davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13

gentlemen remained only q short
time when they drove away. Shortly
after their departure Bastian hitched
his team to the buggy and taking his
sister Carrie with him the two drove
away. They did not return until
about 3 O'Clock, after which Morse
saw Mr.. Bastian sitting 10 an ad join
ing room before they all retired.
Morse did not see his employer again
until $3.50 o'clock this morning when
the latter instructed him to at
tend to the horses and get ready for
work. He did not then notice any
thing unusual in his appearance.
Morse then went about his work in
the barn until the finding of the body
As described above. Having been
there only one day he knew nothing
Of the circumstances.
Baatian's TAX with Rev. Morse.
Rev. Morse of Milan whose church
Bastian attended was seen by an Ar
GUS representative. To Mr.. Morse,
Bastian had expressed himself as be-
ing very much wrought up over the
fact that he had been suspected in
connection with the Kuschmann
murder. II think he felt crushed"
said Mr.. Morse, "because he had heard
that people had suspected him. He
had told me this not later than yes
terday and l had q conversation with
him last Tuesday about the same
thing. In speaking to me OF how he
got along with Fred, meaning Kusch-
mann. he said that word had never
passed between them and how people
could suspect him he did not know"
TIE ARGUS has already spoken Of
the mysterious disappearance of
John Lauder bach. farm hand from
that Vicinity q year ago and Of Mr..
bastian stating in an interview last
Sunday that he had worked Tor him.
Aneensr-perplexing question has
sincs bssn brouGht 70 tight b the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13

the disclosure by THE ARGUS of the
fact that Kuschmann had met his
death by ioul means, that he had
been murdered; the third was the
death by his own hand of Bastiin by
whom Kuschmann had been en-
ployed.
Henry r. Bastian's Suicide.
The first intelligence Of the suicide
Of Mr.. Bastian came to Rock Island
in q message from Milan to The
ARGUS at 7:l5 this morning Repre-
sentatives of The ARGUS were
quickly on the way to the Bastian
farm and arrived there simultane-
ously with Coroner Halves and citi-
zens of Milan whom he had sum-
moned in Milan to 90 out and serve
as jurors. The body was still hang
ing in the granary adjoining the
barn and q short distance from the
house when the party arrived. The
desperate man had used rope hal
ter Of three-fourths of An inch in
thickness with which to strangle
himself. The end had been fastened
about q joist in the roof of the gran
airy, while the moose was formed by
slipping the rope through the knot
originally placed in il. and was tightly
drawn about the mans neck. 1t
was apparent that he had stood
on . small box, which he had
kicked from his feet and had then
thrown himself upon the rope and
thus suffocated himself. The toe OF
one foot almost touched the floor
while the other was drawn up con-
siderably. as the body was not hang
ing exactly straight. The arms
hung Mt full length by the side OF
the body. It Was cloaked in ordi-
nary barn clothes, the feet being in
overshoes without leather shoes.
There Has . mittsn on one hand. the
other lying On tie hoor. and ~ cap
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13
FORGED HIS FATHERS NAME,
Bastisn Raises o. 800 on the Farm Unde
False Representatives.

Bastian Raises o. 800 ON the Farm Under
False Representation.
Another surprising disclosure was
made yesterday when Bastian was
proven a forger. Five years ago he
mortgaged the farm on which he re-
sided until death for 81, 800. The
mortgage was purchased by the Rock
Island Savings bank and bore the
signature of Christian Bastian and
Eva L. Bastian, represented as the
parents of Henry Bastian, to whom
the property belonged. July 20. 1898,
the mortgage was bought from the
bank by julius Mosenfelder, of this
city.
The 18th of last month the mort
gage was due. Mr.. Mosenfelder
wrote to Mr.. Bastian requesting him
to liquidate the obligation. Mr..
,Mosenfelder's communications were
given a deaf ear. He finally grew
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13
Again Our supremacy will be strongly
Evident for One Week.

More convincing prices that compel recognition
of our leadership in value giving-Prces that
plainly demonstrate that we sell at the seasons
beginning at the low prices that do not usually
come elsewhere until the seasons end. Our new
goods don't have to be marked high to cover the
losses on charge accounts" that are sure to
come later to credit houses'-no charge &C
counts here. We fully appreciate that pc ople
expect to buy cheaper here than anywhere else,
and it's because their expectations can always
be realized that our patronage grows larger
every day. Our customers become our best ad-
vertisers you pay but half the usual profit all
kinds of merchandise here. Our low prices bear
evidence-it's continual supremacy of this sort
that has made THE FAIR household word
for economy.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13
Kid Glove Sale.

