smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

The eAecutloner now steps up. and,
smiling like man about to perform a
feat OF sport, takes aim, and the next mo-
ment-with sudden CLEAN of that sheen
ing sword and a sickening thud-the
head, saturated with blood, rolls to the
earth, the blood at the same time gushing
from the headless body which lay CULVER
ing on the ground. The blood-stained
head is Immediately lifted from its recep-
tacle by the hair and presented to the
public gaze with an air OF satisfaction


Water is then poured over it, the liteless
body being covered with straw mats and
removed u short distance away. AT a
given sign another is led forth and kneels
at the other hole; the same scene of blood
was again enacted The third is now
brought forward, his slaughter differing
from the others only in the fact that an
other headsman does the work And now
the tourth-the man particularly remark
able Tor his seeming indifference to the
horrible fate which awaited him steps up
to play his part in the dreadful tragedy.
Another aim-another CLEAN Of that ter
rible weapon of death, and the last vic
tim sinks to the earth ''asleep'-aslecp in
death. The scene of blood is now ended
and four human heads are upon those
ugly spikes, bleaching in the sun as Il ter
rible warning to law-breakers. But, pain
full as this recital may be- the japanese
lntlict far greater punishment on those
guilty of forgery, homicide, etc, cruel
tixion being quite common.
Year: 1872

AS they pass through the gate, we are
somewhat surprised to hear one of them,
as he walks close by us say, ohago ga4onj-
mas (good morning) and tlfen express
his opinion that the terrible death to which
he is doomed would resemble going to
sleep. The three men (the fourth being
in state of semi-insensiblity) take a
long, long gaze at surrouiing objects,
and the attendants proceed to blndfold
them, their arms having been securely
bound behind them before leaving the
Jail. The three men, each in turn, then
gave utterance to a sort of exhortation
and prayer. The miserable wretch 10 the
hango is now lifted out and placed inside
the hole on his knees while two men stand
behind him holding his body-but there is
nothing TO place his head upon Another
takes him by the chin to put his head in
position, which he succeeded in doing in
minute and a half, delay terribly agon-
izing to the victim.
Year: 1872

WE have received life e.sized por-
trait, wood-cut on yellow paper, Of
Thomas s. Davies Of New York city, a
self-nominated candidate for the presi-
dency. The picture is accompanied
with an oath and pledges" by which
the candidate promises purity, honesty
and faithfulness in Office. Mr.. Davies
is rather good looking gentleman, with
a fue eye, and hair combed up straight
from his forehead something after the
style of the pictures Of Clay and Lin
con, but it is scarcely probable that he
will ever brush it up after that fashion
as the presidential occupant Of the
white house. Mr.. Davies should con
tinuc in the shades Of private life for ,
while longer, and ponder on two thing
one of which is to consider the pro
priety Of waiting for the presidency Of
the United States until one or more
prisons suggests his fitness for it, and
the other that oaths and pledges are a
small part of real honesty.
Year: 1872

says an exchange, are satisfied
with no half way measures, such
as the local option otherwise
known as let-the- -majority-decide) law,
or the punish the man who ma kes.the-
man drunk law; but propose to es
tablish asylums for the confinement and
punishment of drunkards, and bill to
carry out their purpose is now pending
in the legislature.
Year: 1872

A rich old gentleman had only


one daughter, possessed of the


highest attractions, moral, person.


al, and pecuniary. Sue was en-


gagged and devotedly attached to


a young man in every respect wor-
thy of her choice. All the marri,


age preliminaries were arranged,


and the wedding was fixed to


take place on a certain Thursday.


On the Monday preceding the


wedding-day, the bride and groom
elect (who was 10 have received


fifty thousand dollars down on his


wedding-day, and further sum


of one hundred thousand dollars


on his father-in-law's death, an


event which would probably soon


occur, had a little jealous squat


bic with his intended at the even


ing party. The stiff" arose in
consequence of his paying more


attention than she thought justi6-
able to lady with sparkling eyes
and iDimitable,ringlets. The gen.
tleman retorted, and spoke taunt-
lngly Of a certain cousin whose
waistcoat was the admiration of


the company, and limited that it
had been embroidered by the fair
heiress herself. He added that it
would be soon enough for him to
be schooled after they were mar
ried; and that she adopted the
"breeches" a little too soon. Af-
ter the supper they became recon-
clled apparently, and the bride
groom elect, in taking leave, was
kind and affectiona:e. On the
next morning the swain regretted
the angry feeling he had exhibit
ed, and the cutting sarcasm with
which he had given it vent; and,
as a part of the amende honorable,
packed up a magnificent satin
dress which he had previously be-
spoken for his beloved (which had
been sent home in the intervaD
and sent it to the lady with the
following note: dearest Sarah:
| have been unable to close my
eyes all night in thinking of our
misunderstanding last evening.
Pray pardon me; and, in token Of
your forgiveness, deign to accept
the accompanying dress, and wear
it for the sake of your affectionate


