davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
DATE SET FOR TRIAL.
Policeman to Have Hearing In Con-
nectiou With Alleged Scandal.

Policeman Joseph L. elliott of the second
precinct whose name has been prominent
ly mentioned in connection with the al
legged police scandal, is to be given triai
tomorrow afternoon. He was to have been
tried this afternoon but Attorney D. w.
Baker representing the policeman, called
on the authorities and was granted post
ponement. Major Sylvester was opposed
to granting a postponement, but counsei
consulted Commissioner West, who thought
delay of a day would not interfere with
the ends of justice. 1t is alleged that the
accused officer made representations that
he had influence and could procure appoint
ments the police and fire departments
for a money consideration. Major Syi-
vester already has statements of several
parties connected with the case, and, 1t is
stated, they do not tally. 1t is the lnten-
ton of Major Sylvester to have the case
heard before the trial board, and he will
then review the testimony and recommend
to the District Commissioners what action
they should take. 1t is thought that there
may be some testimony given at the trial
which will suggest witnesses showing that
the practice of charging fees for positions
on the police force has been INDUCED in by
some people not directly connected with the
force.
Since the investigation was commenced,
as exclusively stated in The Star at the
time, a number of rumors have been clrcu-
lated to show that the practlce mas peeH
INDUCED in. 1t is known that some of the
persons implicated by the rumors have
taken an active interest in behalf of candi-
dates for positions under the District gov
eminent. Should their names be mentioned
at tomorrows investigation the District
Commissioners will probably order a gen.
eral investigation of the questicEa Should
such an investigation be had the result will
be of interest to the Commissioners, as, it is
alleged, some person persons connected
with the District government may be shown
to have been in the Influence business
1t is stated that the police have been in
formed of several instances in which per-
sons have given up sums of money in con-
nection with government positions, and wit
nesses in these cases will be called upon to
give testimony
The question of persons giving up money
on this account is not a one to the
police officials. Major Sylvester gave the
question some consideration after he was
made superintendent of the police force and
inserted in the applications a provision
bearing on the subject. The provision is
in the form of a question, and reads as fol-
lows:
Have you ever paid promised to pay
any money, or other consideration, to any
person. directly or indirectly, for any rec
ommendation, service or influence, given or
promised, toward procuring your appoint
ment?"
For a number of months this has been
the first question put to applicants, and the
answer has always been in the negative.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
A LINCOLN PARDON.
Commissioner Wares Interesting Relic
of the Civil War.

From the Kansas City Journal.
United States Pension Commissioner Il.
F. Ware, Who is in Topeka, brought with
him an interesting relic of Abraham Lin
coin and the civil war. 1t is in the form
of pardon issued by President Lincoln to
one David Levy, deserter from the fed
eral army, and the story Of 1t goes as fol-
lows:
In the summer of 1864 David Levy, a
private soldier, was sent to one of the
army hospitals while suffering from some
small ailment, which, however, was suffl.
cient to incapacitate him for duty. One
day he disappeared from the hospital. 1t
was found later that he had deserted and
gone home, his later explanation being that
he thought he could recover his health
quicker if he was among his own people.
In due time he was unprecedented by the
military authorities and returned to the
front, going by way of Washington.
While in Washington under guard and
awaiting trial for desertion he managed to
bring his case to the attention of President
Lincoln. The President sent for him. heard
his story, and closed the incident by giving
him pardon. and from here the story
skips some thrty-eight years.
In December last the pension department
received an application for pension from
David Levy. In looking up the records in
the adjutant generals Office it dis
covered that David Levy was carried with
the word "deSerter opposite his name.
He was informed by the pension officials
that pensions were not for deserters. He
replied that 1t was true that he had been
a deserter. but that he had been pardoned
by the President and had served faithfully
until the end of the war. The pension au-
thorities answered in turn that if he had a
pardon he must produce it, as the records
bore no evidence of the existence of such
a document. And thereupon Levy sent the
pardon, just. as written by the President,
together with the statement that he had
kept it safe all these years.
The pardon is written on a bit of paste
board about the size of an ordinary visiting
card The writing, though dimmed by age
is clearly legible, and would be recognized
at once by those familiar with the angular
hand of the martyred President. There is
no circumlocution or legal verbiage about
it. 1t goes straight to the point, as fol-
lows:
IF David Levy shall enlist and serve
faithfully Cor year, or until otherwise
for the past.
January -, 1866. A. LINCOLN"
1t viii be observed that technically con-
sidered this is not pardon but only the
promise of a pardon. However, David Levy
was able to show that he had faithfully
carried out the conditions fixed by the
President, and the pension department cor
rected the records and granted him a pen
sion.
The matter was brought to the personal
attention of Mr. Ware for decision. He
became much interested in the case and
when the pension has been granted he
wrote to Levy asking him if he could be
induced to part with the Lincoln document.
Levy answered that he would sell il for
So, and it was purchased by Mr.. Ware at
the price named
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
THE AMERICAN OSTRICH
He's Doing a Good Business in Feath-
ers and is Breeding Rapidly.
From Town and Country.


