davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
The Punta GOrda Herald
Punta Gorda, Fla, Oct. 8, 1913
A Big Reform on The WAY

The notion of altering, amend,
lng' reforming or abolishing the
Legislatures of the States in this
Union because they have been
weighed in the balance and found
wanting and have "balled up" our
laws in such a hopeless tangle,
mas taken fast hold of the minds OF
Che American people and what
was at first considered an absurd
and quixotic suggestion is now
being taken very seriously. That
some drastic change will result
sooner or later from the discussion
Is practically sure, for the need OF
reform in our legislative system
becomes more urgent every day.
The governors of our various
States are very conservative gen.
tlemen as a rule, welded to GUS
tom and tradition and in partner
ship with the Legislatures, SO to
speak; but some of them haven't
as much reverence as formerly for
that venerable department of GOV
eminent, and they speak right out
In meeting to that effect. Here is
something along this line from the
last Issue of the Saturday Evening
Post, full of food for thought:
This years convention of gov
ernors at Colorado Springs illus.
trated the growing recognition by
those in the best position to Judge
OF the HOPELESS ineficiency of State
Legislatures as now constituted.
Governor Hodges, Of Kansas,
urged his plan of a very small,
single-chamber law making body,
to sit continuously. Other State
executives went so far, at least, as
to recomend that there be smaller
membership, more frequent ses-
sions, and that part of the mem
bership be elected at large in
stead of representing particular
districts. Governor O'Neal, of
4Alabama-where the Legislature
normally meets only once in four
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09

the case of the Ball family fell with
a crash. The mother and the children,
except John Junior. who was now
twenty-five years old. were away on a
visit. leaving father and son in the
ranch house. In the morning servant
went to their rooms to call them to
breakfast and found the father MUIR
dered in his bed and the son gone.
The matter cast gloom over those
who had drawn such hopeful conclu-
sions from case which it seemed had
been proving and would continue to
prove that hereditary crime was of
minor importance and could be over
come by an improved environment.
The widow shut herself up with her
younger children and never appeared
In public again.
An Australian friend of this unfor-
tunate family who was interested in
the scientific points connected with the
crime committed by both father and
son. on making a trip to England, in
vestigated the record of the Ball fami-
ly. He found that two different gen.
erations back of the subject of this
story had furnished murderer and
both were cases Of particle.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
A
Blighted Hope
Bv WILLIAM BRAKEMAN

Here is a story suggested by the
present interest In eugenics.
~ There are a number Of elements that
enter into the condition of criminality.
but they are inextricahly mingled.
For instance, heredity plays an impor-
tant part, but since there are two par
cnts. the ancestors Of each reaching
back indefinitely. it does not neces-
sarily follow that child begotten by
them will inherit criminal tendency.
Moreover, criminality may be disease
or an imperfect working Of the bodily
functions. Then there is environment,
which many experts in criminology
consider by far the most important OF
all causes.
In England many years ago there
dwelt family named Ball. John Ban,
one of these people. at twenty years
of are became parricide. That was
the time when the English government
was sending criminals to Botany pay,
In Australia. Those transported. were
treated according to their condition,
some of them being allowed full lid
erty within bounds, to live in their
own houses and earn their own living.
John Ball. to all outward appearances
was a perfectly good man and soon
earned the right to be treated as such
within the limits Of the law.
In the penal colony was young wo-
man named Mary Coolidge. She had
stolen money to keep her widowed
mother and younger brothers and Sis
tiers from starving. 1t would seem
that this act was only on the border
of crime and should have met with a
light punishment But the act was
committed at a time when there was
but little mercy under the Engnsn
law, and Mary was sent to Botany
bay.
These two. John Ball and Mary Cool
idge. met after they had been members
OF the colony eight years. There was
am inclination among Johns associates
to consider his crime as the result OF
a temporary insanity. AS for mary .
It was simply an oyerstrain OF human
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09

years observed that this quad
rennial plan had proved the most
prolific source imaginable of has
ty, ill-advised, ill-considered legis-
lation.
"The American Railroad Asso-
citation reports that this year near
ly fifteen hundred bills regulative
of railroads were introduced in
State Legislatures, and two hun
dred and thirty of them became
laws; while the Association of Life
Insurance presidents reports more
than two thousand bills this year
to regulate that business. This
spasmodic, grab-bag legislation
cannot possibly be anything but
faulty, ill.digested, conflicting and
vastly wasteful. Within a very
few years we expect TO see han-
sas lead the way with a constitu-
tional amendment for small, con-
tinuous, one chamber, expert
Legislature. And, once the ex-
ample has been set, other states
will quickly follow. . Lakeland
Telegram.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09

