Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ADOBE RUINED HOUSES IN COURTYARD, CHAN-CHAN. Ti Ruins of tKe Ancient Inca Empire By Walter L. Beasley T Is said that the Incu tribe (lid not commence to be conquerors until they had lirst shown themselves to be statesmen and wise and I ethclent administrators. Having ob talued a fairly advanced civilization, thej' began gradually to overawe and incorporate the territory of less cul tured tribes of tlie coast and slopes ?of the Andes, who slowly absorbed both the religion and superior handi craft of their conquerors. These eon quests extended over a period of sev eral centuries. The permanent estab lishment of lnca power Is attributed to their having secured the good graces of their new subjects, and to their lib eral treatment and policy of concilia tion, than to force of arms. This con tinued until the limits of lnca rule ex tended from the central plateau of Bo livia to the western coast of Peru,' north to Ecuador, and south to north ern Chile. 'The inhabitants of this ter ritory embrace many different tribes .with local rulers, living in different stages of enlightenment. Under lnca sway and Influence, both architecture and the various industrial arts reached their highest degree of efficiency. Few, if any, countries of modern times have equaled the ex treme and skillful utilization of land that was practised during the time the lnca Umpire flourished. In many lo-; calities they built their dwellings among rough rocks, on arid slopes of hills. In order to uso the limited area of soil for agriculture. They terraced up every hill and mountainside until not a single spare foot of surface wns left unimproved. They likewise con structed aqueducts for irrigation pur poses, and also a series of magnificent roads, from twenty-five to fifty feet. In width, # paved with blocks of stone, which connected their royal capital at Cuzco with the various provinces. Part of the way these were cut out of solid stone, and often ascendod precip itous heights by a series of stone stair ways. Traces of these roads still ex ist In many localities. One of the most noteworthy of the coast ruins Investigated by Mr. llande Her, who was sent out under the aus pices of the American Museum of Nat ural History, were those of Chan-Chan, commonly called Chlmti, near the pres ent city of Truxlllo, typical views of which are here reproduced. The ru ins extend for a distance of three miles, mnd are one and a half miles in width. Nothing remains of the orig inal appearance and former grandeur ?f the buildings, except well-laid foun corridors, traversed by narrow pas sageways. Many treasures of gold and silver are said to have been found In these chambers and apartments. Around one of the great public squares were arranged some of tbe one-story adobe dwellings of the Inhabitants. These are to-day graphically outlined, ?and preserve their original appearance, showing sharply -pitched gable roofs. There are no truces of windows. Light and ventilation seem to linve been fur nished by tbe door alone. It Is sup posed that some of tiie great squares and inelosures were occupied by the Various craftsmen and industrial work ers in pottery, weavers and dyers of fabrics, and fashioners of metal orna ments for the use of tbe ruler, his household and his priests. One of the curiosities discovered by Mr. Itandc lier was an altar some fifty feet below the surface, which formed the heart of a great artificial mound, and which evidently occupied the central place In Burial Tower, Siliustaoi, Per*. a l:?r#ro building devoted to religious worship. One of the noteworthy phases of the Chan-Chun ruins were the ornamented walls of two of its building*, thought to have been devoted to sacred pur poses, or to have served as the al>ode of the ruler. In one instance a series of designs hud been sunk a 1ml f foot or more in the adobe over the entire wall, now seven feet high. PossiWy these may have been apertures for hiding gold uiul oth?