Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-04-07
Outrageous Proceedings in Richmond.

On Thursday last, the city of Rich
mond was excited by strange and out
rageous proceedings which occurred in
the streets OF that city. A band of rob-
bers, composed Of both sexes, supposed
to number 100 Or $50, attempted, in
broad daylight, to rob the stores of that
city. This proceeding was so strange
and so unexpected that the citizens
seem, for some time, TO have been par
alyzed, and whilst they were looking on
in bewildered wonder and astonishment,
these robbers were breaking open the
stores and robbing them Of their con-
tents. We have been informed by gen
tlemen who were present, that, before
the civil or military authorities had got
ten ready to do anything, Hon. John b.
Baldwin, of this place, backed by a
number of gentlemen who promised to
support him, went into the midst Of
them and had number of the leaders
arrested. This was on Main Street.
He afterwards found large crowd OF
the same class proceeding in the same
way on Franklin Street. With equal
promptness and boldness he went into
their midst whilst they were threaten,
ing and endeavoring to strike him down.
Here, he was called upon by the Cit.
zens to address the rioters, which he did
with such happy blending Of frmness
with moral suasion, that they became
quiet and were persuaded that they had
better dispense and retire to their homes
After the sea of tumult had been Gained
and when
Scarcely breath disturbed the sleeping billow,"
the military and civil authorities ap-
peared, and, in tone of command, cri-
ed: "Peace, be STILL" After this, vast
crowds, composed chiefly of orderly citi-
zens, were addressed by Col. Munford,
Mayor Mayo, Gov. Letcher, and Presi.
dent Davis. These robbers were not in
need of food, as they pretended, for they
stole everything they could lay their
hands upon. And the investigations il
the police court established the fact thar
some of them possessed considerable
property-the husband of one woman
owning sege;s thousand dollars worth O
real estate near the city. 1t was not 6
dread riot'-it did not proceed from
want, but crime. The charitable in
situations in that city have money ii
hand which has never been called fol
by the needy, for whom it is designed
1t is quite probable that it was instigated
by the enemies Of the South, with the
view of encouraging the North to pro
secute the war by making the impress;
sion that the South is approaching a
starving condition. This seems the
more probable from the fact that SINH
lar proceedings have recently taken
place in Atlanta, Ga, Mobile, Ala,
Salisbury, N. c., and Petersburg, Va,
in neither OF which places is there any
suffering for the want Of food. The fact
that the scarcity of food is made the
Tretert for adopting proceedings which
are calculated to encourage the enemy
should induce every farmer to raise as
much as possible; for every grain Of
corn planted is nail driven into the
coffin of the enemy's hopes.
In speaking of this band of audacious
robbers the Rschmoaad Ecanaaaaer says
ga handful of prostitutes, professional
thieves, Irish and Yankee hags, gallows,
birds from all lands but our own, con.
gregated in Richmond, with woman
huckster at their head, who buys veal
at the toll gate for a hundred and sells
the same for two hundred and fifty in
the morning market, undertook the 9TH
er day to put into private practice the
principles of the Commissary Depart
ment. Swearing that they would have
goods cat government prices" they broke
open half dozen shoe stores, hat stores,
and tobacco houses, and robbed them OF
everything but bread, which was just
the thing they wanted least"
Acharitable institution, under the de-
fusion that they wanted something to
eat, made distribution of rice and flour
to all who would ask it, whereupon, the
Examiner says, miscreants were seen to
dash the rice and -four into the muddy
street, where the traces still remain, with
the remark that eff that was what they
were going to give they might go to
HI"
A Dash into Williamsburg.