davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

A few days ago, DR.. J. M Morgan
died at Seattle. We were very much
surprised to read of his death for as
we had not seen nor heard of MIN for
great number of years we supposed
that he had passed away long ago. Dr.
Morgan was one of the early residents
of Spokan Falls, the present city of
Spokane. He was a practicing physic-
ian in that embryonic city in the early
SOS. The editor of the Gazette has en-
cellent reasons for remembering Dr..
Morgan, and remembering him with
feelings of gratitude and kindness.
DR.. Morgan was one of the first resi-
dents Of Spokane Falls whom we met
just prior to the starting of the Spo-
kane Falls Review as weekly paper,
in the spring of 1883. He was the first
resident to subscribe and pay a year
in advance for the Review. 1t is the
custom of a newspaper man breaking
into a new field to interview business
men and solicit patronage, and when
we canvassed the town people were
rather apathetic, and the promise of
support was anything but encouraging.
1t seemed that the town, even at that
early date, had had some experience
with papers that failed to stick, and
being an entire stranger our promised
enterprise was looked upon with some
suspicion. People bluntly told lis that
if we made good, patronage would be
brnn1inO IN five
disappointing the Review and it's pro-
prietor might hunt other pastures. 1t
must be confessed that we go. out the
first number with fear and trembling.
Few papers ever started under more
discouraging auspices than the Review.
Not only because the public as a rule
were cold and unresponsive, but owing
to the failure of portion of the ma
chinery to arrive on time, the forms
for the first issue had to be taken to
Cheney in a wagon, in order to find a
press upon which the paper could be
printed. But that is story aside and
apart from the one in hand. The first
number was finally issued and distrib-
uted. On the morning of that momen-
tous event we sat in the office, an old,
cherries, discarded school house,
hardly habitable, down hearted, de-
jected, haunted by visions of failure. |
Gloom was thick enough about that
printery to white with a knife. Sid
denly we were aroused from unpleas-
ant meditations by the opening of the
door. DR.. Morgan walked in with a |
smile on his face, and the doctor was
far from a smiling man. He carelessly
tossed two big dollars on the imposing
stone, and the merry ring pf the
metal was sweet accompaniment to
still sweeter words. "Mr. DalIam," said
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04
REPORT OF

REPORT OF
Taxes to Cure
Taxes to Water
Taxes to intere'
Water Collection
Police Court FIJI
Pool Licenses
Show License
Impounding Fee |
Refund Cleaning
Refund STANDARD
Retail Liquor /.
Shooting Gallery
Dray Licenses
Supplies 800.
RufldinC Permit
Refund, silk q
Refnd. Silk & L
Transferred froi
Transferred fro
Local Improven
Disbursements
c. E. WITS. PaiC
Interest Paid.
10 per cent Lilo
Warrants Paid
Interest to Stat
Transfers -.
Tot
Funds
G. e. .......
w. VIM. 49,.
I. W. w. b. .
W. Co. 49,.
l.. I. d. ....
Receipts
Taxes from Co
Retail Liquor
Show Licenses
Interest on Ba
Pool Licenses
Police Court +
Supplies. -.
Building Perm
Refund, Silk a
Dog Tax. .....
Dray Licenses
Blue Prints :.
Shooting Gale
Refund. Stands
Refund Cleani
Impounding F
Transfers -.
Cash on hand
Disbursement
Warrants PalC
Interest Paid
Ten Per Cent
Balance Decor
Receipts
Taxes from c
Transfes from
Cash on hand
Disbursement
Warrants Pal
Balance Dece
Receipts
Taxes from c
Cash on hand
Disbursement
Interest to S
Balance Dect
Receipts.
Water Collec
Cash on han
Disbursement
Transfer to
Transfer to
Receipts
Refund from
AGaesSments
Disburseme
Balance Dec
Current Exl
Water Wor
Interest on
Water Com .
Local Impri
Current EN-
Yu<oroot m
Local lmpr
Water Wor
/ hereh
and belief.
y
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

