Nebraska Newspapers

    /AATATTA T \ TT.V TTMr im-\r ; tfa iA V A in l.QOO. n
NEW YORK'S ' GREAT HARBOR
Queer and Graeeoma Secrete of the Vast
Watergatfl of tha Nation ,
ETCHINGS OF ITS LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
ThniimiiKl * Working nn HiVntcm ,
Mntiy of Them In AVnyn tlint Arc
Dark I2xtcrt unit Amateur
ThlcvcM Work ol 1'ollcc ,
'NDW YOHIC , Aug. 14. There Is no hamlet
In the United States so remote that it ought
not to bo Interested in Now York harbor ,
for through that great water gate nnd under
the towering torch ot the Statue of Liberty
como the great ships from all parts ot the
world which bring to us EO per cent of our
imports nnd from It go out the ships cnriy-
Ing 75 per cent of our exports. And there In
no person from the bootblack In Seattle to
the richest ranch owner in Texas * , from the
Missouri mountain girl to the best-drcsaod
woman of fashion in Chicago , who Is not
affected by our European trade In como
way , however , slightly. Now York harbor's
waters bear messages or supplies every year
to or from pretty nearly every human being
tn America.
These are the busiest days ot the year
thoro.
It Is a queer place.
More than 30,000 men and women are en
gaged In doing ypur business nnd mlno for
us In Now York harbor und nowhere In the
world are there stranger people than ai.iy
bo found among thorn. Yet Now York
harbor has had no historian. Olckorm wrote
of London's Thames nnd Hugo , Durami nnd a
dozen others have told the story of the
Solno of Paris , but Now York's qrcat harbor
and Its two rivers , with -enough anchorage
ground for every vessel afloat on nil the
oceans In the world and with over Mxty
miles of docks , has not been recognized by
the great ones who have told true stories.
It Is tbo under current of Wo about tbo
harbor which are moro In to red tin 5 , nnd be
ing under currents they nn > . some at them ,
. no dark nnd dovlous ns the black bottom
waters of the rivers which touch the ooze
nnd twist and turn among the piles below
the docks.
A dork night. Two men creep carefully
to a slightly jcmoto water front such as that
of 'Astoria or Uavonne. They slouch and
lurk alone ; until they find a small boat un-
pmmlcd. Silently they slip Its moorings ,
craw ] slowly In ' and row out to the deep
channels iwhoro'ships pass. They wait there ,
, - . drifting , until a schooner .bound out to sea
V comes near , with sails set or towed by n
\ steam tug. Prom its atom a rowboat or
dingy Is trailed by a rope. The silent watch
ers become animated. They pull quickly
but quietly between the small boat and tbo
passing schooner's stern. They cut the lino.
The schoonerpasses on. The men have set
themselves up In trade. . They have secured
the first and most Important tool.
Started In Trade.
They conceal their acquisition under some
dock and carefully rotufn"lho' , stolen boat to
its original moorings before daylight. It has
been stolen too near homo and they would
bo in danger of arrest If they kept It. But
the schooner 'which ' 'owned the second ono
has gene to sea. and the theft cannot bo re
ported before they have had plenty of tlmo
to alter the appearance of their prlzo by tar ,
by paint or by mud so completely that there
will bo no chance of capture.
They are perfectly equipped now for river
thievery.
Jerry McAuley , .who has turned from the
leadership of a desperate gang of river
thieves to become a useful missionary among
the sailors , tells how ho and ono at his boy
' In'this'way ' ' ' '
churn's. -'this'-way 'got'thclr'start'Mn the
business which . { hey pursued eo successfully
for many years. These trays , -with their boat ,
became the nucleus ofwhat was afterward
known as the Franklin dock gang of harbor
thieves. Tholr rendezvous was under a dock
nt the foot of Franklin street , where the
aesthetic tastes of their leader wore later
demonstrated toy elegant furnishings. The
expensive carpet was stolen from the cabin
of a palatial steamboat and the chairs and
pofas caimo from whatever craft were not
sufficiently guarded. The place was amply
lighted by lanterns taken from boats and
piers.
When the loader and his young accomplice
\f were now at the business , before they hod
'
jf' learned the larger way of gagging or sandbagging -
bagging the night 'watch of , a pier or vessel ,
they used to loiter on the docks and when
opportunity offered roll a barrel or box of
goods Into the water. Ono would ba waiting
"down the tlde' 'wlth their boat and torwed
their plunder to the Franklin dock under
cover of the night. As It was not always
. easy to toll 'by the looks of a package
. * whether It would float or sink , they lost
* * many of the things which they dumped from
piers. Dut this difficulty "was overcome tea
a considerable extent when a young oysterman -
man Joined them and suggested the use of
oyster tonps. In tlmo this gang became so
export In the various methods of grappling
that It inado no difference to them whether
property went to the bottom or not. It was
only ( when -women had ibeen admitted to this
rendezvous that the noise of midnight orgies
nttracled the police. Then , of course , the
place was no longer safe ns business head
quarters.
