davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
A Wide-Awake Editor.

An editor down South who had given
great offence to his neighbours by publish
ing in the famingo certain. structures on
tho manners and morals of the place was
recently mobbed Mt his Office. A horde OF
roughs, hired for the occasion. and headed
by two fcrociOus partisans who considered
themselves specially aggriescd, repaired
ono morning tO the Flamingo office.
Where's the c,litorr roared the first bravo,
brandishing his bowie knife. You'll find
him up stairs in his room, SIR. replied tho
printers devil. trembling from head to
foot. Up rushes tho first villain, and,
bursting into tho editors room. looks
round, and discovers ut last clerk In u
corner-who Is, in fact, the editor-in tho
act of emptying n. wastc.papcr basket.
Where's tho editor. you rascalT Hes
just gone out, sir. That's his chair; II
you will sit down I'll go and fetch him;'
and tho editor slides out Of the room, and
Is just going down stairs when he Is dis
covered by tho second bravo with six
barrclled revolver. where's the editor.
you rascalr shouts he. Hes In his room,
sir; you'll find him there, he's quito alone.
Then bravo two stalks into the editors
room, and seeing man seated in the edi.
torial chair, rushos mt him, and tho two
ruflians roll together on the floor In u
deadly encounter. Meanwhile. the real
editor of the paper stands outside the
door, quietly taking stock OF all that goes
on, AMI the evening edition contains a do
tailed account of tho mob, the deadly en-
counters of the ring-lcadcrs, and the hair
breadth escape of the editor.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
How a Woman Keeps a Secret.

II is IN old quip upon women that
they cannot keep secrets; but in fact they
are the only part of humanity that can.
A wife keeps husbands secret incom-
parably safer than he does hers. We
calculate that there is one drunken wife
To about four nuntlrcd and nincty-nnc
drunken husbands. In gambling, licen-
tiousncss, lying, cheating. hypocrisy covct-
business, there is pretty much the sanre
proportion. Yet of the four hundred and
nine;y-nine wives, four hundred conceal,
cover up, silently endure the terrible So
crct; while the one husband mourns over
his wifc's fiailty in tho study of his pas
tor, and to the ear Of his friend, and prob
ably complains Of her to u court of law.
1t Is the Same between brother and sister.
The secrets woman talks about aro Of
the kind that are unimportant and mostly
agreeable to hear. But of serious secrets
she is us reticent rs the grave. That Is
our observation, and in our various rcla-
tions Of physician, minister. and unor-
dained lawyer, we have had run for u
great deal of Observation-Disclosures
Church AdcOcdte.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
vic, NJ Dc.con Mo.a. sNAn, a,oa ,,,o

"HANNAH,
Wife OF Deacon Moses -, dlod lT79.
The executors Of Moses - will kept all tho
estate, and refused 10 pay tho expenses OF Mrs.
- funeral, even the scxton's blll.
This stone Is erected " her memory by her many
friends"
There is queer story connected with
this stone. 1t seems that many years ago
there lived In East Hartford two sisters,
ono of whom was well and hearty. and
the other an invalid; the former being
much courtcd, but stoutly refused to leave
her invalid sister to marry. Ono Of her
suitors, moro persistent than the others,
went to work to get the invalid out of the
way. and by considerable stratagem finally
induced Deacon Moses 10 court aud event
ually to marry her, which displGased his
family and friends considerably. Finally
the Deacon died, leaving somo property,
and soon after Mrs. -, his wife, fol-
lowed him to the grave; and the execu-
tors. who were members of the Deacon's
family, refused, rs tho stone says. to pay
her funeral expenses. When tho stone
was erected tho Deacon's friends piled
dirt about Il SO that the inscription could
not be road; but his wife's friends rallied
and scoopcd out hole in front of the stone,
and that hole remains to this day, the in
scription being easily read.
There are persons still living In East
Hartford who were acquainted with the
parties, and remember the whole Of the
proceedings, which caused considerable
excitement Mt the time. II Is somewhat
strange that Mrs, should have left
In her will ono-half of her property to her
on-in-law, who was one of the executors
of her husbands will.-Hargori Times.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
Cannibalism of Honor and Name,

