davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30
SPANISH lFRLAR'S SAD LIFE
LAID BARE BY A MURDER
Death Ends a Priests Fight Agal,ast Fate

He made no provision for her sup
port-he was opposed on principle tc
investing money in anything that did
not promise good profit-and the
poor girl hid her shame in garret.
LEFT IN FOUNDING ASYLUM.
There. in 1870, was born the man
whose tragic death and pitiful story
has caused so profound a sensation
throughout Spain. The poor mother
wrote repeatedly to the, child's father.
imploring him to take pity on their
babe and out Of the abundance of his
wealth make some allowance that
would afford the little waif something
like fair chance in life. To these
appeals Gil returned no answer. He
was concerned only that he should
run no risk of besmirching his own
reputation.
Life went hard with poor Josephine.
Worn out by the struggle to support
herself and her infant, she was smit-
ten with fatal disease. When it be-
came apparent that she had only lit
tie longer, to live, she left her child at
founding asylum, pinning to its
ragged dress a card on which she had
written: This infant is named BIZ
biano Gil and has been christened. He
is Is months old and has not been
acknowledged by his father" To the
one friend who had not abandoned
her in her trouble-Mark Gonzales, an
old man-she confided the story of her
child's parentage and exacted from
Gonzales promise that when the boy
had reached his fifteenth birthday he
would tell him the whole sad story.
Perhaps, she said, his fathers heart
may be softened by that time and
he will do something for the lad. Then
she returned to her garret to die. But
holding by the simple faith the priests
had taught her that to obtain forgive
ness for her own sins she must first
forgive all who had wronged her, she
sent Senior Gil letter, telling him
that on her deathbed she had par
doned him.
He was presiding over a meeting of
the Common Council when the missive
was handed to him. He read it with
out changing color and tore it UP and
proceeded with the affairs of the Coun-
ell. It was a fine example of the self
sacrifice of the devoted official who
disdainso to permit his own private
cares and griefs to- interfere with the
transaction of public business (?)
Three days later Josephine died and
received pauper's burial.
When little Bibiano was years old
he was transferred from the founding
institution to an orphan asylum. He
turned out an unusually tractable and
intelligent youngster and as he grew
older manifested such keen and de-
vout interest in the spiritual teachings
of his pious instructors that it was
decided to train him for the priest
hnod
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30

Even if they felt reasonably sure OF
winning the suit and retaining the
property. by the death Of the friar be-
fore the case was tried they could hope
to escape the obloquy which an ex-
posure of their conduct would involve.
Whatever happens, whether they be
proved innocent or guilty. there seems
no chance that the institution which
poor Bibiano had planned will ever be
established with the old bankers
money.
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30

MADRID, April 2e.-In real life 1t
Is generally q sordid story that is laid
bare by murder. But the murder of
q poor Spanish friar, Bibiano Gil, has
revealed a tale Of blended pathos and
tragedy, Of sorrow and heroism, Of sin
unatoned and Of a noble purpose frus-
trated that recalls some of the most
moving romances of Victor Hugo. 1t
has furnished Spain with something
more than q nine days sensation. His
Fathers Sin" might well be the title
aof this history, for its pathetic chap
ters and the terrible crime which
ends it were the fruits of a proud
mans infamy. AS usual it was the
innocent who suffered through 1t.
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30
SECOND SUIT TO GUST
TRUSTEES INSTITUTED T.
O'Conor and O'Dovd Take New Tack
In Their Effort to Change
Control of Library

Martin A. O'Conor and Thomas P.
O'Dowd have taken new tack in their
effort to oust the Board OF Trustees OF
the Free Public Library. Yesterday
they filed a second suit with this OBJ
ject in view They now demand that
the court issue writ OF mandate COM
pelling Mayor. Schmitz to obey the
charter and appoint eleven men to sue
ceed the present board. which was ap-
pointed by the Governor.
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30

