smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

1 don't suppose you feel much


interested in burglars, nor ar


their habits a very choice theme
in polite literature; but ther


that occurrence at Glenn Spring
was really an extraordinary af


fair. You see, the way / came
to get wind of it was through
"Calico Charley" as they called
him. / was on the force then
as a sergeant. 1t was when Ac-
ton and Kennedy made it too
hot both for the politicians and
the thieves. We used to boast
at that time that we had the
best police force in the world.
Well, ,"Calico Charley" went up
ten years for helping to crack
old Oppenheimer's place there
in the Bowery. 1t was an un-
lucky job for him all through,
and as / was one Of the specials
that "piped" and took him, and
as | had known him off and OH
for a long time before that, it
was just like me one day, when
| was up at Sing Sing, to go o.
yer to the stone quarry and get
the keeper to let me have talk
with him. l got his whole his
tory. He wasn't one of your
common cracksmen. Not a bit
of it. He was too sharp by a
long shot for that sort of a thing.
Don't you run away with no.
ton that burglars are awful
smart chaps. That's a queer j.
dea that people get out of the
story papers. Let me tell you
that I've had nigh onto fifteen
years chance to find out, and
I've never seen one that would
not run his head into a slip
moose the minute he had any
luck. On, nc. / heard the
chaplain say once, over to the
island, that a man whose mind
and body was all right wouldn't
be a thief no more'n a healthy
fellow'd be a pauper. There's
always something the matter
with 'em. A twist in 'em some
where that knocks 'em fiat when
a sound man gets after 'em.


Calico Charley, as / was go
ing to say, was pretty much of


an exception. He was brought
up well. His father was one of
the best machinists in the coun-
try, and he took more pains to
make a man of his boy than the
fellow deserved. The old man
had a little place down there in
Maiden lane when / was a sha-
yer. | recollect it well. 1t was
a kind of machine shop, where
he made and sold three or four
tricks he'd invented himself.
He had the boy Charlie with
him-a bright, smart chap he
was then. When he was 21 he
got to be pretty lively about
town, for the old man had saved
up a handsome property and let
Charley have more money than
was good for him. Then they
got up a new safe-lock, and it
made big stir, and l believe
they went into that sort Of thing
pretty heavy. Any way Char
icy went over to the first worlds
fair in London. There he got
tripped up. l never heard ex-
actly how it was. They put up
a job on him Of some kind, and
got him mixed up with pretty
bad London "mob." The story
that we heard was that he pick
cd Il safe-lock for a party that
shouldn't have been picked.
Any way, he got in with the
wrong crowd, and they would
not let go of him, He staid O.
yer there about five years and
got to be a regular first-class
sneak, and worked half a dozen


Jobs in the most scientific man
ner. We got word from Scot
land Yard that he was coming
back, and 1 dropped in at the


\, - - MILL
Year: 1877

MS mean way OF living, anu His
luck in buying some downtown
property before the people had
any idea how big the town was
going to be, he'd como to be a
regular nabob. I couldn't get q
word out of him about his boy.
He said he'd given him up, and
was going to retire from busi-
ness. Money must have come
in pretty fast to the old fellow.
He showed me half a dozen
patents that he was going to sell
out; any one of 'em must have
been worth a pile of dollars.


Now l think of it, it was CAL
colt who put the first Franklin
ite in an iron safe, and he inyen-
ted the rubber flange which pre-
vented the thieves from using
the air-pump when they wanted
to blow up safe.


1t seems that when young
Calcott started for America he
had made up his mind to cut his
London acquaintances and
tricks, and square it by going
back to the old man. None of
us knew it at the time. Well,
when he got here curious thing
happened. We had a man in
the Central office by the name
of Meehan, who was in with an
East side mob. He was broke
about year afterward. Nee
han had got word from the Lon
don gang, and he met young
Calcott on the dock with facts
enough to send him up; and he
made straight offer to him to
stay with the East side gang if
he didn't want to end his ca
reer for usefulness. What does
Calcott do but hum and haw
and go to see some of the fel-
lows, and finding himself prct-
ty we'll staked out, gives in and
opens fresh lay of industry.
He said afterward that he in
tended to cut 'em the first
chance he got. Bat he never
did. He got to be big chief in
as dangerous a gang as ever
worried the men in Mulberry
street. We thought we had
him two or three times, but he
slipped through our fingers.
There wasn't a clean job in iron
put up anywhere but it had the
marks Of his tools on it. When
the war broke out he was in
New Orleans, and we lost track
of him for five or six years.


