davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
MISS OVERMAN INDIGNANT
She Declares That the Dispatches
From the North About Her
Are Untrue

Miss Matte Overman stood in the hall
of DR.. Browns residence last evening
while addressing a reporter for THE CALL
and said: 81 wish to say that all those
dispatches published about me this morn
ing constitute tissue of falsehoods, In
relation to that dispatch which SAYS that |
was resident of Victoria B. c., | wish to
say that ] never had a dressmaking estab-
lishment there, and did not have a parlor
that was frequented by gay set, because
during the three weeks that | lived in that
city / was sick all the time, and conse-
quently could not have had much COM
pany such as is mentioned in the dispatch
There is no more truth in the other
dispatches than there is in that one. This
is all the work OF my enemies. | did not
know that | had SO many. They will con-
lure up everything to injure me. Why are
such horrible stories devoid OF truth told
about a woman? ] am poor and defense
less, and for that reason am attacked in
this way. Why are such scandalous sto-
rles put III circulation? If | was such
bad woman as some people are trying to
make me out, do you suppose that Mrs.
Brown would allow me to remain in her
house?
These people are unable to take my
life, but they are taking my character
from me and that is almost as bad but as
there is hot word of truth in what is said
will live it down; that is, if | can. 1t is
a shame the people who know me should
tell such falsehoods about me. They
should consider the feelings Of my parents.
About that man who is said to be a
waiter at Great Falls, Mont. | left him
long ago, and had good reason for doing
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

as the bearer of extraditlon papers to Italy.
When the documents are properly certified
to in San Francisco he will obtain from
the Governor OF California the necessary
papers and then proceed to Washington.
The Secretary OF State Will issue the
international extradition papers which
Officer Smith will present to the United
States Minister in Italy. The latter In
turn will bring the matter TO the notice OF
the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the
Kingdom OF Italy; and if everything ap-
pears correct the King OF Italy Will permit
Merlo to be transported to the United
States to answer for the crime OF murder.
Officer Smith is "a native of Genoa, Italy,
and will have no trouble in speaking the
language and conforming to the customs
of the italian country. 1t may be late IN
the sumner before the officer returns with
his prisoner, but the long arm OF the law
Will ultimately reach the fugitive.
1t is regarded as somewhat eXtraorol-
nary that Merlo should disclose his where
abouts and make a confession OF the crime
to a daughter of his victim, but one theory
accounting for his conduct is that remorse
has driven him to his confession and the
proposal of marriage as an offer OF repara-
ton.
Philip Ratz. who was indicted yesterday,
was concerned with Lane and Meyers IN
debauching girls. The complaining wit
ness was Julia Christensen and the cor
roborating witness Louise Oliver. A bench
warrant was issued for him and bail fixed
at $4,000.
Carroll Cook, the attorney for Leon r.
Meyers. has had the whole Grand Jury
subpenaed as witnesses to attend Judge
Bahr's court at 10 A. NJ. next Saturday.
The Grand Jury indicted Meyers last
Thursday
The Grand Jury will hold another ses-
sion next Friday afternoon. and at that
time Foreman Maskey may announce the
standing committees. TIE present Grand
Jury is not inclined to give much time 70
small cases belonging properly to the
police courts.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
1.-THE PUBLIC SHOULD SUSPEND JUDGMENT j

brilliant attainments, and has fulfilled his
pastorate faithfully and conscleHtlously.
OF course minister cannot have TOO high
a moral standard for himself; he should
be, like Casar's wife. above suspicion.
That which reflects on his character does
harm, and this present trouble IS bound to
do great HARM
Mrs. Horton, 216 Eddy street. who is
reported to nave received a letter from
Mrs. Tunnel prior to that lady's departure
for parts unknown, is also among the
missing. To all callers at her house last
night it was given out that she had gone
to Oakland, and her return was extremely
uncertain. 1t is thought that she IS in
communication with Mrs. Tunnel, though
this is denied by the young lady who
answers the door bell at 216 Eddy street.
The preliminary hearing OF Mrs. David
son will be resumed in Judge Campbell
court to-day at l o'clock.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