Shades of brown, blue, charnS
pagne and garnet, with self-eol-
ored dots and small fancy hg-a
ures.
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30

sion in Madrid and were living in
stmptuous style. They refused to re-
ceive the friar and liveried fiunky
Slammed the door in his face.
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

81 will have it of your fetching or none at ALL
said the determined lover.
She then went into another room Madison and
Pooey followed and the latter going up her. said
he would contract himself to her in these words:
Il, Orwell, take thee, Sysley, to my welded wife,
to have and to hold until death do us part, and
thereto plight thee my troth'
Taking her hand she being silent he said for her:
Il, Sysey, take thee, Grivcll to my welded hus-
band to have and to hold until death do us part -
According to the testimony which Madison gave
on the subject, she made assent to these words
nor to those he uttered when having drunk her
health and kissed her, he continued: Il am thine
and thou art mine till death do us part"
Mrs. Jordan made him promise, before God -
that he would not reveal to anyone that she had
given her love soon after her husbands death
However, he could not resist the temptation to
brag OF his good fortune, and when this came to the
ears of the woman, she resented it hotly and to
prove him false, engaged herself in marriage to a
certain William Ferrar, going before the Governor
and his Council to affirm her contract and disavow-
ing any previous engagement
with grOans that thunder love" the persistent
Pooey appeared before that august body and
then and there instituted the first breach of promise
suit which ever was argued in English America
The Governor and Council found themselves un-
able to decide, and they referred the case to the
Virginia Company in London, which also declined
to commit itself to the rights of Pooev and left
the case in the hands of the Rev Samuel Purcbas
The saucy Sysley did not wait for news from
England. She gained nine points of law in her
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26
By Elizabeth Hen

II Virginia, in 1910, year before $50
the rock-bound coast of New
England invaded by Pilgrim Fathers, "a
House of Burgesses broke out SO wrote Hutch
enson the Tory This the first representative
legislative body that ever sat this side of the
Atlantic. From it. and from the charter under
which it met, have been evolved the republican
institutions, State and Federal, which enjoy and
under which working.
One of the members of this assembly certain
Samuel Jordan representing Charles City, who died
after its adjournment. His widow, Sysley,
has been accused of introducing the art of flirting
into the Colony of Virginia
Adjoining Jordans Journey" the plantation of
her husband, there lived the Rev. Orwell Pooley
to Samuel Jordan but undertook offer the conso-
lations of religion to his widow He succeeded to
such extent that he was encouraged to offer
himself in marriage three four days afterward.
Not having the courage to broach the subject to
her directly he employed the services of his friend
Captain Isaac Madison, who was unwilling to act
in the case, but being strongly urged thereto finally
consented, and made altruistic proposal to the
fascinating fair one.
She replied that she would as soon have Pooley
as any other man, but did intend to marry again
until longer time had elapsed.
Pooley could not wait He went to WOO in per-
son. and reported to Captain Madison that he had
won the widow, and that she had agreed to marry
him. He invited his friend to accompany him to
her house to witness the marriage contract. When
they arrived at their destination Pooey-doubtless
with an air of proprietorship-de "a dram
Mrs Jordan ordered her servant to bring it.
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

and boldly marrying him.
Upon this, Pooley appears TO have con-
tented himself in another direction for We find from
the records of the Colony that the Reverend Nr.
POOley and family were masSacred by the Indians
six years later 1t was fortunate for the besieged
that she did continue to smile on her pertinacl
woOer. Had she married him. the whole race of
fascinating flrts might have been exterminated sy
one fell blow of an Indian tomahawk
few months after the trial of the suit for breach
of promise. the Governor and Council issued the
following proclamation:
Whereas, to the great contempt of the majesty
OF God and Ill example to others. certain woru5l
within this Colony have of late contrary TO the LAWS
ecclesiastical of the realm of England CONTRACT
themselves to two several men at one time wherete
much trouble doth grow between parties. and the
Governor and Council of State much disquieted.
TO prevent the like offense to Others. 1t Is ts
the Governor and Council ordered in court th-.
every minister give notice in his church % his
par1shloners, that what man or woman soever sha-.
use any words or speech tending to the contrac-
OF marriage, though not right and legal vet may
entangle and breed struggle in their COnScences, @
Tor the third ofenSe undergo either corporal punish
ment, or the punishment by fine or otherwise. ac-
cordlng to the guilt of the persons so OffendiHg
1t IS interesting to note how history repeats itsc
a recent legislature In Virginia duly considered
AntrFhrtng Bill After much racv discussion.
hnaIy was dismissed, one o6iecting
IheawmakersO of the present day are more generol@
than our early fathers. The descendants of Svs.es
may tilrt with two several men at one time
without fear of corporal punishment or fnes-eveu
for the third offense"
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

notes to start matrimonial bureau. Eh: Aiu't
it funny?"
He was trying on his head battered straw hat
with it's brim turned up in gross caricature ct
Panama clothes-pin was pinched on either sid.
cf that brirn and cord stretched across between
the pins there hung a miniature washing. Wait
a minute. Here's one l carry around with me
He took from his trunk a tattered envelop, AMI
pressed it fOndly TO the vernll1On cash that repre-
sented his mouth
"She's NAH honey buhdr' he said "Read Il.
1t read: Dear Mr.. Oalkey-You have cauti-
waited me. Frank. May call you that' It sounds
cozyD by your handsome face and your drol
acting | won't say it is love-at least not vet.
Ever since | saw your picture in the paper / have
felt sure you my ideal, and what YOU said
about being willing cute l only nine
teen Shall describe myself: I am tall, and not
without grace; have wealth of blond hair my ewes
are blue; but better than prettiness, have warm
heart and can learn to love deeply. Ever thine
He smiled coyly with two fingers on his chin
g Amt it just touchin'? She thinks IN handsome
She don't know it's my makeup. Ah!" He sighed
ridculOusly as he put back the letter If she only
had loved me for myself alone! My beauty Is only
about an inch deep"
There used to be distinction in the old davs
between the court fool and the court Jester The
fool half-witted fellow, absurdly dressed with
a bladder a string; he ate with the servants and
his idiotic antics were all that he had funny But
the jester man of brains and education who
told good story ana had a Sat1r1c tongue and he
respected by his master, and cOurted by those
who wished favor from his master.
The old-time clown the publics court jester
he sang topical songs, cracked jokes and PLAYED out
small comedies But the modern clown Is being
reduced rapidly to the condition of the court fool
he is mute; the spectator is too far from him To-
any except the grossest play of feature and he
must pantOm1ne that IS all hOrse-pav.
On the Continent, where Paris and Berlin and
the large cities have their stationary hippodrome
there still some of the better conditions of which
Chadwick and ChOcklat and Cherguin took advan-
tage. And it is possible that when New-Yorzs
hippOdrOme IS built, America too will have her
famous clowns again, and another Dan Rice after
another passage of wit with another discounted
ring master. will take the center of the ring open
his catfish mouth, and warbe another:
Wheel about and turn about and do Just So
And every time you wheel about. Jump Jim Crow.
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

Joseph Jefferson before Denier persuaded him to act
the clown John Duff, the father-n-law of Augustin
DAILY, the manager of the theater IN which
the pantomime given; Clara Morris acted
Romance" with Fox in "Humpty-Dumpty" at
Cleveland in '6S.
1t is given as history that negro in the Olympic
gallery died of laughing at Foxs clOwning and yet
he had more horse-play than you would see IN a
Weber and Fields burlesque; and he used none OF
the tricks of the clown-acrobat. He had nose
that provoked laughter like Cyrano de Bergeracs,
and behind that nose there was " a wonderfully eX-
pressive face when he looked out from the
wings his audience screamed with laughter" AS
far America is concerned he was the first and the
last and the greatest of stage clowns. None of the
Raves, the Martinetti, the Buffers the Maffets,
ever approached his fame. Edwin Croueste Charles
Lauri John Foster, Thomas E. Miaco, George ID.
Melville, Fanny Herring George Caron, the Hanlons
none of them has taken the popular fancy as
Fox did 1t is as impossible to tell why to
plain why of five hundred pairs of vaudeville
stage "Dutchmen" have succeeded in tickling the
public midriff so agonizngly as Weber and Fields.
There is a legend, under the canvas that Weber
and Fields clOwned it in a circus together they
went back to musc-hall charaCter-work wisely The
vaudeville artist is really the modern clown, just
as the continuance performance with its trained
animals, juggling, high-wire work and contorton-
ism, is the modern city circus. ames A. Rice has
put the chal-face itself into vaudeville successfully
William c. Shrode in this seasons "Humpty-
Dumpty" is following after Fox's laurels in
colossal spectacular production" that somewhat
loses him in the spectacle. He is doing excellent
work; but conditions are against repetition of
Foxs The stage clown belongs to the fauna
of earlier age theatrically.
And he is fighting for his old place under the big
top of the three-ring circus. The American clown
is famous abroad; and even in Italy, the home of
pantomime, the Circuses will bill Clowns Ameri-
cani matter of what nationality the 'chalk-aCe
artist" happens to be. But that may be recog-
milton of the traditional American humOr, which the
foreigner loves an entomologist loves butterflies
killing and classifying the joke before he prepares
to appreciate it.
AS matter of fact half the American clowns in
this country-like two-thrds of the acrobats,
''aeralists" " and trick-riders-are English, French
and Italian. Few of them are known to the public
by name; practically none has succeeded in
impressing his personality on the general memory.
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

They are announced in body on the program
They run in and out of the rings in dozen different
disguises, making brief by-play wherever they
can. "Slivers" Oakley tries to preserve his iden-
tity by wearing always pair of false feet, sup
posedly bare and as big as snow-shoes. On one
of the toes he wears huge diamond ring; another
is tied up in blood-red flannel To such makeshfts
is a circus comedian reduced. He has to blare his
humor through megaphOne.
Its pretty hard" Oakley said. "No matter
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26
Aerr'e SS'I1iAcl Bse~~~

how we'll you do in turn, you have to start
all over in the next. Nobody knows you They're
not ready to laugh the minute they see you come
in again-like they in a theater. You're no
matinee idol" He grinned suddenly. But say
what dyou think?' He lowered his voice. "A
newspaper man in New-York once asked me if
was married, and l said: No; but I'm willing
see? And he put my picture in the paper with that
gag under it. And next day l had enough mash
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26

case by taking possession OF FerTar
and boldly marrying him
Upon this, Poo1ey appears to have con
New-York tribune., 1905-03-26
INTRODUCING FLIRTING IN VIRGINIA
the Elizabeth Henry s

T Jamestown, in the Colony of
Virginia, in 1910, year before
the rOck-bOund coast of New
Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-22

Just going to turn ort horrid, after
ALL"
"Now, honey
Don't honey me! Please call me by
my proper name I am not a child.
You just said So
Hon-dearest don't do that.'
She was showing symptoms of tears,
though she bravely tried to hide her
feelings She felt the eyes Of the very
respectable head waiter upon her. His
portly back was turned, but she sensed
the disapprobation in his attitude The
lights swan, and the hum of CONVEX.
sation was like the strange noises in
deep forests at night. She winked furi-
ously. angry with herself She finally
overcame her temptation to dissolve in
tears, only to find that her honeyboy
was sitting partly turned away in an
attitude of deep detection as well as
set determination.
People came in from the snowy
streets laden with parcels and carry
ing punches of holly and mistletoe, and
every one beamed with joy and pleas.
Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-22

ant anticipatiOnS. Time passed. and
the obstinate young couple grew hun
gr1ef and angrier. for now each began
to nurse the situation as real griev-
ance. But. though the waiter lowered
around with unmistakable anxiety,
no one called him to give the order.
The situation was growing tense. Hon.
eybun wa, seriously thinking Of get
ting up and going straight home to her
mother, and honeyboy was wondering
why men We're fools enough to marry.
The old head waiter was sufficiently
interested to watch them meditatively
by means of mirrors. all unsupported.
Something in the air, or maybe it was
the Christmas spirit, crept under his
vest, and ne felt a Juggling at his heart
The bride was SO pretty and the man
so handsome he could not bear to see
this discord. especially tonight. Sud
denly he said to himself:
BLESSED, il don't do it too
He called the waiter and gave him
a quiet order and then took from his
pocket small package of cards, each
having either bit Of mistletoe or
holly in colors in one corner. On
these he printed in very neat charac-
tiers:
"POTAGE-CHRISTMAS EVE. VERY
PEPPERY."
The waiter came to him with the
tray, on which We're two plates of soup
and all the cOncomitants belonging
thereto and the proper wine. The
waiter entered the tiny place and de-
posted the things with a grave bust
nesslike air, putting card at each
place, and then discreetly retired.
Clinton scarcely noticed the arrival Of
the man, but honeybun saw him. The
soup looked good, and the little card
caught her eye. She was the one woman
In this generation with keen sense
Of humor. She began to eat.
Clinton now turned squarely and
looked at the table. He jumped to
the conclusion that she had relented
and had been adroit enough to give the
order unperceived, but, though he
would condescend to eat. and the soup
smelled very good. he would not let
her enjoy her triumph too soon. so he
took his soup in dignified silence. The
next course was ready as soon as he
was. On one large platter filed with
chopped ice were placed sixteen small
clans arranged to spell the words:
LOVE ONE ANOTHER"
One small clam officiated as period
This arrangement was too obvious. e..
Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-22

eyes and rosy cheeks and the snowy
teeth showing between the smiling
lips. And the same arc light looked on
the handsome, clear cut features Of the
tall man with his fond and protecting
air. "A fine couple" it spluttered. "a
fine couple. All, I've seen many such,
but they all end the same way"
With this pessimistic remark the light
blinked wicnedly. The door closed on
the young couple as they walked slow
~ along the thick carpet waiting for
that lordly parsonage, the head waiter,
to assign them to place. This astute
parsonage instantly sized them up as
q recently welded couple and beckon-
ed them to an ideal spot, a coy little
table in a corner. half surrounded by
palms. There they were shut in from
prying eyes and shut out of the hurry
and noise Of the rest Of the world. As
waiter brought bowl Of white roses
and with an unctuous smile. directed
at no one in particular. set them in the
center Of the table, and this called up
q pretty blush on the fair ones cheeks.
Clinton took the elaborate menu and
with II hopeless glance at it's foreign
names handed it to his bride, saying in
the blind hope that she understood it.
You order the dinner, honeybun."
Miriam glanced in the mirror and
gave a cry Of dismay
ooh. am perfectly disreputable!
Just look at my hair.''
She remembered the time when she
tried to translate the menu to some
friends in restaurant, giving poisson
aux eauX wives as poison to the lively
waters" She was not going to allow
Clinton to giOat over her-above all, at
this early stage of their married life.
So she returned the menu to him with
great apparent self abnegation.
mo; you order, honeybOy."
II asked you to do 1T. hOneybun!'
"Oh, well. l can't do it, l never had
to order a dinner in my life. Father OF
some one always did" This last was
said with just the least little bit Of
spirit. Besides. she was hungry: 20
was he. That fact may pardon his
next wordr, spoken with what he
thought noble and masterful air:
ut 10 time you learned then. Now
honeybun. don't want you to look a
me in that grieved and frightened way
l am in the right. 1t 10 your duty-yes
duty-to learn to make out the dinner
cards. You are not child
"Sir, l never had to do such a thing
and won't: so now! I think you ART