Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-01-20
ALEXANDRIA, GAZETTE AND VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.

HAWXHURST AND DLEflSS.-JO Lava
hurst, Radical member Of the Convention
from the city of Alexandria, introduced on
Friday the following preamble and resolution
in regard to one John A. Bteyins, who was
confined in the peDitentiary ofthis State at the
tiue of the evacuation of Richmond ty the
Confederate army:
Whereas, John A. Bleyins was arrested by
the officers of this city, on the lth day OF uy,
F1S4S, on suspicion of teaching colored children
to -lesd, and confined in the penitentiary for
safe keeping for sixteen years and ten months
and until released by the Federal army at the
fall of Richmond and, whereas, Horace Gree
| ley and others could not come to Richmond to
! offer some bail, he had to, remain IN prison
fourteen years longer than Jefferson Davis, on
the charge Of high treason and, whereas, this
Convention not deeming the teaching OF color
ed children TO read an Infamous crime There
fore. i, :.
ResoEved, That the committee on election
provide for the relief Of said John A. BIevlns
from all civil disabilities on account OF said
charge conviction or Imprisonment: and the
| like disabilities of ali other persons"
The facts in the case Of John A. Blevlns are
| these: Promising that be was one Of the most
thorough scoundres ever in the city, we state
that he was first arrested for highway robbie
ry, committed on the turnpike road leading
from Manchester to Powhatan Courthouse,
tried before Judge Bouldin, convicted and sen
fenced to term of Imprisonment in the penl-
. tentisry. He served out his term and Was re
leased After being set at liberty he located
in Richmond, and lived in the upper part OF
the city. g........ ....
Shortly after he located here, number Of
slaves were spirited away and succeeded IN
| getting to the North. Gen. Lambert was at
that time Mayor of the city, and thinking that
these slaves escaped in vessels on the waters IN
the lower portion of the State, sent special
police force to the White House to watch for
| them. ...
No discoveries were made and the means by
which these people got off remained mystery
until Mr. Thomas B. White, now policeman
in this CITY, and at that time a very young man,
noticed suspicious circumstances at a house III
the city, aud reported them to the prosecuting
attorney. He saw two negroes come out OF the
house, and saw one Of them tear up piece OF
paper He was directed to procure those plec-
es Of paper, and when put together, 1t was
| found that it was letter from the father OF
slave, who had run off, to his son, stating that
be had enclosed him two bank notes on the
bank of Springfield, Massachusetts, and drec-
| ting him how to proceed to get to the North.
1t proved to be Blevins' house out of which
| these negroes came. b.. d. e
Enquiry was made, sufficient evidence pro
cured and Blevins was indicted by the grand
jury for aiding slaves to escape. The May or
issued warrant for his arrest, and the two
Springfield bank notes described in the letter
to the negro we're found on his person. The
matter was fully Investigated, and it was found
that he had a chart of the roads leading from
this city, through Western Virginia to Penn
syvana, and that all OF his SUBJECTS vent to
certain boarding house in Philadelphia, which
was at that time headquarters for runaway
negroes He had covered wagon, IN which
he conveyed bis customers to the Pennsylvania
line.
He was put on trial for this offence, which,
under the new laws Of the State, was felony
| was convicted and sentenced TO another term
in the penitentiary, and it being his second
! conviction; bis term Was doubled and it was
| Tor this offence that be was In the penltentlary
at the time OF the evacuation, and not on sus-
picion of teaching little negroes to read aud
write.
So much for Mr.. Hawxhurst and Mr.. BE
| vins.-RlclmoAd Enquirer. .
THROUGH FREIGHT We mentioned some
time since that freight cars we're being built to
run through from this city to New York, with
oat break of bulk On Saturday the first car
heavily loaded, arrived here in thirty-six hours
from New York This is at least twenty-tour
hours sooner than freig ht from New York can
be delivered here by any other route, and, of
course, this line will command all the tonnage
where quick transit is required. The companies
controlling this line have twenty Of these cars
built at present, and will add to the number as
the demands OF tonnage req lire.-Lynchbnrg
| Necs =..
Tribute Of Respect.