The Manning times. [volume], November 06, 1907, Image 6

About The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current

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KING 0U ANNAM
Who Murders His Wives just For
the Pleasure of
SEEING THEM EXPIRE
Is About to Visit Paris and the Au
thorities Are Afraid He May Take
a Murderous Fit. While There and
Chop Off the Heads of Sonie of
the Foolish Women Who Are
Bound to Flock to See Him.
A letter from Paris to the New
York American says Than Thai, the
terrible King of Annam. has become
something worse than a white ele
phant on the hands of the French
Government.
Than Thai. it will be recalled, was
deposed for slaughtering and tortur
ing a great number of his wives with
dreadful cruelities. and one of his
little sons has been enthroned in his
place. France exercises a protector
ate over Annam. which is a large
county in Southeastern Asia. adjoin
ing the French possessions in Indo
China. France controls the trade of
the country, and makes profit out of
the place, but permits a native king
to look after purely native affairs.
Now that King Than Thai has been
deposed, it becomes a difficult ques
tion just what to do with him. He
cannot be treated as a common crim
inal just because in a brief period of
mental abberation, he has slaughter
ed about a score of wives. The na
tives of Annam would feel shocked
if their chief were treated with dis
respect, and they might ever. rebel,
for they have the instinct of submis
sion to royalty bred in them by a
thousand years of servitude.
It is not even considered right to
deprive him of his wives, who num
ber one thousand. Surely the last
thing a civilized power ought to do
would be to seperate a man from his
wives.
It is true that the wives are more
numerous than the laws of western
civilization permit, but.the laws and
religion under which he enjoys this
excessive number are recognized and
protected by France. It would cer
tainly be a gross violation of prom
ises and treaty obligations to break
up his Majesty's fa-mily. His wives,
- if separated from him, would become
grass widows, and that status in Ann
am is a most disreputable and unde
sirable one.
Incidentally it may be remarked
that France's obligations towards
the King of Anna n are similar to
those of the United States towards
the Sultan of Sulu. This country
would not think of interferring with
that Sultan's domestic relations.
On the other hand, France, as a
humane country, cannot permit the
ex-King of Annam to murder his wi
ves as he pleases. The only course
of Erance, therefore, is to maintain
the King with all his wives in a pal.
ace suitable to his rank and descent,
and at the same time keep an ex
tremely close watch on himr to see
that he plunges into no more fits of
murderous madness. This, obviously,
is an exceeding difficult task. It is
almost impossible for the French of
ficial charged with the surv-eillance
of the King to be quite sure how he
is treating every one of his thousand
wives at every moment of the twen
ty-four hours.
Just now his Majesty proposes to
pay a visit to Paris, and as this is a
privilcge which has been allowed tc
Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar,
and other deposed monarchs who are
captives of the French, it is not con
sidered reasonable to refuse it tc
Than Thai. It is hoped that the sight
of France will impress him with the
strength of the country, and that he
will go back and tell his people that
they had better behave. The hope is
also entertained that amusements of
Paris will put him in a cheerful
frame of mind, in which he will cease
to have murderous thoughts.
The proposed visit, however, nec
essarily occasions considerable uneas
iness. It is possible that the Annam
ite king will be attacked by his blood
thirsty madness while in Paris. Will
he take out his sabr~e and chop off the
heads of the fashionable women of
Paris, who will undoubtedly flock to
see him at receptions and entertain
ments? Will he run amuck in the
Pardin de Paris-, or some other place
. of popular resort? These are trouble
some questions
5 The atrocities which led to Than
Thai's deposition were concealed
from the outside world long after
they had begun, because they were
committed in the seclusion of the
harem. One day he assembled all
his wives in the throne room, as their
statements made afterward to the
French officials show.
-The poor little creatures knelt
down before him as if he was a di
vinity. He clapped his hands and
muscular slaves sprang forward to
do his bidding. The King indicated
one of his youngest and prettiest wi
ves and ordered them to br-ing her
before him.
With his-terrible Malay sword he
cut long strips of flesh from the wo
man's body. The demon King gloa
ted over every detail and thrilled
with pleasure as he listened to the'
victim's shriek's. All the other wives1
were compelled to watch every de
tail of the torture in order tbat they
might be filled with terror and suf
fer in anticipation of their own turn.
coming.
The next d~ty the King slowly (is
sected a womann, joint by joint zmi
limb by limb. Anaother was burmnt
with iro'ns. In one case ho begr.n~ by*
c-utti'v off the womnan's nl.. ears,
hands and feet. Every day he invent
ed s ~w torture.
One o:: 'e vic-tims was the E U r
or's favo wife. IHe kiied 'her
with his ov. - nnds, ari subjec ted
her to peculiarily atrocious tortures,
the details of which cannot be de
scribed. But before he killed her
she succeeded in scratching his face~
with her terrible nails, which were
kept several inches long and shar
pened at the tips, according to the
fashion prevalent in that part of the
world.
When she was at last dead, he cut~
her to pieces and served the remains
at a banquet, which he forced the
other members of his family to at-'
tend.
Two of his wives he hung to the
ceiling with hooks. One was kept
in boiling oil till she died. Two wer~e
thrown into the cages of hungry ti
gers, who devoured them.
Thirteen unfortunate women were
saughtered or tortured to death in
one week. The king was not satis
n'ed with king his own wives. but
began to pay attentions to the wifes
and daughters of his leading sub
ieets. He sen-t fur his prime miinis
ter. Tong Doe. and ordervd him
to bring his young d raughte to the
palace. Tong D - most cordi
ally received b y soverign, who.
however, artfully contrived to send
him away on ,n erranti. When
Tong Doe' returned, he found his
daugter laid out upon a great slab
of onyx, with the king handling a
lot of surgical instruments and
about to hegin vivisection upon her.
Immediately after this the French
Residents decided to intervene and
,ntered the palace with a force of
soldiers. There a terrible spectacle
awaited him. The throne room and
adjoining apartments were littered
with dead b'odies. Many victims of
the torture were stiil alive. Sever
al of them were hanging from the
walls by hooks passed through
the fie.:hy parts of the legs.
Some were lying about without
noses. eyes, ears and hands. The
surviving wives were in a state of
unspeakable terror.
The French official arrested the
King., and Dr. Dumas, the chief
medical officer of the French forces,
declared him insane. His -mental
disease is well recognized by alien
ists.
Few persons have the same oppor
tunity to indulge this murderous
mania as the deposed King Than
Thai of Annam had. He chose his
wives from the whole kingdom.
They were divided into two classes,
The wives of the first class were
choosen from the daughters of lead
ing personages of the country and
comparatively few in number. The
wives of the second class were
choosen from a kind of opera house
that is maintained in connection
with the royal palace. Ihey were
thoroughly trained to dance and sing
in order to amuse King before they
were admitted to the harem.
An early symptom of the King's
approaching insanity was shown by
the extraordinary ballets and dances
in which he trained these women to
take part. He forced them to give
spectacles which were literally real
izations of a madman's dreams. He
spent his whole time training them
to give ''.ese exhibitions and neglec
t. :-oppress his male subjects. At
first he allowed these spectacles to
be held openly, and the few foreign
ers resident in his kingdom were
invited to be present; but as his
mania assumed a more bloodthirsty
form he became secretive, and this
course aroused suspicion concerning
his doings.
The territory of Than Thai is ex
tensive and wealthy. It contains a
population of 6,000,000. His prin
cipal palace is an extraordinary spec
imen of Oriental architecture. It is
somewhat Chinese in character, but
has many peculiarities of its own.
It is covered all over with carving
of amazing minuteness, which re
quired almost incredible labor to ex
ecute. The palace covers 400 acres,
its size being made chiefly necessary
by the vast extent of the harem. No
onte is allowed to enter without tak
ing off his sandals or shoes at the
door. A still more remarkable rule
is that no dead person is allowed tc
be carried out by the door. The
body must be lifted out through the
roof and removed in that way.
The King still occupies the palace,
because it would be difficult to keep
him elsewhere without seperating
him from his thousand wives and his
numerous children. His son and
successor being only eight years old
and still unmarried, does not require
much space.
Since his murderous outbreak the
King has been kept under close sur
veillance by French medical officers,
and they now give their opinion
that he is cured. In fact, he is quite
an amicable and entertaining com
panion. It is well known that the
shocking mania from which he suf
fered may easily pass away. In
fact, the cheerful companionship of
French officers and the knowledge
that somebody is at hand to check
the indulgence of his mania would
do much to cure him.
Nevertheless, it is doubtful if the
King is permanently cured and this
makes the prospect of letting him
loose among the curious and suscept
ible female population of Paris a
very uncertain and dangerous one.
Cant Hurt Bryan.
The Washington Herald says "Mr.
Bryan's quarrel is with that section
of the press which labels itself
"democrati,"' yet disagrees with
Mr. Bryan's definition of democracy.
We shall not attempt to compose
his quarrel. It has been going on
since 1896, but if it has seriously
damaged Mr. Bryans reputation, the
injury is not apparent on the sur
face.
"Mr. Bryan, in fact, is and has
been one of the most bountifully
misrepresented men in public life
The conception of hlm continually
nresented by a certain section of the
press to its 'confiding readers is dis
torted and malicious- No attempt
is made to appraise the man at his
real value. No effort is made to ac
count for his popularity, or to ana
lyze the source of his political
strength.
"The result is that to many 'con
stant readers' the name of Bryan
evokes im.ages of an oratorical wind
bag, a political juggler, or a mental
freak. Mr. Bryan does not com
plain of this, but newspaper readers
have every right to comnplain. They
are entitled to something better than
distortion and misrepresentation as
a regular diet."
Chatnge of Heart.
Inar.cn '--u of Mi excellentj
*yr t , aF: Cy g-r, 'Editor
Deampn makes- thi. nonest confes
, r~;; ai :-n enunciated
his amou fre he d drine we
a e ted rPo" 1im aS an e-xtrem
isad we ha~ve r, C fet like sup
potng -him for the preadlency, al
thug h a~ twie nmined by
advocacy of goveraiment mure'rship
of rairoads has strengthened our.
oinion that he was a crark: but since
wxe nav e met him personady, and dis
ussed t' ese vital issues mn person.
and hearing his speech in our .city
last Friday, our opinion of the man
has changed. There~ is no foolishness
about himn. Hie is a niin American
citizen and n~ ail a big man. a very
big man, in fact we' believe he is the
biggest man in Aeia
T HEt Washing ton P~os-t says: "Often
when a man a.rve at the conclu
sion that he isafool he finds that
his wife's m''ther bet him to it."
