davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
A FEMALE FIEND.
A Dying Woman UnfoIds Horrible Tale
Of Murder to Minister Of
the Gospel.
HER PARENTS AMONG HER VICTIMS.

MOUNT VERNON, O., January AID
ditional returns of the Stilwell tragedy
have been developed that seem more ter
rible and sickening. DR.. 81. E. Ed
wards, of Fredericton, who is also
local preacher of the NJ. E. Church,
spent the day with the dying woman on
Tuesday, administering spiritual conso-
lation. Gaining her confidence by his
ministerial Office he urged her to un-
burden her mind to him and held out
the blessed promise for forgiveness to
all who are truly penitent. Finally the
woman retold her story, relating how
she, her mother and her brother had
murdered her first husband, Benz. Swe-
gart, at Marysville, No., in March,
1877. The second victim was a stranger
whom the same party killed for his
money while stopping at a boarding
house. The third was her own daughter,
in the presence of her mother
at Rulo, Neb., in 1880. She
also confessed to having made
three attempts. on the life of her present
husband, Jay B: stilwell, an employe of
the c., B. & Q. Railroad. She went
over the ghastly details, but at the con-
clusion said there we're two black crimes
she would never tell. The minister
urged her by her hopes for forgiveness
to make full confession. Yielding to
his advice, she informed him that she
had, in addition to the horrible crime
before confessed, murdered her mother
while lying helpless at her home in Ot-
tumwa, Ia., from the effects of her in
juries in the railroad accident, as de-
scribed in her first confession. She said
she nursed her mother until she became
tired Of it, and fearing that she would
make some confession that would impli-
cate her, she strangled her. She posi-
lively refused to divulge the other crime
limited at, but when asked of what dis
ease her father died, che hid her face
and cried: ''Acute throat" There is no
doubt but that the other crime was the
murder of her father, as he mysterious
ly disappeared at Marysville, No., and
was reported to have gone to California.
DIR. Edwards, who ranks high, examined
the woman's mental condition, and gives
it as his opinion that the woman is of per.
fectly sound mind, and her story is tho
dying confession of stricken woman.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Justice in Morocco.


The court Of Justice was sitting, and ]
had frequent opportunities of observing
it afterward. The procedure, to any one
fresh from the old Baily, appears little
strange. The bashaw reclines on COM
Portable couch listening to the witnesses,
who give their evidences with great
energy and volubility. Sometimes in
the middle of it all the prisoner will
Jump up and exclaim that he can get
witness on his behalf. He will then run
out of court, unattended by guard or
at s6s perer%aneses aad II sts
to enter their heads that he should avail
himself of the opportunity to escape:
The usual punishments, besides fine and
imprisonment, are mutilation, by cutting
off hand or foot-the stump being
plunged in boiling pitch to stop the
ding-bastinadoing and putting
out the eyes. There used to be blind
beggar constantly demanding back
sheesh at one of the gates, who bad been
noted robber in his day, but falling at
last into the hands of his pursuers had
suffered this horrible penalty. There
were at least two murders during my
stay at Tangier-both perpetrated III the
most open manner, though in neither
case was any adequate penalty (if any
penalty at alD inflicted. The first was
from motives of jealousy, and the muir
derer stabbed his victim in the middle of
the town-the body lying out in the
street till guide from the hotel STUN
bled over it on his way home at night.
| The second was committed by RiffaD,
to wipe out blood-feud that existed in
his family. A relation of his had been
killed by a man, and from that time the
solemn duty devolvedupon him ofaveng-
ing his death. The act may have been
committed generation back; but in that
case the mother would daily charge the
child upon her knee with the task he had
to perform, and when he was grown up,
never let him rest till vengeance was ex-
acted, The man has little hopes to es-
cape. No Irish landlord under the bane
of "Captain Moonlight " could be SO
certain Of his doom; and in Barbary he
cannot even avail himself of the doubt
full protection of police. In this case the
murderer coolly shot his victim dead as
he was sitting in the soko, and then
brandishing his knife at all who attenp-
ted to arrest him, got clear off into the
country. A friend of mine once heard
a bashaw infict fine of I'D. on Moor
for the peculiarly cold-blooded murder
of a Jew-that impartial functionary OBJ
serving that the sentence would have
been heavier one, but that it was nee
essary that Jews should be discouraged
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
AUSTIN MIMI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1o 1885,

plough deep, though it is now conceded
that the idea that deep :plowing is
always advisable, was mistake. Among
practical farmers there is Less unanimity
as to the proper methods of the art than
among the persons engaged in any other
calling whatever. If an inquirer were
to undertake to ascertain and reconcile
the different theories aud opinions of
farmers upon the subjectof wheat grow
ing, he would find them the oldest juu,-
bic imaginable. Scarcely two farmers
would have exactly the same opinion.
1t s not that these problems are insolu-
BILE. but that scientific methods have not
been applied to them. ~.'i,
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Work nf the EDamess

