Landlords
sometimes get themselves into very ugly scrapes by attempting to get rid of tenants by laws of their own making.--The Legislature of Virginia, at its session of 1862, passed an act to prohibit the suing of soldiers who are in actual service.
This act was designed to prevent heartless landlords from throwing out of doors the wives and children of soldiers who were risking their health and their lives for the protection of the property of those very landlords, and its operations have afforded shelter to many women who would have been without it but for that law. Yesterday a case of this sort came before the
Mayor.
Charles Loat was charged with attempting to take forcible possession of two rooms occupied by
Mrs. Isabella Strand, a soldier's wife.
From the evidence it appeared that the house belonged to Loat, but was rented to
Mr. Dann, of whom
Mrs. Straub rented two rooms for three years. Three months ago
Dunn moved and Loat took possession of the part vacated by him. Since then he has been trying to get
Mrs. S. out, but without effect.
Knowing he could not dispossess her by a writ of ejectment, he seized her key and attempted to move in, for which the
Mayor held him to ball for his future good behavior in the sum of $150.
Walter Tate, a white man, arrested for keeping a policy office in an alley between 15th street and Locust Alley, and Main and Franklin streets, and selling tickets to negroes, was before the
Mayor for examination
Officer Crone testified to seeing four negroes in
Tate's room — to hearing them talk of a favorite number — and to seeing strips of paper which he supposed were policy tickets, but which
Tate burned before he was arrested.
The
Mayor sent him on to be indicted, but admitted him to bail.
John Clayton, a free negro, and
Peyton,
Randall, and Frank, slaves, arrested for being in
Tate's policy office, are to have a hearing for their offence to-day.
John P. Sledd, a butcher in the 2d market, was fined $5 by the
Mayor for selling three pounds and three quarters of beef as four pounds. The price charged for the steak left
Mr. Sledd a liberal profit, which, however, was absorbed in the fine.
