davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

Andrew Johnson, in 1864, did his
best to defeat the Democratic party
in the Presidential contest, and to
throw the Administration into the
hands Of the Republicans. He ac-
cepted the nomination, and made him
self one ofonr standard-bearers in tho
fight against the Democracy. Yet all
this while be was treacherously con-
spring against his own camp. All
this while his purpose was, as soon
as he got into Office, to turn rouId
upon the party whose platform he
had accepted, and to scheme for the
restoration Of the party whose enemy
he had pretended to be. In tho
corrse of the Impeachment investiga-
ton Mr.. Stanley Matthew'S, q Presi-
DENTAL elector. gave an account Of .
remarkable conversation which he
had with Mr.. johnson in Cincinnati,
while the Vice-President elect was
on his way to Washington to be in
augurated. "He turned to me-" Mr..
Matthews testified, and said "You
a and / were old Democrats / said,
YES" He then said, 4 will tell you
what it is: if the country is ever to be
saved, it is to be alone ''through the
old Democatic party" If the Demo
cratic party was the only hope of the
country, why did he not support Nc
Clellan ?--N. Y Tribune.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Spare the Birds.

Who is thore among our Legisla-
tors, who will introduce and press to
final passage law protecting the
birds from the predatory bands of ju-
venile scalawag hunters, who sally
forth from town and county, at all
times ofthe year, and;wantonly kill
great numbers, these the best friends
Of our farmers and gardeners
We want q law making it a penal
offence to shoot blue jays, orioles,
wrens, bee birds, sap suckers, wood
peckers, or any other bird, that de-
rives it's sustenance from cut worms,
grubs, borers, potatoe bugs, melon
bugs, and all the family of insects,
that 80 fearfnlly beset our fruits, veg
etables, flowers and all sorts of grow
ing crops, from seed time to harvest.
The scarcity of these beautiful and
useful ornaments of the land scape,
and sweet feathered songsters, who
make the spring time vocal with
their music and who are the natural
allies of the greatest laboring inter,
est ofthe country, and benefactor to
the consumers Of fruits or vegetables,
is owing to the wilful raids made on
them by the squirty Nimrods, whose
prowess is only equal to the slaugh-
ter ofa dove, wren or robin. We say
stop it by law, and if there is an ire
pressible conflict between the wrens,
jays and robins, and their bipcdal in
sect slayers, let the latter 60 down
before the former. The more birds
we have, the less worms, bugs and
borers, to bore ourfruit trees and our
selves out Of existence.
Protect the birds by law Messrs.
Legislators, and you will have accom-
plished one act at least of practical
benefit to your apple, plum, melon
and vegetable loving constituents.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

81 - 4 XVI ffE{ 4 - " b
PASTE THIs IN YoUR HAT.-The
Gate City has the following: "a local
cant be every where to collect news.
And as every member Of th commun-
ity is interested in having q good
local and county paper, tho only way
TO secure it isfor everybod Ito send u
in such news ~ we can't got in any
other way. This 10 . very easy
thing for any person to do, who has
the will. Itisnot important that the
matter shall be gotten in good style.
Give us the facts, and we'll arrange
them to suit ourselves. All over the
country occurrences are constantly
taking place, triding, perhaps, to
those who know the facts, but inter-
esting to these who don't. Tell us
about them. If Abarella Jane, taking
advantage Of leap year, takes her
Augustus Henry: out riding, tell us
especially ifshe drives with one hand
and holds the robes around him with
tho other. ia lawless sconndrel dis.
turbs your hen-roost, tell Us. II prop.
erty changes hands in your vicinity,
tell us. al about it. If anybody'i
horse runs away and smashes things;
ksnybody dies or gets married; tel
tus-teli ~ AL. Bs,iagsS 81 gssg .es
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
A Man Murders His Mother.

