Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-04-15

THAN, bound east. April 8, Sandy Hook
bearing n. w. by N, boarded ship Andover,
Jones, hence for New Orleans, who kindly
supplied us with some water, fresh meat, and
vegetables
On board this packet, when seventy days out,
Stephen Earle late of Leicester, in this county,
died from disease induced by the hardships of the
the voyage. See obituary notices.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE.
MONDAY, April a.
SENATE.-On motion Of Mr.. Odiorne, the
report, inexpedient, on bill relative 10 Bank
Directors and Bank Loans, was taken from
the table and considered. The same gentle
man moved to amend the report by SUBSTITUTE
ing bill The bill was substituted by a vote
OF II to s, and special consideration was as.
signed to Wednesday, at II NJ.
The House bill relative to divorce was de-
bated at some length. and then lost-2 to II.
Bstts EagroSsed-Iills to punish frauds in
otheers OF corporations, and other persons
Incorporating the Roxbury Institute.
.-Noythamptoa Hospital-1 his ques-
ton came up again, the Senate having disa-
greed with the House in the reference of the
subject to the Committee on Charitable Inst
tutions, and having referred it to a Special
Committee. Upon the question of concurring
with the Senate, debate took place between
Messrs. Reed of Newburyport, Fletcher of
Lowell, Temple of birmingham, Thayer of
Boston, and Stoddard of Worcester. The re-
suit was triumph Of the friends of the Hos.
pital, the House voting 90 to "A to concur
with the Senate.
The following bills and resolves We're passed
to be engrossed Bills to authorize the Boston
and Lowell Railroad to establish an addition
al branch track in Lowell in addition to an
act to establish the Dorchester and Milton
Extension Railroad concerning the Fitch
burg Railroad Company F; in relation 10
Burying Ground in West Roxbury; TO incer-
porate the Ladies' Charitable Association at
Haverhil; to authorize the Congregational
Library Association of Boston to hold addi-
tonal real and personal estate to authorize
A. T. Carey to build a wharf; resolves in fa-
vor of the Indians of Gay Head; granting
taxes Tor the several counties relative to re-
pairs and furniture for the State House on
the petitions of William Sohier and others ;
on the petitions of Abner Hopkins Charles
Brigham, and of the Overseers Of, the Poor of
Dover.
The bill to enable parties in civil actions to
be witnesses therein, was debated by Mr.
Brayton of Fail River in an elaborate speech
III opposition to it, Mr. White Of Midway.
who defended it in an energetic manner, Mr..
Pike OF Newton, who favored the BILL and
Mr.. Strickland of Sandsfeld, who favored
the bill, Mr., Stoddard of Worcester, who
pressed the passage of bis substitute.
DEATH OF AN Eccentric CHARAcrER.-Tbe
Leeds, (Eng.) Lsteliigencer gives an Interest,"
ing account of an eccentric individual who
took to his ted in good health forty-nne
years ago, and remained there until his DEATH
which occurred on the Sth ult. He resided
in the parish of Keighly, and went by the
name of &C Old Threelaps," but his real name
was William Sharp. He was the son of
small farmer, and for a while followed the
trade of weaver, but frequently neglected
his loom to range the neighboring moors with
his gun, often spending whole nights out in
the open air, When thirty years of age he
took to his bed, and the room which he never
left till carried thence on the day of his fune-
raj. The principal cause of this conduct is
believed to have been a matrimonial disap-
pointment. The day for his marriage was
fixed, and he proceeded with friend to the
parish church, but the bride never came
The father OF the damsel stefniy and steadily
refused his consent. This, combined with
other grievances, perhaps, proved heavily
upon mind bearing unmistakable evidences
of hereditary singularity, and the result was
that the young man consigned himself to a
small loom, about nine feet square, with a de-
termination of spending the remainder of his
existence between the blankets of a bed, which
resolution he kept ulfinchingly. The room
was almost bare of furniture, uncomfortable,
and with only one window. which was not
opened for thirty eight years.
This singular being obstinately refused to
speak to any one, andf spoken to, never an
I'D Nsa4 4t.,.
vision for the wants of his eccentric sou, and
so secured him constant attendant. In the
process of time his legs became contracted,
and drawn up towards his body, so that he
had to roll over and assume kneeling pos
ture when taking his meals, which he ate
regularly. He was generally Clearly in his
habits, and during the whole period of his
confinement never had any serious illness,
although he ate on the average as much as
any farm laborer; and at the advanced age of
70 years, his flesh was firm, fair. and un.
wrinkled, save with fat, and the estimate of
his weight was $40 pounds. The curious
used to come from far and wide to see him,
but whenever a stranger was ushered into his
den he Immediately buried his head beneath
the bedclothes. About week before his
death his appetite began to fail, and his limbs
became benumbed, so that he could not take
his food in his accustomed manner. Shortly
before he expired he was heard TO exelaim,
" Poor Bill, poor Bill, poor Bill Sharp" the
most connected sentence he had been heard to
utter for many year.
HE ELECTRIC EEL.--Of the singular pow
ers Of this wonderful creature much has been
written, and some things said, which appear
elmost incredible. This fish abounds in the
rivers Of North and South Carolina and many
OF its wonderful exploits are recounted and
recorded there. In the waters OF Massachu-
sets Bay it is so seldom seen that the follow
ing circumstances seem worth relating, and
are in the naIrators own words. Captain
Walker Of Proyineetown recently, while run
ming schooner from that place to Boston,
was overtaken by night off Cohasset Rocks,
and was running into Boston Channel in the
evening. At about o'clock, it being very
dark, and his vessel moving slowly in, he
dropped over his lead to ascertain the depth
of water, and on slowly pulling in the line,
he felt something cold upon it, and thinking
il might be bit of kelp or rockweed, was
about to throw it off, when it fastened upon
his hand and coiled around his wrist. He
endeavored to shake off the eel, when sud-
denly bringing its tail around, it struck his
arm with considerable force; and giving the
worthy captain such a shock as sent him reel
ing to the deck. Recovering a little, he pro-
ceeded to seize the fish and cast it overheard,
when he received second shock from the
little battery that caused him to call for aid,
boKfn, han, -