Henry" Having written the
note, be gave it to his servant to
deliver with the parcel. But, as
a pair Of pantaloons happened to
need repairing, he availed himself
of the opportunity (the servant
having to pass the tailor's shop)
to send them in another package
to the tailor. The man made the
fatal blunder! left the satin dress
with Snip, and took the note and
the damaged trowsers to the lady.
So eXasperated was she at what
she considered a determined and
deliberate afront, that when her
admirer called, she ordered the
door to be closed in his face, re-
fused to listen to any explanation,
and resolutely broke off the match.
Year: 1872

There is a deed on record in
the town of Scitico, Conn, bear
ing date of 1926, conveying from
certain parties to the "Society of


Shaking Quakers,' a gin distillery
"tor the express use and purpose
of support of the gospel and the
relief Of the poor, the widow and
fatherless of this world, as the
gospel may require" -.
Year: 1872

At Westport, Mass, as the
menagerie was goiug through the
streets, a fierce canine made an
assault on the elephant. An ''eye
witness" says that the dog in about
one minute was "spread over sew
eral yards of ground to about the
thickness of sheet iron"
Year: 1872

A Detroit woman was lately
married while her son, a young
man of twenty, who appeared
on the scene with a revolver in
his hand threatening to shoot
the bridegroom and preacher,
was held down and sat on by
some of the invited guests.
Year: 1872

An Impending Upward Movement in West Side
Property-Ths Riverside Park Fixed Fact
Tho Award Of Assessment Confirmed by
the Court Of Appeas-Ths New
Boulevard Extension Commis-


sion-The New Avenue" to


Run Through Property on


Washington Heights.
Year: 1872

at 116h.


MISCELLANEOUS
Notice has been given at the Clearing House that
the Chatham Bank will no longer redeem the
checks OF the Mutual Bank, an uptown State nsti-
tuition, for which the Chatham Bank has heretofore
acted as agent at the Clearing House.
Year: 1872

sorry study of the national character, or


a cyniclsm grown chronic, and incapaci-


tating its owner from seeing things as
they are, But perhaps M. Dumas is
aware that the French love to see their
ioi6les scoffed at by one of themselves;
and possibly, the object of his numerous
6lts OF Psychology is merely to crafty
Their passion. II so, some friend should
warn N. Dumas that doctor who would
prescribe reckless course of astringents,
even when pressed by his patient to do
1t, would conduce neither to that patients
nor to his own good fame as physician.
Year: 1872

essentials for our citizens, viewed as
possible soldiers, are not drill and
parade, but courage and determina-
tion and that peculiar individuality
of character which so especially
characterized our Iowa soldiers in
the late war and spread terror
throughout the rebel ranks as the
recollection of many a hard-fought
field. The proposed revival of the
militia system" would probably add
largely to the number Of our Gin
erals" and "Curnuls' and Gap
tings," and would undoubtedly make
a good demand for beer and liquors
on training days, as we'll as cause a
vast aggregate of wasted time and
tend seriously to the increase of idle
ness; but If it would do any real
good, if ii would really add any
thing to the actual strength of the
nation, we have yet to see it demon
Strated.
Year: 1872

