smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

Whether this story is true or
false, we do not know; but it is
told here that recently, down in
the Parish Of St. Martin, Iberia,
or somewhere down that way, an
old widow lady, whose children
had all married off and left her
alone, had been persuaded to sell
ber little place and live with them.
She sold her land, buildings and
improvements one day for two
thousand dollars, and received the
money in cash on the spot, in her
own house, where the act of sale
was passed before two witnesses,
the number required 10y law, and
who witnessed also the payment
of the money.


In Il short time she was to give
possession, but she remained in
the house the night following the
sale all alone, or with no mascu-
line adult inmates, as was her
custom. That night two negro
burglars broke into the house and
demanded her money or her life.
She gave it to them, but begged
them to let her have one hundred
dollars of it, as she owed that
amount and wanted to pay the
debt, when she would be satisfied.
They finally consented to let her
keep the hundred dollars. They
then ordered her to make some
coffee for them to drink. In do
ing so she bethOught herself of
some strychnine she had in the
house, and quietly dropped it in
the pot of steaming coffee, and
placed ii on the table, with cups,
spoons aDd sugar for them to pour
out and sweeten to their taste.


This they did, and drank in q.
Jolly mood, each one having nine
hundred and fifty dollars in his
pocket But in a few minutes the
tables were turned. One gave up
the ghost where he sat at the table
in his chair, and the other got up,
staggered of few feet and tum-
bled over into eternity. The good
old lady recovered her money,
and on examining the persons of
the black burglarious robbers they
turned out to be the two witnesses
To the act of sale, both white men,
blackened for the occasion, both
her neighbors, and one was her
cousin.-Nelr Orleans Herald
Year: 1873

Played upon a Reverend
( Gentleman.


I ST. PAUL, Oct. 2.-There is


a preacher, said to be located at
Brainerd, the village at the Mis-


sissippi crossing of the North


ern Pacific Railroad, whose


name is given as Williams


And there are three or more
practitioners of the game of


three-card monte, names and


fiabitations unknown, who have


lately operated with considera-
bic success upon travellers on


the Northern Pacific and Lake


Superior and Mississippi Rail


road. Among their latest VIC


tins is the preacher aforesaid,


and how he fell into their snare


is thus told by the Brainerd
people. Sitting near the


preacher was a verdant-looking
youth, to whom a couple of
sharp, "sport" appearing men
were exhibiting their skill at
three-card monte. From where
he was seated he could tell the
winning card every time, and
when finally the verdant youth
put down fifty dollars that he
would select the right card, the
good man was fairly grieved to
see the innocent youth, as if
blind to what was plain to be
seen, pick up the wrong card
and lose his money. The youth
seemed to feel bad about it, too,
but after watching the dealers
for some time he emp
tied all his pockets and finally
collected another $50, which
straighsway followed the first
into the dealers pocket. A
that the youth could not
see what he saw so plainly, and
'ympathizing with the youths
grief over losing every
cent Of his money, the preacher
resolved to recover it and re-
store it to its late possessor.-
After a little parleying the
preachers watch was wagered
against 500 of the gamblers
the deal was made; and
he good man turned up the
marked card, but the wrong
'ne! His good gold watch
in the gamblers
rest and at the next station
when the three, the two gam
)lerS and the verdant youth,
vent from the car and walked
iOwn the platform as the train
moved on, chatting and laugh
ng like old acquaintmccs, the
minister began to suspect that
he verdant youth and the gam
,lers were confederatcs and he
beir dupc. But even then his
that his eyes should
o have deceived him as to the
IDENTIFY Of that marked card
vas the predominant feeling.


The sequel to this true story
5 that when the gamblers learn
d that their victim was a poor
'reacher, they sent the watch
'ack to him express charges
repaid, just in time to save his
but pitifying neighbOrs
rom subscribing to buy anoth-
L.
Year: 1873

HALIFAX, April l
The White Star steamer Atlantic, Cap
tain Williams, from Liverpool for New
York, while coming into this port for
coal, struck on Meagher's Rock, near
Prospect, twenty two miles west of Hall
fax, and became total wreck. About
one thousand souls were on board, and
upwards OF seven hundred were drown
ed.


