davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
TRIAL OF EDWIN S. STOKES

1 took place in February, 1873, he was
 convicted and sentenced to be hanged. l but at the third and last trial which begun in the early part of October of the same year, he was convicted of | manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. The
 sentence was passed upon him on oc
 tober 90, and he instantly began serv- ing it.
 The last trial began on october 8
 and it was a number of days before a jury could be secured. It was not
 until October 10 that the assistant dis trict attorney, Russell, was able to open his address for the prosecution. 1 Immediately after he had concluded, the examination of witnesses began. The witnesses for the prosecution were
 practically the same as at the pre- vious trial and it only required two days to rehear them. Then the coun-
 sel for the defense. MT. Dos Passos be-
 gan his address to the jury The de- fense produced a number of witnesses 1 to show how the prisoner had been | afraid of Fisk. never going out except 1 in a closed carriage. He felt the ne- cessity of going armed for the reason that friends had frequently told him of threats on the part of Fisk to shoot him. The most damaging evidence against the prosecution was the testi | mony of a witness that at the pre- vious trial his testimony was written out for him, and he was promised 5000 Eff he would present it.
 | During all three trials, Stokes father mother, sister, brother and
 other relatives were seated about him, and his parents never missed one ses- sion in all the long days in which it was continued. On October 23 Stokes | took the stand and testified in his
 own behalf. The testimony was closed
 on october 27. and the jury went out at 4:45 on October 29, and did not re- turn until 106 with the verdict as
 stated above. | Under the statutory allowance for 1 good behavior. Stokes made an effort l to be released on January 1. 1878,
 claiming that his previous imprison-
 ment of 10 months should be deducted | from his sentence. To this Judges Bar
 rett and Pratt refused to consent. He
 was compelled to serve his full time
 and was not given his freedom until l October 30, 1876
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
Concerning Cotton Figures

Our cotton statistics will have to undergo a fundamental revision If the figures quoted in the April Review Of Reviews relative te the production of the stapis are correct. It has been generally accepted that the average yield of cotton iH ths United States Is, in feund numbers, about 14,666,: 900 bales, with aii ether seetisHs of the staple growing world producing something less than 5,66d, ,666 bales, but MF. Richard SpiiaBe, the authsF of the statement and compiler of the fig ures in the Review of Reviews, de- eiafes that outside countries have SUIT passed America in the amount of eet- ten grown.
 Ar. spiliaae claims ts base his
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

At the sale of the Upton collection of autographs, recently held in New York, the chief prize was letter from Goethe apologizing to Archbishop Pyrker because parcel sent to the archbishop had been held up on the frontier The letter brought s44. A letter of Antonio Tam burini, an Italion tenor, brought si3; a Richard Wagner letter was bought for BPS; one by Thomas Paine brought $49, and Washington Irving letter, in which he spoke lightly of newspaper men, was sold for $36 A Lafcadlo Hearn letter, written from New Orleans, brought s15,5O. An autograph stanza by Eugene Field went for s31. A George Washington let ter written to MT. Goodspeed, September 22, 17S2, brought $2750
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
VV1 ASHINGTON. April 2s.-lSpecial)
 W In the language of General

hl In the language Of General
 W sherman, that we'll known au- thority, war is h-l." We have no war in Washington, that is no war in which men are engaged in violent and ambitious efforts to plug each other with soft nosed bullets. But there is war Tor news. The newspaper fraternity, keyed up to the highest tension of excitement. are chas- ing hither annd thither, and biting at every fake that bobs up over the hori- zon. And this is a time when fakes make speciality of bobbing up over the hori- zoh Because of the extraordinary situ- ation every man who can write at all Is pressed into service. Even the photo- graph men who are employed on the newspa pers are turned into reporters at odd times
 The result is obvious. It is always cus- tomary to blow up a battleship in order that any well regulated war may be prop erly launched. It developed, therefore upon the raw recruits in the newspaper business to blow battleship or two plumb from Vera Cruz to the equator and points south and recite all the hor- ribe details. At least three battleships have been blown up and particulars fur nished that made the Maine affair seem childish and bungling. Tn Mexico City and other points thousands of American citizens have been assaulted, sassinated and otherwise mussed up. If there didn't happen to be any American citizens at these points for the newspaper men to have assaulted, greater enterprise was displayed in furnishing said citizens: little thing like the absence of any citi- zens to assault should not spoil a good story, and in no case has it.
 The first day or two after activities be- gan, of course. was the most exciting This excitement was not confined to the newspaper men. but the officials and cab inet members were likewise affected news agency caught Secretary Bryan alone in one of the corridors of the state department, and breathlessly asked him, if Tampico had been taken. The Secre- tary worried and harassed by crowding events, and confusing Tampico with Vera Cruz for the moment, said "Yes we have taken Tampco. and the ships of the fleet are now engaged in firing on the city"
 Back to his typewriter madly dashed this enterprising correspondent and he promptly put over his first big scoop, likewise his last. In a thrilling account of the "belchine of cannon, the rattle of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
A GRIM CoINCIDENcE

