davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
AN ITALIAN TRAGEDY.
Dramatic Crime Almost Perpetrated
Near Milan,

Extraordinary interest has been
aroused by the discovery the other
day of one of the most remarkable
crimes that have ever occupied public
attention. 4 certain Angelo Necchio
was well known here as sportsman
and dog breeder, and he was lately
rewarded by the Government for hav.
ing organized two very successful ca
nine exhibitions lie founded and d.
rected a newspaper devoted to sport,
and had also some success as paint
er 4 few days ago, indeed, he pub
lished a book about dogs, with spen-
did colored illustrations drawn by
himself.
4 short time ago Vecchio hired
small house in the country, and to
this place he enticed friend of his.
Signor Berretta, a man of wealth and
owner of the important Tregolo ken
nels. vecchio had told his friend that
he had some pictures TO show him. but
this was merely ruse. AS soon as
Berretta was inside the house Necchio
bound him with leather straps, and
threatened him with instant death un-
less he signed a document which was
presented to him. On reading it Ber-
retta found that 1t was Will, duly
drawn up in proper legal form and
phraseology, 10y which he bequeathed
to Necchio 10000, or a third of his
fortune.
Yielding 10 the threats OF his cap
tor. Berretta signed the testament.
but he had not even then learned the
full details of the plot of which he
was the victim. Necchio next com
PEELED him to write letter to his
mother, in which he was to declare
that he had committed suicide Hav.
ing obtained these documents, Vec-
chic went out leaving the execution
of the remainder of his nefarious plans
TO a servant. who had been instructed
to drown Berrctta in a bath which
had been specially installed in the
villa for the purpose, and then, when
night had fallen, to throw him into
the neighboring river, so that it might
he thought that he had committed
suicide.
For reasons which are not as yet
quite clear the servant did not carry
out his orders. He may have been
unable TO do so, or possibly he was
smitten with remorse; at any rate, he
united Berretta and accompanied him
home. Signor Berretta at once COM
municated with the police, who ar
retsed Vecchio's servant and his broth.
er. Necchio himself has escaped but
he is believed to have gone to Genoa.
Correspondence London Telegraph.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
Kitten Baptized with Pomo,

Off the shores of the BOsphorus NJ.
Pierre Lott, novelist and Academician
has had baptized, with mock pomp and
ceremony, his ships kitten. The af-
fair took place on Dec. on board the
French guardship Nautour which the
novelist commands as Capt Niaud.
In honor of the event, the Nautour was
bright with bunting. Flowers cover
ed guns and gunrooms. The captains
quarters were gayly ornamented, and
d crowd of guests was on board, among
them Delng the commanders of the
English and Russian guardships, the
French consul general, the Russian
naval attache, NJ. Coquelin, the actor,
and ladies'. The cats sponsors were
Nine, Roux wife of the commander of
the Mouette. and the Nicomte de Sail
gnac-Fenelon. Aft of the ship was
erected an altar to the great Scandi
navian deity Odin. The ceremony
was opened by burlesque sympathy
of Romberg, executed anyhow by
Pierre Lott and his officers, an em-
bassy attache acting as conductor. The
newly born kitten was In a dainty
basket we'll wrapped up in warm wad-
ding. The grand priest Of Odin. all
-obed in white, handed Nine. Roux a
mysterious horn, at the sound where
Of the head Of the kitten emerged
from the basket. Then the trio from
Reyer's opera "Sigurd" was heard.
and, after an invocation addressed to
Odin the grand priest baptized the
kitten "Belkis." which, being inter
preted, means pretty girl" A short
poem was next recited, and then NJ.
Lott entertained his guests at lunch
on board the Vautour-London Daily
Telegraph.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20

Forty years ago the negroes of the
South did not own square foot of
ground, nor roof to cover them. Now
there are 10000 farms owned by ne
groes, valued at $350.000,00O; 100000
homes outside the farm ownership
valued at $265, 100000 and personal
property valued at $1G5, 100000. So,
starting from nothing, here is an ac-
emulation of nearly 100000, 700.
When the work began not 1 per cent.
of the negro adults of the South could
read or write. To-day 40 per cent.
can do so. Fifty per cent of the chill
dren are attending school, and with
more facilities more would attend.
There are 800 colored physicians in
practice, 800 lawyers and 10000
school teachers. There are 100000
books in the homes of colored people
and they own and publish 450 news
papers and magazines. Christian
Work.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
Russia Dominates Asia.

