Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-02-15

| THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS THE
ENGLISH oPERA-MRs. THAYER-THEATRIoAL
| RELATIONSHIP.
Special Correspondence Of 1te Commercial
PHILADELPHIA Feb. IL.
The unexpected result in the Siner and Kaas
| case is the immediate topic Of interest A ver-
| dict has inst been rendered and there is excite
ment at all the news centres. The verdict is
''guilty,-with a recommendation to the mercy
of the Court, which recommendation it is
hoped-and beleved-the Court will not regard /.
1 have called this result unexpected" because
the lengthened time taken by the Jury in its de-
liberation convinced nearly every one that the
result would be the familiar one of "unable to
agree" II appears, however, that there were
a number of strong and earnest men upon the
Jury who were determined to see the matter
through to a righteous end, and the men of con-
viction overpowered the men of no convictions
or false convictions. The case has thus moral
In more cases than one.
Your readers have all the bearings of this i'm
portant trial. 1t il therefore only necessary
to-day that the conviction warrants us in indulg
ng hope that short work will be made with
the rest of the keepers OF gambling dens in our
midst. Siner and Haas were among the wealth
lest and most influential of the fraternity and
as it is shown that they can be punished, other
convictions will speedy follow. 1t was test
case and sets an unassailable precedent. II they
had been released, it would Of been almost i'm
possible to secure convictions in other cases,
which fact accounts for the combinations now
INDUCED in. Judge Allison said he had never
known of 80 prolonged determination on the
part Of the Jury. They stood ten for conviction
and two for acquittal from the timesof retire
ment, last Monday week, until this morning
when the two gave in under condition that the
' recommendation to mercy " be inserted in the
verdict.
1t is stated that no sooner had the jurymen
retired than the two persons opposed to convio-
ton commenced playing cards, naturally scandal
izing their companions by 80 particularly an
unseemly act at such time Gard playing Of
certain kinds il harmless enough, but it is
we'll always to preserve the proprieties. That
the jurors who were opposed to conviction
should be callous enough to play cards at such
a time is significant. But the long agony is over,
and the result is the best peice of local news
that has been reported for many day. 1t is
brisk step forward.
Very possibly you may not sympathize with
the Market st. Railway trouble, for it is far re-
moved aud does not touch your interests. But
there ID principle in it that makes ii important
That is the ground taken by many of our citizens
who are stockholders in neither the Market st.
or Union Lines, but who have the manly ha-
tired Of seeing any one imposed upon. In every
sense sense Market Street is in the right, yet at
every point 1t is beaten. With as much Justice
could the "Union" have seized the Market street
track clear out to tho West Philadelphia depots,
sAS
sharp financiers headed by OK Treasurer Kem-
bic may yet do 80. Market street is shameful
ly beaten, and this (beyond the money ques-
tion) is the real reason-now first plainly stated
1t is necessary for the West Philadelphia road
to make the detour Of the new public buildings
1t must do it and yet it is liable to injunction
il it does. The bnildidg commission is
continually complaining that it cannot go on with
the excavations on account Of the car tracks and
the company cannot go around North Penn
square without Legislative permission. Their
franchise only gives the right of way on Market
street, and although Mr.. Solicitor Coils made
the novel decision that the boundaries Of the old
squares were all Market street, it is very much
to be doubted il any Court would have the same
views That il the situation The minute the
company leaves its direct track, an injunction
will be down upon it. The powers that have
bought tho right to run from Front to Ninth
streets hold this terror over the West Philadel-
phia Company, and it comes to this, to give up
without further to-do to the "Gridiron" monop-
olists, or to stop business altogether East of
Broad street l am speaking now of the effort
to compel Market street to allow the Union Line
the use of its tracks That it can come on the
street has been settled by the bogus Legislature,
but the Union has no intention OF laying separate
rails. That would cucumber the street too much
and would raise general dissatisfaction Within
a very few weeks the diggers at Broad street will
remove the offending tracks, whether or no, and
then the end will come-the end of Just but
hopeless contest against powerful and utterly
unacrunulou5 monopoly.
Tho death of MIR. Francis Gurney Smith, one
Of our oldest residents, which event took place
yesterday, touches a matter in which yonr cltl-
zens may have an interest. Mr.. Smith was for
many years the Philadelphia agent for the du-
Pont Powder Company He was ninety years of
age, and was one of family Of five brothers
and one sister, all of whom lived to celebrate
their golden weddings. Isn't that rather re-
markable for this fast age, when man ls call
cd old at fifty aud woman at forty l will
not say would there were more Smiths for that
would be suporfluous. but would there were
more of the Francis Gurney order.
1t is sad to learn that the Tuscdr0rd calamity
might have been in good measure averted but
for the want of uniform system of marine sig
nails. THE old ship itself, was doubtless doomed,
but it is believed the Captain and number OF
the crew could have been saved II the signals
used on the ship had been properly interpreted.
The Captain of an English steamer reports that
| lie stoed by the TttsCdrOra for some hours, but
could not make out from her signals that she
wanted to abandon or needed personal assist
ance. This must be a melancholy reflection Tor
| the owners and all concerned. The fact appears
TO be that many of our merchantmen have an
old and exploded system of signals, which is not
used by the seamen Of other countries Ihls
would seem TO be matter to demand instant
| attention.
Speaking of the "Tuscarora." can furnish
| your Young lady readers with a reliable ghost
/ story. have for1a near neighbor retired skip
per, long serving in the Cope oompanymthe
Il
commanded the "Tonawanda," companion
vessel to the old craft just lost. Captain Dun
lew, who went down with the "Tuscarora," was an
intimate of the julius family and was frequently
at their house when ashore. son OF Captain
Julius has related to me- singular thing that
recently happened to him. He was asleep one
| night about week or ten days before the news
of the ''ruscarora" disaster was received, when
he grew conscious of the presence OF something
l unusual at his bedside. He awoke and sat up.
/ There he saw Captain Dunlevy standing along
Il side of him dripping wet and with weeds and
mud hanging on his clothes. He at hrst thought
| it was a veritable person and 30 strong was
Il the reality upon him that he cried, j" take care
i there Captain,-you'll wet all the carpet J.! The
| figure looked him straight in the eyes and van
| ished Even then young Julius could not divest
| himselflof the idea that Dunlevy had been III
the room and was about the premises. lie got
i up and made search but of course to no avail
for the unfortunate Captain OF the 1tiscdr9rd
was then lying it the bottom OF the ocean. Mr.
Julius in concluding said, 'it scares me when-
/ ever l think OF it and it makes me shlVer 10
hear him tell it.
The Ledger has been creating some commo-
tion in the charitable association known as "Ihe
| Home for Little Wanderers, which. held its annl-
| yersary this week. The Ledger is generally mild
| tempered but when it chooses to speak out II
| meeting no one can do it with better enect 1t
| seems rather clear that the Home" has been
indulging in certain indefenslble practices, "the
| game with intent to deceive" Thus it has OK
hibitad aa Little Wanderers''-that is to say as
i little ones without homes or belonglngs-cmld-
1 II Rasp pI.r rualf f1.An