davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28
Cigarettes and Insanity.

Does cigarette smoking cause insan-
ity? was the direct question asked by
committee of the Medico-Legal So
ciety, of New York. of the medical
superintendent of the hospitals for in
sane of the United States, and not a
single case was reported in answer"
says DR.. William B. Fletcher, in Med
ical Progress. Responses from alien
lists of Europe showed great surprise,
as the subject had never been thought
of by them. Personally, | have exam
ined over 200 works on insanity pub
lished in English, with the essence OF
German and French literature by
translation, and by no alienist or med
ical writer of any repute is the word
cigarette found in relation to causa-
ton, nor is smoking tobacco in any
form mentioned in connection with
mental disease. In the past 20 years
l have examined over 1900 cases of
nervous disease and insanity where
the cause of the malady was given by
their friends as the cigarette habit.
In not one case have reason to be-
lieve that tobacco had anything to do
with the causation of the disease. The
patients were all young men. and some
of them insane without doubt. Some
of them smoked cigarettes to excess,
but their insanity was the cause of the
excess; the excess was not the cause Of
the insanity"
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

The story or Midshipman Charles
G. Hunter is q peculiar and in some
respects a sad one. The affair of
honor into which he was drawn and
which resulted in his killing his man,
followed him all his days, like an
evil nemesis, and he died with the
words on his lips: MY life has been
embittered, and all my happiness
wrecked by the sight of that man
lying dead on the bank of that little
creek in Delaware-killed by my pis-
toll shetland a man / had met only
twice before we stood facing each
other on that fateful Sunday morn
ing"
The Trivial Beginning.
The duel grew out of trivial in
cident, and the men who finally met
each other on the field of honor were
not the original principals in the af-
fair. Henry Wharton Griffith and r.
Dillon Drake, two society men of
Philadelphia, in company with some
friends sauntered into a billiard par
lor at Third and Chestnut streets on
the afternoon of Friday, February IT,
1880, and Drake, angered by an i'm
piled imputation upon his skill with
the cue, struck Griffith in the face.
Before friends could interfere Drake
had severely whipped his companion.
That evening a message was sent to
New York to Passed Midshipman
Charles H. Duryee, of the United
States navy, asking him to come i'm
meaiately to Philadelphia. Duryee
arrived on the following Tuesday and
the next day carried challenge from
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

its largest field of operation. The
personal encounter between two mid
dies as the result of an insult or 9TH
er affront which leads to challenge
being sent and the two meeting in the
ring to settle the affair is one thing,
and the resistance of aplebe'' when
being haZed is quite another. and calls
into operation a different rule of the
code. This is what is known as the
''class fight"
The offending "plebe" must fight
the man the upper class picks out.
To be sure, it will give the ''plebe" a
man of his own size, but good care is
taken by the third classmen that the
chances are all on their side by
choosing for their champion one of
their strongest and cleverest pugilists.
man is badly punished. and after Is
or 20 fierce and bloody rounds fails
to come to the scratch, but sometimes
the tables are turned and the upper
.classman is the one who gets groggy
and at last is unable to respond to the
call of time by the referee, and is
counted out. Then the victorious
''plebe" has to fight another of the
youngsters" and so on until he is
himself whipped.
A "Plebe" Who Wasn't Whipped.
Years ago. it Is said, that a "plebe'
practically cleaned out an entire
class of youngsters" ant 1t was then
discovered that he had been a prize
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

