Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-16

for $4,000. She claimed that Il spark
frcm one of its engines caused the
burning of the deceased husbands bus
mony showed that the Santa Fe train
stopped at Ethel four minutes the night
of the fire, but also that the fire was
we'll under way before the train pulled
out. and the roads attorneys argued
that it was ridiculous to maintain that
Il fire could be started by IA spark ana
get we'll under way in such short
time. Mr.. Nortoni devoted practically
his entire argument to this point.
He said says the Macon Republican,
If young fellow was sitting on a sofa
playing hands with his girl, time tray
eled like an express train but if you
dumped :; lot of engine sparks on the
pine roof of Il dry building in summer
time four minutes We're ample to settle
the fate of the structure in spite of all
efforts to save it. There We're some in
credulouS smiles at this. The attorney
took out his watch and handed it to
Juryman L. S. Harlan. Il banker of Cliff
ton Hill. Randolph county. ana request
ed him to signal when four minutes had
looked down at the watch. Then they
got tired and settled back in their
seats. Mr.. Harlan lowered his hand
and rested it on his knee. The attorney
shifted his feet few times, and sat
down in Il chair. Judge Adams looked at
the clock and then out of the window.
"A deputy marshal put his head in al
the door to see what was the matter
and waited the result of the curious
scene. Nearly every man in the room
that had Il watch was studying its face.
The speaker was sacrificing four min
utes of his allotted time, but he felt
that ii was well invested. At last Ju-
ror Harlan announced the four minutes
had expired and handed the watch back
to Mr.. Norton. Only four minutes.
and yet to every man in the room it
had seemed. under the suppressed ten
sion, to have been twice as long. The
court remarked after the case had been
decided that it appeared fully fifteen
minutes. The wearisome suspense was
an effective object lesson to the jury
ana was Il startling exposition of what
might trunspire in that time. The jury
found that the defendants engine had
ample time in four minutes to fire the
restaurant building, and they brought
in Il verdict for the plaintiff for $14,-
i3S.2S-the exact sum her proof showed
her loss 10 be"
The ease had been pending in the
courts ten years.
Senator Cockrell of Missouri confines
his daily luncheon to two plump. rel
apples. The other day, when the usual
hour for his lunch arrived, the Mis-
souran clapped his hands twice. a
smart page stood at his elbow.
Boy, take this to my clerk in the
| committee ROOM said he. giving the
youth a scrap Of paper careleSsly fold
ed
The page ran out Of the senate
chamber, up the marble steps and into
the far northeast corner of the senate
wing. where Mr.. Cockrell has his office
The note was delivered to the clerk,
who handed the page two plump APP
pies. That was what the note in
| Structed him to do.
| A half hour passed. Senator Cock
| rell was enduring the pangs of hunger.
| What became of the boy who went af-
| ter my apples?" said he TO Barney Lay
| ton.
| The lad, entirely unsuspicious of any
thing amiss, was summoned into the
senator's presence. He explained that
he thought the apples We're his reward
| for delivering the message. He had
| eaten them.
The frugal Missourian saw the joke
in the situation. He could not restrain
Il laugh. Being out l luncheon. he re-
| Sumed attention to the senate proceed
| inSs and bided his evening meal.
| BY pariShioner Of the famous Rev.
Dr. Lorimer of New York. is told like
~ yarn to illustrate the perils of street
, preaching. DR.. Lorimer WAS on his
way To church one intensely cold Sun
| day morning last month, and as he
turned Il corner came upon two news
boys lighting desperately.
| 'Hcys. Boys" exclaimed the aston
ished divine i'll his deepest tones of re-
bukc. And as he spoke he grabbed for
their collars. but missed them. and
Well-niSh missed his footing also on
| the icy sidewalk. which was as smooth
| as glass. This is wrong: it is wicked.
| Don't you know what the Bible says of
the wicked?"
Yes, mister" yelled the lad who was
evidently the aggrcssor. The wicked
stand in slippery places Sunday pa
| pers. sir? Sunday papers?''
An article has recently appeared in a
Philadelphia paper detailing the signs
| that seamen fear. such as rats desert
| ing vessels, black cat omenS and bad
| dreams in which Jackie sees q coffin or
| the ghost of his mate or something
| equally creepy. Reading this article
recalled TO mind that the usuar crop o.
good luck stories has not appeared
vet in connection with the Iroquois
| theater disaster, such stories as the
| man who was prevented from attend
| ing the theater that day by unforeseen
business engagements, or by feel
| ing that something was going to
| happen. There was a story told re-
| sarding the terrible 1.-TWO Orphans
| tragedy in Brooklyn in which two hun
| dred people We're killed, which is n
good sample of this class of stories If
it is true it may indicate that coming
events do sometimes cast their