davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
He Starts Monday,

Starting Monday morning at 9
o'clock, the mysterious Mr.. Big Fin
ger will make his appearance in the
streets of Hattiesburg. He is going
to visit each of the largest stores, and
places that he may be with the
crowds. He will attend the moving
picture and vaudeville shows at night.
Then in Tuesdays edition of The
News he will tell the places that he
visited, who he met, who he spoke to,
what they were doing at the time he
met them, and will relate the different
conversations he overheard on the
streets and in the stores. He will tell
who he sat next to in the theater.
Now, keep your eyes open. He may
ask you some question and then tell
you in the next issue of The News
what you had to say.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
REPORT HAS NOT YET
Been MADE PUBLIC
But Information Comes From Source
Which Should Be Authentic-Admit-
ted That Work Thus Far Has Pro-
Voked Many Animated Debates.
(By Associated PreSs.)

Copenhagen, Dec. 1S.-The Asso-
ciated Press is informed by high au-
thority that the committee of the Uni
versity of, Copenhagen, in its prelim-
mary examination of the records sup.
mitted to them, failed to discover
proof that DR.. Frederick A. Cook
reached the north pole. The consist
ory of the university, at a secret ses-
sion to-day, received a preliminary
report covering the first stage of the
work of the committee, which is ex-
amining DR.. Cooks north polar rec
ords.
The report was presented by Rector
Thorp, but its nature was carefully
guarded from everybody except men,
bers of the consistory. The latter are
said to have been pledged to secrecy.
1t was admitted, however, that the
work thus far accomplished provoked
an animated debate among the uni
versity officials.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
CITY MAKES VERY
SUBSTANTIAL sum
Nearly Three Hundred Dollars in
Fines Assessed Against Thieves
Who Robbed Their Employers of
Sample and Loose Cotton.

For couple. of hours this morning
the city hall might easily have been
mistaken for cotton exchange, from
the number of pullers Of the fleecy
who crowded into the office of the
chief OF police and the city clerk.
Their presence was explained, how
ever, when Police Justice Davis
called the first case on the docket, the
City VS.. one c. E. Scott, negro,
charged with receiving stolen goods,
knowing that the same was the prop
erty of another.
This case was a sequel to the
wholesale thefts of sample and loose
cotton which have been committed at
the compress and sample rooms of
local brokers recently, for which of.
fense number of negroes were tried
and convicted Monday morning.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
The Middle Man.

Scott, who is Jackson negro, was
accused of receiving and disposing OF
the cotton which the Hattiesburg ne
groes stole and shipped to him, and
he was promptly arrested at the
former place and sent here to answer
the charge against him.. This morn
ing Judge Davis was firmly convinced
Of Scott's guilt, after hearing the tos
timony, and accordingly assessed him
with fine of $40 and costs.
Ira Weems, another negro who was
charged with stealing cotton, was
fined $50 and costs. the total amount
of fines assessed in the cotton theft
cases aggregating nearly three hun
dred dollars.
Local cotton men are very much
gratified over the result of these cases
as, before the season closed, the.
might have lost several hundred dol
lars worth of valuable samples if the
negroes had not been suspected ant
prosecuted.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
RELENTLESS fight
AGAINST LEE
Special to The NeaOS.

Special to The NelCS.
Jackson, Dec. 1S.-Advices from
Washington to-day state that a relent-
less fight is being waged againstthe
re-appointment of Hon. R. c. Lee as
Federal district attorney for the
Southern district of Mississippi, and
if Mr.. Lee retains his position he will
owe entirely to the strong personal
influence of his friends, including Sen
ators Money and McLaurin, Senator
elect John Sharp Williams, and scores
of the most prominent men in the
state who have interested themselves
in his behalf.
No serious personal charges have
been preferred against Mr.. Lee, but
charges have been made that he has
been too lenient in dealing with Grim
inals.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18

Prominent jackson Architect
Will Make Detailed Report on
Its Condition.
WILL CONCLUDE
THE WORK TODAY
Question Of the Abandonment of the
Main Street School Building De-
pends Largely Upon Nature of Mr..
HuII's Report.

