The Portland daily press., 1873-09-09

THE Boston Aduersiser of Saturday contain
the following relative to the unusual interior
ence of officials in aid of Gen. Butler:
That Gov. Washburn will be nominated
next week is now quite certain. That taket
Tor granted, there remain three duties which it
would be disastrous to shirk. The back pay
eXtortion, the only achievement of his Congress
sonal career of which Gen. Butler can boast
without stealing houors that belong to others,
must be rebuked No geutleuess is in place
here. The voice of the Republican party of
Massachusetts, must be clear aud unhesitating
The State, by the action of some of its repre-
senta tves, has a bad pre-emnence in the bust
ness. We must absolve ourselves or be dishou-
ored. UDmPanng phrases will not serve the
/ purp Sc. We must repudiate the thing and the
men who are responsible for it with sincerity
of indignation that Will make excuses absurd.
The interference of National ofice-hoders
with local politics must be dealt with summa-
rily. The people are a unit on this question.
the offence of the Federal ring in Mdssacbu
sets is intolerable. The resolution of the Dem
ocratc platform on this point is good one;
but if a more vigorous and expressive one can
be written, let MS have it. No mncing of fine
phrases will suffice The people are angered.
and they have abundant reason to be- The
Presidents officials in this city and throughout
the State have conducted as if they had been
hired out to Gen. Butler for the campaig", aud
if the public business has not been neglected. it
is plain case that more officers are drawing
salary than th' re is work for. The voice of the
convention should be so full toaed and pene-
tratng that 1t will be heard in Washington
above the chink of the Treasury gold, and at
| Long Branch above the roar of the surf. The
rank aud file of the two parties are not at issue
! on this point. If the issue is forced, the Office
holders will be party by themselves in Massa-
chusetts. Aud if they keep their Places the
people know how to find out who i, response
bile. Civil-service reform is a good watchword
not forgotten, and those who regard ability and
integrity in office are watching for the outcome
Of certain fair promises. Let the convention
! speak the thought OF the people.
SHOCKING MURDER AT WILLtAMsPoRr, n.
Y.-Great excitement has been occasioned at
/ Williamsport, n. Y. by the murder, on Thurs
day night last, of Miss Maggie Hammill, a
! wealthy young New York lady, at the residence
/ of James and Sarah Merrigan, rear of 1879
| Ninth street 1t was at first reported that the
| deceased committed suicide, but investigation
/ led to other conclusions, nd the arrest of Mer-
rigan and bis wife. The police, it is said, sue
| ceeded in elicting confession from Mrs. Mer
rigan to tue following purport:
Miss Hammil visit ID the Merrigan family
| and Mrs. Merrigan and she quarrelled. After
| the quarrel Mrs. Meriigan made up her mind
to kill her land succeeded il dong so by strang-
| ling her with piece OF clothes line Findlng
that MISS Hammiii was dead, MIS-. MeIilSao,
| fearing that her husband would return hid her
| between the bedtlck and the Stats. Then, not
| knowing what to do with the body she concud-
| ed to keep her husband out of the room, and
| succeeded III doing SO until Thursday night at
haif-past nine O'Clock, when she set fire to the
place, with the hope of destroy ing all traces OF
A post-mort9m examination Of the body of
the deceased, showed that she died from stran-
gniatIon The tongue protruded from the
m 'uth and was found fixed between the teeth.
aud almost severed with the force with which
the jaws had pressed upon it externally; the
face was swollen, as in cases of hanging. The
organs of the throats and Tie vessel of the
brain were all congested