davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
Mutnating the Currency 4.

A SPICY LETTER FROM GEN SPINNER.
Gen. Spinner has addressed the fol-
lowing letter TO the cashier of a New
England bank
TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August Z
Sir: Your letter of the LIST inst. was
received, yesterday, by the Adams ex-
press company. There came enclosed,
as therein stated, two United States le-
gal tender notes, one of the denomina-
ton of $500 and the other 500. Both
of these notes are entirely new, having
never been folded, and are perfectly
clean, being without spot or spec. For
some bad purpose, probably fraudulent
one, with a view to raising other United
States notes of smaller denomination Ia
the value of these, more than one-tenth
of each has been scissored out with a
clean cut. Under the old regulations Of
the treasury department that existed fol
more than ten years, these notes could
have been redeemed for but nine-tenths
of their face value; sixty dollars would
under the old rules, have been deducted
for the mutilations. These rules, unfor.
tunately for the government, have been
lately modified, so that this penalty can
not be enforced. Under this more than
generous modification, you claim to have
returned to you'new United States notes
of like denominations under the govern
ment contract, at the expense of the
United States. The charge of the gov
eminent by the express company fol
their transportation both ways would BE-
S1.2O. For the dog-days, ! consider thi
request decidedly cool. First, you, o.
your client, willfully mutilates clean
new notes, and then you ask the govern
ment not only to replace them with 9th
err new, unmutilated notes, to be in thei
turn, for aught l know, mutilated anC
returned with like request tor othe
new notes, but to pay the expense ant
run the risk of transportation both ways
This, to my mind, is piling it on prett,
steep. You not only burn with a no
iron, but you ask the burned one 70
heating the poker! If you will turn t
the 18th section of the national banking
law, you will find that, if any persol
had treated two of your bank notes il
the way these two United States note
have been, you could recover by action
in any court having jurisdiction, $50 70
each of the mutilations. Now, what i
sauce for the goose is sauce for the gan
der. Ought not the perpetrators Of thes
mutilations to be made to respond il
like manner? Under the circumstance
it has been concluded that the notes shall
be retained at any rate until the piece
that were cut out of them shall be re
turned to this Office, and until the appa
rent fraud or malicious mutilation shall
have been satisfactorily explained to III
department.
Very respectfully yours,
F. E. SPINNER.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
Masonry.
CoRNToN, WINpHAM Co., VI. !
August 8, 1878.

August y, 1878.
Mr.. EDITOR: May troubleyou with
a few extracts from the master mason's
oath, as follows;
Furthermore do | promise and swear,
that will not give the grand hailing
sign of distress except | am in real dis
tress, or for the benefit of the craft when
at work and should l ever see that sign
given, or the word accompanying it, and
the person who gave it appearing to be
in distress, will fly to his relief, at the
risk Of my life, should there be great
err probability of saving his life then OF
losing my own"
Furthermore, do | promise and swear
that l will obey all regular signs, sum-
mons or tokens, given, handed, sent, or
thrown, to me from the hand of a broth.
err master mason, or from the body of a
Just and lawfully constituted lodge Of
such provided it be within the length Of
my cable-tow.''
Now, dear sir, is it unreasonable for
those who are not masons, to ask that
those who are masons should be exclud'
ed from jury, where one of the parties
to the suit, is a mason?
1t is well known in the country q
this time that masons are bound by oatl
under a horrid penalty to extricat'
brother masons from difficulty " wheth
er they be right or wrong" Many o
the newspapers represented that the pc
titioners asked that masons be excluded
entirely from the jury box, which wa
not the truth. 1t certainly is true tina
man who is not mason has no equa
chance for justice when the other part,
is mason and even one of the jury l.
mason that one, alone, can defeat
just verdict, and be is bound by his oatl
to do it, if it would be against his broth
er mason. Yours,
WARREN PARKER.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
Great Fire in Portland.
Loss OF LIFE AND 100000