1t was in the winter of 1865
that the gentlemen's places a.
long the Hudson were broken in
to by a river gang. You may
recollect it. Judge Schermer-
horns place at Glen Spring was
entered one night and robbed
of $4,000 worth of property.
The papers made a good deal
of fuss about it, and we had
three or four men working at
it. One day Mattison comes
into the Office with a copy of
the Glen Spring paper-HerdId, d,
l believe it was = and says
"Look at this. Here's ago.
Read that" And he pointed
out all advertisement. This is
the way it read:


"All burglars, house-break-
ers, sneak-thieves, and assassins
are hereby notified that l have
over $50, 900 worth of coin, jew
els, and silverware in my house,
which they are welcome to if
they will come and take it. No
dogs, servants, or laborers about
the place. The house is a mile
from any other residence, and
the only occupant is an old man,
not in very good health, by the
name of JOHN CALooTT."


dts some old lunatic," says
I, ewho hasn't got money
enough to get credit"


mo" says Mattison. 'They
say up there he's worth half a
million. He lives in a fine
Lo,eo oil hv hiu,salf ohOut two
Year: 1877

Correspondence Cincinnati Gazette.


The departure OF Bennett for Europe
is, it is said, the starting point for ref
ormation. IL is not expected that he
will return for long time-Perhaps
never. He leaves America as Byron
left England, seeking another home
and a more favorable cline. II is now
we'll understood that during the inter
val between the knock-dewn and the
departure, Bennett has been concealed
in his own mansion in Fifth Avenne.
This period has been one of extraordi-
nary shame and distress, and to leave
America was the only method OF es-
Gaping the crushing disgrace. To fight
q duel was out OF the question. Ben
nett was so unnerved that it was utter
ly impossible. The house being con-
nected with the Herald establishment
by telegraph, he has kept up an inces-
SAINT communication with his down
town manager. The reports concern
ing the duel were mostly fabricated by
Benefits tools, in order to keep the
public mind occupied while the prepar-
ations for the departure we're in oper-
alton. These chiefly consisted in ar
ranging the basis on which the Herald
is to be managed.


Ii is understood that this journal is
now placed in the hands of the chief
editor, who is TO pay an annual rent,
not less than $4,000 year. This
will leave them a surplus of nearly as
much more. The Bennett building in
Nassau street will be farmed out in n
similar manner. This will give wide
margin for its agents, who ought to
clear s5. 900 year by its rental. Ben
nett's sailing under false name is in
itself mark of shame. He goes forth
branded with disgrace, and wherever
he may appear the mark of the knock
down blow will be visible.


Miss jeanette Bennett has welded
great influence over her brother, and
no doubt accompanies him solely with
q view OF saving him from utter ruin.
There are those who say that Bennett
and his sister may yet retire from the
world and spend their lives in religious
seclusion. In this case their immense
wealth will be devoted to the Roman
Catholic Church.
Year: 1877

LACRossE, Wis, Feb. IA horrible
light near Chaseburg, small village
twelve miles south of here, the particu-
lars OF which are as follows: About
four years ago Carl Wailand and wife
settled on the ridge two miles from
Chaseburg. He was rough character
and abused his wife and made himself
SO obnoxious to the neighbors that
they would have nothing to do with
him. During the first year OF his resi-
dence in that section, when his wife
was about to be confined, he drove her
from the house, and the child was born
in q straw-stack. She then went into
the house with the child in her arms,
but was refused admission by the bru-
tai husband. She went to the granary
and twin brother was born. During
the neglect one of the babies and the
mother died, and the other, being tax
en- by the heartless father, lived in poor
health. Wailand soon married again
aud his wife became a month since.
The surviving child of the first wife
died of starvation and neglect on Mon
day last aud was buried secretly at
night by the father IN the burying-
ground. The new made grave excited
the suspicious of the neighbors toward
Wailand, and on being interrogated he
acknowledged that his child had died
and had been buried as above stated,
by himself. The sheriff was called on
and the body was exhumed and a coro-
ner's jury summoned, which, on the
statement OF physician, brought III a
verdict that the child starved to death.
No arrests have yet been made, but
probably viii be tomorrow; otherwise
the neighbors threaten to lynch Wal
land.
Year: 1877

From the Oberlln Weekly News.


