, 1869-02-26
Printer Gomez 10 Ghec

A coroner inquest mas been neld upon
the remains Of James w. Laird, killed at
Napierville, puPage county, BY Ohauncey
Bailey, on suspicion Of criminal Intercourse
with bis (Baaey's) wife From the testi.
mouy given at the inquest il sppesrs that
ChAuBOey Bailey, the injured husband, re-
sided in the western suburbs Of Nspiervills /;
that some three months ago one James L.
Laird, young and not bad looking man,
and fotnefly q resident Of the village, return,
ed from The somewhat fast town Of Cbeyen-
ne, when be had held the position Of Sheriff
of the county in which Cheye1ns Is located,
as also the position Of Deputy United States
Marshal for the district. Besides this, Laird
was formerly a proprietor Of the Virginia
City (Nevada) Union, and at a3other time
he worked as a printer in San Francisco.
IJuring the three months since his return al
improper intimacy grew up between the ex-
Sheriff and the wife of Bailey-an intimacy
which although perfectly evident to the
community at large, was not known to Bailey
till quite recently. At last a friend of the
injured husband told him Of the disgrabeful
rumors Bailey very properly commenced
to investigate as to the facts in the case. So
accordingly he Immediately started of to
Elsin-that is, to speak more accurately,
be told his wife that he so intended This
departure for Elgin, Mrs Bailey was informs
ed, would take place Wednesday morning
But this part of the programme was not car
ried out. During the day the ex-SheTif
received note, written in a feminine hand,
conveying the information that Bailey had
left town for that day Accordingly Laird
proceeded to the house Of the woman about
9 O'Clock in the evening A gentle rap at
the door, and Mrs. Bailey admitted him.
appeared Oh the grouni-gaziug at the
guilty pair through hole which he had cut
out in the window curtain the previous even
ing. His wife and Laird at the time were
sitting together on lounge 10 the sitting
room, but soon went into an adjoining bed
room. Waiting but few minutes, Bailey
burst In the door, aud, dashing into the
bedroom, caught his wife and her psramour
fagrdnte delictO Laird attempted to escape
but the outraged husband drew a revolver,
aud, before the libertine reached the door,
shot him in the breast Immediately over the
heart. Five shots were fred in all, only one
of which took effect. Laird succeeded in
reaching the open air, ran q few rods, and
fell corpse. Bailey Immediately gave
himself up, but the authorities did not iDcar-
cerate him, allowing him to sleep where he
desired to in the village. The cause Of the
above tragedy or one of its causes Mrs.
Bailey) is a tOlerably handsome woman,
about twsntyNeight years of age. She CON-.
menced her career of free love BY clipping
with UuiverSalist clergyman. This, first
departure from virtuous womsn-hoOd was,
however, hushed up, the srriug woman
apparently becoming repentaut. The cit,
izenS fully justify the homicide.
OK THE Down GRADR.-The Washington
correspondent Of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
thus reviews in brief the degeneracy which
now marki the Senate of the United States
Compare The Senate of ten years ago with the
Senate oftoday, and the difference is very
great indeed date the comparison ten years
further back and there ceases to be any re.
semblancs, except in nsme. A fit inscription
for the eurance door of the chamber of 1868
was written long ago to express the decay of
virtue aud greatness 10 the representative OF
one of Rome's great men iiStat nld9Rt
ROmiais unbrd'-it stands the shadow of
mighty name. There is extant an engraving
entitled the United States Senate in 1850,
which tells the whole story when viewed ia
the light of to-day. 1t represents Henry
Clay in the delivery of one of those powerful
speeches which always commanded the at
teution OF the floor and the wrapt admiration
of the galleries. His associates are gathered
about hin as if to catch every word that
falls from his lips. 1t is easy to recognise
Calhoun, Webster, Benton aud Douglass in
in the group. They are all gone, now. and
who baVs taken their places For Calhoun
we have q carpet>bagger, around whose
name there is said to be halo unenviable
to honest men, and not unoonnected with
sherifs, penitentiaries and the like. For the
grandeur and dignity of Webster we have
The classic idiocy of Sumner, or the inelegaut
inanity of Wilson; for the culture aud
craftsmanship of Benton we have the bore
Gus and souorous emptiness OF Drake; and
for Douglass, the bold champion of popular
rights, we have Yates in constant vibration
between temperance and tremens. These
are but few specimens which the attempt
at comparison forces into my mind as l
write this hasty letter. Were to turn over
the pages Of some old Congressional dirsc-
tory, might easily extend it to every State
10 the Union, as represented twenty years
ago, and now in the Senate of the United
States. There are exceptions, of course, but
scarcely enough to prove the rule-whieh is
the inebriate brawl Of Chandler or, the gilt
edged imbeeility of Sprague
you have lost some Ofyour friends, l see,
said traveller to negro whom he had met
on the road. yes, msssa.' WAS it near
or distant relative ? We'll, purity distant
about twenty-four miles, was the reply.
THE remarkable proposition is made TO
cut up the lava lately thrown cut BY Nesu'
vius. sell 1t for Paving-stOnea, and nse the
proceeds for the bene6tOf the sufferers by the