The third officer, Brady, arrived in this
city this evening He says that the At
lantic left Liverpool on tho goth OF
March, with upwards Of 900 steerage
passengers and about 30 cabin passeh-
gers. The steamer experienced bolster
Gus weather during the passage, but all
went well until noon, Monday, the 3lst,
when the supply of coal became nearly
exhausted, and the captain determined to
put into Halifax.


The captain and third officer were on
deck until midnight, when the former
went into his chart room, leaving orders
to be called if there was any change in
the vessels position. The next thing
Brady remembers is that he was thrown
ont of his bunk and he heard the ship
strike several times He then rushed on
deck found the captain and officers there
and the deck full Of passengers. We got
an AK and commenced clearing away a
boat. The captain and other officers
were busy doing something. Brady got
this boat out and put two women in it.
A number of men attempted to get into
it and about a dozen succeeded


Just at that moment the steamer fell
over on her beam end and sank Only
one boat had been out and that was car
ried down by the stream and all in it
were lost Brady scrambled into the
mizzen rigging which was above water.
aud sceigg that he could do nothing
there went forward and removed the hal
yards, being assisted BY Quartcrmastcrs
Spcarman and Owen Brady then took
halyarIls and all three swan to a rock
and then a line was hauled ashore and a
number Of passengers landed by it.


a number had got Oh the rock, but rs
tay 'ie WAS rising their position was no
better han on the vessel just then the
fishermen on shore came out in boats
and saved those on the rock and large
number from Ahc rigging. Brady re-
NAMED at the scene until noon day,
when all who were alive on board had
been taken from the wreck, except the
chief officer, Mr. FIRTH, who was in the
rigging shouting for help.


Brady says he tried to get crew to
90 to the rescue of Firth, but the sea
was so heavy that nobody would venture


Altogether, about 2J0 persons were
saved, including Captain Williams. Not
a single woman or chiii were saved.
Most Of them, as well as hundreds Of
men, were drowned in their berths.


The steamer struck about O'clock in
the morning. The weather at the time
was dark, but not thick, and the sea
rough, Steamers are going down to-
night to render what assistance they can.
All the people saved from the wreck, with
the exception Of Brady, are at Prospect,
where the fishermen are giving them all
the attention they possibly..c can
Year: 1873

We agree with the Little Rock Gazette
as below


1t strikes us that the democratic mem.
bers, who are absent on leave, will ever
have bitter regl cts when they are inform
that their votes, if present, would have
defeated the ralroad-steal bill in the
house. Matters Of the first magnitude
only ought to constran their longer alb
sence from their seats There are many
bills pending which arc parts Of the grand
plan of spoliation of the state that could
yet be defeated if the democratic absen-
tees were present in thicr seats.
Year: 1873

EG TIC VIII OF NHPUItUH III Has
been proved in England. His personal
property is sworn at under Gl2O, ,OOO
and this he leaves to the Empress with.
out reserve. To the Prince Imperial
there Is only one bequest, we are told
the imperial crown II this he true, We
have here q certain violation Of the iaes
Nopoieoaienno, according to which any
Bonaparte may govern who is called by
the voice Of the people And the Empcr-
or's will is in this respect an important
manifesto to the impcrialists.
Year: 1873

81 The Tennessee Legislature has
passed a liquor law which leaves it to
the people OF each civil district to deter


mine for themselves whether liquor shall
or shall not be retaled in their district.
Stringent liquor laws seldom do much
good Tell man, who isn't thinking
Of taking a drink OF whisky, that he
shan't take one, and he Immediately be
comes as thirsty as a sand-bar during n
dry season in August, Courier Journal.
Year: 1873

CLEANING SrovEs.--Stove lustre, when
mixed with turpentine and applied in the
usual manner, j. backer, moro glossy,
and more durable than when mixed with
any other liquid The turpentine pre-
vents rust, and when put on an old rusty
stove will msko it look as we'll IS new.
Year: 1873

All indebted to us for subscriptions and
,lher work. will oblige us greatly and please
lkpse we owe more, by calling and settling
IAer accounts We know that money Is
lSarce and hard to get but we trust our
riends will make an effort in our behalf.
Year: 1873