*r ceremonial of ferings, and afterward seafed up by an addltionnl adobe coating. Another facade, ten or more feet iu height. Is tastefully decorated with a network of frescoes in a series of duplicated de signs of a conventionalized bird. These walls are surrounded by a mass of fallen debris, and nothing Is left to throw any light upon their ancient splendor. Probably the most monu mental and puzzling of all of the Inca rtilns is the great pyramid on the banks of the Moche Hlver. Sphinx-like, this majestic artificial mound rises upward In the air 150 feet, crowned by a series of terraces. It Is 8<H) feet in length. The massive and Imposing mound, reared by ancient builders, has marvel oiiftly dolled time and vandulism, and still holds fast the secret of its crea ALTAR IN HEA1T OP ARTIFICIAL MOUND, RUINS OF CHAN-CHAN. datlons, massive and peculiarly orna mented walls and groups of single story, yable-roofed bouses aud court yards. Mr. Bandeller estimates that aome 40,000 persons occupied the place. The architectural plan of Cban-Cban comprised a series of about twenty open squares of courtyards Intersect tag one another. On certain sides fuc* tag theae were erected a number of palace* or religious ediflces. Kacb square was surrounded by an exter ior wall of adobe blocks twenty-tiy# feet In height. Tbe larger boildlr.gs oontalned tr oh a rubers and tlon, for It remains to-day a veritable enchanting riddle to the archeologist. The beat preserved architectural ru ins. and those showing to striking ad vantage the extraordinary skill of the Incas In handling, polishing, and set ting massive stone blocks, are (hp Chul. pas or burial towers. A celebrated and typical grotip is found at Hlilistanl. near Puua, built on a promontory 200 feet high. These peculiar and sump tuoua sepulchres are termed by the late E. G. 8quler, an authority on Pe ruvian culture, "the most elaborate ond architectnraIl.v tile wonderful works of aboriginal Americans." The ono here pictured 1b twenty-five feel high, twenty-seven feet lu clrcumfer ence on tbe top. ami twenty-two at the bane. Tbe majority are round; othorf are square In shape. In these the bod k>8 were Interred with great pomp and ceremony, together with rich offering* of gold, silver and choice pottery. Tlit interiors of the Chulpas vary In slzt and construction; some bave a single vaulted chamber, others two, arched over by stone. A few have nlehes. Tin entrance is gained through a smal? opening nt the bottom, hardly lorgf enough to admit the body of a mnu This was closed by a stone slab.?Sci entitle American. A IN'iuarkablvi lltroin?Ur. A cup of coffee, farmers claim, mnket a pretty accurate barometer. If farmerr are watched at breakfast, they are al ways found studying their coffee cupt closely. This they do fur their crops sake. They are tlmlliig out whut the day's weather is to be. "To make a barometer out of a cup of coffee," a farmer said, "you niusl use loaf sugar. You drop a lump ol this sugar Into the exact middle 01 your cup of coffce. nnd then you watcl| tbe bubbles that arise. It is by these bubbles that your prognostications are made. "If the bubbles rise straight lip lr the middle, remalulng there in a clus ter till they disappear, the weather is to be fair. If they rise at tbe sides of the cup. adhering to the china, the weather will be rainy. If they rise all over the cup's surface, and move here and there erratically, changeable condl Hons are to be looked for." "How aI>out the accurucy of this coffce cup barometerV" "It Is about as accurate." said the farmer, "as the Weather Bureau." DUMBBELL OR IN PI All CLUB. An Excellent Feature In an Exercising Apparatus. An entirely new design of dumbbell has recently been patented which per mits of its use In much the same move ments in which Indian clubs are em* I ployed. Tbe original feature of the j device is in tbe addition of a supple mentary adjustable handle. The weights are of the usual spherical form, and are Joined by tbe usual shaped handle. Projecting radially from the ends of this handle are two parallel arms. Between those arm* Is disposed a second handle, pivoted in such a manner as to extend the reach or grasp of the dngers nud thumb. The practical effect of this construction is to give a tinner and more vigorous gio*p, resulting in a better develop ment of tbe muscles of the hand and forearm. A minor detail in the design is tbe provision for tbe adjustment of this auxiliary handle so as to make the span of the grusp longer or short er as desired. Hnnctnary In Korea. In Korea the rooms of a wife or mother are the sanctuary of any man who breaks the law. Unless for treason or for one other crime, he can not be forced to leave those rooms, and I ho huig as he remains under the protec tion of his wife's apartments he is se- I cure from the ofHcers of the law. V,lqn?fnctlon of OHntln. The liquefaction of gelatin in 'old canned meats has been found by L>r Urlxonl to be due to