III were to take you to my house, and
say that | had an exquisitely fit man,
and wish you to join mo In eating him,
your Indignation could bo rcstrained by
nothing. You would pronounce me to be
crazy. There Is not a man In New York
SO mean that he would not put down a
man who would propose to have q BAN
quet of from fellow man. And that Is
nothing hut feasting on The human body;
while they all will sit down and take n
mans soul and invite their ncighbors to
little tit-bits. They will take mans
honor and name, and broil them over the
Goals of their Indignation. You nll cat
men up, and you aro cannibals. every ono
of you-and worse. You eat tho souls,
tho finest elements of men. You arc more
than glad II you can whisper word that
Is dcrogatory to ncighbor or his wife. or
his daughter. And you make unfnvornble
impressions on tho mind Of tho person nd
dressed In respect to tho subject Of your
criticism. "Ahm he says, "Ihad not boon
informed ;"and hc goes to tho ncxt neigh
Dor, and SAYS, "Mr. SO-and-SO says this
and that about SO-and-so." And that
neighbor says. "Indecl!" and be runs to
his partner. and they both run to their
wives and the thing goes NIL over town.
Everybody becomes an unpaid devils
mail carrier, and goes here and there bear
ing Internal messages. And what Is the
result? It Is damnation to some poor
creature that Is unconscious, or that Is In.
nocent. or that If guilty ought to bc pitied
and succored, rather than condemned.
Bccchcr.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

A DrABoucAL CRIME.-Thc crime
charged against man named Lange, a
dealer In picturc-finmes In this city, Is
one that should give him u prc-emi1ence
In the criminal catalogue for diabolical
intent. IIc shipped box In April last
ON the New Orleans steamer, and secured
an Insurance. on 1t Of 81 $50, and tho box
proved to have been prepared with ex.
plosive and inilammable material. and
was only prevented from burning the
ship by the watchfnlncss and activity Of
tho captain. In the box were vessels of
alcohol, gasoline and turpentinc. and fire
was apparently to bc set 70 these by n
chemical that would explode with. friction.
The friction was provided for by mice
shut In q box. who, In gnawing their way
out, were to fire tho train that might have
destroyed the ship and all her company
Mt sen. Here then, II tho charge prove
true, Is man who deliberately contrivcs
that awful calamity. flru on a ship st sen,
oontrivcs tho possible frightful death Of
twenty or thirty persons, to secure tho
small prize Of sixteen hundred dollars
insurance moncy.-NaD York Herald.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
An Old Bachelors Conversion.

A literary gentleman, who had great dis
like for babies. was walking in the corridors OF
the Astor House, near the ladies' parlor, one
day last autumn, when woman elegantly
dressed, and Of most lady-like manners stepped
out with baby In her arms and requested the
gentleman to hold II moment while she went
up to her room for something. He accepted the
little burden with ayague missiying that II
would break In two, and carried the child some
what nervonsly for fully ten minutes. but the
mother didn't appear. Nor was the servant
able to find any one answering her description.
The celibatc philosopher felt as II he had drawn
hippopotamus in parlor rafle. and was COM
ple.cly at loss how TO dispose OF his incumbrancc.
lie concluded to advertise for the woman, and
IL she did not appear, to put the child In an as
ylum. lie took care Of Il that night, and was
touched In the softcst place In his heart by find
ing the arms Of the little creature aruund his
neck In the morning. The GENTLEMAN entrusted
1t to young lady. who offered to take care otto,
and for whom he had sentimental attachment.
lie visiei it every day, and at last, for the pur-
pose Of simplifying things, concluded to make
the baby's guardian his wifs--COr. CAiea9o
Republican,.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
The Southern Murder.

IL Is by no means probable that even n
tenth part of tho violence, outrage and
murder, of which union men. white or
black, are the victims ut tho South, Is ever
known ut the North. If information
should be rcceived of the butohery of any
man SO prominent that his murder cannot
well be concealed, the sympathlzers at the
north vie with their southern friends In
blackening the character of the dead In
hopes to turn aside tho Indignation which
the mean an cruel act created. We re-
Gently had occasion to chronicle the as
sassination of prominent republican In
Alabama. A Boston correspondent
writes from North Carolina, Of tho
horrid murder Of republican state sena-
tor. The writer says:
There lived in Caswcll County gen.
tleman named Stephens, who was strong
ly opposed to the rebellion. Finding 1t
impossible TO avoid conscription for the
Confederate army he crossed the lines,
and remained until the war nOminally
closed (it never closed In CaswelD. On
his return he joined the Republican party,
and was elected to the State Senate. He
was prosecuted bitterly for his Republican
principle, and his life threatened. Ho
was member Of u Christian church and
man of influence. Last Saturday he
LEFT his family to attend public Demo-
cratic meeting in tho Court House, saying,
he should return us soon rs the meeting
closed. Aboutfou o'clock r. NJ, q friend
CD said to him, Lets go down. They
went out together and did not return.
Night came, and his family, alarmed ut
his prolonged absence, sent in search Of
him. The Court House was partially cx-
amined. but no trace of tho missing man
was discovered. Imagine, If possible, the
suspense and anguish of the long hours
of that weary night. Hour AFTER hour
passed away, and still no tidings of the
husband and father. In the morning, q
man looked through window of ono Of
the rooms Of the Court House and saw
the body Of man on the floor. Tho key
was not 10 be found, but an entrance was
forced, and on the floor lay tho body of
Senator Stephens.
A rope encircled tho mock. tho throat
was cut, and the body stabbed In three
places. This Is not the first, and fear
not tho last, of long. long list Of such
bloody crimes; we hear of such nearly cv-
cry day, aud we do not hear tho half.
They are constantly increasing. Let me
ask: Is any State that cannot prevent
such atrocities, that cannot suppress tho
organized band which plans and executes
such heart rending vioaltions ofthe public
peace, is any such State properly recon.
structed? If military government was
ever cmpcratively required is It not now,
when civil government has proved incf-
fcctualpn
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

TIE nuILDEis OF TIE ARK.-It is an
appalling reflection that of nll the persons
employed In the construction Of tho Ark.
which was tn bc q surc refuge for Noah
and his family. no one but himself enter
ed that ark. For one hundred and TWEEN.
ty years thoy worked away upon tho
structure, careless and unmindfnl. laugh.
Ing and jesting, wholly rcgartllcss Of
righteous Noah's solemn appeals, warn-
ing and counsel; and 80, when the ter.
riblo ordeal came they had no part or en-
trance into the ark of refuge which their
own hands had fashioned. but were buried
beneath the waters everlasting monu-
inents of Gods wrath and displcasurc.
And Is 1t not so nowp Aro there not
many who, with generous deeds and
useful hands arc speeding on tho cause
of Christ. assisting In tho great Ark Of
salvation, whose own hearts have never
been touched, and who In the last day
will have no entrance or place In tho
kingdom OF hcavcn?-Am. Messenger.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
From tho London Press.
The Death of Charles Dickens.

Charles Dickens, the great novelist, Is
dead. lilo was entertaining party nj
dinner ut his residence at Gals Hill, on
Wednesday, when Miss lIognrth, who
was seated near him observed cvidcn,
signs of distress upon his countcnancc.
She then made tho remark that he
must be iii. To this Mr.. Dickens rcpli-
cd, "Oh, no; have only got q headache.
| shall be better presently" Almost i'm.
ncdiatcly he became unconscious and
foil back in his chair, inscnsiblc. He
was Immediately conveyed to his room,
and medical attendance summoned, but
Mr.. Dickens still remained unconscious
and never recovered animation. The
physicians, alarmed at his condition, nj
o'clock examined him to detect signs
of breathing, but the last ilickoring spark
of life had expired. and shortly aftcr q
o'clock the great novelist was pronounced
dead having given no signs of life and
remaining almost utterly insensiblc until
the hour of his death. His son and
daughter remained steadfilstly mt his bel
side until his deccase. Mr., Dickens had
been i'll for several days, but not serious
ly. He had visited Rochester and other
points during the present week, and had
several times of late complained that hc
experienced considerable difficulty In
working because his powers of appli-
cation were becoming impotent. lie al
so said that his thoughts no longer came
spontaneously, rs in former times. While
Mt Preston he had need of medical aid,
and called upon u physician. who warned
him not to continue reading, rs he was
doing so at the peril of his life. Mr..
Dickens was apparently in good health
on "Wednesday. when he wrote several
pages of his novel, edwin Drood.'
The suldcnncss of the blow intensiiic,
the aflliction of his friends. Unusual
demonstrations Of public grief arc made
In London and other places.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN NORTH C,noLISA.-A
dispatch dated Raleigh, N. C., May 81, says:
"Ata point about twenty-five miles west .oI
Fayetteville, In Cumberland county. N. g., on
Wednesday. Neil Mcleod, prominent citizen,
was murdered In his own house by four dis
guised despcradocs. His brother, David Mcleod.
o leading citizens, but old and in6rm, was alo
shot down, and lived ouly few hours. John
Mcleod, son Of Neil, who was out ut work on q
farm, hearing the noise. went to the house
where his i.iher and uncle hsd been murdered.
He got gun and attempted to defend the prem
ises, but II failed to 60 Of. The murierers
thereupon shot him down. putting thirty buck
shot In his body. He Is not dead, and there 10
some hope Of his recovery. The daughter Of
Neil ran up stairs 10 get pistol for her brother.
and on her return with II was shot and badly
wounded. Another daughter, al'o grown. man
aged 70 escape by way of the yard to . neigh
bor's house without being hunt. and she gave
the alarm. Old Mrs. McLcod. their mother,
Was shot In the arm, and badly II not fatally
hurt. Tho wounded daughter. In addition to
being shot, was gashel about tho bead with .
bowie knife. These we're tho only persons on
the plantation at the time Of the butchcry.
The murderers, after accomplishing. their
bloody work. robbed the house, taking 500, Q
quantity Of clothing. provisions. jewelry and
yaiusbls. The old men were buried last Friday,
There have been no arrests as jet, though sus-
picion rests on certain dsperadoes In tho neigh
borhood. The indignation Of the people knows
no bounds, and the murlcrep, II captured and
identified, would 30 lynchci. The Mcleods
were pcaccable men, and not thought 70 have
IN enemy In the world"
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

The Cruel Banditti Stories about brig
ands, are the sensation Of tho day. The
latest comes from Chilli, where 0np Lago.
boron. n notorious brigand chief, was Sc
closely pursued by n body Of troops, re-
Gently, that he was compelled to desert his
band Of brother cut-throats, who had bccn
tho terror of tho whole country round,
and take refuge In cavern situated near
the summit OF ono of the LOFTY Mountains
of the Sierra Profinda. In this cavern
he had concealed u female captive, whose
husband he hal robbed and slain. The
soldiers made several Intellectual attempts
to reach the abode OF the cu!prit. La.
golcron, n man of gigantic stst"rc and
hercrlean strength, siccccticsl In beating
them of by rolling heavy rocks down
upon them whenever they approached.
The officer In command Of the troops rc-
solved mt first tn st,rve the bandit out, hut
aflcr two days blockalc, grew wenry'of
no tedious an expc,licnf, inipr0vised Rn
escalaale of tho chieitain's stronghold. and
succeeded In capturing him. To their
horrrr upon entering the cavern they
found tho poor woman In dying con,li-
ton. Lagoberon having cut or ono of tho
breasts of his unfortunate captive, and
eaten Il. Tho inhuman butcher was con.
veycd to Talca. where he was promptly
tried and condemned TO dic by the gar.
rote. He was speedily conducted to the
scaiTold, and while the exccutioncr was
engaged In adjusting his dress Of death,
the convict drew whistle which hes had
concealed In his pocket, and blew II sharp
ly; whcrcupon about sixty Of bis follow.
crs, who had iniSDdncei Themselves.
amongst the crowd surrounding The scaf-
fold. rushed upon tho gcud.r'nes and mas
sacred thom cru they could oder any ro-
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
Tight Boots.
BY JOSH KILLINGS.

would list like tsw kno who the man
waz who fust invented tito boots.
Ho must hav bin u narrow and kontrak-
ted kuss.
II he still lives, hope hc haz rcpcntcd
ov hiz sin. or IL enjoying great agony ov
sun, kind.
haz bin In CRATE n,eny tight spots In
mi life. but generally could manage to
make them average; but thare liz no sich
thing NJ making pair Of tite boots aver
ago.
kYu kant git an average on the pinch ov
tito boot. emmy more than yu kan on tho
bite ov lobster.
Emmy man who kan wear pair OF tito
boots. and bc humble. and penitent, and
not indulge In prof.no literature. will
make good husband.
He will do moro than that. he will do TO
divide up into several fnst klass husbands.
and be made 10 answer for whole nnbcr-
hood.
Oh! for the pen ov departed VIM. Shaks-
pearc, TO write an anathema against lite
boots that would make anshunt Rome wake
up, and howl ngin az she did once before
on previous Ocktshun.
Oh! for the strength ov Herkulcs, to tarc
into shu strings all the lite boots ov crca-
shun and skater them TO the 8 winds OF
heaven.
Oh! for the buty ov Venus, to make n
bigg foot look hansum without tite boot
on 1t.
Oh! for .hc payshuncc ov job, tho Apos.
tic, to nuss tite boot and bless 1t, and
even pra for one size smaller and moro
pinchfnl.
Oh! for pair of boots bigg enough for
the foot ov mountain.
have been led into the above assort-
mcnt of 0h's! from having In my possession
mt this mnmcnt. pair ov number nine
boots, with pair ov number eleven feet
in them.
MI feet are rs uneasy rs dogs nozc
the filst timc he wears u muzzle.
think mi feet will eventually choke
tho boots to dcth.
/ liv in hopes they will.
Isupposcd had lived loug cnuff not to
be phoolcd again In this way, but | have
found out that m ounce ov vanity weighs
more than u pound ov reason, especially
when man mistakes bigg foot for n
small ono.
Avoid tite boots. mi friend, rs You
would the grip ov tho devil; for nenny u
man haz caught for life fust rate habit
for swarcing bi encouraging his feet to
hurt hiz boots.
I hnv promised mi two feet, Mt least
dozen ov times during my chcckured life,
that they never should be strnngled agin,
but I find them to-day az full Oy pain NJ
the stummuk ako from u sudden attack ov
tite boots.
But this liz solcmnly tho last pair ov tito
boots will ever wear; will hereafter
wear boots NJ big M mi fcot, II havo to
90 barefoot to do 1t. .......
am too old and too respectable to DO
q lhool emmy more. 49,
Easy boots IL ono of the luxurys ov life,
hut forgit what the other luxury liz, but
don't kno NJ care. provided kan git
rid ov this pair Ov tito boots.
Emmy man ken hav them for seven dol
lars Just half what they cost, and If thcyI
don't make hls feet ake wus than IN nng-
le worm in hot ashes, he needn't pay for
them.
Tito boots are m insult to emmy mans
understanding.
Hc who wears tito boots will havo To
acknowledge the corn.
Tito BOOTS have no bowels or mersey,
their insides are wrath, and promiskious
Cussing.
Beware ov tight boots.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

