Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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~ALIL1~this completely, and on the morning JEANNE W EBER of her death she was playing on fte i street in a very lively manner. She partook of a very hearty lunch, consisting of soupe aux le gumes, pork chops, salad, wine and Like a Terrible Monster of the' cvem In the afternoon she was taken Mediaeval Legends- suddenly ill. Her mother wished to give her ipecac, the drug which the I doctor had reccomended in such emergencies and asked Madame WHOSE TOUCH SLAYS. Weber if she would go to the drug gist, but she insisted that the mother should go out while she stayed and looked after the child. Every Child, Now Arrested for a: The mother was absent about 10 minutes, and when she returned she Sixth The Case Recalls found her daughter dying in great ihe Most Fantastic Legends of agony. with the ogress bending over her. og-resses, Who Dwelt in Caves ini Then a terrible scene occurred. the Woods and Feasted on the* The mother. recalling all the other ,deaths of her children accused Blood of Children. Madame Weber of being a mur M deress. The latter replied that it The case of "The Ogress of Mont-was a wicked, cruel lie, that she marte" is again causing the deep- I loved the children better than their est emotion and rage among the pop- own mothers and that they died be .o of Pcause their parents did not takE atio ogrs.wh a n e i roper care of them. MeanwhilE The ogress whose actual name is iittle Alice Weber was dying it Jeanne Weber, is held responsible great pain and in two hours passed by the inhabitants of Montmarte and i away. -I That might Madame Weber was of Paris generally for causing the a t Th MadyAe Webe deah o a lest iv chldrnand i arrested. The body of Alice Webei death of at least five children, was retained by the public authori yet there is no reasonable explana- ties and the bodies of the three tion how she killed any of them. other dead children were exhumed. One child after another, who Nothing was found on any of their came in contact with the ogress of to show how they had met death. suddenly and mrss- An examination of Alice Webers bod3 Montmarte died suddenly and mys- indicated that she had recovere teriously, as if some invisible force fromher gastro-enteritis, but still she had stopped its life. There was was liable to an attack of accute in never any sign of violence on the digestion. The police and prosecu body and the doctors called in were ting officers searched for every scrar unable to state the cause of death of evidence that would make a case with any certainty. All that was against the ogress, because they known positively was that Madame wished to satisfy the public clamor, Jeanne Weber had touched them but they accomplised little in theii upon the breast. four months of work. The case recalls the most fantas- There were plenty of witnesses tic medieval legends of ogresses, i convinced that she had murdered thE who dwelt in caves in the woods and children and anxious to testif3 feasted on the blood of children, and against her. The belief that she of the historical Marshal de Retz, of was really an ogress who spent hei the fifteenth century who destroyed life destroying children had spreac hundreds of children in order to through Montmartre and caused im minister to a perverted appetite for mense popular excitement. blod. The fact that Madame Weber was The parents of the dead children I frequently 'seen placing her hanc are convinced that Jeanne Weber upon the breast of the dead childrer took their lives and the common peo- was mentioned by several witnesses ple have become so impressed with One of them declared that "Sh the idea, that the woman would be pinched the heart" (pincait le toeur in danger of lynching if she were of the children to kill them, an< not safely lodged in jail. On the this belief gained general credenc< other hand, all the Judges, doctors among the neighbors, although th< and educated men, who have in- act is apparently an impossible one. vestigated the cases, are satisfied Another witness declared that shi there was no legal evidence against had seen Madame Weber leaninj her. over Maurice Weber's face, as if si - Mine, Weber is a heavily built were sucking his breath. This seem stolid looking woman, who excites ed a more feasible act than that o repulsion in all who come in-contact pinching the heart. but in every cas with her on account of her sickly a doctor had examir ed the dead bod: smile, her long yellow teeth and her and found no indication of death b; sallow complexion. She expresses suffocation. an overwhelming fondness for all At the trial Drs. Brouardel an< children and loves to fondle them. Thoinon, two of the. most eminen While she dose so, she gurgles with physicians in France, who appearei delight and utters loud expressions on behalf of the state, declared tha of endearment. there was not a shadow of medics The first child whose death is at- evidence against Madame Weber tributed to Mme. Weber was Cecile Dr. Brouardzl ,pent several hour Pereyborne, a girl of three years. explaining tli't the death of a littlk She was the child of neighbors of: is child frequently due to some sligh the Webers, living in the quarter of cause, and that it was not neccesar; Montmnarte. Mine. Weber lived at to look for a grave disease, such a that time at No. 53 Rue des Trois was to be expected in the case of al Freres, Montmarte, and the Perey- adult. He suggested that the death bornes lived at No. 57 in the same were due to the habits of life pre street. She offered to come in and vailing among these familes. H take care of the child whenever Mine. dwelt strongly upon the meal o Pereyborne wished to go anywhere, vegetable soup, pork chops, salad aud the busy mother was glad to coffee, wine, etc., as responsible fo accept