bacteria. As ani mals were poisoned both by injection and feeding, he concludes that canned meats that splash on being sbuken ^ are dangerous unless liollod before use. Corruption In flwlaa Ann jr. Bribery and corruption have been j unearthed In the Swiss army and of ficers of high rank have had to re sign. Month of Marring**. In all countries more marriages take place In June thjin In any othei month PLUCK. IfOMiKCE 4MB 40 MTU HE. ? HAUNTED HOU8B. N Cvabartand Coonty, three Mki ? half miles north of Moatroee. UL, It ?a old tat house about twenty-two feet aqaare. containing one bl# loom, with shed kitchen attached to the rear. It la a weather beaten, mtefctly structure, bat today it attracts iMire attention than the moat atatety manalon that graces that section of country. It la believed to be haunted. No native of Cumberland County passes It, night or day. without a shiv er, and to the stranger and casual vis itor It la pointed out aa the rendes voua of the spirit of a dead man whose soul finds no rest in its present state of existence. When alive he vowed that his spirit should visit the earth and trouble his son after death. He la now keeping his vow. The house was formerly the home of Thomas Elliott, a typical woodsman, of medium else, with white hair and beard. He had a sob. a cripple, who lived with him. One of the son's legs la almost useless, and he Is compelled to walk with crutches. The father and son often quarreled. One day the father told the son he would never forgive him for tbe Imagined wrong be had done him. aud many tlmea before he died he repeated this vow: "My son. you have wronged me. If it is possible for the spirit to return to the earth after death, my spirit will come to hauut you and to torment you." If the stories of brave and honest men who have spent several nights In the home are to be believed, the spirit has returned and there have been weird doings In the old house, which baffled all attempts of reason able explanation. The son is no more able to explain tbe unties of the ghost than are bis neighbors. Neither can he escape its visits. Once be moved to Mattoon. hoping to avoid the unpleasant visits, but the supposed ghost followed him. lie moved again, but bis change of lo cation was no bar to bis uncani./ vis itor. Finally he gave up and went back to his old home. If he Is in any way concerned with the ghostly apparitions bis magic is so artful that no one has ever been able to detect it. Parties of men have frequently spent tbe night there, but none have been uble to account for what be bud seen. One night laxt summer a party of thirty-Ave residents of that section went to spend the uight in the house. Orvllle Stevens, who lives near there, and two other men spent a night iu the haunted bouse. lie relates a startling story of his experience. Stephens avers that he was awak ened by a noise like footsteps on froz en ground. Sitting up in bed. he lis tened. The noise grew more distinct, coming nearer and nearer, and appa.* ently some one entered the house. Trembling with fear, he aroused his companions. Two crutches belonging to young El liott, whleh were lying on the floor, rose, bumped together a couple of times, and then slid across the floor under Stevens' bed. One end of the crutches rested on the floor, while the other end began to pound upon the under side of the bed. Next, the stool on which the lamp was resting turned over, then right side up again, the light remaining iu its position, appar ently bidding deflauee to the law of gravitation. Then a chair lu the mid dle of tiie room began to do a clog dance. .lumping out of bed, one of the men took hold of the chair. Inn it slipped from Ills grasp and continued the dance. The tuan on the floor turned to Stevens and asked: "What would you do If the chair should fly at you?" "I'd slain tbe thing back again, mighty quick!" was the reply. The remark was no sooner made than- the chair flew through the air and struck over Stevens' bed. He quickly ducked under the bed clothing In hopes of avoiding his would-be assail ant. 1 hen the bed clothing began to slip from the bed, going down between the footboard and the straw tick. The men held on to the clothes, but they slipped from their grasp. Stevens Jumped from bed and looked under It, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mys terious visitor, but nothing but the lied clothing was In sight. After a while they retired again, and for an hour or more quiet reigned. Suddenly