Mayor's Court.
--The following is a summary of the cases which were before the
Mayor on Saturday:
Thomas Kane,
John Kane, and John Camp, boys, were charged with bathing in the day time in
Shockoe Creek, and exposing their persons to citizens in that neighborhood.
Upon the first hearing of this case, His Honor announced his intention to require security for their good behavior; but after reflection reconsidered his decision, and discharged them with an admonition, --The practice of bathing in the city, and in the neighborhood of public places of resort, was one often indulged in by young men and boys, and one which the
Mayor said should be put a stop to. He directed his officers to turn their attention particularly to this nuisance, and whenever they caught
any person, no matter who he might be, indulging in the luxury in interdicted places, they must be brought before him. "Take their clothes," he said, "if you can't catch them, and let them go home naked."
Garret Alburger and Lion Folby, arrested upon the charge of assaulting a man named Hessinger, on Friday afternoon, were called to the stand for a hearing.
It appeared from the evidence that Hessinger grossly unsuited Folby, who is minus a leg which he lost in battle, and was advancing as if to strike him, when Alburger interfered and tried to shame him from striking a lame man; but H continued to advance, where upon
Mr. A, in order to prevent him from committing the outrage, struck him a blow over the forehead.
Upon hearing this statement the
Mayor discharged the accused.
Patrick Sweeney was charged with using insulting and threatening language towards
Mrs. Mary Riley.
[The accused and complainant in this case have several times been up before his Honor for offences committed by them.]
Mrs. Riley, who said she had for a long time been the victim of
Sweeney's abuse, stated that recently he had become more troublesome, and was so bad that she was afraid to poke her head outside of her door, lest he would kill her.
Sweeney denied the accusation, and intimated that he had done nothing to
Mrs. R. but that which he had been provoked to do. In consideration of the reputation of the parties, the
Mayor held them both to security to keep the peace and be of better behavior in future.
Oscar, slave of
Peter W. Grubbs,
Paul, slave of
Robert Meredith, and Charles, slave of
Ed. Furneyhough, three very small boys, charged with throwing stones in the street, were turned over to their masters for punishment.
Amanda Boyd, a free negro, was ordered to be whipped for being in the city with
Henrico free papers, and permitting
Moses, a slave, to be in her house without the written consent of his owner.
Fines were imposed upon
Mrs. Sarah Fulliam, for permitting her son to throw stones at
Mrs. Elam's house;
Margaret Holland and
George Howard, for permitting their sons to fire off guns within the corporate limits; and
James Simpson, charge with trading with negroes.
The following cases were continued:
Jerry Dunnavant and
Lee Whitehurst, charged with stealing a valuable diamond breastpin from
Lieut. Col. James Nelligan;
Jordan Miller, for receiving a horse known by him to have been stolen, and Margaret and Mary, slaves, charged with stealing a lot of crockery, bedding, &c., valued at $200, the property of
Robert Lowry.
