The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-01-03
NUMBER II.

the triumphs of the earlier portion Of
the year. OF course we could not
wind up our holiday season without a
startling assassination, the entertain
ment this time being furnished by
Edward Scanneil, who rejoices in be-
longing to a murderer's family. He
will be remembered as the brother of
John Scannell, who assassinated one
Donohue in a pool room on Broadway
few years ago, and who succeeded
in staving off the trial for several
years, and was finally acquitted on
the ground of emotional insanity. He
had once before attempted to murder
Donohue, and nearly succeeded, by
shooting him in the back, and his sue
cessful assassination took place III the
presence of hundred men. Edward,
who is only about twenty three, prom
ises to become quite an ornament to
this excellent family, and it may yet
be matter of municipal economy for
the city to provide a graveyard for
their slain. The man whom Scannell
shot in the drunken brawl of Wednes-
day night last was a worthless vaga-
bond by the name of Wilson, and the
scene of the encounter thieves den
on one of the most public parts of the
Third Avenue. We have 10 tears to
shed over the demise of Wilson, that
is, if he do demise, which unfortu-
nately is not yet quite certain my
only regret is, that some TENDER
hearted missionary did not throw a
ten.pound can of nitro-glycerine into
the midst of the crowd, and. blow them
all to that place where ice cream and
charlotte russo are never expected to
follow their Christmas turkey.
There is an impending crash in the
grain market; a syndicate here, sup
posed to be headed by Jim Keene,
holding many millions of bushels for
a corner. The outside pressure is
very great to break the grip of the
ring, but. SO far, the bulls keep stiff
upper lip, and now it looks as if the
longest pole would take the persim-
mon.
The trial and conviction of Madame
Eckhert, the abortionist, is matter
of sincere congratulati0n to every de-
cent man and woman in the commu-
nifty, and for long term, at least,
closes a life of crime and sin which,
for years, has bid defiance to the Or
dinary forms of law. The rich prizes
which have rewarded this dreadful
form of crime have been the means of
filing this city with hundreds of male
and female quacks, who prey upon
the misfortunes Of the erring and the
weak, and fatten like ghouls on the
carcasses of the dead. Will the time
ever come when our enlightened civil
ization shall render this terrible crime
impossible, and Christian men and
Christian women shall say to their
erring sisters, as the man Of Gallilee
said to the adulteress of old, "neithe
do l condemn thee go and sin no
more." .... .-.
General Grant dropped in upon US
in the midst of storm on Wednesday
morning, and, save the brakeman and
conductor, hardly soul appeared to
know he was ON the train. He came
to pay short visit to his aged mo-
ther, who is now residing in Jersey
City with her daughter, Mrs. CorbiD.
It was an instructive sight, and one
suggestive of our Republican iGstitu-
tions, to see the greatest soldier of the
age, ard the man whom kings and
potentates and peoples delighted to
honor, arrive among us without any
show or ostentation, jump into hack
ney coach, and drive to his mothers
transformations home, with no more
show or parade than the humblest
citizen in the land. The visit only
|; lasted few hours but if it had been
generally known at the time, he would
scarcely have escaped few hand
shakings from the local politicians,
who never let such an opportunity
pass if they know it. ..
We often hear the expression,
Christmas weather." The man who
would be dissatisfied with our present
sample must, indeed, be hard to
suit. We have had hail, rain and
snow, the thermometer almost at 76
degrees, and again below zero, within
tile week. We were spared the por-
tentious honors of green Christmas,
with all of its attendant evils, gen.
erous fall Of snow on our holiday night
bringing sleigh bells, buffalo robes
and runners to tie front.
OF the sixty-fiye men who entered
for the walking match, very small
portion have pulled through, and I
am very glad to add that it no longer
! clai,ns tA4. uannlaI annreciafinn or