davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18
ROBBING CHARITY.

Perhaps there is no other kind of mean
ness that so stlrs the indignation of people
as that of imposing upon their charitable
disposition. A person so imposed upon
feels at the time that he will not be caught
again even if he has to let the worthy starve
in protecting himself against frauds. but he
fOrgets his VOW in the goodness of his heart
and falls victim again and again. There
have been number of complaints lately IN
st. Paul and Minneapolis against persons
who have been found circulating subscrip.
ton papers petitiOning pecuniary aid for
unfortunate widows, orphans or others in
heart rending restitution. The men who
carry on these operations are always of the
most unprincipled type of rogues- beings
far below the common thief in baseness, yet
the heaviest punishment inflicted upon
them seldom amounts to more than few
days in the county Jail or workhouse If
their punishment were made to fit their
villainy they would get years of penal serv-
itude where they now get days. Perhaps
sometime human affairs will be so adjusted
that thieves will be punished in accordance
with the baseness of their hearts and not
according to the amount they steal; and
when that good time comes this class of
vampires, who suck the blood of char
ity, will be punished as they deserve. 1t is
scheme that is worked to greater extent
than is commonly supposed. for charitable
people are not disposed to be very inquisi
tive when appealed to for help, and even
when they do find out that they have been
imposed upon they are not inclined to tell
about it. These ghouIs work in many
ways. but their favorite scheme is to watch
the newspapers for happenings that have
occasioned bereavement of such a nature as
appeals to the sympathies. When favor
able case is found all that is necessary is to
draw up subscription paper. make up a
good ''string" of talk to fit the case, and
then strike in among the busy money earn
ers of the city. Most all approached have
heard of the sad disaster or if not the
philanthropist hurriedly informs them so
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

of her husband, Capt. Osborne. There is
no doubt OF the woman's guilt. and were she
and others connected with the affair of less
prominence she would undoubtedly have
been hurried into penal servitude long ere
this. Capt. Osborne has left the army and
is doing all possible to aid and comfort his
disgraced and wretched wife. The other
day as she stood in the prisoners dock he
stood at the rail and held one of her hands
and strove to give her courage to endure
the ordeal. Society says he is disgraced by
his wife's conduct. but every one who val
ues character above conventionalism must
look upon him as one who has ennobled
himself by facing a position from which
most men cOwardly sneak away. The man
who would have abandoned his wife at such
time, leaving her prey to all the misery
of the situation, would deserve to be
dOubly disgraced. but man who acts as
Capt Osborne has deserves to be hOnOred
by his fellow beings. He has stood 10y
ally by his wife," says the N. Y. Sun,
''shieldng her as far as possible from the
consequences of her own wrongdOing. He
led her by the hand when she surrendered
herself. He stood by her in the dock. gave
her water. and famed her when the faint,
ing sickness came over her. whispered
words of encouragement and comfort and
accompanied her to the door of her cell.
The devotion of the man. the whole pathOs
of the situation. melted other hearts than
those of the women in court" Had the
circumstances of husband and wife been
reversed and she had displayed all the 10y
atty which her husband has shown the fact
would have received nothing more than
bare mention.
A few years ago man appeared before
the governor of one of the states and asked
for pardon for his wife, who was serving
sentence in the penitentiary. He pied
with tears for mercy, only mercy, and his
plea was granted. The governor said
afterwards that scores of women had come
to him asking pardon for their husbands.
but this was the only case in which man
had ever come and begged for his wife's
pardon. and it was for that reason princ.
pally that he had rewarded the petitioner.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

The total value of subscriptions to the
Russian relief fund by the people of this
country must be enormous. Perhaps the
whole amount will never be known. The
newspapers have awakened the people of
the whole country to the desperate condi-
ton of the famine stricken subjects of the
car, and now from every community loads
of provisions are moving toward the ship
ping points. Minnesota is giving of her
bounty with lavish hand. Red Wing
alone has sent 100000 pounds of flour.
Some idea of the amount of grain sent can be
had when we consider that Nebraska alone
has just started trains bearing nearly two
million bushels of grain to Akron, Ohio,
where it will be ground. sacked and then
sent to Russia.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18
TO THE PUBLIC.

