The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-06
irll,l,ollI patlh.
J .,,,1, |. 3. !. NovEMBER 1sie.
4 Dsssclinr DiIsIa1aa.
wuo rAHEs THE HEADS 2 IND 9WHU THE
sssrpEs,, IN scr PA POINT THAT SHOULD

~uo r.xrs rHr aHs sps y AND VINO rHE
sssrpEs,, IN i ser PA POINT: THAT SHOULD
pE Settled AT ONCE,
i 4 sr,rn the vssginia City tNcvads1 CbrontcseI Il
80 charles Ciarkson was tried yesterday after.
,,nnn for assaultlng William Mitchell on
FRIDAY evening last. The parties reside M n
this city, but the trouble took place az 9 Dai,
riren on American Flat. Mitchell testlDea
B fhas he went down to American Fiat s1last
Nr,day evening to attend ball given ior the
henetif Of q r,oor widow As a rule, ne dlu
NOT Gaze much for social dances, but ne Went
70 this one Ia assist the widow. Whfe 3
onsar,l,e sat was forming on the moor ne
nos,ced that Claykson, who had taken Q
r,os;tion or, the side, went across and
rch;snared 10 couple opposite him.
ia overheard enough to know that
conspiracy was forming between the TWO
aide couples TO dance the hrst hgure-a ng-
,,re always danced in well.regutated oaii,
rooms by the head couples. He determined
TO assert his rights, and as soon as tne Mus,o
struck up and the order was given 70
aier'ard aud bach" he broEe lot Loe cs On.
IRE OF the floor. all oil the dancers .in t n's
ae, did the same, and the result was .nat
.Ssre was n violent quadrilateral COLLISION.
<gsrkson suddenly bauled of and bic the
Sy;,ness in the eye. The fight then became
,,eneral. and for the next ten minutes lnat
san,a,,s society event known as :" LannIgan's
ToI,,, yvasn,t circumstance to tile scene OF
:. commission there enacted. During the row
/ SFi,chell received black eye and sWeilea
nose from Ciarkson's energetic nst.
S,Iarkson next took the stand, and sWore
rim, he and bis girl were at the end OF tne
set. and were not q side couple at all. ne
had been at ball or so in us time, anu
lncyy something OF the rules OF dancing.
4 eeording to the rules the two head-cou-
MICS always danced as the cracks OF the moo.
ran. He bad started to dance as deslshatga
nv the cracks, and knew he was rlgnt' me-
admitted that he had blacked the complain
ants eve, but he made principle az a oan IL
TO hold bis own against all corners: ne
s would allow no man on earth 10 lnaulge III
any funny business " at bis expense.
Thomas jenkins, man VINO nao iui-
nished the music for the dance, was put on
rhe stand. He said it was usual to dance
,eurthwise OF the cracks, unless the nall
MAS larger the other way. -, !,
witness; II the cracks run leng thWlse OF
-he hall the head couple dance along tne
cracks, and II the hall is large, across 'em.
The Court: Suppose you have square
I room, carpeted, and no cracks IN sight,
what do you do in that case?
The witness: You dance toward the mu.
The Court: Where was the music on this
occasion?
The witness: In the corner.
The Court: II the cracks ran across the
hall. and the ball was larger the other way,
and the music was in the corner, how could
YOU expect people to dance straight?
The witness was completely dumbfound-
ed by this joint consolidated question. he
made no reply, but stared helplessly about
the room. He was finally dismissed. Seve-
raj other witnesses testified as to now tue
cracks in the floor ran. Some were OF the
opinion that there were no cracks IN the
floor at all; at least they didn't notice any.
One witness was asked, "Did you notice
anv cracks?" and answered promptly:
Il got crack on the bead with stove
: Doker, and it ran north and south, as near
as I can recollect."
This reply caused some merrimeDt, but
the constable was fully equal to the oeea'
sion.
John Il. Briggs, who was at the ball, told
bis experience in this way:
"When the row opened up sashayed
over to the centre Of the room and got q
lift under the ear, and let out my LETT at
the man who hit me-" ....
+ Justice Moses jocosely): sort OF alley
man left movement, eh?
: The witness: Yes, your Honor. Then
got kicked in the stomach, and the women
screamed. and the lights went out. got
some fellows head in chancery, and ham
mered away at it Us long as could hold it.
: The District Attorney: Didn't you know
who 1t WASP
The witness Haven't any idea. was
Just trying to hold my chances level with
the crowd. .rr..~. =,
: The case then went to the Jury, who re-
turned verdict OF not guilty.