The Spartanburg Herald thinks the
I-ION(I 0.1" W~OMEN IXSE.'CL'-E
Xlel Ihe Spectre ol" Divorcev C.osts a
Shadow on the lhome.
-v. F"ather' J. M. Cleary, of Min
ntaiulis, Minn.. vehemently assailed
divorce and race suicide at a session
of the National Purity Congress.
which held its sessions at the Ad
ventists Tabernacle at Battle Creek
on Thursday.
On the topic of divorce, Father
Cleary said:
"The honor of woman is insecure
in human society when the dread
spectre of divorce casts a dark shad
ow on the Christian home. Under
e-'ery conceivable pretext that de
praved desire can suggest, the wife
and mother, who should be the most
tender object of chivalous devotion.
tender object of chivalrous devotion.
individual, her husband, who should
value his life but a beggarly price
to pay in defense of her dignity and
honor.
The married state is the natural
one for the majority of mankind. The
church has never faltered in faithful
I defence of the holiness and inviol
ability of the marriage bond. But the
church has praised virginity for her
divine founder exalted it by living a
virginal life. The celbate state is
neither inpossible nor repugnant to
human nature."
GOOD FOR EVIL.
Abused Sailor Pleaded for Mercy for
His Dying Captain.
Nothing bit pi'y and forgiveness
shown in the face of Stephen P. Tal
bot. a common seaman. when he ask
ed the court in San Francisco to be
lenient with Capt. E.W. Newth, for
merly of the whaler Jeannette, who is
in a dying condition. Newth was
brought into court to answer for his
brutal treatment of Talbot while the
vessel was in the Arctic regions.
Affected by the magnaminity of the
man who forgave all because he pit
ied the captain, United States Com
missioner Heacock dismissed the case
Newth, tottering and feeble, support
ed by the arm of his wife, m'ade a
motion of thanks to Talbot, who look
ed upon him with eyes of compass
sion.
When the vessel was in the North
the captain subjected Talbot to beat
ings, exposure and starvation. Be
cause he would not confess to steal
ing a pair of trousers, he was hung
by: the wrists to the ratlines and ex
posed. half dressed. to the piercing
Arctic cold. Talbot is also a physi
cal wreck and it is not expected that
lie will long survive his dying cap
tain.
a .GIRL SLAYS JAILER.
She Shot Six Shots Into the Body of
Russian General.
Gen. Maximoffsky. director of the
Department of Prisons of the Minis
try of the Interior, .was assassinated
in his office at St. Petersburg, this
week, by MIle. Ragonizinnlikova, of
Perm province, the daughter of a
teacher in the Imperial Conservatory
of 31usic. The assassination was ap
pazretly only the prelude to a great
er act of ter.rorism, the destruction
of the.headquarters of the secret po
lice.
MIle. Ragonizinnfikova presented
herself at a reception and awaited
her turn to see the general in an al
leged effort to secure a better diet
for the prisoners. Once in the gener
als office she fired seven shots dir
eetly at his body, six taking effect.
As she was being taken'~-to the
prison she seemed anxious to get her
hands to her breast. This effort re
newed in the prison. A search re
vealed 13 pounds of high explosive
hidden inside her corsage. If she
had been able to throw herself on the
noor as she tried to do, the entire3
buildinig in which are the police
headquarters would have been de
stroyed. The woman will be couri.
martialed. She says she was deleg
'ated to do the killing by the North
ern Flying section of the Social Rey
olutionists.
Cause of the Tronble.
The Wall Street gamblers had a
genuine scare during t;he past two
weeks, and they are just now recov
ering from the miscarriage of the
plans of a few men who tried to cor
ner the copper market. As a result
of this wild speculation great bank
ing institutions have been badly sheak
en, a number of banks and gamblers
have been put out of business, and
large fortunes have changed hands.
The losers are now hunting up more
Ilambs from whom to recoup their
vanished fortunes.
All this gambling was carried on
with the money of the people. The
gamblers go to the banks and borrow
money with which to make their
bets, giving as security stocks and
bonds, the value of which is based
upon their condition of the money
market from day to day. The monaey
these gamblers borrow from the
bank represent the deposits of the
people, not -only of New York, but
from all parts of the country, as lo
cal banks all over the country carry
balances in these New York banks.
It will thus be seen that the whole
country is interested in this matter.
The failure of a New York bank
thus loaning largely to speculators,
may mean the embarrassment of any
bank whose balance the former car
ries. So that a panic in New York, if
extensive enough, may carry disaster
to the whole country. These fiuries
also depress the price of all commo
dities, and we would therefore ad
vise our farmers not to sell their cot
ton until confidence is entirely re
stored.
Fortunately the trouble is about*
over for this time and no Southern
interests was hurt, but we think it
would be wise on the part of local
banks over the country to keep as
small balances in New York bar;ks as
they possibly can. If someone is not
trying to corner copper, someone
else is endeavoring to corner s;ome-.
thing else, and will so long as New
York banks supply available fuinds.
f this gambling in stocks mus;t go
on. let the~ gamblers furnish their own.
money. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
THE paper trust has not only rais
ed the price of print paper out of all
reason, but, according to the news-i
paper men up North, it has bought1
up all the product of the Canada
nills, so as it can compel the publish-I
ss of this country to pay its price.