Get new suit from Horn, the
tailor. Made to order in latest
styles. advertisement 18tf
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Pointers for Purchasers

Get a new suit from Horn, the
tailor. Made to order in latest
styles. advertisement 18tf
Bicycle repairing, sundries, etc.,
at reasonable prices; Pope motor
cycles and wheels; houses for rent.
f. S. STRoBHAR. advertisement
Why, G.F.F.F. means COTS
Fancy Family Flour. Try it.
advertisement If.
Latest styles in fall and win
ter clothing at r. G. Blount &
Co. advertisement.
All kinds of sewing machine
needles, boboins, shuttles and
needle-threaders at Punta Gorda
Hardware. If advertisement.
Nice line of boys knee pants
suits just received at Il. G. Blount
6 Co. If advertisement.
Have you read display adver.
tisement of Mobley Dry Goods
Co.! Form the habit; it's worth
your time. If advertisement
Expert altering, cleaning and
pressing. Satisfaction guaranteed.
"A. HI. Horn, McClelland bldg.
advertisement 1Stf.
Tampa Dairy Co.'S, ice cream
for sale only by Seminole Phar-
macy. If advertisement
See those elegant new style
suits at R. G. Blount & Co. If
advertisement
Complete line of Yale & Towne
pad locks. -Funta Gorda Hard
ware. If. advertisement.
Suits for small boys, nobby
styles at X. g. Blount & Co. If
advertisement.
Why, G.F.F.F means COTS
Fancy Family Flour. Try it.
advertisement If.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
ForfnighfIy Club

The Fortnightly club met
Thursday, Oct. End, with Mrs. N.
e. Hewitt in East Punta Gorda.
The responses were Current
Events" Arrangements were
made to send our president, Mrs.
Richard, as delegate to the con-
vention of the Florida State Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs, which
meets in Orlando in November.
A committee consisting of Mrs.
A. P. Jordan, Mrs. Mary X. Ran
kin and Miss Bertha Pepper, was
appointed to prepare the programs
for the ensuing six months.
The program for the afternoon
was then taken up. Miss Bertha
Pepper had a most excellent paper
on the subject Household Eco
nOmlcs, which was full or practl-
cal hints and suggestions. Mrs.
A. P. Jordan opened the discussion
with witty illustration of a
woman's idea of the economy of
time. These papers, being so
good, it was decided to send them
as our contribution to the conven-
ton.
After refreshments were served
the club adjourned to meet Oct.
18th with Mrs. Frank Blount, on
which occasion the subject will be
chickens" and the responses
quotations from that famous
author. The ladies are requested
to meet promptly at 2:3O p. m.
Secretary.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Methodist Church > Preaching

Methodist Church = Preaching
first, second and third Sundays
each month IL a. m. and 700 D. M.
Sunday school 10 a. m. every Sab
bath. Epworth League 700 p.
m. every Sunday, Mid-week
prayer service 700 p. m. every
Thursday. Woman's missionary
society 3 p. m. Monday after each
first Sunday. Ladies' Bible study
class 4 p. m. every Monday.
Public invited and strangers well
omed. w. A. WIER.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Virtues of the Nurse.

Sir William Osler in a lecture at
Johns Hopkins training school named
the seven virtues Of the nurse: Tact,
without which no woman can be sue
cessful and her chief protection in the
mechanism Of life; tidiness. 1t being
the primary duty of woman to look
well; taciturnity, which should be cul-
tlvated as gift; sympathy, gentleness,
the birthright of nurse; cheerfulness
and charity. the last and greatest of
all."
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Not ENCOURAGING.

