davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
The Crooked Man

ment later we were face to face with
the man whom we had come 10 see In
spite of the warm weather he was
crouching over a fire, and the little
room was like an oven. The man sat all
twisted and huddled m his chair in a
way which gave an indescribable i'm
preston Of deforTnity; but the face
which he turned toward us, though
worn and swarthy, must have some
time been remarkable for its beauty.
lie looked suspiciously at us now out
of ye1low-sflot, biIious eyes, and, with
out speaking or rising, he waved to-
ward two chairs.
Mr.. Henry Wood, late OF India. I
believe said Holmes, affably. I've
come over this little matter CT Colonel
Barclays death
What should I know about that?"
That's what I want to ascertain.
You know, I suppose, that unless the
matter Is cleared up. Mrs. Barclay. vino
is an old friend OF yours. VIII In all
probability be tried for murder
The man gave a violent start
II don't know who you are" he cried,
nor how you come to know what you
do know, but will you swear that this
is true mat you tell neI
Why. they are only waiting for her
to come to her senses TO arrest her.
My God, Are you In the police your
self"
mo"
What business is it Of yours them"
It's every mans business TO see jus
tice done
" ~
fofr
innocent
Then you are guilty.
mo, I am not
Who killed Col James Barclay.
then?''
1T was a just Providence that killed
him. But. mind you this, that IL had
knocked his brains out, as ii was in
my heart TO do. he would have had no
more than his due from my hands. ~
his own guilty conscience had not struck
him down it is likely enough that
would have had his blood upon my
soul. You want me 20 tell the story.
Well. I don't know why L shouldn't FOR
there's no cause for me to be ashamed
of It.
lit was in this way. sir. You see me
now with back like a camel and nv
ribs all awry. but there was q time
when Corporal Henry Wood was the
srnartest man IN the One Hundred and
Seventeenth foot. We were In India
then. In environments. at place wen
call Bhurtee. Barclay, who died the
other day. was sergeant in tho same
company is myself, and the belle Of the
regiment, ay. the finest girl that ever
bad the breath of life between her Iips.
was Nancy Dewey. the daughter OF the
color sergeant. There were two men
that loved her and one that she loved
and you'll smile when you look at this
poor thing huddIed before the fire and
hear me say that 1t was for Ny good
looks that she loved me.
well. though had her heart, her ia
ther was set upon her marrying Bar
clay. I was a harum-scarum, reckless
lad, and he had had an education, and
was already marked for the sword belt.
But The girl held true to me. and IL
seemed that / would have had her, when
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

up the key of the door from her hand.
intending to unlock it and get help. But
as 1 was doing il 1t seemed to me bet
ter TO leave it alone and get away. for
tie thing might look black against me.
and any way my secret would be out If
were taken. In my haste I thrust the
Key INTO my pocket and dropped my
stick while / was chasing Teddy. who
had run up the curtain. When I got
him into his box. from which he had
slipped, l was off as fast as could
rum"
Who's Teddy?" asked Holmes.
The man leaned over and pulled UP the
front of kind of hutch in the corner.
In an instant out there slipped a beau
tiful reddish-brown creature, thin and
1.-THE. with the legs of stoat, long.
thin nose, and pair of the finest red
eyes that ever 1 saw In an animals
head.
Its a mongoose," I cried.
We'll. some call them that. and some
call them ichneumon,'' said the man.
'Snake-catcher is what call them. and
Teddy is amazing quick on cobras. 1
have one here without the fangs, and
Teddy catches it every night to please
the folA in the canteen
Any other point, STRIP
well. we may have TO apply to YOU
again If Mrs. Barclay should prove to
be in serious trouble
IN that case. of course, I'd come for
ward
But. If not, there is no object in
raking UP this scandal against a dead
man. foully as he has acted. You have
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
The Making of a Murderer

