davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

crease its rage and cause it to lash the
sea with some of its arms, while others
were fastened upon the struggling horse.
Finding that he could not force his
horse close enough to be of service to
Miss FIackman, George Judy, a valiant
young rancher, drew his pocketkntfe
and plunged into the sea. Selling the
imperiled girl about the waist, he drew
her on his shoulder and was in the act
of bearing her away when the founder
ing horse turned his head around, drag
ging the octopus so near that it dashed
against his body and caused him TO
stumble. Regaining an attitude of de-
Tense, he found that an arm of the per
sistent devilfish was fastened about the
screaming girls ankle. His knife hap
pened to be a good one, and a single
forcefuI blow sufficed to sever the re-
pulsive member of the monsters body.
Other arms, vibrating with rage like
the tongues Of mad reptiles, shot above
the convulsed waves, and in the midst
of them appeared the head and great
eyes of horror within few feet of the
rescuer'S face One can hardly imagine
a man in a more frightful or perilous
position. All the horrors of a battle
and death beneath the waves as the
devilfish slid along the bottom, with its
victims in its grasp, toward some cav
ern flashed across the brave young
mans mind, and he determined to make
heroic struggle to save himself and
the pretty girl on his shoulders. His
blade flashed, and at every stroke a
tentacle fell, severed, upon the foaming
sea. The monster squirmed and dashed
the water, apparently little affected by
the loss of several of its terrible weap-
ons.
When the boat touched the heroic
young mans side, he was almost ready
to fall from exhaustion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
SEIZED BY a
DEvlLFISH

HERE is a small island lying
ia about two miles off the gulf
coast, near Corpus Christi, in
Texas, that can be reached
when the tide is out by wad-
ing or riding q horse through the shall
low water. 1t is q VentureSOme jour
ney, and one that man seldom makes
without promising himself not to take
the risk again. 1t is easy to maintain
courage when one is near the coast or
the island, but a feeling of loneliness
and utter belplessness overcoInes the
Venturer when the waves roll against
the breast of his horse and the sea gulls
fly about his head. He looks about
over the vast eXpanse of water, and
when he recalls that ships often pass
where he rides and that whales have
been stranded on that same bar and
that porpoises, man eating sharks and
monster devilfish are frequently seen
there he makes an effort to increase
the speed of his horse. Failing TO i'm
press the tired animal, he vainly en-
deavors to prevent his mind from Occu-
ipying itself with heart thumps that
can be heard above the lonesome lap
ping of the waves.
- The island is a beautiful spot. eager
I1y sought by tourists, picnic parties
and tired people who want to enjoy an
bouting. 1t is shaded by forest trees Of
iluxuriant growth, from the boughs of
(which long strands of swaying moss
depend seemingly to add the charm of
gentle unduiation to the surroundings
i'm accord with the ceaseless motion of
the sea. The earth is carpeted with
soft Bermuda grass mingled with flow
lers of every hue. Countless swarms Of
tropical birds fill the air with song,
while the wide beach is thickly StTewn
with curious and beautiful shells.
!, After days enjoyment in this lone
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
THROTTLED
BY a GHOST

downstairs, my wife asked me If L
had heard the noises again. But 1 did
not tell her then what had happened. /
1.-The next night the strange noises
were so loud that the hired man be-
came alarmed and would not stay
there. My wife and 1 left the room
we were in and sat up the rest Of tha
night. First would come loud thump,
thump right under our feet, then over
our heads, then a sound like some
one breathing very hard. That would
come from a corner of the room or the
chimney; then a strange sound. like a
groan, way down in the cellar and the
thump, thump again. Two or three
times loud thumps came on the head
of the bed. There would be a little
lulI, and then tramp, tramp, as If some
one was walking over our heads. We
took lantern and ran down TO the
barn, and from there we could hear
the noises quite plainly.
1.-THE next day we left the house and
went to the village to stay with my sis
ter's husband. They laughed at us,
and so the next night William Ludlow,
my brother-in-law, his wife and Walter,
Ludlow all went up TO the house to
stay. They can tell you what hap
pened.
"The noises began again that night,
and little after midnight our old cat,
which has been in the family for years,
came tearing down the stairs scream
ing and with his fur all sticking the
wrong way and his tail about twice its
natural size. He went right through
the window, and we haven't seen him
since.
well. you can imagine that was a
little too much. We men armed our
selves with sticks and searched the
house from top to bottom, but not a
thing did we find, but the noises kept
up till daylight. When we were eat
ing breakfast the grOans and noises be-
gan again, and all of us just sat and
stared at one another. My brother-in7
law began TO curse. and just then u
saw the same horrible thing l had seen
before standing in dark corner near
the chimney. | can't tell you how II
felt, but it had such an effect on me
that l fell TO the floor in faint"
None of the witnesses to the strange
doings would admit that it was posi-
bic for any person to have been about
the house engineering Il ghost farce
They all searched the house and were
confident no one was inside or near the
house. Hill had all his chattels moved
out of the place and cannot be induced
to go near it again.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