From the Wall Street Journal
 It is a singular coincidence that the grave illness and rumored death of the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria should appear in the news on the eve of a threatened invasion of Mexico.
 The execution of his brother Maximil- ian, after three years of rule in Mexico with French support, gives a grim re- lation to the two items of news. This is a coincidence that might well have, to the imaginative, a worldwide psycholog- ical implication. As great American author said, Tt may be that what we call chance is the operation of a law so vast that we only touch it's orbit once or twice in lifetime"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
T HE long standing feeling of ha-
 tred that existed between James

T HE long standing feeling of ha-
 tired that existed between James
 Fisk, Jr., and Edwin S. Stokes of New York city. both of them promi- nent men of the metropolis. ended with the assassination of Fisk by Stokes on Sunday, January ', 1872. The cause was the result of jealousy on the part of Fisk at the attention Stokes was paying to Helen J. Mansfield. They were rivals for the admiration of this woman and she seemed to prefer the gone so far that Miss or Mrs. Mans field had sued Fisk for certain sum loaned him, and the trial was in prog ress when the tragedy occurred.
 The shooting of Fisk occurred on the stairway of the Grand Central hotel and was premeditated on the part of Stokes as he was seen for several hours previous to be wandering about the corridors expecting that Fisk would visit the hotel. As they met on the stairway, neither uttered a word but Stokes fired, the first shot taking effect in the abdomen. Fisk reeled and Tell, dylng, al the bottom Ol tne sldii- way.
 After firing the fatal shot Stokes paused for single instant. as if to look upon his work, then turned and walked leisurely away. He entered the ladies' parlor and threw the still smok- ing revolver upon the sofa. As he was about to retreat by way of the barber shop of the hotel. he slipped and fell and he was seized by men attached to the hotel and was led backs to the foot of the grand stairway, where he was compelled to sit down, and where he was carefully guarded until the arrival of the police.
 Stokes was immediately taken to a nearby station. Fisk in the meantime was taken to a room of the hotel and an ante -mortem statement was taken. Fisk died and was buried on January s, while Stokes was transferred to the Tombs The coroner's jury returned a verdict against him on January g. and he was remanded to the Tombs to await the action of the grand jury
 The grand jury found a true bill of indictment against Stokes and he was placed on trial for his life at three different times. At the first trial the jury disagreed. At the second, which
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
THE THINKER

By Berton Braley Back of the beating hammer
 By which the steel is wrought, Back of the werkshop's clamor
 The seeker may find the Thought, The Thought that Is ever master
 Of iron and steam and steel,
 And tramples 1t under heel The drudge may fret and tinker
 Or labor with dusty blows. But back of him stands the Thinker. The elear-eyed man who knows. For into each blow or saber
 Each piece and part and whole, Must go the brains of Labor
 Which gives the work . soul! Back of the meter's humming,
 Back ef the belts that sing, Back of the hammers drumming,
 Back of the cranes that swing There is the eye which scana hem,
 Watching through stress a,sl atrtfr. There is the Mind which plai ftsni
 Back of the brawn, the Brsins Might of the roaring boiler,
 Force of the engine's thrust Strength of the sweating toi ai Greatly in these we trust But back of them stands tn Eetesesr The Thinker who drives th rauFa Back of theA Job-the Drean
 Who's making the dream tepe tQss
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
The Business Situation

Henry Clews in his Saturday review says in part
 "Outside of the Mexican incident there is little change in the financial situation. Railroad earnings are show ing smaller decreases than was the case a month or two ago. There has been rather more activity in the iron trade, the railroads having placed a number of orders for equipment, There is also a partial revival of general trade in the west, where depression
 has been less severe than in the east. | Crop conditions are still remarkably satisfactory in spite of a backward sea- son. From all parts of the country reports come that the soil is in ex- cellent condition; and winter wheat continues to maintain Its exceptionally high stand in nearly all sections
 Much as the Mexican outbreak is to
 be deplored. 1t will have the effect of
 starting new activities and diverting public attention from ills upon which
 1t has been breeding far too long. The nation, 1t is true. has serious domestic problems to solve. This has always been | the case and always will be. Business. HoW WoNer' Tnust 70 on, roOu, clOthiH8 and shelter must be provided under all circumstances, and while enterprise and new development have been tenn porarily restrained tho regular activi- ties of life are going on much as usual. It must be remembered that the mar ket has very iiberaily discounted the unfavorabie conditions, and in case of favorable developments, we would sec a general recovery in this market. President Wilson, 1t Is to be noted. still insists at this writing that our govern ment has not as yet declared war against Mexico, Nevertheless the out lock Is far frem clear and in view of euities We repeat our former advice of caution in financial operations"
 Odd Fellowship Centenary Approaching
 "Fhe Independent Order of odd Eel iews will celebrate it's tooth aRniver- ssry as an American organization five years from new" said an cid member. Odd Fellowship came ts this eeun- try from England and the first lodge
 was instituted in Baltimore with five members on the s6th of April, 1913. The five Odd Fellows had been initi- ated ia the mother country, the order there being known as the Manchester
 Unity'
 "Fhs order ia America has prospered eeeas that of any other secret erasr
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
Delightful Home City

