davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The evening times., 1900-01-27
Capital Punishment.

4 recent bungling execution in Penn
sylvania has aroused another discussion
as to the propriety of hanging criminals.
1t is proposed that an official enquiry
shall now be made in Philadelphia as to
the quickest and surest way of putting a
man to death.
1t is an evidence of the progress which
has taken place during the last hundred
years that such discussions so often
arise and that public concern on the SUBJ
ject is so great. In the eighteenth CEN
tury the man who advocated the painless
punishment of murderers would have been
met with ridicule. Any proposition to
render tolerable the existence Of criminals
condemned to penal servitude would have
been regarded as a dangerous attempt to
encourage crime by removing all restraint
This attitude on the part of the public
finally led to abuses so great that a re-
action had to come, and for the last two
generations there has been steady move
ment toward humanitarian methods in
dealing with crime. We are coming to
recognize the fact that it is not our busi-
ness 10 dNSDRe. Out 10 project, mat no
man has a right to judge another or mete
out punishment to him. except as such
measures are necessary for the welfare
of society.
The old methods used in the punishment
of crime rested on the ideas that atone
ment must be made for wrong-doing:
that the criminal had no rights, having
put himself beyond the pale of justice
by his transgression; that character. once
formed, was practically unalterable. and
that one sin should cause the sinner to
be branded for life. Such theories led, on
the one hand, to methods of education
which kept the young from all contact
with life for fear that they might be
tempted TO do wrong and, on the other
hand, gave no chance to children brought
up under wrong influences, so that class
of criminals was created by heredity and
environment. Having gotten rid of the
atonement idea, and grasped the thought
that human justice is simply an expe-
dent for the protection of humanity, we
are coming gradually 10 adopt more SEN
The evening times., 1900-01-27
THE NATIONS COMMERCE.
4 Treasury Statement of the Imports
and Exports.

The Treasury Bureau OF Statistics has
issued a summary of commerce and IL
nance for the month of December, and
the imports and exports of merchandise.
The total imports OF merchandise for
December. 1899, amounted TO SI0,55S. .65l.
against $50 l39. l39 of the corresponding
month Of the year preceding The imports
for the twelve months ending December,
1899. were valued al $79S.Si5,57l. and for
the corresponding period ending December,
1898. at 1854 ,964, AS. The duties from GUS
toms collected in the month of December.
1899, amounted to $19120, 0,SS4, and for the
twelve months ending with De, ember,
1924. .U77 .l3l, against slS2 Sl0, ,J59, cover
ing the same period of The preceding year,
The largest item of import. and which
also was admitted free of duty. consisted
Of articles in q crude condition which
enter into the various processes Of dones-
tic industry, valued at S20, rs, GS5. The
largest item OF dutiable imports consists
of articles OF food and animals" and is
valued at $40, 1868. The total Imports
free of duty are valued ar $50. 19S 564,
while those dutiable amount 10 $40 $780,.
GS7
The total exports during the month Of
December are valued at S123. .29S 1913. as
against $137 $50, ,594 of the spOading
month for The year 1898. Fer the period
of twelve months. ending December. 1899
the total Of exports amounts to S1.2T5,-
1861. the same amounting to 81, 255, ,546.
266 for the corresponding period OF the
preceding year.
The exports for the month of December
consisted OF products of agriculture. val
ued al 81. 500. .096; manufactures S25, ,652-
053; mining, 1904, ,410; forest. $3.S65. $50;
fisheries, s797, ,957; miscellaneous. s454, OIL.
Gold was imported during December. 1899.
amounting to g., $50, ,246; during the twelve
months ending with December $51. 1.194-
964 as against S15S, l63, $50 of the same pc
riod of the year preceding. During De-
cember gold valued at s11, ,511 was ex-
ported, and during the twelve months end
ing with December. its value of export
amounted to $45. 1874 The same period
of The year 1898 showed gold export of
16,194,954
Silver was imported during the month
of December valued at $3,027,271 the
amount exported was S5,700.914. The sill
yer export for the twelve months ending
with December amounted to $50, ,46I, 7S7:
the same period of the year 1898 showed an
export of s5S.792. 1904. During the twelve
months ending with December silver val
ued at $30.S44,9S1 was imported. while
S29, l31, 300 was the value OF its import dur
ing the corresponding period of the PEE
ceding year.
The evening times., 1900-01-27
BULLER'S CRITICAL SITUATION.