; Sallings was raised on the coast, and,
being familiar with the deniZens of the
sea, he no sooner saw the Shiny suck
er than he recognized it as Il part of 4
monster devilfish. While making an
effort to get closer to the frightened
girl the terrorized horse made a power
full struggle to shake his 'assailant loose,
and, throwing himself upon his haunch-
es, he reared up, dragging a portion
of the body and its tangled mass of
long arms out of the water.
AN octopus, a devilfish.' shouted n
dozen voices as those on horseback
crowded to the rescue of their compan-
ion. Miss Flackman proved to be at
home in the saddle or she would have
been thrown from the back of the fren-
zied horse. She drew herself up into
the saddle and called TO one of her
friends to come and take her on his
horse. The horses scented danger, and,
though the boys were lashing them
with fury and driving their spurs into
their TANKS, they refused to approach
their struggling comrade. Only a few
seconds had passed since the attack
was made, but the water was churned
to foam and colored with blood that
was streaming from the nose and mouth
of the horse. 1t looked as if Il dozen
long. Shiny reptiles were fastened about
the head of the furious animal. The
boys in the boat pushed the bow of
their little craft close to the devilfish,
and one of them began TO strike it with
an oar, while another made battle with
Il boathoOk. The enraGed monster sud
a tangled mass of long suckers and
emitting an inky fluid that cClored the
waters of the sea. Revolvers and guns
were quickly brought into action, and
the boys rained lead into the quivering
mass of living deviltry, which seemed
to. have no further effect than to in
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

THE TORTURE OF CALIFORNIA DAN RYAN
Yaquis desired his death more than
/ that of any other man excepting Gen
eral Lorenzo Torres.
| Last month General Luis Torres re-
ceived from his brother Lorenzo tel
/ egram asking for scouts. The dispatch
was regarded as urgent, and California
Dan" and George w. Wilson, another
! American, were sent to join Lorenzo at
/ Bacum.
! When the scouts had made n turn in
the road that hid them from the escort,
they were set upon suddenly by Il band
of Yaquis, and before they could utter
a cry they were beaten over their heads
by clubs in the hands Of the YaQuis
until they We're unconscious.
After being gagged and bound to their
horses they were taken by their captOrs
to the Yaqui camp at OntejuatO, where
they were tried by the Yaqui council of
| war.
California Dan" was condemned to
death. Wilson was acquitted in order
| that he might tell the MeXicans what
had happened to California Dan" VIII
son was warned to leave Mexico.
At the execution grounds, in the pres
/ ence OF wilson, the AaqUlS Win uull
saws cut off the feet OF California
Dam just above the ankles.
| After this they unbound him and told
him to go back to Lorenzo Torres for
duty.
BY goading him they compelled him
to walk beyond the intrenchments of
OntejuatO.
In the bush, about 100 yards beyond
the intrenchments, he fell and expired
in great agony.
Next morning the Yaquis took the
body of California Dam and bore it to
the roadside There they suspended it
by the neck from tree.
At this spot they released Wilson and
told him to send Mexicans to cut down
the body of their friend and give it
decent burial.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

