davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
CHAPTER. w

This was late in November. 1t was
on Jan. 5, 1878, that I got note from
him asking mo to call at once at his
Office, S2h Spruce street called. He
had started his paper-that is to say, he
had bought his "plant" and had his
titular headline engraved. 1t was to be
called Psychos, and it was to be printed
in one Of its owners two rooms on the
top floor. This room was neatly furnish
ed with type cases, and half a dozen
printers sat around with the satisfied air
Of men who are paid good wages for do
ing no work.
These were George Lawrence's plans
as he told them to me. II shall wait, !"
he said, until something great occurs.
Then I shall launch Psychos with a
great flourish of bunting. I must have
my printers here in case something un-
expectedly turns up. take my local
and telegraph news from the news asso-
Citations, and my business manager is
assistant editor. It is something Of an
expense, I know, but shall make it go. !"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26

After the third days paper had been
printed I visited George in his Office.
He was full of enthusiasm. II shall
prove to the world that I am right, he
said.
"When?" I asked.
"Not today, but tomorrow perhaps.
Negotiations are pendinehow in France,
and an emperor may be declared tomor-
row. The leaders are considering the
advisability of the movement. 1t all de-
pends on the empress, who at the pres
ent moment is almost wild with grief.
The news Of the late emperor's death is
kept a profound secret, even from the
servants of the household, and the ply
sicians have lent themselves to the de-
ception."
Tomorrow came, but no vindicafion
to my friend, and when met him at
noon was shocked by his appearance.
He looked as though he had not slept
for fortnight. His spare figure seemed
to have taken an additional weight upon
it's shoulders, and his meager legs sham
bled more than ever as they carried
their owner to and fro across his office
floor.
eyes, know look ill.," George said
in answer to my inquiry, "and am i'll.
Look here" And he threw down on his
desk package of apers-legal papers.
The owner of the building had made ap-
plication to civil justice to dispossess
him for the nonpayment Of rent, for
George in his usual unbusinesslike way
had spent his entire capital in fitting up
his Office, in paying his printers and in
buying his white paper and had nothing
left beyond what he needed for baro sus-
tenance.
He had still kept those readers his pa
per found informed regarding the va
rious measures that were being taken to
keep the emperor's death secret while
political negotiations were going on.
And these readers were growing less
and less each day. Even the printers
began to regard their employer as in
sane.
When I saw him, began to doubt
his sanity myself. He was pale as death,
and bis eyes were as wild as those Of a
maniac.
George" said I, 81 know that you
are right. I know that the emperor is
dead, but what is the use Of worrying
yourself to death trying to convince the
public of that fact just at this time,
when, according to your own statements,
the news will be withheld for several
days? Leave this wretched business.
Come with me and spend week or 80
in quiet. Then turn your attention to
Wall street and make enough money in
week to run newspaper for year. "
He listened to my arguments. AT
least think he heard them, but his face
gave no sign Of that fact, and when /
had finished he asked me to call again
at 2 o'clock, when he would give me his
answer. I went away with a heavier
load on my heart thanl had carried for
many day.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
CHAPTER V.

Now, while the world at large has
been taught to believe that Louis Napo.
leon, once emperor Of France, died at
Chiselhurst, England, on Jan. 8, 1878,
I know and George Lawrence knew that
he drew his last breath four days before
that date. This is startling statement,
but can prove it.
1t was two days after my interview
with George that my ear was startled
by the cry Of the newsboys: Here's
your Psychos! All about the death Of the
Emperor Napoleon" Georges opportu-
nifty had come earlier than he thought
it would. I bought copy. 1t contained
little else Of interest than whole page
story of the death Of the French usurper.
The account also stated that, owing to
the troubled condition Of affairs in
France and in order 70 aid the aspira-
tions of the imperiallsts, whuwere look
ing for O restoration of their fallen dy-
nasty, the death would be kept secret o
day or two.
Of course none Of the other afternoon
papers contained line regarding the
emperor's death. But the next morning
all Of the local journals had something
to say about the emperor's health being
no worse than it had been for several
days before, and one Of Georges con-
temporaries said that "an irresponsible
afternoon sheet had published sensa-
tional report regarding the emperor's
death which we are glad to be able to
deny" etc.
The next afternoon Psychos followed
mp its first report with still longer and
more circumstantial report Of the death
of the royal refugee. 1t said that two
members of the late emperor's household
had left for Paris to confer with the i'm
perial leaders in that city as to the ex-
pediency of declaring the prince imperi-
81 emperor and making one great effort
10 overthrow Theirs government On
the first day Psychos had met with a
remarkable sale, but the second day
found it something Of drug upon the
market. The repetition Of the same cry
lid not strike the newspaper buyers ear
tavorably. 1t savored Of deception, and
it so happened that the second days re-
,eipts fell below the cost of the white
paper even.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26