Great Is the Ingenuity of these thieves.
Constantly they steal wines and liquors from
the docks In a way which almost defies do-
tcctlon.
'A ' rowboat puts under n pier in the dark ,
Its occupants are provided with a barrel and
n long auger. The rest Is simplicity Itself.
A hole bored through the floor of the plor
nnd into /barrel / of anything which will run
transfers the property to other owners and
If they manage to evade the police patrol
they have no difficulty with the watchmen
/ > n ( Tin nlnr Mnr rln thnV haVO ITlUCh fllffi-
culty In disposing of a barrel , for Instance ,
of wlno or spirits , nt the price which they
can sell with good profile.
Sometime * u Murder.
There are many of these thlovca. They
are cunning and often desperate. They kill
n man occasionally In spHo of the water
jiollco , Four nuirdera wore attributed to
thorn last year. And there were others.
The police are well organized and work
desperately hard. Tholr work muat nol
cease when darkness conies , and It Is in bail
weather that they are most needed. They go
heavily armed and eomotlmes the cracking
of their pistora la replied to from the chore.
But there are many things really out
rageously dishonest , lurking In the shadows
of ho harbor over which they can oxercUo
no control. Most of these concern the
pallors who man the ships. Nearly nil
vcreela coming into port except the greal
liners change their crews each voyage , am
there are human sharks in New York harbor
waiting to devour their wages when they
ore paid off , moro dangerous than any sharki
InfMtlog southern waters. They ore callev
' 'crimps ' , " and they combine the traits o :
chipping ngonta with the business of keeping
boarding house * of the dlngleat sort. It profits
them to do two things. First to got the
sailors to spend the pay from their laai
voyage an quickly as possible , because If It
bo spent quickly itwltt bo spent for rum
If it bo spent for rum then the sailors may
be easily awlndlod. Second , to ship tbo men
again on eome other flilp as quickly as they
can , so as to gather in. . the big commissions
oa their wages. There have been ease *
where men landing from a three-month *
voyage early In the morning with their
\\age * in their pockets have been captured b ;
the "crimps" and their "touts , " pllote *
about the dlvea during the day and the nigh
and landed generally so drunk that they
hare to bo lifted aboard on nn out-bound
ehtp the following morning. Not only bed
the "crimps" stolen halt their money , but
they had rorclvcU liberal commissions on
the otbcr harf , which bad been spent In
saloons and dives.
Little Hirer Tlilcver. .
A queer system of petty dishonesty Is
practiced every Thursday , when the fishing
smacks como Into the piers about Fulton
market. A hundred boys will bo swimming
there , ft score of thorn scampering naked
over the -many smacks which como In to
supply fish for the Friday demand. Every
now and then a boy , watching his chance
when nobody on the boat Is looking , will
slip his thumbs -through the gills of n flnu
fish and dtvo with It Into the water. After
a while the lad will emerge from behind a
boat , swimming on his side , with ono hand
low In the water , and disappear around the
end of a pier. There stands a young "spec
ulator , " who pays G cents lor the fish. The
boy always carries his money away In his
check , generally along with a bulging quid
of tobacco.
"I gits 20 cents or n quarter for every fish
I steals , " said he. They never mlnco the
matter of stealing.
" \Vhero do you sell them ? " Is asked
"Any old place. Anybody'll pay a quarter
for a flsh when do price In do market Is
18 cents pound. "
So these boj-8 stand sometimes Just out-
sldo the market and compete successfully
vlth tbo men from -whom they have stolen
heir stock , for these fish run from three
o five pounds apiece. Other boys , I am In-
ormed , have regular customers In rcstau-
onts and small hotels , boarding houses , etc.
It would bo tedious to enumerate the
arlous commonplace means of drawing
egltlmato livings from > the river , such as
rdlnary fishing , wood gathering , etc. , though
ho day's work of many of these water folk
vould bo excellent material for the novelist.
Jut there are plenty of Interesting sights
o eeo by day and by night along this great
waterway.
You would bo the richest man In the
world If you had everything that has been
dropped Into East river , oven in the mlle
or so between Its mouth and Brooklyn
jrlJgo. You would have a stock of goods
which In extent and variety would uiako
Uio vastest modern department store acdm
llko a vlllago knick-knackery by compari
son. It would Incluclo all sorts of things ,
from a 'braes pin to a full-rigged ship ,
armed , provisioned and manned. Indeed , It
was only bait a dozen years ago that some
workmen , excavating for a subccllar In
Water street , moro than two blocks distant
from the present water line , came upon a
ehlp which evidently had sunk at or near
ono of the early-day moorings. Arms , am
munition and the skeletons of men were
there , but nobody has been able to make
them tell -with certainty what ship It was
or bow It sank. t
On the llottnm of tlic Hirer.
