Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-04
CITY NEWS.

| had been made to Postmaster Punell, by Assistant
Potmaser Ihorp, of the nreccipt Of letters which
eknown have been mailed from various points o
| this city. Mr. Thorp had taken memoraudums of all
SuchcomplanS. and the matter had been receiving the
attention Of the proper authorities with view of MS
| certaning the cause. It was finally and pretty CON
clusiyely settled that somebody in the Office here had
| been stealing letters, yet, notwithstanding the con-
| stant surveillance maintained in the establishment
suspicion could not be attached to anv one as tbe
| thief. The occurrence above referred 10 gave
clue, however, to these transactions and the char
acter of the letters, the address Of many OF which
| were upon Mr.. ThoTp's memorandum book in
dica'ing that the trouble was in the carriers
| room, fresh impetus given to the invcsti-
| cation. With all the data that he could obtain
| Mr.. kmball set to worl, with a will 10 find out
the thief and in the Of his investigations was
Joined by Mr.. Dctro another special agent of the
| department.
Suspicion soon pointed u Il carrier named John
| sturgs. and ON Wednesday last he was taken into
| custody aud charged with robbing the mail At first
he stoutly denied the charge but upon proceeding to
search his residence about eighteen hundred dollars
two hundred and fifty in gold, and the remainder
in treasury nOtcs-were found hidden away in a bed
Ills financial circumstances SO well known that
the bare fact Of his being in the possession OF such
sum ofm0ncy regarded ~ a strong point aeaiu.
him, yet he cndcavored to explain that he had
anaSsed it by specuations in gold. HI was pressed
50 closely, however. by the officers Of the department
that he finally confessed that he had purloued 4
number of letters. from which he had obtained money
He was then committed to Jail, and will to-day have
al examination before the Jnted States Conmis-
>joner. Sturgs is about q years of age and resided
with his brother in-laY, MIR. John Shanaman No. 80
North Eutaw street
He was not a regularly appointed letter carrier
but was deputy of Mr. Shunaman, the regular car
rier and assisted him in serving his route lie had
previously borne a good character, and his family
are overwhelmed with shame at this transeresson-
1t should be added that the investigation of this
affair in nowisc affects the character of AIr Shaua-
man. who bears most excellent reputation. These
facts arc all that could be a,certained in relation to
the occurrence, as the post Office authorize, here
have observed the trctest retccnce with regard To
IT. and have conducted the investigation in the most
secret manner none Of the clerks or other EMPLOYEES
having tho slightest suspicion OF the presence Of de-
ective officers in their midst until tho arrest was
made and the accused imprisoned
i NOVEL EYTERTAtNNENT.-Th largo hall Of the
Ne" Assembly Rooms denscly crowded ON
Saturday night with of the most intelligent
and apprecativo audiences assembled within its
walls, and hundreds went away unable to gain ad-
miss on. The occasion was The delivery of lecture
by Prof. ilutchings, famed the lightning Calc,l-
lator,' this novel entertainment being presented
under the auspices Of Bryant Stratton 4 SadcrS
Business College of this city. At o'clock Professor
llutchings was introduced by Mr.. VIM. II. Sadler
resident Principal of the College and briefly referred
TO the Importance and progress of the cause educa-
ion, relating with fine effect number of humorous
incidents in the course of a trip around the world
This was followed by exhibition Of his astounding
powers "f calculation, the various problems being
given by Prof. Thayer Of the Eastern Female High
School, Examples were also given in addition and
multiplication, the running as high as millions
Prof lutchings turned his back upon the "black-
board until the figures were all marked down
Then approaching the board, he seized hcchak and
instantly placed the correct total at the bottom
the correctness "f the solution in each case being
demonstrated by the old and we'll known method
Other equally marvellous cats III figures were per-
formed, including blind fold experiments which en-
cited the wonder and admiration Of all present The
exercises were intersperscd with music upon one of
hnabe " Co.'S celebrated pianos, Prof. Julius Schnei-
der, presiding.