Our kid glove sale continues until
Saturday night at last weeks prices.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13

Continued on Seventh Page.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-13
Dry Goods.

1000 yards A. bleached &C muslin
in short lengths. per yard, 23c.~
so white bed spreads. 75c quality,
slightly oil spotted. 45c and SIC.
40 pieces IOc printed Dimities 6lc.
25 dozen glass linen napkins. red
and blue borders. selvedge edge. per
dozen, Csc.
Ladies' dress skirts. stiff lined,
velvet bound, four-and-a-half yards
wide, $2.75.
Calico wrappers 4sc, 75c, CSC.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
Cleveland on Trusts.
the chicarn Tribune.

| From the Chicago Tribune.
rs Saul also among the prophets" Aft
er having ignored the subject of trusts for
nearly four years. President Cleveland has
awakened suddenly to realization of their
existence and their dangers, and deVotes
to them some of the concluding para
graphs of his message.
1t looks very much as if Mr.. Cleveland
had read what the Tribune has had to
say during the last ten days about his
failure to make an effort to enforce the
federal law against trusts, and has decid-
ed that he must explain his strange, pass
i've policy.
He deplores the existence of these in
dustrial monopolies. He has no faith in
any of the arguments which have been
made in their defense. He grows pathetic
over the evils they cause. He states that:
Through them the farmer, the artisan
and the small trader is in danger of dis
lodgment from the proud position of being
his own master. watchful of all that
touches his country's prosperity. in which
he has an individual lot and interested in
all that affects the advantages of business
of which he is a factor, to be relegated to
the level of mere appurtenance to
great machine, with little free will. with
no duty but of passive obedience. and with
little hope or opportunity of rising in the
scale of responsible and helpful citizen
ship.
This should have been said four years
ago ana not at Ine Close Oh Il HTtSluenlldi
term. Had President Cleveland felt deeply
on this subject for any length of time he
would not have turned 1t over to his sue
Cessor. as he does the Cuban question, with
nothing done.
The president states apologetically that
Though congress has attempted to deal
with this matter by legislation. the laws
passed for that purpose thus far have
proved ineffective. not because of any lack
of disposition attempt to enforce them,
but simply because the laws themselves,
as interpreted by the courts, do not reach
the difficulty.
'If the insufficiencies of existing laws can
he remedied by further legislation it should
be done.
When did Cleveland make any attempt
any disposition to do so? If it is not a re-
cent discovery on his part that the present
laws do not reach the difficulty. why has
not he before this asked congress TO amend
them?
Undoubtedly there are some trusts which
are so local to states that they can be
dealt with only by the states The dual
form of government makes the subject
difficult to deal with. But President CIeve-
land could have stated all that two or
three years a 90 Just as easily as now and
then it might have done some good He
speaks too late.
The Republican party will take up this
subject of trusts in the next congress and
it will see whether there are any inherent
obstacles" which make federal legislation
valueless. President Cleveland intimatas
there may be such. but specifies none If
that party can see no such obstacles it will
enact more stringent laws and President
Mckinley will see to IL they are enforced
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
UnnecessariIx Severe.
Rose" Field. in Chicago Post.

Rose" Field, in Chicago Post.
1t seems to us that Mrs. Hartford. the
organizer of the w. C. T. U, is going
little too far in denouncing the PEOPLE of
Kansas City for accepting 4 monument
raiSsd by his family to Ferd Helm. the
brewer. We do not know the precise reason
for the monument, but we fancy that it is
not in recognition of the peculiar brand of
beer with which his name was so delicate
ly associated. We do not remember that
We are not in a position to say whether it
We suspect that the tribute is based on
other grounds-perhaps a modest express
sion of his talents as a public-spirited citi-
zen, good husband and d kind father.
We have stumbled at various times across
certain monuments to the poet Goethe,
but it has never occurred to us that they
were erected to commemorate Herr Goe
theS amours or to hold up for public en-
ulatiou his playful dallianCe with the
ladies. In like manner We might mention
other distinguished gentlemen whose
achievements have been rewarded by Pill
lars of stone. but whose private lives have
not been so devoid of reprOaCh as to jus
tify a test of probity In the shape OF Poti-
phar's wife. As we understand 1t, the
monument TO Mr.. Helm the brewer, Is a
colossal brewery in Kansas City: there
fore, the proposed monument must be
based on other things. We hope Mrs Har-
ford will preserve the serenity of her dis
position and make allowances for the
brewer whose beer the law does not COM
mel Us to drink.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
some silver Reve1ntion..

