The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-04


forts had been made i'm vain and the
carefully laid plans had failed to sink
the vessel where the channel might be
closed.
If any young woman desires to be
more thoroughly aroused over Hobson
and his exploit she should read his ar
tices in the Century Magazine. They
are more exciting than n novel and
stir ones emotions almost as If one
had been close to the perlous under
taking. His language is elegant ana
refined and still there is a certain ner-
vous tension in the swift tale of those
days on sea and in cell that transmits
thrill of reality to the reader and
gives, in fact, Il new sensation. The
young officer has ideas of literary con-
struction and climax that will probably
be recognized in other directions. He
| understands the power in touch of
pathoe and the effectiveness of bit
of humor. Although as a whole he is a
serious sort of a person, which can
| not be considered wonderful since he
| was on a serious errand and about once
day at least during his adventurous
voyage and captivity was in danger
| of having his career cut suddenly and
ulSaSreeaDly snort
There is a manly tenderness in his
| references to Captain Acosta, the chiV-
| alrous young Spaniard who was killed
| in the bombardment of June 6. and the
| portrayal of his hasty appearance and
| disappearance from under the table
| during the shelling of MORO by our
vessels impresses the reader as being
| comical indeed although the writer
seems to tell it seriously enough. His
| apparent indecsion as to whether he
would rather look at the way in which
| his comrades were smashing up the old
| fortress and incidentally be killed, or
| stay under the table where he couldn't
witness proceedings, and live, is to say
| the least very entertaining.
His description of some details bears
a tragic significance which is some
! times grewsome. The ominous word
meaning Death" which greeted his
eyes as he first entered his cell,
| the reflection that the Spaniards had
| deceived their emmy by the pretense
of having him and his crew removed
| to Santiago when instead they were
| left as targets for our gunners, and
|
trickled down into the cell occupied
| by his crew from the room above
where wounded Spaniards lay under
operations, show the strength which he
| throws into the recital.
The chapters in the February num-
| ber, perhaps reveal the secret of the
| phenomenal inclination which seemed
to overtake so many women to
| kiss Hobeon. He distinctly i'm
| presses it upon the public that
he does not use either cigars,
| cigarettes or intoXicants of any kind
and that all these luXuries so kindly
| sent him by Spanish officers We're in
| turned used as courteous tributes to
| other Spanish officers VINO called on
| him. Naturany lie was more kissable
than beery, cigaretty hero, and then
they do say he has such handsome
| eyes.
The only thieves yet caught in con-
nection with any of the numerous
burgarics perpetrated for many weeks
in Scranton have been two or
three small boys, one of whom,
by the way, was kindly brought
to the police station by his moth
| er to save the officials all the
| trouble attendant upon ferrcting him
| out. Once in a while to be sure, we
| catch a thief who is wanted in some
| other place and has run in here for
| refuge. The authorities in the other
| place senG full descriptions of him to
| Scranton and then sometimes we cor
| raj him. But it's very seldom indeed
| that we are the first and original dis
| coVerers of a crook.
This burglary business is getting to
be no joke. 1t is tcrrorizing the Hill
| people with results disastrous to those
with nerves.
The effect on the hOuscmaids is
| growing serious. Some have received
such frights that they have left ex-
cellent places because they are afraid
| to remain whore the houses have been
| repeatedly entered. Others can scarce
| ly be induced to perform their Gus
tomary duties in the chambers after
| dusk, and at least two have been
thrown into commissions of fear by an
imaginary man in the wardrobe. Some
| Of these damsels of more Coura geOus
turn of mind, have appointed them
| selves as sort of amateur detectives.
| This method nearly resulted in a
catastrophe the other night, when a
| girl held UP the master of the house
with a carving knife in one hand and
a revolver In the other as he was
| descending the back stairs 1t appears
that he had returned homo earlier
| than usual because of some social func-
ton that evening and happened tC
start for the kitchen on an errand
1t was dark in the passage way and
if the gentleman had not in his sur
prise and fright yelled Mary, droI
that" in a voice, if not a tone, which
she was accustomed to obey, he be-
lieves that he WOULD have been shot
first and then carved by the determined
young woman.
A young man with an inventive turn
of mind has fixed up a system of cleo
trio bells connecting the dressing table
drawers with an indicator down stairs
There wouldn't be much chance FOR q
thief to get away with any Valuables
| in these receptacles without informing
the family of his presence.
Another man did contrive a sort of
Internal machine which would go of
with inconvenience to the meddler If g
certain drawer was opened. His wife
has been afraid ever since, not only Oi
that bureau, but also of the room itself
and will not enter the door.
There Is one house which, If burg.
lar ever penetrated to the recesses OF
the upper rooms, or, once there, tried
to get out, he would find himself in
difficulties. The son of the family has
arranged a kind of Cuban trocha from
string, small chains and pulleys. The