Nebraska Newspapers

    JHE VALENTINE DEMOCRAT
VALENTINE , NEB.
M. RICE. - - - - Publisher.
BEW FACES A-PLENTY
INEARL-Y 100 WILT , BE FOUND IN
THE NEXT CONGRESS.
.Among ; 'llio&c to Retire Are Teller of
Colorado , Platl of New York , Hep
burn of Io\vu and Sherman of New
York.
Twelve senators and seventy-seven
representatives who are members of
the present congress will be absent
when the Sixty-first congress assembles
In special session on March 15. Unless
the return of Mr. Hopkins in Illinois
and Mr. Stephenson in Wisconsin
takes place it is possible that the num
ber of senatorial absentees will be aug
mented to fourteen.
Of the seventy-seven representatives
who retire 011 March 3 one is Mr. Hep
burn , of Iowa , who has served twenty-
two years in congress , and another ,
Mr. Sherman , of New York , who be-
omes vir.- president , has served twen-
in the house. Mr. Cousins , of
and Delegate Smith , of Arizona ,
; cr\ -1 sixteen years , while Jen-
Wibconsin , Cooper of Texas ,
rep < if Indiana , "Williams of Mis-
and Achoson of Pennsylvania
caoMerred fourteen years ,
f the other representatives who
soon retire , eight served 12 years ,
10 years , six 8 years , nine C years ,
een 4 \ .irs and twenty-eight 2
iirs , ori single term.
n yearof service Senator Teller ,
ad is the Xestor of the retir-
n , having been elected un-
dmison of his state to the union.
Jus seat December 4 , 1S7G ,
time he has continuously
minently been in the public
it signed from the senate
to c nter the cabinet of Presi-
hur as secretary of the inte-
ntering the senate March 4 ,
O'.E MILLION FOR CHARITY.
Will of Theatrical 3Ianager Makes
Numcrou Bequests.
Xearly $1,000,000 for charitable in
stitutions is provided for in the will
of Eugene Tompkins , of Boston , the
former theatrical manager , who died
recently. To Mrs. Tompkins $ , " 0.000
and the income of the estate is left ,
and to persons connected with the
Boston theater and the Academy of
Music of Xew York $31,000 is distrib
uted. Upon the death of Mrs. Tompkins
kins $20,000 Is to go t < 5 the Actors'
Fund of America , $10,000 to the Ac
tors' home , Xew York ; $100,000 01
more to Boston charitable institutions ,
and approximately $750,000 will be
paid to the Perkins Institute for the
Blind , South Boston.
DUALPITTSIH'IIG TRAGEDY.
. JLover Slashes Suoetluaitilli Razor
ami Then Cut- ; His Throat.
"With Mrs. Anna Baxter , a widow
whom he had courted for several years *
sitting on his lap in her home , Wm.
Gearhart , of Pittsburg , Pa. , captain of
an engine company , suddenly drew a
/ razor from his pocket and slashed the
\voman across the throat. She called
v for help and her son and daughter
dragged her from Gearhart's arms and
-notified the police. When the officers
arrived they found Gearhart lying on
the floor , his throat cut and a big knife
In his hands. Both victims were taken
to a hospital , where , it is said , that
their recovery is doubtful. Xb cause
. .whatever is assigned for the deed.
'IN PLOT TO COUNTERFEIT.
Jmlianajx/Hs Man Arrested for Argen-
iJue Republic Crime.
It Is alleged an attempt to counterfeit -
feit the a and 10 pesos notes of the Ar-
> srentine Republic , in which an official
* of that country is said to be connected ,
-was disclosed by the arrest of Robert
E. Scott at Indianapolis , Ind.
Scott is said to have been a share-
"holder in a copper mine at La Fon-
f tana Bolivia. According to the of
ficers he was promised $40,000 by the
Argentine official to have certain photographic -
tographic plates made in this country
from which the Argentine notes were
to be struck on genuine government
paper.
Unemployed Ask for AYork.
