The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-25
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

of four-footed animals, the giraffe
| takes the largest stride. In full swing it
covers fourteen feet.
Among the wonders shown at the re-
cent exhibition of the Quekett MICROSCOPE
cal club in London was the whole of the
second chapter of ST. Johns Gospel writ
ten on the two-thousandths part of a
square inch, and plainly legible at that
under the microscope.
"A snake story backed by afidavits
comes from Bridgeport. Ind, on the Mo
non railway says a dispatch to the Chi
cage Chronicle. James Jackson owned a
3O0-pound prize hog, which was grazing
in field. John Burroughs a neighbOr
in passing the field, saw a six-foot black
snake gazing intensely at the hog, which
was seemingly returning the stare with
interest. Neither moved a muscle so long
as Burroughs watched the performance
and, becoming tired of the spectacle, he
slipped up and struck the snake with a
club, breaking its back. AS the snake
wiggled and removed it's gaze from the
hog the animal gave one intense squeal
fell over and died Examination showed
that it's back had been broken similar to
that of the snake, and that it was under
hypnotic influence.
-Marseilles is celebrated for its fortune
tellers. Among the most prominent of
these is Nine. Eva, the Gypsy Queen"
says the New York Commercial Adver-
tiser. Some years ago she told the for
tune of male client who fell in love with
her. A proposal of marriage was made.
put the gypsy queen declined the honor
The offer was renewed several times but
it was persistenty refused. A few weeks
ago the hopeless aspirant to the fortune
tellers hand died, and, according TO the
w of ftA rI.-T-
Nine. Eva. The devineress, however said
she could not accept from the dead what
she had refused from the living, and she
voluntarily renowned the fortune (euual
to more than $780, 600 and handed it over to
grateful relatives of the deceased man.
The report of the medical superintend-
ents to the Metropolitan Asylums Board
of London on tie use of anti-toxin in the
treatment of diphtheria during the year
1896 has just been presented, says the
New York Tribune. 1t is the second
year in which anti-toxin has been used
IN these institutions, and confirms the fav-
orable conclusions reached in the report
OF 1895. The percentage of mortality from
the disease is greatly diminished; in post
scarlatinal diphtheria it was reduced to 3
per cent, the previous average for five
years before the introduction of anti-toxin
having been so per cent. The report lays
stress on the Importance of early treat
ment, pointing out that on the first day
of seizure dose of 1900 units will pro
duce results which $4,000 will not effect in
the fourth. The report in general may be
accepted as an unequivocal Endorsement
oy the highest authority of the virtues
ana efficacy of the anti-toxin treatment
The growing tendency of juries to ex-
cessive verdicts in civil cases was the sub
ject of this years annual address to the
Law Academy of Philadelphia, delivered
by Justice John Dean of the Pennsylvania
supreme court, says the New York Post
Fifty years ago, he said, fault was often
found that no one could foretell the YER
diet of a jury. Now the criticism is that
too often the verdict may be foretold.
Given the parties and their financial con-
dition, without regard to the weight of sig
nihcance of the evidence" said Judge
Dean, 'in a very large number of cases
the verdict can be assumed with approx
mate certainty. An individual against a
corporation, municipal or private a poor
man against rich one, the undoubted
tendency in recent years is, on conflicting
| evidence, TO find the disputed fact for
| plaintiff" 1t was hardly necessary the
| justice thought, to give an audience of
| lawyers proof Of this fact. He cited, how
| ever, the increase of verdicts against the
| street railroad corporators of Philadelphia
| time, while travel had increased 40 per
cent, the verdicts had increased !, 900 per
! cent An examination, also, of the court
records throughout the state had satisfied
| the judge that verdicts in this class of
cases are increasing out of all
| ulation. Out of this had grown
a belief that the jury is not to
| be trusted to ascertain the truth where
the right of property is involved, and as
| a result of this belief the right of trial
| by jury is being gradually restricted. I'm
| less there be a change" the judge said,
that right will be taken away, at least
in cases involving property" for mo sys-
| TEN of government can stand which does
| not protect the property of the citizen as
! well as his person" That would be I'M
| fortunate, as il would be placing the adj
ministration of justice further from the
| people, and consequently weakening their
| attachment to its forms" The root of the
/ evil in Justice Deans opinion lies in the
| laXity of administration of the law re-
| garding the selection of jurymen, where
! by the best are not chosen. There is a
| growing tendency on the part of business
| and professional men to shirk jury duty.
| This, Judge Dean said, should be made
as odious skulking in time of war. ITO
| survive the jury system must represent
the conscience and intelligence of the
whole people"
Lieut. John NJ. Ellicott, United States
navy, writes an article for June St. Mich
olas on What Is Told by the Bell" in
which he says: Nothing in a ship be-
| comes so closely Unidentified with her
throughout her whole career as the ships
! bell. Officers and crew come and go;
masts, decks engines and boilers become
| old, and are replaced by new ones; but
| from the day that she first glides into the
water the same ships bell remains always
| part OF her, marking her progress all
| over the world, and finally going down
with her TO a lonely grave at the bottom
\ of the sea, or surviving her as a cherish
| ed souvenir Of her existence aud acieve-
/ ments. on a man-of-war the bell Is US
ually inscribed with her name and the date
OF her launching; and. as il is probable
! that IL may some day become a memento
| OF glorious history, the bell il often the
| subject Of special care IN casting or Sc
| lection. Somtimes the hundreds of work.
men who have built the great ship con-
| tribute each silver coin to be melted and
nodded into bell which shall be the token
Of their love for the object Of their crea-
| ton and their interest IN her future 90