davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27

The Accidental UpsettIng of Kerr
osene Lamp Causes a Loss of
100000 and Loss of Life.
New YORK, Nov. 23-The acciden-
tai upsetting OF kerosene lamp in the
rooms of Otto Mattobeek, on the third
floor of five story tenement, 404 East
Gath street, early this morning, was a
signal for an agonizing scene OF terror
and death. The house and one ad-
joining were filled with Bohemian
cigar makers employed in neighboring
cigar factories. One hundred and fifty
people slept soundly when the cry of
fire was raised. The flames commu-
ncated to floors above through con-
yenient air shafts and scene Of wild
confusion and panic ensued. The
frightened tenants took to the fire es.
capeS with all haste. They were given
shelter by neighbors while the fire.
men were fighting the flames. This
was not an easy task as the upper sto-
ries and roof were ablaze and flames
had spread to No. 406. Reinforce.
ments were summoned and the fire
was quickly subdued. About $780,
600 damage was done to the building
and the property of the tenants there
had some narrow escapes, and two
women with their children were re-
ported to have been slightly burned,
but the tremen were not prepared to
find a whole family smothered to death
in the rear room on the top floor of
No. 404. They came upon Mary G.
Ealka, widow, 40 years old, and her
children, Mary, aged 7, and Annie,
aged E years, lying dead. 1t was three
hours after the outbreak when this
discovery was made. A second and
closer search was made, but no other
bodies had been discovered up to 8
o'clock this morning.
A report spread early among the
homeless tenants that the house had
been deliberately set fire by one of
their number Henry Kohul, Bohe-
mian cigar maker was pointed out as
the guilty one. Hel had disappeared
and did not show up until this morn
ing, when he was arrested, by that time
the police had collected evidence
enough TO make the charge of arson
and murder against him. The excite
ment Of the Bohemians had become
furious and threats of lynchiDg made.
kohul is insured for 5000, while his
furniture is scarcely worth SIS. The
charge is that he set fire to the house
to get this money.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Confessed to the Murder of a Con-
duCtor.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. pa well
dressed young man. under the influence
of liquor. entered a station.house here
to-day and said he had committed a
murder in Chicago; later on he repeat
ed his story. He said that while in
Chicago two years ago he became
involved in a quarrel with man
named Edward Davis, who was en-
ployed as conductor on one of the
railway lines of that city, and that he
shot and killed him. He succeeded in
making his escape and came east, but
his conscience has troubled him so
much that he concluded to surrender
himself. The authorities have tele.
graphed to Chicago to ascertain if such
a person is needed there, He gives the
name Of John Jones.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Writ Adams, Jr., Appointed Rev

.eclal 10 Commcrclal herald.

IN eclal TO U0mmcIclaI HtTIIU
JACKSON, Miss, Nov 24.-Gov.
Lowry to day appointed Writ Adams.
ir., State revenue agent, vice Gen.
Writ Adams, ST., resigned. Gen.
Adams bond as postmaster has been
approved and his commission sent
him. He will take charge Of the Jack
son postoflice, December 1st.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
An Important Decision in Regard
to Barbed Wire.

An important Decision IN Regard
to Barbed Wire.
DEsMoINEs, a., Nov. 24.-Judge
Brewer, of the United States circuit
court, has rendered an important De-
cision in the case of WashbuIn &
Moen VS.. the Grinnell Barbed Wire
company. The decision was made last
spring, sustaining the validity of the
Glidden patent and right of plaintiffs
to control it. 1t was decided at that
time that the master in chancery
should deliver the amount of damages
to be paid. He fixed the same at $4l-
$50. Defendants excepted and argued
the case at the last term of the Feder-
al conrt in this city. Judge Brewer
in his decision now, reduces the
amount from $41 $50 to about $24, 900,
-Stating in his opinion, that while the
estimate for damages was probably too
low, he would fix the royalty, which
the company would pay hereafter at a
figure which should be large enough to
compensated. it.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
FRIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER q, 1885,
GOTHAM GOSSIP.