But some of the missing things are found
by the grapplers who are sent for when
anything from a capstan to a chronometer
Is lost overboard , and the number of things
they flsh up , besides these for which they
seek , would rnako an Interesting volume.
Ono day some ten years ago a party of
students from one of the schools near the
river came down to bathes Ono of their
number , a very expert swimmer , was lull
of pranks. It was bis delight to dlvo from
the plor and quietly como up behind a pile
or In some other hidden place with a view
to frightening bis comrades. This day when
lie dove his companions were not In the
least frightened. That trick had been played
on them before. They know a good one to
play In return. Slyly they slipped into their
clothing and ran away. As they departed
there was a commotion among some grap-
jilers who were working just below the pier.
The students returned and found that the
grapplers had drawn the body of their com
rade from the bottom of the river.
And this is by no means the only Instance
where .the grapplers have brought gruesome
evidences "of human tragedy to the surface
of 'North ' river when they were merly lookIng -
Ing for lost articles. And sometimes the
bodies they bavo found have been weighted
In order to keep them down , and that means
a murder.
The harbor police have funny experi
ences sometimes.
Not LawTircnltcrn.
Only a short time ago the watchman at one
of the big piers on this river sent in n
hurry call for the harbor police. A eteam
launch was sent quickly to the place where
some thieves were reported to bo operating
under the pier. The policemen ran as close
as they could and threw the rays of a dark
laniorn under the plor. Sure enough , there
were some men in a boat , keeping suspl-
cloualy quiet.
"Como out of there , " called the rounds
man.
"Sh-fli-h ! " answered the men. "You'll
scare every blamed eel out or the river. "
When ! they did como out they showed the
policemen half a boatload of eels and said
that it was a condemned sbamo that a pcace-
alblo and honest occupation should bo be
trayed by plaguoy policemen , who are paid
to protect just such Industries.
I asked an old boatman the oilier -lay if
ho bad ever run across anything of value
floating in the river.
"Woll , yes , " said ho. "I once fiiurd a
floater and the family gave mo ? 100 for res
cuing It. " Then ho fetched a tremendously
long wink and added : "Thero was over [
$200 in money and a cold watch , too , that
nobody ever peeped about , '
Ho did not seem to think he bad done
anything to bo ashamed of In robbing the
body for which the friends bad paid him eo
generously. Ho also told mo of another
boatman who ono morning , years ago , found
n bateau afloat with a man's body In It. Tbo
man had boon shot. It was subsequently
fount ) to bo thd body of Oim Sackow , whom
Policeman Musgrovo had killed In a night
battle. Over 100 shota were exchanged be
tween the policeman on the dock and Sac
kow and two zmla In the boat. Stvckow's
pala were never heard of after that and It
Is supposed that the policeman killed all
three t of tbo river thieves.
The Ifnrliar'H Demi.
But the harbor does not always glvo up
Its dead eo easily. There is ono llttlo bay
on Staten island near to the government
revenue and quarantine station , however ,
into | which an arerago of 100 human de
relicts float every year. This Is a harvest
not . to bo despised for the local coroner , who
is also an undertaker. Ho watches the Now
York , New Jersey and Brooklyn Hats of missIng -
Ing ' carefully and trios to bring about Iden
tifications. If ho succeeds the friends of the
dead usually give him the work of burial ,
and these fees , added to the official payment
for Inquests , have made him very prosperous.
His ' subjects are mysteriously taken to him
by the currents of the harbor , although ,
strangely enough they land little other drift
in "Dead Man's Cove , " which Is the name
whUh baa not unnaturally been given to
the llttlo Indention In the coast.
Less gruesome , but sometimes much more
exciting are the events In tbo lives of the
legitimate harbor boatmen. Much of their
work Is commonplace the transfer of people
to and from ships anchored out , and such
things. ' But there U a boatman near the
Battery who had a lively experience onfl
night which ho reported to the police later.
It was blowing a gale and was quite dark.
Ho was making his boat fast to Us moorings.
A 'well-dressed roan rushed up and wanted
to .bo taken to the Now Jersey shore.
"Take tbo ferry , " growled the boatman.
"This Is no weather for a small boat. "
"I'll glvo you $100 for the job. "
The boatman did the work without an
other word , although It was a dangerous
night. Then ho reported it to the police.
They know who the man was , but they have
kept quiet the Identity of the criminal who
slipped through their fingers Into another
state so cleverly. The man know that the
lorries were watched and also knew how to
dodge them.
There have been other big fees and other
exciting trips.
A naval officer exceeded his shore leave
and caught his ship just as It was rounding
the Battery with the assistance of a boat
man from that historic point. They wore
nearly run down in doing it.
In ono day , three years ago , when five big
steamers had gone ashore in a dense fog ,
ono newspaper alone paid to these boatmen
and to tugs $600 to carry its reporters
around in their searches for the stranded
vessels ,
OM'V A HINT M3KDI3U.
Ami the AVoiunn In the Cn e Wn Siot
Afriilil ( o Give It.
The best looking girl In tbo I'lno mountain
country , reports the Washington Star , was
Susan Natter , and Susan was extremely , not
to say foolishly , fond ot Jim Davis , a young
man who was my chief tlmberman la tba
season , and who owned and conducted a good
farm in the river bottom as a side Issue.
Jim was the catch of the mountains , and ,
like other men in that happy class , ho was
careless and stood a fair chance of losing
what ought to be his because ho was too sure
of it. Susan was Just the girl for him , but
ho had almost worn out her patience by his
dilly-dallying policy , and one day I thought
the end bad surely como and It was all up
with Jim , who was a favorite of mine as a
winner of the Susan stakes.
"I want to see the best dress pattern you
got In the store , colonel , " she said to mo
as I sat out in front of the commissary one
day , "and beln' mighty partlckeler , Iwant
you to wait on me , " she added with a smirk
not usual to Susan.
"Oh , indeed , " I said chafllngly , going
around behind the counter , "something must
bo going to happen ? "
"I reckon thar Is , " she admitted , frankly.
"Good for you , " I laughed , ' 'and I'm glad
that Jim has got his senses at last. "
"Jim ? " she sniffed disdainfully. " 'Taln't
Jim ez fer ez I " , know. " , , ' , ,
"Not Jim ? " I almost shouted , for Jim
was my choice for her. "Not Jim ? Well ,
who Is it ? "
"Oh , 'that's fer mo to know and you to find
out , colonel , " she laughed provoklngly , and
gave mo no further satisfaction. She bought
the goods and went away , and two hours
later Jim came In from work and said he was
going over the mountain that night with ono
of the Martin girls to a. dance.
"By the way , Jim , " I said , "did you
know Susan Natter was going to get
married ? "
"Thunderatlon , colonel , no , " he. 'blurted
out. "Ner she ain't , la she ? "
"I guess eho is. I sold 'her ' a wedding
dress tbls afternoon , and she told one she
was. "
"Who's she goln * ter marry , colonel ? " ho
asked , anxiously.
"I don't know. She wouldn't toll me. "
"Well , she'll tell mo , colonel , " ho Bald ,
with the lines getting hard across his face ,
and llttlo wrinkles of doubt and fear showIng -
Ing 'between. Jim was facing a possibility
that had never presented lUolf to him in Its
full strength. He went out of the store and
up the road leading to old man Natter's
place. The next morning ho stopped at the
store on his way to work.
"Did you flnd out who > it was ? " I asked
him at once , for I was Interested more than
he had beon.
" 'Course I did , " bo answered , with confl-
dence.
"Who Is it ? "
"Me , " and he laughed the short laugh of
the man who had been made to do what ho
knew ho should have done , and what he
moat wanted to do.
"Oh , " I exclaimed , "is that It ? " And
later I discovered that Susan bad devised a
to the point , and 'by ' my unwitting , but by
no means unwilling , assistance , she had succeeded -
ceeded ftlly.
Jntlurc Illllon In Very III.
SARATOGA. N. Y. . Aug. 15. Judge Henry
G. Hilton bad a sinking spell today and was
unconscious for some time , but rallied and
at noon was resting cmparatlvely eaHy.
HIS LATEST EXCUSE.
"You're a drinking man , lean tell by your swollen face. "
"Oh , no mum , a kissin * bug k issed me. "
THE DOCTOR'S STORY.
Romance of n Telephone Call Hung by Spirit Ilnnds.
lly HELEN A. COUSINS.
I was a young man of 27 , and had Just
hung out my sign In a llttlo manufacturing
vlllago of about 2,000 Inhabitants. There
were at this tlmo thrco other physicians In
tbo town , and during my four weeks' 'stay
I bad been favored with but few patients. I
boardoJ with an elderly lady whose grand
son cared for the garden and stable. My
boarding mistress 'was precise and methodi
cal In everything , and was n model of punc
tuality , so I ono day set my watch , and
the clock In my llttlo office , ten minutes
foot , In order to bo prompt at meals when
at home. On the evening of .that day , Just
before the clock struck 10 , my telephone hell
rang. I had only the day previous bad the
Instrument put In , and hastened to nntwcr
my first call. "Como Immediately to Mlll-
vlllo No. 20 High street. Take the 10
o'clock train.
"It Is too late for me to catch that train ,
but I will drive over with my team If that
will do. What Is the case ? " I asked.
No reply. "Hollo ! " I called again , but alt
was still. Then I rang up the central ofllcc.
"I'leaso connect again with the parties
who called for Dr. Wildes , " I said.
"No ono has called for Dr. Wildes , " an
swered the volco of the operator In the cen
tral olllce.
"You must 'be ' mistaken , for I have Just
been talking with eomo one through the
telephone who wants me , " was my reply.
"The wires must bo crossed somewhere.
I will see If I can flnd out where the trou
ble Is , elr , " came in a sleepy volco from
the central.
I -put on my hat and. started toward the
stable , meeting Jlmmto with lantern In
hand.
"I was just coming after you , doctor , " be
said. "Your horse seems to be dreadfully
lame , and I can't flnd out what alls her
foot. "
I sent the boy to a livery stable near byte
to .procure . a team for mo , and was bathing
and bandaging my own horse when I heard
the whistle of the 10 o'clock train. Then re
membering that my watch had been too fast ,
I muttered a very unauthordox expression
as I thought of tbo sixteen-mile drive I
must take m the cold March night.
I had hastened In doors and put on a
heavy ulster , when I heard the boy drive
up to my door with the team. Again I
went to the telephone , and ringing up "cen
tral , " I inquired If ho had ascertained who
had called for Dr. Wildes.
"I cannot flnd that anyone has called for
you this evening , " came the reply over the
wire.
Suspecting that somebody might be trying
to play a , joke on me , I stepped to the door
and had the team returned to the livery
stable.
I seated myself In nn easy chair by the
flro and after reading a short tlmo I fell
asleep. I awoke Just as my clock was strik
ing twelve , and as the dast Btroko ceased
my telephone again rang.
I hastened to reply , and received Iho call ,
"Come to Mlllvljle on the midnight train ,
| to No. 20 High street. "
"Who wants me ? " I asked , as I know not
a soul In Mlllvlllo.
I received no reply , altnougu l rang sev
eral times , and putting on my overcoat and
cap I seized my medicine case and hurried
to rtho railroad station a few rods away ,
where the night train stopped on being sig
naled. Before 1 o'clock I bad reached Mlll-
vlllo and found the place to which I bad
been summoned. '
It was an old-fashioned house , which had
been modernized by the addition ot bay
windows In the front , from ono of which
phone a faint light. I hastened up the steps ,
but before my hand couldrtbiich the door It
was opened from the insldcf-and I passed in.
A very old lady with palo'faco and snowy
hair silently pointed Into the next room.
I entered and found I was in a good sized
apartment that seemed to bo half parlor
and half library. A leather covered lounge
was drawn up before an open flro and upon
it lay a man of perhaps 60 years. An ugly
gash was In the right sldo of 'his ' head ,
which , with the partially dried blood upon
his face , formed a picture at which I shud
dered ,
I bent over him and felt for his pulse. His
hand was cold , but In his grasp ho held a
peculiar-shaped key , which. I saw plainly in
the light of the flro. His Iip moved , and
without opening his eyes ho Bald , "Tho second
end bunch of grapes , the second bunch of
grapes. "
"Tho man is delirious , " I thought as I
stepped Into the hallway.
"liladam , " I called os I peered around In
the darkness , "please bring mo a basin of
warm water at once. " I heard no sound
except my own voice. I could faintly see by
the light of the flro that shone from the
library that there were throe or four other
doors leading from the hall. One after an
other I tried to open ( them , but they were all
locked fast. I ran back Into .tho room from
which I had Just come. The leather covered
lounge was still drawn up in front of the
flre , but the man was gone. I looked wlldry
around Ihe room , but no sign of him could
be seen. I drew my hand over the lounge ,
and found my finger showed plainly on the
dusty covering. Tbo flro was burning low ,
and I seized my medicine case from the chair
where I had placed it , stopped Into the hall
and hastily opened the frontdoor. , Once out
side Iho house my courage returned , and
looking back , I shouted , "Whore are you ,
sir ? " but no answer came. Then I grasped
the door bell and rang peal after peal , but
nil I heard were the echoes dying away in
the empty house. I may as well confess that
I ran > to the railroad station. When I asked
the night watchman who Hvcd at No. 20
High street , he replied : "I cannot lell you ,
sir. as I am but llttlo acquainted in the
place. " Still puzzling my brain over the
mystery , I remained with him until B o'clock
the next morning , when 'the first train took
me homo ,
II.
The next afternoon , my courage having
returned , I drove over to Mlllvlllo and wont
straight to the bouse which I had visited
the previous night. I went boldly up the
front steps and was ringing the. bell when a
man at work In tbo next yard looked over
the low fence.
"Thero Is no one at home , elr , " bo said.
"Whero are the people who belong hero ? "
I asked.
"They are spending the winter In southern
California , and have been away slnco last
September , " was bis reply.
On returning 'to ' my office I found a tele
gram from my elster , who lived In an adjoin
ing state. In response to It I started at once ,
and on arriving at her home the following
morning I learned that an elderly physician ,
n friend of her husband , was about to give
up actlvo practice. Arrangements were
speedily made and I moved to my new loca
tion.
During the spring and summer I was kept
busy and had but little time to myself , yet
often I pondered over my midnight visit to
Mlllvlllo , trying to persuade myself that It
might be only a delusion of my brain while
In some stage of somnambulism.
Ono evening at about 12:30 : I had returned
from a professional call and wag about to
retire , when 1 picked up the evening paper ,
which my thoughtful sister always left 011
my table. The llrat Item I read was a. no
tice In the society column : "Miss Marguerite
Lawton of Mlllvlllo is visiting her grand
mother , Mr * . Stephen Powers Lawton , on
College avenuo- "
The name of the town 'brought ' to ray
mind the mysterious call I bad once nn-
ewered. I placed the paper on the toblo
at my elbow. As I did so 1 became nwaro'
of a feeling a * If some ono was In the room.
Glancing hastily around I saw that I w.is
alone , but ns my gaze agalei fell on the table
I a/w / a moving flguro of a man's hand ,
holding In Its grasp the same peculiarly-
shaped key. The hand moved over the
table until it rested on tbo paragraph I had
Juot read and the key tapped once or twlco
on the name , "Marguerite. "
The hand began to fade ; already I could
see to read the letters that were under It
and , as the shape of the key began to
prow Indistinct , I seized a pencil and ma-lo
a sketch of U on the margin ot the paper ,
opposite the paragraph.
The key had barely faded from my view
when my bell rang. A man stood In the
door. "Como at once to Mrs. Lawton's ,
College avenue. "
In response to my Inquiries , ho repllo.i ,
"Sho Is unconscious. It Is probably a
stroke of paralysis. "
In a few minutes wo entered the room
whore a slight girlish figure , clad all In
black , was kneeling by the sldo of a bed ,
whereon lay an old lady. She was quite
dead and but ono glance was needed to
show me that she was the mysterious ono
* ho had opened the door for mo at the
Mlllvlllo house.
"Here is the doctor , Miss Marguerite , "
said the man.
The young girl rose and with a stilled
sob bold out her hand to mo. "My dearest
friend , my only friend on earth is gone , "
she cried.
A few days later my elster and I called
to see Miss Lawton , who had decided to
clcso her grandmother's house and go away.
"Tho only relative I have now is my
mother's half-brother , In California. He has
telegraphed for me to como to him. 1'oort
papa and I were eo happy there until his
sudden death last spring. " Then she added ,
"I will show you bis picture , " and taking a
photograph from a case on the table , she
handed me the exact likeness of the man
whom I had found upon the lounge with the
ugly gash on his head. I did not question
her at that time , although my curiosity was
dinvcult to control , as I saw that she was
deeply agitated , and I felt that she must bo
kept as calm as possible.
Destiny , fate or what compelled me to fol
low Marguerite to California ? I was
not wholly Impelled by the desire
to obtain a solution to my mys
tery , of which I felt that some
how I held the key , having been to a black
smith and had a key made from the drawing
on the newspaper margin. In the latter part
of January I placed my practice In the hands
of ono of my medical friends who was not
quite ready to settle down , and started out
for a six weeks' vacation.
Marguerite and my sister had kept up a
correspondence , so I had no difficulty in find
ing the object of my search and In less than
flve weeks was on my way east with my
bride.
Before leaving California I had learned
the particulars ot ( Mrs. Lawton's sudden
death. 'Mareuerlte'a Grandmother , who had
been a leader in society until her husband's
death , was the possessor of some valuable
diamonds , which a few years previous Eho
had placed in her son's hands for Bate-keep
ing until Marguerite should bo of an ago
to wear them. Ho very seldom mentioned
the Jewels to his daughter , and it was sup
posed that he carried them around on his
person. Ono day in early JIarch bo was re
turning from a drive , when ho saw a man
skulking around the street corner , who
looked strangely familiar to him. Ho finally
said to Marguerite , " , It has Just occurred tome
mo that the stranger is Davidson , who used
to bo employed by your grandmother. She
wrote me eome little time ago that she had
discharged him because she found him ono
day trying to unlock her desk where her
prlvato papers were kept. "
The following day Mr. Lawton was
brought home unconscious with a cruel
wound In his head. Robbery was evidently
the motive of the assailant , for the diamonds
were gone , also the money and watch ot
the victim. The poor man did not regain
consciousness , but died In a few lours.
