The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-16

acting on the adagc that che who fights and
runs away" ETC.; got behind Gordon, the
matter would have stopped If Gordon, who
is a stout, raw -boncd man, the big bull in
the pen, the ringlcader and bully of the
party. had not told them to stand back,
rolled up his sleeves and pitched into Mar
tin. He struck him certainly two blows.
For what, sir? What had Martin done to
Gordon that he should strike himl No
thing at all, sir He made this wantOn
and unprovokcd attack on Martin-not
only struck him without proyocation, but
repeated the blows until he fell. lie got
up, and he was too small To contend with
Gordon, and drew his pcn-knite and struck
him on the arm with il. What else could
he have done, sir1 Will your Honor say
Aat he went there unlawfullyt He went
there with no intention of attacking Cor
don. If he had gone with unlawful intent
to inhict injury on Lewis, and had met this
wanton and unprovoked attack from Cor
don, and he defended himself against it.,
has he committed any offence And, sir,
this bully goes to magistrate, procnres a
warrant, and has this boy arrested. is the
instinct of sclf-prcScrvation, which prompts
every man TO take care of his person, to
be disrcgardcd?
"The only violence done in this affair,
sir, was done by Gordon when he attacked
Martin, and now they come here from the
post -officc to raise this " tempest in Il tea
pot" The case is unworthy, sir, of your
consideration. This boy is no pest to soci-
ETY.. He belongs to "A family which is an
ornament to this community. He is we'll
born, sir, and has been wcll-brcd.
"I submit, sir, that he he discharged,
with the warning, if you choose, that this
is not the proper method of settling diff
culticS."
Mr.. Johnson having completed his re-
marks, His Honor said that he had had a
conversation with DR.. Sharp concerning
this affair, and that he had requested the
Doctor to send the case before him to be
examined into. That it was not of Mr..
Gurdon'S seeking that warrant had been
procured, but that it was at his instance, in
order that an investigation might be had.
He did not think that Mr.. Gordon should
bc called a bully. He did not see that he
had done anything to deserve the applica-
ton Of that cpithct to him.
As to Martins age, he would say that,
when a boy reaches the age of fourteen,
he stands under the laws Of Virginia pre-
ciscly as any other man does. He had had
the case brought into his court in order
that ne might see how far the criminality
of party goes who tries to stab one per
son and stabs another. II Il man intcrtcrcs
to stop a fight, and goes farther than is
necessary to effect this, he becomes party
to the fight, and is as guilty as the princi-
pals. The testimony does not prove that
Gordon stands in that attitude.
His Honor said that he would not remand
the prisoner for Il felony. 1t matters not
what his SympathicS and feelings were, he
was not sitting there 10 settle the rules and
requirements Of the Code OF Honor: his
business was To execute the laws Of Nir-
ginia.
Mr.. JohnSon.-What is to be done with
Gordon, sir!
Mayor.-Martin went to the poSt-otficc
deliberately to have fight, and there was
nothing in the laws OF Virginia to Justify
such Il proceeding. He was taught by his
profession that law was no rcSpectcr OF per
sons, and he did not see that Gordon was
amcnablc to any penalty of the law for
what he had done.
Young Martin was then bound over III
the sum of five hundred dollars to keep the
peace, and the case dismissed.