smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

the detective was to have given her a
thousand dollars for her evidence, but that
he did in fact give her but three hundred.
The detective has since come to a disgraceful
and untimely death. The community was
much divided as to Coovert's guilt or lnno-
ceuce, before the execution, but it seems
that a ms jority were against the Door, penni
less wretch. A circumstance has since been
developed in which the prosecution figured
quite prominently, which in no way reflects
credit upon them. A short time before the
execution, at midnight, the prisoner was
taken from the jail and hurried away to-
ward the place of the murder. rope
was put around his neck and over limb,
and he was drawn up until nearly dead, to
try to e1tort a confession from him, but
without avail. This shows that even the
prosecutors entertained serious doubts as to
his guilt. Coovert made bis debut as a
criminal in connection with this Roosa
affair. Prior to this he mad been looked
upon as an innocent, harmless, half-witted
fellow. For all these long years since the
been steadily approaching the conviction
that the wrong man died on the scaffold.
There were inconsistencies in the
testimony of Mrs. Roosa even.
At the different examinations her descrip-
ton of the murderer's appearance did not
correspond. Many think that the person
who entered the house came for the purpose
oil committing more heinous crime than
that of numbering for money. Only small
sum-a very few dollars were taken by the
criminal.


The near future, it is believed, has some
developments to make, when startling and
now unthought OF chapters win be written
concerning this awful horror. Coovert did
not, as many do, die game" but he saw
that his fate was inevitable. and made mp
mis- mind to die with calm, Christian resig-
nation. Here is


CONVERTS DYING DECLARATION


while on the scaffold: Gentlemen" he said,
81 am about TO leave this world. l have had
two dreadful trials. 1 have been treated
justly as far as l know, by the jury and
judges, but as to the witnesses l can not say
they were just. While my end is near, /
call God to witness that 1 never murdered
that innocent family. As TO the evidence of
my speaking of it on Wednesday | hope /
may never see God if knew it until Thurs
day." Here prayer was offered. tie moose
placed around his neck, the black cap drawn
down, and the doomed man exclaimed
Good bye; OH dear, OH dear, it is horrible
to die an innocent man, inno-.'' The
word was not finished. The sheriff pulled
the lever just then, and Sam Coovert's soul
went to meet its God.
Year: 1879

A few weeks ago, during the first serious
storm, a freight arrived at a point between
Dewitt and the bridge. and there stopped.
The conductor went ahead in order to ar
range for getting into the yard as soon as
possible. While engaged in his recon-
noissance he heard and felt a tremendous
conclusion, which started his train. double
header and all, ahead considerable. Going
back to ascertain the cause or the trouble he
found he had been run into by freight
train, which was moving so slowly. how
ever, as to simply lift the rear OF his caboose
from the truck and allow 1t to repose grace
fully on the pilot OF the engine. Knowing
that he had sent a man back TO warn all
trains following. the conductor hardly knew
what to think of the matter till he boarded
the engine and found the engineer (whom
We shall call Jones) fast asleep
and no water IN the boiler. Arous-
ing him the engineer seemed to
comprehend the situation but feebly,
and the conductor considering HIM some
what intoxicated left him. The next day
Superintendent Priest went to Dewitt IN his
special coach, and from there determined to
go 10 Albany, with light" as it is called.
his coach being attached to an engine and
caboose. The engineer proved to be Jones"
and he ran SO slowly 10 Manlius, that atanother
road official who was in the superintendent S
car, demonstrated with the conductor. who
at once went to the engineer, and. omplain-
ing of the slow rate of speed at which they
had been travelling, asked him TO 90 cons;d-
erably faster. Jones obeyed the order most
surprisingly. his running time to and
through West Albany averaging over 80 miles
an hour. Through Herkimer, Fonda, and
other water stations he dashed as If propelled
by hurricane; and the trip has gone into
railroad history as one of the most frightful
OF the age. The next day Jones went up to
take his engine for the return trip, but it
having been asserted that he burned his
engine badly, and that he was acting
strangely, he was not sent out, and subse-
9uent examination convinced sundry med
ical men that he was really insane. Since
then ne has been in good hands, and will
probably fully recover, but his trip through
the valley will not be forgotten in his gen
Grafton ut least
Year: 1879

New York Star. 25th.


