The Indianapolis journal., 1884-11-23
MINOR MENTION.

|
months Imprisonment for having struck another
boy in the eye with stone thrown from one of
those diabolcal instruments known in some To-
calities as devil-slings, and in others slap
| jacks. The offenders plea, that he had aimed at
a fly and meant no harm, was disregarded by
the judge, who rightfully held that the object
aimed at is seldom hit by what might be called
devilslinger, but that any eye within range was
in danger. Another case is that of wealthy
and refined" lady, who has been convicted of
| larceny, having been detected in stealing stock
ings from counter in a store. Numbers of wit
nesses testified to her high standing in society
and in church, and to her benevolence. 1t was
argued, in her behalf, that her wealth, if it did
not preclude the possibility of the occurrence
charged, at least rendered it clear that she was
a kleptomaniac, and not responsible. The jury
brought in verdict of guilty, evidently being
unable to discriminate between the culpability
of one who is driven to theft through poverty
and one who steals for her own amusement
AS the woman was proved to be intel
! ligent, and in no wise Insane in other
directions, they were unable to understand
why her weakness should be involun tary when
had she been poor no one would have called it
anything but common. larceny. The sentence,
which will probably be a years imprisonment,
was reserved by the judge who, however, di
rected the woman to arrange her household af-
fairs preparatory to extended absence. 1t is al
together likely that this case will have salu-
tary effect upon others similarly afflicted"
Every shop-keeper in any large city has we'll
! dressed, wealthy and fashionable customers
whose every movement is watched when their
missed are charged up in the bills and paid for or
their return is secured without publicity. or they
are lost altogether, because it is merely "klep-
tomania." Kleptomania is what the possessors of
the disease call it, and from policy the merchants
do likewise, because it would be unwise to offend
influential patrons. Privately they are con-
| vinced that this stealing is caused as much by
depravity as by uncomfortable mania, and the
verdict in this case will undoubtedly give great
satisfaction to those who have been victimized.
GOOD clothes and the possession of money are
not invariable indications of saintship in the
ordinary walks of life, and why an exception
should be made when theft is committed has
been puzzle to many honest people.
| THE unexpected intelligence of the death of
Bishop Wiley, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, will come with the shock of almost
personal bereavement to the members of that
communion in this city and State; for he was
pecially we'll known and loved here Only two
years ago he presided over the sessions of the
Southeast Conference held in Central-avenue
Church, and for eightyears previous to his election
| to the episcopacy was editor of the Ladies Re-
pository, published in Cincinnati, which favorite
magizine found its way into thousands of In
diana homes. Bishop Wiley was a man of saint
ly character and sweet spirit. His face was
mirror of the purity Of his soul and the refined
! intelligence of his nature. His bearing was
mild and kindly. He was wise and prudent
administrator, and the church will sorely miss
the guidance of his head and heart. There seems
a sad coincidence in the fact that he lays his
| life down in China, for his first work in the
church he so honored was with the Chinese mis-
sion, and the book by which he is best known is
entitled, 1.-The Fallen Missionaries Of Foo Chow"
Like his predecessor, Kingsley, who sleeps till
the morning in Beirut, Wiley will doubtless find
his burial place in the land where he died, rest
ing with the ashes of those heroes to whose
memory his pen raised lasting memorial The
dead Kingsley and Wiley-the one in Syria and
! the other in China-best bespeak the missionary
| SplIlJ Oh JIl0 CuurCn WHOSe IlObtO OuflSG IOF
| the world and the world for Christ" Bishop
Wiley, while one of the mildest of men, was
also one of the strongest He had made
a particular study of the Mormon
question, and of the relation of Chris
tian women to that infamous barbarism.
! None who listened to the impassioned and yet
practical truths he uttered in his address that
subject before the conference in this city, two
| years ago. will fail to recall them with pleasure
and profit when they read of the Bishops appar-
emily untimely death. The Bishop had his resi-
dence in Cincinnati, where his family reside. 1t
will be remembered that at about the time he
was here, presiding over the conference, his son,
a promising young man, was burned to death i'll
a fire in Cincinnati
AMERICANS very naturally think that 'Indian
summer is a season peculiar to their country,
and not only that, but most marked in their
section of it. This is a mistake, OF rather two
mistakes. The season is as well marked in
Canada as in the United States, and though less
distinct in Europe, is hardly less we'll known as
''St Martins summer" coming usually about
! St Martins day or Martinmas the 11th of
November, little later than its usual arrival
here, but covering much the same period of the
year. The air is hazy, the weather warm, and
the general features are much the same as those
of our Indian summer, but less conspicuous.
The old notion that the haze of the season here
is caused by the smoke of q general burning
over of prairies has been dissipated ever since
praries became filled with farms and nothing
was left to burn that it was desirable should be
burned. Moreover, the haze is distinct in sec
tions where there are prairies In 1857
Professor Hovey, of Wabash College, read
before the scientific association of that institu-
ton paper explaining this strange interpola-
ton of softened June between the first frost