The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-07
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


his bath before he had taken his usual
daily survey of the distant city, he shout
ed one word, Nor and then acted as
though he was frightened by the sound
of his own voice. But he was humored
and did not speak again.
Extract from a letter from French
Congo: man threw a stone at his wife
and broke her back. She died the next
day. Her brother called jury, consisting
OF six influential men, the king among
them. They order the man to appear
before them, and told him he must drink
the Saxywood mixture, and if he was in
nocent it would not hurt him. He dropped
dead as soon as he swallowed it, as they
well knew he would. They threw the body
away, and this was the end. Only few
persons knew what had become of him
until months had elapsed
"A new enterprise is being promoted
in Obion county," states the Memphis
Commercial-Appeal (which will be one of
the most wonderful in the world. 1t comes
with the discovery of a vinegar spring on
the famous Reelfoot Lake by Pete Ben
nett of Paducah, KY, while on hunting
expedition. He was successful in get
ting Sir William Binceford multi-mili-
ionaire of London, interested and the or
ganization of the Vinegar Spring and Pick
ling Company, with Mr.. Bennett as presi-
spring is, as secretary and treasurer, is
complete"
do you want to understand your Bible
better? asks the Pittsburg Dispatch. If
so, you must know that: A days journey
was about % lis miles; a Sabbath days
journey was about an English mile; Eze-
kiels reed was nearly IL feet; cubic was
nearly % inches; a hands breadth was
equal to 35s inches; a fingers breadth was
equal to inch; a shekeI of silver was about
so cents; a shekel Of gold was So; talent
of silver was $538.3O a talent of gold was
$13, 800; a piece of silver, or a penny, was
Ii cents; a farthing was 3 cents; mite
was less than a quarter of a cent; gerah
was a cent; an ephah, or bath, contained
| gallons and pints; bin was a gallon and
pints; firken was pints; an omer
pints, and cab pints.
-Thirty-seven million six hundred and
fifty thousand francs is the modest sum
| for which the German embassy in Paris
| is about to be sued by Count" Sidney
| O'Dann as damages due him for eight
years and a half of wrongful Imprisonment
| in Germany, says the New York Sun. He
| gives himself out as rightful King of Ire
| land and chief of the Irish National
League, and asserts that he was handed
over by the Swiss authorities to Germany
on the charge that he had taken part in
| intrigues of Gen. Boulanger which might
have led to war between Germany and
| France. According to the London Daily
| Chronicle, he was at one time an officer
in the Prussian service, distinguished him
self in 1866, was appointed military tutor
| to the present emperor, and was degraded
| and imprisoned during the Franco-Prus-
sian war for plundering. He brings suit in
| France, as he says it is hopeless to obtain
justice from the German courts.
Here, says an exchange, are a few
reasons why FIR day is considered unlucky:
1t was on Friday that Adam sinned; that
he was chased from Paradise; that Christ
| was crucified that Cain killed Abel; that
| Etienne was stoned; that the innocents
were killed by Herod; that Peter was
cruciied and Paul decapitated; that John
| the Baptist's head was cut off; that the
children of Israel were chased across the
Red Sea; that heaven will close and hell
| open; that marriage was first conSum-
mated; that Lamech took two wives; that
| all but one-seventh of the fruits of the
earth and of the light of the sun and
moon were taken away that briars,
spiny and venomous plants issued from
the ground that the deluge covered the
earth; that the confusion of tongues oc-
CURED; that the Tower of Babel was be-
gun, and that the plaques came to the
King of Egypt. These reasons are all
furnished by French investigators.
We are wont nowadays, says an ex-
change, to consider cannibalism peculiar
only to savage races, yet it is a fact that
the horrible custom has been known right
in the midst of civilization. Scottish law
annals speak of a highwayman and his
wife who were condemned to the scaffold
for having devoured the bodies of several
persons whom they had assassinated. A
daughter of the above pair was afterwards
/ II \ 81
Another instance is cited of a father and
daughter who were addicted to the habit,
having devoured several persons whom
they had slain. A German author tells
of cowherd who was convicted of having
killed a traveller, whose body he devoured,
and lated enticed child to his home and
killed and ate it. About the beginning of
the present century Miianese woman de-
coyed several children into her den, killed
them and sailed their flesh and devoured it
at her leisure. A French law report also
speaks of a young woman, who, being OPP
posed to the plans of marriage by her faith
er, killed him, roasted his heart, and ate 1t,
and this was at late as 1927.
The eruption Of the volcano of Kra-
katoa in 1888 was probably the most re-
markable phenomenon of the kind his
tory has known. Half the earth was
shaken by it, $1,000 persons lost their
lives, and its effects were noticeable
throughout the world for years afterward.
Among the most peculiar features was
the throwing into the air of so great a
mass of dust and vapor that darkness
prevailed at midday for $50 miles around.
Much Of this matter fell into the sea,
and was washed by the waves to all
parts of the earth. A great deal of it re-
manned, however, in the atmosphere,
creating other and equally strange phe-
nomena. In short time the sun began
to assume curious silvery and coppery
colors in the part of the world about
Java. In six weeks time the sky over all
the region between 30 degrees north and
As degrees south latitude presented at sun
set peculiar red glow. This extended
throughout the world, and was noticea-
Bile for two or three years after the erup-
ton had taken place. Spectroscopic in
vestigations indicated that the curious
haze was caused by solid particles, either
of dust or ice.
DIR Philips has charge of the museum
at the Northwestern University. He made
an unpleasant discovery recently, saws
Il -. rfra-