davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
A Strange DeluyOn.

The Parke County Ind, RepuJlian re-
lates the following singular instance of de-
lusion in regard to religious duty:
1t becomes our sad office to record one
of the most sad incidents which has ever
fallen under our observation. Aaron Stew
art late citizen of Boone county, but for
some five months citizen of our town,
has been in state of depression of spirits
for about two months past. Religious ex
citement seems to have overpowered his
reason, and, on Monday night, after the re-
turn of himself and wife from church, he
conceived the idea that the Scripture re-
quired him to sacrifice his right hand and
other members of his body, under penalty
of eternal punishment. He at once left
the house without making known his OBJ
ject, and first perpetrating dangerous
wounds upon his person with knife, he
next proceeded with an AK TO cut off his
right hand. After striking several blows,
ranging from the center of the hand TO
some inches above the wrist joint, and sew
ering the hand from the arm except some of
the tendons, he walked to the door fell into
it and tainted, DR.. Rice was called in, who
dressed his wounds; and at the present
writing he is yet alive, though his wounds
are dangerous.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
An Execution in Sullivan COun.
ty Ind.

On Friday, the I'd inst, Henry Todd,
the negro whose trial and conviction for
the murder of Macon Underwood, another
negro, we noticed some days ago, was hung
in Sullivan. The Democrat gives an ac-
count of it which we copy below. The
Evansville Journal says of it that the
prisoner had been taken to Tere Haute
for safe keeping, and brought down On
Friday morning, ard exhibited to crowd
of some three thousand, gathered to wit
ness the scene. He was then taken to Jail
and kept till one o'clock, when he was
brought out and hung. The execution
was visible to the whole assembly, the
Sheriff having so far yielded to their ur-
gency as to lower the fence at one side of
the place of execution. They threatened
to break it down if he did not. Such hea-
thenism is disgraceful and the weakness of
the Sheriff is hardly less so.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

HoRRID MURDERs--Reliable reports
from the Little Usage have been received,
to the effect that two Free State men were
brutally murdered by the ruffians near Fort
Scott, on the 27th of March. One old
man by the name of Denton, formerly from
Missori, was called out about 10 O'Clock at
night by two men in soldiers clothes, to
inquire the road, and was shot dead.
At another place they called on Mr.. Da-
Wis, who was in bed with his family, and
would not get up. The ruffians shot
through the window, and wounded him in
tie hand.
At another place they called out Mr..
Hendricks, who was up waiting on sick
wife. He got back to his bed, exclaimed,
'I am shotl' fell across his wife and ex-
pired. Only two men were in the house.
but company of nearly dozen immedi-
ately rode past.-La~rsaee Republican,
Apra s.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
Mrs. SWisshelm.

The Pittsburgh Journal publishes a
long letter from Mrs. Swisshelnl, in which
she recounts in her own peculiar style, the
circumstances, attending the destruction of
her press and printing material recently at
St. Cloud. Her vresion of the matter diff
fers altogether from that given by Mr..
Shepley, one of the chief actors in the out
rage. She assigns as reason for the act,
the fact that she incurred the displeasure
of Sheply and bis friends by her bold de-
denunciations of what she terms "woman
whipping and child stealing" and that un
able to cope with her arguments, or stand
up against her denunciation of slavery and
its attendant wrongs, they sneaked into
her office and destroyed her press. She
says nothing in explanation of Shepleys al
legation, that she had made gross assault
on the character of his wife, and it was on,
" to prevent repetition of it that ne had
recourse to the line of conduct which he
pursued.
Mrs. S. is confident that her press and
printing material will be replaced within
three weeks, and then we may look for a
renewal Of the controversy. Meantime she
announces herself as suffering severely from
illness, the result of the excitement attend
ing the affair. On the day after the out
rage she says: "I was able to sit up most
of the time and to go up and down stairs,
and wrote and transacted business all day.
On the third day was down in bed writ
ing on my letter clip; and bereI am yet,
hot irons to my feet, wet towels to my
head, my stomach closed against food, my
flesh all palpitating, and l so week that 1t
is great trouble to speak, yet feeling per
fectIy able to annihilate all the women whip
pers in Minnesota, and filled with wonder
as to what 1 shall do with my surplus
force"
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