Let thy gold be cast in the furnace
Thy red gold, precious and bri ght
Do not fear for the hungry fire,
With its caverns Of burning light,
And thy gold shall return more precious,
Free from every spot and stain;
For gold must be tried by fire,
AS heart must be tried by pain?
In the cruel fire of sorrow
Cast thy heart, do not faint or wall;
Let thy hand be firm and steady,
Do not let thy spirit quail.
But wait till the trial is over,
And take thy heart again;
For, as gold is tried by fire,
so heart must be tried by pain!
shall know by the gleam and the glitter
OF the golden chain you wear.
BY your hearts calm strength in loving,
OF the fire you have had to bear.
Beat on, true heart, forever;
Shine bright, strong, golden chain:
And bless the cleansing fire,


And the furnace of living pain!
Year: 1873

A Columbia Pa. clergyman,
while preaching his sermon one Sun
day evening. perceived young man
and woman under the gallery in the
act Of kissing each other behind a
hymn-book, but did not lose bis tenn.
pie. He did not fly into an unseen.
" rage, and call upon the sexton TO
rush up the aisle aud disband tho
rioters. No! he remained calm. He
beamed mildly at the offenders over
his spcctaclcs, and when the young
man kissed her the 50th time, he
merely broke his sermon short off in
the middle Of thirdly" aud offered
ieryent prayer in behalf Of "the
young man in the pink necktie, and
the maiden in blue bonnet and gray
shawl, who were profaning the
sanctuary by kissing ono another in
Pew No. g." And the congrega-
tion said aAmcn' Then the young
woman suddenly pulled her veil
down, and tho young man sat there
and swore softly to himself. He
does not go to church as much as be
did.-(Er.
Year: 1873

/


was conclusively insane, merely be


cause he committed suicide. Some


OF the jurors answered in The affirm


ative, and these men were on defen.


dant's motion, excluded from the iu.


ry, and their places filed from the


PANEL. The plaintiff produced sew
eral witness, who testified that a
great and marked change had come
over Hogan the latter part OF his
life. That for the last six months
prior to his decease, he had been
moody and respondent at times.
Thst he acted as though he " had the
blues" That from an affectionate
parent and husband he had changed
to morose, irritable man, subject TO
fits OF anger. That during the last
years OF his life he had complained
of heavy pains in the back part OF
his head quite frequently. That at
such times he was very violent in his
manner, striking his wife, threatening
her life, and treating her harshly, and
afterwards denying all remembrance
or knowledge OF such actions. Ply
.sicians were also introduced, who, as
experts testified that IN their opinion
Hogan was insane. The defense ad-
mitted that decelent was at times
respondent, during the last year OF
his life, but explained the cause by
showing that his family relations at
home wero very unpleasant, and that
bis pecuniary embarrassments alone
were OF so severe character that
they were sufficient to account tor
his moody and melancholy fits. That
he was defauiter, to large extent,
to the Express Company, for which
he worked. That he had embezzled
a $500 money package, and that the
Express Company were tracing the
matter up, and that exposure was
imminent at any moment. That he
tried to borrow the money of vari
Gus parties, to make up his deficit to
the Express Company. That he sta
ted to one of his most intimate
friends the day before his death that
he must have this money, or he was
a ruined man. That he failed to get
1t. That the morning of his death a
Superintendent OF the Express Com
pany came to Boone very unexpect
xanina Hnuan's
accounts. That about eleven O'Clock
that day he committed suicide. That
he gave as reason that family re.
la,ions were unpleasant; that he had
no money and no friends, and that
he had made up his mlnd to end his
life.


The jury were out about half an
hour, and returned general verdict
for the defendant, and answered as
special findings that Hogan volunta-
rily and wllllullY took his own life,
and that he knew at the time he shot
himself that the act would result in
his death.


The plaintiff made motion for a
new trial, which came up before tho
court on the 18th inst, aud was ov-
erruled and judgment rendered upon
the verdict.


