Middletown transcript., 1872-08-03
Local and State Affairs.


On Sunday sight last, between the hours Of
u and /, the dwelling house of NJ. Waller ]. |
0riha,h, In Kent county, Maryland, oae mile |
from Sassafras, was set on DIRE. So far had the |
flames progressed before Il Was discovered, the
inmairs Of the dwelling, consisting of Mr.. Crit
Ath his wife, An aunt and cousin, had scarcely
time TO escape, doing so In their night-clothes.
The house, which was n thrcc-story frame, hand
somcly furnished was entirely consumed, to-
gc,her with iis conieuis, nothing hut = few pa
pers belonging to Mr.. Gfifiih being saved from
ihe fiery element. A mcat-house, standing near,
was also destroyed, and the total loss 10 csiims-
ted al s., 900, upon which, We understand. there
was insurance og 81, 900.
The FIRE was evidently the work Of an inceudi.
AIRY, and suspicion fell upon john Jones, a negro
man, with whom Mr.. Griffith had n difficulty
some DAYS previous. Jones was living In .
house belonging TO Mr.. Griffith, and. after the
difficulty had heen ordered 10 move, which he did
on Saturday, the day before the FIRE. Jones hsd
made threats against Mr.. Grifith, which cast
suspicion upon him. Accordingly, on Monday
morning, Jones, who had moved To Warwick
was arrested hy lanes Merritt, who was depu-
,ixcd by Esquire Bell in the absence Of n consta-
bic, TO make the arrcsi. George simpson, n
steJ-son OF Jones, who lived with Mr.. Griffith,
hut who was then in Sassafras. was sent for NJ
witness, as wns also John Handy, negro who
lived with Amos W. Lynch, Esq. near this town.
Of arson. During the trial Simpson testified that
he was prescni during the FIRE, and saw him car
~ corn-blades from tho barn. put them under
the house In four places and set fire 10 them
that no would have informed Mr.. Griffith Of II,
but that Jones. who had . gun, ihrcafcscd to
shoot him should he do so. Jones, II Is said had
the Cnn to shoot Mr.. Griffith when he came out,
but the flames were burning so brightly before
he came out, Jones had left through fear OF being
discovered ny persons who might he athneted
ih,hcr by the fire. The testimony OF Handy was
favorable TO ioncs. and testified TO hcing with
him all night, This was probably fact, hut Il
was strange tha, he should know all ahont the
fire so early in the morning: for, when he went
out to Mr. Lynchs 10 work, early IN the morn
ing, he related all the incidents Of tho Grc. How
ever, Jones MS the felon, and Handy and Simpson
Ms witnesses, were committed to Elk,on Jail to
| await trial
| Shortly after sunset. Mr.. Merritt, with his
| prisoners hand-cufcd and tied. started for Elk
| ton, but when within half mile Of Pivo, Bridge
abou, 81 o'clock ho was acrosicd hy gang of
men who issued from the woods. While one
seized his horse, others dragged him from The
wagon aud secured the negroes. Mr.. Merritt did
his utnos, TO protect himself and prisoners, firing
six shots n, the ku-klax. lIo does not know
| whether he struck any or not and as soon rs
possible go, away and drove 10 Elkion. whore he
arrived n little after 10 o'clock. No one but
those engaged knows the res, Of the tale, but
next morning Mr.. Merritt and Richard Thomas,
Esq sheriff of Ccci! county. praccedcd TO the
scene of the affair Of the night previous, and a.
bout fifty yards In the woods discovered Jones
| hung to IA tree, life extinct. lie had no marks OF
violence on his person, and was suspended hy a
rope around ihc neck his feet few inches from
the ground The sheriff had his body buried in
| the woods near the scene of his death.
The perpetrators OF the deed, II Is supposed
were hlacked, as black fngcr-marks were OBJ
served on the clothes of Jones, and Mr.. merritt,
also had some on his pants where he WAS seized
when he was dragged from the wagon.
We do not favor lynch law, for there Is pun
ishmcnt prescribed by iaw for all offences. In
| somc cases, however, the punishment is not sc-
go enough and l,nching il the only way by
which o,..andcrs can get their just deserts. II
seemed very cei,. that Jones was guilty OF The
crime of which lie was ei,- -rcd, aud the punish.
men, for ii il Maryland we bellies, lea term o.
years in the pcnitcniiary. This punishment IS
no, sufficient for case Of this kind, for 1t was
no, Jones fault tina, the four nmaies OF the house
were not burned To death. As II was. they had
scarcely time TO escape, Janos not only burned
them out. but attempted murder, and a term Of
years In the rcnitcnilary would not have been
severe enough punishment. Besides, hc hnd a
chance Of escaping any punishment at NIL, in n
trial. lior tlrrc are many men nj large whose
jus, dues would he death on the gallowsl hui
he has now probably, gotten his jus, deserts
and the affair Mill prove warning io other evil
dorrs and secure the tho safety ai life and proper
~ In that community.
II is no, known what became Of Handy and
Simpson. The pants.legs OF Handy aud hi
poeket-hook were found by the sheriff near tn,
den'h-spoi of joues, which would seem TO udi
cate that he had q struggle TO get away.
MspSsiiesn Nomination Election.
On Saturday afternoon last, the Republican,
Of Wilmington held nomination election for
candidate for Mayor. The Gd.ais says
From the honr Of opening the polls, the ccc
ton was vigorously contested by tho variou
candidates, although II walk around the dirrcn
polls towards evening, was sufficient TO shoy
that Doueher,y was 10 be the lucky man. III
friends were numerous and worked like beavers
probably with visions of blue uniform and
silver star dancing btfarc their c,es. as n con
stant incentive 10 action. The friends Of the 9th
{ cr candidates we're equally rs active, but the
, were too greatly in the minority 10 compete sn,
cessfully with the pougherly clan. IN the Tent
Ward. the exei,emen, ran unusually high, and
{ pitched battle was the consequence, durin
, which the Republican inspector sprang from ts
window and pounced upon the policeman VIII
was irving 10 separate the comhaiants. In III
Seventh Ward shortly after the opcaing Of III
q polls, cry was raised by the Hayes and Viz
r cen, men, who claimed tina, the inspectors ha
!. stuffed the boxes with poughsr,y tickets. The
c was DONE and sure enough several hundred III
? kcis were discovered. The Hayes and vinccr
n men yelled with triumph at tae exposure Of III
. supposed attempt Of the poIsher,y clique
carry the Ward by fraud, but tho cxcilcnrl
G subsidized upon the alleged discovery that Il
4 surplus tickets wrre those which had been vote,
n AT the nomination election for Sheriff and Co
oner, and never heen removed.
: In the Third Ward, however, the charge
D fraud was raised. and with more effect than
n the Seventh. Shortly after the polls opene,
several parties proposed that tho ballot scS sepu
be examined, In order 10 ascertain ifevcrythin
was correct. This the Inspectors at first rcfnss
i to do, but the demand Of the outside parties b
: coming clamorous, the bex was op< ned and
N bundle Of Doughcriy tickets discovered lying {
" the bottom. The opposition was furious Ht III
% discovery, and for a short time the cxcitcme,
i ran high. Bat nine votes had been cast whs
+. the box was opened-1 for Dougher,y, aud 2 &
+. vinceat-but The count disclosed la5 Doughcr
= tickets. IA explaaniion wns demanded BY Il
y opponents Of Dougherty, which revealed the ~
4 that NJ. B. r. vandcvcr, who had brought d
n ballot.box to the polls had plsrrd q bundle
: Dougherty tickets, which he had procured 4
l