Crime & Punishment: Chose the Stripes (1874)

Alexandria Gazette
28 November 1874

CHOSE THE STRIPES -- Casper Redmond, a young colored man, was arrested on Thursday and taken before Justice D. W. Whiting on a charge of having "made way" with the contents ($11.50) of a pocket-book he found belonging to James A. Goodwin, whose father he was in the employment of at the time. He acknowledged he found the pocket-book, and that he knew whose it was, but said it only contained $1.50, which he spent.  He was sentenced to sixty days in jail or twenty stripes. He said he would rather be whipped than stay in jail one day. The Sheriff gave him the stripes.

-- Manassas Gazette

Sunday's Obituary: George W. Sanders

Alexandria Gazette
3 June 1875

OBITUARY. On Monday, June 21st, 1875, at his residence, Mount Pleasant, in Prince William co., Va., G. W. SANDERS, esq., in the 44th year of his age. The author of this obituary had known Mr. Sanders for several years, and always felt for him a sincere friendship and regard. Amiable and genial in his intercourse with his friends, by his sparkling and ready humor and intelligent and agreeable converse, he was the life and soul of the social circle in which he was intimate. By great and indefatigable industry and energy of character he had amassed previous to his death a comfortable independence, and his helping hand was always outstretched to give employment to the poor and needy. Hospitable to all and kind, generous and social to a fault, he was an affectionate husband, indulgent father, an upright citizen and an honest man. "Few know him but to love him, few named him but to praise." Stricken down by a disease which baffled all medical skill, and had been preying for some time on a constitution naturally weak and delicate, and bearing it with patience and resignation, he gradually sunk under its influence, and calmly, quietly and without a struggle, our friend George W. Sanders passed away from earth to the eternal world. Over his faults, whatever they may have been -- (for we all have them) -- let us cast the mantle of oblivion, and endeavor to imitate his many virtues and noble qualities. May that God "who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb" watch over and protect the widowed mother and children, and may we all so live as he did that it may be said of us in the language of holy writ, "The liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things he shall stand" and in addition those other words of the great English poet:

"A wit's a feather and a chief's a rod;
An honest man's the noblest work of God."

T.T.

Newspaper Tidbit: Unfortunate Occurrence (Stone House)

Critic-Record (Washington, DC)

1 September 1873

AN UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE -- Last week three lads of this city, John Bloudin, Harry Taylor, and Frank McNerhany, paid a visit to the old Stone House, where reside the Starbuck family, in Prince William county, Va.  During their stay all passed off pleasantly, until young McNerhany, in a playful mood, pointed a musket at a companion named Taylor, supposing it was not loaded.  He was horror struck when it was discharged ,and he discovered that the arm of Taylor was terribly torn with the contents.  Yesterday the arm was successfully amputated by Drs. Marsteller and Tibbs.

Travel Tuesday: William J. Sullivan

Richmond Times Dispatch
8 October 1916

The court took favorable action yesterday on the petition of the Southern and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railways for a rehearing of the suit instituted against them in the Circuit Court of Prince William County by William J. Sullivan to recover damages for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained when the Southern train, on which he was riding, collided with the wreckage of a Chesapeake and Ohio train, near Bristow. In the lower court, Sullivan was awarded $6,000 damages.

Sunday's Obituary: Thomas Curtis

Alexandria Gazette
3 April 1856

DIED, at Occoquan, in Prince William county, Va., on the night of the 29th ultimo, THOMAS CURTIS, aged 76 years.  The deceased was, and had been, a member of the Baptist Church for the last half century or more of his life; during which his walk and conversation corresponded in an eminent degree with his profession. Nature expired and vitality passed away -- calmly and serenely.  Such is the end of the good and just man.  Let us imitate his life, that ours may end like his.

O.

Friend of Friends Friday: John Underwood

Lowell Daily Citizen and News (Lowell, Massachusetts)

2 June 1859

JOHN UNDERWOOD, a magistrate of Prince William county, Virginia, was indicted some months ago for speaking too freely on slavery.  He was tried and fined, but the decision was reversed by the higher court.  Some of his neighbors, at the late election, insisted upon voting for him for the legislature, and the following is the vote in the town of Occoquan, where he has always resided:

For Governor.

Letcher, dem., 48

Goggin, opp., 70

For House of Delegates

Underwood, rep., 56

Lynn, dem., 42

Merchant, dem., 9

Very well for Occoquon, which is the first town below Mount Vernon, on the Potomac.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Alexandria Gazette

4 May 1859

At a meeting of the Justices of the County of Prince William, convened in the Jury Room, on the 1st day of April Court, for the purpose of expressing our protest against sitting as Justices in connection with John Underwood as a justice of this county, 14 out of the 16 Justices being present, viz: B. E. Harrison, W. L. Carter, J. C. Weedon, L. C. Lynn, Z. A. Kankey, C. A. Nelson, E. Nelson, W. W. Thornton, H. Love, L. B. Butler, E. Gaines, J. Ewell, A. F. Woodyard, and J. B. Grayson, B. E. Harrison was called on to preside, and J. B. Grayson to act as Secretary.

On motion of W. W. Thornton, B. E. Harrison, L. C. Lynn, H. Love, and L. B. Butler were appointed a committee to wait on Mr. Underwood and ask his determination, whether he persists in sitting as Justice. 

This committee withdrew and after a brief absence returned and by their chairman, Mr. Harrison, reported that they had conferred with Mr. Underwood, and that he adhered to his determination to sit as a Justice of Prince William County, when on motion Resolved, That the Chairman appoint one from each Magisterial District to report resolutions expressive of the sentiments of this meeting, to be place on the  minutes of the Court.

The chairman appointed W. W. Thornton, J. Ewell, Z. A. Kankey and E. Nelson, who withdrew and in a short time reported the following:

Whereas John Underwood had been charged and convicted of a misdemeaner by a Jury of this county, in uttering abolition sentiments, in contravention of law and repugnant to public opinion, and having been requested by a committee of Justices to waive his right to a seat on the bench of this Court, or to retract said sentiments, and having refused to do either: Therefore we unanimously resolve that in view of our duty to the public, we will organize this Court and place upon its minutes this our protest against the conduct and sentiments of said Underwood.

The Court being then opened, the foregoing preable and resolution were unaimously ordered to be entered on the minutes of this Court.

B. H. Harrison, Chairiman

J. B. Grayson, Secretary

Sunday's Obituary: Maria Ann Quiqley Payne

Daily Union
28 August 1852

DIED. At Rustin Hill, Prince William county, Virginia, on the 25th inst., of bilious fever, MARIA ANN QUIGLEY, wife of William MacManus Payne, in the 21st year of her age.

The funeral will take place on to-morrow evening (Sunday) at three o'clock from the vault of St. Patrick's church.  Relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend.

[Alex. Gazette please copy]