Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, July 20, 1876, Image 1
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FORT ROYAL . ^
Standard and Commercial. '
VOL. IY. NO. 33. BEAUFORT. S. C., THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1876. $2.00 per Inn. We Copy 5 Cents.
The Old Oak Door.
The old oak door is silent; bat, then,
It has more fancied than moat of men ;
The roeee hang over, the meads are in clover,
And the world goe? on. from dawn to da^n,
Giving some jcy and giving some pain ;
My cot is kissed by the tearful rain.
And the oak door, swinging to and fro,
Seem's life's frail shuttle, weaving slow.
The old cak door is groaning; the light
On my heart within barns rnddy and bright:
Yet friends have departed, one came broken
hearted,
To die in the shade this old door made;
And some have wandered so far away
They never shall stand where the shadows
play
Of the old oak door, that, to and fro,
Weaves, as life's shuttle, sad and slow.
The old oak door has opened to greet
Full many a bride, with music sweet;
Father and mother, sister and brother
Have entered there ; and ohildren fair
Have raised its latcb, in merry glee ;
And the flowers without oft smiled to see
The old oak door that, to and fro,
Watched lire s rrau snuiue, weaving own.
The old oak door has opened, and those
It lovei passed through in a dreamless repose;
Father and mother, sister and brother
Hare, one by one, their journeys done;
Within the ?re burns warm and bright,
No childish form, nor bride in white,
Comes to the door ; ah! to and fro,
Death stilled their voioee long ago.
The old oak door is mourning; I speak,
And it answers back in a solemn creak;
Oh, treasure holy, however lowly,
To some you seem as a bygone dream,
You are to me, for childhood's kin
Have passed by yon and died within ;
So, dear old door, swing to and fro,
As some worn shuttle, tired and slow.
?Minnie J. Owrcy.
TRIED BY FIRE.
d.
" The man is ruined?hopelessly
ruined !"
The words startled me.
" So bad as that?" said the individual
to whom the remark was made.
"Even so bad."
4'Of whom are you speaking?" I ventured
to ask.
" Of Jacob Atwood."
I started to my feet.
He was oue of my old, intimate and
long tried friends.
^ " Ruined, did you fay ? That man
ruined ? Impossible 1"
" There is no doubt of it. I reoeived
my information from those who have
the best riffht to know."
44 What " has he done ?" I asked,
eagerly.
My question was received in silenoe,
as if the meaning was not clearly apprehended.
44 Is he a defaulter ?"
44 No."
The answer showed some surprise at
my qiestion.
44 Has he betrayed an honorable trust
reposed in him by his fellow men ?"
44 No, sir; his integrity is without
question. In all his pnblio relations he
was true as steel to principle."
44 What then I Has he placed any portion
of his property beyond the reach
of creditors who have just claims upon
him?"
44 Oh, no," said I, speaking out warmly,4
4 not in any sense a ruined man. The
merchant may re ruined, but, thank
Heaven, the man is whole."
The little company looked at me for a
moment with surprise.
"The m#w is all right," I went on.
4 4 Only the scafiToldmg on which the
workmen stood who were building up
his character has fallen. Erect, calm,
noble, haltoiivine he stands now in the
sunr.hine and in the storm. Around hd
majestic brow the clouds may gather;
upon it the tempest may beat; but he is
immovable in his great integrity."
Some smiled at my enthusiasm. To
them there none of the moral sublime
in the ruiped merchant.
Others looked a little more thoughtful
than before, and one said feebly :
44 There is something in ttat."
Something in that!
I should think there was. It was the
first intelligence I had received of m]
friend's worldly misfortune and it
grieved me.
In the evening I went to see Jaoot
Atwood. The windows of the elegan
residence where he had lived for yean
were closed.
I looked up at the house?it had a de
serted aspect.
I rung the bell; no one answered U
my summons.
I could not repress the feeling of sad
ness that came over me.
The trial must have been severe eve]
for a brave heart like his.
"I must find him," said I.
And I did find him; but far awa;
from the neighborhood where merchan
princes had their palace houses.
The house into which he had retire*
with his family looked small and mea
and comfortless in comparison with th
elegant abode from which he had re
moved.
I rang and was admitted. The parlo
into which I was shown was a smal
w room and the furniture not much bette
than we often see in the houses of th
well-to-do mechanics, or clerks on moc
\ erate salaries. But everything was i
i order and scrupulously neat
I had made only a hurried observatior
; when Mr. Atwood entered.
He looked somewhat careworn?hi
face was paler than when I last saw hiu
his eyes a little duller, his smile lee
cheerful.
The marks of trial qad suffering wei
plainly visible,
' It would have been almost a miracl
L had it been otherwise.
& But he did not exhibit the aspect of
| ruined man.
