Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-11
COXEYITES MUST GO.
The Military Ordered to More on
Camp RosSlyn.
THE GOVERNORS ULTlMArUM.
Two Richmond Companies Go to the Scene
IN Company with the Alesandri"
Light Infantry.

It IS probable that before this reaches
the eyes OF the readers Of the Dispatch
the last OF the army Of Coxeyites who
have been encamped at Rosslyn, In Alex
andria county will have been driven OUT
| OF the State by the military.
The Rosslyn tramps and vagrants nave
not only been a source of great annoy
ancc to the people of the neighborhod'
but have caused Governor OFerral anu
the authorities Of Alexandria county
great deal OF worry.
The Governor received numerous
! letters from citizens OF the county
urging him 10 take some action
| TO rid them of the pests I"e
vagrants have been making habit OIL
| begging, individually and in gangs. anu
| their begging has amounted In many IN
stances TO menace, thus frightening
women and children and keeping the
| entire vicinagc of their encampmeht
| stirred up.
PROCEEDS CAUTIOUSLY.
The Governor proceeded, however, very
| cautiously in the matter From time 10
| time he sent Captain Mushbach, Cf the
Alexandria Light Infantry. Police Ser
geant Alex Tomlnson, of this city, and
Attorney General Scott to the scene with
instructions to investigate the situation
thoroughly. From all OF these he re-
celyed full reports.
Meanwhile letters continued to pour In
upon him complaining Of the tramps, and
| IfAs tVNrr
| If vigorous measures were delayed much
| longer the squatters would eat UP the
substance of the people of the little
| county, probably breed disease, and posi-
bly, resort to force to supply their wants
| 1t was impossible to put into operation
the vagrant law for the reason that he
mere feeding Of such u host would bank
| Iupt the county
! The Governor had been in constant
| correspondence with the Attorney-Generai
| and the Alexandria county AUTHORITIES
| and when he was last here gave the mat
| ter "A great deal Of thought. Finally ne
| determined to give the trespassers
certain time in which to leave the state
| and If they did not comply with the order
! to eject them.
A PROCLAMATION.
on Wednesday last Mr.. Evan X. Ches'
terman. Governor O Ferralrs private sec
retary, arrived in the city from the Blue
| Ridge Springs with a proclamation by
| the Governor with orders to have the seal
! of the Commonwealth and the signature ol
the Secretary Of The Commonwealth at
tached. The body Of the proclamation
! reads
! Whereas. a thousand or more men from
J without this Commonwealth. calling them
! l.. 49,. e.xsss.l lars N.
| der command of men styling themselves
/ generals, have been encamped FOR heVefai
! weeks on the Potomac river In the
| county Of Alexandria, Commonwealth oil
/ Virginia:
| And. whereas. they perform no labor.
follow no trade. occupation, or business,
! and have no visible means OF subsistence
! and are daily sent out into the counties
! OF Alexandria and Fairfax by their com
I manders in squads TO b-g aims, ana re-
| fuse to work when the same Is offered 10
/ them for the usual and common wages
| given to other laborers In the like worn
| in the same counties;
| And whereas violations OF the law IN
the vicinity OF their encampment have
been frequent since they established them
! selves therein. and grave suspicious resi-
7 upon them as the guilty parties;
| And, whereas, many complaints nave
been made that they disturb the quiet
/ of the citizens of said counties by their
constant begging. trespassng, midnight
prowlings and use of profane and in
/ decent language;
And, Whereas being without means OF
! support, they will necessarily soon be
! driven by the demands or hunger 10
secure food by theft, force, threSa, OF
menace from the citizens of said coun-
| ties;
| And. whereas said citizens are entitled
| to protection from the violence, disturb
ance, or annoyance Of these strangers
/ from other States:
And, whereas. ii il impracticable by rea-
/ son Of the great numbers Of said so-called
/ Industrials or Commonwealers. TO enforce
/ the Vagrancy laws of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, and the civil authorities ol
said counties are powerless TO give tht
citizens thereof the protection 10 whcf
they are entitled. and the said authorities
have appealed to the Executive of the
Commonwealth of Virginia for aid;
THE ASSEMBLY ILLEGAL.
| And. whereas, I'm the opinion OF the
! Executive. the said assembly Is Withou,
warrant and Illegal, and can be productive
of no good. and has already resulted II
harm to the citizens of said counties. and
| will continue to work annoyance, wrong
and injury as long as said assembly /:
permitted which annoyance. wrong. and
| injury will increase as the demands ol
hunger increase, and become more ur'
! gent
! And, whereas, In the opinion of the
| Executive the encampment Of this large
| body of men without camp equipage
| wholesome and sufficient food. and proper
( sanitary conditions. must soon become 2
I iretding-ground of disease. and thereby
| affect the health OF the entire community
Now therefore. |. Charles T. OFerrall
Governor OF the Commonwealth or Nir
| ginia, by virtue OF authority vested II
me. do hereby require all Of the saic
people known as Industrials or Common
! Wealtrs, now encamped within the saio
county of Alexandria, to disband and dis
perse and depart from the said Common
/ wealth of Virginia at or before u o'clock
on Friday the 10th day Of August, 1891
and | do forbid them from assembling
again within the said Commonwealth.
GENERAL ANDERSON'S ORDERS.
Mr.. Chesterman was also charged witt
a verbal message to Adjutant-General An
derson. directing him To take the nool
train Wednesday, proceed at once TO IN
camp of the Commonwealers, and rea'
the proclamation TO them.
on the day that Mr. Chesterman reache
Richmond the morning papers announce
that some of the Commonwealers wer
already breaking camp, and that It wa
their purpose to leave Virginia as 500
as possible. As this appeared TO chang
the aspect of the situation. the Governo
was telegraphed to- and asked If he sti
| desired his proclamation TO hold good
| He replied that he did. and stated tina
not merely some. but all Of the stranger
must leave Virginia by the time name
in his proclamation.
1t was decided not TO make public issu
of the proclamation, as II was deeme
important that the intentions of the stat
authorities should be kept as quiet a
possible. but as ordered, General AndeI
son left at the time specified. and tina
he carried out his instructions is show
by the following special to the Dispatch:
ALEXANDRIA. VA, August 10.-Adjr
tant-General j. c. Anderson, with Lieu
tenant Monroe and Sergeant Marbury @
the Alexandria Light Infantry. havin
visited the Commonweal camp At koslyI
near the AQueduct bridge In Alexandri
countv and read to them the proclama