Yet some people doubt the existencei
af a aner trust.
LOST ART FOUND.
-1 New England Blacksmith Says Ie
Can -Weld Copper.
Claiming that he has rediscovered
Lhe lost art of the Egyptians, that of
welding coliper, William Barnes. a
lacksmith living near Westfield.
Mass., e::pects to make a fortune and
attain world-wide fame. Barnes says
several electrical companies have of
fered him big prices for his secret.
but he will -not part with it yet.
Barnes claims that his process of
welding copper is a simple one and
can be mastered by a mechanic in 20
minutes. After su:bmitting the cop
per to a heat of a blast furnace or
electricity. Barnes subjects it to a se
cret process and then hammers it out
on an anvil.
AGED WOMAN A FIREBUG.
Burned Her House to Get Tusurance
With Which to Pay Debts.
Cornered by a fire marshall and
oficials of an insurance company.
Miss Loa Mather, aged 52 years, of
Norwalk. 0., confessed of having set
tire to her home in order to obtain
1,G,.50 insurance with which to pay
her debts. which amounted to $1,400.
MIiss Mather confessed that she
had made three attempts to burn her
home, the third having been success
ful. The confession of the woman is
said to implicate other persons in a
manner which the fire marshal would
not reveal. Several of Miss Mather's
neighbors went her bail.
High Priced Beef.
In the World's Work Magazine
there is an article entitled "Why the
Price of Beef is High," by G. W.
Ogden. The article carries a lessov,
to the people of the Southeast, and
for these it might be entitled, "Why
the pople of the Southeast states
should now raise cattle for beef."
The article recites how the conditons
are growing more and more unfavor
able in the West for raising beef cat
tle. These conditions are comprised
in the diminution of the grass lands
by settlement, the increased adverse
influence of droughts in the dimin
ished area, the high price of feed
stuffs and the increased demand for
beef by increasing population, and
also for export. The demand for beef
is growing greater, and the supply is
growing less in proportion.
All these influences tend to en
hance the profits of cattle raising in
the Southeastern cotton area.
While the feed stuffs in the West
have been diminishing on account of
tie decrease of the grass area, those
in the Southeast have been increasisg
i- the increased production of cot
ton seed hulls and meal.
There has always been in* the
Southeast. grass and forage enough
to keep cattle 8 to 9 months in the
year. The other 3 or 4 months with
out grass or forage was the only
thingstanding in the way of a profi
table cattle business, even when the
ranges in Texas and Oklahoma were,
for practical purposes, unlimited. The
cotton seed hull and meal, having
supplied this deficiency, and the grass
lands of the West being very much
diminished, the Southeast is not only
in position to compete, but is in ac
tually better situation to raise cattle
for the beef markets that any other
part of the United States.
Mr. Ogden says: "It is questionab
ly whether, under the most favorable
circumstances, beef will ever be as
cheap in the United States again as
it was five years ago. Since that
times, there has been a gradual in
crease in the price of live cattle, and
a corresponding increase in the price
of dressed meat. This opens the
second proposition bearing on high
priced beef--the, increased consump
tion at home and the growing export
trade, against the comparative s'tand
still of the live stock industry."
According to this opinion, the con
ditions are not only favorable nlOW
for the cattle raiser, but they will
continue favorable for a long time
to come.
It is a question of the demand out
weighing the supply. A Beef Trust
could not limit- the output of beef, if
fat cattle were plentiful and cheap.
If it were possible to buy all in sight
and dress, store and keep the meat
for an indefinite period such an ac
tion might be possible. But beef is
perishable, and no man is bound
down by laws prohibiting his killing
and dressing nmeat for his own use
and selling it to his neighbors. A
capital of $Z0 or $40 is all that is
required to op~en a butcher shop in
a village when fat cattle sell at $4.50
to $5.0) a hundred. It is a business
with so many possibilities that the
Beef Trust could not block them all."
Thus it would seem that the far
mers of the Southeast cotton grow
ing states are now in fine situation to
undertake the production of beef cat
te with promise of good fair profit.
and of the business being a lasting
A chinese merchant in Peking who
was convicted of murder was sen
tenced to death by being deprived
of sleep. Four warders kept watch
over him to keep him awaze, and on
the tenth day he died.
Money Printed At Washington.
Every working day of the year
there is printed at Washington an
average of more than $3,000.00') or
new paper money. Every day there
Is destroyed practically the same
amount. The machines in the mints
at Philadelphia, New Orleans and
San Frincisco daily stamp Into form
about $S00.000 of shining coin.
There is then a total of almost $4,
000.000 new money created every day
at the money work-shops of the gov
ernment.
Days of Pleasure.
"We have no orators such as our
forefathers listened to," said one
statesman.
"No." answered the other, "it
takes some car-e to compose speeches
of that kind. Topics come up so
fast nowadays that by the time you'd
get one good old-fashioncd oration
written its sub~jec't would(Ibe out of
late."-Washngton Star.
Price of Metals.
Though nearly all the metals have
'!sen In priice, mer-cury has !falcn.
