The Washington critic., 1890-03-25
THE CRITICS" CAMERA.
PICTURES OF MEN AND THINGS AT
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.

ctdent-Enterprisins Reporters.
The identical scafIold beam from
which Mrs. SuTatt and the others con-
nected with the Lincoln assassination
were hanged, twenty-four years ago, is
rapidly disappearing at the hands of
relic hunters. The beam, or what re-
mains of it, is in the post library at the
Arsenal foot Of Four and "a half street.
1t is not apparently regarded by the
soldiers on duty there as much of
curiosity, for strangers are allowed
to slice pieces off with impunty
Nearly one half of the beam was sawed
oil and sent to California several
months ago. There is some talk of
placing the remainder in one of the
Government museums here.
q x
A Seventh street ieweler whose show
window was recently broken by thieves
has turned his misfortune to account in
an advertising way by suspending in
SIDE the broken glass a sign bearing the
legend: There is such a demand for
our goods that people cannot wait till
we open.
The nurses and doctors in the vari-
GUS hospitals of the city witness many
pathetic and romantic incidents. One
of them was related to the Camera
last evening, For many months there
was a patient in the Garfield Hospital
named Mrs. Cusack, an elderly woman,
whose life was fast ebbing away, owing
to wasting and incursble disease. She
was told about the first of June that
she could not possibly live more than
week longer. "Yes, l can" she re-
piled; 81 must live till the oath of July,
for my Jimmy, that ] haven't seen for
years, will be here then. AS soon as
get chance to kiss him once more III
die happy, but until then / must live."
1t seems that this poor woman's son
was in the penitentiary out in Michi-
gan. She calculated that his term, de-
ducting the usual allowance for good
conduct, would expire in time to permit
of his arriving here on the date she
mentioned She had written to him to
come here the moment he was released,
and to the astonishment Of the doctors
she kept herself alive by sheer force of
will far into the month of July. As the
oath approached her eyes frightened
and she looked as if she would recover
entirely
AT last the loolled-f for day arrived.
The patient for the first time in many
months sat up in her bed, and every
time footsteps approached her ward
there was look of eager expectancy in
her eyes. AS the day wore on and the
looked.for visitor came not her strength
once more deserted her and she fell
back upon the bed in dying condition.
She lived till dark, however, and then
expired, crying "Oh, Jimmy, l did
think you would come" 1t turned out
that although her son had been dis.
charged from the penitentiary on the
date expected, he had not cared to heed
the summons to his dying mothers
bedside but had gone off on a spree, and
was next day back in prison.
The slow rate of speed at which the
elevators in the Treasury building run
has been considerable source of an
noyance, and steps are being taken to
have the difficulty remedied. In the
War and Navy building and at the
Capitol, where modern and improved
elevators are in use, the transfer of en-
ployes and visitors from one floor to
another goes on without interruption.
In the Treasury building, however, the
old dstyled derricks move along as if the
world was to last forever and people
bad nothing else to do but to enjoy the
ride. Just how much time Uncle Sam S
employees lose every day riding up and
down in these slow coaches is hard to
estimate, to say nothing of the loss of
time and patience that others have to
sacrifice.
In connection with the recent investi-
cation of the Senate Committee as to
how reporters obtain their information
it was very well illustrated in the Flack
trial in New York. Dilworth Choates of
the World will have to show cause for
his presence in the jury room, where
the jury was deliberating over verdict.
This case calls to mind number of
other instances of similar nature that
have occurred within the observation of
The CRITIC Camera. Away back in
the latter part of the seventies when
corruption was rampant in Philadelphia
there was very important meeting of
the investigating committee at one of
the rooms at the Girard House.
The deliberations of this body were
considered very important and Gray
son p. Macarthur was detailed by the
Philadelphia Times to produce report
of the meeting without fail. The after
noon before the meeting the room
directly above that in which 1t was to
be held was rented by the Times
scribe. The carpet was rolled up, a
hole sawed in the floor and another
hole punched through the terra Gotta,
which composed the centre-piece of the
room below.
In this way a full report of the pro,
ceedings was obtained and its appear
ance in the Times the following day
created a sensation. Nat Babcock, a
companion of Choate's, and at the pres
ent time on the staff of the World, by
unearthing the deliberations of Re
publican caucus in Denver, saved the
West and the country at large the dis
grace of being represented in the Sen
ate by II. A. W. Tabor for a term
longer than thirty days.
y
Early in the eighties, said gentle
man to the observer, Il was interested
in getting the verdict that jury was tc
return in murder trial BY the use OF
bottle and string ] succeeded in oh
tanning twelve ballots from the second
story jury room during the night and
what took the place of the ballot in the
bottle on the return trip can well bt
imagined. Those twelve ballots were