The National tribune., 1884-02-07
PITH OF THE NEWS.
Capital Topics--Crimes and Casualties.
Personal and Political.

The President gave his first state dinner of
the season at the White House on the night of
the Both ult. Mrs. McEiroy assisted In the re-
ception, and the guests were Secretary and Mrs.
Freiinghuysen, Secretary and Mrs. Lincoln,
Secretary and Mrs. Chandler, Postmaster Gen
eral and Mrs. Gresham. Secretary and Mrs.
Teller, Attorney General and Mrs. Brewster,
Speaker and Mrs. Carlisle, Gen. and Mrs Sheri-
dan, Admiral Porter, Senator and Mrs Vance,
Senator and Mrs. Harrison, Senator and Mrs.
COnger, Senators Sawyer, Sewell and Aldrich,
Representative and Mrs. Hiscock, Mrs. Howard
g. White Mrs. Edward Kinsley, Miss Freling-
huysen and Miss Gresham.
A few days ago Secretary Chandler made
requisition upon the Cvil-service Commission
for nominations for vacancy in the clerical
force of his department, and in response to his
application the commission certified to him the
names of four persons from which to make his
selection. On the LIST inst. Mr.. Chandler re-
turned to the commissioners the nominations
sent him, accompanied by note in which he
stated that having carefully inspected the ex-
animation papers of the four persons whose
names had been certified to him. he had reached
the conclusion that none of the candidates had
upon examination shown sufficient intelligence
to give promise of filling the vacancy in his
department acceptably.
The reduction in the public debt for January
is nearly SO 100000, and for the seven months
over $50, 100000, against $16,600000 for Janu-
uary, 1885, and $95, 000,0 900 for theseven months
ending with thatmonth. This shows q falling
off in surplus revenue for the pasts months
of about 100000 00 an average monthly loss
of about 81, 100000 Should the reduction that
has prevailed during the preceding seven
months be maintained at the same rate for the
remaining five months of the fiscal year, the
surplus would not exceed S112000,000, which
would be $26 000000 below that of the preced-
ing year.
The joint Congressional Committee on the
Library and the trustees of the Marshall me-
mortal fund on the I'd inst selected as the site
for Story's statue Of Chief Justice Marshall
| point on the green upon the west front OF the
Capitol, on q line with the middle entrance to
the building. The statue is still in Rome, but
! is expected to be in position in three months.
| 1t is of bronze of heroic size, and represents
the chief justice in sitting posture.
Major Gilman, who for nearly five years past
has been distributing clerk in the Office of the
Secretary of the Senate was on the 31st ult.
succeeded in the latter position by Mr. Bntler
Malone. son of the Senator. Mr. George M.
Weston, of Washington, has been appointed
librarian of the Senate in place of P. j. Pierce,
Of Pennsylvania.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
While the accommodation train on the In
/ dianapolis and Chicago Airline bound to
Indianapolis, was crossing truss bridge over
| the White River at Broad Ripple, seven miles
| from that city, on the morning of the 31st ult.,
part of the bridge gave way and the baggage
and smoking cars and passenger coach fell
| into the stream. The wrecked cars were only
partially submerged, and the parts above water
| Immediately took fire. Six persons were either
killed outright or burned TO DEATH and several
xrar1 l.r fha 1a,1f
caused by defects in the support rods of the
bridge. the nuts fitting SO badly that the bridge
could not support the weight of the train. One
passenger was caught by heavy timber in the
| smoking car, and his fellow passengers could
not release him. They remained by him till
the flames scorched them. when they left him
to apparently certain death. The flames burned
the timber in two close to the imprisoned man,
and he crawled through awindow and escaped.
The screams of agony from those shut up in
| the cars were heartrending.
Ben T .npson, who pistol in hand, recently
cleared a banquet hall half filed with mem
bers of the late cattlemen's convention at
| Austin, Texas, became ineensed on the Cd inst.
at certain structures published in the Austin
Statesman, entered the composing room of that
/ paper, fourished a pistol and forced the print
ers to retreat He then pied two galleys,
smashed lamp and left. Subsequently he was
| arraigned in court, and while there struck Mr..
Weasles twice with chair, for which he was
| fined $50 for contempt of court. In the evening
Thompson notified Mr.. Gaines proprietor of the
Statesman, that he would hold him personally
responsible for repetition of the structures.
A force of twenty men and several policemen
guarded the Statesman Office last night.
A terrible gasoline explosion occurred in F.
N. 0rr's stove and tinware store at Alliance,
Ohio, ON the 1st inst, demolishing the building
and burying an unknown number Of persons
in the ruins. Four persons have been extri-
Gated. 1t is rum0Fed that child turned the
spigot OF the gasoline tank, and the escaping
gas was ignited by the fire in the stove. Sew
eral persons were in the store, and two fami-
lies lived on the second and third floors. Be-
sides those buried in the debris, many other
persons were more or less injured. The force
of the explosion broke the windows in the
other buildings on the square. The damage to
the building is estimated at $4,000.
Information has been received at ST. Joseph
No., that the dead body of William Bradshaw
was found near his home on the ID inst, eleven
miles from Albany, Gentry county His head
was crushed with club, and the face, palms
of the hands, and soles of the feet were burned
TO a crisp. The indications about the premises
are that the old man was assaulted by robbers
who tortured him with fire to make him reveal
the hiding place of his money, and afterwards
beat him to death.
Near Rendeville, Ohio. Saturday night, Peter
Clifford was called to his door by two men and
} shot. He fell dying into his wife's arms, say
ing: The Hickeys have. killed me' The
Hiekeys, four in number and Joe Reddy, their
brother-in-law, were arrested. Sunday night
Richard Hickey and Reddy were taken from
Jail by mob, and Hickey was hanged. Reddy
was strung up, but the rope broke, and he was
spared for trial
PERSONAL.
Col. Daniel III McPhail, formerly of Balti
J more, died at the home of his sister, Mrs
| Gerrit Smith, in Brooklyn on the Both ult al
the age of seventy-two. Colonel McPhail was
born in Baltimore in 1913, and entered the
: army at the age Of twenty-one being appointed
by President Jackson second lieutenant ii
7 the 9th United States infantry. In the Next
r can war he was captain of a company in his
regiment and rose 30 the rank Of breyet-maior
AT the outbreak of the civil war General Scott
offered him commission, and he served for 1
time on the staff of General Rosecrans will
Garfield and Hayes He was aftcrward chic
: paynaster at Wheeling. West Virginia. After
the war he was stationed at New Orleans an6
1 Charleston, until he again resignedin 1869, witt
/: the rank of lieutenant-coloneI. Afterward hi
home was in Brooklyn. Since last October III
S had been Ill from general debility, which lee
to bis death. Colonel Mcphaii never married