Madam, do you think you can use
your influence with your husband to
induce him to support me In the COM
ing campaign"
II don't know, sir. I've never yet
succeeded in inducing him to support
baltimore American.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Most of Them Do.

ut only needs determination to live
a hundred years. says well known
health writer. A great many people
have determined to live century or
die in the attempt-and they have died
In the attempt Orleans Picay.
une.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Important,

Doubleday seems to think himself a
very important person"
why, he can't even stand on street
corner and wait for a trolley car with
out putting on as many airs as IL he
were laying cornerstone -Birming-
ham Age-Herald.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Vague.

Vague.
II didn't exactly know how to take
the missis this morning." said the
lady's maid to the cook.
'What did she sayT
when remarked that was afraid
her complexion could not be improved
by cold cream she told me / needn't
rub 1t in."-Baltimore American.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09
Stinuy.

"She's the cheapest woman 1 know
Of"
why do you say that"
"The other day we got on car to-
gether, and insisted on paying my.
own fare, and she let me."-Detroit
Free Press.
The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-10-09

Golf sells it for less. -51tf. adj
vertisement.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
TERRIFIC BATTLE
 AT ADRIANOPLE
More Than 100000 Bulgarians and Servians Form Force ASSaulting
 FOrtreSs-Part City Burning
 Scutari May Have Fallen.

London, Feb. A terrific bom- bardment of the forts around Adrianople, and even of the resi- dential portion of the city, which was begun last night by the 100000 Bulgarian and Servian besiegers of the fortress, was continued almost throughout the night, according to dispatches received from that vi- cinity today.
 The firing was heavy and almost continuous, and it is stated that great damage was suffered within the city, and that some of the for tifications were badly battered. The casualties are estimated in the thousands, principally on the side of the defenders. At times the re- ply to the firing was rather spirited. by the Turks, but at other times there was practically no return.
 Reports from Servia to London newspapers say that portions of the city of Adrianople were on fire ear ly this morning, and that there is grave danger of a serious confla- grafton. The same reports say that Buigarians freely predict the for cible equalization of the fortress and the city within two weeks.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
HOLDING INSTRUCTION SCHOOL
District Deputy F. E. Miller With
 Local MaSOnS This Week.

The Mena Masons have with them this week District Deputy Grand Master E. B. Miller of Cauth- ron, who is holding the annual school of instruction. Meetings are held each night, when MT. Miller instructs the officers and members in the latest work adopted by the Grand Lodge.
 This school of instruction is quite an event in Masonic circles. As is well known, very little of the Masonic initiatory is written, and it is necessary for district deputies to attend a school of instruction in Little Rock. where they get the work from the grand lecturer of the state. and then go over the state and instruct subordinate lodges in the latest lectures and work. Monday and Tuesday night the local lodge had degree work, which was exemphfled by Mr. Mil Ter. For the rest of the week, how ever, there will be no degree work. and the evenings will be spent in featuring, etc.
 Mir. Miller states that, outside of Ft. Smith, the Mena lodge is the best in his jurisdiction, which GOV CTS a number of counties in West 'ern Arkansas.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
POLICE OFFICER
 DANCEROUSLYCU
Tom Jones, Night Man, Has Two SlasheS in Throat as Result of Encounter With Whit Sal
 yerS and Ali Smith.