The printing for Congress appears to be
big steal from beginning to end, and it is
stated that MIR. Wendell, now proprietor of
the Washington Union, and who executes
most OF the printing at second hand, pays
S2o,ooO a month to the various parties
who stand responsible to the Government
for its execution, and makes his own fat
profits out of it besides. 1t is further said
that Two Hundred and Forty Thousand
dollars a year ago as clear profits to the
parties who have secured the rich Jobs of
doing the Government printing and bind
ing, and have nothing to do but to pocket
the money. Nor marvel that Washington
swarms with spoilsmen, and that the Ad-
ministration has to resort to shinplasters by
millions.
A few specimens will give an inkling Of
what constitutes part of the great print
ing swindle. The third volume of Reports
on the Pacific Railroad is composed almost
entirely of pictures of extravagant cost and
useless character, birds, views, trees, rep
tiles, &C., &C., the engravings and plates Of
which cost the Government the sum or One
Hundred and Six Thousand Dollars For
lihtographing and printing in colors sin
gle Ok for the Patent Office Report, the
sum of sl0,576 was paid, for a similar SER
vice for one Bull the sum of ,576, for a
Cow the sur, of 81, 900, and for one Horse
the sum of $3.50. These are only spec
linen items.
The House Committe on Printing have
been examining into the swindles, and have
come to the conclusion that the Govern
ment can save $5OO,OOO year by the or
ganization of bureau at the head of which
Shall be Commissioner of Public Print
ing, under the direction of the Secretary Of
the Interior. The Committee favor the
erection of a Printing House, and the en-
ployment of workmen, photographers, &c,
at established prices. The combination to
defeat such an arrangement will be power
full, composed as it will be of all the plum
derers under the lead of Mr.. Steedman, the
Printer of the House. 1t is hardly proba-
Bile there is patriotism and honesty enough
left in Congress to perfect the proposed
and much needed REFORM Celveland
Leader.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
w The Washington Union issued o

~ The Washington Union issued on
the morning of the day that the House
voted TO adhere to its amendments of
the Senate Kansas bill, proclaimed that
the issue between the Senate bill and the
House amendment, was an issue between
an immediate settlement of the Kansas
question and the continuance of the agita-
ton for another year, or an indefinite pc
riod longer, and thus expressed its expecta-
ton: ave believe that the Senate bill will
prevail in the House; and we expect to be
able to announce the fact tomorrow
These "organs" find it impossible to know
anything or to do anything reasonable
At the last moment the Union was una
bic to see the humiliation before it-found
itself incompetent to discover its own de-
graduation. Perhaps it has found out by
this time that the House adhered.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
TRAGEDIES in Kansas.

AWFUL CALAMrY.-Some time fast
week, the cabin of Mr.. Shafer, about three
miles this side of Manhatten, took fire and
burned down, burning up four small chill
dren. Mr.. Sbafer had gone to a neigh
boris, nearly mile distant, to get some
medicine. The house was discovered on
fire, but before any one could get TO the
spot it was entirely euveloped in flames
The remains of the children were round,
near the door, where they had suffocated
and burded to death. Mrs. Shafer is now
in Manhattan, nearly maniac.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
w There seems to be an extraordina-