''I have travelled much over the world and no city that I ever viisted was quite so inviting as a place of res idence as Birmingham, all things con- sidered," said Robert Jemison.
 We have here not only a beautiful city but a healthy city and city blessed with wonderfully fine climatic conditions. Our winters are modera te in temperature and our summere are always delightful. No matter how hot it may be- in New York, Chicago or other northern cities, excessive or enerating heat is practically unknown here. Every northerner who visits Bir- mingham in the spring or summer be- comes enthusiastic when he talks about our advantages over other cities as place in which to live.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
Unknown Geniuses

An amateur writer" in Maine takes up the cudgels, if one may be permit ted to use wornout phrase, in de- fense of the maligned magazine editor. At freouent intervals an author with a grouch attacks magazine editors ln some newspaper, thus starting con troversy that rages for awhile and dies out. only to be revived again the next time a disappointed person with ca coethes scribendi manages to get hearing. Magazine editors have been accused of the most fragrant careless ness in handling manuscripts that would make authors famous if they were only published. Whenever writer whose work has "gone the rounds" does succeed, there is/a great deal of promiscuous gloating in anna teur literary circles over this new evidence against the editors who turned a genius down simply because he was unknown.
 A successful novelist not long since told of his early struggles and also narrated with great deal of compla- cency the way in which he settled scores with an editor who once re- jected his stories. When this writer had won fame as the author of best seller" the editor who had failed to see anything in his work invited him to submit his stories again, but the novelist refused, no doubt in his cold est manner. The presumption is that the editor shed tears of modification and regret. AS matter of fact, he did nothing of the sort. The average magazine editor has no time to weep, even if he fe disposed to do so.
 What most of the amateurs over look is the fact that magazine editors, being human, are apt to make mis- takes, just as anybody else is, and for one real genius they overlook in the days work, there are hundreds of scribblers who get just the sort of treatment they deserve and in many cases are discouraged early enough in life to permit them to become useful citizens.
 The Maine man says that after reading over some of his early pro- ductions he "breathed a prayer of thanks to those long suffering editors who had returned the stories." If all writers and those who aspire to write could lose sight of their "cosmic ego for moment they would doubtless be able to look on editors with less jaundiced view.
 Everybody who can form letters and string words together in a sentence tries to play author" at sometime in his or her career. It is stage of ones development that can hardly be avoided. Fortunately in most cases the attack is not long continued, else there would be so many scribblers in the world it would be impossible to hire competent cook or chauffeur.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
Tells of Business Activity

There is much business activity in the west and l am told that in most of the southern states trade condi- tions are particularly brisk" said J. F. Elder of St Louis.
 As last year was one of exceeding prosperity among the farmers of the south the country merchant prospered greatly and the various business inter- ests of the cities have been directly benefited.
 The crop situation in every part of the United States is highly favorable at the present time, and the outlook for the summer could not well be brighter I am expecting boom times.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
A Great Chorus

T was expecting a good deal of the festival chorus of ITO voices which has been rehearsing Paradise Lost, but when heard 1t last Thursday 1t Surpassed my highest expectations, Said Oliver Chalifoux
 Tt is a splendid chorus. and Birming- ham people will be proud of it when they hear it at the Bijou on the night of May :. We have had some good choruses in years past but none so large as the one referred to. Many of the great choruses in festival cities contain a considerable percentage of poor ma terial. but Birmingham's festival chorus is made up of experienced singers. There seems to be absolutely no dead wood in it whatever"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
TOMoRROw-TRIAL OF ALICE LIsLE

we had a right to expect. am in hearty accord with your views In reference to
 the development of the Eighth district
 and hope to prove to you and your friends in north Alabama that they have not thrown their votes away in the recent primary"
 There are two very interesting sug- gestions in the above--one is the recog-
 hilton of Colonel Ashcrafts splendid
 work. which was not exceeded any where in the state; and the other is that when 1t comes to the Muscle
 Shoals development. MT. Underwood
 will be strictly lon the job"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
TIPS FROM TEXAS
From the Dallas News.