L He grasped my hand warmly and sai
W it was pleasant to look into the face <
I an old friend. I offered him words <
[ sympathy.
V pQ '* The worst is over," he answers*
I with manly cheerfulness, " and nothii
f is lost which may not be regained.
have found the bottom, know where
- am, and there is strength enough left:
*
me to stand np securely among the rush- j
ing waters. The best of all is, my prop
erty, which has been apportioned to
my creditors, will pay every debt. That
gives my heart its lightest pulsations."
"I heard that you were ruined," said
I, as we sat talking together; "but I
And that the man is whole. Not a principle
invaded by the enemy?not a
moral sentiment lost?not a jewel in the
crown of honor missing."
He took my hand and, grasping it
hard, looked into my face steadily for
some moments. Then, in a subdued
voioe, he made answer :
'* I trust that is even so, my friend.
But there were seasons in the worse
than Egyptian night through which I
have passed when the tempter's power
seemed about to crush me. For myself
I cared little; for my wife and children
everything. The thought of seeing
them go out from the pleasant home I
had provided for them and step down,
far dovrn, to a lower level in the social
grade, half distracted me for a time.
For thorn I would have braved everything
but dishonor. I could not stoop
to that. And so I have passed a fiery
ordeal and come out, I verily believe, a
better man. No, my friend, I am not
1 T ' ? ' ?4 " ? Vvnt. not
rumeu. x uavo iush mj ivkuuv,
my integrity."
And so the man - stood firm. It was
not in the power of any commercial disaster
to rain him.
The storm raged furiously; the waves
beat madly against him; but be f-tood
immovable, for his feet were upon the
solid lock of honor.
Mrs. Beecher's Teeth,
In supreme court, circuit, New York
city, Henry Ward Beecher made his
appearanoe, the occasion being his compulsory
resistance of a suit brought by
Solomon S. Skinner, a dentist, to recover
payment for two sets of false teeth
alleged to have been furnished by the
plaintiff to Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher
and one set to Dr. Lyman Beecher, some
twenty-five years ago. Mrs. Beecher
was also present in oonrt. Ex-Judge
Busteed appeared for Mr. Skinner and
Mr. John S. Hill for Mr. Beecher.
Judge Busteed made one of his characteristic
openings, which kept the court
convulsed, and then called the plaintiff,
who told his side of the story,
Henry Ward Beecher was then called
by Judge Busteed. He lifted the right
hand, indicating that he would be sworn
as he was on the scandal trial. He was
very -oool and good humored, and got up
several good laughs, while the counsel
spoke at the top of his voioe, gesticulated;
and fixed teirible looks upon the
witness.
How long ago was it since Mrs.
nn teeth? A. I couldn't
I locate it; but I know that very early she
was obliged to rely on an auxiliary set.
(Laughter.)
Q. How many false sets hod she ? A.
I don't know; I never oounted them?
(laughter); I don't know what they were
made of.
- Q. They might be lead or turf? A.
They might for all I know?(laughter)?
I did not pay Skinner that I know of ;
I know of nothing aboat teeth for my
father, except Skinner's demand; I don't
know what I said to him; I got rid of
him as quick as I could, because he was
drunk. (Laughter.)
Q. Oh, you say ho was drunk ? A.
He hod all the appearance of it.
Q. (Furiously)?Oh, he had the ap- ;
pearanoe ? Now, was he drunk, or was
it only the appearanoe ? A. (Without a I
smile)?Well, if I was xin that state I
should have been drunk. (Roars of j
laughter.) "
Q Were you ever in that state. A.
Never.
Judge We3tbrook promptly dismissed i
the ease, as, on the plaintiff's own showing,
the goods were furnished twenty j
years ago.
It was amusing, while the counsel was
reaching denunciations of statute of limi- I
tation defenses, to see the witness coolly j
' occupied reading a book, and, apparent'
ly, taking no notice of all the terrible j
' things shouted into his ear.
??
1 What a Weak Woman Can Do.
She can sit at the open window of a
. railway carriage with a stiff northeast
wind blowing in that chills everybody
in the vicinity to the marrow, for two
hours in a thin muslin dress without
j flinching. 1
r She?can dance or waltz down the capt
tain of a marching regiment, and at the
eleven o'clock supper put away lobster
> salad, ice cream, champagne, cake and
t ooffee, without flinching, sufficient for a
3 week's nightmare to a strong man.
Hhe can comb her hair all back so as*
- to leave the roots of it to the full play
of a Deoember breeze, and wear a bon>
neb on top of a chignon, leaving ears
and head exposed with impunity, with
- the thermometer ten degrees below zero.
She can pull over $1,000 worth of dry
i goods for the investment of fifty cents.