Loss OF LIFE AND 100000.
Another great fire occurred at Port
land, Maine on Saturday afternoon Of
last week. 1t started on Galt's wharf
and besides six lives lost several large
warehouses and elevators, three steamers
were burned, making total loss Of
100000. The origin of the fire is not
known but seems to have started in a
steamer shed, either from a match OF
spontaneous combustion. The saddest
feature is the loss of life. Five are al.
ready known to be drogned-the color.
ed stewardess of the Dirigo and her lii.
tie girl, the assistant engineer Frank
Taylor, stevedore named Matteson,
and an Irish girl named Nellie MeCar.
thy, all of whom leaped from the Diri.
go into the dock. and could not be res.
cued. Several others jumped into the
water and were picked up.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
Tragic Affair in Iowa.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 9.-On Tuesday
morning last, Thomas Woodson, neph-
ew Of Gov. Woodson of this State, shot
and killed William Barlow, in corn
field near Percival Station, Iowa, on st.
Joseph and Council Bluff Railroad. 1t
appears that Barlow, who resided near
Wyoming, Nebraska, left home on Mon
day with the avowed purpose of killing
Woodson. Arriving at Percival, Bar
low stated his intentions, and his friends
endeavored to persuade him to return
home, but he would not and after re-
naming in town all that day and night,
he started the next morning for Wood.
sons farm. In the meantime, Woodson
heard of Barlow's intention, and, arm.
ing himself, took position in a corn
field, and when Barlow approached he
shot and killed him. He then fed tc
Nebraska, but returned on Thursday
and surrendered to officers of the law
and was placed in Jail at Sidney. Il
was reported that mob had arrived al
Sidney for the purpose of avenging
Woodson, and the Jail was guarded tc
resist an attack, but at last accounts nc
demonstrations had taken place.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
WARREN PARKER.

A PECULIARLY SAD CAsE.-Miss
Margaret Van Allen, beautiful girl
nineteen years of age, was buried in
New York recently. Two years ago she
became clerk in the dry goods estab-
lishment OF Mucovitz & RUSSELL Uni
versity place, from which she honorably
retired to accept better position. Soon
after it was ascertained that goods had
been bought of A. T. Stewart q Co., on
a forged order of Muscovitz 81 Russell.
After the firm had arrested several girls
and had been unable to prove anything
against them, they caused Miss Van Al
len to be arrested. They placed her in
cell in the Charles street police sta
ton and kept her locked up until the
next morning. Miss Van Allen was
then taken to the Jefferson Market po-
lice court, where she endured for nearly
three hours the horrors of the prisoner
pen and the society Of the vilest of the
city :; but as there was not shadow Of
proof against her Justice Cox released
her on her own recogrizance. She went
home and was taken down that day with
Jail fever of which she died. Her death
causes intense excitement throughout
the city. In the funeral sermon tht
the Rev. Mr.. Rhodes pronounced hel
death sheer murder.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

Our brethren of the Vermont Re-
publican press persist in "trotting out"
candidate after candidate for the guber-
Material nomination, although the cleo
ton does not take place until Septem-
Der, 1874. As certain individuals are
so, from time to time, presented, we can
not forbear saying of some of them, in
dividually, as an Ohio editor did of a
proposed candidate for Governor, in
that State. If they are determined to
offer up victim, let them by all means
give us him. He is lovely in life, but as
a political corpse he would be surpass-
ingly beautiful; and then, he would die
so easily" We leave it for the friend;
of several-not all-of the candidates
mentioned to make the personal appli
cation.-Rutldnd Globe.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
The Asylum for Insane.