There can be no doubt but that Rus
sia has been holding the whip hand"
over China, and, in general, the
whole of Central Asia as far south at
the Indian border-rulers in substance
II not in name-quietly pushing for
ward to consummation her gigantic
schemes for political and commercial
dominance in Asia. Already her trad
ers, her spies, her military officials
and diplomatists have threaded the
wids of Turkestan, and even Tibet,
and, hitherto, other inaccessible re-
gions of Central Asla-sowing sedition
in one spot cOnciliating the native
tribes in another, binding the Chin
ese Government and the world at large
as to her real intent-each and every
step part of a carefully thought out
and pre-arranged plan formulated
years ago in Russian chanceleries, to
undermine British influence, which is
the only barrier liable to obstruct
Russian policy.-Gunton's Magazine.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
EALLAcY OF NICARAGUA ROUTE
Three Objections to Panama Canal Arc
Dealt With.


1t may be interesting to refer to
the three objections which have been
raised by the advocates of the Nicara-
qua route. These are the greater dis
tance from our Atlantic and Gulf
ports to San Francisco the obstacle to
the passage of sailing ships caused
by uncertain winds in the Gulf of
Panama and lastly the health ques-
tion.
AS to the first. the objection is APP
parent rather than real since the time
lost on the longer sea route will be
full compensated by the gain in time
required to traverse the canal to say
nothing of the saving in cost due to
lower insurance rates, which will prob
ably be only about one fourth as
much as by Nicaragua.
Sailing ships would require towage
throughout the entire extent of the
Nicaragua route and the same dis.
tance at Panama would carry them
nearly or quite to point where winds
might be expected 1t is true that
the winds in the Gulf of Panama are
certain, but sailing ships have used
the route for hundreds of years, find
ing 1t to I've the best for trans-ship-
ment of their cargoes across the 18TH
mus
In the matter OF health the route by
Panama enjoys an unenviable no
toriety, but it must not be forgotten
that the record has been largely ag-
gravated by the disturbance of the
surface soil in the construction Of
the railroad and the canal. As the
excavations have now passed through
this layer, and have reached the much
less dangerous soil below, a marked
Improvement may be expected, especi-
ally when the requirements of mod
ern sanitary science are rigidly
observed. In fact the actual
experience of the New Panama Canal
Company more than iustihes this ex-
pectation. After our good work ac-
complished in Havana We may count
on an equal success on the Isthmus.
The apparent superiority of the condi-
tions in Nicaragua is probably due in
no small degree to the absence of
population between the lake and the
Atlantic coast.
In fine, now that the problem has
been thoroughly studied, and that the
facts are known, and that fortune has
enabled us to secure the better route
we have good reason to rejoice that
hasty action was delayed, and that no
mistake has been made in the selec-
tion.-Gen. II. l.. Abbot, in the Engi-
neering Magazine.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
The kaiser's Artistic Taste.

The refusal of the German National
Gallery to purchase Prof. Kampf's
The Sisters" which was the picture
of the season, still excites German
connoisseurs. The cause of the re-
fusal is the Kaiser and his often ex-
pressed belief that art should express
only that which is cheerful and pleas
ant, According to the commonly ac-
cepted story, during the exhibition the
kaiser was being piloted around by
Prof. Kampf himself. When he
reached the picture his majesty want
ed to know who had painted those two
miserable little girls. Kampf admit
tea he had done It, The kaiser made
no comment, but notice of the refusal
OF the gallery to buy the picture fol.
lowed few days laer.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
Freight Car as a Lookup for Tramps

