Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-21

Feeling Stirred Up-VtOIatiOns OF Loo
enI Option--IiurDed 10 Death.

RALEIGH, n. c., March 20.-There is
considerable excitement at Durham
growing out of the arrest of number of
ex-hGuor dealers on the charge of viO-
lating the local-optiOn laws last week.
A New York detective came there and
soon got evidence against number of
them. Arrests followed and the de-
PENDANTS were to-day required to give
heavy bonds for their appearance at
court. They will make desperate fight
in the case and have employed able
counsel. L is the first time detective
was ever employed there for such pur-
pose and the people are stirred up,
while great feeling is aroused between
Prohibitionists and ti-ProbibitiOnists.
Near Rutherfordton the house of Mrs.
Lawson Davis was burned. The bodies
of Mrs. Davis and her sister were found
in the ashes. Her sister was weak-mind-
ed. In the same county Eliza Freeman
was also burned while burning brush in
new ground
At Wilmington to-day S. B. Dudley
and 7. +. Aldrich were tried on the
charge Of publishing libel upOnJudgeO.
?. Meares of the New Hanover Superior
Court, in their paper, the JVeekiy Bit
letin. Their editorial charged that Judge
Meares grossly Disseminated between
white aud colored people in court, and
was very abusive in its tone. Both
editors are represented by able counsel
The Board of Directors OF the Peni-
Tertiary will hold an important meeting
tomorrow, at which the whole matter Of
the assignment of convicts will be fully
discussed. The penitentiary funds are
very scant and convicts have TO be hired
out to relieve the necessary expenses in
maintaining them. Some are granted
free to public works. Tomorrow it will
be decided how many can thus be as
signed. No doubt the number will be
considerably reduced.
A number OF people leave tomorrow
to be present on North Carolina's day at
the Sub.tropical Exposition at jackson
vile, Fla.
The secretary of the Republican State
Executive Committee is having an easy
time Just now. That party is doing no
special work in his line. 1t is doing
what one of its papers calls missionary
work-sending out strikers this way and
that
The secretary Of the Democratic State
Executive Committee, on the contrary,
has set himself down to real work. and
under the careful supervision OF Chair !
man r. II. Battle, is sending out instruc
tons, plan of organization, &C., to each
county. He informs me that the Demo
Gratis are stirred up. The chairmen Of
county committees are on their mettle,
and whenever one cannot fill his posi-
ton properly he resigns and gives Mr..
Battle an opportunity TO put in worker.
All this looks like business and means |
business.
The news Of the development OF the !
Chatham coal deposits is interesting and |
important. 1t is great field for effort,
for really very little, comparatively
speaking, has yet been done. One of
the coal shafts was Just after the war
sunk to depth OF about 800 feet. The |
coal gives good promise of quality. The
iron which is in close proximity is Of
high grade. The corporators are |
James A. Hennessy and A. II. Leftwich,
of Baltimore, and W. E. Anderson, of
The Oxford people are making elabo-
rate preparations for their railway cele-
brstion April 18th. They will have
several companies OF North Carolina
troops there and expect some companies
from Virginia. There is special desire
that the latter shall attend.
Elaborate preparations for the me-
celebration and the unwilling
OF the Confederate monument at Wash
ington, N. O., May 10th, are in progress.
General William CASTOR Lewis will be
chief marshal. Governor Scales and all
the State officers have been invited to be
present. Hon. ID. q. Fowle viii deliver
the address
Arrangements will probably be made
the middle OF April ior the speedy COM !