Richmond (VA) Dispatch, "Black-Balling," November 10, 1852

   BLACK-BALLING––On Monday evening, about 8 o'clock, officer Trueheart was informed that a subscription ball, gotten up by the negroes, was about to come off at the Washington Hotel. He immediately gave information to the Mayor of the convening of this unlawful assembly, and the Mayor issued a warrant for the arrest of all the negroes engaged in it. A posse of watchmen under the lead of Lieutenants Trueheart and Wilkinson then proceeded to the Hotel, and found over a hundred negroes sitting about in the cellar, basement and dining room. A supper had been prepared for the company, and dancing was about to commence. Upon the entrance of the officers, there was, of course, a tremendous stampede of the negro aristocracy; nevertheless, ninety out of the party were secured, adorned in full ball-room dress. There were 47 men and 43 women, ebony sprigs of youth and beauty. The entire party was accommodated with lodging during the night at the cage, and yesterday morning marched in mournful procession, amid a large concourse of grinning, sympathizing friends, to the Mayor's Court. The streets were fairly blocked up with an unlawful assemblage of the parents and relatives of the captured, who themselves wore very dark and rueful countenances. We annex the names: 

    Washington Winston, slave to M P Valentine, William Fountain, slave to L Ginter, WM Robertson, slave to T B Bigger, Edloe Baker, slave to James Hagan, Henry Clark, slave to Mary Tompkins, Hezekiah Hill, slave to Wm Lewis, Charles Edmund, slave to TT Johnson,Samuel Powers, slave to Wm H Davidson, no pass, W Hawkins, slave to Haxall & Brothers, James White, slave to W Anderson, Jr., Nat Young, slave to Q Blain, James Henry Day, free, J. Lewis, slave to James G. Blakey, Peter Scott, slave to L. Lambert, Elijah W. Dabnoy, slave to J. Davis, J. Brooks, slave to Dr. McCaw, William Valentine, slave to James Brown, no pass, S. McKey, slave to J. Caskie, no pass, W. Jones, slave to R.B. Murray, George Johnson, slave to J. McKay, Charles Chapman, free, Tom Johnson, slave to W. Anderson, Jr., Carles Carter, slave to Dudley & Johnson, Peter Anderson, slave to William Anderson, Jr., J. Stanard, slave to J.G. Blakey, J. Winston, slave to F.H. Deane, R. Marshall, slave to W.B. Pleasant, A. Davis, slave to C S Claiborne, Nat Evans, slave to J.G. Blakey, Carter Hill, slave to P Robinson's estate, W Price, slave to C Stebbins, H Cooper, slave to S S Myers, J Finley and L Burwell, slaves to JP Ballard, D Chamberlain, slave to HB Dickinson. J Mitchell, slave to T T Johnson, W Crump, slave to N Mills, I Burr, slave H Lee, R Jacobs, slave to J Thomas Jr, W Tinsley, slave to S Greenhow, R Harris, slave to Wordsworth & Turner, no pass, J Henry, slave to C Hartwell & Co, N Green, slave to W Boulding, N Pleasants, free, Patrick Green, slave to D Ward, C Jacobs, slave to J Thomas, Jr, Mary and Julia, slaves to JCF Bennet, Fanney and Martha, slaves to LD Crenshaw, Lizzie, slave to A A Morrison, Julia, slave to J George, Harriet, slave to S S Morton, Maria, slave to J Fisher, Jr., Lucy, slave to P Harrison, Ann, slave to T R Price, Elizabeth, slave to R B Carrington, Ann, slave to Mrs Tompkins, Lucy, slave to J F Barnes, Jane, slave to J H Crenshaw, Martha, slave to J P Ballard, Maria, Betsy and Eliza, slaves to J O Steger, Elvira, slave to M B Pleasants, Lucy and Martha, slaves to T M McCance, Charlotte, slave to George Taylor, Catherine and Peggy, slaves to j F Barnes, Columbia and Abby, slaves to J A Smith, Amanda, slave to M Tompkins, Agnes, slave to J Winfield, no pass, Caroline, slave to E Whitaker, Maria, slave to J James, Betsy, slave to Dr Tucker, Catharine, slave to J Stebbins, no pass, Ellen, slave to J Picot, Emmory, slave to J Bailey Sabrar, slave to H Lee, Mary Ann, slave to W W Snead, Angelina, slave to Mrs Chamberlain, Ann slave to C Bates, Millenva Scott, slave to J S Foster, Georgianna, slave to JH Mitchell, Sarah, slave to L Moridca, Beno, slave to L H Trigg, Charlotte, slave to J H Hicks. 

   The courtroom was crowded with the owners and hirers of the slaves. All of the company, saving one unfortunately [illegile], named Robert Harris, the servant of Wordsworth & Turner, proving that they had been furnished with passes to go to the ball by their masters and mistresses, were discharged, and Bob's back was mulleted in damages to the amount of 10 lashes. Messrs. Bowen & Bruce, proprietors of Washington Hotel, have made themselves liable in permitting assemblages to the imposition of a fine of one dollar for each slave composing it. Some twenty or thirty negroes eluded arrest.