Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-17
THE EASTERN SHORE.
JOHN WISE TELLS SOMETHING OF IT'S
HISTORY TOA SOCIETY.
Peace steps Into the Wrong Box
Republican Straits.
Icorrospondoncc o, tho Richmond Di.patchl

OEaScocE, August IS. 1880.
The summer meeting Of the Eastern
Shore Historical Society Of Virginia was
held Inst Monday at Eastyille. the county
seat OF Northampton. Officers were elect
ed FOR the ensuing year and large num-
Der Of new members admitted. MIR. John
S. Wise delivered a very interesting aud
instructive address on the early history of
the Eastern Shore. lie showed from the
carly records that the Eastern Shore was
| settled as early as 1915. when there was
ct least one fiourshing plantation in
| the lower part OF Northampton known ~
Dalo's GIFT near Cape Charles. Mr..
| Wise showed further that the Eastern
Shore was not originally settled. as some
historians have stated. by race OF long
shOremen and fishermen, but by the
/ best English families He spoke OF
the great historical value Of the old
court records Of Accomao aud North
amptOn counties, which extend as
far baok aslG32, and urged upon the society
The necessity of having them copied ana
preserved III legiJle and durable form. IL
il thought that sir. William Waldorf Astor
will have these old records copied and
printed for the famous Aston library IN
Now York. The next meeting of the So
c ETY. will be held ut Accomac Courthouse
on the last Monday in November, when
Dir. Wise and others viii deliver addresses
or read papers.
AZ INTERESTING CASE
liAs been on trial during the week in
Northampton County Court. Some months
ego the stUro-hOuse Of George II. Read ~
Co.,. 90 Reads wharf in the northern part
of Northampton county, was destroyed by
fire. -Four negroes who were suspected OF
setting fire TO the house were tired, but rs
the evidence against them was not Conclu-
siyo they were acquitted. Sidney White, a
justice Of the peace who resldesnear Read.
wharf. md who mas long been on unfriendly
terms with Read, hearing the rumOr that
Read had set fire 90 his own store. and that
he had boxes Of goods concealed IA bis ice
house, induced one of the negroes VINO had
been tried Tor burning the house TO sue ont
o scarch-wGrrant 10 have Reads premises
searched. The search was made while
Read was in Baltimore purchasing new
stock of goods. and when be returned
home and learned the facts IN tire
case he had salt instituted IN the
name of the Commonwealth against Justice
White for male easanco IN Office, and ut tho
same time filed a bill OF information against
him with q view to bringing suit for
damages. White j. very eccentric and
excltable man. and whom he learned that
legal proceedings had been instituted
against him. ana that Hon. John Nicely, OF
Norfolk, had been engaged TO conduct the
prosecution. he was frightened almost
out of his wits. After consulting with
several Lasten-ShOTe lawyers he con-
cluded TO employ Judge James j..
Heath, OF Norfolk. Tho trial began
last Monday and lasted several days. Large
crowds were IN attendance all the time,
and some Of tho evidence was very
amusing. White was very nervous during
the trial and seemed TO think If the case
went against him he would be ruined.
one night during the trial be walked his
counsel up at 3 o'clock IN the morn
ing and insisted on talking about ms
case. After argument tine case of male
feasance IN office was submitted - the
jury, who returned a verdict Of not guilty.
A a02e pr0SegiU was entered in the other
cases against White and he went home re-
ioiclng that he had escaped tho terrible
fate which he at ono time feared. u u
said, however, that he will soon lay down
his magisterial Office, az he has had enough
Of law to last him for some time to come.
BROWNE ~ A BAD WAY.
The Eastern Shore Republicans are said
to be in any other than q happy frame OF
mind at present, especially in Mort hamp-
ton county. where the party Is badly split
up INTO contcuding factions. In conse-
quence Of this state of affairs nearly all the
Federal Offices in that county are stu
held by Democrats who were appoint
ed under President Cleveland. ms
has greatly annoyed Congressman Browne,
who has been ANXIOUS 70 heal Inc dlssen-
sions. but has been afraid to make appoint
ments there lest he should offend the oppo-
posite faction. The Office of collector OF
customs at Cape Charles is the most i'm
portant and lucrative appointment on the
Eastern Shore. az the collector there has
the appointment of two deputies
one at Onaucock and tho other at
Chincoteague. The factions In North
ampton for long time prevented
Congressman Browne from filling these
offices with his friends. He has finally re-
commended Dir. John Gofligon for the
Cane Charles cOlloctOrship, but az MIR.
Gofiigon holds the position OF keeper OF
the Smiths Island lighthouse, which Is
non-uOhtical Office and pays nearly as
much as the cOllectorship, II Is thought no
Will not accept the tender.
/ am reliably informed that many or the
leading white Republicans in NOrthamp-
ton will not support Blr. Browne under
any circumstances il he IS renOmlnated
for Congress. They say his action IN
lodging the vote on the force bill has for
feited all claims for support that he had
upon them. Among those who have de-
clared their determination not TO support
Mr.. Browne are Dr. John j. Wise, DR.. Sc
vern Z. nottingham, Mr.T. G. Eliot, Mr.. q.
Toy. and probably Judge w. L. fitchett,
all of them hitherto the most prominent
and influential Republicans on the Eastern
Shore of Virginia. From all that can learn
Brownies fences arc in very deplorable
condition, and # the Democrats will make
a wise nomination at TGppahannock next
week the district will surely DO redeemed.
kALLIAs.