davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
TRIAL OF LING OLN'S ASSASSINs

| short chains, which hampered their walk,
and heavy iron balls were also attached
by chains to the limbs of Payre and
Atzerodt.
1t took several days for the court to
fully organize for the work 1t vas net
until Friday, May Il, that they were
ready to take testimony. Spangler, Her
old, Payne, Atzerodt and O'Loughlin We're
charged directly with assisting in the
murder, while Arnold, Mudd ana Mrs.
Surratt who were absent from the
scene,' were charged with having "hal-
| bored, aided and assisted the more ac-
tive conspirators.
AT the time of the trial Mrs surratt
was 45 years old, Atzerodt was 90, Herold
was 23, Payne, the son of a minister, was
27, DR.. Mudd was 45, Arnold Vas 2s,
Spangler's age could not be definitely as
certained, while O'Loughlin was bout 50.
The trial continued without Interrupt
tion until June 30, when the court began
the summing up of the case behind
closed doors, no one being admitted.
What took place in that third story room
of the penitentiary during these find
I ings,' only the court records show.
Ihere was much secrecy In the deltbera-
tions that followed, and it was not until
July that the findings of the court were
made public. The four condemned TO
death were Herold, Payne, Atzerodt and
Mrs. Surratt. DR.. Mudd was sentenced
for life to Dry Tortugas but was par
doned by President Johnson on February
! s, 1869; Arnold and Spangler who had
received a similar sentence, Were par
doned March p, 1869. and O'Loughlln died
of yellow fever in this prison on Septen-
| ber 23 1861 ls
The four prisoners ordered to be
| hanged We're executed at ! o'clock on
| July Z. The trial had continued for %
! days. during which three or four hun
dred witnesses were examined. The only
other person who could in any way be
| implicated was John II. Surratt who
| had escaped and was arrested IN Italy.
| where he was serving as a soldier, on
| November 9, 1866. He was brough. 20 this
country, placed on trial June 10, 1867, and
| this trial dragged along until August I,
| and he was finally released from prison
| free man, although it is generally
| thought that had Surratt been caught in
| time to be tried by the military commits
sion, nothing could have saved him from
the fate of his mother.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
God speed the Parliament!
Henry the Sixth.
Preserve the States Reputation


There have been few eras in the his
tory of Alabama when the necessity
for the exercise of suffrage appealed
more potently to the citizenry of the
state than it does during the present
campaign.
Among the galaxy of stars which
bestud the dadem of the republic
there is to be found no purer gem
than our own commonwealth and her
career from the hour that the mantle
of statehood first graced her should
ers down to the present epoch has been
one of honor, advancement and useful
ness. Her prestige has ever remained
unchallenged, her glory untarnished,
her patriotism pre-emlnent, and
whether defending the stars and
stripes or carrying aloft the stars and
bars her position in the campaign of
deeds has ever remained in the van
of the column.
AS the eye of the student of history
or politics runs down the illumined
text that adorns the roster of states
men who have figured in the halls Of
national legislation some of the most
brilliant names found therein are
those who have been sons of Alabama
either by birth or adoption, and to
their merit friend and foe alike have
paid a willing tribute.
1t behooves US of this generation to
see that the states prestige and posi-
ton are maintained. 1t must not suf-
flee to rest upon a glory which though
it will never tarnish, is Of the past;
the good old commonwealth must con-
tnue to exert its influence of leader
ship, progress and control in the
councils of the nation and send her
statesmen to the conclaves of the wise.
s A most opportune occasion for do
ing this is now upon us. We must rise
to that occasion as we have done in
the past. Every voter should see to it
that the very best timber to be found
in the state is selected in the fashion
, ing of our political structure, nation
Nl or otherwise.
Many men are prone to tire of poll
tics. The corruption and chicanery
which are being repeatedly brought to
the surface have caused them to feel
with Cato, that "When vice prevails
and impious men hold sway, the post
of honor is the private station" but
for this reason alone greater is our
obligation to exercise our suffrage in
order to purify the political atmos-
phere. 1t becomes a moral obligation
that we embrace the occasion that now
Nconfronts us. That occasion is the ap-
preaching primary, and to discharge
the solemn obligation, to participate
in the primary, it is necessary that we
qualify ourselves so to do by paying
our poll tax. Stand not upon the orSer
of doing it, but do it at once.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
sporTING THE CoMMUTER.

