Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1878 — NEWS OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

FOREIGN NEWS Austria will send civil officers with the army which is to oectapy Bosnia and Herzegovina, and proceed immediately with the reorganization of the government of the provinces. The congress lias decided to cede to Itnssia that portion of Bessarabia which she nest in 1866, extending from the Pnith to the Kilta valley. The congress has also decided to transfer the Dobrudwha to Iloumania. A petition from the British AntiSlavery Society asks the Berlin Conference to declare the slave trade piracy, and refuse to recognize slavery as a legal institution in any state represented in the congress. The memorialists assert that the slave trade for ithe supply of Cuba and Mohammedan countries consumes half a million negroes from Africa annually. Vera Sassulitch, the woman who attempted to assassinate Gen. Trcpoff, Prefect of the St. Petersburg Police, has arrived at Geneva. The two American crews that crossed the water to take part in the annual Henley regatta on the river Thames have more than ustified the expectations of their friends. The Columbia College lads carried off the visitoia' challenge cup by winning the first victory over achieved by an American prew in British waters. The Bhoo-wac-cae-laette crew, of Monroe, Mich., made a creditable showing, though they carried off no prize. They won the first heat in the race for the Steward’s cup. In the final heat one of the oarsmen of the Michigan ■crew, while making a gallant struggle for the lead, was seized with sudden illness, which destroyed all hopes of success. Altogether Americans have cause to be more than satisfied with the result. A dispatch from Calcutta reports that 4,700 houses have been destroyed by fire in Mandalay, India.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. Xia <st. Col. Alvah Buckbee, a prominent resident of Elmira, N. ¥., shot his wife, his mother-in-law, and then blew his own brains out, dying instantly. Both women are fatally injured. Dr. J. C. Ayer, of patent-medicine fsme, is dead. A picnic party at Sugar Camp grove, near Pittsburgh, Pa., on the Fourth of July, worn suddenly overwhelmed with a terrific •"term of wind and rain, and the blowing down «>f a tree upon a wagon, in which eighteen per'scus had taken refuge, killed seven of the number and wounded many more. AVest. A Cincinnati telegram says: “The movement against the use of agricultural machinery is reaching such proportions in Ohio and Indiana as to seriously alarm farmers. Scores of reaping machines have already been destroyed, and every day brings reports of fresh depredations. On other machines notices were posted threatening their destruction if their owners do not lay them aside and employ men to cut their grain. Many farmers are yielding and discarding their machines.” A dispatch from Hat Creek, Wyoming, says a coach from Deadwood, with six passengers, was attacked by road agents, sixty-five miles south of Deadwood. Only two road agents camo in view,and, after placing the passengers in line and robbing four of them, they advanced to Daniel Finn, who drew his revolver, shooting one robber in the region of the groin. Finn was about to shoot again, when he was shot by an accomplice of the robber, who was hid in ambush. The ball entered at the left side of the nose, and, passing through the mouth, came out in front of the right ear, inflicting a painful, but not serious, wound. The robbers then retreated, firing several shots, wounding two other passengers slightly. Advices from the scene of the Indian war in the far West report a disastrous three days’ fight between Col. Grover's command and a body of Bannocks. The whites were completely surrounded by the hostiles and utterly demoralized. Eleven of their number were killed and a number wounded.

The Governor of lowa has been in receipt of dispatches from various points in the State notifying him that companies of tramps had taken possession of railroad trains and were dangerous to the towns. Some of them were from Mayors and Sheriffs, asking authorityfyo call out the militia. The Governor, in response to these repeated calls, has issued a proclamation calling upon the local authorities throughout the State to be diligent in preserving the peace, and instructing them how to proceed in case of real or apprehended danger from the numerous bands of tramps traversing the State.

