Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-28

The tr1al Of Marie Narlan, 1nQlcbeo IOE set- ting fire to her saloon and restaurant for the purpose of procuring the insurance of $4,- 500, was continued to-day. The case was given to the jury, who at 2 late hour were locked up for the night.
 THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. The Pension Bureau-A Large Increase
 of New CIafms-Ninety Millions Needed
 Next Year-A Destructive Storm-Great
 Injury to Property.
 WASHINGTON, June 27.-Mr. Bentley,
 Commissioner of Pensions surrendered his
 office to Colonel Dudley this afternoon. Be-
 fore leaving he made to your correspondent
 the following statement as to the condition
 in which he would leave the office and as to the author of the pension service: ''The number of new pensions granted during the year will be about twenty-five thousand ex- elusive of the war of 1872 pensions. This is an increase of more than sixty per centum over the number granted last year. A part of this increase is accounted for by the fact that we have handled very large number of new claims during the year, many of which were for gun-shot wounds or for some dis ease of which there was a record. This ele- ment will enter more largely into the work of next year and continue to increase the number of annual settlements until the claims which pending, but not yet reached for adjustment, have been gone over. After that the work will again fall back into it's usual course. The settlements next year ought to reach from 45, 900 to 50, 900. First, there are probably from five to seven thou sand cases in the files ready or nearly so for the issue of the certificates. Second, there will be an increase of the examining force, including that relieved from the work upon the new records, equal to nearly fifty per centum. Third, there will be large in crease in the number of special agents which under the law as modified last winter ought considerably to increase the number of claims which will be settled. These advantages, to- gether with the character of the claims be- fore referred to, ought to nearly if not quite double the number of allowances. We have exhausted the pension appropriation this year -$5O, 302, 306. 68-and have been compelled to carry over into July nearly all the May and June settlements. l think they will re- quire for the first payments about $5, OOO,- 900. This added to the expected increase in the settlement next year will run the amount for next year up to nearly or quite $90, ,0OO,- OOO so there will be required for the pen sions next year an appropriation of $4e, 000,- GOO in addition to the $50,000, 900 already ap-. propriated. New claims continue to come in very rapidly. There have been filed this year upward of thirty thousand new origin al claims"
 President Garfield, Secretary Hunt and Postmaster General James returned this af ternoon as expected. There will be Cabi- net meeting tomorrow. The President is unable to say when he will return to Long Branch
 The case of James G. Christmas, who shot and killed his brother-in-law last Saturday, comes before the grand jury tomorrow. A strange coincidence associated with this hom- icide is the fact that many years ago previous to the war the father of Christmas shot and killed free negro in North Carolina and was tried and hanged for the crime. A cousin of Christmas was also hanged for murder.
 Secretary Windom has just received a let ter from Captain Hooker, commanding the revenue steamer Corwin on the search expe- dition in Behring Straits. He reports the safe arrival of the Corwin with all on board well at Annalaska May 17th, twelve and a half days from San Francisco. The passage WAS pleasant most of the way. but when near Annalaska a snow storm and heavy north west gales were encountered The island was still white with snow on the 2Oth. Cap tain Hooker reports that the natives of Illia- tux have suffered very severely this spring from typhoid pneumonia. Thirteen deaths have occurred and thirty-five persons are still sick At the Beorha settlement four died and eighteen are still afflicted. Some are very low and not likely to recover. The Corwin is being repaired at Annalaska. Cap tain Hooker hoped to leave there for the Seal Islands about May 22d, whence he intends to proceed north along the Siberian coast, touching at St. Lawrence Island, Plover Bay, St. Lawrence Bay, East Bay, Cape Serdze, Kings Island, Diomedes and Cape Prince of Wales He adds: ''If possible to procure dogs we propose to send @ small sledge party fitted for two months travel from Cape Serdze along the Siberian coast to make inquiries in reference to the Arctic exploring steamer Jeannette and the missing whalers, Mt. Wool stin and V1gilant The vessel in the mean time will cruise in the vicinity of the Straits and endeavor to prevent illicit traffic with the natives. We will touch at St. Michaels as soon as the ice leaves Norton Sound.'
 Ex-Treasury Custodian Pitney denies the statement that he proposes to make dama- gine disclosures relative to the contingent fund of the Treasury duplicating other and higher officials.
 Washington was visited this evening with a thunder storm of unusual severity and damage to the extent of many thousands of dollars was sustained: There was heavy shower from the southwest about p. m., when a quarter of an inch of rain fell within fifteen minutes. The clouds then cleared and at D. m. storm suddenly rose from the northwest At S0fGu Lu1AOtco d1GSI SlSuG the wind blew hurricane and rain in tor rents fell, between o'clock and 8:45 there being 2a inches. The wind blew at the ve- locity of thirty-six miles per hour and the lightning flashed more terriically than ever known here, making sad havoc throughout the city. The roof of the City Hall was al- most completely torn off and thrown into the street. The Pension office was struck by lightning and heavy iron cornice was thrown across Pennsylvania avenue. The Medical Museum building, Trinity church and many houses were also badly damaged. The roof of Young's silk house was torn off and the stock damaged about $10,0oO. The roof of brick block on N street was blown into the street and the timbers carried through the windows opposite, breaking down partition twenty feet further. Trees were uprooted and broken down on every street. The shrubbery in the Capitol the White House and Smithsonian grounds were badly damaged. No loss of life or personal injury is reported. The storm passed on southwest and disappeared as suddenly as it