Ff6f1 the Dallas News,
 Another thiHa-if it is true that all men are born free and equal new is it that eHe is born with silver sPeen in his mouth and aHetheT is born full of PruRes9
 There are se#s ehuEs whs just HatuF- ally eaH't heiR asseeiatins a white tie with 8 white lie,
 MsFaersr, the man wae has snakes in his boots usually has holes iR his seeks.
 As some see it. the only geed thing about ths cid scriPtural days was that when man put his wife away" she stayed put:
 Listen to this, girls: ff you are ia doubt as to whether your lever is a prince, look at his father and see if the old man is king.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
MAIL FOR BULL PUP

Hammond Und) Dispatch to Chicago
 Tribune,
 A postal card from ''Bessis'' came from Hot Springs, Ark. today. addressed te 'Tige." Hammond Gnd.) postal authori- ties pendered ever it lenE, It read Hello, rige, are you a good degr'
 Julius KasaHke, mail carrier, agreed to deliver it, He called "Tise'' at dogs all day ieng and was chased by them. He at last came te house where bew- legged, sway-haeked bull pup came cut to meet him. The deg srewied savaseiy and Mir. kasanke saidi
 "Halls, Tigs."
 fhs deg wasged his tail and Che carrier asked the woman of the house if .her deg's name was Figs. It was. she asked.
 Have yeu a letter from hIs mether?"
 T have" said Mr, Kasaaks.
 Well, here is letter te his mother said Mrs. Martin Lins. please mall it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

that before the end of the week the funds will total many thousands of dollars. The citizens'ar appealed to on civic and ethical grounds. Every dollar contributed for the purchase of books will add to Birmingham's repu- tation as a cultural center and will be of far-~aaching benefit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
Mn, UNDERWOOD AND THE EIGHTH From the Fiepenee Times,

Gel, c. W. Asheraft. manager ef the Underwood campaign in the late pri- mary for the Eighth congressional dis trict, has received a letter from Mir. Underwood, under date eff April IS. in which he says;
 T write to thank Feu fer your spien- did work and the skiilful way in which you handled tho work in the Eighth district. The result was all that we could possibly expect and mere than
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Prosperous syIacausa

The farmers in Talladega county are prosperous and the planting season Is all that could be desired" said J. A. shinn, superintendent of the Eva Jane cotton mills at SylacRuga.
 Genuine thrift prevails in syla- cauga. In fact. the town is on real boom. I have never known business conditions to be better"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

in the United States. According to the
 official reports from state grand lodges of last year showed a total 1 Canada included) of 1,5Sf,045. The sovereign grand lodge. of which c. A.
 Keller of San Antonio. Tex, Is now
 the grand sire. will soon begin to ar range for great centennial celebra- La
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

An explorer says the Garden of Eden can be reclaimed for s3O,OO0,00O But the arrangement that made it such desir- able place of residence was spoiled for ever by Mother Eyes irritation with the snake
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

BEGINNING THE DAY-Hclp me, O grent searcher of Hearts, to he as cauer to follow as to lead, when tt ts Thy will. Reveal to me my sin il | love, honor and praise rather than Thy glory and the good of men. De- worm of envy.-H. NJ. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

It's pretty tough when the only way Colonel Roosevelt can get into the news papers is by shooting a "varmint" with a name a yard long.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Collisions in the air will not only be perilous for aviators. but the hapless pedestrian who fails to stand from under at the psychological moment will meet with equal disaster.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

The American Posture league is going Platter the average man and it isn't necessary to urge him to throw out his chest
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

A young English woman says rising in the morning makes one beautiful. If that is the case, when is one to get little beauty sleep?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Mary Antin, who won fame by writing ''The Promised Land" Says it is the duty of the United States to give the foreigner a welcome, no matter who he is or doing away with the door entirely.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Rowdy Yale students smashed the win dows of the >use in which Noah Web ster wrote his dictionary but nothing can stop the sales of that book.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Richard Harding Davis, having made plans to "cover' the Mexican trouble, .here is no need to hold the dogs of war in leash any longer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

The green grass that grows all around and around as described in a certain song, seems to have marked predilection for fellows garden.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

A Texas man says he prefers a hand organ to grand opera. Still. there are hand organ experts who specialize in grand opera
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Miss Helen Taft is a suffragist but MT. and Mrs. Taft are antis. The average American girl finds it difficult to line up'' with her parents on any question.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Perhaps one reason why women are not more successful fin running for office is the restrictive skirts they wear.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

Villa says he Is still friendly toward the United States. Still, there is nothing in particular to keep him from changing his mind.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

The canine population of France is larger than that of any other country Frenchmen must eat very few frank furters.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

"Aii aboard for Fanama!" says Marse Henry Wnttsrson. Net all of us yet, but we'll all ga if needed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

The Monroe doctrine seems te nave re- eeived just lately hyPederHie injee- tien of patriotism,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

TELEPHONE Bell (priyntc exchange connecting all deparfments), Main 49OO.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-27

London Letter in the Milwaukee senti.
 nel.