Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-05-26
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.

AT Muscatne, Ia, two girls named McMenoman
have confessed that their brother killed their father
last Saturday, In order that the children might have
things their own way at home. 1t arranged that
the younger sister should acknowledge the shooting
plea of selfdefense, 1t being thoughther extreme
youth would save her from punishment The girls
and their brotherare in jail and the case causes great
excitement.
Last Friday Capt. Boyton performed the danger
and unprecedented feat Of shooting the rapids OF
James river from mile above Richmond, Va, to
mean tide water being fall Of nearly 60 feet There
were $1,000 spectators.
When Queen Victoria left Windsor for Balmoral,
last Friday night extraordinary precautions were tat
en- TO ensure her saiety' Inc runway station was
guarded by police aud the public was entirely e1elud-
The Aiaskd, Of the euion line, has just made the
trip from Queenstown in seven days, four hours aud
10 minutes-the quickest time known-thus beating
her own record.
Near indianapolis, Ind, last sunday, German
boy and girl who had been pronounced by the parents
Of the former too young to marry took morphine and
laudanum to end their troubles, and the boy died.
An Iowa man received $4,000 the other day. Bur
glars entered his house that night, bound him, and
blew bis safe, but found nothing. He had careless
ly left the money in his trousers pocket.
Vim Shields, prominent planter, and two chill
dren were Killed. and his wife fatally hurt in recent
tornado in Mountain township, Pike county Ark in
which 16 dwellings were demolished and crops badly
damaged The loss to the county will reach thousands
OF dollar.
Letters from missionaries 10 Asia Minor confirm
reports OF aserious famine in that region. From one
half to three-fourths Of the people 10 many villages
are already destitute, and there yet three months
to the harvest.
james W. Forrest entered bar-room at Raleigh,
n. C., Monday, filled tumbler with laudanum and
cooly drank it, saying he laid the tumbler on the
bar, al will be in hell In a few minutes" He then
walked out and fell in the street When several per-
sons attempted to pick him up he cursed them again
and again. and died in the greatest agony.
The steamer MAnitoulin burned on Lake On
tario last Friday, and 20 to rs lives were lost.
A cyclone devastated so farms in Polk county Ark
and destroyed $4,000 worth Of property. At Iron
Forks Mr.. Turner's house destroyed, his two
children killed, his wife fatally and himself seriously
hurt and several other persons seriously IA
tally injured.
South American hides, lately wrecked of the New
Jersey coast and the coffee cast ashore large
quantities. where the inhabitants from far and near
gathered 1t up and carried 1t away for 1t is
washed out Of the hides aud many persons have been
made seriously sick by its use.
james Fitzgerald, the principal in the recent ban
swindle on Charles Francis ADAMS, has been tried
and convicted.
A gang OF tramps attempted to wreck lssen-
ger train Of eight loaded cars on the Shore Line
road near Madison, Con l., irly Wednesday morn
Ing, but Chas. l. Way, station agent at East River,
saw the obstacles on the track, fought with the
wOuld-be wreckers, AID sigualed the train Just In
time to save It. Way is about 90 years OF age and
his body bears painful evidence Of his tussle with
the desperadoes. Among other injuries he got a
pistol wound In the wrist, aud a stunning blow on
the head from big stone thrown by one OF the
wrecEers.
"A gas explosion Ia q cOliery at Shenandoah, Pa,
Wednesday, killed six men and wounded several
feet from the top OF the shaft, when fall Of top
rock occurred, forcing the sulphur down, and II
quickly ignited from naked light. The force OF
the explosion was terrific The men were hurled
along the gangway and dashed against the timbers
mutilating their bodies so that they were hardly
recognizable.