THE O’NEILL FRONTIER D. H. CRONIN. Publisher. XNEILL, NEBT.A9KA -: ir — The University of Illinois has lately added a number of relics to Its Abra ham Lincoln collection. Among other treasures In the university’s possession Is an ox yoke made by Lincoln at New Salem. 111., In 1830. when he was 31 years old. It remained there until 1848, Just after Lincoln's return from his only term In congress. Then Lincoln and his brother-in-law, Clark M. Smith, visited New Salem together. While there the two attended, an auction sale of farm chattels, among which was the ox yoke. When the yoke was of fered for sale it was treated as a nov elty, because made by a congressman. Lincoln having acknowledged made the yoke, and Mr. Smith bid it off, saying "it was worth taking home for a sou venir because made by his brother-in law and a member of congress." London's original water supply was the River Thames and every apprentice was supplied with a water tankard for transporting the liquid to house. As early as 1479 there were "water thieves;" "for in this yere a wex chandler in Fleet street had hi craft per-ed a pipe of the condlt wlthynne Vhe ground and so conyeled the water to his sclar; whereJor he was Jugld to ide through the cltte with a condlt upon his hedde.” The first official wa ter supply for London was made in Germany. In 1582 Peter Maurice, a German, made an engine at London bridge by which water was conveyed In lead pipes to the citizens’ houses, and he and his descendants became rich on the proceeds. Joel Chandler Hfirrls has a horror of talking about himself. If an enterpris ing reporter undertakes to Interview the creator of "Uncle Remus” the lat ter will wheedle the young man outside to look at his roses, divert him In any way, but nothing will Induce him to tell just where he sat, hbw he felt, whether he had his coat on or off the day he wrote the the first of his stories. !lle Insists upon reserving his own life and the life of his home from the pub lic stare. -- Some friends living luxuriously in an elaborately appointed and well serv tanted menage suddenly became nffect ed with the vegetarian fad. One even ing when the dinner hour came their (Solemn and unhappy English butler, ;having seen that the malted wheat .flakes and shredded corn meal and the .graham sticks were on the Bideboard, came to the door of the drawing room land solemnly Bald: "Madame, 'it' is iServed.” At a recent conference held at the ministry of commerce, St. Petersburg, lit was decided that agricultural ma ichtnery required by peasant emigrants Ito Siberia and other portions of the {Russian empire would have to bo or dered abroad this year, as the Russian factories would be unable to deliver In time. Next year an attempt will be made to Introduce Russian machinery among the settlers. Near Ashcroft, In British Columbia, are a number of small lakes, whose shores and bottoms are covered with a crust containing borax and soda In such quantities and proportions that “when cut out It serves as a washing compound. The crust Is cut Into blocks and bandied In the same manner as Ice, and it Is estimated that one of the lakes contains 20,000 tons of this material. Notwithstanding the fact that she Is the daughter of the president, Mrs. Nloholas Longworth will be expected to make the first calls In Washington this year. The list of first calls for her to make will Include the wives of sen ators, cabinet members, supreme l court judges and representatives who are seniors of her husband. The campaign against child labor Is at last making Itself felt among the cotton mills of South Carolina. More than two-thirds of the spindles of the state have agreed to reduce the work- I Ing hours of employes from sixty-six to sixty-four hours a week, and to slxty-two hours in 1908 and sixty hours In 1910—wages to remain as now. In six Swiss colleges no fewer than 2,193 women are now studying. Tho majority of tho enrolled female stu dents are Russians. The women are most largely represented at Berne, where 486 are enrolled, almost all In the medical course. Lausanne has 399. Zurich 276 and Basle fourteen. The beautiful grounds surrounding the old homestead of Mrs. Augusta Evans Wilson, the author of "St. Elmo” and "Vashti," near Mobile, Alabama, are about to broken up into building lots and will become a part of Mobile. It was here she wrote most of her popular books. No doubt the Invention of wireless telegraphy was foreshadowed by a book of philosophy which appeared in 1617. This work mentions communica tion between two persons at different points by means of u loadstone and a needle placed upon a medal dial. , Airships a few of which have been comparatively successful, nre called a new Invention; but in 1679 a pamphlet was written by Francesco Lana ex pounding the theory of ships which would navigate the air as well as tho ,aea. The first forest reserve telephone put In by the federal government, will be a line of 100 miles, costing $5,000 In the Big Horn forest reserve in Wyoming. This is to secure 1 prompt help in fighting the timber 45 res. The four-day mail service between 6an Francisco