the offer. the loss of little Alice Weber. "I am happy to spend all day The public prosecutor, M. Sehi2 playing with the dear little thing." mann, declared that there was n said Mine. Weber. "I love her so." case against Madame Weber. Cour The girl was frightened when the sel for the defence made a ver; ogress first smiled at her, but the brief address. in which he spoke o woman quickly overcame the little the accusation as ridiculous, and th ones fears with presents of candy. jury returned a Iverdict of '"No One after noon the mother went guilty" in three minutes. away on a long shopping errand, This verdict was greeted with bit leaving her daughter in the care of ter disapproval among the people i1 Madame Weber. When she return- court and outside and there wer ed the child was lying motionless Iloud cries of: on her back, while the ogress was| "A bas l'ogresse!" pressing her hand on her chest. |The woman needed the protectio "What are you doing?" cried the of the police when she went awa mother. from the court. She was forced t "I was feeling her heart to see if Ileave Montmartre and went ,t it was still beating," said Madame another quarter of Paris, concealim; Weber, "I am afraid she is very ill." her address as well as possible fror The terrified mother ran to her Iher former neignbors. child and found that she was dead. INow after an interval of tw The doctor who was called could not years Mmne. Jeanne Weber has bee: decide positively what was the cause arrested on suspicion of causing th of death. The little girl had been death of a neighbor's child, who per perfectly healthy up to the time ished exactly the same manner as al the mother left! her. Her face the other children. The last victir wore and expression as if she had is littie Alphonse Poirier, living a died in great agony or terror. 14 rue des Boulets, in the quarter o This case did not attract grave Charonne. It does not seem credi suspicion to Madame Weber. but a. ble that six occurrences of this char year later three children whom she jacter, with Mine. Weber taking th had been fondling died mysteriously same part in all of them, are all ac: within two months and one one nar- cidental and disconnected Thisi rowly escaped. Then the outcry be- not in accord with the calculus o gan and the ogress was arrested. probabilities as Poe would have ex She passed four months in prison pressed it. while the authorites were gathering The people are more than eve evidence concercing the strange fa- convinced that Mmne. Weber is: talities. Then her case was sent to dreadful ogress, and the scientifi, the Court of Assizes. The first men are being converted to the sami judge, President Favre, to - whom belief. It is pointed out that ther< the case was presented, refused to lis a hideous form of mental perver hear it on the ground that there was sion, in which a person takes deligh no legal evidence against Mmne. We- in watching the dying agonies o: ber, bat another judge, President children, and that several cases o: Bertulus, took it up. this character have occurred in re She first child to perish among cent and in earlier times. this new batch of victims was heiwats TheLUse nephew, Maurice Weber, aged three, the child of her husband's The adult masculine of the Dun oldest brother. Mmne. Weber al- kard religious stect is having a harc ways wished to take care of the time fighting against neckties. Th< child, and it was said that on the Iaverage Dunkard thinks the necktie day of his death she persuaded the particularly if it is brightly colored mother to go away on a long visit to is the invention and most deadly wea the country. The child was found pon of the devil, who puts vanity int< dead from no known disease. His our hearts and thus leadeth us t< face bore the same marks of agony destruction, but what we would liki as in the previous case, and a neigh- to know is why the Dunkard, wh< bor declared that she had seen Mmne. invariably wears whiskers to th< Weber press her hand over his heart. waist or lower, cares about necties Then Mine Weber's own baby son He can't wear 'em. died in the same sudden and mnyster-: Begiwng of the shave. i .'s manner. She had had five child- Inth tieoglxndrteGe rea and this was the last of them. . ntetm fAeadrteGe HeLr enemies do not hesitate to say it was found that when troops cam< that he made away with them by in conflict the beard offered a goot her <'Ta:ical methods. handhold for the enemy. Alexander Aft-: .hi. Marcel Weber, another 1who was a wise old geezer, readill child of tu \.rother-in law previous- saw that if his own soldiers wer< ly mecntione. w~.as attacked by a Igiven a shave and a haircut they mysterious sickness when in the would have immense advantage ovei arms of Mmne, Weber, but the moth-. the unbarbered enemy. The whol~ er returned at the critical moment army was made to shave and cut it and remembering what had happen- hair, n the result was that Alexan ed to her other child, snatched this der licked everything in sight, an. on aayfrm ersit-inl. sighed for more worlds to conquer. "The boy looked as if he were Hobo Lake of Asia. half dead," said the mother, "but The oddest Lake in the world i~ he revived~ as soon as I took him in 'the wandering Lake Nor of Asia my arms. mwa lieWee Floating islands are common enough aged three, the child of anoh- but there is only one tramp lake, brother of her husband. This was Each summer the high waters of thE one of the most peculiar cases of l Tarim river, entering the lake from and largely helped to ensure fall r eest, bring to itgeat uantities lease of Madame Weber. The little lying on the level floor of the desert, girl had been strong and healthy toward the southeast. In a few nearly all her life, but just before months the lake is hundreds of miles her death she had had an attack of from the starting point, leaving the