Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-10-20

LETTER FROM LoUDoUN COUNTY, VA.


[Corres pondence of the Alexandria Gazette
LEEEsBURG. Va, October IS: lS6G.-Ihe
long agony is over; we are at the mercy OF
rampant majority, and the only thing that L
can sec for US to do is to 'lie here, as the TEL
low said he would do when he Was knocked
down by the bully, who said he would not strike
a man while he was down.
A Homestead Bill seems to be engaging morc
of nopuIar attention than it has ever DONE
The main feature OF it seems to be TINS, name
ly: there shall be exempt from Distress or levy,
or sale under order Of Court, SO much real es-
tate as would be equal to the wlles dover ~
terest in land, provided that the amount SO ca
empted shall not exceed in value 81, OOo
This Homestead Tract shall descend to the
wife and children, if derived from the husband,
and to the husband and children, II derived
from the wife, and upon the demise OF me
party originally owning it, without vile or chi
dren, shall be liable TO his or her debts AS the
case may be.
Popular; free SchooI, education is 1 good deal
agitatcd, and will enter largely into the canvass
for the Legislature next Spring, should ncXt
Spring come to us p0liIcnty.
In the meantime our young people arc mar
ryine there having been Sc marriage license; Is
sued since July |, Of which 9 were issued In
October. OF the total, were negroes All
parties were under 10, except two couples An
old negro IS married The woman with whom he
had been living for nearly 40 years: and ~p"
was 70 Years DID, and white widowc: IS years
old married Il widow Of 40.
We will now sec what effect the triumph CT
the Anli-J Johnson party will have on HIM (An-
ay johnson | mean, not the wilowcr) and on
fine country. Have We yet reached the bottom.
| If 50 VIC will soon stand on firm ground. We
| are down so low that we must needs look UP
| Look aloft was ever good motto
The main business done in our Circuit Court
| has been noticed in the county papers, but 1t
NAV not be amss to alIudc more particularly to
some OF the criminal clses Two persons were
| tried for horse stealing. One a young white
| man named John Carroll, from Maryland, who
| called ut the house Of -, IN the North
| crn part of the county, about 2 clock one day;
| Mr. - talked with him Tor some time, and
finally told him he had no work Tor him. lhe9y
went lcrcthcr to the barn, and there parted !:
that night horse and equipments were stolen;
the horse was tracked some miles in southcr-
| " direction, and then nearly back to the house,
and then in an castcry direction some miles,
| and about 9 o'clock was found in the possession
Of Carroll, who quietly submitted to arrest
His counsel, Mr.. Chancellor and R. |. L.
Scott, defended him on the ground Of his non,
felonious intent, as evidenced by his quiet and
unrcscrred submission, and bis weak capacity,
but the defence was Of no avail. lie was con-
victcd and his term of Imprisonment fixed at
| five years in the Penltentlary.
A negro boy, VIM. Tate: WAS tried next, un-
der the following state OF facts: horse, a
| irkcn and some butter were missed from the
premises Of B. T. Taylor, OF Charles. The
firken and butter, and vest worn by the boy,
were traced by the evidence to him; the horse
was not found in his possession, The vest was
very greasy, had a hole in it and a patch on 1t,
and was found wrapped around the butter.-
| This vest was produced and identified on the
trial at the examining Court, and was left in
possession of the jailor.
| On the final trial vest was produced, hand
cd to the same witnesses, fully Identified by
| them, and the case looked blue for the black
bow, when the 'simon pure (if such term
can be applied to so dirty thing was produ;
ced by Mr. Chancellor. He had rubbed IN old
vest with some very greasy pot liquor, had
brought it from Middeburg, wrapped in paper
and left 1t with the jallor, and had thus trlcked
the witnesses for the prosecution into swearing
to the identity of Chancellor's vest with the
one found round the butter. 1t was ease Of
mistaken identity. So VIM Tate, negro went
| free.
1t is proper to state that the jallor was en-
trcly ignorant Of the contents OF the paper
wrapper handed him by Mr.. Chancellor.
In the case Of Carroll Mr.. Scott asked the
Judge to instruct the jury that, If the horse
was not the property Of the man from who2e
barn he was taken, they should acqut the prls
oncr but he declined, and laid down the rule
that though Il rogue stole horse that hau
| been stolen yet he YVES none the less rogue.
The trial OF Mrs. Flock, for larceny OF gold
silver and paper money and spoons, from Mrs
IIcaton will come off Friday; the trial OF Loyetl
for malicious shooting, on Saturday, and Of
LovcLt, Wright and Campbell, for horse steal
ing, on Monday | will try to advise you OF
the result, and mayhap Of the evidence.
| ALIQUIS.