very large amount gratis to those who are IN
able to pay. We believe the press has power.
We use the press and the voice when we can,
but when we cannot use the voice with the
press, we use The press alone.
However, there is this one thing. We must
get our teachings into the literature of the
people who desired to be taught. 1t is thus
that we make our teachings permanent. Now
as to the good that we can do, aside from what
have already given. We help the seamen by
giving them something to read and think
about that is of value to them. We help the
prisoners in the various penitentiaries, jails
and reformatories, by giving them also good
works to read. We reach people in out OF the
way places, who can get nothing TO read.
We also provide reading matter for the sick
in hospitals. We install preachers in homes
where preachers never go. l can give you an
illustration OF the good of our work. Years
ago travelling colporteur away in the wilds of
West Virginia gave to a young woman one OF
BaXter's works, and as a result she became a
Christian. Her daughter grew up and she also
became Christian, and afterward the child OF
the latter, and thus there were three genera
TONS made Christians through that one book
Old Baxter has been dead over 200 years but
he is preaching yet. That is only one illustra-
tration OF what single book did. 1t is i'm
possible TO estimate the gigantic good of a
society such as this, distributing as it does its
millions OF publications each year.
DR.. Shearer will be here couple Of weeks
at least.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
TRACTS FOR THE HEATHEN
The Secretary of the American
Society on It's Gigantic
Work.
Sending Out Books and Pamphlets by
Millions Work on the Pacific
Coast.

The Rev. DR.. George l.. Sbearer, secre-
tary of the American Tract Society, the
institution that, save one, distributes more
religious literature than any other Organi-
cation in the world, is at the Palace.
The society is erecting a twenty-story
building at 100 Nassau street, New York,
to cost 81 100000. The ground it has owned
for many years.
DR.. Shearer is here in reference to the
circulation of literature on the Pacific
Coast. He says the society, which is now
II years old, is doing a gigantic work
among the various nations of the g!obe.
1t prints the salient doctrines OF all
evangelical denominations review OF
what the Bible teaches. There are about
80, 900 members in the society, and the
various books and pamphlets are printed
in 153 different lang uageS and dialects.
/ DR.. Shearer is enthusiastic about the work
of the American Tract Society. He thinks
there is no estimating the great good it
is accomplishing. In chatting yesterday
he said
1t has circulated about $50. 0oO, 900 publica-
tons and periodicals and reaches ali lands.
We have given away publications to the
amount of s., $50 900 They were put before
the public through colporteurs, laymen, who
go from house 10 house. Where the people
/ were 100 poor 10 pay lot them lntN were given
away. We have made IA 800, 900 family visits
and given away 100000 copies OF different
books.
Or the Pacific Coast last year we had thirty
eight missionary cOlporteurs under the charge
OF the Rev. H. ?. DunnIng; thirty labored in
California and the Others elsewhere on this
coast. They made about Is, 900 visits.
We have circulated from $50 900 to $40, 900
worth OF publications per annum on this coast
and in the islands. We print in Hawaiian
and we have printed four books in Chinese.
/ They standard Sunday-school books used
all over the country. We also publish Chinese
and English readers and dictionaries for the
Chinese.
We have made Zulu primer for the people
! over in Africa where they are having the war,
! and we have also published it in the tongues
/ OF the Upper Congo, such as the Mpongwe and
! Bulu. We print in thirty-ive OF these Ian
/ guages in New York. The society is supported
| mainly by gifts and legacies In the great
/ building which we are erecting in New York
! we will have go rooms above the third floor.
| The rents Will give US partial endowment.
One Of our aims is to keep the Migrants
I from various countries supplied with out liter
/ allure in their own language, pending the time
when they have learned 10 speak our language.
/ We keep Il man at Castle Garden VINO under
( stands many tongues, and he gives them litera-
ture on their arrival.
! A large part OF our publications is circu-
! lated through the trade that is through book
/ sellers, and as nave said, we also circulate a
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
Indictment of Felice Merlo, the
Slayer of Augusta
Capurro.
WITNESSES FOR THE STATE
The American Embassy Cables That
the Accused Is in Jail
at Rome.

