The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-14
A Thief Who Stole From
a Police Station.
Gh0St0fa Suicide Seen Swing
ing at the Yard Arm.
Story Which a Man Who Sailed In
the Old Ship Lion Tells.

In che county Jail at Jersey City there
deserving out sentence a very enter
prlsing and cheeky green goods man.
Recently it has been noticed that he is In
receipt OF an enormous mail daily and an
Investigation led to the discovery that he
was running a swindling game with the
iail as headquarters. He had advertised a
scheme for starting q mail order business
at home and desired those interested to
enclose stamps for reply. Every one OF
the hundreds upon hundreds of letters
he received contained two cent stamp
and he was In fair way to make a small
fortune while in Jail until his plan was
exposed and called to tbe.attention.of the
United Estates postal authorities. This
was unquestionablv very cheeky pro-
cceding, but no more so than that OF a
slick thief who some years ago robbed
the Central police station. John Dunn
was q tramp and In addition was given to
carrying of anything and everything
that was not too heavy or too hot for
him.
One day he went to the Central Station
on Canal street and boldly walked up
stairs TO the sleeping rooms OF the ofii-
GERS and patrolmen. There he found a
uniform dress coat which he proceeded
o.
own outer garment, but as IL was much
shorter than the blue coat the tails OF
the latter dangled away below 1t. The
only other article be found worth carry
ing of was a piece OF soap. which ne
slowed away in one OF his capacious
out of the station Property Clerk Bland
ing was struck by his peculiar appearance
and decided to interview him. He
brought the fellow back into the station
and found the stolen coat and soap. For
his enterprise on that occasion Dunn
made lengthy sojcurn at the State
Farm.
1t Is we'll kown that sailors are about
as superstitious set of men as can be
found anywhere on the globe. Moreover,
the average salt Is as firm q believer in
ghosts and gobliins as any mite OF hu-
manity In the nursery. The Gossiper
had chat with veteran sea roamer,
now retired, this morning, and though
he would not admit that he was super
stitious he told a story that indicated his
belief that uneasy spirits return to this
world to trouble those VINO are still In
the flesh. "Do believe in GHOSTS" he
been asked him. "wsii, i don't know
whether do or not, but I've seen ghosts
Just the same. You've heard tell of the
old chip Lion, haven't you? Well. she
was one of the most famous vessels that
ever sailed out OF the port OF Providence
i went out on her on whaling voyage
IN the late 40's and it was aboard of her
that firss saw what suppose you would
call ghost.
II seems that some years before We
began our voyage the Lion was tied up
to the wharf in this port for some time
"A man named Townsend was q clerk
al II n. -
for the people who owned her and one
night he took 1t into his head to CON-
NIT suicide. He went aboard the Lion
and swung himself of from the main
yard arm and when thoy took him down
he was as dead as any mortal ever was
or ever viii he. Now on the anniversary
OF that suicide We were down near the
line and one night when my. watch was
on deck one of the men called my atten-
tionto the mainyard. He said there was
something hanging from 1t. / looked up
and sure enough there seemed to be the
body of man dangling up there. The
mate who was In charge of the watch saw
It too, and he ordered Some of the men
up there to see II any of the crew had
hanged himself. When we got out there
there was nothing to be seen, but when
we came down on deck again there it
was again, swaying and swinging with
every motion OF the ship. Now can tell
you we didn't feel very we'll about that
time. Some OF the crew thought we were
In for terrific storm and that the old
Lion was doomed. Later on when the
other watch came on deck one of the
men In II remembered Townsend's suicide
and then we had an explanation of the
hanging spook. Did i ever see 1t again?
Yes, sir, ] saw 1t twice afterward on
that voyage, for we were out nearly four
years and every time II made its appear
snce 1t was on the anniversary OF Town.
sends suicide At least that was what
was said by those In the crew who
claimed to have known when Townsend
The Goesiper is asked to state what led
10 the war between Italy and Abyssinia.
To do that 1t will be necessary to go back
70 1889, when Italy, by a treaty with
Menelik, the successor Of King John OF
Abyssinia, was accorded protectorate
over the kingdom. Menelik, however,
was to exercise the rights and powers of
supreme ruler. A strip of terr tory
lying between Abyssinia and the Red Sea
wac taken possession OF by Italy. The
chief town In this territory is Massuah.
1t was Italy's plan also to gain possession
OF the very rich country of Bogos and
Keren, which are to the north OF Meme
lik's Kingdom and also to get such ad-
vantages I'm the latter as TO enable IL to
control Abyssinia's foreign policy and
monopolize IT'S trade. Two years ago the
Abyssinians on the southern border of
the territory, seized by Italy, became
Troublesome. II was In Tigre, the most
northerly province of Menelik's domains
In which the trouble first broke out, and
~ appeals TO Menelik had no effect Italy
determined TO make war upon him. II
10 interesting TO note In this connection
that since the Abyssinians became
Christianized In the fourth century they
have been able to maintain them selves