davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

Guiteau was found covering in the corner OF
hic cell like wretch. He was trembling from
head TO foot Like the craven he was he feared
to die. With tones quaking in terror, he I'M
nlored his guards to save him, to protect him
from harm.
The coincidence of the profile bullet started
official Washington. 1t was regarded as one OF
the strangest freaks as yet come to notice. by
some it was regarded as bordering on the super
stitious, as approaching the occult.
Sergeant Mason was put in irons. Later at
a court martial, he was sentenced to, seven years
in a military prison. The charge was dlsobedl-
ence of orders and breach of discipline. In
stantly there was great public clamor lndigna,
tion ran high Public meetings were held all
over the country. In sympathy for his wlfe ana
baby, who were cut off without any means of
sunnort. subscriptions were started everywhere.
The appeal, "A Penny for Betty, and the BABY
became general. Pennies Foured into the fund
and arew into dollars Everybody seemed anx-
ions to give They were asking each other, Did
YOU give a penny for Betty and the Baby 1t
became a national catchword,
The newspapers took up Masons cause. In
plar;nr headlines they excited the imagination
Of +he populace to the highest pitch at the in
enuitv Of the sentence. Within short time Ma
son was pardoned and released. For time he
,rss a biq drawing card in museums all over the
country. People paid to see him; to grasp his
hand Later they boasted that they had shaken
hands with the man who had tried to shoot Gul-
teau
such was an incident in the Garfield tragedy
of t,yenty.four years ago, an incident that fur-
nished n coincidence which must always be CON
sidered as an exemplfcation of the fact that
truth is stranger than fiction.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

swallow me- As for the malefactors, these to a
man turned round to the chid-and smiled.
Upon another occasion | found myself, with
the same companion, toiing up the steep way
to a certain temple court. Before us were pain
fully climbing man and woman-country peo-
pie. and past middle age. They had come long
way, for the ends of their robes were lifted and
tucked into their girdles, and straw sandals
were bound upon their feet. 1t was hot day
of summer and they toiled on in silence. The
back of the woman, presented to us, wore an air
of most enduring patience; it was humble, from
the set of the poor blue kimono on the thin
shoulders to the black satin obi affected by her
class My child stumping stohdly up the
hill, with the aid of an enormous umbrella; this
she unexpectedly raised, and deliberately poked
the pious wayfarer; upon her poor obi there was
left the impression of dusty, ferrule The wo-
man turned round Immediately; she was plain
looking and worn, and, withal, severely marked
by smallpox Her teeth were BACKED t.sa in token
of everlasting fidelity to her present husband!
hut her countenance was umined, transfiured
by the japanese smile She spoke to the he man MAJ
beside her, touching him on the sleeve; he too,
turned. smiling. She said: Hawai- no ko6o'
mo wa" (Sweet is the honorable child)
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

sad crowds that flock to the railway stations to
fetch home their wounded-all smile, patiently.
1t will be understood that the japanese smile
can hardly be characterized as merry one. /
do not mean to say that the merry smile is not
to be found in Japan; happily it is common,
with its accompaniment of white teeth and twin
king almond eyes. But the smile that is essen
italy japanese, this strange national expression,
is combination of infinite patience, gentleness,
timidity, pathos and humility. 1t is gently dep
recatory; it pleads IDEAL not harshly with thy
foolish servant; or it is submely unsel6sh,
"Let us not dwell upon my unworthy griefs; my
honorable friend shall not for a moment be
troubled with my obscure sorrows; let us speak
of pleasant things" 1t is submissive, "This is
the will of the gods"; or it is pitiful. "Such and
such person does most wrong, but it is
through ignorance, through foolishness, or
through weakness, or through something done
in former birth, or the world is too hard for
him.
The japanese smile is the result both of ma
tioral character and of national training There
is an inherent sweetness of nature among this
people Ingrained in them is the passion for soft
contours, the love of running water, the love of
mist, the alteration of children and the tender
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