1t is a treat to listen TO the music OF
our church choirs. There are but few
in the land as large and as full OF Sc
lect and rich voices trained under
skillful masters; few in which the
members are as fully in accord with
the sentiment they sing and enter no
heartily into that branch OF Gods wor-
ship. We do not remember when we
more appreciated their excellence than
last Sabbath morning at the Second
Congregational Church. The rule oi
the baton was perfect, and the volun-
tary was rendered with such power and
feeling, and so enchained the audience
that when Mrs. Rice took up the solo,


20 Son Of Righteousness. divine.


On me thy beams Of morcy shine"
every heart was in full sympathy, and
many tear glistencd in eyes not used
to weeping.


What an invaluable aid to q minister
is such choir. and especially in times
OF revival. But how important that
every member OF n choir shonld be m
earnest Christian, for no branch oi
service can be rendered more effective
in moving the heart, aud yet how far
short OF it's real mission must il be il
rendered by the backslider or the un'
lever.
Year: 1877

A worthy wife of forty years stand
ing, and whose life was not made up
OF sunshine and peace, gave the follow
ing sensible advice to a married pair OF
her acquaintance. The advice is SO
good aud so we'll suited TO all married
people as we'll as those who intend en-
tering that state, that we here publish
IL for the benefit Of such persons:
Preserve sacredly the privacies Of
your own house. your married state,
and your heart. Let no father or
mother, sister or brother, ever presume
to come between you two, or TO share
the Joys and the sorrows that belong
TO you two alone. With Gods help,
build your own quiet world, not allow
ing your dearest earthly friend 10 be
the confident of aaght that concerns
your domestic peace. Let moments OF
alienation. IL they occur, be healed at
once. Nevcr-no-never speak OF it
outside; but 10 each other confess, aud
all will come ont right. Never let the
morrow's sun still find you at variance.
Review and renew your vow; IL will do
you good, aud thereby your souls will
grow together, cemented in that love
which is stronger than death, and you
will become truly one"
Year: 1877

The friends of ex-policeman John
Holden, who, since he left Hartford,
las resided in Palmer, Mass, will be
interested to hear Of an adventure of
his with a mad dog. 1t happened last
week, while Mr.. Holden's wife was
visiting her friends in this city. and il
came near proving a tragedy in which
he and his little boy-one or both
would have figured as the victim.
Knowing that mad dog was at large,
and that he had bitten other dogs, Mr..
Holden was not willing to let his little
boy go to school alone and went with
him. On the way he saw the dog COM
ing on q run, and foaming and snap
ping as he came. being unarmed even
with stick, and remembering that
mad dogs are said TO keep right on
and not turn aside "a great error, Mr..
Holden ran with his boy into a lane or
passage off the main road, hoping the
rabid animal would keep the road. In
this he was mistaken. The dog rush
ed after them, determined to bite. 1t
was a perilous moment and the issue
was probably life or death-and there
was not n moment to lose. Placing
his boy behind him, Mr.. Holden reso-
lutely awaited the onset of the rabid
creature. Just as the dog, foaming
aud gnashing his teeth, was in the very
act OF springing upon him, Mr.. Hold
en, by vigorous and well directed
blow Of his naked fist, given at the
right critical second of time, and
planted well in the side of the head,
laid the furious creature senseless al
his feet. Neighbors, armed with wea.
pons, soon arrived and the dog was
dispatched.
Year: 1877

The Misfortune Of Young Lady


whose Papa was an InVentive
New York Timoe.l


Early on the evening of the Sd
Of July Miss Morris, the lovely and
accomplished daughter of Mr..
Morris, was seated in the large
worsted chair in her fathers draw
ing room waiting to receive the
farewell calls of the young men
who on that very day had graduated
at the Monroe University. She
was deserVedly popular and she had
estimated that at least eleven young
men would call that evening and
that in all probability several Of the
number would bring friends with
them. At half-past seven the first
Of her guests arrived, and before
half-past eight seventeen young
men in their very best clothing
were sitting in the mahogany chairs
with which the drawing-room was
furnished, with their backs closely
pressed against the wall.