She can study music for ten years sufficiently
to enable her to perform excely
lently, when not in the presence of those
t who desire to hear her.
She can bolanoe herself on the ball of
I her great toe and shoe heel the size of a
a dime all day in the public streets witke
out falling.
i- She can occupy three seats in a horse
car and be utterly oblivious that any of
r her own sex are standing up.
II She shows unusual strength and firmr
ness in the holding of real estate, solie
taire diamonds, and other valuable propl
erty which her husband places in her
n hands previous to his compromising
with his creditors for twenty cents on a
i, dollar.
A Parole.
,q ^
ii The parole of Lord Corn Wallace, a ven?
erable document, is now on file in the
Kichmond (Va.) library. It reads as
e f olio ws :
"Charles Earl Corn Wallace, Lieut,
le General commanding Her Majesties forties,
a ?' Do acknowledge myself a prisoner of
war to the States of America, and hayid
ing permission from his Excellency Gen>f
eral Washington, agreeably to capitnla5f
&ion, to proceed to New York and
Charleston^ or either, and to Europe.
3, Do pledge my faith and word of Honor
ig that I will not do or say anything injuI
rious to the said U. S., or armies, Ac."
I Given under my hand at Yorktown,
ia 28 day Oct., 1781. Corn Wallace. "
TURNED SHAKER.
Developments of a Replevin Mult?An
Albanian Becomes a Shaker nuri Abandons
his Wife.
A suit which was disposed of in Albany,
N. Y., bronght to light a strange
and interesting story, the facts of which,
as related by the father, are summarized
by the Argxis as follows : Two years
ago one Henry George, a former resident
of Albany, wooed and won Harriet,
daughter of Mr. William Clapham.
They being united in marriage, took up
their residence in that city, and for nearly
a year their lives passed happily
enough. A child was the fruit of the
union, and it its possession, and as she
supposed the possession of her husband's
heart, the poor wife never
dreamed of the cloud that was to throw
its shadow over her future path in life.
Then a change came. The husband professed
to have scruples about liviDg in
the marriage state, and after a while
avowed himself a convert to the principles
which govern the Shaker community
in Watervliet. He claimed that on these
grounds a separation must take place between
himself and wife. His wife, who
felt the utmost affection for him, reasoned
in vain, and at length, acting under
advice of friends, consented to a separation,
and on April 1, 1875, the necessary
deed was executed for a separation
from bed and board, he paying her $150
? 1 -11?rflfoin nnaooofiinn nf
anil UliUWiUg iiCi ivy iowftiu i^uuvwv.
one-half of the furniture, and the custody
of their only child, then an infant.
The separation executed, the wife returned
to her parents, while George
affiliated himself with the Shaker family
iD Watervliet. This state of affairs continued
untihlast fall, when the injured
woman was waited upon by her husband.
He professed to have changed his views,
was sorry for what he had done, and besought
her forgiveness, which was accorded.
He paid her frequent visits,
and also urged her to go with him to the
community, representing that he had
hired out to work for the community
only, and that they had leased to him a
house in which he and his wife and child
could live. His entreaties at last prevailed,
and she consented to remove to
the village and did so. She found that
no house was ready, that her husband
kept separate from her, and that she was
compelled to occupy a room in common
with the sisters of the community. One
day, meeting her husband and upbraiding
him for his neglect and falsity, he
threw off the mask and owned he was
as much a Shaker as ever, that he never
intended to live with her, and that she
must stay with the community or go to
the poorhouse. Mrs. George then communicated
with her father, Mr. Clapham,
who took her away, and on her
behalf demanded the furniture she had
taken thither with her, claiming that the
original deed of separation had not been
vitiated by the resuming of cohabitation,
for the reason that it had been procured
through fraudulent representations on
the part of George. The latter refused
to deliver, and, on being threatened with
proceedings, coolly advised Mr. Clapliam
to go on, as he would deliver nothing
unless compelled to do so bylaw.
Mr. Clapham and his daughter then
commenced an action in replevin to recover
possession of the furniture, which
is said to be very valuable. A writ was
procured, and no appearance being made
by the husband, the wife was awarded
possession.
How the Oyster Grows.
As anything pertaining to oysters is
of interest we quote the following explanation
of their growth, given'by Mr.