est patrimony, he G.ived into the mys-
teries c. the future rs no professional
soothsayer ever would think Of doing.
Palmistry and astrology he mastered as
completely as was possible and then
turned his attention to mind reading.
The way he took up this branch Of
psychical research was singular in the
extreme. He related the incident to me
after we had become we'll acquainted,
which was not later than fortnight
rom the evening Of our introduction.
II was walking up Broadway one
afternoon" said Lawrence, lone Of
those bright, sunny days Of early fall,
when I met man had never seen be-
fore. He was tall and soldierly in his
bearing, and was dressed in excellent
taste. should judge that his age was
somewhere between 40 and 30 years. The
instant I met him I felt that he knew
something about an old friend Of mine.
I even felt more-I felt that he was
thinking of that man when I met him,
and that his thoughts were unpleasant.
dismissed the idea from my mind. An
hour or so later I met the stranger in
the St Nicholas hotel cafe. There I
was introduced to him, and over bot
tie of wine I told him Of my impress
sion. He said it was correct. He was an
intimate friend of Johann Gartener, q
classmate of mine at Heidelberg, whom
he had met in South Africa. And at
the moment I met him he was ponder
ing over letter he had just received
from my friends brother announcing
his sudden death"
This was George Lawrence's start in
the particular field he was soon to culti-
vate as no man had ever done before.
After we had become more intimate
and saw more Of the workings Of his
mind I discovered that he had extraor-
dinary abilities in the line he had laid
out for himself At our evening meet
ings in his rooms-for George was COM
paratively we'll to do and met the ex-
penses Of an establishment from his
private fortune-I saw many men Of re-
nown in the world of letters-men who
were as deeply impressed with the re-
markable abilities Of my friend as I
was myself. George Lawrence was not
what is called natural newspaper
man." have never been able to decide
why he remained in the profession. He
was as sensitive as woman. He had
no idea Of news" He was as apt to
make O. column 'story" Of "two
stick" paragraph as he was to condense
the sensation Of the day into half a
dozen lines. As consequence he was
relegated to routine work, such work as
would be covered" by the regular re-
porters or news associations.
Sometimes his long stories would be
unavailable, but more often his short
reports would have to be supplemented
by those of more experienced newsgath-
erers. often asked him why he did not
give up newspaper work and 90 into
something more congenial. At these
times hs would lose his usually equable
temper and declare that was in league
with his superiors in Office, who had
given him similar advice through jeal-
ousy. Ee was infatuated with the bust
ness and devoted himself to it with the
same zeal that he had investigated the
various "ologies' and "isms" that had
filed his mind before I had met him.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26