The evening sped rapidly away.
There was lemonade and sponge
cake handed around by the servant,
and Miss Morris played and sang
with great applause. The young
men appeared to enjoy themselves
greatly, and writhed their legs in
the restless way characteristic of
the bucolic undergraduate when
experiencing the sensation of peace
full bliss. But when ten O'clock
came, and no young man showed
the slightest disposition to with
draw, the hostess began to fear that
each one had registered a VOW to
"sit the rest out" At eleven o'clock
she was sure that her suspicion was
correct, as u look of stern determi-
nation to undergo any amount OF
suffering was visible upon each.
The young lady was hurt, alarmed
and angry, aud when the boldest of
her visitors finally broke a silence
of several minutes by respectfully
begging that she would retire and
send her father to hold u confer
ence with them, she rushed up
stairs, awok9 the author Of her be-
ing with the announcement that
seventeen young men wanted to see
him instantly, in order to propose
for her hand, but that they were
horrid wretches whom she perfectly
hated, and thereupon burst into
tears.


Mr.. Morris arose, dressed himself
as rapidly as a thumb recently
mashed with a hammer and foot
newly lacerated with an AK would
permit, and descended with the fell
purpose of ordering the young men
out Of the house. A few earnest
words, addressed to him in a low
tone by the spokesman Of the com
pany, caused him to, change his
mind. Owing to his careful clos.
Ing Of the drawing-room door the
precise nature of the conversation
which ensued could not be heard
upstairs; but, nevertheless, a
strange sound, as of the rending Of
Year: 1877

The Army bill was passed by the House
yesterday. Nearly month ago Congress
was called together mainly for this pur-
pose, and there was no good reason why it
should not have been disposed of during
the first week Of the session. To have done
so would have saved the officers o good
round sum in interest and the rank and file
the necessity Of sacrificing their claims for
much less than they were worth. As the
bill stands the army is limited to twenty
thousand men and it is provided that
four regiments of cavalry shall be re-
cruited to their full strength for service on
the Rio Grande and Indian frontiers. The
republicans voted solid on this amendment,
and were reinforced by the Texas delega-
tion. Secretary McCrary's communication
in regard to the maintenance or the army
and tho enlistment question was made the
text of short debate, in the course of
which Mr. Hewitt spoke eloquently about
Charles j. and John Hampden and ship
money, oil OF which was very fine, and
shows Mr.. Hewitt to be thoroughly
Year: 1877

His Holiness, who was supposed to be
dying last week, has again recovered and
agreeably disappointed, almost for the hum
dredth time, the expectations of those who
had assembled around what they believed
to be his deathbed. He was very i'll Friday
night; but, according to our special de-
spatches, he revived slightly on Saturday
morning. AS night came on he again grew
worse, and it was indeed believed the last
hours of the venerable PontiF had come.
Our correspondent says that 1.-The death rat
tie was heard and he seemed to be sinking
fast. But Sunday morning there came
another change for the better, and Monday
he insisted not only upon performing his
usual priestly and official duties, but upon
receiving delegations that called upon him.
This devotion to duty on the part Of His
Holiness has become almost life sac
rifice. No advice of his physicians, no
remonstrance Of his counsellors, can induce
him to forego the most trifing detail Of his
sacred Office, which will account for what
may otherwise seem strange and unaccount-
able in the reports of his condition-being
at the point of death one day and performing
his ministerial functions the next. There
can be do doubt that he is now seriously i'll
and his death may occur at any moment.
He is eighty-ive years Of age and is sus-
tanned mainly by his indomitable energy
and will.
Year: 1877

The report Of Senator Conkling's recent
conversation seems to have stirred up
livelier and more extensive commotion than
has often followed u publication whose sub
stance was so trivial and gossiping. 1t
has been reprinted in whole or in part,
by all the press Of the country, with
comments MS checkered and various as the
moods of the writer's. Judging from the
Utica letter whi,h we print this morn
ing it has reused a hornets nest
in Mr.. Conkling's own town, and
not SO great, is still very remark
able, especially in Washington. Like the
passions in Collins ode, politicians of every
stripe and description have been excited in
one form or another, ''possest beyond the
Muses. painting" until Mr.. Conkling him
self has caught the reverberatons


Ana back rccois, he knows not why,


Fen AT the sound himself has made.


