The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-12-20

VIE drinking her blood. Unfortunately
the operation was attended with fatal
The old woman, whose
was already weakened by
age and privation, succumbed to loss OF
blood, and the authorities hearing of the
affair, arrested the mason.
\ LETTER from Adelaide, Australia, to
the Pail Mall Gazette, says that while
Capt. Hcpworth, of the steamship Port
Adelaide, was taking his sights he
noticed large sperm whale alongside,
so close that his spouting wet the deck.
The creature had evidently lost his
school and mistaken the ship for one
of his own species. He remain d with
it for four days and nights and travelled
$50 nautical or ,025 statute miles with
out rest, and, AS far as one could gath
or, without food. He was never more
than seventy yards away, and for the
most part close against the ship under
her quarter, where the draft made the
swimming easier for him. The
length of the animal was about forty.
seven feet. The first day he was very
lively, diving frequently beneath the
ships bottom. on one occasion scratch
ing himself severely. After that he kept
close alongside like tired Ncwfound
land dog.
\ REMARKABLE accident occurred at
the Penryn quarry, Placer. Cal, recent
". by which John +. Owens lost foot
Mr.. Owens was engaged with Others i'll
hosting rock from the quarry with Il
derrick. An immense load was swinging
out of the pit when the derrick cable
broke and the granite fell back with
crash. The stone did not hit any one,
but the broken rope went Kissing through
the air like shot. and the flying end
caught Mr.. Owens around the left leg at
the ankle Joint. The force of the blow
must have been extreme, for the foot was
severed from the leg by the stroke as
completely as if it had been cut off with
a broad az. Dr. Todd was sent for and
he amputated the leg Just above the cut
made by the rope. and Mr.. Owens is do
ing well under the circumstances. The
accident is an odd one.
THE story related below furnishes
thinking material for superstitious train
men: a newspaper reporter with fer.
tile imagination has discovered that mail
car No. IS, belonging to the Illinois
Central Railroad, is haunted and en-
vironed by pale of bad luck. Since q
clerk died in the car it has been per
turbed by doors flying open without
cause and bolts falling out in spite OF
the strongest efforts from monkey
wrenches to secure them beyond loosen
ing influence of the jar or ghost, and
that even the we'll known magic power
of an old horseshoe has exercised no
potency over the spirit of unrest. When
that remedy fails the car must be in a
bad way, at least it will appear so to
trainmen who, as a class, are as super
stitious rs sailors.
HENRY BAssFoRD, when he was driv-
ing home from Suisun, Cal, the o.her
day, saw a large bullsnake stretched
across the road, and he thought it would
be good joke to run the wheel of his
cart over the reptile. He did so and the
next instant the wriggling, squirmine
five foot monster was in his lap, brought
up from the ground by the revolution OF
the wheel. Henry kicked and frisked
about and the snake Kissed and struck al
everything in reach. The situation be.
came so uncomfortable that he decided
to throw himself from the cart, but In
an endeavor to do so he became entang
led in some manner and the horse be
came frightened and ran considerable
distance, dragging Mr.. Bassford and
bruising him up severely. When he had
stopped the horse his snakeship wa:
missing.
THERE is German living in Brooklyn
n. Y, who follows peculiar avocation
This man goes, on request, to the back
yards of his customers who keep hens
but do not know how to kill them skill
fully, or do not like to do SO, and there
catches and slaughters as many fowls as
may be desired, in thoroughly business
like and expeditions manner. No flop
ping and keadleSs birds bowl around thu
yard to the terror of the children and the
horror of the women, but they die gen
teelly and quietly, and the hen-butchel
pockets his little fee.
A FIRE was caused In singular wa!
the other day in Highland Park, Oppo
site New Brunswick, N. ]. The larg
and handsome country residence of Mr.
Peter Zimmerman was discovered to b'
on fire. The flames were first seen in
bay window at the east end of the third
story hall, where the sun was shining in
It is concluded that the fire was started
by dimple in the window glass con
tracing the suns rays. The flames wer'
quickly extinguished by using waite
from the tank on the roof.
THERE is o curiosity in Carrollton
Ala, in the way of an eyeless mule colt
The colt is three or four months old. Il