davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
Commissioners Notice.
ALFRED d. ROWELL'S ESTATE.

iI<T MD d No W Eli > I@S n Z,
The subscribers having been appointed by
the honorable Probate court for the district
of Caledonia, commissioners to receive, ex-
anime, and adjust all claims and demands of
all persons against the estate OF Alfred u.
Rowell, late of St, Johnsbury in said district,
deceased and the term of six months from
the 31st day of July 1898, being al
lowed by said court to the creditors of said
deceased, to exhibit and prove their respec-
viii attend to the duties of our appointment
at Passumpsic Savings Bank in St Johnsbury
in said district, on the 21st day of August
and the 31st day of January next. at one
O'Clock in the afternoon on each of the said
days.
w. S. BOYNTON,
T. NJ. HOWARD,
Commissioners.
st. Johnsbury, VT, August /, 1898.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
MARY NJ. IDE'S ESTATE.

MANI lpIS - ~ e.
STATE OF VERMONT, Caledonia District, SIS.
In Probate court, held at the Probate Office
in st. Johnsbury, within and for said district,
on the 2Sth day of July, A. d. 1898.
An instrument purporting to be the last
will and testament of Mary NJ Ide,
late ofSt. Johnsbury in said district, deceased
being presented to court by Henry c, Ide,
the executor therein named, for probate /:
1t is ordered by said court that all persons
concerned therein be notified to appear at a
session of said court, to be held at the Pro-
bate office in St. Johnsbury on the 10th day
ofAugust, A. D. 1898, and show cause, ifany
they may have against the probate of
said will for which purpose it is further or
be published three weeks successfully in the
Caedonian, printed at ST. Johnsbury, previ-
Gus to said time appointed for hearing
By the Court, Attest,
WALTER p. SMITH, Judge.
A true copy of Record, Attest,
WALTER p. SMITH, Judge.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
Commissioners Notice.
LOUIS JOHNS ESTATE.

The subscribers, having been appointed by
the honorable probate court for the district
of Caledonia, commissioners to receive, ex-
anime, and adjust all claims and demands of
all persons against the estate of Louis
deceased and the term of six months
from the 18th day of July, 1898, being
allowed by said court to the creditors Of
said deceased, to exhibit and prove their re-.
spective claims before us Give notice that
we will attend to the duties of our appoint
ment at the store of Joseph Gautnier, in St.
Johnsbury, in said district, on the 10th
day of August and the 9th day of January,
next, at ten O'CLOCK in the forenoon on
each of said days
DANIEL CARPENTER,
JOSEPH GAUTHIER,
Commissioners.
st. Johnsbury, VT, July "a, 1893
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
Probate of Will.

st. Johnsbury, VT, August /, 1898.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
HARK!

"A Voice from one Of the Well Known Business Men Of St.
Johnsbuy singing praise for BageyS Dandelion Com.
pound as blood purifier, health giVer and appetizer.
After suffering years with Carbuncles and sores
finally cured with Bagey's Dandelion Compound
After Physicians Mineral Springs, Patent Medi-I
cines, etc., had failed to cure, Bageys DandelonI
Compound, 1.-THE Best of ALL" did it.
St. Johnsbuy,
''
blood
taking stomach felt better before the first bottle
compety cured there i ~ "
Meat and Provision Dealer Railroad St. st ohnbmy,
The morning call., 1893-09-24
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS.

A boy aged about 10 years began to tell
a story Of seeing a man with a black
bag passing no and down in front
of the Fulton House about 10 o'clock,
while he was out playing with some other
boys. He had just begun his story when
an aged woman came rushing up behind
him and commanded him not to say any
thing.
"You keep your mouth shut" she said.
'You do not knowing about it at ALL"
but, mother, l did see some man,
and"
At this point the boy was grabbed by
the arm and pushed into the crowd, where
both he and his mother were lost from
view.
Several men who were standing by said
they knew the boys face and would find
him and get bis story. 1t is thought that
this may supply an important link in the
capturing of the perpetrators OF the crime.
The morning call., 1893-09-24
McGINNIS' DEATH.

