Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-05-02
Chicago Anlusclncnts.

-. sas-. -
The q Fat Contributor" gets fl the fol
lowing on the I" city of horrors 81
Thy are a peculiar folk, the people OF
Chicago. They delight in horrors. They
have horrors for dinner, horrors for sup
per, and a quantity of cold horrors are
warmed over for breakfast. Their news,
papers are filed with them. They AFFORD
them an agreeable excitement during the
day. and form the cheerful subject OF their
conversation at their evening sociables: Ii
they want to entertain stranger they
show him the scene of the latest murder
or suicide. They mean it all right-lt Is
their way, that's all. As your New York
friend takes you to the Central Park, or 10
Barnunls, to amuse you, so your friend In
Chicago conducts you to the place where
some thrilling and bloody tragedy has been
enacted f131tei,
, am visiting the house OF a friend, an
old resident. The first morning ne aWoKe
me at an early hour. ,t~1..a,J
"Come, said he, in glow of pleasurable
excitement, Z" get up my boy; there is an
hour before breakfast, and we VIII have
time to visit the interesting spot.
"sWhat spot?" said L.
"Why, the spot where the dreadful nlur-
der was committed last night, said he,
rubbing his hands with delightful eXpecta-
ton. You was lucky to come just as you
did-this is the biggest thing OF the kind
we've had yet-husband kills his wife and
mine children with an axe, shoots two po-
licemen, beats another so that he is not eX-
pected to live, sets fire to three houses and
a barn, swallows half a bushel of counter
felt money, and commits suicide in the tun-
mel! Immense excitement about it. Here
it is all in the Tribune! ~. .H51
declined to go, much as it would have en-
HANGED my appetite, doubtless, and ne real
ly felt hurt that the little excursion that
he had planned for my enjoyment was not
appreciated and eagerly adopted. M
After breakfast we sauntered out for a
walk He said he wanted to show ME the
sights of Chicago, and appeared eagerly
anxious to render my visit to the city as
agreeable as possible. .a ..-, {i;y. s..., ,-s
pleasantly. "Suieide last night on -
street Stupid affair, though-wouldn'
interest you Took poison-more inter-
esting when they and he made hor-
ribly suggestive motion with his finger
He took me on walk along the river,
"to see," as he said, if they were fishing
anybody out" and he pointed out several
interesting spots where people had jumped
or been thrown in. He introduced me to
another citizen with the remark that I
was a stranger, and he was showing methe
city, tt ~ 1i r. aas v1
"aAh!" said the other citizen, eager for
my entertainment; "have you visited the
scene of the - tragedy, or been to the
spot where the thirteen dead infants were
found sewed up in one pillowcase You
must go and see the Driving Park before
you go back Terrible affair happened
there-man drove against a fence board in
a horse race, and was killed. We can show
you the very board"
Another citizen insisted upon our visit
ing his house. While he went out to see
about some light refreshments, Ipicked up
Photographic album, and it was filled
with likenesses Of the most hardened Grim
inals that Chicago had produced. He
pointed with much pride to a bay window
in his back parlor, because it overlooked
the scene of a terrible assassination.
"What are your amusements? said |,
at length, anxious to change the subject of
conversation.
Attending inquests, sitting on Coro-
ners juries, dragging the river, looking IL
at the Police Court, listening to divorce
trials, and attending oxe cutions.' a.
can't stand any more Chic2g,, and /
leave to night. Why don't you believe,
my friend, as an inducement forme to pro-
long my stay, offered to take me cut to-
night and get me garroted He said he
thought it would be novelty to me. l
should say it would. He added that they
thought nothing of being garroted in Chi
cago-they were u.ed to it, and it was
nothing after you get used to it.
He said he had kept very choice hor-
ror to show me tomorrow. He wouldn't
show it to everybody, but he had set out 10
entertain me, and he was bound to do it.
/" know" said he, looking very carefully
around to see that nobody was listening,
and whispering with an air of mingled
mystery and qualification, know where
we can go and see barrel Of Human re
MAINS" And he threw himself back in
his chair and looked at me with a flush of
triumph, as though he had overwhelmed
me with such inducements to remain that |
could not possibly resist. ..