davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
GOOD FOR JANE SMITH.
bhe Made n Sneak Thief Give I'D His
Plumber and Beg for Liberty.

one Made Sneak Thief Give Up His
Plumber and beg for Liberty.
From the Pos, Express.
Miss Jane Smith is a plucky girl. Her
mother keeps boarding house at I'D South
St. Paul street, while Jane is a clerk in
one of the big dry goods stores.
Mrs. Smith and the rest of the household
were at dinner at $50 pm. yesterday in
the basement The front door on the Sec
ond floor was open and the door TO the sit
ting room had been carelessly left unlock
ed Jane returned from the store while
the others We're at dinner She went In by
the front door and was passing on 10 her
own apartment when she glanced into the
sitting room There was a strange man
there. Such sight is not unusual in a
boarding house, but this particular strange
man was in q peculiar attitude. He had
pulled out a bureau drawer and was rap
IDLY inspecting its copients. Lane took in
the situation at a glance and walked into
the room The strange man heard her step
ana turned from his work. BY the tine
Jane entered the room he was by a table
some feet distant from the bureau.
Beg pardon" he remarked in dulcet
tones, are you the landlady? j wish TO
see about obtaining board"
GU don't want TO see the landlady,"
Jane returned in cold, unfeeling tones that
sent sEiNer down the fellows back but
pockets of the stuff You took out of that
bureau"
Although very nervous the fellow had
sufhcIent hraVado in his makeup to try
TO work the injured innocence racket"
w nat DO you mean. miss he began in
defiant tones, but he dared not look the
angry girl in the eye She paid no atten-
ZION to his representations, but coolly de-
mallded that he empty his pockets or else
she would call a policeman
AT this the fellow weakened Don't have
me arrested, don't disgrace me- he walled
Miss Smith told him to disgorge his
plunder and she would think the matter
over The would-be sneak thief finally
handed over two pocketbooks and some
JeWelry. He pleaded SO hard for mercy
tnat Jane finally opened the front door and
toid The fellow TO go. He needed no Sec
ohd invitation, but flew down the steps
ana the last Jane saw of him he was going
across Court street bridge
Jane went 10 her room, took off her hat
and gloves. then went down to the dining
room and told her mother she ought TO he
more careful in locking up the room when
meals We're on in the basement.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
WATTERSON In THE RED MILL.
The Kentucky Editor Sees a Famous
Resort fn the French Capital.