MAN IS KNOWN. ATT NTIO L ^NDOWNERS. Every one Should Read the Circular Printed Below. Who Left Coffin in Front of ReV. To the Farmers and Land Owners of ' E. M. Lightfoot's Door. the South: A great deal is being said about se curing desirable Immigration for the South. It is hoped that Southern Threats Against Orangeburg Minis- farmers and land owners are giving this subject the attention it merits ter Had Some Developments. Man and appreciate what it means to the ISouth. Without doubt the farmers and land owners are, or should be, The Orangeburg correspondent of more interested in this proposition than any other class of people; one the Columbia State says Monday of the reasons being, the evident pe June 10, was the day on which some cuniary advantage to the section in violence was to have been done to which there is an influx of a worthy and substantial class of home-seek Rev. E. M. Lightfoot of Orange- ers. burg, according to the threat incor- Nothing will do more to Increase land values and the price of farm ported i a note placarded on a cof- products than a growing population. fin left on Mr. Lightfoot's door by As population grows, the consuming some cowardly person or persons in capacity naturally increases, which the dead of the night. That day has condition is met through the develop ment of new land and the better cul passed and Mr. Lightfoot is yet un- tivation of older farms. Increased harmed. population gives stimulus to -the en But another has suffered from the largement and creation of new in dustries, requiring additional labor, deviltry aimed at the minister, and all of which depends upon the farm his wife, who is very much broken for subsistence. The more and the in health. has had to leave Orange- better the farm products, the better burg for a visit to Summerville in everybody lives. order to get away from the excite- In some sections of the South there ment surrounding the incident which seems to be an underlying sentimen1 caused such a sensation in the State. unfavorable to the introduction of Mr. Lightfoot himself expresses no new settlers. Students of economy for e ~ aes te ftwho have given this subject the most concern, f apprecia ac careful consideration find that such a that the coward who under cover oi feeling is based upon erroneous con darkness thus attempted to frighten ceptions of the advantages of new him from his field of labor and his people and new ideas. While the post of duty will not meet him face South is developing rapidly the natu to face. ral resources and capabilities of the It was one night early in May that country to sustain a much larger the coffin was left on the porch of population warrants the incoming of Mr. Lightfoot's home in the business jsmany more people who can fi part of the city of Orangeburg. One mesthe ccuwinc anument p ment of which will augument pros of the policemen on duty at that perity and improve Southern condi time stated that he saw a bright mu- tions in every way. More immigratiom latto negro driving a gray mule about means increased land values, the bet 1 o'clock in the morning and that terment of the educational facilities there was something in the wagon the improvement of public roads, the covered with old corn sacks. He made addition of markets, the building o no further inspection. The owner more and better towns and the en of the mule has been located and the largement of towns already in exist name of the negro is known. These ence, with all of the advantages com things have been learned within the mon to concentration. lt he bThere is room in every county f1 last week. every State of the South for man: WRITER OF NOTE. more home- builders and producers For some time it has been known and until the -farmers and land own who wrote the note. It was written ers now living there take a persona wowr the kof nted otias en interest in soliciting and locat on the back of a printed notice sent ing a good class of settlers it out by Walker. Evans & Cogswell their neighborhood the best result company, it has been learned to whom cannot be obtained. the Charleston stationers sent those The following questions are aske notices. There were but a few in Or- and suggestions made with the hop angeburg, and by elimination it was that every progressive farmer an easy to learn whence the piece of pa- land owner will heed the appeal: ,er was secured on which the notice Are heir ny lads nou was written. Furthermore the writ- ighor thedrn cme .ing was made with an indelible pen- ing the owner the returns commen, surate with their possibilities? cil, and there are marked character- 2. Are you making any effort t istics in the chirography which make introduce worthy and desirable home it a very easy matter to trace the makers to occupy these vacant lands writing to an individual in Orange- If not, did it ever occur to you tha burg. Furthermore, there is some you are among the number responsi I proof of malice, and the same party ble for the upbuilding of the distric Sunder suspicion is known to have had In which you live, and that probabi un feeling isw knwMr. Lightfoot. this lack of interest is one of th ilf towardM causes why development in your com t Circumstantial evidence against a munity has not been as rapild as I certain party is strong, and it is en- should be? tirely probable that somebody will Our attention Is frequently calle serve a long term in the penitentiary to the fact that in many parts of th when the investigations are over. A United States, other than the South Sshort time ago it was reported that farm lands are selling .from $75 t a certain party in Orangeburg had $150 per acre, while in the sout Sconfessed the whole matter. Mr. good improved f arare fr sale a Ligtfot ems his H sate tatthing considered the South has th Sthe man in question came to his study best and cheapest lands in the Unite