Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-19
THE NEGROES SIDE.
PETER ROME TELLS THE GOV
rnxon ot- THE OYSTER TROUBLE.
SAYS He CONSENTED TO HIS ARREST.
.uege. That lie and Ills Compnn-
fou. Went 90 Meet The 'ohf'""'0
aefsre m King aud queen Justice
b. The Property Rights.


icr Yesterday and gave his side OF the
case. III 49,
peter talked pretty well. lie said inc
rnaso Of the King and Queen county
,-o,rt and Commonwoalth's-At'ofney
1oncs each told him 20 80 ahead ana
take The oystrrs, that II was hassuf'I,
80 re did so. expecting arrest anu
,r,oI which he rather desired IN order
that the question might be finally se'''eu:
lie oxpccied 10 be tried in the courts u
King and queen. wheie ne i.,,t.or,
uE CONSENTED TO ARRhSi.
go eavxs that he consented 20 De
,es,'a b,, Sneciai-COnstable Hazicwoo"
-, he came for them Monday, anu re-
$50 civ. when he found they wee sY-
80. 80 ,afo them across the rNci nv"
Nsv, Kant county for trial. lie sa'S SIC
<t'1 40 eet the others 10 take ineui PC
sore Justice Vaughan, or hihs an" 49, 800
S,ut mat he refused. The oh'eI .l'. ~,
consented however. 70 a pIop's'u'h 80
rhe negroes meet him AZ the hous1 VI -
.,|ber King and queen justice on lit H 'N1
',f'crnoon' lie says the negroes WEI OF
80 according to appointment bul 'H'0
..~,s.abio Lakewood and MI Hleh"iu-
~ Who claims the oyster-beiS' "'ie
p.,er makes no defence Of his CONDUCT
a., resisting the New Kent Shefhb Iluny,
other than that he thought he WIS D. ..1
ILLEGALLY arrested. lie stated lhN NY
matter would be settled Nlthou' 81. q,
bic. The men viii proDabiy DC "i'N 80
The courts Of King ana queen.
tim GOVERNOR INTERESTED.
Governor Tyler OF course was ooel NY
,,ts,asteS I'm Peters story, ana nc "a
r~Iaed The earnest hope that the ne
80 wore not being treated unJus'ly' ne
s,.,u ,,,stcb the case closely ana see that
81 is thoroughly investigated -onor,,,
xro.,rever the question OF pI"pti'1
.,gbt cannot affect the duty OF me IKE
cTtIve 10 see that a valid warrant -
.nected. and ne feels that ne acleu pi pm,
,,crsv I'm having an armed ioice ~ -
Soss TO support Sheriff Noou"0I"'
New Kent. In his attempt 10 n''"'
arrest ,.o,
The Dispatch received last mshl ~, ~,
following letter from Or. George W.
richardson. on whose lands me
pre alleged 10 have trcspasssN' ,soo
West Point March is, 1879
,ro thu Editor of the Dispatch. ,o
mink. In justice 90 myself - ~ w..
90 the public that ! should H"RS tbat
statement in regard 10 the llo"Di,D 60,
has arisen over ScIto'ii ho,Gneinp To- me.
Since United States marshal l..as Ia
seen III 10 take hand IN INC Ii"ieo'',,,rt ~
has given 10 the pdphc an "N 49, a.
the affair that is MEASUREMENT W. '''
I'm 1895 rented from the state or N NJ
rtnia thirty-Onc acres or oya.,i -4''o''',-.,
ground. as designated by lht Day iDi ',.'
Sev This plot of ground was survey u
~, a d,putv surveyor of hing ana Q",tli
county. and officer appointed 10y 'l.e S". .,i.
of King and queen. This ground was as
siened 10 me 10y the oyster inspector, on
Kine and Queen. after he had Nph1ul'''i
liz Attorney for the CommonWtaIh anu
Tho Judge for bis county, ana hau J,r"
advised by them 10 grant the aaSis"-
'N5Ster renting this ground 1 planted
about G00l bushels of seed oysters anu )"
the fan of 1898 began To maIhe' li.'' III. ~,
In taking these oysters from the boi ."in
emplovcd "a number of men. Among 'h, Nl
were twenty-five negroes from hlik 'I1
Queen county. These negroes were i.ir
from So 10 - per oay per plal, W., n'''n
one man and "A boy. They know my round
ara, fines as well as ! did. since the tA-
IRENE cold weather in February, ) ioui1
that my oysters were muth W'd"'l'1
from cold and too much fresh water
concluded for that reason, 10 hDiiuoh
work ON the beds for the stafoh.
A few DAYS ago / heard that thoSe ne
groes from King and queen county ,HnD
had boou emulOYed by me, were ldhlNs
my oysters. i Immediately applied 10 IL
MAGISTRATE for warrants for tntir arrest
and obtained warrants for hNc men, VINO
hair reason TO believe We're ia ~ Si"M ~ ~
When am officer attempted 10 'AccuN
these warrants he was both resisted ana
abused. and in his return OF the warrants
endorsed them attempted 20 'Ht'u ''
within warrant. and was resisted by an
armed force of twenty-five negroes.
The Magistrate then drew warrants IN
the name of the Commonwealth Tor the
whole body OF twenty-five men, ana pldccd
ihern i'm the hands of the Sheriff In at
tempting 10 carry ont his orders me
Sheriff met with rlotouS resistance pCiuH
driven back by am armed force oi uIly
negroes. who were. as they themselves
said "hloOd-thlrsty."
The sheriff then applied TO Governor
Tyler for a company OF troops 10 arrest
the men. and was told 10 summon a
posse of citizens 10 go with NM ana
thep If he failed. the Governor sald ne
would send the troops. 4 posse OF Sixty
men was gathered last night az o ciock'
when behold, Mr.. Morgan Treat Steps
from the train and is met by the friends
OF Peter Rowe Ohe negro leadoD, anu
they. after a conference, send MT treat
20 ask tae sheriff to hold on long enc /, !
10 allow MIR. Treat TO see If he can by any
possible means keep these negroes from
being arrested and carried TO New Kent
county for trial.
In another newspaper to-day 1t Is said
that the commemorative Attorney and
che Judge of King and Queen county
''have told these negroes to so ana oys-
Ger on these grounds, 10 make a test ease
OF It," With this statement staring me
IN tho face how can l be blamed toi
wanting this case tried I'm a county where
there Is no prejudice. when. by the advice
OF the Acknowledgement of the state. as
published i'm yesterdays Dispatch, tina
county has jurisdiction.
As to the statement that | occupy more
ground than | pay taxes on--namey
fhirty-one acres-it seems that there arc
thirteen acres Of ground belonging TO On,
Stale adjoining my lines. 10 which
have no right. nor do J claim IL. ThCs,
negroes have been told by Judge Dew
THEY SAY. Ito oyster on these thirteen
acres or as near 20 them as possible
Instead of longing on these thirtecf
ucrcs. where the oysters are scarce. thes,
negroes deliberately went 10 longing oi
my bed of thirtv-one acres. where IN,
oysters are plentiful. and which they
knew were mine because they had WOrko'
for mo there Therefore / think befor,
Mr. Treat makes any more public state
nents as 90 the case. and my business
q would be proper for him TO ascertain
the facts
IN view Of the fact that I am paviul
imO the Treasury OF Virginia nearly $50
annually as ground rent and taxes on
oysters. I feel that I am entitled TO pro
lection by the state.
GEORGE W. RICHARDSON.