The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-06-17
U. S. District Court.


The editor OF the Rockingham Register was
a grand juror in attendance at the recent term
Of the U. S. District Court held at Abingdon,
Va. In an editorial article last week, he gives
an interesting account of what TRANSFERRED du-
ring the term, and the impressions made by
what he observed. He SAYS
Hon. Alex. Rives was holding a session Of
the us. District Court at Abingdon, and we
were member of the Grand Jury empanneled
for the term. We have seen and known but
little Of the U. S. Grand Juries selected in the
Southern States since the war, and we were
apprehensive that they might be made up, in
large measure, of bigoted, blinded partisans Sc
lected by the U. S. authorities simply because
they felt that they had.a legitimate and an ex-
elusive right to ''run the Government" Our
observation and.eNperience, however, with this
term OF the Court, satisfied us OF the fact, that
the present very popular and excellent Marshal
of the district. our townsman, Col. A. $. Gray,
is earnestly seeking to elevate the character OF
his juries by selecting the best men within the
range Of his choice for this service. Hereto
fore, but few men who had actively engaged in
OF sympathized with s'the rebellion as it is
called, were ever thought Of in connection with
these duties. Now, however, the country is
quiet and peaceful, and the best men are desi-
AS1 AVA ~. NJ SohNhAN ~iiNt pCIO JhA hASAAs a
Referring to the criminal cases before the
court, which embraced nineteen persons ar
raigned for Illicit dstiling and counterfeiting,
seventeen of whom were tried and found gull
ty, and two acquitted he says:
The tricks and the trades of the counterfeit
ers were new and curious subjects to us. We
had no conception of their magnitude. There
were on exhibition before the jury hot only
large numbers and great varieties OF counterfeit
and other raised U. S. notes, but a great varie-
ty of bogus and spurious coin, such as cent
niekles, half and whole dollars, imitation gold
dollars made of brass and galvanized, as well
as lots of $3.50 and IS pieces of the same char
acter. The makers of this last description of
base money are members OF a family we'll
known in the mountains of Southwestern Vir-
ginia as being adopts and experts In this bust
ness. 1t seems to have been intended, howev-
er, mainly for home circulation, as it was EN-
phatically a home production, being manufac-
tnred and coined in the mountain recesses and
fastesses, without the assistance of enlarged
and improved machinery, such as the larger
rascals in the larger towns and cities employ
in this profession
The following are the names of the parties
against whom indictments were found, with
the offences charged against them, who had
been tried and found guilty by the court before
the Grand Jury was discharged on Wednesday
evening, after having been in session Tor more
than q week: EfF
Anderson Greenwood, illicit distilline G..
Davidson, Illicit distilling Taylor Tilson, re-
failing liquor without license G. Taylor, re-
failing liquor without license; j. Mirkbride, re-
moving brandy without payment of tax JAS
Talbot, illicit distilling P. Surratt, retailing
liquor without license; H. Bren1nocI, retailing
liquor without license N. Cleayman, retailing
liquor without license w. f. Templeton, re-
failing liquor without licerse Jack Mullins.
counterfeitng Fl. Fl. Ep!lng, counterfeiting
A. Mullins, counterfcitng w. Mullins, cou,l-
terfeltlng Chas. Strous, counterfeting Jas.
Streus, counterfetipg T. Ilson, shooting an
officer while in the discharge of his duty.
None OF these convicted criminals had been
sentenced up to wednesday evening, June I'd,
the Judge reserving this painful duty till the
end OF the term. The trials were very speedy,
following right upon the heels OF Indictment,
and but comparatively small resistance being
made by counsel for defence,in view Of the
conclusive and overwhelming proofs of guilt in
possession OF the government and the ability
and vigor OF the U. S. District Attorneys,
Mess'rs. Capt. w. S. Lurty, of Harrisonburg,
and D. S. Lewis, ESQ.,, son of our honored
coun frymen, Hon. Jno. F. Lewis, late u S.
Sen ator from Virginia.
We had excellent opportunities Of seeing and
Rearing these gentlemen in the discharge of
their duties, and it gives lis pleasure to make
honorable mention of both of them. Mr.. Lew
| is was in the grand jury room during the SEES
sion OF the court, and at its close framed and
carefully prepared his bills of indictments for
| the action of the court the next day. His la.
bors were arduous, and performed with pa
thence, carefulness, and an equanimity of tenn
per that commanded the highest respect OF the
| grand jury with whose members he was in
| consultation. Whilst Mr.. Lewis attended to
the important business of drawing up the bills
of Indictment, Capt. Lurty gave his undivided
attention to the trials OF the accused when pla-
ced before the court. It gave us great pleasure
| to hear and to see and know that the district
attorneys, as we'll as the Marshal, all of whom
are Rockingham men, are winning ''golden
| opinions" with the discriminating people who
attend the U. S. Courts in Southwestern Vr-
ginia.
We need hardly refer to the qnicknegs of
perceptian, impartiallys and fairness of the
Judge of the Court. He has all The attributes
of Il fairminded and honest man, and so inn
presses all who wait upon his Courts. In this
connection, it may not be improper to remark,
| that his honor paid the Grand Jury the compli-
ment when he adjourned them, of saying that
it was one Of the best most patient and diligent
grand juries he had ever seen in any Of his
| Courts.
! In this connection, we take from the Ma
tional Republican, Of the 18th, the following
account of defeated plan to rescue some of
those who had been convicted at this term Of
the Court:
About two months since raid was made by
officers of the secret service, Treasury Depart
ment, upon counterfeiters in Virginia, and
portion of them were arrested, and on trial, s
were convicted, the notorious Jack Mullin
among the number, and all were lodged in Abb
ingdon Jail. Saturday last information was re-
ceived by an officer Of the secret SERVICE and
by Col. Gray, marshal OF the district, that a
gang of twenty men were nearly ready to make
a raid on the jail for the purpose Of releasing
these prisoners. This business is not altogeth-
er unusual in Virginia for instance, in Lee
county, about q month ago, nine distillers, held
for violation of the revenue laws, were released
from jail by their friends. An investigation
was set on foot which resulted in the discovery
that squads of two, three and five men were
chartered round in the woods, with their hor-
ses, and apparently waiting for others to join
them. 4 i,
1t could not be doubted Sunday afternoon
that they were ready to attempt the execution
Of their plans. Col. Gray, acting in concert
with the Mayor Of Abingdon and the officer of
the secret service referred to, raised % men az
med with double-barrel shot-guns, and swear
ing them in as special deputies, they marched
to the Jail and took possession Of it. About
o'clock Sunday afternoon, three men were seen
crossing an adjoining field under the protection
of trees, and nine special deputies were sent