and New York, has been discontinued, owing to the fact that the railroad companies have taken off the fast trains on which the mall was ■ent. Hereafter the time will be five days. The greatest lengths In miles of the great lakes in the United States are: Lake Superior, 390 miles: Lake Mlchi- : ran, 34 5 miles: Lake Huron, 270 miles; Lake Erie, 150 miles, and Lake On- i tarlo, 100 miles. Professor Bailey Willis holds that there Is conclusive evidence that the North American continent has been submerged four times and has five timts been elevated above the sea. Exports of American timber. lumber and furniture in tne nine months ended with September amounted In value to JCI.000,000. or $25,000,000 more than In tbe same nine months In 1S9G. At a mild red heat, good steel can he drawn out under the hammer to a tine point: at a bright red heat It will < rumble under the hammer, and at a unite heat It will fall to pieces. A Kansas editor expresses fear that If the family of Joseph Smith. of Utah, continues increasing ho will have to call out the militia every time hs 'wants to spank his chllcire | WORKED WHILE WAITING FOR PARDON THAT CAME ■ Ilf ,/ MRS. LENA M. LILLIE IN PRISON CELL. Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 7.—Mrs. Lena M. Lillie was photographed the day before Governor Mickey signed her pardon re leasing her from a term of life im prisonment in the penitentiary here, for the alleged murder of her husband in 1902 at David City, Neb. DENIES VALIDITY OF DIVORCE, WANTS LAND Woman Learns of Two Succes sors, But Will Not Ac knowledge Them. Des Moines, la., Jan. 9. -Denying the Validity of a divorce decree which her husband obtained from her in Nebraska without her knowledge, she says, in 1889, after which time it is claimed he was married to two different women, Mrs. Delia E. Johnson, who lives with her sister, Mrs. J. 1). Rule, is seeking to recover a one-third interest in 260 acres of land near Winterset, which Johnson purchased from one J. M. : Simpson in 1892. In that transaction Johnson claimed j he was unmarried. Mrs. Johnson as sorts that, if he was unmarried it was ! after obtaining a divorce from her, the 1 legality of which she denies. There- J fore she claims that the transfer of the land from Johnson to other parties was fraudulent as she did not. sign the deed. The records show that Johnson did obtain a decree of divorce by publica tion in the Nebraska courts, but that he gave notice by publication and named the woman Dell Johnson instead of Delia. After that time he i; alleged by the woman to have kept writing to h*er, addressing her as ids wife, and she says she did not know of this di vorce and of his two subsequent mar riages until years after, the decree was signed. Johnson was a wealthy stockman near Monroe, lie traveled about the country purchasing stock which he aft erwards sold in eastern and foreign markets. At one time he sold a ship ment of S00 mules to the Boers in South Africa and delivered the ship ment personally. WOMAN WHO WAS WHIST CHAMPION GIVES UP CARDS Des Moines, la., Jan. 9.—Declaring that the iniiuence of card playing is bad, Mrs. A. I!. Sims, national whist champion and holder of the champion ship loving cup, announces that site has given up tlie game and that playing cards are henceforth banished from iter home. The announcement was made in University Place Church of Christ before 1,500 persons. Mrs. Sims lias long been socially prominent in Dos Moines. Site lias been u devotee of cards, especially whist and bridge whist, anil for several years has been Identified with the national whist tournaments. Her renunciation of this form of amusement is the direct result, she says, of the Chapman meetings, especially Dr. Chapman's talk on amusements. Before that time. Mrs. Sims says, she had given the question no thought. Since then she had studied it. looked at it from every conceivable point of view, and her determination was made only after the.most careful thought. With the card rack goes the ball room and Mrs. Sims' entertaining will here after lie along less material lines; the national whist tournaments will lose one of their most prominent figures, anil the til - of champion of the United States is open. MID-WINTER LIGHTNING STARTS A BAD FIRE Marshalltown. Ia.. Jan .9.—Lightinlng this morning struck the large barn of Bryant a Keoppel, one mile west of St. Anthony. The structure burned to the ground within a half hour entail ing a loss of Sl'.OOO. Six head of cattle and two buses besides large quantities >f grain and farm machinery wore burned. GOVERNMENT CLOSES IN LAND FRAUD CASES Widow of an Iowa Soldier Gives Some Breezy Testimony at Omaha. Omaha, Neb. .Jan. 9.—The govern ment's testimony was finished yester day in the land fraud trial of A. R. and A. M. Modisett, H. C. Dale and William O. Smoot. The defense has not yet an swered whether any witnesses will be Introduced on that side or not, Mrs. Sarah M. Allen, of Defiance, la., a soldier's widow, told of filing on land at the request of A. R. Modisett, who paid her expenses. She said she after ward visited the claim and found on it a little building which looked to her like a playhouse. The Modisetts, she said, gave her a handful of peanuts and told her to go Into the house, eat her lunch, and thus comply with the law. "DM you intend to live on the land?" asked the government’s attorney. "Well. I should say not," was the reply. 