THE PRISON MIRROR is a weekly paper pub
lished in the Minnesota state prison. All matter
published In its columns is contributed by the
inmates. except that properly credited. Its sup
mort must come from the outside every inmate
IL given paper without cost. 1t is published in
the interest of the prison library and after paying
for the printing outfit contributed $3.50 to the
library fund the first year. Its objects are to en-
courage individual intellectual effort, provide a
healthy journal for the inmates of this and other
prisons, and above all, to acquaint the outside
world with the reeds of the prison by rejecting
its inner life and thus aid the of moral ad-
vancement and prison reform.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18
Some Fine Writing in Small Space

Some Fine Writing in Small Space.
Charles CentIivre, at No. 27S Fulton ST.,
has most interesting specimen of patient,
painstaking toll. His father, Henry Cent
hvre. whom the French-speaking people of
New York who were extant in the early
eos will remember as a gifted orator and
clever designer. spent two years on it. In
a space 20 inches by 161a inches he has
written something like twenty thousand
words of the history of America down
to 1776.
Some idea of the amount of space twenty
thousand words would ordinarily take may
be gained when it is said that that's about
half the size of the usual library book. 1t
amounts to about two pages of the World.
And all this is wrtten-written, mind you
in space 20 inches by 161a inches.
Every word is plain and can be read. but it
makes mans eyes bulge out to read much
of it.
Around the reading are pencil portraits.
very spiritedly drawn. of the Presidents of
the United States down to Van Buren,, and
on either side of Washington are figures of
Continental soldiers.-N. Y. World.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

The members of the Democratic State
Central committee met in st. Paul Tuesday.
The meeting was not altogether harmoni-
Gus. The committee refused to recognize
the North Star club and this brought out
caustic remarks that made some of the old
bosses fairly dance with rage. and the mis-
understanding may cause split in the
party. March 13 was set as the day for the
state convention, which is to be held in
Minneapolis.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

effectively as to draw tears from their eyes
and money from their pockets. An inmate
of this place told us the other day that he
had just heard that some sympathetic"
fellows had been circulating petition
among his former friends and acquaintances
asking subscriptions to fund for his fam
lily who were suffering because of his i'm
prisonment. The scheme failed in this case
owing, of course. to unforeseen circum-
stances" The mans family is we'll pro-
vided for. To show how easy it is to get
money in this way and how thoughtlessly
people give we may relate an instance.
There was tremendous thunder storm one
evening and much damage was done in
many places by lightning. Early the next
morning an honest looking German was
liberated from the county Jail where he had
served short sentence. He was broke.
He went into beer saloon where he found
morning paper giving details of the storm.
Among the items he read that Mr.. So and
So living at the edge of the city had lost six
horses by single stroke of lightning. This
was a remarkable incident. He asked the
favor of pen and paper from the proprietor.
In few minutes he had fetching" paper
prepared. He went out and got few
names from the sign. boards in the vicinity
which he placed at the head of his paper
opposite modest sums. He was now ready,
and started out In less than an hour he
had forty dollars in his pocket and was
across the river in safety. The unfortunate
owner of the dead horses was one of the
wealthiest men in the county. But no one
stopped to think that farmer having six
horses was very apt to have other property
in proportion.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18
LOYALTY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE,

1t is common thing to hear of a wife
sitting by her husbands side while he is
being tried in court for some crime. She
makes herself a sharer of his humiliation
and embarrassment and gives him the ben.
eft of her own good name, For what
knOwest thou. o wife, whether thou shalt
save thy husbands" 1t is not often that
the wife is called upon to defend herself in
criminal court, but when by any unhappy
circumstance she is brought to trial tor
crime how often do we see her husband
standing by to help her bear the ordeal?
Not often; but when it does happen it is
commented upon as a rare occurrence.
There is such case now before the public.
The case of Mrs. Otborne. the English So
ciety lady who has been before the London
courts for some time accused of theft and
perjury, has called out the noble qualities
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

1t has just been discovered that sharpers
are flooding the North with bogus titles
to land in Montgomery county. Georgia.
By an old survey this county was credited
with over 1000 900 acres of land, but &C.
cOrding to a recent survey the county
must have shrunk little as it is now
found to have only 1000. 900 acres. The
sharpers are simply selling the 5000. 900
acres of shrinkage.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18
Freckles.

Some people are born freckled and others
have freckles thrust upon them. The
former class might as we'll accept their
freckles as dspensation of Providence.
for nothing can be done for them. The lat
ter can always get rid of their affection by
using couple of drachms of sal ammOniac
with an ounce OF German cologne. the So
luton mixed with pint of distilled water.
Applied two or three times day. states
one of our contemporaries, it will cure the
worst case of acquired freckles on record.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

Many an humble thief has gone to Jail at
night to awake on the morrow and find
himself "a noted desperate. the leader of a
desperate gang of crooks" all of which he
owes to his vainglorious captor and cred
ulOuS newspaper reporter.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

It is believed that lOwa's Prohibition law
the liquor dealers for the hundreds of thou
sands of dollars they. have lost through the
operations of the now unpopular law.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18