We regarded the report of the legis-
lative committee, on the Asylum, quite
as strong as any known facts would bear,
and on some points little stronger,
yet as a whole, as stated at the time Of
its publication, we thought it about the
right thing to produce proper watch
fulness on the part of the people and
the trustees of the institution but some
of the papers of this State and out of
it have seized upon the report and adj
ded the statements of some irresponsi-
BILE and unreliable ex-patients, and have
thereby produced and shown a state of
horror almost unparalleled this side of
the Spanish Inquisition.
Now to those who heard any of the
testimony as given at Montpelier, it will
appear at once that the committee plac-
ed no reliance upon many of the state
ments there made by several ex-patients,
as indeed no sane man could. On the
points wherein they appear to have re-
ceived in full their statements, we pre-
sumo they had other corroborative evil
dence as otherwise it might be asked why
they should believe part of their sto-
ries and reject others.
If the statements made by some
of the patients referred to acre true,
then the committee entirely failed to
do their duty, for those statements re-
tailed state of things that would make
the Asylum for Insane at Brattleboro
rank among the first class horrors of the
world, in which case committee, a
newspaper or people would be heart
less indeed did they not demand instant
prosecution of those who had committed
such atrocious crimes.
The quality and extent Of the alleged
horrors depend entirely upon whether
the Statements made by the patients are
true or false. They testified to the very
poor quality of the food, but the com
mittee dispose of this point in three lines
is statement exactly opposite, that il
was sufficient in quantity and quality
"and properly served The same wit
nesses testified that two patients were
brought from Canada and deliberately
murdered within three days. The com
mittee made no mention of this and We
believe there was no other evidence tina
any such patients were ever received a
the institution. and we take it they die
not believe that any such affair evel
happened. One of the same witnesses
also testified with his peculiar nod o
the head and wave of the hand, that h
was at one time called upon by DR.
Rockwell to conduct religious service
in the chapel, and said he" Permi
me to say, although | say it myself
that on this occasion / made the ables
prayer that was ever made in that chap
ell" We quote this simply to show tn
sanity, state Of mind and consequent re
liability Of the witness.
The great horrors published abroa
are founded almost wholly upon th
statements of persons of disordere
mind, testimony that cannot stand th
test Of reason, and not received even b
the committee. Nor is it surprising tht
lunatics should give such testimony {
themselves sincerely believe that sue
horrors have occurred, but it is strane
that any sane person should on their al
thority only, proclaim as facts the ute
ings of the unfortunate class who hay
lost their reason.
-
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

While an old hen and chickens
were scratching vigorously on a pier in
Richmond, Va, the other day, a raj
stealthly approached from the wharf
and, seizing one of the brood by the
leg, attempted to drag it to its retreat.
In an instant the old hen pounced upon
the back of the invader, trampling him
ferociously, while another hen Joined
her, and with two successive strokes OF
the beak, expeditiously piled, succeed.
ed in cutting the rats throat as eleanly
as if it had been done with a knife. A
number of persons saw the contest and
applauded the result.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

Gen. j. w. Phelps of Brattleboro, Is
mentioned as the Anti-Masonic candi-
date for governor in this State next
year, and James w. Simpson of Crafts
bury, a last years Greeley man, is
named as the candidate of the oranges.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

Poverty is BAD, but the worst In
Of poverty is poverty of the blood ii
makes man poor indeed" for it TAX
away his strength, courage and energy
but enrich the blood with its vital q
ment, Iron, by taking the Peruvian
rup Ga protoxide of from and you vi
feel rich and "as good as anybody
Try it.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

DoN'T RUIN Your HEALTH by TAXI
yillainous alcoholic compounds. Gree
Oxygenated Bitters are purely med
nal, and may be relied upon to cured
pepsia, and all other disorders of
stomach. Tried and true. JOIN
HENRY, 5 & 8 College Place, N. Y.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
A HEART RENDING SCENE.

She describes the scene on the burning
boat as one most terrible to witness.
The flames burst out all round and
swept aft, driving women and children
over into the water. She saw four little
children hanging on by their hands to
the burning vessel, and one after anoth-
er drop into the water, the flames driv-
ing them of. The colored people were
perfectly wild, and no remonstrance on
the part of the officers was needed.
They jumped into boat, piling it full,
and declared that it was the colored PEG.
pies boat, refusing all whites admission.
When it went down all were dumped
into the water together, and many 9th.
ers followed, being pushed overheard.
The flames burnt into the main deck,
setting fire TO the clothing of the women
and children, who were hoping for some
relief, but none could pass the gangway
on account of the flames, and the screams
of the women and children were deafen
ing.
Hiram Smith, colored man, states
that he was present and witnessed tn,
loss of lifeboat. As she was lowered
to the main deck the colored men tool
possession of her by force, and no threats
or persuasion of officers could preven
them. The boat was heaped full of bag
gage and men, and he saw yellow mar
cut the bow rope, when she fell Will
such force as to tear out the stern, be
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

