Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-01
NOW A GROWING CITY
Newport News Of Years Ago ContraSted
With the Town Of To-Day.
MURDER OF WALTER PLEAsANTs.
Review of q Case That Attracted
Grent Interest sixty Years Ago
Heard Jenny Lind Sing on the
Water,


BENJAMIN Franklin was appointed post
master OF Philadelphia In l!T Dy MS
Britannia Majesty's Governor OF tnat
province. AT that time the post-rider
went South from philadelphia as far as
Newport News. Va, once month"; hnu
North from the same city. as 1ar as
New York, once a fortnight 10y as
siduous application In expeditihs INC
mails Franklin was enabled 70 report I'D
l743 that "the mails are now dispatched
once a week to New York, and once
fortnight TO the South" Sailing-ships'
then the only means OF water communi'
cation between the Colonies and Engiahu'
were sometimes over two months I'D
making the voyage. Things are little
different at Newport News In the year
1896. for she now has daily and hourly
communication with all the world X
needed. And that is not all Newport
News has There is a daily line or
steamers between there and Boston and
New York. The Chesapeake and ONO
railway, which has established head
quarters there, owns six large merchant
steamships, which make regular trips
every thirty days between there and Eng
land. Nor Is this all. The United States
has now three Of her largest men-of-war
of the place. in Hampton Roads-viz.,
the Indiana, New York, and Columbia
who come for coal. this having been made
d government coaling-station for one
year. Seven large ships are now under
construction at the Newport News Dry
Dock Company's works. whose building
will entail an expenditure Of at least
100000.
There IS a depth OF water off Newport
News that can float any vessel now In
existence. Laborers, whether skilled or
otherwise, are constantly having pay
days at this place The following are
employers Of perhaps nearly 2coO persons
viz. Newport News Ship-Buildng and
Dry-Dock Company; Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company; Old Dominion
Steamship Company; Merchants and
Mechanics Steamshi, Company; Grain
Elevator Company; Newport News and
Hampton Electric Street Railway Com
pany; United States ss-Whitney
Shipping Company; Brass Foundry Com
pany; Holins Foundry Company. and
Knitting-Mill Company. The largest
shipment Of grain. coa1, end general
produce ever made from the port has
been made within the past three months.
II Is said that there are now lao
cars grain-laden. on railroad sidings
there waiting shipment Newport News
can supply fish OF every variety. crabs,
oysters. and similar marine products.
Soma 1900 people make the streets OF
the town lively. They have an excel
lent Judge of their Hastings Court In
]. II. Barham. and Major Baker L. Lee
is the thrice-welcome judicial administra-
tor OF county affairs in Warwick and
Elizabeth. Newport News has been on
the map OF Virginia for over two CEN
turtles and a half.
Peaceful as II was. that famous old no.
tel. the Columbian, was once the scene
OF an evidently preconceved killing, the
manner of which and sympathy for the
victim arousing the people of that day
10 the highest pitch Of Indignation and
resentment The circumstances attending
the lamentable affair were as follows: In
the fall Of 1899 Walter Peasants. Of
Goochland county. being engaged 10 be
married 10 Miss Sinclair, the belle OF his
native place. came to the Columbian. then
kept by Mr.. Socrates Brooks, OF Chester
field county. and engaged a room. After
depositing his baggage he proceeded to
the Main-street establishment OF Beers &,
Poindexter, then the leading tailors OF the
city, and ordered his wedding suit. After
attending TO some other business and
calling on several friends he returned to
his room. Soon afterwards his attention
was attracted by knock on the door,
and on opening II he was confronted by
DR.. Isaac Vaughan and one - Walker,
entered the apartment. Vaughan who
was a rather understood man, had evil
IDENTIFY brought Walker, urly-boded
party along as body-guard. for he imme-
diately applied a TRADE Of abuse and vul-
gar epithets to the astonished Peasants,
who, after ordering both intruders from
the room. seized a poker from the crate
to enforce his demand. He raised the in
strument, which was just the movement
Vaughan seemed to be hoping for and an
ticipating. for, quick as a flash, he had
drawn from his overcoat pocket the pistol
already i'm his hand and presenting IT,
nearly touching Peasants body, pulled
the trigger, when a deafenlng report fol-
lowed. accompanied by the fall OF Pleas
ants His death ensued I'm a few minutes.
Verghan and his accomplice quickly
decamped. The Coroners jury of this city
returned verdict of murder against
Vaughan, with Walker as accessory to
the killing.
After most exhaustive search for
Vaughan he was found concealed in the
house OF Washington Greenhow, on Capt.
tol street, afterwards known as the Fry
House. 1t was reported at the time that
Verghan had told some Richmond party
that Peasants should never live to wear
his wedding suit. II was also said that
Peasants baf no
been threatened and whom by The people
or Richmond were very much outraged
by the atrocfous occurrence, and would
probably have given Vaughan and his pal
short shrift had not more peaceful coun-
sells prevailed. Taking advantage OF this
state OF affairs. the able counsel employed
for the prisoner asked ard obtained a
change OF venue TO Chesterfield county,
where. on Vaughan's trial. he was finally
acquitted on the plea OF self-defence The
people OF Richmond never altered their
opinion that the whole affair was a plt-up
job, and that II was worked TO a prear-
ranged conclusion. Vaughan was a re-
jected sutton. and Jealousy was believed to
be the incentive of his act. The saddest
part or the affair was that the young
bride-to-be, on learning the fate of her
intended. lost her reason, and finally died
in a lunatic asylum.
Many years ago. when Frederick Boy
den was proprietor of the Exchange Ho-
tel, and the site OF the Ballard was
known as Crows CARPENTER shop, there
used TO appear every summer, seated in
front OF a small table at the Franklin
street entrance OF the hosiery. a dapper
young New Yorker, who- industriously
piled his vocation as card writer. The
rates were % cents for name and address
on twenty-five cards, with discount for
larcer nrdnrs and all furnished ..ut,ila