Shortly before midnight last night the res
idents in the vicinity of Battery park were
reused from their slumbsrs by the loud toot.
ing of q horn and the shouts of a crowd of
men and boys, who stood shiyering on the
stone landing at Castle Garden. a number
of policemen repaired to the spot and found
Captain Paul Boynton standing in the center
of group, which included Nan, the News
boy," and members of his volunteer life
saving corps. Boynton was encased in his
rubber suit, and was accompanied by James
Creelman, an officer of the corps, similarly
enveloped. The two stepped nimbly into the
water at the turn of the tide, intending to
paddle down the bay as far as the Narrows,
and return at the How.


Considerable delay was experienced in ar.
ranging the contents of neat little metallic
ship which the hardy captain proposed to
take with him. 1t is built of tin, and meas
ures three feet from stem to stern. On the
forward deck was placed small but power
full reflector and coal oil lamp capable of
throwing ray of light a distance of 5000
feet. A steel compartment for heating cof
fee, q compass, barometer, cigars, biscuits
and half dozen rockets completed the out
fit of the novel little craft. baby Mine"
was the name painted on both bows, the
whole design being creation of the indom-
liable swimmer, who thus sought to over
come the danger of becoming cramped from
hunger while in the water.


The river looked dark and forbidding as
the adventures entered it, armed with In
dian canoe paddles. Ice foes twirled and
eddied about the stropg current, coming into
dangerous contact with the mems head
gear. at these obstacles the captain only
laughed, however, and led the way seaward.
his companion following closely in tow. A
rocket was set off from the miniature ship,
and assembled with blaze of light into the
darkness overhead. Then a parting cheer
was given by the assembled friends on the
| landing, and Boy n on AMI his friend soon be-
came indistinct from the pier.


| Opposite Governors Island another rocket
was discharged, but the sleepy garrison did
not respond. For long distance down the
| bay the headlight OF Baby Mime could be
seen dancing up and down. The captains
/ purpose, as announced to a reporter before
/ leaving, was to remain in the water contln-
ually from the time of entering until 10 a.
m. to-day. The pair will lunch in the lower
bay at a. M, ''up to their waists in water, "
| and take the return flow OF the tide back to
| the starting point.


The trip was undertaken for the purpose
of testing an improvement recently made in
/ the life saving suit This Is an attachment
| covering the lower part of the jacket with
| half inch rubber, to afford additional protec.
| ton to the swimmer from ice foes Oh
| rocks
Year: 1879




In spite of the careful study that has been
given TO the disease, diphtheria must still be
classed as an unexplainable physical dis
order. For a long time it was supposed to
be of modern origin, but medical historical
research has shown that there is good rea-
SON for thinking that it prevailed with
deadly effect in India as long ago as 600 Z.
c., and that the fatal epidemic called in the
Talmud ''askara'' was essentially diphtheritic
in its character. But from this time forward
to the seventeenth century there is no dis
ease described with which it can be COM
pared. At that time there were many deaths
from this cause; but it appears to have made
complete leap over the eighteenth century,
and not to have been taken into professional
account until about 20 years ago. Since
that time, 1888. it has been intermittent in
its severity when any given locality is con-
| sidered, though 1t has never disappeared,
when this and other large countries are
taken into account. What regulates its
coming and its going is. however, an un-
solved mystery. OF the nature of the dis
| ease itself the same uncertainty exists, some
+! physicians chasing it with the very common
| disorder known as Group, while others, of
| seemingly equal authority, MAINTAIN that
| there is no connection between the two.
Indeed, almost as much is learned by
/ what it does not do as by what
| it does. In this way it has been repeatedly
shown that it is governed by family con-
stitutional attractions, since, when one
member of a family has it, other members of
| the household are much more liable to be
attacked by it than friends or nurses who are
not related by blood ties, even though the
exposure the latter cases should be
| greater than the former. In view of the
/ number OF cases of sickness from this cause
| in this oity at the present time, it would be
well for all to bear this last named circum-
stance in mind, for the frequency with
which two or more members OF family die
within short time from this disease Is one
OF its most painful features. 1t is, at least.
satisfactory to know that the number who
| recover Is now much larger than it once was,
for in ancient times it was styled an incura-
bic complaint while the present rate of
mortality from this cause is less than 40 per
cent. of those who suffer from it. The fact
of its complete absence through long terms
of years certainly indicates its possible
preventability, and in these days Of enlight-
ened medical research il will be strange If
some way Is not discovered OF stamping it
out as effectually as smallpox has been
eradicated.
Year: 1879