Thomas Noogan, who lives at 800 Main
street. was lying in bed when he heard the
explosion.
Il had just gone asleep" he said. "and
was wakened up by being thrown violently
to the floor.
Il was not hurt, and quickly put on my
clothes and rushed out. 1t was a horrible
sight. Under the glare of the gas-light l
could see bodies and parts of bodies lying
all around.
"The air was filled with meanings and
cries.
Il rushed up to the house to see what
had caused the explosion. and in looking
down the hall l saw the body of man.
Some one helped me pull 1t out. 1
could not tell who it was for it was the
most horrible sight ever saw.
'The two legs were blown off just be-
low the knee. There was not a particle of
clothing on il. The throat was cut and
lying wide open, letting the head fall back
exposing the throat inside.
Both his eyes were blown out and his
skull was open. The flesh on his face was
torn of, but on account of the blood clots
could not tell how bad. From what L
remember OF it his arm was torn off.
II have since learned that he was a
sailor lad by the name of McGinnis, for
merly known as Brick" From what
have been told Brick" was in advance
of the party and was just turning into the
boarding house when the bomb went off
He Of course was the closest to 1t. beca use
his body is more mangled than any of the
others"
The morning call., 1893-09-24
The Fronts of Two Buildngsl on Main Street
Demolished.
Horrible Sight Presented View Police
and Fire Departments the o
Terrible Outrage.

nifty and his companions were more or less
severely injured.
Tender hands carried the wounded
across the street away from the dust and
debris while police officer rang for the
patrol-wagon from the City Prison ana
from the Southern Police station.
AS soon as the patrol wagons arrived the
wounded were tenderly lifted into them.
and they were driven as speedily as pos
sible TO the Receiving Hospital where their
Injuries received prompt attention.
The bodies or Holmes and McGinnls
were afterward removed to tie Morgue.
Every glass in Curtin's building and
Hsrtman's grocery was shattered in thou
sands OF pieces. The lower portions Of
the buildings were blown in and the In
teriOrs badly wrecked.
1t was said that every window In the
Sailors Home at the opposite side of the
street was broken by the force of the ex-
plosiOu.
The morning call., 1893-09-24

His companion. who was literally COW
cred with gore, tossed backward and for
ward upon the table, but gave NO reply to
the questions asked him. he 10 supposed
to be longshoreman.
Both he and Murphy are probably fatally
injured.
A man who was unable TO speak when
he was picked up was identified at the Re-
ceiving Hospital as Charles Owens. He is
about q years of age. Nothing Is known
of his nativity.
A priest was sent for at 2:15 to admin
lister the last rites of the church to Nc
Kenzie, who was dying.
1t was believed that Owen could not long
survive him.
The surgeons find that In many cases
cinders and dust were blown into the
bodies OF the injured men by the ex-
plosion.
Murphy's other eye was taken out soon
afterward, leaving him totally blind.
Both of Ovens eyes were also taken
out.
The morning call., 1893-09-24
THE SALOON NEXT DOOR.

John Hartman of the firm of Udden &
Hartman. who rent the saloon and gro-
cery next door to Curtn's boarding house,
gave some particulars of interest.
His store was completely wrecked, as
regards the windows and breaksbles.
Window frames were blown In and glass
was scattered all over the room.
Bottles and glasses were shattered and a
fy-paper arrangement hanging from the
ceiling was blown down, showing the
force OF the explosion.
Among those in the house we're: John
Udden, c. Meyer. Lewis Seaberg, Paul W.
Smith Ohe bsrtender) None of them
were hurt, but all were badly agitated.
Mr. Hartman stated that there had al
ways been more or less Quarreling between
the union and non-union men. His saloon
was mostly patronized by non-unon sail
ors, and he was aware that much rancor
existed between the two factions.
Hartman had been in that house for six
years and his partner for ten years, but
this was tho first serious trouble that had
occurred.
There was $500 insurance on his place.
Among those injured by the explosion
in Curtin's boardlng-house were William
Campbell, John johnson, Michael Landers
and Edward Murphy. none of them seri-
ously. however.
Mrs. Curtin had been 10 the boarding
house business for twenty -one years and
was very popular. Not a word had ever
been spoken against her in Hartman's
hearing.
"Old Martin Curtin always treated the
boys right" said he. "and il this is done
to iniure. the fellow that did it ought to be
lynched."
The morning call., 1893-09-24
A HORRIBLE SIGHT.

William Cronin and Charles Tracey Of
Engine Company 9. which is stationed not
far from the scene of the explosion, were
among the first to reach The wrecked build
iDgs. Cronin said:
Tracey and l heard the explosion,
which sounded as if some bsttle-ship had
fired off one of its big guns. We were out
OF the engine-house in second. The first
thing that met our eyes was huge volume
of dust and smoke.
1--WE rushed along the street. and when
the smoke and dust cleared away horri-
BILE sight presented itself to our gaze.
''The groans of the.wounded could be
heard block away. The utmost excite
ment and confusion prevailed. but we and
others who quickly arrived on the scene
soon had the wounded extricated.
'The engine was in readiness, but il was
not needed.
II have seen many a sickening sight, but
it was the worst ever saw"
The morning call., 1893-09-24
THOMAS RYDER'S TALE.

