davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
PEOPLE III OTAER LANDS.

LADY TEHxYsoS preserves with re-
ligious care every pipe her husband
smokes and every oallea stick he car
ries.
SAMPSON. n London athlete. breaks a
hanging chain with blow of his fist,
and with his two hands lifts a dumb
bell weighing l,o22 pounds.
LORD SALISBURY has made twenty
one new peers since he has been in Of
Zee, besides raising the rank of several
more.
The Khedive of Egypt has only one
wife, and when his councillors remind
him that he is entitled to have four. he
says: Not much. thank you. Enough
is as good as feast"
LIIUoKALASI, the name of the
Hawaiian queen, who is said to be
growing unpopular, means lily of the
sky, and is pronounced as though writ
ten Lil-liee-woke-a-lanny.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
hls ovERNEAT WIFE.

The neatest woman in town
Folks say I've got for a wife;
And what folks say is Gospel truth
This time, you bet your life.
Keturah Brown. She beats the world
On bakin' bread an pies;
But her best holt is fghtin' dirt
And eireumventin' flies.
Her temper's like her pie-crust. which
They're both uHcommon shorts
An tho I'm free-andseasy like
Sometimes she makes me snort.
There amt no sense in hayin' things
So dum'd alfred neat,
Nor sayin' ev'ry time l step:
Now, Zek'el, wipe your feetr'
i rant set down in our best room,
1t is so slick and spruce;
Fact IS. most everything we've COTS
Too good for common use,
Though next TO goodness the Book
Puts cleanliness I'm bound
To say Keturah's mighty apt
To run it in the ground
There amt no use in kielxin'; I'm
Prepared to bear my cross.
Some day. perhaps. I'll wear my crown;
Keturah she can't boss
Things round in Heaven. An since We a
told
That there no moth nor rust
Comes 10 corrupt, guess it's safe
To say there ant no dust.
But Oh, what will Keturah do
Within those pearly gates.
II she no longer finds the dirt
That she so dearly hates:
Uershadowed Heaven itself viii ~,
Engulfed ia awful gloom,
When my Keturah enters in
And cannot use broom.
Portland Transcript.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
The News Copden~e,t.

A farmer named Henry Weeks was
thrown from his carriage at Stanton,
and his skull crushed.
Brandt & Schaettle, extensive whole
sale dealers in hats and caps at Mil
waukee, failed. The liabilities were
$40, 900, with assets about the same.
The farmhouse of i. Peterson, about
miles northeast of Gteenwood, was
totally DESTROYED by fire. Loss about
5000.
Herman Panlz. young man residing
on the bluff back of Alma, committed
suicide by hanging himself to a limb of
tree. lie was temporarily insane.
ID. f. Bailey, of Greenwood, was
killed by lightning.
The city of Stoughton decided at its
special election TO continue high
license, $500.
The Madison Maennerchor is said to
be the strongest singing society in the
state. 1t numbers ia members
A new post office has been esta blished
at Rule, Marathon county, with Ruth
A. Abbott postmaster.
A heavy rain and hailstorm in the vi
cinity of Ashland did thousands of dol
lars of damage to crops throughout.
The city of Madison at a special cleo
ton decided for a liquor license of 5000,
as against $3.50 or $500, other figures
voted upon.
At Cumberland, hailstones twelve
inches in circumference fell for ten
minutes.
A 100,C bushel elevator is being
erected at Sheboygan by the X.
Schreier Brewing Company.
Fire partly destroyed the single mill
of the Northwestern Lumber Company
at Porterville. The loss was fully GOV.
cred by insurance, and was $4,000.
The general merchandise store of
Golfredson Bros at Cooperstown was
entered by burglars, who secured S25.
Poverty and no work caused August
Schultz, of Appleton, to shoot himself
in the head, while sitting in his little
home with his wife and five children
Death was instantaneous.
Louis Leblanc died at Ashland the
other evening from an overdose of
morphine administered by one of the
local physicians.
A fire destroyed the home, the stable
and other buildings on the farm of
Knute Kettleson, in the town of Burke.
Two horses and wagon were also
lost
A farmer by the name of Westland,
residing on farm near the railroad
track between Eland Junction and
Wittenberg, was instantly killed while
blowing. His team became frightened
by passing train and he was thrown
to the ground, the pillow cutting his
body in two.
S. K. Titus, a member of the Saliva
ton Army at Beloit, drew a revolver on
a gang of toughs who were insulting
him and threatened to shoot The sol
der is no longer molested.
Barns belonging to Register of Deeds
Dooley, situated on his farm in Scott,
near Cambria, were destroyed by fire,
together with grain and farm imple-
ments. The loss is 81, 200.
A boy is held at Helena, Mont, who
claims to have been stolen ten years
ago from his parents who lived near
Eau Claire. Nothing is known of him,
and no one can be found at Eau Claire
who knows of such missing lad.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24

