Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-12
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Despite me EFFORTS of local and national
lawmakers to cope with the reign OF
crime in Washington half
Local a century ago. the rowdies
r. and thugs continued their
lawless conduct In The
Star of Monday, April ). 1853 are nearly
three columns of news items relating to
the disorders and tragedies of the past
two days The Stars account runs:
1.-The pestilent workings of political
clubism are still further demonstrated by
the appalling doings of Saturday night.
We have here a record Of robbery. arson
and perjury such as would have startled
the world and signed the death warrant
of the perpetra tors few years since.
but which now causes only momentary
sensation.
About II o'clock Saturday night Fred
erick Manyette and Marcellus Stops
were walking along New York. avenue
near 9th street. when they We're stopped
by party of young men and after a
short alteration between the party and
Stops the latter was shot dead and Man
yette was knocked down. Stoops was
about twenty years of age.
Between 3 and 4 O'Clock. Sunday morn
ing the row Of frame houses on Sd street.
Island. was fred and burned TO the
ground Four of the houses were occu-
pied by colored persons. one by a white
family and one unoccupied. The watch
man on that beat in passing through the
alley some time previous found the
weatherboards torn from a house in a
nefghboring row and paper with other
material. stuffed in. evidently prepared
for conflasration. During the same
night an attempt was made to fire the
carpenter shop of Mr.. Andrew Minitree.
| ct
1t was failure. An attempt was made
also to fire other frame buildings in the
same neighborhood."
Not only were the rough elements of
Washington disordery at home. but they
carried their lawlessness
Funeral into other communities and
INDUCED in dangerous
FRANKS on the least Seemly
occasions. Thus in The Star of April 6.
1853. are printed extracts from the Alex
andria newspapers. The Sentinel said:
1.-The fire company that came down
from Washington Sunday with the re-
mains of late comrade behaved in the
most outrageous and brutal manner. One
would have thought that the solemnities
of funeral. the sanctity of the day and
the decencies due as visitors would have
been sufficient to restrain the most de-
PRAYED instincts from a disgraceful out
burst. But all these combined proved I'M
awaiting. AS the train left for. Washing
ton the sweet villains inside commenced
firing right and left from the cars. dis
charging twelve or fifteen pistol shots.
One of the balls struck a negro woman
in the mouth, knocking out tooth and
wounding the tongue severely. Several
persons narrowly escaped the balls OF
these demon outlaws and perforated doors
and windows remain as memorials OF
their visits and as indications of what
our sister city is constantly liable to from
these uncommon ruffians."
The Gazette said: The outrageS COM
mitted in this place Sunday by some out
laws from Washington should be warn
ing to our citizens to be on their guard
In future and visit with proper punish
ment any repetition of a similar offense
Such scenes as are enacted in Washington
will not be allowed or countenanced on
Virginia soil"
Possibly melted by the spirit of disor-
der so rampant in the capital a miser-
able man undertook to as
marrow sassinate Secretary Thomp-
Escane son of the Interior Depart
ment April 8, 1858 The Star
of that date thus recounts the affair:
This forenoon Mr.. Peter Besancon. ir..
OF Louisiana, late a clerk In the pension
ONCE, called on the Secretary of the In
terror and In answer to his inquiries was
informed, as reason why he was drop
PED. that he was not reported among the
most efficient clerks when, under the law.
II became necessary to reduce the force.
Besancon then told the Secretary that
re tn1 H.
was d liar and the Secretary told
MN he could have no further conversa-
tlon with him on the subject. Besancon
then Instantly struck him a violent blow
behind the ear as the Secretary was walk
ing away. The Secretary. turning in
stantly, discovered Be.ancon in the act
of drawing revolver andt Selling him SO
as 10 plnlon his arms to his size, threw
him to the floor with such force as 10
dlslocate BesancOn's shoulder and break
ms arm also, the Secretary falling heav-
lily on him and preventing him from
cooking his revolver by Selling his hand
and holding 1t. The bystanders had time
TO interfere and wrench the weapon from
Besahcon hand. whereupon Secretary
thompson released him and he was
taken up and placed in an adjoining room
10. safekeeping."
One OF the several men who half a
century ago We're reputed to be the lost
dauphin of France" was
"Dauphin" Rev. Eeazer Williams He
Asse;1od was residing in Washing
ton in fSbS. and according
10 a news itemsin The Star OF April that
year participated innocently in the crime
outburst OF the period.
'As the Rev. Eleazer Williams who is
claimed to be the son OF Louis XVI. and
now rightful heir to the throne Of France
was sitting at his lodgings. No. IA Penn
sylvania avenue late last night he was
startled by man suddenly entering
the room and advancing with upifted
dagger and eXclaiming: I've got YOU a t
last have T.? Mr.. Williams cried out ::
Assassin. Assassin. Save me from the
assassin" Although seventy-eight years
of age he sgraSped the uplifted arm OF the
villain with the energ! of a man deter
mined to defend his life to the last eX-
tremity. and continued to alarm the
house by cries. The contest was des-
perate but short, the villain, finding that
he could not accomplish his hellish pur-
pose and the house becoming alarmed.
with vigorous effort extricated himself
and fled the house. When the inmates
entered the room OF Mr.. Williams they
found him lying on the floor totally ex-
hausted and the dagger of the assassin
near him. Mr.. Williams is not injured,
but is now almost Frustrated by the eX-
element and eXertion. What would have
caused any one to thus attempt the Life
of poor and inoffensive old man is past