A correspondent who has boon TO 500
Beechcr at Plymouth Church. says no
cannot .'disclaim tho advantages he de :
rivcs from his pocket handkerchief. Ho
has no beard TO stroke. no monstachc TO
carcss, and he has not contracted tho
Congressional habit Of thrusting his
hands In his own pockets-or other poo
ple's-nor of sliding them down In his
bosom, nor hanging his thumbs from tho
nrmholcs Of his jacket. But facile, def
and sympathetic ms aro his GESTURES, his
eloquent hand-talks, there arc times, when
the text demands no gcsticulation, and
then comes In the full power Of the hand
kerchicf. Automatically tho busy fingers
roll up q corner. measure the hem, ting at
tho texture, and tho next moment tho
hand swallow the whole square Of CAM.
brio in one energetic clinching gesture.
II Is transferred from one hand to tho 9th.
or; Is carcsscd, crushed. unfurlcd, and
may safely be called tho banner Of Ply
mouth pulpit"
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17
a QUESTION.

As Annie was carrying the the baby one day,
TOsslng-alOft the lump of insnity,
Doar to It's father and mother no doubt
To tho rest of the world q mere lump of hu
maaity-
San came aiosg. and thinking then, maybe.
Full mach IL Annie ~ she OF the baby.
"Just look at the baby" cried Ann, In nutter,
Giving Its locks round her finger twirls
"If were a man know thai conldn't
lie keeping my hands or dear little girl"
Aud Sam gave a wink a. if to say "maybc
Of the girls I'D rsthes hug you than the bshy"'
snow kiss it," she eried still hugging II closer,
'lt mouths like the rvscs the honey bee sips"
Sam stopped to obey, and as heads came together
There chaneed tO arise a coninsOu OF lips
And a. Il occurred, Il might have been, maybe,
That each got Hiss, sam, Ann, and tho baby
It's har,l 10 tell Just what then was tho matter,
For the babe WAS the only one innocent there's
And Annie lushe,l up like iull-blown Peony,
And Samuel turned rel to the roots Of his hairs
~ tho question Is this-yOu can answer it-msy be
Did Annie kiss sam, OF did both kiss the babyi
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-17

ADVICE TO PARESTs.-A letter from q
druggist calls attention TO tho enormous
sale Of preparation known as soothing
syrup" nn analysis Of which Is alleged TO
detect large percentage OF morphine,
and from which several cascs of narcotic
poisoning have bccn reported In. medical
periodicals of high authority. Il Il aver.
red that not only arc childrcd proper
tionately less tolerant than adults of tho
action Of opiatcs, but that In them tho
operation Of tho drugs Is exceedingly ca
PRECIOUS and uncertain, and hence mcdi-
cal writer's are unanimous In imprcssing
tho utmost caution In their administra-
tion to tho yonng. Hoffman states that
opiates arc dangerous to children, not on
ly In their immediate effects, but rs lead
ing. In some instances, 10 "permanent
mental imbccility and loss Of muscular
power" and warns againsts tho popular
custom Of giving anodynes for slight at
tacks Of collie or other pain.