what coin / can raise, and am trailing
him up to give back the money. of
course. it amt the half of what ] took,
but had streak OF luck at cards over
at Squire's that swelled the sum con-
siderably.'
Lets have a little game. then, just
to help you on your way" suggested
one of the men.
of course / was willing.
From the time | entered the room
and now, as / sat down at the gaming
table, that racking cough-whichI dat
ter myself / initiated very cleverly-
had run its distressing accompaniment.
and / made il noticea BILE that when |
put my handkerchief to my lips it came
away with a crimson stain-the stains,
however. were paint.
yes" said ], carelessly. answering
the look detected in the surrounding
faces, I'm booked for the next
world"
Finally the game began, and, for a
little, / won; but as the night advanced
and the liquor which / appeared to
drink, but did not, apparently rose to
my head, / saw that my luck had
turned. until at eleven o'clock ] had
lost a considerable amount
When this point was reached, | re-
fused to play more, although ] an
nounced had twice the sum had lost
vet remaining. and swore that would
20 TO my bed and try it again when
blessed with better luck.
Presently a servant appeared who
was to show me to NY room.
Take the gentleman to room No. 5, ;"
said the man / had played against
Hell sleep sound there, and there's
good lock on the door, SO that he viii
feel safe when once inside"
Growing reply. ! followed my
guide. a Misunderstanding negro, to
the third floor, and through long hall
to room ut the end of the house.
closed and bolted the .,oor behind
him.
It was rather small room with two
windows and a cupboard.
The cupboard had evidently at one
time afforded a way for ingress and
egress by means of a door communi-
eating with narrow back stairway.
but now that was slightly fastened by
few nails driven through its edges
into frame.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
raj of the nails. how

pulled out several of the nails, how
it is needless to state.
observed that there were cobwebs
in such positions as to show concur
sively that the door could not have been
opened for long time.
And The door between the cupboard
and the room had a stout lock upon it.
with key in the lock that worked per-
fectly.
Nevertheless, L explored that stair
! way beyond the cupboard, and there
discovered another door that was also
loosely nailed. .
! readily drew the nails, opened the
door and went down more stairs.
At the foot there was another door,,
| also hastily nailed, which, upon being
opened, revealed small, iron balcony.
/ took up the carpet of the room-the
cupboard had none-2nd searched the
| floor and sounded the walls for a trap
door but II ere was none
Suddenly / began to be aware of q
strange odor floating in the air. Little
by little it grew stronger and then L
saw waving wreaths of smoke arising
! to float IN and out and drift at last over
my head through the window.
Was the house on fire?
/ 4 sudden fear shot through me-
/ when, with more dense puff of
smoke. there came a sutfocating fume
and at that very instant, even as heard
the sudden batter and crash OF my men.
/ whom l had stationed outside before
enteringth den, the truth shot through
me.
They wote trying TO poison me-to
sufoeate me with the deadly fumes of
charcoal blown into the room by some
secret means,
The police captured the house and
all its inmates, and from one who,
turned queens evidences learned the
story of the den.
II was owned by an italian. who
| well acquainted with this mode OF
death, had adopted it as a quiet and
certain method of Kidding himself OF
| customers who either won or lost too
] much.
The Italian occupied a room directly
above No. 5, and had made peep hole
in the ceiling OF the latter. He had
arranged a one and one-half inch hose
in the wall behind the laths and plas-
ter, its lower end fitted to knot hole
in No. 5, and its upper end, when not.
in use, concealed under the floor of his
| room
When in use its upper end was con-
nected with a small and ingeniously
constructed charcoal furnace which
would, when a fire was started in 1t
and the connection made, pour dead
" flnsv of ,.arbouic acid gas down the
tube and into the room beneath.
The gas, being heavier than the air.
would descend like water and gradual
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
A nnirk of the LAW.

