Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1888 — Page 3

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

A CHRONICLE OF HAPPENINGS IN MOOSIERDOM. Shocking Deaths, Terrible Accidents, Horrible Crimes, Proceedings of Courts, Secret Societies, and, in fact. Everything of Interest to the Hoosiers. Some weeks ago a marriage license was issued to one, Mr. Wilson, living north of Muncie a few miles, to wed a young lady by the name of Huffman. Ever since their marriage they have lived happily together. A few days ago the young wife divulged a secret to her husband that is causing him to investigate its truthfulness. She says that her real maiden name was Glass instead of Huffman, and when about eight years old. and while living with her parents near Columbus, Ohio, she was kidnaped from them and was kept concealed for a long time. The parties who stole her placed her in the hands of persons who finally moved to Indiana, where she has lived ever since. Her statements are quite startling, and are creating a great deal of excitement. All the parties concerned are highly respected. Horribly Torn by a Charge of Shot. A young man named Geo. Duckworth, of North Salem, was out hunting alone, and accidentally shot himself in the side. He was standing on a log with his double-barreled shotgun in his hand, both barrels being full-cocked. He slipped,and involuntarily put the butt of the gun to the ground to support himself. One barrel was discharged, the heavy load of No. 5 shot entering his left side and tearing its way out at his bark, and shattering two ribs. He fell in a shallow pool of water, and was heard calling for help by two men who were at work in the same woods. He was conveyed to his home and several physicians called in. They found that the left lung was exposed and that the three arteries were severed. His. condition is critical.

Will Not Fool with Guh Again. There was an explosion of natural gas at Wabash, which produced considerable fright. A lad named Miller noticed gas escaping from a cut-off gate, which was uncovered, and getting down into the hole the boy lighted a match. The force of the explosion lifted the lad up and threw him whirling like a top across the road. He was slightly burned about the face. A moment later there was a frightful roaring. The pipe a short distant away had parted, and the force of the explosion threw up a great shower of dirt and rocks, while the roar shook buildings in the lower part of the city. The pipe had previously been subjected to the rock pressure 320 pounds. Thinks It HU Duty to Kill His Children. Joseph Wigner, who resides on the Lagro road, east of Wabash, is afflicted with a strange mental aberration, and he appears to be convinced that it is his duty to slaughter three of his children. The trouble dates back for several days. The neighbors think that Wigner has had mighty domestic trouble, which may account for his present condition. He sees huge knives coming through the walls Of his home, and many other apparitions. He has repeatedly stated that he would kill his children, but a close watch is being kept on his movements and his designs are certain to be frustrated.

Conference of City Attorneys. A number of city attorneys, from different parts of the State, met in convention at Indianapolis, in response to a call issued by D. N. Taylor, City Attorney of Terre Haute. This is the first meeting of the kind ever held. Its object is to devise means to secure better legislation for cities throughout the State. Many of the laws governing them are defective, and an effort will be made to have the next Legislature make many needed changes. A committee to wait on the Legislature and present the facts to their notice was appointed, and a permanent organization perfected. A Survivor of Balaklava. in the City Hospital of Indianapolis, suffering with fever, is an aged Englishman, named John Levick, who has an eventful history. He is one of the very few survivors of the immortal 600 who made that awful charge at Balaklava—“into the mouth of hell”—celebrated by Tennyson’s poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” He has papers establishing hi's identity. Becoming a plumber, he fell sick while putting natural gas pipes in houses. Indiana Patents. Patents have been granted to Indiana inventors’as follows: James W. Coates, South Bend, two-wheeled vehicle; Asa M. Fitch, Seymour, card game; George W. Harris, South Bend, spring for sidebar vehicles; Andrew J. Hinkle, Ladoga, gate; Jonathan J. Moore, Thorntown, steam-boiler; George Stevenson, Northfield, broadcast seed-sower; Robert Westphal, South Bend, two-wheeled vehicle. Minor State News. A distressing accident, which terminated fatally, occurred near Nortonburg. Lewis Woods was out hunting, when his gun was accidentally discharged by the trigger striking a log. The heavy load of shot entirely disembowled the young man. His companion summoned assistance, and the wounded man w»" conveyed home, where he died