By the light OF day the Red Mil, for
that is its name in English, is but a poor
affair: squatty. squaiid. with nothing to
signalize it except the elevated open space
in which ii stands. Like some horrid mon
ster, recumbent and asleep from dawn 10
twilight, no sooner does the sun go out of
the heavens and the stars begin to shine
than it yawns, rears, and with great
howl springs to its feet, its eyes fam ng
and its jaws agape, eager for its prey. AS
your carriage mounts the hill through
long, dark avenue, you become conscious of
a lurid glare. You look ahead Before
you is place, or square, brilliantly light
ed only at the further END. There You he
hold a gorgeous electric display-a fl cade
OF white and golden globes-and high
above these, the wings of great windmill
slowly Huntington the mills even of such
1alSe goddeSSes as reign in Moulin Rouge
grind slowly-the wings being compoS I'd of
course, of myrIads of red electric lamps
The effect, though sinister, is picturesque
and novel,
You pay your two francs and enter
There are garden, a theater and a dance
hall, all opening one into another, and,
when you have tired OF the indifferent con-
cert proceeding upon the stage You can go
as you please, and need not sip your beer
alone, either, in the garden upon the
balconies on either side of the dance hall
where an excellent band discourses very
good music of its kind. The costumes are
varied and often pretty. The less said Of
the wearers the better.
For liquors both ladies and gentlemen
may and do come here with impunity One
gets SO used TO the demi-monde in Paris
that its agglomeration presently ceases to
shock, or even to be particularly observed.
The other evening an old man and an old
woman, probably from Green county were
sitting at table looking on the fantastic
scene. the old woman with a sort of fasci-
mated delight. AT last the old man rose
suddenly, and says ne: Come along,
Mandy; this. amt no fifteen place for SIGH
as we,' and reluctantly the old woman did
as she was bid.
l have observed that women are more
impressed by what they see and hear at
Moulin Rouge than the men who come
here. Perhaps it is that there is, in the
case of the women, an appeal to the imagi-
nation which in the case of the men is
wanting: for man must be callow indeed
Who finds anything in a place like this TO
arouse other than his disgust Indeed The
woman, particularly the good American
woman, does not realize the full meaning
or the extent of all this depravity. Her
sense is lured by the fantastic. The music
the lights, the color, the novelty, catch her
fancy. 1t is the thoughtful man who
knowing ALL looks on with pity and horror
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
A Too snceessfuI Campatrn.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
There is novel, no unwise person like
an old unwise person." observed the girl
in the pink gown.
Hm.' said the girl in the yellow shirt
waist, that sounds as If you had corte
| out second in an argument with your ia
| ther"
"One argument" groaned the girl i'm the
pink gown; do you suppose that a single
argument settled it? Oh, no, my dear. You
see. my father has always expressed him.
self as bitterly opposed to bicycles. and
when l decided to acquire one / knew that
1. to say the least, would not get il with
cut a struggle"
''Of course not" said the other What
| kind of a wheel did you get? And have
YOU
We'll. when mamma went away on a
| trip felt that my opportunity had come
You see, i had read that If YOU feed a
man well first he is much more apt TO ac-
cede to any request, so p
Made him take you out 10 dine at a
swell restaurant: i see
Nothing of the kind: / wanted him to
have money enough left ID pay for the
wheel. No, got him up perfectly love-
ly dinner at home, then | led him into the
library, ARRANGED the lights so they
wouldn't hurt his eyes, casually mentioned
the fact that 1 meant, in the future TO
devote my life to his comfort and then
apropos of comfort 1 brought up the SUBJ
ject of bicycles"
And did he
HE didn't say word and / was en-
ccuraged to go on. i said that the price
of wheel often saved a doctors bill that
no girl who rode one ever needed to buy
any expensive dresses for the summer and
that the exercise made them SO content
that they seldom or never cared to open
the piano in the evenings
THAT was a clever stroke: did,
Just then a queer sound fell on my ear
and, if you will believe me- he was fast
asleep and didn't hear a word | had said
'Dh, well, when he did wake, he
when he did awake he said that the
clerks in the office were all so bicycle crazy
that they didn't half DO their work and
the extra toll which devolvel on him made
him tired that he couldn't keep awake
in the evenings. Well, 1 saw that plan
wouldn't work. so 1 met him at the door
the next morning and asked him fatty IL
| might get a bicycle"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
A RIDE TO DEATH,
A Wheelman Takes Choral and Rides
Until He Falls OF Dxinx

"A "heeiman Takes Choral and Rides
Until He Falls OF Dying.
Los Angeles Corr. of the San Francisco Examiner
1t was left to Roy Woodcock, a Young
San Francisco wheelman, to evolve a fear
some bicycling novelty-voluniarily spend
Ing ones dying moments on a wheel.
Mr.. Woodcock was thirty-two years old.
He came here from San Francisco ten
months ago, and being clever wheelman
easily got employment with the Pacific
Cycle Company, on South Broadway. He
was finely educated fellow, a graduate
of the universities of New York and Hei,iel-
berg, was a finished musician and gentle
man in all his instincts. But he was a
drunkard.
The Rev. E. B. Brainerd of 81 West
18th street became interested in him, took
him into his own home and sought to
break him of intemperance. Medicinal ad-
vice was sought and choral was prescribed
to brace the patients broken nerves. The
young man sought to bear himself man.
fully and to abandon the cup, but his will
had been so far weakened that could not
resist the craving for intoxicants As this
was borne in upon him he grew more and
more Respondent, and lately he announced
determination to make one more resolute
effort in the right direction, stalking his life
on the result. He made the effort ana fail
ed.
NeAl HiofiuHS, after dressing, ne Sw3l-
lowed the contents of his bottle of chiora;
and rode off to a drug store and had the
vial refilled. He Immediately drank all
the second lot, and then mounting his
wheel fastened down Figueroa street, the
favorfte scorching resort Of the city.
At the corner of sd street his wheel was
seen to give iurch and he fell off, strk-
ing the curbstone and badly cutting his
forehead. He lay there unconscious and
some bystanders summoned the patrol
wagon, but when the police arrived he was
found to be dead.
1t was ascertained that he had taken
about thirty grains of choral, notwith-
standing which. at the coroner's INQUEST,
the jury returned verdict of accidental
death.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27

