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THE MVbRlUINS3333
S5S5SSSS BANK MYSTERY d
tMJglSi
come judge to ask if youll let
IVE tell you what no one on earth
dont know but me bout that bank
mystery
Tes thank you I will sit down A
fire feels good on a night like this
Taint often such as I have a chance
at this kind of comfort and luxury
What do I know about the bank mys
tery Land sakes judge time they
opened the bank that day ten years ago
and found the bank vault broke into
and the safe blowed up and not a dol
lar gone I could have told it all The
people of Tiverton aint done talking
and wondering bout it yet and there
aint never been no one livin as could
tell what it all meant but me
I brought some papers here they
are judge where its all written down
and I can swear to it if you like I
dont want them never used though
unless I die and something comes up
as would make it best for my family to
know though theres this in it Id rath
er die than have em know If its all
the same to you judge Id like to tell it
to you Seems like Id get rid of a load
and would be happier and die easier
f eelin Id spoken it all out to one livin
human
Youll be glad to listen Thats good
of you I knowed you was a kind man
and a just one thats why I come to
you No thank you I dont smoke 1
put all that money away for my wife
and children
Do you hear that storm Outside
seems like all the evil powers was let
loose You cant judge bout it here It
comes kind of muffled like through
those thick curtains and it dont shake
this great house like it does some
Its this kind of night that makes
men together tiGge aT1 plan
how to get rich and have fine things
such as the likes of you Ive been
through it all I know Ive felt as if I
had as good a right to em as anyone
and I was bound to have em too I
warnt brought up to no trade nor noth 1
in and fair means seeniin to fail I
took to the other
Yes judge I started out in life a thief
and a robber I prospered fairly in a
small way and no one didnt catch up
with me for some time Then I joined
a gang in for everything Lord but it
was fascinating It was like drink I
couldnt give it up and I couldnt get
enough of it I was in prison and out
then the old story till I married and
begun to have little ones
Then Lord knows what helped me
something did and for the sake of my
wife and children I broke loose from
everything and came here where no
one didnt know me to start over again
I had some money and opened the res
taurant just opposite the bank
Long as I didnt read the papers I
got on well but let me see them and
Id hunt through em for the robberies
and Id be crazy plumb crazy for a
while aching to be in it all again See
in bout my old pals gettin in trouble
didnt make no difference
Time come though when I begun to
njoy life differently and to feel my
self more respectable The love for
the old life begun ter go till I could
read about it without gettin all fired
up I thought then I was all right
Then they come here part of the gang
Id belonged to First I knowed of it
was seein em in the restaurant I
spicloned they warnt here for no good
and it most took my breath away They
knowed me quick enough too and
nothin wouldnt do but I must join em
I was the very man they wanted I
could help em and I was bound to em
Twas the biggest thing theyd under
taken yet the bank Theyd come on
to examine the situation knowing
that Mr Durkee the new mill owner
would make a big payment soon and
the money for it would be in the bank
liere If there werent anything else
that would be a big haul worth bavin
and me bein here decided em
I do think the devil brought all his
friends and relations with him that
night to tempt me I forgot how to
sleep and just couldnt stay in bed I
wonder I warnt in tatters by mornin
-with the devil tuggin at me as he did
and tryin to keep me out of the room
where my sleepin children lay
Lord it makes me creep and perspire
all over now to think of it
Yer see them bank people come over
to my place for lunch best part of the
time and they all knowed my little
-people and the mill people knowed em
too My oldest boy worked in the mill
and theyd been as kind as could be
when hes sick Christmas time theys
good to him too and there warnt a
bank officer but what had reiueinbored
my little people even to the watchman
Seemed like robbing my own people
mmi mury yKfy
somehow Is bound not to inform on
the gang and theys bound ter rob ther
bank but I cursed em in my heart for
comin just when I was gettin rid of
the old life for good and all Twas
awful
Well judge you know how them
rooms over the bank was rented to start
a new daily paper I made em swear
solemn as my name warnt to appear
nowhere Id plan it all out and give
em points and be on hand at the last
but I had to be cautious
They found out when the money was
