The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-18

A case IS row before the New York courts
which shows how some of our best people
make mistakes in bestowlng their charities
The relatives of deceased man are trying to
break the will-all the property having been
bequeathed for foreign missionary purposes
The relatives are all poor and reput; Bile peo-
pie. This is mistaken charity. The rays of
charity, like those of the sun, should be con-
centrated to become powerful. Our bounty
is like circle in the Waterloo apt to be-
come invisible when too widely difflsed. A
dollar bestowed on poor creature around
the corner will produce more palpable good
than $500 in flannel waistcoats for the heath
en- of Africa. fa person wishes to do good,
he need not leave the square he lives on.
A singular affair took place in Schenectady
few days ago. As cat story it goes ahead
OF anything of the kind we have heard. The
father of family just before retiring late at
night heard groans in the room occupied by
his daughter, girl twelve years of age. Up
on going to the room he found cat upon the
breast of the child with its fore legs around
the child's neck and its mouth in the child's
mouth. The child had evidently been asleep,
| and when found was so much exhausted by
her breath having been obstructed that she
had not strength enough to force the cat
away. We have heard of cats causing the
death of infants in this way, but never before
heard of such an incident in connection with
girl twelve years of age. The facts were re-.
ported by the father himself. The girl has
since been troubled in breathing.
A curious and painful scene was witnessed
at the burning of mill on Battle Island, near
Oswese, few days ago. The mill was the
home OF great focks of swallows and pigeons.
While the flames were raging, the birds would
| circle. above them in floeks, and then dash in
| to them in body. Hundreds of them were
found dead on the ground after the fire. In
explanation of this singular fatality, it is sug-
gested that birds were attracted by the light,
and also that they had nests in the mill filled
with young ones, which they sought to de-
fend.
Mr.. Coffin, for more than twenty seven years
employed in the New Bedford Savings Bank
but recently resigned ON account of irregular
titles" has been defaulter from the very first
year of his employment. The first year he
distracted 500 which he intended to replace,
but instead of doing so his stealings have in
creased gradually. until his defalcation to the
bank is estimated to be $4,000. And not
only has the bank been robbed, but the Stan.
dard reports at least two cases where ladies
have placed in his hands bends and other Sc
curities for investment, which be approprie-
ted to his own use, and they lose the whole,
The amount in one case was $1,000, and in
another $4,000 Or more. One gentlemen
loaned him $500, and on going to see about it
could get no satisfaction as to what YVES done
with the money. Mr.. Coffin has failed totally
to give any satisfactory account of what has
been done with the money he has from time
to time taken. Apparently he was not per-
sonally cxtravOgant, nor e.ltravagant in his
family expenses, at least not sufficiently so to
warrant anything like such expenditure. Nor
| ally he stood as fair as most citizens He was
an early friend of the anti-slavery cause, a
friend of temperance and good o.G ar, and Of
educational and benevolent objects OF every
kind. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
but getting an intimalion of it. Coffin has dis.
appeared,