The leader., 1898-01-05

An old woman named Mrs. Anna
Fowlery was burned 10 death at Bor-
dentown, n. j., the house and adjoin-
ing property valued at s25, 200 being
consumed.
THE business portion OF Muchaka-
mock, Ia, a mining town near Oska-
loosa, was practically destroyed by fire
on the 30th. The fire started in a res
taurant and the flames burned them
selves out, there being no water to
fight them.
JAMES MCCOY, of Mud Run, w. Va,
forbade his sister-in-law, Miss sham
bin, to go TO school, but she took her
books and started. He followed and
struck her blow with his fist, killing
her instantly.
SECRETARY Lone has submitted to
the house naval committee a draft of a
mony of civilian witnesses before
naval courts-martial without giving
the naval courts undue authority.
THE commissioner of pensions has
been giving some attention to a prop
osition whereby the services of pension
attorneys engaged in the prosecution
of claims before the Office may be dis
pensed with and their work done by
government officials He thinks it
would be a great saving to both PEN
sioners and government
A NEWS agency reported on the 3Oth
| that the British naval reserves were
being modified. This created great
excitement in London, for ii was held
to mean that Great Britain was pre-
pairing for serious trouble in China.
A DISPATCH received at the interior
department on the 30th announced
that the government of the Seminole
nation of Indians had ratified the
agreement recently entered into be-
tween the Dawes Indian commission
and a similar body representing the
Seminoles. The agreement must now
be ratified by congress to become eff
fective.
THE crop bulletins of the department
of agriculture next spring will be CEN
tered more largely upon the collection
and dissemination of exact facts re-
garding crop areas than in guesses on
conditions, thereby reversing the prac-
tice which has prevailed for many
years. The reports will have less dis
turbing influence upon the speculative
markets and will be of a more real
value to the trade and to producers.
EMPRESS, the East Indian python on
exhibition at Boston, was found early
the other morning with litter of
young amounting to nearly 100.
THERE was much excitement the
other day among the people of Brown
county, Tex, over the repor led discov-
cry of a pot of gold, which it was
claimed is only small part of large
fortune that lies buried near the same
spot by a colony of Spaniards who
were afterward massacred by the In
dians.
Mrs. WILLIAM KLIE was burned to
death at st. Louis by her clothes ignit-
ing from the explosion of coal oil
lamp.
THE office of the Texas Independent,
populist paper published at Green
vile, Tex, was destroyed by an incen-
diary fire.
THE business portion of Cantril, Ia,
was destroyed by fire.
A NEGRO domestic named Nellie
Johnson was hacked with a Ratchet so
fearfully at Kansas City, Mo-, on the
night of the Goth that she died few
hours after. The murderer escaped,
but the police were convinced that the
crime was committed by the woman's
husband, a negro teamster.
THE three-year-old child of j. w.
Hodges. of saltwater, Ok, was burned
to death. His clothing caught fire
from Goals in bucket of ashes.
FIFTEEN Indians, convicted of vari-
Gus violations of tribal laws, were pub
licly whipped at the recent term OF
court at Alikchi, l. T.
The plant of the Austin Manufacture
| ing company, makers of agricultural
implements. at Chicago was destroyed
by fire on the night of the Goth and
Frank Sutton, an employee, was caught
| in the flames and burned to death
Loss, 800, 600; covered by insurance.
| H. CLAY EVANS, the commissioner of
pensions, created a sensation by de-
nouncing pension attorneys. He
charges that they are alone to blame
for frauds on the roll of honor.
THE other night fire broke out at
Port au Prince, Hayti, and destroyed
500 houses, including number of ware
houses. About 5000 people were rem
dered homeless.
SECRETARY WILSON, of the depart
ment of agriculture, will try to get
from congress enough money to estab-
lish inspection by microscopists on an
elaborate scale of all butter, fruits and
other farm products going abroad.
THE Arcade building at Detroit,
Mich, burned on the 2Sth and the
structure to the west of it, occupied by
the Detroit Free Press Printing COM
pany, was also nearly ruined. The
loss on the two buildings and contents
will reach $125,00O.
A NEW bridge across the Cimarron
river at Perkins, Ok, was dedicated
recently. The last nail, of solid silver,
was driven by Miss Maud Devaul.
THE business houses in the center of
st. Louis were shaken to their founda-
tions on the 27th by a terrific explosion
of charge of dynamite used in trying
to raise the sunken tug boat Dolphin,
which went down in the Mississippi
during the tornado. The attempt
proved futile.
A NEW order, the enforcement of
which it is believed will expedite the
disposition of pension claims now
pending, has been issued by Commits
sioner Evans, of the pension Office, as
follows: Hereafter claims for in
crease of pension will not be considered
within IL months from the last action
allowance or rejection"
REV. DIR. SHELDON JACKSON sailed
from New York on the 25th for Nor