A man does his cOhtin' in privit an
s'clusion, Moses, jes' like boy goes byhin'
de wOodshed to suck his orange. faint
ease he's 'shamed OBJ it, but ease he wants
It all to hisself.-Puck.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
rtza calLtAN AF78.aLN klNunG,.
It May Bs Supplemented by the De-
parturs of Minister Mont.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-At yesterdays
cabinet meeting, which was uneom-
monty short, the Chilean matter was
discussed, IL was decided that Minis
ter Egan $ ould be instructed to say to
Senor Peireira, Chilean minister of for
eisn affairs, that his reply to the note of
Secretary Blaine of the 2lst inst. indi-
Gated desire on the part Of the Chilean
government to satify the United States
Of its feeling of regret over the assault
upon the sailors of the Baltimore in Val
paraiso. The replies as to the Malta
note of Dec. II and the request for tho
recall OF Minister Egan, the latter will
be directed to say, are entirely satisfac.
tory, Such being the case, our govern
ment will leave the matter of reparation
to the sufferers by the assault to Chile
to initiate according to her sense of JUS
tlce and right, and with salute to the
United States flag the incident will be
considered closed by this government.
Until Chile makes some offer of repara-
tion. of course, there will be nothing to
arbitrate, as no points of difference ex-
ist. The offer may be SO satisfactory
that arbitration on that score will not
De necessary,
AT the cabinet meeting the contents
of dispatch from Minister Egan re-
ceiyed Thursday were made known. 1t
is said that Mr.. Egan confirmed the
story reported from Santiago that mem
bers of the Chilean government had
stated that Senor Montt, the Chilean
minister at Washington, has misled his
government by the advice he had dis
patched TO them, which had the effect of
seriously compromising the government
in their dealing with the controversy.
A report is current that Senor Montt
has intimated his intention of leaving
Washington, but it cannot be beconiirmed.
1t is believed that if the Chilean minister
has not already given notice of this in
tention he soon will do SO.
The steamer Polaria, long belated and
therefore supposed to have been one of the
vessels recently sighted burning at sea, has
arrived at New York.
The residence OF II. r. Bell, eight miles
from Nashville, Tenn, was burned to the
ground, and the demented 22-year.old son
perished before help could reach him.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
FINANOI AND TNADE.
Plenty of Business at Lower Prices
Seems to Be the Rule.


NEW York, Jan. 30.-R. G. Dun b
Cos Weekly Review of Trade says: 1t
is undeniable that there exists consid-
cradle feeling of disappointment. More
business, but at lower prices, seems to
be the rule. That the volume of trade
is increasing, even in branches which
have been dullest, there seems to be
doubt. But in an unusual number Of
cases increased sales appear to be the
result of some yielding in price. so that
the average decline in prices of all
commodities during the past week has
been more than one-half of / per cent.
Money continues in abundant supply,
the movement of products continues
large. and extraordinary products inDe-
cember, amounting to almost Sl20. .000,-
GOO, against not quite 800 100000 last
year, attract especial attention. The
foreign trade of the country in 1891
was greater i'll exports and also in i'm
ports than that of any previous year
A decrease in the price of iron is
noted, and large production has brought
dull market. Copper and tin are
lower, lead stronger and coal unsettled.
AT New Orleans cotton has again de-
creased in price, while sugar is steady
and rice quiet.
The business failures throughout the
country during the last seven days num-
her for the United States 253 and tor
Canada IA, "a total of 297 as compared with
BPS last week, $50 the week previous to
the last, and SEQ for the corresponding
week of last year.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30

WAsHINaroN, Jan. 3o.-It is pronable
that another effort will be made to get
congress to do something in aid of the
shipment of grain and Hour to Russia
Great quantities Of these gifts are stand
ing in cars on side tracks in the north
west and in New York awaiting some
means OF shipment. The Russian lega-
tion has put forth another and as plain
an intination as ii reasonably can of the
needs of its people. 1t is probable that
another effort will be made shortly to
see if congress cannot be sharn~i into
doing something in the matter.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
In Senate and House.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, The house spent all
of the session discussing the report of the
committee on rules. The only action taken
was the rejection OF amendments proposing TO
place the appropriations for the District of
Columbia in charge of the committee on tho
District of Columbia. and the appropriations
for the Mississippi river in charge of the com
mittoe on levees OF tho Mississippi river. Tho
discussion took wide range on a motion by
Mr. Hooker, of Mississippi, to strike out the
provision making it In order to call up for con-
sideration report from the committee on
rules and preventing dilatory motions being
made pending such consideration. and prop
osition for the appointment of caucus COM
mittees on order of business FREQ coinage,
one man power, c2arism and flibustering were
discussed, but without action on either Mr..
Hookers or Mr.. Oats proposition the house
nlinurncl.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
JERSEYS PROPOSED CANAL.
The Scheme to Connect the Delaware
ERiver with the Atlantic Ocean.