Thomas Ryder was a member of the
party that went to the National Theater.
His story told in his own words is:
There were seven of US 10 the party;
they were mostly all sailors and coast
seamen. live at 336Main street, whichis
eight doors below the New Fulton House.
I'VE. laughed aud talked all the way
home. and arrived at my house about
1915. We stopped and talked for a few
minutes and then / bade the boys good
night. had just got into the house when
l heard the explosion. / rushed out and
saw cloud of smoke arising. Irushed
up to Curtin's clearinghouse. On reach
ing there | stumbled over the bodies of
two men lying side by side.
II then turned back and ran away call
ing for help. Some man came up to me
and told me he would help me. SO we both
went back together. The first man saw
was Jack Curtin. son of the proprietor; he
was lying on the sidewalk groaning and
bleeding about the head. picked him up
and carried him across the street, and as
he could stand up left him alone and ran
back. saw man lying in the gutter and
stopped down to pick him up but saw he
was all blown to pieces so did not touch
him.
u afterward learned that il was George
Holmes. seaman, who lives with his
mother and brother at Beale nd Harrison
streets. Just lying few feet from Holmes
was William Mckenzie, who works in
Hobbs d Wallis box-factory He was
bleeding frightfully about the head and
screaming.
Several men who had gathered about
by that time took charge OF him and took
him across the street. A fellow whom l
only know by the bame of 'Cockney' was
lying on the sidewalk, his clothes all blown
of. his head. arms and his body torn in a
hundred places. Ted Murphy is the name
The morning call., 1893-09-24
DYNAMITE IN A VALISE.

Paul W. Smith. clerk In John D. Hart
mans grocery, said he was awakened
from a sound sleep by terrific noise, fol-
lowed by the crashing of timbers and the
breaking of glass.
Il jumped out Of bed." he said. land
rushed into the front part of the building
and found myself STUN bling over broken
timber and blinded with smoke. When
got outside saw men lying all around
and their groaning was something awful.
'rhe shock of the explosion shook the
building as if there had been a terrific
earthquake 1t nearly pitched me out Of
bed.
II know nothing Of the cause Of the ex-
plosion personally. but 1 heard it was
through dynamite being placed in valise
with fuse attached and that the valise
had been placed in front of Curtin's place
by union seamen."
The morning call., 1893-09-24
MRS. CURTIN'S STORY.

Mrs. Margaret Curtin, the keeper of the
boarding house where the explosion oc-
CURED. was naturally very much agitated
by the shock. She remained at the door
Of her wrecked domicile clad only in a
wrapper and a blanket, rocking herself
and 0ewailiug not the loss of property. but
of life.
Her husband. John Curtin, had been
confined to his bed with sickness for the
past ten days. She has four children, all
boys. who were in the house with her.
Several days ago." she said. "a number
OF union men came here after some non
union men. wouldn't give them any sat-
isfaction. l told them / didn't keep any
rowdy house. They kept on, and finally
sent for policeman and bad one of them
arrested.
Two days ago they came al gain and one
Of them said to me:
Your days are numbered
II didn't think anything OF It at the
time, but this is the result.
Yes, the union men were always quar-
rellng with my boarders. 1 keep mostly
non-un ion men and deep-sea sailors.
Some time ago gang of them came around
and fell 10 pelting about the house with
cobblestones; they came. some of them,
from over there" and Mrs. Curtin pointed
toward the Sailors Home.
mo, don't blame the union men them
selves, it is their leaders who set them on.
One man, Staples, in particular. and per-
haps some time he will be connected with
this outrage. l know he sent that gang
with the cObblestonss."
Mrs. Curtin said she had been living In
the house since April 19 Her house could
accommodate twenty-four, and 1t was
chock-full. she having given one OF her
sons beds to the men. 1t is a three-s story
house. with wing running back. She
had $1,000 insurance on the building.
Mrs. Curtin added that on the previous
occasion when troubled by men she had
complained to the police. and a sergeant
had gone over 10 STAPLES" of the union.
and the trouble had temporarily ceased
The morning call., 1893-09-24
THREATS MADE.