to be paid and greed on the night be
fore for the robbery I hadall mapped
out for em where and how they were
to loosen up the boards of the floor in
their room above so we could break
through and lower ourselves into the
vault when the time came Then you
see wed only have the safe to get into
and the great iron door between us and
the watchman
Everything was ready and we was
pretty sure the money was paid
Do you hear that storm now judge
Twas like that ten years ago to night
dark as Egypt with the rain and wind
a perfect hurricane a terrible night
the kind of night for any sort of crime
The men chuckled to themselves Twas
a fortune sure this time and theyd all
be on the way to comfort and safety be
fore day I aint never seen em so ex
cited Nothin hadnt gone wrong and
nothin couldnt now
We had sentinels stationed round to
give the alarm but there wasnt much
danger on a night like that
We had planned so as to have the
door of the safe ready to blow open
when the watchman went down cellar
to see to his fires 1 knowed time of
night he did so seein him often from
my house across the way through the
window of the bank but to make sure
we stationed a man where he could give
the signal at the proper time With
the watchman downstairs and we shut
in that vault with solid masonry below
us twarnt in the range of possibilities
for no human to hear us
Twas planned that when we broke
through the ceiling me and one of the
others was to go down first with the
lanterns and tools and get the door
ready for Jim Groogan the leader of
the gang to come down and use the
dynamite and be on hand to take out
the money
Lord but it was just the night for
such a piece of work and after I had
examined to see if all was safe know
ing the dangers better than the others
we broke through the floor and lowered
the ladder and there we was right in
the vault Twas well for me Id hit it
right for my life warnt worth much
if any o my plannin failed to work
Tom Doolan in a hurry went down
first and when I was half way down
he started back saying in a hoarse kind
of whisper
Who called me
No one you fool said Jim
Then he said and he ran past me
on the ledder someone is down there
Twict I heard someone say Go back
go back
Well gag him said Jim and me
and him went down tnd turned our
lanterns round lookin everywhere but
there warnt no one there
Whats the matter with the fool
growled Jim and went back and tried
to send him down again but he just
wouldnt go so Jim cursed him and
come himself and he and me begun
to get the safe door ready to blow up
Thats a thing that takes time and
care judge but we went at it with a
will and never a word It was so still
you could almost hear your heart beat
when all of a sudden came a smothered
cry loud and clear like a womans
We stopped work and looked at each
other Jims face white and scared
Lord what was that he said
I often hears em on the street like
that I said
That warnt on the street it sounded
close by said Jim We couldnt hear
nothin outside in this place
Nonsense I said dont you make
a fool of yourself too and spoil if and
I went to work again
I could see his hand trembled for a
while and then got steady again
That must have come through the
room upstairs he said presently
Queer though it sounded so close
Then we worked on and there warnt
nothing more to be heard Rest of the
gang might all have been dead men
for all the sound they made and we
didnt say nothin and so the night
rent on
At last we had it all ready and were
only waiting for the signal to blow k up
a UTlfl
lS95SIWR
and then money enough to maKe us all
rich Taint such as you can realize
the excitement and the strain of such
a moment To know its all there
ready and then to have to wait Its
easier walkin over red hot coals Its
all right to go on and work lrit to stay
still and only breathe and listen gives
a man the shivers
Presently Jim caught my arm
Say I thought I heard voices did
you he whispered
The men upstairs I said
Sounded down here Have your
pistol ready
I took my lantern and went round the
vault again carefully and then held it
up to examine the walls Then I shook
my head There warnt no way we
could hear no one
Its the queerest place I ever was
in said Jim and by Jove Ill be glad
when we are out of it Why dont that
signal come Suppose theres any
hitch I swear I hear voices again
Just then came the signal and Jim
began to apply the dj namite but his
hands trembled so and his eyes looked j
so wild and excited his own wife
wouldnt know him
The money the money he whis
pered we must have it now
We got out of the way just in time
and then out came the door
The inside door quick said Jim
but the explosion had made that fall
inside and we just could lift it out
Have the bag ready said Jim as he
leaned forward to haul out the great
piles of bank notes and silver we could
