Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-22
A PERSIAN STORY.

things of which you wplaio very seldom oc-
Cured. ln that blessed land there was 90
crime to speak Of, DO accidents, no mistakes,
DO oothing. Lite there was like calmly float.
log river: The people lived happily and died
regretfuly. dlslkog very much to lsav"; which
Is quite different here. We had 10 Knamud,
which was the name of the kingdom, no peni-
ten,iaries no reform schools, no civil service
examinations DO boards of any kiDd-nothing
OF the sort. 1T the Government wanted post
master. We will say, it did not 20 botheriug
about qualifications or anything Of that sort
Ii simpiy posted up on the door OF the vacant
postothce printed statement of what would
be required OF the postmaster. Then the first
man who said he waited the place Was ap.
pointed.
Were not bonds required ofhim ?''
NC tie took the place and went on with
bis duties"
''But suppose he proved defaulter ?"
HE was Immediately caught and hanged "
Hung fer defulcstiou ~
''Ce,tanly, aud for mistake as we'll IF
there was an error in his accounts by 80 much
as pound OF wrapping twine be was hung out
Of hand"
But suppose his irregularities were the re-
suit of bad business qualities p
Then he was hung for being bad business
ma0. What we wanted was honesty and
capacity; and as we did with postmasters
We did with everybody else. Suppose a
railroad train was off the track-a coro
ner's jury was convened over the bodies of
the killed. Suppose they discovered the fact
that rail was out of order, or that the road
was not patrolled, We hung one president di-.
rector, and superintendent. If the accident
was caused by auy neglect on the part of the
conductor he was huug, aod go on. Oace we
hung all the officers of the Teherau and Ispa-
ham road, and from that time there was no ac-
cldeLt 90 that liue. Their successors we're toll
eratly careful; and the company hung up
miniature gaIIows 10 the cab IF every locomo-
tive to remind the engineer of his ceit4in fate
III the event OF trouble
Then We carried the same rule into every
thing. The people deposited with the First
National Bank OF Picaily: Very good. The
bauk suspended one moroing. Exactly. The
authorities took the president, cashier, aud
board OF directors all out and hung them be-
cause they nad beeu gu ty Of suspension
Il dldn't steal dollar Of this money" said
the president. 1T was lost in specuIatiog 10
Persian Gulf Mall
Never d ference" said the Judge, where
it was lost. You haven't got it.''
but you won't hang man who has not
st,eo, will you? says he president.
Il will hang you, my jooel, for ben' an
idiot. l shall hang you for riskin' money that
was ntt yours to risk.
'Aud up he went z"
10 fact, they have hung them more merci-
lessly for being fools than for any other crime
Ii a man said / stole it, they felt a sort of
pity for him. Ii ne said i lost it, they felt
Doue ct all, and struog him up 10 minute. ~
Did they hang always for murder? ?"
Certainly; all they wanted to know was that
the killing tJok place."
did they never adnit the plea of nsapity?'
Not any Of that Ii mao put 10 the plea
they huog him for being insane. They were
wont TO remark that it was not safe to have iD-
sane men running about loose with revolvers
aud clubs, and such things, so they hung them
~ ar they might endanger some one else's
life."
What, pray, was the effec: of this vigorous
hanging or things in generalY'
"Splendid. Bank officials made no mistakes
10 their figures and none 10 their business
The officers of the Government were rather
careful about their accounts, for they we're
bung for mistakes as we'll as for thieviog. The
presidents and directors of railroads kept their
tracks up, and more watohtul or careful set
OF meD than the conductors engineers, and
switchpen you never saw. There being no
plea Of any kind permitted, the fact being all
that was considered. there was wholesome care
used 10 all departments OF lite.
"The effect was good 10 aocther way. This
system reduced the population terribly, but it
made magnificent race of men and womep.
l iou see, the vicious and the careess-whch
is to say. the naturally depraved and weak
miDded-were all hung, leaving only the in
dustrous and clear headed to live aud perpet-
uate the species. Consequently it was splen-
did people | am perhaps, fair specimen.
There we're 90 luuatics, idiots, trAers, or dis
honest men lett to spread mischief and danger.
The populat'on was sorted and slfted.'
us tnat Government still 10 exstence?"
"AIas 90. There spraDg up class of peo-
pie who get to plying criminals. They got
into way of visiting them just before they
were stretched and sending them bouquets,
and begging the Governor 10 pardon them;
they get up sympathy for them. and finally
some escaped. Then the game was up. The
momeut there was any doubt as to the certainty
Of punishment men became almost as they are
here. Then | left the couotry."
The EARTH DANGER 10 the preface to
his receut excellent book, 'rhe Abode of
Soow," Mr.. Andrew Wilson, we'll Known as
the author OF one oil the most Interesting works
on the Chinese Empire, revves the old theory
OF NJ. Adhemar that the earth will topple over
one OF these days, and send the oceans sweeping
over the continents. The theory is that owing
to the greater preponderauce of water in the
Southern hemisphere, the greatest accunula
ton of water is round the south pole; when the
accumulation has reached certain point, the
balance of the earth must be suddenly de-
stroyed-the certre of sphericty abruptly
change far from the centre of gravity, and the
whole earth. almost inst tintaneously, NUT turn
transversely on its axis, move the great oceans,
aod so produce one Of those graod cataclysms
which have before now altered the whole face
OF the globe Some very good physicians and
mathematlclaDs have believed 10 this theory,
winch Is DOT easily oontroverted. even if it be
"a false one