Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-06-18
From the Baltimore Sun Of the 18TH
FEpEaAL We. STATE Law.

right of suffrage at the polls at the
recent municipal election in that city
The accused were cited to appear be
fore United States Commissioner NJ F.
Peasants, at Richmond, on Friday
AZ the time and place appointed the
accused, with their counsel and friends,
| were ready to proceed to e1amina-
| ton.
The accused were represented by the
following abie counsel: Judge Robert
Ould, Judge J. A Meredith, John
Lyon, Walker & Hundley, George D.
Wise, A. NJ Kelley, r. q Pegram, J.
w. Neeson, Charles S. Stringfeliow
D. A. Hinton. The warents for the
arrest of the judges alleged that they
''by unlawful means did prevent and
hinder from voting certain named
citizens Of the United States, and other
wise qualified to vote" The first case
called was that of Joseph O. r. Nc
Clevy, judge of election in the fourth
ward. The witnesses were principally
colored men. The manner in which
they delivered their testimony showed
they had been under the tutelage of
interested parties before they took the
witness stand. Their main testimony
was very shallow. On cross-examina
ton they very materially weakened the
case, and every one present anticipated
i tho acouittal of tho arcrca1
The commissioner, in bis decision,
said he had no doubt it would be
very wise thing to announce his deciss
ion without giving his reasons for so
doing, for in nine cases out of ten
where an honest man means to do
right he will do it, bit iii the same
number OF cases where he attempts to
give his reasons ne will give the wrong
! ones. Much that was clearly irrelevant
had been said in the case, and of course
he could not allow it to influence his
mind. 1t was his duty to ascertain if
statute of Congress had been violated.
and he thought in cases before the
! commissioner that the rule which pre-
vailed in courts was reversed and that
the party accused must prove his limo
cence. He believed that he could
produce some Virginia decisions tend
ing to show that some such rule had
been laid down in cases of justices.
[Several lawyers: Oh, no. At any
rate it was not required for him to have
the same sort OF proof that would be
demanded before jury. He didn't
care who Instituted the prosecution,
and he didn't care about the vileness of
the prosecutors, as something of the
same sort might be said of the other
side; He had carefully examined the
testimony and thought that the votes
of two men were thrown out wrong
fully, and he would therefore send the
accused on for Indictment at the Octo
Der term OF the United States grand
jury, and hold item to bail in the sum
of 81, 500 each
Mr. Stringfellow, in behalf Of the
| eight or nine others accused, waived
examination, and they were likewise
sent on
During the pen'lancy Of the case the
Virginia Congressman took action in
the matter, as stated in The Sun on
Saturday.
Hon. Mr.. Harris, of Virginia, Sat
urday called at the executive mansion
to see the President in regard to the
application which had been made for
troops to be sent to Petersburg. and for
the purpose Of protesting, in the name
of the people, against military interfer>
ence in that State, and TO assure him
that as good order prevailed IN Peters
burg as in any other city Of the Union.
The President being absent from
Washington, Mr.. Harris went to the
Department OF Justice, where he was
furnished with a copy of a telegram
from the Attorney General to United
States marshal Ramsdell, at Petersburg.
which reads as follows: "You are in
stfucted to take the necessary steps to
protect the property Of the United
States from injury and the officers of
the government in Petersburg from
any violent demonstrations against
them i'll the performance of their Off
cial duties, and to that end, if YOU
think proper, you may summon a
posse Of the citizens to aid you; but If
these men are found inadequate for Che
purpose, you will be furnished, upon a
call made by you upon me, with troops
from Fortress Monroe. 1t is desira
Die not to use troops if possible" There
is no likelihood Of troops being sent
to Petersburg, however; as the civil
authorities are believed to be able to
keep the Eeace without any such aid
The Richmond Enquirer in com
menting upon the case before the Unit
ed States commissioner, says: 'As we
anticipated, the pressure was too heavy
upon Commissioner Peasants, and he
was compelled to shlrk or evade the
responsibility of dismissirg the silly
and contemplate accusation brought
by the remnant of the Petersburg car
pet bag ring against the judges OF cleo
ton in that city. lie had his orders
and could not disobey them, OF else he
was afraid of the influence of these
fellows with the government which he SO
faithfully serves, and to which he looks
for preferment in the future. There
was not a particle of evidence to show
any wrong intention on the part of
these judges, and the district attorney
even admitted this, and appeared per-
fectly willing to wash his hands of the
whole matter and have the prosecution
dismissed If any wrong bad been
committed it was through error of
judgement on the part Oft the defendants,
| and not from any intention to infict
injury upon the parties lconnlainiun