Hon. John G.. Lawrence has recently
been on trip to Washington, and
while in the effete east he had his legs
under the mahogany with the redoubt-
able Col. Roosevelt as his vis-a-vis
Mr.. Lawrance returns home and gives
it out in an interview that ii is his
impression that Col. Roosevelt is not
a candidate for the presidency. Mr..
Lawrence does not make this statement
with the positiveness that generally
marks his public utterances. Mr.. Law
renee leaves an opening for hedging
in case the colonel's hat is again SHE'D
into the ring. He know sthe eolonel's
weakness for making excuses for a
change of front. Mr. Lawrence knows.
as everybody knows, the colonel har-
bors ambitions and is alwys n recep-
tive candidate. The chances are a
thousand to one that he will be a can
didate, yet if he does run it will be a
case of political suicide, for i would
mean another democratic president,
especially so should Mr.. Wilson be
nominated, and nothing but death will
prevent Mr.. Wilson's nomination.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

The cold weather that has had the
country in its grip for some time has
been followed by fearful and disas-
trous floods in California and the east
ern states. The bursting of dam was
largely responsible for the disastrous
and fatal flood in southern California,
but it is the regular annual rise in tho
rivers of the east, following the break
ing up of winter, that is causing the
floods in that part of the country.
Considering that the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers do millions of dollars
worth of damage every year, it would
seem that some provisions would be
made to prevent an annual repetition
OF such disasters.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

The democratic press Is insistent
that the country is enjoying prosperity
under a democrat administration but
in the face of the report of Bradstreet,
that cold bloCdCd agister Of business
conditions, it vii 9quire better owl
dence than democratic boosters to
convince the common herd that any
great amount of prosperity is in sight
at the present time, or has been under
democratic rule Bradstreet reports
that while the general average Of fail :
ures annually in the United States
are some 1880, the failures for 1915
reached the alarming number of $4,000
and for 1914 the failures We're 1876
With this record before him the man
who can proclaim the presence Of pros
perity in the land must be the very
high priest of optimism.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

the doctor, you have made good.
Those whom l have seen are more
than pleased with the paper. l con-
graduate you. The Review is going to
be success" That was all, Tor the
doctor WAS a man of but few words,
warm in his friendships, stern and
unforgiving in his enmities. His cheer
ing words sent the blood surging
through our veins 1t was like the
lifting from our chest of a great
weight. We took up our labor again
with a light heart. We have never for
gotten the man who flashed ray OF
sunshine into our life at ona Of it's
very darkest periods.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

Current Elk
Interest on
Local lnpr
Water Wor
l heret
and belief.
January st
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

Current Ext
Water Wor |
Interest on
Water Com
Local Inpri
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

Inc treasurer's report for the year
ending December 81, 1915, is publish
ed this week. The town finances are in
pretty good shape, but what will thew
be at the end of the present year with
the largest resource of revenue cut
OIL Expenditures must be curtailed
or some other means provided for pad
ding the income. ''O
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

Some enthusiastic journal in the In
land Empire has suggested the name
of Rufus Woods, of the Wenatchee
World, as candidate for congress
from the Fifth district. No objection
can be found to such a reference, as
Mr.. Woods is an amicable and capable
gentleman. But the Brewster Herald
rather attracts attention to itself by
asking If Mr.. Woods is a republican.
In the light Of recent events, relative
to political fence straddling, it is not
out of place to ask who is going to
vouch for the Herald's republication
during the approaching campaign.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04


John M. Runnell and L. d. Brown
state examiners connected with the
Bureau of Inspection and Supervision
of Public Offices, spent four OF tive
days in Oroville during the past week
prying into the affairs of the town
and other local institutions that re-
quired inspection. Mr.. Runnell re-
ported that the books of the town Off
Gals are well kept and in excellent
shape, and the towns affairs are in
creditable condition. There has been
much criticism of this department of
the state government, and yet II has
accomplished much good in keeping
municipal governments in better or
der than they had been before inspec-
ton by the state was inaugurated, and
systems of bookkeeping have been in
troduced that makes for much better
and efficient care of public funds. About
the greatest fault that can be found
with the bureau is that one of the de-
partments at the state capital, next
door to the inspection office. was
Systematically looted without discoy-
cry on the part of the bureau.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04

What are the democratic papers 60
ing to do about President Wilson's at =.
titude on tariff commission. These
papers have been damning the repub-
lican party for so many years for it's
position on protective tariff tina. it will
go somewhat against the grain for
those editors to support the president
upon his new bent of thought. How
ever, the conscience of a democratic
editor is elastic, and he can probably
do the rapid change act as neatly and
speedily as his chief.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30

hesitate to cross-eXamine Jules Silver,
and he did so in quick, businesslike
manner that spoke well for his ultimate
success in the investigation which he was
about to undertake.
Each letter had been mailed from
certain district at certain hour in the
evening, and If this plan was followed to
its legitimate climax the anonymous
writer would mail his final letter that
night. Having come to this decision,
Hare conceived and mapped out plan
of action on big scale.
He hailed a cab and hurried to the
office of the Inspector of Police,-it was
Inspector Byrnes, to whom he explained
the case in detail.
Byrnes had before him a postal map
showing the districts covered by the sub
stations in and about what is now called
Riverside Drive, and which showed that
there were in all some forty-seven letter.
boxes. Byrnes assigned policeman and
letter-carrier to each of these boxes.
"My men," he said, addressing them.
81 want you to take your places in the
vicinity OF these boxes as soon after six
O'Clock as possible. Watch them closely.
"As soon as a letter is posted, desire
the carrier to open the box, take out the
letter, and learn to whom it is addressed.
If it is to Jules Silver, | want the carrier
to throw up his right hand as signal
to the policeman, who will follow the
man that has dropped the letter in
the box and see that he is taken into
custody.
Make no mistake, and carry out nv
instructions precisely as have given
them to YOU"
The Tenth Letter-Box
SHORTLY before midnight, man came
toward the corner of one of the streets.
looking about him in furtive way.
Presently he paused in front of what had
been designated as the tenth letter-box,
and, first glancing up and down the
street, dropped letter into the box.
about him seemed familiar to
the inspectors mind His trousers were
too long, and the arms of his shabby
looking coat were too short, exposing his
wrists.
The letter-carrier, eager to play his
part on the program, was at the box al
most before the suspected one had got
two yards away. He opened it, pulled
out the letter, glanced at the address, and
threw up his right hand.
The man was arrested and locked up in
The nearest station-house, and the next
morning the millionaire banker and rail-
'oad manager was informed that it would
1ot be necessary to deposit fifty thousand
iollars in pew Of Trinity Church or any
where else.
There was some doubt as to the sanity
If the prisoner, but he was convicted and
.iven long term of Imprisonment in the
State penitentiary.
The case, which came to be known as
he Mystery of the Tenth Letter-Box,
vas one of the most notable in the an
als OF the department, not only because
4 the prominence Of the intended victim,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30
MAGAZINE SECTION for 80,
Warning: Don't Fool With
the Postal Service
By GEORGE BARTON
aions f. Masters

parently insignificant detail of
- three defective letters on type
writing machine proves the ingenuity no
less than the persistence of the inspectors
in the United States Postal Service. The
culprits in the case had demanded $500
from the father of boy who was sup
posed to have been kidnapped, but who,
it was afterward proved, had been acct
dentally drowned. This detail did not
disturb the "Black Hand" artists in the
least. They read in the newspapers of the
mysterious disappearance of the boy, and
Immediately despatched a demand for
money.
This letter was one of number sent
out by the couple-it was a man and
accommodating for tribute The threat
ening documents went to individuals and
corporations. One sent to the Western
Union Telegraph Company called for a
thousand dollars under pain of destroying
poles and wires.
The chief postal inspector, located at
Philadelphia, confessed that the case was
one OF the most puzzling that had come
to his attention in many years. All of the
letters were written in longhand, but
were addressed on a typewriter. After
many weary weeks spent in running
down numerous clues, it was learned
that the first of the letters had been
sent to the rector of a Catholic church
in Pittsburgh.
In the meantime the letters had been
subjected to microscopic scrutiny, and
most important discovery made This
was that each of them contained three
defective letters. The work of finding the
needle in the hay-stack began. 1t in
cluded an inspection of nearly every type
writing machine in Pittsburgh.
Catching Typewriting Blackmailer
THE various manufacturers of type
writer's co0perated in this novel search.
The details of this part of the investiga-
ton would make story in themselves.
Not the least interesting part of it occurred
when an inspector would rush into an
Office and ask stenographer to type a
letter for him in hurry
1t seemed like an impossible task; but
finally persistence won, for a typewriter
was found on which the three defective
letters appeared.
The operator was a woman who lived
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30

left the room, the inspector pulled out hi.
package of white powder and sprinkled il
over the paper. To his JOY and delight
the finger-marks reappeared, clear ano
distinct.
Next he laid down the envelop that
had contained the ten ten-dollar bills.
The marks of the fingers were still on its
white surface. He compared the two
pieces of paper. The finger-prints cor
responded to nicely
"Now," exclaimed the inspector. ito
confront the fellow with the evidence of
his guilt"
He hurried into the outer room. The
man was not there. He hurried outside.
There was no one in sight except man
with SLOUGH cap pulled over his eyes.
The inspector went up to the STOPPING
one and pulled off his hat, revealing
the countenance of the assistant post
master. ,.
at was all very clever" chuckled the
detective, "and you deserved to get away
with it-almost-but I've been in the
business too long to be fooled by any one
of the ordinary tricks of the trade"
"Please Leave $4,000 at
Trinity Church"
SOME years ago New York millionaire
he shall be called Jules Silver--re-
ceived an anonymous letter commanding
him to leave $4,000 in the last pew on
the right aisle of Trinity Church. He took
the trouble to read it second time, and
after that he crumpled it up in his strong
fist and threw it in the waste-paper bas-
ket. Then he proceeded to dispose of the
of his mail. This task COM
pleted, something impelled him to reach
down into the basket and pick up the
threatening letter again. He smoothed it
out carefully and read it through for the
third time. After that, he tore it up into
little bits and threw the fragments into
the basket.
On the following morning he received
a second warning letter, couched in al
most the same terms. The writer in
formed him that he had gone to the
church and had discovered that the
money was not there, and he pleaded with
him, as he valued his life, not to disap-
point him again. ....-
Both letters had the postmark on
them which showed that they had been
mailed from sub-station that included
what is now one of the fashionable
sections of New York City in and around
Drive. The postmark also
indicated that both letters had been
nailed between six o'clock in the evening
md midnight
The receipt of this second letter had a
singular effect on the banker. The anony-
nous writer, in the language of the day,
had his goat" Silver notified the au-
horities, and an inspector was assigned
o the case.
Before the close of the day he had
allied on the worried millionaire and
eceived his story. This particular in
pector had a good address, good man.
ers, and that indefinable quality which
} sometimes called poise. He did not
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30

town.
Inspectors were sent there to inves-
tigate, and they found that the woman
had brother who lived in frame
building in wood. Apparently he
had no means of livelihood, but occa-
sionally he mailed letters. One of these
was traced, and it contained blackmail-
ing demand The woman was arrested,
and confessed.
The important thing now was to cap
ture the man. He might be desperate, or
he might slip away from them by strategy.
1t would not do to take any chances
of losing him. So the chief inspector,
with squad of inspectors and special
detectives, surrounded the house in the
wood.
The chief walked toward the cabin
carrying an oil-can, in the guise of an
automobilist in search of gasolene. The
culprit appeared, and, as he turned to
get the oil, the inspectors closed in on
him and arrested him.
1t was all done so quickly that the
fellow had no chance to escape.
He Saw the Joke Later
IN September, 1912, series of unex-
planned robberies occurred in a post
office in southern California. Registered
letters containing money were systematic
cally rifed. The last case, the theft of
5000, caused the Department to send an
inspector from Washington. The post
master of the accused office extended him
every courtesy. So did the assistant post
master For ten days he worked in blind
alleys.
At the end of that time he discov-
cred that in the early robberies the
shortage had been made good by con-
trlbutions from employees of the office.
The assistant postmaster frankly said he
had suggested the plan because the post
master was poor man who could not af-
ford to reimburse the Government for the
losses. The venerable postmaster ad-
mitted in shamefaced way that he had
Observation-Disclosures this method
of concealing the losses at his office.
Next morning the postal detective
placed ten crisp new ten-dollar bills in
an envelop and mailed them, by pre-
arrangement, to certain man in the
California town. When the envelop
was delivered, the money had been
distracted
The inspector asked the postmaster for
the use of his private room. Once inside,
he locked the door, and pulled out the
envelop that had contained the ten ten
dollar notes. He turned the envelop in
side out, taking care not to touch the sur
face with his fingers. He laid the envelop
on the table, and then produced package
fine white powder. This he
sprinkled over the envelop. Plain finger 3,
prints were developed, to the delight of s
the inspector. A.
Then he sent for the assistant post i
master, and handed him piece of white
paper. s
IL want you to examine that carefully
and tell me how it differs from any other s
kind of paper"
The assistant postmaster handled the q
sheet OF paper in every possible way, t
making numerous unseen marks on its t
surface.
Il don't see any difference-and l c
1on't see the joke" r
Maybe you will later" was the crisp s
The Harrison times., 1916-03-25
VILLAS OPINION or Us
He Aims to XIII All GringOs on
Mexican Soil.
Tells American Doctor He VIII Use
Fire and Dynamite to Wreak
Vengeance on Yankees.

Washington. is Villas opin'
ion OF the United States and Ameri'
cans. and a statement OF his intentions
as he gave II recently TO an American
surgeon. his prisoner. who later es-
capped:
Il have always extended guarantees
to the persons and property OF you
Americans. With my own eyes have
safeguarded fortunes OF precious met.
ais for Americans. With my own
hands | buried your treasures safely
out OF reach OF enemies. Your fam
lilies have enjoyed my protection.
For four days not a single bite OF
food has passed the lips OF my men
and me. We are starving; We are
here. sacrificing our lives For water
we are drinking the discharge from
your Douglas smelters. This while
you, whose families and treasures ]
have protected, loll in the lap OF lux
ury.
Your government is playing high
hand In its attempt at throttling the
peace. prosperity and freedom Of Mex
ico You have recognized Carranza,
eh? Carranza, then, is the man to
protect you now-Carranza and VII.
son.
III you return, you will be the last
American ever to leave my territory
alive. From this moment on | will
devote my life to the killing Of every
gringo can get my hands on and the
destruction of ell gringo property.
You say you are from Cananea.
Well, when | reach there with oil ]
will burn each mine; with dynamite
will destroy each bit OF machinery;
| will burn each house and will ami
hilate all gringos.
1T is we'll that intervention come,
then we will see who gets the most
hide!
The negroes are all ready to side
with US. did not want history to
record our side as the offender, but
the cowardly - has left US with no
other alternative.
I'VE will annihilate the -, though
we have nothing but our finger nails
with which to do It,"
The full affidavit, comprising twen-
ty-eight pages Of typewriting, is In
the possession of Senator Albert B.
Fall of New Mexico, who intends read
ing 1t in the senate The name Of the
surgeon is withheld by Senator Fall.