Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1885 — WESTERN. [ARTICLE]

WESTERN.

The Hessian fly has greatly damaged the wheat crop in tections of California. The Sioux City and Pacific Railroad is building westward from Valentine, Neb., at the rate of nine miles per week, and will reach White River by August. Sullivan’s printing establishment on Sixth street, Cincinnati, was destroyed by Are. Seventeen persons lost their lives. The fire was caused by the explosion of a gasoline stove on the second floor, and the flames, springing up the elevator chute next to the stairway, at once cut off escape. Seven were killed by jumping from the fifth floor. One man perished in trying to save the lives of others. It was at first thought that all the rest had escaped, but nine more corpses were found inside the building. Leading educators of Nebraska, lowa, and Kansas assembled in convention at Omaha, the attendance being large. A bronze statue of the late Gen. Frank P. Blair was unveiled last week at Forest Park, St. Louis, by his daughter, Mrs. Christine Graham, 10,000 persons witnessing the ceremonies.

The bloodthirsty Apaches are again on the rampage in Arizona and New Mexico. They killed two men at Eagle Creek, and four at Alma. Troops have started after the cut-throats. In the United States Circuit Court at Chicago bonds of 850,000 each were renewed by J. C. Mackin and W. J. Ga'lagher. The certificate of division of opinion filed by Judges Harlan and Gresham asks the Supreme Court to decide whether the crimes charged are infamous; whether the defendants can be tried otherwise than on an indictment; whether the Clerk of Cook County is a public officer under the Federal election law, and whether the facts stated in the information constitute a conspiracy. At Blackfoot, Idaho, George Stuart, John L. Roberts, William Pratt, John Winn, and Charles Simpson, under indictment for polygamy, pleaded guilty, and were each sentenced to four months' imprisonment in the Territorial Prison and to pay a fine of S3OO. These are the first convictions of polygamists in Idaho. Stuart is a Bishop at Malad City, the Mormon hot-bed settlement of Idaho, and escaped punishment five years ago through perjury on the witness stand of Mrs. Stuart No. 5. It is said that the Mormon violators of the Edmunds law, especially those residing in the remote settlements of the Territories, are now thoroughly aroused to the importance of obeying the laws, notwithstanding the fact that their leaders, Taylor, Cannon, and others, are hiding to escape prosecution. Cattle on the track caused the wrecking of an express train near Mount Vernon, Ohio, but only the conductor received serious injuries. A tornado' which passed through Alton, 111., wrecked several buildings. A stroke of lightning fired a lumber-yard in St. Louis, and caused its destruction. W. C. Whitehead secured a judgment in Indianapolis for $17,500 against the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Road for injuries received in an accident. The Yosemite stage, says a San Francisco dispatch, was robbed by highwaymen near Clark's Crossing. The passengers comprised several members of Raymond’s excursion party,, who were robbed of everything in the shape of money and jewelry. Forty buildings at Lansing, la., were destroyed by fire, the losses aggregating SIOO,OOO. A fire at Merrill, Wis., destroyed property valued at $70,000. Charles R. Smith, of Menasha, Wis., suffered the loss of $30,000

of lumber. Forest fires raged to the north and west of Tawas City, Mich., burning to the tops of the highest tree*.