A committee to wait on Mayor Busse ,
if Chicago , and ask for work was ap
pointed at a meeting of 300 unem-
ploycd at Hull house. J. Eads Howe ,
grandson of the builder of the Eads
bridge , St. Louis , and known as thf
"hobo's friend , " presided.
Sioux City Live Stock Market.
Saturday's quotations on the Sioux
'City live stock market follow : Beevca
-$4.50@5.65. Top hogs , $0.35.
Sultan Recognizes Raisul ! .
The sultan has appointed Raisuli ,
the former bandit , governor of the
vOrovInce of Djbelala. Raisuli has
promised to renounce the ransom paid
tn behalf of Sir Harry MacLean , the
sultan's adviser , whom Raisuli held
, -as a prisoner in 1907. The new gov
ernor promises to fulfill the duties
of his office honestly and not to oppose
vSuropeans.
"BILLY" SUNDAY ASSAULTED.
Horsewhipped by Religious Zealot at
Springfield.
Rev. "W. A. Sunday , better known as
"Billy" Sunday , a former baseball
player , who is now an evangelist , was
horsewhipped Friday night by a relig
ious fanatic at the Sunday tabernacle
in Springfield , 111. , where , in the pres
ence of 8,000 persons he was conduct
ing the opening meeting of a religious
: evival.
The evangelist had just made his
opening i-emarks and was leaning
against the pulpit while a hymn was
sung by Fischer and Butler , his choral
leaders , when a powerful man who
says his name is Sherman Potts ran
forward with a buggy whip and struck
Sunday several terrific blows.
Sunday leaped from the platform
and dashed at his assailant , whom he
knocked down. The audience was on
the verge of a panic , with women
weeping and children screaming while
Potts and Sunday rolled and tumbled
in the aisle.
Mr. Fischer directed the choir and
the audience to sing , and in a. few mo
ments the entire audience was calmed.
Several men seized Potts and held
him until policemen came and took
him to jail.
Mr. Sunday suffered several painful
bruises from the whip. The prisoner
said his home was near Liovington , 111.
According to his statements at the
jail he was once declared insane and
committed to the Jacksonville asylum ,
whence after a brief confinement he
was released.
He made the attack , he said , in de
fense of the virtue of women , which
he declared had been criticised by the
evangelist. The police say that Potts
is a religious fanatic.
AFKAII ) OF WAR CLOUD.
Trouble In Balkan Causes Much
Alarm in France.
The French parliamentary arbitra
tion group , of which Baron d'Es-
eurnelles de Constant is president , Fri _
day undertook an eifort to arouse the
public opinion of the world and com
pel the powers to offer mediation in
the event a conflict in the Balkans be
comes inevitable.
The resolution adopted and com
municated to the parliaments of the
signatories to The Hague agreement
call attention to the fact that media
tion by neutrals under The Hague con
vention "can never be considered an
unfriendly act by the litigants. "
The support of the United States and
the South American republics especial
ly is desired by the French group ,
and telegraphic appeals will be dis
patched to Washington and the South
American capitals requesting co
operation.
BERLIN RIPPER IS CAPTURED.
Assailant of Women Is Finally Made
a Prisoner.
The man who during the past fort-
light has been delivering a series of
attacks upon women on the streets of
Berlin was captured Friday morning.
He made an attempt to stab a woman
on Friedrich strasse. one of the crowd
ed shopping streets of the city. The
clothing of his intended victim was
cut , but she suffered no harm. The
woman screamed and her assailant
fled into a house on an adjoining street
where he was seized by a policeman.
He is a young man , but has not yet
been identified.
As the result of inquiries concerning
the man arrested the police subse
quently doubted his identity with the
perpetrator of the many assaults.
Prison For Mrs. Teal.
Shortly after noon Friday the jury
returned a verdict finding Mrs. Benja
min Teal of Xew York Ciy , guilty of
attempted subordination of perjury in
connection with Mrs. Frank J. Gould's
suit for divorce. Mrs. Teal was sen
tenced to one year in the penitentiary.
She is the wife of a theatrical pro
moter.
Two Firemen Injured.