1 would not give 35 cents for the whole shooting match. I would not spend Mur cents for Improvements on such stuff as that." "Why did you tile on it?" asked the attorney. "Well, they came to me with the Kin kaid law and a lie in their mouths and 1 needed the money." Mrs. Emma Copeland, of Lincoln, Neb., and Mrs. Mary A. Taylor, of Lyons, Neb., soldiers' widows, also tes tified to filing through the solicitation of the defendants. Leases were made In each, but there were no agreements to sell. Miss Anile T. Stewart, of Rushville, district clerk of Sheridan county, tes tified in regard to the filings made In her office to which she affixed her jurat. She received only the regular fees in all cases. NEBRASKA'S SPEAKER AT HOME RULE MEETING Omaha, Neb., Jan. 9.—Dan Nettleton, speaker of the Nebraska house of rep resentatives, will be asked to preside at the Irish home rule meeting1 which is to be held January 21 at Edward Creighton institute. This was decided at a session Sunday of the committee in charge of the meeting. Representa tives James Walsh and Mike Lee were appointed a committee to invite him. Mr. Nettleton is a native of County Tyrone. Ireland. —4— ANOTHER“UNLOADED” GUN KILLS A MAN Wuusa, Neb., Jan. 9.—Herbert T.ind Htrom. a single man who lias been farming in this community, met with his death Saturday afternoon, caused by the accidental discharge of a gun. He had been to town in the morning, where he had made final arrangements for the renting of a farm. He had just arrived home from town when he and a son of the farmer where I he was hoarding suggested that they take Ihe gun upstairs to clean. In do ing so the gun was accidentally dis charged, the contents entering the man's abdomen. They didn't know the gun was loaded. FIRE DESTROYS A GREAT NORTHERN WATER TANK P.elden, Neb.. Jan. 9.—Fire destroyed the Gr -at Nortnern Water tank here. The origin of the blaze is unknown. No other damage was done. NORTHWEST IOWA GETS NEW POSTMASTERS Washington, D. C., Jan. 9.—Iov'a postofiieo nominations made today art-; John Meyer. Alton; S. P. Chrysler, I.ako Park, and Simon J Mab*, iR. wood. J PARDONED WOMAN GOES TO HUSBAND'S MOTHER Mrs. Lillie Thanks Governor Mickey and Her Friends—Crowds Follow Her in Streets. Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 7.—Mrs. Lena, Lillie, pardoned yesterday from prison, spent last night there as the guest of the warden's wife. This morning she called upon Ex-Governor Mickey to personally thank him for her freedom. The remainder of the day she spent in shopping. She was followed by cur ious crowds. To reporters she said: "X want to thank my friends for their faith, their prayers and their love. Gov ernor Mickey did what he believes was right and just. The newspapers that criticise have nothing against me, per sonally, but they are taking the occa sion to even up with the governor on personal accounts. I go tonight to visit my husband's mother, Mrs. Lillie, at Bellwood. She has always believed in my innocence. She has always trusted purely to her womanly intuition and believed her mother heart instead of men’s logic.” She was convicted of killing her hus band. LAMBERT GETS YEAR FOR ASSAULTING PRIEST Dakota City, Neb., Jan. 7.—Judge ‘Graves at 3 o’clock this afternoon sen tenced Logan Lambert to one year in the penitentiary. lie was recently con victed of assault with intent to do. great bodily injury to Rev. Father Jo seph Schell. X RESPECTABLE CITIZENS X > STEAL COAL IN BLIZZARD. ♦ + + + Baynard, Neb., - Jan. 7.—When a 4 4 blizzard raged here New Year s day 4 4 and the people burned outbuildings 4 4 and fences to overcome the zero 4 4 temperature, a group of respectable + 4 but determined citizens boarded a + 4 westbound freight and unloaded ten 4 4 tons of coal. There was no violence, -f 4 '+ —— TO FOSTER AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS IN NEBRASKA Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 7.—Congressman E. M. Pollard Is in the city attending the inaugural ceremonies attendant up on the assumption by his cousin, George L. Sheldon, of the office of governor. Mr. Pollard has been a frequent call er at the agricultural department tit Washington and has a promise from the chief of the bureuu of plant industry that not only will the fruit spraying experiments begun last year be con tinued in the First district, but that other experiments in the line of cereal production will be conducted. The department is engaged in en deavoring to produce by means of breeding and selection corn that will in Itself be a balanced ration. With the corn now used it is necessary to give rough feed in order that protein and fatty mutter are absorbed in proper proportions. The new kind of corn will do away with all extra feeding. Another line of work the department is engaged in is in producing a kind of wheat and a kind of oats that will not pust. The success of these experiments means millions to the farmers of the country and the department is anxious to see if the proposed grains can be acclimated in this state. —t— OMAHA WANTS BOAT LINE ON MISSOURI RIVER Omaha, Neb., Jan. 7.