Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-10-25
The Uindirator.
Friday Morning, Oct. 25, 1872.
local.

A NEST OF THIEVES BROKEN Up--A FENCE"
GUTTED-The readers OF local news have no.
ticed for the last month reports of more rob-
berries in this city than had been perpetrated for
ak months before. These robberies followed so
close to each other and were SO alike in charac-
ter, that Chief of Police Parent to the con-
clusion that they were perpetrated by the same
parties, and laid his plans to discover the tence
where they deposited. Having arrested
colored person in possession of an article of APP
parel which had been stolen, he traced its pos
session and found not only the receptacle of sto-
len goods, but the thieves. They proved to be
Thomas Clayton, mulatto and Isaac Hyde, a
black man, and appeared from the evidence Civ
en- before Mayor Trout, to be adopts in their
business. They were taken before the Mayor
Saturday.
THE SCENE IN COURT
was novel In one corner was miscellaneous
pile of articles, three feet high, belonging to
rious citizens and the result a dozen robberies.
There coats, pants, buckets, razors, brushes,
shirts, ladies' dresses, aud large collection of
those sacred articles of ladies' apparel, the very
sight of which puts single man to confusion.
nesses, of both sexes, and standing together were
the prisoners good looking mulatto and coal
black negro, both we'll dressed and evidently not
thieves from necessity. The evidence showed
that they were accomplished depredators worthy
of metropolitan city. The first case was the
ROBBERY JAS. JOHNSON,
which was one of the cleverest of the lot. Mr..
johnson had been down to the Engine house on
business and returned home about o'clock at
night, and went in without locking the back
door. About o'clock in the morning he awoke
and went down stairs and found the door open.
His suspicious being aroused, he looked around
and found general sweep had been made of the
portable articles, including the coat, vest and
pants he had taken off upon going to bed.
bunch of keys which had been in the pocket of
the pants he found on sthe door steps. Mr..
johnson identified the wearing, apparel found by
the officers at Clay ton S as his own.
A CHARGE ON A WASH TUB.
THE next case was the robbery of the residence
of Mr. R. H Catlett, the raid this time being Oh
a wash tub of clothing, and the thieves in their
hurry having stolen the body of one dress and
left the skirt behind half dozen shirts
also bag 5ed in this raid among other things -
The s'excurson" was made through the open
kitchen window at night, and the principal wit
ness was quick speaking colored girl.
The Mayor to winess-"Did you either of
these parties about the premises at any time ~
Witness-''Oh, yes sir. I intended to tell
that but RENTED Of saying it. Isaac was
thar. have saw him in the day distinct"
JESS COINED AWAY Wild EN-
The officers at this stage Of the proceeding,
qlived into the pile Of goods and came up with
shaving brush, bucket, lot of towels, looking
glass, razor soap and other articles of the toilet
of male civilization, the property of Mr.. &. F.
johnson, who fully identified the les, and
officer Parent stated that they had been found
at Claytou's house.
The Mayor Ito the prisoners )-"Eave either
of you anything TO say to this charge?'
Clayton-"Yes, Boss Desc is de only things
dat had anything to do wild nusver took'em,
hoss-I nuvver did. je's see 'em dar an coined
away wild 'em, OATS all, ooss-I jess come way
wild 'em. acknowledges dat much.''
FATAL BUCKET.
The robbery of Mrs. Lancaster's cellar was
next examined. The cellar had been entered by
the window at night, and among the articles
stolen was bucket which fully identified.
Officer Smith testified that Hyde had confessed
to having gone into Mrs. Lane asters with Clay
ton and Webb and stolen a lot of provisions snd
the fatal bucket.
THEY GO FOR REV. MR. MILLER s spooNs-UNcLAnlED
ARTICLES.
The last case showed that the Hon Ben amin
Butler has rival A lot Of spoons and knives
and forks, which had been robbed from the
Lutheran Female Institute, were exhibited and
identified Besides these articles mark
ed showing that they were the property Of Mr.
Geo NJ. Cochran, Mr.. VIM. j. Nelson, Mr.. David
Shots, Mr.. Arch. Kinney, Mr.. Elias Mahoney
and Mr. Jno. Silor.
THE SENTENCE.
The Mayor after patiently hearing all the evil
dence, and the prisoners having nothing to say
except acknowledgment of their crimes,
fenced each TO undergo % months imprisonment
and to receive 10 lashes on the day they go into
iail and 10 more lashes on the day they come
out and, added his Honor: II want this whip
ping to be public. An example must be made
of these thieves for the benefit of O TIERS"
THE PUBLIC WHIPPING.
Monday morning the convicts were marched
out of Jail to the Courtyar and after dvesting
themselves of their coats and sh rts, embraced
tree in the yard and received their ten lashes.-
An operation viewed with xed feelings by the
eolored spectators who lined the fence The
more respectable colored men who work for a
adving thought it was good thing, but The
groes who expect to steal for a living, and
when caught to be transferred to comforta-
BILE quarters in the Jail psnitentiary, seemed
to think that the Bill of Rights had been in
fringed. A couple of balls and chains have been
ordered, and these two convcts will employ the
next ten months in serving on the Board Of Pub
ilic Works, in cleaning up the streets. The City
should be grateful to Mayor Trout for sentence
that not only Furnishes crime but deters from it.
NUMBERING THE STREETS. The City Council
will at its next meeting have oppor unity to
consider the numbering of the Streets. 1t is an
.nscertained fact and attracts the attention of
every stranger who visits US, that Staunton is
growing faster than any City in the State of
Virginia. This being the case it is above all
things necessary that the systematic arranging
and numbering of the streets and houses should
be attended to at once. This seems to be gener-
ally conceded, and what is Important to US now
is that we should select the best mode. The
right way-the way that will show that we are
III the line of march, and not struggling behind
the column of progress is to have our Main Streets
running 1.-THE way our City is running) from
East to West numbered as Avenues. For in
stance New Court House Street would be LIST