davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
Confessions Made
by Innocent Men
Some Due to Third Degree" Methods
of the Police; Others the Result
of Strange Freaks

He never got any further. A heavy
boot heel was kicked out against him,
striking him full in the face. 1t was
powerful blow. Three of Reds front
teeth were broken of and his nose was
broken. He sank to the floor dazed.
When he recovered consciousness he
was in a cell. weak and Eighty. The
chief came to see him after supper
That ls. after the chief had had his
supper.
Red" said the chief. softly en-
phatic, you did that lake shore job.
Remember that's your lesson cue. You
did that Job. It's q shame that bur-
glary should take place in Chicago at n
time when the chief Of police should be
most careful. It's lucky We caught the
man. In fact We had to catch the man
to save the reputation of the city-and
the clty's police.
I'VE had to find that burglar You
know you. did that job. Red. You told
me you did 1t. Have some supper. won't
you. and remember you told me you did
II. Hotchkiss. the assistant chief, II
sore that you did 1t. 1t was on his
tour. He's a bad man. Red Thinks
nothing of how he treats a man after
everybody has gone to sleep, and he
hounds for years worse than q Cor.
sican"
II did the job. all right" said Red
family. Gimme a drink. for Gods
sake"
Fine. Red, fine. I'll fix 1t SO it'll
only be a very small bit at Joliet. Your
get flask with your supper. Good
enough
Another confession was placed on fils
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
rYPNOTISM turks in the huge
II granite blocks that once formed
L part Of the facade and por-

on me few days after the Aston House
had been closed for good. lie looked
very woebegone and couldn't help be-
ginning to figure whether he'd take a
tablet or an ordinary tombstone.
Martini said he, I've been going
down hill ever since they shut up the
old Aston House. Why, do you know
cried the last day ate there? It's a
fact. I couldn't help 1t. I'd eaten there
every day for half a century. Some
times Ia get ashamed OF being such a
slave to one place and I'd try to break
away. 1t was no use. Back I'd go
again. Why. Martin, I've been over
every night after dark to just stand
there and look at the old entrance, even
though rs closed. felt a Juggling to
90 there clean across the Hudson
Maybe they put a piece Of witch's
hair In the cornerstone when they built
the old hotel ! told him. thinking to
ridicuie him out IL his dependency and
get him to talk OF something more
cheerful-like monuments.
That's just it, he broke in, that's
just likely 1t. Martin. I've checked up
on everything to try and trace the rea.
son 1t held me so strongly. Proprietors
came and went while I ate there. but
1t made no difference in the spell Chefs
arrived and departed. and 80 did wait :
ers. alterations were made to the in
terror time and again. The old Astor
House hypnotism remained. There's
Just one thing that has remained the
same all these years, and the charm
must be In 1t. and that's the granite
"A charm In the grantee I say.
feeling little creepy because he looked
at me SO seriously.
YES. a charm in the granite, Mar
tin. and that's just why I'm here to-
day. For fifty years was slave to
the Aston House daily dinners and !
couldn't shake the shackles. Now
they're going to tear it down, but the
spell Is still on me. Martin, don't you
think you could get piece or two Of the
granite when they take the blocks down
and put them aside for tablet for me
I'll pay extra for it. I've got SO used
to the stone that I think I will rest
easier II there's piece Of 1t near me-
well. I took the old mans applica-
ton for tombstone made OF Aston
House granite and incidentally I &C.
cepted the order as a straight tin and
a direct bunch from the spirit world bid
ding me buy In the entire lot of granite
blocks the wrecking company would
lower from the facade. I chased over
to New York and found the men who
had the letting OF the contract for the
sale and the removal Of the stone. In
a few moments the paper was signed.
Il won't tell you what I paid for t.
You've heard about getting a thing FOL
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
Hypnotis1n in Old
Aston House Wall!
Jersey City Monument Man Felt Its hi
fuence and as a Result Made
a Good Bargain

