davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
The Strange Case Of
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ber land and out of sight. His wife
watched his departure with phleg-
matte interest.
During the afternoon a neighbor, on
his way across the country, called to
pay his respects to Mrs. Crue. He
knocked on the door and then, with
out further formality, turned the knob
and entered. Mrs. Crue sat in her
kitchen talking with stranger. The
neighbor excused himself, said he
merely stopped to say word of greet
ing, and then withdrew.
Stranger Opened Door.
Later in the afternoon Miss Jennie
Carr, a well-known Groton young
woman, also called. She knocked on
the door several times. Nobody an
swered. Then she noticed that the
curtains of the front window were
lowered. But it occurred to her that
Mrs. Crue might be somewhere in the
the house, so she continued to knock.
Presently the knob of the door turned,
the door opened a few inches, and a
man looked out cautiously at her. He
was a stranger to her. She asked If
Mrs. Crue was at home. He replied
curtly:
"No, she has gone to town for the
afternoon, to make some calls"
Then the door closed without
further ado.
Of the history of the day, which i'm
mediately follows, the husband is the
only authoritative source. He returned
from Aver Junction shortly after sun
set. Much to his surprise, the house
was quite dark.
Failing to secure an entrance
through any door, he went to one Of
the windows and vainly tried to raise
it. He concluded that his wife had
taken excellent precautions to prevent
the entrance of strangers. Yet the
drawn curtains, staring him -blankly
in the face, made him uneasy. He
walked around the house to the cellar
door. Through the gloom he groped
his way with caution, always sensing
impending disaster. This promonition
grew stronger and stronger as he
mounted the stairs to the kitchen.
Now he proceeded more warily than
ever, listening for any significant
sound. The house was quite silent,
and at last he struck match and hur-
ried to the lamp. The light partly re-
assured him.
Then he decided TO look into his
wife's room, and with the lamp in one
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

the bedroom. and holding the lamp
high above him, he stared into the
room. The huddled figure of Mrs.
Crue lay on the carpet. Her head was
splashed with blood, and her clothes
were wet. A quilt partly covered her
lower limbs. The woman was quite
dead-and it was murder. The hus-
band ran out of the house.
Presently the family of Augustus
Woods, the nearest neighbors of the
Crues, were disturbed at their supper
by peremptory knocking: Woods
hurried to the door and opened it.
Crue stood on the stoop, bare-headed
and wild-eyed.
Somebody has murdered my wife!"
he shouted. "Come quick"
Groton became tremendously ex-
cited over the deed, and the medical
examiner and the constables immedi-
ately began to make their investiga-
tions. They found two bullet holes in
the woman's head and another in her
breast. But there were no signs of a
struggle, and there was no robbery.
The officers retained the bullets and
took impressions of the imprints in
the snow outside the house. Crue was
questioned closely, but he proved an
alibi. Then the officers surmised that
tramp committed the deed, and
searched the village thoroughly for
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

Tie served his time, and left the
prison jail-bird for life. His flrst
destination was his home. He wished
to see Claremont, even though he
were a jail-bird and his home a
wretched blur on the rural landscape.
He found nothing changed. His moth.
er was still suffering patiently; his
brothers and sisters were still pale
and hollow-cheeked. Everybody there
needed the commonest necessaries of
life, so Stearns Kendall Abbott, the
youth, more self-reliant and energetic
than Stearns Kendall Abbott, the
child, went forth to obtain them, not
caring greatly how he obtained them
so long as he succeeded. He broke
into a small store and was possessing
himself of it's money when the coun-
try constables arrived and possessed
him. For his offense he served six
years in. Concord prison.
Thence he went into the army for
service against the confederacy. Some
body cheated him out of his bounty
money, and he deserted in Hartford,
Conn. He was at once confronted by
the problems of feeding and clothing
himself, and he followed his bent.
One day he espied mail bag without
protection. He stole the United
States property, opened it and ap-
propriated it's contents. But they
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