From the New York Advertiser.
a report from the director OF the mint
during the troublous times that have pass
cd would have been an interesting con-
tribution to campaign literature, but the
policy of the administration prevented the
discussion which might have ensued had
the latest figures been made public It
would have astOniShcd those ardent dis
seminators Of error who supported Mr.. Bry-
an 10 know that, so far from spurning their
silver idol, the world has kept IL, nominal
y, on a parity with gold to an extent that
is wonderful when the figures are com
pared. OF the worlds stock of metallic
coinage today. amounting to s. $50 so OON
the gold represents A.143. 10000, and the sill
Yer 4.226 10000. What is so discOuragIng
to learn is that the counterfeiter, who Il
century or so ago could be hated with
great zeal for his dishonesty. can go into
business now and make 100 per cent on his
inves tnent without committing an at a
particle more immoral than his govern
ment commits every day in the year. He
can buy in open market one dollars worth
of silver and COIN 1t into two silver pieces
each Of which has the purchasing power OF
chooses to condone the fraud Worse yet
the counterfeiter has already entered the
field. and his dollar. being OF fun weight
and value, is distinguishable from the gov
ernment piece only by experts.
What would have been the condition OF
the public had the unlimited coinage of
this sort of trash been leEalized and guar
anteed by the government stamp?
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
PROBABLY A CANARD.

The announcement of the death OF Cen
eral Maceo, coming as 1t does from Ha-
vana, must be taken with several grains
of allowance. The news from that source
is so untrustworthy, generally, that the
present report may be placed in the same
category with many others which have
proved to be without foundation. Maceo
has been an active revolutionist for =
number of years and has been reported
killed many times, but has always man.
aged 10 revive in good fighting condition
One suspicious circumstance in connection
the pains taken to identify the insurgent
Not a single detail escaped the correspond
ent, his eagle eye even noting the fact
that the initials "A. NJ" were worked on
black silk socks in red ink. The extreme
care displayed indicates anxiety of the
Spaniards TO prove their case and to give
a tinge of reality 10 the story. Maceo
has proven himself bold and capable
general and a tower of strength to the
Cuban cause, and his death would be
equivalent TO a great victory for the Span
ish arms and would correspondingly de-
press the insurgents. The report is prob
ably seTt out to revive the sinking hopes
OF the royal troops, who are discouraged
by the activity OF the patriot forces. In
few days very likely, We will hear Of
Maces striking another decisive blow for
liberty
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10

