davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
WOn't Have Outsiderg on Bench.

Most teams are supersttious about
having outsiders on the bench, even
during practice. Few of them believe
that they can win a game when an out
slider has sat on their bench from the
moment that they arrived at the park.
But the kinky superstitiOns Of the in
dividUal players make the queer stuff
! wouldn't go so far as TO say that
every player has some odd pet notion,
but it's sure thing that not many Of
tnem are free from these whimsies.
know several pitchers. for instance.
who thoroughly believe that when a
game Is postponed on account OF rain or
Wct grounds on the day they're due to
go IN it's simply impossible for them
10 Win on the next day or the next time
Iney take ;heir postponed turn
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

will ever make him believe to the con-
trary.
The great majority of players believe
that it's bad luck to pick up any bat but
their own when going UP to the plate.
They always have bats that look alike
nOtched or otherwise fixed up for easy
Identification, so that they won't pick
up the wrong one, to do which they be-
lieve is to make dead sure that they'll
be whitfield by the pitcher. Only when
you see a batsman about to go up pick
mp two bats and swing them around can
you be sure that he isn't possessed of
this superstition.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

rather be whitfield and be done with IL
than get his base on being hit. Directly
contrary to this superstition is that OF
many players that it's the best kind OF
luck to get to first on being hit by the
pitcher.
Plenty of the oId-time players firmly
believe that when they spill coffee on
the tablecioth at breakfast, they're
bound to have bad luck during the en-
tire week 10 follow, ard they're as
nervous as cats for fear of getting hurt
in games or at practice until the seven
days are up.
zone of the leading pitchers in the
league grips his knife and fork while
eating as if he feared somebody wanted
TO take them away from him. The an
swer to that is that he knows for a dead
sure thing that whenever he drops a
knife or fork on the floor while eating
he is bound TO toss a whole bunch OF
wild pitches the very next time ne
works.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

goes up. He says that he has never yet
succeeded IN making a hit when he in
advertently overlooked this.
A superstition of one of the too notch
third basemen IS that it is the viIest
kind Of luck to join the bunch of plavers
that surround a man who gets hurt in
the progress of a game. The fans have
noticed for years back that this third
baseman always sits on his sack at such
a time instead of joining the gang OF
players around the injured man, and
they have imputed a lack of sympathy
10 him on this account.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

Convulsions was not sufficient to at
tract attention
Never was the thought of the un-
known avenger less present to their
minds than on that September after
noon when the baby Willie toddled
out to the doorway and then a few
yards along the road.
Only half an hour had passed
when there appeared in the doorway
a man bearing the motionless figure
of the child in his arms
He had been found lying in the
roadway near his fathers cottage.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

write these cruel letters? She knew
nothing of poisons. Well, yes; she
did remember, come to think of it,
that Mrs. Perkins had called her into
the house one day shortly before
the illness of little Willie and asked
her to help in poisoning the dog,
and that she had held the dogs head
while Mrs. Perkins poured stun
down the dogs throat. And the stuff
smelt like garlic. This, however,
might be merely a coincidence.
So. Mrs. Mcdowell, or Bryant, ran
the course of her narrative until,
with a smile and a nod to the jury,
she tripped out of court.
And in face of this situation there
is no cause for surprise that the
Richmond corOner's jury took refuge
in the time -henored Murder by
poison administered by some person
or persons unknown"
But behind the curtain that shields
the lluI u6I6So lltS LIlG SLOEN OI q
deep, unfathomable well of passion
running through the dull lives of
these simple, commonplace country
people, whose only hope in this
world is to earn bread, and work
until they die: a story of baff1ed love
turned to hate; Of a woman trans
formed TO a fury by the indifference
Of the man she sought, and striking
at the heart of the mother, whom she
hated. through her innocent children.
-WOman's worst and coldest
crimes are committed for the sake
Of love; those of men for money"
says Lombroso.
And eloquent on its testimony of
the working of a woman's heart
under the stress of passion is the
first of the line of letters dropping
one by one into the home. The first
letter bore a border of black, and is
among those not yet given out for
publication.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Bellpeyers Almost q Superstitious as Chorus Girls

example. there's a renowned fielder who
is positive that every time he. gives
himself a slight cut with his razor while
shaving in the morning he's going to
mun an easy fly at the game IN the
afternoon.
Now, it seems to me that that's
easily enough explained. When he cuts
himself with his razor in the morning
that shows that he's in a nervous state,
perhaps due to excessive travelling or in
cautious eating, and he's stil nervous
when he muffs his easy fly during the
game. But you'd never be able 10 make
that outfielder see the connection. He
simply knows that the razor cut
1resages the muff. and that's all there Is
to it so far as his understanding Of the
situation is concerned.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