The Milwaukee Leather CompAny's tannery
at Milwaukee, Wis, was partially destroyed by
fire on the night of the 9Th inst. Loss esti-
mated at $4,000.
On the morning of the 9Th inst, fire was dis
covered in the extensive cr0ckery AMI fancy
ware establishment of Ovington Bros, Brook
lyn, and in an hour the store and contents
we're completely destroyed. The fire osiginated
just back Of the Office and was occasioned by a
boy dropping lamp as he was about to kindle
fire in the store. Ovington Broe. estimate
their loss at $3.50, 600. In their store besides
bric-a- brac there were number of valuable oil
paintings which could not be saved. The dam
age to property adjoining Ovlngton's buildings
and stocks therein is $1,000. Insured.
The rolling mills of Morrison, Colnall l.
Page, the Pilot Mills of P. Gugerty and Pow
ers 4 O'Brien's knitting mills, at Cohoes, N.
Nearly 100000 worth of property was de-
stroyed.
Peoria, ILL.,, experienced an extensive blaze
on the 5th inst. The rear Of the Denim block
was destroyed. Loss $4,000.
Other fires on the 5th: Danver's (Mass.)
Rolling Mills, $4,000; Richter's cap and fur
store, Davenport, 1a., $50. 900; Ward. Stanton
N. Y, $4,000; Ander's -four mill in Carroll
County, Nd. $25, 900; Hodson's planning mill,
Smith & Delting's furniture factory, Hartzell
depof II the Norok ana Weston
Railroad al Zuni Station, Va.
st. Mary's Episcopal School for children at
Knoxville, ILL.,, burned to the ground early on
the morning of the 4th inst. The scholars,
100 in number, had barely time to escape. and
lost all their effects. Two ladies and gentle.
man were seriously injured. The loss foots
up about 100000.
The Montreal rolling mills were destroyed by
fire on the 4th. Loss $4,000.
Fires on the Sd: Construction shop of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Baltimore,
1886. 5000; Hannibal and St. Joe, elevator and
depot at st. Joseph, NJ, 100000; Hood
Bonbright l. Co.'s dry goods store. Philadel'
phia, $4,000; elevator at Keokuk, la., $llO,'
600.
A spoke factory at Wapakoneta, Ohio, valued
at $50, 1000, was burned on the 3Oth ult: Mar
tipdaIe's hour-mills at Burlington, Kansas,
we're destroyed by fire. Loss $35. 900.
Musselman & Co.'s gram elevator at Eaton,
O.. was reduced to smoking ruins on the I'd
inst. Loss $40, 600.
cut q wide swath in the business section of the
town. Loss $125,000.
The residence of Geo. B. Vanderpool, tai
commissioner of New York City, at Chatham
NJ, burned on the I'd. Loss $4,000.
Manistee, Mich, suffered by fire to the ex'
tent of $5O.O00 on the I'd. About dozen busi
ness houses were cleaned out.
Breaker No. 10, of the Pennsylvania Goa
Co., was destroyed by fire at Pittsburg, Pa
| on the 1st inst. Loss $150,000.
At an early hour on the morning OF the 3ls
ult., flames made their appearance in thu
basement Of the Friend building at Milwaukee,
the largest mercantile block in that city, ane
burned to the roof. The total loss was abou
$4OO, 900, most of which was sustained b.
Friend Brothers, although the stocks of Ian
dauer Il Co., aud Straw. Ellsworth Il Co., SUI
! fered somewhat
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE.

