The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-31

Bit the rnentlOn Ol tHc
ma back. In one of the minute books OF
the court, dated 1852. there Is all entry
stating that the court had awarded TO
two men the contract to erect a dueking-
stool on Quantco creek. Judge j. Is. y.
Thornton. commemorative attorney Of
Prince William county, told me he had
frequently had pointed out to him the
site Of this old duckingstool. Various
entries in the minutes Of the court show
ihat ihe stool was frequently used.
Bishop Meade, In his g"O1d Churches
saws there was "a law against scolds ana
slanderers and mentions an instance IN
whicha q. woman was dieked three times
In James riyer}for one or other Of these
Offences. Is; III.
Thomas Hartley, writing from, Viz 1i'
ginia TO Governor Endicott, Of Massa.
5chusetts. in 1884, tells Of the d,ick King Q.
a scold. After she had been put under
1.-THE water FIVE times she cried . Let me
no! Let me 90! by Gods help Ill sin no
more. $
Several entries lt1Sth court minutes OF
Prince William show that the pillory was
In very general use in the county q hum,
dred and fifty years ago. One man, con-
victed OF the theft of a. pig, was sem
fenced to stand in the pillory two hours,
with his cars nailed thereto, and at tho
end Of that time, both his ears We're TO
be cut off. And he was also sentenced
Ia nay the costs OF his punishment
'For nisbehavior and disturbing the
court man was sentenced to stand IN
the stocks during the courts pleasure
The day of stocks and pillories have
passed. but Judge Lipsconlh, who was
for years the Judge Of the county court
OF Prince William, and only ct1red when
the court was abolished by the new con-
stitution, found ways Ell to FIJI compel his
court 10 be respected, though he could
not make offenders against Its dignity
stand In the stocks The county court
loom In tho beautiful new courthouse a
Manassas has seats at the right OF 4 the
bench whichsare set aside 4 Or the use OF
negroes. Judge Lipscomb required the
sheriff to see that negroes occupied these
seats and that they did not mingle with
the white spectators. Several years ago,
vhilo Mr.. Mckinley was President. a
Washington negro came down to Maras-
sas 10 attend court being interested in
a case to come up at that term He re-
fused to take a seat In the §ion allot-i
ted to colored spectators, and Judge
Lipscomb was about to have him put IN
5jail. The darkey left VIE the AZ courthouse.
and rushing to tho telegraph office, wired
the facts to Mckinley and i Gen. James
"A, Walker, then member OF Congress
from the Ninth Virginia District. n 81
Gen. Walker II ever replt led ,t;f but ss5 q
prompt answer was received from Mr..
Mckinley. 1t read about this way 51l
''You had better do as the jud &c tells
you, or YOU will have to so to jail;
$"1t is not known that the negro re-
turned o the courthouse. I,
FL His Hieroglyphic M ork.
In looking over those old deed books,
was surprised to find such a. large pro-:
tportion of the citizens Of the county IN
colonial days who were illiterate. Per-
haps majority OF the signatures are
made by other than the persons inter-
csted, the latter making tn cir marks.
In this connection ISmay mention O. Pc
culiar fact to which my attention was
directed by. Judge Thornton. Every man
In hose days who could not write had
his distinctive mark" Some Of these
are quite Intricate, 50 much SO that one
cannot help feeling that the time spent
In devising them. or In learning how TO
make them, If applied TO # learning to
write, would have enabled the signators
to have affixed their names In clear
script. Attic present day, when a man
who cannot write wishes to- indicate that
Ibis name appears attached to q docu-
ment OF Il legal nature, the name is writ
ten by another, above the line between
the Christian and the surname is writ
ten the word "Hi1',a and below 1t the
word MAR Inc SblB ldtOEt tlleIl tfthef'
then pen in his own hand and makes =
between 4 Is and n Mark But every
bodyBuses tho same mark. In the olden
days, a man who could not write had n
mark as distinctive as is the mark which
the farmer uses to- distinguish his from
his neighbours hogs. or cattle. am not
aware that this curious fact has been
noted byany writer. rs #
Thoroughly Pp-to-Date.
All this concerning things q the long
ty may create the impression on the
reader that the people OF tho county
dwell In the past and that: their present
condition Is anything but up-to-date,
The reverse is true. Prince W v, Is
one OF the richest counties In Piedmont,
though the traveller. on the railroads
which runs through II would scarcely
Think so. Back from the railways on
either hand. is fine BLUEGRASS land. and
fat cattle form probably the most impor-
tant product of 1.-The county. Fields half
covered with wheat shocks. and wilder
ncsses Of waving corn, give an idea OF
fertility and prosnerityEsucl1 as one gets
lii few Of the agricultural sections Of the
State.
And Manassas, looking to tho traveller
as lie whirls through the town on a
train as If Iii We're lying asleep in the
soft sunshine. is one Of the most pros
porous towns in Virginia, 1t lisa typl-
cal market town. depending upon the
| r.ch loa ok country for support. IT is
hero that the farmers sell the products
OF tho farms. and buy the things needed
I'm daily life. The results Is that the
stores OF Manassas are numerous, and
the stocks carried hy the merchants are
Of necessity8large and varied Several OF
1.-the general stores Of the town are among
the largest Ia have seen In Virginia
There ere two banks, one OF them com
paratvely new one, They are both ii
a,cellent condition, and while the new
one now has nearly as much business as
the old. the old is doing as we'll as II
| did before the new was established
There are a dozen Churches a Manas
sas. more to the size OF the place thar
| any other town In the State has, prob
Eably The town has crown wonderfully
| in the past decade. One-third Of The
houses appear to be new ones, and resi-,
4 dences are being erected all the time.
The public library OF Manassas is thu
| best In Virginia, beyond doubt takint
/ the size Of the place into account. Mr.
/ Carnegie has interested hins elf In II, allt