davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07


A writer In the Boston Transcript
says that the Puritans In burning
witches" and prisoners only followed
the modes Of punishment then enforc-
"a throughout the realm. two late In
stances Of which have just come to
notice In London Notes and Queries
viz. May -. 1909. page 407. and Oct. 9,
1904 page 274:
Woman Burnt For Poisoning Her
Husband.-In the parish register Of
Durleigh. Somerset. Is the following
entry under Marriages. 8 Mar. 1853.
John Bradford Of West Monkton and
Susanna Davis Of Huntstile. In the
parish OF Chiffon
"A note In the margin says:
".An unfortunate marriage: she poi
soned him and was burned for so do
Ing at Wells the ensuing autumn"
In st. winwalve's churchyard. East
Portsmouth. South Devon. Is an old
slate headstone Inscribed: Here lleth
the body Of Richard Jarvis Of Rick
ham. in this parish. who departed thl
life the 18th day Of May, I1s2. aged
20.
Through poison strong he was cut on
And brought 70 death az last.
II was by his apprentice girl.
On whom was sentence passed.
Oh. may all people warning take.
For she was burned ut a stakei"
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07
Hs Was . Wise One.

A certain gentleman in a country
town owns a row Of houses. and IN
one Of them lives a married son Of his
who IL noted for his misery habits.
This had got TO such pitch that for
several years his father had been un.
able 70 get a single penny Of the rent
due 10 him.
As be dc not want 70 take harsh
measures he at last went to his son
and said:
Look here. Tom. it's plainly no use
my trying u get any rent out Of you
for that house Of mine. so I've decided
70 give II 70 you"
"No fear" interposed the son. 81
shan't have IT,"
why not. prayf" exclaimed the n
tonlshed parent.
because then" replied the unabasb
cd son. I'D have 10 pay the taxes, and
goodness knows they are heavy enough
IN this town"
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

Mrs. Thompson seemed reiieucd 70 tell
A few more words. and he hurried
back TO me. lie was transformed
Enthusiasm had succeeded depression
and Il needed but a few words 70 ex-
plain the change.
"we have the town beaten" he said.
They have just fou1d Thompson. and
he II In the CHIEFS Office now: beer
there about ten minutes. We have q
clear field. and We cant fall. The
only possibility Is that some other
newspaper man may come In. IL be
does Il Is your business 20 keep him
out Of that room and to keep him 10
busy that he won't have time 70 sus-
pcct what is up"
But howT / asked.
by any possible means. By murder
n necessary. but keep every newspa.
per man out Of that room. Come on.
We've no time 10 spare"
We hurried into the waiting room
which contained deAks for reporters
At one u them sat youth with bis
back toward Us. MOulton glanced al
him and nodded 70 me Il lningly
Then he went 10 the door OF tile chiefs
Office and knocked softly. IL opened Q
little. and there was u whis iertd ron
sultatIon with some one inside II end
ed favorably. for Mouifon was admit
ted, and the door closed benin. him.
was eft alone 10 face the situation.
sat down az desk. My lose. de
cided, would be carelessness Of DO
meaBor that would tend TO divert sue
piciOfL 80 scrubbed idly. THE Will
humming tune half under my breath
but loudly enough for my companion
to hear. was between him aud tn
ashce door, and there Intended 10 re
main. ] thought grimIy TO myself tha
Il would BE- too bad 20 slay such an H.
offensive youth The reflection mad
me smile. and the boy. for he was llttI'
more. got W and came over to me.
Pardon met Are yOu a reporterf' b
asked politely. looked up az him.
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07
Sur. sinksrs.

'.fhe late Ethan Alien Hitchcock"
said diplomat. had a trenchant. out.
spoken way with him. Once NJ re-.
ception heard an inventor describing
In his presence a new kind Of warship.
"ThIs ship Of mine the inventor
said. 'is modelled on the duck,
att flies. chr said Hitchcock.
"'No, no; OF course Il doesn't 6y,
said the inventor impatiently. 10 isn't
an aeroplane. It's ship. But Il goes
over the water like duck,
"'suppose an enemy fires at itr said
Mr.. Hitchcock.
"sThen II dives like a duck repilef
the inventor.
fright out Of sightr said Mr.
Hitchcock.
fright down 70 the bottom. said
the inventor proudly.
a'Humphr said Mr.. HItchcock
Seems n good deal like those we has.
already, doesn't itr"
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

