Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1895)
t rasj Tales of the Pineries. iL A LTNCTI1NG IN MOSINEE. ICopyrlcht 1894, by Dnchcllcr, Johnson &Hach ollor.l Thu DImblobnts wero defeated, tho Itipupnglns wore victorious, inul Mosi noe, like countless other towns that night, was in an uproar of jubilation buch as had not been seen since tho celebration of the great Dimblebat vic tory of 1S8-, after successive defeats for a quarter of a century. Every saloon yawned like a orator nnd uttered noises like the mouth of hull. Laughter was loud, and now nnd then the shrill convulsive whoop of a drunken lumberman rose above the cltunor, the trample, the clatter of passing teams and the braying of tin horns. All tho countv was in Mosinec. The IHpupugins had assembled for tho parade, and tho Dimblebats were there to look on and jeer. It was the day after the presidential election. New York had been carried, and that set tled it. The parade was hurried for waid at once, and preparations for speeches and bonllrcs went forward simultaneously. Very little business was doing. All trade, all talk was of the election and its results. Dan Clark, the sherilf (and a Dimblc "bat), was not depressed. As he sat at supper with his wife, in the county jail, that night, he said, prophetically: "Just you woit, Annie. They're goin' to passu high tariff bill, and then you'll hear sumthin' drop. Tho people won't stand it." Mrs. Clark was a small woman with a round firm face and piercing blue eyes, with little outward indication of the courage she was known to possess. "Are you goin' out ugain to-night?" Bho asked. "Yes, I'm a little afraid of trouble. The town is full of hands from tho mills and camps, and the saloons are ul) open. Why? Want 'o go down aud tsee the parade?" ! "No; but somethin' is going on in there.'' Sho nodded her head toward tho prison purt. of the house. , "So? What makes you think so?!' "Well, they've been pretty lively in there singin a good d"ul, and I've caught Jack and Shorty talkin' to each other suspiciously." "Conomul 'em! What do they take on to-night for? Well, I won't be gone long. I'll look in, before going down."' As they ato their supper, tho far-ou? clanging of the prisoners' voices could be heard as they sang in their cells. Tt was u wild sound, but Mrs. Clark was tised to it, and paid attention to it only s one might study tho moan of the "you'm: tiik man i'vi: iikkx lookixo FOll." wind as a sign of tho weather. She was almost as renowned as Dan; for once, alone, sho hod quelled a mur derous row, and at the point of a re volver had driven six escaping convicts "back into their cells. Like many county jails in tho west, tho building was divided into dwelling and prisou by a heavy wall cutting the building through the middle. A heavy door opened from tho hall of tho dwelling into a main corridor running at right angles to tho wall of tho house. This main corridor was in turn separated from the corridor before the cells by a heavy iron grating. Thero were tw etories of cells, and during tho day tho prisoners had tho run of the entire prison proper. The change from Mrs. Clark's pleas lint dining-room, to this prison, was as sudden as it was gruesome. A dim light at noonday, a sepulchral light at night, a cold clammy place at all hours; badly ventilated, having that indefina ble, sickening odor which becomes an intolerable horror to the sensitive prisoner; and, worst of all, nothing for tho convicts to do. Their quarters were clean, in a way, food abundant enough, but no employment. -Modern civilization is slow in ilnding its woy into u county jail and almshouse. In such an atmosphere guilty men (not to mention possible innocent cases), grow sullen, morbid, bitter, even insane, and o back into the open sunlight educated "i. IbLJ- -i BY HAMLIN GARLAND.. to crimes. If such prisons were onco excusable, they are so no longer. As Clark rose to go Into tho jail ho could hear the song beginning again. He listened a little, critically. "They're all right. A little excited, that's nil. They hoar tho noise outside, and it stirs 'em up." lie appeared to bo speaking of a den of leopards. As ho opened tho door, the song burst through, hollow, reverberating, thrill ingly wild: " Light In tho dnrknoss, sailor, Day Is nt humi:" These were the words, but the singers managed to give them the ferocity and abandon of a robber's glee in a resound ing cove. Each man stood at tho door of Ills cell, his face to tho little grated window; thus each cell was a voice, and tho iron walls vibrated like a violin. As tho door opened, some one gave a piercing whistle and instantly all fell silent. "Hello, boys, what's