Two firemen were injured by a fall
ing wall during a fire which destroyed
the Albert Dickinson seed warehouse
Xo. 2 , in West Taylor street Chicago
Friday. Three girls were knocked
down in the rush of fifty others for
the stairway , but were rescued by
policemen. The loss is $150,000.
Argument Ends in Tragedy.
An argument starting in the dining
room of a boarding house at Paducah ,
Ky. , as to the justification , it is al
leged , of certain acts charged to a
band of nightriders terminated in the
killing of the proprietor of the board
ing house , Oscar Osborn. Louis Fut-
rell is under arrest charged with the
killing.
To Pension Railroad Men.
The French government's project to
pension employes of the state raih-oad
has been completed and it has been
presented to the parliamentary com
mission. It provides for the retiring
of engineers and firemen over 50 years
nf age who have boon twenty-five year
: n the service , on half pay.
Five Burned in Home.
Mrs. M. W. Beekman , a widow , and
[ our children , residing seven miles
From Bakersfield , Cal. , lost their lives
in a fire which destroyed their home ,
rhe neighbors suspect foul play and
ncendarlarlsm.
Ozar Gives $2,500 to Y. M. C. A.
Emperor Nicholas of Russia has
flven $2,500 to the Russian Young
VTen's Christian association , founded
n St. Petersburg by Mason Phelps
Stokes of New York.
TO HAUL DOWN FLAG.
Iinprciiion Grows that Sperry Will
Soon Quit Command.
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry ,
who brought the American battleship
fleet from San Francisco to Hampton
Roads , left Fort Monroe , Va. , for
Washington Thursday and the ship's
carpenter on board the flagship Con
necticut began to box up the admiral's
belongings. The impression grows in
the fleet that Admiral Sperry soon , will
haul down his flag. It is common gos
sip in the fleet that President Roosevelt
velt intends to name the next com
mander in chief of the fleet before he
retires from office next Thursday.
Admiral Sperry would have little to
gain from continuing in the. command
at this time , for the ships are due
to remain at the navy yards , whence
they soon will be distributed , until
May 17.
They will then rendezvous at Fort
Monroe to remain probably until July
1 before proceeding to the northern
drill grounds off Cape Cod for record
target practice in still water. Admiral
Sperry retires in September , so there
is little in the program of the next
few months that would cause him to
wish to remain. Undoubtedly the ad
miral's personal wishes will have great
weigh with the president and the navy
department.
Reports that friction has occurred
over the customs inspection of the
fleet , and that there has been confisca
tion of property , are pronounced by
officers of the returned battleship to
be unfounded.
Everybody on board is allowed to
bring in free foreign purchases ag
gregating not more than $100.
Probably a dozen officers on each
ship have exceeded this , and practi
cally none of the men.
KILLS FRIEND IN TRANCE.
Ninteen-Yoar-Old Boy Slajs Intimate
Friend.
Orivlle Foland. of Hutchinson. Kan. ,
aged 19 years , AVIO was arrested Wed
nesday charged with the murder of
Jesse Haymaker , a Wells-Fargo Ex
press company clerk , who was found
dead in the company's office in the
depot has confessed
Foland said he went to the express
office and told the clerk , \vho was an
intimate friend , that he desired to
sleep in the office for the night , as his
mother was not at home. Haymaker
gladly gave his consent. Foland said
that Haymaker was asleep at the time
he shot him.
"I may have been crazy , but I did
it , " declared Foland. "We both went
to sleep. Later I awoke and Jesse
was dead and I had a pistol in my
hand. Then I went up to the town
office of the company and robbt-d the
cashed rawer. I got $7 25. but 1 don't
know what I did with it. "
BRANDED WITH HOT IRONS.
A Laborer The Victim of n. Horrible
Outrage.
Helplessly bound and then burned
and geared with white hot irons until
his screams of agony brought in the
police and citizens to batter down the
doors , ' a laborer named Yunea Xido , of
Merida , Yucatan , who was involved in
a clash among the Korean laborers
and captured and tortured by his
enemies , is dead from his injurie'-- . The
fight started amonjj the Korean6 : , and
soon involved a large number. Yunea
Xido was seized by those opposing his
friends , carried to a house and , after
being bound , hot irons were applied to
the soles of his feet and to his limbs
PLANET AND SUN TO COLLIDE
Prof. "Lowell Predicts Disaster , but
Not in the Near Future.