Experiences of q Youthful Soldier
Thirty Years Ago in New Orleans.
From the Buffalo News

Experiences of Youthful Soldier
Thirty Years Ago in New Orleans.
From the Buffalo News
Col c. G. Johnston, head Of the Buffalo
Encampment Of the Union Veteran Legion,
was younger when he went to war. He was
In the 18th Maine. and enlisted when six
teen years old. The famous Neal Dow was
the colonel OF his regiment
Col. Johnston was under Gen. Butler in
the famous campaigns around New Orleans,
as he. young man, passed through the
streets Of the crescent city and was reviled
by the naughty danes of the confederacy.
The troops were spat upon by these women.
and subjected to every kind Of humiliating
treatment 1t was at this time that Gen.
Butler issued his famous order which put a
decisive stop to these petty annoyances.
The order was to the effect that any wo-
men who We're disrespectful TO the Union
soldiers would be treated as women of the
town by the troops. Needless TO say a
more courteous demeanor was observed
after this. .,.s
Col Johnston af1irms that the poorer class
OF people in New Orleans respected and ad-
mired Gen. Butler. TT was Butler who
mace mac New Orleans" says Col. Johnston.
built up the place"
Gen. Buffers way Of treating prisoners
was exemplified by his punishment of an
obs1reperous gardener This gardener had
publicly said that he was going to burn a
certain hospital Butler had put up. Butler.
on hearing of it, sent for him.
He asked him If the report was true
The gardener admitted that he had threat
ened to burn the hospital
You are gardener, are you not?" asked
Butler, sagely. ~.
Yes" said the man
We'll. there is a fine garden down at Fort
JACKSON, said the general. 1T needs a
good man to care for it. guess You had
better put in the next ninety nine years in
s,,1,,
man"
A part Of his punishment besides this con-
sisted In pumping cold water on him for
nve minutes every day. Col. Johnston was
proceeding. While in New Orleans in 1861
Col Johnston met with the same gardener,
somewhat humbled in spirit but still vigor-
Gus. He bore no i'll feeling and the two
talked 1t over again.
Col. Johnston tells Of an incident that
nearly frightened him to death. 1t was at
Ship's Island. He was detailed to "lay OUT
a man who had recently died. He was very
young at the time. and. together with two
others. he carried the body TO a dead house
AS they entered this house they were just
pidcl1s tne oooy al one emf when they
heard slight noise.
The room was very dark and close. Col
Johnston. then mere boy. lighted his lam
tern and peered into the further corner
where two other Laid out" corpses were
resting. He observed one OF the forms
move.
Almost frozen with terror he watched
and saw the shroud rise, and from under
the white sheet face appeared A griz-
zled head doomed in the yellow light of the
lantern and ponderous jaws opened in a
vide yawn. 1t was too much for the young
boy, and with a scream he ran from the
dead house into the night
AS ne ran he fell over tent guy holding
UP hospital tent, and he thought surely
some ghost had grabbed him
1t was his worst fright Of the war.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27

witness my death If l am attacked in such
manner that it will be impossible for you
to defend and protect me-
MI. Dawes remained with Mr.. Sumner
while the servants Of the household were
sent for the other members of the delega-
tlon When they arrived Mr.. Sumner re-
peated to them what he had said to Mr..
Dawes about the warning he had received
and his expectation of an early death by
violence. Then going to his library he took
from the shelves a history Of Rome turn
cd to the pages which relate the story of
the assassination of Caius and Tiberius
Gracious, the Roman tribunes who were
assassinated because Of their efforts in be-
nall OF the peasantry OF Rome. and solemn
announced his Intention to die as they
nad died, with the same composure and
the same resignation. which he said was
justified by his confidence that his fate
IKE theirs, was the penalty of his devotion
ner put mark in the book in order that
the delegation might refer to it after the
expected deed of blood was ACCOMPLISHED
laid 1t away upon the shelf in its proper
the end.
The Massachusetts members remained
with him through the night. One Of them
mad revolver: the remainder had no bet
ter arms than walking sticks but Mr.
Sumner refused to allow them to go after
guns and ammunition. and seemed rather
TO covet mertyrdom than to avoid it The
night was long and nothing occurred to
decided that the guard should be con.
tinued, but that the delegation might go
to their homes by installments to advise
their families of their safety and change
their linen.
One Of the first to leave boarded at Will
iards Hotel. which was merely across the
street. and he had not been gone more than
nIteen or twenty minutes when he returned
with an astonishing story he had heard in
the Office Of the hotel about three young
southern bloods who had called upon Mr..
sumner the evening before and nearly
frightened him to death with a story that
his assassination was Intended They had
conceived this idea Of practical joke over
their cups, and after their return from Mr..
Sumner's house had made the hotel merry
with descriptions Of the manner in which he
received their warning. The delegation
shook hands with each other, and con-
graduated Mr.. Sumner that the danger was
not serious but they were never able to
convince him that he was the victim of q
Jest
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
SUMMERS PHYSICAL cowARDICE.
How He Made the Mnssachusetts
Delegation Sit Up With Him.

