davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-18

FOR RENT-STORES.
ITOR RENT-1WO STOKES-ee2 AND so4 7rg
street northwest separately together. Possession
at once. Apply To {. ADAMS. 500 ct NV. je27 -9ws
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08

Many Of the States execute their murderers,
-and their number of convicts is.lessened there
by. The pardoning power in this State Is not as
freely used here as in most States, which
makes the ratio still more favorable for
Maine 1t Is estimated that New York today
has 10000 ex-convicts Again, il 1t be true, rs 1t
is claimed, that most OF the murders in Maine
have been committed when the murderer was
not intoxicated, would it not prove also that
prohibition and the suppression Of the dram
shops was the very reason that we were COM
paratively free from that class OF atroclous
murders which States suffer from where rum
selling is allowed or the law not enforced?
were it not, in other words, il Maine had not
the benefit Of prohibition we should be obliged
to suffer from murders and murderous assaults
which we find so prevalent in rumselling
States. Hon. Josiah Fl. Drummond, In his
address at Maranocook last July, declared that
of the one hundred and forty cases that came
TO the law court in Cumberland county, nearly
every one was caused by the sale Of ineoxicat-
ing liquors
The harm is not only direct, but is affectiug
us indirectly. Many, doubt not, Of the great
crimes committed by sober persons, is attrio-
utable to enfeebled constitutions and ill-bal-
anced minds, inherited from drunken parents,
for the long continued use of alcohol has 3
marked effect on the consciences OF men /,
making them less moral. and less sensitive 70
wrong doing. It should be remembered th&E
1t has been but three or four generations since
the habit OF strong drink has taken hold OF
the people. L wish to cite here high medal
authority upon its effects In the families OF the
drinking man. The following resolve, among
others. was adopted by the American Medical
Association, held In st. Paul, Mimi, last
June:
Resolved, That wo are of the opinion that the
use of alcoholic liquors as a beverage, Is produc-
tive of large amount Of physical and mental dis
ease; that it entails diseased appetites and en-
feebled constitutions upon offspring, and that IL =
the cause OF large percentage OF the Orinae aAd
pauperism of our cities and country.
1 can see no other rational solution, and
must hold that strong drink is the real cause
OF, not only nearly all Of all crimes but als0 OF
all great crimes; and that Hon. Lot NJ. Nor.
rill was right when he declared In the Sen
ate of the United States that rum selling was
the gigantic crime of crimes" 3. C.F.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
ALL ABOUT A DITCH.
Tragedy in which Two Kennedy
Farmers Participated.

E&ftHeTs EdEsACipattus
ANDERSON, Ind, Dec. Last night, at
Johnson's Crossing, on the Anderson, Lebanon
& St. Louis Railway, Coleman Hawkins, one
OF the wealthiest farmers in the county. shot
and fatally wounded j. J. johnson, a LEGAL
politician OF note, and postmaster at Johnson's s
crossing. The tragedy is the result of a
grudge which Hawkins has held against john
son since 1878 about ditch. Their farms ad-
JOIN, and Hawkins refused to give johnson an
outlet for his ditch. A few days ago johnson
commenced legal proceedings to compel Haw-
klns to come to terms. Hawkins came to An
derson yesterday and purchased revolver
Then he went to the post Office and commence
ed firing. The first ball passed through john
sons right lung. johnson then went into the
station and fastened the door on the inside.
more shots, one of which took effect in John
sons face and the other in his arm. At this
johnson opened the station door and started to
run to his house across vacant lot. Hawkins
pursued, firing his revolver all the while.
johnson, feeling his strength falling, clinched
with his pursuer and threw him to the ground.
A daughter OF johnson came to his aid and
wrested the revolver from Hawkins Hawkins
then walked across the field to his house, and
when az the barn his wife and son started to
meet him. AS soon as he saw them he sat
down by g shed and took another revolver
from his pocket and shot himself through the
head. Death ensued at once. johnson, it is
claimed, has been in no wise to blame in the
matter, and he has the sympathy of every one
here. His family are nearly crazed with grief.
Hawkins was man of considerable wealth, 81
years OF age, and has been a resident of Madi-
son county for thirty years He leaves a
widow and eleven children, one of whom, a
daughter, IS married to son OF johnson. He
was almost dead OF cancer, and was very
irritable
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
THE KITTERY MURDER.
An Interview with the Wife of Blaney-
She Denies all knowledge Of the Trage-

