Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-02
JUSTICE TO LUNnsDrRG.
The Dcrn Cnsc-t Review OF hHe-
cal Proceedings.
REHOBoTH, VA. July p no


REHOBOTH, VA. July - lS'''
/ To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
In regard TO Mr.. Dern. the herman
who says he left Lunenburg, as 1T
thought his life was in danger here'
wish 10 say that he Is one or sh'ai'
colony Of Germans ;sho have come u
the county within the past eight months
and he hasn't been "a hard-workinS
farmer and resident OF the county TOT
several years" as reported In RichniohH'
From the best Information ] can GET
Dern has had several difficulties WIN
some OF his fellow-colonists. one oil 'heH
wished 10 marry his niece. who has some
money. and II was about this niece that
he and two or three Of the young men
near by had a difficulty These young
men were arrested and tried Tor assau''
and battery before a justice az Lunth-
burg Courthouse. ] was present az tne
trial. and | didn't think the magistrate
accorded justice to Mr.. Dern, as ne per
mitted one OF the parties TO use very III,
sulting language 10 Derns wiie anu
failed 10 punish him for II.
Mr.. bern then left the room, ana was
advised by some citizens to take his case
court-hOuse. lie did so. and me pafties
were indicted by the grand jury ana WI"
be tried for their offence.
Mr. Dern was given every an DIV the
Commonw alth's attorney. who VIII AZ
tend To the tria! Of these parties 1here
were several German witnesses sum-
none in the case by Mr.. Dern, ana al
Of them except one gave eVldehce aSainS'
him. IL WAS evident that he was unpopu-
lar with his people, and DAY or TWO
after the trial some one went TO his house
at night and broke up his furniture ana
concealed other property $50 I'm in
formed. which was an outrage. and the
parties who did IT should and would be
uunlehed 10 the extent OF the Law II Nr.
Dern or anyone else would Identify them
But as nothing of the kind was ever
done in the county before, ana as Mr.
Dern's niece ran of to North Carolina
a day or two afterwards and married
one Of the Germans with whom her I'M
Gle had had the difficulty. it is thought
by our people that the Germans them
selves committed the outrage.
In regard to the story Dern tells
about an organized band Of moOnshners
in this county. it is hardly reasonable
to suppose that a man engaged in
business so hazardous as that Of Illicit
d!stllling. would propose 10 an entire
stronger TO 20 into the business with him,
especially I'm a county where the sentiment
Of the people IS bitterly opposed 10 any
such business. and ! am sure Mr.. Dern
must have associated with men who are
unknown TO the citizens Of our county,
as no man would dare 10 propose To
reputable citizen Of our county to join
him In the mOonshine business, or would
inform him that he was engaged In II.
| am sure there are no mOonshlncrs.
or organized gang or mob Of any sort
in any part Of our county. one or two
North Carolinians commenced the moon
shine business a year or two ago In the
county. but were soon arrested at the
instance of citizens nearby and were
driven out Of the county.
| hope the papers that have misrepre-
scented us will correct these statements;
If not. they must and will be corrected
through other channels. We have our
share Of violations of the law, but We
claim that our peaple are as law-abding
as those Of any county in the state.
Very respectfully,
GEORGE T.. SMITH
Note.-Mr. Smiths letter as it came 70
us contained a brief defence OF the peo-
pie of Nuremberg in the matter Of the
Pollard murder trial. This we have
omitted. because the ground was more
fully covered in Mr.. Gregory's COM
munlcation which we published yester-