Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-04

the great loss Is the removal Of Mr. Wilson,
who, during the Il years Of his life as agent,
has done much to build up the community.
Relying upon an old statute, which is
said to be obsolete, n lawyer Of Hallowell,
Me-, has brought suit against all the manu-
featuring companies in that state for neglect
to publish semi-annual statements Of their
assets and liabilities.
Several public buildings at jamestown,
d. T., we're burned Sunday morning, involv-
ing loss Of about 800, 900.
AT Bridgeport, Conn, last Friday, "Gi-
ant Jim, blacksmith of New Haven, and
'Chubby Joe," a Bridgeport iron-wotker,
fought prize fight with iron knuokles. Each
blow laid the flesh open like the cut of a
cleaver, and blood ran down their naked bod
les, freezing at their belts in red icicles.
Their faces were unacceptable. The spec
tators interfered at the end Of the second
round and the fight was declared a draw.
General Andrew A. Humphreys, one of
the ablest soldiers OF the army of the Poto-
mac, died suddenly in Washington last Thurs
day night.
p. T. Barnum has made his will The
document covers 700 pages and divides SlO-
OOO, 900 among % heirs, SO, 500, 600 of it be.
ing his interest in the big show. Much is
given in charity, among the beneficiaries be-
ing the Chaplin home, the children's aid soci-
ety. old mems and women's homes and the
society to assist men and women over IL
years of age in New York, the Bridgeport
orphan asylum, Bridgeport asylum and other
Bridgeport societies. Mr.. Barnum also ad-
vertises the big show by leavinga certain per.
centage of the annual profits to specified
charities and by authorizing his executors to
renew the present partnership with Bailey
and Hutchinson which expires in 1899 With
the publication of this will and his white ele-
plant sensation Barnum is fairly renewing
the advertising trumphs of his youth.
A six-year.old boy at Putnam, Conn,
who was left in charge Of a baby poured am
monia down the child's throat, killing il al
most instantly.
Five persons have been killed by the
bursting OF mill dam near Houghton, Mich.
Every house in the little Mexican town Of
Alfalfa on the gulf of California was blown
down by terrific hurricane November 4.
-Jocko, the noted Orang Outang, died in
the Dime museum at Baltimore Monday,
where he arrived Saturday from Chicago.
On the ship he contracted violent cold,
which was the cause of his death Jooko
WAS imported in 1881 by Reiche, a New York
animal dealer, and cost $500. He was over
four feet tall and weighed at the time of death
l18 pounds.
Six negro children we're burned to death
in their home near Live Oak, Fla. Friday in
the absence of their parents. In Summer
ton, S. c., the same night, four children were
burned to death.
FOreign.
SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN AN AMERICAN FAMILY
AT HANOVER, GERMANY.
The excitement of the week in foreign
news has been the shooting at Hanover Ger
many, of Mrs. Col. Rathbone of Albany, N.
Y, by her husband, while aboriDg under
fit of melancholia. The tragedy took place
on Monday morning, oath ult. At that time
Col. Rathbone entered the bed chamber OF
his wife and shot her dead, also stabbing her
with q dagger. He then stabbed himself,
leaving little hope of his recovery. Colonel
Rathbone has shown signs of melancholia for
the past two months. On the night of the
tragedy he went to the room where his three
children and their nurse we're sleeping and
asked to see his children. His wife appeared
Immediately afterward and, ordering the
maid to lock the door, led her husband back
to their bedroom. Directly afterwards shots
were heard, followed by cries for help Mrs.
Rathbone's sister and q servant rushed to the
bedroom door and, finding it locked, broke it
in. They found Mrs. Rathbone dying on the
bed, weltering in her blood Colonel Rath-
ferent wounds. A six-shooter with three
empty chambers and dagger covered with
gore were found near by. Doctors we're sum-
moned Immediately, but Mrs Rathbone died
without being able to give an account of the
deed. Colonel Rathbone was able to reach
the bed, and Immediately became insensible.
When he afterward became conscious, he ap.
peared not to connect himself with the crime.
He seemed to believe that stranger had com
mitted it, and labored under the delusion that
his children had been abducted Mrs. Rath-
bone was buried on Friday, the funeral being
attended by many American and English
friends of the family. Col. Rathbone has
been taken to hospital and it is now thought
that he may recover.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE on BOARD THE WRECKED
BELGIAN STEAMER PLANTYN.
"A despatch dated at Oporto, Portugal,
Dec. %, says: Capt. Scott, who command
ed the Belgian steamer Plantyn, which was
wrecked while on her way from New York to
Antwerp, and who was one of the SO men
rescued from tho steamer and landed here,
gives the following account Of the disaster
ION Nov. II q hurricane carried away the
poop deck, the bridge, the engine room sky
light and the main deck from the poop to the
engine room, leaving only the iron work in
tact. 1t also brought down one of the masts,
which, in its fall, smashed five lfe-boats and
four pinnaces. The water gained upon the
engine room, quenched the fires and filled
the hold. Four sailors and one passenger
persisted at this time. DIR. Frsysser, the
Plantyn's physician, and four sailors were in
jured, and one of the latter died. Four hun
dred and sixty tons of cargo were jettisoned
in efforts to relieve The vessel. Several steam
ers passed the Pantain while she was under
going her terrible trial, but paid no attention
to her signals of distress. The crew worked
at the pumps and baled the water night and
day, thus keeping the ship ahoat until Dec.
6, when the British brig G. ID. T., from Pas
bepiac, hove in sight and rescued the passen-
gers and crew. Two of the men were after
wards transferred to another vessel and the
rest were landed at 0porto.' Captain Scott
and the other rescued men are loud 10 their
praise of the conduct of Captain Carcaud Of
the G. d. T."
MORE ABOUT THE HORRORS oP THE NIHILIsT
PRISONS.
"A nihilist named NetshajefI, who was
sentenced in 1872 to 20 years penal servitude
in Siberian mines, but who has been always
confined in the fortress of Alexef Ravelin,
built on one of the marshy islands in the riv-
er Neva near st. Petersburg, has succeeded
in getting letter struggled from the fortress
to the paper, Will of the People, in which he
fully confirms the revelations of cruelty and
inhumanity which have recently been made
by prisoners in the fortress of st. Peter and
st. Paul aud the Troubletskoi Bastion, and
some terrible details of suffering are given in
addition. The dungeons in which the pris.
oners are confined are below the water level
in the adjoining river and are bitterly cold
and damp in winter. In summer malaria
and scurvy are frightfully prevalent. Since
the assassination of the czar both the men and
women confined there have been kept within
their cells and the equally cheerless corridors
from one years end TO another outdoor eX.
ercise, which was formerly allowed for one
hour in the "a has been entirely suspended.
The prison officials practice the most shame
less extortions upon the prisoners as long as
their money lasts and prisoners without mon
ey are fed on horsefesh and chained in the
outer range of cells, where between their bat.
ties with the water and the rats they soon
perish.
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The Planets I'm January.
The solar system promises to give US an I'M
usually pleasant exhibition in the month of
January. The 'stsr" performer will be the
| giant Jupiter. At 10 O'Clock on the evening