Two indictments were found by the
Grand Jury yesterday and reported to Su-
perior Judge Slack. One charges Felice
Merlo with murder and the other charges
Philip Ratz with assaulting girl.
There is story connected with the Merle
case. On the night of May 10, 1894. he
murdered Augusta Capurro in grocery
saloon at 426 Green street, near Lafayette
Capurro at the time worked for Hawley
Bros, on Market street. Merlo was q
scavanger. The two men had quarrel
over game of cards. The amount in dis
pute was So, which Merlo claimed that
Capurro owed him. The latter denied the
debt. and Merlo, after brooding over his
supposed wrongs, stabbed Capurro to
death. In the darkness the murderer
made his escape, and the police officers
failed to find him.
Two daughters of the murdered man re-
side in this City. One is Mrs. Ida Volpe
and the other Mrs. Bacigalupi. About
three weeks ago Mrs. Bacigalupi received
letter from Felice Merlo. in which he
stated that he was living in Italy. In this
letter he acknowledged that he killed her
father and closed by making her proposal
OF marriage. He supposed, evidently
when he wrote that she was a single
woman, as she was when he fled the
country. Mrs. Bacigalupi and her slst~r,
Mrs. Volpe, lost no time i'll placing the
letter before the Chief of Police, and since
then Merlo has been arrested in Rome and
placed in jail.
District Attorney Barnes said yesterday
that cable message was received Sunday
from the American embassy in Italy an
nouncing Merlo's detention on the charge
of murder.
The witnesses examined by the Grand
Jury in the case were Mrs. Volhe, Antoine
Carneglia, a partner in the place where
the murder was Committed Miss Mamie
Bacigaiupii, young lady who saw Merlo
watching for Capurro; DR.. Rooert O'Don-
nell, who made the autopsy, and Harry
Sine.
When the indictment was presented in
Judge Slacks court, District Attorney
Barnes asked for the issuance OF bench
warrant for the accused, who is a fugitive
from justice.
Officer James Smith has been designated
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
The Scientist Had to PAY Costs.

Writers upon heredity who select real
personages in support of their theories
should take warning by the experience OF
DR.. Aubry, Brest physician, and the
author of two works, called "A Family of
Criminals" and THE Contagion OF Crime {
In this he instanced family, whose name
he gave the members of which had in
Cured a number of convictions for various
offenses during a period of something like
seventy years past. He added that one OF
the female members of the family had led
a dissolute life in Paris, and that after liv-
ing upon the debauchery OF others she had
retired on handsome competency.
This woman being still alive brought an
action for libel against the doctor. II does
not seem to have been denied that the
facts were as stated in the books. but the
court held that the author was not justi-
fed i'll raking them up. At the same time,
as 1t was held that he had no intention to
annoy but had been actuated solely by
scientific considerations, the Judge has let
him off on paying his own costs and those
of the plaintiff.-London News.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
POLICE PENSION FUND.
Only One Officer to Be Retired From
Active Duty by the Com
missiouers,

The Police Commissioners met last night
and dismissed the charge against Police
man John j. Coughlin for allowing Fred
Mason, "trusty," to escape. They also
dismissed the charge of being drunk while
on duty against Policeman George P.
OConnell, in consideration OF his previous
good character and good service.
The Commissioners then resolved them
selves into Pension Commissioners, and
the application of Policeman Jacob Ler-
man to be retired from active service was
granted. lie has been over twenty-three
years in the department.
NO action was taken in regard to the six
teen officers who arc eligible for retire
ment on the pension list. 1t appears that
the Police Commissioners have first to ask
the officers to send in their resignation.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
BIRDS OF PARADISE.
Because of Their Brilliant PIumag
Ruthlessly Destroyed.