He yesterday rose in his place in the
Senate and made personal explanation, Of
which we do not quite perceive the point.
He says that the report of his CONVEX
sation was not what in newspaper parlance
is called an ''intervicw. But the HERALD
said that, too, in publishing it. He says
that parts of it are not verbatim report Of
his language The writer Of the report did
not pretend that it was, and was very care
full to state that he wrote it out from men,
ory after the conversation had ended.
Mr.. Conkling says that he could not
have been otherwise than in q pleasant
mood at that time, when the New York
republicans had done so we'll in the election.
The writer of the report also represented
him as having been not merely cheerful, but
almost hilarious, rattling off his smart
and pungent sayings with the easy
gayety of schoolboy. He says that
things attributed to him occurred in various
Conversations and here again the reporter
exactly agrees with him. having given notice
of the beginning and end of each episode
taken from u conversation of previous
date to that of last Friday. MS for ex-
ample at this point the listener recalled
another conversation with the New York
Senator on the subject of the back pay.
will repeat it here And then at the end
of this depression :--sBut to return TO the
contemporaneous conversation" With so
many points Of close resemblance between
the personal explanation and the report We
regret to find one in which they do not tally.
Mr.. Conkling does not recollect having said
all that the reporter ascrbed to him, but
the reporter afirms that his memory is
better in that particular than Mr.. Conk-
ling's He knows he did not invent, and it
is possible that in SO excursive, copious and
rambling conversation Mr.. Conkling may
have forgotten some of his unprecedented
illusions. AS he does not select any par
ticular statement for denial it is needless
to say moro until ne chooses to be more spe-
cific. OF course he could not expect any
reporter, writing from memory, without
notes, to retain all the point and felicity of
his own brilliant diction. AS our reporter
made no pretence of doing so we do not
see what new light has been shed on this
small subject by the Senator's personal ex-
planatiOn
Year: 1877

Golden Truths from Earnest Hearts.


The pastoral letter of the House of Bishops
of the Protestant Episcopal Church is an
earnest and timely exhortation TO more de-
voted labor on the part of the clergy and to
a better observance of the obligations and
duties of Christian life on the part of the
laty Of that faith. 1t has all the force and
eloquence of plea coming from the hearts
of sincere men, and points out in plain
language the perils which beset the path of
those who swerve by ever SO little from that
high standard of morality and purity of life
demanded by the Church. The daily hu-
initiation of the land by financial crimes,
frauds, dofalcations, bctrayals Of trust and
especially domestic scandals, is attributed
to the looseness with which in these days
religious obligations are apt to sit upon
mems consciences, inducing forgetfulness
of the Great Shepherd by whose ex-
ample we are taught to frame our
lives. True religion teaches honesty
and truthfulness, sincerity and constancy,
moderation, sobriety and purity of lite,
gentleness, compassion and charity and
it is only by disregard Of its teachings
these days, can become possible. The
remedy is to be found in greater efforts on
the part of the ministry and greater watch
fulness on the part of Christian parents
over those whose early lives are committed
to their care.


The pastoral especially deplores the grow
ing disregard to the principles of moral
purity which give honor and strength to
Christian wedlock Marriages are entered
into without a proper appreciation of their
sanctity, and as consequence divorces are
lightly sought and readily obtained. There
is, unhappily, too much reason for the
warning words Of the bishops in this direc-
ton. The columns of the daily journals
bear evidence to the fact that many of the
divorce cases which crowd the calendars of
entering into the marriage contract. It is
not alone the lives of the parties to
such miserable suits that lie wrecked along
the perilous shores of passion and indiffer-
ence. The children of unhappy marriages
are too often the principal sufferers, and
upon their innocent heads the sins of the
parents are heavily visited. The bishops
urge it npon their people to 'preserve the
chastity and constancy of that divine bond
between husband and wife which our Lord
has chosen as n living image to represent
the mystical union of Himself with His
bride, the Church" The pastoral touches
upon the evils Of q disregard of the sacred
ness of the Sabbath condemns fairs, festi-
walls, lotteries and theatrical entertainments
as a means of raising church funds, and
urges efforts to teach labor and capital their
mutual obligations, so as to bring them into
harmony upon the common plane of re-
deemed humanity" The letter is full OF
fcrvor and truth and cannot fail to make its
impression on the Church.