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MIMESOTAHELL.
The Story of a Convict Who Has Passed
Six Years at Stillwater.
CRUELTY OF TOE DARK AGES
Surpassed by tho Refined Brutality in
Our State Prison.
PRISONERS TREATED LIKE DOGS,
Bsiug Beaten, Starved and Kept in
Dungeons Wliile in a Dying
Condition.
TENDERING A CRUST OF BREAD
And Snatching it Away Before a Fam
ished Man, Crawling on Hands
and Knees, Could Reach It.
THE ACME OF FIENDISHNESS
In Applying Croton Oil to tho Back of
a Convict and Leaving Him to
Writhe in Agony.
AN INVESTIGATION NEEDED
To Let Daylight Into tho Ways of
"Warden lteed and Deputy Hall.
Readers of tho GLOBE are familiar with
the cruel practices and murderous barbarities
practiced in the Insane Asylum at St. Peter,
aa developed some months ago by an investi-
gating couimittoo. There have long been
rumors that a still more barbarous condition
of affairs existed at the State prison at
Stillwater, and the GLOBE hopes, in behalf
of hunienity, to lay the ground work for de-
termining whether these charges are true or
false. It is certainly highly import-
ant that a thorough investigation be
had as early as possible. Heretofore
our legislative inspections have been a mere
farce and fraud. The penitentiary officials
have fixed a day v'he they would put the in-
stitution on dress parade and invite the
legislature to come and see. As the investi-
gation usually terminates with a boll and
supper, the report is, of course satisfactory,
the brains of the legislator being reached
through his stomach and feet. Weak human
nature rarely resists social blandishments,
and tho penitentiary management has played
this game with great effect.
We are aware that the word of a convic ts
always looked upon with suspicion, and if
nis statements are true, those who are ac
cused cite the face that the word of a felon
should not have consideration. The GLOBE
does not, however, adhero to the theory that
because a man has been a criminal he is en
titled to no consideration, and that his word
is to be arbitrarily disputed. In reality, the
only way that the every day life in our public
institutions can be ascertained, is from those
who are practical inmates. A
committee may spend a few hours, or a day,
in inspecting affairs and ascertain nothing,
though cruelty, devilish in its character may
bo practiced. The tendency among the
class of men who seek and obtain positions
in the management of prisoners and prisons
is to become brutal, if they are not originally
BO, and that they need much watching and
restraint is beyond question.
Patrick Coffee was arrested in St. Paul on
or about Jan. 21, 1878, for a larceny of furs
from tho Hudson Bay company while in
transport over the Northern Pacific, at Moor"
head. Mr. Coffee laid in the Ramsey county
jail soi:.e five or six months, when he was
tried, convicted of the offense charged, and
sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of
six year.* and four months, which term, less
his good time, expired a few days ago.
Hi3 story of prison lite reveals a horrible
siate of affairs and \i untrue it can be read
ily disproven. It will not do to put it aside
with the statement that it comes from a
convict who required discipline.
Deputy Warden Hall, who is credited
by Coffee with superior barbarity, was,
we believe, removed from a similar
position in tho Wisconsin prison at Waupun
for cruelty to the inmates. The GLOBE
believes that tho State prison manage
ment will not bear inspection, and that hu
manity may be served and justice secured by
a full and thorough investigation. We give
Patrick Coffee's story of barbarity, merely
premising that, if tin?, the warden and his
deputy should lose no time in becoming in"
mates of the institution of which they are
now guardians.
JPatriek Coffee's Story.
Under my sentence I entered the peniten
tiary June 13,1873. At that time Mr. Jack
man was warden and Major Evans deputy
warden. At first I was pat to work as a
common laborer, but in the course of six or
eight weeks, probably owing to the fact that
I did my work cheerfully and well, I was
transferred to the house, where I came under
the more immediate control of Major Evans#
I i should be stated that the house duties are
tho lightest, and in all respects
preferable to any other about the prison, and
such positions are therefore eagerly sought
after by the convicts. Here I received what
might be called fair treatment, much better
than I had expected, and I was getting along
swimmingly, and was tolerably well satisfied
vrith my iot, until a change was made in the
prison management by the removal of Jack
man and Eins, the former being succeeded
by Capt. J. A. Eeed, and the latter by W.
W. Williams. This change was made in
August, 1874, I think, and with it my trouble
commenced. I was still employed in the
house, but without any cause on my part,
so far as I know, a regular system of perse
cution was commenced upon me. At the
game time Reed reduced the quantity of food
&> '*4s7 *y&$$
1
issued the convicts, and poorer material was
used.
Nest he shot down on the fresh water sup
ply of the convicts inside the buildings. You
see, then, the water in the buddings would
get warm before it was usedand heretofore
prisoners coming in from the yard had been
allowed to bring water with them for drink
ing and other purposes. While Jackman
was in charge he had, where a convict was
unable to write, allowed another convict to
do it for him. Reed stopped this. In fact,
from the day he took charge, he commenced
lopping off the little privileges one by one,
until they were all gone, while drills and
severe punishment for. little offenses were
substituted. Of course this caused great
dissatisfaction among the convicts, some of
whom became quite insubordinate.