PORTSMOUTH, N. H. Dec County Attor-
ney Higgins and Deputy Sheriff Bsacham,
visited Kittery on Friday last, in the interest
OF the Barrows murder case, and went to the
house at which the tragedy took place, where
Mrs. Blaney, the wife of the alleged murderer,
is now residing. In the course of conversation
the officers, it is said, handed her letter pur-
porting to be from her husband, wherein she
was asked to disclose all she knew about the
murder, and to write the same on the back of
the sheet, the letter saying ip closing that the
County Attorney was her best friend, and that
the document be returned to the officers, SO
that they might take it with them.
Mrs Blaney carefully read the alleged letter
and wrote on the blek of it, SO it is said, that
she knew nothing whatever about any plan or
design on the life OF Barrows, and closed by
asking her husband to keep up good courage
and that she would see him 5000. She then
handed the paper back to the officers, who car
ried it away with them. 1t is further stated
that at this time Mrs. Blaney was told that
her husband had no counsel.
Contrary to this it is known that on the
Monday following the imprisonment of Blaney
and Mrs. Barrows they were both visited by
parties authorized to engage legal gentlemen
to conduct their case, and that in view Of this
ex-County Attorney Eiaery's represen-
tative, John r. Donovan, of Biddeford,
was called in (Mr. Emery being confined to his
home by llness,) and was then and there Sc
cured as one of the Counsel for the defendants,
the others being Mr.. Emery and Ira 7. Drew.
Immediately thereafter Mr.. Donovan was clos
eted with both clients for long time, the re-
porter of the Argus and other persons present
being away by Jailor Stevenson order to
permit an uninterrupted interview.
On Monday of the present week ex-Oounty
Attorney Emery and Lawyer Donovan went
to Alfred Jail, and saw Mrs. Barrows, bat were
denied admission to Blaney's cell by the iailer
on the ground that the prisoner chad no coun-
sci" all opportunities 40 the contrary proving
unavailing with the jailer, and both gentle
men were obliged to leave without seeing Bla-
ney.
On the strength of this Mr.. Donovan went
before the Supreme judges yesterday to get an
order to visit his client whenever necessary,
and the same was granted for all the parties
composing the defendants counsel
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
Great Crimes.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. 2.-Adam Schneider, q
drunken loafer, living with his wife and four chill
family quarrel yesterday afternoon crushed his
wife's skull with the spoke of a wagon wheel and
oldest daughter. His wife will die, but his daugh-
ter will probably recover. Schneider was arrested.
The above from the Boston Herald, is only
one more of the many crimes that appear al
most daily in the public print, t,proving that the
theory that strong drink is the cause of the
greater part of great crimes, is not to my
mind as untenable, as your article would seem
to prove. Now it seems reasonable to be, that
II we can find the cause of the larger part of
crimes, we can safely conclude, that the same
cause must lead to the committing Of the
greater part of great crimes. An official re-
port prepared with much labor by the Bu-
reau of Statistics of Massachusetts,, under the
authority of the legislature states that eighty
four per cent. Of all the crime and criminal
expenses, in the state comes directly from the
abuse of liquor. Another authority who has
given much time in the same direction places
the per cent of all crime in this couptry at
eighty-three per cent. Here it would seem we
have something tangible to reckon from.
According to these facts there are only seven
teen per cent OF crime left, the cause of which
IS TO De accounted Tor, ana IL would De very
singular and remarkable thing, that cause
that would produce more than four-ffths of
all crime that is committed, would not be
liable to produce its full share of great crimes.
A least it seems reasonable that having
found an evil that was cursing the land with
such vast amount of crime, with its atten
dant misery, we might rest from investigation
until this evil was overcome. Suppose
great scourge should visit the city of Portland,
destroying the lives of thousands of its citi-
zens, and the authorities should discover the
cause that led to more than eighty per cent of
| the deaths-how long would the community
| bear with them if they should spend their
| time in investigating into the cause that led
| to the destruction Of seventeen per cent. in
stead of at once using all the power they had
| to abate the first great nuisance? 1t is not al
| ways that the public is shocked as it was
| few days ago, by the slaughter at Laconia, N.
| H., whose confession stamps him as a drunken
| fiend, or by some rum crszed husband who
| smashes with axe or bludgeon the skull of wife
| and children, or by the committal of such
brutal deeds as that first quoted in this article.
! Bot the work is death; every day marks its
course with murder, suicide and every con-
ceivabe crime known.
A word in relation to the claim that intem-
persnce does not lead to the commission of
| great crimes, from the fact that crime increas-
| ed In this State from 1850 to 1878 at greater
| per cent. than did the population. Every one
| knows that the war of the rebellion had a most
| demoralizing effect on society, and that crime
| abounded all over the country in consequence
| of it. And daring that period but little atten-
tlon was given to either legal or moral suasion.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
THE SURPLUS REVENUE
Letter from Professor summer i'm Reply
TO MF. Blaine's Proposition.