Aubhtc5sly
The bird of paradise most used in MILL
merry is that obtained in the Papuan ISL
ands and New Guinea. Mr.. Wallace, in
describing the Paradisea apoda, says !:
From each side of the body, beneath the
wings, springs dense tuft of long and
delicate plumes, sometimes two feet in
length, of the most intense goiden-orange
color, and very glossy, but changing to-
ward the tips into pale brown. This tuft
OF plumes can be elevated and spread out
at pleasure, so as almost to conceal the
body of the bird. In his "Oiseaux dams la
Monde" of October 20, 1894, Jules Forest
bitterly deplores the destruction which has
Teen going on during the last decade.
he emphasizes the fact that it is no
| longer possible to procure such perfect
specimens as were common ten years ago,
since the unfortunate birds are so hunted
that none Ct them are allowed to live long
enough to reach full maturity, the full
plumage of the male bird requiring sew
eral years for its development. He further
states that 1.-THE BIRDS which flood the
Paris market are for the most part young
ones, still clothed in this first plumage,
which lacks the brillancy displayed in the
older bird, and are consequently OF small
commercial value"
Since January /, 1892, strict regulations
for the preservation of the bird of paradise
have been in force in German New Guinea,
and M. Forest appeals to the English and
Dutch Governments to follow their good
example.
The common-sense of every thoughtful
woman must at once tell her tat no COM
paratively rare tropical species. such as
+, the bird of paradise, can long withstand
this drain upon it, and that this ruthless
destruction merely to pander to the ca
price OF a passing fashion will soon place
one of the most beautiful denizens OF our
earth in the same category as the great
aux and the dodo.-Nature.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
SLIDING DOWN THE SLIDE,
Enterprise of the Boys Who Live
Near the Haight-Street
Grounds.
THEIR OPPOSITION CHUTEs.
They Use Dry.Goods Box for a Boat
and Soap Takes the Place
of Water.
THEIR OPPOSITION CHUTEs

The spirit of enterprise and emulation
has taken possession of the small boys
who live in the vicinity OF the Haight-
street grounds and they have started op-
position to the "Chutes." This enter
prise has made itself self-manifest in two
places-one on a vacant lot opposite the
Hal ght-street grounds and the other be-
tween BelveGere and Cole streets, OPP
posite Beulah, two blocks north of the
grounds.
The last named has been in operation
several weeks; it is out of sight of the
general public, but is known to the boys in
that section of the City. There is an in
cline $50 feet long built of 2x3 scantlings
laid at an angle of 45 degrees. These are
supported by posts and pieces of boards
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

and after that is done then the Pension
Commissioners take action.
This course was pursued last July. AT
tho regular meeting of the Pension Board
that month no action was taken, but at
the meeting of the Police Commissioners
two weeks later Captains Douglass, Short
and Stone, Sergeant Cohrn and three
patrolmen were asked to tender their
designations before July 81.
1t is supposed the same course will be
followed now, although Chief Crowley
said last night after the Commissioners
had been in secret session for nearly two
hours, that so far as he knew the Com
missioners did not intend to ask any of the
sixteen eligibles to hand in their resigna-
tons.
$50 long as the men are not incapaci-
tated from active duty" said the Chief. ~
do not see the use of putting them on the
pension list. We have to pay full salary
to some one to take their places and half
salary to 9TH them and it. is not good policy to
there are thirty-six on the list now"
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
Carpenters, installation.

meeting of the Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners No. 304 was held last evening
and the following board of officers was in
stalled President, Adolph Henning; vice
president Gustav Muller; recording seetary.
Amos Dannanfelser; financial secretary, Ru-
dOlph Bauer; treasurer, George Felix; CON
ouctor, w. Printz; warden, Mr.. Krajewsky
Trustees-William Tangens Charles Godbeck
John Felix. Delegates to the district council
Albert FolksWinckler and Gustav Muller.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

so. He married me when | was mere
girl. His manner toward me now shows
of what character he is. If he had not
fallen SO low as he has. he would not at
tack me as he has done. | do not care to
go into the details of that matter at this
time, but if it becomes necessary could
tell everything in court.
II do not desire to say anything more
about this man and only wish to add that
have been indignant all day ever since l
read those false stories"
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
To Reopen the Lux Miller Case.