This is due, says the Engineering and
NIining .Journ~aI. to the decline ofthe
-rocess f pan amalgamoation for
vorl 'ng silver ore. Gold mini's uri
lz- very sm'iall qunantities of mer-cu ry.
rhe two great consumers are China
ind Ja'au. where it is utilized for
mauftatulre of vf-rmi lion andi ex
ANOTHER AFFINITY.
Woman Deserts Her Husband to
Join Childhood Love.
she Had Been Wedded Twenty Years
and Had Been Deceived in Early
Youth by Reports of Lover's Death.
A re-enactment of the famous
Earle case is reported from New
burg, N. J., in which Wallace Mil
ler was made the victim of his wife's
belief in the "affinity" 'idea. She
deserted her home. husband and two
children recently and went to Salt
Lake City, Utah, to join Charlie
Smith, a girlhood lover. Mr. Miller
is still hoping against hope that his
wife will return. He permitted her
to go and even went so far as to al
low her to sell pieces of furniture,
which she claimed as her own, that
she might have money for her fare.
He declared that if 20 years of mar
ried life could not cause her to for
get her old flame, there was no use
trying to live with her as a discon
tented woman.
Carrie Wells, Charlie Smith and
Wallace Miller attended school to
gether on Pine Bush, Orange county
N. J., in their youth. From early
childhood the friendship between
Miss Wells and Charlie Smith began
to ripen into love and when the girl
was 19 years of age they were en
gaged to be married. Smith went
West to make his fortune. In thE
meantime the Wells family took ex
ception to Smith, intercepted his
letters, and finally circulated the re
port that he was dead. Miller was
fooled with the rest and began t(
pay attention to Miss Wells. With
in two years they were married
Three months later Charlie Smiti
came home.
Mr. Miller states that from thai
day there was a change in his wif<
and that in 20 years, humor his wifE
as he would, he was unable to wir
back her love. Later Smith mar
ried. His wife and two childrei
died and he went West again. Bu
Mrs. Miller was still devoted anc
kept up a correspondence. Finalll
three years ago she asked for a di
vorce that she might join Smith
Later she reconsidered her reques
but frequently stated she wished t<
be where she might get a glimpse :
her childhood lover once in a while
In all these years Miller declares hi:
wife was an ideal housewife an<
helpmate, but she never loved he:
husband.
Mr. Miller has no suspicion bu
that Smith is an honest man. Hi
blames him in that he continued ti
correspond with his wife. Furthe:
he does not believe there has eve:
been any improper relations betweei
his wife and her affinity. Miller i
now pining for his wife's return, a
he does not believe she will be con
tented away from her hor - ani
family. He says he will receive he
with open arms if she decides to re
turn. ~Mrs. Miller read all report;
in the Earle case, recently aired ii
newspapers, and expressed admira
tion for the way Mrs. Earle left he:
husband to go to France.
Why Bryan Is Strong.
In pointing out the reason why Mr
Bryan is strong with the masse
the people the New Orleans o
Daily States says "it is well ti
remark that it was William J. Bry
an who in 1896 seeing the magnifi
cent system of thievery which ha<
been established in 'the garden o:
America's richest prosperity' de
nounced it and arrayed himsel:
against it. For doing this that ele
ment of the Democracy which share<
in the spoils of the system deserte<
to the Republican camp, and he was
denouncedifar and wide as an anar
chist, a socialist and even as an "en
emy of the republic.'
"Today the men who have beei
his foremost opponents and wh<
posed in two campaigns as chain
pions of 'the national honor' stant
before the country as unmasket
thieves, whose morals and method:
are on a par with those of a sneal
thief or a footpad. Yet there ar<
people foolish enough to wonde>
why Bryan is strong, and who ar<
apparently unable to understant
that his strength with the masses 0:
the people is vastly increased witi
every disclosure of the thievery o:
high finance of which there havt
bcen many, and more are yet t<
come.
"The absolute .iustice of the chal
lenge which he flung to corporate
wealth in 1896 and 1900. is toda3
receiving a bountiful measure ol
vindication. Bryan, the chosen o.f thE
people, stands at this moment, un
sathed in spite of intrigue, abusE
and misrepresention, while a score
or more of men who have foughi
him savagely under the banner ol
Ithe so-called 'safe and sane' Demo.
cracy are struggling to keep out ol
jail for stealing or have become ob
jects of public pity and contempt."
Narrow Minded Bigots.
Burnside Post of the Grand Army
of the Republic has taken to task a
Washington preacher for preaching
in a truthful and somewhat eulogis
tic manner of Gen. Robt. E. Lee, in
a school address. The preacher said
"great as were his achievments as a
general, splendid his victories on the
field of battle, the greatest thing
about Lee was his spirit. When de
feat came upon him he was a man.
He refused to expatriate himself; he
took up life among his people and la
bored to make the Union real, strong
and permanent."
In the preamble to the resolutions
adopted by the post it is declared
the "reverend gentleman, though
expostulated with, had before this
declared his intention to eulogize
General Lee in public, and has since
asserted that the majority of the
comrades of the G. A. R., are in sym
pathy with his sentiments, and he has
~ince written, 'I have no fears that
time will not set me right."
In~ order to prevent time from set
ting him right, the Burnside post of
the G. A. R., proceeded to make re
marks and pass resolutions denounc
ing the preacher's allusion to Gen.
Lee as unpatriotic and calculated to
ead astray the youth of the land.