Il live just below the engine-house
there" said John Stewart. 81 am nom
union sailor. know the union has been
trying to down Mrs. Curtin.
"She did not run a union boarding
house. She shipped anything"
DO you think the union sailors would
try to blow up the house?" was asked.
Il don't know whether they would do
that or not. They have been awful bitter
against her. They tried to ruin her busi-
ness in every way they could.
DO you know whether they ever made
any threats against her?"
"Yes; they used to worry her
by breaking windows and such
things. but there have been threats
made lately against her property and even
against her life.
II would not want to accuse them of 1t.
but can't help but think they had some
thing TO do with it,"
The morning call., 1893-09-24
THREE ARRESTS MADE.

A few minutes after the explosion Ser
description given by Mrs Curtin and took
them up to her for Identification.
The first one John Terrill. she did not
remember, but when the second, whom she
had described as "the one-eyed man at
Doyle's,' was shown her, she became
fairly frantic, and rushed out crying
that's the man."
He told me my days were numbered.
That's the mani" and the poor woman
raved as if she were mad.
"He is the man that used to live with
me two years ago, and lie owes me more
than $50 for board money. We had a lot
of trouble about it. and he has been the
one who has bothered me all the time
lately. He's the man."
A moment later Terrence Tracy was ar
rested. and the three were taken to the
station.
John Curtin. the 18-year-old son of the
proprietor of the boarding house, had
both legs broken. and was otherwise badly
injured. He said:
1--WE were all coming home from the
theater, where we had seen 'Sontag and
Evans and had just come up to tie
house, when / noticed a valse setting in
front of the steps. but paid no attention
to it.
1--WE were all busy talking and had just
come to the door, and then [ don't remem-
ber anything more for a while"
William Campbell. a cook, who had
been boarding with Mrs. Curtin for four
weeks, was sleeping on the third floor of
the house, and his right leg is badly cut
with glass.
"The first thing l knew" be said, "was
when fell on the floor and felt the glass
cutting my leg.
'As l fell l thought knife was being
run down my leg, and l screamed What are
you cutting me for %
Alex. Duggan was sleeping over the
saloon of Hartman, and was thrown clear
out of bed by the shock, The interior of
the second story was complete wreck,
but no one On the floor was injured
The morning call., 1893-09-24
SAILORS TROUBLES.

For the past ten months there has been
a great amount of bitter feeling be-
tween the members of the Coast SeaHen's 8
Union and those shops which were en-
gagged in helping the ship owners
in their fight against the demands
Of the union. The fight has been
characterized by a series of lawless
acts. attributed for the most part
TO agents of the union. and the services of
the police have frequently been required
to prevent bloodshed.
A great number of boat. belonging to
non-union sailor boardi g-house runners
have been destroyed at different
times. The moorings of ships have
been cut. and the aggregate loss
of property from the work Of the turbu-
lent element amounts in the aggregate to
several thousand dollars.
1t is supposed that the outrage of last
night is continuation of the union and
non-union troubles.
The morning call., 1893-09-24
HOUSES BUILT ON PILES.
A Strange Village Located at the
Mouth of the Mississippi.
Harper's Young People.

Harpers foung People
Among the 65.OOO.OO0 people in the
United States there are probably not 800
outside of the locality-who are aware
that at the mouth of the Mississippi there
is little village built upon wooden piles
standing far out in the water.
This village, which is called Balize, is
reached from mainland by canoes or
boats, and its inhabitants have to climb a
kind OF pole ladder to get to the doorways
of tEeir homes. This is probably the only
place in the United States in which "pile-
dwelling" occur, but all along the
venezuelan coast anG at the mouths of
Orinoco ana Amazon similar villages are
frequently met with, manv of them being
inhabited by the Indian fishing tribes of
the Amazon estuary.
These strange inhabitants were first dis
covered by Alonzo de Ojeds. who accom-
panied Columbus on his second voyage TO
this continent. In 1899 he undertook an
independent voyage to explore the north
ern part OF South America, and he took
with him Amerigo Vespucci, who wrote a
graphic account of the expedition. The
following extract from a translation of
Vespuccfs work gives the origin of the
anne Venezuela, and tells of the connee-
ti0D between the curious village discOy-
cred there and the name Venezuela: PRO
ceedlng along the coast they arrived
at vast gulf resembling a tranquil
lake, entering which they beheld on the
eastern side village. the construction of
which filled them with surprise. 1t con-
sisted of twenty large houses shaped like
oelis. and built on plies driven into the
bottom of the lake, which in this part was
limpid aud of but little depth. Each house
was provided with drawbridge and
canoes. From the resemblance to the
Italian city. Ojeda gave the bay the name
OF the Gulf of Venice (Venezia). The
country itself was afterward called Vene-
zuela. or Little Venice, the original Indian
name being CoQuibacoa."
ln Lake Maracaibo. south of the Bay OF
venezuela, similar pile-buildings are still
erected by the Goajoir Indians
The morning call., 1893-09-24
ATTEMPTED Suicide,

