The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-26
THE MYSTERIES OF A DAY,
STRANGE. CURIOUS AND STARTLING
THINGS OCCURRING ABOUT US.
Crime in 1rclnnd-Dcnd In the Snow Slide
An Insurance Cnsc-Timcs in AInska
The Bankers. Watch, Etc, Etc.

LORD IOLLEMACHE, who has Just
completed his cightieth year, is said to
be the model English landlord. He
possesses about AS, 900 acres of land in
Cheshire, and during the whole of the
agricultural depression from 1877 to
1885, he had neither u vacant farm nor
n tcnan in arrears. His estate in Cheshire
has, during his lifetime, been cut up
into farms averaging about 200 acres in
extent, his lordship considering that a
thrifty farmer with sons and daughters
could do eXccllently on a 2O0-acre farm,
while he would suffer severely on a
smaller holding. In order to break up
his estate into farms of that size, he
built, or rebuilt, between fifty and sixty
farm houses at the cost OF GAS, 900,
each of these homcstcads costing about
GO, 500. In addition to this, Lord Toll
lcmachc has built $50 cottages for the
accommodation of the laborers. In re-
gard to the education of children on his
estate an anccdotc is told of his lord
ships practical common sense. Lord
IOllernache was anxious to provide
mixed schools for the education of the
farmc s. and laborcrs' children; but
after the buildings had been erected ut
considerable expense he ound that the
tenant farmers objected to send their
sons to the same schools with the labor
crs' children. Having listened quietly
to the masters complaint, the noble
lord said: "'Thcre is only one way out
of the difficulty l will send my own sons
to the school," For nearly two years
Lord Tollemachc's children attended
the school, and their father adds, "to
their undoubtcd advantage"
WHEN Emory A. Storrs died q few
months ago, surprise was caused by the
statement that the noted lawyer, whose
~impecunions condition was we'll known,
had carried no life insurance for the
benefit of his wife. The announcement
is made that among Mr.. Storrs' papers
there was recently found a policy in the
Equitable Insurance Company, of New
York, for SEC, 600. When Mr.. Storrs'
friends made inquiries they found that
no premium had been paid Oh the policy.
The agent who had issued it had &C
ceptcd Mr.. Storrs' promise to pay, and
had made repeated but unsuccessful
efforts to collect the mount. The policy
was issued Oh January l, 1885. There
was a difference of opinion as to the
value OF the policy under the circum-
stances, some maintaining that it was
worthless and others that the policy it
self was an acknowledgment of the re-
celDt OF the premium. After c%onsulta-
ton, the general officers of the Equitable
Company in New York offered to pay
$40. OO0 of the amount Immediately, in
settlement. 1t is announced that. upon
the advice of friends, Mrs. Storrs has
decided to accept the sum rather than
enter into litigation, which would at
least delay the settlement Of her claim
for n long time.
HERR HAGEn, the wealthy German
banker, is the most punctual man in the
world, and always carries a couple of
thermometers about with him. Thanks
to this habit he is Il frequent victim of
p~lckpockcts, as not q week passes with
out his losing one of his watches. At
first he had to all kinds Of safety
chains; then one fine morning he took
no prccaution whatever, and quietly al
lowed himself to be robbed. AT night.
on returning from business, he took uD
the evening paper, when he uttered an
exclamation Of delight, and ut once
started off to the police station. This
is what he had read: ''To-day, about 2
p. M, a violent explosion took place in Il
hous in 3 - street, occupied by Mr.. s.,
a worthy townsman. The hands of the
victim arc shattered and the left eve
gone" The crafty banker had filled
the watchcase with dynamite, which ex-
ploded during the operation of winding.
Since that time no more watches have
been stolen from the person of Herr
Hager.
SHEEHAN, who murdered his mother.
brother and sister in Dublin, Ireland,
says he was led to commit the crime by
the perslstency of his mother in de-
manding $500 dowry from Farmer
Browne before she would consent to her
son (the %prisoner) marrying Miss
Browne. Farmer Browne was willing
to give his daughter a dowry of 917O,
but Mrs. Sheehan refused the offer.
William then murdered his mother.
brother and sister and threw their
bodies into an old well. He told the
people that he had given his mother
$500 out of his marriage portion, and
that the three missing ones had eone
away to seek another place of residence.
In d short time William married Miss
Browne. He took possession of the
farm and remained there about two
years, when he was evictcd for nom
payment of rent. He then left for
Australia. After his departure the three
bodies were discovered and he was ar
rested and brought back to Ireland for
trial.
ALASKA forests contain timber enough
to supply the world. Pine, spruce, fir,
and henIlock cover every island on the
archipelago and a goodly portion of the
mainland. The trees are straight and
tall, and grow close together. The only