Letter from Professor Sumner i'm Reply
TO mr. Blaine's Proposition.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 7.-Prof. William G.
Sumner, of Yale College, has responded to
request for his views on the proposition Of Mr..
Blaine in his letter to the editor of the Press,
in letter in which he says:
1 am somewhat surprised that the Philadel-
phia Press should attach any value to my opin-
ions of Mr.. Blaine's proposition. will state
them briefly. Every proposition to distribute
amongst the States funds, which have been col
lected BY the Federal government seems to me
to be vicious in the extreme. 1t is bad politi-
cal economy, bad politics, and bad law under
the Constitution. The distribution of 1887,
which was anxiously and carefully called de-
posit, is warning against any scheme OF the
sort. Congress ought to investigate the whole
history of that transaction, and of the facts
since. have only meagre knowledge of the
fact, but believe that the $4,000, 900 then
distributed was wasted, and was curse to the
States and the people. II the facts could be
brought out they would effeetually put an end
to any scheme Of distribution. Mr.. Blaine's
scheme has all the general faults of any
scheme of distribution, and also special faults.
1t makes distinctions between funds derived
from different sources The Wings, in 1875,
tried to persuade themselves that it was the
revenue from land, not taxes OF any kind
with which they were dealing. just as these
new propositions outstrip the Wings OF 1886, In
proposing an avowed distribution and not
pretended deposit" SO Mr.. Blaine scheme
outstrips Clay's, for it distinctly proposes to
collect taxes and then distribute them. Ii
such a scheme should be carried out, it would
introduce much complication and confusion in
to our public finances, and it would array sec
tion against section. The taxes on spirits and
tobacco are divided between producer and con-
sumner according to supply and demand, but
the producers, if they have to pay only part.
and have to pay that not for revenue, but for
public largess, will be sure to resent it. For
these reasons regard Mr.. Blaine's proposition
as wild and mischievous in the extreme. do
not think that Mr.. Blaine can have considered
it carefully before he propounded it, or that he
had good advice before publishing it. His re-
sponsibility as public man ought to have re-
strained HIM from such crude and mischiev-
GUS proposition. l see no sense in the scheme,
except as a plan for maintaining protective
taxes at the most reckless cost to the public
IN
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
THE MAINE STATE PRESS.
WEATHER INDICATIONS.
WAsuTNcrON n,

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.
The indications for to-day for the New
England and Middle Atlantic States, today
are cloudy weather and rain South westerly
winds and falling barometer followed by cold
er clearing weather. northwesterly winds and
rising barometer.
The weather bulletin says cold wave is
now advancing from the Rocky Mountain re-
gion eastward over the Mississippi valley. The
storm central last night in Iowa and Minneso
ia has moved northeastward over the upper
lakes into Canada. 1t has been accompanied
by rainy weather from the Gulf States to the
lakes but partly, as snow from Minnesota to
Northern Michigan. The temperature has ris-
en- from the Atlantic coast to the lower Lakes,
and has fallen from Dakota, Minnesota and
Lake Superior towards the Western Gulf
Southerly winds prevail from the New Eng
land and Middle Atlantic coast to the lower
lakes, and easterly winds in the South Allan
tic and Eastern Gulf States, and northwesterly
winds from the Missouri and upper Mississippi
valleys, Like Superiur to the Western Gulf.
The following special temperatures were re-
ported at p. m. yesterday:
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
A whea. Fool Lose. Two or Three Mil
WRITTEN IN BLOOD.
Am Appeal from a Nihilist Prison-Terri-
BILE CrueIties Inflicted by the Russian