Our readers will not be SO very foolish that
they will allow themselves to be deceived
with q new cough syrup, when they have
experienced the value of DR.. Bulls Cough
Syrap for many years.
Year: 1879

The National Camp Meeting association
for the promotion of holiness have resolved
to hold grand central national camp meet
ing. at Summit Grove, near New Freedom,
York county, Penn. The meeting will begin
July 80, and continue ten days.
Year: 1879

In the ocean there is Il river In the
severest droughts it never fails, and in
tho mishtiest floods it never overfiows.
It's banks and the bottom are of cold
water, while its current is of warm.
The Gulf of Mexico is its fountain, and
its mouth is in the Arctic seas. II is
the Gulf Stream. There is in the
world no other so majestic Il flow of
water. Its current is more swift than
the Mississippi or the Amazon, and its
volume more than 4 thousand times
greater. Its waters as far as the Caro-
lima coasts are indigo blue. These are
SO distinctly marked that the common
sea water can be traced with the eye.
Often one-half the vessel may be per-
ceivcd floating in the Gulf Stream
water, while the other half is in the
common water of the sea, so sharp is
the line and the want of affinity be-
tween these waters and such, too, the
reluctance, SO to speak, ON the part of
those of the Gulf Stream to mingle
with the common waters of the sea.
In addition to this there is another
peculiar fact. The fishermen on the
coast of Norway obtain large quanti-
ties of wood from the tropics of tho
Gulf Stream. Think of the Arctic
fishermen bringing upon their hearths
tho palms of Hayti, the mahogany OF
Honduras, and the precious woods OF
the Amazon and the Orinoco.
Year: 1879

London Naturalist.1


Bats live their active lives in the
night when sunlight comes they fly
away to their holes, there to sleep until
Wight comes again, when they re-
sumo their occupation of insect killing.
Tho female bat has hard time of it :;
she is the nest, and has to procure the
food for her young until they them
selves are able to fly. Often have 1
seen Il female bat, with her young
clinging to her breast, flying about in
search of food, and the little ones were
not SO small, either. How else could
they get along: The old ones make
no nest; if they wanted to ever so
much they could not, and the chances
are that from their wandering habits
they spend the day in one place and
the next in another two or three miles
distant, just as they happen to be when
day ovcrtalles them, and if they left
their young behind them the exact
locality might be forgotten. When the
young ones are able to shift for them.
selves their mothers life is easier, and
until winter comes to kill their insect
food she lives luXuriousiy. Then,
when all nature is preparing to put on
the livery of winter, bats, instead of
! leaving the scenes where they have
passed the summer, repair to their
! haunts in the caves and walls, and,
Year: 1879

| [" Sixth Ward " i'll tho Felicia,ia Patriot
Democrat.


The State debt is $4,000, 900, and n
contingent debt of two or three millions
more. The interest on the $4,000, 900
at per cent, which, with the costs OF
assessing and paying tax collectors and
other charges, makes the grand total of
near 81, ,25O, 900 to be taken from the
people before single current expense
is paid. In discussing what shall be
done about the public debt, this fact
should always be kept in view.


The first question then is, can the in
terest on the debt, as at present consti-
tuted, be paid and the officers of the
State be paid at the same time? All
agree that it is utterly impossible. We
have fallen behind on the interest al
ready near 81 ,OOO, 200. The bonds of
tho State are quoted at 62 cents on the
dollar, and if we persist in trying to
pay them all at the exhorbitant rate Of
interest, they will so to 20 cents on the


dollar.