The birth of the child, even if il
lives but a moment, often has an i'm
portant effect on the disposition of
property. In a recent case in Ken
lucky a widower claimed courtesy, or
the right to n life estate IN the lands of
his wife. He would only have the es-
tate if child had been born Of the
marriage. Thirty-fve years before the
case arose a child had been born, which
the attending physician declared was
alive for moment, though it died after
drawing a few breaths. The Kentucky
court of appeals decided that the life of
the child had been sufficiently proved
to give the father the estate by courte-
sy. by the Scotch law the child must
be hearl TO cry and no slighter evil
dence of life is allowed. In France
and Germany the respiration of the
child affords proof of life, but the
Kentucky court holds that no one evil
denee Of life is decisive, but The physi-
clan may give his opinion founded on
observation, and a mere gasping after
breath may be sufficient Y. Trib-
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24

" fill the death chamber below, SO that
person slumbering there would never
wake again if the Italian so wilied.
The murder having been done, how
was the Italian to reap the fruits of his
| crime?
The boxing of that narrow, disused
stairway formed one side of his room,
and he had so fixed the boards that he
could at will pass ont upon the steps.
At the top of that apparently firmly
nailed cupboard door there was cum
ningly contrived concealed spring; by
pressing that spring on the outside,
that door could be made to swing back
upon hidden hinges on the side opposite
the ostensible lock.
When his victim was dead all he had
to do was TO glide down the stairs and
enter the cupboard.
Then. if the door of the room was
locked, he opened it with pair of key
nippers.
When enough of the gas had been
drawn off to permit him to enter the
the room safely, he would go in, rob
the corpse and then quietly drop the
body into the river through the trap
door in the cellar
/ was the first man who for over
year had passed a night in bathroom
No. to awaken in this life, nor would
l have done so had i not unwittingly
opened my window.-B oston Globe
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24

JoHS ScHALK and his wife and three
children were suffocated in their beds.
and another child of Schalk's was IA
tally injured in fire in Chicago
AN even dozen states in the union
have n million acres or more in corn
this year. Missouri stands third in the
list with an acreage of 6,T2s, 900.
IN North Dakota forest fires were do
ing immense damage.
CHARLES MILLER was charged with
embezzling SIS, 600 from the Baptist
Book Concern at Louisville, Ky. by
which he was employed.
THE percentages OF the baseball clubs
in the National league for the week
ended on the 10Th were: Chicago. .6l2;
Boston, 1898; New York. sos: Phila-
delphia, .524; Cleveland. 40: Brooklyn,
ASS; Pittsburgh, .435; Cincinnati. 1872
The percentages in clubs of the Ameri-
can association were: Boston, .69l; ST
Louis. .63T; Baltimore, .54s; Athletic.
.5lI; Colum bus. ass; Milwaukee, .444;
Louisville. S77: Washington, 1888.
NEAR Glenwood Springs, Col, a
freight train was wrecked and three
men and thirty-hve head of cattle were
killed.
ON the 10th the international tunnel
under the St Clair river at Port Huron,
Mich, connecting the United States
with Canada, was opened. The tun-
mel cost $4,000, 900 and is $3.50 feet in
length, being the longest river tunnel
in the world.
IN Emmons county, y. ID. George
". Johnson and his son were burned
to death while fighting prairie fires.
Two YEARS ago John Tongrass was
convicted of the murder of Albert Van
ripper, at Celina, o., and sentenced to
the TeBitentiary for life. The boy has
returned to his home uninjured.
AT Sioux Falls, ;. D., the wife of a
contractor named Neprosich, who had
become erazed on account of her hus-
I band business reverses, threw her two
children into the river and then jumped
/ in herself. All were drowned.
LorIs ARrIz. Il well known desperate
character, was lynched at Reno, New,
by mob for fatally shooting Officer
/ Nash.
ROBERT JAMES. aged 30, of Blue Lick,
Ind. had been blind for years and had
( given mp all hopes of ever regaining
/ his sight Recently his wife was taken
1 dangerously i'll and in his distress he
vert necessarily. Suddenly his sight
came back 10 him and he now sees as
, well as he ever did.
/ BY collision on the Union Pacific
road near Pocatello, Idaho, five men
/ were killed.
| FIRE destroyed the Cleveland hotel
/ and ten business houses at Sheffield,
/ Ala. the loss being $4,000.
ALLERTON made a mile in 2:09l4 at
Independence, la, lowering all pre-
vious stallion records threc-quarters of
/ a second.
/ FLAMES destroyed the business por-
[ ton of the town of Needles, Cal
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
SPARKS AND FLASHES.