ties to spare much thought for the railway on
which they are about to travel.
But it is a remarkable system of lines that has
been constructed within the empire since the
first sod was cut in 1889, and even for the non
technical mind it should have some interest. In
the first place, the gauge is considerably wider
than the 4 feet S1a inches that almost every
country has come to use; and this would lead to
unparalleled smoothness of running if the perma-
nent way were Of heavier metal and more solldly
constructed.
The ponderous locomotives usually home
made, and are exceedingly powerful; but they
are built for hauling and not for speed. Speed,
indeed, is of little consequence in Russia, whose
inhabitants believe that time was made for
slaves;" even the Nord express, or the Moscow
st. Petersburg restaurant trains, seldom do more
than thirty miles hour. The ordinary quick
train stops at every important station for forty
minutes, when most of the passengers visit the
buffet, drink diluted tea or vodka, and walk up
and down the platforms smoking.
The carriages are comfortable, among the best
on the Continent; but their cleanliness leaves
more than little to be desired, and the double
glass windows that will not open make the at
mosphere almost impossible for Americans.
Anvonewho has travelled third classon winters
night from Odessa to Kief has undergone an eX
perience that makes Dantes Inferno" tame
reading forever after.
But "in the lowest depths there is a deeper
still'-there is the fourth class. 1t only runs
on the goods trains, and it is patronized solely
by the poorest of the peasants. 1t rarely goes
faster than ten miles hour. 1t bumps and
Jerks as if it would leave the lines at every point
and at night it is lighted by disreputable can
die at each end of the corridor, that futters dis
consolately in an unclean lantern The fare is
So milo hut he tha
Journey the cheaper the ticket
The first and second class, however, are excel
lent Each compartment has a little table, and
the seat makes up at night into bed. The con-
ductors, being human, will do anything for ZIP,
and nothing without one Though they are
badly paid and overworked, they seem to enjoy
life and certainly make good thing out of the
passengers. The drivers and stokers are not so
happy, especially during the winter, when q
binding snow and wind blows across the steppes
and the mercury is down to 80 below zero.
Before the war broke out one could travel,
with only two changes, direct from the German
frontier TO Vadivostok. The Russian is almost
as contemptuous of distance the American
It is in his regard for time that the difference
is noticeable between the Slav and the Western
Anglo-Saxon. 1t is probable that to accelerate
the trains to any great extent would not pay,
but if ever Russia developed into an industrial
country where quick transit was essential, the
nermanent way, that stretches for hundreds of
miles without curve and hardly any noticeable
gradient would offer better facilities than any
other system in the world.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
7 he Toxic SIN ! e

worshipping memory of the dead. But during
the period of the stern military despotism, sweet
ness or at any rate surface sweetness, of char
acter was enforced by law. Obedience was not
enough, cheerful obedience was exacted; sacri-
flee was not sacrifice if not made without smile.
So there was gradually created an extraordina-
nv atmosphere of self-control. Samurai con-
demned to harakari wrote, or rather painted,
farewell letters, marvels of subtle literary COM
position; elegant verse was delivered from death
beds; star crossed lovers, about to die together,
went calmly through the etiquette of carefully
prepared little feast, coming with no ungraceful
haste, but still very surely, to the POISONED cup
at the end This atmosphere of selfcontrol en-
dures at the present day
Just outside Toxic / happened to meet band
of convicts, walking dejectedy in their uniforms
of dusty pink and attended by strong escort.
The small English child by my side had not ac-
quired the manners of her foster country, that
was evident, for she shook her fist at the gang
in an eminently British manner, at the same
time shouting angrily, "Doroboo! Doroboo!"
Robbers! robbersD The horror and shame,
not seldom brought upon one by ones young re-
lations, possessed me entirely and l never wish
ed more sincerely for the ground to open and
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25