AS yet impenetrable mystery covers the
real situation on the British Tugela line.
but the opinion in London today appears to
! be that the worst of the news has failed to
come or is being withheld by the War
! Office. 1t seems evident that General Bull
| Ter has not yet reported Warren's casual
ties in the Spion Kop affair, and there is
no reason for revising the original general
| opinion that they were fearfully heavy.
What is of more immediate moment is
| the fact Of growing impression that Bull
ler's reverses have not been confined to
Spion Kop, and that his army may be in a
| ticklish situation. 1t was known this
morning that the reconnaissance previ-
| ously reported from Cheveley was con-
| Quoted by the Beers and not by the Brit
ish. Reports from European quarters, ap-
! parently able to get news in advance OF
! London, assert that Joubert's forces have
attacked the British right in the Colenso
| neighborhood, driving it back some dis
| tance. We must accept such story with
reserve, but it may be true. An attack on
the Cheveley end of Buffers line is an
obvious tactical suggestion from the map,
under present conditions as understood
Buffers communications from Estcourt
and Frere would be easily menaced from
Cheveley, and a material loss Of ground
at that point might lead to cutting them
altogether. Now that Joubert has given
his adversary a staggering blow to his
confidence, his force, and the morale of his
army, it will be the Boer commanders
first business to prevent re-enforcements
from coming, if that be feasible, while
he follows up the advantage gained on the
British left.
We should therefore, look for Boer ac-
tivity around Colenso, and a strong effort
TO get in Butler rear. A movement in that
direction would probably have the effect to
relieve the pressure upon the one point OF
danger TO Joubert, which we take to be the
plateau beyond Acton Homes, from which
area the lower Drakensberg passes can
be commanded, and by which line the APP
proaches to Ladysmith are more favorable
TO an attacking force than elsewhere. IL
the European Cheveley story be other than
mere rumor, and Buffers right really hs
been beaten and driven back he will have
his hands full in that direction. and will
hardly bother Joubert on the Ollivier's
Hoek road, for some time TO come at any
rate.
In London the startling admission is
made that the British generals are without
typographical maps of the country be
tween the Tugela River and Ladysmith
It is then no wonder that they march into
one trap after another 10 the defamation of
their IT giments and the contemptuOus nner-
riment of the European professionals. One
is lost in wonder at the amazing ignorance
and criminal imbecility Of the British in
telligence office, with its ample time and
facilities to prepare for a war which the
whole world has known must come ever
since the Jameson Raid. A strict view of
justice in the matter would incline us TO
believe that the officer responsible for the
murderous inefficiency Of that organization
ought to be identified and treated as Ad-
miral Byng was for comparatively triflng
error
The evening times., 1900-01-27
4 Long Island Ghost Yarn,



LONG ISLAND CITY, l.. l., Jan 90-The
other night a white hearse, drawn by four pure
white horses came through side gate of Cal
vary Cemetery just midnight. distant clock
was sounding the hour when the turnout swuS,
through the gate and went down the road at a
lively pace: Two policemen in uniform stood near
the gate and one of them, young man. started
10 follow the turnout. believing for the instant
that something wrong.
Come back! Come back. shouted his COM
psnion, under his breath. Don't you see that il
is a ghustly turnoutY'
The other man laughed at the fear of his com
a MON. but from that time he could not get
'<ne thing out of his mind. The following night,
just at midnight, the Policemen stood on the
same spot and the hearse and four white horses
came out OF the gate at lively rate and went off
down the road just the same on the first night
That settled the two policemen They were
practically unfit for duty and when relieved in
the early morning were glad enough to get back
to the police station on Fourth Street, this city
According to the story being told by the po-
lcemen, the cemetery gate Is always kept closed
and locked at night, but that makes difference
TO the ghostly outfit. 1T glides right through
the closed gate like thick white vapor. and is off
down the road before the startled beholder has a
chance TO get good look at il. The police version
says that there is unseen force that keeps the
spectator rooted TO the spot and that such thing
as following the outfit IS not possible.
The evening times., 1900-01-27
Lynching Record for 1899.



