Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-17
THE NORTHERN NECK.
Another Of the Johnson HurderePs Goes
10 the Penitentary.
MANY SENATORIAL CANDIDATES.
Mr.. Washington Declines Re-Eiec-
tion-several Citizens Severely
Frostbitten-A Msii-Carrier Dis
nblcd-Dredsing Crews Fare Badly.
Correspondence of the Dispatch.)

VA, February l6-Tnc court faS at last
disposed of the case Of Sam Moore, one
OF the two negroes who beat and robbed
Mr.. Oscar Johnson, OF this county, one
year ago, and who has had several trials
and "continuances." The notorious cu-
prit must serve ten years In the peni-
tentiary. where he ought to have been
and would have been many months ago
but for the hard fight made for him
by his faithful counsel. IL will be re-
membered that Charles Bellheld. Moore's
accompllce, was sent 10 the penitentiary
some time last year 10 serve a term OF
eighteen years and that Moore was
taken TO the Fredericksburg jail for safe
keeping while his case was pending in
the courts. No verdict rendered by a
King George jury In recent years was
ever more generally approved by public
opinion than that sentencing Sam Moore
TO the penitentiary.
The announcement that Colonel Robert
]. Washington. OF Westmoreland. vii,
not be n candidate for reelection TO th1
State Senate from the Thirty-siXth Dl"-
trct. has caused some surprise and no
little regret among Senator Washington's
many friends and political followers all
over the district. Already nearly every
county in the district has an asprant,
and IL s thought that therc Will be u
number Of candidates for the senatorial
nomination, and certainly the district
can boast OF many available men for
tie place. Northumberland. Richmond,
or Lancaster ought 70, and no doubt.
will. furnish the man this time. II Mr.
Washington will not accept the ncmina-
tion. for owing to the large Republican
vote In the district q King George or
Westmoreland man, however able, could
hardly pull through
Owing 10 the severe weather the re-
mains OF Lieutenapt william F. King,
who died here on Thursday OF last week.
were not inferred until Monday evening
of this week.
FROST T-BrTTEN.
The oft-quoted and "knowing" oldest
inhabitant" declnres that this is the
worst spell OF weather since 1886. In
many places the public roads are com
! pletely blockaded. and impossible with
vehicles. At some points the immense
snow-drifts have been partially removed
! by shoyels and hoes IN order 20 reach a
steam grist-mill on horseback, AS re-
ported last week. the water-power mills
| have not been able to turn n wheel for
/ two weeks. A colored preacher and sew
eral white citizens Of the county have
been so severely fr0s;-bitten that they
| will probably lose their ears and toes.
! Last Friday. for the first time the
United States mail-carrier could not re-
! turn 20 Fredericksburg with the mail
pouches. and had b. lay OVER here til
Saturday On account of the snow drifts
I all along the route. one OF the men who
: carry the mails on this route was 80
! near frozen when he reached this place
/ on Thursday OF last week that he had
| to be taken TO his home, aDd another
/ man had 10 take charge Of the mail
matter and convey It 10 Fredericksburg
that night through the terrific storm.
The steamer Harry Randall, OF Wash
ington. ID. c.. IS ice-bound at Colonial
| Beach In Wss,morclani county, an1
fears are entertained that 1t will be
seriously damaged by floating ice when
! a thaw begins. Many dredging vessels
I were caught out by the sudden freeze.
| and u Is thought that their crews are
: farlng mighty common. for IL is feared
/ t'iat their food and fuel are altea'iy ex-
hausted. and some OF them cannot be
! reached on account OF air-hoieS In the
ice between them and the shore
Several commercial travellers are
showed under here and cannot get
through the drifts with their teams and
| baggage.
Miss Lula Pratt. daughter OF DR. r.
II. Pratt. Of Warsaw. is tho guest OF
her uncle, Mr.. Alexander Pratt. this
| county.
Mrs. ellison NJ. Henderson died near
this place on Sunday last. 4 husband
and five small children survive he-.
GAME SUFFERING.
| Partridges and rabbits are dying Of cold
| and starvation this week. Kind-hearted
farmers are spreading out wheat. etc, in
rff flf~nl
and wlli-turkeys. Horses. cattle. sheep,
| hogs. and poultry. though well cared for
have suffered great deal, and a number
| of farm-animals have been frostbtten
| and considerably injured. notwiths,and-
| ing the good attention given them by
| our most proyldent farmers.
| Some of the country stores have run
| ont OF goods. and. navigation being sus-
| pended and the highways impossible with
| wagons. the merchants are unable to
| replenish their stocks.
| OUR OLD MAN.
| The people are so curious 10 know who
| the Dispatch idle Reporter Is that he
| would DO we'll TO come over this way
| and spend a week In ''protractedmeet-
| ing" watermelon. frledchiclSen. and
fresh-fsh season, along about August
when everybody has holidays and loves
| to have visitors from the city" our
| ipihS HOuitl biNt Abat H'pA4di saNiibc sh%h
great. big ovation and lavish upon him
| 80 many kindnesses and attentions that
| he never would want TO go back to Rich
| mond.
| The country doctors. whose work ex-
tends over large territory, have had a
| hard time for two weeks past, while the
| mercury has BEEN hanging around zero
| and the roads blockaded by snow-drifts.
| King Georges death-rate for 1894 was
| II thay. thoA af sk1ata. rrnkF.
| during the past decade. and up to this
time there have been fewer cases OF sick
| ness this winter than during any prey-
| Gus winter since 1855. This record explOdes
the long-cherlshed theory that ''sickly
year. follows an open, mild winter, when
1t is recalled that last winter was un-
usually open. dry. and warm
| News has Just reached this place to the
| effect that the government lighthouse On
| the Potomac, off Shamrock. this county.
has been abandoned by its keepers Food
and fuel were well-nigh exhausted. all
means OF communication cut OFF by ice.
and the possibility OF the house being
swept away by floating ice when a thaw
| begins made the situation anything but
envious. and the keepers. foreseeing no
bright outlook, and unwilling TO run fur
ther risks. packed their wearing-apparel
in satchels and started for land, walking
| on tne lce-one 10 tne Maryland ana one
to the Virginia shore, where. IL Is said.
they arrived an hour or so later.
UNUSUAL INTEREST.
The Stafford County Court officials have
been. hard at work this week preparing
for the February term. which VIII con-
yene on Wednesday next. and which
promises to be a session OF unusual public
interest. The docket contains a number OF
Commonweaiths cases of Importance,
among them the cases OF Searcey and
Morganfield. the alleged Aquia-creelS
trsin-robbers. and also that OF young
Hunt, charged with the murder OF Mr..
Peter Schooler. A grand jury, two venires.
and some forty or fifty witnesses have
been summoned, and TO do this work
brave Sheriff Kennedy had to beat his way
through many huge snow-driit and
face some severe blizzards. which swept
over the Stafford hills day after day,
with the mercury lowering around zero
Sheriff Rogers, OF this county, started
bright and early last Wednesday morning
to take Sam. Moore TO the penitentlary
by private conveyance 10 Fredericksburg,
, but had to succumb TO the bitter cold
and intolerablc roads. and postpone the
| trip till Thursday. The prisoner was
thlnly clad and having been confined
.'behind the bars almost year. was 10th
TO face the bowling "northwester' twen-
| tvtwo miles to the Fredericksburg