Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-15

| feelings of concentration toward each an cherry
| one Of YOU"
| During the wild excitement which followed the
close of the mastery effort. Samuel Shin and
Trustee Pullback fell upon the hot stove in an
enthusiastic embrace. and seven windows had
to be lowered to let out the odOr of overdone
mule steak.
Lazy, Not Justice.
From Tinsleys Magazine.
William Shaw, a respectable tradesman OF
Edinburgh, was blessed with a daughter who
had formed foolish attachment for young
man of bad character. Naturally enough the
| father objected to the whole business. The
foolish young woman, growing desperate, stab
bed herself. When in the thrOeS of death. in
the presence OF witnesses, her father appeared,
and before expiring she uttered the words,
"Cruel father, thou art the cause of my DEATH :"
The father. at this accusation. was said to ex-
hlbit great agitation. On the evidence, then. of
the daughters dying speech. and the decided
alarm which he displayed, the unfortunate father
was condemned to the gallOWs. Apparently no
evidence could be more conclusive; but still be
it remembered, it was only apparently"
1t was simply, after all, going on the
question of precedent. 1t was only pre-
sumption of fact, grounded on general
belief that the confession of a dying person may
always be taken for granted to be true. But
circumstances proved otherwise. A year or so
afterward. as new tenant of Shaw's former
apartments was rummaging by chance in the
room in which Catherine shaw had died. he ac-
cidentaly discovered a paper which had fallen
into cavity on one side of the chimney Itwas
folded as a letter, and on being opened the fol-
lowing confession was brought to light:
"Barbarous Father."-YOur cruelty having
put it out of my power ever to join my fate to
that of the only man could love and tyrannical-
ly insisting upon my marrying: one whom l al
ways hated, has made me fORm resolution to
put an end to an existence which is become a
burden to me. doubt not shall find mercy in
another world for sure no benevolent Being
can require that should live any longer in tor
ment to myself in this My death lay to your
charge. When you read this. consider yourself
an inhuman wretch that plunged the murderous
knife into the bosom Of the unhappy.
''CArHBRINE SHAW"
For another case might be quoted the famous
trial and conviction of Bradford the lnnkeeper
Here the evidence which produced conviction
consisted of the fact that he was seen standing
with bloody knife in his hand over the body Of
the murdered man. Bradford was executed;
but by death-bed confession of guilt it subse-
quently became known that the real murderer
was the servant Of his victim, who had been
tempted to the crime by the knowledge that his
unfortunate master was carrying considerable
sum Of money about his person. Here
again, was another case Of the fallibility
doubted murderers have been con-
victed because they had been caught red-hand
ed in the presence OF their victims. Therefore
Bradford was undoubtedly guilty because he
was discovered under the same circumstances
and it was quite unnatural to suppose anything
to the contrary. As to the well-knoHn case Of
the courier Of Lyons. the Geddeley case, and
the recent case of HabrOn, who fortunately es-
capped the gallOws, there is no need to enterintO
any particular Details as those already quoted
are sufficient for any ordinary purposes of eX-
position. 1t may be taken for granted, then.
that the lawyer is not always the best. and never
at any time the only, judge OF the value of evil
dence.
The ''Agony COlumn'' in English Pa
London Cor. Philadelphia Bulletin.
The shock caused in decent society by tina
''hideous Interpolation, as the World terms it
in the report of Sir William Harcourt's speech
in the Times, had scarcely abated when some
muddy-minded. practical jokers from the out
side set to work to carry on the game. Twice
within the space of a fortnight has the .'agony
column Of the leading journals been made the
medium of "a joke" as suppose it is called,
which. however, appropriate to the one-in-the-
morning orgie at the Coal Hole or Cider
Cellars thirty years ago, is not the sort
respectable journal. l hear, too, that
the Standard has been vctimiZed In the
like fashion. Fortunately for the general
readers OF those journals, the advertisements
sible only to men about town and such like
hunters after something racy." In one Of the
advertisements Lady Harcourt's name was in
dicated and her husband mentioned by nick
name which attached to him when he was
graduate at Oxford. The worst of this de-
scriptiOn of practical joking is. that it may be
carried on to almost any extent, let the con-.
ductors Of newspapers, which are made the
medium OF it, take what precautions they
please. 1t is quite lawful to advertise in
CIPHER or ambiguously exceptto the initiated,
by means of letters and 'sflashes," or to
use printers term, 'metal rules" And al
though the right of rejection rests with the con-
troller of the advertisement department of
newspaper, how is he to know when and what
to reject? 1t may one Of these days be neces-
sary for newspaper proprietOrs.to combine and
abolish the Agony Column altogether. At pres
ent, when the space SO named is not prostitu-
ted by the muddy-minded practical jokers Of the
political world. or OF society, 1t is manifestly
largely occupied by persons walose motives In
making designations and 50 forth are, to say the
least, questionable; and there can be no doubt
that it is used to a considerable extent by burg
lars, fences" receiverso of stolep go0ds) and the
like as means for defeating the authorities
the law.
Miss Armaindo, OF ST. Louis, who was TO ride q
bicycle eco miles in six days OF twelve hours EACH
ended the ritie last night, Masking GIL miles In
nlty.one hours and thirty minutes acs0al riding
TINS