the row?" "Our evening hymn, Dan," said a voice from the open tier of cells. "Well, don't s.iy y'r prayers in that samo key. Want the latest?" "Yes, yes. Let's have it," shouted a half-dozen voices. "Tho ltips aro In it. Now York goes " Some of tho fellows cneorcn, otnera doubted. "Is it settled?" "Well, yes. New York Herald con cedes tho victory." "Well, that settles It." "What's goin on in town to-night?" usked one voice eagerly, wistfully. "Parade," said Dan. "Now no more questions and don't mako any more noise than is necessary." "They're all right' he reported to his wife. "Hut I'll come back early. Keep your ear to the tube, and If you hear anything suspicious, send Julia down to Jim's." When ho got out into the street ho found everybody else there, and tho procession was nearly formed. Torches were Hying here and there, the band master was bugling the "fall in," and tho main street roared with voices, in song, in whoop, and in jest. The electric lights sputtered, dying almost out at times, to the derisive groans of the crowd. They had but lately been put up, and every evidence of failure was hailed with joy by some, and with dismay by others. Just behind the band Capt. Frank WPloy, tho master of ceremonies, had dismounted, nnd was arranging tho boys' brigade, which was to lead. Willoy was a cashier in tho bank, and no of tho finest men of the town, an almost universal favorite. Handsome, in his slouch hat, gold-braided coat, and his graceful dark red sash, ho was a great figure in the eyes of tho boys, who held their llaring torches aloft with tho gesture of veterans. The crowd around the band was so thick it forced the passers by into tho gutter, nnd tho captain was saying, as the band struck up: "Spread out, gentlemen. Don't crowd peoplo onto the boys. All ready!" A figure reeled off the sidewalk, toward tho captain, with a revolver in his hand. "Damn you, you're tho man I've been looking for," ho said, as he fired. The captain stiffened in his tracks, waveied a moment and fell. "Take that.'" snarled tho murderer again, as he fired a last shot and Hung the revolver at the captain's face then turned and walked away. The unexpected finds men powerless to stir, and the fifty men who saw it stood appalled, unable to cry out or move till tho man had passed on into the crowds farther up the street. Then a wild cry arose. ".Murder1" "Man killed!" "Stop 'im don't lot him escape!" The hoarse cry of murder reached Sheriff Clark, who was some distance down the street, talking with tho city marshal. "Trouble, Joe, como on!" cried Dan. They rushed toward the sound of tho cries. There was a struggling mass of men just ahead of tho bund. Curses, wild cries und commands came from tho group. Another smaller, silent swarm was concentrated around some thing on the ground across the street. Clark and the marshal rushed into the struggling mass. Some one yelled: "The sheriff! Stand off!" and the crowd gave way before Dan's furious strokes as he fought his way toward the center. "Kill him! Smash Mini" yelled voices hoarse with passion. "tilvo Mm to me!" shouted Dan. As ho laid hands on the wild-eyed, pallid, struggling wretch, foam was on his lips, his teeth wero clenched, his face was bloody, his neck baro. Ho had been knocked down and trampled upon by tho mob. He clung to Dan in stinctively, but remained perfectly silent. "Get out o' tho wuyl" yelled tho marshal. "We'll take caro o' him. What's the matter?" "lie's shot Willoy." A wild clamor of voices burst out to gether: "1 saw himl" "Kill the hellion 1 Lynch Mm!" "Clear the track!" commanded Dan. "I'll take care of him. Marshal, you look after Wlllev. Clear the way, there!" He rushed tho panting assassin through the crowd or rather along with the crowd toward the jail, which was only a short distance away. Tho prisoner made no resistance, and said nothing. Ho appeared dazed. As tho sheriff got a llttlo in advance, tho crowd thinned, and he hurried his pris oner faster. Tho curious, furious throng was divided; part remained to see what became of tho murdered man, the more careless and more youthful ran along beside Dan as they had often followed a circus. Everybody thought tho case exaggerated, for few had heard the shot in tho tumult. They followed, however, up to tho very door, and thero were several voices crying: "Lynch the cowardly son of a dog!" "Keep your hands ofT," said Dan, in a significant tone, as he waited for tho door to open. "Tho law Ml look out for this feller. Don't worry." "Thu law yes. Some damn tricky lawyer Ml git him off with ton years, just like the " Tho speaker's words wero lost in tho mutter of assent which rose. When the door swung