Il ALL PLAHERS are as super
X stiuOus as chorus girls"
said the business manager
of one OF the American
League clubs In addition TO all the
ordinary superstitions. they've got
whole batch of their own, and they be-
heve in them implicitly" says the New
York Sun.
They ali fan for the thirteen super
sutton You can't get them 20 ride in
a bus in which there are only thirteen
men, and they are always very care
ful 10 count noses, too.
In the dining rooms of some Of the
hotels al which the players stop while
travelling they put all the players at
one table. It's fun to watch them flag
ging the thirteenth fellow who comes
along TO the table for a meal If he
doesn't roll his eye around himself and
count the bunch before sitting down.
there are always plenty. Of them at the
table who VIII and if the newcomer
makes the thirteenth he ducks out Of
the dining room until he is Joined by
one of the other players. to make the
fourteenth, or waits till one of the
eaters gets through and quits the ia
BILE
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Fouls Help.

Another hitter of high degree has got
the idea firmly imbedded in his head
that after he's put two or more foul
tips out of the lot he's bound to make
swell hit. He's got the experience Of
years to point to when it's gently init
mated to him that this is only little
superstition, and so there's no use in
talking TO him.
Another player with a swell batting
eye thoroughly believes that il is posi-
lively necessary for him to bite off a
fresh chew OF tobacco every time he
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

deaths were, however, officially
stated to be due to natural causes.
X /.
Mysterious Threatening Letters.
THAT in May last Mr.. and Mrs.
Perkins were jointly the recipients
of a series of letters threatening
death. two being signed "A. M"
the initials of Miss Abbie Mitchell,
a friend of Mrs. Perkins, who, how
ever. has denied all knowledge of
these letters and has submitted
specimens of her handwriting for
comparison with the handwriting in
the anonymous communications,
Miss Mitchell has been fully exoner-
ated
5-That the poison had been ad-
ministered by a woman.
6-That both children had been
nursed by Mrs. Mamie Mcdowell i'm
mediately before their deaths.
The rest of the evidence given
at the inquest, powerful in its effect
upon general public sentiment, is
after all so much conjecture and ex-
preston of opinion unsupported by
other evidence.
The embodiment Of vengeance
personified does Mrs. Perkins, grimly
relentless. arise from her seat on
the witness stand, and, pointing to
the placid figure of Mrs. Mamie Nc
DoweH, cry out: You ask me who
I believe TO be the murderess Of my
children. Ny answer is: There, be-
fore YOU. smiling at me from that
doorway. Mamie Mcdowell, the wo-
man whom / knew as Mrs. Bryan.
Mamie Mcdowell wrote those letters
and murdered my children with
phosphorus obtained from matches-
But. asked 10 define an adequate
motive for the murder on the part OF
Mrs. Mcdowell. Mrs. Perkins grows
confused and cloudy and weak, help
lessly falling back at last upon a re
iteration Of her accusations.
Following is Edward Perkins a
mild. wispy, timid little man, quietly
suggesting his own acquiescence IN
his wife's belief that Mrs. Mcdowell
killed his children, the stern. in
domitable figure of his wife con-
fronting him as he gives his testi-
mOny.
More, startling than all and yet alb
solutely worthless and inconclusive
in the hands of a skillful crOss-exam-
iner was the expert" expression of
belief on the part of the local post
Office inspector, John Bulla, that four
of the many anonymous and threat
ening letters received by Mr.. and
Mrs. Perkins during the. period COW
cred by the deaths of the two chill
dren were written by Mrs. Mamie
Mcdowell.
The local authorities in an inspira-
tion of imitation had recalled a GER
tain incident in the Molineux case
and had requested that Mrs. Nc
Dowell give them a specimen Of her
handwriting. And so on q postal
card the woman, smilingly acquies-
cent, had written at dictatiOn.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