nearly twenty-five years ago.
Flattening out against the rough wall of the
cell where Guiteau was confined awaiting trial
after his dastardly attack on President Garfield
the bullet, by a freak as strange as it was co.
incidental, cnriously moulded itself into the pro-
he of the man at whom it was aimed The his
tory of this remarkable episode of the Garfield
tragedy illustrates marvellous double coinci
dence but little known
Following the murderous attack on the Presi-
dent, Gulteau was confined in the Jail at Wash
lngton, where he was carefully guarded by sol
dlers detailed from the Regular Army OF these
guards was one Sergeant Mason. Over six feet
IN height, broad-shouldered, a dead shot with
the rifle, Mason an ideal soldier with rec.
ord of which to be proud. The sole exception of
six boys, OF an old Virginia family, all of whom
joined the Confederate Army at the beginning of
the war, Mason cast his lot with the Union side.
And he had served continuously since
When President Garfield was shot on that
memorable morning of July ., 1881, Mason was
with his battery the Texan frontier Filled
with wrath at the cowardly deed, he openly de
clared he would like to shoot the assassin. Lit.
tie did he think then that the opportunity was
soon TO come. A few weeks later orders flashed
over the wires from the War Department at
Washington ordering Battery B, Second Artil
lery, to the National Capital to guard the assas-
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

ridors sentries paced. From his hiding place
Mason could barely see the interior of Guiteau's
cell 1t was difficult shot at best. The cells
were but dmly lighted. Then in order to shoot
into Guiteau's CELL Mason had to fire through
an adjoining cell, across a corridor eleven teeT
wide and through small window opening into
the cell. Far in the shadowy distance beyond,
Mason could dmly make out Guiteau's outline.
This was what he was waiting for. Taking care
full aim, he fired.
The report of the rifle reverberated through
the Jail like thunder. Guards and prison officials
ran in every direction. The entire military de-
tail was called under arms. Roll call was imme-
diately gone through with But there was one
man who failed to answer to his name. He was
Sergeant Mason. Before an explanation could
be made, he stepped from the cell with the
smoking rife in his hands and gave himself up.
But before all this happened leaden bullet
had sped its course 1t missed Guiteaus heart
bv the fraction of an inch 1t tore through his
coat His pocket was perforated. A card-case
il side was ripped apart. A cabinet photograph
which he had had recently taken of himself In
the profile was ruined. Tearing through the face
the bullet had completely destroyed it. Then,
strange as it seems and almost incredulous,
the leaden bullet struck the wall, fattening out
and moulding itself into just such profile of
Guteau as it had destroyed in the photograph
Not detail in the wonderful accidental pic
ture was missing. The weak chin, the contour
of the mouth the irregularities of the nose, the
massive head and even the ear we're all repre-
sented in the leaden pellet.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

1t becomes more mellow responsive, and
richer even in appearance.
Avoid placing piano near the window, as the
varying temperatures which necessarily exist in
such position are injurious to the strings BE
careful too, that you do not have one end OF
window or door. When has become
very cold, do not build a big fire, and build it
up gradually.
Keep the piano closed, and cover it with
sheet VIXEN sweeping, cleaning, airing the
room A piano should be opened for a short
time at least every day to prevent accumua-
ton of dampness
Cleaning the case may be accomplished by wet
ting piece of flannel and dropping upon it
few drops of ordinary olive oil. Rub small
portion of the piano at time, wiping it off
thoroughly with dry piece of flannel After
wards rub with soft. clean chamois skin
another piece of flannel
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
BY EDWARD HOLLYWOOD

"I'm naturally getting locoed yonder," grunt-
ed the other fretfully. Come on in to that cook
shop and play pool or wrastle or-dog my cats!
l can't stand it lonesome. Pass out powder. D.
"Look-a-here them sheriffs is due tonight, y
ezpostulated Major. you've had plenty rum
already"
Under his thick brows the tall man had palish
blue eyes, set extraordinarily close together. He
fixed them upon Gene.
"Pass out a powder" he repeated coldy.
Mr. Major paraded bottle with nervous ami
nation His friend poured portcntous drink,
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

gas-iet-"ths has sure got Arizona frizzled."
He banged his heels on the oilcloth and
moved stiffy 70 the door. On peg beside it
dropped his coat, his gray sombrero and his
pistol belt. He hitched the belt over his elbow
before he lifted the latch and emerged into the
barroom. Gene" he called, keeping his voice
down, though he'saw nobody-"oh Gene!"
The fay proprietor became visible behind the
counter. "Hey there, SPORT" he responded
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

