Dispatch, October 10, 1888

Untitled

Watermen -- Personal injuryMoral -- FirearmsMoral -- Alcohol

Onancock.

The dwelling-house of Mr. Obed Hamby, in the upper part of Northampton, was accidently destroyed by fire several days ago, together with nearly all the furniture and other household property. Insurance unknown.

A small tenement house on the farm of Hon. John W. H. Parker, near Onancock, occupied by a colored man named Charles Connor, was burned Saturday night. The man and his wife were attending a meeting of the society to which they belonged when the house caught fire. Three of their children were in the house at the time, but they managed to save only one barrel of flour and a box. There was no insurance on this property.

Wilson Green, a colored man living near Hoffman's wharf, on Pungoteague creek, went fishing in the bay nearly one week ago and has not yet been heard from. His boat was seen several days ago floating in the bay, and it is supposed that he fell overboard and was drowned.

Charles Copes, a colored boy living in the same locality, while fooling with a pistol several days ago accidentally shot himself, inflicting a wound from which he has since died.

A lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars was organized at Accomack Courthouse last week with thirty-eight members.

Mrs. Maria Burton, relict of John Burton, deceased died recently at her home near Oak Hall, in the upper part of this county in the eighty-fifth year of her age. She was an excellent lady, and had been a devoted Methodist for seventy-one years.

BOLD ROBBERY.

Moral -- Property crimeTransportation -- Water - Freight

A Thief Makes a Big Haul on the Eastern Shore.

Onancock, October 8 -- A bold and daring robbery was committed late last night at Finney's wharf, about one mile below this place on Onancock creek. The store-house of Finney & Rogers was broken into and more than eight hundred dollars in money stolen. Finney & Rogers are the agents of the Eastern Shore Steamboat Company and the owners of the schooner William M. Powell, which has been running potatoes to Baltimore during this season. The thief forced an entrance through the side door with an axe and rifled the desk, which contained money letters belonging to farmers in the vicinity. The clerk who was sleeping in the storehouse was aroused by the noise, but thinking it was a cat did not go down stairs till the thief had escaped. When he went down he found the door open and the box that had contained the money letters on fire in the middle of the floor. The house would soon have been wrapped in flames. About $450 in silver of the stolen money was found hid under a pile of coal close by, and the peculiar marks on the door showed that the thief had used an axe that belonged on board Finney & Rogers's schooner. These and other suspicious circumstances led to the arrest of Rufus Payne, a colored man from Baltimore, who had been serving as cook on Finney & Rogers's vessel during this season. He was taken before a justice of the peace this afternoon and committed to the Accomack county jail.

Dispatch
Richmond, Va.
October 10, 1888