Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-04-05
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the bulletin

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Mar. 20, rs.
An interesting trial for murder is in
progress in our Court. A Mr.. Claxton,
in a fit of anger threw a poker at DR..
Homer, his fathcr-in-law, which, strik-
ing the latter in the temple, resulted in
immediate death. Claxton was living
with DIR. Homer, who often subjected
him to most violent and abusive lang
uage, and the assault was the result Of
passion. induced by the words and ac-
lions Of the Doctor. 1t is not likely. in
view of the palliating circumstances at
tending this unfortunate occurrence,
hat more will be done with Claxton
than to find him guilty of manslaughter
with a light sentence attaching. Our
courts sentenced to the penitentiary for
five years, a woman and two men, for
robbing a Mr.. Bishop Of his money and
watch. He came here some three weeks
ago from the West, and, after filing his
body with poor whiskey, started out to
see the sights. Falling into the tolls of
this woman she took him to her rooms,
and then, under some plea, induced him
to accompany her to an unfrequented
street, where he was garroted by these
two fellows, and robbed, she assisting in
the pleasant operation, and then depart
ing with them. The police, however,
arrested all three, who plead guilty, thus
permitting short work in disposing Of
them.
Washington is situated between the
Eastern Branch and Potomac Rivers.
The promontory or long neck of land,
which runs down to where the two riv-
ers join, is occupied by the government
as an arsenal, at which is accumulated
immense amounts of army and navy
ann0n and ordnance stores generally,
and the grounds cover about 50 acres.
1t is now proposed in Congress, to sell
these arsenal grounds to any highest
bidder desiring to purchase them, and
abandoning Washington City wholly,
for arsenal purposes. We are at a loss
to understand why such a suicidal course
should be pursued, for it is perfectly
evident that in this city there should al
ways be magazines for supplying our
army and navy with all the munitions
of war. We are aware that Congress,
under its specious, spasmodic efforts at
economy, commits many errors, but how
any sane member could advocate the
policy that the government should not
retain these beautiful and most valua-
BILE arsenal grounds, is a mystery to us,
unless we remember the huge steal Of a
million, which was involved in the sale
of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and ar
senal. That property sold for a million
dollars less than its actual worth, and
the faint of the swindle still clings to
several high officials and members of
Congress, and we feel safe in charging,
that at the proposition to sell our mag
%nifcent arsenal grounds lies a DELHI
crate attempt to rob the government by
a fraudulent sale, similar to that at
Philadelphia. Somebody is to reap a
rich harvest. There is no reservation
in the city so attractive for it's natural
beauty, and, bordering, as it does, upon
two rivers with deep harhorage along it's
extended fronts, it is extremely yalua-
bic for all governmental use, and we
therefore earnestly hope that all sensi-
BILE men in Congress will interpose to
prevent its sale.
Our temperance people are hard at
work, since Murphy departed. holding
meetings all over the District, and keep
ing things at a white heat generally.
To their force Of speakers haye been
added many reformed drpnkards, mon
of considerable talent and ability natur-
ally, who are able to attract audiences
wherever they speak, and as a conse-
quence we cannot perceive any abate=
ment of interest in our temperance agi-
%tation. 4 Mr.. Nye is one of their most
effective orators. He is a son of Ex-
Senator Nye of Bret Harte fame, and
inherits much of the energy and talent
of his father, and his speeches are full
of the odd originality as well as good
sense, characteriZing the oratory OF the
deceased statesman,
Charles H. MOulton, "a real estate
agent, about a year ago swindled our
people out of nearly 100000 and alb
seconded. He had figured largely here
as a business man, handled c%onsidera-
BILE sums of money, made some fortu-
nate speculations, and, in various ways,
succeeded in gaining the confidence of
people generally. But, after collecting
all the money he possibly could, by all
name of false pretenses, even resort
ing to forgery, he suddenly disappeared,
leaving hundreds of citizens in o the
lurch. He came back, after a few
months absence, but, finding that he
would be criminally prosecuted, he
again disappeared, and was next heard
of in London. where he was arrested,
and, under the extradition laws, return
ed here. He lies in our jail awaiting
trial. But there is not the slightest
hope that n dollar Of the vast sum he
stole will ever be returned, While it is
a satisfaction to have such knayes in
prison, yet it is poor reparation for those
who have suffered so much at his hands.
Several lost their all by him, and from
afluence were reduced to beggary or de-
pendence upon friends for support.
John A. Grow is being tried in New
York for attempting to defraud the gov
eminent in collecting unclaimed bond
interest due certain persons. Grow re-
Gently figured largely here in a forgery
case, for which he was indicted, but was
released on bail from prison. He came
HCIC SoLHC yCdlS dSo, lIoIl IoNd, WIFI Il
reputation badly besmlrched, through
some short comings in one of the land
offices there, and we can but hope that
New York may give him a term of years
in Albany. He will get it if he comes
back here, but we prefer Others should
save us the trouble and expense of Civ
ing him his just deserts. We are not
down on carpet-baggers to any great ex-
tent in Washington City. for nineteen
twentieths of our citizens belong to that
class, yet we deprecatc the coming of
men from other states, who should have
been retained there for service in their
penitentiaries.
Our fisherman are at their nets, and
are supplying u markets with finest Of
shad, which the mild February and
March have started for their spawning
beds several weeks earlier than in 1877.
The great decrease in our shad catching
in contrast with 30 years ago, occasions
much comment, and, should it continue,
the Potomac will, in a few years, be des-
titute of this fine fish. While we have
no dams or other artificial instructions
of hat nature to prevent fish from
reaching the fine spawning beds of the
Upper Potomac, yet there is no effec-
tive law operative upon the Potomac,
to prevent fisherman from spreading
their gill" nets all over it, and expert
ence shows that wherever these nets
are placed the entire destruction of fish