Freight Car as a Lookup for Tramps
near my home recently" remarked
suburbanite. Il live in an incor-
porated town within ten miles Of this
city. We have Mayor and town
council and all that sort of thing and
consider ourselves very progressive
community. With the coming of cold
weather the authorities voted to con-
duct crusade against tramps, and
the town sergeant was instructed to
take into custody all members of the
gentry in question who invaded the
town. For want of a better Jail the
law officer imprisoned the tramps he
arrested in a freight car that had
stood on a railroad siding for many
months until their cases could be dis
posed of by the Mayor. He secured
the door of the car with a paddock.
When darkness arrived one afternoon
only a few days ago three tramps
were imprisoned in the car. When
the town sergeant went after them the
prised to find that prisoners, jail, and
all had disappeared. During the
night or the early morning an engine
had backed in and moved away with
the car. That Is the last we heard
of the prisoners, but I'm curious to
know when and where they secured
their release. ."-Washington Star.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
When a Man Sneezes,

1t appears that many savage and
semicivilized races of the orient have
some curious customs regarding the
sneeze. When the sultan of Monom-
topa sneezes, for instance, the fact is
made known from the palace by GER
tain signal. Instantly every subject
within hearing of this signal sets up a
shout, the cry is taken up by others,
and so extends until it runs through
the confines Of his empire.
When the sultan of Senaar sneezes,
on the contrary, every woman in his
harem or within hearing turns her
back on him and makes a sign of con
tempt by shifting her lips with her
hands-disgusted that so mighty per-
sonage should have to sneeze like an
ordinary mortal.-Medical Record.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20

The question raised at The Hague
international court as to the language
in which the Venezuela arbitration is to
be conducted marks the steady pro
gress of English speech A couple of
centuries ago there would have been
no such question. Latin as the I'M
ternational tongue would have been
used as a matter of course; it was the
acknowledged medium Of statesmen,
scholars and travellers. Then, in the
eighteenth century, by reason of the
pre-eminence of Louis XIV, French
succeeded Latin and rel ished as the
language of courts, diplomacy and
travel. It's international status was
first challenged at the Berlin congress
in 1876, when Disraeli, prompted by
his insufficient French, proposed and
with Bismarcks support, made Eng
lish the medium of the deliberations.
At the Cars peace congress Eng
lish was widely used, and now in the
Venezuela arbitration Great Britain,
Germany and Italy maintain that the
documentary pleadings shall be in
English. The last commercial treaty
between China and Mexico was also In
English. Chronicle.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
BrainWork Doesn't XIII.

In the lecture on longevity delivered
last week before the Royal College of
Physicians, Sir Hermann Weber, him.
self an octogenarian, gave official sup
port to the doctrine which we recently
set forth In this column-that brain
work does not kill, but rather the re-
verse A few of his instances are
Sophocles, Plato, Galen, Cicero,
Moltke, Bismarck, Mommsen, and
Gladstone, to whom we might add
Hobbies, Carlyle, with Spencer and
Kelvin among living men. The facts
are that brainwork increases the sup
ply Of blood to the nerve cells, and
promotes their nutrition and health.
Mosso, an Italian, laid a man on
delicately balanced table, and showed
that the head end sank whenever the
subject did a mental sum or any other
brainwork. The increased weight Of
his head was due to the life-glving
blood The truth u that brainwork, as
such, never killed anybody.-London
Chronicle.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
Ingenious life.Saver.

The life-savers attached to Uncle
Sans stations on Fire Island encoun-
tered great difficulties and dangers in
crossing the Great South Bay to the
Long Island Shore either by water
craft or ice-craft. Still, naturally
enough, they had longing to visit
family and friends when the great is
land sea was choked with drift ice or
partly frozen over. These ingenious
people long ago realized the needs of
vehicle capable of travelling on eth
er ice or water safely, and about thir-
ty years ago they launched the first
scooter" boat constructed to travel
on both ice and in water. 1t was a
small boat. made fast to a sled, which
was pushed on the ice and rowed on
the water. This crude mode of travel
with the wind against or across the
boat, made the trip one of tremendous
eXertion, In the course of time sail
was tried, at first square rugged and
very small, but it was used only when
the wind was fair. Then a special boat
was built which was partially decked,
and the sled was made lighter until at
last the scooter Of the present day
came about, with nothing left of the
sled but the bottom of the runners,
shod with iron, OF better still, as ex-
perience has shown, with brass. And
so has developed the wonderful
scooter" Of the Long Island lakes
and bays. swift ice-boat that will
sail In the water and from one element
to the other quickly without a jar
Country Life in America.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
A Profitable PLAY

. Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac must
come near to being the most success
ful play ever written, In Paris alone
it has had $40 representations, and it's
total receipts in that city for that num-
ber of performances was 4,1S0OO0
francs. or an average of 5,926 francs
about 1,145) a performance.-Ex.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
500 Reward. s1oo.