II shall provc to the arorld that an,
right"
use. He intended to make money out of
them. I was startled because that was
the first trace of practical common sense
I had noticed in my friend since his
psychical fever had seti in. 1t is needless
to say that applauded his determina-
ton. "Do it by all MEANS, I said.
"But how?"
"I know you will oppose my plan, "
George replied. "You know have just
$1,000 left from my inheritance? Well,
I intend to use that money and start a
daily newspaper"
In vain I pleaded with him. I told
him more brutally than I had ever done
before that he was no newspaper man.
I told him that he was no business man,
and proved to him by the cold logic of
historical facts that no man who was
not remarkable as an editor or as bust
ness manager ever made success of a
newspaper venture. No; he was deter
mined, and as the $1,000 belonged to
him and not to myself 1 was powerless
to interfere:
"You haven't heard me through, he
said, interrupting my indignant protest.
"This is my plan: I shall read what is
going on all over the world in advance
of the newspapers, and I shall each, day
write the important telegraphic news
myself. 1t will be an instantaneous test.
I know it will be go in spite Of such
old fashioned grumblers as yourself"
eff you are going to make mind read
ing feature of your brilliant scheme, "
I said, "why don't you let your agile
intellect wander down to Wall street,
Read Commodore Vanderbilt's mind or
glance for about ten minutes into the
mind Of Jay Gould and then use your
$1,000 as your judgment may dictate on
the street."
"That " ould be stealing, I think" an
swered George gravely. But George al
ways was all impracticable man.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
CHAPTER iii.

As George became more experienced
in mind reading his powers grew. He
soon was able to read what was passing
in the minds of his intimate friends. I
have often been surprised by some such
statement as 1T can't be done, old
boy" or "Better give it up and try
some other plan" in answer to some
unspoken question Of mine, question
whose very existence was ignorant Of
until had heard it's answer. was not
the only one of Lawrence's friends who
was surprised at his wonderful ability.
1t became common thing for him to
interrupt our conversation by asking or
answering unspoken questions. At first
this was extremely amusing, but after
awhile it became very tiresome. With
all his genius George was very apt to be
bore at times, and so it happened that
he reserved his manifestations almost
solely for me, and, although he might,
had he chosen, read in my thoughts
how weary I was of his oft repeated
story, he never seemed to have any curl
osity in that direction, and I continued
to play the sacrificing and amiable mar
tyr to his prosecutor until the time Of
those occurrences that form the basis Of
this narrative.
Within q comparatively short time
George was able to read the passing
thoughts of strangers whom he met. I
remember one night as we were walk
ing down deserted east side street we
passed we'll dressed man who was
slowly walking toward the river. Hasti-
ly leaving my side, George caught up
with the stranger and linked his arm
in his. Accustomed as I was to the
vagaries of my friend, was surprised,
but nothing remained for one to do but
to follow. This did, and they led me
down the quiet street and into the Bow
cry, where they finally ended their
journey in an all night restaurant.
While Iwaited at side table | saw the
stranger devour with the hunger Of a
starving man dinner enough for small
company. After he had finished George
thrust small bill into his hand and
joined me. 1t appears that ne had read
in the strangers mind that he was
starving. He was c'lt of work. He had
no money, and there was no one to be-
friend him. He was on his way to the
river, where he intended to end his sor-
rows and his life by the same plunge.
George, as I said, OWNED his purpose
and thwarted it in the manner l have
described.
AS the months heightened into years
Georges strange powers increased. At
the end of two years from the first time
I met him he not only could tell what
was passing through the minds Of those
whom he knew, but of men whom he
had never seen and who were separated
from him by oceans. Often and often
he has told me what was going on at
cabinet meetings in London and Berlin,
only to see his statements corroborated
by the news in the morning papers.
Probably there never was man since
the world was created who had the
same peculiar nature that my friend
possessed. Probably no other man was
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
NY Manv officeholders can repea

S@ Many officeholders can repeat
glibly the aphorism that "a public Of
fee is public trust" but New Jer-
sey county collector has proved the
sincerity of his convictions in very
unusual way. Four years ago the
New Jersey legislature passed law
authorizing collectors to retain two
per cent. of their collections as COM
pensation. Under this law, the official
in question is entitled to nearly forty
thousand dollars year. But he has
always refused to take more than his
yearly salary of forty-ive hundred
dollars, on the ground that the law
permitted a robbery from the people
from which he was not willing to de-
rive any personal benefit. He will
not die rich man; but he has what
is more to be desired than wealth, the
respect and confidence of his neigh
bors. His example of official unsel6sh-
ness and integrity is worth more in its
uplifting moral effect upon the COM
munity, than if as mere money-get-
ting citizen he had given lifetime to
the successful accumulation of mod
crate or even immoderate wealth.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
NO. 49,.