Am Appeal from a Nihilist Prison-Terri-
BILE CrueIties Inflicted by the Russian
Keepers
LONDON, Dec. IA Paris correspondent of
the Times forwards a second letter, which was
written in blood by a Nihilist confined in the
Trobletskoi Bastion at St. Petersburg. 1t de-
scribes the narrowing treatment received by
prisoners, and says their food is often mouldy
and sometimes putrid; that dysentery and
scurvy are prevalent, and the doctor is afraid
scribed, and when ordered they are generally
hale the odors of dead bodies before life is ex-
tinct The number of those who go mad in
consequence OF their sufferings is daily increas-
ing. Mad men are strapped down and whip
ped with the knout by she keepers. Fierce
yells resound throughout the night. Many
prisoners have committed suicide. 1t is said
lhat one woman was outraged and then poi
soned, but no inquiries into the affair were in
stituted by the authorities. Rats are the worst
enemies of the prisoners. A woman with
babe was obliged to be constantly on the watch
to fight night and day, to prevent the rats
from devouring her child. The use of combs
and soap is forbidden, and the prisoners, espe-
cially women whose hair Is allowed to grow,
are literally devoured by lice. Prisoners who
will not reply to questions are tortured, and
5ases of violation of women are frequent. The
writer especially appeals to the civilized world
in behalf of the women in prison, whose situ-
alton he says, is far worse than that of the
men. The Times says these allegations de-
mand serious investigation.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CON
VENTION.
senator Frye's Basis of Representation
Proposed Increase of Membership About
Eighty.

senator Frye's Basis of Representation
Proposed Increase of Membership About
Eighty.
WASHINGTON, Dec ITO remedy in some
measure what is regarded by many as the very
grave injustice of the present representation
in Republican national conventions which
gives to States and districts all over the
country the same voice regardless of the Re
publican vote, when in some districts in the
South even tho form of nominating Republi-
can candidates for Congress is not pursued,
Senator Frye, member of the Republican
national committee from Maine, will propose
at the meeting of the committee on December
18th new basis of representation as follows:
Each State shall be entitled to four delegates
as now, each district to one instead OF two as
now, to one additional delegate for each 10,-
600 votes Cast within its limits in 1880 for the
Republican candidates for Presidential cleo
tors, and to one additional delegate for
for Presidential electors is taken as best in
dicating the real strength of the party in any
district, being less liable to be affected by
local causes. The effect of this proposition,
II adopted, upon the States and upon the con-
vention is shown by the annexed table, COM
piled by an application of the Presidential
vote of 1880 to the districts as then existing.
The application OF the same rule to the pre-
sent districts under the late apportionment
could not just now be readily made, owing to
a lack of necessary and accurate information,
but will not materially change the relative
strength of the States, and will only increase
the total membership of the convention by
about80;
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08

We regret to learn that Levi Sears. Esq. of
Fort Kent, is seriously i'll, says the Aroostook
Republican. Mr.. Sears is an old and respected
citizen. In 1881 he was the Republican candi-
date for Stats Senator.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
LOSS OF THE MANISTEE.
Particulars of the Wreck Of the Steamer
Goal and Brave CAPTAIN