Groton.-In this quiet Massachu-
setts village 25 years ago, there lived
family named Crue. Their home was
small farm house in particularly
lonely location, three miles from other
habitations.
Crue was teamster, whose duties
compelled him frequently to go to
Aver Junction, several miles away.
Sometimes he left home early in the
morning, and remained ia his labors
until sunset. His wife was left under
the protection of dog, who spent a
large part of the day sleeping near
the kitchen stove.
Mrs. Crue was an ordinary New
England housewife. That is to say
she was purely domestic, worked from
morning till night at household du-
ties, and knew the outside world only
slightly. The desolation of her domi-
cile was second nature to her; she ac-
cepted it as her fate. When, day after
day, she was left practically unguard-
ed it never occurred to her to be
frightened.
If a vagabond came to her door,
whether or not he asked for aims
surlily and peered about as though to
learn of her unprotected state, she
showed no fear, but gave him food and
told him to be off before her husband
came down stairs and detected her
charity. Moreover, Mrs. Crue, by rea-
son of her daily domestic exercises,
was strong and hardy enough to feel
self-reliant. Invariably she held
stout broom during her talks with the
occasional vagrants. She believed
thoroughly that this traditional house
hold weapon would serve her faith
fully in time or need.
Rumors of Domestic Troubles.
From time to time there were ru-
mors among people who knew the
Crues. They said the husband did not
pay as much attention to his wife as
he should, and they mentioned other
names, but the wife never answered
impertinent questions. She told curl
Gus people that she minded her own
business and expected her neighbors
to follow her example. Whereupon
they shrugged their shoulders, and
any possible sympathy for her they
might have felt expired.
On the morning of January II, 1880,
the home of the Crues was surround
ed with snow. The adjacent woods
were thin and scrawny, and the whole
immediate world was bleak and chilly.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
American League News.

"Eggie" Lennox, the star third
baseman of the Tristate league, has
deserted the Lancaster club and
signed with the Philadelphia Athlet-
les.
Koehler has covered every position
in the st. Louis Americans infleld.
His regular place is in the outfeld.
Thomas, Grifith's reserve catcher,
seems to be terrible slugger. In the
few games he has so far played he
has batted nearly 400.
Harry Davis is not hitting as hard
as he did earlier in the season and is
just at the 300 mark.
Coombs seems to be quite pitch
er. At least he keeps on winning
games. p
Willie Keeler is soaking valiantly
and bids fair to dispute the batting
lead of his league with Stone and La
joie.
Chase is back in harness and the
Highlanders are playing correspond
ingly strong ball.
Clark Griffith, manager of the
Highlanders, is after Pitcher Fred
Glade of the St. Louis Browns, and is
willing to give Jimmy Williams or
Joe Yeager in exchange.
President Charles A. Comiskey of
the White Sox announced that he
had signed Pitcher Buck Freeman of
the Evansville Central league team
for next season. Freeman has been
doing great work this year, and jim
my Ryan told Comiskey that he was
a coming wonder, and Commy went
after him. Last season Freeman won
II and lost 10 games. He batted .203
and fielded 1872 in 35 games.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

met of the collector. Among these
are the beggar's badges which were in
use in England and Scotland, the pill
grim's badges which were worn on
the continent as well as in the British
isles, and communion tokens which
were feature of the Scottish
churches of both Episcopalian and
Presbyterian denominations.
These communion tokens were not
only in use in Scotland till the middle
Of the nineteenth century, when they
were replaced by cardboard tickets,
but were in use in this country, and
rarely you may come across some
like those shown in the illustrations,
since most Of them have found their
way to the scrap heap or the melting
pot.
They were made of various shapes,
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Where Heroes Are Resting.

