Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-06-09
LOCAL NEWS.

heading OF an article publlshediu these column
on Wednesday evening last, giving an accoun
of the arrest and Imprisonment Of Thomas G
Byrd, enough one would think to appail the
heart even of a desperate man For, If limo
cent, the modification occasioned by such al
announcement would create, would seem suh
cient to .derange the mind of any man possess
ed of ordinary feelings of delicacy; and if guilty
when confined in prison, debarred from the in
diligence of that passion and excitement By
which the stings Of conscience have been dead
ened, left alone with no company save his OWL
remorsetul thoughts, and they, probably be-
cause OF their newly achieved liberty from the
,hraldom In which they had been held, merci
lessly minute and accurate in their retrosyec,
ton, bringing into full relief not only the
blanched cheeks futtering hearts and despair
ing souls of the immediate victims of his crime,
hut the shrinking forms OF their unfortunate re-
iatlves, would 1t Is to be supposed, ill to the
brlm the measure OF human misery; and induce
one, II any thing could; to seek those ills we
know not Of
bordering thus, ono Of the reporters ior the
Gazette yesterday evening resolved to visit tie
prisoner and find out if possible whether any
thing could be stated that would relieve the
terrible anxiety under which the relatives and
city were laborDg The purpose Of the call
and a favorable response having been kindly
communicated by the jailor, Mr. b. +. Cline,
the heavy iron door shutting in those upon
whom the law had laid its hand. from their
fellows in the outer air. WAS unlocked and the
reporter conducted through L corridor upon
which opened rows of cells, in one Of which he
saw Newton Smith, the co!ored man condemn
I'd to be hung Tor drowning his own illcgitimatc
child, i'll, with his ankles chained to the
floor, and up 4 flight of stone steps ut
short distance from the mead Of which was
the apartment in which he was received and
offered chair, the only one visible, the prso-
ner taking seat on the bed The room was
ten feet square, had 4 bare stone floor and con-
tained Il beadStead one chair and Il stove
How different from the capacious suits OF rooms
with their velvet carpets, lace curtains, costly |
pictures and magnificent furniture its inu,ate |;
lately occupied i'll Washington He is 4 large |
boned man with dark eyes ard skin and black |
hair fecked with gray, anu looks to be about
nifty years Of age. lie was in his shirt sleeves,
but his dress IS a suit OF light summer cast
mere, with Il straw hat and low Quartered NOR
roco shoes. The guard and another prisoner
who hal come in to see what Was going on, and |
i young chicken and a dog-tke two last OF
which the prisoner said had taken fancy to
HIN and gave hlm much of their COMPANY
having left, the reporter commenced the con-
versatlon by remaining th-t the newspapers
had published tGll accounts OF the arrest and |
of Its cause, but that he hoped the affair would |
not turn out to be as bad us present Appearances
indicated. The prisoner replied that he had |
read what the Gazette had said about him, and |
could hardly find fault with it, but that the
statement taken from the Richmond Euuuircr
about bis obtaining $1,000 from the wOmlu
who brings the charge against him would have
TO be substantiated, and that when his cxami-
nation Was held things would present betterap,
pearance. reasonable, said he to suppose that
would come to Alexandria and marry i meul-
Der Of the family Tor whom I entertain the
highest respect, the daughter Of an old gcu,
lleman, who before you were born was my
friend and represented the county Of the Isle
OF wight IN the Legislature, and take her to
Washington Oily SIX miles off, if / had Il wife
already then? The reporter replied that SUCH
aS'G naeEs Sa Development bur that such was
the appcarance things wore 1T present, fGr tna'
the sister of the party at whose Instance ne /
had been arrested and who came 10 AeXandrla
for the purpose Of! getting Il copy OF his mar
riuge certificate here, said that she had the
certificate of his marriage with her sister that
the priest who married them was living IN
Washington, and would testify in the case, and
on her visit here Was accompanied ny an ola
woman who said she had been present at the
marriage. The old lady," said he yes,
know her well. hu, al! these things will be
cleared up.
He then stated tina, the charge against hlm
was trumped up to cxtort money. that three
thousand dollars would have squclchcd the whole |
thing, but that he did not feel like being black
mailed For a month past he had known what
was brewing, and that only Il few days ago nc |
had, in conversation upon the subject with
Mr.. Bradley, of Washington. suggested the
advisability of delivering himself $50 that the
issue might be made at once, but III SUCH Il way
IS to avoid all the publicity that an arrest wouIo
occasion, but rs it was thought posi- DC INC
affair might blow oyer,it had been dcrmea PEST
for him 10 wait He had taken his wife to
Milford Station on the r., +. 4 I. Il. R.,by
which the trains to and from Washington pass
four times day; tia. he had received Il letter
from i friend in Washington, dated the Sd
inst. informing him that 4 warrant had been
issued for his arrest; and that when arrested on
the morning of the 9th. in the gentlemen S
parlor of the Exchange Hotel in Richmond,
he was debating whether or not to come lmme-
diately to Alcxandria and surrender himself.
What is killing me, said he, is the anguish
which my wife and her family must feel at my
arrest and its alleged cause. lie SAID he had
employed Mr.. kligour 4; his counsel, ana iau
written to his friends in Washington: and
"Teel' had been to see him, and "Wilkenson
would have come, but that he WAS suffering
from an attack Of govt, but that most OF his
friends who had money were out otthc city ut
present.
He enquired when Capt. ID. l.. Smoot: the
Commonwealth Attorney, who, he had been
informed would conduct the prosecution; would
return from Fairfax Court. and asked what was
the amount of the bail usually required of per-
I'd very much depressed. and is certainly. mis-
SCRABBLE man. His preliminary examination be-
tore magistrate will probably be held on
Tuesday. --
DEATH OF 4 PE!yrEs.-It is with regret
that we announce the death Of Mr.. William
Steuau. who for number Of years had sue