Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-05-08
A Singular Ball.

The friends of Nixon, sentenced to
be hung in New York, have given him
q complimentary ball, which local pa
per describes as follows:
A ballroom at 1913 Bowery was last
night the scene of, in one sense, one OF
the strangest and most peculiarly sug-
gestive gatherings which ever took
place in this city, where reunions among
all classes, high and low, for all kinds
of purposes, grave and gay, for polltl-
cal ends and for fun, sometimes run
riot. It was social gathering, gotten
up for charitable purpose, to relieve
the members of the starving family OF
man over whom the shadow OF the gal
lows is fast deepening.
Since the trial and the condemnation
of Nixon to death the wife and children
of the doomed man have been In the
direst straits. The former was obliged
to sell the very wagon from which Nixon
shot Phyfer to buy bread. The horse
went next, and the family would have
literally starved but for the charity OF
Judge Bowling, who on the occasion OF
his first visit to Nixon's cell left him o
hundred dollar bill for his wife to buy
food. It would be curious aesthetlcal
study to determine the motives besides
true charity which entered the honest
Irish hearts which were touched with
the recital of the misery OF the con-
demned mans family, and who inaugu-
rated this extraordinary ball. The
underlying motive was pure and healthy,
and they probably thought ga Bowery
ball." Notwithstanding the incongruity,
was about the best way to raise fe"
dollars, "among the boys and girls" for
the children who are soon to be father.
less. Few people could understand
this, and many were inclined to believe
that the rumor of the last few days that
a ball was to be held last night tol
Nixon's benefit was cruel hoax. The
reporter waited patiently outside the
entrance to the unlighted hall until
eleven o'clock, and he, too, began tc
suspect that the whole affair was some
meaningless, practical joke. At thai
hour, however, q number OF young mer
arrived, the gas was lit, and the dreary'
looking musicians took their places be-
side harp. Byand by, at nearly twelve
o'clock, half dozen comfortably-dress
ed young girls made their appearance,
chaperoned, of course. They were evi
IDENTIFY of the respectable, Woodworking
classes, and their advent was the sigma
for the ball to commence. A doorkeep'
er sat in the corridor outside, and nc
one was allowed to pass without q tlcke1
or without paying dollar. The firs'
waltz was done in the solemn style which
the Bowery rs well as the occasion In
exorably demanded. Poor Nixon him
self could not have gone through it more
gravely had he been present. AS mid
night passed more people began to ar
rive. and "the master of the ceremonies,
who appeared in blue woolen shirt
whispered to the reporter
'If you'll wait you will soon see the
hall crammed with people who said they
will come here from the st. Patrick ALI
ance, at Tammany Hall, and the Other
balls which are going on elsewhere" BY
and by cotillion was formed, the
"pivoty" waltz followed, and as the re-
porter hurried down stairs Ire could hear
the caller, sharp ring of the masters voice
over the stiffness of the Bowery as he
shouted "Away!" with the usual rising
infection on the last syllable.
Meanwhile Nixon himself lay sick III
his bed in the condemned cell, weigh
ing the chances of his counseps motion
for q stay of proceedings. None Gf the
family of the condmned man OF course
appeared at the ball last night. Several
children were present and some work
ingmen, WHO came in unwashed and un.
kempt as when they had left work, and
felt evidently that there was nothing
strange in the scene or that their dollar
had been mlsspent.