davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
DECAPITATED BY A MANIAC.
A Keepers Head Chopped OF and
Kicked About by the Murderer.

A Keepers Head Chopped OF and
Kicked About by the Murderer.
Henry E. Ely killed John Harden at
Spoonville, eight miles from Hartford
Friday morning, says a Hartford, Conn.
special of the 22d inst. to the New York
Herald Among the houses in the village
is that of Benjamin w. Cowles, brother
ln-law of Ely. With Cowles resided Elv.
who is demented, and his keeper. Harden.
Shortly after eight a. m, while Harden
was washing in the wOodshed, Ely en-
tered quietly, picked up an axe and
struck the unsuspecting man on the side
of the head. Harden fell backward and
Ely completed the murder by ch0pping
off his head. Ely then kicked the head
into the yard.
Mrs. COwles heard the noise made bv
the weapon and looked out into the ward
just in time to see the head come rolling
over the ground and hear Ely exclaim.
"There, L guess I'Ye fixed him nowr' She
ran to tobacco house at some distance
and notified her husband and workman
named johnson. Both came running to
the house and the latter seized Ely, and
after struggle succeeded in getting the
weapon away from him and locking him
up in a room of the house.
An undertaken sewed Harden's head to
the body. Friday afternoon Deputy Sher-
itf Gillette put manacles on the murderer
and took HIM to place of confinement.
Ely is a brother of the late Seth Ely. of
New York. Another brother, John Elv.
resides in New York. Henry Z. Ely was
formerly in business with his brothers.
but became crazy about five years ago.
lie was first confined in Kings county In
ebriate Asylum, and later sent to Spoon
vile, where his sister resides. She is
prostrated by shock. Another sister has
just been released from the Hartford Hos
pital for the Insane. His mother. it is
said, is also lunatic.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
DESPERATE FIGHT IN A MINE
Three Men Killed and one Dangerous
WOunded-Public Indignation.


Three Men Killed and one Dangerously
WOunded-Public Indignation.
Reliable information was received al
Asheyille, n. c., on the 21st INST, of
bloody tragedy at Flat Rock, Mitchell
county, in that section of the State. A
special of the 2lst inst. to the New York
Herald says: "Three men were killed
and one dangerously wounded. Stephen
Burleson and Sebe Miller worked mica
mine leased from Isaac Bailey. Reuben
Sparks claimed the mine under a State
grant, and sold half the interest to Ed.
Ray and A. E. Anderson, with the stipu-
IatIon that they take possession on Sun
day. Ray. with two young men named
Sparks, went to the mine and took possess
sion OF an abandoned tunnel below a shaft
IN which Stephen BurlesOn, Sebe Miller
and Robert Pentand We're working, and
built fire in the tunnel to smoke the
other parties out Of the shaft. Failing in
this Ray went to Bakersville. nine
miles of, and brought back his brother
in-law, Anderson. Each armed himself.
and the two went to the shaft. which was
II feet deep. Pentand and BurlesOn were
IN the shaft, while Miller was outside to
hand tools down to his companions.
Kay had few words with Miller, and
then knocked him into the pit with the
butt of his gun. William BurlesOn then
knocked Ray into the pit. Anderson. who
was on the outside, ordered Horton, one
OF the BurlesOn party. to leave, and as
the man turned to do so Anderson fired n
| ball into the back Of his head. the bullet
coming out through the forehead. Hor-
ton fell dead. Ray and Robert Pentand
cllnched in the pit, and when Pentand
got the advantage Ray begged for quar-
ter. Pentand let him get up, when Raw
Immediately shot Stephen BurlesOn and
ran up the ladder. BurlesOn was hit
in the right side, and the ball passed
through his heart. Anderson then went
to the mouth of the pit and fired down
/ The ball struck Miller i'm the back of the
head. coming out near the eve Miller
fell dead. Another shot struck William
BurlesOn in the right side Of the back. in
ilicting a dangerous wound. The ball
was cut out. Ray and Anderson es-
capped.
There is wild excitement and indigna-
ton In the country, and everybody is i'm
pursuit of the murderer. Counsel in be-
half of the assassins We're driven from
the COroner's inquest and were not al
lowed a hearing. Ray and Anderson are
revenue officers. Ray had been for a long
time IN the service. In an official capaci-
ty he killed a man and was never called
to account for it. He is the same man
who was once indicted in the State courts
Tor an assault upon woman. which case
was transferred to the United States
courts on the plea that the crime was com
mitted by the defendant in an official ca
pacity. The plea was sustained and the
prisoner was discharged"
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
THE LIONS TAIL.
The Alleged British Spy in the New
York Post Office.