Within the next two or three days
Mayor Donald hopes to be in position
to submit to the public another de-
tailed report of the condition of the
Main street public school building,
and upon the nature of this report
will probably depend the future action
of the city council in confirming or re-
scinding its order to the board of
trustees to abandon the building.
Architect w. s. Hull, of jackson, an
rived in the city yesterday morning.
and Immediately began the work Of
inspection. Mr.. Hull proposes to make
thorough, technical examination Of
the building, and yesterday force of
the city convicts were sent out to
make excavations under the four
corners of the structure, so that a
thorough examination of the founGa-
tion might be made.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
CHRISTMAS FOR The POOR


A good many persons and organi-
cations are planning to remember
the poor Christmas. I am sure that
all desire to bestow their charity in
the wisest and best way.
The object is to supply in some
measure, at least, the needs of the
poor. The poor of my acquaintance
need shoes, clothing and wood as
much as they do something to eat, and
l think more so.
have in mind a widow with four
small children, the oldest nine years
of age. She has a hard struggle. She
is not able to clothe them as they
should be. This case is used simply
as an example.
The best way to help such cases
would be to give them say 80 cent
worth of fruit, ETC., $500 worth Of sub
stantial provisions and $3.50 worth 0,
clothing, supposinr $500 worth is 4
be spent on such family. rs
To learn the need and to supply
that need is the object Of charity
There are thousands in Hattiesburl
whose hearts beat responsive to case
of need. In behalf Of the poor.
l. p. TROTTER.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Nature Of the Examination.


City Engineer Putnam also was
called upon yesterday to take the
grades and levels of the grounds, and
to-day Mr.. Hull has been engaged in
taking plumbing observations of the
walls, sizes of the timbers contained
in the building, the kind and quality
of the material used, and. in fact.
when through with the inspection. he
will be in position to make a detailed
report of the exact present condition
of the building as he found it.
Mr.. Hull stated to a News reporter
this morning that he would probably
finish the work ir time to give a con.
densed, preliminary report of his find
ings tonight, but that it would per-
haps take couple of days for him to
prepare a detailed report to be sub.
mited to the city council. Mayor Dom
aid has promised give the substance
of this report 10 the public as soon as
it is available. and thinks that by
Monday afternoon he will be in posi-
tion to give out in concrete form the
result of Mr.. Hubs observations.
The public is anxiously awaiting
this eminent architects opinion in the
matter, and it is thought that, what
ever mayfpe his deductions. the re-
port will accepted as final and the
city cok*il will be governed by it
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
NEPHEW Will ;
SUCCEED LEOPOLD
Denied There Was Any Civil Mar
riage Between Dead King
and Baroness Vaughan.
(By Associated PreSs.)

Brussels, Dec. 1S.-Baron Goffinet,
private secretary to the late King
Leopold of Belgium, is quoted to-day
as denying that a civil marriage be-
tween King Leopold and the Baroness
Vaughan was performed at the death
bed of Leopold. The baron admitted
that secret religious marriage prob
ably took place recently. Even should
this be the case, however, the mar
riag would have no legal standing in
Belgium, and no complications are
feared. Leopold's nephew will, in al
probability, be crowned according tt
law.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Report Unfavorable.

To newspaper men Rector Thorp
said The committee has not yet
finished. 1 cannot tell how long it
will continue, but hope that the re-
suit can be made public before New
Years Day. Both the members of
the consistory and the examining CON-
mittee have been forbidden strictly to
make public anything whatever re-
garding what has been accomplished
thus far by the Investigators"
Nevertheless, the Associated Press
obtained from source which
that the preliminary report was un-
favorable to DR.. Cook.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
How To Get Him.

Now isn't that simple, and just think
how easy to earn that $25.00. Now,
get busy. Be on the look out. In
Mondays News Mr.. Big Finger will
give list of the places he will visit
and tell the time of day he will visit
each place. He will tell the hour that
he will visit the theater, and the part
of the house in which he will sit. A
little later on he will give his com.
plete description each day. Now
don't let this man of mystery get by
you. If you are asleep when he meets
you he will pass you by and give you
a merry ha-ha, and then tell you in
the next issue of The News how close
you came to getting that reward.
Now, you amateur detectives, ge
busy.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
MAN OF MYSTERY TO
VISIT ALL over town
Will Write Daily Articles for News
Which Will Tell Where He Has
Been and Where He Will Be There
after.