Frank Buckland. How near correct he
is we will not attempt to state:
The body of an oyster is a poor, weak
thing, apparently incapable of doing
anything at all. * Yet what a marvelous
VirmcA an nvftfcar builds around his deli
cat? frame. When an oyster is first
born he is a very simple, delicate dot,
a3 it were, and yet he is born with his
two shells upon him. For some unknown
reason he always finds himself on
his round shell, never by his flat shell,
| and being once fixed he begins to grow,
i but he only grows in summer. Inspect
I an oyster shell closely and it will be seen
that it is marked with distinct lines. As
the rings we observe in the section of
j the trunk of the tree denote years of
growth, so do the marking on an oyster
I shell tell us how many years he has passed
in his "bed" at the bottom of the
; sea. Suppose the oyster under inspecI
tion was born Juue i5, 1870, he will go
| on growing to the first line we see well
I marked; he will then stop for the winl
ter. In summer, 1871, he would more
! than double-his size. In 1873 and 1874
he would again go on building, till he
was dredged up in the middle of his
work in 1875, so that he is plainly five
and a half years old. The way an oysi
ter grows in his shell is a pretty sight.
' I have watched it frequently. The beard
! of an oyster is not only his breathing
j organ?that is, his lungs?but also his
| breeding organ, by which he conveys
j the food to his complicated mouth with
! his four lips.
When the warm, calm days of June
I come the oyster opens his shell, and, by
j means of his beard, begins building an
' additional story to his house. This he
I does by depositing very, very fine particles
of carbonate of lime, "till at last
they form a substance as thin as silver
| paper and exceedingly fragile. Then
i he adds more and more, till at last the
j new shell is as hard as the old shell.
When oysters are growing their shell
; they must be handled very carefully, as
the new growth of shell will cut like I
broken glass, and a wound on the finger
from an oyster shell is often very 1
dangerous.
Good Advice.
Ladies who are planning to visit the
Exhibition at Philadelphia will do well
droaa oirrmlv ftnd RfiTIRiblv. Plain.
neat garments are the most appropriate,
nice ones are almost certain to be in\
jured. In some parts of the Exhibition
grounds the dust is very penetrating,
i and the asphaltum walks become sticky
; under the hot sun. In the Main building
the passages are necessarily sprinkled
to lay the dust. And to see long dresses
trailing through the water is not only
disgusting, but such obstacles seriously
i interfere with iiie comfortable locomo'
tion of the crowd. A short walking
I skirt is indispensable to comfort and
i neatness.
Inside a Fighting Turret Ship.
I once heard an old sailor who fonght
in a monitor, describe the sound of the 1
shots beating against the vessel's plates.
You know what it is to be in a long
railway tunnel,?how intensely dark it
is, far darker than a starless night, and i
how yellow and feeble the lights look.
Well, it is much the same in the bowels
of a turret ship, when all the hatchways i
are closed. Oil lamps swing from the
beams, but they give no luster, and each
flame seems like a little bit of yellow
floating in the air.t The men grope
about and knock against each other, <
some bearing ammunition to the elevator
connecting with the turrets, others
carrying coal from the bunkers to the
furnaces underneath the boilers. The
engines groan and rattle, and at times
the captain's bell rings a sharp order to
slacken or increase the speed.
Meanwhile, if there has been a lull in
the firing, the men move about feeling <
like a timid boy who is alone in a country
lane after dark?not that they are
afraid. The boy looks at every shadow,
thinking there is a robber or a kidnapper
behind it. Tho men anxiously await
each moment, not knowing what deadly
surprise it may bring forth.
And as the battle goes on, it is not
long before there is a ringing sound that
is calculated to All the bravest and
strongest of nerve with a momentary
terror. It is as though the inner deck
and walls were falling in upon them,
and for a little while they are unable to
realize what has happened?uncertain
that they are not on their way to the
* "
notcom. jCiVcry em~ is otuu^ mm VUV I
awful sound, and every nerve is thrilled.
The great mass of iron seems to tumble
over on one side and moan with pain
bofore the vessel rights herself again
and steadies herself for fresh exertions.
Then she returns the compliments paid
her with a vengeance, and^er bull dogs
in the turrets bark and spit fire at the
enemy until we pity that unfortunate,
and wish she would retire from the field.
The turrets are ranged along the deck.
They are about ten feet in diameter, fifteen
feet high, and each one is fastened
to a massive upright pillar of iron passing
through the center and working in a
socket on the lower deck. The pillar is
connected by a series of cogwheels with
a steam engine, which causes it to turn
the turret in the direction the captain
requires.
Two small portholes are cut in the
plates of the turret, and furnished with
solid iron doors. When the guns are to
be fired, they are worked on slides to
the portholes, which remind us of the
month of a dogs' kennel, and their noses
are pointed at the enemy. A second
after they have uttered their bark, they
are dragged in, and the doors are closed,
just in time, perhaps, to avoid two return
shots which crack like thunder on
the plates outside. While the guns are
being loaded again, the men are hastened
by the whistle and the crash of the shot
and shell, which strike the iron walls of
the turret.
