Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-07-09
IryA GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.
lFOK TIE CoUNTRY,l
A Nights Kevel with Fireworks.
lErom the Cincinnati ENQUIRER.

From the Cl0Cluudll LuQuTeT.I
Co1lrNBus. june 2S-Between 10 and IL
o'clock last light party OF men, who were de-
tcrn,iuci to have Fourth of July celebration
nrcmaurcly, and on their own account, effect
ed their purpose by burning up the hack in
which they rode, and also 10 burning one OF
their own uumber SO badly that he died from
the effects of his injuries to-day.
Early iu the evening Daniel B. Webb, the
passenger agent of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad at this place, Samuel Fleming, a rail
road engineer, formerly employed on the Hook
ing Valley Railroad, and Jacob Huston, a
sporting man, procured quantity of fireworks,
aud commenced firing them off in the stieets.
They were warned to desist by the police, and
hired e. hack to drive out Of the city, with the
intention of finishing up their fun there Go
ing out to Franknton they shot off number
of rockets and Roman candles. Not content
with this, however, they returned to the city
and procured another quantity OF fireworks at
Wagners and then proceeded to Meneeey's
saloon, where they drank copiously. They
then went out to Frankllnton the second time.
When driving through the covered bridge they
commenced firing off crackers inside of the
hack, and frightened the horses causing them
to run away. By the time they arrived at
Frankliuton again, however, the horses had
become quiet, aud they got out and gave
another display Of pyrotechuics.
Returning to the city once more they pro-
cured another and much larger lot Of fireworks,
aud still more drinks. They then started out
10 Camp Chase to finish up their nights re-
vels. When about four miles west of the city,
the hackman, whose name is Walcutt, noticed
that the party had lighted torch in the vehl
Gle. He tried to take it away from them, but
was unable to do so. Almost Immediately at-
tcrward the fire-crackers began to explode in
the hack, aud the horses, frightened at the
noise set off at full speed AS the vehicle
went along the road the rockets took fire aud
begun to shoot out at the windows, there long
trails OF fire, Illuminating the whole landscape.
Then the Roman candles became ignlted, and
soon the lining and whole interior Of the vehi-
Gle were in flames. The fearful race was kept
up for more than a mile. during which time
Webb and Huston somehow managed to get
out. When the horses were fnally brought to
stand and unhitched, Fleming who had been
fastened 10 the vehicle, broke out. The hack
was by this time so near demolished thatlt was
allowed to burn up.
Fleming was not so badly burned as might
have been expected. and with the haekman
started back to the city. Proceeding about halt
with the clothes literally burned off him, while
Huston was still further back. Procuring as
si>tancc they took both of them to the Amerl-
can House. 10 this city. At II O'Clock to-day
Webb died from his injuries. The other two,
though quite seriously burned, are in fair
way to recover.
OREGON has had a Tichborne case on small
scale. Fitty-hve years ago TenucsSean named
Joseph Thomas, abandoned his wife and two
children. What became Of him no one knows.
The deserted family afterward removed to the
neighborhood of Portland Oregon, where they
took up land, which afterward became valuable.
Finally the woman and her children died, leav
ing no heirs. Three Oregonians thought it
would be nice thing to get possession Of the
property, and knowing the family history,
found peddler n St. Louis who called him
self Joseph Thomas They persuaded him to
personate the runaway husband, and obtalneda
deed from him for the property; Their claim
who bad arrived on the scene of action. A great
law suit was expected, and public opinion was
as much divided as on the famous TlcbborDe
case. All doubt was removed, however. by the
production of undoubted evidence that the st.
Louis peddler was named Davidson, who, un-
der the alias of Nixon, had married a wife in
Alabama. His wife was brought to Portland to
confront him, and, seeiDg that escape was I'M
possible, he confessed the fraud. The stake
played for was not so great as that which the
English claimant" has striven to win, but the
long absence of the real Thomas, his humble
station in life, and the remoteness OF Oregon
from Tennessee seemed to make the consplra-
tors chances better than those of the pretender
to the Tichborne case. Bali. american.
"a DlsBURs1NG AGENT OF PROVIDENCE.
Scnator Carpenter, of Wisconsin, has published
aSpeech which fills some twenty columns OF
newspaper in defence of the Credit Moblller
people and the back -pay-grab. The gist OF 1t
may be inferred from the following:
81 have always regarded myself as one OF
the diSbursing agents of Providence; and the
loney'I have earned have shed, as the rains
of heaven fall, upon the just and the unjust,
the evil and the good. | will enter into con-
tract with any man to pay my charities for the
two years have to remain in the Senate and
pay him $500 year to do so; and will ven
ture the prediction that at the end of the term
he would need back pay to square his ac-
c0uuts''
Charity with other peoples money is a very
cheap virtue. But this is very loose logic. 1t
be may violate the public trust .reposed in him,
and take $4,000 from the treasury for every
300 he may choose, as the disbursiDg agent of
Providence, to shed upon the just and the un-
gust there is no security whatever TOR the pub
lie money 1t is this loose logic, or rather loose
morality, that has crept in among public Off
Gals which has polluted the whole public SER
vIce.-Rich WMg.
NOTICE Mayors Office,
AZ T,>1~X iO5o 7