then resigned it untasted when the streetdoor
ratified. He hitched his elbow on the bar with
out turning, but the pucker of alarm On the
landlords rosy face was soon swallowed by a
grin.
cts only Gus" said Major, leaning forward
to the tall mans ear. ''Yod know-that loony
maverick up to the Palace. Say, roll him a
frame of pool, It's safe wheat. Mr.. Finch,
shake hands with-Mr Doeberry."
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

sir of the President, and Sergeant Mason went
with it. After that he watched and waited his
chance. The threat he had made was not for
gotten.
The opportunity came on the morning of Sep
tember II, 1881. While the guards were being
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

relieved during the ceremony of Guard Mount, "
he slipped into an empty cell. 1t was one run
ming at right angles from the one on which GuL
teaus cell fronted
Every movement of Guiteau was noticed.
Armed guards watched through the iron graf
ing of his cell door; up and down the dim cor
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

-
IMI 4 of the passersby smile. This may
EzAA~A seem only natural In a land of paper
l&eYSGl lanterns, kites and dolls, where the
populace, consisting chiefly Of geishas
and babies, toddle forth waving fans and UNI
brellas to the accompaniment of samsens, where
the chrysanthemum and cherry blossom grow
and blow together in and out of season. In this
musical comedy paradise, which so many still
persist in believing to be the real Japan, smiling
may be the inevitable thing; but what of the
'rickshaw man, who runs barefoot and at full
speed, dry-mouthed and painting, his garment
dripping with sweat? What of the half-starved
strolling acrobats, the blind minstres, the wa
ter carriers, the carriers of manure, and that
woman who sits in her doorway making fans?
For hundred fans she receives three sen! Why
by all the laughing gods, should these smile?
And, further, the sick man who is picked up
faintng in the streets smiles while consciousness
remains, apologetically, for causing trouble; the
mourners at funeral smile, as do often also
those who stand reverently to watch the pro-
cession go by, The servant reprimanded by his
master, the student unsuccessful in his examina-
ton, the soldier going to the war, even those
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

| The latter bestowed condescending nod, and
the insignificant visitor sidled along the bar
rail timidly. They interchanged the prescribed
etiquette.
"Just a-soon," growed Doebery.
Don't mind" said Finch, and the two be-
gan to click the Footballs behind the closed door
OF the rear room.
AT first each took the others measure after
his own fashion. The drummer maintained an
astonishing stream of empty talk. The gigantic
Westerner, whose pistol now dangled from his
hip, spoke guardedly in "Yeps" and "Naws. '
Eventually however, suspicion slept
Perspiration streamed from the cheeks of the
players The table, of the old-fashioned and gen
erous size, compelled much walking around it
and many ckbreaking reaches over its ragged
surface. Engaged in one of these feats, the tall
man was stretched on the green CLOTH squirting
studiously along his cue at notified ball. He
did not make that particular stroke. When be
followed the line of the an inch beyond its
ohalky button he found himself squirting stu
dlcusly into the Unconditional muzze of a forty
five revolver
Stitch O'Sullivan," quavered Chaffee, 'Im
looking for somebody to kill me, and l guess
you'll do. Throw up your hands"
OSullivan ground his nose into the cloth and
cursed. 1t is difficult to throw up your hands
when YOU are face down on a billiard-table.
Don't you whimper sound nor move, Stitch
O'Sulivan." Samuel was badly frightened; he
SoeSSN '"iSC az 'hS Wy lump ~ hit 'i't"''U'
I'm some gun-shy, but, by naton do feels
though I could just about wing-tip you from
here The pistol trembled.
Easy with that trigger" snorted Stitch.
Chaffee moistened his lips and deliberated.
"I'm coming around to get your weapon, L sup
pose,' he sighed.
O'Sullivan's countenance was flaming red when
he was permitted finally to stand He frowned
at his captor who cringed irresoute beyond the
end of the table, cooked revolver in each hand.
you say you want to kill you," O'Sulli-
van blurted "What in"
"Hush!'
'Well, YOU sure has got the nerve, old man."
whispered Stitch admiringly. 'Tant many
would have took your chances. Are you on that
e>press-car job"
"No. The Spearfsh job"
"Spearfsh?"
"The redhaired girl Lily-your wife" Chat
fee raised the murderous revolvers at the others
angry gesture. "All you got to do is right the
girl O'Sullivan. I've chased a parson up to the
hotel-a reg'lar parson this deal, no pano-tuner.
Right the girl and you're foot loose, for all
O me- Squirm, and I'll try throw cut of
these husky forty l mean what 1 say.
I'm looking to get killed-that's straight-but
FIRST"
"Wen I'll be-married!'' exclaimed Stitch
O'Sullivan.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
Ill.

