Mayor's Court.
--The
Mayor gave his attention yesterday to the following cases:
Nancy, slave of
Mary Rooth back, was charged with using insulting and abusive language and stealing fifty dollars from
Fanny Robinson, a white woman.
The witnesses in the case being absent, the accused was remanded for future hearing.
Four negro boys, named
Henry,
James,
Lindsay and
Ned, in the employ of
D. B. Corey, on Eighth street, near the canal, were arraigned on the charge of stealing corn and hiding it in their hirer's shop; but the evidence being insufficient to warrant the detention of the accused, they were discharged.
Thomas J. Norton and
Andrew J. Fondren, members of the Eighth Georgia regiment, were charged with shooting and wounding
William White, a free negro.
The affair occurred in
Rocketts on Saturday afternoon, the excuse therefore being that the accused shot
White because he ran from them (instead of halting) upon being hailed.
Norton, who did the shooting, claimed that, as a guard, he had been instructed by
General Longstreet to shoot down any man who refused to halt when challenged, and he conceived it his duty to do what he had done.
His Honor took a different ground, and denied that any officer had a right to give any such instructions — not even the
President himself.
He further said that he should do what he could to put a stop to this street-shooting in future, and concluded by postponing the matter for a few days in order to procure the attendance of superior officers, from whom such arbitrary instructions as resulted in the shooting of
White emanated.
Catherine Hackett, charged with assaulting and beating
Mary A. Doherty, was discharged.
Joseph B. Norman, a soldier, charged with drunkenness and disorderly conduct in the street, was turned over to the
Provost-Marshal to be forwarded to his command.
One or two other cases of minor importance concluded the day's business.