- Skeletons of the victims of The
great forest fires of October, 1871, are
still frequently discovered in the neigh
borhood of Peshtigo, Wis.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

just as the black shadow of the
death-angel's wing was beginning to
darken the bed-chamber of Delaware
woman, she called her weeping husband
to her side and feebly murmured, Hen
ry, if you ever marry again, remember
that it only takes cup-full of sugar to
sweeten quart of gooseberries."
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

THE MURDERED ENGINEER.-Of Jack
Rafferty,, who was murdered by the
masked railway robbers in Iowa, the
Des Moines Register thus speaks:
"Shot dead on his engine were the
cruel words, and then, little later, the
noble character of the man was revealed
in the statement that he had seen the
danger ahead and was about to apply
the air brakes and save the lives of his
passengers, when he fell by the assassin's
bullet. True to the death, he needed
not the peril to himself, but stood at his
post and died there. Not many Des
Moines travellers but have known and
esteemed him. Genial, hearty, brave
and skillful, his presence in the cab has
been prophecy of safety. Jack Raj
ferty was about thirty-ive years of age
and had been with the Rock Island
Company FIVE years. He leaves a wife
and three children, to whom last night
came the fearful midnight to tell Of
murder. God help them in the bitter
ness of their anguish. There remains tc
them but the memory that the husband
and father died at his post-a hero il
life, martyr in death.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
M o TIL ERS READ TIL
KEEP MILLER's BABY SYRUP

KEEP MILLER'S BABY SYRUP
nm hand, and your children viii never be si.k
" 1t viii instantly cure sour stomach dysente1
gripping in the bowles wind, collie, &c. Gives reid
in teething. Pleasant to take. Contains no opaI
or morphine. Relieves your child by curing ns
by causing it to sleep. as its restored health az.
thrifty growth will soon indicate Sold by drus.
gists. Price IS cents per bottle. $3.50
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
INCIDENTS.

Miss Cornelia Hofs, a young lady,
was under the protection of Mr.. McGin-
gan, and he went to her assistance, but
but before he could get her to the side
of the boat her clothing took fire and he
was forced to leave her. She persisted in
the flames, and Michigan swan ashore.
Doubtless many were drowned owing to
their frantic efforts to save themselves,
as within few yards the water was
shallow enough to wade in. The clerk
of the steamer, Mr.. Wheeler, saved him
self by wading.
As this calamity was but few miles
from Washington, at Acquia Creek, a
familiar name during the war, the ex-
element at the capital has not been SO
great there since the assassination Of
Lincoln. Many families in Washington
have been bereaved, and those living on
the line Of the river where the calamity
occurred say the screams of the women
and children were heard for miles.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

LIVING IN WAsHINGToN.-I was in
Congress when the salary was but $4,000
and [ always found it more than suffi-
Gent to meet my necessary personal ex-
penses. When it was raised to $4,000,
/ thought it too much and think so still,
but raising it to $500 is nothing more
nor less than straight stealing. Every
year that l was in Congress, laid by q
portion of my salary, and none of nv
constituents ever complained that 1 did
not live decently. The people don't
send their representatives to Washington
to live like princes, buck the tiger and
keep half dozen mistresses. Elilu
Wash5wn.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

We hear that another newspaper is to
be started at st. Adams by stock COM
pany. Breakers aheadi
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

