Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-01-03
VIRGINIA NEWS.
The house of Lee Ashton, of Middle
burg, was burned on Friday.

The house of Lee Ashton, of Middle
burg, was burned on Friday.
Col. Thomas S. Jones, a prominent
farmer of Pittsylvania county, was
found dead in bed yesterday.
There are three new cases of small
pox on the Pamunky Indian reserva-
ton in King William county.
Miss Lncy Tabb, daughter of Col.
Thomas Tabb, was married yesterday
to Mr.. Robert Irvine Mason, of Frank
fort, KY, at Hampton.
Two youths, George Weightman and
Ruben Johnson, broke through the ice
while skating on the James river near
Lynchburg yesterday and were drown
ed.
Rev. D. E. Johnson. of Port Royal,
Caroline county. and Miss Ida ST.
Clair Small, of Richmond, were mar
ried last night at the residence of the
brides parents.
After long fight Col. VIM. Male
was last night elected superintendent
of the Culpeper water works by the
Council of that town, Mayor White
casting the deciding vote.
Col. Beverly W. Wrenn has been ap-
pointed passenger traffic manager of the
Plant rystem of railways and steam
ships at Atlanta, Col. Wrenn is a
native of Culpeper county.
Tuesday morning when w. NJ. Chew,
Well-knoWn citizen of Waynesboro' i,
arose to dress himself he discovered that
his wife was dead. She died by the
side of her husband some time during
the night.
Mr.. H. NJ. McVeigb, son of the late
Hiram and Mary McVeigh, died at
Jonesboro, Ark, on Sunday, Decem-
Der 3Otb, 1894. Mr.. McVeigh was a
native OF Loudoun, though his pa
rents emigrated from that county
good many years ago.
Yesterday T. w. Bamie, jr., demo,
GRAFT entry clerk and cashier at the
custom house in Norfolk, was promot-
ed to deputy collector of that port at
salary OF 81 600 per year, vice Mr.: W.
T. Webb, republican, removed, and MIR.
Walter H. Dey was appointed entry
clerk and cashier at salary of 81, 300
per year.
Governor O'Ferrall yesterday ap-
pointed Mr.. A. r. Hanckel judge of the
Corporation Court of Norfolk to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the refusal of
Judge-elect Wilcox to qualify. The
prohibition party were anxious for the
appointment of John B. jenkins, re-
form democrat. The appointment Of
Henckel has given the greatest salts
faction to the best element of Norfolk.
WELL ARMED, He DRANK DEATH
With loaded revolver held in one hand
and bottle of laudanum in the other,
while flask of whisky. stood upon the
counter at his side, Bernard Peiffer,
aged G5 years, drank death potion of
laudanum at II o'clock yesterday morn
ing. Thus armed, he threatened to
blow out the brains of any member OF
his family who attempted to interfere
with his suicidal act.
The tragic scene was enacted at the
little grocery and candy shop of the
desperate mans wife, on Thompson
street, Philadelphia. While his family
watched him from back room Peffer
timulated his courage for the deed by
several drinks of the whisky.
Then, deliberately raising the bottle
of laudanum to his lips, he drained it Of
its contents.
A policeman of the Twenty-ninth dis
trict was notified and the patrol wagon
took Peifler to the Presbyterian Hos
Oital, unconscious. There he died two
hours after his admittance.
Peifer's record is decidedly unsav
DRY one. About Is years ago, while he
lived at Forty-seventh street and Girard
avenue, he was charged with splitting
open the head of neighbor with an
axe, for which the victim fingered in the
hospital for several months. 1t is also
stated that Peiffer and bis wife had nu-
merous quarrels, owing to his bad hab-
it's. 1t was alleged, about u years ago,
that he outrageously assaulted his deal
and dumb stepdaughter, and that she
subsequently became mother.
In order to conceal his crime IN the
latter instance, he compelled his wife,
she says, to represent that The child was
her own. Although the wife was in
delicate health, he compelled her to
support him in idleness. About three
months ago another child was born to
bis deaf and dumb daughter, who is now
% years of age. AS Peiffer's wifi
threatened to expose his second crime,
he left home, but visited the house oc
casionally to coax his wife to shield
him, as she did on the first occasion,
which she refused to do. 1t was after
Il heated discussion upon the subject
yesterday that Peiffer committed sui
eide in such a melodramatic manner.
He WANTS MGR. SAToLLI REMOVED.
Frederick T. Taylor, member of the