The age-herald., 1900-12-25
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE

had built cities and lived in them he would have learned how to chatter and gossip like his civilized brother. The habit of si- lence grows on people living in the coun- try, and they get as silent as Indians 1T they stay there long enough I noticed this recently when two men from the coun- try were in the office attending to some business They were brothers and their only sister had died about a week before. While waiting them I expressed my sympathy at her death, but neither brother had heard of it. You don't mean to say Sal is dead?' asked one. Certainly I re- piled: she died a week ago. He thought moment and then exclaimed: 'Wael, by gum! This was the only sentiment her death evoked from him. The other brother did not say a word"
 
 Environment no doubt has great ef- feet on character and temperament" said a man who had been listening to the ''by gum" story. "rhere is a great difference, for instance, between people who live on opposite sides of the Potomac river. This is really the dividing line between the north and south, and not only do the peo- pie differ who permanently reside on either SihS1 Dhl lletNCiCIS CidilSt lHSlf and habits as soon as they cross the Po- tomac. I noticed this once in Pullman car porter. We were coming south from New York on a through car that ran to New Orleans. From New York to Wash ington our porter was the most pompous and dignihed fellow I ever saw. I would / have felt much more at ease waiting OH him than allowing him to wait on me- was afraid we were in for an unpleasant trip, as a porter can do much towards the comfort of a traveller. My fears, however, were dlspelled as soon as we left Wash ington. No sooner were We on Virginia soil than the porter made a complete transformation. From a MT. Hyde he be- came a Dr. Jekyll. He was all smiles and was ready to do anything reasonable or unreasonable in the way of opening win dows, bringing pillows and answering bell calls It was literally case of you push the button and the porter does the rest. There was no reason for 1t except crossing the Potomac. The passengers were simi- larly affected. Instead of Gorganisng each other with stony British stares, as they had done between New York and Wash ington, they became sociable and began to chat. The further south they got the more sociable they became, and when got off the train I believe I could safely have asked one of them for match without of- lending him."
 "It is well-known fact" said a lawyer. that woman stands a much bettes chance of being acquitted of a crime than man. Fortunately women do not as q rule take advantage of this condition, which is due largely to the reluctance of men to punish woman and the further fact that their crimes are generally in revenge for some wrong or caused by jealousy. Of course the latter fact is no excuse, but it goes with the jury. I saw a case once where a woman acquitted on the smallest technicality merely because she was a woman. She was accused of sending blackmailing letters through the mail The State made out what every one considered a dead case, and her conviction was thought to be a foregone conclusion. The facts were as follows: For some time these letters were received by various persons always ref1ecting on the character of a cer- tain merchant. The government sent out special detectives who for months were unable to find the slightest clue as to the sender. Finally this woman was suspected and watched. Detectives were placed at she lived and one morning she was seen to leave the house and deposit a letter. As soon as she was out of sight the letter box was opened and inside were found about dozen letters, three of which on top were in the same handwriting addressed to diff ferent persons, one of whom was the hus- ! .f h.. were of the usual blackmaillng character and the woman was arrested. She had to give bond for her appearance at court and several experts testified at the trial that the signature on the bond was in the same handwriting as that of the letters. It is true that other experts testified it was not The judge, however when the evidence at the trial was all in and the arguments cluded instructed the jury that there was no evidence to show that the three letters found on top of the pile in the letter box were actually deposited by the defendant. that the letters she mailed might have fallen to the side of the others, and that therefore they should acquit her, which they promptly did.
 Every one believed the woman guilty, and the letters, by the way, ceased from that time.
 Not even this loophole would have been left for the defendant If the detectives and postal agents had adopted the method used in New York at the time threatening let ters were being sent to Russell Sage. Tn that case for several days a detective was stationed at every letter box in tn dis trict in which the letters were mailed. As soon as a letter was deposited the detec- tive opened the the box and examined it, and If 1t was to any one else it was put in pile held together with rubber band. At last letter to Sage was deposited and the man arrested. The detective in this case was able to testify as to the particular 1t tier, the others all being strapped to- gether.