The Excise Law - Death of a
Well ~ known AboItlonlst - Mr..
Clafin's Charities Amounted to
$1,000, 900. Etc.
New YORK, Nov. 23-The excise
law was pretty sharply enforced yester-
day; lifty-six arrests We're made for
infringement of the law, but knowing
ones got their liquor as usual.
Elizar Wright, well-known aboli-
ZIONIST years ago, died at Medford,
Mass, yesterday, aged 81. He had
been connected with many newspapers
and was distinguished author.
In his sermon yesterday, Mr..
Beecher said he had been informed
that Mr.. Claims charities amounted
to nearly $l,OO0,000; the public would
never know where this golden shower
was to fall.
The Sun says: "The subcommittee
OF the baseball arbitration committee,
which was appointed to draft new
agreement which would give miner
baseball associations protection under
the national agreement, have finished
their work, and a set of rules have
been submitted to the league, which
will be satisfactory to all concerned.
The agreement sets forth that no
player under contract with one associ-
alton can engage to play with another,
and that the secretary of each associa-
tion will not send to secretaries of
other associations from time to time a
list of players that have been black
listed, suspended or expelled. Dis.
putes between associations will be
decided by the arbitration committee .
None of the billiard players have
yet accepted Maurice Days challenge
to play cushion caroms against any
body in the world, but VIM. Sexton is
anxious to play that kind of game, and
if he can't get Vignaux, or SlosSon, or
Schafer to play, he says he will tackle
DAILY in December.
The Sun special from Boston gives a
detail of the prize light there yester-
day between James Driscall and Henry
RouTke, in which the former won in
thirteen rounds, after a desperate con-
test. Both men were terribly punish
ed. About $1,000 changed hands on
the result. The match was for $3.50
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Fire.

LITE Rock, Nov. 24-A fire at
Conway, Ark, early this morning,
burned several wooden business build.
ilgs.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27

It outrivals all DR.. Sage'a Catargh
Remedy. a
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Commission of Internal Revenue
Upon Reimportation of Spirits.

Upon Reimportation of Spirits.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23-Commis-
sioner OF internal revenue in his report
upon reimportation of spirits says:
I'm light past experience, it was
deemed safe to predict the bulk of
Bourbon whisky and rye whisky
shipped TO Bermuda, Bremen and
Hamburg will eventually be returned
to the United States, but it will not be
returned by the parties who gave
transportation bond upon which spirits
are withdrawn from the distillery ware.
house, even if it were so returned by
them it is difficult to say such was the
the intention when they gave notice
and bond. No doubt the exporters
would be glad to find a market for
their products abroad, and so be re-
lieVed of the expense of the return
voyage. Under these circumstances.
and in view of the fact the law accords
the privilege of expectation free of
tax, to holders of all kinds of spirits
in distillery warehouses alike, he has
not felt warranted in interfering with
expectations to ports named nor dis
criminate against these kinds Of spirits
and in favor of alcoholic rum or other
kinds of spirits, which, when once
shipped abroad, are not often returned.
1t is hardly to be supposed that the
distiller would produce spirits if
he knew the spirits would not
be purchased until it had
lain in bonded warehouses
in Bremen one or more years. 1t is
evident the distillers are unable to de-
termine before hand the quantity of
spirits they will be able to dispose of
within three years. Under this view
it would be better for the distiller il
there is to be any limitation of the
bonded period to restore time given in
warehousing bond from three years to
one year as provided in the act of July
20, 1868. He is of the opinion a better
plan would be to allow the spirits to
remain in distillery warehouses an
indefatigable time, subject to pre-
emptory Withdrawals in case of exces-
sive losses, provided the United States
is reimbursed for additional expense
incident to such storage. Any law
therefore which fixes date Of payment
of tax before the actual demand for
consumption is a disturbing element
in the business of the producer more
or less severe as the business of the
distiller varies, more or less from the
artificial standard set up by the law.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Steamer Aground in FIR MT of the
JettleS.


