The Press., 1883-10-11

An odd thing in the North Carolina de-
 partment at the institute fair is a figure of a king seated upon thrown. The figure
 is made entirely of cotton, the crown be-
 ing boll The banner above the throne
 bears the legend s'Cottoni is king" ss
 --------------- . 4---------------- ----------l-A- 4 There would seemfto be apretty heather, country in Duchess county, N. Y., when a long series of lrobberies upon farmers ends in the blowing up of the, witnesses, including woman and baby, with dyna- mite. This is what has happened at Paw ling, 63 miles from New York. The ex- plosion most seriously injured a man named Groumer, but he fortunately got sight of the three assassins and identified them, although they peppered him with buckshot at the same time. M
 There are religious" disturbances in Ireland. On Friday the Belfast convent was stoned by Orangemen. and an invalid lady inmate died from the consequent fright Next day an Orange procession while returning from Belfast meeting at which Sir Stafford Northcote spoke, was attacked by Catholic mob. A desperate fight ensued and many persons were wound
 A Washington dispatch to the Boston Advertiser says :-s'An effort will be made this winter in congress to extend and sim plify the the money order system. At present postmasters must have salary of at least $250 before they can issue money. orders, and the establishment of money order is only made on July 1st of each year. The order can be much simplifed by few changes, and as the new postal bouo not 1,7.cuo1 on firo c17ooocc it is probable that its best features will be incorporated with the money order, and the latter made more general ,and the rates reduced"
 Miss Emily McTavish, daughter of Mrs. Charles Carroll McTavish, took her final VOWS Sunday as rehgieuse, at Mount De Sales convent, near Cantonsville, Md. The ceremony took place in the afternoon, and was witnessed by the sisters of the con- vent, relatives, and a few intimate friends Archbishop Gibbons addressed the young lady on the important step she was taking in renouncing the world and it's pleasures. Miss McTavish, now known as Sister Mary Agnes, is descendent of Charles Carroll, of Carrolton, and granddaughter of the late General Winfield Scott For several seasons she has been very prominent in Baltimore social circles. A few days ago she executed 8 deed relinquishing all claims to her fathers estate ill favor of her family. %
 PRESSED TO DEATH. early times it was considered that criminals accused of felony could not be properly tried unless they consented to the trial by pleading and putting themselves on the country After reading the indictment to him the question was put |: "How say you-are you guilty or not guilty ?" If he said 'not guilty" the next question was 'Culprit, how will you be tried?" To which the prisoner had to answer, ''by God and by my country" If he willfully omitted either portion of that answer he was said to stand mute, and jury was sworn to say whether he stood mute of malice or mute by the visitation of God. If they found him mute of malice, that was equivalent to pleading guilty in cases of treason or misdemeanor but in cases of felony he was condemned, after much exhortation to the ''peine forte ct dure'- that IS, to be stretched naked on his back, he could bear, and so to continue, fed up- on bad bread and stagnant water on alter nate days, till he either pleaded or died. This strange rule was not abolished till the year 1772, when standing mute in cases of felony was made equivalent to a conviction. A case actually occurred as late as 1726, when one Burnwater, accused at Kingston assizes of murder, refused to plead and was pressed for an hour and three quarters with nearly four hundred weight of iron, after which he pleaded not guilty and was convicted and hanged. In 1858 Major Strangeways was pressed to death. The object of refusing to plead Was that, as in that case there was no con- viction, no forfeiture took place, and the of the accused person was thus preserved for his heir. e5