The men who made fools of themi
selves by abusing the preacher are
to be pitied rather than condemned.
It must be remembecred that the man
tor whom this post is named was
hrashed and run off the field of,
Fredericksurg by Gen. Lee. Possi
'ly the men who passed the resolu
:ion were with Burinside or. that oc
FARMERS TRIUMPH.
Held Their Tobat.o Until They Got
Their Price.
By a deal consumated at Hender-1
son, Ky., on last Thursday the Im
perial Tobacco Company purchased
the entire 1907 tobacco crop pledged
to the American Society of Equity in
Henderson, Union, Webster, Hopkins!
and Crittenden counties.
The deal involves sixteen million
pounds of tobacco and will bring one
and a half million dollars of English
money to the farmers of that section.
The price paid was that demanded by
the farmers, and is the highest ever
paid there, with the exception of the
war price.
The deal was consumated by
Stokes Taylor, chairman of the board
of directors of the Stemming District
Tobacco Association and Edward
Hodge, manager of the Imperial coni
pany. Negotiations have been on for
more than a week.
Equity employes are taken over by
the Imperial company and will be
continued in service. Deliveries will
begin as soon as the tobacco is in
order. The gold will be shipped from
England at once..
DEATH OF OLD WOMAN.
She Was One Hundred and Nineteen
Years Old.
Lottie Postom, a negress, died in
Carrollton, Ga., Thursday, and in her
death the oldest negress in that state
passed away. It is well known that
the woman had reached the advanced
age of 119 years. She had been a
ward of the county since she was 110
years old. She is survived by a son
who s ninety years of age.
HUMAN MONSTER.
Burned His Wife's Eyes Out With
Strong Acid.
At Lawton, Okla., John Hopkins
burned out his wife's eyes by throw
ing carbolic acid in her face during a
quarrel. He is in jail, which is heav
ily guarded to prevent summary ven
geance by his enraged neighbors..
GROWING FATTER.
Peanut Philosopher Believes He Has
Established His Claim.
At Aurora, Ill., Dr. T. J. Allen, the
peanut philosopher, has gained three
and one-quarter pounds on his "goo;
er" diet. He believes he has estab
lished his claim that the peanut is
fattening. Today is the experiment
er's fourteenth day of his sixty days
run on peanuts.
SAW WIERD PHANTOM.
Had Premonition of Disastrous Ex
plosion in Indiana.
3 John Walsh, who was engineer of
- the Big Four passenger train which
was blown up while passing a car of
powder at Sandford, Ind., last spring.
testified in the hearing of the person
al injury damage suits against the
railroad, that as he came alongside
the freight train he had a premoni
tion and then saw a phantom in front
of his headlight, whereupon he appli
ed the emergency brakes, immediate
ly following which came the explo
sion.
One of the theories 'as to the cause
of the crash has been that the brakes
threw out sparks which entered the
p,wder car.
Nitrogen as a Fertilizer.
Nitrogen is one of the most inert
of all elements apparently indifferent
to whether t combines with othet
elements or not. It is one of the
most important of all elements. Al
though it exists in the atmosphere
all around us and really constitutes
4-5 of the whole volume of the at
msphlere, yet it is the most expensivt
part of all feed stuffs and fertilizers
and at the same time the most essen
-tial.,
No plant could gr-ow without r
supply o[ nitrogen in the soil and
no animal could fiurish without ni
trogen in thle feed. It would seen
that any artele so perfectly abun
--dant as nitrogen and as free as it
would seem to be in the surrounding
air ought not to be expensive, It has
been the dream of scientists for 10(
years to recover this nitrogen fron
the air and thus make it availabl(
for plant and animal food. but the
manner of doing this has eltuded
them all until within the past year 0:
two. -It now seems that some par-tie:
at Niagara Falls at-e undertaking th<
production of nitrogen fr-om the at
moshere. Thbis has not yet come tt
be a commercial success, but pr-ob
ably will be at some future time.
In the meantime. all the quarter:
of the earth have been ransacked fo
source of available nitrogen for fer
tilizers and feed stuffs. Among th(
first efforts to find large quantities o
fertilizer containing nitrogen an(
other necessary elements was work
ing the Peruvian Guano deposits
These have long since been exhausteC
and this has lead to the manufacture
of what be called artificial fertilizer.
The principal source of nitrogen
for these fertilizers was at first the
Chili Salt-petre beds. These stilh
supply large quantities of nitrate oi
soda, which is used in some forms
offertiizer, but by far the most im
portant source of all nitrogen in al!
fertilizers and feed stuffs at the pre
sent time, is cotton seed meal. The
gradually increasing cotton crops and
the rapidly increasing number of oi!
mills makes cotton seed abundant
and cheap. It is the most easily han
dled of all nitrogenous materials. At
the same time it is one of the most
easily assimilated. This- is true of
Iboth plants and animals. All farmers
in the cotton region are especially
blessed on account of this proximity
to oil mills and their consequent easy
ability to purchase this most valua
le feed stuff and fertilizer at prices
which are really much below the ac
taal value as compared with other
sources of nitrogen.