be whispered around that b,, -.
the best Of the bargain by a yo,,. 81 81
per cent. They tried to buy mo ~ us
they couldn't do 1t. W
Jealous and envious stone ID
who had woke up to the fact tho. =.
lost grand opportunity tried 70 -
obstacles in the way. When nv ,,,
mobile trucks arrived on some mi,
they found no stone ready. had |.
send them away and pay them irs, :,
same. My trucking bill was arn,, ,,aa
But I got the stone over. There y,
out in the yard there. I'm NOT -
OF the old gag fire in a stone ward a.
strOying II either.
MY old friend who tipped mo ~
although he didn't know he did
get an extra good tablet with a n,,,,
rebate. There Is no doubt III soon b,"
a bushel Of other orders, because I kr..
half dozen old Jersey Cityi,es -,
were hypnotized by the Aston U,uso
many years. I certainly hay, In o.,
a little over the way Jerse, man a.
the best OF all the other stone mon !.
an opportunity connected with sucb
worldwide known hotel.
II stepped right into piece Of o.,
luck that will mean "A profitable com.
terry business for some time In cow.
Why couldn't have bought the gran,
got from the Aston House for l..
than $4,000. and it cost me practicar
nothing. You must remember the s,or
is already dressed. Such granite Vol
cost from $3.50 to s1.75 a cubic foo,
the rough
THE Aston House stone is vha,
called Quincy granite. II comes from
railway quarry about fourteen mi.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08

outside Of Boston. There j. no bette
granite In the world II is just al
good as the day it was first laid a. IT,.
facade and entrance of the old ho.e, u
have an acid wash, fixed in diluted Pr.
portions according To my own tormIh
that will restore the stone to rs or-.rs|
color. 1t was because 1t was scott. iai
grimy that the GRANTEES yilUr probably
escaped the notice or attention u Other
stone men. Now IL my old friend Naj
wants the tombstone Of It had lot cor
to me perhaps"
Mr.. Adams's purchase viii prlU'.clNl
give him monopoly Of cemetery yau,,
work for the next two or three years
within the area that he does business
He intends much of the Stone for that
purpose. as it is well adapted for mal'
soleum building. He has enough %
erect no end of tombstones. which COS
anywhere up to $500, or for ''''s
ranging in price from $500 UH"d!e
Because of his lucky buying b" WI D.
able to erect vaults at least - pr 'rS
cheaper than he could othcrNt>"
Among the blocks Of granite MT
Adams secured two marhl" columns
1914 feet long and fee ia 3'mer'
and two marble pilasters at .r sam
dimensions. They formed par y ",
staircase rising within the r"'..i' am
also were used as an integral part "
the entrance.
But aside from the U.s. NA' III
Adams destines much Of tho granite j
the shape Of vaults. tablets aat ''mo
stones, he has purpose tur m' , IN
stone that will go far IT, r.lIr'.'.' ~
fame and name OF the yI \"" Non
hotel. The monument man to.h tn
SUNDAY Sun man from his yard 20 IN
fashionable boulevard Aou- N- fin
residence thoroughfare The walk 'e
until a plot of several lots 80. '.
between Sin and Stuyyesau. .f,..,-
w own that nroport, sail Nj
Adams "and very shortly ..... g
erec, M fne n Nat as tho, - uu ON
boulevard Tho arcbitr,,,. .-.,r am
cornice NJ the main ,ntrar.. VIII h
built 81 nothing but Asia. HnNs
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
-HrNK Of confessing a muir

"H1NK Of confessing a murder
that you never committed.
i And you supposedly sane.
Just imagine yourself de-
liberately owning up. with plenty Of
highly colored corroborative detail. that
you feloniously entered the Gibraltar
Savings Bank at midnight. blew open
the big safe and got away with $500. 900
cash which you afterward lost In Wall
Street while you remained hidden down
In Mexico-all this being a gigantic lie.
Fancy telling II all without the slight
est motive for shielding the real cul-
prits. just 6ecause somebody put you
under IA keen quiz.
Very likely you will declare that no
human being and no power Of heaven
or earth could make you tell such a
monumental falsehood. Perhaps not.
Just the same. strange crime revela-
tons are made from time to time by
innocent men and women.
Recent cases Of this nature are those
Of John Paul Farrell. the Bronx jani-
tor. and Henry J. klotz, the Bronx
bomb maker. The police obtained from
Farrell a confession complete In step
by step detail. that ne had sent bomb
to the house Of Mrs. Madeline Herrera
some months ago. the explosion of
which caused her death. Farrell was
sent to the Tombs. lie was still there
when the police declare they obtained
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08

como to your senses. Farrell. and N'n
DO the best for you. Here. sign this
paper"
Cases are on record in which the &C.
cused has made no less than three con-
fessions. all different, ending with this
statement: This time III tell the truth.
This In how It was"
English criminal annals contain
nearly half q dozen cases In which In
nocent men owned to crimes they had
not committed. In some cases the man
confessing had had an encounter with
the man murdered. but the actual killing
had been done by another man subse-
quent to the quarrel. The man who
confessed believed that his blows had
been fatal and 10 related. being willing
70 take the penalty.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08

When there has been no such en-
counter and an innocent man declares
he 10 guilty Of murder. there is no ex-
PLANTATION. In a French case man
confessed to poisoning his friend. 1t
was found that he could not possibly
have administered the poison because
he had not come In contact with his
friend within the time Of his last illness
and death. He had been reading q
great deal on poisOns and was brain
weary. When his friend died he was
10 distraught that he called a Magls-
trate and accused himself. While the
authorities felt positive the COMPRESSOR
was not guilty. to make sure they had
the dead mans body exhumed No
trace Of poison was found when the
body was examined.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08

sent one. Then somsthinS NE this
probably came:
why. you know you killed Mrs
Herrera. Farrell; you know you killed
her. What did you do It for? Pshaw.
Of course you did It. You were seen in
the neighb0rhO0d. Weren't you In the
neighb0rh00d7 Well. now then. what
do you deny II for? Yes. we'll stop
tormenting you and we'll make It a.
easy 40 We can for you. Just own up
you sent .', the bomb TO nrs' ae,rsrs,
out Of your place to have It sent to Mrs.
Herrera. We have the goods on you
all right by witnesses and you might
a. we'll make It easier by confessins.
Whats that-you'l say anything Il
wen let up? Fine business You've
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08

r. rYPNOTISM turks in the huge
|" granite blocks that once formed
L L part Of the facade and por-
ticoed entrances Of the famous
old Aston House one.half Of which was
recently razed to clear the way for the
subway extension. The discovery was
made by Martin A. Adams Of s2s West
Side avenue. Jersey City. Mr.. Adams
has fashioned monuments for more than
a generation and he has the reputation
Of knowing better than most men the
value to the living and to the dead Of
every piece Of stone that stands In a
cemetery.
As a result Of Mr.. Adams's ascertain
Ing that a charm tenanted the dark
gray stones he hurried over to New
York and bought up every piece OF
granite that the wrecking company en-
gagged in tearing down half Of the old
hotel lowered to the street level. As
the stones were taken down he loaded
then on automobile trucks and hurried
then over to his monument works in
Jersey City. How he came to find out
there was hypnotism In the Aston House
granite and how he contaminated his
purchase contract in the face Of fierce
envy and opposition is an Interesting
story. especially from the way he told
IL to THE SUNDAY Sun man. This Is
what Mr.. Adams said:
IAN old friend OF mine dropped In
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17
IAN OUNCE OF PREVENTIVE
By MRS. J. B. REID

tive association and each of their four floors have named fire captain, and each captain has been supplied with drummer boy: this is only temporary, said Mir Stern. We intend to have fire gong on each floor later and when button IS pressed the alarm will be given oyer the entire building at one time The employees are instructed to appear at a special loca- tion on each floor. and to form line of two ready for the march,. The wrap pers have been organized as special fire squad, and water buckets are placed at convenient distances for their speedy
 work in case of fire The porters are the gang to handle fire extinguishers and
 hose reels. Further precaution has re-
 gently been installed by placing on
 each fire escape red signal light that in any excitenf-nt there will be no possi-
 bility of overlooking this method of safety.
 We were impressed with an automatic
 system that has been placed in position
 to be used ill case of fire. The building
 on each floor has been piped overhead
 with a two-inch pipe. At certain points
 there is an emergency tap that is sealed
 with wax. A gong is sounded to the operator ip the basement in case of fire. and the heat of the fire In any locality will melt the nearest wax cap and thus the sprinkler is put to emergency use. There are 50 little boys engaged in this store, and one observer remarked: They are snatural little soldiers. see how manly |they have lined up to meet the emer- gencv These very men may grow up to manhood in this great enterprise Wq hnve seen some of the men there now who began in knee brooches.
 And now let's speak of a faithful col pred friend who came to Birmingham from Greenshoro with Mir. A. B. Lovemar end worked in his first store in this cits
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17

Everything that happens in life gives lesson somewhere, somehow.
 Birmingham bowed her head in sorrow last week over the unfortunate accident in the recent fire. There were thousands standing on the thoroughfares watching and waiting with anxious breath to hear from friends and relatives employed in the burning building-the scene was be- yond description-and when the climax came "only two of the numbers were gone"--there were tears for those that were left and tears for those who were lost. fearful fate in very few min utes. The flames covered the building so quickly the wonder was so many were saved Yesterday afternoon at 545 o'clock one noticed an unusual performance just before closing time at Loveman. Joseph & Loeb's. Upon inquiry we were inform ed it was their first fire drill" Five hundred employees at the tap of a, drum, on each floor. marched orderly out of the building and in less than five minutes the store was emptied. The force had been notified during the day that at some hour they would be given their weekly practice for safety in case or accident
 This firm in line with their usual spirit of progress has organized Fire Protec-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17
River Has a Carpet
the Christian Herald.

From the Christian Herald.
 The bottom of the Mississippi river or rather portions of it near Memphis. Tenn, is being supplied with carpet in the shape of gigantic mats woven of willow trees which are being constructed in sec tions on the surface of the river and then sunk into place. The river for several years has. been cutting new channel that threatens to leave Memphis high and dry a mile away. The turbuleiN ii~N already has to its credit or discrecit, a score of towns deserted in this manner, with consequences serious enough. Tn the case of Memphis, however, these con sequences would be disastrous almost be- yond description; her costlyrharbor facil- ities would be utterly ruined and the city left with huge mudbank between it's fine levee and the stream.
 The threatened danger was first noted by government engineers about a year ago, and preparations immediately started to avert it. While the insatiable river has for several years been eating rail' roads,, houses and farms in the vicinity of Memphis, sucking them into it's muddy maw, and carrying them down to the Gulf of Mexico, 1t seemed that the hun gry stream had at last met something that would check It's appetite when a sheer wall of solid rock appeared at Hope field Point opposite Memphis. But the rock was soon being undermined
 The willow mats now being placed is the river at this point are expected tc put stop to the erosionA Some of these mats are a mile long and 200 feet wide As fast as a section is completed, 1t is weighted with rock to sink 1t into place and then pinned to the bottom with piles
 The Mississippi is the only river in the world that enjoys the distinction of hav'
 ing It's bottom carpeted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17
STRANGE SIGHTS IN THE AIR
Clouds Take Odd Shapes and Mysteri
 ous Masses of Light Appear

Cloud caps from on mountain tops when a current of moist air ascends the slope of the mountain. for the air cools as 1t rises and the moisture in 1t condenses, says the Youths Companion. On the, fet top of Table mountain, near Cape Town, a strong southeast Wind produces hori- zontal sheet of cloud known as the table cloth. This cloud often appears to pour oye.s the steep leeward side of the noun tain like mighty cataract. Tho spread ing of the tablecloth is sign of bad weather. At little distance from the mountain second cloud often forms. A similar pair of clouds often seen near Cross Fell. in England are known as the
 ''helm and bar" The helm. or helmet.
 forms over the mountain when violent wind, known as the ''helmwind. is blow ling: the bar appears a mile or two to lee ward
 At Callao, on the coast of Peru. sailors often encounter a foul smelling fog that
 deposits of brown, slimy coating on white paint and metal. and hence is called the
 painter Another remarka ble fog on the Peruvian coast is known as the garua. It occurs in region where rain is un- known, and supplies sufficient moisture to support vegetation. Red fogs frequent ly occur off the northwest coast of Africa, between the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands They are sometimes so dense
 as to make navigation difficult. The color is due to dust that the trade wind brings from the Sahara desert.
 Certain valleys in the Alps are often visited by a very warm and dry wind known as the fohn. The effects of this wind are particularly striking in winter. | The snow melts and evaporates as if by agic: woodwork becomes as dry IS tin | der, and great precautions are necessary | to prevent the occurrence of the disas- trous fires known as ''fohn fires that | often destroy whole towns and villages. | No cooking is permitted while the fohn | Is blowing, and not even a. pipe or a cigarette may be lighted. Many persons
 suffer with fohn sickness whenever this
 wind prevails. The chinook of the west | and origin to the fohn.
 l Over the water of the Bay of Chaleur, in Canada. a mysterious phenomenon known as the 'freship" is sometimes seen by night. It is roughly hemis- l pherical mass of luminosity. with it's flat side to the water: but sometimes it rises | In slender moving columns that resemble
 the flaming rigging of ship. It is sup posed to foretell a storm. No satisfac- | tory explanation of this phenomenon has | ever been given.
 Andes lightning Is the name given to ! a very striking luminous discharge of | electricity seen over the crest of the l Andes. in Chile, in region where ordi- nary thunderstorms are almost unknown. The mountains appear to act as gigantic lightning rods. between which and the clouds silent discharges take place on a vast scale. A continuous glow is seen about the summits, With occasional out bursts like the beams of great search light. These displays have been seen by vessels 300 miles from the coast.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17

between actual loss on each performance and a bare existence have suddenly gone all to pieces and during the past week no fewer than E plays have posted notices of coming suspension
 There Is one house. however, that even the sunniest spring of many years can- not worry. That is the Queens. where Potash and Perlmutter is playing to capacity. Although the firm "guaran- tees to give perfect fit,'' 1t has admitted that it cannot fit all the people who want to see this American show into one little theatre in Shaftesbury avenue.
 Among the shows that are coming off are Within the Law, which in a few weeks, would have celebrated it's first birthday, The Girl From Utah. in which Joseph Coyne is playing and in which Ina Claire. the young Washington girl, made an instantaneous success, and '''rhe Pearl Girl" The latter is the pres ent attraction of Robert Courtneidge at the Shaftesbury theatre. and adds another to his considerable collection of shows that have just missed sTe. Extraordinary efforts were made to force "The Pearl Girl" into a success. Thousands of dol lars were spent on advertising and many new publicity wrinkles invented by tha talented business manager of the show; but all in vain. The Pearl Girl, is soon to be succeeded by "The Queen of the Movies" and if Nam selle 'fralala" and "The Joy Ride Lady last until the end of the month, Jean Gilbert, the Ger man composer, will have three of his plays running in London at the same time.
 An organization known as the 70. P. club has just been dining some of the leading dramatists of the day. Jerome K. Jerome. who always macs an excel lent speech, responded to the toast of The Visitors" and had something to say about deadheads, under which term, he said, Visitors were familiar to the theatrical world.
 Jerome on the "Deadheads"
 How many plays would get their chance to use the slang phrase.'' he asked, If it were not for the deadhead? :? the dead-head' that, at the call of duty, flung hersef into the empty benches. brought hope into the theatre, lured the manager on till the syndicate's last six pense was spent, and enabled everyone concerned to look back with satisfaction upon an undoubted artistic success.
 As a British dramatist, he took the opportunity of thanking, from the bottom of his heart, the British 'deadhead' for his conscientious, his unfaIling, his self sacrificing support of the British drama. As a. supporter of the intellectual drama" he said, ''let the 'deadhead' increase and multiply. The paying public! Nobody knew what they wanted They did not know themselves till they got it, and then it was sure to be something they ought not to want. Only one thing in connec- ton with the drama was certain. Write a really great play, have it finely acted, get the critics to gush over it, and the 'deadhead would come to it-he was the only man who would
 And what an audience he made. Not a vulgar, noisy audience, with the loud laugh and the distracting applause that they wrote to the papers to complain of; but a discriminating audience that a man could be proud of writing for that some of them did write for, chiefly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17
DE WALDEN BACKING GREAT ADVENTURE Is Making Big Pile Out of
 the Play LONDON STAGE NEWS Lew Hearn and Bonita Pay Sl0OO to Get Out of a London Show.
 Jerome K. Jerome on
 "Deadheads"
LONDON STAGE NEWS
ny JOHN AVA CARPENTER

London, May 16.-(speclal)-"Th Great Adventure is still running to good houses in the little Kingsway theatre mere mas been a lot of speculation as to who IS the money man back of this Arnold Bennett play and now I learn on excellent author- ity that the richest of all English the atrical packers. Lord Howard de Walden, is the lucky man. Everyone will be glad to hear that he is getting some return for the generous sum he has risked on the drama in the past five or six years. Lord Howard de Walden, of course, is one of tho greatest of London's ground land- lords and holds hundreds of acres in the Oxford street, Cavendish square and liar ley street district. His income is said to be s500Oo00 a year, so he can well afford