davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Thomas wills Acquitted.

AtSearcy the jury in the case of Thos. Wilks, charged with murder, returned a verdict of not guilty. On September 1s. 1895, Thomas Wilks, then 19 years old, was returning from bapt.zing in com pany with some young ladies. They were in wagon which was driven by MT. Lyon. When near McRae they were overtaken by John McAfee and Albert Clayton, who called to the driver to stop the wagon, saying they intended to take Wilks out and beat him to death. The wagon was not stopped, when Clayton began beating young Wilks over the head with a club. The latter drew revolver and fired at his assailant, but missed him. the ball striking John McAfee, killing him in- stantly. For this offense Wilks was ac- quilted. In the meantime Clayton on several occasions swore he would kill Wilks. One evening while on his way home Clayton was shot from ambush and instantly killed. In 1897 Wilks was indicted.
 At this time Wilks was in Texas, remaining until October, 1898, when he returned to his home at McRae. A few days after his return he was ar rested and put in jail, where he re- mained until his trial.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
New Corporations.

The following new corporations filed articles with the secretary of state last week:
 The Little Rock & Gulf Railroad Company. The stockholders are A. B. Banks, j. c. Pattillo, J. k. Hampton. J. F. Erwin, G. w. Smith, E. A. Acru- man and Chas. Mckee, of Fordyce; Oscar Davis, John E. Jones and w. A. Bright, of Little Rock. The proposed road is to be constructed through the counties of Union, Bradley, Calhoun, Dallas, Cleveland, Grant, Saline and Pulaski, and the estimated length is 12O miles. The proposed line cuts the state line in Union county, through Fordyce to Little Rock.
 Southern Broom Company of Fort Smith. Capital stock is 0,000, all paid in. J. A. Montgomery is president of the company, and Milton P. Boyd sec. retary and treasurer.
 Bell-vernon Company, of Pine Bluff, capital stock 5000, of which $2,575 has been subscribed. The business to be carried on is that of insurance and real estate.
 The Oates Mattress Company, of Lit. tie Rock, capital stock 5000, paid up. The stockholders are John F. Oates, L. G. Polk, Claude Jones, T. H. Simms, IT,, and S. J. Beauchamp.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17

other prisoners He was freely allowed m every part of the ship, and often as- eisted the guards in various ways and even handled their guns and accoutre- ments with innocent familiarity.
 Thus ingratiating himself into their confidence. he readily became conver- sant with the details Of his prison and the methods of the officers, and shrewd- " studied the temper and efficiency of each with view to discovering a way to freedom.
 A score of plans suggested them selves, but the circumstances surround ing him were desperate and forbidding Three soldiers with loaded muskets stood at each end of the ship, and row of them lined the rail on either side. Around the shores of the bay stretched a cordon of pickets, whiie several frig- ates were moored in the river, and bris- tied with shotted cannon ready to bel low away at any moment But for the vast magnitude of these difficulties he would have liberated all the prisoners on the Whitby, over thousand in num- Der. Indeed, one magnificent attemps was made, but failed.
 On dark night the guards were overcome and confined below decks without shot or an outcry; then the anchors were lifted and the ship was al lowed to drift, in the hope that she would run ashore somewhere and af- ford an opportunity fer the Americans to escape. But the rattling of chain in raising the anchors reached the ears of the night officer on one of the frig- ates, and before the Whitby had fairly begun to move a yawl filled with ma rines came alongside, and the under taking was frustrated
 But so enfeebled by rigid confine- | ment and low diet were most of the prisoners that probably many of them would have perished even had they es. capped. They had not endurance to march across the country to their friends. Thus it was plain that any attempt at a general escape would de- | feat itself.
 Finally Beman decided to include a few only of his harbor comrades, and hoped by quietness and swiftness to get off without awaking much oppo- sition. To this end he selected the seven of his companions best fitted for
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17