PoRT EADs, Nov. 24-Tte teamhips
Cormona is still aground on the mud
lump three. quarters of a mile in front
of the jetty channel. Capt. Frances.
president Of the bar pilots association,
says the presence of this mud lump
was we'll known. 1t has existed ever
since the jetties were constructed. He
further says that in coming down
south pass, between the jetties, vessel
cannot 60 to sea through the
channel without making turn to
the eastward Of two to three
points of the compass, until the east
wing dam is abeam Of the vessel: then
the helm is put hard astarboard, in
order to clear what is called the middle
lump, upon which the Carmona
grounded. Vessels drawing but
twenty feet are safe in going through
the west channel, but those of greater
draft must take the east channel.
Capt. Frances does not consider the
condition of the Carmona in any way
dangerous. He says a change Of wind
to the southeast will cause little
swell, The ship will probably then
loosen and go through the lump.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
A Sensational Story Which Led to
the Arrest of a Murderer.

A Sensational Story Which Led to
the Arrest of Murderer.
CHATTANOOGA, Nov. 24-Pat Nc
CURE, who was arrested Friday for the
murder of Michael Kane at Logans.
port, Ind, August Sd last, was brought
here to-day to remain in Jail until a
requisition can be procured for him.
The discovery was remarkable sequel
to supposed sensational drowning
case, and was due to the over zeal of
his brother to protect Mcclure. On
November 10th his brother, NJ. A.
Mcguire. a wholesale merchant of
Cincinnati, while duck hunting in
Tennessee, was reported to have been
drowned, The fact was published and
reached the eyes of an Indiana detect
i've, who was on the lookout for Pat
Mcclure, and who surmised that he
must be hidden near the scene of the
accident.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Look Out for Him--Descrlption ot
a Wife Murderer.


CHICAGO, Nov. 24-The coroner's
inquest on the remains of Mrs. Emma
Smith, who was murdered by her hus-
band, Sam Smith, at 80 West Monroe
street Saturday night, was begun
shortly after 10 o'clock to-day at the
county hospital. The jury was i'm
pannelled and viewed the woman s
remains in the morgue. The police
profess to have no clue, so far, to the
whereabouts of the murderer. They
express confidence that he will be
caught as soon as his description is so
full and complete. 1t is not known
yet to what depot he went after getting
out of the hack which he hired to
assist him in his flight Saturday night.
The following is "a description of the
murderer that is being sent all over
the country by the police department:
"Arrest for murder Samuel Smith.
who is about q years of age,5 5 feet z
inches high, medium build, 145 to $50
pounds weight, dark brown hair,
which he combs low on his
forehead and is.slightly sprinkled with
gray; has a tumor on the top of his
head and a very receding forehead ;
scar through the right eyebrow; small
brown mustache, sometimes dyed
black and curled up at the ends; small,
piercing dark eyes; talks rapidly;
medium pale face; wore when he left a
dark bottle geen suit. with silver
stripes, dark overcoat, small leaf scarf
pin, with diamond in the centre and
high silk hat, made by Chicago halter.
Address all information to T. E.
Bersold, general superintendent Of
police.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27
Confesses to the Killing OF Col
Watson r. Smith.

watson h. SnlC1S
OMAHA, NEB Nov. 23.-Consider-
able sensation has been created here
by the publication that John Pierson,
penitentiary convict, had confessed he
was the man who killed Col. Watson
r, Smith, Nov. 5th, 1881, in the U. S.
courthouse. Smith was clerk of the
U. S. court and was found shot through
The head, lying at his Office door. Pier
son says in his first confession, that be
killed him for $500 paid him by Jack
Nugent, variety theatre man, who
was acting saloon-keeper, who had a
grudge against Smith on ac-
count of his efforts to have
the high license law enforced.
Now in the second confession, Pierson
denies he did the killing, but says
George Grooms, now dead. did it.
Nugent says he can show by his route
book he had been and was absent from
Omaha for sometime before and after
the murder, and was several hundred
miles away on the day the murder
was committed. Persons confessions
were investigated by the recent United
States grand jury and no indictment
found. The matter will come up for
investigation again when the grand
jury is called in December.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27

Probable Fatal Shooting--Comple-
ton of the Telephone Line to
Terrene, Etc.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-27

The Accidental UpsettIng of a Kerr
osene Lamp Causes a Loss of
100000 and Loss of Life.
Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-02