see by the light of the lanterns
Hands off or you are a dead man
It was a voice that would most have
waked the dead I dropped my bag
and Jim drew back his hand and caught
hold of me with a grip like iron and
we began to go slowly back to the lad
der
The combination is all right we
have them now they cant escape us
We were half way up the ladder when
we heard the click click of the lock
and as we drew the ladder after us we
could hear the rasping of the hinges of
the iron door
Fly fly for your lives we are dis
covered said Jim as he went around
to warn the men and in the darkness
and the wind and the rain they went
away and I aint never seen none of em j
since I heard though as when they
found there warnt no one there and
the bank people didnt know nothin
bout it till the next morning they just
believed the bank was haunted sure
Do I know what it was judge There
aint no one else as does know thats
sure Taint much after all
Yer see playin round with my little
ones I found as I could make em hear
all kinds of noises anywhere I wanted
and people cryin and laughin It was
fun fur them and I often done it ven
triloquizin I believe you call it but
that nights thelast time Yer see none
of the gang didnt know bout that and
I dont keer ever to have em know it
now It saved the bank without my in
forming and thats all I care for
Oh no judge the bank dont owe
me nothin Youll take care of the pa
pers Thank you Im obliged to you
for listening too It kind of makes me
feel easier
No no thank you I wont stay and
take no more of your time Dont get
up I can find my way out
Whats that you say judge You
honor and respect me me And the
bank land judge twarnt me twas
my wife and children saved the bank
and Im proud of em proud of em
judge Good night Philadelphia
Times
Origin of Brother Jonathan
When Washington after being ap
pointed general commander of the
army of the revolutionary war came
to Massachusetts to organize it and
make preparations for the defense of
the country he found a great want of
ammunition and other means necessary
to meet the powerful foe he had to con
tend with and great difficulty to ob
tain them
If attacked in such a condition the
cause at once might be hopeless On
this occasion at that anxious period
a consultation of the officers and others
was had when it seemed no way could
be devised to make such preparations
as were necessary
Jonathan Trumbull was then Gov
ernor of the State of Connecticut and
the general who placed the greatest re
liance on his judgment and aid remark
ed
We must consult brother Jonathan
on the subject
The general did so and the Governor
was successful in supplying many of
the wants of the army
When difficulties afterwards arose
and the army was spread over the coun
try it became a by word We must
consult Brother Jonathan
The term Yankee is still applied to a
portion but Brother Jonathan has
now become a designation of the whole
country as John Bull has for England
How a Town Was Named
Until a few years ago a little Wis
consin hamlet was known simply as
Hog Back from the peculiar shape of
a hill near there said a Milwaukee
drummer Finally the citizens held
an indignation meeting to wipe out the
plebeian name and choose a better one
It was decided to honor the place by
giving it the name of the oldest settler
a man named King Somebody sug
gested Kings Mills and another
Kingsville and so on but the old man
himself objected Then it was agreed
to name the town for one of Mr Kings
daughters But he had seven of them
and jealousies promptly cropped out
At last some genius noticed that all the
girls were red headed and suggested
Auburndale And Auburndale it is t
this day
Rain f alls in the Andes about once Mk
seven years
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Prairie Pimples
Southwestern Louisiana is bordered
along the coast with broad sandy and
gravelly plains to which the name of
pimpled prairies has been given This
curious title comes from tlie circular
mounds arranged in zones and along
intersecting lines with which large
areas of the plains are covered For
merly these mounds which average
fifty feet in diameter and attain occa
sionally a height of ten feet were sup
posed to have been made by ants with
whose nests they abound But recent
ly Professor Clendenin of the Louis
iana State University has found rea
son for thinking that the mounds were
formed through the blowing up of mud
bv cas escaping from vents in the
ground The
arrangement
of the
mounds in zones and lines is accounted
for by supposing that the gas vents
existed along the fractures radiating
from an earthquake center
Ancient Insects
Recent discoveries in the coal mines
of Central France have furnished by
far the greatest advance that has over
been made in our knowledge of the in
sects which inhabited the world mill
