St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-04-26
NEWS oE THE WEEK.
Infatuation and Assassination.


Frank Chase met Mrs. Ida NJ. Stevens
of Gardiner, Me-, at the depot in Port
land last week on Thursday. when
they walked down the street together
a short way, when suddenly Chase
drew a pistol and shot the woman
through the head. The act was seen
by one or more persons, and when APP
preached, Chase shot himself, it was
thought then fatally, but fears are now
entertained that he will recover. 1t
was apparently cold bloOded murder
by Chase because the woman refused
to go with him. Mrs. Stevens was 81
years old, was married about IL years
ago, and with her husband lived in
Gardiner till last fall, when they sepa-
rated, the wife returning home to her
parents. A suit for divorce was begun
by Mrs. Stevens and is now pending.
Chase has wife and children at Liv
ermoTe, Me-, who are largely supported
by his father, New York physician.
He met the woman who has caused his
trouble when he went to Gardiner as
an engineer short time ago. Mrs.
Stevens never encouraged his atten-
tiOns, and the young man, carried
away with anger and jealousy, I'M
dOubtediy committed the crime. His
father stated in an interview at New
York that he hoped his son would die,
but the chances are in favor of his liv
ing.
Leaping into the Life Nets.
Fifty women and nearly score of
men were imprisoned in a burning n.
Y. establishment last week but all we're
rescued, with one exception. Nets
into them, one of them from the fourth
floor. They were not hnrt by the
jump but the others refused to try it.
Two or three were pushed off, howev-
er, and were caught by the firemen,
who took the rest down on ladders.
A man on the fourth floor also became
excited and jumped but landed safely
on the net. The women huddled to-
gether on the fire escapes, where they
safely awaited the arrival of the nets.
The building was formerly owned by a
man who made bitter fight when or
dered by the authorities to put fire es-
capes on the building. He carried the
matter to the courts, and fought the
case for years. Had he finally won
the case at least 20 women would have
persisted in the building.
A New Hampshire Tragedy.
There was a tragic murder in Lis
bon, n. H., last week Wednesday. The
victim was Orrin M. Steere, farmer
about so years old, who lived in re-
tired locality, three miles from Lisbon
village. The tragedy was the result
of family quarrel, the whole crowd
bearing hard name. In the house a
double barreled gun which belonged to
Steere was found with one of its bar
rels empty. L. It. Williams, Mrs.
Steere's brother, has been arrested for
the crime, and she has been taken into
custody. The quarrel is supposed to
have arisen over money matters.
Queen Victoria received a cordial
welcome in Berlin Tuesday. She Wis
tied the emperor who was able to rise
and receive her.
Hon. F. G. Robbins, for more than
40 years an active citizen of Ludlow,
died at his home on Saturday night in
the I'D year of his age.
The new state house of Texas, the
largest state capitol building in the
United States, was opened for the first
time at Austin, Monday. Over $4,000
people visited the building during the
night.
A hail storm of remarkable severity
passed over Alabama Monday, follow
ed by heavy rain. Hail fell for an
hour, covering the ground and doing
great damage to fruit trees and vege-
tables.
George H. Pendleton, United States
minister to Germany, was stricken
with apoplexy Thursday, while on a
train near Wiesbaden, to which place
he had taken trip from frankfort .
Recovery is expected.
DR.. Cornelius r. Agnew, the emil
nent eye and ear specialist. who was
called in consultation over Senator
Conkling, and who had himself been
i'll since Monday, the 9th, with peritO-
nitis, died at his residence in New
York city the 18th, at the age of 81
years.
Dexter, the famous trotter, died Sat
urday morning at the stable of Robert
Bonner in New York city. He was
just 80 years old, having been fOaled
in April, 1858, and died of old age and
exhaustion. Dexter was the first horse
to trot mile in 2.I74. Mr.. Bonner