The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1872-04-24
EXTRAORDINARY.

town was very suddenly and very Sc
riously disturbed by the results Of
what appeared to bca personal difficult
ty between II. Il. Page, Esq, and
Sheriff j. w. Vance. 1t will be re-
membercd that last week,we mentioned
the arrest of one Thomas Smith, char
ged with the robbery of Mr. Perry, at
Baldwin's hotel, and his several escapes
and recap.ures. We had then heard
that some one besides the guard was
implicated in the escape, but knew too
little Of the matter to say much about
it. 1t has since transpired that Mr.
Page was the man charged with assis-
ting the prisoner, or with tampering
with the guard, to effect his escape.
Judge j. II. Page, prosecuting attor-
ney tor this iuaicial circuit, the father
OF the young man, was at the time
absent from the county attending to
his official duties in another county.
He reached ..ome, we believe on
Wednesday evening, and the next day
his son Voluntarily surrendered him.
self to an officer, one II. O. Pollock,
j. p. On Friday morning he came
into town, demanding trial. Pollock's s
court was opened, and after considera-
bic delay on the part of the court, in
procuring the services of a pros,
ecuting attorney, (the county attor-
ney being ABSENT the trial proceed-
cd ,snot, however, until the attorney
appointed by the court to prosecute
had conversed with the witnesses, an
nounced to the court that the evidence
would not sustain the charge, and
asked leave of the court to enter q
noHe pros The request was denied
by the court, the defendant insisting
upon an investigation. The investiga-
ton then proceeded until just after
the noon recess of the court, about two
o'clock The defendant was examin-
ing the witness with regard to language
used by Sheriff Vance, to the prisoner
whose escape was the subject of con-
troversy, when the war was suddenly
opened between young Page and the
Sheriff, the former firing on the latter
with Derringer pistol at distance of
six or eight feet. Vance left the court
house by the front door aud we,
with many others, by the back door.
Hence we saw but'lttle of the ma,
heuvoring' Desultory firing was kept
up between the parties, and perhaps
one or two recruits, for several minutes,
until about thirteen shots had been
fred -derringers, navies, needle guns
and double barrel shot guns being used.
And all this ,cithovt the shedding of
Mood, though ball holes are to be seen
in the walls of the court house, and
other buildings in the vicinity of the
field. When the field appeared to be
cleared, and the smoke of battle had
died away, Judge Page and bis son
surrendered themselves, to the afore'
mentioned Squire Pollock who placed
them under guard at Baldwin's hotel.
About this time sheriff Vance returned
to the battle ground. ). this time at the
head of a squad of colored men, armed
with the militia guns, and carrying
belts and cartridge boxes. This sim
grlar demonstration, in a town and
community, justly celebrated for its
love of peace and good order, had the
effect to excite the momentary curiosity
of the citizens, which, however, found'
no expression in word or act. We OBJ.
served no demonstrations Of violence
on the part OF the militia, but we
understood that in the early part of
the night all the influence of the lead
ing coloret men OF the town, was
required to prevent mischief which
might not have been easily reparable.
We are glad to state, however, to the
credit of those leading colored men,
that it was prevented. On the next
morning We understood that the hatch,
ct had been buried, and our women
and children were assured that "all
was quiet" on the sueet, and that they
might again venture to the front gate,