Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-12-27

member OF the House OF DeiegateS IrOm Au-
gusta county, was an officer in the Confederate
States Quartermaster Department, and Soma
tor j. A. Waddell was his clerk. In June,
1864, when General Hunter made his raid to
Staunton, Major Bell, then at that place, in
company with Mr.. Waddel and others, fearing
lest they might be captured by the RAIDERS left
Staunton and made their headquarters for a
while at Arlington Depot, in the county of
Nelson. Mr.. Waddell had in his possession,
besides the papers belonging to the Confeder-
ate Government, some of his own bonds and
some Confederate bonds, belonging to Mrs.
| Opie of Staunton. This last fact was one Of
the circumstances which led to the discovery Of
the bond of which we are about to speak.
Besides these valuable papers, Senator Wad-
dell had with him first mortgage bond tor
81 ZOO of the Ches. & Ohio r. R. Company,
then the Virginia Central.
At Arlington Depot the party hoped to be
safe from the inroads of Hunter and his crew,
but the item which we now chronicle proves
the contrary to be true. The party had scarce
ly fixed themselves for business when they were
surprised by party of the raiders, and the
house in which they had made their headquar-
tiers was burned, and, as they then thought, all
the papers which they had placed there.
A short time before the close of the war a
Federal officer entered Charlestown, West
Virginia, and gave to some of Mrs. Opie' s
friends the Confederate bond which had been,
with the papers, supposed to have been de-
stroyed in the fire. This circumstance led Mr..
Waddell to believe that his bond had not been
destroyed, but acting under the fear that it had
he applied to the Virginia Central Railroad
Company for renewal of the bond according
to the Act of Assembly, in such cases made
and provided; and the company issued new
bond to him at once in place of the one sup
posed to have been destroyed. This bond he
retained In his possession until the present
time, without drawing the interest on the ccu-
pons, which are due semi-annually-in January
and July ,at
It now turns out that the bond was not de-
stroyed, as at first supposed, but was stolen
and carried away from, Arlington; for, on
Thursday last, Mr. Edward Cohen, broker Of
this city, presented the bond at the Office Of
the railroad company for the payment of the
interest On the coupons, the number being 2S9,
and corresponding with the memoranda in ev
cry respect which Mr. Waddel had retained.
Gen. Wickham, vice president of the rail
road, upon examining the records Of the COM
pany, discovered that the bond which Mr.. Co
hen had presented was the identical property
Of Mr. Waddell, and thereupon dispatched
messenger to inform that gentleman Of what
had occurred. Mr.. Waddell Immediately filed
an application in Judge Fitzhugh's court for
an Injunction staying any action in the matter
until his claims could be set forth and the mat
ter thoroughly examined. Judge Fitzhugh
granted the injunction, and the bond is now in
the Office of Mr.. Benz. T. Berry, the clerk of
the Chancery Court.
Mr. Cohen received the bond in question
from banking house in Baltimore, but where
they got it is a matter yet to be Investigated.
Il is little remarkable that none of the
coupons had been taken off and this is rather
Indicative that the present owner Of the bond
must have been the individual who captured"
it at Arlington Depot. For the present, the
matter remains as We have stated it; but after
the Christmas holidays it will be looked into,
and Mr.. Wadders claims fully heard Rach.
Dispatch of Dec. 23d.
The Baltimore Sun, in a lengthy article on
the subject of the Valley Railroad, says
Now is the time to push on the gteat work.
Among other advantages, the completion Of
the railroad from Pittsburg to Connellsville
which is anticipated within two or three months
will leave the contractors, operatives, &C.,
ready to be transferred without delay to the
Valley line, which, if the required subscription
is made, may be commenced by the 1st of
March There is no reason to expect any d.
minution Of the benefits which will be at once
experienced from the large expenditures in the
county. A convenient outlet to market will al
ways be secured, aud with other competing
lines cheap freights will be insured This
tatuus, Or rose colored-scheme, but practical
thing. the relations Of which to Baltimore and
Of Baltimore to it and the Southwest must be
appreciated by all intelligent men. The Legis-
Iature Of Virginia is now in session, and the
required action, it is hoped, will be promptly
taken, and the proposed subscription made.
If, however, the present opportunity is lost,
there will be great difficulties in the way Of the
accomplishment Of tie work. The value of it
to our own city is fully appreciated here, as
Baltimore in her corporate capacity has shown
by her liberal subscription. as we'll as the Bal
timore & Ohio railroad. But with all the en-
terprises which demand the aid and resources
Of both, the Valley railroad may have to be
abandoned for years if favorable action is not
taken at this most opportune momont, by those
citizens of the Valley who will soon be called
! upon to decide this important question. To
vote in its favor now is to secure everything.
To defeat the subscription, it is feared, will de-
fer the enterprise indefinitely.
Foreign News.
An official report has been received from
Paris to the night of the 2lst, which says that
operations were resumed on that day and con-
tnued till nightfa The Prussian fire was 81
fenced at all points, and Nully Sur Marine, Vii
la Eyraid and Maison Blanche. all eastward Of
the city, we're occupied By the French troops:
Bourget was carried on the north by Admiral