recent shipment of forty ostricbes to
Nice, on the borders of Italy and France
from California, directs attention to this
growing California. industry-the culture
of the African ostrich in America. Just
about fifteen years have elapsed since the
American ostrich farmers gave their first
serious attention to this subject. Now the
ostrich industry is we'll established in the
United States. some 500 birds existing in the
country and these will doubtless form the
nucleus of that immense number that will
one day cover the mesas of southern Cali
fornia, the meadows of Arizona the vast
plateaus of Texas and the everglades of
Florida, as their kind do the African yeldt
today.
The ostrich has come to stay he costs
little to keep-not more than the ordinary
Sheppard yields an annual value of $50
to the proprietor One man can take care
of 100 ostriches. The creature is hardy and
of a careless appetite. The average in
crease to the stock is between fifteen and
twenty ostriches to a pair. Some have
been known to produce as many as thirty
seven In a year. The birds are kept in
pens in California, and a source of reve-
nue. has been found In exhibiting them to
many tourists who are attracted there In
cubators showing the various stages Of
ostrich life are also on view A growth
from the size of a duck to a height of six
feet is question of only six months.
When the birds are year old their featl-
ers are ready for the market The CROP
ping is accomplished by covering the os-
trich's head with hood and plying a pair
of shears. This process takes place every
eight months The feathers the large
side wings are cut off near the roots, and
the smaller feathers on the tail are pulled
out without injury to the bird for on the
care now bestowed depends the future
health of the coming feather. In the course
of three weeks the stems left start to fall
out and new feather begins to grow
which in due time is taken off for the ben
eft of the ostrich farmer. The feathers are
turers of New York. who make them up
in the beautiful articles of dress so dear
to the hearts of those who wear them.
When the American woman can buy only
the ostrich feathers of the American os-
trich the most sangune hopes of Edwin
Cawston, the pioneer California ostrich
farmer, will have been realized. Two mil
lion dollars each year will then remain in
the country instead of going to London.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
A FIREPROOF CITY.
Buenos Ayres Has Never Had a Life
Lost in Blaze.