IN effort be pulled himself together.
why. Williston." he said, Il didn't
know 1t was your
Il am inclined to believe you," said
Williston of the Star. smiling. "You
called me, didn't your
'Oh, it's nothing In particular! Come
on, Standish." said Billy, dragging me
by the arm.
II don't want to keep you, Billy, but
II It's the Thompson story there's real
ly no hurry. Harding left here with
my copy ten minutes before you came.
l was leaving just as you came In and
thought It no less than my duty to en-
terrain your friend. -Standish,
l understand. That last colloquy Of
yours just about let the paper of the
press and won for me an extra two
weeks summer vacation"
For a moment Moulton's face red
dened violently. As for me. II move
ment OF my little finger could have
brought down the great stone building
on my head | would have moved 1t. !
made some unintelligible sound. but
Billy stopped me with gesture.
You're all right, kid" he said. I'VE
all have to learn, and the special bit OF
knowledge that you have CLEANED to-
day tends to establish the dictum that
philanthropy and the newspaper busi-
ness don't mix. Suppose we go out and
get cigar with our hated rival and
vanquisher. Bob williston? Shake
hands with the same" Williston gave
me hearty grip.
I'm own up to feeling rather q
sneak" he said. but we get paid TO
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

THE oashisr h1s gone 20 see the latter
Nth s5o,coc nod emphatically.
standish walked quickly over 70 where
! sat.
I'm sorry the older men are all out.
Mr.. Gordon" he said. but It's the
chance you have been waiting for.
am going to send you TO Mrs. Thomp.
ton. Get an interview Of some sort
with her. Use tact Don't be obtru.
sive. but get whatever facts are IA her
possession. BE back here within an
hour az the latest. but don't come until
you have story" Too dazed 10 do
anything but obey without question.
took some aper from the desk. seized
my hat and rushed for the elevator
down which Moulton had already
gone.
had no time for worry, and as II
proved there was no occasion for IT,
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

and see If Mr.. Moulton has anything
yet. We ought TO have the first Of It
for the last edition SOON"
walked down the street toward the
bank in a very contented frame OF
mind. Before I had gone two blocks
l met Moulton. knew flom his face
that his errand had not turned out
well. but before he would say any
thing about il he insisted on hearing
how | had Jared. He congratulated
me heartily on what he called my ''ten
strike" and then. In answer to my
questions. he said:
II haven't line. I couldn't drag an
intelligent word out OF the old fossils
They wouldn't admit that Thompson
had gone or that any money was miss.
ing or that there was any trouble Of
any sort. II l had accused them Of
being alive don't believe they would
have admitted It." His disgust went
beyond words. and we walked along
for q moment In silence. Then, ai
Moulton's suggestion. We turned down
toward police headquarters.
Il simply can't 80 back without
something" he said. '.Standish d
backing his reputation on this story
and for me to fall down like this
As we mounted the steps Of the graz
old building noticed that Sergeant
MuIlaly was on duty M the desk Hs
was an old friend Of Moulton's. and n
be saw N he beckoned to him e.
citedly with q fat hand. Moulton wenl
to his desk. and they whispered 10
gether. The sergeant looked at M
and said something. Moulton nodded
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

