Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-06-05

In the Criminal Court of Baltimore city,
on Saturday James West was convicted of
murder in the first degree for killing Annie
Gibson, whom, iSwill be remembered, he
butchered with Ratchet some few months
ago. About midnight of the same day
John A. Curtis killed VIM. Sheaf (both
colored men) on Chestnut street. This
murder was done under the influence Of
passion, the two men having quarrelled
over a fancied insult. Curtis was arrested
at once and is now in custody.
Captain Jack, the Modoc chief, whose
name has, of late, Been synonymous with
treachery, cunning and ferocity, was
brought into the Federal camp at Clear
Lake, on Sunday last. He surrendered
with two of his warriors, five squaws and
seven children, to-a detachment of the
First United States Cavalry, which, by the
aid of the Warm Spring Indians, had fol-
lowed perseveringly the trail of the fugi-
tives, until they were overtaken and sur
rounded on Willow Creek.
Platter, who was convicted on the East
ern Shore for the murder of his wife, and
sentenced to five years in the Penitentiary,
is at work at harness making and is doing
all that is required of him to do. When
he first entered the Penitentiary, it was
urged by some of his friends that his health
would not permit him to work hard but
Drs. Smith and Baldwin, after an exami-
nation, decided that he was, and he was
accordingly sent to work by the warden,
Mr.. Thomas S. Wilkinson, who admits of
no distinction, whatever, Of convicts con-
signed to his custody.
The Richmond correspondent of the Pc
tersburg Progress writes: "In striking
contrast with the conduct of the Grand
Army of the Republic in Washington, was
that of the Southern Cross Brotherhood in
Richmond. This organization, which is
benevolent and social-not political-vis-
tied Hollywood cemetery last week and
strewed flowers alikeson the graves of the
Union and Confederate dead on Gettys-
burg Hill. This generous act was done
without parade and would never have been
made public had not Republican paper
mentioned the Southern Cross Brotherhood
as an organization of the same class as the
Grand Army of the Republic"
The Grand Jury for Talbot county
brought into Court at Easton last week a
petition addressed to the State Fishery
Commissioners, asking for the removal of
Capt. VIM. E. Timmons, Commander of
the Oyster Navy. The Grand Jury in this
document accuse Capt. Timmons of being
in criminal collision with the violators of
the law, of refusing to execute writs upon
them when properly issued by Magistrates,
of shielding offenders and enabling them
to escape from the penalties of the law, and
of hindering other State officers from Sc
curing due observance of the law. We
have not yet heard that the Commission
ers have taken any action with regard to
this complaint, but they cannot be permit
ted to pass it over intsilence.
An interesting life insurance case has
just been decided by the Uuited States cir
cult court at Des Moths. Iowa. A wife
brought suit against the Mutual Benefit Life
Insurance company for a policy on the life
of her husband, who disappeared mysteri-
ously at Chicago in 1867, and has not since
been heard from. The company claimed
that the disappearance was no proof of
death, but letters of administration had
been taken out, and the court decided that
such letters were evidence of this death,
and that the policy must be paid. A some
what similar case is now on trial before
the United States district court in Balti-
more. A woman brings suit against sew
eral insurance companies for $4,000, the
amount of policies held by her husband in
these companies, claiming that he lost his
life last year at his residence by the explo-
sion of a coal ell lamp. 1t is alleged by
the companies that the man is not dead
and the body alleged to spe his was ex-
humed some time since and subjected to a
thorough medical examination. The build
ing in which the explosion occurred was
burned, and the body was considerably
defaced. If it should turn out to be an
other body it will be parallel to the case
of the Delaware professor, who is now in
prison charged with numbering a negro
and firing the building in order that the
body might be taken for his own, and the
amount of his life insurance paid to his
family.