The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-06
A WOMAN OF TRUE GRIT.
THE HEROIsM DISPLAYED BY A
FAIR YANKEE IN ENGLAND.

| and Daring Manner In Which She
Came Out oft.
From the NetU York Recorder.
| Hiram H. Maxim, the inventor of the
wonderful gun which bears his name,
started TO England few. years ago and
there effected a consolidation of his interests
and patents with those of Prof. Norden-
| feldt, whose inventive faculties had also re-
suited in the creation Of a lightning action
magazine gun. The firm became known a
the Maxim>N ordenfeldt Gun Company, and
a great manufacturing plant was estab-
lished at Stoneyhurst, about twenty-five
miles from London. The good points of
each particular invention patented by the
members of the firm were interviewer in
| the production OF gun that became very
| famous so much so that European govern
ments generally adopted it, and immense
orders began to pour in Business pros
| pered, so that pretty soon Maxim's works
employed ordinarily 1000, and in rush"
times as many as 5000 men.
| When Mr.. Maxim found everything run
ming exactly to his liking, and his fortune
assured. he returned to his native New
Hampshire and looked about for a suitable
| New England woman for wife. He fell in
rove Win MISS Oaran II. dalnes cnarn~
| ing woman, who was member OF the we'll
| known Haines family Of Boston. They
| were married, and after brief tour of the
country th9y set sail for England, where
| they settled down on the beautiful estate of
an English nobeman, which Mr.. Maxim
| had purchased, about a mile or 50 from the
| gun works at Stoneyhurst. The estate con-
| sisted of about thirty acres of magnificent
park grounds and an ancient, though
| stately, mansion. A long driveway
| stretches from the main gateway of the
| grounds to the front entrance OF the man
| sion.
Mrs. Maxim soon became favorite in the
neighboring society. Her pleasant manners
| aud charming yankee dash gave her an easy
| inroad into the good graces of the London
| social swells who had country homes in the
vicinity. and who all appreciated this live
and energetic woman from across the her
| ring pond"
In the meantime Mr.. Maxim had not for
| gotten his old-fashioned New England
patriotism now that he was making fort
une in old England. Accordingly, in
| order to make their new home remind them
as much as possible of their American births
place, numerous alterations were made.
| Surmountlng the great entrance gate to the
grounds an immense bronze eagle, with de-
fiant pose and extended wings, was erected.
A scroll, with the motto "E pluribUs
unumh streamed from his beak. Every af-
ternoon on his way back from the shops
MIR. Maxim would give grateful glance at
the eagle and sigh for the old cot in New
Hampshire. On the lawn in front Of the
mansion he had placed two of the guns
which had made his name famous, as he said
at the time, more for ornament than de-
Tense. He little knew how useful they
would prove in time.
A wave of disaffection made itself felt all
over the industrial circles Of England one
day later on, The trouble came TO Stoney
hurst, and the men in the gunshops de-
manded increased wages, which the firm
refused to grant, Concessions were offered,
but the men insisted on all their demands,
and diplomacy failed to effect settlement.
So the works were shut down, and Mr..
Maxim determined that, as the demands
made upon the firm would place the wages
asked for by the men far beyond the same
rate paid by other firms in the same line in
Great Britain, the works would remain
Idle until the men would come to their
senses. Meanwhile, Mr.. Maxim went up to
London to consult with his business asso-
ciates in reference to the situation.
The workmen began to grumble as the
days rolled on and no further advances
were made 70 them, The labor disturbances
in London just at that period filled the
minds Of the gunshop employees with feel
ings that carried them completely beyond
the bonds OF reason. Ominous threats were
made, and finally there was an outbreak.
Stones were thrown at the workshop win
downs, and on the evening Of the day on
which the violent display was made some
of the strikers tore down the great bronze
eagle which surmounted the gate.
Mrs. Maxim did not wish to worry her
husband by notifying him of these demon
strations reasoning that the mob would be
content with what they had done and would
not cease any further trouble. She did not
know at the time what an ungoYernable
and brutal aggregation and English mob is
when aroused to fury, If she had known
it, this story would not be written.
Early on the following morning over 900
| of the strikers, armed with cudgels aud
| stones, and yelling in the most vociferous
| manner, marched down toward the Maxim
residence. Their approach was observed by
one of the servants. who had been out exer-
! cising one of the Maxim horses. He quickly
turned his horses head and galloped back at
full speed. After hastily securing the great
iron gate he al once told MS Maxim of the
danger that was impending. All the SER
wants in the house gathered in the hallway
and became panic-stricken. They feared
the mob might fire the house and perhaps
murder them ALL In vain did the COOL
headed Mrs. Maxim try to calm them. They
would not listen to reason, and many Of
them ran off to secrete themselves as best
they could
|
| Her quick mind ran over the situation, and,
| in shorter time than it takes to tell it, she
| had formed her plan of action. Even IN
| that moment the mob announced its arrival
at the gate by tremendous veil. An on
slaught was at once made upon the big
| iron barred structure. Heavy billets Of
| wood were used as gathering rams to shake
it from its fastenings, and there was 10
conceallng the fact that the mob was intent
| upon etfectiDg an entrance to the grounds
with the evident purpose Of looiDg the
| mansion.
In the midst OF the din and confusion Mrs.
Maxim, whose face was stern and pale,
turned to the shiverIng butler, who was
almost paralyzed with fear, and cried in
clear, firm tones: "Come down on the lawn
with mem The butler shrank back IN fear,
imploring her to fly by the rear entrance,
while there was vet time. but she stamped
her foot in passionate manner, and angrily
throwing open the door, descended the steps
toward the lawn. The cowardly butler
was shamed into following the heroic
woman, and he stumbled after her, ejacul-
ating, well all be killed, sure, mumw
Passing quickly TO the point in front OF
the entrance, where the two beautiful but
death dealing guns had been mounted,
Mrs. Maxim seized the shaft Of one, and
with the aid of the butler, pushed it to
! within few feet of the gate at which the
| h ba-