[From the Jasper (Iowa) Frss Press.l
tits our painful dnty to record the
most horrid tragedy that has ever
occurred in our county. On Monday
evening last, about 8 o'clock, Robert
Sprague, heretofore an innocent,
harmless man, with his mother, wife
and children, sat reading his Bible,
when his mother, aged about 20 yrs,
asked him some questions in relation
to meeting the evening previous, to
which his daughter, some IL or IA
years Of age, made areply. Sprague
then sprang TO his feet and said he
would kill his mother. She ran to
the door, and, in passing out, fell.--
Sprague leaped upon her and choked
her to death before he left her. His
Y1Eand children were unable to save
her. He then entered the house and
said TO his wife, "Send for Baumer "a
near neighbor( to tie me-" He told
his wife and children to get away as
est - possible, toleave at once. She,
18th the children partially dressed,
hastened away to the neighbors. It
is said that at the meeting alluded to,
the night previous, he had acted so
strangely that he was then supposed
70 be lsboring under aderanged mind.
He was arrested and brought here to
prison last night. The family were
then, and had been for several years,
living about two and q half miles from
Vandalia, in Des Moines Township, in
this county.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
CALDWELL, HOLDEN & Co
I. Publishers and Proprietors.
Pyblished ersry Thursday Mornsng.
Terms Two Dollars per Year
Invariably an Aduance.9
Office on corner of Main and Green
Streets, ovsr Hinsey, Le,cis d Cos
Drug Store.
OFFICIAL cfTY 4 COUNTY PAPER
General Grant the Next Pres.
R ident.

The New York Herald says: "We
believe that no opposition candidate
can be brought forth competent to
. defeat General Grant. It Is useless
to suggest, even to the sachcme Of
Tammany Hall, the claims and sa-
wing virtues of Andrew Johnson 80
They like his Offices, but this man is
not their man. Heis, perhaps as lit
tie thought of as the Emperor Of
China By the Democratic managers
% their man for the succession. Gen.
Sherman win hardly consent to run
against Grant, and moreover, the
B Western Copperheads are dead
against Sherman, and they do not
like Hancock, and they will have
y Pendleton. General Grant as our
next President, then, may be q fore
Sgone conclusion; but the next Con.
gress will 60 far to shape the policy
of the administration. Let the De-
mocracy, then, turn their attention
<and their efforts from the President
to the next Congress, and they may
secure House Of Representatives
which. from the beginning to the
end, will give us, under Grant, q con-
servative administration"
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Warrington Items.

We take the following items from
specials to Chicago papers;
One Of the most amusing, if not
significant side occurrences Of the day
at the capitol, was the following: Mrs.
Cobb stood ona chair at one end Of
the doors to the House, and watched
the proceedings till the close, over
the heads Of those who crowded into
the doorway. She remained very
quiet, and was absorbed in the scene.
As the vote was announced, she turn
ed to = gentleman standing near, and
said, with deep and unconscious
sigh: so the poor old man isgone at
last 6a,4,sB M
ATTEMPT BY MR.. JOHNSON 10 RxCITR A
CONSPIRACY AGAINST cONGRKss.
Tho Committee, are, tonight, in
possession ofpositive information that
President johnson has endeavored to
Suxcite conspiracy against Mr.. STAN
ton and Congress, and one article to
be presented will Arraign him on that
charge. Only one witness ID to be
summoned on this point, Gen. Emory,
Commander of the District, and he
will lay before the Committee evi-
dence to prove this conclusively. An
drew johnson on Saturday, during
an interview, made such propositions
to him ~ show that he has been In
such conspiracy, and only wanted
the assistance Of the military tocary
{ out
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

A correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Commercial gives the following per-
sonnet Of Hon. Thomas G. McCreery,
the newly elected United States Sen.
ator from Kentucky: aHe is .
rough old fellow, and always little
dirty in his personal appearance, but
cleaverer man than Thos. c. Nc
Creery does no. live, He loves wo>
men; 10 . good Judge of the pure
Bourbon, and goes to horse races
He keeps fine stable of horses, and
has 4 private track on his farm,
where he amuses himself with rum.
ing his stock, or having little scrub
races with his neighbtrs. Ask him
where the prettiest women are raised,
the bravest men live, the finest hor-
ses bred, or the best Bourbon to be
had, and he will strike his chest with
all the pride Of . Logan, In Ken
tuky, sir, and nowhere else SIR He
is . quiet goodnatured man, but i'm
suit him and he will light In . min.
pts."
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
BANK FAILURE AT KRoKUK.-The
Keokuk Gate City Of Saturday con-
tains the following:

BANK FAILURE AT KEoKuK.-The
Keokuk Gate City Of Saturday con-
tains the following:
Very intense excitement was crea.
ted throughout Keokuk business cir.
cles yesterday morning by the an
nouncement that the First National
Bank had suspended. Quite crowd
collected in front of the Bank as
soon as the rumor became current
1t was too true. Amid the excite.
ment and wild rumors consequent
upon an event unexpected by the
public, and deplorable, we can gather
nothing definite enough to make an
accurate showing of the real extent
of the losses, and we prefer not te
give currency to moro rumors. II
will be some time before the real con
dition Of the Bank is known. Ar
Inspector, appointed by the Govern
ment will come and settle its affairs
Then showing Of the Ranks lia
bilities, assets and operations can b
made.
It,appears that the stockholder,
will bo the largest loosera, and as tn.
Bank has had q heavy deposit &C
count, its liabilities must be proper
tionally large. What the amount o
available resources on hand will
which to meet the liabilities, can on
| II be ascertained with reliable Ger
tainty by actual investigation Of th'
affairs Of the Bank. In the mean
time we shall not incur the risk o
misleading our readers, by giviny
publicity to unauthorized or i'll found
cd statements of parties intereste,
in behalf Of the Bank or excite,
against it.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
None 90 Poor as to do Him
Reverence.

At the Democratic State Conven-
vention, at Des Moines, Wednesday,
Porte Welch, of the Oskaloosa Con-
servative, introduced a resolution en-
dorsing and sustaining Andrew john
sonin his infamous attempt to over
ride the laws and Constitution of the
country. Under the lead of Col.
Gillaspy, of this city, the resolution
was unanimously squelched OUT
The Col. and his sagacious friends,
very sensibly concluded that they
had already weight enough on their
shoulders without carrying Andrew
Johnson's sins, and blubbering at his
funeral.
In the meantime, what more can
be said of the Copperhead party,
than that after leading Andrew John
son to the commission of treason to
bis party, treason to his country,
and plain palpable violation of the
laws he was sworn to support; they
have thus treacherously thrown him
overheard, and abandoned him to
the penalties of an outraged law
an indignant people, and to the bit.
ter pangs of his own conscience,
without one word of sympathy, or
coincidence, and what a sad and in
struetive commentary on official mis-
conduct peculation, and treachery, to
see even Andrew johnson and his
Democratic administration reduced
to such low depth, as to fail to
elicit one word of commentator
from even an Iowa State Copperhead
Con vention;
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Tho Eldora Sentinel has a sensa
tion in the following:


ton in the following:
sThree months ago, dashing
stranger came TO Grundy county, and
began his career in Iowa by teaching
q school of urchins. He boarded
with the directors family, passed of
as a single man, and "got sweet" on
the directors daughter. Two weeks
ago, an interesting female, with a
black veil, and white paby, landed at
Mr. Directors and asked for Joseph
Smith. That gentleman, turned a
ghastly yellow, as be exclaimed,
"You here Mary?" eyes / be-" was
the curt response. "Here, take your
baby" Joseph, like his virtuous
name-sake, meekly took this 'scon-
stituent parcel - an editorial cor.
respondent would say, and sat down,
to wait further developments. The
Director's family looked aghast, and
q general feeling of embarrassment
and awkwardness prevailed the par
ty. Now Joseph, made clean breast
Of the matter, said, "Mary, here, il
not my wife. But I have kept her
sent her money from the army, and
lived with her four years. She has
three children, but we are not mar
risd. The only remark we have is
they ought to be, 30 we will leave
the interesting couple, At their new
homo in Clay Tp.'
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Established d in 1048.