one night and said that he was under States. One of the principal reason Ssuspicion. Mr. Lightfoot added that why the contrast in values is s Sthe man was indeed under suspi- great, is lack of immigration to th cion, for he had been under the in- South. This condition can be chang rfluence of liquor at the time that the ed if all will work with that end i outrage was perpetrated and that the view. susecedpatyha faldt s n How much more contented th susectd prt ha fale touseansouthern farmer would be if he O< Sofficial position which he occupies to cupied S O acres of land worth $10 hee Mr. Lthetysty ch.edh per acre, surrounded by farms unde WhenMr. ighfootchared im high state of cultivation, with fin Swith these things the party under roads, good schools and large mai Isuspicion proved an alibi, but also kets, than by occupying a farm c Iproved that Mr. Lightfoot's suspic- 320 acres, worth $25 per acre, one ions as to the animus behind the half under cultivation, public road -whole thing are in the main correct. of the country inferior, and th SThe handwriting of the note in the schools of the district inadequate. H Scoffin has been identified at first is master the first, but the othe sight by half a dozen men who have There is but little doubt but wa had business dealings with the man the farmers of the South would b Sunder suspicion, and no one of those much better off financially and soc. Swho identified the writing knew at ally if their -holdings were smalle> the time that any one else had done Some land owners of the South begi so. to realize this. An instance of thi It appears to be a clean cut case is seen wherein a leading plante against this man. The animus is located on the Southern Railway prc know. Itcam fro Mr ,ihfo' poses to give outright, to any relia mown Itcam frm Mr Lihtfot- kie farmer, ten acres of land, an fearless denunciation of certain civic agrees to sell thirty acres additiona Swrongs and slack-twistedness. The provided uae purchaser finds he I writing is known to be that of the able to properly cultivate the increas party said to have been aggrieved by ed area. This proposition is made t the action of Mr. Lightfoot in cer-1 indu-ce an industrious class to settl tai mater, ad te sme art isin his neighborhood. This land ows known to have communicated by er has more land than he can tak 'phone on the night of the outrag crof, on account of scarcity o withthe owner of the mule which labor, and he argues, that this pla: .w.ewill bring to his locality a sufficien pulled the wagon in which the coffin number of desirable immigrants wit: was carried to the house of Mr.I families, from whom the supply o Lightfoot. The circumstan.tial evi: labor so much desired can be se dence is strong. crd Last Sunday was the eve of the I vr otenln we i day set for violence to be.done Mr.gietssujcthcoidrin Lightfoot according to the threats dsreh ilfn oesee made by those who put the coffin ontoejyhe pptuie his porch. The man under suspicionhesol inisegbrod;u was observed to be bestirring him-ofteanseigahmbcar self in a peculiar manner on thatmoanecsiepcefrld;i day. tecnrr esol i h r That night by some freak of chance setv e egbri bann the lights on Mr. Lightfoot's streetpretyathlostosiepic were not burnings, although they are aduo otraoal em said to have been burning brightly TeGle uesol eagl in other parts of the city. Mr. Light-intsasnalthg. foot observed a man sneaking behind Truhu h otenpr a tree in the neighborhood. He and o oet a-bdnitlie his wife were sitting on the porch at adidsrosfmle niu the time. Mr. Lightfoot went to- onhmso hi w;te i the an mde of, ad Mr Ligtfoo co veriy inwhhthen ldocate, ail retured t hishous to et ashot an thqisitionect teer cosieayton h gudeservewasleavingthenouseie seethr puruitof he an ho as ctig cFmers and andih ownersrtuni MayoDoye'ponedhim whichnexs of this neighorn hood;a bnu so ueely oie houd takeio Railroadvantaga countofthexciemen he e i nsedking latinge bycarn thaton c a etetiveto uardthethe an excellien clase f people0 hadcotrrydeetulaidlheed hous, ad te mn wom M.Lghtspendtill taeth necesary notinres foo ha sen as he etcl~e. nprptai the olowingthsse srie Mr.Ligtfot s ne f te osttinsdepon thsletasonabre reqes highy repectd miistesin The Golden com uiae whol the audr regientof nfanry nd s wel b-bing thm in ll r things. e i lovd. f te artes ho hrat n- Tesrblehoute Nothers. L and o thavn prpettes ithe ands tofsand ed hs lfe tougt tofrihtenhim c honalestat lagesabing inelguen in rageurhetond hroutrious hamiis.axost hasben st n frebyheoutag home of.thircwnheyds. wad the pate wh caled resosible ma angod citizenstral get.h wilhet suad fferth pealty orifotcmuiynwhh the lw otenRiwy o.,aeobn< noematter wto heir social getanshot- and Ohuiion ia every wayhintonth guAs ethws leai theepe ofouse D. soth cuit e thelang ho resen ctingoce Farmrrown Eandowersan dent or te pat tw yeasof the ier old was hityth ro alley a rsbytueriy ao ollee Clnoned Thrsdyian haload thowna thaton acoun ofthexcitmenthe ed intere cinldsoat ing haount ofhataile. Dr detctvilurde them dong eelal~entinas ofe lit-l orne and Waheaman July 2,r.55 Lgad- and brisestake the mecessary cnderes foote hatde collee detectivectr. and passellwngso the ugge Coglumi teolctd minry. ithe shu thei eymnaes with rothen unde Starred Meis Vhapginofth Aen signited girl dipeaeutnny he, fwl tent of nssanrye.h and er, arnd there aioesokdenck ito chldeesrvvhm edetiabg tom seekers as onernd eighd. Ifthepartieswho mhetn avnge prpees ino thei hancdioflo Ei Clumbiahoughtrd frigedhim, capeaedt athae nereglduet the sas Clmiaaknn wiHe e penstetchedt the orrtpondencewias nean i yerngburg. he teamno thrognso theiouans.ran ae andtheparie wh ar repo se revivd and Inldastrilygent will bet suffer th paly me thate a didthernmthr Riwhen Co., arnedoi detwortheng to two. ofr o h Thersaccidnt.alstnad hor A PECULIAR STORY in Which Steve John and Steve Mikell are Reunited. Father After Greek Bride Who Sold Her "For Keep" for $1.250 Daugh ter Will Remain With Groom. A party of a dozen or more jab bering Greeks wearing boots of gor geous tops and adorned with much glittering jewelry, blew into police headquarters at Columbia, S. C., ex citedly gesticulating and dancing about in fear of some impending danger, the nature of which Chief Daly finally discovered through re peated showers of punctuation marks, to be that the father of a bride in the "Gypsy" came near the city was about to arrive here from Norfolk and take her away. The father of the groom, whose lucious Hungarian bride of a few months, was threatened with kidnap ping by her father, has the martial carriage and grace of an Arab as he strode into police headquarters, ev ery muscle in his seven feet of height evidencing his splendid physi que acquired in camp life, his swar thy complexion blending with his strong cigar. He wore a picturesque silk vest, the buttons of which were 35 gold pieces, while his elaborate gold watch and chain would have furnished $2 excellent "stage prop erty" for a count of Monte Cristc show. This was Steve John, and he exhib ited papers to the police which seerr to entitle him and his party to pro. tection, and which incidentally re veal some curious costums which are allowed to prevail even in this coun try among people of his nationality "Steve Mikell, the-fadder of m3 son Teardo's bride. is coming on nexI train to run away with his daughtei Louva, my son's wife. But ve has been too smart for him. Ve got pa pers from Boston showing his consen to marriage. I gif him Twelve hun der and feefty dollar for her, and h( has sign coontrack with me to pa3 me back twenty-five hunder dollai if he take her back. He can't trad< her off any more under Americ law." And the tall man pulled out the I documents, which conclusively con firmed his story. There was a con tract signed by both fathers-Steve Mikell and Steve John-giving theii consent to the marriage, "in consid eration of the sum of $1,250, receipi of which is hereby acknowledged,' the said Steve Mikell agreeing i: he ever did anything to seperate th< two that he would pay Steve Johi t $2,500. The paper binds him specifi cally not to run away with or in an: manner induce her to leave young t Theodore John. The paper is signe< by both Steves, duly witnessed an< i bears the signature of the Bostor a lawyer drawing it up. Steve John also exhibited the mar >riage license and register's certifica tion that both parents consented t< Sthe marriage. -Another treasure which Steve fish Sed -out of his inside pocket, an< Swhich he still more jealously guard Sed against going out of his posses Ssion, was a newspaper clipping fron - a Boston paper giving a picture o Sthe bride who was married to his soi last fall, and which sets forth hov she was adorned with $5,000 worti of jewels.. '"Steve Mikell, he tink he mad, lots of mon out of my Louva." sai' Theodore the groom, "by sell fror fone to odder, get Iota mon fror -each, but we bind him on Coontrac] s now. He sell no mor." e"How many times has he sold he like this?" asked the desk man, hi eyes glistening with interest. "Four time alread." S"No, no, no," said Steve John rising and glowering down on his so: in indignation, "only two time." L At which the privates in the roan s joined the desk man in a heart: laugh. - "Oh, but he no do it no more; w< binda him in a coontract," came th< reassurance from the groom. "Will you be satisfied to let her g< back to her father if he pays the $2, 500?" wickedly asked the newspape: Sman for the purpose of provoking another explosion in the hope tha Ssomething else interesting and nove Fwould be blown out of the curioul soul of the groom. S"Oh, yes; we all satisfy if he pa: the $2,500. He got plenty of mon.' At which there was more laughte: among the privates, the chief join 1ing in with his favorite little snorts which bubble up from his Irish bloo< in spite of his well trained officia dignity. The party said Steve Mikell was coming with a large party of follow ers and that there would likely be bloody conflict unless the police in terferred, which the police agreed t< do. ________ Bryan and the Veterans. The Hon. William Jennings Bryai was at Richmond last week when the monument to President Davis was unveiled. His course on that occasioi will win him more friends in the South than he ever had before. There were thousands of Confederate vet erans there, but there was to be nc politics in the gathering of the mer who wore the grey and their de scendents, therefore Mr. Bryan re fused to be lionized. We agree witti the Florence Times in his retiring before the acclaim of the populace, he won more friends than he would have made by the best speech he could have given them. Bryan has shown himself to be what is always 1admired in the south, especially, a Iman of delicacy of feeling and senti ment. JAPAN seems to be determined to pick a row with the United States. The United States will not be in a hurry to go to war, but when she gets fighting mad Japan will be lucky if the end of it does not witness her relegation to a fourth or fifth rate power. We have the money and the men, and what ships we lack we can soon build. THE Columbia Record says "while Latimer is touring Europe at Uncle Sam's expense, some men who would like to succeed him in the senate are probably minutely exarnining his po litical fences, figuring on how strong they are." The man who beats Lat iner will be the next Senator. AN exposition visitor was fined $30 for kissing a Norfolk girl. Vis itors should be careful not to mis take natives for exhibits or make SUI ID GE M. shot himself and death quickly fl SUICIDE GERM. loed Frank Stovers, because his sweet heart attended church with another, ended life by shooting himself. Jacob Hatten, a young commission Several Cities Said to be Infect- man, brooding over a downward ed With It tendency in the market. fired a bul let through his brain. Reese Craigman cut his throat while intoxicated. He lived a few hours only. FIFTY ONE SUICIDES Fred Shannon, a youth of nine acid. Frank Sullivan, fifty-two supposed In the Little Town of Huntington ly because of failing health, drank a poisonous drug and died. west Virginia, Whose People De- Howard Shober was another who lare That They Cannot Succes.~s- ended his life without any apparent reason. He drank poison. fully Struggle Against the Dread- John Galleher leaped from the ful Infection, and Kill Theni- wharf boat into the Ohio River and ended his life. selves. Harry A. Gibson ended his exis tence by firing a bullet through his Huntington, W. Va,, is a place heart. which appears to be hopelessly in- C. R. Barnett, worried over illness, fested with the dreadful suicide drank carbolic acid and in an hour germ, just as other localities are so was dead. thoroughly saturated with tubercu- William Simms, brooding over losis germs that even the healthiest financial trouble, sent a bullei persons are likely to be attacked. through his brain. Persons have declared that they felt Jenk Barrett, disappointed in love the suicide sense upon them and were ended his life with a pistol. unable to struggle against it. William White, failing in health Huntington is a modern town nam- ended his life. He used carboli ed after the late C, P. Huntington acid. and was incorporated in 1871. It is a Edward C. Christian, forty, weal busy, financial prosperous place, but thy, apparently happy, ended his lif some deadly influence has fallen upon with carbolic acid. the minds and hearts of its inhabi- Sanford Ferguson, twenty-eight tants, causing them to take their liv- quarrelled with his sweetheart an< es with such frequency that Hun- then leaped down a-flight of stairs tington has come to be known He broke his neck. throughout the State as "the Suicide French Barton shot himself dead. City.' Samuel Pinson, an aged man, liv The suicide habit has prevailed and ing at Le Sage, a suburb, was foun< increased since the city's birth, but early one morning hanging to an ap this year it has grown to a terrifying ple .tree in his yard; his life was ex climax. Fifty-one suicides have oc- tinct. He had been weak, mentally . curred during the present year in for some time. and during the nigh this city of less than 20,000 people. had evaded the guard and self-de A large proportion of the suicides struction followed. took their lives by the agonizing Others in this city who have end agency of carbolie acid. The only ed their lives in the past few month thing to recommend this poison is by drinking poison, are Milly Trent that it is easy to obtain, but as there Harry Schenk, Isabel Helton, Claud are several comparatively painless ius Bronson, Mabel Stiles, Kyle Blos forms of death available to every- ser and Henry Workman. body. it seems as if the intending Out of this list of suicides, ther suicide prefered to suffer in dying. was but one colored person. Th< Many persons chose fantastic meth- craze of self-destruction continues ods of suicide, William Barnes, a and Huntington is known as the sui wealthy merchant, with calm delib- cide city throughout the State. eration placed the sharp point of a An even more tragic outbread o pair of scissors directly over his the suicide epidemic occurren at De heart and with a four-pound iron Moines, Ia., because there the vie weight drove them through that vit- tims were all girls in fortunate ei al organ. cumstances, surrounded by lovin John Hagerman dashed himself to families and havingapparentlyevery death from a five-story building be- thing to live for. cause an engagement to call on his A great series of tragedies reveale sweetheart had been postponed by the existence of a suicide club amon her for twenty-four hours. the most highly educated and social William Calking almost severed his ly prominent girls of Des Moines head from his body with a sazor be- Ia., and the vicinity. cause of some trifling financial loss. Eight of theri committed sueid The suicide of a colored woman in various places at 8eo'clock in th because her lover, a chef in one of morning precisely, evidently a pr( the hotels, weighed something like arranged hour, and many made d( 400 pounds and had failed to wear a termined attempts at self destru< dress suit on a certain occasion, tion which through some acciden makes even death grotesque. were unsuccessful. One of the saddest and strangest Miss Phoebe Broell, aged twenty cases in the list was that of William two, was found dead in her room b; Weber, a wealthy contractor, who her father. Miss Kate Farrell, age built the United States Government tweity, who had been at home il 'Building at Huntington. Mr. Web- died in the same way. The poiso er and his wife made their home in had been sent to her by anothe Huntington while the building was girl. in process of erection.. About the Mrs. Lily'Milburn, aged eighteer -time it was nearly completed Mrs. took poison because it is said he Weber, a delicate, refined and pretty parents had coerced her into marr woman and a favorite in society was ing. Miss Elizabeth Fletcher, als heard to declare that the suicide aged eighteen, swallowed carbohi mania was upon her. Shortly after- acid, but was revived before tb~ Sward she went to visit friends in poison -could kill. She expresse Texas, and the next day after her ar- bitter regret at the rescue. rival there committed suicide by Miss Lida Golden took carbohi drowning herself in the Neches Riv- acid and died immediately. At th erin Husan in Huntington upon same hour Miss Kate Kessler kille hAmng o her death. killed himself. herself with the same poison. Ai Aogthe latest instances was