seeing the man moving off
and The ropndsman p,rs aing, Joined Greer and
overlook and arrested the man When the o..
fCers laid hold of him he let fall somthing that
ha,y y,trI
lhey TOOK Their pr1s ooer to the Second Ward
station for safe keeping. The officers returned
10 the store and found other keys and small
burgiarious implements on the pavement The
larger key proyedto be a double skeleton, use.
fui IN such operations, no doubt. The. front
door lock was found tnrned or unlocked. On
opening tne store. In the nornin g Sergeant Skip
pom. of the poles, was present and on enter
ing, found that taree piles Of the most valuable
goods were made up in different parts of the
store, as II prepared to he carried awav dark
lantern, OF London make, and of the stvie in
The store. -s -. = -
At nine O'clock yesterday the prisoner was
taken before Justice Thompson for examin-
alton, when the arresting officers and four
ycIng men from the store testified to the facts
related above. The prisoner being asked by
the Justice, gave his name as John Harding;
but being asked whence he came, his occupa.
ton, his residence, and his lodging in this city,
perempt0rily refused 10 answer, unless law
yer was allowed him TO make his defence The
Justice told him il would be time enough for
his defence when he came up for trial The
officers could not be employed hunting mp a
lawyer for him. .--
The Justice decided to commit him tor trial
for an attempt at burglary, but le fore the COM
mltmenf was made out, The prisoner was sent
10 the Office OF Captain Mckelyey O. the De-
tectiye force. TO ascertain il he or some Of the
detectives from New York might not Know him
When the Captain heard the case, he politely
intimated TO the prisoner that he would like TO
have his portrait, and requested him to submit
TO the operation of the police photographer
The prison violently protested against IL, and
swore it should not be done. The Captain then
told him il he did not acquiesce he would be
turned over 10 the Provost Marshal, and I'M
dergo the customary ablution, alias shower.
bath, vigorously applied. The prisoner was
obstinate, and was taken TO the Central guard,
house, where he was received by order of Col
Doster, at the superintendent request There
II" was ordered 70 strip TO receive the cool
drencbing. He protested, but in vain, and he
was duly showered-hs vehement cries Of
murder! murder! attesting how little he rel
ished 1t. He was again asked TO submit to have
Lis mug taken : but he again refused, and
again the cold water application was tried
Again he was asked for his likeness. Hecursnd,
swore, hurrahed for JEFF Davis, denounced the
"dogtyped.' The last we heard OF him he was
At the Central guardhonse waiting the order for
his transfer 10 the county Jail.
Ofticers Greer and Johnson are entitled to
creolt Tor their vigilance and activity in this
matter. Several large robberies of stores much
after The same style, have been perpetrated and
this 10 the hfsl arrest made IN which the proof
is so nearly positive. &.
TREAcHRROUs OFrICIAL.-John A. Neasley,
oftiser IN charge OF an ambulance corps in this
city, was committed to the Old Capitol prison
yesterday by order of Col. Baker. provost
marshal OF the War Department, for aiding in
the escape of his brother in law, James Keller
with quantity Of medicines and other contra.
band articles, across the river to tho Oonfed-
crate lines. Keller, IL appears, holds position
in the rebel army. and came through the lines
TO visit his father, who has been for many years
clerk IN the Ordnance Department The
father, however, IL stern 1oyalist, and re-
proved his soR for his course and babe him
Leave his roof. Keller then went to Neagley,
and induced him ~ carry him (Keller) TO
Leonardtown, Md This was safely accom-
piished, and Keller got OF safe within the
rebel ines, bat Neagley was arrested and COM.
miftsd 10 the Old Capitol, above stated
ARREsT OF yIRsrNIASs.-Robert Skidmore
and Robert NJ. Clark, citizens Of Stafford
county, Virginia, was committed TO the Central
Guard House yesterday, by order Of Colonel
Baker. Skidmore Is charged with having