Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-12

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&as- Is published regularly on TUESDAY Us,
THURSDAYS and SATURDAYS, at Sc per
annum-psysble in advance .6:, @
STANDING TREAT.-lFrom the Chicapo
fost.. mo American custom causes more gen.
ulne surprise and amusement among travelling
foreigners than that which is known In our
saloons as treating consisting in the enter
tainment of two or more with refreshments for
which one volunteers to pay. 9It Isl q pure
Americanism; all over the Republic it is as
common as in Europe it is unknown. There
ls probably no minute of any day in the year
when two or three hundred citizens of Chicago
are not guzzing something stronger than water
ut somebody elses expense. ...f 80:
The casual meeting of two men who have
ever exchanged word together is signal for
both instantly to exclaim, "Come, let's have
something u and for both to dive down into
the nearest subterranean cavity below tho
sidewalk. The one who spoke first usually in
sistsupon paying the shot''-the word "shot''
being metaphorical reference to the deadly
character Of the contents usually taken into
tho stomach. Ii two old friends meet, the
regular thing to say first is, Lets drink to
old times;" and the resident must invariably
treat the stranger. 1t man be we'll ao-
quainted, it is considered the princely thing to
seize upon all his acquaintances as often as pos.
sible; take them to saloon, and give them a
complicated stand up drink at the bar.
1t there is anything absurder than this habit
We are unable to put our finger on it. Men
do not always ''treat' one another to car tick
cts because they happen to meet on the same
seat. We never saw man take out his pock.
et-booE on encountering an acquaintance, and
say, "Ah, George Delighted to see you Do
take few postage stamps It's my treatl"
Do men have mania for paying each others
board bills? And is drinking together more
social. than eating together or sleeping to-
gether? l---f
A traveller may 60 all over the continents of
Europe, OF Asia and of Africa, without seeing
any man, except Yankee, offer to treat"
and the Frenchmen are quite social enough,
but when they turn iato cafe to sip their wine
or branded coffee together, each man pays for
his OVID. When two Germans, long separated,
meet, they will be very likely to embrace, and
then to turn into an ad acent beer cellar, BIT
down and drink lager and eat pretzels and chat,
but when they part again, each man settles bis
own score Independently. So in Italy. u The
Italians are proverbially merry and generous,
but each man pays for his own wine, maccaro-
nj and cigars. They never 20 into each h-other's
pocket book in the sacred name OF friendship.
IL
each other their washerwoman's bills. -.
The preposterous fashion of treating is
responsible for the terrible drunkenness 10
America. There would be as little need of tenn.
perance societies and little work for the Good
Templars as there is in Germany, France and
Italy, if this pernicious and insdious habit was
abolished. 1t is, take it all in all, the most
ridiculous, the most unreasonable, and the most
pestilent custom that ever laid its tyranical
hand on civilized human beings. ~
A HORRIBLE SToRY.-John Hanon is now
on trial in philadelphia for the abuse and muir
der. on the 9Th Of September, 1868, OF q little
child about six years old named Mary Mohr-
sion, was involved in impenetrable mystery,
and created great excitement Until a few
months ago there seemed to 30 DO probability
offnding any evidence sufficient to fix o rea-
sonable suspicion upon any person, though
several men were arrested and DISCHARGED soon
after the discovery OF the murder The cir
cumstances were as follows -. ~zZ
Mary Mohrman was missed by her mother,
o widow on Sunday evening, September o..
1868. After inquiring among the neil ghbors
until late hour, she gave notice OF the lost
child at a Police Station. On Monday night
or Tuesday morning following Mary s-body
was found in a sunken city lot, in shallow wa.
ter 1t bore evidence OF an outrage, and had
evidently been thrown where it was found by a
person who had murdered the child. 1t was
shown 10 Court that man had met the little
girl, while with some companions, and had
asked her to 20 with him to show him the cor
ner OF Fifth and Daupbin streets. He took
her hand, and was last seen walking away with
her be was apparently traced some distance
by various witnesses who had seen the couple,
but there was some disagreement in the de-
scription OF the man and bis costume, and the
evidence was not sufficiently definite to identi-
fy any one The excitement continued some
weeks, but gradually died out, and all hope of
discovering thu criminal was given up.
Several months ago the detectives, who seem
to have kept the case in mind since 1868, dis
covered what they thought was clue to the
mystery. John Hanlon was a barber, who
lived near where Mary Mohrman's mother
resided. The latter was acquainted with him
and his family. Hanlon was sent to the Moy-
amensing Prison on sentence of five years for
crime, and was placed 10 cell with another
convict, Michael Dunn, December 80, 1868.
During his confinement with Dunn, Hanlon
oonfded to him, according to Dunn's sworn
statement. the TACT that he was the murderer
of Mary Mohrman, together with the particu-
lars of the tragedy. ..-.-,......,
It is upon this story Of Dunn's that the pre-.
sent trial is chiefly founded, together with such
corrotorating testimony of others as can be
brought to bear upon the case. The friends
of Hsplon are trying to prove an allbl. The
story of the murder, as sworn to by the convict.
Dunn, being ostensibly Hanlon's private con.