: Although the filling 81 the soil Is the
occupation in which the majority Of the:
race are and always must be engaged,
agriculture. says the Alta California, is
the industry in which the application of
scientific methods seems to make the
least progress. In the industries SUBJ
sidiary to agriculture we have made
great progress. and it has resulted in
increasing the value:of the land and its
products; but in the art of making the
ground produce the greatest possible
amount there has been little advance.
All the great inventions in the United
States which have benefited the farmer
have been improvements in the methods
Of reaping and transporting the harvest
after it is grown, or Of getting the seed
into the land at the least possible ex-
pense. Improvements have been in the
direction Of reducing the cost of per-
forming the old operations of plow-
ing, planting and harvesting, and to
this end the invention of new plows,
harrows, drills, moving machines, head
ers, :reapers, rakes and threshing
machines contribute. But in the art of
stimulating the soil and making it yield
as great an increase as possible of what
is put: into it, wo are. about where the
agriculturists were two thousand years
ago. Most Of the questions which were
unsettled then are unsettled still, so slow
is the progress in arriving at fixed and
accurate results. It is an absolute fact
that summer-fallowing, the rotation Of
crops and the preparation Of. ensilage,
which are considered new ideas in farm:
ing in this country, were all in practice
among the Romans in Italy at about The
| beginning lof the Christian era. Virgil
describes the rotation of crops and the
| fallowing Of the soils with lucidness
| which; would do credit to modern bool
on scientific agriculture. is still al
open question with farmers whether i
is judicious to burn the stubble or
wheat lands, and the curious reader viii
find" that,ques yrgued in much the
sane }hShe Gorgaaaat .Hizeil. i
The differences of soils, climates an6
seasons are so infinite that it is worl
of difficulty to. arrive at results will
! paaciatkadptfa>y Il settle these old
vexed questions, but it can be done. i
the record of experiments is averaged
for long series, of years and the expert
lmenfs are r nSelvsf % aftSSas on
sufficiently extensive aesfe: It Il ap
parent 1thst many things which hav
been taught a,i. in ..'! the aPa name Of scientid
agriculture are|now exploded. But afel
,! years ago tbe, AlM and lasti tiadvice . .
;feYerys writer aboH the farmers was &
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
A Dishonest Treasurer.

Considerable excitement prevails at Men,
phis, Tenn, over the development that State
Treasurer Marsh T. Polk is defaulter in the
sum of $4,000 Treasurer Polk left Nash
vile, on the Sd inst, and was last heard of at
Milan, Tenn, from which point he wrote back
that he would return on Sunday. His family
do not know of bis whereabouts. The
amount of the deficit in the treasury caunot
be accurately ascertained until after thorough
investigation. One of the bondsmen who
have been examining the accounts says they
show thus far deficit of $3.50, 900. The same
bondsman says the treasurer's books and ac-
count at one Of the banks shows discrepancy
of over $50, 900. Just before Christmas he
said he drew out Of the Bank of Pulaski
$4,000. The state funds we're distributed in
various banks at Nashville, Knoxville and
Memphis. Tke missing funds are supposed
persUnal- lIlcAur cugaStu Ill oPoCuIa'1ou Ill
bonds and stocks.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
ObftuaFvs'

Col. Ed. c.. Anderson, ex-mayor and presi-
dent of the Ocean Steamship Company, died
at Savannah Ga, on the 9Th inst He was
formerly an officer IN the United States navy,
and afterwards q confederate colonel.
fWilliam Barrett, thefamons Jockey who rode
many other famous horses, died at Long Branch
on the 9th inst, of consumption. -,
Charles Gossage, the head OF, one OF Chi
cago's largest dry goods houses, died on the
Gen. chanzy, the distinguished French COM
mspder and life senator, died suddenly Of apo
'plexy at Chalons on the night Of the 4th; ;:
the Mexican: Oriental Railroad Company, of
which Jay Gould is president, died At the City
Of Mexico on the s4th! =, i,.L,t<~..!tl:..ii
Rey. Titus Coan, who has done missionary
work in the Sandwich Islands for over half
century, died last month at Hilo. ::
DR.. Charles .Porterfeld Krauth, D. D., vice
provost Of the University Of Pennsylvania,
id died at PbiladoIphia on the I'd inst, aged 60.
-.oHoh, j. r. MoJurkin,' the attorney general
Of Ioaa, died at Washington. in that state, on
!. Miss Josephine c. Aeeker, Who; vas Tor some
days prisoner among the Utes IN ColqraQo,
died, Of ppeumonis, on the 3oth, et Warrington,
WHERE lsG eaRldysd ;alaaIS n the oee 0f the
Leon Leon 2smbetts, TIC french Statesman, died
|at Paris early On tie morning Of sthe ast inst.
He was born 1t Cahors in 1883, and became =
member OF tho bar.of Paris in 1854 At the
fail Of the empire be e,wts made minister OF the
interior; andiin October; 1870, BE preceded
to Tour, and wAs for some montee dictator Of
those provinces Of France which t remained free
intarest inter- III Is tVo Journals 81 Paris: s:-a!FI (.
1f1Eiisha Alien the Hswalian minister, VA
taken with fito Of apoplexY ct the White House
I in WAshinkto ii; bp 1ttta8 Years day snd expired
! in the cloak-room. He acquired hk eMtudl
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Record of TRAGEDIES.