~ 4 IL SNaLNAs 1NDSA4 oA0 lily VI
Richmond, Va.-laden with
historic memories-there is
today acted a story OF secret
murder, of love and jealousy,
of plot and counter plot, such as Zola
or Gaboriau would relish.
On the lips OF every man and wo-
man in the city today rises the one
ouestion-what hidden hand poison
ed the children of Mrs. Emma Per-
kins? And this question, agitating the
population of the whole city. remains
unanswered. One by one five Of the
nine children of Mrs. Perkins droop-
ed and died like flowers stricken by
an icy wind But 1t is as to the
deaths of the last two children
Willie. two-year-old baby, the
only child Of his mothers second
marriage. and Octavia Blakey, who,
until the afternoon of Tuesday. Oc-
tober II. had been the youngest of
Mrs. Perkins five surviving chill
dren by her first marriage to VIII
liam Blakey-that the whole city
asks the questions which has
driven every mother in Richmond,
from the woman of society in her
mansion to the woman Of the cot
tage. into a frenzy of fear.
For each woman, as she thinks of
the hapless innocents dying in the
agonies of Phosphorous poisc2inss g 8,
instinetively gathers her children
around her as if to protect them
from the yelled assassin whose hand
even now may strike at their lives.
From the moment of that Tuesday
afternoon. now nearly three weeks
agone. that Octavia. the pretty,
gOiden-haired little girl whom every
one around her home in North Sixth
street. Richmond, knew and loved,
staggered into the house to fall into
her mothers arms and die there,
has the whole detective force Of the
CITY and the State been concentrated
on the work of solving the problem
and reaching the author of a scheme
of murder which in nicely of detail,
cold calculation of chances and ex-
actitude Of results is worthy of the
best efforts of the Borgias. The
death of Octavia it was that opened
the path of discovery in the case
o. her little step-brother, Willie
two years old. who on the night OF
September q had died in CORE
spending agonies. and with the same
hideOus symptoms. And now do the
friends of Mrs. Perkins, in the days
when she was Mrs. Blakey, recall
the weird circumstances surround,
ing the death of each Of three of the
eight children of her first marriage
IN these deaths were present th'
characteristic smoke from the
mouth. the odOr of garlic, the death.
ly faintness, followed by complete
coma. found in the cases of Octavi;
and the baby. Willie.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Socks on Wrong Side Out.

Il understand that women consider il
lucky to get one or both Of their stock
ings on wrong side out accidentally but
! know a ball player-One OF the crack
first basemen-who becomes pale when
he finds that he's put one Of his socks
on that way. He swears that every
time he gets one of his socks on wrong
side out he is sure to get pulled off his
sack by a thrown bali and miss an easy
out in the afternoons game, and nothing
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Unlucky to Be Hit.

a player whose person seems to be
a veTItable magnet for pitched balls, for
he seems never to get through a season
without being struck by a ball at least
half a dozen times, declares that he
never yet succeeded in making the cir
cult of the bases after having got first
on being hit. He says that he'd heap
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

The world now knows the story
of the October afternoon oD which
the child Octavia was to meet her
death by the hand Of the poisoner-
She had risen from her mothers
side, and ran lightly to the house
Of Mrs. Mcdowell, and the next
that was seen Of her was when she
reappeared in the doorway of the
Perkins cottage. and with a sigh and
a moan tainted in her mothers arms.
Again was the characteristic odor
of garlic; again the shivering con
vuIsicns and the sharp gasps and
cries of agony, ere eight hours later
death released the sufferer.
Suspicion had in the mind oF Efrs.
Perkins become certainty From that
moment the word murder" took the
place of all others in the vocabulary
of the Richmond people. Mrs. Per-
kins spoke at last and cried out for
vengeance on the woman who. she
declares. killed her children. and
would have robbed her Of her hus-
band.
Two women confront each other
over the grave of the murdered chill
dren.
Mrs Perkins, defiant, accusatory,
pointing with uplifted hand at her
supposed enemy. Mrs Mcdowell,
smiling, suaye, perfect in poise, par
rying each thrust, denying all things.
and laughing at her accuser. Justice,
in the persons of the police and the
coroner, looks on the picture in per-
piexity and doubt, while all Rich
mond awaits the next development
in the play.
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
The Border of Black.

THE border of black is for my
first love" said the writer fYou rob
bed me Of the man l wanted-he who
is now in his grave. And now l am
determined to strike at you. It is
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

No one at that time took any par
ticular notice of the odor of garlic
on the breath of the child.
All that the doctors could say was
that the symptoms Indicated the
presence of some foreign substance
in the body. Within twelve hours
the boy was dead
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Sure to Muf.