thu <AAAcSCQ spy IN the New
York Post Office.
The Postmaster General has transmit
ted to the House of Representatives the
report Of Inspector Major Sharp, appoint
ed to investigate the charges against L.
A. NewcOme, of New York. A Washing
ingtOn special Of the Dist to the New York
Herald, says: ''In his letter of transmit
tai the Postmaster General remarks that
he directed MAJOR Sharp, Chief of Insec-
tors to obtain all information showing or
tending TO show that Mr.. NewcOme had
permitted British spy named O'Brien.
knowing him to be such, to visit his office.
where he had unlimited opportunity 10
tamper with and open the correspondence
OF American merchants and Law his DIans
to entTap men, some of whom. America n
citizens, were subsequently tried in Iiv-
erpool and sentenced to Imprisonment for
lie. whether the person calling himself
OBrlen, says the Postmaster General.
was or was not a British SPY, there was
no ground for charging that he had access
10 the mails of the United States, or was
permitted to tamper with them in any
way.
Maj. Sharp says in his report that
OBrien was introduced to Mr.. Newcome
in the latter part of MAY or the 1st Of June.
1888, as an English detective. There was
no evidence that he was an English de-
tective other than the fact that he was in
trOduced as such and his own statements
to parties subsequently. Being allowed
to frequent Newcome's Office gave him no
opportunity to pry into any PERSONS mail,
and there was no evidence that he was
ever in position where he could obtain
possession Of the mail belonging to the
post Office, or that he made any proposals
to post office officials to furnish him with
any PERSONS letters. The propriety of
Mr.. Newcomers action in being in such
intimate social relations as he was with a
man about whom he knew so little was
doubtful, but the statement that O'Brien
obtained access to letters passing through
the New York post Office by the ard or
connlyance of Inspector Newoome or by
any other means was unWarranted by the
facts.'
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
FACTS ABOUT DIVORCE.
Some Cnrions Sfntistics-

A French philosopher has been collect.
ing the statistics OF divorce, and lecturing
on the theories with which they supply
him. The results are interesting, and in
some respects singular. Some well
known theories are quite upset by his
facts and figures. Taking a fixed stan
dard Of 1000 marriages, the philosopher
distributes all countries into three
groups-group A, where the divorces av-
erage from l to in the 1000; grouD B
where they run from to 10; group c..
where in thousand marriages
there are from IL to % divorces. IL
Is strange to find among the first
class the Italians, the Russians. and
the Scotch. 1t seems the only point in
common among natiOnalities otherwise so
opposed. The Swedes. the NOrWegians.
the Dutch, and the Hungarians are in the
second class, while the third includes
most other European peoples. The
philosopher insists that the laws of a
country have no influence on these results.
Norway and Denmark have the same laws.
andj Norway is moral and Denmark is
loose. Switzerland is one Republic, but
III the canton Of Lucerne there is scarcely
ever divorce, and in Appenzell there are
a great many. In Catholic countries. as
a rule, there are few, and in Protestant
there are many. Much depends on pro
fessi0n. Artists and men Of letters seem
very unfortunate in their unions, More
over, the statistics of suicide run parallel
with those of divorce. Saxony is the
country where both are found in greatest
numbers. For space of three years the
number OF suicides remained stationary
in Sweden, and so did the divorces. Both
are checked by the birth of children. The
lecturer closed with a singular statistic.
Where the husband is from to 25 wears
older than his wife the number of divorces
runs up to lS4 in the 1000; where he is
more than % they drop to per cent.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25