Have you ever heard of the Mys-
terious Mr.. Big Fingers? Well, if
you have not you had better learn
something about him. He is in this
city at the present time.
There is large reward offered to
any one that captures this man of
mystery.
Mr.. Big Finger is a very shrewd
man, and is noted for his shrewdnoss
in escaping capture at the hands OF
tho seeking him. He has baffled the
citizens and detectives in nearly ev.
cry city in the United States, and is
going to give the people in this city
a chance at capturing him and get
ting that large reward offered.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Wreck in New Mexico.
(By Associated PresS.)

East Las Vegas, New Mex, Dec. IS.
-Eastbound passenger train No. on
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway was wrecked to-day near Full
ton, New Mexico, fifty-five piles west
of here. Several passengers are re-
ported to have been killed and others
injured, but communication with Full
ton is slow at best, and up to late
hour this afternoon it was impossible
to get names.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18

would insist on the public being Civ
en- the full details they dropped the
matter.
I'll bet any one $1,000 that there is
no agreement between Jeffries and
Johnson of any kind, excepting to
divide the purse rs per cent to the
winner and 25 per cent to the loser.
And I'll bet Tom McCarey, of Los An.
geles. or any one else another $1,000
that l did not give Jeffries $4,000 OF
any other secret inducement to favor
my bid for the fight.
Il have not the least doubt now
that the fight will be held in Salt
Lake City. Everything points that
way"
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
FRFEzING WEATHER
and SNOW COMING
(Rv Associated Press.)

! New Orleans, Dec. 1S.-Cold :
: weather for southern portion of :
: Texas. Louisiana and Mississippi I:
: tonight and tomorrow is pre- :
= dicted in the weather bureaus =
: bulletin to-day. Temperatures :
= ranging from 26 to 30 degrees =
e will prevail in the sections men, :
= toned according to the weather :
= man. Special warning has been I:
= sent into the sugar growing Sec =
y tions Of Louisiana and trucking :
= sections Of Texas. :
= Snow is predicted for northern I:
= Mississippi and freezing weather :
= IL. ~ pouth as the coast. Cold =
= wave ~ Qalvest.n tonight, with 4
I: milde0 1her in Galveston and =
:: : :: *& <><<***s
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
JEFF and smoke"
WON'T SPLIT PURSE

New York, Dec 17.-"Tex" Rickard
the prize fight promoter. who has re-
turned here from Boston, denies there
is any secret agreement existing be-
tween Jeffries and Johnson over a di.
vision of the 100000 purse which
Rickard offered.
while in conference with Jeffries
and Johnson before the final articles
were signed" said Rickard to-day, 81
told them that they could divide the
purse any way they desired, and even
suggested so per cent division, as
it seemed that the betting odds would
be about even. The fighters discussed
the subject but when I told them that
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
MANY PETITIONS
y FOR PARD0NS

Special to The Nescs.
Jackson. Dec. 1S.-Eight pardon Pc
titions filed within six hours was yes
terdays record at the Governors Of
fee, and much bf the spare time OF the
chief executive is occupied with ex-
aminging documents of this character.
During the past thirty days the Gov
ernor has received no less than one
hundred formal appeals for execu-
tive clemency, and with the near ap
proach of the Christmas holidays rhe
number is steadily increasing.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Thirteen Below Zero.

Denver, Colo, Dec. 1S.-The west
slope of the Rocky mountains, from
central wyoming down into New Mex
leo, to-day is in the grasp of a cold
wave of almost unprecedented bitter
ness at this time. At Denver the ther-
mometer is thirteen degrees below
zero.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
NUMBER KILLED
IN TRAIN WRECKS
Five Dead In Collision On Lake Shore
And Unknown Number In
New Mexico.
(By Associated PresS.)