ions of years as geologists believe be
fore the time when man made his ap
pearance upon the earth In that won
derful age when the carboniferous
plants whose remains constitute the
coal beds of to day were alive and
flourishing the air and the soil were
animated by the presence of flies grass
hoppers cockroaches dragon flies spi
ders locusts and scores of other spe
cies which exist but slightly changed
at the present day But the insects of
those remote times attained a gigantic
size some of the dragon flies measur
ing more than two feet from tip to tip
of their expanded wings The remains
of these insects have been marvelously
preserved in the strata of coal and rock
A Kite a Mile High
Since an account was given in this
column of the high kite flying experi
ments at the Blue Hill Observatory
near Boston all previous records have
been eclipsed there In 189 the great
est elevation reached by a kite was 2
500 feet above sea level or 19G0 feet
above the summit of the hill During
the past summer half a dozen times a
kite was sent up more than a mile
above sea level and on ono occasion
the height attained was 7333 feet
above the sea being 1J90 feet more
than a mile above the hilltop The
experiments are made with the so
called tailless or Eddy kites and the
box or Hargrave kites The highest
flight was made by an Eddy kite The
purpose is scientific as the kites carry
self recording instruments by means
of which the temperature and h timidity
of the air at great elevations can be
measured Sometimes the kites pass
through clouds the thickness of which
is revealed by the record of the in
struments
The Wonderful Phagocytes
When a drop of human blood is plac
ed between two plates of glass ad ex
amined with a microscope it is seen
to contain beside the minute disks
which give it its red color little whit
ish grains called white corpuscles
If the glass is warmed to a tempera
ture equal to that of the human body
these corpuscles or phagocytes as they
are otherwise called will be seen to put
out and retract minute processes
which as if acting the part of feet
enable the phagocytes to crawl over
the surface of the glass The Russian
naturalist Metchnikoff has discovered
that the phagocytes in our blood feed
upon the microbes of infectious dis
eases when such microbes are intro
duced Into the system Sir Joseph
Lister president of the British Asso
ciation for the Advancement of Science
believes that this action of the pha
gocytes which is scientifically named
phagocytosis is the main defensive
means possessed by the living body
against its microscopic foes When
ever a wound is made in any part of
the body the phagocytes like well
trained soldiers rush to the breach and
make war upon the putrefactive mi
crobes endeavoring to enter the system
Iron Qnarries
Very interesting facts not generally
known about the iron mines of Spain
were discussed at a recent meeting of
the Iron and Steel Institute of Great
Britain It is from Northern Spain
in the neighborhood of Bilboa that the
greater part of the iron ore imported
for the use of British steel makers is
obtained Steel is made by the basic
process from iron ore containing phos
phorus but for the best qualities of
steel which is made by the open hearth
process a purer ore must be used and
it is that which England imports from
Spain Nature says the English sci
entific journal Nature seems to have
designed the hills of Northern Spain
especially for the use of the steelmak
er Until recently practically no ef
fort has been made to manufacture
steel in Spain and most of the ore has
been exported to England The iron
mines of Northern Spain are described
as being rather quarries than mines in
the ordinary sense of the word The
mountains themselves are just heaps
of iron ore covered naturally with but
a thin layer of earth This is removed
and it only remains to break up the ore
and load it into fitting receptacles
when it is conveyed down to the waters
edge by its own gravity
The Great Gas Industry
The artificial gas interest of this coun
try is an exceedingly important and
extensive one There are in the neigh
borhood of 1200 cities and towns of the
United States lighted in large part by
manufactured gas In addition there
are thousands of homes in which gas
is being largely if not wholly employ
ed for cooking and heating purposes
About 600000000 is invested in gas
works property in this country and the
gas interest is perhaps second in im
portance only to the investment in rail
road properties
The gas industries propose to hold au
exposition at Madison Square Garden
New York City opening on Jan 27
1S97 and holding for two weeks At
this exposition will be shown every
practical apparatus and appliance
which enters into the manufacture or
distribution of gas as an illuminating
or heating agent
