The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-18
A CASE UNDER THE CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL.
UHDEHW0 WOODS FANNY.
A RAILROAD COMPANY MULCTED IN
$4,000 BY \ MINED JURY.

The case of Robert Stevens Us. The Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail
road Company was taken up in the United
States Circuit Court Judge Undcrwood)
Yesterday. This was an action brought by
n negro man of Charleston, S. c., against
the railroad company for violation Of the
civil rights bill. 1t is alleged that the de-
PENDANTS sold the plaintiffs wife frst-class
ticket, and then, by force, put her in &C.
cord class car. Eighteen hundred dollars
damages were claimed. S. NJ. Page and L..
Il. Chandler for the plaintiff; Steger y
Sands and W. W. Gordon for the defend
ants.
The defence held that an arrangement
existed by which the convenience of the
passengers and the interests of the company
we're promoted. Separate cars we're set
apart for colored persons. That at the
time it is alleged that the offence was COM
mitted upon Mrs. Stevens these regulations
were in force. 1t was not second-class
cor, but car designated as letter D." for
colored persons.
The purser of the Aqua Creek boat tes
tilted that Mrs. Stevens presented first
class ticket. He had instructions from the
company to organize passengers in par
ticular way, and to stamp their tickets with
the proper letter Of the car to which they
should be assigned. The road divided pas
sangers into four classes: lst, ladies, and
gentlemen accompanying them, and chill
dren, in car A ID, gentlemen unaccompa-
MED by ladies, in car B; Sd, gentlemen
smoking, in car C; 4th, all negroes, in car D..
After the able and exhaustive argument
of counsel, Judge Underwood gave charge
to the jury which deserves more than the
usual brief summary Of points. BE COM
menced by saying that distinction of color
was relic Of barbarism, which had dis
graced the world too long. Happily,
throughout the North it had been done away
with, even in that sink Of iniquity New
York, where it had been retained longer
than anywhere else, in order that the trade
of the South might be kept by the mer~
chants of the metropolis. 1t was this dis
tinction of color that brought the United
States in contempt all over Europe. No
where was the outrage Of more frequent
occurrence than in Virginia-a State which
it had involved in ruin, preventing immi-
grafton, &c.
4uC Gi1Oh p6iA co1dS oesSA1SA0o w
the alleged facts OF the case, and called
the attention of the jury particularly to
the fact that the "colored lady" was put in
car one part of which was used entirely
by smokers and drunken men. That this
was the case, he said, there could be no
doubt, as Virginia was noted for the drunk
enness Of her citizens. Richmond is spe-
cialy intemperate-one Of the most
drunken cities on the face Of the globe.
Intemperance pervaded all classes; and
not even were the clergy excepted in this
sweeping and libellous charge.
Returning to the case in hand, the Judge
repeated thst all distinction of color must
be abolished and in support Of his propo-
sition read from Bible open before him
the following verses (James, I'd chapter,
l-9 Tersesl:,
"My brethren, have not the faith Of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Of glory, with
respect of persons. For If there come unto
your assembly o man with o gold ring, in
goodly apparel, and there come in also q
poor man in vile raiment and ye have re-
spect to him that weareth the gay clothing,
and say unto him, Sit thou here in o good
place; and say unto the poor, Stand thou
there, or sit here under my footstcol: ere
yenot then partial in yourselves, and are be-
come judges Of evil thoughts Hearken