fSontll. The Supreme Court of Arkansas has decided the levee bonds issued in 1869 and 1870 unconstitutional and invalid. About $3,000,000 in bonds are affected by this decision. The court declares them worthless. Tiie steamer Capital City, while lying at an elevator in Memphis, caught fire and was totally destroyed a few mornings since. The flames extended to the elevator, which was also burned. Loss estimated at $250,000. Two of the boat’s passengers perished in the flames. The St Louis tunnel and railroad, extending from the western end of the bridge to the Union depot, in St. Louis, has been sold under foreclosure of the mortgage of 1873, the bonds amounting, with accrued interest, to $1,500,000. The property was bid in for the bondholders for $450,000. The much-talked-of race between Ten Broeck and Mollie McCarthy, for $20,000, came off at Louisville, Ky>, on the 4th of July, and resulted in an easy victory for the Kentucky horse, the California mare being distanced in the first heat. Many thousands of people from every section of the country journeyed to Louisville to witness the contest, and went away greatly disgusted at the tameness of the affair.

POLITICAL POINTS. President Hayes was interviewed at Wilkesbarre, Pa., whither he wont to attend the Wyoming centenary. He expressed himself, regarding the Potter investigation, that the whole affair, so far, was a farce—an example, indeed, of much cry and little wool; or, more correctly, no wool at all. If they had accomplished anything, it was the reaffirming by Congress of his title, which was, probably, what they did not start out to do. Rethought certain Republicans, some of whom he named, originated the affair, and were conducting its operations under cover. Secretary Sherman was also interviewed, and said he believed the story told by Weber to the committee was concocted within the last ten days. He thought such a story would deceive no one acquainted with the darkness of Tunisians poll-

tics. Mr. Sherman said if he had the most distant recollection of having written the socalled “ Sherman letter,” he would acknowledge it promptly, for there is much in it that he would have said had he been writing at that time, but he has no recollection whatever of having written a letter to Anderson and Weber at any time. The Democrats of Arkansas have nominated Gov. Miller for re-election. The Alabama Republican State Convention, in session at Montgomery last week, decided to make no nominations for State officers, and tabled a resolution indorsing the administration of President Hayes. An inmate of the National Asylum for Soldiers at Hampton, Va., has preferred a charge of violation of the articles of war against Gen. B. F. Butler for circulating under his frank copies of the speech of Senator Howe attacking the President.

WASHINGTON NOTES. Mrs. Capt. Jenks was again before the Potter committee on the Ist in st., and admitted, rather reluctantly, that her brother, Mr. Murdock, has been provided with an appointment in the New Orleans Custom House since the present investigation was begun... .Boulds Baker was put on the stand, but absolutely refused to testify or answer any questions. He is the man who telegraphed to Tom Young, of Ohio, urging the appointment of Postmaster General Key as « member of Mr. Hayes’ Cabinet. The monthly public-debt statement, issued July 1, is as follows: Six per cent, bonds $ 738,619,000 five per cent, bonds 703,266,650 Four and a half per cent, bonds 240,000,000 Four per cent, bonds 98,850,000 Total coin bonds $1,780,735,650 Lawful money debt, $ 14,000,000 Matured debt $ 5,594,560 Legal tenders 346,743,313 Certificates of deposit 46,755,000 Fractional currency...., 16,547,758 Coin certificates 45,829,610 - Total without interest $ 455,875,682 Total debt $2,256,205,892 Total interest 36,404,551 Cash in treasury: Coin ..$ 197.415,132 Currency 2,653,479 Currency held tor redemption of fractional currency 10,000,000 Special deposits held for redemption of certificates of deposit 46,755,000 Total in treasury $ 256,823,612 Debt less cash tn treasury $2,035,786,831 Increase of debt during June 2,149,381 Decrease since Juno 30, 1877 24,371,391 Bonds issued to Pacific Railroad Companies, interest uavable in lawful money: Principal outstanding 64,623,512 Interest accrued and pet yet paid.. J... 1,938,705 Interest paid by United States* ...... 37,896,334 Interest repaid by transportation of mails, etc 9,881,444 Balance of interest paid by the United Emile L. Weber, a brother of 1). A. W eber, AntjerHon’s fellow Supervisor of Elections, was summoned before the Potter Committee on the 2d inst., and read a statement setting forth that *•' he had no personal knowledge that Democratic intimidation had existed in the parishes of East and West Feliciana. His brother and Anderson had informed him that the two parishes had gone fairly Democratic. Great influence was brought to bear upon his brother to make his protest, and he had been approached very frequently to use his influence with his brother to effect the signing of the protest. He saw Anderson sign his protest, and swthejflanks therein after Anderson had left. /Weber had, in conversation with Secretary Sherman, explained to him that his brother thought his parish had gone Democratic, and he was disposed to take back his protest, whereupon Sherman assured him that his brother would be cared for, and requested that he send his brother to him. His brother, on the day he received it, showed him Sherman’s letter of assurance, and said he had received it direct from Sherman. Weber was familiar with the handwriting of Sherman, and was satisfied that the letter was written by that gentleman. The Sherman letter was the subject of great mortification to the Weber family, and for this reason it was destroyed in 1377. Mrs. Jenks was in no way connected with the authorship of the Sherman letter. In regard to the agreement between James E. Anderson and D. A. Weber, I here state that I personally know that such an agreement was entered into, and was substantially the same as has been presented. My brother was murdered March 7. In the issue of the paper of which he was editor previous to his effiath he threatened to publish certain letters and a statement emanating from the State Auditor’s office, and that is supposed to have supplied the immediate cause of his death.” Mr. Cox, of the committee, produced a letter written by the witness to a cousin in St. Louis, in March, 1877, in which he described with much feeling the murder of his brother, and charging the Democrats with the crime. Weber protested against the reading of this letter, asserting that the statements contained therein were false, and that it was written with the expectation that it would be published at the time, thereby creating a feeling in the North in favor of the Packard Government.

