Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-14
DOCTORS ARRESTED.
AcURious CASE THAT NAY LEAD TO
SEVERAL DAMAGE SUITS.
Alleged Assault on n Car PIatform-A "a
tai fall-An Interesting War Relic
Personal and General News.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch,

/ intSAoohhR case bciOfe mayor Cnarlei Il.
Collier this morning, growing out Of the
arrest last night of DR.. J. c. Merriwether
/ and DIR. L. Merriwether. Of Tennessee,
under the following circumstances, as
stated by them:
| STATEMENT OF THE PRISONERS.
/ These two gentlemen who. from the evil
dence before the Mayor, are men Of stand
ing and responsibility in their own State.
/ graduated a short time ago at O medical
college in Memphis, Tenn, and then went
! TO New York city 20 attend post
| graduate course at one of the lead
/ ing medical colleges and hospitals in
that city. They arrived in Norfolk on
! Friday, June 18th, and took the train
/ leaving Norfolk at 10 u. NJ. going west.
They were provided with tickets in pro-
! per form. When the train stopped 10 take
/ on coal at shute mile or two below
! Wakefield, In Sussex county, DR.. j. G.
! Merriwether, the oldest Of the two bro
theirs, went out on the platform Of the car
IN which he had a seat 70 got some fresh
air. While there behaving himself quietly
! and inofensiyely, as he says, lust after the
/ train started the conductor. Captain w. A.
| Farrar, as Or. Merriwether claims. came
TO hlm from behind and roughly took hold
/ OF him and shook him, telling him that he
! must 20 INTO the car. DR.. Merrwether re-
! phed that he would go in in a minute, but
| that he did not like such treatment at the
hands Of the conductor. The latter left,
! but returned quickly. and Selling DR.. j. G.
/ Merriweather from behind told him that
he intended that he should 90 into the car
1 and proceeded TO push him violently. The
! two Prappled and a scuiiie ensued, when
| DIR. L. Merriweather, the younger bro
! Their, came forward from his seat about the
middle Of the car and got between his
/ hrpt bnr and Ga4,4oiu EorraN auH
! this time Dr. j. @. Merriwethcr struck the
| conductor in the face. The brothers al
! lege that then the conductor, still facing
| Or. j. G. Merriwethor, put his hand into
! his hip-pOcket as If to draw a weapon. At
| this point DIR. J. c. Merriwefher told Cap
| tain Farrar that if he came at him like that
! he would cut his (the conductors throat.
! Dr. MerTlwetheT says ho was not armed
| and had only a small pOcket-knlfe in his
! pocket. Quite an excitement followed and
| the conductor said he would have the Mer-
| riwethers arrested as soon as the train
| reached Petersburg.
TIE ARRESTS.
He wired the railroad agent at Peters
| burg, who informed the police, so that
when the train got to this city officers
were present and took the Merriwethers
in charge, and carried them 10 the sta
! tion-house Conductor Farrar was COM
I Z
| and did not have time TO swear out war
rants for the arrest of the brothers, but
| left that TO be done by one of the police
| officers upon information given. The
| warrants thus sworn out charged assault
/ made 10y both brothers on Captain farrar,
! ~ the city Of Petersburg. The. Drs.
| Merriwether had with them sufficient
| money and yaluables 10 make the
| Justice before whom they were brought
| feel safe in releasing them on their Ownre-
| cOgniZance for their appearance before the
| Mayor. Early this morning they sought
| the advice Of W. II. Mckenney, Esq, who
| represented them before the Mayor. The
| Court quashed the warrants on the ground
| that no e1ence had been committed within
| the city, but in the absence OF Captain
! Farrar thought it proper to hold the two
gentlemen until the Captain could have an
| opportunity Of returning this afternoon
and going to Sussex and getting such war
rants as he desired to swear out.
REDRESS AGAINST THE RAILROAD.
Against this course Mr.. Mckinney pro-
| tested but frankly stated that his clients
would do Just what His Honor said, ns
| they would seek redress against the rail
| road company for the wrongs committed.
| The two brothers. after giving their word
| of honor to the Court that they would not
| leave the city until discharged, left with
their counsel TO await further action by the
| railroad company.
1t is probable that several suits for dam
ages Will grow out of these arrests.
The Doctors Merewether were allowed TO
| leave tonight, counsel for the Norfolk and
Western Railroad Company deciding not
to prosecute the charge of assault against
them at the present time, as under the
laws of Virginia a misdemeanOr can be
prosecuted at any time within twelve
months after its committal, and he desired
TO wait and see what steps would be taken
10y the doctors.
THE CoMPANY's SIDE.
The rules of the railroad company are
that no passenger shall remain upon the
platform when the train is in motion, and
the law makes the conductors cOnserNatorS
of tine peace on their trains. Captain Far
rar's statement could not be obtained, but
from those who heard his account of the
affair it is learned that while exercising his
authority to get DR.. Merrlwether from the
platform he did not use any undue force ;
that when he spoke to the Doctor TO 60
into the car the latter replied that be would
go when he got ready; that he was struck
violently in the month, and that his life
was threatened by the two brothers. and
that further trouble was feared from them
unless police authority was called In. The
two passengers occupied seats IN the
emigrant carr
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
Mr.. James Connolly, an old and we'll
known citizen, met with an accident last
night which cost him his life, His resi-
dence. at the corner of st. Matthew and
Melville streets Is q twO-stOry building.
During a delrium resulting from acute
suffering and while the members OF his
family were temporarily absent from his
side. he left his bed and went through the |
r. e Ia, l,ar on tho roof IF fhn |
porch, from which he fell to the ground. |
His absence was discovered almost immedl- |
atelv. and when search was made for him |
ne was found lying upon the ground in |
helpless condition. He died Short while
after being brought back into the house. |
No bones were broken, but internal IN
iuries were sustained, which caused his
death. Deceased was between fifty and |
sixty years Of age, and leaves widow and |
several children.
INVADING THE Temple OF JUSTICE.
John Chavers (colored) has the reputa-
ton of being a notorious thief, and the re- |
cord hero shows that he mas at suhdry |
times been convicted and sentenced for |
petit larcenies. His last offence. COM |
mitted last night, proved an invasion OF |
fine temple of Justice itself. He broke INTO |
the city courthouse and stole several artl- |
cles of value. He is in jail to be tried tor |
felony.
INTERESTING WAR RELIC.
Several days ago a silver badge engraved |
with the legend. u. Burr, Co. +, lst n. .:
V. C." was plOugheG up on the farm OF
MIR. ID. L. Bowden in Prince George coun-
Nv. During the latter part of the war the |
house on this farm was occupied as head
0uarterc by General w. S. Hancock, OF the |
Federal army. The badge is in the pos |
session of Mr.. Robert Gillian, clerk OF the /
courts of this city. who will be glad to re-
turn it TO Mr.. Burr, if living, or to any |
representative of his family.
A wKII-FURNIsHED FISHING PARTY.
A company of gentlemen left town this
afternoon to spend a week in fishing aud |
pic-nicking at Lake DrEmond. The party
consists of Sergeant George W. lanes
Chief. of- Police W. II. Eanes, and Messrs.
charles Marshall, w. A. Herzog,, J. ID.
lanes. and j. w. sanford: They go
about as well equipped with. bait and
a. 4ravk incl ~ Y