close behind them, Dan turned and looked at his prisoner. "What is it, Dan?" asked Annie. Tho prisoners now were perfectly silent, hoping to hear about the arrest. "O, a little row," Dan said, careless ly. "Come in hero, young feller." Tho man was dressed like a lumber man, in a gay "Mackinaw" jacket, with trousers of the same material, and red stockings of felt which came nearly to his knees, lie was a lithe and power ful man, with a sullen face, now that tho look of mortal fear was passing from it. Ho was dazed and breathless, nnd mndo no resistance as Han thrust him into n lower cell. "What's up. Dan?" asked the convict. "Some drunks lighting," Urn replied, in a tone that silenced further Inquiry, though they knew a drunk would not bo brought to the county jail. He tried all the doors of tho cells to see that they were secure, then joined his wife. "I'm going down the street again. They need me. There's five thousand men out there, half of 'em full of whisky, and Joe can't handle 'em alone." F've hundred men within a minute passed tho word down the street: "Frank Willey's shot!" All order disappeared. The parade broke into a disordered mass, hastening toward tho band. Tho boys' brigade, the center of tho mnss, illumined with their llaring torches the wash and rest less surge of humanity. From every direction streams of men debouched into tho main street like a spring overflow. Women and children lined tho sidewalks. "Who done it?" shouted furious voices. "Some damn Dimblebat, of course." "Where is ho?" "Clark run Mm into the jail." "Where's Willey? Is he livin'?" "Yes. He's in tho drug store." Then a sort of silence fell on tho crowd. They stood in dense groups surrounding some eyewitness of tho shooting. From time to time news emanated from the drug store. "He's bad. They've sent for his wife." Then the talk would go back to the prisoner. "What in God's heavens any man has against Frank Willoy ' don't see." A carriage drove up through the crowd with a white-faced woman in it. M'he moaning hystericul sobs wont to the heart like tho thrust of a jagged knife. They stood aside in awe of her grief as sho was hurried into tho btore by two men. "My Cod! Just think what's on her" was tho universal comment of tho crowd surged against tho door. "Stand buck there! Don't crowd " M'hero came a piercing shriek that made every man shiver as if an icy blast hud blown on his naked heart. Then the word came out and wus Hung from lip to lip. "Ho'sdead!" "What? No!" "Willey's dcadl He didn't know her." Few questioned it, coming after tho wife's cry. Men stood staring into ooeh others' faces and swearing great oaths, helplessly. "Frank Willey dead!" sobbed one great bearded follow, his voice high and broken. "Why, my Cod, gentlq mon, ho stood right here ton minutes ago I had my hand on his shoulder." Nobody laughed at his crying there wero too many with tears on their cheeks. Everybody knew tho captain; everybody had felt the pressure of his hund. Some had been his comrades in the war. Some of tho young follows wero In the militia which ho com mandedall loved him. MMio street grow darker as tho torches went out. Tho crowd again broke Into knots. "Ho ought to hang to morrow morning," was a remark made hero and thero. "We ought to 'a' lynched him when we had him." Mrs. Willey, in that utter despair which is like the surrender of life, was carried out to the hock and taken away. The men silently looked on, Hut as the carriage disappeared up tho street, a crowd of men came out of a saloon, and thero arose a strident, overtopping, ferocious voice in a far reaching howl. "Every man that's got airy sand, fol ler me." "Where to?" "To tho jail to hang that" Scores of voices replying cut off his terrible oaths. "That's right, Tho jail. Smash it in!" "Come on, you cowards!" Like u mass of logs let loose In n swift current, the "pack" of men be gan to move down the street toward the jail. As they moved they gathered strength. Each man seeing his neigh bor moving moved with less fear. A sort of inhuman joy and elation oumo into their souls; many of them felt like singing as they marched. Dan and Annie wero standing on tho steps of tho jail, listening. "M'horo's no tolling what they'll do," ho was saying as ho heard some of tho wild voices. They heard a new sound a chorus of savage shouts. The trample of feet grew plainer and more rapid, boating tho frozen ground and the hollow sidewalk till an ominous roar arose. "They're comln', Dan." Annie turned her resolute face to her husband. "They're after him." "They won't get Mm. I won't open up Listen to that, will ye?" TO III! CONTINUKll. ORDER OF THE GARTER. Its Alleged llnllroom Origin