Meanwhile a solitary giant swetered in Mr..
Majors hot, windowless biliard-room, swore
amazingly, and mopped his wiry black mustoche
on his shirt-seeve.
"Ths,' the tall man painted to the whistling
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

l gave YOU upstairs You keep me to it? All
right Good evening, Mrs. OSuvan."
She clattered some forks into her apron and
disappeared beyond the swinging door into the
kitchen.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

swimming Yet rats swim splendidly.
Lions and tigers swim well, although only
from necessity-to cross river, for example
The horse can swim for miles without being
exhausted, and shows wonderful instinct in
choosing the best available landing place. Bears
and moles swim well, but bats and monkeys are
helpless in the water. All reptiles swim; so do
most insects.
Human beings have greater swimming powers
than most of the lower animals man has
The only land animal known to have even ap-
preached this performance is the American black
bear; but the American deer sometimes swims
twelve or fourteen miles at stretch.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
Your Pianos Value

PIANO which has cost $500 new,
generally has to be sold for about 5000,
and this, often enough, is the fault Of
the owner. A good piano, properly
cared for, increases its value with use.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
Man the Best Swimmer

is curious that whereas the rabbit can
not swim at all, the hare is an excel
lent swimmer. The common mouse
and the field mouse can only swim
few yards; they drown in the act of
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
I V

Chaffee drapcd an empty coffeesack over the
revolver in his right hand and the march pro-
cecded grimly. A speechless warning glance from
the pale blue eyes petrihed Gene Major as Sam
ue and his convoy passed the bar the loungers
on the street were similarly awed, and thus the
two reached the ladies' parlor of the Palace
Hotel.
The young but Reverend Puddison was pacing
the gaudy yellow carpet of the parlor He wore
an elementary beard, and at the entrance of his
customers he tucked one hand into the bosom
Of his professional frock-coat and laid the other
ON the purple plush of patent rocking char.
The attitude would have implied camera to
anybody except Stitch O'sullivan, who was think
ing of other matters
''The happy groom, expect" purred the
CLERGYMAN roguishly. "And the bride? Pray
NOT be so i'll at ease, sir. The ceremony is Sim
pie"
O'sullivan removed his sombrero and eyed the
brown coffeebag.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
Travel in the Cars Land

OSI travellers who enter Russia at
Alexandrowo are too much preoccu-
pied by the minute examination Of
their passports and luggage that is
considered necessary by the authori-
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

N0ROBABLY one of the most remarkable
y accidental pictures ever made in this
57EN country was that made by the bullet
4i4D fired at Guiteau, Garfeld's assassin, in
the sensational attempt on his life
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
Coal Would Be Useful

HE total known coal production of the
world is something like 790,O00,O0O
tons per annum. and experts state
that, even at this rate of production,
there is sufficient coal to last thou
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

sands Of years to come. Some FAINT idea can be
gathered from these figures OF the enormous
quantity of coal there is on this planet and so
one can better appreciate the statement made by
Sir Robert Ball that all the coal on the earth
would not supply the suns heat for one-tenth of
second.
There many interesting facts about the
stance if the clouds were removed from the sun
our lumniary would lose all its brightness and
the sun spots, about which we have heard so
much, are merely places where the clouds are
broken.
1t is interesting TO know that the power of the
portant to our life here earth, such as the
rose.colored prominerces on tie sun, which
sst OF hydrogen.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

HE bedroom was occupied by set OF
pine furniture, about thousand cubic
feet of illuminating gas, end a com
mercal traveller IN baby-blue under
clothes. Frokasky. the hotel clerk.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

whispered the chambermaid to Samuel Chsffet
Promise me, and L"
''That goes" assented the man emphatcally.