A new story is called "The Editors Wal let" We have seen it. There is nothing in it.-Puck.
 Teacher-Tommy,s define celerity. Tommy Its what q man uses to get away from a wasp with.-Narathon Independent. Six of ono and half-a-dozen of the other Mother-"M Mercy, children, what are you rus-'tWhy, to keep the baby quiet, mann ma."-Harpers Bazar. In shese days of dread lest the cholera shall be introduced nto this country through the importation of rags, nobody is so much to be congratulated as the man without rag
 to his back.-Boston Transcript.
 "Does he keep the golden rules does he he the golden ruls!" "why, how is thata'' hates his friends. ."-New York Tribune. "Why is it that you students are not al lowed to enter any saloon in Austin :" asked a stranger in Austin of student of the Uni versity of Texas. "The object of keeping us out of the saloons is to prevent us from find ing out how much the professors drink. "- Texas Siftings.
 4 Chicago boy swallowed some needles about seven years ago, and now they are working out of his calves. That's nothing. We know an editor who swallowed some campaign lies when he was boy, and they
 have been working out all over his paper for several ysars.-Puck.
 "Where are you going my dearf" 'I'm going shopping hubby" "Did you sec what Sam Jones, the evangelist said about women who go shoppings" stNo, what was itP'
 Well, he said hell is full of women who spend their time in shopping" f'Did he? Why, had no idea i. was so delightful a
 place. Chicago News.
 An imperfectly prepared witness "So you swear that at the time this theft was committed on the south side you saw the prisoner on the north side ?" " Yes, sir 2" Was he going toward the south side or was he coming from that direction a' "I can't answer that now" ssWhy not p z; Because way the north is. s."-Chicago News.
 Our couuntrywomen in Paris: Miss Ethel having finished her own shopping has just five francs left with which to get her brother present. She decides upon a meerschaum. ) Miss Ethel-e'I like this. How much is it?' Shopkeeper-ssFifte francs, mademoi- selle." Miss Ethel-'tOh, that is too much francs" Shopkeeper-''Zen eet would be I zat give % present. nt."-Harper's.
 'tIt's terrible thing to owe money," said Smith. f'To be compelled to dodge around this corner and that to avoid meeting cred- itor on the street. It takes the manhood out of one, and he soon loses all self-respect. I am glad to say that no longer owe a dol lar" esThen those old debts that have both cred you so long are all squared up, are theyF' "Yes, thank heaven! the last one became outlawed yesterday" y."-New York Sun.
 Say" shouted boy in front of the City hall the other afternoon. Something like fifty men came to dead halt.
 'fSayl your wife said was to tell you not to forget to bring home teal" continued the
 boy, in louder voice. Forty five men wheeled, slapped their legs and grunted out:
 Hanged if hadn't forgotten all about iti"-Detroit Free Press.
Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-02
The Orioles Song.

(Olive Thorne Miller in the Atlantic
 The birds song consists of four notes, and it is curious that although there is pecu- liar, rich, fute-like quality by which the ori ole notes may be recognized, no two sing alike. Robins, song sparrows and perhaps all other birds sing differently from each differ so greatly-in my opinion-as orioles. The four that have been able to study care- fully enough to reduce this song to the musi- cal scale, though all having the same com pass, arranged the notes differently in every case The oriole is, of course, not limited in expression to his song. I have spoken of his cry of distress or of war which was two tones slurred together. The ordinary call, as he goes about tree, especially fruit tree in bloom, seeking insects oyer and under each leaf or blossom, is a single note, loud and clear. If pair are on the tree together it is the same, but much softer.
 An oriole that I watched in the Catskill Mountains regularly fed his mate while she was sitting, and as he left the nest, after giv- ing her a morsel, he uttered two notes which sounded exactly like "A-dieu," adding after a pause two more which irrssistibly said, "Dear-y." There was peculiar mournful- ness in the birds strain, as if he implied, 'It's sad world; world of cats and crows and inquisitive people, and we may never meet again" Perhaps it was prophetic, for disaster did overtake the little family; high wind rocked the cradle-which also was on small maple-tree-so violently as to throw out the youngsters before they could fly, The accident was remedied as far as possible by returning them to the nest, but whether they were injured by the fall never learned.
 Seolding is quite ready to an c- c-,,,,e,s tongue, and even squawks E,e Ike robins are not unknown. The female has similar utter anoes, but in those I have listened to her song was weaker, lacked the clear-cut per lection of her mates and sounded like the fi1st efforts of a young bird. In the case of those now under consideration, the female reproduced exactly her partners notas, only in this inferior style, which seemed rather unusual. The sweetest sound the oriole ut- ters is g very low one to his mate when near by, or flying away with her, or to his nest hngs before they leave home It is tender. yearning call that makes one feel like an in truder, and as if she should beg pardon and retire. It is impossible to describe or re- duee to the scale, but it is well worth wait ing and listening for.
Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-02
Friday, October 2, 1883.
SOME ENGLISH JUSTICE.