COMPLAINTS OF THE INMATES.
It was a practice of Reed to go through
the prison once a week to hear each
complaints as the convicts might
pluok up their courage to
make, but as hia persecutions grew, these
complaints became BO numerous and tho
convicts so persistent in calling them to hia
attention that these visits were entirely stop
ped about eighteen months ago. Reed was
great in his Sunday chapel talks. At these,
strangers were often in attendance, and
Reed just spread himself in smooth words
and fair promises, but all the time he was
treating his charges like brutes. If a con
vict is BO fortunate as to have poweful
friends outside, Reed will give him special
privileges and make his prison life as comfort
able as possible, but God pity the
poor fellow who falls into his hands without
such friends. There are quite a number of
tho favored class in the prison now, the
Younger boys being especial favorites.
WO LET UP FOB THE CONVICT.
Reed never eases up on a convict he has
taken a dislike to for a real or fancied of
fense. Such a person is constantly watched
All it is necessary for Reed to do when hi
wants to get a mn puntenfc'Vfl the
guard to keep a watch on that man, and in
nine cases out of ten the man will be in the
dungeon before night on some trumped up
charge.
Reed has been especially down on me of
late, for the reason that, driven to despera
tion by his persecutions, I took a prominent
part in organizing the big break about four
years ago, and which created quite a sensa
tion. At the time Farrell, "a lifer, was
charged with being the prime mover, but I
was the one. Being in the house I could op
erate with greater freedom than the shop
men. I studied out the project and took a
few of the most reliable men into my confi
dence, including Farrell. To get Farrell out
of his cell I put a false hinge on his door,
made out of tine and painted black, so as
to look like iron. This is a very
difficult piece of work, but I succeeded
splendidly, so that the cell door would swing
back and forth with perfect freedom, and
without any indication of having been tam
pered with. Finally, the plans having all
been consummated, the night for the break
was decided upon. The signal was to be the
appearance of Farrell and a man named Clif
ton outside their cells, who were to attack
and overpower a guard named Archer, a per
fect brute, and who I wanted to
get even with for some of his
persecutions. At the time agreed upon,
about midnight, Clifton got out of his cell,
and going to Farrell's, called him to come
out, but for some reason, what I never knew,
his nerve failed him just at the critical mo
ment, and though his doctored door pre
sented no obstacle in his way, he would not
make the effort. Seeing this Clifton went
ahead, got out of the prison through the win
dow bars, scaled the wall and was a free man,
his absence not being discovered until the
convicts were called to breakfast next morn
ing. Through Farrell's failure to act
my own plan miscarried, and when
Clifton's escape was discovered I
was not suspicioned. Clifton's escape
discovered, Reed instituted a thorough search
of the premises, one result being the discov
ery of the false hinge on FarralPs door. Far
rail was brought up and questioned, but he
refused to peach. He was then sent to the
dungeon, where he was kept five or six days
on bread and water, Eeed supposed, but I
kept him with plenty of good food.
PUNISHMENT FOB ATTEMPTED ESCAPE.
After a time Reed and Williams found out
my connection with the break, how I do not
know, and I was turned out of the house
and put into the paint shop, where I was
treated more brutally. As you will notice,
my eye-sight is very poor. In fact I am
almost blind in my left eye. Notwithstand
ing this, and that I am physically strong and
capable of doing any amount of heavy work,
I was iiut at fine work, such as puttying,
pails, requiring good ana throng ,^yes, and
because I could not do the" work
as fast and good as others,
I was punished outrageously, ^told Reed I
could not do such work with my poor eyes,
and begged him to give me some heavy out
door work, which I would do cheerfully, and
thus save the little sight left. My requests
were refused in the most brutal manner.
The fact is, Reed wa4 at this time constantly
seeking an opportunity to punish me, and so
he kept me at this kind of work, knowing it
was a physical impossibility for me to do it,
and then when I failed he would send me
into solitary confinement on bread and water
or punish me in some other way. Once
when I begged liim to change my work, he
blurted out: "there's your task, Gd dn
you, and you'll do it or I'll kill you."
SEEING THE INSPEOTOBS.
When this course of brutal treatment had
been going on about a year, and I began to
fear I really should die if it was continued
much longer, I asked Reed if he would not
let me see the inspectors. He refused. Then
I asked him if he would listen to my
story himself. He said, oh, yes. I then told
him that I did the work for Farrell, but that
I had become satisfied it was useless to at
tempt an escape, and that I had determined,
if he would put me at something I could do,
he should have no further cause to find fault
with me. You dee I thought if I told him
the truth he wvuld give me a chance to live.