Comparison of the dates showed that this
occurred at the very tlmo I had been called
tn Mlllvlllo.
Inquiry proved also that the grandmother
had been In her own homo , ill In bed with
an attack of rheumatism on that night.
Before going back to my practice I went
with Marguerite to her old home. On ar
riving there I told her of my mysterious
visit and of the key which had been held
out to me. I produced the ono I had made
and naked if eho had seen ono like It , but
she never had.
When wo entered the dining room It was
a bright sunny day. I looked around the
room and aa my glance rested on the mas-
slvo oak sideboard that was built into ono
corner of the room I saw along the top were
carved grape leaves and ( bunches of grapes.
Suddenly there flashed into my mind the
-wordo , "Tho second bunch of grapes , " and
mounting a chair I managed to reach it.
After a few attempts I found I could move
It a little and finally I succeeded in pushIng -
Ing to ono side the entire cluster , leaving
exposed a keyhole In a llttlo door of iron
four or five Inches square. Producing my
mysterious key I at once unlocked the door
and found that the aperture contained a
small Iron box , in which wo found the miss
ing diamonds.
Wo soon went to the house of Marguerite's
grandmother , where wo have lived for this
last eight years , during which time I have
only once mot with another ghostly visitor.
"But that ti another story. "
JJ15AUTII3.S OF A MANILA. CHUIICH.
Hcnmrkobly 'Artlxtlo Wood Cnrrlnir
Don i ) by Nntlvm ,
There elands in the old walled city of
Manila a church whoso rare beauty should
win it a place among the famed temples of
the world , relates the San Francisco Chron
icle. It is the. Church of St. Ignatius of
Loyola , and , as tbo name would indicate ,
was .erected by the Jesuit fathers. The ten
years that elapsed 'between 1879 and 1889
were consumed in its construction , and a
success that was truly artistic crowned the
effort of a decade. The exterior is neither
Imposing nor artistic , but It was upon the
interior that effort was centered , and few
structures In the world can boast of the
perfect harmony of effect there attained.
Practically the ontlro Interior is done In
the native hard woods of the Philippine
Islands that have 'been carved by master
liauds , A remarkable fact in connection
with the work is that it was all done by na
tives. The designs were all made In Europe ,
but every credit Is due the workman who so
closely followed their models , Tbls incident
lllustratca a peculiar trait in the Filipinos.
They lack the originality , 'but are wonderful
Imitators , Glvo their carvers a model and
they will duplicate to perfection. Let their
painters see a picture and they will copy It
to the perfection of detail. Permit their
musicians to hear a composition and they
will reproduce it on their own Instruments.
Probably the most artistic piece of carving
In the church ia the pulpit. It Is a rnawlve
affair affixed to one of the giant columns
close to the altar rail. On Its sides are
a series of panels upon which have been
carved scenes depleting Important scriptural
events. The pulpit baa a 'beautifully ' carved
base , and upon the outer elde of the bal
ustrade are the figures of < ulnts. The
figures have all been perfectly carved , and
there has been a wonderful regard for detail ,
Proportions are pcifoct , and the effect Is at
once harmonious and artistic. A prodigious
amount of labor was expended upon thoj
pulpit. Ilev. Father Francisco Slmo , ono of'
the re-dors of the church , under who o di
rection much of the work lias been done ,
relnua thnt the carving ot the base of the
pulpit consumed two years , and that the
balustrade occupied nearly as much time.
Next to the pulpit the celling , which Is en
tirely of carved wood , attracts the most at
' tention , There are a series of Intricate de
signs that show the genius of art and the
skill of the carver and the effect Is admir
able. The columns , capitals and archrs
have also 'beou done In wood
and they , too , enhance the beauty of llu {
church. The altars ono main and two
side are also ot wood and show splendid
specimens of the skill ot the carvers.
, The floor is also of wood and the sheen
j i of Its polish serves to heighten the general
effect. Most of the wood useJ Is molave ,
best of nil the fifty varieties of hard wood
that grow In the Philippines. It Is capable
of rosl.itlng any of the insects that attack
I wood , and neither heat nor water offcet It.
! Steel Is the only thing that will outlast U.
' H Is so hard that the fashioning of It Is
very difficult , but the excellent results obI -
I tallied make It worthy of the effort. Tbo
i ort of wood carving has long been taught
to the Filipinos , and the traveler In their
Islands BOOS many samples of thc4r work.