one of the men gave a yell, and, jumping from bed, declared that something had him by tbe foot. He returned to bed only to have the per formance repeated. This time he de cided to sit up the rest of tbe night, but there were no further manifesta tions of the spirit visitor. Stevens says that these are things which he saw, nnd no argument can eouvlnce him that the tige of spooks has passed. He is firmly convinced that the ghost of the old man was in the room, and doesn't care to spend another night there.?New York Tele gram. BESTED A BEAR. A narrow Adirondack ledge is a dan. gerous place to be at any time, but it Is a particularly dangerous situation with 482 pounds of live bear advancing from the rear aud a yawning chasm go ping in front. Hut William L. Brown, of Newark. N. J., was not paralyzed with fear. If bad already emptied two loads of bird shot Into bruin, which didn't tend to put the animal in a good humor, and then he emptied another charge. Bruin rose 011 his hind feet and ad vanced to the combat. Mr. Brown's "bottle holder" was half a,mile away and going In the wrong direction to lend encouragement to the situation. It may be remarked that next time Mr. Brown, who Is a lawyer, goes limiting he will Insert a clause In the contract, probably, compelling Hie guide to stand by In the event of dan ger. This particular guide stnrfed for camp and got there In record time. The bear advanced to the combat and Mf. Brown drew a dirk, he says A swing of the left forapaw caught the luwyer on tbe Jaw. But it wasn't I ft laM striae. The b5BB ted ho 1 |?i to make the vtrmtat tired. Not> Ins this, Mr. Brown sailed la and fla* lalicd his (May. He has jast retained from the North Woods, and while among his friends corrohoratian la not necessary, there ?re the scratches on his face to show what he has been thro ash. Brown says ho waa with a snide partridge banting when he met the hear. Ho shot twice at the animal, he declared, and tften fled, with the beat In pursuit, made ferocious by the pep pering of small shot. It was not until after be had begun his flight thst Mr. Brown discovered that his companion had deserted him and waa well on his way down the mountain toward safety. During the race Mr. Brown tried to reload both barrels of the gun. but succeeded la Inserting only one chare*. ? SNAKE STORY. A man named Snyder, living on th? Cane Run road. In Jefferson County, Kentucky, was troubled over the mys terious disappearance of about 100 of his fine lsrge hens. He guarded hi* hen house all one night, shotgun in hand, but failed to see or hear any disturbance. The next morning, how ever. be found that twelve more of bis fattest hens bad disappeared. During i the following day Mr. Snyder discov j ered. about half a mile from liis bouse, ; an enormous snake, eight feet Ions and i ten Inches iu diameter, with one of hie fat bens still struggling in the snake'?* j mouth. Mr. Snyder is reported tc have run to his house, and returning with his gun, soon dispatched him Mr. Snyder then made a post-morten examination and found in the snake'r stomach the bodies of seven large chickens and ten duck eggs. While he was engaged In counting his cliKk ens and eggs which had been appro priated by his snnkesliip he was sml I denly attacked by twelve other snakes of equal size. After bravely firing the ! remaining load from ills shot gun into I his foes, the race for life began. But Snyder won the race and landed safe ly at home, and It is supposed that his good wife drove the pursuing snakes off. Of course, the reporter was too considerate to embarrass Mr. Snydet by commenting on the remarkable fea ture of twelve large hens being taken almost from under liis nose without making a flutter or uttering a single squawk. Such questions might spoil a good story. WIFE'S BATTLE WITII BULL. After a desperate battle, with a fork as a weapon. Mrs. Stephen , Ilaines. of Morrixtown, N. J., saved her husband from being gored to death by a maddened bull. The animal broke loose on the Ilalifrs farm ami Ilaines tried to catch hiiu. The bull knocked the farmer dowu, gored him and slashed his clothing into shreds. Mrs. ilaines, hearing her hushund'? cries, seized a pitchfork and attacked the infuriated animal. She plunged i the fork so deeply Into the bull's sides that the tines broke off. She then I clubbed the handle, and by a fortu nate blow on the bull's nose finally drove him away. Haines is bauly hurt, but will recover. A FIERCE BEAST