Next, the debt is of doubtful origin :;
it is not legitimate; it is a bastard-no
one's child. Those who know say that,
in Il large part, is the price Of the shame
of Louisiana. That is represents the
political debaucheries of the usurper
kellogg, and is the purchase price of
all the magnificent estates of Warmoth.
That all the fine horses and buggies
and all the fine clothes and watches
and chains that John Gair and Bob
Ray Haunted in our faces were bought
at the expense of the people, and that
the price is now in and part of this in
supportable public debt. If this is true
the State docs not owe the debt. 1t is
a monstrous proposition to say that a
band of piundcrers can capture gov
crnnent and contract a debt, and that
the people are morally bound to pay it,


1t may be, as it was in our case, the
price of their reckless, wasteful extra
vagaace, and the chief instrumentality
by which they upheld their usurpation.


Let there be a fair. impartial exam
ination Of the State debt, by men of
wisdom, prudence and honesty, who
shall say how much and what part Of
the debt the State owes. Then sec if
the State is able to pay that debt and
carry on the government at the same
time. If not to prevent inevitable re.
pudiatiation Of it all, and the collapse
of the government, some terms must
be made with the States creditors by
which the debt can be scaled so AS to
make it practicable to go on. One
thing must never be lost sight of. The
debt as at present constituted cannot
and never will be paid. The rate of
interest is entirely too high and and
| ought to be reduced tc four per cent.
Year: 1879

a Washington special this morning
announces the defeat of the bill provid-
ing for the establishment of II United
States district court for North Louisi-
ana and the division of the State into
two districts. This action is attributed
to Il partisan motive, the object Of
which was to prevent the transfer from
New Orleans to some point nearer the
homes of the persons indicted, of the
trials now going on under the election
laws.


Here we sec but another exhibition
of the ruthless partisan spirit which
always dominates the action of the
Republican party. They do not hesi-
tate to withhold manifest justice or to
do grievous wrong for party purposes,
nor are they ever at any great pains to
cover up the motives that influence
them. Yet it is revolutionary violence
for Democratic House of Representa-
tives to use it's rightful and legitimate
control over the public treasury to en-
force the repeal of obnoxious laws, uni
versally conceded to be unconstitutional,
and which were originally framed to
subserve the basest of party ends and
have never been used for any other.
When the Democrats of the House pro-
pose to use the great prerogative as-
outSN thsst oO0y ny tuc COusttUt1Ou,
derived from British laws, and being
an inherent and natural power Of the
commons i'll every constitutional gov
ernment, in order to compel the oblit-
Grafton of an infamous law, II great
howl of violence and revolution is
raised, and Democrats begin to depre-
cate and become fearful. This is not
the case with the Republicans, who
never hesitate to defeat good measures
or to pass bad ones whenever the party
eNigencies require. In this instance a
measure, to which there has never been
the slightest objection on its general
merits, is defeated for no other purpose
than to exagerate us much AS possible
the outrages that are being put upon
hundreds of our citizens by a persecu-
ton inaugurated by the Republican
party in the interests of fraud and con-
spiracy and with the intention OF
driving Democrats from the polls by
intimidation and vioiencc.-N. q.
Democrat.
Year: 1879

The Polar expedition projected by
James Gordon Bennett is one OF con-
siderable importance, and is under
taken in spirit OF enterprise that is
refreshing. Lieut.. De Long, who has
been placed in charge of it, proposes to
take an entirely new route through
Behring's strait. Though he may not
attain the object of his trip, he will
have the satisfaction of giving a little
variety to Arctic travels, and he will
find it difficult to como to greater grief
than have his illustrious predecessors.
The enterprise will prove to be a good
advertisement for the Herald even if
an open Polar sea is not discovered
Year: 1879

a young woman married an old
widowcr in Tannerville, Ga, and soon
fell in love with his son, who was
about her own age. The matter was
fully discussed by tho trio, and all
agreed that it would be better for her
to become tho wife of the son. The
transfer was asnicably made by means
of divorce. Since then, tho old man
has married his cx .wifc'5 mother, and
the rcarrangcd family Is harmonious
and happy.
Year: 1879

THE REPOklEkS lHfMSEl.Niss'


IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRmUsE


WASHINGTON March 1s.-The reporters gallery
Of the House is nomnally reserved for the of
correspondents, whose duties require them to watch
the proceedings of Congress. tn" number of these
gentlemen is so great that there not seats enough
to accommodate them all, and cards of admission
not emitting the holders to seats issued
to some On ordinary occasions, the rule excluding
persons not journalists from the reporters gallery
is pretty well enforced. AZ not half of those who
are entitled to he there are IN the gallery at one
time there is seldom Il crowd But on extra Occa-
sions every correspondent III Washington is on
hand and those who have work to do are, under
the most favorable circumstances, subjected to
great inconvenience.


