Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-07
GOTHAM GLEANINGS.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN NEW
YORK.
The Vanderbilt SuicIde-Determfned
Efforts 20 Destroy the Andre Mon
ument-RemarkabI Family Fa-
taltty-JumbO-Is GuIteau Insane9
The New opera House.

NEW YORK, April 4.-The suicide of Corne-
Illus ]. Vanderbilt coming so close on that of
Philip Van Renssaeler has caused great trepi-
dation in society. 1t isn't often that two men,
both of the highest social and financial stand.
ing, commit suicide within few weeks. Mr.
Van Renssaeler's suicide was as inexplicable as
Mr.. Vanderbilt's, Both were men still in the
prime Of life, and with everything, apparently
to make them desire to live. Each blew out
his brains at a fashionable Fifth avenue hotel.
When William H. Vanderbilt heard OF his
brothers death, he drove from his magnificent
house like mad and rushed up to the room
where the corpse lay. After hasty glance
he closed the doors, and shortly afterward
an attempt was made to conceal the fact
Of the suicide and give the impression that the
death was the result of an epileptic fit. OF
course the true facts came out. The suicide
was widely known. He had been in the South
for soma months. and returned much improved
in health. Though not on very friendly terms
with his brother. Mr.. VIM. H. Vanderbilt will
be obliged to close his new house for time
and go into mourning, il he has any regard for
the proprieties. This will go hard with him. as
he has already laid out an extensive pro-
gramme for spring receptions. luncheons.
dinners and teas, and he is not fond of having
his plans frustrated.
There is evidently an organized attempt to
level the Andre Monument. at Tappan. to the
ground Fresh attempts to blow it up are
made every night or two, and yet the modern
Guy FawkeS and his companions elude detec-
tiOn in a manner that would do credit to a
grave robber The persisteucy of this Guv
Fawkes is praiseworthy, certainly. whatever
may be said of the business. He is not content
with shattering the base so that the shaft only
rests on a fragment less than foot square.
The agent. in the hands of the cOnspirators, is
O'DOnnVQn RnCSa
and his cOterie one OF the resources of civiliza-
ton. Various theories have been advanced to
account for this attack. One is that it has been
lnSt1gated by a throe of patriotism in the
breast of some true American who views the
monument as a standing outrage to
the soil of the country. Another is that
the consniracy was Matched in Justus Schwab's g
beer cellar, which is a famous resort for
red-shirted, tousel-headed Nihilists, whose
leveling tendencies would lead them to bring
down anything. IF Cyrus W. Field amused
himself sitting straddle Of the monument (or
more correctly, his mOnument) this last eX-
PLANTATION would be full and satisfactory, for
nothing would delight the frowsv-headed fol
lowers OF the red flag more than to blow that
great monopolist sky-high. Mr.. Field says
that anyone who suppoSes that the monument
was erected in honor of Major Andre is labor
ing under delusion, and that, on the contrary,
the stone was put up to mark the spot on ac-
count OF its historical interest. 1t was put up
at the suggestion of Dean StanleV who wrote
the inscription for it, few weeks ago. when
Hendrick opened the attack by defacing the
inscription, the celebrity with which Mr. Field
got after him was amazing; but these last at
tackS 9ppear to have quite knocked him over
He talks of replacing it by another stone At
present, however, he is apparently waiting
calmly until the work of demolition is COM
plete. Then h will, as he has intimated. be-
gin to build again. / do not wish to express
any opinion, but it is the opinion of many that
Mr.. Field erected the monument because he
thought it would please his English friend, and
II this is so he so far forth, is a snob.
An extraordinary instance of a whole family
dying off in short time is much talked of by
theatrical people here. Mr. J. W. Thorpe for
merly stage manager of the Union Square The
atre, died three days ago, and was buried from
Dr. HOughton'S church. He was well known
because of his position of manager of the
Brooklyn Theatre when it burned dewn He
was credited with heroic conduct then, and has
always been highly esteemed. About three
months ego his wife died. Shortly after his
daughter died and her husband. Billings, the
actor, Mr. Thorpe's son-inlaw, killed himself
Then came the fathers death, and not a mem
her OF the family is alive to day. Three months
rs a snort time for the determination Of an en-
tire family, and warm expressions of sympa-
thy would undoubtedly be expressed il there
was any one to express them to.