—A public meet ing will be held this afternoon at the Commercial club to organize a company for the establishment of a boat and barge line on the Missouri river from Omaha to St. Louis. Members of the Commercial club and Omaha Grain ex change and all citizens interested are expected to be present. At a meeting Wednesday, after an address by Congressman Kennedy, Chairman Wilhelm appointed a com mittee to draft resolutions expressing the sentiments of Omaha's commercial bodies on the general proposition of $50,000 annual appropriation for rivers and harbors, and specifying what part of this amount ought to be spent an nually on the Missouri river. WILL NOT EMPLOY CLERKS UNTIL NEEDED Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 7.—The senate committee on employes does not pro pose to put applicants for positions on the pay roll until their services are needed. This was made manifest at the meeting of the committee when only those whose services w-ere needed at once were placed on the pay roll. The other employes will not be appointed until the competency of the applicants has been investigated and the state will thus be saved their salaries in the in terim. The committee has postponed the ap pointment of all clerks and assistant clerks and has only put on the pay roll three out of eight stenographers. No committee clerks were named. A bill clerk Wits selected with no assistance. John Davis, formerly of Paw-nee county, will be chief enrolling and en grossing clerk, and L. P. Corrick clerk of the committee of the whole. J. H. Cleaver has been appointed bookkeep er. Miss Harriet Bardwell will act as private secretary to the lieutenant gov ernor. while Clarence Hopewell will act as individual page to the same official. J. R. Manning was selected as door keeper and Harry Wilsey as messenger to the secretary. Samuel Rush and Harry Bradley were appointed floor Janitors, and W. A. Shottenkirk, mail carrier. L. Ashenfelter will serve as bill clerk, and J. Cole as page. Henry Resse will do duty as night watch and Rose Sweet man, Elva Douglas and Fay Gels as stenographers. Gibson was given the privilege of naming another stenographer and Thomas will appoint the custodian, j The other places will not be filled unti' j necessary. CALL “EXTRA,” FINED; NEWS NOT AS HERALDED Milwaukee, Jan, 7.—Judge Neelen of the district court established a precedent in Milwaukee when he fined two newsboys each $1 and costs for crying out “extra” which did not contain the r,ews heralded by them. • • • KILLED IN DUEL OVER WOMAN Paris. Jan. 7.—A real duel was fought i near Paris yesterday, regulation army revolvers being used. When the order to fire was given each combatant was allowed to fire twenty five cartridges. The principals were Lieutenant Spitzer and Lieutenant An drcal Six shots had been exchanged when Spitzer dropped his revolver and fell dead into the arms of his second. The fight was to avenge a woman, the • report being that Andreal's name was offensively coupled with that of a worn- I Pit relative of Spitzer. ] LASH FOR LOBBYISTS I AND THE RAILROADS — Nebraska House of Representa tives Puts Out Third House in First Round. SECONDED BY GOVERNOR | Sheldon Sends in Stirring Reform Mes sage in Which Corporation Are Warned—Many Progressive Recommendations. Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 5.—The house of representative last Thursday adopted a resolution barring lobbyists of all kinds from its precincts and instructing the sergeant at arms to use force in eject ing any that he catches inside. The | vote stood fifty-nine for U> twenty-eight I against. ' , I , The resolution recited that in past sessions the legislature had been af flicted with railroad lobbyists and lobbyists of other kinds, that it be the sense of the house that they be denied any privileges. The resolution was op posed on the ground that members were not of a kind that could be in fluenced by lobbyists. Governor’s Strong Inaugural. In simple, strong language Governor Sheldon in his inaugural defined to the legislature this afternoon what he con ceived to be necessary legislation. In part he said: "I sincerely believe that it will be for the best interests of the state that you give your immediate attention to the enactment of laws that will do away with professional lobbying, that will abolish the free pass nuisance and that will define the powers and duties of the railroad commission so that the com mission can get to work at once. There is great need in this state for a re duction of freight and passenger rates. People Are Awakened. ‘‘The people of Nebraska are to be congratulated upon the fact that they have become awakened and are deter mined to govern themselves. We have been elected to carry out a definite pro gram. It is to be hoped that the new deal will be a just