' It has reached Its greatest perfection at the
Jesuit college at Manila , and the work In
the Jesuit church Is Incomparably the best
so far dono. Twenty-three years ago the
students of the college sent an elaborate
plcco of carving to the Centennial exposi
tion at Philadelphia , and with It won first
prize-
i -
j ' The arclhtecturo of Manila may bo truth-
j j fully said to bo relieved of mediocrity by
I the churches , mid that of St. Ignatius Ix > y-
ola Is the greatest of them all. The cathe
dral massive structure of the Byzantine
period attracts attention on account ot Its
slzo and the fact that its foundation stone *
were laid In the sixteenth century , but
j neither Interior nor exterior arc particularly
pleasing. AnoUier remarkable church In the
old city Is that of St. Augustine , built
way back In 1570 from a design drawn by n
nephew of the architect who planned the
j t famous Escurial In Madrid. For over 300
' years It has defied carthquako and typhoon ,
and the original walls still stand as a monument
ment to the builders. The design Is rather
of the Tuscan order , but modern additions
have rather changed and obscured the origi
nal Hues. The Church of Santo Domingo U
another Imposing structure. H has an exte
rior ot florid Gothic and nn Interior of
nearly perfect Gothic , but the latter Is
marred by some Impossible coloring and
some inartistic statuary. The same com
plaint may bo properly made of any of the
score of churches in the city and surround
ings , with the single exception of the
APPEALS TO ALL
Possessed of a delicate flavor of malt and hops sparkling
In its state of purity , age and strength ,
tfQ/ . . -jf " "
u.y | - uj in every feature.
IlClEERa " _
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S y See that ( eclfS Is on the cork.
Illustrated < ?
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fobbirt of Leather , Saddlery Hardware , JMfc
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BOILER AND SHEET IRON WORKS
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Manufacturers boiler.1) , ainokg Blacks nnd
troecnlnss , pressure , rendering , sheep dip ,
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I Church of St. Ignatius Ix > yol . When tha
1 tldo of American travel sets toward the
Philippines , and when Manila Is Included In
the Itinerary of the globo-trottcr between
Slnsaporo and Yokohama this rofttly re
markable structure will win Us plnco in tba
-orld of art.
n ins t'uinvtiss.
A MUnoiirlnii SUI-HI-K llo In the 1HK
K ' "l I'lnr iiu Ilurtli.
In Oovo and Logan counties there Is ftl
present n contest between the local papers
over the rather novel query ns to whl.'li
county has the blgfeest llnr , reports tin
Kansas City Journal. And thU reminds ua
thnt once upon a tlmo Oove county had n
citizen who held up his good rlsht hand arvl
mndo oath that ho believed himself to be tha
lilqpost liar In whom God ever put tin
breath of life. Ills nnmo was Abernathy ,
and ho was well known In the buffalo huntIng -
Ing days when he used to como Into HiiiT.ili
station nnd sell hides to .tin ) Thompson.
Ono of his storlcf was that ho was the innn
who killed Mormon Joe Smith In the jnns-
gucro nt Nauvoo. 111. , and ho never came to
the station without tclllivs of ono or moro
Indians that hohad killed during tlic previ
ous week's hunting. "I hov got forty-nine
uv the red devils , an' I neort only one moro
to rnako fifty , " ho eald to Jim Thompson
too day as held up for Inspection nn oM
blanket with a 'bullet hole In It In cvldcnco
ot his latest slaughter. Now It ) u > ppcnad
that toward evening of that day Company I ,
of the Third cavalry , which had been oul
on n oottt , rode Into the station to camii
for the nlcht , nnd Jim Thompson conceived
iho Idea of having some fun with old man
Aberimthy. So he set up n Job with Lieu
tenant King , the commanding officer , nnd a
pcrge.int nnd file arrested the old man and
conveyed htm to the lieutenant's tent.
"Mr. Abernathy , " said Lieutenant King ,
ns the frightened old Indian killer appeared
before him , "I have 'been sent out by the
government to apprehend certain men who
bavo been ruthlessly nlnughtcrtng our wards ,
the Indians. I .understand that you hnvo
killed forty-nlae nnd need only one to mnUo
fifty , and now I want to know what you
liavo to say for yourwolf. "
"Swar me ! swnr mo ! " shouted the old
man ns ho fairly quivered with terror , and
with duo solemnity Lieutenant King ud-
nilnlstered the oath.
"Mr. Officer , I swnr befo.ro Gawd thet I
linln'l killed no Injuns. I snld lilt , but I
am a liar , sir , the wust llitr yo ever POCU In
ycr bo'n days. Why jo kin take mo back
to IHUioy and the hull population will swar
that no alcli liar as old Abernathy over lived
before ! I swar hit myself , sir , before tha
good Gawd ! "
Needless to say , Abcrnathy had no moro
talcs to relate of his prowess.
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