"A collision of an unknown planet
with the sun will terminate life on
earth , " said Prof. Percival Lowell , di
rector of the Lowell observatory at
Flagstaff , Ariz. , in a lecture at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"The event will be prophesied four
teen years before the catastrophe oc
curs and chaotic confusion will reign
in the world during the days preceding
the calamity. "
The chanceof _ the catastrophe hap
pening in the near future was declared
by Prof. Lowell to be very slight.
TelN Date of Own Death.
Dr. W. A. Lund , prominent physi
cian of Houston , Tex. , is dead at his
home of blood poisoning , contracted
while performing an operation three
weeks ago. He diagnosed his own
case , attended to his own treatment
and predicted the exact date of death
two weeks since.
300 Die in Storm in Russia.
A violent blizzard prevailed for
several days over a wide area in south
Russia. More than 500 persons have
perished , including many who were
frozen to death in snowed-in trains. It
is believed there were a number of
\\Vecks in the Black sea.
Gary Again Denies Rumor.
Judge Gary , of United States Steel
corporation , has again issued a denial
af the persistent rumors that a cut
in the wages of the corporation's 240-
300 employes on or about April 1 had
been decided upon.
Taft to Go to Te.\as.
It is announced that soon after his
nauguration President Taft will visit
.he ranch of Charles P. Taft near San
\ntonio , Tex. A residence is being
juilt on the ranch and golf links laid
) Ut. \
Dry Farming Congress.
The next session of the Trans-Mis-
ouri Dry Farming Congress will be
icld at Billings , Mont. Denver was
( elected for permanent headquarters.
t
\
I IHTEREST.HB HAPPENINGS
g From Day to Day Condensed
FOR OUB RU2Y READERS
, % J i is s Es > a Vi BE. a B H je Q
&
FIGHT OX HASTINGS SALOONS.
Effort to Clo e Them All Up Before
the Spring Election.
U. S. Roher , as president of the
Civic federation of Hastings has be
gun a campaign to close every saloon
in Hastings before the spring munici
pal election , at which time there will
be a contest on the license question.
Of the eight saloons now in operation
five are threatened by Mr. Roher un
der the decision of the supreme court
given last Saturday , holding that their
licenses are invalid. The question in
dispute as to these live is whether the
saloon-keepers have the usual time in
which to aply for a rehearing of their
cases , or whether the council must re
voke the licenses at once. The mat
ter will be threshed over at the meet
ing of the council on Wednesday of
next week. In hope of closing the
three other saloons Mr. Roher has filed
complaints against the keepers , charg
ing1 violation of the law governing the
sale of liquor , and if he can secure
a conviction , he will apply to the coun
cil for a revocation of their licenses.
FARMER IS KILLED BY THAIX
F\\o Men Required to Extricate Body
From Front of Engine.
Charles Hornk. a farmer living 20
miles north of Sohuylr-r , was instantly
kiPed when a train on the Union Pa
cific struck the wagon he was driving
across the tracks at the Wright lum
ber yard. One of the horses was killed
and the wagon was demolished and
the remnants scattered to the four
winds.
Tlorak's body was so tightly wedged
in the front of the engine that it re-
qu'red the combined strength of two
mOn to extricate it.
The fireman on the engine asserted
I'-'Vrak would have escaped injury if
ho had not lost his head and tried to
bvk off the track when he saw he
v.'tts in danger , instead of going ahead.
FATHER FLEES WITJI CHILD
I.i'atrice Man Fore-tails Action of
Court in Divorce Suit.
Frank McColrey , of Beatrice ,
iqainst whom his wife , Belle McColery
"iled suit for divorce , alimony and the
"u = tody of their 4-year-old child , has
"is-appeared , taking with him the
hlld. It is reported that he is in
niglas county. Last week Mrs. Mc-
' lery secured a restraining order
'rom the court to prevent McColery
rrom taking the child. She was re-
ntired to file a bond of $100 , but this
< -le , failed to do until the following
\eek. Awake to the opportunity af-
* ' < > rded by his wife's delny , McColery'
-klnaping proclivities became active.
" ith the result he took the child and
' ( parted for parts unknown.
Suit Against Ilu'-band.
Elnora Taylor in district court , nt
fmont , filed suit for SI.100 a rain t
s r husband. William Taylor , of North
" "nd. Mrs. Taylor snys he had $1.100
"n her own name when she was niar-
' Mid and that her husband got it. Tluy
irr- living apart now. though no appli-
iHon has been made for divorce by
either.
Company Wants Business.
The Fairbury gas company is pre-
.uing for a strenuous campaign for
vsiness at the opening of spring. Al-
.iny many houses hove been piped
"or service and orders enough are al-
( ady booked to keep one force of
' -t-nchmen and pipelayers busy all
- .mmer.
Needed MoMmv Fell.
Western Nebraska has just experi-
.iced one of the most severe snow
iorms of recent years. In North
"Matte ten inches of snow fell. Owing
- ) the high wind that prevailed the
nads were badly drifted. This fall
.1 moisture is hailed with joy as it will
lace the land in fine shape for spring
' ork.
Railroad Man Badly Hurt.
Edward F. Pixler. aged 38. employed
s shovcler on the Burlington coal
hutes at Benkelman. while engaged in
inscrewing an obstinate nut from a
ilt , accidentally let the wrench slip.
'he force threw him backward from
iie platform of the chutes to the
a distance of thirty-five feet.
trilling on his head.
Editors Arc Enthusiast i \
The annual meeting of the Nebraska
tite press association , which closed
tt Grand Island Wednesday night with
fine banquet , is pronounced by the
editors who managed to get there
-hrough the storm , to be the best ses-
i > n in point of entertainment and en-
ivment they have attended in years.
Sermons Over the Telephone1-- .
The novelty of listening to church
trvices by telephone will hereafter be
njoyed by members of the Methodist
episcopal church in Hastings , at least
' . ) / those of the congregation who are
unable from sickness or other good
, ause to leave their homes.
Waterworks for McCook.
At a meeting of the McCook city
ouncil , the city engineer was instruct-
i to prepare plans and specifications
I'ncl make an estimate of the cost of a
n = w system of municipal water works
for which $ S. > ,000 bonds were voted
last year.
The Lynch Case Settled.
The estate of the late Micheal Lynch
was settled in the county court at
Beatrice Tuesday and the administra
tor discharged. Mr. Lynch , an old
resident of this city , died about two
years ago , leaving an estate valued at
over $12,000.
Change in Managers.
G. A. Drew , who has been the man
ager for the Nebraska telephone com
pany at Seward for the past two years ,
will go to Fremont the first of March
to assume charge of the company's
business in that city.
\CCUSED OF VICIOUS ASSAULT.
Soldier from the Philippines Arrestcil
at Htimboldt.
, Charles Wanrow. a well knowr
young man of Humboldt. was placed
under ariest for an alleged assault on
the person of Mo s C. Davis , the vet
eran milkman ol the city. The young
man. who recently returned to his
childhood home after spending several
year.s as a soldier in the Philippines ,
claims that he was under the influence
of liquor when the offense was com
mitted , and in response to a plea from
the aged parents of tlie young man ,
the complaint was dismissed by the
victim. The assault took place late in
the evening as the milkman was on his
way home with his cans. Wanrow ac
costed him and asked for a dollar and
a half in payment for some work , and
Mr. Davis protested that he did not
owe the amount , whereupon he pays
he was knocked down and badly
bruised about the face and head , get
ting to his home only with difficulty
after recovering consciousness. Later
it was discovered that the work per
formed had already been paid for. Mr.
Davis is an old soldier , well along in
the seventies and it is remarkable that
he sustained no permanent injurie ?
from the attack.
WED THEIR SISTERS-IN-LAW.
Funeral of a Norfolk Man Bring ? ; to
Light Strange Marital Ties.
The filing of the will of Phil Hui at
Madison brought to light the fact that
two brothers had married each other's
divorced wives.
When II. H. Hull , of Ainr.worth.
came to Norfolk to attend the funeral
of his brother , Phil Hull , the Ains-
worth man found that his own former
wife was the widow of his dead broth-
or. Until he came to the deathbed
of his brother he did not know that his
divorced wife had been married to his
brother.
But he could hardly complain , for
H. H. Hull had previously married
the former Mrs. Phil Hull , who had
divorced herself from her present hus
band's brother.
So when they came to mourn the
present Mrs. H. H. Hull attended the
funeral of her brother-in-law and for
mer husband. And among the mourn
ers at her latest husband's funeral
Mrs. Phil Hull counted her own former
husband , now her brother-in-law. <
Phil Hull and the divorced Mrs. Ill
H. Hull had married in Denver , thus
keeping the marriage a secret from
relatives for a long time.
MILITIA IS DISBANDED.
Situation in South Omaha Become4
More Tranquil.
An order has been at South Omahr
received disbanding the three compa
nies of militia which have been undei
arms the past twenty-four hours an *
the men were sent to their homes , be
ing instructed , however , to hold them
selves in readiness for another call.
An incendiary Tire occurred a
Twenty-fifth and Q streets. South
Omaha , in the old Atlantic hotel , for
merly occupied as a fJreek boardint ,
house. Tt was quickly put out , how
ever , and the damage was slight. The
authorities believe there will be no
further disturbances at present ana
Lire resting easier.
Many Greeks announced their inten
tion of returning to South Omaha am
Chief Briggs and Sheriff I.railcy ar <
preparing to give them any protection
thought necessary.
ATTACKS POLICE CHIEF.
Maniac at Hiting ? StrikeOlfitvi
\\5th a Poker.
The police were called to the horn *
r > f John Bennett , at Hastings , a man
afflicted with epilepsy , and when en
tering the door Chief of Police Wid-
mier was hit over the head with a
poker by the man. Bennett had ex
pected the officers and had. it is al
leged , armed his three children with
knives and Instructed them io use
them when the officers arrived. The
man fought desperately and four of
ficers could hardly hold him. He was
handcuffed and taken to the asylum.
On the way the man beeame docile and
laughed over the episode.
lliunbolclt Millers Win Case.
O. A. Cooper & Son. of Humboldt.
millers , have ju t received news of th
decision of the interstate commerce
commission on their case against the
Burlington railway , in which was in- ,
tolved the freight rate on grain ship
ments to the western part of this state
ind Kansas. The decision was in favo ;
if the complainants.
Knight- : Have Opcii Meeting.
Knights of Pythias lodge had ai
> pen meeting at their hall in com
memoration of the foundation of th"
> rder forty-five years ago , and many
members were on hand , together with
iheir wives to listen to an exposition
> f the principles of the order and rj
nistory of its earlier years.
Porn FarmerInstitute. .
An interesting program was carrier ,
nit by the Peru farmers' institute as
sociation Saturday. A largr > numbe"
if farmers were in attendance , and a
"ine exhibit of fruits , grains and cook-
? ry added to the practical value am ]
.merest . attaching to the program.
Good Prire for Land.
At the front door of the court hou t
n Plattsmouth Saturday , Attornej * C.
\ . Rawls sold at referee's sale 1 < M
icres of land adjoining the town o {
Jnion belonging to the Joshua Lynn
estate for $12,300 , or a little over $101
acre.
West Point Pioneer Dead.
John Beerbohm , a well known pio-
leer of Cuming county , died at hia
'arm home near Wect Point Saturday ,
iged 75 years. Mr. Beerbohm was a
lative of Germany.
- :
? ,
RITE OF M I
Boat Still Lies in the Harbor at
Santiago V.'h-e She Was
Sunk by Hobson.
