Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-25
LOUISVILLE LETTER.
THE PARADISE OF THE LURK.
ING "SLUGGER."

Useful Side of the Thing-The Tax Of
flee Frauds-Snapp, Ferguson and Levi
"A Young Man That Ran a Fast Sched-
uie-Female 'Potecaries-ARo Royal Snub
-Janauschek's Handkerchiefs,
LOUISVILLE, KY, Jan. 2I.-Louisville is be-
coming the ''slugger's'' paradise. He sallies
forth gayly with his little sand-bag and
pounces upon his victim, and there is no one
to make him afraid. Night after night the
work goes on, until it is becoming quite the
fashion to be knocked down and come forth
the next day to compare slugging notes with a
friend who has also been dragged down by the
wayside. No one is exempt, from the portly
well -tO-do merchant to the dashing young
blood, whose length of watch chain glitters
temptingly, to the pretentious gentleman
whose heavy fob came from the dollar store,
and whose pocket safely guards its dumb
treasure Anxious wives follow their liege
lords to the front door with implOring appeals
to leave their watches at home, and those same
husbands are not half so ready to linger down
town after business hours as they used to be.
Perhaps the slugger has his useful side after
all! About the first victim was the President
of the Y. NJ. c. A., Mr.. James Huber, who was
knocked down on Christmas night in sight of
his home, and left in an almost dying condition
after being relieved of every valuable. Since
then the epidemic has ragged. Sad the police
seem inefficient either in numbers and ability
in the suburbs beyond the terminus of the
street railways, and where the city has not
yet provided gas lights, are compelled to pro-
vide themselves with lanterns, and after being
dropped from the car. with furtive glances
and ears alert, guided by these faint little
stars of light, hasten hOmeward in an undig-
nitied double-quick. One peaceable old gem
tleman was observed taking a rusty revolver
into gunsmith's the other day to be repaired.
1t had not been loaded since the war, he said,
but in these eXhilarating times he felt it in
cumbent to protect himself with the deadliest
style of weapon.
The sensation that absorbs all thought and
attention and is the one great topic of the hour
is still the City Hall scandal. The investiga-
tion has been going on for a month, and each
days revealings overtop the last What was
at first believed to be fifty or sixty thousand
dollar defalcatiOn has grown to such propOr-
tiOns that a quarter of a million will barely
cover it as it stands. Within the past day or
two the third embezzler, Cope Snapp, has been
turned over to the authorities, and now re-
poses in the same cell with the first two self
confessed felons. Snapp is quite a Young fell
low, the son of the former Back Tax Col
lector, who retained his position when his faith
er vacated. and has been one of the most high
handed swindlers of the lot. On clerks
moderate salary he has managed to live in a
swell style that attracted the notice of every
one, and many an observer shook his head and
predicted the bottom would fall out of things
if a halt was not called. To sag that Young
Snapp ''splurged' would be to draw it family.
And it was known he had emerged from a
previous condition of servitude, so to speak, in
which he hardly dared to call his paper
collars his own. When the bottom did
fall out he was building an elegant house
in the most fashionable neighbOrhOod
in the city, was driving around with
fancy turnOuts and blOOded horses and dis
playing more diamonds than negro minstrel.
The half completed house has been decided to
the city, but the detectives are on the track
of some fifty thousand dollars in bonds which
it is believed Mr.. Snapp knows more about
than he would willingly tell. He has made a
confused statement, in which he shows up as
highly finished prevaricatOr, always repre-
senting himself as the innocent and confding
catspaw of Ferguson, who planned the en-
beZzlements and peremptOrily ordered his
| meek and lOwly subordinate to carry them
out and ask no questions. The recklessness of
! both is remarkable, in that they did not re-
frain from flching even after the inquiry
was ordered. False returns were made up
| to the day of arrest and Imprisonment.
1t Is mystery what has gone with
| Fergusons spOils. Although he was dss-
| pated man-the kind that always goes by the
name of a ''clever fellow with his boon com =
| paniOns-it is difficult to believe he could have
| thus squandered all the proceeds of his guilt
His innocent family have received but little OF
his Illegal gains. Deprived of his support since
| his incarceration they are Offering one by one
pieces of household furniture, books and 6rna
| ments, which are taken in hand by some of
| FergusOns associates of the ''fush" times and
| ratfed off at down town saloon, the proceeds
| being handed to the distressed and impOv-
erished family. This man was the son OF an
old citizen who died full of years and in the
esteem of his fellow men, leaving to his heir a
handsome fortune, slowly and honestly accu-
mulated, and the more precious inheritance OF
a spOtless name.