The institution which provided this excellent en-
tertainment has proven one of the successful
enterprises ever entered upon in this city. The
thorough and comprehensive course of instruction,
including all the minutP of the various branches of
business with which men in everyday life are
brought into contact has attracted the attention of
large numbers Of young in this city and else
where, and the list of students in daily attend
ance is over two hundred A petition for vacation
during the approaching holiday season. signed by I6g
students, was few days since presented while con-
siderable number were opposed to Il vacation. The
principal has determined to comply with the request
; and will give vacation extending from December
.. 1867 to January B. 1866. In consequence of the
numerous attendance Of students, it has been found
necessary to increase the accommodations and ac-
cordlnSy additional rooms, devoted TO the theOrct-
cal department, have been fitted up and are now
occupied, in the Bible House. on Faycte street near
Charles. They connected with the main college
building by teegraphc wire, instruction in the art
OF telegraDhing being of the features Of he course
of education in this popular College,
| DISTRESSING OcCUERExCE--Two CHunRrS KILLED.
On Saturday evening, between ; and o'clock, as
two boys, named Meads and Norton were playing in
sand bank between Mckim street and GreenmOunt
! avenue, north Of Eager it suddenly cayed in and
| crushed them to death The children had gone ont
to play abou; o'clock in the afternoon, but having
| failed to return by nghttall search made for
them, and it having been asceFaincd that they were
last seen in the vicinity of large sand bank near
by their parents went ththcr when the fact dis
closed that several tons Of earth had recently fallen
| in. Help was summoned, and upon digging into the
immense Pile Of earth the bottles of the unfortunate
| children were found Life was extinct though their
bodies still warm. Their remains were quickly
removed to the residence Of their bereayed parents
on Webster alley, near Eager street. Dr. G. W. Way
! Immediately called in but his services
| proved of no avail.
| REMOVAL OF PRISONERS TO TowsONTowY-Au un-
usually large number of cases having been removed
| from the Criminal Court Of this city to Towsontown
for trial, neccssitates the removal of corresponding
number Of prisoners from the city Jail to the county
| jail. The December term of the Baltimore county
Court will commence to-day, and Warden James will
| remove the prisoners this morning. The following
are some Of the most important cases to be tried
| Jacob Crawford and John Curran indicted for mur-
| IOhu ali II,I s.
| robbery and garroting: James Brown alias George
Roberts, indicted for robbery; Aiycr Stein, indicted
for assault with intent to kill; John Carlos. John Nj
| chols John Deyinney, r. Dorsey, Vim. II. Oldield,
Moses Jacobs, alias W. Irving, Buck Mason, James
| Mason and Richard Prince, indicted for larceny.
| BrLLIARDs.-A meeting of Il number Of the anna
eur billiard players of the State was held in this
city Saturday afternoon for the purpose of form
ing Billiard Congress- and to arrange some Of the
details III connection with the approaching contest
| for the championship of the State. The following
| named persons were elected permanent officers OF
the Congress VIM. I. Glessner of Frederick Prcsi-
dent; a. j. Bowen, Of Baltimore, Vice President; ".
j. kirtey, Secretary l.. Smith Kahn. Treasurer, and
| W. T. Glessncr. John Kelly, and Vim. Wright, Ex-
| ecutive Committee All of these gentlemen, to-
| gether with S. UOlley and Joseph A. Keyhan, en-
rolled themselves as contestants for the champion
ship at the ensuing State Tournament
| VESSEL ADANDoNED.-Captain Carter, of the
| brig Dudley, hence at Wilmington, y. c., reports
that on the 18th ult. in the Gulf Stream, seventy
miles south of Cane Fear bar he fell in with the brig
Georgia, Captain Warren, from Baltimore for Charles
| ton. s. c., with cargo of coal, in abandoned con-
| dition. The Dudley remained by her all night, and
next morning Captain Carter went on board when
| he found seven feet of water in her hold. BY nine
O'Clock at night she cleared of the water, and
| mate and three placed on board, with in
structohs TO take her either to Charleston or Viii
mington. The Georgia is partially insured in New
| York,
SUNDAY SCHOOL ASYIvERsARY.-The anniversary
| Of the Sunday School connected with the Franklin
street Methodist Episcopal Church was observed yes
| terday. At II A. NJ, a sermon was preached by Rev
g. S. Barnes, and in the afternoon the children as
Sembed in the Church, where about two hours were
| agreeably spent in singing and addresses Rev. W.
| (. Speake preached at P NJ, and thu.
| closed the services of the day.
Disturbing PUBLIC WORsHIP.-Sarak r Gray and
Louisa Burke, coored, arreste on Saturday by
policeman Rundle, charged with having on the pre-
| Vlous evening disturbed religious worship at the
| Montg emery street African Methodist Church They
were fined 81 and costs each by Justice Showacre,
| and locked up in default.