The readers of this paper will De
pleased to learn that there is at least
one dreaded disease that science has
been able TO cure in all its stages,
and that is Catarrh. Halls Catarrh
Cure is the only positive cure now
known to the medical fraternity.
Catarrh being constitutional disease,
REQUIRES a constitutional treatment.
Halls Catarrh Cure is taken inter
nally, acting directly upon the blood
and mucous surface of the system,
thereby destroying the foundation of
the disease, and giving the patient
strength by building up the constitu-
ton and assisting nature in doing its
work. The proprietors have so
much faith in its curative powers
that they offer One Hundred Dol
lars for any case that it fails to cure.
Send for list of testimonials.
Address F. J. Cheney, Toledo, O..
Sold by all druggists, 75c.
Take Halls Family Pills for con-
sfipation. aug-l'-lnt
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
A STUDY IN CRIME.
Criminal Statistics Do Not Show
the Dispensary System Has De-
creased LawlesSness.

Columbia. Aug. II A comparative
study of the criminal statistics Of the
State may not prove unenteltaining or
unproftble just at tdis time while all
this dispensary agitation is going on.
as the figures may throw sidelight
on the question as to whether the dis
pensary has witnessed an increase or a
decrease OF crime. The figures your
correspondent here sets forth were
gathered, it may be we'll to explain
in the outset, from the annual reports
of the attorney general, which are
compiled from the annual reports of
the circuit solicitors of the State.
The endlessness and teciousness
of giving the figures for every. offense
banded in the circuit courts for any
appreciable number of years preceding
and succeeding the period at which the
dispensay Law went into effect would
overburden the article and defeat its
object to give clear view of the
situation. For this reason only seven
of the principal oiIensss handled in
the circuit courts nave been chosen
for the purpose of comparison. These
crimes an ofenses are assault and bat
terry, murder. rape, larceny, perjury,
forgery and burglary. And for furth-
er convenience have compared three
periods of six years each-tne six
years next preceding the operation
of the law, the six years following
that period and the six years. which
includes 1904. The first period in
cludes the years 1888 to 1893 inclusive,
the law having gone into eGct in July,
1893, the solicitors making their re-
ports that year for the year ending
Nov. 80, and including pt ssibly no
cases affected by the charge OF the
law. What a comparison for other
periods, or comparison regarding
other ofenses will show Go not
know, and they open wide field for
speculation:
Here are the figures for the three
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
A LEGISLATIVE CONSPIRACY.
Rumor of Attempt to Defeat Bien-
NAL Sessions Measure.

The Columbia correspondent of the
News and Courier writes that paper
as follows:
.The special commission appoint
ed to consider that biennial sessions
matter has not met yet, but a ses-
sion is expected sortly. It will be re-
membered that at the last session OF
the legislature the constitutional
amendments voted on favorably by
the people at the last election, came
up. The judiciary committee of the
house, to whom the matter was re-
ferred, reported back a number of
objections as to bill passing at that
session, and finally it was decided to
refer the whole question to a special
committee to sit during the recess
and report at the next session.
-aThis committee is supposed %
solve the various problems connected
with the change and to clear away
all objections. They are to prepare
a bill to be passed by the house and
senate that, will embody all Of these
changes, such as reports by state Of
.fcerss the appropriations, the meet
ing Of special commissions and other
matters Of this kind.
'9The bill, however, will come up at
a bad time of the session. The nexE
year is political year, and there will
he many who will do all they can to
prevent the bill from passing either
the house or senate, thus defeating
the expressed will Of the people. The
amendment of the constitution is
supposed to go into effect III 1907,
and the provisions must be made for
this change at the next session, or
it cannot be made at all.
"Just what means could be used
to prevent the passage Of the meas
rre is not known and cannot be even
guessed at, but it is certain thas there
a.e a number of members who so
not want biennial sessions and do not
w..E7 the constitute nal amendment
fairfield by the legislature. an, for
this reason the report and meeting
of the special committee will be
awaited with interest.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
MANY PUPILS DISEASED.
Health Report Shows Three of Every
Seven Cnsound.