Near Darien, Ga, q negro entered the house
OF farmer named Hayman while the family
were at dinner and shot Hayman. The latter
Knocked the negro down, took away his pistol
George R. McConkey, county treasurer at
Hamilton, Nevada, was found dead on the
floor of his office, pistol lying beside him and
the safe door open. A case of murder.
Thomas Jones and Geo. L. Franks, of Collen
Spring., T.xas. met on the street on the Sd
inst. Both " are well armed and for some rea-
son began firing. Both were instantly killed:
Tom Seymour was shot dead in hospital
ward at Galveston, Texas, on the Sd, by a de-
ranged patient named Morrison.
James Roberts was killed and J. A. Hesser
fatally injured by a boiler explosion at Ada, o..
on the Sd inst.
While attempting to arrest a notorious char
acter named MCGOWAN at New York on the I'd
inst. Roundsman Delaney was dangerously
wounded officer penetrated McGowan's heart
and ended his career instantly.
In shooting affray at Clayton, Texas, be-
tween Capt. Ross, Charles Carther and man
named Mcdonald, the captain was fatally shot
and the two latter seriously wounded.
st. Paul, Mlnn., Is considerably stirred lup
over mysterious murder. The victim is a
son of L. W. Pierce, . lawyer. The young
mans blood stained clothing, cut in many
places by sharp instrument, were found on
the ice near the bridge on the morning of the
I'd inst. It is thought the murdered mans
body was slipped into the river through an air
hole.
R. W, Cooke, his wife, eldest daughter and
oneson we're brutslly murdered With an axe by
hired man at Little Rideau, East Hawkes..
burg, Canada West, on the I'd inst. Another
son had thigh broken and his: sister Fanny
received severe wound on the breast while
endeavoring to aid her brother. The murderer
is at large.
Hermosillo, member of the Mexican con-
gress, was mortally wounded in duel with
swords at Pachuca.
A ranch near Matamoras was raided by
twenty-five bandits, who killed the proprietor
and carried off his son. A squad of cavalry is
in pursuit.
party of lynchers hanged Bluford Smith,
Z negro murderer, at Tazewell Court House,
Va, on the lst.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Death bv lDr0xtn1n9.

A dispatch from Berlin dated the I'D inst,
states that steamboat conveying passengers
from Oppen to Ludwigshafen, struck sunken
tree and was wrecked. Thirty-fve persons
were drowned.
tiary convicts, mostly negroes, bound for the
Cowee Tunnel on the Western North Carolina
Railroad. capsized on the Turgaseegee River
IN. CO. on the morning of the 30th. Only
twelve of the convicts reached the shore
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Sunk NJ Aaa

On the morning of the 7th inst, as the
steamer City of Brussels, of the Inman Line,
was lying-to in the estuary Of the Mersey dur
ing q dense fog, she was run into by the
steamer Kirby Hall, just from Glasgox on her
maiden voyage. The Brussels was cut down
below the waters edge and Logan to fill rapid
ly. The passengers and crew of the sinking
steamer were transferred to the Hall which
conveyed them to Liverpool. Three steerage
passengers and eight of the crew of the Brus-
sells were lost. The Halls bow was crushed in.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Deadly Explosions.

The boiler in Hoffman l. Stillman's flour
mill at Fillmore Centre, Mich, exploded on
the 4th inst, wrecking the mill and injuring
six men. One of the injured died soon after
yive their injuries. The boiler was hurled 800
feet.
McMilson & Ports sewer pipe works at
Blackhorse Landing, W. Va, were wrecked by
a boiler explosion on the 18th. Two men were
killed and two badly injured.
A boiler explosion at the Peninsula Manu-
featuring Company's works at Muskegop,
Mich, on the 4th' killed m four men and injured red
wrecked;
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Oysters in Puget Sound.

