Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-01-15
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE
Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adven-
lures Which Show that Truth is
Stranger than Fiction.

| lures Whlcn snow that Truth ls
Stranger than Fiction.
A FRENcH workingman named Mclut
| of Clermont- -Ferrand, was on his way
home recently, when he found a book in
the road. 1t proved to be bank pass.
\ book containing three l00franc notes,
$3.50 in alb. lie put it in his pocket and
| went OH home, intending to wash HIM
self in order to make respectable APP
pearance at the prefecture. Melut, how
ever owned small tame deer, which
was in the habit OF pokiag its nose into
his pockets to find crumbs, apples and
other edibles. Taking of. his coat, and
| without thinking of the deer's procliyi-
/ ties the man began to wash. Suddenly
he turned and discovered the animal in
the act OF eating the book lie snatched
| two of the bank notes had been swal-
lowed. He went with the remaining
one 10 the prefecture. Here he met the
peasant who had dropped the book re-
| counting his loss. Melut told his story
and produced the bank note, but the
commissaire refused to believe the state
ment, declaring thtt no deer would eat
| paper. Melut subsequently fetched the
animal, and, on putting some pieces of
| paper into his pocket, the deer extracted
and swallowed them. The peasant then
| demanded that the animal should be
killed, so that the notes might be taken
from its stomach. Its owner. who was
very fond of it, declared that he would
not allow it to be touched Thereupon
the peasant demanded his 200 francs. Me-
Tut, however, did not possess anything
like that sum, so he was obliged TO sub
nit to the order of the commissaire and
allowed the pet to be slaughtered. In
its stomach the notes were sound, but so
defaced and torn that the bank refused
| payment. The peasant has now SUM-
moned Melut to make good the missing
200 francs, and AIelut has entered a
counter-claim against the peasant for the
slaughter of his pet.
BUENA GUAsA, who arrived in New
York recently from Nicaragua, told a
story of a battle that occurred between a
mother and an eagle over the possession
of a four-year old boy at Jalisco, Mexico,
which resulted in the death OF
the mother. The father of the
boy, Juan Guteriz, left home to attend tc
business, after telling his wife to take
good care of their little boy, Pedro.
The mother was attending to her house
hold duties, with the little boy Pedro at
her feet. The little fellow stole out
while his mothers back was turned.
When she discovered his absence few
minutes later she hurried out and found
her child in the talons of an eagle which
was carrying it away. The bird of prey
was about two feet from the ground, and
the little fellow was struggling in the
eagles claws and crying with pain.
Mrs. Guteriz threw herself on the back
of the eagle. The bird left the child,
and, spreading its wings, slapped the
mother on the head, telling her to the
ground unconscious The eagle again
left the mother and was Just taking the
child off when the cattle man came in
sight. He took in the situation at q
glance, and, raising his gun, fired at the
eagle, lodging bullet in its left wing.
The bird of prey dropped to the ground
aud released the child. Farmer Guteri2
called for help and soon number Of
his neighbors came about and carried the
mother and child into the house, where
the former died within an hour from &
fracture of the skull. The child's
| MOuuuS NSlc hoI bdHSciOuS. L lit eagle
was killed. He measured six feet from
tip to tip of wing.
New YORK has club that exists fol-
the purpose of combating the thirteen
superstition. 1t started with thirteen
members, who flew in the face of provi
dence by sitting down together to dine
The club now has 1900 members. and
| the peculiar part of it is their death rate
is no larger, and possibly smaller, than
is that OF other clubs. AT their dinners
they have thirteen courses, with thirteen
different wines. There are always thir
teen seated at each table, and the dinner
commences always at S:13 p. m. The
committee of arrangements, entertain.
ment committee and reception commit
tee each numbers thirteen The dues arc
thirteen cents month The wine list
for the last dinner, is printed on black
cardboard, in the shape of a coffin lid
in which are thirteen gold nails. One
side tells you in the most reckless man.
ner that death is saluted though it is
tanned down little ny being in Latin
and the other side has the name of the
wines, headed with a gold crowned
skull, overshadowed by az incredulous
astonished owl. They defy death, and
then stand up and ridicule the supersti
tion in their responses to sarcastic toasts
They have several dinners through tn,
: year, and the last was the ninety third.
One of the most exciting weddings OF
record occurred here yesterday, writes {
Newp2rt (Ky.) correspondent of the
|