and was blown up with the vessel.
On the monument to Capt. Blythe
is painted the cross of st. George.
and before 1t on every Memorial day.
morning is placed a small British
nag and wreath-the tribute of the
Grand Army men of Portland. On the
graves of the others the usual Amer.
lean flag and wreath are placed.
Capt. Blythe was only 20 years old
when, as master of the Boxer, he met
the Yankee brig Enterprise on that
Sunday afternoon in 1913. The com.
mander of the Enterprise, Lieut.. Viii.
liam Burrowes, was only 28, and in
that engagement was mortally wound.
ed and died shortly afterward. His
monument bears the following in.
scription:
Beneath this stone moulders the
body of William Burrowes, late com.
mander of the United States brig
Enterprise, who was mortally wound
ed on September 5. 1913, In an action
which contributed to increase the
fame of American valor by capturing
his Brittanic majesty's brig Boxer,
after severe contest of As minutes;
aged %.
"A passing stranger has erected
this monument of respect to the name
of a patriot who, in the hour of
peril, obeyed the loud summons of an
injured country, and who gallantly
met, fought and conquered the foe
man."
Beside this monument is another
with this inscription:
Beneath this marble, beside the
side of his gallant commander, rests
the remains of Lieut.. Kirwin Waters,
a native of Georgetown, D. c., who re-
ceived mortal wound on September
S, 1913, while midshipman on board
the United States brig Enterprise in
an action with his Britannia males.
tvs brig Boxer, which terminated in
the capture of the latter. He Ian.
guished in severe pain, which he en-
dured with fortitude, until Septem-
ber %, 1915, when he died with
Christian calmness and resignation,
aged 1S.
"The young men of Portland erect
this stone as testimony of respect
for his valor and virtue
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

a tree, and then a date was used and
the initials of the pastor.
The ones shown are both OF New
England origin.
The square one has on the side
given, ga. c." for Associate church,
and "H. NJ" a contraction for Heb
ron, where an Associate church was
founded in 1907, probably, as this
token bears that date on it's reverse
side.
The oval one has on the side shown
sd. s." 1882" D. s. was Rev. Dun
can Stalker, who began his pastorate
at North Argyle in 1882. The reverse
side of this token has on it "a. c."
and IN. A." meaning Associate church
of North Argyle.
These tokens are much worn from
frequent carrying in the hand, and
were always smaller than the beg
gars' badges, which were made to be
worn on the coat and easily seen.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
BA[EsRzf
NOTES
National League Notes.

Chappie Mcfarland has been signed
by Brooklyn after playing brief en-
gagements with st. Louis and Pitts
burg.
Frank Burke, an outfelder, and
James Hannifan, an infielder, OF the
New Haven team of the Connecticut
league, will become members OF the
Giants at the end of the Connecticut
league season.
Pat Livingstone, who was expected
to add batting strength to the Reds,
as well as catching vigor, is hitting
way under .20O
Philadelphia fans are said to be
sore at Hughey Duffy for the poor
showing of the team. He has done
the best he could.
Fred Henney keeps on shifting. He
may surprise everyone by butting in
to the 300 class as he used to.
A syndicate comprising Samuel Co
hen, Eugene Devine and George
Thies, st. Louis business men, have
been informed that their offer of
s150,000 for the St. Louis National
league franchise has been refused by
the owners, the Messrs Robson.
Johnny King, catcher for the Cubs,
has gone to Kansas City in response
to telegram announcing his fathers
death in that city. Kings father was
7S years old. Kings absence will put
the entire catching end of the team
up to Moran for at least week.
Spike Shannons contract with the
New Yorks is said to call for $4,000
a year for two years.
Chicago Nationals have new
catcher, Tom Walsh. He is from
Davenport, Ia,
"Batty" Abbaticchio has refused to
return to the game, in spite of'a hand
some offer by the New York Nation
ais. He is making gold hand over fist
in the hotel business.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
NeU Premier of Russia.

suave, uuctuous and diplomatic, but
of strong will and determination. For
the second time he now holds the Of
fee of minister OF the interior, and he
also has held the portfolio of agricIl-
ture He is 43 years old, is graduate
of the University of st. Petersburg,
and practically was educated for the
civil service. In Kovno he has exten-
sive estates, and he has served as
marshal of the district nobility. He
also held Office as governor of Sara.
tOff.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Germans Keep to the Left.

A young American was walking re-
Gently with the daughter of prom
inent citizen of Berlin, Germany, and
as they passed down the street the
lady told him that it was customary
for the gentlemen in Germany to keep
to the left of the lady. German Gus
toms must be observed and the young
man took the inside of the street, al
though he thought it absurd. Man
ners is in many respects matter OF
geography.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

tally wounded in the fight when a
midshipman on the Enterprise and
only 16 years old. A few steps away
rises a shaft in memory of Commo-
dore Preble, who taught the Algerian
and Tripoli pirates a much needed
lesson, and near it is shaft to Lieut..
Com. Preble, also of the United
States navy. Nearer to the graves OF
the two captains is the monument
commemorating the valor of Lieut..
Henry Wadsworth, who, when only
20 years old, volunteered to take a
fire ship into the harbor Of Tripoli
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Blessing from Disaster.