=, The oyster-beds in Puget Sound are
attracting attention, and when railroad
facilities are completed there is no rea-
son Why the northwestern section OF the
United States should not receive their
oysters from this source. The gathering
81 oysters has been so far carried on by
the Indians, but lately white men have
engaged in the business, and transplant
.ing has taken place to the advantage OF
the oyster. OF late some very wonder:
FL beds Of oysters have been discovered.
The, oysters are described Il ss being oi
zunusual size and. though more meatJ
than those Of the Atlantic coast, quite Il
welt Favored. - :
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
SMALLPOX

Baltimore is having smallpox scare. There
were seventy-fve deaths in that city from that
disease during the last week of the cid year,
and l, 200 cases are reported.
Advices from Capetown state that during the
past two months! 1900 people have been
stricken with smallpox, and that 2, 400 died.
The natives object to vaccination.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Suicide

Count Won Wimpffen, the Austro- Hungarian
ambassador at Paris, drove from his residence
to the Avenue Marceau, leaned against a
building, and shot himself dead. He had
been annoyed in his oficia work and delayed
in finishing new house.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
TELL, me not Of the medieval terrors;

TELL me not of the medieval terrors;
tell me not of those hells that are cre-
ated of Goals, of sulphur, of fiery flames,
of all Gorgeous dire, and of all savagery,
of all tempestuous and debauched I'M
.aoinxtions; they are the merest fancy;
they are abominable; they are barbarous;
they are hideous; but they have no
moral power. They have no relation to
the exaltation of men above the flesh
into the spirit olife.-Henry Word
Reecher S'i}i &}i&~'1.t Avni ~ ; g.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
TERMS: Two Dollars Per Annum, in Advance.

when minister to Hawaii during the time the
fee system was in vogue. The fees Of the
Office amounted to from 500, 900 to $4,000
yearly when Honolulu was prominent as whal-
ing station. When the fee system was abolished
he resigned and entered the service of the king
of the Sandwich Islands.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10

The December statement by Secretary Fol-
ger shows reduction for the month of 815,-
13, 223. Decrease since. June 80, 1882, $751;.
$40, 783. Total debt, less cash in the treasury,
81, ,6O7; 7;543, ,676.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
NEWS IN BRIEF.
Robbed.
The Public Debt.

Col. Matthews, United States consul at Tan
gier, Morocco, has been robbed of property
valued at $4,000.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10

! TARrAxs and plaids;of every kind are
to be worn by children. -j'.'>;' L.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10
Cathartic Pills

e. %sdicins:, il a
justed to secure activity, certainty, and
uniformity Of effect. They are the result
pertinent, and are the most effectual rem
eay vet discovered for diseases caused hy
arrangement Of the stomach, liver, and
bowels, which require prompt and etfcctual
treatment. AYERS PILLS are specially
applicable to this class of diseases. They
act directly on the digestive and assmi-
healthy action. Their extensive use by
physicians in their practice. and by all
civilized nations, is one of the many
proofs of their value as safe, sure, and
perfectly reliable purgative medicine:
Being compounded Of the concentrated
virtues Of purely vegetable substances,
any injurious properties, and can be admin.
istered to children with perfect safety.
AYERS PILLS are an effectual cure for
ton, Dyspepsia, Loss of Appetite,
Foul Stomach and Breath, Dizziness,
Headache, Loss of Memory, Numbness,
I:iliousness, Jaundice, Rheumatism,
Erupti0ns and Skin Diseases, DrOpsy,
Tumors, Worms, Neuralgia, Collie,
Piles, Disorders Of the Liver, and ali
other diseases resulting from disordered
state Of the digestive apparatus.
A Dinner Pill they have no equal.
While gentle in their action, these Pills
are the most thorough and searching cathar.
'ic that can be employed, and never give
pain unless the bowels are inflamed. and
then their influence is healing. They stimu-
late the appetite and digestive organs; they
operate to purify and enrich the blood, and
impart renewed health and vigor to the
whole system.
Prepared by Dr.. G. c.Ayera& Co.,
Practical and Analytical Chemists.
Lowell, Mass. ...,.,..
! SOLD nY ALE DRuao1srs 1vERHwHERE.s
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10

.sBAIr1noRH hes. ans qnde1taker who
sells co6&ns on the weekly payment plan.