II Was q
the city room. Standish, the
III city editor. after vainly seek
ing for assignments TO keep
busy the half dozen idle reporters, had
cut the knot by driving them into the
street with orders TO stay out until
each had found a story.
1t may be guessed that the Gazette
was not a metropolitan newspaper.
But while our little city did not give
herself airs, she boosted three daily pa
pers, Of which the Star and the Ga
zette were published In the afternoon.
The rivalry between them was nat
urally keen. The Star had beaten US
badly on local story the week be-
fore, and It was common knowledge
In the Office that Standish was burning
to redeem his reputation as the clev-
crest newspaper man in town. There
seemed little likelihood that be would
do it on a day like this.
A newcomer on the star Of the Ga
zette and a beginner in newspaper
work, I had thus far found the life
singularly lacking In that excitement
which Is popularly supposed to be the
accompaniment Of the reporters ca
reer On this particular day was
working In the -Eraveyard" This ID
not as ominous n II sounds. The
graveyard" In Newspaper parlance h
the cabinet which contains the ebit-
uaries Of all persoas Whose dscease b
likely to require extended notice.
These must. Of course. BE- kept up to
date. and I was adding to them from
various sources and fling the complet.
ed notices away In the cabinet
II was q tiresome business. and ]
was glad when Billy Aoulton. ouI
star reporter. came In just after the
general exodus. Moulton and I were
alumni Of the same college. and this
fact. with some other things that we
had In common. had made rs as good
friends n was consistent between thu
..'star" and the CUB
He nodded to me and walked to the
city editors desk. With a freedom
which I contemplated with awe h<
chatted with that august parsonage as
II he were an ordinary mortal. Sud.
denly the telephone bell rang.
Answer that. WIN you. Billyf" said
etandish. Mouiton took the receives
and listened. Then be turned tc
Staudish.
II think you had better take this,
said be.
awhars the matterl has anything
broken looseT
Moulton, without replying. handet
the receiver to him as be came for
ward. The city editor listened intent
ly, making rapid notes on the pad b.
his side. A few sharp questions. and
he hung up the receiver and hastenet
70 his desk.
Anything In itY' asked Mouiton.
"Yes, n lot. II we can get II. III
from Morgensen. He has found GU
BY accident that Thompson. the cash
Ter OF the Fifth National bank. hal
gone with $4,000 Of the banks money
The police are after him. but they ar
keeping II quiet II we can get bold o
the facts before the last edition W
Will score a beat that viii make tn
town sit up"
had never heard the city editor "a.
so much at one time before. A husl
on his impassiye face showed that b
was unusually excited. Moulton hal
seized a handful OF paper and stoo'
waiting. standish looked at him.
You VIII do the bank end. Let
run for all It's worth" He glance
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

around the room
and groaDed.
"Of course #
had to happeu
when everybody
IL out" he said.
1 felt his eyes
upon me and bent
over my work
Ny heart was
humping wildly.
! heard a whis.
pered consulta.
ton with Afoul.
ton and looked
up just in time
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

from Vermont a
month ago with
the idea that 1
was made for a
newspaper man,
and He paus-
ed.
- II We you
c b a n ged your
nnind?" l asked.
mot entirely.
but l don't find
1t as easy as ! ex-
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07
eyes. Are your"

Eyes. Are your"
"Well. I'm trying to be. but I'm not
doing much at it." he answered, with
q faint smile.
What's the matter?" l asked. keep
ing my eyes on the Office door. He
was plainly eager to talk, and / was
even more eager to have him talk.
II suppose my experience is CON-
mon one he began. II came down
The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-07

Mrs. Thompson. although nearly fran
tic from grief. seemed relieved to tell
what little she knew about her hus-
bands disappearance. II was not
much. but 1t was a story. and l has
tened back to the Office greatly elated
over my success.
wrote out as quickly and plainly
as could what I had been told and
handed 10 to the city editor. He
glanced over 1t and nodded approval.
"Good stuff" he said. When he had
made few alterations and handed
the copy to a boy to take TO the COM
posing room he turned to me:
Il won't need you any more today.
but wish you would so to the bank
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27

be developed. The possibility OF such
a eataclysm is not imminent. for coal
will reign for some time yet and Is
destined to become a power whose ca
liabilities have as yet been compare
lively felt only more family than would
a feather on the hide of an elephant.
The world needs coal. The United
States has that coal to deliver. 1t will
be wholly natural that so potent a ne
cessity will make for continued peace
and understanding among the powers
Of the world.
The coal mines of Europe are sunk
/, about 1900 feet deep. Coal is still
being quarried on the banks of the
Ohio, and the mines Of Europe are
nearing the limit of commercial posi-
bility. The manufacturing supremacy
of the old world is passing to the new.
Coal is king. and while he lives his
throne is fixed forever in the United
ates.-Metropolitan Magazine.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
rs MADE OFFICIAL
Mayor McCaskrin Proclaims
Saturday Tag Day in In
terests of Charity.
BLOW WHISTLES AT 7 A. M.
Workers of Associated Charities an(
Kings Daughters Extended
Liberty of City.

Official cognizance of the second an
nual tag day to be observed in Rock
Island Saturday was had today, when
Mayor McCaskrin issued the following
proclamation:
"Ofice of the mayor, city of Rock
Island-Know We all men by these
presents that l.. George Washington
McGaskrin, mayor of the city of Rock
Island, do hereby proclaim May 90, as
tag day upon which every man, woman
and child is requested to play tag" in
the interests of charity.
To Blow whistles.
Sat Z o'clock in the morning / re
quest that the whistles blow and the
bells ring to usher in the day auspi
ciously. The ladies of the Associated
Charities and Kings Daughters circles
and their helpers are extended the lib
erty of the city, and | bespeak fol
them courteous and generous re
Spouse to their efforts in behalf q
charity.
GEORGE w. McCASKRIN,
Mayor.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
Funeral of E. r. Carr.