Well, I told hiai the whole story from begin
ning to end,tking all the blame for the part
I took in that affair. This seemed to please
Reed, and h sent me into the house again,
and for a liftle time my work was light, such
as I was used to, and my condition was
greatly/mproved But I knew Reed did not
like r# and that his tool guards were watch
ing iny every movement in order to find
something upon which, to base a complaint,
bnt never give them an opportunity to get
anyfhing against me. Wilson, a cell room
guard, took particular delight in persecuting
rati and other convicts, and any little
thitig, no matter how trivial, a per
fectly excusable accident even, would
be straightway reported by Wilson
in the hope of thus currying favor with
Reed. He played his cards well, bat there
was something about him that caused Reed
to mistrust him, and he has now been dis
charged, i
s't
CHINCH Of DBTJT*,V?ABMHB/''
,1 come now to the time when Deputy
Warden Williams was called upon to geto at
of the way, so that tho appointment could
be given to Abe Hall, a former guard at the
Waupun, Wis., prison, out of which he was
kicked for his brutality. Hall was got into
the institution in tho interest of the con
tractors, who expected he, with his brutal na
ture and slave-driving propensities, would
get more work out of the convicts.
At this time I was still in the house, but I
will tell you a little incident just to show
how small a thing will bring a prisoner into
disgrace. As you probably know, convicts
generally occupy a -good portion of their
spare time in making little trinkets. I had
worked a long time in making a
duplicate of the prison building. I
called it "Stillwater No. 2," the name being
lettered on a piece of glass over the door.
It was a very pretty piece of work, and I had
made it for the purpose of charity. My
idea was to send it to an ex-guard, living at
Minneapolis, discharged by Reed, named
Heningen. Heningen was a kind man, and
did everything he could to cheer up the
prisoners and make their life bearable.
When he was discharged, the convicts, many
of them, cried like children, and they do to
this day when they get to talking about his
kindness.
WANTED THE TOT.
Before I sent the little toy away, one of
Hall's daughters, a girl of about 18 years, saw
it and wanted it. I told her it was no play
thing, but was for charity, and refused her.
She told her father, and it made him mad.
One of Reed's daughters also asked me for
it, but I refused her, for the same reason.
Reed then sent a man for it, but I would
not give it up. For this I was again taken
out of the bouse and put to
fine work in the pail shop, and being unable
to do the work, as they knw I was, the
course of inhuman treatment before men
tioned, for the same reasons,was renewed in
a more aggravated form if possible. Pro
testing that I could not do the work, I was
answered they would make me do it or kill
me. The guards finding me in bad favor
went to work persecuting me systematically.
I was beaten frequently, and thrown into the
dungeon. Both Reed and Hall seemed de
termined to force me by their barbarities to
commit some act of open rebellion, when I
would be fully in their power, and they could
safely carry out their revenge. On one occa
sion, Hall, holding a pistol to my face with
one hand, beat me with the other. If lever
saw murder in a man's face it was in his then,
and I have no doubt had I made a
movement to stop the blows, or turn the
pistol away from my face he would have shot
me then. But I saw through the scheme,
and I met his blows and taunting manner
with smiles and not a sign of resistance.
This made him fairly howl with rage and he
stamped about like a wild man.
DUNGEON BABBABITIES.
All this time I was being punished by
long terms of solitary confinement and de
prived of every privilege. At one time I
was kept four days without a mouthful of
food or drop of water to drink, at the end of
which time my tongue was so swollen I
could not speak. Believing they had finish
ed me this time I was removed from the
dungeon to my cell, so that it would appear,
should I die, that it was a natural death."
Neither the doctor or the steward
were allowed to do anything for me,
though the doctor often said I was in a very
critical condition and ought to have careful at
tention. As for the steward he was nothing
but a go-between from the convicts to the
warden, and I never asked any favors of him.
On one occasion I was kept seventeen days
in solitary confinement on bread and water,
the day's ration of bread being about two in
ches square and a half inch thick. [Mr. Coffee
had a sample of this ration carefully preserved
in a little box. which he declares was the aver
age size, and which was of the dimensions de
scribed above. 1
I'LL FIX rou.
On another occasion Eeed and Hall had
everthing in my cell moved out and a blind
door put over the cell door so I could not see
outside. After 1 had been kept in there ten or
twelve days the warden came to see me. He
took off the blind door, looked in, and
with a sneering "Helloa, you are there,
are you. Are you hungry." Without an
swering his question, I told him 1 was dying
and asked permission to Bee the doctor. He
answered me I'll doctor you, I'll fix you,
you rascal," with which he stamped his
foot upon the floor with rage, closed the blind
door again and went off.
TANTALIZING BBUTALITY.