one. Let us work together in harmony. Let us not for get to fulfill our promises and our pledges. I bear no malice toward any one, not even to the great corpora tions that have so strenuously opposed, and which probably will continue to op pose the establishment of common jus tice in this state. Their rights must be protected, but when they abuse their privileges as they have done in the past they must be held to strict account. must e»et uut ot Politics. ‘‘The welfare of our state demands that they must not be put out of bus iness but that they must be put out of Nebraska politics. "I realize fully that this reform movement is not a crusade against wealth, hut rather a movement against graft and greed and abuse of power. It has for Its object the establishment 'in this state from one end to the other, of government by the people and for the general welfare of the state. Legit imate Interests must be protected. Con spirators against the common good and violators of the law must be prosecuted. The law of the land must prevail. “I hop* and trust that I shall have the loyal support and the wise counsel of the good citizens of this state. With the light of their intelligence and with the wisdom that God may grant me I 'hope and ‘rust my administration may meet the expectation of the people of this state who have elected me." Other Recommendations. The governor’s other recommenda tions are: That appropriations be carefully pared so that the public debt be not increased; that a constitutional amendment be submitted permitting wide investment of permanent school fund; that the revenue law be amended so that all mortgages be taxed and per mitting deduction of debts from assets In making assessments; that congress be memorialized to deprive railroads from enjoining the collection of taxes in federal courts; that professional lobby is to be barred from legislative halls, and that the law prohibiting their employment be passed: that the rail road commission oe empowered to pro hibit rebates, fix rates and abolish dis criminations, and that railroads be de prived of the right to enjoin the en forcement of a rate made by the com mission pending an appeal to the state courts; that congress be memorialized to prevent the same appeal to federal courts from rates fixed within the state; that the law he amended so that the terminal property of railroads may be assessed locally. Railroads Must Pay Tax'es. The action of the railroads In not •paying their taxes is strongly com mented upon. The governor said that they have by their conduct proved they did not possess the quality of pa triotism. and that it is not strange that their conduct has aroused a patient people. He says there is no disposi tion to assess them unreasonably, hut that they must pay their just share of taxes. Retiring Governor For Reform. In his farewell address to the Ne braska legislature today. Governor Mickey pronounced himself as in favor of redeeming the platform pledges of the republican party by the enactment of laws prohibiting the issuance of free passes, substituting the direct primary for the convention method of making party nominations, legislation enabling the newly-created railway commis sion to stop all abuses, lower rates and abolish discriminations, for laws that will supplement the national pure food enactment, and for amendments to the revenue law that will provide a bet ter basis for taxation assessments, pure food law and anti-lobby legisla- ! tion. Other recommendations are; That legislation that will' reduce freight rates and operate against dis- i criminations and which will clothe with ample power the newly-created railway commission should be en acted. Advises the legislature make all appropriations specific, so that they cannot be juggled with as in instances cited. Asserts that governor should have absolute power to remove institutional heads and that his action shall not he subject to review by any court or board. Declares the free pass to be an un just discrimination and subversive of the public weal, and recommends law with a penalty for both the party is suing it and soliciting it. Believes that party platform pledge on the direct primary be redeemed, and insists that a majority and not a plu rality should nominate. Right to Refuse County Attorneys. Ask for laws giving ‘the governor power to remove county attorneys who neglect or refuse to perform their duty, and that shipments of liquor to dry towns be prohibited. Declares the parole law to be wise and beneficial, and defends his pardon, record in vigorous terms. He says that if the law’s are too liberal they ought to limit pardoning power. Suggests that in view of the import ant legislation coming before the pres ent session all bills on these subjects should be formulated and introduced by a joint committee of both houses. Advises that the state ought to en act legislation that will prevent courts from setting aside just decisions for mere technical errors in pleadings, in structions and evidence. Recommends submission of constitu tional amendment creating a supremo court of five judges, to be Increased to seven in the discretion of the legisla ture. Recommends an adequate law prohib iting the employment of child labor. Suggests that passenger rates be re duced to 2% cents a mile, with 1,000 mile books at 2 cents fiat. GOV. WARMER*WARS ON THE LOBBYIST Lansing, Mich., Jan. 5.