n I'leco of Logrmliiry Itoiiinnco. The origin of tho order of tho Golden Fleece Is, like that of our own (farter, shrouded in mystery, says tho London Telegraph. Very few modern archae ologists attach any credence to tho Milgar tradition, wholly unsupported by any authority, that, at u court ball given by Edward III. a lady, supposed xo be the countess of Salisbury, dropped her garter, and tho king, taking it up, and observing some of his courtiers to smile, as though they thought he had not obtained this favor merely by acci dent, exclaimed in a loud voice: "Honl soit qui mill y pense." Th"-o is another opinion which traces tho origin of this order, which, according to tho learned Solden, "ex ceeds in majesty, honor and fame all tho chivalrous orders of tho world," to Hichard Coeur do Lion having, upon the occasion of some warlike expedi tion during his wars in l'alestino, chosen a leather-thonged garter as the distinctive mark of his partisans. Yet another theory ascribes the foun dation of tho order to the fact that Ed ward, at the battle of Creey, issued his garter as a signal for battle, which, proving successful, determined him to institute tho order in memory of tho event. IJoth those opinions nro to a certain extent feasible, and tho first Is mate rially fortified by the well-known his toric fact that, when the Crusaders cap tured St. Jean d'Acro In a nocturnal assault, tho knights of tho Christian army were ordered to wear a strap of white leather bound round tho leg under tho left knee in order to distin guish thorn from the infidels. Mines of Wood. A curious source of wealth Is report ed by the French consul at Mongtze, in upper M'onquin. It lies in wood mines. The wood originally was a pine forest, which tho earth swallowed In some cataclysm. Some of tho trees are a yard in diameter. They lie in n slant ing direction, and in sandy soils which cover them to a depth of about eight yards. As the top branches aro well preserved, it is thought the geological convulsion which buried them cannot be- of great antiquity. M'he wood fur nished by these timber mines is imper ishable, and the Chinese gladly buy it for collins. Along the coast regions of some parts of New Jersey thero aro trunks of cypress trees, deeply buried in the sand, the recovery of which forms a valuable Industry, tho timber being used for making shingles. .Strength of i Orlolf Arch. The strength of a brick arch having a span of fit iVet IK inches and a rise of 1 foot 11 inches was recently tested at lleaue, France, with a view to deter mine the suitability of such a construc tion for a service reservoir now being built there. The bricks measured 11. 8x.1.1xl. 2 inches, and were laid flat, with a joint of cement mortar 0. 1-inch thick between them and an 8-10-lnch layer of mortar outside. A section 3 feet wide was built on rock abutments and loaded with 820 pounds per square foot, which load was carried without tiny signs of failure for oiirhtoon hours. Tho Li-Mem Ho I) row. "It's no use," sho said dejectedly, "I've simply got to suffer." "What's the matter?" "Young Mr. Slogo called last night. I endured his society patiently uuvil in self-defense I was forced to remark: 'Ueally, Mr. Slogo, I'm very much afraid it's getting late.' " "And what did he do then?" "He simply smiled and said that women aro naturally timid." Wash ington Star. i Cm:oiaiha was a Greek, not an Egyptian, and it is supposed by somo that sho was of tho red-haired type of women, whom tho Greeks admired ex cessively. A II UNO A in an Inventor claims to bo able to mako from wood pulp a Ifabrlo suitable for durable clothing, FAVORING SILVER. Tlio Tnuniiilnlnl(l C'linurrm lton It Work rrco Silver Itrftoliitlon Adopted. O.M.MIA, Nob., Nov. 29. -After flvo hours' discussion of tho financial Issues the Trausmississlppi commercial con gross yesterday declarod for tho free and unlimited coinage of silver, Hi to 1 basis, and adjourned at it o'clock. M'he vote was fiO for gold, 127 for sliver. W.J. Hryim led the friends of tho white metal, and J. L. Webster, of Omaha, tho opposition. M'he debate was spir ited and participated in by most of tho delegates. This resolution was finally adopted: Wliorcns. An apprcolutliiR money Rtmnlnnl Impairs nil uuntniots, bankrupts enterprises, innkes lillo money prolltublo by Incruaslin; 111 purchasing power mid suspends productive forces of our people: und Wliorens, Tlio spoliation eonseiiuont upon tho outlawry of sllor In tho Interest of tho creditor class by constantly Increasing tho valuo of cold, Is undonnlnltiK all Industrial so ciety; thoruforo Kcsolvud, That wo demand tho Immediate restoration of frco nnd unlimited coinage of KOlil