IHE ARREST OF IL. .. ALIEN
Last week we announced the arrest
OF this man here for the crime of
burglary, committed in Illinois some
time ago. On Thursday night All Of
ficcr arrived from Pontiac, Illinois
took Mr.. Allen, alias Jones, under
his special charge, and on Friday NOR
ming with the prisoner started for
the scene Of Mr.. Aliens crimes. 1t
further appears that Jones is his
name in truth, and he had deserted a
wife and children upon coming to
Iowa. The precious scoundrel is en-
gagged to young lady in Iowa, and
expected soon to marry her, which
he certainly would have done had
not the officers Of law required his
presence in Illinois about this time.
The very course lie adopted Of
concealing himself proved his ruin.
In January ho caused the Democrat
to publish notice Of his death (un-
der the name Of Jones) and mailed
papers containing this notice, to his
wife and others. Either mistrusting
it to be false, or anxious to get par
ticulars Of his demise, parties wrote
here, sending photographs, by which
means he was readily identified and
arrested. Doubtless Allen, alias
Jones, is q great rascal, and Iowa
should thank her stars that she is so
easily rid Of Jones' Charlton Pa
tr;ot.
This same Allen is the william who
wooed to ruin and marriage a re-
spectacle girl at Ottumwa, under the
name of Charles s. Sherman. The
incidents of the affair are still fresh
in the minds Of our readers. About
three weeks ago he came to this city
and staid here two v eeks, giving his
real name-Charles s. Allen. Being
Of good personal appearance and
fine business address, he soon ingra-
tiated himself into the confidence of
several persons, and was received
with such confidence that he was en-
gagged as . clerk in one of our main
business houses. But while he was
in the flush Of his prospects, detec-
tive suddenly appeared upon tho
scene, and privately and cautiously
went to work to trip up his game
Allen was the first to snuff danger
and forthwith set to work to "break
for tall brush" His first act was an
attempt to "cut" on his board bill of
two weeks, and the rent Of his sleep.
ing room. In these endeavors he
failed; and so, hiring team at liv.
cry ostensibly to 60 to Boonsboro,
he drove to the depot Of the Valley
Road sent back the team by q boy,
and took the train. As will be seen
by the above, he was drought up .
standing" at Abba. He is one of
the most accomplished rascals out of
irons, and has . cunning and q
shrewdness that generally make his
operations successful.-State Regis
ter.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

In rcply to the question "shall We
have new State House" the Buchan-
an county Bulletin says: "The people
say yes, out not at present. The pres
ent State House is an abomination.
but it was furnished by Des Moines
spsculators and let Des Moines put
up with it, ~ surely the State can
afford TO, for few years longer
The present building is entirely safe,
aud will remain SO for q half dozen
years or more, when . more suitable
building can be. substituted without
burdening the State. Let us place
our educational and benevolent insti-
tutions on . firm basis before we raiso
money to invest In brick and mortar
which 10 not nm absolutely necessary"
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
them blood stained War Democratic

them blood stained War Democratic
candidate, was in the 9Th Ohio Con-
gressional District, where they ran
one Col. Barnabas Burns,-a soldier
during the war, and ofconrse hearty
hater Of the despicable traitor, Val.
landigham,-against another soldier
Col John Beatty, who had not fore
sworn the honor of his sword by GO
ing over to the common enemy. Our
readers know that the latter beat his
opponent by large majority and it
is notorious that the Vallandigham-
mers beat Burns on account of his war
record. Read the following from the
Bentonsport Signal one of the squar-
est-toed copperhead papers in Iowa /:
at turns out that Barnabas Burn, s
the defeated Democratic candidate in
the 9Th congressional district in Ohio,
opposed Vallandigham when q cane
didate for Governor in 1863, because
he was an anti-war man and a true
representative or nine-tcnths of the
Democracy of Ohio. We cannot won
der at his defeat; but can only won-
der, and continue to wonder, how a
convention of the Democracy could
nominate a man with such record.
We see in it the work of political in
triguers. The people were not in it.
His defeat was just rebuke to spoil
hunting trimmers; and we heartily
thank God that there are men in the
Democratic ranks, who do not woar
the collar of politicians, with strength
Of soul TO administer an occasional
rebuke in this way"
Here you have the frank and unde-
niable statement from ono of their
leading journals that nine-tenths of
the Ohio Democracy (and the state
ment will apply equally to all the
northern States, and all the southern,
with the addition of another ninth)
were anti-wai, and in full sympathy
with traitors waging war for the de-
struction Of the country. The can
dor and truthfulness of the Signal is
greatly to be admired when it says
eWe cannot wonder at his defeat but
can only ,oonder, and continue to won-
der, ho,o a convention Of the Democracy
could nominate such man."
That's what's the matter, Mr.. Sig
nal man, but you and your kidney
may console yourselves that that sort
of a folly is not likely to be repeated.
The only soldiers who will get NOM
nations at the hands of your Confed-
crate party in the good time coming,
are those who fought under Lee,
Beauregard 4 Co., or those who can
establish their status, as their hearty
sympathizers during the conflict. -
Meantime we commend the above pure
democracy to the weakened, back
boncless, brekcn-noeed Rsp.bl;nans,
and war democrats, who ran we'll for
a season, but who have fallen by the
way-side, and taken refuge from the
gale OF negro suffrage, 10 this pirates
haven Of modern democracy.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Impeachment.
Great Speech Of Thad Stevens in til.
House.