AS for murderers, you NAV not ba-
heve 1t, but they are certainly not the
worst of the criminals 1 have known
ecme or them quite intelligent. and
even gentle and tender-hearted, To tell
you the truth it Is rather characteristics
OF them to be generous and good to their
friends. And, II you must know, / should
say that certain kind of temperament
and real or an imaginary affront. or
Keen want, Will make murderer of
any man. Most of them, too, suffer the
keenest remorse for what they nave
DONE
Yet there was a time when almost
doubted the presence of good in one
man, and this man was among the
eight l saw hung. He had committed
one OF the most brutal murders in the
District. and this, too. after more or
less deliberation. So heinous was his
crime that friends and relatives de-
serted him; he was abhorred by the
public, and by the time he received his
sentence. all but his lawyers had given
him up. Abandoned, apparently. by
both God and man, he was left in his
cell to await the day of hanging. No
flowers were sent to him, no kindly
words OF sympathy; a leper could hard
~ have been more stunned You may
imagine how I approached such man
as. this. could see in his face that he
was cunning. and l felt that even if he
had gone free after his crime. he would
instead of reforming. have become
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

In Norfolk, when child is ailing. a
common house spider is tied up in a
piece OF muslin and pinned over the
fnanteipiece, and when the spider dies
the child will have recovered from his
aiiment In Worcestershire it appears
that a spider in , nutshell Will ward Oft
toothaches If worn in a bag around the
neck.
Anyone who is DESTROYS of curing sore
eyes Is recommended. in Aberdeenshire.
TO catch liv" frog and lick its eye with
his tongue. After this he has only to
lick any diseased eye and a cure is eff
fected.
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

IN an elm tree and there left. They
also profess to believe that a shrew
morse. touched by a sick person and
then pegged up alive in a hole previous
~ nored III an alder tree. will carry off
the disease from the patient.
In many parts OF England and Scot
land a piece of mad dogs liver. cooked
and administered to the person the ami
NAL has bitten. is highly esteemed as
preventive against hydrophobia Or the
heart Will be extracted, dried over a fire
and administered in a draught after
having been first ground to powder.
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
To Prevent Nose Bleeding,

In Suffolk. to prevent nose bleeding,
people wear a skein Of ccaller thread
around the neck. tied with nine knots
down the front. If the patient Is a nan
it is essential that the thread be PCT
on and the knots tied ny Il woman, while
II the patient is Il woman then these
services must be rendered by Il man.
Many curious prescriptions common in
folk medicine have Cor their object Tho
transferenoe of the disease from The ra-
tient to one Of the lower animals.
For example. In Devonshire and in
Scotland alike when a child has whom
Ing cough some hair Is cut from rs
head. put between slices OF Tread and
given TO dog. Then. If the latter In
eating 1t should cough-as naturally ne
will-the complaint will be transferred
TO the animal and the child Will recover.
In Cheshire 1t is by no means uucom-
mon for a young frog to he held for a
few moments with its head inside the
mouth of sufferer from thrush. In
Cumberland and throughout the North
of England generally live fish is SUBJ
stituted for the frog.
Sometimes trees take the place Of ami
mails. Thus certain old oak at Rerk-
hampstead was long famous for the cure
OF ague. The transference was simple,
but painful 4 lock of hair was begged
into the wood. and then. by a sudden
wrench. transferred from The head of
the patient 20 the tree
The Welsh peasantry cure toothache
by scarffying the gums with an iron
nail. which is then driven up to the head
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
Remarkable Consumption "curen

In Staffordshire, to cure consu1nption
an egg is bored full of holes and it is
buried In an ant heap the theory being
that as the egg wastes so shall the ma
tient's complaint vanish and his strength
increase
10 cure warts the Lancashire people
rub them with piece Of bacon stolen
from a shop. But 1t is essential that II
be stolen
Quite recently well-to-do farmer was
charged with the theft Of ham rasher.
Vaiue twoperfce. He pleaded that he had
taken 1t to rub on a wart from which
MS daughter suffered. and that it would
nave been no good for his purpose had
he bought ii in the ordinary way. The
magistrate discharged him with eau
ton.
spiders have always figured largely in
the annals OF folk medicine. In SUSSEX
many an old doctor still prescribes. in
pad cases of Jaundice, live spider roll
ed up In butter and swallowed as nil
The Glasgow workingmen make pills of
SPIDERS web mixed with starch. and be-
lieve them to be excellent in cases of
ague
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

~
~ tress the other day, says Pear
sons Weekly. She had. she
walled. lost a sacrament shilling"
The magistrate was puzzled. I'm what
respect" he asked. does a sacrament
shilling differ from any other shiliing?''
Whereupon the applicant explained
that the coin in question was a certain
cure for fits.
It had been given her by her mother
who had It IN turn from her mother
who had got q more thar 100 years ago
from the clergyman of her parish in ex-
change for an ordinary shilling, which
had already been first EXCHANGED for
twelve pennies collected from twelve
naidens.
The coin, Il appeared, to be eficacious
had to be worn In a. bag hung round the
patients neck for seven times seven
times seven days.
Similar strange beliefs linger in many
out-of-the-way corners OF Great Brit
ain.
In Devonshire. for instance, the coun-
try folk still make tramp rings" out Of
old coffin handles. and bracelets forged
out OF nails on which suicides have
hanged them selves are worn by equity
people. and deemed singularly efflca-
cious.
Charmed belts are commonly worn in
Lancashire for the cure OF rheumatism.
In Durham cord around the loins is
supposed 20 ward ofe toothache.
Among the peasdntry of Roxbu.g-
aalre women who are nursing babies
wear around Their nerks small cords of
blue wool. These are never removed.
day or night, until the child is weaned.
BY taking this precaution they mag
Inc that they insure good health both to
themselves and their of5o-Il,: during
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
His Son Abandons Polo.

There is much speculation as to what
Mr. Astor's son is going in for next.
After promising debut at polo ne
seems to have definitely abandoned tho
game, having sold Off his fine stud Of
ponies Polo IS rather risky sport for
The heir OF SO much wealth to indulge
in. 1t has been suggested that he might
take up golf. at which there is no
chance of getting hurt
So far he has given no indication of
l1arboring an intention of seriously tax
ing up any profession. But there is
i'cthirg of the &reckless spendthrfft
about him. He is true Astor. No fear
is felt that he viii not leave behind him
a bigger pile than he will Inherit
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

worse. learned. too, that he had no
religion Az
III the jail was a certain Mr.,
VINO, Hke himself, had been condemned
~ oie on the gallows for murder, The
Jay set TOR the execution of Mr. -
happened TO be but a short time before
mat OF my man. These two were to
make expiration for the same crime. YOU
see. but there was this difference In
their crimes-that Of my man had been
@ cold and deliberate murder: that Of
Mr.. -- had been committed in the
heat OF passion, while under the inf1u
ence OF drink, and against one who had
once been near and dear to him.
Mans Love for Man.
learned that my man had sud-
denly taken a great fancy for his fell
iow-criminal, and. though seeking no
sympathy for himself, would spend nc
much time as possible with him irving
to console him. This was the first !
knew Of his good traits, but was soon
to learn of others.
1t is not my custom to take
advantage Of suffering to trN to
rorce religion on a man. More
o'Sr, never lntruQe, out learn to know
him and wait for the time when he viii
talk to me Of his own accord. I pursued
the same policy with this man. And
by gradual process. mainly In talking
of other subjects than religion. 7 gained
his friendship.
Then, and only then. I knew how
much he had needed me- So much did
he heed me that soon found that he
was beginning to cling to me with all
the power Of the life that was still
left for him He did not want 70 dis
crss religion. mind you; he wanted
friendship. I had become the only NOR
tai that seemed to understand him. So
great was his affection for me that
when was not present he would write
me letters He was an ignorant man.
but had an instinctive idea of spelling
and grammar, and most Of the letters
We're wen written To write seemed to
give him great comfort I think he
thought that his lack Of education was
partly responsible for making him the
man he was.
In both his letters and in his con-
versation, however, he refused to men
ton religion But felt it would come.
To die at all is, to an ordinary man.
a terrible thing, but to die by hanging.
and for having committed a murder.
and unIoved, indeed, loathed
by humanity-that is worse. No won
der then that man, II he have heart !
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
Hecovers From Depression.

Mr.. stor's friends are gratifed at the
indications he gives that he has re-
covered from the depression of spirits
from which he suffered for some time
after his daughters marriage to Cap
tain Spender-Clay
Everybody knows that he idolized the
girl. and it was inevitable that he
should sorel- miss her from his home.
But he now seems to have pulled him
self together again, and is bent on get
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

at ali, viii finally soften a bit and turn
fhstlnctively toward relsgio,i-not one.
perhaps. that You preach, but one he
mas treasured up in his heart, ana in
W1l1ch he wants your help. The first 1
knew that this young man had any
tiilng OF this sort in him was letter
ne wrote to me regarding his fellow
murderer, Mr.. -. a short while after
Inat unfortunate's execution, and but
rev days before his own
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
Before the Trap Fell.

II was with him after that almost
constantly until his death Letters We're
not enough now; he must have me with
him. Yet I acted as before. / did not
press religion on him, but talked OK that
only along with other things / knew
IL he was thinking of it it would come
out in some manner.
TO the day Of his death, however, he
never protested a faith 1 was with
him for FIVE hours preceding the hang
ing We talked az many things.
waited for him. for I knew he was
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
Condemned Criminal in the Shadow of the
Gallows Formulates a Greed All
His Own and Meets Death
Fearlessly
Fearlessly.

n~ TORIES?" said the Jail chap
lain. Stories I have In plenty.
but as for sad ones
He paused for some time
and the reporter feared he was going
to deny him.
AS for sad ones, there are so many
that I hardly know where to begin.
have seen eight murderers hanged"
The jail chaplain is always an accom-.
Modating man, and. knowing. evident
~, VIVA. the reporter wanted. he con-
tfnued.
Some people imagine that criminals
are a set Of men entirely distinct from
the rest OF humanity. and that by
catching them and making way with
them crime will be abolished. This is
not true. There are as many criminals
outside the Jail as in. and those inside
have human feelings just as the rest
or men, They are as a rule of low
erade, OF course, but they are human.
AS for nurderers-,
He paused again
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
JWS 81 WASHINGTON <IFE rnrJAu c1Ap1Arss1orr

could hear a voice screaming 'gooa-by
Wife" 'good-by mother,' and then loud bang
like the fall OF something heavy, and then
knew that all was over
The chaplain placed the letter care
fully back in book and resumed his
story.
From this letter 1 knew he was now
thinking of religion. his own kind. per-
haps. but still what we would call re-
ligion
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
HE WAS THANKFUL.

Mrs. Peck (angrilyl-I can't find words
to express my opinion of YOU
MIR. Peck with sigh of relIeD-weil.
7 m glad OF that. my dear.-Chicaxo
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

that critical period. The cf--,as are
handed down from mother t" daughter,
and are esteemed in proo ,rt;on ia tb.ir
antiquity.
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
continued from Third Page.)

lives In lodgings In this same street
in which the ladies met him He
has only been five DAYS in the
place. In the character Of a
registration agent had q most
man is by trade a conjurer and per-
former. going round the canteens after
nightfall, and giving a little entertain
ment at each. He carries some creature
about with him In that box. about which
the iandlady seemed to be in considera-
bic trepidation. for she had never seen
an animal like it. He uses 1t in some of
his tricks according to Der account. So
much the woman was able to tell me,
and also that 1t was a wonder the man
lived. seeing how twisted he was. and
mat he spoke In a strange tongue some
times, and that for the last two nights
she had heard him grooming and weep
ing in his bedroom. He was all right.
as far as money went, but IN his de-
post he had given her what looked like
bad form She showed it to me,
Watson. and it was an Indian rupee.
So now, my dear fellow. you seq ex-
actly how we stand and why it is L
want you. 1t is perfectly plain that
after the ladies parted from this man
he saw the quarrel between husband and
wife through the window. that he rush
ed in, and that the creature which he
carried in his box got loose That is
all very certain. But he is the only
person in this world who can tell us
exactly what happened in that ROOM
And you intend to ask L;m?"
y y
Most certainIy-but in the presence
OF a witness
And l am the witness2"
If you will be SO good. If he can clear
the matter up, well and good. II he re-
fuses, we have no alternative but to
apply for warrant"
But how do you know he'll be there
when we return?"
You may be sure that 1 took some
precautions. / have one of my Baker
street boys mounting guard over him
who would stick to him like a burr. go
where he might We shall find him in
Hudson street tomorrow. Watson, and
meanwhile / should be the criminal my
SELF II kept out OF bed any longer"
IL was midday when we found our
selves at the scene of the tragedy, and,
under my companions guidance, we
made our way at once to Hudson
street. In spite OF his capacity for con-
cealing his emotions, could easily see
that Holmes was In state of SUD-
pressed excitement, while / myself tin
Cling with that half-sporting, haif-in-
teileetual experience which l invaria-
bly, experienced when / associated my
self with him in his Investigations
y "
This is the street said he. as we
The Washington times., 1905-06-18

