Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-12-17
Personal AND GENERAL.

The Atchison, Topeka q Santa Fc
Railroad Company have unearhed a series
OF startling frauds connected with the con-
struction department OF their road and have
caused the arrest OF a number Of employees
and others, some twenty five persons in all,
engaged in the conspiracy. The swlndle
has been in operation for six years. 1t was
carried out by means of time checks, issued
to fictitious persons and Endorsed over to
outside parties in collision with the Road
master and Section Foreman. Anumber of
wel-known Topeka men are alleged to have
been engaged in the scheme, and they have
been arrested.
The Ring Theater, the principal place
of amusement at Vienna, was consumed by
fire on the evening OF the Sth and large
number of persons persisted in the flames or
were trampled to death in the frantic eff
forts of the audience to secure an exit. The
fire broke out on the stage just before the
time for the curtain TO rise, and is said to
have been caused by the falling OF kerosene
lamp. In brief moment the curtain and
scenery were enveoped in flames, and soon
after there was an explosion OF gas. The
audience were naturally panic-stricken and
the ordinary exits became blocked by
struggling mass of humanity. A large num-
Der leaped from the windows to the pave
mcnts below, where sheets were stretched to
break their fall. The number Of lives lost
is estimated as high as 600. Up to
the morning Of the 9th 400 bodies
had been recovered, and the fourth
: IL, I, no. &c ho
leved that not single person escaped from
= that gallery, and that very few escaped from
. the third gallery The corpses last recovered
are little more than charred fragments,
Gross neglect is charged against the man
agemcnt of the theater.
: THE great Wabash Railway bridge,
$ spanning the Missouri River at st. Charles,
= again went down, on the evening OF the Sth,
S precipitating an entire freight train Of some
d thirty cars siXty-tive feet into the river be-
r low. The engineer, Jack Kirksby, fireman
VI Chamberlain, and one other employee took
n the terrible plunge, but strange to say two
. of them escaped without serious injury.
e Engineer Kirksby was either killed by the
s fall or drowned. His fireman came
n out of the cab to the surface and
was rescued. Several stock men leaped
30 from the caboosc in time to save themselves
as they saw the front OF the
70 train plunging into the abyss.
-, 1t was two years ago on the
W Sth of November that a similar disaster oc-
~ Cured. That time it was the third span;
>" this time it was the first span that sue
. cumbed. A month ago the State Railroad
= Commissioners made report that the bridge
-, was perfectly safe, and only da!
~ previous to the accident one OF TIT
- Commissioners inspected the struc
nd ture and went away seemingly satisfied
~ 1t was estimated by the officers OF the roaC
that it would take a week or more to erect
temporary trestlc-work to permit the pas
CT sage OF trains.
ITS HIRAM and Valentine Mercer, broth
IN ers, shot and killed Deputy Sheriff ant
lis wounded another officer, in Decatur County
Iowa, on the 10th of November last. The
u subsequently fled TO Missouri, taking u
In their residence with another brother, VIII
n owns a farm near Eau dc Vie, Christia
lrd County. A reward OF 81, 200 was offered 70
p- the capture Of the dcsperadocs. few day
ND since an officer from Iowa, assisted by tn
n Sheriff OF Christian County and small poss'
inc attempted their capture by strategy. Th
tly plan succeeded so far as TO draw the DIES
or peradoes into an ambush prepared for thei
IN by the officers, but both refused to surrer
ip- der and showed fight, whereupon they wei
IS shot down, one being instantly killed an
ma the other dying within few minutes.
w. JEFFERSON DAVIS has arrived in Ne
York from Europe.
to A BATTERY of boilers in the Keystor
It'll. Rolling mill at Pittsburgh exploded on Il
mad evening of the 9th, with most disastrous G
Ors fects. Cornelius Dunn, the fireman, w
a killed instantly, and some % or 80 other ell
ltal ployees were injured some OF them doub
the less fatally. The boiler house and blacl
ion smith shop were entirely demolished.
ne. Two Arkansas murderers we
MS hanged on the Sth-Howard G. Edmunds,
Inc Warren, Bradley County, for the murder
TIA his sister-in-law, Sallie Watson, and Fran
lon' Hall, at Little Rock, for the murder OF Pa
io'' Saunders.
Miss BELLE Cross, q very beautif
-, VI and amiable young lady, fatally shot hers
10 | the OIner uHy Wuhc HNhuilhS iONuiNOl
~ the residence OF her bother-in- law, Jasp
,lo Woosey, who resides at Lake Station, M
at souri, Pacific Railroad, a few miles above
~ Joe. The ball entered her forehead, crus
.oot ing the brain and causing instant death.
Dr A JEALOUS Italian in New York Gil
low named Pasquali Tocnicto, 81 years of AZ
DR.. killed his wife, aged IA, fatally wounded
ham mother in-law, then shot himself in
err. neck and walked to police station.
Mon ADDISON and William Burns, on tr
who at Clarion, Pa, for completely in Misso
not land frauds, have been found guilty and
writ manded 10 Jail pending sentence. Nj
The persons in Pittsburgh and Northwest
the Pennsylvania have been swindled out
mes, large sums, ranging from $1,000 to S25, {
con- through these transactions. The Burn
the were the chief ringleaders of thatpar of
ce or country, and are all well known in Phi
ploy- burgh, VIM. Burns having been Presid
Re- OF bank there for many years. The c
was has been prosecuted by the United Sta
Dolit- although tried in the State Court, by rea
the of want of jurisdiction in the Fed
lden' Courts.
there FORTY.SEyENTH CONGRESS-.