james SpOoner. an old resident Of Quincy,
Is dead.
The Ocala Rifles have been organized with
over 80 members.
Orange. peach and plum trees are blos-
sOmIng around Ocala.
Gadsden was the Only county represented
at the late Jacksonville fair. from either Mid
die or West Florida.
This years orange crop in Florida was
about 60,G00.OGC oranges. that nettcd the or
ange growers about SI.250.000.
4 1920 house greeted Minnie Hauk's con-
cert company at the opening Of the new Park
Theatre al Jacksonville Friday night.
Capt. Sesy, Of Mitchell county, Ga. has a
force Of about Is hauds getting out crOssties
an Gadsden county, for the F., C. Il W. Rail
road.
six men from Gadsden county. each
weighing more than two hundred and forty
five pounds viii visit the Worlds Exposition
at New Orleans together
Mrs. DR.. Gary, of Ocala. has an orange tree
IN her grove at BrOOkville that measures
~iXty-twO inches ID circumference six inches
a5oye the ground. The tree has never failed
30 beas 2 full crop of the golden fruit.
She following are Quincy's officers for the
ensuing year: Mayor. -. 3. stockton; Mar
sksl, W. y. Wilson; Assessor, -. NJ. sanford:
CLERK and Treasurer. II. L. Ray: Aldermen,
-. j. Wilson, ID. } McFarlin, William Nun
roe
Plans and specifications for the building of
q brick church for the Baptist congregation ct
Oca have been completed, and work VIII
commence on TIE arrival of the material. 1t
VIII be located on The lot north of ID. A Mil
ler's residence, and will Se 36X50 and l4X2O
teet with tower IS feet h gh.
Tie Seri1g, published at 6reeH Cove
Springs. saws. "S0me one has stolen the
shade trees SET out lG front Of the Methodist
Church Is the Y. !. ). Very probably the
thief was the same contemplate rogue who
recently stole the large pulpit bible from the
same church. If we ever establish the whip
ping post IN Florida, we hope this man VIII be
nrst 10 benefit by it,
The Ocala Banner says: Most of the debris
ON the burnt lots have been removed, and
large piles OF lumber and brick and lime have
been sheltered for the commencement of new
orlck buildings. Union block, on the south
SIDE Is fast being completed, and before many
Gays more substantial structures will be erect
Si around the square. Brick for the Ocala
mouse are now being daily laid on the ground,
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Preparing for the Dedication of the
MemOriaI-A Notable Gathering

Preparing for the Dedication of the
MemOrial-A Notable Gathering,
The annual meeting of the Washington
Monument Society, says a recent
special to the Philadelphia Times. was
held on the 22d inst. at the residence OF
Gen. W. Mckee Dunn, IN Washington.
The members present were Messrs. W.
w. COrcoran, President; Horatio King.
Secretary; Edward Clark, DR.. d. B. Clark.
Gen. Dunn, Col. j. G.. Berrett, Judge
Walter S. Cox, DIR. J. c. yelling and DIR.
Joseph n. Toner.
The Board of Officers for the past year
were reelected; a stone was accepted for
insertion IN the monument to renresant
wyoming; it was directed that the thanks
Of the society be rendered, through the
Secretary Of State, to the KIM of
Siam, for the stone sent by him for the
monument, and a committee OF five were
appointed TO consider the subject of nro-
viding for proper dedication of the mon
ument, which event is expected to take
place early in December of the present
year.
The shaft has now attained a height of
41O feet and there is on hand a sufficient
amount OF money about $3.50, ,000) to com
plete the marble obelisks to its apex.
which, at the total height of sos feet above
the base line, will OvertOp all other struc-
lures in the world. The aggregate amount
OF the various Congressional appropria-
tlOns for this work is 100000 and about
100000 has been contributed bv private
citizens and local organizations through
out the country.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
NIILLI1N ITEMS.
Fine Prospects of the Artesian Well.

Correspondence Of the Nornfn0 Neaos.
MILLEN, GA, Feb. 23.-Work on the ar
tesian well at this place is progressing
rapidly and satisfactorily. Our citizens
are jubilant over the prospect of a mag.
niticent flowing stream soon to be pro-
cured. Col. George 5. Brush, the Presi-
dent of the Manhattan Artesian Well
Company Of New York, is still here SUI
perintending in person, and is ably as
sisted by men of long experience. At a
depth of 12j feet, reached on the 21st inst,
a flow of water was reached which forced
itself within two feet of the sur
face. Col. Brush affirms this to
be very encouraging, and states that
the source of this stream is at least
eight or ten feet higher than the mean
water levels of our town. SiX-inch pipe
has now been successfully driven and
bored out to a depth OF over 200 feet. Hon.
r. A. BrinsOn, our Representative in the
lower House OF the General Assembly,
while on business in WaynesbOrO a short
time since, had his elegant gold watch
and chain stolen by a thief who entered
his room in the darkness of the night
while Mr. BrinsOn was unsuspectingly
snOOZIng on his little couch. A telegram
from prominent jeweler in Augusta on
Yesterday stated that the thiet was IN the
iron grasp of the law. Mr.. BrinsOn is now
in Augusta, and, | am informed, has re-
covered his stolen treasure. He has
also taken steps active to have the thief
dealt with according to law.
Our community escaped any calamity
from the recent cyclone, although the
wind was very high.
The young crop of oats is looking green
and flourishing, and the prospect for a
moderate yield is encouraging.
Several planters are making vigorous
preparations for planting watermelOns.
The acreage, however, will not be so great
as that of last season.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
DERAILED ON A BRIDGE.
FIVE OR SIX PERSONS KILLED
AND 200 INJURED.