The work Of lynchors. Notwithstanding some in.
stances of special barbarty in Georgia, Louisiana
and Kentucky. has decreased during 1899 being
much smaller than in any year since and including
1885. There were l07 ynched during the year.
The following figures show the number of lynch
ings through series of years: 1885 1874; 1856.
l9s: 1887. 100: 1883, 142; 1889. I76: 1895 I27:
1891, 1872, 1892. 23.5; 1898, 200: 1894 100: 1895
III; 1896, 131; 1897, 166; 1898, 127; 1899, l07
Lynchings occurred only in the following States
Alabama, 6: Arkansas. IL; Florida, 8; Georgia
2S; Kansas, s; North Carolinsr 3; Pennsylvania.
1; South Carolina, L; Tennessee, q; Texas, s; Ken
lucky 3; Louisiana, IS; Mississippi, Il: Missouri
g; Virginia, l.; West Virginia. ] Oklahoma l.
OF these lynchings, l03 occurred in the South
and four in the North. OF the total number
eighty-four negroes and Iwenty-thfee whites
The alleged crimes for which they we-e lynched
were as follows: Murder, As: completely in MUIR
der II; assault, il; bad reputation. 5: arson, G;
race prejudice, S; robbery. s: unknown Offences
4; aiding criminals to escape, 3: suspected arson
i; infammatory language, ]; no offence alleged
/; mistaken identity, /; Highway robbery, 1;
arson and murder, l.
The evening times., 1900-01-27
COFFEE PRICES IN BRAZIL.
Marked Increase Reported From
Rio de JaneirO.

W. L. Lowrie. Vice Consul General
for the United State at Rio de Janeiro,
sends the following report to the State De-
partment:
Il wish TO call attention to the rise in
the price of coffee which has taken place
during the last two months. Within a
few days sales have been made at 10
milreis (s2.1O) an arroba (32.3S pounds)
for No. I. the standard Rio coffee. The
prices prevailing al the end of June, July.
August, and September were 10. 9, 90 and
9S milres (s1.55, s1.46. s1.45, and s1.4D.
respectively, while the sterling value Of
the milrcis at the same time was ap-
proximately I I'D, 1Sd., 7 15-16d.. and
7-16d. AT present the rate is about I'd.
to 1-Sd On October 2. the price ad
vanced to 1912 milreis (s1.4S); on the 9th.
to 1916 milreis (s1.49); and on the 11th. TO
Ii miIreis (s155). October %. the closing
price was IL milreis. From the list to
the z2d of November. the price ranged
from 124' to 13 milreis (s1.74 to S1.S3).
On the 2Sth of the month, the sales were
made at from 14.S to 10 milreis ts2.OS TO
$2.1D.
While the price of coffee has thus ma
terially advanced, the fall in exchange
makes the difference expressed in foreign
money values less than the actual increase
in the amount of milreis would indicate.
1t has been sufficient. however. to create
a decidedly interesting local market.
In this connection. it is worthy of noe
that the shipments of coffee to the United
States from this port during the three
months ending September 80 amounted to
655.501 bags, valued at s4,19S,143, as COM
pared with 476013 bags, valued at So
413.613, for the corresponding period Of
last year
During the month. an English sailing
vessel will take cargo of 10000 bags to
New York. shipped by one firm 1t is
said that this is the largest cargo of
coffee ever carried by sailing vessel out
of the Rio de Janeiro harbor.
shippers complain that it is impossible
to secure vessel room for the coffee al
ready purchased, despite the fact that the
freight rates are so cents and per cent
primage per bag. Every available foot of
room is taken on the regular ships. and
many extra vessels have been pressed into
service
The evening times., 1900-01-27
SATURDAY. JANUARY p, 1900.
The President and MIR. Gage.

The New York World" never particu-
larly friendly to Mr.. Mckinley, is showing
q disposition TO drag him into the mire Of
the Gage scandal in a way that does not
strike us as the least bit fair. The
World" represents the President as re-
sentful of the Senate action in the matter,
and as declaring his personal responsible
ity for Mr. Gage.
Very few people who know and under
stand MIR. Mckinley could be brought 10
believe him capable of such an attitude.
Other considerations aside, he is too intel
ligent and experienced a politician TO jus
tify or excuse his Secretary 5 monumental
blunder in demanding an appropriation
from Congress to pay rent to the Standard
Oil Company for a piece OF Government
property. MIR. Mckinley never would have
permitted that foolishnesS to reach the
Senate il he had known of Cages intention
10 send it in. And he is equally incapable
OF having allowed the obnoxious features
of Cages deals with the Standard Oil Bank.
The exposure of the secrets of that scan
dal must have been as much a surprise and
shock at The White House as anywhere else
In the country.
For these reasons We must conclude
that the World" is wrong in its predic-
tion that the President means to assume
responsibility for the Gage transactions,
and TO insist thar all reference to the
same shall be suppressed in Congress. Mr..
Mckinley is loyal to his friends. and never
fails 10 protect his subordinates as far as
he can with righteousness. He even
strained that point in the case Of Alger,
but ultimately Alger had to go. Gage also
will have 10 go.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