The circular of Treasurer Parker
in reference to the appropriation for
public schools exonerates him from
blame in not paying out said appro-
priation. We are glad to see that he
has at last put the responsibility where
it properly belongs, and hope no will
continue to "rise to explain" other
matters equally interesting to the
people. He is charged with paying
money out of the treasury to defeat
impeachment, and to keep out Of tho
penitentiary the thieves in high posi-
tions who have plundercd the State
and ruined her credit. We ask, him
to say upon whose order this money
was paid, to whom, and in what
amounts. We know that Mr.. Parker
can fasten this corrupt expenditure
whero it belongs, therefore we ask
him to do it, as fully and as clear as
he docs this school appropriation. In
addition he can toll how much money
was paid out to pass such infamous
measures as the validating bill, inten
ded only to shield and protect dis
honest officials from the penalty of the
law. Let him state tho facts boldly
and fearlessly, and then the people
will see why our schools are closed, our
judges unpaid, our benevolent institu.
tions on tho charity Of individuals
and why tho reply Of "no money" ia
given to tho creditors that daily be.
siege the treasury.-Beaufort Times
Rep.
Year: 1872

Says tho Baltimore Gazette


The selection of Ford's Opera
House as tho place of meeting of tho
Democratic National Convention is
an exceedingly proper and judicious
one. The building is ono of tho
finest Of the kind in the country, and
when all tho contemplated arrange
ments for the convenience of tho dele.
gates are completed, it will be found
to bo in overy respect suitable for
tho grand conclavo of the National
Democracy. It is believed that
ample accommodation will be furnish.
cd for at lcust six thousand people {;
and besides this, every facility will
DO afforded in the way of committee
aud reception rooms. 1t is intended
to decorate the building in an appro-
priato manner; aud we arc assured
that nothing will bo left undune to
make the building attractive as we'll
as comfortable.
Year: 1872

It is not safe to write promissory
notes for practice. They may turn
up some day and return to plague tho
writer. A casc has just been tried
down in Maine, which was brought for
the recovery Of money on a promis-
sorry note, and tho defendant testified
that tho note was written for practice
while he and his brother were study.
ing "Paftial payments" and was
made payable to an old man who hap
pcned to bo present, and who had
since died. flo escaped complete
payment for his thoughtfulness in par.
tial payments by proving that he
was not Of age when tho note waf
written.
Year: 1872

Tho first man who took the benefit
Of tho bankrupt law in Virginia after
the passage Of the not, in 1867, went
vest shortly afterward. Recently he
returned to the city, and before
night had paid all his former
creditors in full for the claims
which they held against him
when he went into bankruptcy. We
suppose there are few such oasos on
record, and it speaks well for our poo-
ple.--Richmond U,spatch.
Year: 1872

rious look, that makes one think
every moment of the danger, and glad
to get away.


Though curiosity may take man
once to visit powder-mill, he has
no desire to 60 second time he
feels all the rest of his life that for
once he has been very near DEATH
american Sportsman.
Year: 1872

THE DUKE's ARTILLERY.-Every ono


has heard that the Duke of Wellington


did not share the common opinion that


every corps of the British army at Wa
| terloo behaved faultlessly. but few knew


exactly the parts of the service against


which his censura was directed and its
grounds. The following extract from n


letter to Lord Mulgrave. Master General


of the Ordinance, Just published in the
fourteenth volume of "The Supplement


tary Dispatches, &c, ;" Of the Duke Of
Wellington, places the matter III It's
proper light: "To tell you the truth, l


was not very well pleased with the artil-


lery at Waterloo. The army was formed


in squares Immediately on the slope of
the rising ground, on the summit Of which


the artillery was placed, with orders not


to engage artillery, but to fire only when


bodies of troops came under their fire.


II was very difficult to get them to obey


this order. The French cavalry charged,
and were formed on the same ground
with our artillery, in general within few
yards of our guns. IN some instances
they were actually in possession of them.
We could not expect the artillerymen to
remain at their guns III such case. But
1 had right to expect that the officers
and men of the artillery would do as |
did, and as oil the staff did, that is, to
take shelter in the squares Of the infantry
till the French cavalry should be driven
off the ground either by our cavalry or
infantry. But they d1d no such thing
they ran off the field entirely, taking with
them limbers, ammunition and every
thing and when in few minutes we
had driven off the French cavalry and
had regained our ground and our guns,
and could have made good use of our ar
tillery, we had no troops to fire them
and, in point of fact, should have had
no artillery during the whole of the latter
part of the action if / had not kept re-
serve in the commencement"
Year: 1872