ly retreat a small party of young peo-
pile who reside in the vicinity of Cor
lpus Christi were preparing to return
to their homes when Miss Fanny
fF'lackman, a pretty girl who enjoys
riding on horseback, concluded that it
would be great fun to exchange her
seat in the boat with one of the young
men who had ridden a pony to the is
land No one apprehended danger, as
the sea was calm, and the young wom-
an would have an escort of five or six
well mounted young men at her side,
and the party in the boat had promised
ito closely accompany her during the
voyage.
Danger came in a way that had not
entered their minds, and the pretty
girl, after enduring terrors that would
have paralyZed a less courag eous NOR
tai, narrowly escaped Il horrible death.
While they were slowly journeying
through the water, laughing and sing
ing, Miss Flackman's horse suddenly
threw up his head, staggering and
snoring as if frightened and hurt. The
young woman jerked the reins and
Struck the animal a sharp blow with
kher whip. He made powerful lunge
forward, believing like a wild mus
tang. and as he made an attempt to
rear up for another plunge two long,
ssnaky looking arms shot out of the wa
ter by the side of his head. Realizing
that some monster had attacked her
horse. Miss FIackman screamed with
terror, calling loudly for help.
John SalIings urged his horse speed
iIy forward, thrusting out his hand
with the intention of Selling the reins
near the head of the struggling animal.
EAnother long sucker darted upward
Iand fastened itself in one of the rings
sof the bride bit or perhaps against the
nose of the horse.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
NOT TO RIVAL LAND WIRES.
MarcOni Says His System, Is to Be an
Aid to Existing Lines.

MarcOni Says His System Is to Be an
Aid to Existing Lines.
At this moment, when wireless teleg-
raphy appears to be upon the threshold
of practical commercial success, Signor
AIarconi makes a most important state
ment, says special dispatch from
Glaze Bay, C. B., to the Philadelphia
Press. He said in answer to a ques-
ton the other night:
NO / do not think our system Will
be serious rival to either ocean or
land telegraphy. 1 would say that it
would eventually become an auxiliary
to it and that the successful transac-
ton of business over the sea will tend
to stimulate cable business under the
sea. 1t is possible that the fact of our
system being cheaper may initiate to
some extent against the other, though
I do not think it viii to any great 81
gree. This is a matter for the future
and will depend wholly upon the sue
cess of our system. In Canada we
work in conjunction with the Dominion
government, making use of their land
wires.''
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
WRESTLING POSTAL. CARDS.
German Novelty Caused n HUNT For
Birds In Mail Bags.

The whistling postal card in the for
eign mail department of the general
postoffice at New York was much in
evidence the other morning when the
mail that came over in the Cuuarder
Campania was opened, says the New
York Times. There were hundreds of
the whistling variety in the mail, and
for probably an hour the uninitiated
postal clerks were busy trying to find
canary birds, jay birds and in several
cases crying babies that the sounds
that filled the room led them to believe
had crossed the Atlantic in mail bags.
The cards come from Germany and
are about the same size as the regula-
ton American cards. Where the mes
sage is to be written there are the pic
lures of two birds, one bird flying to
the east and the other to. the west.
Between the birds. the whistle, which
is very small affair. is ingeniously
inserted and emits it's sound when the
card is grasped.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

THE MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOh.
to him as his wife. To this method of
marriage she was perfectly agreed.
Mrs McLane corroborated the Nor
mon, and the magistrate dismissed the
case for what he considered cause.
Pratt after being discharged got a
horse and rode out OF town. He was
followed by AIcLane, who caught up
with him, killed him and then cut his
heart out, saying that only with the
hearts blood of the destroyer of his
home could there be compensation.
when the Mormons learned of the
manner in which Pratt had been dis
posed of, they swore vengeance on Ar
kansas, and there is NJ doubt that the
leaders We're appraised of the fact that
there was to be an emigrant train TO
go overland toward California and that
they waylaid it and butchered those
composing it. There were only two
escaped that killing, and they were
babes. One of them, now an old man,
is living in Arkansas somewhere.
You know that the .Normons claim
that the Indians were at fault, but that
massacre was committed by Mormons
dressed as Indians. There may have
been some renegade Indians in the
party, but the Morrnons were the in
stigators and personally took part in
the butchery. 1 have never seen the
explanation of the massacre In print,
though l have read everything pertain
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