A dissolute woman named Kitty Burns
attempted suicide last night by soaking a
bunch Of matches in glass of
water, which she drank. Officer
COnbOy, whose beat is on Kearny
street, between Washin gton ana California
streets, learned that her act was occa-
stoned by jealousy. her lover being a bar
keeper known as Billy" whose place of
business is at the Mikado Saloon,
corner of California street and Quincy
place. Billy" positively refused to
talk about the matter. or give
any inform alton in regard to it whatever.
1t was learned, however, that the woman
has several married sisters in the city who
are respectable. The lateness Of the hour
and the refusal of the people who knew
her to talk precluded the possibility of OBJ
tanning the particulars, or whether she
would be likely to recover.
The morning call., 1893-09-24
UPON THE SCENE.

A crowd quickly gathered and among
them was number of women, who looked
upon the dead and injured with awe
stricken faces.
The utmost indignation was freely ex-
pressed at the dastardly character of the
crime. which. justly or unjustly. was at
tributed to members of the Coast Seamen's
Union.
Curtin's has been for some time board
ing-house for non-union men, and that ap-
pears to be the only theory at present
upon which the crime is laid upon the
shoulders of the union.
There was not one person present at the
scene Of the outrage that did not express
the earnest hope that the perpetrators
would be arrested and punished TO the
utmost extent Of the law.
The scene presented after the explosion
was most heartrending one. The wounded
lay around covered with dust and broken
glass, and their groans were pitiful to
hear. In the gutter lay the dead body of
poor George Holmes, while the mutilated
body Of Brick McGinnis lay in hole in
the sidewalk.
Although the intention was apparently
to blow up Curtin's clearinghouse and send
Its inmates into eternity innocent men fell
victims to the diabolical crime.
George Holmes and his FIVE companions
were on their way from the theater. laugh
Ing and talking about the play, when sud
denly poor Holmes was hurled into eter-
The morning call., 1893-09-24
AT THE HOSPITAL.

Shortly after / o'clock the wounded be-
gan to arrive at the Receiving Hospital.
Their clothing hung from their scorched
and bleeding bodies and they writbed with
pain as they were borne into the hos
pital.
William Mckenzie, a boxmaker en-
ployed at Hobbs & Walls factory on Beale
street, was the first.
Mckenzie is about % years of age and is
unmarried. The extent of his injuries is
unknown.
Curtin is the son Of the keeper
of the clearinghouse at which the ex-
plOsiOn occurred. He declared that
a dynamite bomb was thrown into the
barroom by some one unknown to him.
A tremendous crash followed, and he
was thrown upon the sidewalk.
"Our boardiDg-house." he said to a
CALL reporter, ''was occupied by non-
union sailors, and / am sure that the
bomb was thrown by a member of the
union. for they had threatened us a hun
dred times"
"My brother was at home In bed, and
do not think he was injured"
"How many men were 10 the house?~
There were twelve and all were nom
unionists.
Another physician was summoned to the
hospital. but before he arrived another
pair Of black and CORY bodies were
stretched upon the table.
My name is Edward Murphy" said
one. land I'm good seaman. That's
what am"
Then the blood spurted from his swollen
lips. and he fell back upon the table
whitening in agony.
The morning call., 1893-09-24

across the room. ran to the window
first and saw pile of men lying on the
sidewalk.
"They were screaming st the top Of their
voices and crying for help. / rushed
down as fast as 1 could and worked among
them. doing what l could until the patrol
arrived.
81 saw them take 'Brick's body out OF
the hole. and few minutes afterward
man came over with his foot. which he
had picked up in the middle of the road.
''rhe other foot Is off also, but it may be
in the hole or it may be blown far away.
1t was horrible sight.
II do not know what to think about the
matter. The clearinghouse Is considered
non-union, but / would not want to say
that it was bomb placed there
by union seamen. l am non-union man.
but do not think that any one OF the
union men could have such murderous
designs"