The ROMAN MALARIA. A French


writer about Italy says that he once met
a poor family of peasants driven by the
malaria to seek at Rome gratuitous death


in the hospital The husband walked
first, his head buried in his cloak he
had struggled to the last moment against
his invisible assailant, but implacable
nature had conquered. The youpg wife
followed him, faded by suffering, dying
and carrying upon her bosom dying
child she went on mechanically, heed
less of the way, tc deposit her burden in
a grave aAd rest by its side. Man still
persists to wiring out harvests from tracts
in this fatal soil. Duling the first au-
tumnal rains, peasant army desceuds
the Sabine mountains under the Guld-
ance of the pifforara The farmers en-
roll these moving columns and send
them in battalions to their districts
these battalions sometimes attach hun
dred ploughs, in order to turn up the
earth more rapidly. The day ended,
they sleep on the ground, and the next
morning regain the frontier. Nine
months after they come back to the har-
vest, but this time it is to veritible
field of battle, the corn is reaped more
hastily than it was sown, and when they
have tied the sheaves the laborers receive
their salary and return home. But all
do not return there are some who, in
the first hours of their labor, totter and
drop, turn toward the mountains a last
look, and wrap their faces in their man
ties, and few days afterward the piou'
brotherhoods pass over the plains to
bury the dead fallen in the harvest field
of battle. London Examiner.
Year: 1872

READING IN THE CARs.-A distinguish


ed oculist says In reference to the hab-


it of reading in the cars, the constant


motion and oscillations OF the cars render


it impossible to hold the book in one po-


sition-lts distance from the eye is con-
stantly varying, and no matter how slight
this variation may be, it is Instantly COM
pensate1 for by the eye, thus keeping the
organ constantly employed accommoda-
ting itself to distance This becomes "a
tiguing-the eyes have sort of weary
heavy feeling, and il the reading is per
sisted in, soon become bloodshot and
painful. We have often observed young
misses intently engaged in the perusal of
some romance, while upon a rapidly
moving railway train, who have only been
able to finish their story with perceptible
We have noticed them rub
bing their eyes. shifting their position,
and holding their book at various dis
tances from the eve, making the greatest
effort to see with eyes that have already
been fatigued beyond endurance. Such
practices lead to serious injury TO the
eyes, and it is not unfrequently the case
that the oculist is called upon to pre-
scribe for patient who has paralysis of
Of the eyes, produced by
reading in q railway car.
Year: 1872

. Said n gentleman the other day to an


old farmer who is known as champion


" growler," "Well, you probably can't
find fault this year about not being wet
enough for hay. There must be good
crop" Yes, but what does it amount
to to have such crop as this looks like?
You can't sell it for FIVE dollars n ton IL
it keeps on this way
Year: 1872

It was said of Thoreau, we believe,
that he could take up any given number
of lead-pencils without counting. A
celebrated trapper once assured us that
he could tell how many balls he had in
his bnllet-pouch by placing his hand on
it and without stopping to count them,
and added, Il can tell the number of
bullets ine,antly without counting, as
you pronounce a word without spelling
it. Southey was accustomed to take
in the substance of book in turning
the leaves over continuous Y, glancing
down the pages. Houdan the magician
trained hinself to quickness of percep-
lion when a boy, by running past a
showwindow at full speed, and then
trying to tell what was in it. We once
met a man on canal boat, who was
amusing himself by going from pas
se0gcr to passenger, and telling almost
every one where he had seen them be-
fore, on such train, in such hotel, in
i'll such street, giving date and place
to people with whom he had never eX
changed word. This training of the
faculties in particular directions is car
ried to marvellous extreme by woods
men, trappers, and men who guess the
weights of animals. Perhaps the most
remarkable instances are the markers
who leap from log to log at the mouth
ola boom, standing on the floating log
and translating instantly an old mark
into Il new one, remembering what eql-
valent to give for each of a hundred
marks, and chopping 1t upon the log in
the time that it floats its length. 1t is
said that Thoreau knew the relative
order of the Towering of all the plants
in the Concord woods, and knew the
note of every bird, and a thousand other
out-of-theway things besides.
Year: 1872

Fifty and sixty miles an hour is of
tener talked ofthan realized. Aspeed
of sixty miles an hour for o regular
passenger train has never been at
tempted, except in one instance, and
that was wide seven foot gauge, in
England. Thispleased travellers very
much, and many even paid the large
extra charge for being shot along
over the ground at q rate so great as
to render the way stations of the ac-
comomdation trains almost invisible.
But the railroad company soon found
they hadpassed the practicable limit of
endurance of wood and iron. They
found that the ''ware and tear in
duced upon both road and rolling
stock by such excessive speed was be-
yond the endurance of finance, and
that high rate of speed was conse-
quently abandoned


