Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-12-17
PROCEEDINGS TRAVEST
Correspondence of the Alexandria GAZETTE

Correspondence of the Alexandria GAZETTE.
SHILOH, Va, Dec. ii, 1SS'.-Until the
Inauguration Of Malone rule III Virginia no
other State had enjoyed Il higher reputa-
ton for the ability and purity of her judi
f.ciary, and 10 all the disastrous evils which
have been wrought under that rule, no
change has been more radical in its nature
or more ruinous in its tendency than that
which has marked the proceedings Of some
of her courts.
A so.called trial which occurred in our
County Court last week serves to illustrate
this fact 1t was a sort Of forensic farce in
which climax in judicial comedy Was
reached.
Some of your readers will remember a
disgracetul affair which occurred at our last
May court, the particulars of which were
published in the GAZETTE at the time; how
big, black, burly negro, with just enough
| whiSliey in him 10 nerve his arm and en-
able him to draw the color line boldly and
sharply, approached two unotlending white
mer-strangers from the county of Acco-
mac, and without warning knocked one Of
them down; how he followed up his success
and attempted, but failed, to fell the second
| ono how his black comrades rallied to his
| support and dctied the officers of the law
who attempted to secure his arrest, and how
| thew afterwards, with noisy and riot0us
demonstrations bore him in triumph through
| the streets and seated him underline shadow
of the court house, while the Judge was
upon the bench how a justice Of the peace.
| in pursuance Of his sworn duty, had follow
ed up the riotous crowd and, in second
attempt to secure his arrest, was seized by
this guilty negro and would have been
knocked down but for a timely dodge from
IA furious blow aimed at his head, and the
friendly interference of a white citizen; how
! the rioters boldly confronted the same Off
| Ger aud declared that their friend should
not be arrested how the negro, after long
delay, was finally persuaded by the deputy
sheriff to go into the court room and take n
seat within tie bar and near the Judge
| how he sat there for some time in Il cCsy
arm chair with the appearance and air more
of a successful knight from some recent
| tourney than guilty prisoner in the hands
of the law, and how, while thus seated,
stripped to the waist, and under the very
nose Of the Judge, he was approached by
one Of his more Jealous admirers and cx
|
supported; and how, after being allowed time
to cool the fevered brow of his politics,
which consisted chiefly Of a desire to knock
down white men, he was quietly and ten
derby led away to Jail.
This negro, indicted al our June term for
the assault upon the Justice was put upon
his trial last Thursday before Judge F. c.
5. Hunter, J. L. Mason, esq, States Attor-
ney. appearing for the Commonwealth and
Major Julian J. Mason for the defence. At
the request of counsel and under the order
Of Judge Hunter, solid biack jury was EN-
panelcd, composed in part, if not entirely,
| Of the very negroes who aided and Allotted
| the accused in the preparation of the of
| fence for which they were now to try him.
One of them, il is known. openly resisted
the officer ut the time of the riot, and yet
the counsel for the defence, at the opening
Of bis argument INDUCED i'll Lhe most full
some tlattery to the jury, declaring 10 them
that he believed they were as Competent 10
give this case II fair and impartial trial as
Queen Victoria or President Arthur or the
Emperor of Germany. The evidence was
positive and conclusive as to the Negroes
guilt, and the false plea Of drunkenness,
suggested by the Commonwealth Attorney
in his opening statement, and taken up and
urged upon the ignorant jury by the de-
fendant's counsel, was the only refuge OF
defence. Two minutes Imprisonment was
suggested on one side, and positive acqut.
tai stoutly claimed on the other, and be-
tween these two extremes we expected the
"impartial' jury to strike the happy medium
of one minute But they undertook to de.
eide for themselves, and in the exercise of
their enlightened Judgment found verdict
in ha ioi E,r b,.
full term of sixty minutes. And thus end
ed the farce. 1t might have been pro-
longed through another act, and some sur
prise was expressed that counsel for the
accused did not move for a new trial
or ask that the verdict be set aside upon the
ground of excessive punishment. We have
no doubt such motion would have been
granted by the Court. Why not? Your
readers will see how nicely the case was fixed
up, and how the law was mildly tempered
to this innocent lamb of the coalition-a
guilty negro, who had knocked down an
unoffending white man, and backed by
riotous mob of his own race, in defiance Of
all law, had assaulted an attempted to strike
down an officer, who sought his arrest. All
this is the legitimate result Of the blight Of
Mahoneism from which this county has suf-
fered as much perhaps as any in the State |
But the open and emphatic expression of
honest indignation which comes now from
the good people of King George, provoked
by this outrage upon law, this travesty upon
Justice. gives token Of better day coming.
Such reckless disregard of the rules of pro-
ceedngs, and the regulations which have
heretofore governed and guarded the dig
nifty and sancity of Virginia courts, are but
the spasmodic death throes of Mahoneism,
which mark its speedy and complete disso-
luton. B.
At meeting of the Central Labor Union in
New York last nighta resolution was passed re-
commencing all ygorkingmcn TO "boYcot.. the TIL