About 1 o'clock Tuesday morning, as a result of an encounter in the Postofiice Cafe, Tom Jones, one of the night police officers, was terri ply cut, two slashes in the throat and one on a hand, his assailants, according to the officers, being Whit Salyers and Ali Smith. Sal yers is well known Mena man and Smith comes from Womble.
 The story of the trouble, as re- lated by Chief of Police McMillan, is as follows:
 The two night officers, Duke Thornton and Tom Jones, soon aft CT the saloons closed at midnight, placed under arrest Jim Nations, whose home is at Vandervoort, who was in a drunken condition. When they attempted to take Nations to the lookup, he resisted, fighting so hard that they were unable to handle him, Thornton finally re- ceiving a severe wrench of his back. Jones then used his club un- til Nations was subdued. During this time it is said that Salyers and Smith followed and threatened the officers, but on request from Thornton, desisted.
 The officers then took Nations to the Postoflice Cafe washroom, Thornton washing Nations face and head, in the meantime sending his brother officer for a doctor to dress the prisoners wounds.
 While at the phone, according to the statement of a witness, a news butcher on the Traveller, Policeman Jones was attacked by Salyers and Smith. He turned around and tried to draw his revolver, but this was knocked from his hand and then he was cut in the throat and hands. Officer Thornton, hearing the dis turbance, rushed to the aid of Jones, and with assistance from others pulled his assailants off.
 The great gaping wounds in Jones' neck were temporarily clOSeQ WlJn wet LOWelS ana ne was taken to his home, where thirteen stitches were taken to close the cuts.
 Dr. w. c. Vandivcr says the wounds are dangerous, but prob ably will not terminate fatally un- less pneumonia or some other com plication results from the loss of | blood.
 Deputy Sheriff Robert Norris took Salyers and Smith to the county jail and Prosecuting At torney Abe Collins came in Tuesday afternoon to bring formal charges against them. Both men were said to have been drinking at the time of the trouble.
 Nations, though considerably bruised up by his round with the officers, squared himself with Po- lice Judge Lindsay and was about the streets Tuesday, expressing deep regret for the affair.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
GRAND OLD MAN OF
 ARKANSAS DEAD
Former Senator. James H. Berry Passed Away at Home in Benton ville-Loved and H0nOred
 in the Nation.

Bentonville, Jan. 30.-James Il. Berry, Confederate soldier, judge, governor and United States senator, is dead.
 The end came at his home here at l:l5 this afternoon.
 James Henderson Berry was born in Jackson county, Ala, May 15, IS4l, and had been a resident of Arkansas since he was seven years of age. He entered the Confeder- ate army at the beginning of the war between the states as second lieutenant of the Sixteenth Arkan- sas infantry, and lost leg at Cor inth, Miss, October 4, 1862. At the close of the war Senator Berry completed the study of law and in 1866 was admitted to practice. He was a member of the legislature, 1872 and 1874, being speaker of the latter session. He was elected judge of his circuit in 1878 and four years later he was elected governor. He was elected to the United States senate in 1885 and remained a member of that body until 1907, when he was defeated in most strenuous campaign by the late Senator Jeff Davis. Since retiring from the senate, Senator Berry has lived quietly at his home in Ben tonvilIe. He was appointed by President Taft a member of the commission to mark the graves of Confederate soldiers in northern cemeteries and completed his work and resigned a few months ago.
 Senator Berry was warm hearted, noble gentleman and made friends by the thousands, who held him in the highest esteem. When he was governor Judge James F. Read was his private secretary and the friendship that began then was almost as close as father and son.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
SALYERS OUT ON BOND
On Statement From Dr. Vandiver Justice Radcliffe Admitted
 Accused tO Bail.

On statement from Dr. W. c. Vandiver, physician for Policeman Jones, that his patient was improv- ing and would survive the wounds received early Tuesday morning at the hands of Whit Salyers and Ali Smith, Justice H. J. Radcliffe Tuesday afternoon admitted Sal yers to bond in the sum of 5000. No application for bond was made by Smith.
 Officer Jones is getting along as we'll as could be expected, having rested quite well Tuesday night.
 The management of the Postoffice Cafe, where the cutting occurred, desires it known that in no way was their establishment involved be- yand the fact that Officers Jones and Thornton brought their prison CT. Jim Nations, there to care for his bruises, and were using the telephone to call a physician when the trouble occurred.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
SENATE LICENSE
 BILL MAKES STIR
In Effect Would Place a ''Lid' on Arkansas-AIl Local Option Laws Now in Force Would Stay
 Negroes Excluded.

