Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-11-24
West Virginia Items.

There are 597 inmates of the West
Virginia penitentiary at Moundsville,
more than have ever before been there
at one time.
Mrs. Martha Stephens stabbed and
killed Miss Sallie McClelland the 9TH
er day in Mingo county, this State.
The women had been enemies for some
time, and their bad feeling ended in
the fatal fight.
The new Methodist church at Three
Churches, Hampshire county, was ded-
icated Sunday. Three churches,
standing near each other, gave the
village its name. The church just
dedicated makes the fourth in close
proximity.
Rev. A. c. Blake, formerly ofGlen-
vile, has severed all connection with
orthodoxy and denominationalism,
and will, in the future, do evangelical
work. He is building boat for that
purpose, and will dedicate 1t this
spring and launch it on the waters of
West Virginia.
The football team of the West Vir-
GINA University has made splendid
record this season, winning nine of
the ten games it played. 1t defeated
the crack team of the Virginia Uni
versity, and so becomes champion Of
the South, which honor Virginia held
for thirty years.
In Richie county last Friday two
young sons of Lewis Meyers, who
were searching for stove CRATE in a
corn crib by the aid Of lighted
match, ignited gallon can of kero-
sene oil and terrific explosion fol-
lowed, destroying completely the corn
crib and fatally burning the boys.
Lalge quantities of the burning oil
was thrown upon them, and they were
enveloped in flames when aid reached
them. One of the boys died from the
accident soon afterward, and the other
lad cannot live.
Gov. G. W. Atkinson, who aspires
to a seat in the United States Senate,
has during the past week or two mailed
almost one thousand letters to his
more intimate friends in the various
counties of the State, urging them to
work for him in his race, and asking
them to make an urgent appeal to their
members of the Legislature to vote for
him in the Republican caucus. One
amusing feature Is the fact that the
Governor has sent copies Of the letter
to some of his Democratic friends ask
ing them to use their influence in his
behalf
Elmer E. Bechtol, formerly of
Berkeley Springs, who has been alb
sent from home for six years, writes
his mother from East Grand Forks,
Mimi, that he had been in the Alas
kan gold fields for four years, and
that he and his partner, Rob Doupee,
lost $4,000 in gold dust by the cap
sizing of their boat in coming down
from Dawson to Lindeman. All they
saved was a few hundred dollars
which they had in their pockets.
Becbtol is now working on the North
ern Pacific Railroad, and says he
would not return to Klondike for all
the gold there.
William B. Smallridge, who died
several days ago at Glenville, this
State, carried bullet in his heart for
So years. He was a member of Com
pany E, First Virginia Infantry, in
the Civil War, and in September, 1861,
was shot from ambush. The bullet en-
tered Smallridge's chest, passing
through the left lung into the left ven
tricle of the heart, The regimental
surgeon pronounced the wound fatal
and left the soldier to die. He did
not die, but was sent up the Little Ka-
nawha in skiff to his home, in Glen
vile, where he recovered and has since
lived. On his deathbed Smallridge
asked that an examination Of the
wound be made after his death, DR..
Brown made the examination, and the
bullet was found imbedded in his
heart
The report of Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Blistow, Just is
sued, contains some statistics relating
to the postal service in West Virginia
that are of interest. In this State 26
appointments Of Presidential post
masters were made during the year,
fifteen to fill vacancies caused by re-
moval. The number of fourth-class
appointments in the State was 677, of
which Sc were to fill vacancies caused
by removals. There are now 1925
fourth-class postofices in West Vir-
GINA, of which 2l2 are money order
offices. There are SO Presidential
postofices, making a grand total of
1858 of all classes. The average
yearly compensation Of a West Virgin
ia fourth-class postmaster is $lO8.74.
The gross receipts for the year Of all
West Virginia postofices was $685.
522.09, or 81 cents per capita Of the
States population.
While gang of twenty track hands
,,-nrn OF rrnrl- NO., thn Pnnncrl va Mo