THE Greenville News says: "With
the stock market on the ragged
edge, the Knickerbocker Trust Corn
pany going into the hands of a re
ceiver, and Wall Street apparently
convinced that a big financIal panic
was inevitable, it took some degree
of moral courage for the man who:
"had turned on the light" to stand
up and say that he would not alter
his course one iota nor swerve from
the administration's fight against the
llegal money powers." Bgut he rush.'
d fifty- mil!ion cllar of gov 'rnimo
money to the a .i. o. the a .
BEAUTIES OF THE BLACK RODA .
He is the King's Messenger, Yet Doors
are Slammed in His Face.
Black Rod is perhaps the most pic
turesque functionary of Parliament.
His titles are Chief of All the Ushers
of England and Custodian of the
Doors of the High Court called Par
liament. As such he sits in a box
to the right of the bar in the House
of Lords and controls the admission
of strangers.
But his chief title is Messenger of
the Sovereign. When the King ap
pears in the House of Lords the
members of both chambers must be
present. In his capacity as royal mes
senger Black Rod has to go and sum
mon the Commons.
As he walks through the lobbies one
of his ushers heralds his approach
with cries of "Black Rod: Way for
Black Rod:"' Yet it would seem
from his reception at the door of
the lower chamber that he is regard
ed there with hostility.
The. moment he is heard coming.
the sergeant at arms springs trom his
chair, which is close to the main en
trance to the chamber, and, rushing
to the open door, not only closes it
with an inhospitable clang in the very
face of Black Rod, but proceeds se
curely to bolt it. Presently three
faint knocks are heard. The sergeant
at-arms peers into the loboy through
a grated peephole with a wooden slot
in the stout oaken door and sees Black
Rod.
According to the program not a
word is spoken. All that is heard is
the subdued knocking at the portal.
Thr-t soft and humble request is irre
sistible, and at a nod from the
Speaker the door is flung open by the
sergeant-at-arms and in walks tae
King's messenger.
The post of Black Rod, it must be
explained, is in the personal gift of
the -King. It is invariably bestowed
on old. naval or military officers, a
sailor and a soldier alternately enjoy
ing its dignity and emoluments. The
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
gets 21,000 a year, and he has a dep
uty known as Yeoman Usher of the
Black Rod, whose salary is ?500.
But wnether he be a soldier or a
sailor, Black Rod is not a very ror
midable looking person as he is seen
on his visits to the House of Com
mons. On occasions of state he dons
his full military of naval "fig." When
he comes to summon the commons he
wears his official dress--. black cut
away tunic, knee breeches, silk stock
ings, and silver buckled shoes.
There is not the faintest suggestion
of aggressiveness in his appearance,
otwithstanding the sword that dan
gles by his side, and the short ebony
rod of office, surmounted by a golden
lion rampant, which he carries in
his hand. His message, too, is abso
lutely blameless.
When the door of the House 01
ommons is opened to him, the loud
oiced usher preceding him stands at
the bar and cries: "Black Lod!" I
here be any business in hand it is at
nce interrupted.- The Speaker re
:pectfully rises to receive the mes
~age of the sovereign. Members re
an their seats, but uncover.
Black Rod advances slowly to the
table with solemn mien. as aL to show
that he is becoming impresseo, by the
dignity and sanctity of the chamber.
-e further manifests his awe by mak
ing three low abeisances to the chair.
)n reaching the table, %e simply says:
"The Lord's Commissioners desire
the immediate attendance of this hon
orable House in the House of Peers."
When the King is personally pres
at in the House of Lords the message
which Black Rod delivers to the Conm
nons is more peremptorily worded. It
runs: "'The King commands this
honorable House to attend his Majes
ty immediately in the House of Peers
to hear the King's speech read."
Having thus said what he was sent
o say, Black Rod retires respectfully
oackward, bowing as he goes, to the
bar, where he awaits the Speaker,
md escorts him, followed by the
Ministers and others of the..Commons,
t~o tie House of Lords. Sometimes so
.westruck is Black Rod in the pres
2nce of the mighty Commons that he
orgets even the words of his short
tnd simple and innocent message.
There was the case at Gen. Sir Mi
.hael Bidduiph, R. A. H~e was a bril
dan soldier. He served through th~e
Crimean compaign with great distinc
tion. For his gallent services a; the
.ccupation of Candahar in tne Afghan
var he received the. thanks of both
.iouses of Parliament. Yet I nave seen
his great soldier shaking with nerv
usness when, as Black Rod, he stood
tt the table to desire the presence of
he Commons in the House of Peers.
What then is the meaning of this
iostile banging of the door of the
louse of Comme ns in Black Rod's in
offensive face? Why must the King's
cr admission and waiL . submiissively
'a the mat cutside until the repco:n
atives of the people decide to cpen
tir doors unto him.
We lind in this most inlteretn
spectacle a demonstration of tne right
of the representatives of the people ec
onduct their deliberations in secret,
hould they deem it necessary, tu
hut their doors, especially against
messengers of sovereigns or k'eers, and
also a declaration that no stranger.
lw or high, dare enter their chamber
without 'permlssion, humbly askec
nd expressly granted.
Seven lines too long.
STRUCK BY SEVERE GALE.
Twenty Persons Injured and Much
Property Injured.
A northwest storm of short dura
tion with heavy rain, passed over
Galveston, Texas, early Thursday.
The wind attained a velocity of 72
mles an hour for two minutes.