This is the street" said he, az we
turned in to Il short thoroughfare lined
with plain two-storiea brick houses.
All. here is Simpson 70 report"
Hes in all right. Mr. Holiness" cried
small street Arab. running up to U.s.
Good. Simpson,, said Holmes, pat
ting him on the head. Come along.
Watson. This is the house" He sent
In hts card with a message that he had
come on important business, and a mo-
The Washington times., 1905-06-18
Some Quaint and Curious Beliefs of Sperstitios Peoe

A n aged dame appeared at a Lon
~ dor police court in great dis
tress the other day, says Pear
sons Weekly She had she
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-30
FrIIIe- 30 J afJ 80. 1895.
ORDER FOR HEARING PROOF OF WILL

ff.'tttftl fffffAt - tttA3t
STATE. OF MINNESOTA, County of Blue
Earth.-sS. In Probate Court
In the matter of the estate of Magnus +.
Anderson. deceased
Whereas. an instrument in writing purpoft
ing to be the last will and testament OF Mag
nus f. Ander on. deceased. late of said county,
has been deliN cred 10 this court: = ,aF
therewith her petition. representing among
other things, thatsaid Magnus Henderson died
in said county on the Both day of May, 1895,
testate. and that said petitioner is the execu-
triX named in said last Will and Testament,
and praying that the said instrument
may be admitted to probate, and that letters
teStamentary be issued thereon To herself.
1t is ordered, that the proofs of said inStru-
ment and the said petition be heard before
this court at the probate office in said county.
on Tuesday. the nth day OF July, A. d., 1865,
at O'Clock in the afternoon when all persons
interested may appear for or contest the ID o.
bate of said instrument:
And it is further ordered, that notice of the
time and place of said hearing be given TO Ill
persons interested. by publishing this order
once in each week for three successive weeks
prior to said day of hearing in the Mankato
Free Press a weekly newspaper printed and
published at Mankato. in said county.
A. d.. 1905
BY the Court,
Probate Court Seal. WM. +. HUGHES,
Judge of Probate.
A. o. Eberhart, Attorney.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-30
STORMS RAMPANT IN JULY.
Month Will Open With Trouble and
.hoH n: Have Bad Finish. & .r"5.

From Mondays Daily. r,a f f,in.,
According to Rev. Hicks, the weather
,}rognosticator, the first storm period
IF July is central on the I'd, extend-
ing from the lst to the 9Th, and the
month will come in wit ha very high
temperature and falling barometer. On
and touching the I'd, these conditions
will break into storms of much force,
vicious thunder and lightning, high
winds, rain and hail. followed by change
to cooler
A reactionary storm period is central
Oh the 18th, 9Th and 9th. 1t will bring a
marked reaction to excessive warmth
Very threatening clouds with low ba-
rometer at this time would suggest the
possible approach of tornado storms
The disturbances Of this period will be
followed by change to cooler
The third storm period is central on
the l4th, extending from. the 18th
to-. 18th. Regions where storms have
prevailed at the previous July periods
n,ayrexpect All increase. of the same at
this period, while drouth and, heat will
reach crisis over wide sections inter
veninr. Tendency to continued cloudi-
ness and unsettled threatening weatn-
| er will follow this period. IS
The fourth storm period is reaction
airy, and is central on the goth and
2lst. An increase of temperature and re-
turn to rain and electrical squalls may
be looked for. Many places will have
storminess, thunder and lightning and
possibly dangerous winds.
The fifth storm period is central on
the 25th, extending from the Odd to
9th. The barometer will fall and other
storm conditions will appear early in
this period. On and touching the oath
and 18th. there will be a sensible in
| crease of tendency to storminess, all
followed by rising barometer and change
to somewhat cooler from about the
Goth to Goth.
The month closes in the midst of a
reactionary storm period, bringing high
and rising temperature. The barome-
ter will be low and falling to westward
and cloudliness and storms will be form
ing and, starting on their eastward
career.