Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1879 — NEWS OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

FOBBIGN NEWS. The long-talked-of race between Edward Banian, the champioi oarsman of America, and John Uawdon, the British eculler, was rowed on the river Tyne, in England, on the sth of May, and resulted in an easy victory for the American by six boatlengths. The Britons, who gathered by the thousands in expectation of seeing their representative victorious, were greatly chagrined a the result The cable announces the death of Dr. Isaac Butt, M. P., the distinguished HomeBule leader. There have been serious riots in Dublin, Ireland. Gen. Felix Douay, Inspector General of the French army, is dead. Lient. Coyte, of the British navy, arrested on suspicion of being the author of a ridiculous story about a pirate ship off Fastnett light, on the 16th of January last, has been convicted of the offense and dismissed the service. St. Petersburg dispatches deny the reports of the terror-stricken condition of that city. Owing to trichina having been discovered in some hogs shipped from Philadelphia to Liverpool, England has issued an order, to take effect June 1, interdicting the importation of American swine. A dispatch from Lahore, India, announces that Yakoob Khan has accepted all the British proposals. These advance the frontier line so as to give the British the Kojuk pass, Pisheen valley, the Korum valley as far as the Bhuargadon pass, and the Khyber pass as far as Loargi. The British also gain the right to keep an agent at Candahar. King Alfonso, of Spain, is betrothed to an Austrian Princess.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. East. Freeman, the Pocasset (Mass.) Adventist, and his wife have been committed to jail for the murder of their 5-year-old child. On the way to the prison both loudly proclaimed that the death of the child was in obedience to the divine mandate. A number of his Adventist neighbors sustain Freeman in his course. Many of them are well-to-do farmers. Some of those present at the meeting at Freeman’s house on the day of the murder will be arrested on the charge of being accessory to the deed. Three men are under arrest in New York for forging pension and bounty claims. The ring of which the rascals are members is supposed to have already robbed the Government of over 1100,000. One of the Manhattan (N. Y.) Savings Bank robbers has been arrested in Philadelphia while attempting to dispose of some of the stolen securities. A bill authorizing the State of Pennsylvania to redeem over 32,000,000 worth of certificates issued to sufferers from raids in the border counties of that State during the late civil war has been defeated in the Pennsylvania Legislature. By an explosion of gas in a coal mine at Wilkesbarre, Pa., last week, three men were killed and several wounded, some of them fatally, it is feared. Whittemore, Peet, Post & Co., extensive woolen dry goods commission merchants in New York, have failed for over half a million dollars. “ Bed ” Leary, one of the most notorious bank burglars in the country, escaped from Ludlow Street jail, New York, by digging his way, with the aid of accomplices, through the wall of his coll, and thence into the room of an adjoining building The trial of Dr. T. De Witt Talmage which has been in progress before a synod of the Presbyterian church at New York for several weeks, was brought to a close the other day, resulting in his acquittal. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has just decided the second suit growing out of the suspension of George H. Stuart by the General Synod of the. Reformed Presbyterian Church, for hymu singing and communing with other Evangelical churches. This decision sustains Stuart and his friends, at the same time condemning the action of the Synod, and continues the Rev. Dr. Sterrett and the Second Reformed Presbyterian congregation in the undisputed possession of their property, which has been in litigation for the past ten years. A similar suit was decided the same way not long ago. Robert Harris and Dell Shaw, while attempting to cross the Black river near Watertown, N. Y., in a row-boat, a short distance above the Big falh, were carried over, and drowned. We«rt. George C. Harding, editor of the Indianapolis Herald, and Calvin A Light, of the Indianapolis Democrat, a Communist organ, engaged in an ink-slinging duel, in which Light got the best of the fight, while Harding got fighting mad. He bought a huge Colt’s navy revolver and made a raid on Light’s office, and at once opened fire upon him, while standing at the imposingetone. Light dodged the first shot, and the ball struck a printer standing at his case, named Gerhard Lizins, in the groin. Harding fired a second shot, which missed Light, but hit another printer named Richard Walters in the leg. The latter, fearing further damage, at once jumped through a Window, and, in falling upon the pavement, suffered a fracture of both his ankles, which will lay him up for weeks and make him a cripple for life. Light escaped from his infuriated assailant by the free use of a good pair of legs, and fled to the police for protection. Samuel Pavey and his son Taylor Pavey, extensive dealers in live stock, were shot and instantly killed near Leesburg, Ohio, by John Link, Pavey’s stepson. The Government architects, contractors and builders engaged in the construction of the new Chicago Custom House were arraigned in the United States District Court in that city, last week, for trial on an indictment for conspiracy to defraud the Government out of 3850,(X.0. Crop reports from various portions of the Northwest are highly encouraging. The prospects for a bountiful harvest are exceedingly bright Dr. Ezra Rose, of Palmyra, Ohio, invited his friend, Sylvester Canfield, to try some new liquor which he had just received. By mistake they each drank about two ounces of aconite. The doctor died in a few hours. Canfield is in a precarious situation. Mrs. Lightner, the wife of a prominent citizen of Peoria, HL, was killed by an elevator accident at the Tremont House, Chicago, a few days ago. The new constitution of California, which was submitted to a vote of the people on the 6th inst, was adopted by about 5,000 juajority.