UseNs SPoec" " HUu OtCVSUS ~ tnE
House.
Mr. Stevens, of Penn, closed the
debate. He said: I agree with those
gentlemen who have gone before me,
that this is grave subject, and sho'd
be gravely treated. It is important
to high official, who is the subject
Of these charges, and it is important
to . nation Of forty millions of peo-
pie now free, and rapidly increasing
to hundreds Of millions. The official
character of the Chief of this grand
nation being thus involved, the
charge, if falsely made, is q cruel
wrong. II, on the other hand, the
misdemeanor and usurpations charg.
ed against him are true, he 10 guilty
ofas atrocious attempt to usury the
liberty and destroy the happiness of
this nation, a. was ever perpetrated
by the most detestable tyrant who
ever opposed his fellow men. Let
US, therefore, discuss these questions
in DO partisan spirit, but with legal
accuracy and impartial justice. The
people desire no victim, and they
will endure no usurper. These charg-
e., 90 far - shall discuss them, are
few and distinct Andrew johnson
is charged with attempting TO usurp
the powers Of other branches Of the
Government; with attempting to OBJ
struct and resist the execution Of the
law; with misprison of bribery and in
open violation Of laws which declare
his acts . misdemeanor, aud subject
him to 6ne and imprisonment; with
removing from Office the Secretary
Of War during the session of the
Senate, without the advice or consent
ofthe Senate; and with violation OF
the sixth section of the act entitled
an act regulating the tenure OF Ger.
tain civil Offices. There are other
o6enses charged in the papers refer
red to the Committee, which / may
consider more by themselves. In
order TO sustain impeachment under
our Constitution, do dot hold that
It is necessary TO prove that = crime
is an indictable ohense, or an act
s'salxm IN e. I agree with the dis.
tinguished gentleman from Penn, on
the other side OF tho House, who holds
this TO be purely political proceeds
ing. It is intended for . remedy for
malfeasance in Office, and to prevent
the continuance thereof Beyond
that it is not intended - . personal
punishment for past ofisnses and for.
fsiture. For example, impeachmen.
under our Constitution is very differ.
ent from impeachment under the
English law. The trainers Of our
Constitution did not rely for safety
upon tho avenging dagger Of . Bru'
tus, but promised peaceful remedies
which should prevent that necessity
England had two systems Of jurispru
denceone for the trialand punishment
| Of common offenders, and one for the
! trial Of men in higher stations, whom
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

OHIcSSO, 1Hs', TcU ..
The first Annual Banquet Of tho
18th Illinois Cavalry took place at
tho Briggs House last eve.
VIM. Frazer started at $50 last
evening at West Side Rink, on wa
ger of 5000 to skate 100 miles in "a
consecutive hours.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Train, in his account of his arrest

Tram, IN hl6 account OF Dis arrest
and imprisonment at Cork, says:
"My cell 10 nine feet square, walls
two feet thick, lock one foot square,
key ten inches long-weighsa pound,
straw bed, no pillow, no mat on cold
stone floor, no candle allowed. Hence
from 8 p. IN, to .. M, fourteen hours
in dark. No clothes since arrested.
Body searched, but not examined to
see if / was = Hebrew"
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
TERMS,
COURIER JOB DEPARTMENT COMPLETE
with new
Types and PRESSES

PRINTING OF ALL KINDS,
From Visiting Card to Mammoth
Poster, executed in good style. Eastern
prices and work duplicated.
ORDERS SOLICITED.
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Chicago, Feb. %.

The Eighth annual commencement
Of the Hahaneman Medical College,
occurred last night. President Smith
delivered the annual address, which
was replied to today by Dr.. Clarke,
in behalf OF the gradua.irs, classes.
Twenty-four students received diplo-
mAs. ~ GIG e"
The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05

In the Steamer Magnolia suit, Mar
shall and Fitzpatrick, rs Thames In
surance Co. the deposition from Mr..
Strander, one Of the pilots Of the
Magnolia, was read to the effect that
Marshall had offered him, (Strander)
Eve thousand dollars to sink the
steamer. Strander's wife testified
that Fitzpatrick had offered her three
thousand if she would prevent her
husband from testifying in case the
suit creates much interest. "a
An organization is in progress here
composed of Democratic ex-ofacers
and soldiers Of the Union army,
which is designated TO counteract, %
much as possible, the influence Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic.