Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-16
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THB STAR

IN THE STAR
The present extension Of the Capitol
grounds by the inclusion Of the space
lying between the
ExtAnsion nf Capitol Park and the
Capitol Park. second in sf.y wears.
In The star Of July 10. 1856, IL the fol-
lowing item:
The Senate today passed the bill to
enlarge the public grounds surrounding
the Capitol Tho bill provides that the
grounds shall be enlarged by extension
between LIST street east and 1st street
west In the following manner: North
wardly to the south side Of North B
street. and southwardly to the north
side Of South B street. including, in ad-
avenues and streets as are necessary
for such extension, square 6s7 and 6sS.
The Washington and Georgetown Rail-
road Company are required to remove
their track from Delaware avenue be-
tween A and B streets and from the
Capitol grounds and run the same along
B street north to LIST street east, thence
along LIST street east to the main line
on Pennsylvania avenue. as now estab-
lished; and the Metropolitan Railroad
Company are required to remove the
track Of their road from A street north
and from New Jersey avenue between
A and streets north. The sum of
$4,000 is appropriated, to be expended
NJ fhA ~
tho Interior. in grading. filing up, re-
moving buildings and improving the
public grounds and streets around the
Capitol as enlarged. But no grading of
shall be commenced until the title to
the private property to be purchased
shall be acquired by the United States.
''Mr. Trumbull, in the course of the
debate on the bill. said the Capitol
grounds. as thus extended, will embrace
mated cost of the purchase Of the
ground. in 1851, was about s2s0,000."
In The Star Of July II. 1866, is an &C
count Of tho clearing Of an old murder
mystery which had
Confession Solves occasioned great
Murder Case. before The star. s
story said:
"Over thirty years ago there was con
! siderable excitement In Cecil county
Md, on account of the sudden disap-
pearance of a widow named Patty
Polk, who resided about four miles
from Elkton. She was last seen going
into a thicket near her house, where two
men had just passed. All search for
L Z.
time had elapsed letters Of administra-
| ton on her effects were issued. and In
settling UP the estate the administrator
| was unable to find a note drawn by
one of tho men who had been seen to
go into the thicket. The note was
known to have been in her possession
| a short time before her disappearance
This aroused the suspicious of some of
| the people and the two men were ar
| rested. but nothing could be proved
against them. and they were dis
charged.
"A number of years ago one of the
suspected parties died. and last week
| it is reported that the other, being
very Ill. sent for minister. to whom
he made a free confession. According
to popular rumor, the confession was
to the effect that he, with the other
party, sent to Mrs. Polk to meet them
in certain place. where they would
pay the money on the note, and they
saw her on her way home, and. know
ing that she would pass through the
thicket, they went into it and lay in
ambush, and. as soon IS she appeared,
stick OF wood, killing her. That they
then placed her body in the midst of
woodpile, where they intended to let
1t remain. But, 1t becoming noxious
they went to the pile with box to re-
move the body. and found that the dog
Of the deceased had taken his place to
watch over the corpse, and they were
compelled to kill him before they could
get the body, and that after succeed
ing. they carried it in the box to where
the Philadelphia. Wilmington and Bal
timore railroad was being built and
placed it in the embankment. 1t is also
stated that as soon as the man had
made this disclosure he commenced to
way of recovery"
this time fifty years ago contain many
interesting reports of the
Decisive European war, though few
mn details were obtainable
o"s'Aes. owing to the lack Of quick
communications. The battle of Sadowa
stated in the prints of that time as
Sudowa-had been fought on the Sd of
July. resulting in a pronounced Prus-
sian victory over the Austrians. The
Star of July II, 1858, had this to say
on the subject of decisive battles:
Among the most noted features of
our late civil war must be reckoned the
obsttnacy and endurance Of the con-
tending forces: Some Of our greatest
battles, attended with heavy loss of
life, were continued from day to day
for a week or n1ore-in fact. until the
contestants were thoroughly exhausted
without either side being subdued or
any decisive result accomplished. Our
military operations in this respect were
in striking contrast with modern Euro
pean contests. particularly those in
which the elder Napoleon was engaged.
The great battles of sixty years ago
rarely continued more than few hours,
and were nearly always succeeded by
the capitulation or retreat of one of
the contending armies. So with later
military operations there.
THE latest instance is the battle of
Sudowa, news of which has just reached
here. We do not know the exact num-
Der engaged on each side, but the re-