The elder Snapp, the former Back Tax Col
lector, in whose Office his promising son began
to display his peculiar talents, entered that
office as poor as that fabulous specimen of
Jobs poultry, and after remaining in it some
eight years or more, retired to another State,
where he has been living in clover. 1t was
suspected, if all things could see the light,
that his hands were not too clean. His son
telegraphed the old gentleman a few days
since when the mine was sprung, and papa
came on, shifted around tho City Hall, looked
palpitatingly over the books, and then dropped
everything and fled so precipitately that every
body wants to know ''what's the matter?''
Perhaps after they are through with sonny
there may be some use for pere back again.
At present. Snapp, Ferguson and Levi occupy
the same CELL 1t can't be a particularly loving
trio of friends,and Snapp has been laying it on
Ferguson an inch deep, and volunteering to
help in unearthing his viiainy.
Altogether it Is the boldest, most reckless
| and insolent thievery on record, and public
sentiment sets violently against the cuiprits
But, on the other hand, are the innocent fami-
lies of both who suffer all the shame-Fergu-
sons wife and group of children, and Snapp's
young wife crushed by the scandal. 1t is be-
lieved by many that when convicted the
guilty parties will benefit by executive Glenn
ency, since the GpYerpQr's mercy seems meant
for all men in disgrace. Apropos of the subs
JeCb, tueT0 Is Il ldInOuS nCWSDOy IN LOulBNllle
known as Irish Pat, who is landmark and a
celebrity in his way. He is a rather old boy,
having been in the profession" for al
most a generation. He enjoys the
he is faithful, sober, Woodworking fellow,
diligent in all things and alert and ready in
and out of season. His life has been full of
diverse episodes, and not free from peculiar
trials that make a sad and sombre background
for it. But he has borne himself so patiently
and truly through it all that he has been taken
directly INTO public congdenee, and Pats
efforts meet with sympathy and encourage
ment on all sides. On last Thanksgiving day
the Governor, as a mark of public esteem,
came down to Louisville and formally pre-
sented Pat with handsome gold medal. Now
Pat declares, though sincerely grateful for
his honorable reward of merit, that If these
culprits are set free with a pardon that he
will return his medal to the source from which
it came.
We have new enterprise on the tapis-the
establishment in this city of a College
OF Pharmacy for women. II is 70 be
in connecti9n with the POLYTECHNIC
of its kind in this country. 1t has re-
ceived the appreciation and help Of the leading
physicians and citizens, and the idea seems to
have struck q popular chord and leaped into
favor at once. There will be thorough course
of instruction in all departments, and its lee
ture course will be given in daytime. DR.. j.
r Barnum, our most eminent chemist, has
employed girls in his laboratory for some time
past, and is enthused with the plan, 1t is
strange thaJ such an idea has not been put into
practice before this for the benefit of women
who must help themselves, whose tastes lead
them in this direction, and who are so anxious
to plunge into regular profession where they
must fight their way to a diploma and run the
risk of sheer starvation after they get it.
Herr Most, the incendiary, has been here
with an intlaH.m8 tory address. He delivered
it in small pUblie hall to hundred or two
gathered exclusively from the German popu-
latiOn. In the course of his speech he declared
the church to be the greatest enemy to social
ism, which meant progress, with Which the
anarchists had to contend. He seemed to make
but slight impression upon the lsboHing masses
here, ana reeelEed but little attention, After
remaining over day beyond his lecture, and
partaking of a modest banquet arranged in
his honor by few private Germans as a mere
social attention, he departed for Cincinnati.
Louise and Mr.. Lorne passed through Louis
vile and succeeded in setting the interviewer
at defanee. Thete must be AM enqrmous
amount OF eomfort in sitting serenely in ones
own palace car and knowing there Is an army
OF reporters swarIning outside, who would
yield their last breath # thegg c1lid oniv get
inside, No one had a chance to shake hands
ana ask after Vic and the children, and the
the Hrincess bangs her hair.
oeats Ipr MQdQe6ka are going off at a rate
phenemenal. She holds forth next week
to be greater than those O'3S Which '0Iirst FIRST
welcomed her in Louisville. Janauschek
has Just left, after playing to pitifully small
lOCOAPOo; anu thls dlteI IN absence OF hVe
years There is one conspicuous feature in
Janauschek's wardrobe-her handkerchiefs
When she begins to unfold them the audience
wonders II she las not hastily aiiatehed OF the
sheet, and when she finally burles her grief in
the eclipsing folds there is a vague and fright
1ul rear that she has smothered herself to
death. .'CoYRF DorGIAs
Chalmers vss Myers.
JACKSON, MISS, Jan. 24.-At the con-
clusiOn of the trial of the mandamus case
OF OF, Chalmers vs.. Myers, yesterday, Judge