noyance over a lawsuit in which sh that of beautiful Dora Spears and was charged by relatives with exe her stalwart lover, Samuel Montrose cising undue influence over an unchi Rittenhour. The youth had gone to was mentioned as a reason for he a neighboring city on a brief busi- act, but it was ridiculously inad4 ness trip and through some inadver- quate. tence failed one day to write to his Miss Belle Wilson rose from th sweetheart. When he returned two family breakfast table with the r< days later, it was to look upon her mark that she could never lead body, destroyed by her own hand, good enough life, went to her roor and waiting him a note read "If for and killed herself with the dreadfi one day your love has failed, life's acid. Miss Hannah Tomlinson, has bright light has perished, and so, ing remarked that life was a hideou good night, sweetheart." The lover failure, killed herself with the sam~ only waited till she was buried and fluid. then died at the grave by taking car- Proof that these tragedies wer bolic acid. the result of a compact was foun Lizzie Vance, a girl in her teens,.in the, following letter, written b apparently without cause of trouble, Miss Kate Farrell: drank carbolic acid. She died. "To Dear One-I am dying. I bE 1Williamh Adkins, a youth, scolded long to a club. Miss --is presi by his parents for not attending dent. We all of us take poison to school, shot himself dead. gether. Good-by. "KATE FARRELL. Julia Ward, married two months, The name of the president ha believed her husband unfaithful and been written and then scratched o1 took carbolic acid. She died.. so thoroughly that no clue to thi Rena Clark, twenty-without any woman's identity can be obtained. known reasou, ended her life by tak- It has been found extremely dufli ing an overdose of morphine, cult to obtain any details concerni Ella Jordan, seventeen, had a the orginization which resulted il quarrel with her sweetheart. She. these tragedies. Many members o drank carbolic acid and died. it are now dead, those who failed t Bessie Bonnett, a beautiful girl of carry out their suicidal attempt eighteen years, the only support of are unwilling to reveal anything an< her aged mother, became weary over those who may now be bound b; the cares of life and committed sui- oath to kill themselves are silent. cide by drinking carbolic acid in a Nearly all of the dead girls wer dry goods store, in which she was graduates of the State Normal Schot~ employed as a clerk, or of the Iowa State University. Fror Tilly Williams, a pretty girl, still an admission of Mrs. Lily Milburt in her teens, told her mother that it appears that the suicide club wa life held no charms for her and, go- formed at the last Summer sessioi ing upstairs, was found an hour la- of the State Normal School. It wa Iter a corpse. - 'composed of unhappy and discon Margaret Chadwick, was another tented girls who had some cause a young girl who drank carbolic acid dissatisfaction with life which,.how and died. ever, would appear -utterly ridieu Mary Swanson, worried because tons to a normal person. Officer; of the sudden departure of her sweet- were elected whose names are un heart for another city, slash ed her known, and it was agreed that all th< throat with a razor and killed her- members should kill themselves at self. She was eighteen years of age. certain time in obedience to a decis Molly Swisher, for a similar rea- ion of the whole club. son, ended her life. She was twenty- The suicidal mania is almost entire seven. ly confined to the class of college Maggie Swisher, despondent be- bred and highly cultured girls. The: cause her wedding day had been post- are infected by a common despon oned, shot herself. dency, and a sense of the useless ~Madge Walker, for no known rea- ness of existence and of all effort son, ended her life; like many of the This condition of mind .is infectious others, she drank carbolic acid. in a certain sense, as science has in Hattie Spurlock, fired a bullet dicated, and when a person suffer through her heart, and death was in- ing from it is surrouded by others o: stantaneous. She was forty. No the same mind it becomes almost im. reason is known for her act. possible to escape from the tendencl Henrietta Canute, aged twenty- to self-destructlon, four, was another girl who ended It is to be feared that many girls her life by drinking carbolic acid. of the well-to-do classes in Dea Carrie Monfort, drank carbolic acid Moines and in Iowa generally are and died. afilicted by this dreadful mania. Susie Cremans quarrelled with her Consequently their parents are in s lover late in the evening, and the cruel state of anxiety, not knowing next morning was found dead in her at what moment their children may room, having taken carbolic acid. end their lives. Stella De Volt committed suicide: No sooner was the epidemic over a love affair. She was twenty- among the girls made known than four, and, like so many others, used the men began to kill themselves ir carbolic acid. 'Des Moines. Edward _Surak,. aged Lillian Mabley. because of a quar- twenty-four, hanged himself in the rel with her lover, drank laudanum haymow on his farm near the city. and died. Henry Saunders, the father of .a Susie Stealy poisoned herself for family of four, swallowed Paris 1no known reason. green. George Ruth hanged him John Davis, a railroad man who self. Charles Keehold 'mortgaged knew that he would have to Lheir the his body for $25 and then shot him. repniility of a raib-a! V eek, self. DEATH PLUNGE. Balloon Struck by Lightning While High in the Air. FELL TO THE EARTH From a Dlistance of Thirteen Hun dred Fect.