The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-04-10
IS IT READY TO FALL?
ANOTHER SENSATION CONNECTED WITH
THE CAPITOL.
Two Pieces Of Stone Either Removed OF
Fall Out.

Jackson Evening News.
Col. j. l.. Power, secretary OF State.
is Il man Of llabltual close application
to business, and the natural fear and
constant dread Of being suddenly
buried beneath the ruins Of the old
capt0 r0nkery would be sufficient to
induce the average man to remain at
safe distance from the doomed build
ing as many hours out Of the twenty.
four as is consistent with the legal
requirements : but crowded as Colo
mel Power is at the present time with
an accumulation OF State business
and private correspondence, he is com
PEELED to devote much extra time at
night to his work. Last night about
10 o'clock while he was buSily engaged
at his desk in the secretary OF States
Office his attention was attracted by a
peculiar noise at the South end win
dow Of his office as though some one
was cndeavoring to force an cntrance.
He sccrctcd himself with a convenient
fire poker in hand and awaited the
entrance of those he conceived to be
burglars, but he was convinced that
the object Of the scOundrcls was not
to break into the Office, but to injure
the building IN some way. The ham
mering on the building continued
more violent and distinct as time
passed. and Colonel Power fearing
that he might soon find himself in
imminent danger Of suffering some
great bodily harm, proceeded eau
tiously as possible to the scene of the
depreciation, buL was unable to pass
through the door at the south end Of
the blilding, where the work was
being done. without attracting the
attention Of the parties and before he
could get to where the noise was,
they had made good their escape.
Colonel Power said to Il News re-
porter this morning that he heard the
voices Of at least two men, but the
conversation was very indistinct and
he was unable to Judge whether the
parties were white men or negroes.
There is nothing about the building
to indicate nor does the character Of
the damage show the kind Of imple-
ment used.
The tearing down of the entire
facing o. the south end of the building
would have been a matter of easy ac-
complShnlcnt as the stone facing has
for some time past been hanging as il
by thread, and is not sufficiently
secure to resist much effort to destroy.
Two of the stones, being part of the
outside wall in which the brick work
Of the building is encased, and being
in size about l4xl0 inches, were dug
out, leaving the brick wall exposed
and the surrounding stone in great
danger Of tumbling down at any
time.
1t would be difficult TO imagine
what object any one would have in
attempting to deface the alread,
unsightly appearance of this ole
diapidated structure, which nov
stands condemned and ready to col
lapse at any time.
That portion OF the building dis
tul bed last night at once attracted
the attention OF the two architects
who recently examined it and wa!
viewed with alarm by the members o
the Legislative committee appointed
to verify the report Of the architect.
and it is thought by many that ther'
was a bare possibility OF Col. Powe
being mistaken as to the sound 0
voices which he claims to have heart
on the outside Of the building, bu
that the break was a natural and lOgi
Cal one that would follow as seQuenc
any chance settlement Of the build
, ing, as described in the architect.
, reports. Whatever may have bee
the cause, it can now be more plainl
: seen than ever that the south end {
q the capitol is dangerous, and he VIII
loitcrs under the shades Of the capitt
roof imperlls his life.