The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-06-01
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
STAR ROUTE CONTRACTS.

STAR ROUTE CONTRACTS.
Over FIVE hundred Star Route
covering the mail carry
ing routes in nearly every state and
territory in the Union, have been
declared invalid by the postotfice
department. The amount involved
is nearly $4,000. These are the
contracts that were hung up about
three weeks ago by Second Assist
ant Postmaster-General Whitfield,
because of the circumstances that
led him to suspect that the persons
to whom the contracts were awarded
might be trying to twist themselves
out of any financial responsibility.
The explanation offered by the con-
tractors at the hearing the other day
were even more peculiar than many
of the existing contracts, for con-
tractor Smith admitted that he had
signed contractor Chappell's name
to all the latter's contracts and can
take oath to the validity of the sig
nature. Smith said he did this be-
cause Chappell was in New York at
the time the contracts were executed,
and, having a power of attorney,
claimed that he was legally author
lied to not only sign Chappell's
name, but also take oath for him
by proxy. General Whitfield has
not yet decided whether to institute
criminal proceedings, and will prob
ably not do 40 until after further
investigations. Owing to the loose
business methods that have pre-
vailed in the department for several
years in regard to executing mail
carrying contracts, he fears there
are great many contracts in ope-
ration that are just as worthless as
the ones that have just been can
celled, especially as he learned that
the four Missourians have been in
the Star Route business on big
scale for the last ten years. lie in
tends soon to begin overhauling the
contracts that are now in existence,
and he is inclined to think there
will be some interesting develop
ments.
WASHINGTON IRVING BISHOP.
The notoriety of the mind-reader
bids fair to be more prominent
since his death than during his life.
In last weeks KEYSTONE there was
an account of his sudden death at
a club dinner in New York. He
was pronounced dead at about II
o'clock, and his body was taken to
Hawkes. undertaken shop where,
before evening of the same day, an
autopsy had been performed by DIR.
Ferguson, without any order from
Bishops friends, and before they
had been communicated with. As
soon as Bishops wife and mother
learned the particulars, they de-
clared their firm belief that Bishop
had been in a trance, and was not
dead until killed by the surgeons
knife. They had DR.. Ferguson ar
rested and ordered another autopsy
to be made and an inquest held
The second autopsy was performed
by doctor and deputy coroner Jen
kins, and DR.. Ferguson was spec
tator. The circumstances render
it almost beyond the bounds O
possibility to say positively whether
he was in trance or dead wher
the physicians began to operate Oh
him, but the inquest has brough
out the fact that Bishop was sub
iect to frances that lasted some
times several days. There is Ger
tainly strong presumptive evidenc
that the mind-reader was alive whel
the doctors began, with what tn
members of the medical profession
generally censure as "indecen
haste" to operate upon his uncon
scious body. His mother testife
that he had been subject to trance
since he was six years old. He use
frequently to say to her while yet
child, Mamma, don't bury me fo
I am not dead" Once he had bee
pronounced dead by several phys
clans, and remained in franc
state three days. In Europe tn
same thing occurred after the ia
disaster, where Bishop had over
! excited himself by saving the lii
! of lady. He lay in trance thre
! weeks. Eminent physicians though
he was dead. She said he inherite
this tendency from herself. Sh
had been in a trance for hour
Bishop had travelled all over tn
, world, and had always horror {
: the surgeons knife and being burie
| alive. He always forbade an a,
topsy. His mother says that h
always carried a paper about h
: person addressed to physician
forbidding an autopsy. She say
! she saw it May 18th, (the day b.
: fore his DEATH when he placed it
his pocketbook, out the physician
: say that when Bishop died the
: : were no papers in his pocket excel
4 doctors prescription written
Latin. Years ago Bishops moth,
= : telegraphed to California forbiddir
u .,.A.-,~, ,~,Lo~ che hoor1 that