Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-29
Letter from Philadelphia.

has Just closed and the city has been filled with
Friends from all parts Of the country This Is
| q season of great religious interest to the
Friends, and reunion which they highly rev
erepce and delight in, but for a fuller cxplana-
ton must refer you to the Cyclopedias. 1t
comes soon after Easter each year, and as If the
highly excited state of the moral atmosphere
affects the material medium Of Philadelphia, it
is said to be invariably characterized by bad
weather, which "Old Probabilitics" has been
melting out TO us here with mercilcss hand.
The subjects which seem to excite sensation
al Phiadelphians most are woman's rights and
the American Centennial Exhibition OF 1876.
| As the latter only CAP interest your readers, l.
will state that those Of a sangulne and enthus'-
astic temperament contemplate such time
here on the anniversary of American lndepcn-
dence, July 4, 1876, cas- has not been seen since
Noah shood." For this purpose 80 acres Of Fair
mont Park have been siakcd off by the generous
and patriotic city, centennial Saloons" have
already been opened, Centennial Entertain
mcnts' aud benefits, with an unusually large
rate Of admission, are all the rage; and you
will see that your Philadelphia exchanges dis
play on their figure head American lndepcn-
dence, l776, Centennial 1876" think 1t the
duty Of every American citizen to keep the
public posted on what is going to happen here
in 1876 lest the great event pass unnoted; and
it may lie more Interesting 10 write about 1t III
advance. 1t may also be we'll to announce the
fact that there Isl State Constitutional Con
ycntion engaged in the arduous task Of forming
u new Constitution for this great Common
wealth of railroad, coal and oil interests. AS 1t
is COMPOSED of 1873 members, III great part
jealous young lawyers, ycarnlng to carve out
whole sections and articles for the new Constr
tuition, the result, if ever accomplished, will be
a collection of statutes as long as the five books
of Moses rather than State Constitution; and
as to the end Of this cumbrous work the young
est member of the Convention can hardly hopo
to live to see it; while to prove that IL is solely
a labor of love they have undertaken to form
the new instrument at 81 900 per head, and
$50 for stationery, Did our own Constitutional
Convention Of 1867 win go much glory at SO low
price?
As to amusemeuts, Philadelphia is behind no
ctp on this side Of the pond save New York.
Charlotte Cushman has been drawing immense
crowds to the Academy by reading the second
act of Romeo and Juliet Janauschek is play
ing Hermionc in Winters Tale, and VIC have
opera boutfe in grand style ard good varieties
almost without number.
will let the natives boast of the size Of the
city of PHILADELPHIA 1t includes the whole Of
Philadel phia county, and along the Delaware
| from League Island (wherc the new navy yard
is being bult) to some point south OF German
town. to which the corporation limits extend, the
distance is % miles Fourth street presents an
unbroken straight line of six miles Of stores and
shops of various kinds which, it is said no other
city in the world presents. Of course the city
abounds in fine stores churches, halls, resi-
dences, etc., some of which | may treat Of par
ticularly in subsequent letter. Adlos. i.
! H1GuwAY ROBBERY. Ono Of the bodeSt
| highway robbcries ever pcrpctratcd IN this sec
ton of the State is alleged to have been COM
mittcd Friday night, at Warwick's Bridge, in
Prince George county, by which Mr.. y. ID.
Tatum, collector Of Icnlplcton township, was
forcibly deprived of twelve hundred dollars OF
the public money that was in his Keeping
The facts, as we have obtained them from
personal interview with Mr. Tatuu, were about
as follows: On Friday Mr. Tatum came to the
city to attend to business, and while here drew
| out of the First National Bank the sum of
$500, and out of the Citizens Bank the sum Of
$3.50 81, which, together with some money be
| had Just collected for taxes, amounted to some
twelve hundred dollars in State and county
money in the hands of Mr. Tatum. Having
finished his business, Mr.. IT,, according to his
own statement-the version which we arc now
irving without comment-lett the city on
horseback at t o'clock p. ID. About nightfall
Mr. Tatum stopped for supper and to have his
horse fed at the house Of Mr.. +. Il. Wills,
about ten or twelve miles from the city, and
having been accommodated there, he left about
o'clock. Not far from Mr. Willis residence
is Warwick bridge, and just as Mr.. Tatum APP
preached it, he was shot at by some one beside
the road. The shot missed the collector, who
at once halted in his agitation or surprise,
when two men approached him, and one held
the horse while the other pulled the collector
down, and between them they robbed him Of
the twelve hundred dollars of public money on
bis person, and gold watch that was in his
pocket Mr. Tatum says he could not tell in
the dark whether the men were white or black,
and moreover that he was so much alarmed by
| nor resist. Mr. Tatum's horse galloped off,
aud he was left in very dsagreeable situation
by the foot-pads, having lost his hat and been
thoroughly cleaned out with great expedition.
Mr.. Tatuln narrates that he proceeded to the
house of citizen in the neighborhood, and
sounded the alarm. They returned together to
the spot, and there Mr. T. found his hat and
also his watch in pool of water. From the
tracks on the ground it seemed that the rob-
bers had established themselves on a log by
the side of the road, and quietly waited for
Mr.. L. to appear After this brief search Mr..
Tatum went to Disputanta and informed the
people of the loss he had met with. No clue,
however, has been obtained to the robbers,
who made off safely and swiftly with their swag.
Mr.. Tatum's horse arrived at his home at II
O. clock Friday night, two hours after the rob-
berry was committed. -IetcrsJmrg Appeal.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINA-A letter in the
Portsmouth Enterprise from the University Of
Virginia says: