The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-08-06
NOTES HERE AND THERE.

past Several post offices have been
broken open and robbed; stores have
been entered and valuable property
stolen, and now there seems to be q
design upon railroads and human life.
The deliberate attempt TO wreck a pas
senger train of the c. s. 0. railway at
Stanton week ago, it is supposed,
was done by a member or members OF
this gang. The time and place selected
for the outrage indicated that both
the murder and robbery Of the passen-
gers might have been in their pro-
gramme. 1t failed because the wreck
was not success, nor the destruction OF
property and life completed. Following
upon this, and but six days thereafter
was the bold attempt to rob and Kill
passenger on the same train at Basic
City on Saturday morning. There is
mystery about these daring assaults,
that may find solution later
When the train that was entered at
Basic City, reached Staunton at 80 a.
IN of Saturday four or five passengers
got off and proceeded to the Virginia
Hotel. young man, hatless, and with
cooked pistol in his hand, followed
them from the cars for nearly square.
Coming up with them he peered into
each face, stepped across the street, put
the pistol in his pocket, and hurriedly re-
turned to the train. When it reached
Basic City, some one entered the rear
sleeper. threw aside the curtain OF a
berth and seeing in it a lady, he apollo
gized and said he had mistaken his
berth. He proceeded a section further,
threw aside the curtain and demanded
of the aroused passenger his money
This was refused, and the passenger
thinking the intruder was an engineer
he knew from his voice, kicked at him
and told him to go away. This was fol-
lowed by murderous shot in the stom-
ach, which at the time was thought to
be fatal. The assailant passed out, with
out being noticed, or his form or appear
ance measured The rear door of the car
was unlocked, which enabled the des-
perado to pass out before the conductor
who was at the other door, could get to
where the shot had been fired. The
ball entered the stomach of the sleeping
| passenger; he cried out that he had
| been shot, and assistance was summoned
at Basic City, the doctor accompanying
| him to Charlottesville. The wounded
man proved to be Mr.. D. F. Council, of
Portsmouth, Ohio, aged about 55 years,
and well known in Craig and adjacent
counties, where he owns large bodies of
mineral lands.
The action of the man at Staunton in
dicated that he was looking for some one
with murderous intent. 1t is possible
| it was Mr. Cornell, and finding that he
had not left the car, he returned and
continued his journey to the next stop
at Basic City, where he attempted to
| kill the person he was looking for
This is merely conjecture based upon
| the action of the stranger at Staunton
and the manner of the assault at Basic
! City. Several persons particularly no.
ticed the man at Staunton who had act
ed so queerly and was SO much excited
that he left his hat in the train, and
would, possibly, be able to recognize
| him. If this surmise be correct, and Mr..
| Cornell is cognizant of any difficulty
| with any one previous to the shooting,
it is probable a clue might be had to the
| identity of the man. 1t was a daring
attempt>at both robbery and murder.
and it is hoped some trace of the des>
per;ado may yet be found.
! The statement made last week in the
/ VIRGINIAN that Rev. Sam Jones would
return to Staunton on the 10th and res
main until the 22nd of August, to assist
in the local option contest was not cor
rect The information was communi-
Gated to us as a fact, but it seems
Mr.. Jones' preceding engagements are
such as to prevent it, The colored
preacher, Hector, somewhat noted for
the interest he takes in the cause of
/ temperance and the graphic and i'm
pressive way in which he presents his
arguments, will be here, in the hope and
for the purpose of controlling the col
ored vote.
The canvass is warming up. Groups
of men can be seen on the corners con-
sulting and discussing, and then moving
off in different directions to perfect
plans and put in motion influences to be
| felt on election day. 1t cannot at this
writing be determined what the result
will be- Neither side is Boosting, but
both are busy working. A majority of
| the people would favor prohibition II
prohibition would prohibit. 1t is not
believed by many earnest, practical peo-
pie that it will. The danger is that it
will make the last estate infinitely worse
| than the first. Instead of license under
law, and police regulations, to control
the liquor traffic, it would go On in much
| more aggravated form, without license
and in defiance of law. Instead of or
derby houses, operating under the sane
ton of the law and conforming to legal
requirements, the jug business would
| flourish; clandestine traffic would be
carried on IN numberless places; drunk
increased, in proportion to the disregard
of law, that would be provoked. In
place of bar rooms, open to inspection
and nnder the eyes of the law and law
officers, holes in the wall''would predom-
mate, hidden from public scrutiny and
| conducted in secret to evade the crime
of the seller and drinker. Low dives
would exist in every alley and in OBJ
scure iplace. SO .secreted and protected
that not quadruple the police force now
employed would be equal to the task of
arresting or destroying them. Reputable
men would be driven out of the legal
traffic and disrepatable men would sue
coed them in illegal traffic. Business
houses, invited by the laws of the
State to engage in the traffic in legiti-
mate way, would be closed up, and re
moved to other towns and cities now
offering inducements, while demijohns.
jugs and bottles would furnish the mean
est kind of liquor to all who might de-
-. : Il.