An invalids chair goes by electricity.
ELECTRIC light or power is now used
in nearly forty mines, and with such
success that rapid extension OF cleo
trio mining is anticipated.
LATE developments in electro-photog-
raphy indicate that it may be possible
to take photographs of views located
many miles from the camera.
THE work of telegraph building in
South Africa is pushed far ahead of
railroad enterprise. Savage Africa will
thus be Joined with civilization by cleo
trio wire.
The electrostatic resistance of the
Atlantic cable reduces the speed of the
electric current more than one-third,
requiring three seconds for it to travel
to Europe.
IT is proposed to build ar electric
railway from Pasadena, Cal, to the
summit of Mount Wilson. on which is &c
be erected the largest telescope in the
world. If carried out this win bring
the new observatory within the reach
of tourists.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
TheY Pulled Guns.

There was a queer scene on Miner
al Point passenger train on the St Paul
road the other day. A woman had va
Gated her seat for the moment, when a
man came along and occupied it. The
woman returned and claimed her seat.
The man reluctantly gave it up, but
not without expressing himself in Ian
guage that caused her to draw re-
volver upon him. He immediately
drew his revolver; but neither one
seemed anxious to commence shooting,
and the contest ended in a violent use
of words.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
,WEPT BY FIRE.
Immense Districts in the Dakotas Laid
Waste by Elames-A Farmer and His
Son Bur,fed To Death

Immense Districts i'm the Dakotas Laid
Waste ny Elames-A Farmer and His
Son hurried to Death.
BISMARCK, n. D., Sept a1.-Dis-
patches from points in both Dakotas
show no amelioratIon of tile situation.
The heat is intolera BILE everywhere, and
the spectacle is presented in nearly
fifty counties of farmers thrashing by
the light of the full moon, accentuated
in spots by tine blaze of prairie
fires. In sections where the crops have
been harvested there IS fervent prayer
for rain, without which there is the
greatest danger of the most disastrous
series of fires ever known. The
western counties in this state are
also suffering and fires are reported
from Clay, Norman and Travers coun-
ties, where fire lines are being burned
in all directions by anxious farmers.
No rain has visited this section for
weeks. The weeds and grass are I'M
usually tall and heavy. The time is
ripe for fires, aud they are here in full
force. Friday afternoon "A fire broke
out in Emmons county, adjoin-
ing Burleigh on the south. and at this
writing is wiping ont all before
it, The daily mail stage from VIII
Transport. the county seat of Emmons
county, was utterly unable to make its
usual trip Friday night on account OF
fires. The driver returned to Bismarck,
and reports all in that section vast
ruin and only smoking embers visi-
BILE as far as he could see. A
fire started near Williamsport and
swept down ON the village. for
tunate change of the wind enabled the
citizens to save the buildings there,
but it was with great difficulty. Heavy
loses have been sustained by all the
farmers in the Emmons eodniy district
of the slope.
George w. johnson and his son, liv-
ing % miles south in Emmons county,
were burned to death Thursday While
fighting one of the worst prairie fires
ever witnessed in this country. The fire
swept over the country from Winches-
ter TO the Missouri river for so miles
southeast, destroying large amount
of grain, hay, buildings, etc. An esti-
mate of the damage cannot yet be
made.
JAMESTOWN, n. D., Sept 21.-The
terrible heat in the past few days has
scorched every stubble field and hay
range in the state until the faintest
spark is sufficient to start an almost
unquenchable fire. Intense anxiety
exists throughout the state at this time
over the danger to crops and lives as
well. In this county alone over $1,000
900 worth of wheat lies exposed 10
fire. which may be ignited now from
the slightest cause
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24