The funeral of Ellsworth Thomas
Carr of Sears will be held tomorrow
afternoon from the home at 2 o'clock,
the services being in charge of Rev.
Marion Humphreys, pastor of the Cen
trail Presbyterian church. Burial Will
take place at Chippiannock cemetery.
AS announced in yesterdays Argus,
Mr. Carr died yesterday morning aft ar
having suffered for three years from
a complication of diseases Mr.. Carr
was born in Kansas and would have
been SO years of age had he lived un-
til July &c. He came to Rock Island
with his parents when he was about
10 years old and he had lived in this
city and Sears ever since. Surviving
him are his wife and three children,
Ruby, David and Ellsworth, and his
parents Mr.. and Mrs. David Carr. three
brothers, Ira, Louis and Calvin, and
five sisters, Mrs. William Hall, Mrs
Nettie Brinkerhoff, Mrs. Annie McKin
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
BIDS FOR RIVER
WORK ARE OPENED
Captains Fetter of Quincy and Whit
ney of This City Submit the
Lowest Bids for Contracts.

Bids were opened today at the United
States engineers Office for the danf
and shore work to be done this season
between Burlington and Hannibal, and
between Rock Island and Burlington.
The contracts will each aggregate
about $4,000. Captain Albert V. Fet-
ter of Quincy submitted the lowest bid
on the work between Burlington and
Hannibal, his price on rock work be-
ing $1.52 cubic yard, and on brush
work 60 cents a yard. Captain A. j.
Whitney of this city was the lowest
bidder on the work between Rock Is
land and Burlington. His price on the
rock work was 81 .45 and on brush
work SIS cents yard Both bids were
recommended by Major c. S. Richie for
acceptance by the department. Both
of the low bidders have done extern
sive government contract work in the
past.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
fraternity Pins.

Fraternity pins are seldom lost. and
when they do disappear they often
rurn up again. sometimes years after
ward. in the most out of the way
places. AS they always bear the own
er's name and chapter engraved on
rhe back 1t is not a difficult matter to
return them. One ''old grad who lost
his pin shortly after he left college
and bought another now has two. the
original emblem having been returned
in singular manner A brother
mad observed the familiar token re-
posing upon the bandanna of an old
colored nanny in little town in Vir-
ginia. Upon questioning her he
learned that she had come by 1t TAX.
Ing in washing" After much persua-
sion she was prevailed upon to sur
render the trophy.--New York Post.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
KING COAL.
While He Lives His Throne 10 Fixed
In the United States.

While He Lives His Throne 10 Fixed
In the United States.
The part played by coal in the
worlds affairs can well be illustrated
by assuming the available supply to
be suddenly cut off. The huge rail-
road systems Of America would stop
at once. So also would. the electric
power and lighting in all cities and
suburbs. Steamship service would
cease everywhere. Transit facilities
would be dead. Factories, manufac-
tories and shops would close down.
Vast Industries like steel, iron. copper.
ETC., would cease. Armies Of laborers
would be thrown out Of work. Mails,
schools. the navy, newspapers, foreign
and internal trade-all would cease to
exist The trilogy governing CONNER
cial advance. heat, light and power,
except a negligible amount of water,
oil, etc. would be annihilated- this
until some other form Of power could
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
TAKES UP LAND AND
INSURANCE BUSINESS
J. NJ. CoIligan, Former City Editor of
The Argus, Embarks in New
Line of Work.

J. NJ Colligan of this city, formerly
city editor of The Argus, later STAFF
man with the New Orleans Times
Democrat and business manager of the
Rock Island Union and more recently
connected with the editorial depart
ment of the Davenport Democrat, has
launched the ]. NJ. Colligan land and
insurance agency in this city, of which
he will be manager Offices have been
opened in room 4 in the Mitchell &
Lynde building. II Mr.. Colligan proves
as good a hustler on his own account
as he has been in the newspaper field
his success is assured
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
MEREDiTH'S LOVE OF AMERICA
"They Always Liked Me Better There,
Said Eminent English Novelist.


