Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-26

rHE RoFH CAsT AND THE TRUNK TRAGEDY - |
OBSERVANCE OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SHOWS |
CENTENNIAL HElPs-rHE INDEPENDENCE SQUARE |
MONUMENT -DRAIH OF FORGOTTEN LITERA- |
TEuR-cHAnLoTiE THOMPSON Az "JANK EYRE "
&c.
Special Correspondence of he Commercial
PHILADELPHIA, Dec, 25.
The Ross case, and tho shocking "Trunk |
Tragedy rs it has come to be called, have divided
attention this week. The friends Of tho stolen |
boy profess to be hopeful but their sanguine |
feeling is not shared by the general public. 1t |
seems against all the delay and disheartening |
circumstances, to be too much to expect that the
child is yet alive. As last resource a reward
Of 90, 600 has been offered for Charles return,
"and no questions asked The pitiful admis-
sion of weakness in that statement will affect
evory parent who may read it. The announce
ment states that Mr.. Ross is assured that the
men killed at Bay Ridge, Long Island, were the
kidnappers, and the inference is that legal pro
eeediugs cease with their death. But they need
not necessarily do 30. Accessories to the crime
are fairly punishable, and, such accessories the
parties who now detain the child, II he is living,
are. Therefore the admission that no question,
will bs asked il certainly one of extreme.
weakness and must move eyeryone's sympathies
1t ia hardly conceivable that it would have been
Il all and il there was prospect of bringing those
to justice who are only less guilty than the kid
nappers themselves. -H'~''
The discovery of the remains of young woman
in trunk at DR.. Paine's 81 College" at Och and
Locust streets, caused painful excitement. At
fret the impression was that the famous diploma
manufactory was in some way responsible for
the irregularity, but it was speedily cleared of
this suspicion The woman had been murdered
at the house OF quack doctor, Ga doctress, 1 am
sorry to say in the neighborhood, and the body
had been sent to paine's establishment for dis
section as a presumably easy way OF getting-out
Of ali unpleasant complication. The woman was
supposed to be entirely without friends here, and
her death and the disposition of the corpse
we're not expected TO excite any remark. There
has been All entirely opposite result, however,
as those concerned now know to their cost.
strange mistake of identity also occurred ut first,
but tile body is known now to be that of young
woman named Johanna Morrison, who was a SER
want IN family at Conshohocken. Poor Jo-
hanna made fatal misstep and then was ignor-
ant enough 10 put herself into the hands OF con
scienceless quacks. Murder OF this sort is con-
Htantly committed in great cities, but IT does not
80 often happen that the murderers take such
strange methods OF covering their tracks.
surer grave IL generally found in the bed of the
river.
A pleasanter topic is the Christmas Holiday,
which all hands now enjoying with hearty
good will Tue day is universally observed car dr-
| vers and conductors and the showmen, being the
only people at work. II it were not irreverent to
| say 30 1t might almost be declared that tho
| churches wherein 10 much OF the interest OF the
day has centred have LAID themselves open to the
charge of being show places heyha We'd one
with another III their decorations, and tho pro-
| grammes of music for this morning were dis
| played with al much circumstance and detail al
| though series of concerts were given. instead
OF services for Divine worship. Selections and
composers and artists were spread out ut length,
| and tho minister with his sermon stuck intoa
| corner. There not u few people who think
| they dangerous tendency in all this. There
is nothing wrong about 1t in itself, out how much
religion In there in it2 The usual festivities at
| charitable institutions &c, were kept up in good
old style, and the day has been n blessing.
The Centennial has received two important
| helps this week. New York seems to be in
fair way to render tile enterprise substantial aid,
| as an address signed by over fifty of the leading
| citizens OF that city appealing TO the patriotism
and pockets OF the community testlhes. There
IL every hope now that New York Will bear
large share OF the burden. An even more i'm
porlant piece of news that England had
| formally accepted the invitation OF the United
| states Government to participate III tho Exposi-
ton. The influence of this decision throughout
| tho world eau scarcely be overeBtimated. Where
| England leads the rest of civilization generally
follows. We are therefore proportonately jubi-
liant. 10 is now proposed 10 erect Colossal
monument to Liberty" in Independence Square,
to be inaugurated in connection with the Cen
tennial festivities. A site has been asked OF
councils for the purpose. Colossal enter
prses OF this sort, in view OF the. fate OF the
| Washington Monument at the Capital, and also
OF the one IN Washington Square Ill this city OF
| which the corner stone has been planted for
number of years. rather under cloud, but
| Messrs. Borie, Claghorn, and other citizens OF
that character who have the matter III charge
declare they mean to make it a success.
The announcement Of the death OF MIR. Thomas
Cottrell Clarke, which event occurred in Cam
den OH Tuesday, recalls the old times OF Phila-
delphia literary enterprise. Mr.. Clarke had
long retired from active affairs but no local name
in literature and journalism was once better
| known. The eyanescence, for the most part, OF
these pursuits is strikingly shown by his case.
Forty years ago he was great authority, lis ad-
vice sought and his influence courted; now for
generation writer's have come, ana had thelr III
Ito say and passed, and hardly al much as heard
his name Mr. Clarke was the first editor of the
Saturday Ereang Post; which for long time
was the principal literary paper OF the country.
lie was afterward scOnnected with various I'M
portant enterprises which brought him in
contact with all the principal authors OF the time
His chief work was the founding of the Philadel-
phia Courier, journal which had an astonish-
ing popularity quarter OF century ago and
which, il sound business basis amounts TO any
thing should still be fourishing. This paper
afterwards became McMakin's Saturday Courier
aud the best pens in the country Deposited
therein. Yet lt IL all over, founder, journal ana
contributors.
One OF the most satisfactory theatrical enter
tainments given here in many day is Miss
Charlotte IhOmpsOns performance oI Jane
Eyre" which holds the "Chesnut st.. stage this
week. 1t is genuine piece OF dramatic art for
a double reason, in that it is true to nature (at
least to theatrical nature, for certain exagger-
alton il necessary to stage effect) aud because
Lit succeeds in its attempt to realize an inteec-
tual conception. Those OF your readers who
have gwen any attention to such matters know
now difficult il is to give upon the stage a just
idea of u work of fiction, or to satisfy expecta-
tons formed through widely differing medium.
Take Mr.. Dickens readings for an example. There
to be sure were not theatrical performances, but
. as arranged they gave Dickens considerable Ii
cerse, vet am bold enough to say that, great as
! | Dickens mimetic powers undoubtedly were, he
did not realize his own creations. As their author
, he knew better what was intended than anybody
, else yet many people feel that they had trueT
IDEAS of the characters than the author himself
r appeared to have, Judging from what he did with
them The characters of Dickens might be sup
a posed to offer tire actor some OF the best OF
i chances but for the reason that the public has
/ formed such very decided opinions OF these
parts nearly all performances, even by accom-
pIished players, fall fiat. The late Mr.. Walack' :
i Fagin il about the only complete theatrical
'' success out of Dickens with which am familiar.
This will show how difhcuta task it is to do any
n thing notable on the stage with charac'oIs from
= books with whicl all people are familiar, and oil
tlav hav cnnceived inorad ,cNDe imDreB.