—While large ly devoted to state affairs, the second message of Governor Warner to the Michigan legislature, read this after noon, discusses several matters of na tional interest and importance. Ho recommends the appointment of a legis lative committee to investigate "the freight car shortage question, in co operation with the Interstate Com merce commission; recommends plac ing electric lines under the supervision of the state railroad commissioners; urges the elimination of the profession al lobbyist; wants an amendment to the laws fixing three cents a mile as I the passenger tare on roads in the up per peninsula, and two cents in the low'er peninsula, except in the case of a few Independent lines earning less than $1,000 per mile; recommends placing private banks under state su pervision and inspection; recommends the erection of a binder twine manufac turing plant in the prison at Jackson; indorses the indeterminate sentences law for convicts, and recommends that the requirements of the Michigan pure food law bo made to conform to the na tional pure food law so far as practi cable. FOLK WANTS LOBBYING TO BE MADE A CRIME Jefferson City, Mo., Jan. 5.—Governor Folk in his message to the legislature today recommended a number of acts relating to life insurance companies, among others a standard policy for all companies. He recommended the enactment of a law making it a crime for anyone for compensation to lobby with members of the legislature. The railroads, he said, should be re quired to carry passengers within the state for 2 cents a mile. There should be a state primary law for the nomi nation of all elective officers, including United States senators. The governor invited consideration of the propriety and advisability of the adoption of a resolution making appli cation to congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to the fed eral constitution, particularly with ref erences to the election of senators by a direct vote of the people, the estab lishment of an initiative and referen dum and for an income tax. policeprefecTslain IN ST. PETERSBURG St. Petersburg, Jan. 5. — Major General Von Der Launitz, prefect of police, of St. Petersburg, was shot and killed by a young man in the institute of Experimental medicine, this after noon. Von der Launitz, at the invitation of Prince Peter Alexandrovitch, was at tending consecration in the Institute chapel. During the services, and while mingling with several high officials, the prefect was approached from behind by tlie young man who drew a revolver anil shot him in the base of the brain. Von der Launitz died in two minutes. As the assassin turned to flee one of the offi cers present drew a sabre, cut him down and killed him. The identity of the assassin has not been established. TUNNEL DUG UNDER 2 RULES OF LABOR HOURS Helena, Mont., Jan. 5.—A novel situ ation arises in connection with the building of the Milwaukee road to the coast. The new transcontinental line goes from Montana into Idaho by means of a tunnel. An eight-hour law has been passed in Montana, but none exists in Idaho. In consequence, the men working on the Montana side are required to work only eight hour shifts, while those on the Idaho side are working ten hours. The men on the Montana side are paid $3.50 a day, while those on the Idaho side receive $3 for ten hours’ work. FIRST YEAR IN FIFTY WITHOUT AN EXECUTION New York. Jar.. 6.—In the criminal history of New York the year 1906 broke the record of nearly a half cen tury, in that no execution occurred in Sing Sing prison. There are eight men under sentence of death in the prison, but each has received a stay on appeal. The records show that the time from , which a murderer receives sentence until the law's decree is carried out lias gradually grown lunger. In the beginning of Sing Sing’s history only a few months elapsed, and now years pass before every legal method has been exhausted by condemned men. RESCUED MINER A FAILURE ON STAGE Los Angeles, Cal., Jan. 5.—L. H. Hicks, who for more than two weeks was buried in a tunnel of the Edison Electric company on Kern river, and whose rescue attracted the world's at tention, made his debut on the stage, and a sorry spectacle ho was. Such was his stage fright that it was pitiable to see his terror. Hicks’ show had been extensively nd- , vcrtised. Hicks had been coached thoroughly and had committed to mem ory the story of his amazing escape from death, and his backers supposed liis story would make a liit. At the last minute Hicks balked. Ho refused to go on the stage at all. and declared that he didn't care what his manager lost. He finally consented to take a seat in tlie front row and an swer such questions as were put to him. KING OSCAR I !Vi PROVED. Stockholm, Jan. 5.—A bulletin from, the chamber of King Oscar today an nounces improvement.