GRAVES or SIX HUNDRED ARMEN-
IANS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.
others may have the same vagueness
of conception; wherefore we would
mention that Turkey in Europe COM
prises about one-third of the Balkan
peninsula, the region is bounded on the
east and west by the Black and Adria-
tic seas. on the north by Bulgaria, Ser
via, Bosnia and Montenegro, on the
south by the Sea of Marmora, the
Aegean sea- and by Greece. European
Turkey has an area of about $4,000
square miles-it once had 230,000--and
a population of 5000, 900. In Asia Mi
nor there are over 100000 of people
under Turkish rule; in Armenia and
Khurdistan, about two and a half mill
lions; in Mesopotamia and Syria, over
four and a half millions; in Arabia,
over million; in Africa (vilayets of
Tripoli and Benghaizi) nearly mill
lion and half These the immediate
possessions, the remaining peoples
more or less tributary
The war with Russia in 1876 meant
ern Roumania, Thessaly, and strip
of eastern Armenia, in the entire indie
pendence of Roumania, Servia and
Montenegro, in the administration Of
Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria,
and of Cyprus by England. Bulgaria,
with eastern Roumelia, is autonomous.
Crete is a vassal state, and Samos
pays tribute to the sultan.
If Abdul Hamud as true holy father
--padishah, father Of all the sovereigns
of the earth, absolute ruler Of the
worlds hundreds of millions of Mo-
hammedans-were able to set going
holy war, great ruin would befall. A
and Egypt and France in Algiers and
Morocco, besides bringing on whole
sale massacre of Christians in Con-
stantinople, which SO long has been
threatened But Abdul Hamid is not
regarded as the head of all Islam he is
looked upon in Morocco, Arabia, India
and several other countries as an inn
postor, not descended from the
prophet.
Nevertheless a great part of Islam
has deep generation for the sultan,
the generation added to by massacre
and persecution Of the Armenians.
War against the infdel is a duty, a
religion; and outbreaks in the past
going unpublished, give encouragement
to the sons of Islam. It is no sin to
kill q Christian in Turkey, and the
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

Greeks, Armenians and all Europeans
Roman Catholics and Protestants--
within the limit Of the empire are con-
tinually exposed to massacre, not only
by mobs, but by the soldiers. They
are in the same danger that always
surround the Jews in Russia"
Mohammedans form only one-half
the population OF European Turkey,
but a vast majority IN Asiatic Turkey.
There are adherents of seven non-Mo-
hammedan creeds recognized by the
Turkish governmental tins, Franks,
or Catholics, Greeks, Armenians, Syri-
ans and United Chaideans, Maronites.
Protestants and Jews.
To return to the Macedonia Ques-
tion' and the Balkan Storm The
question was created by the agitation
of the Christian subjects, and the am
bition of Greece and Bulgaria to annex
a part of the territory; Bulgaria has
stirred up the Christians against
Turkish rule, the Greeks have set on
foot guerrilla warfare against Turkish
regulars The population of Macedonia
consists mainly Of Slavs, Bulgarian is
the element that predominates In the
language. The different nationalities
are often in conflict. The Balkan
states are restless Of encrOachment on
the part of neighbors; are generally
FESTIVE, evince eagerness to foment
revolution against Turkish tyranny.
The Sick Man of Europe is beset with
in and without, but holds on with the
tenacity of grim death.
KATHERINE POPE
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28
We Are Prosperous.

Although the bill-fretted householder
is not able to rid himself entirely OF
the thought that the butcher, the baker
and the grocer are absorbing more
than their per capita Of the general
prosperity; although there is more
point than ever to the quip that, while
it may not cost more to live, says the
New York Globe. it costs more to make
people believe you are living; never
theless if man, ceasing to search for
the fly in the ointment and dismisslng
from consideration ills that may be
peculiar to himself, will look abroad
over society, he will find ample excuse
for indulging in all the rejoicing OF
which he is temperamentally capable.
The lot of the vast majority OF the
people of this country and this city
was never as happy as now. We
grumble and complain and get sad sat-
isfaction from the expression of dis
content; but the querulousness is only
on the surface. OF green gaze, indeed,
must be the vision that does not see
that things are better and becoming
better still. The rich may be growing
richer, but SO are the poor. There are
more wants in the world to-day than
yesterday, but, what is more to the
purpose, more wants, although appe-
tite grows with feeding, are satisfied.
Material prosperity has SO leaked down
that it floods an ever increasing per-
centage of the population. Luxuries
once confined to princes are now with
in the reach of everybody. The COM
fort Of yesterday is regarded as the
necessity of to-day. Rags and tatters
have practically disappeared from our
streets. Drunkenness is decreasing.
The chronic repiner doubtless has his
uses and the existing order is far from
perfect, but as we throw out the log
we have reason to be pleased at the
rapidity with which the old ship is
travelling.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

that his promises had not been re-
regret to hear this strange report,
averred reforms had been set on foot,
laid the blame on incompetent and dis
honest officials; then made easy prom
Uses that satisfactory state of affairs
would soon reign in the territory un-
der discussion. The representatives of
various governments knew they were
being played with, finally it was de-
cided to make an impressive demon
stration in Turkish waters. What the
result will be in the end is hard to
prophesy, the willy sultan, in spite of
his tottering empire, SO often proves
master of the game.
w. II. Curtis, writing in the Chicago
Record Herald, gives this summary of
the scheme of reform, and the extent
to which carried out: Gin May, 1903,
the powers presented new plan of re-
form, which was very comprehensive
and was intended to prepare the way
for Macedonian autonomy. 1t provided
for corps of foreign officials for the
administration OF the finances and po-
lice; for foreign judges and other civil
and judicial functionaries, to be select
ed by Russia, Austria and Germany;
the whole system to be under the di-
rection Of a German governor, with a
Turkish inspector general as his chief
of staff, who would report to the grand
vizier of the Ottoman empire at Con-
stantinople and be the connecting link
between the sultan and his province,
and the visible representative of Turk
ish sovereignty. The inspector general,
however, to have no authority except
to watch the proceedings of the for
eign officials and make such reports as
he thought necessary to his master at
Constantinople. The bashi-bazouks and
all other Mahommedan soldiers to be
withdrawn and the country to be po-
Iced by native gendarmes, Differed by
foreigners. The chief of police to be
foreigner and all the magistrates ex-
cept those of the lowest grade (who
might be selected from the natives) to
be foreigners. The taxes to be assessed
and collected by natives under foreign
supervision, and the entire proceeds
to be expended for local purposes-for
roads, schools and other internal inn
provements, after paying the expenses
of government. The courts to be re-
organized, universal scheme Of pub
lie instruction to be introduced, politi-
cal offenders to be pardoned, and local
or Turkish officials who had been
guilty of atrocities to be tried and
punished"
s.The sultan accepted all this and
portion of the reforms have already
been adopted. But they are compare
lively insignificant ard have afforded
very little relief to the people, Ger
many, Austria and Russia have de-
tailed the military, civil and Judicial
officers required by the reorganization
plans, but they have not been allowed
to exercise authority. and Macedonia
is still under the tyranny of the Turk
ish officials, with bastaliOns of bashi-
bazouks to enforce their authority"
Let us consider the extent and char /
acter of the Ottoman empire, that we
may better understand the meaning of
the phrases "The Macedonian Cues
ton" and the Threatened Storm in
the Balkans phrases that persistent
~ recslg in newspaper headlines. The |
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

fighter before his admission to the
academy. It seems he went to one
OF the upper classmen and said:
"See nere, don't like the way my
class ia being treated" The upper
classman was nearly surprised out OF
his wits, but recovered from his
stupor-and only one who knows the
full meaning of rate among mid
shipmen can have a correct apprecia-
ton of what that announcement from
a "plebe" to an upper classman car
ried-the rating" demanded: Mid
shipman, do you want to fght?'
That's what I'm looking for" was
the bold reply. The fight was ar
ranged. and then followed series OF
humiliating defeats for upper class
men, and there is no telling just
where the affair might have ended if
the academy authorities had not got
wind of what was in progress, and
put a stop to further encounters in
that particular series. But it is -aid
that the "plebe" boldly informed the
officials that he could whip the whole
upper class"
Hazing and the Code.
Most of the encounters in the acad-
envy come from hazing the 'splebes, Z
although the unknown lady" and
other things often figure as the casus
belIi. An upper classman resents a
lower classman being too attentive to
his "best GIRL" and any "galliness,"
nv ordY in a n a al
is sure to bring the offender to issue
with the offended upper midshipman.
Midshipmen have been known to fight
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28
Why Pugilisrn Is Rampant in
the Annapolis Naval
Academy
REVELATIONS OF BRANCH-MER!WETHER AFFAIR
What the Code Is and the Finish Fights Which
1t Constantly Gives Rise to-Hazing the
Most Fruitful of Primary Causes
Stories of Some of the Fights -
Duel of Former Years.