forcement of existing laws and the appli-
cation of penalties TO the very limit.
So long as thugs escape with ease and re-
ceive courteous treatment when they
do happen 10 be captured, Chicago must
expect to be overrun with thieves and
hlacklegs. What the Windy City most
needs is not new and drastic laws with
sensational penalties, but the rigid enforce
ment of statutes and ordinances that seem
to have fallen into disuse. And 10 this
should be added the relentless war Of the
police on the audacious criminals who
infest the community
The evening times., 1900-01-27
POodfes With priyiIe-es
From The Chicago Tribune.J

hAVHi Niit NHlCdgO lrbunp.l
III YOU are only dog aim to 20 in the upper
social circle, Tor by doing you will be sur
rounded by all the comforts of life" such is
the precedent, which, it Is believed. Chuckie
the favorite dog at the Russian Embassy. daily
inStills into the mind Of his family Chuckie is
a French poodle, born in China. whose great
grandfather was a member OF The amba sSador ;
family when he Was duty at Peking Chuckie
mas maltese wife named Cosette and this
lllustrious pair have two fair daughters. One
named Mosquito, born when this insect
was abroad in the land. The Other is called
Cricket. The father and mother Of this group
not much over foot long and the children
greatly undersized. They have the snftest
of white silk coats, Which are brushed every
morning by the maid OF the Young mistress
while once a week they are given bath Their
customary adornments bows Of pink baby
ribbon tied in little knots in their hair They
not subjected to the indignity placed upon
other Washington dogs, they not required
TO muzzes. being well behaved and not
given 10 roaming around unaceoriIlanied In
fact. whenever these CANNES go ont for an airing
they occupy front seat in the carriage When
ever the ambassador and his niece, Miss Cassini
travely these dogs not sighted. but figure
members OF the family, and given apart
ments al the hotels. They accompanied the
ambassador and his suite TO Russia and back
last summer.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

| sible and practical methods of dealing
with crime. We no longer allow public
executions; we do not pander to ignorant
peoples love of sensation by hanging
thieves in chains at the crossroads or
ornamenting our public buildings with
| human heads. We have come to under
stand that this sort of thing does not
trary, by leading the imagination to dwell
on such subjects, il actually helps to
create both crime and insanity.
1t is right, then. that the method of cap
ital punishment should be instantaneous
and painless, so far as possible. 1t is
sometimes claimed that such a punishment
does not deter other criminals from COM
mitting the same crimes. But in the case
of crimes committed under sudden tempta-
ton. il is doubtful if the malefactor ever
thinks of consequences The realization
of his danger only comes to him afterward,
when it is too late. If he is more calcu-
lating and deliberate criminal he hopes
and intends to evade the penalty, and it
is curious fact that in spite of the pro-
verb. Murder will out" there have proba-
bly, been few murderers who have not be-
lieved either that they would not be found
out, or that they would in some manner
escape punishment. And here comes in a
much more important problem than the
mode of execution. The essential thing
in all justice is that it shall be sure. The
most powerful factor in this whole situa-
tion is the laxity of courts, in allowing
men unquestiopably guilty to go free.
There is altogether too much soft-hearted-
ness of that kind. 1t has come to the point
where almost any murderer, by skilIfully
ELECTED testimony, can be proved to have
shown symptoms of insanity. On this
plea he is let off, confined for awhile in
an asylum, and then discharged This
gives a large latitude to any criminal of
even ordinary intelligence. Nobody can
reasonably claim that man with a homi-
cidal mania is any less dangerous when at
large than a sane murderer; in fact, the
latter would be somewhat preferable as
an inmate of ones home. II is extremely
doubtful whether in most cases of what
is called homicidal insanity. the subject
did not know what he was doing II he
did. he is guilty; il he really did not, he
should by no means be allowed TO remain
lily. No family has any more right to de-
mand a privilege OF this kind than to keep
live tiger in their garden.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