and silver at the present ratio of Itl to I, without waiting for tho nld oreonsont of any other nation, mmli nold and silver coin to bo ullko a full local tuudor of all debts, public und private. Mr. Webster, on behalf of tho minor ity of tho committee, presented tho following: Unsolved. That wo nro In favor of true bi metallism, which consists In tho largest pos sible uso of both gold and stiver ns tho stand ard money of tho country compatible with tho power of tho nation to maintain tho caual 'purchasing and dobt-paylnt; power of tho two mutals that wo nro emphatically opposed to tho frco aud unlimited coIiiiiko of silver at tho ratio of HI to 1, under present ex isting conditions: that such coinage would destroy tho parity botwoun tho two metals; that the silver would drive tho koUI out of circulation, and thus destroy bimetal lism ami produce silver monometallism, that wo bollovo this lonif continued iiKltatlou of tho silver question has had much to do with tho present lluanulal depression, producing want of conlldence, threatening tho stability und permanency of prices, and Is a constant men ace to tho national credit, oxcttlm; apprehen sions abroad aud uncertainty nt homo. President llryau asked unanimous consent to introduce tho following me morial on behalf of tho Nebraska dele gation: Whereas, Wo bollovo that an exposition of nil tho products. Industries and civilization of tho states west of tho Mississippi rlvor, mndo nt somo central uatowav, whoro tho world can behold tho wonderful capabilities of tliosu ureal wealth-producing states, would bo of iirciit value, not only to tho trausmississlppi states, but to all tho bomcseuker.s In tho world; therefore, bo It Itesolvcd, That tho United States congress bo asked to tnko such stops as may bo neces sary to hold u trausmississlppi exposition In Omaha diirlnu tho months of August, Septem ber and October, In tho year IH'.'H, and that rep resoutatlves of such states and territories In conurcss bo requested to favor such an Appro priation, as Is usual In such casus, to assist In carrying out this enterprise. Resolutions wore also adopted in fa vor of a congressional appropriation for defending the harbor of San Diego by war vessels and fortifications; for tho improvement of waterways, and for a deep water harbor at San I'odro. A long resolution urging tho various state governments to take legislative action relative to irrigation was sub mitted and passed. Salt Lake was selected as tho next placo of mooting and the body adjourned permanently at 0 o'clock. ON THE GRIDIRON. ICohiiU of IntoriMtluir I'ootball (IniiicH riuyiid on riiiinkHKlvIni; Day Kant mid WlMt. At Kansas City, Mo., in tho presence of 10,000 spectators, every one of whom was an intense partisan of one side or tho other, tho Missouri M'igers met and defeated the Kansas Jayhawkors. M'he score was 10 to tl. M'he game was so close that the result was in doubt up to the moment time was called with the ball but a few yards from tho Mis souri goal. It is the second game Mis souri lias won from Kansas in five years. At Omaha, Neb., Nebraska university defeated Iowa university, (1 to 0, Iowa thus finishing tho season without scor ing in the inter-collegiate series. At Chicago two interesting games wero played. M'ho contest between the Chicago Athletic association and lios ton Athletic association resulted in u tie, 1 to !. M'ho Chicago university eleven was shut out by Ann Arbor, tho score standing 12 to 0. At Philadelphia tho university of Pennsylvania won from Cornell by u bcoro of Vi to 2. I'niilo nt n Fnlr. Woostkii, O., Nov. 29. During the progress of a church fair hero an im mouse crowd was packed into tho city armory, when a lamp in one of the booths exploded, setting fire to the draperies of Miss Myrtlo Elsor, an at tendant. A rush for thu single exit, in which dozens of women and children wero trampled, occurred. Fully 100 persons jumped or wero thrown from thu windows, many being badly cut by glass. Mrs. Carrie McKee, of Jeffer son, was thrown through a window, sustaining injuries which will likely prove fatal. Jeunio Putnam, a 10-ycar-old cripple, could not help herself and received internal injuries which will cause her death. Mrs. Mllford Snyder and Miss Sharp wero trampled by the crowd. Many others wore more or less injured. l'nnfllou A;oiit (illolc Iiitlurnnd. M'oit.ka, Kan., Nov. 27. Pension Agent Click's refusal to take from tho post oilico vouchers on which postaga was not wholly prepaid, lias called out a letter from United States Pension Commissioner Lochron. Mr. Loohren thinks Mr. Click's stand is a good one, and has ordered every pension ugont to take thu samo position.