the rough-and-ready style of the mid
shipmen and their eagerness for the
fray. A third classman had accosted
"plebe," or fourth classman with
the admonition: Hold up your
head" Indignant at this attempt to
run" him-for graduation day was
near at hand, and both were prepar-
ing to step up class, and this pro-
motion would, under the customs Of
the academy, take the ''plebe' out Of
the grade of the hazed and relegate
the office of hazer to the succeeding
''youngster" or third class-he replied,
defiantly: mind your own business!"
The third classman stood aghast be-
fore such audacity on the part of a
"plebe," and as soon as he had re-
covered sufficiently from his astonish-
ment to speak, he demanded:
"You want to fight, do your"
eyes," replied the "plebe," who re-
allied that there was no other way
Of settlement than in accordance with
the recognized code of honor, although
in comparison with the upper class
man he was veritable Zaccheus in
stature. But Midshipman McEntee,
the "plebe," was no coward, in fact
there is no room for the man who
shows the white feather in the acad-
envy, and he began to strip for the
fray, and right then and there in the
open daylight, in a secluded spot of
the academy grounds, the two mid
shipmen went at it. There was no
referee and no seconds, but 1t was a
fight to a finish nevertheless, and
while the clever fists Of the little
''plebe found landing places on the
face of his antagonist and he colored
bis optics a beautiful dark blue shade,
still he was worsted in the encounter,
in fact so badly was he punished that
he had to go to sick quarters. Fry
sipelas set in in the battered face,
and he nearly crossed the river. Be-
fore he went to the hospital, the COM
mandant of midshipmen observed his
face and wanted to know what was
the matter. Matter" replied the
plucky "plebe," testify, there's moth
ing the matter with me-"
The Glass Fights.
But the majority of fights in the
academy are of more formal charac-
ter than the one described above. It
is in the class fight where the code has
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

Annapolis, Md.-The recent revela-
tions of fstic encounters among the
midshipmen of the United States
naval academy here growing out OF
the death of Midshipman Branch
after a finish fight with a lower class
man named Meriwether are of a most
sensational character. The curtain OF
secrecy has been raised, revealing a
state of affairs in the inner life OF the
academy little dreamed Of by the cit
liens of the country.
Judging by the reports, the chief
business of the midshipmen is pun
melting each other in accordance With
the liberal Interpretation of the Mar
quis of Queensberry rules. Part OF
the equipment Of every man is evil
IDENTIFY the beIligerent chip. And he
wears it in such a reckless manner
that it fops off at the slightest touch
of the aggressive code.
The "code?" What is it? Nobody
seems to know. They say it is not
written, so that it is not in docu-
mentary form. And nobody seems TO
be able to explain just how this much
honored "Sir Code" acquired resi-
dence in the academy, or just how he
attained such an ascendancy over the
young men being trained there for
Uncle Sans navy. But certain 1T is
that he is there, and that he just
dotes on fights which are sometimes
more than bloody, as was the case
when Branch went down and out. All
fights are to a finish, and that word
finish frequently means more than
was intended or expected when the
quarrel was in the making, and the
challenge was being sent.
Years ago there used to be occasion
al fights among the midshipmen on
the spur of the moment, and once in
awhile a formal bout arranged for the
settlement of some wrong, real or
fancied. But there were no recog-
nized rules governing or creating such
affairs, and there was no regularity of
their occurrence. But with the pas
sage of the years the present honor
system grew up, and with the inven-
ton of this fight factory" for such
it is, pure and simple, the fistic en-
counters became more frequent 1t
is SAID that the officers of the academy
do not recognize the existence of this
code of honor, even though they may
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28
Operation of the Code.