I
! ARM.
! les" he said when he began his story.
| Il was married few months ago and
! took this place. the Sanders farm, on
! shares l knew it was very old house
and in a very lonely spot, but l never
| let that bother me until 1 moved in, and
| then we began to hear strange sounds
! all over the house"
| Just. here it should be explained that
! the house is the very spot one would pick
| out as the habitation of COLLINS. 1t is
located in a most dcsolate spot, on an
unfrequented road and surrounded by
| forests and barren fields.
All this would not he sufficient to
arouse suspicion, for there are scores OF
such old houses in this locality, but
since the alarming ghost story has set
the community a-talking the old men
there recall a strange tale that was told
to them by their grandfatherS. 1t is
the story of n Frenchman named Der
jeron, who lived in the house probably
in the early part of the eighteenth cen
| fury.
These old tales, which were forgot
ten almost a century ago and probably
never would have been recalled had it
not been for the modern ghost. related
that the Frenchman was 4 retired buc-
cancer who lived in the old house
alone and was said to have taken in
many unknown travellers who were
never seen to go away. One of these
stories is told of Il foreigner-a young
and apparently very wealthy man
who journeyed thither through the for
| ests long before the Revolution with
horses and a servant and inquired the
way to the home of Berjeron. No one
ever saw him after that.
about a month ago said Hill,
Cook. my hired man. began to talk
about the strange noises. He finally
refused to sleep again in one of the
rooms upstairs. because. he said, some
body walked about his bed nights. and
he was frequently awakened by sud
den shake of the bed, as if some one
was trying to waken him. L paid lit
tie attention to this. but my wife and
l heard the noises and could not sleep
well
zone morning something happened
that seems almost too absurd to tell,
but if you had passed through it you
would not laugh. 1 was going to get
up early and had my wife set the alarm
clock for 3 o'clock. She went down into
the kitchen, and 1 turned over to take
another nap. But before / fell asleep
1 heard some one coming toward the
bed and thought it was my wife COM
ing with a cup of water to throw in my
face as a joke. l looked up, and there,
coming from the Corner of the room,
was the most horrible looking object
ever saw. At first it was very dim.
Then suddenly it seemed to spring TO
the side of the bed and grab me by the
left arm. l sprang back, and the OBJ
ject disappeared absolutely, but there
was fearful pain in my arm In an
instant the object was there again 1t
was as large as two men and had a
thin. bony face. 1t had the strangest
looking covering over it 1 ever dreamed
OF. Again It disappeared, and / sank
back into the bed dazed. Wien l vent
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

ty. He had previously scanned the
veIdt east, west, north and south, and
he was quite sure that, save only
his already doomed victim and him
self. there was no one within sight OF
hearing.
But he had forgotten the range OF
the modern field telescope.
From a distant kOpje solitary We
dette saw through his telltale glass ev-
cry detail of the tragedy-saw and, I'M
perceived, crept up near enough to
where the murderer was rifiing the
pockets of his victim to be able at a
later date to swear to his identity.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
Heroic Devotion OF
An Indian Woman

Nellie Hennius, an Indian woman
of the Squamish mission, Vancouver.
has just been awarded the medal of
the Royal Humane society by the
mayor of Vancouver.
Nellie Hennius, with her husband,
Chief Harry, their three children and
another woman, Kathleen, was going
from Squamish mission to the north
arm OF Buzzard inlet ON Nov. 30. 1901.
in sailing canoe. \ sudden squall
upset the craft. Nellie's husband. who
had ON a cartridge belt and heavy rub
Der boots, sank at once. The other
woman soon followed.
On the first sign of danger Nellie,
the Indian mother, had grasped her
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
snuerIzrnui For Soldiers.