A few days later Hall called, removed the
blind door and stuck an average piece of bread
under the door and called me to come and get
it. At the time I was so weak from my long
confinement, the systematic persecutions I had
undergone, and the want of food, that I could
not stand up,but I was dying with hunger, and
started and crawled on my hands and knees
with the greatest difficulty over to the door.
ust as I got over where I could reach the piece of
bread, Hall suddenly snatched it, saying,
"Oh, you are not bad enough yet," and threw
it away, and, rearranging the blind door, left
me. I thought 1 should die then, and, shortly
after hearing a guard passing, called Out: ''For
God's sake get me out of here, or I shall not
live the night out." The guard, after seeing
my deplorable condition, reported the fact, and
about two hoars after I was removed to my
regular cell. I was then so weak 1 could not
stana, falling in a dead faint when I attempted
to. When tha dinner hour arrived, though
nearly famished, I dare not eat, knowing if I
did I would be compelled to go to work
that afternoon. A brother convict
brought me up some medicine I
had asked him to get, and
also smuggled me in a few choice morsels of
food, which revived me very much. Next
morning I was again sent to work in the pail
shop. I told him. Reed, that I could not do
that kind of work and asked him to put me at
something else. He answered that he knew
his business, and that I would do that work or
he would kill me.
SEEING THE INSPECTORS AND THE RESULT.
Seeing how things were working I demanded
of Eeed that I be allowed to see the inspectors.
He refused. I then told him if I was not al
lowed to see them I should smuggle a letter to
them, telling them how I was treated. Finally
he said I might see them and the next day I
was sent to them. I told them how I was be
ing punished for not doing impossibilities,
without specially reflecting upon Reed or Hall.
The doctor told them I had a cataract and
ought to be given other work. They promised
me all right, but nothing came of it. The
next day I was sick in my cell,
Dinner had just been sent in and I was trying
to eat a little, when Hall came in, snatched my
food away, and grabbing me by the collar
jerked me off the bed with such force as to tear
my shirt off. He then cuffed and jerked me
about, and abused me as a dd stubborn, lazy
dog. He then went out and ordered me sent to
a sick cell in the upper story. Here I was kept
for three weeks, without medicine, and noth
ing but dry bread to eat and water to drink.
I sank rapidly, and felling certain my time had
come and that I was really about to die.I aent for
Eeed. He came up to the cell and told me to
set up. I told him I could not, I was too sick.
At first he stood outside the cell door as if
afraid to come near me. Finally ho came in
side and I told him he had better kill me with
his pistol than the way he was
doing it, and asked him as a special
favor that he would let me see a priest. He
laughed at me, and said they did not care for
me. I'm your friend, tell me what you want,
and I'll get it for you, but I can't have any of
those people aiming around here. I again re
iterated my request fora priest, when he shook
that he went off, but he cpe in again the
next day, and said he had been to see that fel
ler. I asked what feller? He said that feller
I spoke about yesterday. I said 1 had not said
anything about seeinz any feller. What I
wanted was to see a priest, as I was dying. He
again ridiculed my request, and said be knew
what 1 needed better than any of those fellows,
meaning a priest. I" said, leave me
here a couple of weeks longer, treating me as
you have been doing, and I will need a coffin.
He replied, "That's just what you will need,"
and off he went. Fortunately a couple of com
rades, one a negro, got some medicine and food
to me, and my life was saved.
SUBBING IN CBOTON OIL.
Another time when I was in the painting
room, Hall put me in the dungeon for nine
days, four days without anything to eat, the
regular bread and water ration being furnished
the other five days. After my release I was al
lowed one day in my cell to recuperate. The
next day Hall came to my Cfll. I was lying in
bed. He said, "Get up." I sat up. He caught
me by tne hair of the head and jerked me off
the cot aud put me on a stool with my back to
the door. He then pulled my
shirt up over my head and began rub
bing with a feather, what I afterwards
ascertained to be croton oil, all over my back,
shoulders and neck. Not knowing what tho
preparation was, and it feeling cool and sooth
ing when being applied, I did not think any
thing wrong. Hall finished hia work without
paying a word, and having finished, turned,
shut the door and left. In about 15 or 20 min
utes the parts of my person to which the oil
had been applied began to grow warm, and in a
short time I felt as if I was burning up. I was
in terrible agony, and could do nothing for my
relief. While thus suffering Wm. Hennigen
passed along and I called him to look at my
back and tell me what had been done to me.
He looked at it and stepped back horrified at
what he saw, but he dare not do anything for
me and walked away. I was in such misery
that I walked my cell all night, and the
next morning my back was one great
festering sore. I aent for Becd and showed him
what Hall had done, but nothing came of it
further than he ordered a soothing lotion to
apply.
PETTY STEAL.
I might enumerate a good many other acts of
brutality like the above, but these will answer
to show haw prisoners are treated by Reed and
Hall. I must, however, mention a petty steal
upon the convicts. As you know, the convicts
are given credits for good conduct, and time
money. The amount of money thus earned by
one convict is small in itself, but when there
are nearly three hundred in the institution, as
is the case now, the aggregate of the time
money amounts to a very comfortable sum.