IN* RAGE. Mrs. William Clow, living at a lum ber camp near Cedar, Mich., had an I experience with a wildcat that sho j does not care to have repeated. I lev husband was away from home on busl. ness and she was awakened during tlio night by the screams of the animal, which was trying to break through tiio doors. Failing to effect an entranco by that way it climbed to the roof, 1 and for several hours made desperate ' efforts to tear the boards o!T and get into the room. It was nearly morning ] before the frenzied beast went away. RISKED LIFE TO SAVE CHILD. Samuel Welsh. Harry McCurdy cud George Bassett. of Camden. X. J.. wer; | enjoying an outing at a clubhouse at Fork's Landing, along renv.au!: er Creek, when a womau cried iu the window that a child had fallen into the creek. McCurdy jumped over board, and was swimming with the child when he became exhausted. Both were sinking, when Welsh and Bus sett sprang to their aid and pulled i them ashore. ENGINEER'S WONDER FUL PLUCK All the men of the Jersey Centra' Itaiiroad arc talking of the display ol pluck made by Engineer George It Bought. While bis train was stopped at Bayonne, X. J., he slipped and fcl" from the cab, breaking his leg above the knee. Despite the nain. Bought climbed beck to Ills cab, ran the en glne to Elizabeth and was sent to thf hospital. Bougat resides in Jerscj City. X-R?y* to Find I'rnrt*. At a time when considerable ntlen tlon is being pah! to the pearl Indus- | try of Ceylon, and the Government i? i taking extensive measures to protect ! the oyster Ushcrics there, it is of in t terest to record a discovery recently i communicated to the I'ari* Aeadcny j of Sciences l?.v M. Dubois, relative tc using tiie Roentgen rnys to exnmluf j ? he oysters. It has been found thai these rays enable an observer to de (ermine at once whether a living oys ter Is growing a pearl, ami if the pear is small the oyster may be replaced ii the bed until further growth takef place and the desired size is reached lu the scientific examination of tin pearl oysters in Ceylon it has been as certaincd that the popular belief tha? the nuclei of pearls are formed l?j miiu.te grains of sand or other parti vies holds good In but few Instances and that in most cases the pearls 01 pearly" excrescences are produced bj the irritation of boring sponges and burrowing worms. The best g<*riu> result from the stimulation of a para sitic worm which becomes encasat and dies.?Harper's Weekly. Japanese Cnt?. Cat fanciers all agree that Jnpar Indeed Is the country ??f curious fe lines, and surely no example of tlie freak in the cat family is more sltigu lor than the tailless variety which j abounds lu the Latil of the Itisin# ; 8un. For the most part the eats ol; Japan are minus a brush although they sometimes have a tailhone uude- j vcloped i?>d a small tuft of hair. AFRO-AMERICANS! Mbln, ? sorgta Rail itly two col to ckUra had bm left alone by their ptraat% Will Oamr and kla w"*? wlw **** to OoTlnjton when tk? Cr* oocanrad. Had It not bean few the combined efforts of all the people lnthe Immediate vicinity. the entire row o< ?ectkm houses. togetner with the foreman's residence, would have ^?cu destroyed, it Is not known bow the fire originated. ? ? ? ? Colored Duel lets. ? dispatch of Newport News. ^ says: Peter Washington and William Banks, both colored, were arrester io Hampton. on the charge of being about to engage in a duel with pistols. The two have been on unfriendly terms for some time, it Is said, over a woman. Washington challenged Bank? to a fight to the death, the old code duello to be observed, and Banks ac cepted. They were on the way to the dueling grounds snortiy before mid night when arrested. They were unable to furnish bail and were lodged in J?IL ? ? o ? Deacon Lynched by Gamblers. A Negro by the name of Jonah Woods, who lived in the country near Texas Court. Grounds, in Heard county, Georgia, about 25 miles from La Grange, was lynched by other Negroes recently. Woods was a deacon in his church and a pious old Negro. It is said ho discovered a number of Negroes play ing craps, and threatened that he would report them to tho grand Jury Afterwards, the church was burned down, and two days later, while plow ing in th? field, he was seized and strung up to a tree near there. ? ? ? ? Sentenced to Ninety-Nine Years. In the case of J. D. Troy, one of the Amcricus, Ga., colored m^n cherg ed with tho murder of Miles Barnett, also of that city, ho was convicted In the superior court and sentenced to servo ninety nine years in the peni tentiary, the Jury recommending him , to tho mercy of the court. The case ! was a hard fought one on all sides, and tho attorneys for th? defenso tried to establish an alibi. The other colored nian. Cherry, who is charged with be ing a party to the murder, will not bo tried until the December term of the court. ? Germans Being Convinced. The Germans are convinced that there is a black peril. The wild Af ricans are not taking kindly to Ger man assimilation of the benevolent va riety. That they are a downright peril is evident from the reports reaching Berlin from the seat of the unpleaaant nes, as witness this one: "Some of the German officers and men invalided home from Southwest Africa are giving some Interesting do tails of the campaign against the Her eros. They speak most respectfully of the Intelligence r.nd tho tactics of tho savage enemy. They sny that his mo bllity, his partiality for individual sharpahootlng, together with the orig inality displayed In his methods of at tack, combine to make hlin ?u oppon ent against whom Euripean tactlfa are perfectly useless. The deliberate way in which the German offleers have been singled out and shot by invisibly marksmen recalls episodes of the Boer war." ? ?mm League Demands Suffrage. The adoption of a plank dcclarins the republican party opposed to all forms of disfranchisement, founded on caste and raco prejudice, has been asked by the National Negro Suffrago League. The league held Its second annual convention at tho Institutional Afrl can Metnodlst church, in Chicago, and named James H. Hayes, of Virginia J. R. Clifford, of West Virginia, and James E. Dixon, of Rhode Island, as a committee to wait upon the republi can committee on resolutions with tho following declaration for the party: "The right of suffrage should not be withheld wherever Intelligence and the alms of the constitution are mani fested. Whenever It Is denied for rea sons that do not apply to an under standing of the responsibilities of cltl zenshlp, a due regard for life, property and tho perpetuation of popular gov ernment the act is In direct conflict with the Intont and letter of tho con stitution of the United States. The re publican psry therefore is opposed to i all forma of disfranchisement, founded 1 on caste and race prejudices." This was signed by the league's com mittee, which Includes James E. Gile, Alabama; J. C. Cartor, Virginia; O. H. Reld, Maryland, and James Church, North Carolina. Tho report of tho commltteo was ansnlmously adopted and several speeches wore directed rg iinst the po litical slavery of tho south. 0 0 0 0 Colored Delegate* win Out. A Chicago speclsi dispatch says: Af ter deciding several state contests on delegates at large to the republican na tional convention, and a number of district disputes, the republican nation al committee caused some surprise when, by a voto of 23 to 13, the com mittee decided to seat the delegates at large from Louisiana, who are op posed to the "Illy white" element. Not only did the contending party, the Co hen faction, win In the matter of del egates at large, but their representa tives were victorious in practically all of the district contest? In that state. The "Illy white" faction expected The contest would be decided In their fa vor, and the colored dolegatos had practically given up hope of being successful before the committee. When the vote was announced the colored delegates lvrMly left the eoouitt tee room to tell their hrtaads bled la a room atjotatsg. It there were load shoets by all of who ware prsaeat. and It was eoae mlaotee before the cwiaHtoi could proceed with Ita work. J. Mhllaoa Vance, a Negro lawyer .agreed la behalf at the colored delegates, a* did Mr. Olraolt Yhrrer, a delegate aft large, and Whiter L*. Oohea. also a delegate at large, who waa allowed Ire minutes' ttae to refute certtfc state* meats made before the coaualttes by Former Govsrnor H. G. Haiauth, of Toatalana. The latter Is a leader o? the repehUoasa, who are opposed to the colored men. and made the prin cipal at gem eat tor their aide. The reoognlaed delegatea at large are Wal ter L. Cofcea. Bmils Kunts. Olraolt Farrar and H. B. Brown. e ? e e The WMpping Peek. The Atlanta Constitution eays. edi torially: Borne farslghted genles will doubtleaa aoon make a bid for immor tality by writlag an historical novsl or a comic opera oa the renalaaanoe of the whipping poet. He will And