E. L. Weber was again before the Potter Committee on the 3d inst., and testified, in regard to the alleged frauds in Louisiana, that it was arranged before election by Kellogg, Thomas C. Anderson, and Packard to secure affidavits of intimidatio B in the parishes of East and West Feliciana for the purpose of throwing out those parishes. He was asstu-ed by Kellogg and others that if he would use his influence with his brother toward having him make a protest, he (witness) would be returned to the Senate. He was defeated for the State Senate by about 1,200 majority, and was returned by the Returning Board as elected by about 600 majority. “ Packard told me a few days before the election that, if he and Hayes did not get any votes in East and West Feliciana, he was going to be Governor and Hayes was going to be President. He told me this in the presence of Mr. Armistead, Mr. Duncan and others, whom Ido not now remember. He said the best way to dispose of the Democratic majority was to throw out the vote of the county: that that was better than making a Republican canvass, and I know of my personal knowledge that Kellogg employed L. B. Jenks to keep James E. Anderson away from the parish, and to prevent his holding an election there as Supervisor.” Witness stated that some of the visiting statesmen had interviews with Eliza Pinkston in the Custom House before she was brought before the Returning Board. He thought one of those who interviewed her was Senator Sherman. He was of the opinion that the Eliza Pinkston outrage was a put-up job. Witness said Mrs. Jenks came to his house and stated that she knew of the existence of the Sherman letter, and was in search of it, and would pay well for it. Witness stated that since he came to Washington to testify he had been approached by friends of Secretary Sherman on two or three occasions and told if he would give evidence contradictory of Anderson’s story he (witness) would be well provided for. Witness said he had already been used as a tool, and he didn’t propose to be so

used again.... The committee adjourned till Wednesday, July 10. Subscriptions to the 4-per-cent. loan amount to $10,100,500. The aggregate appropriations made by the last Congress were $100,010,550. L. D. Ingersoll, author of the “ Life of Greeley,” and a long time connected with Chicago and Western journalism, has been appointed by Secretary McCrary Librarian of the War Department. Persons holding intimate relations with the administration say that the Government is not inclined to make trouble with Mexico, and that rumors as to impending complications originate largely with adventurers and speculators.