Mayor's — Court, yesterday
--
Recorder Caskie presiding.--
Charles W. Havennor, member of the Twenty-fourth Virginia cavalry was charged with attempting to pick the pockets of
Joseph Smith and
Warren D. Payne, soldiers, at the
Georgia Wayside Inn, on Main street, on Thursday night. The evidence proved that, late on Thursday night, when Havennor supposed everybody in the building was asleep, he noiselessly got up, and, going to
Smith began feeling about his pockets, which caused him to star; whereupon he left and went over to
Payne.
Just as he was about inserting his hand in
Payne's pocket, that gentleman jumped up, cried "robber, " and pursued Havennor to the door, where he was arrested with the assistance of other occupants of the room.
For the defence, it was shown that the accused is a man of respectability; had been on a spree for some days, and when in an intoxicated state was completely bereft of reason.
In consideration of his not obtaining anything in his attempt to rob, and the statement made relative to his character, the
Recorder dealt leniently in the matter, and turned him over to the
provost-marshal, to be sent to his command.
A charge of swindling was preferred against
Frederick Gerrard, a free negro.
Susan, slave of
William H. Fry, had apprised the prisoner of the fact that she had in her possession one hundred and fifty dollars in
gold and
silver belonging to a free boy named
Jim Davis.
This money
Gerrard determined to have, and he accordingly went to Susan and represented that Jim had been arrested on a serious charge, and had solicited him to call on her for the money he had left in her hands, to be used for the purpose of helping him out of the scrape. --Susan refused to give up the money unless he would bring some white person to corroborate his statement.
The prisoner went off, but returned in a short while after with a white man as witness; whereupon the money was paid over.
The transaction took place some days ago, since which time
officer Charles H. Moore has worked night and day to procure his arrest.
Gerrard is represented as a desperate character, and has already had an extensive experience before the court of this city.
The
Recorder remanded him for examination before the Hustings Court.
John Hawkins, a white man, was charged with buying a load of melons in the
First Market to sell again.
Hawkins stated that his negro boy bought the melons, and that they were not purchased for speculating purposes, but to furnish seed for another crop.
Upon producing evidence substantiating this statement, the
Recorder discharged him without fine or confiscation.
The following negroes were ordered to receive thirty-nine lashes each: Albert, slave of
Peterfield Trent; William, slave of
Austin Gentry; and James, slave of
George Bagby, charged with stealing three pairs of shoes from
Hannah Lattimer and one felt hat from
John Thompson; John, slave of
William Greanor, charged with stealing a bowl of butter; William, slave of
William T. Taliaferro, for stealing a lot of
horse shoes, nails, and some corn, the property of the
Confederate States;
John Campbell, claiming to be free, but without papers, and having in his possession one bag of corn, supposed to have been stolen; and Joe, slave of
Mrs. Shepherd, charged with driving a wagon across the sidewalk and refusing to give his name to the police.