the attempt, and, rehearsing his plans to them, obtained their hearty support. He had observed that every evening just before the change of guards gal ley came over from British headquar- ters in New York, bringing lieutenant with orders for the night and sometimes letters or wines and delicacies for the officers of the ship. This galley was
 manned by only two oarsmen, who gen. erally, while waiting for the lieuten- ant, came on deck to chat with the guards and prisoners, and left their oars in the small boat.
 Swung above mems heads over the deck of the Whitby, and designed for special emergencies, were other gal leys, each of which, as our plotting cap tive had discovered while clambering innocently about the place, contained oars; these might come into play. And here it should be added that the eight Americans engaged in the plot were all familiar with boats and rowing. All things having been carefully considered, Beman awaited favorable occasion to undertake the perilous ad- venture.
 The chance did not come until one
 rainy and dismal day late in October.
 Fog rendered objects few rods distant quite invisible. The boat from head quarters, delayed by the fog and an un-
 usually strong tide, was late in reach-
 ing the Whitby, and arrived just as the
 guards were changing. The circum-
 stances were favorable-a fact for
 which Abel Beman had been inwardly
 praying all day.
 When the boat touched the ship the
 officer sprang up the side, bearing writ
 ten orders in his hand. Shouting back
 to an oarsman to follow him with a
 basket brought from the city, he hur-
 ried to the cabin.
 Just then the day guard was being
 called away and the night guard told
 of in their plnces. To add to the haste
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17

and confusion of the scene the pris- oners were purposely restless and noisy, surging about the deck as if to keep warm, and shouting in the most boisterous manner.
 Whispering to one of his seven com panions. very tall man, to reach up and get a pair of oars from a galley overhead, Beman, with boyish, good natured smile and a remark to the re- maining oarsman, sprang over the side into the boat. Keeling as if about to fall, he exclaimed, childishly: Here, catch hold of my hand!"
 The boatman, evidently pitying him, sprang forward, seized his hand and gently drew him toward a seat in the stern. But this was fatal mistake for the oarsman, for like flash the little American captain grappled ths bulky Britisher, overturned him, head downward, as if he had been a stick, and plunged him into the river. At the same second the guard posted at the gangway came down head first also, gun and all, hurled by the pris- oners on deck into the water. Then, gliding down like so many swift shad- ows, came the seven grim followers of the daring dwarf, and all except those who were to wield the oars squatted in the bottom of the galley. Beman stood in the stern as steersman to direct their course.
 With the utmost force and order they pulled away with the tide northward into the dense fog. Just as they were vanishing from sight enc of the guard 5 on deck discovered them, and with a cry of Halt, there! Halt" discharged his musket at them. The next moment several guards fired, but with such un- certainty on account of the fog that the fugitives were untouched, although | shots pierced their clothing.
 Now they were concealed in the mist, and all was uproar behind them. Every guard was bawling: Rebels escapedi ! Rebels escaped!" The officers were rushing about, shouting hoarse com- mands to fire, to let down the Whitby's boats and pursue, and to do any num- Der of other absurd things. The two men in the water were calling loudly for help, with nobody to heed them. The prisonerswere cheering with might and main. And as soon as word reached
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
wood Famine in Little Rock.

During the cold weather wood sold in Little Rock all the way from s6 to slO per cord, the poorer classes, being un- able to buy in large lots, having to pay the latter price. The state penitentiary board donated 55 cords to the poor of the city. and while the supply on hand at the penitentiary lasted, the price was not raised, but as no such contin- ued cold weather was ever known be- fore, they were able to supply the de- mand only for short time.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
BRIEF MENTION.