The health authorities, under the
direction of Dr. Herman Biggs, have
just completed an important investi-
cation into the health Of some Of the
school children of this city, which has
shown a prevalence Of disease exceed
ing their expectations. AS a result they
are compiling a report to be made to
the board of estimate, which will ask
that the city make a special appro-
priation for school inspectors suffi-
cient to permit Of regular monthly ex-
aminations Of school children much
wider in scope than any ever under
taken before.
The figures compiled by the medi-
cal inspectors show that out Of al
most $4,000 children examined, more
than 5000 or almost half had some
thing the matter with them.-New
York Commercial
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
THE CALLED JADE WINCES.
The Spartanburg Journal Gives
Urterance 10 What 1t Claims Is It's
Opinion of State Press.

Anybody who says that this news
paper changed it's position as to the
dispensary at any time, be he news
paper editor or what not, is a COM
mon, ordinary liar.
Anybody who says that this news
papei. was in any way dishonest or
dishonorable in accepting payment for
the publication of matter, be he
newspaper editor or what not, is an
extraordinary liar and a malicious
and unprincipled slanderer.
Anybody who thinks we erred in
printing paid political matter has a
right to that opinion, but the opin-
ion is wrong. The paid political mat
ter was in accord with the editorial
position of the paper and the public
was put on notice that it was being
printed.
We care little about the opinion of
any part of the press Of South Car
DINA. We are not responsible to any
newspaper for the way we run this
one. We have conducted it accord
ing to our own ideas for five years
and have made it the greatest sue
cess ever achieved in that length OF
time by a South Carolina newspaper.
Some of our carping critics are en-
vious of this very success. These
may classify themselves according to
the opening sentence of this article.
We shall continue to publish this
newspaper in our own way, being
responsible only to the people Of
Spartanburg for our correct con-
duct, and we intend and expect to
push the Journal to greater success
than ever-Spartanburg Journal.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
STARTLING STATISTICS.
Startling dispensary statistics which

Startling dispensary statistics which
are believed to have never been pub
lished, have been carefully compiled by
Rev. L. NJ. Rice of the First Baptist
church of Union.
These statistics show: That the
amount of liquor sold in the entire
state increased from 1915, l34 20 in
1896. to the enormous sum Of o2. 3I6,
242 IS in 1894; that the total expenses
have jumped from Sl7S, 747.G6 in 1894
to 1888, ,2o3. 63 in 1894 and that the
profits have changed from 1854. 344 OF
ia 1897 10 1926, 266 in 1903, showing
that the profits on an invsted million
are less than the halr million invested
during the years 1897, 1898. 1899, or,
in other words that as the assets have
increased, the profits have decreased.
The seizures prove that there is
marked activity some y ars and in
other yesrs slack enforcement in the
matter of appreheuding dealers in
Illicit liquor; it is demonstrated that
there was profit in 1897 OF 522. $780,
81, while the capital STOCK that same
year was S773, OCT. 17-and in 1904 the
profits were only S126, 266 when the
stock nas $500, eco and the assets about
81, 900, eco The amount due on liquor
at the end of the year 1894 was S43,
S15, 26. and in 1904, s510. .721, %. The
sales of the countv dispensaries have
increased from slG6. 72l.26 in 1895,
to S512, 2l6. SO in 1903 Tie cost of the
famous Palmetto onstahnlary has
risen from $40, $40. 43 in 1897. to s66,
4l21.2 in 1904. The receipts paid by
local dispenaries have grown from
81. III, S03 Oh in 1897 to 3: 924, 300 in
1904. These enormous in figures tell
the story of South Cardinals deal in
whiskey.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23
Public is Aroused.

The public is aroused to a knowl-
edge of the curative merits Of that
great medicinal tonic, Electric Bit
ters, for sick stomach, liver and kid
neys. Mary H. Walters, Of 546 ST.
Clair avenue, Columbus, o., writes:
For several months 1 was given up
to die. I had fever and ague, my
nerves were wrecked; could not
sleep, and my stomach was so weak,
from useless doctors drugs, that
could not eat. Soon after beginning
to take Electric Bitters, I obtained
relief, and in a short time I was en-
tireiy cured" Guaranteed at all
druggists; price soc.