re- There seems to be an extraordina-
ry diversity of sentiment among our legis-
lators at Washington as to the probable IS
sue of the Mormon difficulties. One class
claim that war already exists, and that it
will be long and expensive job. Others
protest that there is no war, and will be
none, and that the whole thing is farce
which will suddenly blow over. The Ad-
ministration would seem to partake of
these differing and conflicting sentiments,
sometimes holding to one and somstlmes
to the other view of the case. They are
like the Dutch Judge, who hearing one
side of cause, was convinced Of its truth,
till he heard the other. Thus, thinking
not much of the war or its difficulties, they
sent Col. Johnston to reduce the Salt Lake
insurgents with a small force. Changing
their opinions as be advanced, they order
ed halt in the mountains, where he now
is. Thus, now they make little and now
much of the whole business, an incertitude
which is reflected in the action of Congress
in the most conspicuous manner.
Congress was called upon for troops
Those troops were voted to the number Of
5000, more or less. The Mormon war
may prove to be no war, but yet these s.
900 authorized volunteers will not cost the
country less than three millions Of dollars.
On the strength of the movement to quell
Brigham Young, contracts have been en-
teled into for millions more, after the most
prodigal fashion. 1t is said immense sums
have been already iavished-we may say
squandered d-for military supplies, and
that the work of extravagant expenditure
in the same line still goes bravely on. To
be sure, this is the special work of the War
Department, but deficiency bill, covering
millions upon millions of it, has just OBJ
tanned the approval of Congress. Yet,
while that body has been doing this ques-
ton has come up relating to the establish
ment of a line of telegraph on the route of
the operating army. For this almost in
dispensible adjunct to an economical man.
agement of the forces, only II votes were
obtained in the Senate to % against it.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
Col. Benton.
WAsHINGToN, April

WASHINGTON, April II.
The Union says that the interview be-
tween Col. Benton and the President, on
Friday night, was protraeted, and the latter
expressed exceeding qualification at bis vis-
it. Col. B. spoke of his extreme solicitude
for the condition of public affairs, and his
painful sense of the imminent dangers
which threatened the country, and e1hort-
ed the President to rely upon the divine
support and guidance, and not upon that
of man who would deceive him.
The Secretary of the Treasury has wi
ted proposals to the 18th of May, for the
issue of any portion or the whole of s., 900
900 in the Treasury notes in exchange for
gold.
The remains of Col. Benton 60 West to-
morrow afternoon, via the Baltimore d O.
R. R., to Wheeling.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
From the Washington Evening Star,
A Scume at Washington.

This forenoon, at about 10 o'clock, Mr..
Petes Besancon, Jr., of louisiana, late q
clerk in the Pension Office, called on the
Secretary of the Interior in the department,
and in answer to his inquiries, was inform
ed by that functionary, as the reason why
be was dropped last year, that he was not
reported among the most efficient clerks,
when, under the law it became necessary
to reduce the clerical force of the Pension
bureau. Besancon then told the Secreta-
ry that whoever reported him to be inef-
ficient was damned liar; and the Secre-
tary told him he could have no further
conversation with him on the subject; as
it was not proper that he should listen to
such abuse of the officers of his department.
Turning to 1rave him, Besancon followed
him, (the Secretary exclaiming, 81 de-
mand to know who was your informant 2"
when Secretary Thompson again declined
to converse with him upon the subject
Besancon then instantly struck him vio-
lent blow behind the ear, as he (Secretary
Thompson) was walking away
The Secretary, turning instantly, discov-
cred Besancon in the act of drawing re-
volyer, and seizing him so as to pinion
bis arms to his side threw him to the floor,
with such force as to dislocate his (Besan-
con's) shoulder, and 1--WE believe) break his
arm also; the Secretary falling heavily on
him, and preventing him from cooking his
revolver, by seizing his hand and holding
it. The bystanders had time to interfere
and wrench the weapon from Besancon's
hand; whereupon Secretary Thompson re-
leased him, and he was taken up and placed
in an adjoining room for safe keeping, by
those who had rushed to the scene of the
occurrence.
Secretary Thompson has made out an
order for his admission to the Washington
Infmary for surgical treatment.
1t seems to US that the attempt on his
life must have been the result of the de-
rangement of Besancon, whose mind has
for some time past has been somewhat un-
settled, through his domestic difficulties.
DR.. Rhett, of South Carolina, who hap
pened to be present, promptly set the dis
located shoulder.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
Summit County.
The Akron Beacon SAYS:

Sanford C. Bowen and Joseph P. Bar
Der, convicted of procuring arson, at the
term of the Common Please just closed,
were, on Wednesday last, sentenced to the
Penitentiary for the term each of fvo
years. The term, though pronounced by
Judge Carpenter, is understood to have
been prescribed by Judge Bolton, who pre-
sided on the trial.
In Bath in this county, last week,
young woman, Miss L. NJ. Hurd, saw a
large rat in the yard, took down her fathers
rifle, raised the window, shot and killed it.
While women are expert with the rifle as
well as with the utensils of the laundry,
'ithe country is safe."
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

SALARIES RAIsED.-The cry of retrench-
ment and reform was everywhere in the
mouths of Democratic stumpers last cam
paign. The members of the present Dem
ocratic Legislature, owe their election TO
this humbug cry of Sham Democracy
They went to Columbus to cut down the
extravagant waste and expenditures of a
Black Republican State Administrations
And how is it done? By raising the sal
aries of Supreme Judges from S1,s0O to
$4,000. Iwelve hundred dollars added
to an officers salary, (by way of retrench-
ment,) is decidedly cool. Very well done,
good and faithful Representatives of the
people. And then vote an extra session at
an additional expense Of say $4,000, to
be held next winter, when the RetrencA-
ment process will be applied to Common
Please and other Judges, and State officers,
Go on, there is a day of reckoning at haud.
Only think, raising judges salary $1,000
at one lift. Such was the bill passed by
the present Legislature.-Wo Wooster Re
publican.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

No SALVATION FOR BLACK MEN,
Rev. s. D. Baldwin, Methodist minister,
in recent work, brings forward the origi-
nal idea that the descendants of Ham and
Shem "enjoy no promise of persuasion or
conversion, of faith and confession, as races" !"
and that "Millenial glory does not antici-
pate their full regeneration" This idea
has in it the seed of new argument in sup
port of slavery.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

The STATE HOUSE AND THE PENIrEN-
TIARY.-The Columbus Fact says that in
consequence of the opinion Of the Attorney
General that the acts recognizing the Pen
itentiary and the State House are uncon-
stitutional, the work OF and about the
State House has been resumed, and will be
continued during the summer under the
present Commissioners, they and the Di-
rectors of the Penitentiary having come to
the conclusion to hold on them offices and
discharge their fuctions until ousted by
law.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
MoRRE ANTI LEcoMproN VICTORIES

MoRRE ANTI LEcoMProN VICTORIES
At the recent charter election in Albany
on the 18th, Eli Perry, the Anti-Lecomp-
ton candidate for Mayor, was chosen by
1913 majority. The election was hotly
contested, Albany having voted Demo
cratic by decided majorities for some years
past.
The municipal election in Hartford on
the 18th resulted in the election of Timo-
thy M. Allyn, Mayor, by 2l2 majority. He
was the Republican candidate. Last year
the Democrats carried the city by MAORI
ties ranging from one hundred to five hun
dred.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

wThe Providence Journal states that
on the occasion of the baptism of a young
Irish girl, named Carol, at Thurber's Pond
on Sunday last, an Irish mob assembled
at the waters edge, who saluted her as she
entered the water with cries of "kill her."
'drown her." &. The crowd was with
difficulty kept behind rope which was
drawn to keep them from the shore. AZ
ter the ceremony, the carriage which con.
veyed Miss Carol to her residence was
followed by large crowd Of Irish. The
presence of the police, however, prevented
any further disturbance.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

CANADIAN SEAT OF GovERNxESr.-
This "vexed question" is still on the tapis,
and the question of Withholding appropri-
ations for the proposed government build
ings at Ottawa has been warmly debated
in the Council. The proposition not to
appropriate was finally lost by 80 to o.
Among other reasons it was urged that
the state of the revenue did not justify the
expenditure of money in permanent build
ings at Ottawa, and that "a the disputes
bstween Upper and Lower Canada about
Sectarian Schools and Representation by
Population. would probably end in a dis
solution ofthe Union, or Federal Union,
it would 10 better 10 postpone the selec-
ton OF a Seat Of Government Cisreiand
Leader - - earil
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
Extraordinary Conflict of Testt-
mOny.