daily papers, and notwithstanding the
fact that the coroner stamps them all
as Suicides / begin to doubt his
Judgment The evening papers an
nounce that another person has been
found Drowned.
Suicides. Ell? Oh, yes; they're
plenty; or, if not all suicides, perhaps
something else" | answered.
''Too true" he returned; but would
it not be well to trace the mystery of
these floating bodies. so as to know
the truth, rather than TO allow pig
headed coroner to class them all as self
slain? also notice that many Of Che
victims are branded unknown indi-
eating them to be strangers in the city
strangers who come here to drown
themselves, eh?'' and he laughed.
sNo, Heron. The fact probably is
that one-half of these unknown dead
are thrown into the river, even if the
other half do jump in"
II think You are right" replied.
The result of that interview was
that | received a special commission to
ferret out, if possible, the source of
sources whence came these unknown
dead The task set before me was a
difficult one.
Two days later the papers announced
another mysterious death. The article
was headed:
"WAs 1T SUICIDE OR MURDER"
1t ran as follows:
This morning the dead body OF Brace Cloyd
a wellkno gambler. who occupied room No.
5 ia the c. hotel, North street, was found
49,
He had retired late in pretty sober condition
and apparently in excellent health. His win
dow was secured, and his door was not only
locked but bolted. When he was searched by
the coroner no trace was found upon him, IN
his bed or in his clothing OF roll Of bank notes
that he was known 10 have had the day before,
but IL is naturally supposed that he had lost IL
in a run OF bad luck at some gaming table be-
fore going to his room"
Something in the article prompted
me to visit the locality, which was in
an questionable and rather tough
part of the city.
Accordingly, at o'clock that night,
/ went to the suspected house. disguised
as a boyish-looking person. with silky
black curls falling over my neck, and
my face was so artistically painted that
the ravages of disease could be plainly
ira ced.
What shall it be, my friends?" said
1, as l stepped up to the bar connected
with the hotel "'Life's too short not
to make it merry when we can, and as
I'm thrown into your company for to-
night, and just to show your goodwill
toward a stranger, order your drinks.
The heart of the crowd was touched,
and was taken into general confidence
when they saw what a generous
bumper tossed off on the heels of a
distressing cough which followed my
speech.
My friends said 1, after pause,
1--WE been wild sort of a fellow in
my time, but I've weakened, and have
set out to undo the wrong I've done to
certain party, and have got together
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-09-24
TO MOVE AGAINST CHINA.

Naval Demonstration Finally Decided
Upon-Italy, England, Germany and the
United states Reach an Agreement.
ROME, Sept. 21.-Tbe Tribune an
nounces that England, Italy, Germany
and the United States have decided to
make a naval demonstration in Chinese
waters, and that the command of the
combined fleet viii be given to the Duke
of Genoa This, according to the
same authority. will result in the non
intervention of France and Russia. 1t
is stated in official circles that the visit
of the duke of Genoa to England is for
the purpose of conference with the
British government on the subject of
naval demonstration