There's often a plain enough answer
"a the supcrstitions OF the players, buc
they won't see the answer, and lust go
right on nursing the superstition. For
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

my purpose hrSt to break your hearI
by making you childless, and then to
free your husband That it is my
purpose to do this you may know"
The mother smiled and put the
letter aside. A week went by and
there came another letter.
''You have taken no heed of my
warming" said the writer. Il tell
you I'll strike through those you
love most"
And with each morning there lay
on the breakfast table, in sinister
significance, the letter with the
handwriting that they knew so well.
Heavier and heavier grew the
hearts of the parents with each of
those letters. ~
But at last there came a morning
when the familiar step of the post
nan passed by their door. A second
and a third morning came and went,
with still no letter.
And they cried FOR Joy at the
thought that the shadow of death
had been lifted from them. The mere
incident of the house dog dying in
The Washington times., 1905-11-05
Of the Nine Children in the Perkins Family
Five Have Died From Poisoning andDead-
y Doses Have Been Administered TO Half
of the Survivors, Notwithstanding the Ef-
forts of the Police to Protect the Little Ones
and Capture the FieRd Who Is MuTdering
Them.

n THE stately. staid old city of
Richmond, Va.-laden with
historic memories-there is
today acted a story OF secret
The Washington times., 1905-11-05

deaths were, however, officially
stated to be due to natural causes.
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
w. T. BALDUS, MD, Ph.n,
GERMAu spEcxAxrsT.

On Diseases OF the Brain. Nervous System.
Kidneys, Heart, Stomach. and other Diseasen-
Doctors service aIId medicine. So Consul
tation free Telephone Main 25le Southeast
corner 9th and r SITS NV. Hours, 10 to 4
and to g. Closed Sunday. euss-sf
The Washington times., 1905-08-31

CHICAGO GRAIN MARKET.

CHICAGO, Aug. 31.-The following
prices were quoted on the grain mar
ket today:
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
REACTION GAINS
STRENGTH TODAY
Market Suffering From
Heavy Speculations.

NEW YORK, Aug. 31.-The reaction
airy tendency has gained force today
Very little can be said about the SELL
ing of stocks. except that 1t was for
the most part local.
On the whole. Philadelphia entertained
the most outspoken bullish views. Phila-
delphia houses were large buyers on
balance. buying even Brooklyn Railroad
Transit. This last is distinctly new
departure. The West was no more than
a nominal seller on balance. IL at all.
There was no significance 10 the
movements of prices on the character
Of the stock market during the first
hour. but dribbling in of selling orders
from various sources was large enough
in the aggregate to cause declines In
many of the active issues.
Amalgamated Copper was a puzzle to
the trading element. being one OF the
weakest OF the active stocks.
London was quiet and not factor
in the trading
The room generally took the bear side,
but shifted whenever there was any
Indication of rally, and il was said
mat the traders were playing on both
sides Brokers supposed 10 act for i'm
pcrtant interests had q story that a
iarge part of yesterdays selling came
from: the Standard Oh party.
Other houses prominent In the market
movements said that the drag on prices
today was the natural result of the
heavy speculative liquidation yesterday.
following the publication of good news.
and that after about two days reaction
the accumulation of stocks will be re-
surned and the upward movement that
has been checked for a time be carried
along until new high levels are reached.
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
WASHINGTON STOCK MARKET

Sales-Wasnington Gas, A and s. 600G
1o4l1. s10od1o415. 81. 0o0a1o41a. $4,000 1875.
sa.sOoGlO4ss. sl.OOOa1of1a. slOOa1oHs, s2Ooq
104I1.
Washington Street Railway, preferred.
50d 921z, 5odez|. 5Oq92ss-
Washington Street Railway common.
2594S%. 50q43b, 100Q43. 50qis, 50G427s,
I0O1425s-
Washington Loan and Trust, 5Q210.
American Security and Trust. 10d25s5S.
Washington Gas, 5od63. 254s3. 25963.
Mergenthaler. $3.50.
Lanston. looa17ls. 1oGQ17%. 1ood17Ss.
5clI7ss 5od172s. 50a1714. 1OGd17Ss. 100417N,
100d17s. 51Q17lH 67@11A.
Graphophone preferred, 10oQS%.
After call-Washingtcn Railway pre-
fcrred, 50Q93 buyer, co., 4oQ92aa.
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
THE WASHINGTON TIMES THURSDAY. AUGUST 81 100,