One of the features of the exposition
will be cooking demonstrations both
afternoon and evening two competent
demonstrators having been secured
for this work
A gas tower of large dimensions ha
been arranged for and will be one of
the great curiosities at the fair con
sisting of an extremely ornamental and
most brilliantly illuminated spectacu
lar piece the dimensions of which will
be twenty feet at the base and running
to a height of fifty five feet on which
will be artistically arranged about 2500
gas jets
Evidently the gas people propose to
demonstrate to the public that their
product is capable of producing equal
if not superior lighting effects to those
claimed for the electric light
Americans as Musicians
Madame Emma Calve contributes -
paper on the Conquering Race in Mu
sic to the Ladies Home Journal in
which she specially addresses students
of vocal music She tells of the train
ing required for the operatic and the
concert stage the impersonation of
character the value of suggestions etc
and pays this trubute to Americans
The Americans have it seems to me
in the field of music and especially in
the field of vocal music all the charac
teristics of the conquering race They
are possessed naturally of the most ex
quisite voices which when properly
cultivated and trained are almost un
rivaled they have indomitable energy
perseverance and pluck they stop at
nothing are deterred by no trouble and
prevented by no obstacle Poverty
weariness exertion hard work none
of these living spectres which affright
and terrify the average art worker has
terrors for them Their physique and
their temperament seem made for toll
and to surmount discouragement and
the success which they are daily achiev
ing in the field of both operatic and
concert singing is testimony to their
natural fitness for accomplishment and
to their ability to excel They seem
in fact to be most lavishly fitted by
nature for the parts they are assuming
To these gifts of voice energy pluck
and perseverance they frequently add
a beauty of face and grace of form and
movement which the public recognizes
as most Important factors in the suc
cess of the singers career They have
too the temperament which makes
great artists and great actresses the
artistic feeling which has for its stand
ard perfection and which is satisfied
with nothing less
Quite Plain
A coroner in Nevada recently rea
soned out a verdict that was more sen
sible than half the verdicts usually
found
A certain Irishman conceiving that
a little powder thrown upon some wood
would facilitate its burning directed
a small stream from a keg upon the
burning piece but not possessing a hand
sufficiently quick to cut this off he was
blown into a million pieces The fol
lowing was the verdict delivered with
great gravity by the official
Cant be called suicide bekase he
didnt mean to kill himself it wasnt
visitation of God bekase he wasnt
struck by lightning he didnt die for
want of breath for he didnt have any
thing whatsomever to breathe with
its quite plain he didnt know what he
was about and so I shall bring m died
for want of common sense
One Way to Break Glass
It is scarcely credible but it is a fact
that a glass can be broken by the voice
If you strike a thin wine glass while
you hold it by the stem it will emit a
certain note In most cases a pretty
deep one On approaching the glass
rapidly to your mouth and shouting
into it the same note as loudly as possi
ble the vibrations of the glass being
thereby extended it will be shivered
into fragments This used to be a fav
orite experiment of Lablache the re
nowned singer who would thus break
one after the other as many glasses as
were handed to him
Eyes
Artificial eyes were first made in
Egypt They were of gold and silver t
and subsequently of copper and Ivory
Hundreds of years later in the six
teenth century when they were made
in Europe porcelain was the substance
used and the maker usually stamped
his address on the white of the eye
Our idea of something awful would
be to become a great musician with
long hair and then get bald
When women oppose a candidate it
is usually because of some grudge they
feel against the women folks
CnMiu inllnTrn 4 Viof Via 1airl Vaa
powerQfYera cMld until it isbagtlzed
7jffiasEsss2SW3a8sw5g
DEAD TO THE WORLD
They Hooked kike Suicides but They
Knew Their Business
Suicides have oeen so numerous of
late that a Star reporter was not very
much surprised the other night when
he almost stumbled over a man who lay
on the flat of his back at full lemrth on
the pavement at the corner of Massa
chusetts Avenue and lGtli Street He
lay in the shade of a tree but the moon
light falling through the branches not
only clearly defined the form but gave
a weird and uncanny effect
The Star man startled for a moment
stopped to examine and when he saw1