Above one of the turrets there is a little
iron clad pilot house, whence the
captain directs the movements of bis
vessel. It has no window, and the only
outlook is through slits, about an inch
wide, in the plates. The intrepid man,
whose position is the most dangerous of
all, stands there throughout the thick of
the fight, controlling the rudder, the engines,
and the turrets, by a motion of
the hand or the tinkle of a bell.
You may remember what I told you
in a previous article?I am beginning
* 1 1 ? "? fm'nn/la Ktt
CO iOOK UpOU vuu ua uiu mcuus, uj
way?about Admiral Worden, the hero
of the Monitor. He was watching the
Merrimack from the slits in his little
lookout box, when a shell struck the
outside and knocked him senseless. All
captains of turret ships are exposed to
such dangers as this, and evea greater
ones ; indeed, as I have said, their positions
are the most perilous.?St. Nicholas.
The Man who was Scalped.
A seedy individual stood at the corner
of a St Louis street. It was midnight,
and the moon glimmered among the
floating clouds. A well dressed citizen
approached. The seedy one planted
himself in the center of the sidewalk.
" See here, mister, can't you lend me a
quarter to rent a bed ior the night ?
'Pon my soul I haven't slept under a
roof for six long months."
** "Where did you come from?"
" Black Hills. I'm the man what was
scalped. You heard about me, I s'pose?"
" Yes. I read something in the papers
about a man being scalped by the Indians
; but you can't be the individual,
because you have not lost your hair."
' Oh, it growed on ; just feel them
lumps on top. It's a dreadful thing to
be scalped by Indians, and I don't want
it to"|appen again, I tell you. Feel
how ?%ht my hair sticks to my head.
It's glued on."
The citizen put his hand on the man's
head, and declared"he could see no difference
between his hair and that of
other men. He told the fellow that he
was an impostor, and passed on. When
he had proceeded about two blocks he put
his band to his vest pocket to draw out
his watch, but the ticker had disappeared.
Then he was mad.
An4 n T.Ian
lUlUg vui a jumvu?
A Norwegian fanner named Knude
Knudeson sold a quantity of wood to
his countryman, Olo Oleson, of Green
Bay, Wis., recently. Oleson was slow
t in speaking of the payment of the cord|
wood, and Knudeson thought it best to
! see a lawyer and get his money. The
disciple of Blackstone told him he could
put a lien upon it. Knudeson appeared
satisfied with the answer, and as the
lawyer thought the poor fellow had but
little money to spare, let him go.
Knudeson went to a grocery store at
once, and purchased a quantity of
clothesline, returned and put the line
around and over the wood, telling Mrs.
Oleson that she dare not touch a single
stick, as it was protected by the laws of
Wisconsin. The woman knew as much
of law as Knudeson, and was really
frightened into making her husband pay
the money. Knudeson was so well satisfied
with his success that he told the
lawyer the success of his plan. He had
mistook lion for line, which had a similar
pronunciation in the language of the
i Norse.
A BROTHER'S CRIME. I c
r
The Ohio Bor?la--A Brother PoUons his ^
Brother's Family?Thirteen Persons Eat H
Arsenic. a
One of the most terrible tragedies 8
that have made conspicuous the crimi- 6
nal annals of northern Ohio for the last J
few years took place in Orange township,
Hancock county. This tragedy I
was the poisoning of thirteen persons, J
members of the families of two brothers
and a nephew, by Isaac B. Charles, a 8
resident of Ada, and late city treasurer f
of Ada, a man who has up to a short
period borne an excellent reputation,
and known as an honorable man and ;
valued citizen. But developments which !
have been made since the tragedy make
him out to be a fiend incarnate, with a J
heart so black and whose deeds are so
damnable as to make other fiends and 8
their deeds as driven snow in his presenc3.
(
In order to observe a proper sequence ?
of events it will be necessary, says the ;
Toledo Commercial, in writing of the
affair, to go back several years in the
narrative. Isaac Charles, Sr., was one j
of the old settlers of Allen county, and
Vn <vinr<!fi nf ft lifetime of ffflgftlitT- *
hard labor and energy amassed property
valued in the aggregate at $40,000. He ?
had four sons, Isaac R., Elijah, John, |
and another older than all three, who
died a good many years ago, leaving a
boy, Thomas Charles, who was reared (
by his grandparents. The boys, as they ?.
grew to manhood, married, and leaving
the paternal roof, and settling?Elijah 1
and John in Hancock county and Isaao J
in Hardin county, all within a short distance
of the homestead?in the same 1
manner as had their father, acquired J
each a moderate amount of property.
The old folks were consistent church J
members, and the children likewise be- !
came members of religious organizations.