ERiver with the Atlantic Ocean.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80.-The project
Of the ship canal across New Jersey was
formally brought to the attention Of
congress by committees representing the
New York board of trade, the Trades
league of Philadelphia and the board of
trade of Camden.
The river and harbor appropriation
committee has bill before it. referred
from the house Of representatives, to
provide $25, 900 for the expenses of a
commission to make surveys and report
upon the feasibility of the proposed
canal.
The commission is to comprise one
member each from the states of New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
and ono representative each from the
army and navy and the engineer corps.
The committee gave courteous hear
ing to the business men from New York
and Philadelphia. From the New York
board of trade there were Erastus Wi
man, Francis G.. Thurber and Orlando
Potter. The Philadelphia representa-
tives were Thomas Martindale, Justus
G. Strawbridge and William Ayres.
They made addresses and otherwise
gave as full and clear view of the canal
plan and its vast commercial advantages
us it was possible to give, to all of which
the appropriations committee gave earn
est attention.
Mr.. Martindale, who addressed the
house members of the committee, eX-
presses confidence that the bill providing
for the commission will pass.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
Burlington's Incendiaries.

BURLINGTON, Nj, Jan. 30.-In the last
two years frequent attempts have been
made to start incendiary fires in this
city, with the evident purpose Of Gre
ating fire of such widespread dimen-
sions that it would be impossible to con-
troll it. The tenth attempt Of this kind
was discovered Thursday, when an effort
was made to burn large carriage fac
tory and wooden ware manufacturing
plant on the same block. In both build
ings rags and paper thoroughly sat
ulated with oil Were found at the places
nys 'be mt ffs a ~ nnd4r NO sa
signed for the incendiary acts, but what
ever the motive may be, vigorous
effort is now to be made to bring the
criminals to Justice.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
A Humorous boycott.

CARE MAY, Jan. 3o.-The Hebrew
colony Of Woodbine, on the West Jer-
sey railroad, has be%eotted the trades
people of Dennispille, three miles from
here. A eolonist got his hair cut by
Dennisyille barber. Soon after another
Hebrew, with hairlilsg sampson, wanted
his locks shorn. The barber refused the
Job Oh account of his experience with
the other man. who, he said, had yer,nin.
This angered the Russian, who went
around among his fellow colonists stir
ring up resentment against the arades-
men OF Dennisville. The boycott was
organized, and now from the barber to
the doctor, who was helping some of
them through an attack OF the grip, no
dealings are had. The colonists will 20
to Tuckahoe for whatever may be
needed, though it is six miles over ter
rife Jersey road.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
Read His own Funeral Grafton.

New York, Jan s0.-General Henry
A. Barnum, formerly port warden Of
this city and one of the most distin-
guished veterans of the late war, died
yesterday. He caught cold at the Old
Guards ball and pneumonia developed,
which caused his death. At the battle
Of Malvern Hill he was left for dead on
was buried, and a funeral Grafton was
delivered in New York. He. however,
was taken. a wounded prisoner, to Lib.
by prison, and was exchanged in July,
1869. He returned to this city, read the
funeral GRAFTON delivered in his memory
and re-enlisted, serving with gallantry
throughout the war.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
phiIadclphia's Funds Missing.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 80. : The city
comptroller, Mr.. Thompson, reported
that an andit of the books of the outgo-
ing health officer, Joseph c. Patterson
had disclosed deficiency of $l,770.5T.
In addition, on examination of the books
relative to the payment to the city OF
costs in the abatement of nuisances, a
loss to the city of $40, ,e3i. 80 was discoy-
cred. Mr.. Thompson's report in no way
duplicates Mr.. Patterson. Suspicion is
said to rest upon a former clerk OF the
Office, who was detected in similar Of
fense.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-30
Ponnsyivania Republican Convention

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 30.-At a meet
ing Of the Republican state committee
April 20 was selected as the date for hold
ing the state convention at Harrisburg
Lieutenant Governor Louis A. Watres
presided and the meeting was well at
tended. A resolution commencing Presi
dent Harrison's ability in handling the
Chilean dispute was unanimously
passed, with another thanking Chair
man Watrcs for his services in the last
campaign. No attempt was made to
choose Senator Quay's successor in the
national committee.