From Chambers Journal.
The annual fire bill of the united king
dom may be taken at f20,O00O00, that of
the United States at EDS, 100000. There are
besides the fire insurance annual bill and
the bill for the fire stations, with their
costly sites and buildings. the fire engines,
the other. machinery and the horses. All
this outlay keeps us poor.
But the loss of life is worse, and it is
easy to build fireproof-or better, incom-
buStible-houSeS, such as in the River Plata
countries and probably in Bethlehem and
Nazareth. The manner is as follows: In
these countries they neither use the arch
iron, but hardwood which, having mostly
to come a thousand miles down the river,
is dear. So all the floors and the roof,
which is fat are supported by JolStS shaped
as in this country, and across them are laid
rails of the same hardwood, about a foot
apart, upon which rests the ends on thin
bricks, on which another layer of bricks
sometimes two is laid in mortar and on
this tiles. Then there is no skirting or
paneling. In Britain cement should be
used for that purpose, and there should be
no boxing of doors and windows, the
frames being built in securely. The doors
are also of hardwood In that fine eli
mate no lath or plaster is ever used. In
this country the laths should be of iron,
and If molding is wanted around the doors
it could be of cement instead of dangerous,
infiammable wood In such houses a bon
fire made by piling a lot of sticks and shaw
ings on the best bed in the best bed room
and setting fire to it would not set the
house on fire. The writer has for sixty
four years lived in or been connected with
the great city of Buenos Ayres, the capt.
tai of the Argentine Republic. and the lar
gest city in the southern hemisphere, with
$50 900 inhabitants, and never heard of
life being lost by fire, but there are fires
in grocers' shops and such like places Lat
terly as pine from the United States is
now abundant, some builders have used it
partially in buildings In the capt.
tai, and such are not quite fireproof. but 1t
is a bad practice In Britain as roofs must
slope because of the snow and fiat roofs
would not do, the states should be fixed in
some way to iron strips. This might be a
little troublesome at first, but our skaters
and smiths would soon find out the way.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
REV. WILLIAMS PLEA.
Deposed Minister Criticises Ecclesi-
astical Court.

Rev Gilbert Fearing Williams, former
rector of Christ Protestant Episcopal
Church in this city, who was deposed from
the ministry in that denomination in March,
1898. upon the verdict of an ecclesiastical
court which found him guilty of immoral
conduct, today before a body of local
clergymen and laymen of the Episcopai
Church made an extended statement OF
what he termed 1.-The disgraceful conduct
which transpired in the so-called church
court" before which he was tried. The
meeting was held in room in the Masonic
Temple building and there We're present
twenty-five churchmen, besides several
newspaper reporters. The delivery of the
statement occupied about an hour and
half. The minister severely criticised
Bishop Henry Y. Satterlee of the Washing
ton diocese. Mr. l.. Allison Wilmer, the
church advocate in the trial, and several
members of the court which heard the case.
The statement smacked somewhat of the
sensational. Mr.. Williams charging that
gross injustice had been done him. His
words were listened to with the closest
attention by the gathering. and no pro-
test was made by any of the audience
against any of his declarations or state
ments At the close of Mr.. Williams re-
marks several persons present spoke brief
ly In a strain denoting their sympathy with
the deposed minister and his cause.
1t had been expected by some that Mr..
Williams would be vituperative in his at
tack, but those expectations were disap-
pointed. He spoke, a rule, coolly and
deliberately but at times with some heat
and with strong feeling. He reiterated time
and again that he regretted to be obliged
to mention incidents derogatory to the
members of the court and other high dig
nitaries of the church in this diocese. and
at times he INDUCED in cutting sarcasm
List of Those Present.
Among those present at the meeting
were: Rev. DIR. Thomas Scott Bacon of
Frederick, Md. Mr.. Richards, Mr.. w. II.
Singleton, Mr.. f. N. Waters. Rev David
Barr Lev. ]. Il. Williams of ST. Andrew S
parish. Rev James w. Clark of st. James.
Rev. w. X. Turner of st. Michael and All
Angels, Rev. Charles f. Sontag of Grace
Church, a member of the court, who DIS
scented from the verdict of guilty: Rev.
George +. Dudley of ST. Stephens, Mr..
Watson Carr. Rev. DR.. Henry Baum Rev.
John Douglass of Martinsburg, w. Va, and
others.
In stating the purpose of the meeting
Mr.. Williams said it was Ito show that the
trial was a violation of the canons of the
church. violation of the rules of evidence
of the District of Columbia, by which the
court announced at It's opening that 1t
would be governed; violation of justice,
and in reality a violation of the express
teachings of the Scriptures from Moses
down to the apostles"
In his Introductory remarks Mr. Williams
said he had invited only about twenty-five
or thirty persons to attend the meeting.
and from several of those not present he
had received either verbal or written eX-
cuses for their absence.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND.
Property in Northwest Section Made
Ready for Use.