II need not surprise anybody if news
should come of general revolution in Chi
ma. All the progressive elements in the
Empire are arrayed against the reactionary
to everything foreign, but who, neverthe-
less. appears just now to be playing the
game of Russia. The deposition and prob
able murder of the weakling Emperor has
enraged Japan. and that nation has many
in the Flowery Kingdom. Other powers
may not interfere in the domestic up
heaval but it would be very different sto-
~ if England were not at the moment tied
hand and loot in South Africa.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

His Excellency the Chinese Minister
scored very handsomely on the outside
harbarians in a speech at a banquet in New
York last night. He said that if we de-
manded an open door in China, we should
not shut ours to Chinese merchants and
other reputable inhabitants of his country.
He also said that in order to extend our
trade in China, We ought to study man.
ners. and learn to extend civlity 10 our
expected customers. Decent treatment
goes a long way in China, observed The
Celestial diplomat
The evening times., 1900-01-27
Women and the News.
CFrom the st. Paul Dispatch. }

Woman no longer ''reads history to understand
politics. The importance of the events of the
past two years in both hemispheres has altered
the interest which the feminine world takes in the
world Today the woman reads the telegraphic
news and knows precisely well as man what
were the events of this morning. She still reads
the social column and the advertisements; we hope
she will continue TO do so, as the world would
experience q most unpleasant oscillation il woman
forsook her own kingdom. But it nevertheless
remains that one out Of every two reads the world
first, and Of the other half the majority
glance at the news second.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

If IL be the intention of the Administra-
tion, as is announced. sooner or later TO
proclaim as banditti the cut-throat bands
of Tagals, now roaming Luzon and robbing
and numbering generally, that action can
not be taken too quickly. A little neck
stretching aided by native hemp would do
a great deal toward restoring order in the
island, and convincing Aguinaldo and his
brigands that their insurrecton is over.
The evening times., 1900-01-27
One KIOndike Miner

(From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune)
George " johnson, young colored man OF
Hannibal, No., left the town some years ago as
poor as a church mouse. He made his stake in
gold mining in California and the Klondike. and
lately returned to his folk a reputed millionaire
Like a good son and friend he was unselfsh in
the extreme. At Christmas he presented his aged
mother with a pretty ive-room cottage, elegantly
furnished, and he has made a number OF other
presents to former friends. Fires were started
and the house was warmed ready for her oecu-
nancy Christmas
The evening times., 1900-01-27
Crafts,
From the Hartford Courant.)

VIUII IIt HdItIUTU CVHI"IIt'J
That champagne which the Rev. W. F. Crafts
saw, with his own eyes carried into the Presi-
dents room at the Capitol last March, and disap-
pearing down the Presidential throat, turns out
to have been an innocent mineral water. Next
time the Rev. Mr. Crafts should either mind his
own business-a course commend TO him or
hold his tongue until he is sure of his facts.
The evening times., 1900-01-27
Trade Policies.
nm the Chicago Times.Herald.l

(Fr0m the Chicago Times HeFald.l
The dominant American sentiment at this time
leans toward larger and freer trade policies. We
are demanding the open door in China. The aeci-
dents of have opened up new and rapidly
expanding markets for American products and
manufactures Our strongest competitor in these
markets will be the nation that stands today foF
free md omen por.s.
The evening times., 1900-01-27

Army discipline in Russia IS remarkably
severe. 4 commissary officer detected in
Irregularities has been deprived of civil
rights, his property cOnfiscated. his rank
and decorations taken from him. and him
self sent to long exile in Siberia. In
this country he would merely have been
given an indefinite leave OF absence on full
pay, with the privilege of wearing the uni
form he had disgraced
The evening times., 1900-01-27

The Senator who probably holds the
record 10 date for the greatest number of
bills introduced and resolutions offered at
this session is Senator Cockrell Of Missouri
The number of bills. joint resolutions. res
olutions and memorials accredited TO him
between December and January 12 is
1873. He has presented reports on sew
enteen bills, and has made remarks on
fifteen bills and resolutions. Among the
members Of the House the honor lies be
tween John c. Bell OF Colorado and Walter
p. Brownlow of Tennessee