We received by telegraph on Tuesday
of last week, intelligence of the aequittal,
at Merrittsville, C. w., of William Town
send, so called, tried on one of the many
charges of murder which have been brought
against him, as the leader of gang of des-
peradoes who ravaged portion of Canada
West, after the manner of the brigands OF
Spain in the generation just gone by
More than hundred witnesses were ex-
amined on the trial, the great point being
whether the prisoner was Townsend the
blood stained burglar and highwayman, or
whether he was Robert ]. McHenry, an
honest and respectable man, who was in
California in 1854, at the time of the muir
der for which he is tried.
For the prosecution, very many witnes
ses swore in the most absolute terms, that
they saw Townsend before and after the
murder of Nelleis, on which the prisoner is
on trial, and with equal absoluteness, that
the prisoner was the man. On the other
hand about fifty testified that they had
known him as Robert ]. McHenry. Some
of the witnesses testified that they had
known Townsend many years-from his
boyhood till 1s54-and that the prisoner
was not Townsend, and they pointed out
differences in the personal appearances of
the two men. David Dewar, Townsend's
step-father, testified decidedly that the
prisoner was not Townsend. The testimo-
nv of some of the witnesses that the pris-
oner was McHenry, and not Townsend,
was quite circumstantial in character; and
the verdict of acquittal was fully justified
by their evidence. The Buffalo Express
attributes the wholesale swearing of the
government witnesses to the inspiration of
a reward of five thousand dollars which had
been offered. On Tuesday night, Sylves-
ter Doane, witness for the prosecution,
was waylaid in the woods and nearly muir
dered.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
WAsH1NGroN, April II.

Nearly all the members who, after the
House adjourned, fingered in the Hall con-
versing in groups or in their seats, were
startled by fight between Mr.. Craig, OF
North Carolina, and Mr.. Helper, author of
book entitled "The Impending Crisis"
and formerly from the same State. They
had Just before been angrily engaged in
conversation. Crowds of members and
others rushed in and separated the combat
ants while they were engaged in dealing
heavy blows. Mr.. Helper was temporari-:
ly taken in charge by the sergeant-at-arms.
A number of ladies who were on the floor
and witnesses of the proceedings, were
much frightened.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
ohio legislature Adjourned.

After a worse than useless session of
100 days, most of the time being spent in
Legislating for the "nigger" drivers OF the
South, the Ohio Legislature has finally
gone home temporarily, having first resolv-
ed to hold an Extra Session next winter at
an additional expense of not less than $50
600 or 100000. The Ohio State Journ-
al says of this Legislature:
'The majority came into power with
loud promises of retrenchment and reform.
They were to have short session of sixty
days, and were TO have no Extra Session.
They were not to waste time discussing
ssnigger bills" and they were to have no
asmelling committees" Everything was
to be done up quickly and with strict re-
gard to economy. Let US see how they re-
deemed their pledges:
lst They have been in session ninety
eight days.
I'd They have voted for an Extra sess-
ion.
Sd They have spent more time in dis
cussing "nigger bills" as they call them,
than their Republican predecessors did.
4th They have appointed a number of
'tsmelling committees" during their session
and they have one which is to sit during
the recess.
In addition thereto, they have not re-
deemed the promises made to the people,
to prove the robbery of the Treasury was
committed by the Republicans. They
have not dared to make an investigation
into the subject at all, because they know
that if they made an investigation, they
would have to report that the Treasury had
been robbed by their own men and to en-
dorse substantially the report made last fall
by Mr.. Sparrow Wooster Republican.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

HowAD Association, PHILADELPHIA.
We call the attention of our readers to
the notice of this well known benevolent
Institution with much pleasure, as we have
reason to believe from our transactions
with the Association, that the managers
are men of honorable and reliable charac-
ter. We observe the press througout the
country speaks very fayorably Of this Insti-
tuition.
Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22

BosroN.-A recent report shows that
Boston has more than 1000 dram shops
that carry on their business daily, in open
defiance of law. In 1857 the police ar-
rested 9,715 drunkards, liquor dealers 1875,
though but one solitary case was for the
single offence of violating the liquor law.
No less than n drunkards were arrested
for each drunkard maker. -.