New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-01-16
INTERESTING CURRENT TOPICS.

INTERESTING CURRENT TOPICS.
Henry Hickey, the Boston boy who
killed his play fellow, read the cheap
romances of border life until he become
ambitious to do some bloody deed him
self. He told companion that he in
tended to do some bloody deed himself,
and then live in cave as an outlaw.
Juries in Illinois murder trials decide
whether the convicted prisoners shall be
imprisoned for life Or hanged. In Shaw
neetown a jury stood three for hanging
and nine for imprisonment. They pulled
straws to settle the question, and on
verdict thus obtained man was SEN
fenced to death; -but when the facts came
out new trial was granted Il
Inquiry into the wicked ways of Phila-
delphia's mock auction men revealed that
they hired two or three women to attend
the sales, carefully inspect the articles
that were to be sold, start the bidding at
the articles cost price, and run it up
among themselves until an outsider put
in a bid. It-was then promptly knocked
down-to the outsider
"Pound Parties" are now recognized as
popular aids to church benevolence, Ev-
cry body who comes is expected to bring
a pound of something, done upin such a
manner as to leave, its nature mystery.
The packages are auctioned off, and the
people bid without knowing what they
are buying. There is much fun, but no
very heavy cash result, as it is generally
expected that the givers of packages
present coffee or sugar, rather than
dollar sugar plums, or other costly ar
ticles. aa Isl. n
Two fellows in Arizona formed part
nership for tn business, of robbery. Their
first exploit was to take the treasure box
from a stage, by which they obtained
$500. They spent the money in carous-
al, and started out again. This time they
murdered and robbed miner. Then
mob dissolved the par tnership by, shoot
ing one member and hanging the other.
The assets consist of two revolvers and
some shabby clothes, but it is considered
that there are no liabilities, the firm hav-
ing paid t( WI what a they owed to justice:
Russia has to contend with famine.
sDearth is reported to prevail to a serious
extent in the province, Of Kazan in
Eastern Russia, the province laying to the
northwest of and adjacent to the province
of Samara which suffered SO disastrously
from famine a short time ago. The city
Of Kazan is said to be crowded with
famine stricken persons who have focked
into it in search of food, and the peasan
try in the outlying districts are reduced
to great straits. An imperial Commits
sion has been appointed to organize the
means of relief.
The Pennsylvania Municipal Commits
sion has reported plan for the govern
ment Of cities. It is proposed to estab-
fish five classes of cities, according to
size, with a modified charter for each
class. In every large city there is to be
a common council with two branches and
legislative powers, q Mayor as an exec
utive, and seven departments. The i'm
portant feature in the plan is positive
prohibition Of the borrowing of money by
the city, except for unforeseen emergen-
eies, and then only on a ,three-fourths
vote Of the councils, the loan not to ex.
tend beyond the termination of the fs-
cal year. ItI4 i{o
An interesting account of the German
army has lately been published by
French officer, who was for many, years
military attache at the court of Berlin.
The total number of trained soldiers
Germany could dispose of in time of war,
including the troops of the landsturm, is
estimated by the writer at from 100000
to 100000 men, of whom 100000 be-
long to tile regular army and landwehr.
Owing to the Improvements which have
been made in the details of mobilization
scheme since the war of 1901, the
writer calculates that in three weeks the
whole of the regular army could be con
eentrated on the French frontier, while