This settles an important point as
to suicide and insurance in Iowa, and
is, in fact, the first barrier that has
been interposed in tho West to the
common plea OF insanity in actions
on insurance policies. - Dubuque
Times.
Year: 1873

The following letter, addressed Ito the
Mayor Of Washington Cithey," and signed
by Mrs. Eliza Carpenter, of Kinds coun-
ty, Miss, was yesterday received by Gov
ernor Cooke:


Isaw and advertisement in the Wash
ington Kronikul wanting to get all the
old revolutionary relicks. 1 have got a
powder horn that I will cell as I am a
widow with an orphan husband, and if
you can cell it for me it will be great
help to me it is over hundred years old,
it is a perfect kurositie, it belongeds to my
husband and it was gave to him and old
man that fit in the old revolutionary war,
it would be great ackonlidation to me
if I could cell it would like to get as
much as can for it. -sfs
Year: 1873




The general position of the railway share specua-
ton does not differ materially from that Of yester
dav, and may in fact almost be regarded to-day as
repetition of yesterday. The issue yesterday of half
a million additional legal tenders failed to impart
any enthusiasm to buyers, and the issue to-day OF
81 100000 more not known in the street till too
late for effect and the market opening steady ruled
about that way ON a small volume of business
without the intervention of any feature that
influence prices either one way or the
other. The larger dealings were in Union
Pacific Western Union Telegraph, which was strong
all day. and Lake Shore. ST. Paul, and Wabash. but
the movement was so small as to warrant the belief
that the larger operators have retired from the mar
ket until after the Congressional recess and lett 1t
TO the tender mercies of the small boy" who may
be able to scalp sufficient number of eighths" out
Of it to pay carriage hire for NewYea calls. There
is not much disposition to stand short OF the market
in these troubous times of imitation The invest
ment miscellaneous. and express stocks were pretty
much neglected and the market left of heavy. The
opening, highest lowest, and closing prices OF stocks
Year: 1873

With six or eight hundred yellow fever
patients, and the weather as changeable
and tickle as April clouds, it is not
strange that the mortuary list holds its
own. We begin to realize the malignan-
cy of the present epidemic when four
distinct frosts fail to effect any material
abatement. All signs and precedents
fail us. The disease is the only thing
that does not fail. Our best
physicians are smitten; the good
and great, old and young, rich aud poor
have fallen, and yet God in His wisdom
has not removed the scourge. His laws,
and Natures, have been violated when
we permitted the common rules of health
and decency to be set aside, and the
penalty is to pay. The inevitable is
upon us, and we must bear it, When
this will be over is more than ever un-
certain, but when it is over we that sur
yive will have another opportunity OF
retrieving the past. To day we have TO
report 81 deaths in "a hours, 80 Of these
from yellow fever-doubtless S5. The
weather has turned warm, and rain is
threatened. After this, perhaps another
frost; but what is frost without con-
tinued freeze? People at home dare not
flee, lest they take the disease and be
quarantined to death in some panic
stricken village. Those away are warned
that they dare not come home.
Great emergencies require great sacri-
fices and hazards; we can only stand at
the post of duty and abide the result.
This is not a time to think of making
money or reputation, or promoting per-
sonal interests, but for the exercise of
prudence, wisdom, charity, faith and
resignation to the Divine will. If there
is immunity in anything, it is in good
works and regular employment.
Year: 1873

r HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY CALL UPON


L all citizens of Memphis who occupy build.
ings having cellars. to have the same swept
perfectly clean. and then TO disinfect them by
Any person unable to obtain carbolic acid.
lime and coal tar will be supplied, free
of cost by calling on me, between the
hours of nine and ten each day, at the corner
of Auction and Front streets. near the
County Jail. All parties making applica
tion must come supplied with vessels in which
to take away the above disiniectants. desire
to impress upon all citizens the necessity of
disinfecting their premises by the free use Of
my duty to give these matters my personal at
tention, and that duty will be performed. and
all parties who fail to comply with these in
structions will be held TO rigid accountable
ity. l.. w. U'BANN0N,