1t has TO the premises in dispute. Its
claim, if it means to assert one, will
thus be brought to the test of the law
as administered by tribunals ordained
to determine controverted rights of
property; and the record in this case
will not be evidence against it for any
purpose touching the merits of the
claim.
If this were only a suit for the pos
session of the Agricultural Hall, there
would be no controversy, for the
state would never have held the prop
erty and refused to deliver it but for
the conspiracy and fraud which was
divulged by the tender of the bond
script. If the state takes that course,
then it voluntarily enters the Fed
eral courts ultimately and asks ::for
the validity of the bonds to be pass
ed upon. The situation leaves the
state but one course; force them to
dispossess its officers who are parties
to the the suit, to put Wesley in pos
session or hold the property, and thus
protect litigation until Wesley and his
speculating attorney u suppose Lyles
is working on contingent fee) shall
be tired out. If the state is dispossess-
ed by force, then the sophistry and
falsity as to its being no suit against
the state is proven, and we will occu-
py better position after this judi
cial tyranny is practieed upon us than
to be dragged into court in this Under
handed and unconstitutional way.
Unless the court was to 60 to the
extreme of, dispossessing the present
state officers, who are in no way con-
nected with Mr.. Tindal and do not
hold from or under him, the only thing
that need give us any concern is the
settlement of Mr.. Tindal's bond. This,
of course, the state is in honor bound
to pay. But if it can hold possession
of the property and thus get around
the odium and danger of having the
highest court in the United States pass
upon the'repudiated radical bonds held
by Mr.. Wesley, the taxpayers of the
state may well congratulate them
selves. There is an old legal maxim
that possession is nine points of the
law, and in this case it is ten points,
because as long as we retain possession
we retain everything, while the sur
render of the property carries with it
the loss of everything or a serious risk
of losing it, for I firmly believe that
these judges, who have been 10 uni
form in sustaining Judge Simonton's
interference with the state govern
ment, will take pleasure in putting
one more stigma upon South Carolina
and give one more blow to her sover-
eighty. Then if this script is .valida-
ted our state debt will be increased to
that amount, as the script would be
good in payment of taxes if it is good
in buying the Agricultural Hall.
In view of these facts land anybody
is at liberty to pick flaws in the argu-
ment if they CAM, I leave to the peo-
pie of the state to judge between my
enemies and me. The ~ told you so"
crowd, who have "known all along
that the state would lose and the tax
payers suffer for Tillman's desire to
advertise himself" may explain if they
can how else the question of the va
lidity of the Blue Ridge bond script
by the United States supreme court
could have been prevented.
B. R. T1LLMAN.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
CHAPTER vi.

At q o'clock punctually was at the
foot Of the dingy flight of stairs that
led to the editorial rooms Of Psychos.
Before I reached the upper floor I saw
the printers outside the door that led to
Georges room. They said they had
heard suspicious noise in there and
asked ME what should be done. ad-
vised that the door, which was locked,
should be broken in. This was done. On
the floor lay Lawrence. In his hand
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
CHAPTER II.