no trading in the bonds, but the bid
was 9o14. a loss of a.
In the bank list the only sales were
shares of Washington Loan and Trust
at 20. and 10 OF American Security and
Trust at 253Ix
Washington Gas lost stout fraction
total or 100 shares selling at 6S-
Mergenthaler was deserted by all its
friends and the only sale-5 shares-was
made at 100. this also being the closing
bid. without any offering.
When Lanston was reached on the
call, great things were expected in con
sequence OF the published report that
the contract of seventy-two machines
for the Government Printing Office
would stand: The best price. however
was but li31. and this only for 15C
shares. The other sales. about acc
shares were at l7A@ss. and the close
was ia bid and y wanted.
One hundred shares of Graphophone
sold at So.
Greene Copper was "a bid and 24ss
asked, the Copper stocks In New York
having experienced a heavy slump.
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
WASHINGTON.

Trading on the local exchange today
was scattered a few issues only meet
ing with much attention.
There was an unusually large sale OF
Washington Gas A and B bonds, a total
of s11.200 being disposed of at l043sG1z.
Capital Traction lacked all support
and interest, the result being a bid of
1401s with an offer of 1853
Washington Railway preferred was a
shade better. 100 shares selling at 92ia
and $50 at 925s. After call an option on
90 shares sold at SO. and 40 shares went
at 92A.
Washington Railway common suffered
a reaction, both in the volume of trad
ing and In price. After a fractional lot
had been sold at 433s. 80 shares sold
at 431s. after which the price receded
to 43 and then Is lower. The closing
was 42% bid and 43 asked There was
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
DR., SHADE

Cures lung and throat trouble. catarrh. stouH-
eeh. kidney. liver. nervous diseases. bladdse
structure, skir. blood. special weakness. a23
private diseases cured promptly. Closed Sun
days els y ST ma. sylS-Sf-
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
REPORT Of THE CONDITION
OF the
American Security and Trust Co.,

Al Washington, d. c..
AT the close OF business August e5. 1908.
The Washington times., 1905-08-31
NEW YORK STOCK MARKET.

reported BY w. B. Hibbs & Co.. 14Io F
street Members New York Stock Exchange.
Chicago Board of Trade. and Washington
stock Exchange.1
The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-11
Back, But Not to Stay.

p. Q. Layman, after an absence from
us for some time on the head waters
of White Day, finally drifted westward
and dropped upon Aaron Morgan, near
Winfield. Here he tarried so long
that his welcome 1t was feared began
to grow burdensome, and the question
was whispered around as to how they
might institute means of relief. AT.
ter hay-ride to distant neighbor's
ana the young folks were all feeling
in sympathetic mood for the ills Of
life endured by others. one young lady
resolved to take the initiative in Sc.
curing relief from the affection re.
ferred to above, and SO in a gentle
persuasive way intimated that p. @
had better try his skill in hunting, or
else to assist his host in doing chores
on the farm. He had no love for the
former nor aptness for the latter,
hence he chose rather to quietly dis.
appear and waited back into the city,
where he is now seeking quarters that
he may lodge in peace for brief res
pite, after which he expects to seek
the novelty of other fields where he
may roam at will and not be made to
feel that his presence is burden to
any one nor the days to be filled in
with the constant worry of work, or
the unwelcome task of irlisome duty.
The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-11
Not Always as We Lie n.

We are sorry to learn Of our friend
Cochran. of the Commercial Hotel,
getting into the tolls OF the law from
the too free use Of his cane on the
cocoa.nut of Charley Jones, his former
colored porter. Mr. Cochran, how.
ever, thought he had Just cause for
his action. He acted upon the theory
that he had the right to protect his
domicll against the invasion of for.
hidden intruders. Finding this one
within contrary to positive orders
previously issued, he proceeded there,
fore TO do things in his own way. And
although the use of his cane over the
intruder's head was not in exact
keeping with the letter Of the law, yet
II was in harmony with his theory
of self-portection, even II 1t did prove
a costly experiment in testing It. He
will thus have found that might does
not always make right our wrongs,
and that we cannot under the law do
all we want to, even though our sense
OF justice prompts that we ought.