Cleveland, o., Dec. 1S.-Five per-
sons are dead as a result of col
lision between a Lake Shore passen-
ger train and switch engine at East
Twenty-Sixth street early to-day. Ten
passengers were slightly injured. All
of the dead were mmbers of train
and engine crews.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Reward of S25.QQ.

He will visit the chief of police, the
mayor the different banks and will
hold conversation with almost every
officer he meets. Be on the lookout
There is reward of $250O offered
to any one who captures this man of
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18

mystery.
Now, if you want to earn a nice
sum, easily. pay attention to the ar
ticle, as follows:
Arm yourself with the latest edition
of The News.
Start out to look for The Man of
Mystery. When you think you have
him located, go to hinl and saw, Are
you the mysterious Mr. Big Finger of
The News?" And at the same time
present him with the latest edition of
The News, and he will gladly give you
the reward offered for his capture.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
FLEECY ALSO COMES
, down At BIRMINGHAM
Six inches Had Fallen In Central
Texas At 10 O'Clock This Morning.
Six Degrees Below Zero At Lincoln,
Nebraska.
(By Associated PreSS.) }

Memphis, Tenn, Dec. 1S.-Snow
which began falling here and in the
edge of North Mississippi early this
morning, had attained depth of near
ly two inches at noon, with indications
that the fall would continue for some
time.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
President
OF The NATIONAL
(By Associated Press.)

New York, Dec. 1S.-Thomas ].
Lynch, former Chief of Staff of I'm.
pires, was to-day elected president of
the National League. John A. Hey
dler was elected secretary-treasurer
The election of both officers was unan-
imous.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
A SOCIAL WAR.

"See here, old man, every time my
wife orders a gown, your wife orders
10 gowns"
"Yes"
"Whereupon my wife goes your wife
he better"
p"Well?"
Cant we arbitrate this matter?"-
Washington Herald.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Races Called OFF.

ElPaso, Texas, Dec. 1S.-The wealth
er here was so cold to-day the races
at Juraez were called off. The mer-
curry is hanging around the twenty
degree mark.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Heavy Fall In Texas.

Denison, Tex, Dec. 1S.-Six inches
of snow has fallen here and through
morning. The snow fall is the heav-
lest in years.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Vatican Denies.
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated PresS.)
Rome, Dec. 1S.-It was stated offic-
tally to-day that the vatican had moth
ing to do with the Morganatic mar
riage of the late Kink Leopold and
the Baron Vaughan.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Snow In Birmingham.

Birmingham, Ala, Dec. 1S.-Snow
began falling in Birmingham before
s o'clock this morning and continued
r for some time. The flakes melted,
however, as soon as they struck the
ground.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Weather Records Broken.

Ft. Worth, Tex, Dec. 1S.-A heavy
snow fall, high winds and tempera-
lures ranging s to 10 degrees above
zero, combined to break all previous
weather records in northern Texas
to-day.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
Six Degrees Below.

Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 1S.-The temper
ature here today is six degrees below
zero.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18

THAT new girl is breaking every.
thing"
"Yes she even cracked smile this
morning and then broke into laugh
New York Telegram.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-18
COTTON MILLS
SHUT DOWN
(By Associated Press.D

Lowell, Mass, Dec. 1S.-The Tre-
mont and Suffolk cotton mills, OF this
city, shut down for ten days to-day.
About 1000 operatives are thus
thrown out of employment for time
at least.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
WOMAN COMMITS SUICIDE.
Left Note That Her Home Was in
He'll, Body in. Creek.

A Spartanburg special to The News
and Courier relates the details of a
strange suicide. My home is in hell
and my body will be found in the
bottom OF the creek" is the way a
note read which wa? pasted on y
valise, which was found on the bank
of Lawson's Fork, near White S
Mill. The name signed to the note
was Eula Foster Near the valise
was al umbrella. The find was made
by two carpenters. who were recov-
ering the gin house Of Mr.. White.
Seeing young white woman walk
through the woods towards the
creek. they made an investigation
and discovered the valise hanging
on the limb Of a tree with the note
pasted on the outside. The deputy
sheriff and others visited the scene
and made a search, but the body has
not been found
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
CUPID'S FRANKS
CONSTANTINOPLE LOVE AT.
RAIRS END IN TRAGEDY.
Armenian Girl Goes to, Mussuiman
and Her Compatriots Threaten to
Lynch Her Lover.

