St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-12-26
General News.
Was at LincOIn's Deat hbed.


in Ford's theatre, died last week at Mt.
Vernon, N. Y. DR.. TAFT was born in
Lyons, N. Y, in 1885. At the outbreak
OF the civil war he enlisted in the medical
corps of the United States army and was
assigned to the staff of Gen. Anger, mill
tary commander ofthe Dist riot of Column
bia. At the close OF the war he remained
in charge of one OF the temporary hospi-
tails established in the city of Washing
ton. On the night Lincoln was assassi-
mated DR.. and Mrs Taft had seats in
the orchestra almost directly under the
Presidents box. He was chatting with
his wife when a pistol shot was heard
and a moment later Booth climbed over
the front of the presidents box and
jumped to the stage. At the same time
a shrek came from the presidents box
and calls for water and a surgeon. DR..
Taft leaped from the top of the orchestra
rail in front of him to the stage. He was
in full uniform. He shouted to the crowd
in the theatre that he was an army sur
geon and dozen men lifted him up to
the presidents box. He found Lincoln
lying on the floor. Assistant Surgeon
Charles A. Leale, U. S. N, was in the
box and the coat and waistcoat of the
president had been cut off in the effort to
find the wound. The presidents carriage
had been ordered for the purpose of re-
moving him to the White House, but DR..
Taft and DR.. Leale countermanded the
order and had Lincoln removed to Peter
sons house, across the street. DR.. Taft
remained at the dying mans bedside
until the end came the following morn
ing. His hand was over the presidents
heart when Lincoln breathed his last.
In all of the pictures of the deathbed
scene the figure of a robust young man
wearing full beard and the uniform OF
an army surgeon is to be seen at the
head of the bed holding the head of the
dying president. 1t is the figure of DR..
Taft.
A MiIliOnaire's Son kidnapped.
A kidnapping which recalls the famous
case Of Charley Ross occurred in Omaha
last week. Edward Cudahy, Jr,, son of
the millionaire pork packer, was kid
mapped on Tuesday evening by two men
who claimed to be officers and recognized
him as boy who had escaped from
reform school. He was conveyed to the
outskirts OF the city and tied to the floor
of an unoccupied room. A note was lett
on the Cudahy lawn, and several hours
later letter was received, portion OF
which follows:
MIR. Cudahy We have kidnapped your
child and demand $3.50 for his safe
return. Ifyou give us the money the
child will be returned as safe as when
you last saw him, but if you refuse we
will put acid in his eyes and blind him,
then we will Immediately kidnap another
| millionaires child that we have spotted
and demand 100000; and we will get
| it, TOR he will see the condition of your
| child and realize the fact that we mean
business, and will not be monkeyed with
or captured. Get the money all in gold,
| FIVE, ten and twenty dollar pieces; put it
in white wheat sack; getiny your buggy
alone on the night OF December 10 at
O'Clock p. M. and drive south from your
| house to Centre ST., turn west in Centre
and drive back to Ruser's Park and toll
low the paved road toward Fremont.
| When you come to a lantern that is
| lighted by the side of the road place the
money by the lantern and Immediately
| turn your horse around and return home.
The letter contained minute directions
for complying with the demand. Mr..
Cudahy decided to accede to the demand
and proceeded exactly as directed. He
found every thing as stated i'll the letter,
lett the money and returned home. The
kidnappers kept faith and few hours
later the boy was set down near his
fathers home. Mr. Cudahy has offered
a reward of $25, 900 for the capture OF
the robbers.
Statistics of Immigration.
Nearly halt million people from other
parts of the world have come into the
United States during the year 1900 seek
ing permanent homes, says Bradstreet's
The details of the immigration during the
ten months ending with October, gather
ed by the immigration Bureau and pub
lished by the Bureau of Statistics, in
dictate that the immigration for the cal
endar year will reach about AGO, 900. o
this number more than 100000 come
from Austria Hungary, another 100, 900
from Italy, and nearly another 100, 900
from Russia, while the United Kingdom
furnishes more than $4,000, OF which
number 10000 are from Ireland. Of thu
100000 immigrants, fully 450, 900 com
from Europe, while but about 1000, o
less than one per cent, come from tn
tropics.
Vassar College PrOspers.
The seth annual catalogue of Vassa
college has Just been issued. 1t record
CT professors, instructors and assistants
and 700 students OF whom 9 are gradu
ate students, 142 are seniors, III ar
juniors, 24S are freshmen and Is are il
special courses. Geographically, tn
undergraduate students are distributed
as follows: New York 253, Massachu
setts 50, New Jersey SO, Pennsylvani
81, Illinois 81, Ohio 80, Michigan sc
Connecticut 20, Missouri 10, Indiana 1a
Maine 12 Kentucky II, New Hampshir
II, Iowa 10, Georgia 6, Delaware s
District of Columbia 5, Wisconsin, 5, Co
orado 5, California 5, Rhode Island 4
Virginia 3, Tennessee 3, Nebraska
Washington 8, Vermont 2, Maryland
North Carolina 2, and South Caroline
Alabama, Texas, Minnesota, Arkansas
: Kansas, Idaho, Canada, Cuba, Syri
and Burma each one. 1t is interestin
further to note that New England is rel
, resented by 11S students, the Unite
States west ofthe Mississippi by 49, an
the south by %.
Funds for Wellesley.
At the close of the Wellesley COLES
l. term for the Christmas recess last We
: nesday Pres. Hazard announced don