Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-06

LETTER FROM WASHING TON
WAsHINGToS, ID. G., Jan. LIST, 1879.
NEW YEARS DAY

LETTER FROM WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON, ID. G., Jan. LIST, 1879.
New YEARS DAY
Is the day of the year here perhaps more
than in any other city of the country, owing
to the importance given to it by the Govern
ment All the departments are closed during
the week between Christmas and New Years
the latter half of the day and on New Years
all the officials and persons of note have open
houses, to which flock crowd of people from
morning till ten Z. NJ. the larger part of the
throng by far going from motives of curiosity.
Ten years ago it was the custom for ladies to
accompany gentlemen on these rounds to the
houses of the officials, but this custom seems
to have died out gradually, though it is still
kept up at the White House. where an i'm
mcnse crowd of people. old and young. male
and female. black and white go to pay their
respects to the Chief Magistrate. They, how
ever have to wait until the Diplomatic corps
and those high in authority have been re-
ceived. During and prior to Gen. Grants
first term. it was customary for cabinet Off
GERS to furnish liquors with their cake, con-
fectionery. sandwiches, meats and coffee, but
this has gradually given way to temperance
ideas until now no intoxicating beverages are
seen on their tables There are many places
where it still fingers but the number is com
paratively small, and the beverages even
there are generally of rather harmless but
pleasant sort. Egg-nOg is the favorite and
probably always has been here. At this sea-
son the fruit of the hen consequently COM
mands triple price.
Almost every one who can afford it, and
great many who cannot, receive to-day. La
dies of limited means frequently club together
and receive in one house, sharing the expense
and fatigue equally. As might be expected
the moral tone of society here on New Years
day is not quite up to the ideal standard, but
it is certainly much higher than it was few
years since.
THE BLAINE-TELLER COMMITTEE
Which week ago almost every one thought
or feared would fzzle ont, from lack of funds
and general Discrimination to serve upon it,
has now assumed live, aggressive proportions,
and confidently expects to show up the true
inwardness of Louisiana bull-dozing and
South Carolina onion-skinery. Five Of its
members. Messrs. Teller, Cameron (of Wis }
NlrkWoou VI tue fepuDilCdns. anu Ddlley anu
Garland of the democrats start on Friday the
third for Louisiana. with heavy working
force. consisting of two Deputy Sergeants-
alarms, James Redpath of Kansas fame for
clerk, two stenographers and four steno-
graphic amanuenses. They will probably be
absent three weeks and then return and send
one or two other subcommittee out to South
Carolina and the East
Eliza Pinkston.
The story of this poor colored woman, as
told me short time since by lady of the
highest character, residing in New Orleans.
is wonderful and as thrilling as French fiction.
This christian woman took care of her while
she was in New Orleans, and though the demo-
Gratis succeeded in throwing discredit upon
Eliza's testimony. this lady says that she
told the same story in its horrible details on
all occasions, both in her sane and insane mo-
ments. II seems miraculous and almost like
a direct interposition of Divine Providence
that Eliza Pinkston lived to tell the tale.
More fendish atrocity was never perpetrated
since the world began. will attempt fee
BILE brief repetition of the account
Eliza Pinkston was the wife of an iuteli-
gent leading colored republican in East Fell.
ciana Parish, La, woman of extraordinary
ly strong physical powers but an uneducated
field hand. She had two children, daughter
about eight years old and a nursing infant
Sometime before the election her husband
was threatened, and few days before it came
off body of masked men came to their house
on horseback in the night and tried TO get in.
No response came from within, the family be-
ing too frightened to say anything, and vainly
hoping that if they kept still the white
leaguers might conclude that they were not
at home and go away. But the door was
forced open and the father mother and babe
were butchered, and supposing all three were
dead, the white assassins left taking the body
of the baby, whose throat had been cut in its
mothers arms, and throwing it into the bayou
1t will be remembered that the white
lcaguers accused her of numbering her child
throwing it into the stream and then mutilat-
ing herself to deceive people and hide her
crime.
Eliza was left lying on the ground near the
edge of cotton patch for dead, after having
been repeatedly stabbed in the neck and
breast, her throat cut, and her body riddled
with bullets, but no vital part was pierced.
Her clothing was stripped from her body.
which bled from her head to her feet. In
cutting the infants throat they had sliced off
the ends Of her fingers. Her heel cords were
cut so that she cannot walk and never will be
able to, and gets ahead only by hitching her
body forward from side to side. She, all this
time remained conscious and heard every
word uttered even after they had, as they sup
posed, finished her. She with the wonderful
dramatic power of the negro, portrayed all
the little details what each one said and did
though their faces were not visible she knew
several OF them by their voices and recog-
nized by that means the owner of the panta-
ton they were on and the leading physician
OF the Parish. For the fun of it one Of the
fellows just as they departed took his knife
and thrusting it into the feshy part of her
thigh ripped the flesh open to the bone, down
to her knee. Another, spurning the body,
gave 1t kick with his heavy boot, remarking
dead niggers tell no tales" In narratine
this portion of her story she said, 'Oh.
did want to groan so bad, but was so scared
| didn't dare to-
During all this time her little girl of s
years was hid between the bedding; as soon
as she thought 1t safe she crawed out and
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