Little Rock, Jan. 30.-No bill of the present session of the legisla- ture has created more interest or been sprung with less heralding than that introduced Wednesday and which is, in effect, a strong prohibition measure. Any way the bill is interpreted it has a lid on tight appearance.
 It expressly provides that the To- cal option laws are not to be re- pealed. They are to remain in force and the new act is to be cu- mulative-merely added to the statutes already in force.
 The bill would work like this: A county may go ahead and vote for or against license, just as now, but, even if it votes for license, license may not be issued until after a pe- titfDn signed by the majority of adult white inhabitants of the city or town affected shall have been filed with the county court. This is the bill in a nutshell.
 In other words, no license may be granted except on petition of a majority of the adult white inhabi- tants, men and women. Little Rock, l1t. Smith, Pine Bluff nor any other town may grant licenses, except by a majority petition.
 Securing a license under the To- cal option law alone and under that law reinforced by the proposed act would be two very different things. Under local option the majority of the electors, black and white, de- termine the question. Under the proposed act, endorsed by 19 mem bers of the senate already and cer- tain of passage in that body, a ma jority of the white adults, men and women, will determine the ques- ton.
 That the bill will be bitterly fought by the saloon interests is certain. That it will pass the sen ate seems sure and that it will be endorsed by the house appears highly probable. The point of at tack, probably, will be on it's va lidity, in it's exclusion of negroes from the right of petition.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06

kin, John Thompson, J. w. Gardner and w. P. Harman, acting as a committee, appeared before-Ch celIor Shaver today and asked for and received a temporary in junction to prevent the city coun- oii from making a contract with tomlins0n Brothers for lighting the city streets. The time for hearing has not been set. The for mal application follows:
 Polk Ghancery Gourt-John Thomp-
 son, J. W. Gardner, w. ?. Har-
 man, Plaintiffs; vs. T. R. Jones, Mayor; D. NJ. Townsend, City
 Clerk; k. II. Black, w. L. Parker,
 Joseph Robert, D. M Watkins,
 Reuben Harrison and l. NJ. Davis, Composing the City Council of
 the City of Mena, Ark, Defend
 ants.
 The State of Arkansas, to the
 Above Named Defendants:
 You are hereby enjoined from entering into any contract or pass ing any ordinance of resolution for the lighting of the streets of the City of Mena, Ark, or in any man. ner carrying into effect any pro- vision for lighting said streets other than such contract or ordinance or other provision as may now be in force, until the further order of the Court.
 Witness my hand and the seal of said Court this the ith day of Feb ruary, 1913.
 (Seal) F. L. Johnson, Clerk.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
The Cause of the Action.

Ever since the meeting of the city council on January :, com mittee composed of Dr. E. H. Black, Joseph Robert and D. NJ. Watkins has been working on the question of restoring lights on the streets, which were cut off year ago last December for lack of funds.
 In this work the committee of the council secured advice from a light authority from Ft. Smith and wrote all over the state and to Oklahoma points to acquire knowl- edge of rates commonly in force.
 From this data, plan was evolv- ed and contract drawn for placing 200 incandescent lights, in clusters and singly, on the streets. This proposed contract provided that the fixtures, wiring, globes and care should all be supplied by the light ing company, the lights to be op- erated on moonlight schedule, and the price to be Si.60 per month per light. with 20 per cent discount for cash.
 A further consideration was that the rate for consumers should be reduced from 20 to i5 cents per kilowat hour for ten years.
 The committee and council felt that from all information it had obtained the proposition was fa- vorable to the city and the citizens, and that the city could pay for the lights from it's revenue even if there should be no saloon license revenue after a year or so.
 The meeting of citizens deemed otherwise, and the whole matter probably will be threshed out in the months 10 come.
The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-06
WRITE 'UNWRITTEN LAW"
Bad Character on Part of Female
 Invalidates Excuse for killing.

Austin, Tex. Feb. IA bill which would put certain features of the so-called "unwritten law" into writing on the statute books of Texas was introduced in the house of representatives yesterday by Representative T. D. Howell of Jeff erSon.
 This bill is entitled changing the law of manslaughter." Under the terms no homicide may be reduced to manslaughter except under spe- cific excuses named by the bill, and one of these specific excuses is the use of indecent words of conduct to any female under the care and protection of the defendant" This provision is not, however, applica- ble if it is shown that the character of the female over whom the kill ing occurred, is bad