Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-08

.be stormy days of 1861 has not existed
:; ~; Alexandria as has prevailed during
The mast twenty-four hours, occasioned
The t"' order of Governor O'Ferrall call
:, ont the Alexandria Light Infantry
t @T the purpose ofpreventing bloodshed
amino The trial of the negroS White
"n5 Robinson, charged with criminal
@..9uI, upon two white women at
Manassas. During the greater part OF
,...,er,lav but little else occupied the
;niads of many, especially during the
-9na Duartcrmaster Sergeant Beckham
VS. Going through the city
"o,ifving the members to report at
1rnory Hall at halfpast seven O'Clock
i,.rniGht. Numbers of the soldier boys
had PRESSING engagements-some with
,b. llir sex,--in the shape of theatre
n,rties SC, but the memorable hat
from the gubernatorial chair had to be
lived aoleas coienS, and, reluctantly
;,,.1auv cases, engagements, purposes
and inclinations had to be foregone, and
'aLiiering in form different from 22d of
rshruary parades practiced. Numbers,
however. seemed animated by the e1
lament. and rather longed for an OPP
,,orrrnity to display martial proves,
and lopr before half-past seven O'Clock
enc, s%cb we're at the srmory buckling On
,Feir accoutrem ents OF war and ready
for the command to fall in and march.
+ was the impression o. some that the
prisoners would be placed IN the MD
night train and taken to the telncc
William Jail at any rate, the orders 20
the company were to sleep on their
arms during the night and be ready 10
leave at a moments warning. Like
rattrap. once in the redezvous 1t was
ippossihle TO get out. Two soldiers
with fixed bayonets and two wart
Dolicemen stood at the door to prevent
any exit. The hours wore on put no
simmons came and the midnlghV
strokes of the town clock left the scene
unchanged. Ii WAS then apparent tha'
no movement would be made until TINS
morning. At dawn the company, "2
strong. were ready for marching orders
which were not long coming ANA aitel
parrakine OF refreshing breakfast, iur-
ujshed by lir !. NJ Hill, 4 member OF
The company, the soldiers, IN charge OF
Ca9tain lIushbach and Lieutenant
BRYAN. formed and wended their way &c
the city mil. Upon reaching that insti-
tuition White and Robinson. handcuiied
and with chain running from
one to the other, were shacllled on TO
sheriff J p. Leachman, of Prince Viii
liam. aud with City Sergeant smith on
the other side of the prisoners the
0uaternion were placed in front OF the
Light Infantry and all We're soon on
their way to the Midland depot. Quite
a crowd followed and grew into respect
able proportions before the depot was
reached. The scene was thrilling
Nearly thirty-three years ago similar
scene was enacted at the same spot,
only earlier in the morning, by the pro
genitors of some who now form the
Light Infantry and Curious coincl-
dence) Manassas Junction, too, was
their objective point. During the few
minutes wait for the train to arrive
crem Washington there were some in
aerosting scenes, few doubtless rs pa
thetic as those enacted in the same de-
pot a third ola century ago, and the
friends of the soldier boys bid some OF
them adieu with no little apprehension,
as it had been reported by an incoming
frain that one hundred and sixty men,
each with blood in his eye, had been
brought to Prince Williams capital this
morning by the down train OH the Ma
nassas read. and some had limited that
the trip might not prove the excursion
the more sanguine had prognostlcated.
The southbound Midland train finally
rolled into the depot, the prisoner was
HUSTLED aboard, followed by the Light
Inta ntry, and few minutes later the
cry. ',:all aboard, sent those from the
cars who had no intention of going on
the trip, aud the train glided out of the
depot amid the adieus and cheers OF
those left behind. AS the chime
whistle of the engine died away behind
the southwestern hills the crowd at the
depot melted away to await with pa
tience news of the company's reception
ut Manassas and with the hope that
that locality was not destined to again
drink in the blood of human beings
amid The clash of arms, by repetitit d
EFF .he Roanoke incident. AS had been
antiGpated, however, by the majority
of people. the Light Infantry and the
prisoners arrived at Manassas without
any incident worth mentioning. Iney
found number Of persons assembled
in the town, bat with no hostile de-
,nonstrations, though tho feeling
against the accused is decidedly bitter
but sll, seemingly, were lsw-ab ding
citizeha disposed to allow the matter to
cake its LEGAL course. White and Rob
lnson were escorted to the lookup by
the Light infantry and later they were
brought into court. After q jury had
been empanneled the trial of Robinson
was proceeded with in regular order
Mrs. Hehin and Mrs. Elliott were put
on thc stand and both testified that tsle
Two eolcred men came to their house
and depanded admission, which being
refused. they threatened to use force
and were finally admitted. Both women
further testified that when the sollclta-
lions of the negroes were refused they
threatened to shoot thetr victims II
they were repulsed. When the two
yaeI started to leave the house they
offered the women money. The test
snony &c the prosecutriXes occasloned,
as NAV be supposed, considerable eX'
s.speration an the court room.
recess having been declared, upor
reassembling of the court witnesses io'
the defence were put on the stand
The defense was in substance faat oh'
families of the two women anf tn9s'
vi the accused were intimate, an" tlu