The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-10
Author of "TO the Victor
Belong the SpOilS'
Was a Graduate of Brown and
a Teacher in Newport.
Interesting History Of Celebrated
Poor Sinners Bell.

condemned political maxim "to the VIC
| tor belong the spoils." was in his early
manhood quite well known here In Prov
idence and at Newport. His name was
William Learned Marcy, and he was
born at South bridge, Mass, in 1855. he
was graduate of Brown Unsiversity IN
| the class of 1903, and for some time was
| engaged as a teacher at Newport. Later
he began the practice OF law at Troy, N.
Y, and later served against the English
| in he war Of 1872. He had the distinc
| tion OF making tho frat prisoner OF war
OH land by seizing q corps of Canadian
militia stationed at st. Regis, N. Y.
Their flag was the first trophy captured
during the war.
After tho close of the war Marcy be-
came recorder of Troy, while at the same
time he edited the Troy Budget. He
was adjutant-generai of the State of New
York. and subsequently was made comp
troller. Later be became associate Jus
tice of the Supreme Court and was Unit
ed States Senator from 1881 TO 1888, and
governor of the Empire State from 1888
to 1889. From 1889 to 1Si5 he served ss
commissioner to decide the claims made
by the Mexican government, and from
1S45 to 1s49 he filed the important office
of sscretary of War. He was later Secre-
tary of State from 1853 to 1867, when the
anti-siavery agitation was at its height,
and like most of his party he strongly
opposed any interference with slavery.
Apropos of the Olney's Lane and
Showdown riots, of which the Gossiper
told last Saturday it is interesting to note
that these distur Dances which ended in a
quadruple tragedy really brought about
the change from the town to the city
form of government In Providence.
These riots occurred in September, 1881,
and only year before the citizens had
| rejected a city charter granted by the
General Assembly. The disturbances,
however, brought the people to a realiz-
ing sense of the existing form Of govern
ment and to its inadequacy to deal with
outbreaks of large proportions. The con-
sequence OF this feeling was that on the
very day after the suppression of the
rioters at Smith Hill by the militia a
special town meeting was called and a
petition to the General bly, was pre-
pared, asking that city charter be
granted. In due time the legislature
passed charter and it was subsequently
accepted by the vote OF the freemen,
who had only year ago rejected & SINH
h 10 oh
| idence in 1882 threw off the town and
| donned city form OF government.
Newport, although tue fact Is not gen.
orally known, was the pioneer city of this
commonwealth, having beel incorporated
| in 1854. City government does not APP
| pear to have been much to its liking,
| however, for three years later the charter
| was repealed AMI Newport went back to
| the town system, which IL retained until
| May 20, 1853, when 1t accepted city
| charter granted by the Legislature. 1t Is
| said that the reason for dropping the city
| govern ment in 1887 was ttat the thrifty
| people Of the city-by-the-sea found the
cost of maintaining too expensive and
| preferred the old form, inadequate and
less pretentious as it was, simply because
| 1t was more economical. There is story
also that politics had something to do
with the change and that the ascendency
| OF one party caused a revolt OF the part
| OF the other. vino successfully appealed to
| the General Assem- bly, for the repeal OF
| the charter.
school boy who says he has some-
where seen a reference to tho "poor sim
ners bell" asks the Gossipcr TO give him
| a sketch of its history. The "poor sim
ners bell' hangs in the tower Of st. Mary
| Magdalene's Church, in the city Of
| B.csiau, Province of Silesia, Prussia.
| From the records of the town IL appears
that it was cat July IL, 1886. bell
| founder of great skill undertook TO make
| a church bell which he man. should be
| his masterpiece. When the motai was
melted and nearly ready for casting, the
| founder Withdrew for a few moments,
leaving boy to watch the furnace, with
| instructions not to meddle with the catch
which secured tho metal in the caldron.
| The boy foSXot the caution and when
| terrified at seeing the flow of the metal
into the mold, called to the foundtr
tor help The man rushed In, and, pre-
| suming that his work OF weeks was
ruiued, struck the boz, killing him on
| the spot. The metal cooled and The bell
proved to be an exquisite work in finish
AMI in sweetness OF tone. Subsequently,
the founder confessed his crime, was
tried and condemned TO death, and as tho
story goes. on the day OF his execution
the bell was rung TO coll mass for the un-
happy mans soul. Hence the title of
"the roor sinners tell"
That Terrible Scourge.