Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-26

'len'iary before II became generally known in
Chicago that his mother lived in that CITY
Then condition OF affairs was revealed not
calculated to create public sympathy for the
fallen man. A reporter Of the Chicago Jour.
nal visited her low abode, on the North Sido
No. 81 OHIO street. There in miserable.
room IN the rear CT dilapidated woo}an
shauty, an old Irish woman was found sua.r
log from rheumatism, with nothing 70 ear ana
Tor fuel but u handful Of coal which the connIv
agent had sent her the day before: and ,hi.
was 40 other than the mother OF John \
Joyc". She was ready enough to tell her story.
oil wait aud trouble. Eighteen or twenty Years
ago, as nearly as She Can rccolect, her amy
lived at Wheeling, Va, (uow Yves Virginia
Ter huSDard Was steamboat man.
Ore day he went down the river ,nI
never returned; nor did she ever hear
anything further Of him than that he wa.
living ataClnclnaati with another woman, Her
son Johuny, then - or II years OF aye, "and
the smart"st boy that ever lived" exclaimed
the OLD lady, followed his father to Cinclouari
and she has never seen him since She heard
Attcrward that he did, like Il dutifu son, r..
turn t. hecllug some months altarYard, bu;
the mother dcspalrug of his return, and sun
posing ne had decided 10 cast his lot with ms
father, had removed to Chicago. Since theq
she had resided in Chicago, supporting hcr~.'r
comfortably by keeping small conrccti,n,r
store Zip to the time of the great fire. tin,
| swept away ever thing she had; and since Then
she has supported herself by taking in wash
ing, assisted by some help from her other SON.
younger than Johu. A few mouths ago he
married against his mothers will, and leit her;
ard she bias not seen him since Then cam,
plnchlng want. 10 the meantime, she had
heard rumors that her son John had pushed
ahead 10 the world, was occupying high po
sltlou unncr the government and was rich and
powerful She could scarcely credit the 10
| iorm:t.on, aud went to the highest i. 5. official
she Knew anythlng about, to i.uulrc # il
was so. hat was Commissioner Philip A.
l1oyne. lie told her that it was all true: that
he was we'll acquainted with John \. joyce,
and, from what she said, had 10 doubt that he
was her SOP. She asked him to write I,
Johnny ami II him tnal his old III, thyr Was
living mere In dcs0rutl n. aud needed his as
sstancr. Mr.. Hoyne wrote to joyce, as re-
qursted. The reply came 10 u few days It
was short and brutal. He had believed for
twenty years that his mother was in her gray,
IL she was dead aud with the angels, he was
glad ii; if she were alivr, he never wished
to see her. He should never meet her ,hi,
side OF eternity, and refused to send neunv
o! his hundreds Of thousands to buy bread for
the mother who bore him. Here the old lay
broke down with tears and >obS Since tha,
letter she had heard nothing from him .y-
oept that he was In trouble She anxlou,v
|, qurcd OF our reporter all the particulars.
She Wrung her hands in horror aud pric:
when told that her sou was already N
the penltcntary. She had thousand uues-
tlons TO ask: What penit .ntiary? Was it At
Jollet could she 60 and see him ? how far
was II !: could money free him ? had anything
been said about it 10 the papers ? if SO What
papers? Tne>r were some Of tee mIcS,,,ns
the lady asked iu quick successi,r. She couli
Imagine no reason Of his trramrlt OF her, -
he was the most dui:ul and atfcctionate of
boys before cavlng homn. She atrrnatrd b,
tween anger and affection as she thought OF
ann Az lunocrilt ct.'u, aul 4 his cruz lrt,r
TO CommlSsloncr llDvuc, hopiAg she was amoug
the angels. 1t Is evident that the poor woman
mas no adequate conception OF the misfortune
that has belacn her son. She evidently I'M.
AGNES that he will be set free ina few days
or weeks, and that turu, as 5000 as he
can be convinced that she is indeed lis
mother, will hasten to her, to own aud
AID her Visions Of the wealth he will
bring her are constantly before her eyes.
though how she has in her CABIN almost liter
ally nothing 70 eat. The Journal says in con-
cusInn: ''Thcrc can be no doubt that she
Is what shr claims to be. Inquiry was
maue OF Mr.. lioync, and her statements Were
fully conhrmc,i. Joyce hlmSeIl dbl not uu,.s
ton her identity a. all, but simply rrtus, j 10
AID or recognize her, without giving any rca-
son Tor his uuuatnra conduct Ii Is not sur
prsIng that man who is so los to atural
affection and COMMON humanity, H. 10 ,purn
the cry OF his Own mother for bread, should
he gully OF Il crime against the law, of his
country, and it will inspire lutte sympathy or
regret that he must suffer the penalty
The Rockingham Register says eve no.
Gcrstanu that proposition has been submitted
to the Board Of Trustees for the public schools
OF tlarrl>ouburs by Mr.. Ruffner State Sup
erlntcndrnt OF Schools, off ring to resign his
interest IN til" Rockingham Female SEMINARY,
which Is considerable, AID t. guarantee $ 900
pei annum Of the Peabody Fund towards the:
support ut the school, provided the t lWu shall
erect suitable buildings.
HE WEST VIRGINIA FLAG The West
Virginia Legislature has adopted the design
ior St''" flag report d 10y the comm ttee on
military affairs. Tie design is nine feet long,
three feet vide, four diagonal bars two red
and two buff with a white ground in he M
pert part Of tn" rlglt hand corner. with the
State arms and motto in gilt
The Rev. Father McKecirey pastor Of ST.
Mary's Catholic Church in Frederick ,burg,
Was warmly welcomed there on Tuesday on his
return from ireland, wherc he aad been on :,
visit to his father and other relatives. Father
Mrkcerey had a narrow escape from ship
wreck on his way out.
A simple mode of keeping butter in warm
weather is to set over the dish COZ tanning it. Il
large flower pot or unglazcd arthcnware crock,
inverted, Wrap wet cloth around the COW
crlng vessel, and place the whole where there
Is draft OF air.