The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-18
THE COURTS.

MAYORS COrRr.-The following cases were
, disposed of by the Mayor on Saturday:
j. p. Oliver. one Of the men sent on to tn,
| Hastings Court to answer an indictment TO,
playing "kenO," was permitted to renew hi.
bail, his original surety having declined te
stand longer in that capacity. He gave Jess,
! Talbot as his surety.
! Adam Mcclellan was charged with being
drunk and disorderly, riding in a hack, break
ing the glass, and refusing to pay his fare The
Mayor discharged him with the understanding
| that he would settle the matter wi tn the owne,
Of the hack
! Eli ferguson. charged with breaking into the
house OF L. Is. Fletcher, in the night time
| breaking the lock of the money drawer, and
taking therefrom sum Of money-amount no
stated. 1t will be remembered that the Mayol
decided complicated case between these par
ties on Friday, in which Fletcher was sent on
to the Hastings Court for an assault upon
| Ferguson.
! Mr.. Chastain White, who appeared for Fer.
| guson, said this was an aggravated matter on
the part Of the complainant. Fletcher was
bound over on Friday for an assault upon Fer
+, guson, and Immediately afterwards went and
. broke into the house himself and he now turns
! round and has Ferguson arrested for breaking
into his own house. The arrest was made at
late hour, and his client had had no oppor-
tunity of getting his witnesses. He therefore
hoped that the case would be continued, and
Ferguson permitted to give bail for his appear
ance.
Mr.. John S. Caskie, counsel for Fletcher, op-
posed the motion for a continuance. He be-
lieved that an investigation would show that
Fletcher was the aggrieved party.
Mr.. White reviewed the testimony elected
on Friday, and claimed for his client the right
of possession in the house aforesaid.
Mr.. A. Judson Crane, who also appeared for
Fletcher, suggested that his Honor first settle
the question in his own mind as to the owner
ship of the property. OF course his Honor
could not so settle the question as to affect the
claims of either but unless he concluded the
matter in his own mind he could not give an
intellig ent decision.
. Mr.. White claimed that he had fully estab-
lished Fergusons claim to the house on the
previous day, and that Fletcher was merely
employed there !; that he made nightly returns
to Ferguson of the business of the day, and
that the employees had agreed to sue Fergu-
son on Friday night for their salaries. He
ought, then, to ask that he be discharged; but
he would not do SO, and only asked that he be
bailed to appear on Monday.
His Honor afterwards decided to continue
the case. until half-past 3 o'clock in the after
noon, and admitted Fletcher Il Ferguson to bail
in the sum Of two hundred dollars each.
Mayor Saunders, who held possession Of the
keys of the house, was requested to give them
up to Ferguson by his counsel. To this the
counsel for Fletcher strenuously objected, both
claiming for their clients the ownershipof the
house. His Honor decided to retain the keys
in his own possession.
Lewis Bromm, charged with making an as
sault upon Thomas A. Goodman. The latter
is considerably the larger and stouter Of the
two. The affair took place last Friday night
at the bakery OF Hundley & Canoe, ON Broad
street, where the parties are employed, and
originated in dispute about work. Bromm,
who is foreman Of the establishment, is re-
ported to have struck Goodman on the right
arm with stick, producing a severe contu-
sion, and followed it up with a blow on the
left temple with bar OF iron, causing an ugly
cash; and the consequence was that G GOODMAN
appeared the next day with his head bound
up, as II in chancery. The Mayor decided to
continue the case until Monday, and held the
accused to bail in the sum of five hundred dol
lars for his appearance. Joseph Canoe became
his surety. Colonel S. T. Bayly appeared as
counsel for Bromm. >...--......
At half-pa two O'Clock the Mayor resumed
his seat, and proceeded with the investigation
Of the complicated case of Fletcher against
Ferguson. 1t seems that Ferguson brought a
counter charge, of breaking into the house.
against Fletcher, and at the evening session Of
his Court his Honor heard both, with q repe-
tition Of the arguments Of counsel pro and CON.
The Mayor finally decided to discharge both
parties and to dismiss the case. He declined
to settle the question OF ownership, which is
a matter beyond his jurisdiction. The
house in question Is roughly built
shanty, standing on Broad, between Ninth
and Tenth streets, and from It's outward
appearance we should not think the
whole concern was worth such a controversy
40 has been made over it.