George Lawrence and were friends
from the first day we met. We were
both reporters in the employ of morning
newspapers, and we first met at ball
in Harlem some time in 1870. have
forgotten the exact date, but ! shall
never forget the impression George
made on ME. He was slender to de-
gree that almost made him eligible for
a museum of freaks. His legs seemed
to have been worn thin by sheer worry.
They were bent at the knees, where the
trousers took forward lunge, and when
they were in use they had shambling,
apologize gait that carried their owner
over the pavement very much in the
same way that convivial man gets
home from his club at cocks crow in
the morning.
But when one looked at the head Of
George Lawrence he forgot all about the
other portions of his anatomy. 1t was q
royal head, covered with splendid
growth Of curly brown hair. The fore
head was broad, the nose aquiline, the
mouth as sensitive as girls and the
chin, though firm, was delicate and re-
fined. cannot tell you why George and
I became friends at once unless 1t was
because I helped hini out with his
"story," supplying certain important
facts that he had missed and otherwise
seeing that he should not be "beaten, y
as the vernacuiar of the trade runs. He
was very grateful, and during the hour
or longer we spent in riding back to our
offices in Newspaper row he managed to
tell me great deal about himself and
a great deal that was interesting, too,
for George Lawrence never told any
thing that was not entertaining. He had
led rowing life ever since he had left
college, about ten years before, to finish
his collegiate course at Heidelberg uni
versity. From Germany he went to
France, where he lived two years.
Thence he wandered into India, soon as
far east as China, and Oh his return he
spent nearly a year among the gypsies
in Hungary. Here he acquired the ROM
any tongue, anG here he picked up a
vast number of the peculiar beliefs Of
these wandering tribes. He learned to
read destiny in palms, to tell the future
by the stars. The wild life he enjoyed
was just to his liking. He entered into
the sports and into the practices of his
nomadic friends with zest that civil
lized life had never possessed for him.
When he came back, at the death OF
his father, to take possession of his mod
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26

THE FRENCH WASTE NoTHING.-A
visitor was dining with French wo-
man who certainly has q reputation
for prudence. A cherry pie had been
on the table, and the mistress ordered
that all stones were to be scraped from
the plates and placed in her store
room. Venturing to ask the reason,
the visitor was told that not only
cherry, but plum, peach and all stones,
whether cooked or raw, were invari-
ably saved, gently dried in the oven,
and kept in great jar. "Then," said
madame, "in the winter, when the fire
burns clear and bright in the evening,
I fetch a handful and throw them
among the glowing Goals. They crack
and sputter for moment, send up a
brilliant flame, and the whole room is
filled with delicious odor."
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26
When the Emperor Died.
By BENJAMIN NORTHR0P.
copyright, 1897, by the Author.1
CHAPTER T..

CHAPTER l.
That there is such force as psychic
force cannot at this late day be denied
Too many incidents are occurring where
in the influence Of one mind is very Sc
riously felt by another to class them all
o. coincidents, as the disbelievers fain
would do. How often have you felt, we
will say, that some old friend is in your
neighborhood, and have him call on you
before the thought had left your mind?
Or how often have you stepped into an
Office where you have not been Tor
months before, to be greeted with the
salutation: "Glad to see you, old mani
Strange, but I was just thinking OF
you" Have you never had your
thoughts mysteriously directed toward
a certain person and within few min
utes, or at the outside few hours, re-
ceived some communication from him?
Have you never had premonition that
some evil thing was about to occur-a
premonition not founded upon any rea-
son or formed after any personal observa-
tions-and find it verified in all its un-
happy aspects? If none Of those things
has occurred to you, you may fairly
claim to be unique, and if you have been
foolish enough to regard them wholly
as coincidents you have willfully placed
yourself on the side Of ignorance and
error.
The Society of Psychical Research of
England, which has branches all over
the world, has been for years engaged
in investigating these psychical phe-
nomena, with the intention Of classify
ing its returns and from them building
science. This, am afraid, will never
succeed. Psychical force is 80 wary in
its workings and SO delicate in its COM
munications that it never can be writ
ten down in textbooks like the New
tonian theory or the rule of three. No
two persons are affected alike BY this
force. In some in awakens a quick and
sensitive response. In others it may
cause sensation that the recipient
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-26

CONVICT LABoR.-Professor ]. A.
Holmes, state geologist of North Car
olina, says "An examination of the
records of all the counties that are
using convict labor on the public roads
shows that but few convicts have es-
capped that the health of the convicts
has been much better while at work on
the roads than when formerly impris-
oned in Jail that their labor has prov
en- much more efficient than that which
can be hired in the country at ordina-
ry prices of from so to IS cents a day;
and that it not only costs less to use
the convicts on the public roads than
it does to hire labor, but that further
more it costs less to maintain these
convicts on the public roads than when
confined in the county jail"