Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-07-15
Judge Anderson Fined.

in Woodstock, and was fined one dolls
for allowing the front wheel of his bicl
Gle TO get on the pavement as he Wa
I about TO alightin front ofthe Shenandoa
House. Some Of the citizens proteste
, against the fine as an indignity to
stranger on a trivial pretext, but the guai
dams Of law and order We're firm and th
Judge was forced to part with his cash.
Rockingham Register.
Judge Anderson, of the county court
of Craig and Allegheny, was given
little taste Of the local law few days ag,
that he probably didn't appreciate. IL
, and his two daughters were touring m
Valley on wheels and while at Wood
stock the judge was fined one dollar 70
letting the front wheel of his bicycle com
on the pavement as he was alighting il
front Of the Shenandoah House.-Salen
Times-Register. Yes, and we thinl
Judge Anderson was treated outrage
ously.-Spirh of the Valley
The above administration of the law a
Woodstock is similar 10 the old Englisl
case where "any one letting blood on the
street was subject to heavy penalty
|
and a physician who was at hand blcd
the man at once. This was a violation
of the ordinance and the majesty Of the
law was upheld and the physician pun.
ished. But as the intent causes the offensC
it seems unreasonable that mere acct
dental breach of an ordinance should have
been punished by any Judicial officer of
modern times. This strictness must have
| resulted from the crowded condition of
the streets of Woodstock, which cause It's
police to be unusually vigilant. and its
mayor to be stern and unrelenting. II is
grave question whether every one is
bound to know a local ordinance of this
character, and the trend of judicial opin-
ion is that he Is not. But when the
violation is fragrant and of such nature
as that any person Of ordinary intellig-
ence must feel that he is doing wrong,
then the fine can be imposed, but the
TECHNICAL violation of a law i'm a will
age like Woodstock has seldom'been held
to be Of that nature of law which every
body is bOund 10 know. Woodstock 3
mayor or whoever imposed this fine
ought to hang his head in shame.-Mdm-
ton Spectator.
The above comments of the papers of
the Valley are published not with any
feelings of vindictiveness or for the sole
purpose of informing them that however
fine their comments, they are all based
upon fiction rather than fact The truth
is that the wheel Of Judge Anderson S
bicycle ran upon the pavement in front
Of the Shenandoah House and that ends
the story. Judge Anderson was not
fined and knew nothing about such a re-
port until he saw It in some ofthc papers.
\ local correspondent sent the report to
papers outside Of the town and other pa
pers published it as a fact, without Civ
ing the sources Of their information.
We would become indignant and fire
dynamite shells back at the editors who
have been pleased to ridicule our town and
the authorities thereof, were it not for the
fact that these authorities have been
guilty of just such conduct as has been
charged in the Judge Anderson case, in
other cases.
Here are instances: Saml Howe, a
very worthy boy, honest, industrious and
who Is encrgeiically trying to make a
living, is employed in the store Of Mr., T.
W. Magruder. lie rode on a wheel "a
his place of business. In attempting t.
get Off his wheel in front Of the store
only the front wheel crossed the curb
and he was fined one dollar. lie could
i'll afford 10 spare the money, but DE had
to pay it and it was equally divided be-
tween the Sergeant who imposed tie fine
and the town.
Another case was reported 10 Us last
week the facts Of which are as follows
The deputy sergeant was sitting i'm front
Of store talking totwoyoung gentlemen
when young man, or boy, from the
country, who had hired a wheel rode up
the street. but was called by some one
on the sidewalk. The Deputy Sergeant
remarked, "Now I'll have some fun" He
went across the street, and grabbed the
young man, and Notwithstanding the
fact that the young man had violated no
law, he was marched by the deputy
sergeant out 70 the cemetery, distance
Of one-half mile, where the mayor hap
pened TO be- Upon the statement of the
case by the deputy sergeant, the mayor
informed the young man that it would
be necessary 10 impose fine upon
him, but Mr. Geo. Lambert who saw the
transaction promptly went to the aid of
the young man, and stated the facts, as
he saw them, t. the mayor who there.
upon promptly discharged the young
man.
These are the facts as reported to us
and if they are correct. as we believe
them to be, such conduct upon the part
of officers is liable not only to bring ridi-
Guile upon the town but costly suits for
damages. Weprotest against such con
duct upon the part Of officers, and we
know that we express the sentiments ola
large portion of our citizens when we ask
the town council TO review the cases,
there are a number Of them, where young
men from the town and from the country
were fined for technical violations Of the
law, and if found to be as stated, to return
to the wronged parties the money taken
from them.
The injury done the town is hundred
fold more than the amount Of money thus
secured
Mr.. John Gill. of the Soldiers Home,
Washington, is visiting his brother, Mr..
G.. W. Gill, Of south Main street