This account is kept by the warden, and con
victs are allowed to draw upon it from time to
time for the purpose of buying little delicacies,
etc., not in the prison fare. In the case of
married men, this time money is used for the
benefit of their families, but single menand
most of the convicts are single menhave the
money stand to their credit as a kind of stake
when they come to be discharged. Under the
rnle made by Eeed and Hall, a convict wanting
a dollar for any purpose is obliged to sign a
voucher for $10, $12 or $15, which the warden
takes possession of, and whatever sum he gets
is charged against him. The convict himself
does not see the account, but has to take Eeed's
or Hall's word for the way it stands, and the
complaint is general that having got a voucher
in their possession, they will only pay out a
half or two-thirds of its face, when they tell the
convict he has used up the amount and compel
him to sign another voucher before he can get
any more money. One time I got but
$6 on a $15 voucher, and I have heard of other
similar steals, and the impression is general in
the prison that both Reed and.Hall are making
a good thing from this oource.
I ought to state also that while the con
tractors are supposed to furnish all needed
medical supplies, I was forced by the circum
stances to puy out over $50 for such articles
during my term of service. The fact is, I tell
you, the Minnesota penitentiary as now man
aged is a swindling hell.
INVESTIGATION NEEDED.
Both Eeed and Hall are appointers of th
contractors, and both are interested in the con
tractors' profits, and they manage the institu
tion solely for the benefit of the contractors.
A convict is graded according to the amount of
work that can be got out of him, and no slave
driver ever lived that used his power
more brutally to get work done than
does this man Hall. The legislative visits and
visits of inspectors are the greatest farces pos
sible. The contractors know long beforehand
when they are to take place, and everything is
arranged, and by a system of surveillance, car
ried to perfection under Hall's management,
the very possibility of anything unpleasant
coming to the attention of the visitors is pre
vented. A thorough and honest investigation
would develop a condition of things that would
horrify the community. Until such an inves
tigation is made the facts as tb the manage
ment of Minnesota's penitentiary cannot be
known. The incidents of inhuman treatment
I have given but faintly outline the real facts.
NEW YORK GRAIN CORNER.
his fist in my face, and told me to do as he here has the endorsement of the Minnesota
said, or it would be the worse for me. With I millers as being of the very finest quality.
Operations of the "Bulls," and the Disas
trous Effect upon Trade.
[Special Telegram to the Globe. 1
N EW YOBK, NOV. 24.Regarding the re
ported wheat comer the Times says: The
bulls happened to have the upper hand on
the Produce Exchange, and forced up No. 2
red wheat one to two cents per bushel. Re
ports were circulated that there had been a
large overselling and that they
had the market cornered on this
grade for November and several
forced settlements were made, but that there
is actually any "corner" is not believed. Le
gitimate dealers are very indignant about
this entire business. Some six weeks ago
certain persons who make their living by
gambling in stock entered the market and
purchased immense quantities of wheat all
over the country. They gave out that a
foreign war was imminent and that various
other disasters were about to happen, which
haven't taken place, and they are now en
deavoring by circulating other lies about
having the market cornered, to make people
believe prices are to go up and thus enable
themselves to unload at a profit. Meantime,
with a crop amply sufficient for all possible
needs of legitimate business, both for
home consumption and export demand, the
market in this country is being so manipula
ted that no shipper can calculate even on
cable orders two hours ahead. Farmers are
influenced to hold back their stores of wheat
in the hope of high prices. The railroads
suffer for lack of transportation, shipping
lies idle in the harbor, thousands of laboring
men, barristers, railroad employes, longshore
men, sailors and others, are thrown
out of employment, and people
are. forced to pay tribute to a few gamblers
in the necessaries of life. There is really no
occasion for any speculation of this kind and
those engaged in it, on the one side or the
other, are bound to be hurt in the end, but
until the "bulls" succeed in striking every
body, the trade of the country will have to
suffer. "__-
Not a Bad Enterprise,
[Boston Post.J
The Northern Pacific railroad may not be
such a very bad enterprise for the country at
large after all. In 1871 the first furrow was
turned in its neighborhood with a population
of 100, while now there are 50,000 people
along the line of the road, and the breaking
up of new land this year will amount to
138,840 acres. The grain crop of this sea
son is estimated at 4,000,000 bushels, and of
next at 7,000,000, while the wheat raised
Down Into the River of Darkness and
Death.
A SUICIDE OR MURDER. WHICH?
A Pistol Shot and the Victim Goes Over
the Bridge at its Highest
Point.
CRIES OF HELP, HELP, HELP.
A Policeman and "Globe" Reporter Re
spond in Great Haste,
BUT ALL EFFORTS UNAVAILING,
And the Mysterious Stranger Sinks Out
of Sight and Life,
Bang.
Splash SPLASH I!
Help! Help 11 Help! II
These sounds distarbed the stillness of the
night on Bridge Square just as the town
clock tolled out the twelve strokes of mid-
night.
The noise came from the direction of the
bridge, and Officer Baer and a GLOBE re-
porter hastened forward in the
direction of the cries of distress. Arrivin"
on the bridge, lower side of the iron span, a
look in the cold depths of the waters revealed
a man struggling in the throes of death.
Again he cried out, "help, help," but was
born down by the stream. Encouraging
words were shouted to him, and the only
two witnesses of the tragedy turned about
and hastened down to the river's edge. A
circuitous route down Bench or Second
street to the levee and up the levee to the
freight house of the St. Paul and Sioux City
road was traversed at a break-neck pace. As
the officer and reporter reached the river the
cries for assistance were again heard.
