Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-20
AFFAIRS IN ALEXANDRIA
A WELL-KNOWN YOUNG MAN CHARG-
ED WITH THEFT.
Accused of Taking Property Belong
ing to His Step-Grandmother-
General and Personal.
Evening Star Bureau,
No. 7O1 King Street,
Bell TelpDhOne No. 1OR.


ALEXANDRIA, Va, August 20. 1900.
In the police court this morning John NJ.
Barley, q well-known young man, was
arraigned before Mayor Simpson to answer
the charge Of stealing q set of furniture,
carpet and other household goods from
lis grandmother, Mrs. Mary Swain,
who lives at No. 203 Wolfe street. The
complainant did not appear. but her son,
Mr.. Charles Swain. was ON hand and testi-
fled as to the loss of the goods. He estI-
mated the value of the property at $50. Mr..
Swain stated that the accused had resided
at Mrs. SWANS home all his life. He said
his mother not at home Friday last,
when the theft was alleged to have oc-
Cured.
A man named Compton testified that
Barley had given him a carpet out of Mrs.
SWANS house for him to deliver to party
who, 1t was said, had purchased it. He said
ne was intercepted by Officer Young and
the carpet returned to Mrs. SWANS Mr..
Hugh Strider a furniture dealer, was put
on the stand and testified that he had pur-
chased set Of furniture from the accused
for the sum of $3.50. After hearing further
evidence the mayor referred the case to
the grand jury under bond in the sum of
$500.
Owing to the youth of the accused and
the fact that he had been well known and
popular in the city the affair caused con-
the alleged theft young Barley was mar
ried in Washington to Miss Ida Z. Finch
of this city. He was arrested at his wife's
home on Queen street last night, Officers
Roberts and Hall serving the warrant.
Work of Thieves.
Early yesterday morning thieves entered
the drug store Of Warfield & Hall, at the
corner of Prince and Fairfax streets, and
secured $40 in cash and several postage
OF Epfr
window on the Fairfax street side. A pane
of glass was cut to admit a mans hand
and in this way the burglars succeeded in
opening the inner window. Some of the
neighbors heard the noise, but gave 1t no
attention Mr.. Arthur Paul, living next
door, saw a man leave the store, but sup
posed that he had been there for medicine.
The police working up the case with
hopes of experimenting the thief or thieves.
Police Court Cases.
The usual Monday morning docket was
disposed of In Mayor Simpsons police court
this morning. Mary Jane Jenkins, colored
charged with being drunk and disorderly
was fined SIS. The wife of Simon Hunter
colored, charged her husband with cruel
assault. Simon was assessed SIS. The same
fine was imposed on Winnie Robinson, col
ored, charged with disorderly conduct.
Martha Lewis colored, was assessed So for
raising disturbance in Chicken alley"
Damaged by Fire.
The plant Of the Alexandria Fertilizer and
Chemical Company, situated on Union
street in the southwestern part Of the city,
was damaged by fire Saturday evening
about o'clock to the extent, 1t is esti-
mated, of $4,000 which is covered by in
sLrance. For almost two hours the fire de-
partment worked tirelessly, and aided by
the company's fire entinguishng apparatus
succeeded in preventing the spreading of
the flames and the total destruction of the
works. Five heavy streams played upon
the burning structure.
What caused the fire is unknown. but it
started just above the engine room. Be-
fore making much Roadway 1t was discov-
cred and the department notified, but owing
to the distance from the engine house and
the fact that the building was not easy Of
access, the flames had time to do much
damage before the firemen arrived on the
scene. Between the engine room and the
main apartment heavy brick wall inter-
posed it's bulk to the passage of the flames,
and this doubtless contributed to reducing
the damage. In the main apartment were
a large number of valuable tanks of acid
and great quantity of lead apparatus used
in the manufacture of fertilizer. and these
escaped injury. The entire plant is worth
about $4,000. 1t is connected with the
American Fertilizer and Chemical Company
of New York. Mr.. John P. Robinson ia
president.