The Arkansas Central Railroad Com. pany has been reorganized.
 Over $6, 900 in property was destroyed by fire in Pine Bluff February 18th.
 Mrs. T. o. Sullivan was accidentally burned to death at Pine Bluff Feb ruary 18th.
 At Pine Bluff Roy Gould accidentally shot and killed Ned Hamilton, young playmate.
 A man named Rutherford was frozen to death near Greensboro during the recent cold snap.
 The thermometer registered IT de- grees below zero at Batesville on the night of February 11th.
 A negro man and negro woman, committed for lunacy. died last Satur- day in the Pine Bluff jail.
 Four persons froze to death within a radius of 20 miles of Paragould during the extreme cold weather.
 Capt William Cullins, a veteran of the Mexican war, died at his home near Batesville Feb. 8, of pneumonia.
 Will Carpenter. a switchman, was crushed to death while making coup ling in the yards at Van Buren.
 A large, seven-room colored school building. at Texarkana was destroyed by fire. All the fixtures were consumed.
 Mrs. Martha Allison, white, living on Bear creek, Searcy county, was burned to death. Her clothing caught fire from an open fire place.
 J. K Brougher, one-legged colored man carrying the mail between Little Rock and Fourche Dam, was frozen to death February 11th.
 Neel Robinson and Will Brown, notor- ious negro criminals who escaped from the Fort Smith jail several weeks ago, were captured in Pine Bluff.
 Silas Jones and his six children were burned to death near Corner Stone, Jefferson county. The house caught fire after the family had gone to sleep
 Near Railing, Sebastian county, An drew Marley shot and killed Elmer E. Clark. Marley was renter from Clark. and the difficulty arose over settle ment between the two men.
 
 w. T. Gilmore was found dead in his harness shop, Little Rock, February l1th. His death was caused from a sudden attack of asthma. He had been in business in Little Rock 25 years.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17

the nearest frigate her guns began to thunder as she swept with grapeshot the surface of river and shore in the direction in which the fugitives had fled.
 But the Americans were too shrewd to continue their flight in the track of tn SC deadly missiles. They knew well that they would be not only fired upon, but pursued as soon as the British could man their boats. So, when the fugitives were fully out of sight in the fog, Beman steered the galley directly across East river to its western shore; and as it was night by this time they turned their course in the opposite di- rection from what their pursuers would take. and silently skirting Manhattan island southward rowed completely around the little city of New York This was an extremely hazardous thing to do. for the course carried them close along the front of the Battery and under the very guns of several big frigates. Now and then they were hailed by sentineIs from land or ship, but Beman, having prepared himself to answer by questioning guards and of- ficers on the Whitby, replied in such a way as to avert all suspicion.
 Within an hour or so the galley struck into North river, and here the tide was running in their favor, for it set north ward in a mighty current. Before morn- ing they were beyond danger, and within a few days had arrived. some a | Washington's headquarters and others at their homes. While their pursuers were searching the stretches of East river and the shores Of the Sound for them, these Yankee rebels were march ing triumphantly onward to enlist again in the struggle for liberty.-La- mar Beaumont, in Youths Companion.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
woodm.n in Bisn,.l Convention.

WO0dmen In Bienial Convention.
 The district head camp, Woodmen of the World, composed of the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, met in biennial session at Little Rock February 14th. The report of the sec- retary showed that there are 500 camps in the district, all in a fiourishing con- dition. New Orleans was selected as the next place of meeting. Officers for the ensuing two years were selected as follows: Head consul, De K. Bradshaw, Little Rock; head advisor, L. D. Sim mons, of Natchez, Miss; head banker, C. c; Curley, Lake Charles, La; head clerk, s. Bumphas, Pine Bluff; head escort, J. w. Rush, Mississippi; head watchman, = Jones, of Jonesboro; head sentry, B. A. Rodrequez, Plaquemine. La. Managers-F. M. Masters, Fort Smith; T. s. Webber, New Orleans; Grosbeck, Baton Rouge; c. J. Burriss, Yazoo City, Miss; w. O. Cock. viclks. burg, Miss.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Found Dead in a Cabin.

John Story, white, a farm laborer, was found dead in cabin few miles from Dumas, where he lived alone. His skull was crushed the right arm broken, and the body bruised in several places It is supposed robbery was the motive of the murderers, as he was not known to have had any enemies.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17


 rand accomplished until he takes his stand next the river, and looking out over the Wallabout, re- calls something of the sad history con- nected with this little bay and the mis- cries suffered by our patriot soldiers during Washington's battles for a na- tion's freedom.
 Here, in October, 1776, was moored a British prison ship, the Whitby, crowd ed with American patriot prisoners, termed rebels by the English. Six months later two other floating jails joined the Whitby, and within year both were burned, one in October, TIT, the other in February, 177s.
 Although no trustworthy record of the facts in the case were kept, hun dreds of feeble and dying men are be- lieved to have perished in these fires. Certain it is that the one in February occurred in the night, when the wealth CT was intensely cold, so that, if efforts were made to save the prisoners. no more than partial success was possible. In April, ITS, the Falmouth, the
 