Let this so. ~ LINCOLN
Unless il has been DESTROYED. there IS in
home III Fond du Lac county q soldier
letter IN an envelope bearing the above
words slsned by the great war president.
RANK f\lnS was a LamHrtine boy, fresh
from the farm. and character CIR whole
company took 10 kindly from the first
When the army was Camped in NirSini.,.
near Washington, the winter of lS61-s IL
was common practice with the soldiers
When they got pass, TO visit the city, To-
buy package Of envelopes and call at the
capitol. send in for their senator or rcpry-
sentative and get him 10 frank them
one Of our boys came back to camp in
hiSA feather. He had two Packages of en-
VelopcS. one franked by Senator James T.
DooHttls now Chicago lawyer, the other bv
the late Senator 7. .. Howe. who Succccd-
cd captain James as postmaster general in
PRESIDENT Arthur'S cabinet. For twenty
Years senators and members have been
SNi'S q good deal of their time to helping
the soldiers with their pension claims Il
theE nave done II as willingly and pleasant
" as they used 10 frank euycfoDps for III,
boys they must he pretty nearly angels.
You fellows. there. arc making a biz
blast over getting a couple OF senators 10
frank your envelopes" said Frank King
Jest You wait till you see me come back
from Washington with the presidents :
name on some letter covers"
L
ry Dunn. who for years after the war was
Chicago business man. went to the Citv-
They called AT the White House II was
easier to see the president then that il is
now. At certain hours of the dav a soldier
could reach the chief executive with fully
as much ease as a senator can in these
later years.
the guard, he said: We want to see Mr..
Lincoln. Please stand aside and let Us
pass
Who are you and what is your bust
ness"
You tell old Abe we have charge of a
regiment over on Arlington heights and
want TO see him on an important matter
He'll let us in.
Where are your shoulder straps?"
I'VE came over in our everyday clothes
Come. we are in a hurry. Let us 20 in and
see Mr.. Lincoln
The parley had attracted the attention OF
the president. The door swung open and
the good natured chief of the nation smiled
upon the cheeky young fellows and bad-
them step right in
What can do for YOU. my men?"
MIR. Lincoln, l want you to frank these
envelopes said King.
Better get your congressman 10 do
that"
I'D much rather have you do it. Mr..
Lincoln. The folks at home will like to sec
your name on my letters
IN fix one of them. Take the rest to
Your congressman. Who is he?"
Il don't know"
Where is your home?''
'Lamartine, Fond du Lac county Wis"
That is in my friend Scott Sloan's dis
trict. You go to Mr.. Sloan. He will fix the
rest of them"
The president shook hands with the two
privates. asked them to be brave soldiers
and wished them a safe return TO their
Western homes.
Frank couldn't make his tent mates be-
lieve that the president had written. Let
this CO. ~ Lincoln" but the next day he
wrote 4 letter TO his father The name of
Lincoln was personally examined by all of
the neighbors.-J. \. Watrous. in Chicago
Times-Herald.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10

road Engineering" and, curiously enough,
he too runs to theorems. At the very first
jump out of the box he promulgates this bon
mot: The locus of the points of tansency
of both tangent circles Of two pencils of
circles is a bi-circular curve of the fourth
order. The same curve is also produced by
one OF the pencils and the protective con-
jugate pencil of the other pencil" Nothing
could be palmer than this and the learned
professor ought TO be retained to write
the financial plank of the Bryan Democ-
racy in 1859.
The Limitations of the Composition OF
Verbs With Propositions in Thucydides'
forms the concluding paper in this effer-
vescing number of the Quarterly 1t, of
course, appeals more TO the scholar than
the others and consequently will be all
Greek to the ordinary reader. But there
are no theorems in it and the "Statistik
fur Monoprothetische Verben in Tafel L.
Will be found particularly diverting. on
the whole, it is a great number and re-
fleets much credit on the university and
the gentlemen who could let their cheer
full thoughts run riot in this charming
manner during the renaissance of calam-
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
EDITORIAL NOTES.

When the Wilson tariff law was first
passed Mr.. Cleveland thought so little CT
/ it he refused to sign it. Now that it has
| proven a disastrous failure he .commends il
as a good measure.
1t is believed that a resolution for the
holiday recess can pass the senate without
q free silver rider.
| IT doesn't pay to be the nominee of too
many parties. Bryan headed three tickets
| apd was overwhelmingly beaten, and
George Fred Williams headed four tickets
and was simply buried alive
| 1t is hard for Senator Jones. of Nevada,
TO quit being Republican. He voted the
Democratic ticket, but now announces that
| he will help to pass a protective tariff bill.
Uncle Sans battleships may be as good
as anybody's battleships. as President
| Cleveland intimates. but the country would
feel a little safer if there were dozen or
SO more of them.
Mr.. Hanna says he regards Dickens as
a wonderful man. What pity Dickens is
not alive to express his admiration of MIR.
Hanna.
Nobody cares to read between the lines
of the presidents message, and large
number of people don't care TO read be-
tween the column rules.
1t is quite probable that General Maceo
will await full particulars before accepting
the report that he has been killed. He has
acted on this plan in all his former killings
and has rarely been disappointed in the re-
suit.
It is not sufficient for a young man to
aim high. He should also aim right. The
case of the Paris burglar who robbed the
upper story of the Eiffel tower illustrates
this truth.
Critics note marked improvement in
Mr.. Cleveland's literary style. UnfortIn-
ately. however, his skill at reducing treas
ury deficits is as poor as ever.
An exchange is mean enough to say that
if Emperor William lived in Kansas he
would be Populist. If Emperor William
lived in Kansas and behaved as he does
in Germany he would be corpse.
Mr.. Hanna declares he is not building the
cabinet But it is believed Mr.. Hanna is
preparing to supply a bulky piece of tim
Der.
Mr. Arthur SewaIl doesn't seem to be
looking forward to 1900 with the enthusiasm
of a man who expected another run for his
money.
Mr.. Bland is doubtless receiving many
warm congratulations from his Washing
ton friends on the lucky knockout he re-
ceived at Chicago.
It is believed that Senator Vest has
equipped himself with at least one Lib
erty-bleeding speech to thrill the galleries
with this session.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
Postal Savings Banks.

