Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-12
A BOUN DAIRY DISPUTE
Maryland Claims Fifty-Four Square Miles of
West Virginia.
Cumberland CompeIs Tramps to Work
Alleged Wild Man Puxzling
Prison Authorities.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
CUMBERLAND. Nd. July 12-Maryland
expects to gain fifty-four square miles of
territory as the result of the boundary dis
pute with West Virginia now pending be-
fore the supreme court. Attorney General
George r. Gather. who visited the head
waters Of the Potomac and made a per-
sonal investigation to source, is con-
fident of Maryland winning. The Fairfax
stone, it had been believed, marked the
head waters of the Potomac until recently,
when the Maryland surveying party dis
covered a much larger spring with much
larger stream one and one-eighth miles
west of the Fairfax stone. This spring,
1t is contended by Maryland, marks the
Potomac's head waters and the disputed
territory which Maryland claims lies be-
tween the parallel lines run from the Po-
tomac spring and the Fairfax spring, and
embraces a tract of fifty-four square miles
1t Is said that West Virginia does not dis
pute the location seriously, but relies main
ly on her long-continued possession of the
land in dispute Attorney General Gather
contends that Maryland has been shame
fully robbed of territory. The original
grant to Lord Baltimore makes the south
branch of the Potomac the boundary. The
surveyors for both Maryland and West
Virginia will complete their field work this
month, and the matter will be argued be-
fore the supreme court as early as pos
sibe. The suit against West Virginia was
authorized by the legislature of 1890 The
initial point for the boundary to begin.
Maryland contends, is placed at the most
western source or first fountain of the
Potomac.
Tramps Put to Work.
The four tramps that assaulted Conductor
Thomas Gray in South Cumberland, arous-
ing citizens until a disposition to lynch pre-
vailed, were this morning put to work on
the chain gang, each having been sentenced
to thirty days. 1t has been a long time
since tramps were put to work by the city.
They are being required to remove a large
sand bar in the race running through the
city. Each man is manacled.
Alleged Wild Man Still a Puzzle.
The alleged wild man who was put in
Jail several months ago is still a puzzle to
the authorities. When arrested he present
ed a shaggy, bearish appearance. He re-
fuses to speak, and no one knows where
he halls from. He appeared in the suburbs,
having popped up with mushroom sudden
ness. He has been i'll and the Jail authori-
ties had him out in the lot for an airing.
They experienced no little trouble in getting
him back. He crosses himself when the
Angelus rings. and when asked if he wants
priest he will nod affirmatively. The man
will be placed in the county poor house.
Personal and General Notes.
State Senator John j. Cornwell of Rom
ney, W. Va, was on the Portia, which was
wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia and
lost all his belongings. He left here last
Friday on a recreation trip north.
Capt. Nathan C. Evans of Everett, a
prominent factor in southern Pennsylvania
politics and ex-member of the legislature is
dead, aged sixty-five years. He was con-
fined in Andersonville and Libby prisons
during the civil war. He leaves many rela-
tives in and about Cumberland.
Frank Roden, who was sentenced to five
years in the penitentiary and to pay a fine
of $500 by the United States court at Alex
andria, Va, for post office robbery in Vir-
ginia, was professional tramp, who made
visits to Cumberland every year. He was
present at Edward Cooney's saloon the
night Simon Hommer, now serving a life
sentence in the Maryland penitentiary, kill
ed McAllister. Roden had Cooney as wit
ness, claiming to have been in Cumberland
the time of the alleged robbery. Chief of
Police Martin testified as to the character
of Cooney.