3.t Inspector Board of Health.
Year: 1873




In Marshall county, Tennessee, there
will soon be trial for murder which will
possess some singular features. Three
years ago young man in Marshall county
was engaged to be married to young lady,
whose family strongly objected to the
union. The lover ran off with his intended
twice, but was SO closely watched and hot
ly pursued by the lady's friends that it
was impossible for the wedding to take
place. He made third attempt, when he
met the girl at an appointed place, and took
her on horse behind him. Thus they
were going to find n minister to make them
one, when two men sprang up at the road
side and called upon them to stop. The
horse, and several shots were sent after
him He rode ON little way and fell from
the horse dragging the girl with him. The
assassins came up and commenced beating
the wounded man numerically, he begging
them to desist, as the shot he had received
would soon finish him. The murderers
proved to be the girls brothers, and they
tried to force her to get on her lovers horse
and go home with them. This she refused
to do, even by the persuasion of severe
beating which they gave her. They then
left the two helpless in the road, went home
and told their mother they had fix ed"
that fellow, and left the parts to avoid ar
rest. The girl and her lover got to the
house of one of her friends where they were
married, and in few hours the husband
breathed his last. The assassins were short.
ly after arrested, and before the day of their
trial they managed to break Jail and escaped
to Texas They were lately rearrested and
brought back to Marshall county. They
will be tried in short time. The wife OF
the murdered man, their own sister, ex
presses determination to do all in hel
power to secure their conviction. She livei
with her husbands sister, and has not gone
near her own family since the tragedy.
Year: 1873

Three miles from Bainbridge, Ross coun-
ty, is located hill of considerable altitude,
known as "Copperas Mountain" Out Of
the top of the mountain issues a constant
stream of smoke, while on its summit and
general surface the vegetation has withered
and died, until the whole presents barren,
sterile and desoate aspect, blasted as if by
q whirlwind of fire. The ground on the
top of the hill is so uncomfortably hot that
it is almost impossible for a barefooted
person to walk there. 1t is believed by
persons who have visited and inspected
this lussus naturae, that the entire interior
of the hill is mass of ignited combustible
matter, and that the fire is and has been
spreading with considerable rapidity. The
theory presented to account for this strange
phenomenon is that on or about the first of
last October the party to whom the land
belongs, was burning brush on the hillside,
and that the flames communicated to in
flamabe matter, probably crude oil, coal
or other combustible substances, contained
in the geological formation of the hill, and
that the hill being full of such matter, the
fire gradually gained headway, until the
interior has become mass of molten met
al. The quenching of the fire is, of course,
impossible from its situation, and how long
it will burn, and when, if ever, the fire will
reach point where it can be controlled,
can only be conjectured. At present there
is no danger to be apprehended to property
in the vicinity, but there is no telling what
shape the thing may eventually take, and
there are not wanting those whose imagin-
ative disposition lead them to predict that
this is but the beginning of what may turn
out to be a young volcano = Oleoeland Her
aid.
Year: 1873

Four men, all of them whites, are now
laying in the county Jail of Burnet county,
Texas, under sentence of death-all to be
executed at the same place on January
10th. The names are Benjamin Shelby,
Arthur Shelby, Ball Woods and William
Smith. They were all sentenced for the
murder of Benjamin M'Keever. Their
case taken in all its details, is one of the
most interesting in the annals of criminals.
The evidence against them, though conclu-
sive, was entirely circumstantial MKever
was shot from his horse at night near the
residence of the Shelbys, his throat then
cut, and his body carried on horseback
three miles, and thrown into a cave. A
large rock was placed on the bloody spot
where his throat was cut, but this precau-
tion, instead of concealing the crime, led
! to the arrest of the criminals. The keen
eyes of frontiersman saw that the rock
had been recently placed there; so it was
removed, and indications of blood found.
A closer search resulted in the further find
ing of paper wadding that had been fired
from shot gun. On examining gun of
Benjamin Shelby's, paper wadding was
likewise found in it, and yet another wad-
ding that had been evidently fired from a
shot gun like the first, was found under
Shelby's doorstep In his house was found
a copy of the Chimney Corner, and by COM
parison it was ascertained the three pieces
of gun wadding had been obtained from
that paper


There were several other circumstances
pointing strongly to the accused men as
the murderers; therefore the jury who
tried them did not hesitate to find them
guilty of murder in the first degree. The
verdict is generally approved by the citi-
zes of Burnet county, and the latest ad-
vices from there indicate that there will
probably be no interference by superior
courts or the governor to prevent the de
creed quadruple execution.