at its operation.
Operation of the Code.
Here is the way the code operates:
Some offense has been committed,
generally by an under classman, and
is of sufficient gravity in the estima-
ton of the midshipmen to come with
in the scope of the code, and chal-
lenge follows. The president of the
class names the time, the seconds are
appointed, and in the place appointed
at the present time generally one of
the wardrooms of the midshipmen-
the combatants strip to the buff and
fight after the most approved form of
the prize ring. 1t is always fight to
a finish, and is generally so bloody
and fierce that the most strenuous
mill between professional prize fight
ers is but tame in comparison. The
finish comes when one Of the COM
batants fails to respond to the call
of time after the lapse of the inter
val between rounds. No one at the
academy can recall single fight
which has not been a finish affair, for
it would never do for man to stop
until il was finished. To stop short
Of that would disgrace man in the
eyes of his fellow classmen, and he
could never look them in the face
again.
How One Fight Came About.
Here is the story of how one fight
was brought on. and is illustrative OF
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-28

GrlmIn to Drake, who refused to en-.
terrain any message. 49,
81 will have no affair or intercourse
with a person of his reputation was
brakes contemptuous retort. ''Tell
him he is beneath the notice of gen
tleman."
us that your answer" demanded
Duryee
1T is,' replied Drake. "Take your
letter back to him.
Burning with indignation Duryee
strobe out and at once sought Com
mander Philip F. Voorhees,, of the
navy, who sent him back to Drake
with insistence that satisfaction be
given to Grimth for the insult.
II refuse to accord a meeting to a
man who has placed himself beyond
the pale of recognition" retorted
Drake, haughtily.
''But you were the assailant," as
serted the officer with some warmth.
Very true; but I hit him not be-
cause Of the billiard game, but be-
cause he wrote letter to my brother,
DR.. Drake, that was derogatory to his
fiancee, and that on the very day of
his marriage"
Duryee left in hot anger, declaring
that he would post Drake as coward
and that brought the young lawyer,
Miller, into the quarrel. The follow
ing day the attorney carried chal-
lenge from Drake to Duryae, but
Lieut.. Hampton Westcott, of Duryee's
vessel, refused to permit the midship-
man to accept until Drake had given
satisfaction to Griffith.
II shall never put myself on a level
with that degraded individual until he
makes apology for the wrong done my
brother, the doctor, and his bride"
was brakes ultimatum.
Miller Dragged In.
News of the controversy had spread
among the naval officers at New York
and Philadelphia, and there was sharp
criticism of Duryee because he had
not accepted brakes challenge, de-
spite the hair-splitting ruling of
Lieut.. Hampton Vestcott. So, to
clear Duryee of the imputation Of
cowardice, some friends in New
Brunswick, N. J., wrote to Miller, the
attorney, asking that the whole mat
ter be referred to a committee whose
decision should be final. To this
Miller responded that, as Duryee had
not accepted the challenge to fight,
for reasons best known to himself,
he and Drake looked upon the Incl
dent as closed.
The affair would doubtless have
ended there had it not been for the
entrance of Midshipman Hunter into
the dispute. On March 10 he visited
Miller, demanded the letter written
from New Brunswick and went away
in hot anger, because of the refusal
of the lawyer to hand it over.
A few days later the New Bruins
wick letter was printed, and Hunter
demanded immediate satisfaction.
Miller disclaimed any responsibility
for the publication of the letter, but
the explanation was not accepted, and
on March II Lieut.. Westcott bore a
cartel to Miller. This attorney again
insisted that he had no connection
with the publication of private cor
respondence and declined to accept
the challenge.
Three days later Hunter posted
Miller as a coward, concluding his
declaration with the gratuitous asser-
ton that the Philadelphia LAWYER was
liar as well as a poltroon. This
rapid fire oratorical bombast stirred
Duyee to action. and he sent an