 Jersey" were anchored in the Walla- bout and filled with captives from the American armies. The severity of their confinement was such that more than H,O0O are believed 10 have died of cold, starvation and malignant diseases.
 The adjacent hillsides, now graded down and included in the city of Brook rnn these brave patriots were hastily piled hto shallow graves and slightly GOV cred with earth. In 1908 a tomb was built to their memory, and a great quantity of their bleached bones were collected and inferred within it, with solemn ceremonies, in the presence of vast throngs of people. Over the door 10 this structure was inscribed:
 Portal to the Tomb of Patriot Pris- oners who died in prison ships during the Revolution"
 II Is not surprising that among such most of liberty-loving prisoners there should have been some who made bold attempts at escape. Not many were successful, yet by fearful risks and
 N~Hi 70 d lcW eiuueu tQelr keepers, reached home and friends, and after d snort rest, again joined the patriot forces in the field. Of these escapes, one ol the boldest was led by young Con- hectlcut captain, Abel Beman, a cousin ol Nathan Beman, of Vermont, the boy Who guided Col. Ethan Allen into Fort licohderoga when he captured it from the British.
 Although Abel Beman was a very small man he seemed 10 condense in his Attle frame the well-known strength anu endurance of his almost gigantic hinsman, which, combined with indom- i,aoie courage and will, was no doubt me reason for his selection as captain III the colonial army. But the qualities oi the man were not on the surface. TOT al 70 he was as beardless and boyish "s lad of 16, and among his friends Was often called Boy Beman."
 by some misfortune of war he and his company were captured and impris- ohed on the Whitby in the Wallabout. aere ne bided his time, and for many ..'oh'hs watched for an opportunity 10 escape. meanwhile he played before the eu~ros the role of harmless, dull. "l''ea fellow, and his large hazel eyes, Face and simple manners gained -of 0im many favors sternly refused to
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Defended Herself.

John Nibler, tough character, was shot and probably fatally wounded by a servant girl at Fort Smith. Nibler went to boarding house where the girl was employed and began to abuse her. When ordered away he began to kick and beat the servant, who grabbed 8 pistol and fired at Nibler as he ran from the house, striking him in the back
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Deserted Babe.

hearing a noise on his front porch one nigh. recently, was surprised, on in- vestigation, to find that some one had left to his care live white infant. He says he will keep the youDgster.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Way Below Zero.

The thermometer at Little Rock on the night of February 11th registered 10 degrees below zero. The Arkansas was froze from bank to bank thick en- ough to sustain wagon and team. Not even ''the oldest inhabitant' could re- member experiencing such cold weather before.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Rough Rider in Trouble.

A man giving the name of Kincaid, who claims to have been one of Roose- velt's rough riders, was arrested in Fort Smith on the charge of being i'm plicated in blowing open a safe at Wis ter, l. T.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
An Unrratefui Wretch.

A negro tramp entered the house of Capt. McMahan, near Camden, under the pretense of wanting something to eat, and, after eating, turned on Mo Mahan and fired two shots at him, hit ting him in the side. However, the wounds inflicted were slight.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Indicted for Murder.

The grand jury at Malvern indicted Hardy and William Sherfeld. charging them with murder in the first degree. They are accused of murdering and burning the body of Mrs. Horne, who mysteriously disappeared from Hot Springs about three months ago.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Child Burned to Death.

The three-year-old daughter of W. II. Miller, of Woodstock, Ala, and the five-year-old son of II. H. Meeks, of Trustville, Ala, were burned to death by their clothing catching fire.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Colored Hermit Found Frozen.

Ben Johnson, a colored hermit 70 years old, was found frozen to death in his cabin, three miles from Van Buren, Ark. during the intense cold weather.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Moonshiners Captured.