The ashes cast out of Vesuvius in
the recent outbreak will prove bless
ing in the long run. Professor Zfnno
has examined them and found them
free from ingredients injurious to
plant life, while containing others that
will promote the growth of grape
vines, grass and vegetables. The
peasants have lost no time in plow-
ing in this valuable fertilizer, to pre-.
vent it being washed away by the
rains.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

SNluouC0 Ol strangers. EV0TyDOUy
was puzzled over the apparent alb
sence of any motive.
Stearns Kendall Abbott.
If the home of the Crues in Groton
was lonely, the childhood home of
Stearns Kendall Abbott in Claremont,
N. H., was the merest existence.
There, in 1889, he was added to an
already large family.
1t was very sordid existence; it
was almost worse than nothing. In a
general way the boy knew, as he grew
older, that other boys here and there
enjoyed three nourishing meals a
day, and slept in beds by themselves
and had enough clothing to keep them
warm. Yet it seldom occurred to him
world, because he was always con-
cerned with the problem of satisfying
his hunger and his craving for warmth.
Later he went to the country school.
He wore ragged clothes, and, of
course, everybody in the school could
see them and everybody in the town
knew that he was a poverty-stricken
youngster, and, therefore, according to
country traditions, looked down on
him and considered him an inferior
species of the race of small boys.
At the age of IA he went to Lowell
to obtain employment. But he was a
very helpless waif, who lacked every
bettering influence, who was thorough
ly cowed-a hopeless waif whose des
tiny was nine-tenths death or degra-
dation and one-tenth honest livelihood.
He failed to get job at once. He
could furnish no references, and the
factories needed no small boys. He
fell among disreputable men, who told
him how to make money with ease.
One companion of the waif from Clare
mont explained that if he forged an
order for SIS he could secure the
money without any danger and
promptly lose himself in some other
city. The boy was without any an
swering argument. Indeed, the plan
appealed to him, for he lacked many
necessities of life. So he made out
an order on a firm for SIS, for work
done, presented it at the cashiers Of
flee, obtained the money, divided it
with his adviser, and then went to an
eating house and fed heartily. The lad
was suddenly wealthy.
Given State Prison Term.
But the swindled tradespeople gave
the police an excellent description of
the thief, and the police caught him.
He could only say that he had needed
the money badly, and had taken the
advice of an older man. He couldn't
tell them, however, that he had never
had fair chance. Lacking the vocab-
ulary. he could not tell them one
tenth of his sordid childhood. No
body defended him. He went before
the court and received sentence of
30 months. Then they took him away,
not to a reformatory, but to state
prison.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
CEMETERY IN CITY
OF PORTLAND, MAINE.
United States and British Naval Com
manders Buried Side by Side
Graves Of Men Who
Made History.

Portland. Me-One Of the most in
teresting spots to visitors in this city
is the Eastern cemetery. There are
the graves of Capt. Samuel Blythe,
of his Britannia majesty's brig Boxer,
and Of Lieut.. William Burrowes, the
valiant commander of the United
States brig Enterprise, which vessel
met, fought and conquered the Boxer
20 miles to the eastward of Portland
harbor on September S, 1913. Side
by side lies the dust of two captains
in the famous cemetery.
In this same lot is also buried
Lieut.. Kirwin Waters, who was NOR
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Long Career of Crime.