Names of Some of the victims-Every.
thing Yet in Uncertainty-A Broken
Rail the Cause of the Disaster-Tbe
Hannibal and st. Joseph Road the
Scene.
KANSAS CITY. Feb. PA train which
has arrived here from the scene of the
wreck on the Hannibal and St. Josepb
road, brings the following particulars
The train which was wrecked was run.
ming at the rate of 80 miles an hour. pre-
paratory to mounting a steep grade.
THE FATAL RAIL.
When on the bridge the mail car struck
a broken rail, which the engine and ex-
press car had passed over in safety. The
mail and smoking cars We're precipitated
INTO the water, carrying down the bridge,
which had been broken by the crash. The
coach, chair car and sleeping car were
thrown from the track and piled up to-
gether.
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
A boy named Baldwin was killed.
The conductor believes that there are
four or five persons now dead.
Among the injured are the following,
who were too seriously hurt to beremoved
after being taken to Brookfeld:
j. f. Rose, Of st. Louis.
5. 5. Tracy, ofSt. Louis.
Benz. Patterson of Galesburg
James and Joseph Meilhot and wife, of
Canada
About 200 others received painful cuts
and bruises.
Most OF the passengers were brought
here.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
TIRED OF LIFE AT EIGHT.
An Alleged Case of Parental Cruelty a
Riverside.

An Alleged Case of Parental Cruelty at
Riverside.
Down to the black banks OF the Della
ware at Riverside, Nj, coated yet by the
winters ice, says the Philadelphia Times
Of the 23d inst, two children went on
Thursday. Their purpose was suicide
The name of one was Charley Drenk, aged
$ years. His sister Clara was years old.
Two days before the boy had attempted
suicide by hanging. These two children
had tied themselves together in their at
tempt at solving the secret of the shadow
feared Of men, and were only prevented
from the execution of their intent by the
interference of John Giddings, an Observ-
ant neighbOr who had witnessed their at
tempt.
The cause of the children's sincere
effort at selfdestruction was alleged
parental abuse. James Drenk. their
father, has in common with the RESPONSE
bility of introducing them into the world
the burden of rearing other children, all
of whom have, since his wife died in 1877,
grown up and left him. One of them.
Maria, is the wife of a well-tO-dO opera
tive IN a kensington cotton mill. A Tunes
reporter yesterday afternoon reached the
hoyel where the family live in Riverside.
The father was away at work IN the city
He had left the children to hang drown
or burn, as they saw fit, at home. From
adyersity they had learned to cook. In
the smOuldering stove the girl was trying
TO roast two potatoes when the reporter
entered.
"Why do you want to kill yourself,
Charley:' he asked. The small suicide
covered over the stove.
i don't want to live" he said, as he
pOked the potatoes
"Why nOt?''
In the high-pitched treble of youth the
boy answered:
Pop licked - out of me night before
last because there want no supper.
There want no supper to git"
The small boy and still smaller sister in
the corner began to beat rataplan against
the back of a picture Of Abraham Lin
coin, which She had plucked from the wall
with the tOngs. She had black hair and
blue eyes.
"Why did you want to drown yOurself?"
asked the reporter again:
Charley wanted to 90 swimming" was
the response.
The boy, open-mouthed and round
''s-s-h-she amt into this. 1t was me
that did it,
s.What for?"
I'm TOO tired to take oil my shirt-look
at them lumps."
The wales across the boys back were
half an inch wide.
Il git Jumps like them every day-ever
since-they had ferry boats. l mean ever
since | rode on one"
DO you know what death is?7
The potatoes were nearly done. The
boy answered:
"They took her to the graveyard"
''Who was she9'
Ellis wife,
The wife" was the boys mother. The
neighbors of the children have resolved
to take them from the possession Of their
father, even if an appeal to the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
is necessary. The neighbOr who prevent
ed the suicide Of theichildren is opposed to
this and desires to take them home him
self
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
China's Great secret society
los i AHgetes Republican


