Evening star., 1909-01-24
HELPED TO LAY MINES
Peter Smith Performed Dar-
ing Act of Bravery.
DEAD AT AGE OF SEVENTY
Richmond Profits by Long Drought
in the Carolinas.
INSISTS THAT NEGRO IS WHITE
Court Acts in Miscegenation Case.
Martin Not a Candidate.
News Briefs.
INSISTS THAT NEGRO IS WHITE
special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
RICHMOND Va, January q. 1860.
The death OF Capt Peter Smith at Ware
River Gloucester county. recalls one or
the most interesting characters OF the
civil war and one of the most daring
deeds OF reckless bravery. Capt. Smith
was a private in the service OF the Con-
federacy. being detailed for service with
corps of engineers. In 1863 the pres
ence of vessels of war in Hampton roads
was communicated to the seat of the
Confederate States government I'm this
city. During the summer 1t was ascer-
tanned that a demonstration was to be
made against this city by the water route
as we'll as by land. The first expert
ments in connection with the mining OF
the river for several miles resulted, the
Confederates using the primitive designs
they could manufacture. These were
placed in position and were connected
with electric batteries on shore. Men
were placed in the rank vegetation or
the low grounds and were compelled to
lay in the swamps and water during the
day. At night they were relieved.
The trip was begun, and 1t 50 happened
that Capt Smith was on duty. He caught
the vessel and just as it was over the
mine 1t was exploded. The ship was de-
molished, and about 300 men went down
to death Vessels following put out boats
on the brink of the river and followed the
lead. capturing Capt. Smith lie was
made a prisoner and taken on one OF the
vessels. His description of his treatment
Vile. They had him swung up from a
yardarn,, but he declined to give the To-
cation of the other mines. The trip was
abandoned. Smith was taken to Point
Lookout, where he was kept for long
time. He was about seventy years old
when he died and had accumulated a
great deal Of money as an oyster planter
Enormous Liquor Business.
Richmond is profiting in a financial way
as a result of the permanent drought
which has spread over North and South
Carolina. The liquor traffic during the
last two months has about doubled in the
mail order line. There are half dozen
new houses engaged in the shipping OF
liqu at this time. and they are having
all that they can attend to in the way or
filling orders. Reliable men send in their
orders to the houses and pay at their
convenience. The cash business. how
ever is the guide and gauge for the busi-
ness. and in the last six weeks there has
been an increase of more than 100 per
cent. This is restricted to the cash that
comes in the way of money orders. The
money received by checks is even great
er, so that 1t Is easy to see that this city
is doing some 300 per cent more business
in this line than before.
All one has to do to get an idea of the
shipments is to go to the express office
and TO the railway stations. The pack
ages are going to all parts OF the south.
1t is jugs, kegs, bottles, demijohns. type
writer boxes and ice cream freeZers that
are being shipped in large numbers. and
these packages all contain the much-de-
sired and ever-popular beverages for
thirst-quenching purposes in the arid dis
ing the developments and will use the
facts as arguments to show that II is the
duty of the people of the Old Dominion
to put an end to the traffic.
Insists That Negro Is White.
Marcus Lindsay, a man who has for
years been passing as a negro. finds him
self in the unique position of being de-
clared by the circuit court of Prince Ed
ward as white man. He says he is a
negro; the court says he is white. Mar
Gus married a negro woman, Sophy Lee,
and for that offense against the laws
of the state the man and the woman
have been hailed to court and arraigned
and convicted of miScegenation. They
were given eighteen years each in the
penitentiary. They are in Jail awaiting
the result of an application tor pardon,
which the court has recommended to the
governor.
The man has all his life associated with
negroes. He has ever regarded himself
as one of the black race, though he is
| said to be an Anglo-Saxon. His mother
was a white woman. and so far as records
show he Is only about one-thirty- second
part negro. Even that is not clearly es-
tablished. He insists that he is not a
white man. His wife is mulattO. The
man has a good character. but the laws
of the state prohibit white man from
marrying a negro woman. 1t Is under
stood that the governor will pardon the
man and woman on condition that their
relations shall cease.
Martin Not a Candidate.
Alvah IL. Martin of Norfolk county,
member of the republican national COM
mittee from Virginia. has been repeat
| edly mentioned candidate for the
governorship on the ticket of that party
He is a man of great wealth and popu.
| larity in his section of the state. Post
master Hopkins Of Newport News, a clos
personal friend of Mr.. Martin, declares
that the report that Mr.. Martin is to be
a candidate for the governorship is pre-
| pOSterOus. His business interests are Suct
| that he could not enter the race. Mr.
| Hopkins does not have any choice. but
there is a belief that Postmaster Cabel
of this city is TO receive the honor of a
! nomination
| In view of the unrest and injection OF
the liquor issue into the politics OF the
| state there is no telling what may hap
pen at the polls in November, and IL the
| liquor element should abstain from par
| ticipaton in the democratic primary anC
vote for the republican candidate in the
general election there is no reason tC
believe that the combination would not be
sufficient to "break" the rule of the dom.
inant party in this state for at least foul
| years. There are those who contend thai
If Judge Mann is the nominee this combi
nation can and will be made effective and
! the democrats defeated.
| There is doubt that the bulk of the
party organization stands for Judge
Mann. and the claim is made that the
reported combination is being used to ac
complish the defeat of Judge Mann in the
party primary.