The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-03-29
Editorial Notss.

A queer murder is reported from
Oregon. Two men, Thomas Ind Da-
Wis, woodchoppers, in log hut, buta
few miles from Portland, we've aroused /.
at midnight recently by knock at the
door. Thomas Gghted candle ana
asked who was there. \ voice an
swered. LET US in; we Nant, some
thing to eat" Thomas opened the
door, when two masked men strobe in.
One OF the men put the muzzle of a
siX-shooter close 70 Thomas's head and
commanded him to keep silent. The
other man picked up a Ratchet and,
advancing to the bedside, asked, ais
your name Thomas ID. DavisT DAVIS
answered, "Yes, and you have the drop
on me-" In an instant Dayis's head
was chopped to fragments, and the
man then stabbed him in several places
and cut his throat. In silence Thomas
was marched from the cabin and made
to stand for an hour in his nightclothes,
with the pistol to his head, while the
murderers piled brush and clothes upon
the corpse and burned it with the cab
in. Thomas was then told to. get"
aud he walked to Portland. The muir
derers spoke but few words, and there
is no clue 10 them or to their object
for Davis was au old and highly-es-
tened citizen of Portland.
A New York letter, aPrVpos of the
settlement of the Vanderbilt will case,
says: THE sudden breakdown of the
contestants was so entirely unexpected
that even some of the lawyers were
taken by surprise. The appearance Of
William VI. Evarts in the case was al
most rs great surprise as tho back
down of the contestants. Mr.. EvaIts
came from Washington only the day
before, to settle up his private af-
fairs, we are told, prior to assuming
the duties of the State department.
When he entered the courtroom Jus.
before the case was called. everybody
| looked at him in establishments. His
only part in the proceedings was to
suggest single question Ia his associ-
ate, Henry l.. Clinton, during the ex-
animation o. witness to the execu--
ton of the will. His fee, it, is said,
will be $50, 600. All the lawyers are
to be paid, of course, and / Judge it
will take a snug little fortune to dis.
PpSS va JUN Us lyINiu
Dudley Field, jeremiah Black, Scott
Lord and Chauncey Depew are not to
be put off with TITLES. BY the way,
after mentioning the amount which,
according TO report, the settlement of
the suit will cost VIM. II. Vanderbilt,
1t Is only proper to add that that gem
tleman himself says he has not made
any compromise, aud does not know
why the objections to the will were
withdrawn. 1t may turn out, otter all,
that Cornelius j. and the others were
advised by their counsel not to go any
further, as their case was.a weak ,one."
The rights of husbands and wives to
the property which they respectively
bring into the family have been further
defined and limited by bill which has
just passed both houses of the Con-
necticut Legislature. ltproYdes that
husband and wife shall not acquire by
marriage any right to each Others
property; that the husband shall be
liable for all debts incurred for the
Joint maintenance of husband, wife
and children; that the separate earn
ings of the wife shall be her own
property; that the wife may make
contracts or sell her real or personal
property; that all her property shall be
liable for debts, that the husband shall
be liable for none of her debts con-
tracted before marriage, nor for, those
contracted after marriage, except for
the support of the family, or for tho
joint benefit of both; and that tho
husband and wife respectively upon
the death of the other, shall, each in
herit during the remainder of life the
use of one-third of the others prop
erty. In the Senate the bill passed by
vote of fifteen to five, and in the
House it passed without a division,
Speaker Harrison even taking the floor
to argue in its favor. Further than
this in favor of women it is impossible
to go. 1t Is the last step in course
which was begun many years ago, by
which the personality and individuality
of all human beings under the laws is
recognized, and Connecticut now
stands side by side with Texas.