There is another phase in the Lux & Miller
litigation which is likely to prove important
Yesterday several persons, whose names are
withheld, were in the office of Delmas & Short
ridge, attorneys for the German heirs, and
there made atfidavits in the presence OF Dis
trict Attorney w. S. Barnes and f. S. Pillsbury,
10 be used in the motion to reopen the case.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

The Koran forbids its believers to de-
stroy the vines. palm trees, fruit trees, corn
and cattle, even Of their worst enemies.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

Over 200 computations have been made
of the time between the beginning of the
Christian era and the creation, resulting
from the discrepancy between the He
brew, the Septuagint and the Samaritan
ages.
Evening journal., 1896-11-07
THE WAR ON TRUSTS.

No one needs to be told that combi-
nations of wealth to raise prices should
be put down in the interest of the peo-
pie, and if we have not laws sufficient
to do this, it is the. duty Of Congress 20
pass them. Anything which raises the
prices Of coal, sugar or any other fam
lily necessity beyond the legitimate cost
OF its production, with reasonable
profit to the capitalists. who invest
their money in these productions is
contrary to the sentiment, if not the
actual reading. of the Constitution. We
recently wrote Of the unwarranted rise
in the price Of coal in order to divide
a larger dividend among the coal
barons.
The beef trust is, according to the
New York World, responsible for the
advance in tne price Of shoes and
leather goods. which has been an
nounced to take place at the opening
Of the Winter season. This, says the
World, is the work of half dozen
syndicates operating with each other
against the public. Among those
connected with this new conspiracy
against fair trade are mentioned the
United States Leather Trust the
United States Rubber Trust, the Mil
waukee Oil-Grain Combination. and the
syndicated manufacturers controlling
lasts, thread, and even the boxes in
which shoes are shipped. The'advancS
already made in their prices is put al
Is per cent. and in the same connec-
tion 40 per cent. advance is an.
nounced in hides. This latter advance
explains all the rest, for it shows th'
Evening journal., 1896-11-07

the field, the count tells US that the
army places him among his fellows; it
teaches him to listen. to find his
speech, his sense; to use his eyes and
to learn some manual trade; It sends
him to night school; it strengthens and
develops his starved body by exercise
and abundance Of good food; above all,
1t disciplines him; It brings him into
contact with his superiors; it teaches
him readily to obey, and even fits him
to command. II turns out the steady
long-service men with a small capital
Of 200 to 5000 marks with which they
may start some business. "And," the
count declares with great emphasis.
there is no better foreman in the
world than an ex-sergeant in our
army"
All this amounts to a demonstration
that the German army isnot anunmixed
and unmitigated curse. The same could
be said with truth Of almost any evil,
for the good and bad are inextricably
mixed in this world, and each
is productive OF the other. 1t
cannot be confidently claimed that
an ex-sergeant of our army would
make q good foreman, for necessity has
trially educate the small number Of
citizens who enlist in our military SER
vice. In a country where every man is
a soldier industrial training of soldiers
is almost an imperative necessity. But
we have not, in our fields, those clOds
with starved bodies, those travesties of
manhood, of whom this German noble
man speaks, and we do not believe that
Germany would have had many of
them if the time and money she has ex-
pended for military purposes had been
devoted to the arts of peace. If, when
Won Moltke and Bismarck had de-
stroyed the Empire ofNapoleon III they
had made the French Republic some
thing else than the inveterate enemy of
Germany; if they had not virtually put
France under the strongest obligation
to hate and fight the conqueror
not only Germany, but all of continen-
tai Europe might have been able todis-
pense with a military system that has
been and is war in all save actual fight
ing Washington Post.
Evening journal., 1896-11-07
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

Chicago has two children officially
recorded as born February 30 and one
born February 81. Their lot is far
worse even than that of the leap year
child, who at least will have a birthday
anniversary in 19O4.-St Paul Globe.
The Abyssinian general, Makounen,
appears to know good deal about
military science for a man who was not
educated at West Point or any similar
school-St Louis Globe-Democrat.
The only advantage OF getting old is
that you don't have to wait until the
second table.-Atchison Globe.
One can't even escape the trusts by
dying, nowadays. The embalmers have
formed a combinations to put up prices
st. Paul Globe.
What could be expected of Spain
anyway? Alfonso is the thirteenth OF
the Alfonsos who have been on the
Spanish throne.-St. Paul Globe.