Around some half dozen freight cars,
the river was at last reached.
Then the last gurgling cries of a drowning
man were heard. From his fall from the
bridge, about in the middle of the span, the
man seemed to have floated in shore. And
when his last struggle was made, it happened
just under or near the west end of the
freight house. His cries sounded
so near to the shore, and
were so muffled in tone, that for a time it
was thought he had succeeded in getting un
derneath the wharf extending from the
house over the edge of the water. In the
mean time the night watchman at the freight
house had come out, and was informed of
the probable death. He procured a
lantern, and the officer, watchman
and reporter instituted a thorough
search. The worm eaten wharf was walk ed
over, and the light of the lantern thrown up
on the water not a ripple on the surface.
Next the piling supporting the wharf was
examined and the water's edge was followed
from the bridge to the east end of the house.
The river had taken in the man, and gave
no sign.
WAS IT A 2TUKDEB?
The first idea formed, so soon as the shot
was heard, followed by the splash, and then
the sight of the struggling man in the water,
was that murder had been done*
The man was shot, and
thrown over the bridge.- But said
the officer, "I was on the bridge within
twenty seconds after the report, and saw no
one on the bridge."
THE BRIDGE EXAMINED.
All hopes of recovering the man or gain
ing a sight of the body being
abandoned, a return to the bridge
was made. A careful survey of
the structure followed attention being first
given to he lower side, about midway of the
iron span to the place where the deed was
done. The railing up to this point was cov
ered with snovv, here it was laid bare. At
the foot of the railing the snow was found
trodd en down and brushed aside.
EVIDENTLY A SUICIDE.
Fnrther examination gave evidence that
the man had gone to his death by his
own act. Over the rail and on the beam of
the flooring were found the unmistakable
marks of fingers. Closer examination
showed the same impression on the slight
sprinkle of snow covering one of the lower
rails. It seems from all these traces that
tho man deliberately climbed over the rail
ing and suspended himself over the river
from the flooring of the bridge. He grasped
the edge with both hands, face towards the
bridge. Then releasing his right hand (the
impress on the snow, where the left hand
rested shows as if a greater weight had
rested upon it) he raised the pistol, fired the
shot.
The pistol falling from his grasp made the
splash.
The body followed with the louder
splash.
So soon as he touched the water, doubtless
the cold bath brought him to a condition of
consciousness, and the cries followed of,
Help, HEL P, HELP.
WHO IS THE SUICIDE?
When the shot was heard and was fol
lowed by the other alarming sounds, Officer
Baer and a GLOBE reporter had just met on
the corner of Wabashaw and Third streets.
The reporter had seen no one in front of him
as he came up Third street from the direc
tion of the Merchants hotel.
Officer Bahe had been making a tour of
his beat. Juntas he crossed Fourth street,
on Wabashaw, west side, he observed a man
go up to the letter box, on the northeast
corner of j|% Wabashaw and Third
streets. Then the man walked over
towards the bridge. This event was only re
called to the mind of the officer by the sub
sequent tragedy, happening almost within a
seconds after the above occurrence.
The officer noted nothing peculiar
in this man. He was dressed in dark clothes,
and wore a long coatprobably an overcoat.
The distance was so great and the light
combined made it difficult to distinguish
distinctly, and besides, the occurrence at the
time was of so little importance, that it de
manded only a passing notice from officer
Bahe. The theory is that this man stepped up
to the letter box and mailed a letter. A let
ter containing the announcement, to friend
or relative, of his purpose, and giv
ing the causes which had wrought
his mind up to a condition where self de
struction was preferable. Then he walked
out on to the bridge and plunged off into the
unknown.
THE LORNES.
The Landing at Halifax and Receptlon
The Official Landing To-day.
[Special Telegram to the Globe.l
HALIFAX, NOV. 24.AS soon as the Sar.
matian came to anchor last evening the Mar
quis of Lome and the Princess Louisa land
ed by Admiral Inglefild's boat and proceeded
to the admiralty house. They remained per
fectly quiet. Outsiders were denied admis
sion unless they were of high official rank.
Sir John A. MacDonald, the premier,
bir Patrick McDougall, at present adminis
trator of Canadian affairs, Chief Justice
Ritchie, or the superior and exchequer courts,
and several other ministers and Dominion
Senators, were early in attendance to pay
their respects. The marquis and princess
received them in a cordial sphit and seemed
very gratified with the reports ot the prepar
ation made for their reception and the state
of popular sentiment. The marquis
looked in good health and
was excellent upu-ta. As soon
as the viceroy and his consort arrived at the
admiralty the Duke of Edinburgh was on the
scene. The meeting between himself and
sister is described as of an affectionate
nature. The marquis and princess remained
at the admiralty house to-day, invisible, ex
cept to the before mentioned notables.
