From the Richmond Dispatch, 7/23/1864, p.1, c 5

Mayor’s Court. – A large number of cases were docketed in this Court yesterday, of which the following is a list of the most interesting:

James R Shumaker, who has been in jail some three or four weeks, charged with having in his possession a horse stolen from some person unknown, was brought up for a hearing. The case has been called and postponed from time to time since his arrest, in order that some claimant to the animal might present himself, which contingency has at last been met. William S Carr, a courier for Gen Hoke, claims the horse as his own, and produced a witness to substantiate his statement. About forty days since, during the progress of a fight near Gaines’s Mill, Carr was advised not to ride his horse in front of our lines while carrying his messages, for fear of being shot at by the enemy’s sharpshooters, and accordingly left him in the rear of the army, under the care of an infantryman, whom he did not know. In about thirty-five minutes afterwards he returned to the spot, but the man and his horse were both missing. From that time till a day or two since, when he first heard of the prisoner’s arrest, he received no information of his stolen property. The horse which Shumaker had, and which has been in the hands of the police ever since his arrest, he fully identified as his own property, and believed that the prisoner was the man to whom he had been entrusted. The Mayor remanded the accused for examination before the Hustings Court.

The charge preferred against Mrs. Mary E Cary, of using insulting and abusive language towards Mrs. Mildred E Roganni, continued from Thursday, was heard and dismissed. This case occupied considerable time in its investigation, and from the respectable character of the parties concerned, a large number of persons were in attendance, and much interest was manifested. The complainant charged upon Mrs. Cary the frequent indulgence of abuse towards her, while counter testimony averred that the other side suffered no advantage to be gained over her in the use of the tongue. – The locality in which the parties reside is on 2d street, between Marshall and Clay, and the tenements of the two families adjoin each other. In dismissing the matter, his Honor advised the husbands of these ladies to try and control the tongues of their wives in future, and not to make public affairs which should be settled between the offending parties themselves.

Lewis, slave of Henry Holmes, was charged with stealing $400 from Richard Reins. On Monday last $200 were stolen from the desk at Mr. R’s office, on the basin; and on Thursday $100 more were taken from the same place. Lewis had been left in charge of the office, and it was, therefore, reasonable to suppose that he committed the robberies. He was ordered to receive thirty lashes.

Montieth Regan, a youth of about twelve years of age, was charged with stealing a pocket-book containing $300 from Henrietta, slave of Mrs. Mary Melton, said money being the property of Mrs. Melton. John Baker, a youth, saw Regan take the money out of Henrietta’s pocket and make off with it. The theft occurred in the Second Market. The case was continued till this morning.
Watson, a slave, charged with breaking into the residence of Dr. Otis F Manson, on the night of the 9th inst, and stealing four hundred pounds of bacon, was dismissed for want of evidence sufficient to implicate him as the offender.

Richard Carrington, a soldier, charged with assaulting Philip Dornin, was committed for want of security to keep the peace and be of good behavior. Watchman Peter Everett, who made the arrest, testified that on Thursday night, near the corner of 7th and Broad streets, he saw Carrington dragging along Mr. Dornin, whom he was handling in a very rough manner. When asked why he was acting in such a manner, he replied that Dornin had been using treasonable language towards the Confederacy and he intended taking him before the Provost Marshal. Dornin was helplessly drunk at the time, but soon afterwards sobered off, and sued out a warrant against the prisoner for unjustifiable and abusive treatment.

The case existing against Mary, slave of Robert F Taylor, and Mary, slave of Thomas Edwards, charged with stealing a breastpin valued at $3,000 from Mrs. J E Johnson, was again called yesterday, but for want of a witness was postponed till the 30th inst. – Mr. Edwards’s servant acknowledges stealing the breastpin and says she sold it to Mr. Taylor’s girl; but as it appears the confession of the crime was extorted under a threat, Mr. Crane, the counsel in her behalf, asked a continuance in order to procure the attendance of Robert Craddock, to whom Mary made the acknowledgment.

Hannah, slave of Frederick Caper, was ordered to be whipped for threatening to assault Mrs. Araminter Caper. The same punishment was inflicted upon Elizabeth, slave of George Dixon, arrested after hours without a pass and having in her possession a lot of ladies’ dresses and other articles of clothing, supposed to have been stolen; also, Jim, slave of George R. Bagby, arrested as a runaway and for sleeping in the market.

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