OF this there is complaint but it has also
become the custom of the Speaker when all other
galleries are full TO Issue orders to members for the
admission OF their friends TO the reporters gallery
until it become the worst crowded portion Of the
House, aud work there becomes an absolute I'M
possibility On The last day Of the late session the
lam OF outs ders III the reporters gallery was so
great that those who were in could not move and
a correspondent who outside not only fonnd
his seat occupied by some lobbyist, department
clerk or friend Of a member, but was unable to
reach ii at all.


To-day Doorkceper Field gave several hundred
cards of admission to the reporters gallery. few
,pondcnts who went early got their seats,
but each of them was Obliged TO work
for more than four hours bearing up the
weight Of three or four outsiders who
leaned upon him, and il was impossible TO
move or even sit erect. Many of the
ndenfs of leading journals of the country, 10
whom are assigned some of the best seats In the
gallery but who dId not arrive until about noon,
were unable 10 ect inside the door, ana except for
tLrir adnils,On L. the floor lin violation of the
rulesl they would have known no more okwllat was
going on ~ tie House than if they mad not been at
the Capitol at all.


If this evil grows as rapidly as it has recently
Year: 1879

THE PETITION OF THE FRENCH FOR REDUCTION


OF THE AMERICAN TARIFF PRESENTED IN A


SPEECH.


PHILADELPHIA, March 1S.-At noon to-day
meeting OF the members of the Commercial Exchange
was held at the Chamber OF Commerce Building to hear
an address by NJ Loon ChOtteau the FrancoAmeTican
Treaty Commerce. 1t was merely an effort to show
how importatOns could bo increased by lowering the
tariff thing selrevdent that it did not require ex-
plaDatOn Nothing was SAID to show what the United
states would gain by the treaty Upon tho conclusion
OF NJ ChOteaus speech a resolution was adopted de-
claring the ting ID sympathy with all movements
wnch will tend toward the extension OF the foreign
trade OF the United States. Being unable to express
definite opinion in regard to the basis upon which such
intercourse should be improved without due deIDea
ton and consideration. the subject should be referred to
the Committee Legislation with Instructions 10 re-
port to this body Oh some future OCCASION
Year: 1879

SEVERAL MEMBERS PROPOSE REVISION OF The


RULES so as TO DISTRIBUTE COMMITTEE WORK


LITTLE MORE EVENLY.


lDY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrEUNr.l


WASHINGTON March 1S.-rhe several propositions
submitted in the House to-day looking to revision
of the rules so as to assign the work of preparing
each one OF the different appropriation bills to the
committee having charge of the subject to which
the appropriation relates is recognition OF the fact
that unless something is done to remove the STUN
bling block that the House has placed III its own
way. It will soon become impossible to perfect any
general legislation, aud even III a short session to
pass the necessary appropriation bills alone


As matters are now arranged the Appropriations
Committee has burden placed on it that 1t cannot
carry. The bills lag in Committee, and sometimes
after beng finished they are withheld from the
House for days or weeks because of the absence or
illness of the only members of the Committee who
are able to explain them and carry them through
the House. Moreover the chances Of passing any
ndependent measure are few that the temptation
to fost general legislation appropriation bills Is
constantly growing stronger, so that measures OF
national Importance, such the reclassication OF
mail matter the consolidation Of the surveys, ana
Others that deserve thorough consideration and dis
cussion in order to succeed AT ALL must De passed as
riders on appropriation bills.


In the short discussion of the subject to-day Cen
eral Garfield offered an amendment respecting the
practice of changing existing laws by means OF pro-
visions inserted in appropriation bills, which may
give rise to an extended debate when the subject
comes fore Tho House for action. The propositons
made bv several members to-day relative to this
subject are 20 be called up Tomorrow.