The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-11-06
Another Correspondent loose in the Moun-
~ tains interesting Incidents, Sc.
HEAD WATERssoF THE PoToNtAc,

tains-Interestiag Incidents, sc.
N HEAD WATER or THE PorontAo,
k SIMMONS HorEL, Octs6ta-l867.
70 tie Senior Of tho Valley Viisyin;dn Z
ny DEAasSANDY Y on viii DOUBTLESS re-
member the happy moments we passed in
Keokuk and St. Louis some 9 or 10 years since.
I have buta slig int ac1 uaintahee III year NOUN
tain city, Stanton but the propinquity of
our relations being sointenseinth the cities afore-
said, I have concluded to give you note Of
my late rambles in the Alleghanies. l.
y Suffice it to say then, that about the 10th
of last month / left my domicil in the coun-
try, much lower in attitude than the Ale
ghany range Of mountains. Ny face was set
for that pleasant resort called Oakland" at
which place many Of your Baltimore friends
.co:gregate, because Of the purity of the at
mosphere j: eternal fros,s there abide. The
town of Oakland is situated Immediately on
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, on the SUM
nit of the Allegheny mountain, near Wash
ingtons corner stone de6ring the line between
Virginia and Maryland Next year, If you
and your correspondent live 50 long, we will
visit Oakland. But to my travels: on my
way, about the oath Of last month, I found
myself in a mountain village called Monterey.
was told that it was the Metropolis Of the
county Of Highland, in the State Of Virginia.
On the morning Of the 25th the natives COM
.menced pouring into the village, and I was
informed that Circuit Provisional Conrt
commenced in that place on. that ve.y daysa
Being DESTROYS to see how ma terst were con
Quoted in one Of those Provisional Courts,
! ta led : day or two with my polite and ac-
comuodating landlord, Captain Hottie, The
Judge Of the said provisional Court is COM
paratively young man tall, of commanding
appear ance, and remarkable for his urbanity
of manner He is expeditions too, in the dis
charge of his official duties the remarkable
facility with which he disposed Of var GUS ca
ses, especially as chancellor, was very strik-
| ing. / discovered that he was highly priced
by the citizens attendant on his Courts, both
as a gentleman and a Judge. The name Of
this Judge is Harris. Numerous Lawyers at
tended this Court, amongst them was told
there were several of great ability. I could
not see much difference between this Rroui.
saouaz Court and the Courts that used to con
vene before the late war; s ..g
Being much rested, indeed much recupera
ted, by the kind attentions Of ssmine Host, =
Capt. Hottie, [ set out toward Oakland, wish
ling to outrun the yellow fever which then ex
listed. to an alarming extent in the city Of New
| Orleans. ,gi sssss,si,i ,,.,s an !, .t5 ss.,,s
/ On went, and on the last day of last
month, found myselfin West Virginia, at ar
old, venerable looking town, called Franklin
There was, / discovered, intense feeling on the
part Of some. Of the citizens Of this town, be
cause of trial Of great interest which was te
commenceson the. next day. A man of the
name Of Middleton was to be arraigned mex
morning charged with .willful, malicious, de
liberate MURDER / concluded to be present
at this trial At about Q 0 clock, A. ~, Isl
inst, the Court House bell tol'ed loud and
mournfully. Judge Banker, remarkably
commanding and. intellectual looking gentle
man, took his seat on the Bench, and, after
charging his Grand Jury, proceeded with the
trial Of the prisoner. The evidence proved
that, early in the year 1866, Middleton de
liberately, and without provoeation, shot a boy
4 ID years of age, dead on the spot, because ht
(Middleton) believed the boy to be piz- a
1riaktatns, which means a rebel boy-soldier.-
The boy was shot in his fathers house, al
night, and in the presence Of his father ant
mother There were no mitigating circum
stances in favor Of Middleton whatever. The
case was argued by Mr.. Corn, for the State
and a Mr. Blakemore for the prisoner. The
Jury, after long deliberation, brought in a yer
dict Of murder in the second degree, and fxee
the prisoners term Of Imprisonment in thu
Penitentiary at IS years. The Judge at once
pronounced sentence on the prisoner, in re
marks that were solumn and well calculated
to caution all others to beware ofperpetratins
SO horrid crime. as that committed by MID
dleton. On the I'd day Of the Court the prise
ner was on his way to Moundsyille, W. Va.
where the Penitentiary is. The Judge com
plimented the prisoners lawyers effort, il
saving the prisoners life, but denounced the
crime committed by the prisoner in terms vel
calculated to harrow the soul of the guilty
wretch. This trial has had such effect on my
feeling, that | beg you to pardon me from fur
ther notice or comment until after shall have
reached Oakland. III. ANON.