A dispatch from .Constantinople
says some tragic love affairs among
Mosems have been reported of late.
Gen. Habil Pasha Unexpectedly en-
tered the room of his daughter
Medina and was surprised to find
her in company with Capt. Meh-
medal, former aide-de-camp of
Abdul Hamid. The general instant
" drew revolver and fired at Capt.
Mehmedail, who died few hours
later.
In the Bechiktash quarter of the
city a Mussulman named -1smail car
ried off young Armenian girl called
Siranushe, the daughter of banker.
The parents followed to claim their
daughter, who. however, stated that
she wished to remain with Ismail.
The Armenians Of the district
threatened to lynch the girl, and
the Moslems made ready to defend
the two lovers. At this point the
police intervened to prevent blood.
shed, and arrested both 1smail and
Siranushe. The latter was given
over to the care of an old Moslem,
as she expressed b"r wish to be con-
verted to Islamisn..
A third case is that of Lieut..
Mehmed Aga. He had two wives,
Husna and Fatma, who, during the
Imprisonment of their husband for
a trifling offence, were said to have
taken advantage of his absence to
admit other men into the house.
The neighbors of the 'two women
had often to complain of the scan
dal, and the lieutenant's wives were
twice arrested as a consequence.
Hearing of what had taken place,
Mehmed Aga. on his discharge from
prison, decided to avenge himself.
He went back to his house, then
inhabited by his wife Husna, and
saturated different rooms with pc
troleum, afterward setting fire to
the place. Mehmed Aga's own house
and the houses on either side were
burned to the ground, together with
Husna aud another woman, named
RuShena.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
EDITOR SHOCKED TO DEATH.
Waycross Newspaper Man Is Killed
by Live Wire.

At Waycross, Ga, A. P. Perham,
Jr., editor Of the Waycross Herald.
was instantly killed in an electric
storm of violence that swept over
that place Wednesday, destroying
telephone wires and throwing live
wires about the streets.
A number of horses, some OF them
fine animals, met instant death in
coming in contact with the wires,
while danger was everywhere. That
no one met death except Mr.. -Perham
is regarded as surprising.
Mr.. Perham was on the street near
the office of the Southern Express
Company when wire, dangling from
a pole, struck him. He dropped 70
the street dead Mr.. Perham was
one of the best known men Of this
section, having been in the news
paper business in Waycross for years.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
DOGS FIND lNCENDIART.
Negro Arrested Charged With Burn
in Farmers House.

A dispatch from Statesboro, Ga,
says tracked from the burning home
of MeriJi lSandascks, a wealthy
farmer of that county, Jack Mescai,
a negro, was caught by bloodhounds
few days ago and is locked up,
charged with arson. The home and
stables of Hendricks were burned.
The fire began at o'clock Wednes-
day morning, the family being arous-
ed just in time to stagger to safety
through the smoke and flames. The
boodhounds were put on the trail
at the house and followed without
losing the trail TO MERGERS house.
a quantity of corn, the barn, stables
and residence, all were burned.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
Seven Mules Killed.

\ dispatch from Summerton says
the rains Tuesday night were the
heaviest known there for many years.
The wind was pretty high IN some
localities. 1t is reported tha: seven
mules. the property Of MIR. y. G..
Scarhoro. Were killed on his farm
about eight miles from Summer
ton by the collapse of the barn situ-
ated over his stables, caused by the
high wind.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09

He became president of the consti-
tutional convention which put dis
pensary, negro disfranchisement and
non-divorce in the organic law of
South Carolina. His career was
metcoric. No one in Augusta dream
cd Of it, But Ben Tiliman went to
the United States senate and John
Gary went to the executive office
in Columbia.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
Child Hangs.

At Saginaw. Mich, George Hen
ry Rambo, seventeen months old,
abcilantaily hanged himself while
playing in swing at a neighbor' s
home. The little fellow had toddled
over TO play with the neighboring
Shepherd children When his moth
er came for him she and Mrs. Shep-
herd found the child dead. tangled
in the ropes OF the swing.