There are but few trains running
on the best wide-gauge, straight
roads of England which average over
fifty miles an hour. The express
traffic is usually done at the rate of
from thirty-fve to forty miles, while
the ordinary travel is about twenty
two. Railroad travelin this country is
much slower, and necessarily SO in
consequence of the lack of solidity in
our roads and rolling stock. Our
'1ightning trains" scarcely reach, and
very seldom exceed thirty-fve miles
an hou-in fact our fast trains do
not average over thirty miles, while
general passenger traffic does not ex-
ceed an average of twenty. Freight
trains usually run about sixteen to
eighteen miles an hour.
Year: 1872

Old Parson S., of Connecticut,
was particular kind of person.
One day he had man plowing in his
field, and he went out to see how the
work was going on. The ground
was very stony, and every time the
plow struck q stone the man would
swear a little.


'Look here" cried Parson S., 'you
mustn't swear that way in my field.
"Wel, 1 reckon you'd swear too,
said the man, Hif you had to plow in
such stony field as this"


''Not bit of it" said the Parson;
'1et me show you"


So the Parson took hold of the
plow, but he soon had great trouble
with the stones. As stone after stone
caught the plow-share the Parson
CALCULATED:


"Well, I never saw the like"


And this he repeated every time O
stone stopped his onward way.
When he had plowed around once he
stopped and said to the man:


''There nowl You see I can ploN





without swearing"


'But I guess its pretty near as
bad to lie" said the man, ''and yor
told dozen O lies. Every time the
plow struck stone you said, 4 nev
er saw the Ike when the same thing
had happened the very minute
before"
Year: 1872

The voice of the people is the voice
of God, and the people have spoken
in such unmistakable terms as to
leave no doubt of the result of the
Presidential election in November
Had Pennsylvania elected Buckalew,
the Democratic candidate for Cover
nor, by small majority, the Repub-
leans could still have carried on the
Presidential fight with vigor and de
termination, because they were sup
posed to be divided in their own
councils On the policy of electing
Hartranft, the Republican nominee
for Governor. But the election of
the latter settles the Presidential
campaign conclusively. Republicans
accept the gauge, ':As goes Pennsyl
vania so goes the Union" and will
swell Hartranft's $4,000 majority to
at least $4,000 for Grant.
Year: 1872

But few days yet remain until the
Presidential election occurs, and
while we have no fear of the general
result, or entertain the least doubt
that Gen. Grant will be triumphantly
reelected, yet it is nevertheless not
well to sit idly by and rest secure in
the consciousness that victory is al
ready secured. The only danger, if
danger there be, rests in the fact that
Republicansmay become too apathetic
and allow the advantages that have
already accrued to them to pass away.
We may rest assured that our oppo-
nents are not sitting idle. They
feel that their cause is a desperate
one, and while they certainly can
have no hope of electing Greeley, yet
they viii move heaven and earth to
defeat, or, at least, reduce the maiori-
ties for Grant. Let us meet them
with their own weapons.
Year: 1872

Mr.. Greeley's Tribune is becoming
viciously Democratic. A day or two
ago it said: "No doubt, if it were
this day a question whether blacks
should OF should not be enfranchised,
good many would vote no; and
they would not be all Democrats
either" The surprise of the Tri-
bune's readers at seeing in its col
umns statement of this kind, must
be largely mixed with disgust at the
manner in which, to curry favor with
unreconstructed rebels, its chief turns
his back upon the honorable record ot
his lifetime's labor.
Year: 1872

Somebody having applied to an
editor for method by which he
might cure his daughter of her par
tiality for young gentlemen, is kindly
informed that there are several meth
ods of reform. The best are to put
her in well and drop few loads ot
gravel on her head, or to bind her
ankles to an anvil and upset her out
of boat.
Year: 1872

Why is a selfish friend like the letter Pr Because
though the first in pity, he is the last in help.


If Uncle Sambo were to buy a colored cotton dress
for his wife, Aunt Sally, why would it be like
street door? Because it would be intended for an
egress, "a negress.)


When does man have to keep his word? When
no one viii take it.


What does man see in the wild waves? Sea
foam.


If all the letters in the alphabet were to run race
which letter would be sure to be first in startng2-
The letter s.