The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-11-08
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
NEw YORK, Nov. 8, 1876.
A LIVELY WEEK.


The past week has been full enough
of excitement to satisfy the hungri-
est hunter after sensational topics.
We had in the first place our chronic
excitement--the impending Presideu.
tial election, aud the various ele-
ments st work to enlist our feelings
in the contest. Then came the news
of Vanderbilt's death, at the first
whisper of which every Que turned
their eyes upon the Stock Board ex-
pecting to see chaos come again there.
The denial Of the rumor followed
with desperate haste, for there are
too many millions Of property 6e-
pendent upon that one life, to prevent
any negligence in attending to every
cause which can effect it. An hour
and half after the rumor cf the
death was sent flying over the wires
to every part of the Union, the As
sociateed Press sent an authoritive
contradiction after it. Swift ss this
was, it is said that it was still too
slow to save thousands Of dollars to
holders of Vanderbilt stocks, who
were overtsken with a panic at the
first intimidation, and hastened to
dispose Of their shares at Q sacrifice
This seems hardly possible. Van
derbilt's death has SO long been q
matter likely to happen at any hour,
that it would seem that its effect must
long ago have been largely discount
ed by the dealers in stocks. Further
it is well known that Vanderbilt has
carefully trained up son as his sue
cessor, who has now reached the ma
ture age of 40 years, and is known
to be thoroughly imbued with his
fathers ideas and practices, and
while not having probably oil Of the
Commodore's wonderful executive
ability has ability enough, at least to
carry on in the same manner the great
organization that his father has
built up, and in doing which be will
have the aid o. all the able men gath
cred about him, and disciplined into
harmonious working together The
Stock Exchange and some other in
terests, are making very vigorous
hunt after the author of the bogus
dispatch, announcing the old gen.
tleman's death, and some persons
pretty high up in business circles are
likely to see the penitentiary loom up
unpleasantly propinquous and dis
tinct in the vista of their future.
The next sensation in order was
MRS. IRENE HOUSES TRIAL,
for the murder OF her husband, Or
son A. House, the notorious divorce
lawyer. ln less stirring times this
would have made q sensation as pro-
found as that which aroused the
country at the time of the Cunnig-
ham Burdell murder q score of years
ago. 1t has an unusual number Of
elements to arouse the keenest inter-
est The murderess is rarely beauti-
ful, blonde of that perfect, pure
type that men-especially dark hair
ed ones--idealize into angels and in
vest with all the attributes that cratic
poets endow their queens. of song
and beauty with, but who are likely
to be very far from ethereal saints. The
fair Irene is now thirty-two, with
every womanly charm 10 full maturi-
ty. She is the child OF wealth
aud cultivation, has done everything
possible to suppliment the lavish
gifts of nature. But she has tenn
per, and her past life does not appear
entirely spotless. She was married
at sixteen to q mass who proved to
be uncongenial. She sought House
to procure divorce. They found
to be affinitics at 6rst
meeting be rid her of ber distaste-
fui companion, and some years after
bis own wife had the good taste to
suicide on account Of
jealousy Of Irene, it is said-snd
House and Irene were married.
House made great snms Of money BY
bis nefarious business. and they lived
in 6ne style at Trenton, n j. Their
oonjugsl hfe was characterized by al
formations of the most ardent sdec-
ton for each other, one day, to bitter
quarrels the next, which frequeatly
l. r.