Long Career of Crime.
He was used to that sort of life by
this time; and he was unused to any
other kind, save existence in a pow
erty-stricken home. Thereafter one
offense succeeded another. He stole
a horse and buggy, and served re-
sultant sentence of four years in
Charlestown; he embezzled $3.50 and
returned to Charlestown for two years
more. Later he entered house in
Manchester, N. H., and stole SIT. For
this crime he spent three years in the
New Hampshire state prison. He was
now 42Iyears old, his terms of con-
finement aggregated % years, and he
was known as an habitual criminal.
Stearns Kendall Abbott was in Gro
ton on the 18th of January, 1880. He
was only a month and half out of
Concord prison, and presumably was
trying to obtain employment as a
wood carver. This was his trade
his prison taught trade-and he was
a capable man. He called at several
houses and explained ia one man that
he wished to secure a job as wood
carver and to another-and to several
others-that he wished to purchase
some farm property. OF one man
Henry Hewins-he asked to be direct
ed to the Crue house.
From house to house Constable
Reed, of Aver, traced his movements,
until at last he located him in East
Weare, N. H. The prisoner denied
the crime. He said that he had never
known Mrs. Crue, and had never seen
her. He told the court that he left
Groton during the afternoon of the
18th and went to Boston, where he
spent several hours in a house OF Ill
repute. But he couldn't corroborate
his statements. Witnesses located
him in the Crue house; chain OF cir
cumstantial evidence held him firmly.
Death Sentence Committed.
He was sentenced to be hanged, and
from his window in the jail ne
watched them building the scaffold.
Wendell Phillips and others became
interested in his case, and urged Gov.
Long to commute the sentence. At
first the governor refused, but when
one of the chief witnesses against
Kendall, Jennie Carr, admitted herself
perjurer respecting part OF her -es-
timony-respecting denial OF her
motherhood-Gov Long reprieved the
oondomnad man and ordered that he
snend the remainder of his days in
the state prison.
That was rs years ago. Twenty-Five
vears ago thew wrote the last record
against the name of stearns Kendall
Abbott-elife prisoner for the murder
of Maria L. Crue, of Groton.' 1t was
the concluding chapter of one of the
most stirring murder stories OF west
ern Middlesex county. 1t was also
the aftermath to the prisoners ac2e
| less childhood.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Among the Minors.

Robert L. Caruthers, known to the
bleachers only as Bobby" is occu-
pying the calcium light nearly as
much as an umpire as he did when
starring as one of the strongest slab
artists of the st. Louis Browns. He
alone of the staff of "Three-Eye" um-
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

according to the fancy of the pastor
who issued them, apparently, for they
were heart-shaped, octagonal, round,
square or oval. There were never any
touch" or makers marks upon them,
and the very early ones bore only the
initial letter of the parish to which
the holder belonged. Later some
small device was added like a star, or
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

Now and then a biting wind swept
across the open stretches, and whirled
the snow off the roof of the house. Be-
times the thin spirals of smoke rising
from the chimney contrasted with the
brittle snowscape.
Shortly after dinner Crue told his
wife he had to haul some logs to Aver
Junction, and expected to be late for
supper.
Crue harnessed his horses and
drove away over the white road,
a~ound the windy corner of the TIM
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
Asserts His Policy Will Be That of
"Strong-Handed Reform"

ST. Petersburg.-Peter Arcadgevitch
Stolypin, who boldly asserts his admin
istration is to be characterized by
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24
TOKENS OF PEWTER
Used in This Country and Scotland
In Early Days.

New York.-There were many small
objects made in pewter years ago
which are found now only in the cab
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

-strong-handed reform" has been
l,ussian premier for short time, sue
cseding Goremykin. Little doubt now
exists that Stolypin is reactionary
and that he is distrusted by the pro-
gressive element He is courtiar.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

pires who reported for duty at the
first of the season is still handling
the Indicator. His ability to keep a
game moving from start to finish is
one of his strongest characteristics.
Hardy, the Washington castoff, is
pitching good ball for the Providence
club.
Cleveland offered President Cole
man $4,000 for Pitcher Liebhart, but
failed to land the Memphis wonder.
Jimmy" Barrett leads the Roches-
ter team in batting, with .324 in ten
games.
The Providence club has signed
third baseman Storke, of the Amherst
college team.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

hand, he crossed the kitchen. On the
floor, in front of the door to the bed
room, was line of discoloration. At
any other time he might not have no
ticed it, but he still had foreboding,
and was curiously observant. First
he glanced around the room, and then
he stopped and felt of the discolora-
ton. When he raised his hand his
fingers were stained and damp.
Found Wife Murdered.
Quickly he pushed open the door of
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

caught him and sent him to Jail for
five more years.
The Ely miner., 1906-08-24

evidence of strangers. Everybody
was puzzled over the apparent alb
sence of any motive.
The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1906-08-22
PRONE VouR WANT 40

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