HTJLZ MAY HEVER BE BEHOVED
of the "War
Notable Naval Incident
with Spain "STliich Now Seems
Almost Forgotten.
if in the United
It Is doubtful anyone
States outside of the few directly connected
of at-
administration
nected with the
became
fairs in Santiago know what over
came of the Merrimac. Indeed , many
think a second time
people will have to
the Merrimac referred
to recollect whether
ferred to was the first of the ironclads
. This
at Santiago.
or the collier sunk
at the time was one of the most excit
ing Incidents of the war. The country
of Lieutenant
rang for days with the exploit
tenant Hobson and his hardy rrew of
six men. who ran the collier under the
guns of the Santiago batteries and sank
her with intent to block the channel
and prevent the escape of the Spanish
lleet.
lleet.That the purpose was not quite ef
fected was due to the fact that the
rudder of the collier was shot away
just before IJobson exploded the tor
pedoes that were to sink her. She went
down , partly blocking the channel , but
did not obstruct it enough to prevent
Cervera's lleet from coining out to de
struction on the memorable July 3. But
shire that time the Merrimac lias been
almost forgotten. As a matter of fact ,
the most of her is still at the bottom
of Santiago entrance , though the Amer
ican authorities , when Santiago was in
their hands , dynamited that part of her
that overhung the channel and was a
menace to navigation.
The Merrimac was a commercial ves
sel , bought as a collier at the outbreak
of the war. It was said that a good
round price was paid for her. If she
had been the finest sort of a private
yacht and had been the only thing
available she probably would have been
sunk there jnst the same. As it was ,
the old collier had never been any good.
She had been a "lame duck" ever since
she had been in the service. When it
came to blocking up ( Santiago she could
be more cheerfully spared than any
thing else. She was stripped of every
thing movable on her. Torpedoes were
strung around thr * outside ; ten eight-
Inch torpedoes were placed against hers
bulkheads , calculated to open her up
rapidly and effectively when fired.
Attempt to Bottle Up Cervera.
It was thought that ir the Spanish
fleet could be bottled up in the harbor
it would not only prevent its coming
out and fighting or running , but would
save it intact when the American
forces captured the city. The fact that
Hobson Vas chosen to command the
forlorn hope makes it seem probable
the idea was his.
The Merrimac went into the harbor ,
followed at a distance by a steam
launch from rhe New York , commanded
by Ensign Powell. The mission of the
lauiu-h was. if possible , to pick up the
survivors of the Merrimac's crew after
the collier had been
sunk. Powell ran
clo e under the shore batteries and
waited around till daylight , but could
liMl none of the venturesome crew.
On the blockading fleet it was an
Rijxious night also. The Merrimac did
not run in till about 2 o'clock , and
then , except for a flickering fire from
the batteries on shore , there was noth
ing to tell what the outcome of the ex
ploit had been.
It was found later that the collier
had gotten well into the channel when
her steering gear was shot awav by the
shore batteries. Though the torpedoes
were fired and the sea valves opened
she drifted out of the channel before
she could be sunk. Ilobson and his
whole crew were picked up unharmed
by the Spaniards.
That was the end of the Merrimac
She was blown up sufficiently to clear
the channel , and the remainder of her
is still there at the bottom of the Inr-
bor entrance. There has been no at
tempt to raise her.
WORK OP BABY MOONSHINERS.
Revenue Officers Pind a Peach. Bran
dy Outfit Sun by Children.
Raiding in force a notorious "moon-
shine" settlement at South Mountain
in the "dark "
corner" of South Caroli
na , where South Carolina. North Care
lina and Geonria unite
boundaries-
United States revenue raiders from the
A.shevillc office found three children
two boys and a girl , engaged in actual
ly producing brandy from a rude still
made by themselves in imitation of
those they had often seen constructed
by people of the neighborhood. They
round the three children , from 5 to
10 years of age. bending over a fire
ind brandy trickling into beer bottles
from the still the infants had
con
structed. They captured two
men. but
lid not disturb the children.
The still was constructed out of a
ivooden bucket , an
empty paint can. a
aoplar limb through which a hole had
aeen bored and it was fed with refuse
; > each mash. The product was crude ,
ant nevertheless real