MNNEAPoL Dec. IA special to the Tri-
bune says; Mr.. Carleton of Duluth, has re-
ceived a etter from passenger of the III fated
steamer Manistee, in which the latter says:
AS the boat went out she encountered a very
heavy gale from the southwest and when about
20 miles out an attempt was made to put her
about and size broke in two. The life boats
were made ready but before they could be
launched all but one was swept away. Only
nine persons were allowed to get in this boat
and they had terrible time, rolled aronnd
on the turbulent waters, cold, wet and hungry
for three days, and one by one they dropped.
Some were frozen to death, apd some died
from sheer exhaustion. Capt. Mckay never
left the ship but wrapped himself up in his
overcoat and remarked, "I will never leave
this boat until the last soul is off. am captain
of this boat and il she is coffin for anybody
she will be my coffin" After the men left
the'ship saw her maze one plunge under the
waves and thatwas the last of her. They re-
port that when they left the ship the crew and
10 or IL passengers were on board and that out
of those who started out in the boat only three
were saved and reached Houghton The
wreck occurred off Eagle Harbor. They say
when everybody knew there was no hope of
saving the ship Capt. Mckay gave his orders
just as coolly and collectedly as if on land.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
MAINE SCHOOLS.
Work of the State snperintendent-A
Campaign Among the Teachers.


Superintendent of Schools Luce has been
prosecuting vigorous campaign among the
teachers, and for some two months has been
actively engaged in holding Teachers Insti-
tutes in different portions of the State. Thos
far Institutes, each continuing two days, have
been held at Presque Isle, Wilton, ,Saecara ppa,
Brooklin, Bangor, Dover, Skowhegan, Sears
port and Biddeford. The Institutes this sea-
son have generally proved more successful
than in previous years. There has been full
er attendance and the exercises have been Of a
higher class. At an institute in Piscataquis
county, for example, there were ten pspers
read, two by college graduates and eight by
ordinary country teachers. Yet the papers
were OF as high an order. the points as we'll
put, the discussions as ably conducted as in a
State convention. The next institute will be
held in Hiram on the 14th inst, continuing
two days: One will occur in Augusta some
time in January. :.
There are 4OOO school districts in the State
and 100 different teachers. When it Is Ie-
membered that 81 weeks is the average length
OF the school year, 1t will be seen that the
teacher only gets about II weeks OF work,
while during the remaiuing 40 weeks, he or
she must remain idle unless having other bus
iness Furthermore, when 1t is considered
that S15 a month is the average pay OF q
teacher IL cannot be wondered at that there
ara 80 many incompetent teachers and so few
who excel. The town system Is strongly rec
commended by our authorities as a remedy for
this state OF affairs. Eight towns in the State
have adopted the system and IL is asserted that
none which have ever given it thorough
trial have deserted II.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
NEW YORK.
musicians RadIyxpjured,

NEW YORK, Dec. Last night nine mem
bers of the Huntington, L. l., choral union
were returning home from Oyster Bay in a
stage coach when the horses ran away and the
coach was thrown down an smbankment and
wrecked. The passengers were all badly in
jured, Miss Susan Rogers fatally.
Senator AnthOny's Condition.
Senator Anthony has SO far recovered from
his illness that he will be able to leave the city
for Washington tomorrow morning If the
weather is pleasant If stormy the journey
will be postponed till Monday.
Yale Alumni Association.
Two hundred members of the Yale Alnmni
Association of New York sat down to their an
nual dinner tonight at Delmonico's. given in
lieu of the usual Thanksgiving Jubilee"
Civil Service Reform.
ALBANY, Dec. 7.-Governor Cleveland has
approved the rules prepared by the State Civil
Service Commission. No person in service is
to be removed or otherwise prejudced for re-
fusing to aid political objects in any manner
and no person shall use his official authority or
influence to coerce the political action OF
| another. No question in any examination or
proceeding by or under the commissioner or
examiner shall call for expression or disclosure
of any partisan political opinion or afiliation
| of any person whatever nor shall any discrimi-
nation be made by reason thereof. Promotion
| will in all cases. be based upon positive merit
| of the person promoted.
The Portland daily press., 1883-12-08
Deprcssion in Ihe Iron Iudus1ries.

PITTsBURG. Dec. 7.-The rail department of
the Pittsburg Bsssemer steel works at Home
stead shut down tonight, throwing eight hun
magic today stated the Edgar Thompson
works at Braddocks, which employs 5000
men, will follow suit in week unless the en-
ployes accept a reduction. Mckee, Anderson
& Co. mill at Beaver, Pa, closed today. The
Manchester Iron and Steel Works will suspend
operations Monday on account Of the scarcity
Of stock, and $50 men will be thrown out Of
employment. The pudding department OF
Kloman's Superior mill will resume Monday.