.¶ After a careful examination, a committee of physicians have pronounced Mark Gray, the young man who shot at Edwin Booth in McVicker’s Theater, Chicago, crazy. .¶ Mrs. Nancy Gray, a pioneer of Jo Daviess county, Ill., aged 108 years, on the 1st of January last, died at her residence in Galena last week. She was a native of County Cavan, Ireland, and retained her full faculties almost to the last. .¶ A fire in the “ lumber district" of Chicago, located in the Southwestern part of the city, destroyed a lumber yard and planing mill and a number of frame dwellings. Loss estimated at $200,000. .¶ The office of the Detroit Post and Tribune, was damaged by fire, a few nights ago, to the extent of $15,000 or $20,000. South. .¶ Two prisoners attempted to escape from jail, at Overton, Texas, by setting it on fire. The jail was burned and both perished in the flames. .¶ Five men were lately killed in Calhoun county, Texas, by stock owners. The five men had a bunch of cattle in their possession and were sleeping at the time the stockmen rode up and commenced looking at the stock. The men woke up and commenced firing, when the stockmen killed all five of them. .¶ Two negro incendiaries, Johnson Spencer and Nevlin Porter, were recently hanged by a mob of infuriated citizens at Starkville, Miss. .¶ The trial of Cox for the murder of Col. Alston, at Atlanta, Ga., resulted in a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree, accompanied with a recommendation to mercy, as provided under the new law of Georgia, framed by Col. Alston, himself. This recommendation commutes the death sentence to imprisonment for life. .¶ Tom Jones and Henry McLeed (both colored) were hanged for murder in the presence of 8,000 people at Appling, near Atlanta, Ga., last Friday. Richard Lee, a negro burglar, was publicly hanged at Fayetteville, N. C. He confessed his crime on the scaffold, and said that he deserved death. .¶ A fire at St. Louis, Mo., last week, burned out Gauss, Henicke & Co.’s wholesale hat and cap store (loss $75,000), Goldstein Bros.’wholesale dry-goods house (loss $75,000), and A. Frankenthal & Son’s wholesale notion store (loss $90,000). The loss in buildings was $45,000, making a total loss of $285,000. .¶ The Louisiana Constitutional Convention has adopted an article prohibiting the General Assembly from contracting any debt or liability on the part of the State except for the purpose of repelling invasion or insurrection.

POLITICAL POINTS. At the charter election in Indianapolis, last week, the entire Republican ticket was successful by majorities ranging from 1,500 to 2,000. At Lafayette the Republican ticket was also elected. In Fort Wayne, Terre Haute and New Albany the Democrats elected all their candidates for city officers.—William Dawson, Democrat, has been elected Mayor of St. Paul, Minn. * The Richmond (Va.) Southern Intelligencer publishes a picture and a sketch of the life of Senator David Davis, and nominates him as the “Presidential candidate of the great combination to be formed against Grant in 1880.” The Maine Greenbackers will meet in convention June 3 to nominate a candidate for Governor. A Washington dispatch says that “ Secretary Sherman has returned from his Ohio visit, and entered upon his duties at the treasury. He again reiterates the statement that he has no desire or intention of becoming a candidate for. Governor of Ohio. ”

WASHINGTON NOTBS. The United States Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutionality of the law passed by Congress in 1878, known as the “Thurman act,” creating a sinking fund to pay the interest and principal of Government bonds loaned to the Pacific coast roads. The entire force of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Washington is kept busy every day in the week, including Sunday, printing the #lO refunding certificates.