From the Boston Globe.
The people of Europe seem to get much
more accommodation out of great func-
tions like the postoffce than we secure in
this country.
In Germany the postoff1ce is a mammoth
express office as well as an agency for
mailing letters. Within the borders of the
empire one can send almost anything
through the mail, from a pin to piano
In Great Britain the postoffiCe serves an
even greater variety of purposes. Besides
taking care OF regular mail matter it is
an express office. a savings bank, life
insurance company, and an agency for the
sale of annuites.
In the savings bank line one may deposit
from shilling to $50 a year, interest be-
ing paid at the rate of 81: per cent
Through the postoffice the depositor can
buy consols. and the office will also sell
stock obtained through it.
Thus, by means of the British postal
system, many poor people become owners
of government stock.
There are 12,010 local postoffces which
deal in life Insurance policies and sell an
nuities. In fact, the British postoffice
largely prevents poor people from being
seduced into unreliable speculative
schemes. Backed by the government it
enables the poor to find a safe deposit for
their earnings. and the branch offices serve
to circulate money among the poorer
classes.
What can be done under a monarchical
system successfully cannot always be done
successfully, in the same way, sunder a re-
publican form of government. But it is
not strange that the success of certain
postal savings banks and other foreign
institutions" should cause many to ask
why America cannot adopt them.
Congress could be engaged in far less
profitable work than in considering the
strong points of the postal systems in
Germany and Great Britain. anu the
practicability of Incorporating them, in
some form or other, for the benefit of our
own people.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
MockinE Birds Dfsnnrcar;ur,

Jacksonville Cor. New York Sun
Twenty years ago the beautiful trees Of
Jacksonville were alive with mocking birds
whose Incompatible songs made the morn
ings and afternoons vocal with music
Every tree seemed to hold one or more
sOngsters. Every hour in the day the
beautiful lines
Listen to the mocking bird,
Listen to the mocking bird,
The mocking bird is singing on the lea,
would be forced upon the stranger within
the gates. But now no note of a mocking
bird is ever heard and no mocking bird Is
ever seen. The Sun reporter has been here
two weeks. but he has not seen or heard
mocking bird in the city or in any of the
suburbs. The Northern demand has very
nearly destroyed the species 1t is a real
pity,as much so as would be the ,iestruc-
ton of the beautiful flowers which every
where distill their perfumes on the sIum-
brous air. The mOcking bird does not
thrive in cold climates; Florida seems 10
be its natural home 1t should not be fur
ther destroyed, but protected. so that il
may be again as numerous II once was
And the alligator has also vanished from
the waters as the mocking bird has from
the trees of Florida. Time was when all
the jewelry stores OF Jacksonville kept a
big supply OF them, but the young were
sent North as curiosities and the old were
killed in sport or for their hides out OF
which purses and shoes and slippers and
the like came TO be made; so that now tho
alligator has become a rare creature in
these parts. In the destruction of the
Tnocking bird and the alligator Florida
loses much of the picturesqueness and ro-
nance which characterized her in the past.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10

enue and prosperity producer. and
when the special session is called by
President Mckinley, it is probable that d
new measure on somewhat similar lines
will be framed and speedily passed. There
will be changes and notifications. but they
will be made in the interest of the people
Of the United States. who demanded at the
last election. in no uncertain tones, the
enactment Of a protective tariff on the
good old American plan. Protection that
protects is what is wanted by the people,
the extra session will fill the want and
another great wave of industrial prosperity
viii soon be advancing upon US.