Isaac, so far as is known to the J
outer world, was an upright man until
some two or three years ago. He was *
not so steady in his habits of business j
as his brothers, and was possessed of a :
desire for speculation, which he indulged '
to some extent, and to his detriment 4
financially. At the time mentioned he f
became inextricably involved in debt, 1
and in his desperation gave his notes *
for various amounts, aggregating, it is
said, $4,500, and forged his father's j
name as an indorsement. This became i
known in the course of time to the
holder of a note for $1,500 and he, it is
supposed, informed the father of his
son's ras<?lity. At any rate, the two 1
had a meeting, and a stormy scene en- ^
sued; and the forged note was replaced '
with one bearing a genuine signature. 1
Shortly after, about the time that the '
other forged notes were supposed to be i
approaching maturity, one night a shot !
was fired into the window of the old <
man's house, by some one evidently in- 1
tent on killing him, and he escaped death j
by the narrowest chance. The occur- 1
rence was a nine days' wonder, as the J
old man hadn't an enemy in the world, <
it was supposed. It is now asserted that 1
on that day Isaac procured a revolver in <
a hardware store in Ada, saving he was '
going on a journey, and would need such 1
an instrument. That night he was ab- 1
sent irom home, and the next day he re- 1
turned the weapon, declaring that he 1
had changed his mind.
About this time Isaac again visited his
father to talk over the affair of the note, 1
and they repaired to a barn together. ]
Shortly after he returned and reported '
that his father had been killed by a
horse.
The old gentleman was found lying in
the barn senseless, with an ugly wound
in tho back of his head. He lived a few 1
days, but never recovered sufficient con- i
sciousness to tell how he was hurt.
Strange to say, the old lady was taken
suddenly and violently ill, with grief, it
was said, and she rapidly declined and
died, and was buried with her husband.
These events excited no comments at
the time, Isaac's story of the death of
his aged parents being accredited as true
by his brothers and the community at
large.
But a more startling episode was yet
n store for this terribly fated family.
Isaac had in his household a young girl,
some sixteen or seventeen years old, and
of a sudden she was sent away to Columbus.
For what reason does not appear;
but it is now said in order that an abortion
might be performed.
During her absence Isaac's vifeand
child were suddenly taken ill, and after
a very brief sickness they went down
into the grave to join the aged couple
who so shortly before had departed this
life so suddenly. Within six months of
his wife's death Isaac married his servant
girl. Still the community was not
aroused.
In the meantime Isaac had sought
and obtained from the probate court of
Allen county tho appointment of himself
as the administrator of his father's
estate, and proceeded to settle up his
affairs. The old gentleman had but few
personal debts, and the only paper he
had standing out was a note given for
money with which* the Methodists in
his neighborhood had built a church,
and which was secured by a mortgage
- 11 J? T_ i.1- ? o
on mo propeny. ?11 wiuoc ui ?
year it became apparent that Isaac was
" administering " the estate to his own
.advantage. None of the taxes were paid,
and it was ascertained that he had been
pledging the assets of the estate for his
personal debts. Six months ago, on petition
of hi? brother, Isaac was removed i
from the office and Mr. Isaac Thompson, j
of Ada, appointed administrator. He
found that his predecessor had not only
squandered his own portion of the estate,
but the taxes were unpaid, and all
the assets had disappeared. All of the
desperate crookedness of Isaac's affairs
then became known to his relatives and
a bitter quarrel was the result.
The brothers and nephew, Thomas I
Charles,'^agreed to meet at Elijah \
Charles' for the purpose of settling all
their difficulties, and to determine
Thomas' share in the estate. Elijah went
to Ada after Isaac, and on his way home
stopped at a mill for a grist of flour
which he took home. His wife, in anticipation
of the large company on the
following day, set about mixing a batch
of bread to do baked on the morrow,
and while so doing Isaac went in and
out of the room where she was working
frequently. Suddenly he declared that
he had a business engagement which
would take him back to Ada, and he
sould not possibly return until the afterloon
of the next day, and he wished
Elijah and Thomas to go down there
iffcer bim. Accordingly immediately
ifter dinner the following day the two
itarted for Ada, but had gone only a
hort distance when Thomas was seized
rith violent vomiting, and in a few
ninutes afterward his uncle. They sup
josed that they were suffering from a
riolent attack of colic. So severe was
heir pain that they drove to the roadlide
and then rolled around almost in
ho agonies of dissolution. While in
he midst of their attack a neighbor
same driving along in hot haste and in
ormed them that the entire company
lad been seized in the same manner.
They returned home and the neighbor
sontinued on his way after a physician
o Bluffton. A physician was summoned
ind quickly repaired to the scene of the
igony. Thirteen persons were in vari>us
stages of illness, and so palpable
vere the symptoms of the malady that
;he physician immediately announced
,hat they had all been poisoned.
A physician from Ada was then sumnoned,
and he caused a portion of the
jread to be analyzed at the normal
ichool at Ada, which brought to light
irsenic enough to have killed forty per10ns.