Commissioner Macfarland has informed
Mr.. Cuno II. RUDOLPH the chairman of the
public playground committee. that the mu-
nicipal authorities have been informed by
the intendent of the Washington Asylum
that he has completed the work of putting
in suitable condition for use as a childrens
playground the property at the corner of
New York avenue LIST and n streets north
west. the use of which has been granted
for the purpose by Mr.. Allison Nailor jr
1t Is the desire of Commissioner West
that simple apparatus may be built there
at an early date. and that such things as
parallel bars, horizontal bars, swings and
ball ground may be instituted for the
use of the youngsters.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
STILL A MYSTERY.
Person Who Stole Shehan Wills I'm
known to Officials.

There were no developments today in the
matter of the larceny of the three wills of
George A. Shehan, deceased, from the Of
ice of the register of Wills of the District
Of Columbia, except that the officials are
satisfied that the young man who Detective
Eelan and Deputy Register Griffith en-
deavored to loccte in Baltimore IS not the
individual who visited the register of Wills
office and who asked to see and was hand
ed the wills that are now missing.
Section $50 of the code of law for the
District of Columbia provides, in part, as
follows:
Stealing, destroying. mutilating, secret
ing or Withholding will.-Whoever during
the life of a testator or after his death
shall, for a fraudulent purpose, take or
carry away a will. codicil or other tesla
mentary instrument, or destroy, mutilate or
secrete the same. whether it relates to per-
sonal or real property, shall suffer impris-
onment for not more than five years"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
ODDITIES OF EXPORTING.
What We Send Abroad and Some Of
the Things We Get.

From Golfers Weekly.
We send Dakota seed to Russia from
which she raises wheat to compete with
our own product in the markets of the
world. To plant, cultivate, reap and harv-
est her crops we send to Russia nearly one
half our total exports of agricultural ma
chinery. This year we have already ship
ped some $4,000 tons of these implements
to the land of the car. In former years
all this passed through the ports of New
York and Philadelphia, but fractional in
crease in freight rates between the lakes
and the east has diverted the trade to
southern ports, while experiments are being
made in direct shipment from Chicago by
way Of the lakes, the st. Lawrence river
and the Atlantic ocean.
The cotton plant first came to America
from Asia; now the greater part of the
central Asian crop is grown from Ameri-
can cotton seed. American cultiyators till
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
DROPPED FROM HUMAN KEN.
Men Who Have Disappeared Al
Though Swallowed by the Earth.

From the New York Tribune.
1.-The most remarkable instance of dis
appearance ever known were the words
used by a detective a few days ago when
speaking of a case he was employed upon.
1t was not haphazard expression, nor was
it original, for it hase been used of many
in the list of those who have mysteriously
disappeared. A report of the commissioner
of police of London recently noted that ia
men and women of that city had sunk out
of sight of their friends in the year. Many
persons disappear every year in this city.
One of the most remarkable cases of dis
appearance was that Of Lieut.. Edward w.
Remey of the navy, brother Of Judge Ad-
vocate General William B. Remey and
Rear Admiral George C. Remey. The last
seen of him was when he walked down the
gang plank of the steamship Roanoke, in
this city, on February II, 1887. Every eff
fort was made to find him, but no trace
was discovered. Had he been man of IT.
regular habits there might have been some
suspicion as to the cause of his disappear
ance, but he was sober. straightforward
officer and no officer had a better record,
stood higher in the profession or was more
generally esteemed.
Another naval officer who disappeared
few years ago was ex-Passed Assistant En-
gineer Richard H. Buel, an officer who had
served in the civil war with distinction. He
started for Boston on December 20. 1889.
after which no trace of him could be dis
covered. His father was the Rev. Samuel
Buel, at one time dean of the General Theo-
logical Seminary of this city.
There are many who will recall Sti1lman
S. Conant, one of the editors of Harper's
Weekly, who started from his sanctum for
his home in Brooklyn on January 16. 1885,
and though search was made for him in
various parts of the United States and Eu-
rope, where he was reported to have been
seen, nothing about him has ever been
learned.
than ten years ago attracted a great deal
of interest. He was real estate broker
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
A New Field for Young Women.
From Harper's Weekly.

