Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-18
THE POLICE CouRr.-Colored society

| iona mOGIleI uldy Hay Cnlld alive In
crowded neighborhood, and not be amena-
BILE to the charge of disturbing the peace o
the public, number of colored ladies
were present as witnesses OF spectators. The
prisoners were Mrs. Phoebe Washington,
and Misses Harriet Brown, Patsy Brown,
Hetty Brown, Lizzie Allen, Nellie Digs
and Bette White, the flrst-named lady hav-
ing thrashed her offspring to excess, land the
others becoming involved from hearing its
cries and seeing in the affair too good a
chance for quarrel to be allowed to pass
A young gentleman eight years of age,
| with his pants attached to a little
check jacket by one uncertain button.
was produced by his mother from under a
tall conical fur hat covering his eyes, but
exhibiting signs of alarm at the majesty OF
the law, had to be replaced, and spent the
remainder of the session blindly wandering
about like a walking sugar loaf, and Stun
bling up against the witnesses.
Susan johnson, a very respectable color
ed woman, testified that they all lived in
one house on North Augusta street, a
statement that was received by chorus of
the prisoners, explaining to the magistrate
what rooms they lived in. ''Mine jess at
de top Of de steps," "You turn 'roun on
70 left to git in my room" II got room
dar, but sometimes 1 don't sleep dar.'
After these minute instructions for visi-
tors where to leave their cards, had subsi-
| ded, the witness went on to state that on
| the night set forth in the warrant Phoebe
| tElrashed her child till she thought she
would have killed her, which so dis
turbed the rest Of the witnesses husband,
that he proposed to throw them all out Of
doors, even 1.-THE last one of 'em."
Another witness proved to be perfect
Niobe. She said she ''didn't know nothin'
about de furss," and burst into tears. II
Jess live dar, Ell hearn Phoebe whrupin
de chile, en- | tole her dat musS be stopt."
Another witness--"Didn It you tole
Phoebe you jess come outn dat house in
dis yard. }"
Watness-Yes, I tole her dat, but She
nuvver come. Els de Lords my witness,
she didn't. whether at the failure of
Phoebe to come, or the pious reference
to another witness, the narrator burst into
a flood of tears.j She nuvyer come, Mr..
Cease. en- I nuvver totch de wait of my lit
tie finger on her, (more tears You ken
do what you want with me, but eff its de
lass word I got to say, [ amt totch her.
Here several sobs were heard under the
sugar loaf, showing that the witnesses,
grief WAS having it's effect.}
The tenor Of the evidence was to the
effect that though the woman that beat the
child had started it all, the prisoners had
joined in the row, and Magistrate Cease
said he should fine them 81 each. The an
nouncement brought a number OF astonish-
ed explanations from the prisoners.
1st prisoner-Dar now, | told you all
what dis fursin gwine come to.
I'd prisoner-I declar Mr.. Cease, what's
dat fur-I amt even 'quainted wild desc
ladies. has nothin' to do wild dar quarls.
[ don't put myself dat fur down.
Sd prisoner nuvver seen SIGH doins as
dis befo, Pm sho, land the prisoner looked
at the Magistrate as a person who had bet
ter be looking his law over again and see it
he hadn't made u mistake.
The sugar loaf, in its confusion at the
sentence, walked into the pit of a police
mans stomach, from which he was with
some difficulty removed, and thea wan
dered into the hustle Of the fearful witness,
who dried her eyes to spend a moment d
punching his head. The party then pro-
ceeded down the steps, taking it by turns
to tread on the unfortunate loaf who was
making a blind effort to get down stairs
first.
BURIAL OF FEATHER DoWNEY.-
''Father'' Daniel Downey was buried in
Thornrose Cemetery on Friday morning
last, the pall-bearers being Hon. n. K.
Trout, Mayor, Major Ed. Nc Mahon, John
Kelley, proprietor of the Sweet Springs,
John B. Scherer, ST., Neil O'Brien and j.
J. Foster There was no burial service,
Rev. Father McVerry, of st. Francis
Church, being absent in West Virginia.
Dr.. Downey in his will, which he wrote
himself in 1867 left his real estate, stocks
and the vestments formerly worn by him
in the priesthood to Miss Hannah Low
ther, & young lady about 16 years of age
whom he had taken when she was a small
child and raised with a fathers affection.
He was very anxious about her welfare,
and two OF three days before his death
sent for Mayor Trout, his legal adviser, to
look at his will and see if it was all IN le
GAL form, being convinced he said that one
of his hemorrhages WAS returning and
that he would not survive it. The day be-
fore his death he met Mayor Trout in the
street and in parting injunction to him
said. ''Take care of that girl" In the
will he left 5000 to his brother Patrick
Downev in Ireland, if still living, but the
brother has been dead some time. The
will has been admitted to record in the
Hastings Court, and Messrs. VIM. Il.
German, John Burns, John b. acherer,
and VIM. H. Frenger, appointed commits
sioners to appraise the estate, which will
approximate $4,000.
BALL OF THE MECHANICS CLUB
| The ball given under the auspices OF the
| Mechanics Club, at the American Hotel,
| Thursday night, passed off most creditably
| to those concerned in the management and
| to the satisfaction of all who participated.
| The dancing commenced at 81 O'Clock,
and continued, with an intermission for
supper at midnight, till 3 O'Clock in the
morning. The floor matters were well
conducted by Messrs. 7. J. Crowder and
Daniel Brannan, the Committee. :
FARMERS AND CHANGERS EXCUR-
sIoN.-A Changers excursion to Cncln-
nati Ohio, will leave here on the Chesa-
| ..aa1.o e Qhin Railrnad Sentemler 2Sth