And an investigation only too
lurely fastened suspicion on Isaac B.
Dharles. He was arrested.
As soon as the horrible tragedy became
knowrr a tremendous excitement
irose, both at Bluffton and Ada, and the
acts of the death of the old man and
voman, of Isaac Charles' wife and child
ind of his unseemly marriage, came to
ight, and the construction was placed
lpon them as stated. Farmers left their
vork and began to gather into Ada.
Jkarles' neighbors gathered en masse,
md there were strong apprehensions
bat the wretch wonld be tried in Jndge
Lynch'8 court, but a large body of men
vent out from Ada to prevent any such
awlessness, determined tbat Charles,
dthough undoubtedly gnilty, should
lave a fair trial. Just as the examinaion
was to come off, word was received
bat Mrs. E. Charles and a child had
lied, and it was thereupon postponed to
illow the stricken husband and father,
vno had recovered somewhat from the
;ffects of the poison, to go to his dead.
Che next day two more of the victtms
lied in the greatest agony, and it is
'eared that others will yet die.
A Dramatic Incident.
Cuthbert Bede relates the following
ucident: I once saw Miss Cashman in
Kotzebue's dreary, yet effective, play,
"The Stranger." We were talking
ibont the performance when I called
ipon her the next morning, and she told
ne that, in the early part of her career,
ike was playing the part in a certain)
beater in the United States, when she
was horror-struck at beholding two little
colored children led on to tke stage
in that pathetic scene where Mrs. Haller
is supposed to embrace her own children.
It appears that the providing
these little innocents was left to the care
of the stage manager, who, failing at
the last moment to procure white
skinned children, bridged over the
emergency as well as he was able. As
the audience did not manifest any emotions
either of derision or displeasure,
but accepted the matter calmly and as a
matter of course, Miss Cushman smothered
her feelings as best she might and
proceeded with the business of the
scene. All went on well until the mc*
ment came when the children had to be
led up the stage to the arbor, there to
wait in retirement until they could be
brought forward in the supreme crisis
of the interview between Mrs. Haller
and the stranger; but the instant they
caught sight of the scenic arbor each of
the children roared out: " Me won't be
put in de calaboose; me won't be put in
/>a1 aVinrtaA I" The calaboose is the
prison wherein the boatman, in the
Ethiopian serenader's song, * was
" popp'd " when he let his " passion
loose;" and the children were not unacquainted
with its durance vile. The
scenic arbor bore an unfortunate resemblance
to its external appearance;
and, as nothing oould pacify the two
little children, or stop their cries, yells,
and kicks, the green curtain had to descend
prematurely on this novel tableau
and extraordinary denouement to " The
Stranger." It is needless to add that
after this experience, whenever Miss
Cushman performed Mrs. Haller in the
United States, she made a proviso that
she was to be provided with white children,
so that the pathos of the scene
might not be endangered.
Beautifal Thoughts,
Have not thy cloak to make when it
begins to rain.
There is a long and wearisome step
between admiration and imitation.
The touchstone by which men try us
is most often their own vanity.
Little drops of rain brighten the
meadows, and little acts of kindness
brighten the world.
To make the most of the good and the
least of the evil of life is the best philosophy
of life.
He that cannot forgive otners oreaas
the bridge over which he must certainly
pass.
The very hope of heaven under troubles
is like the wind and sails to the souL
The afflictions of this life are neither
too numerous nor too sharp. Muoh
rust requireth a rough file.
Faith evermore overlooks the difficulties
of the way, and bends her eyes only
to the certainty of the end.
Every flower in the heavenly garden
will be turned Godward, bathing its
tints of loveliness in the glory that excelleth.
God breaks the ciste? to bring us to
ths fountain. He withers our gourds,
that He Himself may be our shade.
The Babies.
Massachusetts babies are doing their
very best to show their interest in public
enterprises and to accomplish something
for the benefit of posterity. At Athol,
Massachusetts, there was recently a baby
show, where one hundred and fifteen
little ones were on exhibition from that
and the surrounding towns. The ages
varied from one month to two years.
Prizes were awarded, and the proceeds
of the show are to go toward a fund for
setting out shade trees in the villages.
Those babies sacrificed their private
| comfort in a good oause.
Items of Interest,
When you see a mftn trying to clean a
paper collar with a piece of rubber, you
can moke up your mind that he has been
hit by the hard times.
"Does this razor take hold well?"
asked the smiling barber. "Yes," replied
the unhappy victim; "it takes
hold well, but it don't let go worth a
cent."
The Scientific American says if a
bottle of the oil of pennyroyal is left in
a room at night, not a mosquito will be
found there in the morning. It is not
in the morning that they trouble ue.