DCAe4utAOh S1t Op !" Ath
From the Chicago Record. al
Ex-senator Dawes OF Massachusetts, be-
ing in a reminiscent mood the other even
ing related an anecdote Of Charles Sumner
that has never found it's way into print,
but illustrated a remarkable characteristic
Of that great statesman. After he recov-
cred from the effects OF the attack OF
Preston Brooks Mr.. Sumner went to Eu-
rope and remained for several months.
Many people predicted that he would not
dare return to the Senate chamber, and al
most everybody was willing to concede that
If he did so he would make no more
speeches on the slave question, for several
southern fire-eaters had threatened to kill
him II he did. Mr.. Summers Intimate
friends were well aware that he, like many
other men of great intellect, was born a
physical coward and the assault of Brooks
mad upset his nerves SO completely that he
would jump whenever he was startled by
an unexpected sound.
Mr.. Sumner came back to Washington at
the beginning Of the next session. resumed
MS seat In the Senate, and although it was
notorious that several ruffians intended ia
attack him if he did So renewed his war
against the slave power, and at the first
opportunity delivered a speech that was
even more radical and merciless than that
which provoked the anger Of Preston
Brooks.
Inc night after the delivery of that
speech Mr.. Dawes. who was Representa-
tive from Massachusetts. was just going
to bed when Mr. Summers butler rushed
into his room at his boarding house, brea tn
less with excitement, and said that Mr.
Sumner wanted to see him Immediately
Mr.. Dawes put on his clothes again. and
taking a stout hickory which he always
carried. went to Mr.. Summers residence
which was then on T street between 18th
and 10Th, and only few steps from tine
treasury. He found the great man in his
library drawing up a memorandum of in
structions to his friends in case he should
be killed, and he coolly Informed Mr. Dawes
that he expected to die that night. He had
been visited. he said. by committee OF
three. representing the slave holding ele.
ment in the south. who warned him tina,
his hour was fast approaching and thai
the penalty of his last speech was likely
to be visited upon him at any time.
Il sent for you. Mr.. Dawes" he con-
inued. with the hope and expectation
that you will summon the Representatives
from Massachusetts and remain with me
through the night. Your society will be a
consolation and 1 should like to have you
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27

and leave the horses eehnd. and our men,
with free use Of limb. barely made their
way through the labyrinth OF obstructiOns
In time to meet the engagement. We were
the first to open the bRn, and as soon as
the struggling line coi1ad pull itself together
it moved forward in battle order. Here a
doomed before US. and the thicket and
trenches in front were alive with sharp
shooting rilemen.
The three regimentH oAthe brigade chars-
after daylight had carried four lines of
rifle pits. But there had been no attack
at any other point. The day was fright
fully hot and our poor fellows soon began
as from Yankee buAets. The guns on
Graveyard Hill were abreast of us and
poured their shots among our scattered
men, 1t was with relief that we saw
Prices line march to the assault Of that
battery. and as they did so we rallied for
one more charge on the last remaining
rifle pits on Hindman Hill. That we car
ried, and the enemy fled to the shelter of
Fort Curtis. On abandoning the guns to
us, the Missouri novices had the cunning
to spike the pieces or we would have
turned them upon the walls Of Fort
Curtis. 1t was while attempting to drill
out one of the guns for shot at the
old flag that lost my arms by shell from
the gunboat. My hands were together in a
line, and all at once l wondered why 1
could not twist the worm I had held a
second before. Men who saw me said 1
stared and grinned like a mailman, not
knowing what had happened.
No Hope but Surrender.
when at last l realized what had hap
pened ran forward in the charge with
our men toward the ditch of the fort. Not
only the gunboat fire but that Of the fort
itself. which was Fashioned, raked the walls
and our men were terribly repulsed. There
was no hope but surrender. and our sharp
shooters. back in the rear, shot down every
man who attempted to go into the enemy s
lines. So we We're between two fires. We
might have been saved yet had not Price,
men made a terrible blunder They were
ordered to carry Graveyard Hill, which
they did most gallantly. and instead Of
pressing on in our flank and rear to sup
port us in the assault of Fort Curtis, they
passed on to the town itself Seeing no
way of escape to the rear of our column /
joined them and lay for three hours in a
house by the wayside. where my wounds
were dressed by a surgeon.
Meantime the gunboat firing and the
fusilade from Fort Curtis sweeping the
ground ever which we had charged re-
treat over the same line was out of the
question. 1 made my way toward the out
posts on the north and had the good luck
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
two brigades of Pap Prices Missourlans
From Life.