About twenty frame houses were
blown down, one woman being killed
in a falling structure. Ii is estimat
ed that twenty persons were injured
in the western part of the city, where
the wind was severe.
veral business ho uses were una
roofed and the stocks of goods were
slightly damaged by water. The Mal
to Line wharf shed was damaged
to rthe extent of several thousand dol
aars. A few cars in the railroad yards~
r'~re.barn from tue track. The gulf
-emained normal. There was no in
FORCED TO MARRY
Horse-Trading Father Sold Girl to
Band of Gypsi
As Wife of the Prince She Was Not
Acceptable to the King and Was
Crueny Treated by All
Nomadie bands of gypsies are
said to be practicing their old trick
of buying pretty girls in the West.
According to a story told by Mary
Sloan, found at the Union station in
St. Louis' M0.' she was the victim of
a trade made within a year. She is
15 years of age. though she looks
much older, and is now an inmate of
the missi' .n's home at Pattonville,/
14 miles west of St. Louis. She says
she was sold for $1,500 by her father
to the kirg of the gypsy band and
forced to marry his son. prince. of
200 nomads.
On the way there through an open
country the girl was in terror lest
she should meet -a band of gypsies.
"Don't let them kill me!r she
pleaded.
"My mother died two years ago,
said Mary. "Until then we always
lived in a house, but when mamma
went away papa bought a house
boat and we lived on the Big Sandy
river.
"Papa was a -horse trader. He
went up and down the Tiver any
where he.had a chance to make a
trade, and I kept house for him on
the boat.
"Sometimes we would tie up the
boat aud go through the woods and
little towns looking for anybody that
wanted to buy a horse.
"That's the way we met the gyp
sies. The king saw me with my
fathei- and he came up to us and he
said: 'I want that girl.' He scared
me so bad I c6uldn't sleep all night.
"We left his camp next day, but
he followed us. Every night when
we stopped we would find him near
us. He kept this up for a. week,
and then my' father consented.
Afterward the king made father a
present of $1,500.
"The gypsy prince had been mak
ing love to me, but I told him to
stay away: When we reached the
little town he took me to a man that
said that he was a judge and we
were married. The prince said .he
wouldke-p the ceraificate, He has
it-now.
"The gypsies kept moving north.
stopping at little towns. I hadn't
been with themi long before they be
gan to mistreat me.
"My -husband's father, the king,
beat me whenever I did anything he
didn't-iike. There were abodt 200'
gypsies in the party and he- would
take me out in front of all of -.them
and whip me.
"My husband treated me badly.'
itoo. When he was angry he would
strike me in the face with his fist.
"In the year I was with- them I
never had anything to eat that tast
ed good to me. The gypsies eat2
everything raw. We would travel
up the river and camp on the shore,
always rear a farm- wh~e there was
a chance to steal somethng.
"The gypsies would take anything
they could lay their hands on.. They
never bought any thing to eat.
"The women made moneyr telling
fortunes, but they never spent it.
Everything the gypsies get is clear
profit.
"When I complained that I could
not eat raw food they would jump
on mc and beat me. - -
"WhnenlIcould not stand it .any
morelI ran away from the camp at
Cairo."
-ENDED HIS'LIFE.
Cashier Had Used $2,000 of 'Say
'hig Bank's Money.
Alone in his home, his wife and
young son, having gone away on -a
visit, Fred A. Boron, cashier and
treasurer of the Dollar Savings Bank,
Akron, 0., shot and killed himself
the other day. with a bank revolver.
He was well known anl .over his
state. -
A deficit of $25,000 has been dis
coered in the accounts of the Dollar
bank, according to members of the
directorate. This fact was kept hid
dan from the directors, it is said, by
Boron borrowing money -temporarily
whenever 'the directors counted,
while at other times he carried the
notes as cash. A movement is on
foot to have other Akron banks .talk
over the situation.
The New State.
The forty-sixth state of the Union
is Oklahomna. It -is interesting to
know jte.t what its admittance into
the Union may do politically.
Oklahoma has elected four Demos~
eratic congressmen and one Republi
can. It may, therefore, make a
difference of votes in the House of
Reresentatives. Its legislature will.
elet two Democratic senators and
these will give the Democrats of the
Senate 31 votes, sufficient to pre
vent the ratification of a treaty, even
if supported by a solid Republican
majority.
t will have seven electors in the
next electoral college, a number
large enough, should the vote be
close, to determine the next presi
dent of the United States. It will
Ibe represented in the national con
Iventions by delegations of very re
spectable size which will have to be
reckoned with in more ways than,
one. Consequently Oklahoma from
the very beginning o.f its statehood '.
is in position to wield a consier
Iable influence on national affairs..
Yet partisan politics are, after all,
not of much importance as loyalty
1to American principles. In its con
stitution which represents the sen
tinents of its people, Oklahoma is
loyal to American principles. There
fore, its advent to participation
more largely in governmental af
fairs should be regarded with grat
ification. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CONGREssMA Burleson of Texas
has asked amnS government
to deposit money inl .:u- b, n Kanks
so that the farmers 'rid i: nnane
ed in their cotton holiing mfvement,
and tan' request has been refused.
"l.v, asks the Spartanburg, Jour
na,"i $25,000,000 deposited in Wall
Street banks to tide over a panic and
a much smaller amoun; refused tc~
southern banks to save the farmers
Erom the depression of the price of