The Newtown bee., 1880-12-15
NEWS EPITOME.
Eastern .nd Middle States.

 evenings ago at the New York Academy of Music by Wycliffe semi-millennial celebta, tion under the auspices of the American Bible society. The principal feature of the cesebra- tion was an oraJion on John Wychfe and the first English Bible by the Rev. Dr. Rich ard S. Storrs. Short addresses were made by ex-Governor Joshua l.. Chamberlain, of Maine, president ot the American Bible so- ciety, Cortlandt Parker and Enoch L. Fancher. Many prominent clergymen and distinguished laymen were present, and tho audience crowded the academy.
 The New York surrogate has decided the contest over Frank Leslie's will by sustaining the will and ordering that it be admitted to probate.
 During the four weeks engagement of Sarah Bernhardt in New York the receipts of the theater at which sue played amounted to close upon $l00,000
 The crew of lite-saving station Mo- 4, near Long Branch, have been presented with gold medals by the government in recognition oi their galls mt rescue ot the crew ot Spanish brig last February.
 The Kearsage mills at Portsmouth, N. H., caught fire the other day, and in a short time the immense six-story structure was laid in ruins, entailing loss of about $500,000. One operative was reported killed and several more badly burned.
 B. G. ARNOLD & Co.,, of New York, one of the largest firms of coffee and tea importers in the country, have Jailed with liabilities variously estimated at from Sl, ,500, ,000 to $2, ,0OO, ,O00
 IfrYN pr,S1fJ of diploma tame, and MT. V. Chapman, have been sentenced in the United States court at Philadelphia, for attempting to deiraud the government out of Buchanan's bail by a pretended suicide to pay each $50O fine, with all costs ot prosecution; Buchanan to be imprisoned ten months, and Chapman one year and ten months.
 A TEMPERANCE Congress-" under the auspices of tbe New York State Temperance society, was opened in the Cooper Union, New York city, by @ reception to Governor St. John, ot Kansas, the noted temperance advocate.
 FARMER at Batavia, N. r., has lost five children within a fortnight from diphtheria. Fourteen years ago the same family lost touI children from the same malady.
 IN New Salem, N. r., John Van Tassel killed his wife with an ax and then cut his own throat, dying almost instantly. He was jealous of attentions paid to his wife by other men.
 AT Wendell, Mass, the boiler in the saw mill of Messrs. Marble S Clark exploded with such terrible effect that the proptietors, Oscar Brown. George Brown, William Brown, brothers, from seventeen to twenty-one years of age, and Mrs. Felton, who was keeping house for them, were killed. George Rey- nolds a young child, had leg broken, and Charles Reynolds shoulder smashed.
 THE New York Worlds Fair committee has adopted report recommending that Inwood, in the northwestern part of the city, be se- lected as the site tor the fair. The Central park commissioners refused to permit any portion of the park to be used.
 A FIRE in the business heart of Springfield, Mass, caused an aggregate loss ot about $lO0, 1000.
 REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER spoke on temperance at tho fourth days session of the New York State Temperance society in New York city.
 SHORT time ago J. R. Keene, the finan- cier, bought the famous English race-horse Blue Gown for $2O,000 and shipped him for the United States. On the voyage to New York the horse died from exhaustion and in- juries received.
 BOWIE, DASH & Co.,, of New York, large dealers in coffee, have failed with liabilities of nearly $l, ,5OO,OOO.
 FOR a long time past the question in New York city politics has been whether John Kelly, the Tammany leader, would be able to retain his hold on the comptrolership over Mayor Cooper's term. A few days ago Mayor Cooper, whose term expires January l, nominated Allan Campbell, an anti-Tam- many Democrat, to succeed Kelly, whose term has just expired; and Campbell was confirmed by vote of thirteen aldermen-fige ge anti-Tammany four Tammany and tour Re- publican-to eight votes against confirmation -four Temmany, two anti Tammany and two Republican.
 COLONEL CHAPMAN RIDDLE, distinguished Philadelphia lawyer, is dead in his sixtieth year.
 Western and Southern States.
 A fire at Durham, x. O., destroyed sixteen buildings and swept away property valued at $l00,000.
 An international cotton exposition will be held in Atlanta, Ga next October.
 Daniel Smith, calored man, after being sentenced by the court at Pulaski, Tenn, to twenty -one years imprisonment for attempt ing to assault young white girl, was taken from the hands oi the sheriff by a crowd and hanged.
 John Callahan was hanged few days ago at Wooster, Ohio, for murdering Benjamin Tormie at an agricultural fair in October, 1879. Callahan and others set upon a young man named Martin, when Tormie went to his res- cue and was stabbed in the back by Callahan.
 Diphtheria has prevailed in very malig- nant form in Grayson county, Va. In some families five and six persons died; and in one instance the whole family died.
 At Excelsior, Iowa, John Livingston, while drunk, in pure wantonness killed Margaret Stewart and her two-year-old child, terribly mangling them.
 By railroad accident at Carey Station, Ill.,, two persons were fatally and thirteen others seriously injured.
 Andrew J. Gillen, the young lawyer who some weeks ago shot and killed Miss Sigerson, sister of tho New York assistant corporation attorney, and then escaped, was arrested at Cedar Keys, Fla. Alter his arrest he shot himself dying soon after from his self-inflicted wound. Before death he stated that he had shot Miss Sigerson by accident, intending to shoot himself ia her presence that she might witness his death.
 The remains of the late Lieutenant-G Gov ernor-elect George B. Robinson, of Colorado, lately shot by mistake during some mining troubles near Leadville, were received in Kalamazoo, Mich, by procession, and after lying in state there two days the body was taken to his mothers home at Plainwell. The Piedmont and Arlington Insurance con-