"FoR GRATUIToUs DISTRIBUTION"
Without naming any special enter
prise which may or may not be excep-
tional, as far as what we desire to state
is applicable to it, we would say that it
is in general mistake to suppose that
publication which is distributed gratuit-
ously has any peculiar advantages for
the advertiser. This point is very often
claimed for these ephemeral journals
and the statement frequently made that,
because a paper is free, it will be more
acceptable to the reading public, and
more carefully perused. But it is well
known to some advertisers, and should be
remembered by all, that neither state
ment is apt to be correct. People are
quicker to take what they pay for. They
are more apt to read paper thorough
ly, under those conditions, and think
much more of it, while they will put
aside as worthless, half-read or not read
at all, paper which they suppose to be
of little value because it is given away
is thrown away.-RoloePs Reporter.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15


POSTAL CARDS AND THEIR ABUSES.
The British Post Office has declined
to entertain the proposition to admit
postal cards to the international mails
and permit them to become medium
of communication between the citizens
of the two countries England and the
United States-upon special terms in
tended to foster their use and the rea.
sons given for this refusal adduce one
one fact. which though well known to
travellers, is not familiar to the general
public. The use of postal cards has
never been popular with the English
people; and even among the lower class
es, who might care more for cheapness
than privacy, the open card has never
been in general circulation.
There were to begin with in England,
certain causes which operated to destroy
the popularity of the card. The tailor
used it for duns, and it was made the
medium of many petty acts of malice
which, though libellous in themselves
were none the less annoying. 1t was
employed for purposes of intimidation
in many way that narrowly escaped
liability to the statute aimed against
levying blackmail. AS a consequence
it was not long in becoming unpopular
and public opinion had settled into 6
rooted prejudice against open CORES
pondence before any suits for libel oc
CURED. A young man whose tailor haG
sent an insolent dun, brought suit for Ii
bel and recovered damages, the judge
holding in general terms that no com
munication which would injCre tn,
standing of any person, in whatsoevel
manner, was eligible for open CORES
pondence.
This decision put a stop to the abuses
of which the postal card is in its very
nature peculiarly susceptible; but oper
correspondence in England cannot b.
said as yet to have recovered from tbs
stigma put upon it by rendering it the
vehicle of insult. Ne,o York E'UeninS
Post.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

Vegetine is composed of roots, bark
and herbs. 1t is very pleasant to take
every child likes it.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
A LADY PASSENGERS STORY.


The statement of Miss Kate McPher-
son. one of the saved, and very intel
ligent Lady, is given. She was in COM
pany with Miss Marbury, of the treasu-
ry department, and kept with her during
the first part Of the excitement, until
the smoke drove them down the gang.
way, and that she missed her on the
main deck, and the rush of colored PEG.
pie was so great towards the life-boat
that she could not turn to find her. She
was hurled overheard after the life boat
was stove in, with many others. by the
rush of the oolored people towards th,
gangway. She Immediately sunk ant
rose twice, and knew nothing more un
til she found herself in the life-boat ant
being carried ashore.
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15

cause of the davit holding NJ the end,
and all in her sunk.
The loss at first it was hoped would
not exceed 80, but later reports make it
worse and worse and it will reach TO-
Both white and colored stragglers
plundered the dead, as they hoated
ashore. Several instances of this kind
were noticed, but could not be prevented
by Mr.. McClellen, who alone was au-
thorized to take charge of the valuables
found. Owing to the large extent Of
shore, many bodies could not be reached
by him until they had been rifed and the
guilty parties were escaped.
Officer Reed of Washington seems to
have been most unfortunate of all, hav-
ing lost nearly his whole family, his
wife, three children, niece and an aunt,
Miss Julia Kelly, being among the lost
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
FORMOTH PATCHES, FRECKLE

And TAN. use PERRY'S Moth and Freckle 10
ton. 1t is RELIABLE and HARMLESS. Sold By pTug
gists everywhere. Depot, 40 Bond street. Ne'
York 1871
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-15
TOR PIMPLES ON THE FACE,

Blackheads and Fleshworms. use PERRI's ~
proved Comedone and Pimple Remedy, the Jsp ~
RY, DermatoIogist' 49 Bond street, Ny. Sold :
Druggists everywhere. lS-4t