DOINGS IN CONGRESS. Under the call of States a bill was introduced injthe House, on the sth Inst., by Mr. Ladd to prohibit military interference at elections, and it was 'eterred to the Committee on Judiciary. This is the bill agreed upon by the Democrats in caucus, and is as follows: “ Whereas, The presence of troops at the polls is contrary to the spirit of our institutions and the traditions of our people, and tends to destroy the freedom of elections; therefore. “Be it enacted, etc.. That it shall not be lawful to bring to or employ at any place where a general or special election is being held in the State any part of the army or navy of the United States, unless such force be necessary to repel the armed enemies of the United States, or to enforce section 4, article I 4, of the constitution of the United States, and the laws made in pursuance thereof, on application of the Legislature or Executive of the State where such force is to be used, and so much of all laws as are inconsistent herewith is hereby repealed.” Mr. Eaton offered a similar bill in the Senate. There was a joint caucus of tho Republican members of both bouses, at which it was unanimously resolved that the proposed bill should be defeated, and Messrs. Edmunds, Frye, and Robeson were appointed a committee to prepare a substitute to be offered. The Senate had a long discussion, on the 6th inst., of the proposition to authorize the Committee on Privileges and Elections to take testimony’ showing that Senator Kellogg obtained his seat by bribery, but no decision was reached in- the matter. The bill to prevent the use of troops at the polls was reported, with amendments, from the Judiciary Committee by Mr. McDonald. Mr. Beck also reported thorn the Committee on Appropriations, with amendments, the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Appropriation bill. In the House. Mr. Knott reported buck, without amendment, the bill to prohibit military interference at elections. Mr. Robeson offered a subst.tute prohibiting the use of troops at elections except under the provisions of the constitution and laws made in pursuance thereof. This was rejected—yeas, 90; nays, 121. The bill, as originally introduced by Mr. Ladd, was then passel by a strict party vote—yeas, 124; nays, 90. All the Greenbackers who voted (11) voted yea, those not voting being Barlow and Russell. After a protracted debate, the Senate, on the 7th inst., passed by a strict party vote the resolution of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, authorizing them to take testimony in the matter of the memorial of Spofford, contesting the seat of Kellogg, of Louisiana. In the House, the bill relating to coinage and bullion certificates was discussed. Mr. Chalmers' resolution to appoint a committee to investigate his connection with the Fort Pillow massacre, was laid on the table. During the debate on the resolution a sharp personal colloquy occurred between Mr. Chalmers and Mr. Burrows, of Michigan. The latter, in the course of a speech,?made some remarks not complimentary to Mr. Chalmers'conduct in the Fort Pillow affair. The latter arose and said that he regretted what Mr. Burrows had said, but he would remind him that his (Burrows’) record in the war was not clean and unspotted. Mr. Burrows, advancing down the aisle, demanded to know what Mr. Chalmers meant. Chambers, amid much confusion, said that he had been told that Burrows had resigned because his superior officer thought he was not competent. This announcement was received with derisive laughter on the Republican side. Burrows said that the statement was infamously false, and this was the first time that he had over heard it. Chalmers said that he did not believe the statement, and would withdraw it. In the Senate, on the Bth, consideration was resumed of the House bill prohibiting military in terference at elections, and Mr. Morgan advocated its passage. The House discussed the bill to enforce the Eight Hour law and the Silver bill. The former was defeated by a vote of 11’3 nays to 52 yeas. No vote was reached on the Silver bill. In the Senate, on the9th inst., the House bill providing for the payment of the money heretofore appropriated to James B. Eads and his associates for the construction of jetties and other works at the South pass of the Mississippi river was passed. Consideration of the bill prohibiting military interference at elections was then resumed, and Mr. Edmunds delivered an elaborate argument in opposition thereto. Messrs. Blaine and Chandler also spoke against the bill, after which it was passed just as i t came from the House—yeas, 33; nay s, 23. In the House, the bill reported from the judiciary Committee to remove the political disabilities of J. C. Pemboiton. of Philadelphia, gave rise to an amusing colloquy between Messrs. Conger and Cox, which Mr. Knott cut short by movirg the previous question, and the bill was passed. Tiie House resumed the consideration of the Warner Silver bill: and was addressed by Mr Weaver in advocacy of tho bill, and in favor of the double standard. In the Senate, on the 10th inst, consideration was resumed of the bill making appropriations for the legislative, executive and judicial expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June SO, 1880, and for other purposes, and Mr. Hill, of Georgia, delivered a long speech in favor of that part of the bill in reward to jurors and Supervisors of Elections. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Hill quoted from a letter written by Zachariah Chandler in ltd to the Governor of Michigan, in which he (Chandler) said there must be a little blood-letting; that without it the Union would not be worth a rush. Mr. Hill asked if Chan dler had lost any blood in the war. The latter wanted to know how much blood Mr. Hill thed in the late war. Mr. Hill—The difference between us was I was not in favor of shedding anybody’s blood. Mr. Chandler—Nor I. except to punish treason and traitors. The Senator from Georgia is not the man to talk about other men saving their own blood. He took good care to put his blood in Fort Lafayette, where it was out of the way of both rebel and Union bullets. In the Honse, Mr. Kelley occupied nearly the whole day in an elaborate speech on the Warner Silver bill.