The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-04-17
PITH OF THE NEWS.
Capital Topies--Crimes and Casualties.
Personal and Political.


The postal telegraph bill, which received the
approval of majority of the Senate Committee
on Post-Ofices and Post-Roads, was reported by
Senator Hill to the Senate on the 9th. The
provision relating to the liability of the con-
tracing company for failure to correctly and
promptly transmit messages has been amended
by limiting such liability to five hundred times
the amount paid for transmission. Two new
features have been added to the bill. The first
authorizes the contracting company to employ
the postmaster as its agent and operator at any
postal telegraph Office where the Geographic
receipts are insufficient to pay the salary of an
operator, and to pay him commission not ex-
ceeding fifty per cent. of the charges of the
messages transmitted. from the Office; the sec
ond requires the Postmaster-General to secure
provisions in the contract which shall protect
postal kilograms against discrimination in the
order of transmission in favor of kilograms re-
ceived at such of the company's offices as are
not operated under the provisions OF the bill.
The contract system remains the most proml-
nent feature of the bill. and it. is not widely
different from the scheme of the Postal Tele-
graph Company, except that 1t empowers the
Postmaster-G General to receive bids from any
telegraph company for the contract. The pro-
visions relating to the establishment of Gov
eminent system, pure and simple, in the event
companies is secured, are combination of the
features of the Hill and Edmunds bills.
While the revenue of the Post-Office Depart
ment for the quarter ending March 81 was less
than that of the corresponding quarter in the
preceding year, the issue of two-cent stamps
exceeded by q per cent. the combined issue of
two and three-cent stamps in that quarter
The large increase in the number of pieces
mailed is attributed at the Department to the
influence of the two-cent rate. The issue of
postal cards has fallen off about 100000
pieces since the inauguration of the two-cent
rate.
The Postmaster General on the 9Th inst. re-
ceived dispatch stating that from the 18th
inst the Central Pacific Railroad Company will
run fast-mail train from Ogden west cover
ing the distance between Ogden and San Fran
cisco in thirty mine hours. This viii complete
the fast-mail system between New York and
San Francisco, and will save twenty-four hours
between those points
The President has nominated CHARLES e.
Coon TO be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury,
vice John c. New. Mr.. Coon is at present as
, sistant chief of the loan division, and has been
connected with the Department for over twenty
| years.
It is understood that Mr. John J. Knox,
Comptroller of the Currency, has accepted the
presidency of the National Bank of the Repub-
lie of New York, and viii shortly resign his
present Office.
The total estimated revenue of the Post Office
Department for the present fiscal year is $43,-
262, 446, falling off as compared with the pre-
vious year of $2,246,246.
A cablegram has been received by the secre-
tary of State from Adam Badeau rendering his
resignation as eonsul-general at Havana.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
The sequel of the fatal love of Raphael Liv-
ingston, who was captain in the Union army,
and confined in Confederate prison at Sails
bury, n. c., during the late war, has just come
to light. During the last year of the war,
Livingston, through the aid of a pretty girl,
managed to effect his escape. After wandering
! on foot through the mountains Of the western
part Of the State and enduring many trials; he
was lucky enough to meet Miss Rose Austin,
| who assisted him in eluding the Confederate
officers in the neighborhood, and at last he got
clear of the rebel lines and reached his friends
in safety, not, however, before he had secured
| the promise of his fair friend to become his
bride. In 1857 Livingston again went South
with the intention of claiming his bride. but
Charles Bird, young farmer in the neighbor-
hood, had gained the girls affections and soon
! after the young captains temperance in
| Wilkes, the latter suddenly disappeared with
| out leaving any clue to his whereabouts. Bird
/
and the romance of the Federal officer passed
out of the minds of the people of the vicinity.
/ 1t was revived, however, on the night of the
| Sth inst by quarrel between Bird and his
! wife, as result of which the latter informed
| one of the neighbors that Bird and two other
men shot and killed Livingston and buried his
| body in a neighboriBg woods A negro who is
/ alleged to have participated in the crime cor
roborates the wife's story. All the parties were
arrested and committed TO Jail in Wilkes county
TO await an examination upon the charge of
murder.
| The work of removing the bodies Of the
miners from the mine at Pocahontas Va in
which they have been entombed since the ex-
plosion of last month, was commenced on the
18th inst, under the direction of Mining En-
/ glneer Moody. The bodies as they were re-
covered were placed in boxes on the inside of
| the mine, and miners acquainted with the
victims endeavored to identify them as they
were brought out Many of the bodies are
horribly mangled, some with the heads blown
4 oil, and others with arms and legs torn from
! the sockets The charred remains of miner
with his dinner bucket eiasped in his arms was
found near other bodies He was probably Just
partaking of his midnight meal when the ex-
! plosion occurred.
! Mrs. Celia Murphy, an old woman. who FOR
some time had been living alone on a small
| farm near fredericksburg, Nd. was found living
| in thicket near her residence, her skull hor-
| ribly crushed and her throat cut from ear TO
ear, on the 18th inst. She had lived the life of
recluse for many years, and never employed
! any help about her house or farm She used
to stack her own fodder, cut her own wheat
with scythe, make her own cider, distiH her
own apple and peach brandy, and do all other
| farm work.
A serious fight occurred between sheriffs on
| a Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad train Satur-
day in Kentucky. Sheriff VIM Dawson, of
| Maysville, had a prisoner en-route to that
place who was also wanted in Rowan county
| Sheriff Day, of Rowan county, with four depu-
ties, boarded the train, overpowered Dawson.
beating him severely, took the prisoner, deliv-
cred him to the jailer at Moorhead, and got a
reward of $50.
Mr. and Mrs. Fleetwood, an aged couple near
Random, ILL.,, were murdered on the night of
| the 9th inst James Winklebach, a hired man,
who slept in the house, has been arrested. The
| daughter of the old couple was aroused by the
smell of smoke, and found the bed on which
her father and mother lay ON fire. and their
| Threats cut. Winklebach had blood on his
Clothes and his bloody axe was found at the
bottom Of the well.
Thomas Vedder and n r. Piersnn, brothers.
in-law, drove over TO Goat Island, Niagara
Falls, on the 9th inst, and not returning search
| was made, and Pierson was found on Luna
| Island shot through the head The horse and
lf1n md III 49, 4 i