About 10 o'clock to-morrow morning they
will return to the Sarmatian for the official
landing, which will take place at 1:30 p. M.
If the weather does not improve the show
will not pass off as brightly and enthusiasti
cally as Haligonians wish. Thanks were
offered up at the churches for the safe arri
val of the illustrious couple.
HOW SUNDAY WAS PASSED.
[Western Associated Press.!
HALIFAX, NOV. 24.There is every pros
pect of good weather forthe grand reception
to-morrow. General McDougall, adminis
trator of the government, and Vice Admiral
Inglefield, visited Lome and Princess Louise
this morning on board the Sarmatian, at
anchor down the harbor. The Marquis and
Princess Louise left the Sarmatian at 1
clock in the steam launch aud went on
board H. M. steamship Black Prince, where
they lunched with the Duke of Edinburgh.
After lunch tho MarquiB and Princess Louise
landed and drove to Maplewood. the resi
dence of General McDougall. The city is
decorated in a manner never before attempt
ed by our citizens. Public buildings, busi
ness houses and private dwellings area mass
of evergreens, and banners are arranged in
every conceivable style.
This evening the Marquis and Princess
returned to the Sarmatian. The programme
for to-morrow has been changed so far as
the naval display is concerned. The ships
will not go down the harbor to accompany
the Sarmatian up. The latter will leave her
present moorings at half past 10 A. M., come
up the harbor under a salute of the forts*
and proceed to the dock yard, where all the
war vessels will be inline. The ships will
be decorated with bunting and the yards
manned. At half past 1 the official landing
takes place.
BALL INVITATION ACCEPTED.
MONTREAL, Nov. 24The Marquis of
Lome and Princess Louise have signified
their intention to attend St. Andrew's ball
here Friday evening next. Several Governors
of States on the Canadian border have also
accepted an invitation.
HOLOCAUST IN A HOVEL.
and
Two Children Locked in a Cabin
Roasted to Death.
[Kansas City Journal,
One of those horrible and shocking affairs
that make the flesh creep and wring tho
heart with tho keenest sympathy for the suf
fering that tomes upon. & *-high and low at
timesoccurred near the Union elevator in
West Kansas yesterday about 3 o'clock.
Among the squalid group of wretched little
hovels lying between the Union elevator and
the railroad tracks on the south was a small
shanty about ten feet square occupied by
Betty Green, a colored woman,'who was the
mother of three children. She was in the
habit of working among families in the city
during the day as a washwoman and return
ing to her home and children late in the af
ternoon. Yesterday morning early she left
home and came up to Catherine
street, where she had a day's
washing to do. Her oldest child
went to school, and following a stupid and
dangerous practice common among her
class, the mother locked the two youngest, a
boy four years old and aninfant about twelve
months old, in the house and left them,
where she expected them to remain until she
returned in the afternoon. There was only
one room in the house and in this was a cook
stove with a fire burning in it. In the after
noon about 3 o'clock some of the neighbors
saw smoke issuing through the roof of the
house and heard the roaring of flames in
side. The alarm was instantly given and
soon a crowd assembled and efforts were
made to extinguish the fire. The window
was broken open and a great volume of
flame and smoke instantly poured forth,
showing that the whole interior of the house
was on fire. A section of the fire depart
ment reached the ground about this time
and succeeded in saving the surrounding
houses, which were seriously threatened, but
the house iD which the fire originated was en
tirely consumed. The crowd sur
rounding the burning building did
not know that two helpless chil
dren were being roasted to death in the hor
rible furnace until a faint smothered scream
was heard from the inside, but it was not
possible to extricate the doomed little crea
tures, and when the building had been con
sumed the two bodies, burned into unrecog
nizable masses of charred and smoking hu
man flesh, wera-discovered lying amid the
ashes. The heads hadee burned until the
skulls had split open, tho extremities were
roasted off, and stout men turned away sick
with horror from the revolting spectacle.
The remnants of the bodies were placed in a
neighboring cabin, and all the afternoon
people, impelled by morbid curiositv, were'
thronging the room and looking at the poor,
pitiful remains of the unfortunate children!
The mother did not reach home until nearly
dusk, and her grief at the woe and rain
wrought by her own carelessness was heart
rending. Dr. Day, the coroner, viewed the
remains late in the afternoon.
WASHINGTON.
INTERESTING NEWS ITEMS 3PEOX
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Sherman Considering the Issue of a New
Small BondX.aree Sales of Four Per
CentsA Commission to Meet In Chicago
to Investigate Major Reno's Conduct in
the Custer MassacreExtra Session of
Congress Not ProbableMiscellaneous.
DEVENS' BEPOBT.
[Special Telegram to the Globe.]
WASHINGTON, NOV. 24.Attorney General
Devens has completed his annual report to
the President, which is, however, not a very
important document, as it is mainly devoted
to dry details of cases that have come be
fore him in his office. He will not speak in
his general report of violations of the laws
in the South and the steps taken to enforce
them, but it is understood that he is engaged
in preparing an important special report
upon the subject, which will be forwarded to
Congress with other executive documents at
the opening of the session.
