Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-21
VIRGINIA NEWS.


three thousand people, Gov. Smith ad-
dressed the crowd in three hours speech,
which was listened to with the closest attention
There was a good deal of enthusiasm. A bar
hecue was also held at Salem, on Saturday
last, Twenty-Five hundred people turned out
and participated in the affair. Speeches were
made by Senator Johnston, Licut-Gov. Marye,
and others.
Considerable excitement has prevailed at
Bristol for two days past, in consequence OF the
appearauce of case of smallpox in the town.
A gentleman who had just returned from the
East, was taken with fever, several days ago,
which soon resulted 10 what Is said to be well
DEVELOPED case of smallpox. A number OF
citizens have left the place, aud much anxiety
prevails.
The suit for alleged malicious prosecution
and defamation of character brought i'll tie
United States Circuit Court sitting in Rich
mond by Harvey Terry against William Ira
Smith, was concluded on FRIDAY, the jury re-
turning verdict of $500 and costs. The
amount claimed was $4,000, in addition to
counsel fees.
An accident that came near proving fatal
occurred at the Market House in Leesburg to
VIM j. Hammerly, youngest son OF the town
butcher, on Thursday morning While In the
act of cutting meat for customer the kUte
slipped, the blade striking near the groin, in
hicting very severe though not dangerous
wound
Mr. Robert Beatte, very Intelligent Scotch
man, who came to Virginia from, Pennsylvania
about year ago. and settled in Manchester,
has invested about $4,000 in cash in property
in that place aud vicinity, and is looking out
for more lands and other property, which he dc
sres to purchase for settlers OF the same sort.
The Virginia Annual Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South will hold
its session for the present year i'll the city of
Petersburg, commencing on "Wednesday the
Goth day of November. This body is COM
posed of about 100 ministers and ~ lay mem.
bcrS.
At the last term Of the County Court Of Lou
doun county public road was ordered to be
opened to the Luudoun Marble Quarrlcs, and
| the court, in accordance with the acts of $50
II, ordered all public roads to be thirty feet
wide, aud that road beds shall be eighteen icct
wide.
The members of the Ladies' Memorial AS
ISOLATION of Harrisonburg propose having an
entertainment and Fair, on the 10th of De-
cember, for the purpose of securing funds to
| build a suitable monument III the Soldiers
Cemetery of that place.
Mrs. Ann Davidson, who died recently in
| Harrisonburg, after few private requests, has
left $4,000 to the Presbyterian church of that
place, s., 900 to the MassanDutten church, and
the residue Of her estate to the Union Thcolog-
ical Seminary 10 Prince Edward county.
+. w. Scott, esq, of Caroline county, died
on last Thursday, in the scvcnty-third year Of
lis age lie had occupied the highest honor
in the legal profession, and was member OF
the Constitutional Convention OF 1850 d.
Mr.. George Il. NJ. Walton, of Hanover couu-
tv, has donated one thousand dollars to Ran
doph Macon College, to create and endow what
| shall be called the Walton Greek Library.
The vote on the subscription to the narrow
guage railroad in Harrisonburg, heretofore
noticed, was 223 for the subscription and 10
against it.
There has been another "crack in Church
Hill, Richmond, occasloned it is thought, by
the blasting going on there IN making the rail-
road tunnel.
The Lynchburg News says "A colored
girl about l6 years Of age, yesterday gave birth
to child on the sidewalk at the lower end OF
Main street"
Seven car loads ofcattle and two of horses
we're shipped from Lynchburg over the Orange
railroad Oh Friday to the Northern markets.
SHAFFNER, THE PoIsoNER. II From the Ilar-
risburg PA. Patriot.-Ihe trial of ShaItucr
the polsouer has been brought to most re-
markable conclusion. On the 18th Of March
last, Shaffner was convicted in the Court OF
Oyer and Terminer, of Dauphin county, Of the
murder Of his wife by poison. During the trial
strong causes of suspicion were developed that
he had also murdered his first wife, as we'll as
John SharIack, the husband Of his paramour.
The case was taken to the Supreme Court, and
new trial was granted on the grounds that the
evidence as to the poisoning OF John Sharlack
had been improperly admitted, and that the
court erred in instructng the jury that they
had not the power to determine the degree OF
guilt Yesterday afternoon Shatfner was brought
into court, and, on his arragnmcnt, pleaded
guilty of the murder in the second degree OF
bis wives, Sarah Settler and Nancy Good, and
John Sharlack WhereupOn the court sen
fenced him to solitary confinement 10 the pen
itentiary for thrty-six years, or twelve years in
each case, the highest penalty which the law
authorizes Take it all in all, this is the most
remarkable case in the annals OF the criminal
jurisprudence Of Pennsylvania, whether the
atrocious guilt of the criminal, or the legal
grounds on which it was determined, be con-
sidered. For it's proper understanding, it will
be necessary to refer to the penal laws Of Penn,
sylvania The eighty second section of the re-
vised penal code declares that all murder "by
means of poison, shall be decmed murder 10
the first degree" The same section further
provides that if the person accused shall ''be
convicted by confession, the court shall pro-
coed, by examination of witnesses to deter
mine the degree of guilt, and to give sentence
accordingly" Awaiting himself OF Il novel and
curious construction OF this section of the law,
the prisoner made his confession and received
his sentence. With three MORTAL selfconfessed
murders on his head, he comes into court with
his lying plea of murder in the second degree
and for each crime is sentenced to imprlson-
ment for twelve years. Future courts, in
,,oro Jopiont cpirit NAV i'm nose rho minimum