A man In Chicago with no hair, and a
bullet hole in the calf of his left leg,
says he is satisfied that there is gold in
the Black Hills. He also is satisfied that
there are Indians in the Black Hills.
In a recent trial in New Orleans for
carrying ooncealed weapons, the proof
being positive, everybody was astonished
at a verdict of "not guilty," until
it leaked out that every member of the
jury was armed in the same way.
Pouring boiling water on the back
and compressing the shins are still resorted
to in China to draw confessions
from suspected persons. The boiling
water generally brings the accused to
an acknowledgment, whether he is
guilty or not.
Nothing can be moie injurious to your
Deace of mind than to have too many
confidants. Yon live in abject slavery
every day, as you are constantly fearing
that some of your numerous confidants
will reveal a secret you would not have
anybody know for all the world.
A new pest, the nature of which has
not yet been learned, has lately been
injuring the orange and lemon trees
in southern California, attacking the
roots near the surface, and causing the
decay of the trees. Whether the pest is
an insect or a disease is not known.
A young lady in Bethel, Pa., during
the year 1874, kept a strict account of
all the expenditure*: for feed, etc., for
b"r yard of fowls, and, at the regular
muiket price for eggs and chickens, she
cleared above all expenses $360 besides
having more stock on hand than she
started with.
An Omaha journal says that an old
man fell asleep in a Council Bluffs
church the other Sunday, and his nose
got wedged into the book rack so tightly
that he oould not get it out. After ho
had thrashed about and snorted a good
deal the sexton released him by splitting
open the rack.
There is a town in Kansas called
Woman's Waste, frcm an Indian legend, *
to the effeot that an Indian once killed
his wife there for 'laving wasted some
buffalo meat. There is very little bustle
about the place, the busine ss portion of
the town consisting of two saloons and
a grooery story.
The latest story of a brave though
childlike form, faithful at the post of
duty, comes from Ohio. He was the
son of a village editor ; and having discovered
a broken rail just outside of
' hnnra on a fence near
WWli| OUU lUi M?v wvm..
by waiting for the train, bo that he might
be the first to carry the particulars of
the accident to his father. Saoh devotion
to the paternal interest is very
affecting.
Egyptian Losses in Abjsslnla.
The correspondent of the Daily News,
writing from Alexandria, says: The fate
of the Egyptian army in Abyssinia is
exciting a great amount of comment,
and various unfavorable rumors are
afloat. There can be no doubt the war
is over, but perhaps it will never be
known at what expenditure of men and
money. About 8,000 soldiers have arrived
at Suez, and three steamers, are
now due with troops. Some 3,000 or
4,000 are still at Massowah, and these,
making about 15,000 who have returned,
are said to be all that may be expected.
This leaves about 15,000 unaccounted
for. Several thousands of these were
doubtless killed in the first and second
battles; the remainder are unable to
leave on account of their wounds and
the rainy season having set in. The
condition of these poor men can be easily
imagined. The fierceness and cruelty
of the Abyssinians are said to have
been fearful. The battlo of November
last is described by an eye-witness as a
total annihilation of the Egyptian forces,
and in corroboration of this I hear
of one regiment leaving Suez 600 strong
represented by eight men or their return.
All sorts of means are adopted to
prevent the truth being told, and the
nakednees of the land being known.
-1. a
The soldiers as they arrive a; ouez are
conveyed to Cairo by train at night.
Orders have been issued in die towns
and villages prohibiting mourning for
the dead. I give yon all this as the
oommon talk of the bazaars, and if some
particulars are exaggerated the government
has only to speak out and let the
worst be known. One thing is certain,
there will be no more Abyssinian wars,
and the army has been so reduced
that there will be a considerable saving .
in the war minister's budget Several
millions of money and several thousands
of men have been sacrificed ; but much
as this is to be regretted per se, the lesson
taught has perhaps not been dear at
the price.
Curiosity oi' New Englauders.
,.Conversing one day with a Virginian
officer relative to the curiosity of New
Englanders, he told me thai finding he
never could procure any refreshment for
himself or horse till after he answered
all their questions, and the}' had compared
them with their information, he
adopted the following mode to avoid
their inquisitive delays : Whenever he
traveled from his own province to Boston,
and alighted at an or:linary (the
name given to inns in America), the
master or mistress, and other company
in the honse, assembled at the door, and
he began in this manner : " Worthy
people, I am Mr. ?of Virginia, by
trade a tobacco planter, and a bachelor.
-a r? ?i? T
Have some menus at awiui, nww *
am going to visit. My stay will be short,
when I shall jetnrn and fello w my business,
as a prudent man ought to do.
This is all 1 know of myself, and all I
can possibly inform yon. I have no
news. And now, having told you ever} thing,
have comp tssiou upon me and my
horse, and give us some refreshment."