plenty of lire material at hand and he can aprlnkle bla work plentifully with the pert "modern Instance." Levity aside, the revival of senti ment in favor of thla form of punish ment in certain classes of offeneee is nothing leaa than remarkable. The abuses incident to ita use in England and Scotland of the middle centuries, tho barbarous cruelty of the Ruaelan knout and the fanatical manner of Ita use In thla country at one time, bred an active dlataste for its employment In the minds of the American people. Within the laat few years, however, the trend of sentiment is changing In Isolated Instances which are gradual ly becoming more frequent and in closer proximity. In the state of Del aware the lash Is employed in minor offenses and only a few days ago a Kentucky Justice ordered Its public application in tho case of a young Ne gro who had been guilty of an act of rowdyism. The question of corporal punish ment Is one on which pnbllc senti ment always has been and always will be sharply divided. There are those who hold that In every single Instance of its use, whether In the schools or as a penal instrument In the hands of the law, the elements of humiliation and loss of self-respect far outweigh any tentatlvs good. On tho other hand, penologists and those persons brought In close touch with publlo school work .advocate a discriminate use of the rod in the conscientious be lief that it is effective in the preven tion of graver moral and criminal lapses. That a wise conservatism rules locally Is shown In the fact that while the birch has not boon entirely abolished from the public schools, such restrictions are enacted as cauas Its use only In the most Incorrigible cases. In the face of divided public opin ion, the authorities are feeling their way cautiously In the matter of legal use of phyalcal punishment. A 8EVEN WIFE RELIGION. Fanatic Fslls In Attempt to Introduce It Into Russia. A Doukhobor named Vazoff. who was disappointed with the doings of his fanatical sect In Canada, and re turned to Russia, has just been ar rested and font to prison, wires the Moscow corn ;>;>on(1ent of the l?ndon Express. Ya jff aspired to be the Joseph Smlt'i '?? Russian Mormonisra. Having quarteled with the Canadian Doukhobors, he returned surreptitious ly to his native country, boasting that he would found a sect ten times ar numerous as theirs. Arriving at Odes sa he tramped Inland, announcing tc the peasants a new revelation, accord ing to which all true Christians were in future to have seven wives, "a5 was tho case with good Cnnudir.r. <.* The villagers of Iiovo passed a resolu tion, accepting Vazoff's doctrines. !>ut when the mayor, his two son*. and eeven or eight rich peasants vit the tenets of the new religion tice th^re was a loud outcry, m l young inen of tho district r.-.i'V"!! ''-e mayor's house and nearly kille-l hi? oons. Vazoff Hod, but wai pursued to a neighboring villag;.\ wher* !:e was captured wlile haranguing the rnou Jlks on the virtues of polygamy TOO MUCH FOR MADDOX. Southerner Yielded to Pleading of Representative Payne. It deeply grieved Sereno E. Payne, fhe Republican floor lender, wh"n Mr Maddox of Georgia raised tlr: point of no quorum and thus threatened to prevent tlio house from passing a lot of bills. With a heavy sigh Mr. Payne nrotfp, steered his portly form acruas to the Democratic plde. and looked down on Mi. Mitddox with a pafned look. "Maddox." said Payne in a 3e;luetive tone, "why do you bull thir.sa up this way just ns we are getting along se nicely? You have some secret reason, Maddox. Tell mo what It is?" "Mr. Payne," began Maddox wltfr dignity. "Confidentially." said Mr. Payne it a wheedling voice. "I won't breath# It to a soul." "As I was about to say, Mr. Payne* resumed Mr. Maddox. "Just among us girls," pleaded Mr Payne. The grizzled, lean, bald-headed old Confederate looked up at the iargfl form and white bead abovo him, and gasped a couple of times. Then he arose. "Mr. 8peal;er," said Mr. Maddox, "I withdraw the point." Explosion or 8helt?. The experience of the Japanese In the failure of their shells to explode is similar to that of the British. Lyd dite, the high explosive used by the British during the Boer war, was sim ply picric acid melted and cast Into the projectiles. While cast picric acid is sufficiently sensitive to enable shells filled with it to be fired from guns with safety, it can only be fired through moderately thin plate without ?xplo'Jlng trom the shock.