five or more silent outstretched forms
near the curbstone although they
looked like so many ghosts and made
the locality look like a miniature bat
tlefield the whole thing was easy They
were only sleeping and although their
beds were hard some of them were
lying on their coats and several lay in
the gutter with the curbstone for a
pillow Three or four of the familiar
street sweeping carts stood like senti
nels near by under the shadow of the
trees and the horses in the sliaf ts were
sleeping too Just then a street sweepei
came along dragging his big broom
and The Star man asked pointing to
the silent forms What are they doing
uncle
Wy boss dey is jes sleepin
Tired out
No indeedy Its too early ter git
tiahed But yo see no mount er day
light sleepin is as good as er little night
sleep an so wen de boys gits a chance
tween sweeps dey jes draps right i
down an take a nap Mebbe dis is de
onliest one deyll git till tomorrer It
happens dis yer way De machines has
come down lGth and gone up one side
er Massachusetts and jes now dey is
up around Dupon Now we done sweep
lGth and we has to wait till dey come
back Den de sweepers will get in bne
and de cyarts will foller along jes like
er percession
But these carts wont hold muc
more One of them is full to overflow
ing already said the Star man
Dats all right boss dey all belongs
to de gang and dey all sticks togedder
kase dey all goes to de 19th street
dump Now dat full cyaht belongs to
de leader and de heaviest sweepins
was on his side of lGth and he filled
fust But dey all keeps togedder
Heah comes de machines now he
exclaimed and the familiar swish of
the horse sweepers could bo heard com
ing nearer They were preceded by the
inspector in a light buggy His quick
eye detected the sidewalk sleepers and
his method of calling them to duty was
to drive his horse on to the curbstone
among them The men arose one after
another and picked up their coats and
brooms One called out familiarly
Say fling us a half sos we kin git a
pint
After the horse sweepers had passed
they fell into line in the gutter and be
gan sweeping the dirt into little piles
Then the carts came along and the
nights work was continued As The
Star reporter stood watching a driver
stopped his horse at the first little pile
of sweepings He bent down and picked VV 4n
ud a niece of naner and carefully wined V
off his big shovel which already shor
like burnished steel in the moonlight
Then with one swoop he shoveled the
entire pile into his cart
Do you ever find anything worth
keeping asked The Star man
Deed I aint nebber foun nothin on
dis job Some of de gang does One of
de boys picked up 85 one night What
did he do with it Deed youh too
hard fer me I doan know what he
done wif it cepn ter keep it Glongi
whoal
After every whoa and before every
glong came that metallic ring of the
shovel as it came in contact with the as
Dhalt These are the familiar sounds
that strike the ear of the pedestrian y
every night as he passes through the
streets of the national capital and just
such unique scenes as the one described
are enacted nightly but they are pe
culiar to Washington and cannot bo
found in every large city
Cured Her Carelessness
The following story is told in the
memoirs of Lord Blachford recently
ptrbllehed In England Mrs s rela
tions with her maids are rich She
was describing one who was a breaker
of china At last she broke three
things in one day So I said to her
You are 111 Jane you want some castor
oiL The maid stared and was aston
ished Your hand shakes you want
some castor oil Jane The maid took
it as a joke and grinned But when
bed time came the upper maid was
duly summoned Jane is ill and wants
some castor oil come with me and I
will get it out for her Mrs
appeared at the bedside with a quite in
flexible determination explained that
Jane was ill and did want castor oil
and must take it She did take it and
no further breakage occurred
An Underground City
There is an underground city in Cen
tral Asia supposed to have been built
before the Christian era as effigies in
scriptions and designs found amon
the ruins date it back to two centuries
before the birth of Christ The city
is composed of long corridors streets
and squares surrounded by houses and
buildings some two or three stories in
height and by the beautiful symmetry
of the streets and squares and other
indications it is evident that the inhab
itants of this old world city had
ed at a high degree of civilization
North Carolina the Early BirO
It is claimed that North Carotvha
must henceforth hold the highest pace
in the production of early fruits for the
Northern markets
A frog cannot breathe with lis mouth
open Its breathing apparatus is so
ranged that when its mouija is open its
nostrils are closed
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