The free-delivery system will be in operation at Crawfordsville about Jan. 1, 1889. —-Ira A. Spaulding, one of the largest landholders in Blackford County, Indiana./was fatally hurt, at Montpelier, by a colt he was driving jumping off r. high embankment. —Councilman Jacob Seifert, of Shelbyville. a well-known carpenter, fell from a brick building a distance of some thirty feet, breaking his left arm in two places, two ribs on his right side, and receiving internal injuries which will probably prove fatal. He has a wife and eight children. —George Duckworth, the North Salem man who accidentally wounded himself by dischargimg the contents of a shotgun iuto his side while hunting, has since died of his injuries. —Albert Spurgeon, of North Manchester, while playing foot-ball had both bones of his leg broken just above the ankle. —A bill has been presented to the Montgomery County Commissioners by W. H. Thompson and G. W. Paul for $5,000, said amount being claimed as damages because the old Board of Commissioners did not employ them as attorneys for the county. In 1884 they were the County Attorneys, but that year, when the new Board assumed control, Thompson and Paul were discharged and another person employed. Now, after four years, the bill for damages is presented. George Smith, of Bluffton, has been arrested on the charge of committing a criminal assault on a 12-year-old daughter of Henry Martz. He was caught in the act by the father of the little girl. —The physicians of Crawfordsville have submitted a propostion to the City Council to establisd a free dispensary, where persons who are too poor to employ a physician can receive the proper attention. The physicians will give their services free, and the city is to furnish all needed supplies and medicines and rent two rooms. The Council will act upon this proposition at their next meeting. —An infant child of Samuel Davidson, of Harrison County, was shot in the right arm and hand by the accidental discharge of a shotgun and may die. —Measles, which has been epidemic in the southern part of Shelby County, has spread to Shelbyville, where a number of cases were reported on Sunday. —The barn of Charles Anderson, in East Colnmbus, was destroyed by fire, together with all its contents. The loss is not large; no insurance. The fire originated by a cow kicking over a lighted lantern, which set fire to the hay. —Milo Pearson has been given a verdict in the Huntington County Circuit Court fox- $3,575.50, against Wabash County, for damages caused by the breaking down of a bridge which he and his brother were crossing at the time, and which, he claims, has personally injured him. —A horse, in crossing the railroad at New Richmond, Montgomery County, got one of his hind feet fastened between the rail and the planks placed between the rails. The horse, in trying to free his foot, tore it entirely off, and afterward was shot to end his sufferings. —Two brothers, named Jacob and David Dill, living near Huntington, became violently insane on the subject of religion. Having been taken to jail, they attempted to burn themselves by setting fire to the mattresses in their cells.

—George Hacker, a German Socialist, attacked James Bruce at Indianapolis, because the latter was opposed to Socialistic ideas. Hackerused a knife and hatchet, inflicting eleven dangerous wounds. —The last lodge in Boone County of the once prosperous order of the Patrons of Husbandry, has disbanded. At one time the order ran a co-operative store in Lebanon, which flourished for a while, but finally went into bankruptcy. —Charles Sheehan, an inmate of the St. Joe Hospital, at Fort Wayne, stole a watch from another inmate. He was arrested, and within twenty hours was in the Michigan City Penitentiary, serving an eighteen-month’s sentence. —-William Deckerman, a young man whose home is in Evansville, went out for the first time on a local freight on the Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad, and while making a coupling, at Princeton, fell from the cars and was horribly mutilated, the wheels of the train passing over his legs and chest. He died in fifteen minutes. The deceased leaves a young wife. —Mrs. Nancy Goins, who two years ago killed Mrs. Sarah Dawson, and was acquitted on the ground of self-defense, instituted peace proceeding against Alexander Dawson, husband of Mrs. Dawson, at Anderson. The charge against him is that since the acquittal of Mrs. Goins :he has pursued her with threats of taking her life, for vengeance. —A wild train ran into the rear of a freight train on the Chicago and Atlantic Railroad, three miles east of Crown Point. The trainmen escaped by jumping. Several car’s were demolished, and the damage will not fall short of $30,000. The road was completely blocked, and all trains were compelled to proceed by way of the Grand Trunk. —Six valuable horses belonging to Jesse Vermillion, of Monroe Township, Madison County, were killed by a C., W. AM. train. Loss, $1,200.