Unless the steamship Assvrian Monarch has
gone down the great and willful elephant. Jum-
DO, is now sailing on the ibriny deep. One of
strong imagination cannot but wonder If the
huge beast has not been put into tantrumsbv
SDuIUng SO mucn sea air, broken his bonds and
gone on a rampage through the dining saloon.
or perhaps jumped overheard. But one is dis,
posed to hope that the treatment he received
before'setting out on his voyage was of nature
to restrain him from committing any such indis-
cretions. A blushing briie sent him piece of
her wedding cake neatly done up in box and
a bridegroom down in Sommersetshire re-
membered him by sending some other deli
cacy, which. like the cake, went down the
throats of his keepers instead of that of the
elephant's We hear that one woman was
driven in a carriage one morning before day-
light from Woolwich. On arriving at the
Geological Gardens she pro luced some grapes
for Jumbo, who ate them with gusto. It Is
stated on good authority that Jumbo is intem-
perate in his habits, and that the very day he
sailed some of his friends gave him stiff drink
of champagne and lemon. Mr. Barnum who
has been lecturing here every Sunday on
temperance. will undoubtedly undertake.
Jumbo's reform. In his lecture at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre on Sunday, he referred to the
liking the elephants have for rum, and how
easily the APPETITE grew when it was gratifled
So poor Jumbo. among other hardships which
he will have to endure in his new country will
have to give up his toddy. The landing OF
Jumbo should the ship arrive will be the sensa-
ton of the week.
DR.. George ". Beard, who stands in the front
rank here, and in this country, as a neurolo-
gist, is creating great talk in medical circles
by taking bold stand that Guiteau is insane
l was at the Academy of Medicine last even
ing, where he lectured on the Psychology of
WlUCncraIG-' MS YVES MS SUBJECT, but his
lecture in reality was an attack on the conduct
of the Guiteau trial He drew a parallel he
tween the Salem witchcrsft trials in Puritan
times, when innocent persons were hung, on
what he termed spectre evidence, and the trial
of Guiteau AS lis well known, those who were
thought to be bewitched declared that they
saw certain persons ia certain forms in the
air. On such evidence people were convicted
and hung. According to DR.. Beard-and |
guess no one will dispute him-these children
who were thought to be bewitched were
suffering from form of insanity. To
show that such forms of mental disease
now exist he performed experiments with
trance subjects who imagined they saw all
sorts of things. This fallacy of admitting
spectre evidence was equalled Dr. Beard saws
at the Guiteau trial by the advancement of the
dogma that man may be insane and yet dis
criminate between right and wrong, and that
owing to this power of discrimination he is re-
sponsible. This is the position taken by the
experts -so-called-testifying in the case DIR
Beard laughs at the idea, and says that to hang,
an insane man would be as much of a piece Of
folly as hanging a baby The other day. in
conversation with Or. Beard, asked him if it
we're true that an insane man could distinguish
right from wrongi He replied that he could.
but that the diseased condition of his brain
gave him impulses in the direction of the
wrong, so that to satisfy the abnormal impulses
he does what he knows to be wrong and finds
relief in it. The phase OF insanity ascribed to
Guiteau is that Of religious monomania, and
the lecturer went on to show that his insanity
dates back to his eighteenth year. One of the
symptoms OF this type is a disposition to
obtrude their attentions upon those who are
above their station, the impulse to this arising
out of their state of exaltation. Guiteau
through DIR. Boards private Investigations has
been found to have attempted to sue for the
hand of millionaire daughter in this city and
was repulsed with great difficulty. DR.. Beard,
in the conversation with me before alluded TO,
said that the reason the experts did not pro-
nounce the assassin insane on the trial was
that they lacked the courage to face the strong
public feeling Of the hour
The little furry over the new opera house is
over, and there is a good prospect of the enter
prise being carried through 70 completion. The
urgent need Of better building than the clap
trap which now goes under the name of the
Academy OF Music, is argument enough that
the work should go on without interruption
and should allay all doubts about its financial
success. 1t is claimed by those who have its
construction in hand, that especial provision
will be made for the comfort of those in the
audience, each seat being placed so as to
secure the occupant an unobstructed view
Of the stage. There will be several rows of
boxes in the auditorium, each one of which
will have little apartment back of it where
hats and wraps may be left, and where refresh
ments may be served. The stage will be
stationary-a fact necessary in this age
OF double stages-and will be Sc feet wide
76 deep and 120 high. Its entrances are 20
have five fire proof doors, and brick and iron
are to be used in the partitions throughout as
a precauJion against fire. About the stage
there is to be net work of water pipes, from
which it may be drenched in a moment as If
from huge sprinkling can. The gallery bal
cony-each tier OF boxes are to have their own
staircases There are to be dining and smoking
rooms The exterior of the building which Is
to be in the style of the Italian Renaissance
will be very attractive, and the interior in point
of decoration will be dazzling. So it is not un-
reasonable to hope that with Gye as manager,
or some other competent man, we will have
opera instead of Colonel Maplesons unfulhed
promises, under conditions that will make
opera-going pleasure In more respects than
one. HALL HAYNE