The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-22
and it was finally decided to carry out the

and it was finally decided to carry out the
original programme
Cocoa Pu6iic spirit: Most of tho settlers
on the river would almost as soon burn
their houses as to burn the limbs, roots aud
trunks of trees that are felled in clearing up
the land. These parts of the trees are piled
in rows and allowed to rot down in order to
shade the land to return to it the fertilizing
qualities thought to be contained in them.
A few thinking men are taking different
course. They are burning all the brush and
logs as they Gear up the land. Their argu-
ment is that the potash aud other alkaloidS
obtained by combustion are more available
and valuable than if obtained by the slow
process of decomposition.
The second annual tournament of the
fernando Tournament Association took
place at B"ooksville last week, and was,
contrary to the expectation of many, a
complete success. There were seventeen
Knights present from Citrus, Pasco and
HERNIA do county. l.. II. Hope carried off
the first prize of $40, and crowned as queen
| of love and beauty Miss Hattie Steele. c.
j. Bowden won the second prize of $50 and
chose Miss Minnie Schaeffer as second maid
Of honor Messrs. Wilson and Bowl, of
istachatta, We're the next best and were
| awarded the third and fourth p'izeS. A ball
was given at the fernando Hotel, and thus
| the day closed
The steamer Clara, of which Capt. From
berger has recently been master has been
| taken to the st. Johns river, and he is at
Cocoa endeavoring to secure a steamer to
run on the Halifax for the remainder of the
season. AT the opening of next season if the
Haulover canal is dredGed out as pro-
posed, fine side-wheel steamer, fitted up
with all modern improvements, with capac-
ity tor $50 passengers and thirty tons
of freight, will be brought out from New
York and put on the line between Daytona
and some point south of Cocoa. Another
steamer will run outside between Mosquito
Inlet and Fernandina, connecting at the
| latter place with the Clyde line. This will
give Cocoa direct water communication
with New York
William b. Tascott, the son of once
rich Chicago manufacturer, who Is charged
with numbering Amos J. Smell, a million
alre of that city, was imprisoned one year
in the Missouri State Penitentiary for steal
ing $4, 600 worth of rail- DAD tickets from
the office of the general passenger agent of
the Florida Southern railroad at Palatlla in
1886. Early in 1856 Tascott applied TO o.
W. Bromwell, general passenger agent of
the road at Palatlla, for a position, and
was given a clerkship in the ticket office.
Later on he was discharged for bad habits
and inattention to his duties, fast life be-
ing at the bottom of his dismissal.
But he often came into the Office after that
to chatwith the boys Shortly after this the
Palatka fire occurred, and the ticket office
of the Florida Southern was destroyed,
with large amount of tickets. A fresh
supply was at once ordered, and upon their
arrival the boxes containing the tickets
were stored in the temporary office used by
the general passenger agent Tascott still
continued his visits but suddenly he disap-
peared one day. and, as it was ascertained
| afterward, taking about IS, 800 worth of
| the new tickets He entered the office one
night. opened the boxes carefully took out
a large quantity of coupon tickets from
Florida to Western points, and then very
deliberately stamped them all with the
usual railroad stamp, dating some of them
ahead so they could be sold before they ap-
peared to be too old. He also secured a
conductors punch by some means, and in
this way he manipulated the tickets to suit
him. Pursuit. arrest at Louisville, KY,
and conviction followed, the shortness of
his sentence being the result of his apparent
repentance, and plea of guilty in accord
ance with an agreement among the lawyers
and Judge. Nothing further has since ever
been heard of him in Florida until the wires
brought the news that the dreadful crime
of murder was charged against him.