two brigades of Pap Prices Missourians
and Marmadukes cavalry, Joe Shelbys
brigade counted in. Holmes was our COM
mander. and one day he telegraphed to
army headquarters L believe we can take
Helena. Please let me attack it The re-
ply was, Go ahead and do it,! Should we
take Helena why, Grant would simply have
to call off his dogs at Vicksburg and sick
them on US. for, don't you see, we could
shut Off Yankee navigation in the Missis-
sippi and starve the enemy out at Vicks-
burg On. we enjoyed the prospect, for we
outnumbered the garrison at Helena two
to one.
1.-THE city of Helena lies in the lowlands
on the Arkansas shore. It's water front
at Fort Henry and Donelson. On the land
side there was an unbroken chain of forti-
fications extending from the river bank
above the town to the bank below. The
western front Of the city was about half
mile in length and just outside the limits,
nearly opposite the center, was a heavy
earthWork, mounting Siege guns. Half a
mile further inland was a semi-circular
range of hills, on the crests Of which lay
the outer line Of Notifications. This line
comprised four redoubts, mounting field
pieces and connected by breastworks. The
large central work was Fort Curtis; two
batteries on the north and northwest stood
on Fighters Hill. On the west therS1as
a battery on Graveyard Hill and on Hind
mand Hill. southwest, the fourth battery
was located. I made the acquaintance Of
the Hindman Hill battery, Intimately, as
you will learn later or.
A Hot Fight on q Hot Day.
T'I give you these details to show that
the contract was a good-sized one. Yet
there was a heap in our favor. The
Yankees had but 1900 men in Helena, and
although they had plenty of cannon they
lacked the trained artillerists to handle
them. The gunners that day were green
hands detailed from the 33d Missouri In
fantry, and the way they handled the
pieces made us wish We had met another
kind. But we knew very little Of the actual
situation until we struck 1t all of a sudden
about daylight on Independence day. Our
three columns, Marmaduke's, Prices and
Fagan's, told eff in storming parties and
reserves. moved against the batteries and
intrenchments lying across our paths.
There were six roads from the interior to
the town and the defenders, being ignorant
as to the particular one or ones we would
use, were compelled to watch them all.
Our brigade attempted to take along some
field artillery, but about a mile out from
the lines we found the road obstructed, and
on both sides Of it the country was cut up
into ravines making it impossible for can
non. Our officers were obliged to dismount
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27

have been done by a stroke from butch
er's cleaver. And didn't lose them burn
Ing powder for fun, either. 1 knew that
everything we toyed with that day was
loaded; loaded to kill. The same with the
enemy. 1t was Yankee shell at Helena,
fired from the gunboat Tyler. which placed
me on the retired list, where 1 have been
since July T. 1853.
Il was an officer in Fagan's Arkansas
brigade. and I never enjoyed a picnic be-
forehand in my life as / did that stealthy
100-mile march from Little Rock to give
the Yankees in their works at Helena a
Fourth Of July surprise party. You see,
we had been lying idle all summer in Ar
kansas, while Grant closed the coils around
our people at Vicksburg. We numbered
about 5000 men, consisting of our brigade,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
A Change of Heart,

From the New York Herald.
1.-THE minister looked so feeble this morn
ing when he began to preach that 1 was
afraid he would break down.
"weliT'
AFTER he began his sermon 1 was afraid
he wouldn't"