Col. j. Drew Gay, correspondent of
the London Telegraph, now spending a few
days in Los Angeles. who has recently
spent more than a year in China, Siam
Borneo and other lands occupied by the
Chinese, furnishes interesting information
about the Chinese secret society known as
the White Lily.
"Ihe White Lily Society exercises ON
nipotent power wherever the Chinese can
be found. Its agents are everywhere
where It's slaves are at work, and there is
no escape whatever from its vengeance
when offended. No Chinaman can DISC
bey its commands and live. for its officers
are continually passing from place to
place levying taxes and furnishing viola
tiOns Of its rules"
"What is the character Of the White
LILY Society, and what is required to con-
stitute memberT'
Your six COmpanies.' as you call
them in California, are but branches Of
the White Lily. it is a secret league in
to which the European or American has
never entered. 1t defies all laws except
It's own, and 1t dIspOses Of life and proper
ty with the same desp0tic severity that
the European himself may exercise.
There is one limit, and one only, at which
the White Lily is restrained. 1t has never
been known to take the life of an Ameri-
can or an Englishman. It's agents fre-
quentiy kill or destroy the prOpertv Of
other nationalities; but, strange as II NAV
seem, this Chinese company of organized
thugs and firebugs respect the lives Of
the British and Americans"
Are the foreigners in Siam and China
much annoyed by the White Lily organI-
Zation ?'
'Yes. They have to be very careful
lest they publicly offend one of its mem
bers. No matter how poor the laborer, if
he is White Lily his person must be re-
spected as sacred from abuse or violence.
L remember an instance in Siam. where
the White Lily holds despOtIc sway over
the Siamese as well as the Chinese. A
French capitalist named Bonneville had a
large saw mill near Bangkok, the Siam
ese capital, where he was engaged in get
ting out teak for shipbuilding. Bonne-
vile once kicked a Chinese Iaborer, a
member OF the white Lily.' The
Chinese labOrers said nothing. but
at noon they all marched out, after
announcing that they would not re-
turn. Before leaving the mill they de-
stroyed all the saws and machinery, and
notified Bonneville that he must leave
within twelve hours or die. He left at
once and his mill was DESTROYED. Another
instance of the same character: A Ger
man struck a native and his house was
burned. l could relate many instances
illustrating the power OF this great Chi
nese secret society.
'The British, since they sacked and
looted Peking, the Chinese capital and
the imperial summer palace, have always
been treated with respect, and as the
Americans are united with the English in
the treaty ports they are treated as Brit
ish subjects and as the same nation"
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
COUNTING BY TELEPHONE.
And Ending the COurtship by an EIope.
ment and Marriage.

And Ending the COurtship by an EIope-
ment and Marriage.
Scranton, Pa, is excited over the
romantic runaway marriage of a young
man named John r. Farr and a pretty
Jewess named Justine Levy, says a
special to the Philadelphia Times. The
girls family is greatly incensed over the
union, and in Fridays Republican, right
under the death notices, published the
following announcement, surrounded bv
a deep, black border:
"Gone and forgotten. We mourn the mar
rage OF our sister, Justine Levy, to John r.
Farr as dead, and disown her for life
LEVY FAMILY"
The publication of this notice has
caused much comment. Farr, the hero of
this escapade, is 26 years of ace. a youno
man of excellent character, sober, studi-
Gus and industrious. He learned the
printing trade in the Office of the ReDubfi-
can, and saved enough money to secure a
good schooling at Lafayette College.
where he became quite popular as the
champion runner. He is at present en-
plOyed as Assistant Secretary of the
Scranton School Board, and only a short
time ago was elected a member of the
Board. His cOurtshIp of Miss Lew. who
is charming l6-year-Old brunette, as in
telligent as she is winsOme, has been bit
terly opposed by the girls friends. The
young couple finally had to make love
through the telephone, and Miss LEWIS
relatives notified the Exchange that un-
less this system of cOurting was stopped
they would be compelled to cut out the
telephone. Farr and his sweetheart sue
ceeded in meeting several times, and
were on Wednesday night surprised in an
ice cream saloon. They escaped through
the back yard, scaled a high fence and
ran off to the residence of Rev. George E.
Guild, on the outskirts of the city. There
they were married at O'Clock Thursday
morning, and the accommodating pastor
gave them shelter for the night The young
couple are now living at Farr's home. The
Farr and Levy families have had several
stormy meetings and number of arrests
are threatened.