Middletown transcript., 1869-12-11
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

uurlng the last TWO and a half DAYS showed q
marked improvement of all the scholars in their
studies, and gave better satisfaction to the Teach
ers than on any other occasion of the kind.
The students who had pursued the study of Com
position during the term gave specimen of their
hrst productions in the form of a written dis
cussion last Friday, P. NJ. The question Re-
solved that Intemperance causes more misery
than War;" was well sustained upon both Sides
indeed so much SO that it was quite difficult for
the judges to decideit 1t was however decided
in favor of the affirmative. good deal of in
| terest was manifest during the entire examina-
tions. Quite a number of visitors were present.
In these reviews and examinations those students
who do not manifest sufficient proficiency in the
| studies they have pursued during the term are
required to make up their deficiency or go over
the same studies again. There have been two
spelling matches during the term. The victory
on the hrst occasion was awarded to Miss
Emma Merritt, and on the second to Miss Emma
| Jones. The following students have passed
through the entire term without receiving sin
| gle mark of indecorum Laura Beasten, Mollie
Backiston, Emma Merritt, Katie Wilson, Laura
Pennington, Mollie Fleming, Emma Price, Mary
Wood, Alice Wood Harry Evans, Willie PEN
ington, Clinton Walker and George Wilson.
| New Castle County Court closed three weeks
term on Saturday last. The Grand and Petit
Juries were discharged the previous day.
| VIM. H. Edwards having filed petition pray
| ing for divorce from his wife; number of
witnesses were examined, and q decree of di-
| vorce granted.
The petition of Rebecca Cummins praying for
o divorce from her husband, Alexander Cum
minis, was considered and number of witnesses
examined
| Joshua Jones and Lewis Carpenter two negro
men, were sentenced on Friday of last week. to
be hung on Friday the 4th of February, for the
| crime of rape, committed upon the person of
Mrs Mary Meredith, white woman, living near
| Hare's Corner in this county.
| James Dougherty, for bigamy, was fined at the
late term of New Castle County Court $2 900,
and to be imprisoned one year.
THE LATE BANK ROBBERY 1t is believed that
a clue has been discovered that will lead to a
recovery of the stolen bonds if not the capture
Of the burglars. Detective Taggart, of Phila-
delpha, was here on Tuesday, and expressed
his confidence in being able to recover the bonds.
On the morning of the robbery three suspicious
looking men presented themselves to the Cap
tain of a small shallop, at Delaware City, and
| offered him liberal fee to set them across the
river, but he refused. They then offered him
larger sum, but it did not suit his convenience TO
comply with their wishes, and they afterwards
went on board the Reybold. 1t is believed these
men wele the parties who perpetrated the robbery,
and were making their way towards Phiadel-
phia. A reward of $4,000 has been offered for
the recovery of the bonds, and 81, 500 for the
BURGLARS.
SINGULAR FRE.-A feather bed, and the bed
stead on which it lay, were consumed by fire. on
Wednesday night, in one of the chambers of the
residence of Joshua b. Fenimore, Esq of this
town. The fire was discovered between eight
and nine o'clock, before any of the family had
RETIRED and no one hand been in the room du-
ring the evening. They are therefore at loss to
account for the origin of the fire, unless it was
communicated from some matches kept under or
about the bed for the purpose of striking light
in the morning to note the time for rising It is
possible these matches may have been ignited by
the nibbling of mice, for we have known them
to be ignited in that way.
A negro man was fogged at the whipping
post, in New Castle, on Saturday week for an at
tempted outrage on little girl; two negro men
are shortly TO be hung at the same place, for
| brutal outrage on q white woman the mother of
twelve children and yet, another diabolical at
tempt at rape was made upon young white
girl by negro man in Wilmington, on Tuesday
night last, who was only prevented from accom-
plshing his purpose by her desperate struggles
and cries of murder, which caused him to take to
fight, lest he should be caught. The villain
choked her until she was almost insensible
The agent of the Home Mutual Life Insurance
Company of Brooklyn, New York, paid last
week, to Messrs F. T. Perry and Thomas Cav
ender, administrators of VIM. Vandegrift, de-
ceased, $40, 900, the amount of life insurance
policy held by the deceased at the time of his
death. The prompt payment of this policy
within sixty days after the death of the insured,
is good card for the company. The same COM
pany paid promptly to the heirs of Ephram
Beasten, deceased, year or two ago, similar
amount, upon policy held by the deceased.
Mr.. Edward P. Nipple, at Town Point, on
the Bohemia river, Cecil county, Nd. has q
vineyard of 20 acres of as fine Concord grapes as
can be seen anywhere in the United States. Mr..
Nipple says that the section of country watered
by the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, is es-
pecially adapted to the cultivation of the grape
which seems perfectly at home with u.s."
The beautiful residence of Hon. Hiram Nc
Culiough, at Bell HILL near Elkton, Cecil county
Md. was consumed by fire on Tuesday afternoon
Elkton and Wilmington. The fire is said to
have originated from a little black boy playing
with matches, up the kitchen stairs.
On Tuesday night last, coal oil lamp was
upset in the store of Mr.. Samuel W Roberts
. The oil ran out and the flames spread over the
floor but the fire was promptly extinguished
t Too much caution cannot be observed in the use
of this dangerous but useful article.
"Girls' is the subject of Miss Logans lecture
e on Thursday evening next, very interesting
: subject to the boys especially. She will arrive
on special train, not being able to reach her,
n house will greet her.
, buffalo robe was stolen from the carriage o.
Frank Eliason, son of Andrew Eliason, Esq. OF
Wednesday night last, while he was attending
the Presbyterian Church. in this town. The rob
5 has hole in the middle of it, and is marked will
n Mr. Eliason' S name, and may be readily identified
e The NJ. E. Sunday School, of this town, pur
pose having an exhibition on the 4th of Januar,
y next, in the auditorium of the Town Hail. Mu
sic, dialogues and recitatons, will constitute
portion Of the attractions for the evening.
SSow.-After nearly two days of rain, W
G were visited on Monday afternoon last, with
driving snow Storm which but for its meltn
somewhat as it fell, would have been four or fiv
. inches deep on level.
=, The steam saw mill and sash door and franz
. mandatory of Mr.. VIM. Huey, in this town, j
9 busily engaged in filling ORDERS and in gettin
i out material for new store which Mr.. Huey
r putting up at Galena, Kent county, Md.
EDUCATION IN MIDDLErowN.-There are II
: pupils in attendance at the different schools il
. this town, viz AT the Academy rs; at tn