Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-29
Gov. O'Ferrall Did Right.


Though some papers censured and
others ridiculed the action of Gov
O'Ferrall in the expulsion of the Cox
eyites from the soil of Virginia, he did
what it was clearly his duty to do. and
he did it skillfully and effectually, and
relieved the people of Alexandria
county from great dread and Il great
burden. This no one can doubt who
really existed, ana rs they are given
by Gov O'Ferrall in reply to q gen
tleman at the Blue Ridge Springs, who
asked him if he had anything to say
in reply to the structures of the Wash
ington papers for expelling the Coxey-
ties? In reply he said
"The little county of Alexandria,
Va, with less than 800 titheables-426
white, 219 colored-taxable values of
only 81 500, 900, and a population white
and coloreD of only $500, was made
the dumping ground of this horde of
idlers and Migrants, numbering at their
height more than thousand, These
intruders were without money, food,
or means of subsistence. When work
was offered to them they refused it,
but they had no idea of starving.
Squads were sent out daily into the
surrounding country with wagons to
secure supplies, and for weeks the cit
liens of Alexandria county. mostly
farmers, suffering from the failure of
crops and the depression of the times,
were fCI ced to contribute to the sup
port of these vagabonds. The women
were terrorized and compelled, in the
absence of the men, to comply with
the demands made on them for food.
Thieving was common and the quiet
and peace of the citizens for miles
around were disturbed by the midnight
prowlings of these strangers, represent
ing almost every nationality. If any
of the Coxeyites ventured over the riv
er into Washington and were caught
begging they were arrested and put in
the workhouse This made them shy
of the city and their ievies upon Alex
andria county heavier, and the 400 tax
PAYERS of this county were for weeks
virtually compelled to supply food dali
ly for men frequently more than
double their number.
This state of things could not con-
tinue, continued the Governor, Some
thing had to be done. Appeals for re-
Lief came to me from every direction,
including the Sheriff and Board of Su-
pervisors of Alexandria county. There
were only two remedies:
First, the enforcement of the va
grant laws.
Second. the expulsion of these stran-
gers from the State.
The first was impracticable. They
could not be hired out, for no one
would hire men who would have to be
guarded; and. besides, there were too
many of them for the demand. They
could not be put in a workhouse, for
Virginia has no workhouse, and they
could not be putin jail, for the Jail OF
the county would not hold ne-fiftieth
of them, and besides the expense OF
their support in Jail would have i'm.
posed burden upon the county toe
intolerable to be borne. Nothing was
left for me to do but to require them
to leave the State. | gave them more
than twenty-four hours notice to break
camp and depart. They paid no at
tention to it, and then [ ordered the
military to drive them out by the way
they came, which was across the bridge
spanning the Potomac.
| L have SDOh0u vi tlle ltcDlc
of the county of Alexandria, and while
l might say that it was not a generous
act upon the part of the capital city O
the nation, with her more than 200, 00(
population, billions of taxable values
and unlimited resources, with hel
workhous and public Improvement
and police system, to push these hun
dreds of Migrants off upon the little
county of Alexandria.
The good citizens residing opposite
| Washington have been soreiy afflicted
for Il long time. The Virginia bank o
the Potomac, particularly about Jack
son City and Rosslyn, has been thu
rendezvous of gamblers, thieves, an(
cutthroats for years. | do not think &
worse place could be found anywhere
1t is a disgrace to the State, a shame t.
the community, and an incumbus upor
the prosperity of the neighborhood
Civil authority is either put at defiance
and the officials arc powerless,o or thest
officials fail to discharge their duty
and the citizens are content to keel
them in office. l hope, for the fail
name of the State, the law will here
after be enforced by those entrusted
with its enforcement, and if unable tt
suppress lawlessness and bring offend
ers to punishment, they will so declare
in order that there may be resort t.
stronger means"
A SERIOUS CRIME.-Between nine
and ten o'clock last night screams were
heard in the neighborhood of Melville
street, and after an investigation Of
of the same it was found to be a case
of rape. 1t seems that a girl from
Norfolk came to visit the wife oil
David Jones. After supper Jones took
the girl out to visit some neighbors
and in soma of the fields near by at
tempted this heinous crime. He threat
ened to kill her if she screamed OIL
told on him. Officer Chandler, who
lives in that vicinity, made the arrest
Jones styles himself as some sort of Il
preacher. He was placed in Jail for
safe keeping, where he should have a
trial at once, and the full penalty OF
the law given him.-Petersburg Her.
aid, (ColOred).
The criminal and his victim are both