-It Occurred at the Festival of the Italian Constitution At Ro:ne, and 100,000 People Gaz ed in 1 orror as the Basket Fell to The Gr;und. While K ing Emmanuel, Queen He! ena and 100,000 spectators looked on in horror, an Italian Mnilitary bal loon, manned by Capt. Olivelli, was struck by a ligthning. bolt during the festival of the Italian constitution at Rome, e:rly last week, and the col lapsing rirship, carrying with It its. load of human freight, plunged to the parade ground, almost at the feet of the royal pair, mortally wounding the oce pant, and causing the big - celebration to come to a sudden - close. W'hat promised to be one of. the most glorious pageants ever at tempted i-1 connection with this, pop-. ular festival, was thus halted, King Emmanuel Issuing the. decree him self. The aeident happened about noon. The royal couple had .spent the morn-s ing revie'Ving the troops of all arng of the g-rison of Rome, numbering 25,000 men, Inauguarating the Inter national rifle match, which takes place every five years,. and were en gaged in reviewing a parade -by cy clists when the 'accident happened. The sky was the .color of dull lead, threatening a severe tempest over the shooting ground. In the air, at the height of 1,300 feet,. was a balloon of the military engineer corps, man ned by Olivelli, a well known .and highly esteemed captain of engineers Unexpecte~ly a -bolt -of : lightning darted from the 'clouds and struck the balloon, setting fire to it. A cry at once arose from the crowd on the shooting ground, which numbered fully 100,000 persons.. The gazing spectators saw the silk bag burn,. and - f the franework and the basket fall toward the earth with- a .whirling motion until it struck the ground, The volu*nteer -cyclists ran in . all> haste to the spot and found Olivelle unconscious, with his- legs entangledK in the rcpes of the basket. A physi cian, who ran to the spot, exanked the une- ascious man and said. that his spinal column had been broken. King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helena .: itnessed the accident,. and. the king at once sent his own !ato mobile in which the dying man was placed and taken to the hospital. The king fol.owed him In another 1auto - mobile ;..ad went to the bedside'-of Olivelli. who had regained consciou ness, an,! the fast sinking man recog t nized his soverign. The king spoke to .him affection ately. Two hours after the'accldent, Olivevlli died and the king immedite ly annoinced that ' would ttend no more of the exercises. of, the- day.. The festival was at once suspended t and the illumination of the glrandola r was countermanded. Olive:i's sister witnessed the acci dent, btm she fainted before the bas etstrei'k the ground. .The sister later attempted tosee her brother. but this was not allowed. 0The vi'tim of the accident was,33 cyears oki and leaves a' widow whose egrief is indescribable. The king 1lat der sent in- aide-de-camup to her house to expr'ess. his condolence.. The* re - mains of the unfortunate man were e later laid~to r.est with an impressive militarv~ funeral, of which King Em manuez ;ad Queen Helena were'spec etators. -Bound to Come. ~The Urnited States may as well get Sready to fight it out with Japa.. SNothing but a war with this country. will ever satisfy the egotistical Japa enese. They think because they-worst - ed Russia, they can, turn downt any a nation on the globe. When the time t comes the United States will teach lthem better, and it will take a good thrashin;~. to knock the conceit out Sof them Graf von Reventlow, an officer of the German navy and a writer of authority on army and navy topics, takes it for granted that a gre'at war is to be fought between Japan and the Un~ited States. He is not the only one in Europe who be lieves that war is inevitable between -the United States and Jaa. ;The Baron says the Philipin Is lands will be the matter of 'ispute. In a book just published this writer declares that the Philippines consti tute the great dlisturbing factor in the world's Deace. These islands, he says, wili bi the apple of discord in the near future. -He points out that upon the completiori of~ the Panma fcanal the.- islands will be of inestim ~able value as a trade center between the American continent and the Far East, and they will be harmful to the commerce of both England and Jap an.. 'i'he Baron goes on to say that nothing is "more probable than that the rulers ofiJapan see in the United States of America the great daniger of their future, though it is not like ly that they covet the Philippines for immediate occupation. These nat urally exert their influence also, for it is a group of islands of great nat ural wealth. They produce what Ja pan needs and requires no. such lengthy development as Korea and -Manchuria. Great as the desire for their conquest may be among the .mass of the Japanese people, the government would be strong enough to hold them in check until the psy chologie moment could be. seized, But should the question of pride of race arise it would be a different matter. Then populace, government and mikado would be united to strike for supreme domination of the Far East, the fetich of the Japanese." He thinks that in any event the East Asiatic market would be lost to the United States and that this coun try would most certainly resolve upon and carry forward a war of re venge. "Money, shipyards and tech nical knowledge" he says, "would enable the Americans shortly to buildsa monster fleet far outstrip-the Japanese." Then, of course, Japan would be made to feel the strong arm of power. She would emerge from a war with the United States broken in fortune and humiliated before the world. The indemnity she would have to pay would bankrunt her for generations. It woulu :- :r ion t-e little br- n people, but Liea ai e zao full of : nceit that some nation will have t.. knock it out of them, and soone' or later we believe that the United States will have itto do. Then the Japs will see what fools they were to think because they had worsted Russia they could whip the nited States.