On September 30, 1839, a case of violent student misconduct was brought before the Faculty. According to Col. Ward, a hotel manager, John S. Moon threw a knife at a servant in the dining room of the hotel. Moon was compelled to come before the Faculty, and he claimed that he had thrown the knife at the slave because the slave was being inattentive and neglected him. In the words of Moon, he threw the knife at the servant’s legs because “he had spoken to him frequently and was only answered by laughing.” 

Col. Ward recognized that Mr. Moon acted out of line but also believed that the servant was normally attentive and “not insolent.” Furthermore Col. Ward believed that “it was Mr. Moon’s desire to have his exclusive attendance.”

Ultimately, Mr. Moon was suspended for a month and was required to serve his suspension at his father’s home; a punishment not uncommon for disobedience and breaking of laws.

References

University of Virginia. Faculty Minutes. Vols. 4 and 5, Part 6 (30 September 1839): n.p.

Cite This Entry

Andrews, Connor. "Mr. Moon Throws a Knife at a Servant (1839)." JUEL, June 18, 2015. http://juel.iath.virginia.edu/node/21.

First published: June 18, 2015 | Last modified: July 1, 2018