Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1881 — LATER NEWS ITEMS. [ARTICLE]

LATER NEWS ITEMS.

The various departments at Washington have completed the estimates for the next fiscal year. Nearly every department will ask for an increase over the amount voted last year. The Secretary of War will ask for $2,000,000 pn account of the increase in the price of supplies. The Interior Department will ask for $100,000,000 for pensions, of which $65,000,000 are for “accrued” pensions; and the Navy Department will ask for $31,000,000 for new ships. The Postoffice Department is nearly self-sustaining, and no demands will be made on Congress for any large appropriation. A horrible railroad slaughter occurred near Corsicana, Texas. A freight train on the International and Great Northern road ran into a gang of convicts, killing twenty-three and wounding a large number. The accident was caused by an open switch. CoL Cook, of the prosecuting counsel in the star-route cases, says that the recent defeat does not mean that the star-route cases will be. abandoned. On the contrary, he says the prosecution will be vigorously and zealously pushed. The cases will bo brought up in the Police Court in a few weeks, when it is expected that the riugsters will be held to the next Grand Jury. CoL Cook and his associates have no faith in the present Grand .Jury. The Conimissioner of Pensions takes a very liberal view of the necessities of the pension service. He says ho will ask Congress for $20,000,000 to cover a deficiency in the disbursements of the present fiscal year, while $100,000,000 is the lowest estimate for the next fiscal year. In addition to that, he says that it would be better if Congress would make an appropriation of $200,000,000 and increase the clerical force so that the arrears of pensions can be speedily settled. As, after they were once settled, the annual appropriation would be reduced to $40,000,000. Rains for two months in Southwestern Texas have raised the waters of the Rio Grande to the highest point known since the Mexican war. Matamoras is badly flooded. Joe Harris, colored, was hanged at Greensboro, Ga., for the murder of Ezekiel Langston. Henry Jenkins was hanged at Fayetteville, W. Va., for the murder of Winfield Saunders on the 16th of May last. Felix Munshower was hanged at 'Frederick, Md., for the murder of J. L. Wctzell in August, 1879. A great part of the town of Woodstock, N. 8., was destroyed by fire. The conflagration is believed to be the work of incendiaries, as the fire broke out at several places far apart. About eighty houses aud the Baptist and Episcopal churches were destroyed. The loss is placed at SBO,OOO. A fire at Modesto, Stanislaus county, Cal., destroyed SIOO,OOO worth of ' property. W. E. Tanner & Co’s manufactory at Richmond, Va., valued at SIOO,OOO, and insured, was burned. Four hotels at Old Orchard, Me., valued at $72,000, were reduced to ashes. The Atlantic Flouring Mills at Denver, Col., valued at $40,000 and insured for $25,000, were destroyed by fire. The damage done by bush fires the past season in the. Province of Ontario aggregates $2,500,000, the Lindsay district suffering the worst. The Irish landlords and their sympathizers are howling -against the decisions of the Land Court reducing rents, and the landlords are demanding compensation from the Government Cholera is decimating the British troops in Barbadoes.