Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-30
A BURGLAR SENT ON
AMI GAIL REfUsEo-HE CARRIED OFF
THE oAS-flxTUREs.
A Singular Fact About His Parents-One
White, the Other Colored-An ALI
anee Picnic ut Disputanta.
rcorre.nopdopce of the Richmond Dispssch.l

Correspondents of the Richmond Dispssch.l
prrxnspuRc. Va. August 20. 1890.
In the Mayors Court this morning the
case of the Commonwealth against Will
liam Coles. arrested several days ago for
HOUSEKEEPING and burglary, was called for
examination. The prisoner was ably rep
resented BY Judge r. II. Jones q Son, but
the facts were against him and he was sent
on for trial at the September term OF the
Hastings Court, bail being refused. The
accused was charged with breaking into
an unoccupied dwelling-house on Perry
street owned by Mr.. r. L. Watson and de-
sno,iinp Il of its gas-fxtures and water
pipes. The damage to the property by the
breakape and theft of these articles IL said
| TO have exceeded one hundred dollars. and
vet he sold the metal to junk-dealer for
about $3.50. Mr.. gil Kull, who purchased
the articles, fully identified the negro as
the party who brought them to his store,
and said he made some haif a dozen Visits
with the broken fixtures
CURIOUS DEVELOPMENT.
A curious fact was developed by Detec,
| tive Young, who worked up this case, ana
that was that the father and mother OF the
accused are the opposites In color ana race.
The father is genuine negro ana the
mother rather delicate Anglo-Saxon,
woman who IS said to have been at one
time very well-to-do in worldly goods.
| They are said to have been regularly mar
ried in North Carolina many years ago,
The parents were in court during the trlal
| this morning. and the woman was vlsibly
| affected at seeing her son go to jail.
THIEVES AT WORK.
Mr.. John +. Townes and family have
| been away from home for some days taxing
| their usual summer recreation, ana their
residence, on Sycamore street, has Deen
closed during their absence. A day or two
| ago il was discovered that the house had
| been broken into and much damage done
| to the furniture through wanton and APP
parently malicious DETACHMENT; that the
| wardrobes and bureaus had been opened
and searched. and things left in much con-
| fusion about the house. 1t is not known
| what has been stolen, as no member OF the
| family is here to say what IS missing.
| Neither is their any clue TO the party OF
| parties who were guilty of the outrage.
| Naomi Lodge, No. 80, Knights of Pythias.
| last night paid fraternal visit TO Eureka
Lodge No. GA, and assistedin comforting de-
| grees on candidates for initiation. Inc
occasion was very pleasant one In all re-
| spects
| ALLIANCE PICNIC.
| The Farmers Alliance of Prince George
| county enjoyed delightful picnic yester-
| day at Disputanta. There was very large
assemblage of the farmers their families,
and their friends. Speeches were made by
Major Mann Page, the president OF the
| State Alliance, and others. and the day was
pleasantly and proftably passed.
| AN INTERESTING DOG CASE.
Il
| trial for his life in the Mayors Court this
morning, and he was represented by two
| lawyers-Judge X. II. and William ii.
Jones. The dogs age was given at ten or
| twelve years, his weight at twenty pounds,
| and he was represented to be O great
| fayorite in the family of Mr.. w. n.
| Crowder. to whom he belonged, and with
whom he had lived since the day. of his
| birth. The defendant dog was charged
with being vicious" and with having
bitten youth in two places on
| the leg. Having committed such an
| offence the ordinance of the city
saws sentence Of death must be pro-
| nounced against him by the Mayor, and
makes the High Constable the executioner.
| A number of respectable witnesses testi-
| fed as TO the good character of the dog,
declared they had known him well for
| many years, and had never on any previous
| occasion heard aught against his character
or any intimation as TO his yiclousness."
| The dictionary was consulted as to whether
| any definition to the word vicious" as
| laid down in the ordinance, could be
| found which might tend TO relieve the dog
or give HIM abenefit in the way OF q doubt.
But alas No.
| Judge Jones's argument in behalf of his
| little client was elaborate, at times elo-
quent, and indeed quite touching. lie
| went back to the origin of dogs, traced
| their history from the time when their ilg-
| ures were discovered chiselled upon the
| Egyptian monuments. and when they were
| regarded as things holy and TO be wor-
| shipped. down through the intervening
| ages to the present, when they are univer-
| sally regarded the most intelligent
of animals and the most faithful
| and constant of friends to man. He
| quoted the poets and eminent writers
| to prove his claims to the dogs noble
| character, instanced many deeds of bravery
| be had performed in saving human life,
| told of the vast array of well-authenticated
| evidence of his almost human love and
attachment, and portrayed in feeling terms
| in this particular instance the mutual love
| existing between the family and the de
| PENDANT and the distress the latter's death
| under judicial sentence would cause the
| former.
| THE IDEA H0OTED AT.
| A well-known physician who happened
| to be in the courtroom as a witness In
| another case was called to the stand by the
| Mayor and asked for his professional opin-
| ion on the idea prevalent among the peo-
| ple-that if dog bites person aud should
| afterwards die of hydrophobia the person
would be liable to die of the same disease.
| The doctor said that this idea had beer
| often discussed, but that II was generally
| discarded and hooted at by the profession.
| The Mayor decided that the dog came
| properly within the view OF the ordinance,
| and il was therefore his duty To pass SEN
| tence of death upon him and direct the
High Constable to execute the sentence.
SENTENCE SUSPENDED.
Judge Jones asked to be allowed to take
an appeal and have the matter decided by
| Jury in higher court. To this it was re-
piled that II was a matter of doubt whether
| the case admitted of an appeal. IL was,
however, finally agreed that the sentence OF
death should be suspended for ten days IN
| order that the matter might be properly
looked into.
general NEWS.
Mr.. L. G.. Blankenship has resigned the
| position of superintendent OF the West
Street Methodist Episcopal Sunday school
and Mr.. w. J. Radcliffe has been elected to
fill the vacancy. Mr.. Blankenship goes 70
Weldon TO undertake an important build
ing contract.
State Councillor w. M. Lipscombs, &C.
companied by State-Secretary Thomas b,
Ivey of the Junior Order of Mechanics
left to-day for Norfolk TO visit the local
councils Of the order i'll that vicinity.
The sale of watermelon and otherwlse
doing business On Sunday cost colored
shop-keeper named Gillian $50 i'll the
Mayors Court this morning.
Representatives OF all the Sunday schools
| -, d. 90 nj will of vaa