Fashion in foods change with sol
diers as much as with home keeping
civilians. When our troops were first
in the Philippines, the soldiers wanted
candy, especially chocolate creams,
and tons of the. stuff were shipped
away. Now the soldiers are asking for
sauerkraut, and the government, which
always wants TO crafty their taste
when it is possible. is sending over
great quantities of picked cabbage.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

in the interior, nor could she then swim
so much as a single stroke. Yet still,
endowed by some Superhuman power,
she remained in those icy waters for
nearly an hour. supporting her chill
dren and bravely struggling to reach
the shore. She kept the heads of all
above the water line, and it was from
exposure that they subsequently died,
and not from drowning.
The tide, which was running in at
the time. kept carrying her farther
away from the shore, in spite Of her
struggles to reach it, and her fate, as
well as the fate of the little ones.
would have been sealed had not the Ii
tie son of Mr.. Philips, a rancher dwell
ing on the shore some little distance
away, noticed the disappearance of the
saiIboat and the remaining speck OF
the water and directed his fathers at
tention to the circumstance.
Some delay was caused in launching
the boat to rescue the struggling wom-
an by the state of the tide. which was
then very low, so that it was fully an
hour before the perishing, but heroic.
woman was rescued. still clasping her
three precious children, the youngest
some minutes dead
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

of the very few
who since the
declaration of
peace have been
visited with the
deathpenaltyf for
acts committed
during the war.
No one will de-
ny, however, that
this richly de-
served his fate.
Pretending that
he desired to
surrender, he de-
coyed a British
officer to within
fifty yards or SO
of where he was
sitting and then
suddenly snatch
ed up a rife from
the long grass at,
his feet and shot
him dead.
The perpetrat-
or of this muir
der doubtless i'm
agined that he
could do as he
did with impuni-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
Tortured TO DsaGt1
By Yaqui indians

The recent death by torture of Cali
fornia Dam Ryan at the hands of the
4aqui Indians in the state of Sonora,
Mexico, is but another chapter in the
bloody war which for years has ragged
between Indians and Mexican troops.
California Dan" was an Arizona cow
boy who had been made chief of scouts
by the Mexican General Torres. Owing
to the success of the chief of scouts the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
North and south,

North Americana am Daughter of
the Revolution. suppose you do not
have anything of that kind in your
country.
South American-Oh, yes; but the
revolutions are so common in our coun-
try it is considered vulgar to have any
connection with them.-Boston Even
ing Transcript.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
verx Strange

eyes, We're engaged said Mr.. Sopht.
81 recall very wildly now that the first
night 1 met her l dreamed of kissing
her. Strange, wasn't it,"
Yes" replied Miss Snappe; Il should
think that would be the last thing you'd
dream qf.'-Philadelphia Press.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

Germany has been experimenting
with the American system of checking
baggage and likes it so well that it is
to be more generally used on the rail-
WAYS. Under the old German system
every man had to look after and iden-
tify his own baggage.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
Quotations.

In the window of the butcher shop
hung half a dozen dressed rabbits
Dobbins (sticking his head in at the
door)-What are you paying for cats
now?
Butcher without looking up from the
package he was addressing)-Oh, about
steen cents pur.-Kansas City Journal.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
New Discovery of diamonds.

A diamond discovery which is prob
ably the most important since that at
Kimberley has been made at Glands
fontein. says special dispatch TO the
Chicago Tribune. Seven diamonds were
found in three shallow holes.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

The horse Shook the suckers loose
from his nose, and as Miss Flackman
and her valiant rescuer were assisted
into the boat they saw the fragments
Of the octopus, still quivering with COM
bativeness, slowly sinking about the
aideouS head and body.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

ing to it that has ever been printed,
and you may set it down as fact that
the Mountain Meadow massacre was
the Mormon retaliation for the killing
and mutilation of Bishop Farley Pratt
by McLane at Van Buren,. as I have
stated"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03

-FOUR = months OH
baby in h e I
teeth by its cloth
ing and, COM
handing the 9th
err children to
cling each to one
of her shoulders,
she started to
climb the mast
as the canoe
81 O ly S Il IL k.
Soon the mast
disappeared be-
meath the wa
tiers, which are
at this poin t
over 300 feet
deep. and the
woman was left
absolutely un-
supported in the
water w / I Ii Il
child on either
shoulder and the
garments of her
b Il b V firm !
clutched in her
strong teeth.
She nad never
learned to swim.
having been born
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-03
Soldiers Perffdy
Punished by Death

There was executed in the Transvaal
a month ago surrendered BOer, one