s weekly
A considerable number of young women.
according to rural observer, are engaging
in the poultry business. and seem, from all
accounts, to be making success of 1t. A
correspondent tells of being in Chicago
dry goods store on a Saturday afternoon.
not long ago, when she saw one OF the
salec- iris receive her wages for the week.
Slpe was paid 81, having been In her place
from o'clock III the morning until o'clock
,n the evening every day; it was necessary
for her to be well and more or less eN-
pensively dressed, to be constantly on her
feet, and to keep her temper and her self
possession. frequently under trying circum-
stances. On the other hand, says our OBJ
server, take the case of the farmer girl
None makes less than 81 per week. and
many make IS. They work only two or
three hours day; their surroundings are
conducive to good health and cheerfulness.
and they can dress as they feel inclined.
The writer mentions the case of two
young girls who sold last year an average
of s. worth of eggs every week during the
spring and summer. Nor did they sell all
they might have disposed of, for they
raised over 400 young chickens besides.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
DISTRICT RAILWAYS,
Length, Capital Stock, Passengers
Carried. &c.

According to the bulletin on street and
electric railways recently issued by the
census bureau there Were in the District
OF Columbia In the year 1901 eight electric
railway companies. operating a length of
single track of 14G7T miles, exclusive of
1910 miles lying outside the District but
incluing 800 miles in the District owned
by outside companies. Total owned by
companies in the District, 1917 miles;
total operated, 1857 miles.
The authorized capital stock was ST.
10000. The amount issued was SIT ,543,-
$50. The dividends amounted to SGO2 S27
The funded debt authorized amounted to
$40. 600 outstanding to S9.2S0,0O. The
total liabilities per mile of single track
owned were S165 Cos.
The Anacostia and Potomac Railroad
Company operated 2290 miles of single
track; had a capital stock of 100000.
The Brightwood Railway Company oper-
ated l1.U9 miles; capital stock, S2o4 600.
The Capital Traction Company opeerated
4i.36 miles; had capital stock of 1900
600 and paid dividends of SIs0,000. The
City and Suburban Railway Company op-
Grated 1862 miles. including 9.53 miles in
Maryland; had capital stock of S175O 600
The Columbia Railway Company operated
14.12 miles of track; had a capital of $500
OOo and paid dividends of $4,000. The
Georgetown and Tennallytown Railway
Company operated $50 miles of track and
tan Railway Company operated 2}OS miles
of track and had a capital stock of 81 600
100; il paid dividends of sos S2T. The Wash
ington and Great Falls Electric Railway
Company operated 1898 miles of track. in
Guiding 6.22 miles In Maryland, and had a
capital stock of S1jO0OO
There We're necessary for the opera ton
OF the roads of the District loo cars. of
which 400 We're closed. 5;i3 open and 81
closed ard open combination. There were
mail cars. work cars . snow plows
and % sweepers. OF the cars G3S were with
electric equipment and 81 without There
were I55 with tenders. OF the $40 that were
heated 34l were heated with electricity
There were 994 lighted. 9s4 being with cleo
tricity and 10 with oil. There were 70 sta
uons, 10 car houses and 30 horses.
The total number of passengers carried
was 9O,2o39i1, of which number &C. I62 32l
paid fares and 24,o41 go gave transfers
The fare passengers per mile of single track
operated numbered 800. go. The number of
persons killed was 10; injured. 6l5. OF those
Killed 3 were passengers, employees and 5
neither passengers nor employees OF the
injured $50 were passengers, 80 employees
and 19I neither passengers nor employees