Deputy Marshal Johnson and Deputy Collector Akers made an important raid near Amity, Clark county, last week. They captured and destroyed an illicit still, and arrested six men, who were taken to Hot Springs for examina- tiOn
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Found Dead in . pItch.

The body of the negro murdered near Warner, Ark, and for which two colored suspects are in the Jefferson county jail, was found in ditch near that place.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
To the PsnitentIary.

c. c. Moore, former newspaper man of Lexington, Ky. was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary on the charge of sending obscene litera- ture through the mails.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Child Burned to Death.

The five-year-old daughter of Bar nett Graveley, farmer, living north- west of Dallas. Tex, was burned to death while playing around an open grate. Her clothes caught fire.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
ARKANSAS STA1E NEWS.
Little Ro:k & Gulf Railroad Com pany Incorporated Under the
 Laws of the State.
EVENTS OF 1HEweek BRIEFLY cHRoMIclED

The Sherfields Indicted for Murder-Wooi Famine at Little Rock-A Fort smith Servant Girl Defends Herself With . Pistol-Coldest Weather in the History of the Siate-BEief Mention.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17

Attentive to the Ladies. Russian railroad trains have smok. iRS cars for ladies'.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
Under HIs w.ron wh..I..

Aaron Shackelford, while returning to his home at Princeton, Ky, in an intoxicated condition, fell under the wheels of his wagon. His skull was crushed, killing him instantly.
The Forrest City times., 1899-02-17
The vichsburr Park Biii.

The dedication of the Georgia and Kentucky state monuments at Chicka- mauga National park will be set for the afternoon of May 3 and 4. the same week of the spring festival in Chattanooga.
The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1899-04-01

have known husband to
neglect his wife in his pursuit of
pleasure or business, and wheD
finally she died he wrung his
hands over her dead body, called
her his angel wife, said his heart
was broken and his home desolate,
and climaxed it all by having
built over her unconscious body
the finest marble monument in
the graveyard. She asked for
love and he gave her stone.
And I thought as | pondered
over the whole scene that if some
of the loving words he was pour
ing into the dead ear lad been
uttered in life, and if some of the
dollars he had spent on the coffin
had been invested in way to
make life and body easier and less
toilworn, she would have been
the happy-faced wife and mother
of the home circle instead of
sleeping alone under the cedars
and among the white monuments
on the hillside.
What we want is kindness in
life and not in death. It is not
flowers scattered over her coffin
lid that will make a woman
happy, but a bunch of them tied
together in the form of boquet
and given her with the words, 81
love YOU" That makes her
pulses leap, the crimson come
into her cheek, the light come
into her eye, and the warm
happy feeling rush to her head.
We want kindness shown in
life. This IS what our servants
look for; this is what the children
need-they crave to be treated
gently and kindly in life, not
wept over in death. Hearts
everywhere cry, "Treat me low
ingly now" When dead we do
not hear the cries Of affection
around the coffin, or feel the tears
dripping from overlooking eyes
on our faces. Be kind now
Selected.
The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1899-04-01
SHERIFF's SALE

Under and by virtue of three executions is
sued out of and under the seal of the circuit
court in and for Marion county, Fla, dated
september d. ls9s, in three certain causes
wherein Richard McConathy as trustee, ETC.,
Amelia l.. McConathy ct al. and Richard Nc
Conathy. respectively. are plaintiffs, and
Daniel \. Miller Is defendant, have levied on
and will, on
MONDAY, NAY !, 1899,
the same being a legal sales day, and during
the legal hours of sale. offer for sale at the
court house door in Ocala. Florida. and sell TO
the highest and best bidder. for cash. the fol-
lowing real estate and personal property, in
Marion county. Florida. 10 wit: Twenty
six tZ6) feet north and south north side
of lot 4. block IL. old survey of Ocala. included
in and extending across said lot. and ten tlOD
shares of series of the capital stock of the
Ocala Building and Loan Association. each in
the sum of two hundred dollars. at maturity
represented by certificate number 2ii. issued
February Ia. 1897, subject to pledge of said
stock to T. T.. Etheridge.
Sold to satisfy said execution and costs.
PERRY II. NUGEST.
Sheriff Marion County, Fla.