PKODABLE APPOINTMENT
From the best information obtained here
it is safe to expect that Judge Litwell,of the
United States district court, will be appoint
ed in December to the circuit court judge
ship made vacant by the death of Judge
Shipley last summer. Senators Hoar and
Dawes have united in recommending the
appointment.
NEW SMALL BOND.
Secretary Sherman in his coming annual
report will report his recommendation of
the last year that a new bond of small de
nominations, bearing less than four per cent,
interest, be authorized in order to enable
persons of small means to acnmulate suffi
cient sums to buy four per cent, bonds. The
secretary has determined to recommend a
ten dollar bond bearing 3.65-100 per cent, in
terest. He did not fix upon the rate of in
terest in his last report. The secretary
recommends that authority be granted to
issue certificates for small deposits converti
ble into 4 per cent, bonds now authorized
by law, the proceeds to be used solely for re
demption of bonds bearing a higher rate of
interest and redeemable at par.
INDIAN TBANSFEB.
The joint Congressional commission to in
quire into transferring the Indian bureau to
the war department, will meet at the capitol
Monday. They will hear further testimony
and prepare a bill for adoption and get to
work on the reports. The majority of the
commission arc in favor of the transfer.
SALES OP FOUlt PEB CENTS.
President Potter, of the Maverick National
bank, of Boston, had an interview with Sec
retary Sherman yesterday regarding the sale
of 4 per cent, bonds, for which the Maverick
bank is special agent at Boston.
Secretary Sherman informed Mr. Potter
that h* would be able to report to Congress
the sale of over $100,000,000 of 4 per cents,
during the past year, and he believed that
the sales next year would amount to $300,-
000,000. The total amount of 4 per cent,
bonds authorized is $1,000,000,000. The
amount subscribed for on the 1st of Decem
ber next will exceed $175,000,000, if the
secretary is not disappointed next year.
Therefore he will be able to report at the
opening of the Forty-sixth Congress sales of
nearly $500,000,000 of 4 per cents.
WAB ABCHTVES.
The secretary of war, in hia annual re
port, will call the attention of Congress to
the desirability of providing for the publica
tion of the archives of the war of the rebel
lion, of which some forty volumes havs been
edited and prepared for printing at the war
department.
NO EXTBA SESSION.
Chairman Atkins, of the appropriation
committee, thinks there will be no extra ses
sion. Speaker Randall is of the ssme opin
ion.
BEXO TO BE INVESTIGATED.
WASHINGTON, NOV. 24.An order will
probably be issued this week for an investi
gation at Chicago of the conduct of Major
Hews at the time of the Custer massacre.
S0UTHEBN OUTRAGES.
[Western Associated Press.]
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.In his forthcom
ing message the President will make the re
ported outrages and violations in the South
during the late Congressional elections a
prominent feature of comment. These vio
lations will be condemned as forcibly depriv
ing a large number of citizens in specified
localities of the rights conferred both by the
national and State authority, thus preventing
results expressive of their will in the admin
istration of public affairs. Such proceedings
will be farther deprecated, because they in
dicate that pacification of the South i3 not
yet complete, and because they cost reproach
upon and endanger the integrity of free in
stitutions. The subject will be earnestly pre
sented to the consideration of Congress"for
such action as the circumstances demand,
with a view to preventing the recurrence of
such wrongs, and to secure the absolute ex
ercise of the right of suffrage.
The Stewart Mystery.
[Special Telegram to the Globe.]
NEW YOBK, Nov. 24.The idea lhat "Dr."
Douglass, who disappeared the day after the
Stewart grave robbery, was a Christian
Washington resurrectionist, was disproved
yesterday. Douglass is at Pittsburgh. The
police are satisfied that he had nothing to do
with the robbery. The only two men now
being searched for are Kealey, a hackman,
supposed to be employed by the robbers, and
May, a soda water manufacturer. The police
consider the free talk of May, however, as
evidence that he was not engaged in the af
fair. Thus, after all the clues given out,
and stories invented by detectives, the mys
tery remains as deep as when the crime was
first announced.
Delegates to New Orleans.
S T. Louis, Nov. 24.Governor Phelps has
appointed all Congressmen elect from this
State as delagntes to the commercial con
vention to be held at New Orleans Dec. 3d,
excepting Messrs. Bland, Clark and Buck
ners, whoare members of the present Con
gress and whose presence is necessary in
Washington at the time the convention
meets.
Advance in Eastern Freights
CHICAGO, Nov. 24.The general freight
agents have agreed on the following rates
for fourth-class freight, to go into effect
Monday: To New York 40 cents Balti
more, 37 cents Philadelphia, 38 cents Bos
ton, 45 cents. Grain rates five cents less
than the above. These prices area consid
erable advance.
Flour from Montana.
S T. LOTOS, NOV. 24.The steamer Nellie*
Peck brought down from Fort Benton a con
signment of flour for this city, the first ex
portation of food ever made from that far
away land.
VETPAGF
I
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