From the New York Tribune.
Two young men got on subway
northbound express at Brooklyn bridge.
1t was in the evening rush hour, and.
though the train was jammed, they
squeezed their way through to the last
car. Then they seemed to consider
the seated passengers carefully ard
finally ranged themselves in front OF
two portly gentlemen. 1t looked mys-
terious; they might have been detec-
tives trailing the two p. g., but they
weren't, and here's the explanation.
It's Just a new game-with a substan-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

tial reward for the prize. The game
is called "spotting a commuter." The
seated passengers is commuter, be-
cause commuter will get off at the
Grand Central, and If you guess right
you get seat for the rest of the sub
way trip. The amateur sleuths say
that the trick is to watch for man
with two or three newspapers; he has
them to read on the long trip to the
suburbs or for man with bundles.
the age old sign of a suburbanite. An
other tip is the man with an umbrella
on fair day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

took me out to see the river. I had
often heard her speak of the Blue Danube
walls. but we found nothing save mud
banks The Austrian currency is pecu-
liar One hundred bellows make a krona.
l suppose this is why they say money
talks. 1 have begun the study of Ger
man and have gotten as far as Ich uebe
dich. My best fellow is named Dick.
UNPERTURBED.
Twixt the diel and the deep blue sea
Is woodrow going to get.
The diel is down in Mexico;
The seas the suffragette.
BARBARoUS.
Barber: Call again, sir"
Customer: mot on your life. This is
the last skin game you'll get me into.
You ought to be indicted for running a
rough house"
CLASSICAL.
Deserted Village We have read
Goldsmith was the man
Who wrote 1t, but he didn't mean
Our Pass Christian
SPRING TEA.
And now that Spring is coming soon,
wish / had glass
VI that old adolescent drink
Known as sassafras
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI

From a Letter in the New York Times.
The Times recently referred to the pro-
posed Mississippi spilway and some of
its ramifications, stating that five locks,
properly placed. will permit steamers rs
large as the Mauretania to ascend the
Mississippi river to Cairo" The Spring.
field (Mass) Republican, in very friend
ly editorial article has reduced that num-
Der to three Fearing these errors, if not
corrected, might cause just criticism
of the project. please permit me to state
that the elevation of the canalized Mis-
sissippi at Cairo would be little more
than 800 feet above the Gulf of Mex
leo. 1t would require IL dams with locks
having an average lift of about g feet
each to afford ample facilities for any
the river at full speed to Cairo, and with
slight dredging below some of the dams
that would probably never need to be
repeated the Mauretanias speed need
only be limited to her control, irrespective
of depth of water.
The number of dams could be reduced
to nine, with increased lift and height
but this would entail much dredging be-
low these dams in order to secure the
depth of water needed for such large
vessels there. The average depth of
water in either instance would be more
than 40 feet. 1t would be entirely with
out shifting bars or other formations and
average more than half a mile wide from
the Gulf of Mexico through the South
Pass to Cairo.
The Mauretania could then not only
reach Cairo, but easily reach Paducah,
and by reason of the other two dams in
the Mississippi river above Cairo she
would be enabled to reach Crystal City,
10 miles below the city hall of ST. Louis.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

V7 HIN JOIlH Wilkes BOoth shOt
M Abraham Lincoln at Ford's the
w atre on the night of April IA,
1866. the world was shocked at the crime.
Booth escaped from the theatre and fed
to Virginia, where he was cornered jn
the barn of Richard Henry Garrett, near
Port Royal, where he was shot. The
barn was fired, and Booths body was
dragged out.
David C. Herold. one of the conspira-
tors, was with Booth in the barn. He
was put in irons and with the body of
Booth was transferred to the monitor
Montauk from a tug. Booths body was
placed in a grave of an old penitentiary,
where it remained until 1869, when Presi-
dent Johnson gave Edwin Booth, the ae-
tor, permission to have it removed to
the cemetery at Baltimore
The conspirators with Booth were one
after the other rounded up and placed in
10, 1865, the commission to try these con-
spirators held their first session. The
room in which the trial was held was
one of the large rooms of the peniten-
tiary. The commission to sit in judgment
consisted of Maj. Gen. David Hunter,
Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, Brevet Maj. Gen.
August V. Kautz Brigaders Gen. Alvin
p. Howe r. M. Harris, Joseph Holt and
Robert S. Foster, Brevet Brig. Gen.
James A. Ekin, Brevet Col. c. II. Tomp-
kins, Lieut.. Col. David r. Clendenin,
Judge Advocate Henry L. Burnett, Hon.
John A. Bingham with Brevet Nal.
Gen. John f. Hartranft of Pennss lvania,
acting as special provost marshal.
During the trial the members of the
court were all in full uniform. They
sat around a large table, while the pris-
oners were arranged on platform about
four feet broad and one foot from the
floor At the appointed hour fer the
trial to begin the woebegone procession,
consisting of David c. Herold, George
w. Atzerodt Louis Payne. Edward Spang-
Ter, Samuel B. Arnold, Michael O'Lough-
lin, Samuel Mudd and Mrs. Surratt.
wound it's way into the court
Mrs Surratt had the left-hand corner
to herself, and the seven male prisoners
sat sandwiched between six soldiers. DIR.
Mudd wore handouts connected with
chains, but the bracelets of the other
male prisoners were Joined by wide bars
of iron ten inches long, which kept their
arms apart. All the prisoners excepting
Mrs. Surratt wore anklets connected by
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

Representative Lewis r. Sullivan Of
massachusetts, has introduced bill in
the legislature of that state forbidding all
animal dances" which he declares are
becoming an offense against public
morals 1t will be remembered that the
unspeakable Nero attended the public
fetes in the guise of a bear
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

And now Uncle San, is going to start
an insanity chaser" This is a search
for mental as well as physical hygiene.
but as there are other kinds of "chasers'
the name is a trihe inappropriate for a
government whose prime minister is an
advocate of grape juice only.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
JUSTICE IN THE AUSTRALIAN BUSH

JUSTICE IN THE AUSTRALIAN Bt SH
Norman Duncan, in Harpers Magazine
for February.
Near by this town, long ago, savage
tribe had murdered a family of settlers
in the night, save one lad, who es-
capped death by opportunely tumbling to
the floor between the bed and the wall,
himself wounded unconscious, and left
for dead. What the provocation was no.
body knows. 1t is probable that there
was no specific provocation. 1t had
doubtless been a wanton thing-a childish
msschief-undertaken upon savage impulse
and accomplished for nothing more than
the momentary pleasure of dealing death
to some living creature. This was the
inspiration of many similar deeds-neither
vengeance nor spoil, but the swift be-
stial. wanton blood lust, indulged cele-
brated, laughed over for the time. and
forgotten; and therein lies a sufficient
explanation of the terrible character of
the retaliation. Whatever the case, the
boy, having thus narrowly survived, made
his way to Brisbane, where he related
his story to the authorities and to such
good purpose, as it turned out, that he
was given rifle and free leave to re-
turn to his district and shoot as many
black fellows as he could manage, being
heartily assured that the law would not
molest him.
you see,' said our fellow traveller 'he
was regularly licensed
by the department of game and fisher
ies?" I scoffed.
"Ah come now!' he replied. Il am not
joking. | do not mean to say he went
on, THAT the authorities gave this boy
an engraved license, suitable for framing,
but do assert that they commissioned
him to kill black fellows and that his
commission was not altogether singular.
but one of a good many. And he did kill
black fellows-hundreds of them, pos
sibly. He killed them where he could
find them, running the bush or employed
on the stations, not even hesitating in
the presence of their white masters. And
by and by the thing became a nuisance.
1t was awkward for the station owners
to have their black boys disposed of in
this way There were complaints. / re-
call that one station owner had his best
black servant shot from the saddle on
the road. He was very angry; but the
boy hourished his commission and the
station owner could do nothing about it. ;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

Thomas Manville, Jr., son of the AS
bestos King" of New York, and his bride
have disappeared, taking with them $780,
900 of the elder Manvilles cash. Asbestos
is a fire protector, but it did not keep
the old man from being severely "burnt'
in this instance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
TROUBADOUR AND JESTER
TIE VITAL QUESTION.

THE VITAL QUESTION.
1t is not now is Thaw insane?
Or has Huerta resigned?
1t is not will that submarine
The patient dreagers find?
1t is not what the probe will prove
In far-off Calumet;
1t Is not will our Congress give
An ear to suffragette?
1t is not will Chicago sleuths
Beat Lopez at his pranks?
Nor which of cities will secure
One of those reserve banks.
1t is not will the copper strike
It's strenuousness relax?
But the one vital question is
Have you paid your poll tax?
ANCIENT HISTORY.
Has Rudyard ceased from kipling?
Does Haggard ride no more?
/ haven't seen a line from them
For years almost a score.
REGULAR BLIND TOMS.
Student Boarder: More than 500 ele-
plants a year go to make our piano
keys"
Landlady: MY, my! Who'd although
them beasts had such an ear for music. -
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION
Down behind his cattle barn
Where the paint is worn off,
| often see my neighbor go
He recently has sworn off
OUR TRAVELSCOPE.
Vienna, January 10.-This city is the
capital of the Perhapsburg family. Ma
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

Thirty thousand people are dying of
cold and hunger in Albania. And yet
of Wied, the newly elected sovereign of
that country, an enormous salary. Roy
atty is an expensive as well as heart
less luxury
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

AS the American eagle is no longer to
pe seen TINS side of the Rockies, Meri-
dian, Miss, is replacing the loss of the
national bird by having a live turkey
perched upon the cupalo of her CITY hall
1t is not turkey-buzzard. but genuine
Thanksgiving bird, which escaped from
coop and refuses to be captured.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

"Old Alfalfa" f. D. Coburn, secretary
of the Kansas agricultural board, has
resigned at the age of 6S because he
thinks younger man can do the work
better He has been the most devoted
friend poultry ever had, and his Lay
of the Kansas Hem will be recited on the
farm and at the fireslde long after he
is gone
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
A REAL REFORM

From the New York Evening Sun.
The plan of Mayor Mitchell of New
York to work more and talk less looks
somewhat revolutionary, but 1t would
seem to be worth trying.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
SCIENCE MAY HARNESS THE sun

Stanley f. Morse in the Chicago Record
Herald.
That it is well within the range of pos
sibility that a few years will see the
sun pumping water and generating cleo
tricity on a commercial scale is the hope
of DR.. Andrew e. Douglass, professor
of physics and astronomy of the Uni,
versity of Arizona.
Professor Douglass has just installed at
the university delicate instrument which
measures and records the energy given
off by the sun. This instrument, which
is called a recording pyrheliometer-a
combination of a calendar pyrheliometer
(sun heat measure) and recording gal
vanometer enables the sun to draw
picture of its own work during the day.
A fine line of red ink is traced across
a squared paper; while the sun shines
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

Virglnian has invented an automo-
roller the following of the furrow will
soon offer the attractions that politics
has to command.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

A woman has advised the authorities
of Greece. For once the female weakness
as to keeping a secret has been ben
eft
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

President Wilson has done much to
popularize the gulf coast this winter,
but Harry Thaw will postpone his visit
for sometime yet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

New Orleans, evidently in doubt, has be-
gun a vigorous campaign for one of
the reserve banks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21

So many harsh things are being said of
the tango that its popularity threatens
never to Wane.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-21
washington bureau. zo7 Hibps build
TELEPHONE

Bell tprivare exchange connecting all
aepartments), Main 49Oo.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
paper at someone.

TO- comedian evening clothes with boxing
gloves. instead of white kids. on his hands
IL. A Hebrew comedian makes remark about set
ting fire to his store.
IL. An Irish comedian, dressed policeman, swag
gers up saloon. raps and is handed glass of beer
10. German comedian INDUCES in proud reference
to his tleedle son Ludwig"
a. soubrette holds up her mouth be kissed and then
boxes the of the actor who tries to kiss her.
Is. comedy pianist after playing his selection strikes
high the piano with his little finger after grandi
gesture
These devices successful in provoking laughter
today they of years ago. Whether they
effective outside of vaudeville the twodollar
theaters-I will not hazard to say. believe however,
that audiences, in the MAN, the both in and
out of vaudeville; although do not believe that the
twodollar plays and players have precise code of
NEVERTHELESS, when Beauty and the Beast"
put at the Broadway Theater a number of
years ago, and Tin company with Harry Bulger and
Joseph Cawthorn) engaged for comedians role,
and for the time being deserted my well understood
field of vaudeville for musical comedy, learned
thing about these strange two-doar audiences. Both
Bulger and Cawthorn had appeared vaudeville, and
three to carry the comedy scenes OF the piece
put heads rehearsal and sought to think
out sure way of making the audience laugh There was
that we had oureyes especially for words
had been written for u.s. and it had been put to to
work comedy act at this point of the show
Eli tell you what let's do | suggested. Lets
crack dozen of the Oldest stalest, most moth-eaten
jokes can lay hands Let's do it in per-
fectly serious way, just thought were crack
ing jokes. The audience will the point, will
relish the old joke satire, and will laugh at us.
We talked it over and finally agreed that the old joke
Continued page IS
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

the points to which the
humorist referred are
known as 3occasionals,'
that is, they may be
worked periodically to
afeel the way, but
they are by no means
staple laugh getters. Of
the five alleged points,
number three alone is
the most consistent of
the 3occasionals. Of
the critics table Of four
teen laugh secrets, all
save possibly numbers
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

trade they them. In instances these writers
have managed in manner to hit the mark; but
often they have scored nothing than wide miss
Just only the barber knows the trick of smearng dust
his finger from the back of the chair and them after
pretending rub your hair, of showing you the @drt
and recommending shampoo, just only the tailor
knows the trick of placing his mirror in the shadow
that the wrinkles in the hand-me-down you trying
will not show, just only the in vaudeville
can know the whole secret of the profession.
The two foregoing illustrations meant to imply
that vaudeville is full of CROOKED" devices Such i'm
proved devices would be unnecessary vaudeville
radiators would be to the Kongo Free State In the
main, vaudeville's only necessary tricks the old
tricks of its cradle days These tricks its founda
ton, much part of it as the mirrors in the barber
shop the tape in the tailor shop But if the
tricks of vaudeville not 3crooked" they may
theless be termed by smiling public after have
taken it into my confidence
IN my scrapbook have treasured socalled 3laugh
index" of vaudeville, prepared by dramatic critic
about five years ago. This 3index,' detailing the times
at which vaudeville audience regularly laughs (of
that means is made to laugh by vaudevile's
secret tricks, reads as follows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

since first crept out of its cradle and began sit up
take notice and make large audiences take notice turn
And the result of keeping my eyes open and avoid
ing cnders, have discovered little secrets
of the great variety game that now, out of sheer be
nevolence, going to dvulge to uninitiated and
constantly curious and inqustive public My purpose
in doing this has deep sinister meaning Some
take pleasure in writing their biographies others take
pleasure in writing other mems biographies; and am
going to take pleasure in writing vaudevles biography
The biography of vaudeville is the biography of all
vaudeville players, and, reectvey of all vaudeville
audiences The best thing about it is that vaudevlles
biography effectively strong and convincing in its gen
erates, and that tresome dates and figures and
ngess and formidable statistics really need have
place in it.
Vaudeville, to speak in Introductory phraseology,
is kid that has grown up. 1t is the now,
in its fundamental psychology, it when l first
knew it back in its rattle and mlkbottle days of long
ago. OF course in surface way things have changed.
Scenery grander programs pretentious, saa
res higher. and acts elaborate; but down
at the bottom the vaudeville of today is the vaudeville
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

g. A "sidewalk conversationalist' - hits his
teammate repeatedly in the face with a
newspaper.
3. A performer mentions his mother-in-
law and makes wry face. This is one of the
greatest and surest laughs in vaudeville.
4. A performer makes some ironical re-
mark about home life
S. A comedian pretends he is handling
baby.
6. A comedian exits hastily and there is
heard a sound as of breaking glass or falling
down stairs.
T. A comedian breaks up" the soubrette
in her act
s. Ahusband and wife indulge in quarrel
on the stage.
9. A comedian throws a wad of wet
paper at someone.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

of yesterday and of day
before yesterday. The same
things that were used in
vaudeville to make an audi
ence laugh years ago are
used with entire effect to-
day. And this is wholly
true, as well, for vaude-
ville's time-honored secrets
lknown only in the inside
circles of the way to thrill
audiences make audiences
cry, and make audiences
yell with enthusiastic glee.
From time to time writer's
outside of the inside vaude-
vile circle have endeavored
to divulge the secrets of the
business, the tricks of the