Said Eminent English Novelist.
George Meredith. the eminent Eng
llsh novelist. who died the other day
in England. passed the later years OF
his life in his very quiet home. Flint
cottage. Boxhill. Surrey. A visitor
who found him there a few days pre-
-yious to his eightieth birthday. in Feb
ruary, 1908, described him as big.
splendid head and heavy crop of
marvellous white thick hair. The nov
elist. his visitor being an American. re-
GREETED that he had never visited
America CSC
-'They have always liked me better
in America" said he. ''They don't care
about me in England. People seem to
feel 1t right to congratulate men who
live to be eighty. though they really
should not. What it means when n
man lives to be so old is either that he
is greedily tenacious of life or else that
he is so insignificant that the fates
have passed him by. 1t is a misfor-
II
life ought to finish when he is five and
sixty. He must stop working then or
else do work that is inferior. People
will praise it then and write articles
about it, but posterity will know bet
| ter and see it's weakness. You can't
| fool posterity.. When man stops
working nature is finished with him,
and when nature is finished with him
| he ought to co.
The novelist said that he feared 1t
| was now too late to visit America. II
| have had many invitations" he said,
"and do not suppose there has ever
| been nation so hospitable as Amer
lea. They say that one good introduc-
| ton will carry you right across the
continent. So suppose should have
been asked to a great many dinners,
and the moss Of reflection would have
| served to carry out the idea advocate
and remove me before l was sixty
five"
| In the last year of his life Meredith
used to rise daily at 7:30 At II he
went for drive in cart to which was
1 dttdSucu Il leu uouhey anu dDoul WHICH
gamboled his favorite pet, an Irish
terrier. The rest of the day ne PASSED
In reading and seeing his friends. He
was for many years an enormous read
err of newspapers, and books. He was
able to dispense with glasses. although
he occasionally used them.
/ OF American writer's he PARTICULAR,
liked Edith Wharton and Gertrud,
Atherton. OF Henry James he said
Il like to read one of his novels year
James writes about America revisited
but what it really comes to is a toul
of Henry James inside. He tells yo,
how he felt when he beheld this Of
that and how such things impressed
him. and at rare intervals he may TAX,
you to little window and show vol
a bit of landscape that might be Amer
lea and might be anything-a tour o
his own inside; that's what it reail.
comes to-"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
GO TO ALED0 ON
A SAD PILGRIMAGE
Associates of Late Justice Guy C.
Scott VIII Attend the Funeral
Services Tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning at 6:35 a COM
pany composed of members of the
county bar association, Rock Island
commandery of Knights Templar, anu
many of the personal friends of the
late Justice Guy c. Scott of Aledo will
leave in a special car over the Burlins
ton to attend the funeral to be held
at l O'Clock tomorrow afternoon The
special train will reach Aledo at 10: &c
and will return Immediately after the
funeral.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
Carried 141,e5s.54s, Killed None.

Reports recently compiled Of all ac-
cidents on the $4,000 miles of track o!
the Pennsylvania railroad system for
the last year show that during 1905
the various lines of the system carried
141 ,659.543 passengers and that no,
one single passenger was killed as the
result of a train accident. The systen
carried l1.3i4.413 less passengers tan
total number Of passengers injured IN
train accidents numbered only 102. a
reduction Of 452 or SIG per cent from
1907.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
WOMAN WANTS TO
KNOW ABOUT QUIST
Rock Islander Involved i'm Kansas
City Romance Seems Object Of
AnOther's Search.

new phase of the affairs of the
heart of Alexander Quist developed
today, when Chief Eckhart of the po-
lice department received a letter from
Mrs. Katie Harmon. giving her adj
dress as 1923 Scott avenue, Kansas
City, Kas., asking the police to fur
nish her information as TO the where
abouts of Mr. Quist. The chiefs cor
respondent asks him to furnish her
with Quist's address, adding, for
have tried for a long time to find
him." She sent a stamp for a reply
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
A majority is always better than tina
BEST repartee.-Disraeli.
Bad Attack of Dysentery Cured

can honored citizen of this town
was suffering from a severe attack of
dysentery. He told a friend if he
could obtain bottle of Chamberlain s
Collie, Cholera and Diarrheea Remedy,
he felt confident of being cured, he
having psed this remedy in the west.
He was told that / kept it in stock
and lost no time in obtaining it, and
was promptly cured" says. M. j.
Leach, druggist. of Wolcott, VT. For
sale by all druggists.