The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-10-05
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
TESTIMONIAL TO HARRIET BEECHER
STOWE,


given in the opera house, at Hart
ford, Connecticut, few days ago
by a number of prominent women
1t was in the form of series O
historical tableaux illustrating ma
tional events from the time of Co
lumbus to date, and designed espe
cially to show the progress of WON
an. The house was filled to over
flowing, and the living pictures
presented the height of artistic per
lection. The author and manager
was Mrs. Cora Scott Pond, of Bos
ton, Mrs. Livermore was the lectur
er, while Isabella Beecher Hooker
personated Mrs. Stowe in several O.
the tableaux.
A STRANGE CASE.
A few evenings ago, as the priest
who had been holding the vespel
service in the Church of the Sacred
Heart at Mount Vernon, New York
was preparing to leave the church
he heard groans proceeding from
the cellar underneath the edifce
and upon going down. to ascertain
the origin of the sounds, found the
starved and emaciated form of a
young woman in the throes of death.
He carried the poor creature out of
the damp and dismal place and
tried to resuscitate her, but in vain.
She was too weak to tell who she
was or how she came to be in such
a wretched plight. To all questions
she either nodded her head or an
swered Eyes" Her strength failed
utterl y fifteen minutes after she was
carried out of the cellar, and almost
before the priest had finished ad-
ministering the last sacrament of
the church her spirit had taken its
flight. She was undoubtedly
member Of the Roman Church, as
an agnus del was found suspended
from her poor neck. At first it was
that the poor creature was
a Miss Wagner, Brooklyn school
teacher, who mysteriously disap-
peared about the first of July, but
it was proved that she was not the
missing teacher, and there was not
the slightest clue to the dead wom-
ans identity found. The body was
viewed by 800 people, $50 of whom
were residents of the town, and not
one Of them had ever seen the dead
woman in life. There was not a
butcher, baker, provision dealer,
grocer or any tradesman who deals
in the necessaries of life in Mount
Vernon who remembers having been
applied to for food by any person
the woman's description.
Circumstances go to prove that the
poor creature had lived alone in the
dark mouldy cellar for at least two
and that she had volunta-
rily starved herself to death in that
dismal retreat, where worms and
rats abound in countless numbers.
She was seen several times during
July, by some boys of the neigh
borhood, getting water from the
we'll in the church yard, and then
going into the archway leading to
the cellar, but the boys thought
nothing strange in that until the
finding of the dying woman remin-
led them of it. There was moth
ing remarkable in her appearance
when they saw her, she seemed we'll
and strong, and they thought she
was taking the water to clean win
dows. But for weeks nothing had
been seen of her, and she must have
remained in her dismal shelter all
hat time. She died in the midst of
q hospitable and kind hearted CON-
who would have ministered
70 her needs for the simple asking,
besides which, over ten dollars in
money were found in the cellar, on
the ground near where she had lain.
The bills were covered with thick
green mould and were almost ready
% fall to pieces, and in a slimy,
lamp purse was found some silver
coins and a few nickels. All show
ng that she had purposely starved
herself. Her clothing had been of
. comfortable quality, but every
hing she had on or by her, was
widowed and just ready to drop to
pieces from being ruined by the
iampness. 1t is hard to understand
low anyone, no matter how tired |
If life, could have chosen such a
lorrible death in such a horrible
1lace.
JoHNsTOWN' MISSING RESIDENTS.
The new directory of Johnstown
las just been published in Altoona,
pennsylvania. At the time of the
iood the whole edition, which was
n a book bindery in Johnstown,
vas lost. From the proof sheets,
however, the names were obtained
md are now printed as they were
'efore the flood, as we'll as a special
ecord OF those that were lost. The
lumber of drowned is put at $500
md that is considered a close esti-
nate, it being impossible to obtain
he exact figures. One of the things
'oted is that of the ninety-five sa-
OOns and LIQUOR dealers in tho