SVhAA
 Police magistrates in this country some times seem to have queer ideas of justice, judging from punishments they infict on criminals brought before them. But these queer ideas are not queerer than those which find expression in English police courts. s.ssa.f
 Some of the recent performances of Eng fish police magistrates are worth notice. A woman at Warrington was sent to prison for fourteen days, with hard labor, for stealing twelve shillines and at the same session a confirmed wife -bester, whose wife had been ''seized by the throat and banged about the house," was dismissed upon giving sureties for good behaviour. The Hamm0rsmith po- lice court magistrate fined a fellow forty shillings for pounding a mans face to jelly and knocking him senssless because the gentleman had interfered to prevent an inde- cent assault upon an old woman but la- borer who had helped himself to an ounce of tobacco from his employers pouch was sen tencsd to three weeks hard labor. At Bideford a milkman, who was con- victed of adultsrating his milk with twenty-five per cent. of water, was dis charged because the policeman, when he bought the sample, told the prisoner that it was ''for analysis' instead of saying ''for public analysis" Equal astuteness was shown by three magistrates at Dartford. A bricklayer, who had nine children and was soon expecting tenth, was brought before them for not supporting his father, who was in the workhouse. The prisoner declared that he had no money, was in arrears nine weeks for rent, had no furniture in the house that could be sold, since there was not chair to sit upon; but his wife had managed to borrow four shillings, and if he were al- lowed his liberty he would do his best to raise the rest when he obtained work. "You are disgrace to the class to which you be- long; you are disgrace to your fellowmen," thundered the chairman in reply to this plea. And forthwith the bricklayer, despite the cries of his wife and children, was sentenced to months hard labor, not for the neglect of his father, but because he had talked so "unreasonably" in court.
 These judgments could hardly be matched in this country. Even the worst perform ances of some of the police court judges in New York city are not more ridiculous and wrong.
Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-02

buck mill is idle, but the indications are that there will be an increased demand fer their productions within few months. The Lawrence Woolen company's mill remains idle and will not probably be started up un- til there is change in the management
 : Colonel Sloan, who was @ commander in the rebel army, recently asserted in paper of war "reminiscences that General Lee sur rendered eight thousand men, all told, at Appomattox, but it now appears that Colonel Sloan was not correct in this assertion. headquarters of the army of the Potomac, writes that he had charge of the paroles for some time, that they are now on file at the War department, and that they show the total number of men paroled at the surren- der to have been 28,356. The number of muskets stacked was 5000, and that is evil dently the explanation of the colonsrs mis- take. The former chief clerk further points out that the paroles do not represent the full strer gth of the army of northern Virginia at thy me of it's dissolution. "Where the p CT officers" he says, ''had taken French II e-and there were numbers of such-no f--aes could be made out, and it is a well known fact that thousands of men didn't wait to be paroled, but walked off with their arms before it took place."
 Petroleum refuse has been used for fuel in Russia for some time, and the Russian ex- ample has been followed in California, where the Central Pacific railroad company has recently introduced crude petroleum into nearly all it's steamers, including the Oak land ferryboats.fs. The oil is obtained in the State, some of it at Ventura and some from wells not long struck near Livermore, on the line of the Western Pacific branch. The method of application is practically identi- cal with the Russian, namely, by g steam jet The nozzle is f1attened so that the pull verized oil is blown in a sheet of flame into fhe fire box and under the boiler tubes, The results so far have been smest satisfactory On the freight steamer Thoroughfare the cost of oil as fuel was found to be A per cent. less for the first five months than for the corresponding period year ago. On the great transfer steamer Solano the saving has been less hitherto; but as the oil costs $4 for 100 gallons as against $7 ton for coal, and as 100 gallons of oil make as much steam as one ton of coal, the general average of econo- my is obviously high.