THE NATION’S TREASURY

WHENCE COMES THE .MONEY AND WHITHER IT GOES. Secretary Fairchild, of the National Treasury, Makea His Annual lieport to Con-gress-Ata Interesting Document—A Surplus of 5958.U00.000. [Washington spacial.] The following comprehensive document has been presented to Congress by Secre-tax-y Fairchild, of the National Treasury. It is a complete digest of the workings of that department for the past year: The ordinary revenues of the government from all ‘sources for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1888, were: From cu5t0m55219,091,173.63 From internal revenue 124,286,871.98 From sales of public lands.. 11,202,017.23 From profits on coinage, bullion deposits, and assays.. 9,387,634.48 From tax on national banks 1,748,566.85 From fees—consular, letterspatent, and land 3,433,448.99 From customs fees, fines,’ penalties, etc 1,097,448.20 From sinking fund for Pacisic railways 1,170,331.43 From miscellaneous sources. 7,838,581.97 Total ordinary receipts. $379,266,074.76 The ordinary expenditures for the same period were: For civil expen5e5522,852,334.03 Fox- foreign intercourse 1,593,461.40 For Indian service...- 6,249,307.87 Fox- pefisions 80,288,508.77 Fox- the military establishment, including rivers and harbors and ar.-enals 38,522,436.11 For the naval establishment, including, vessels, machinery, and improvements at navy yards 16,926,437.65 Fox- miscellaneous expenditures, including public buildings, light-houses, and collecting the revenues 44,228,351.89 Fox- expenditures oxx account of the District of Columbia 4,278,113.48 For interest oxx the public debt 44,715,007.47 Total oxdinary expenditure 5.5259,653,958.67 Leaving a surplus 0f... ,$119;612,116.09 Which was applied as follows:. Purchase of bonds fox- sinking fund, including $2,852,015.88 for premium.. $36,557,165.88 Redemption of— Fractional currency for sinking fund 7,400.00 Loan of July and August, 1861 34,350.00 Loan of 1863 4,500.00 Five-twenties of 1862 11,300.00 Five-twenties 0f1865 1,500.00 Ten-forties of 1864 7,850.00 Consols of 1865 26* 350.00 Conspls of 1867 v .. 97,550.00 Consols of 1868 1,250.00 Oregon war debt 150.00 Funded loan of 1881 83,100.00 Loan of July 1882 4,175,750.00 Old demand, compound interest, fractional currency, and other notes 65,863.05 Funded loan of 1891 8,337,550.00 Funded loan of 1907 18’283,’950’00 Premium on loans of 1891 and 1907 5,418,826.58

$83,084,105.51 Leaving a balance added to the cash in the Treasury of 36,527,710.58 T0ta15119,612,116.09 As compared with the fiscal year 1887, the receipts for 1888 have increased $7, - 862,797.10, as follows: Source— - " Increase Internal revenue 55,478,480.76 Customs 1.804.280.50 Sales of public lands 1,947,730.81 Miscellaneous items 1’816,257.31 $11,041,749.38 Decrease. Soldiers’ home, permanent fund $793,070.18 Tax on national banks 63-7,284.38 Sales of old public buildings.. Sales of Indian lands 598,941.38 Miscellaneous items 524,774.19 $3,178,952.28 Net increase $7,862,797.10 There was a decrease in the ordinary expenditures of $8,278,221.30, asfollows: Decrease. Increase. Miscellaneous and civil.. $12,312,564.79 • Interest public debt... 3,026,539.78 War department 38,529.74 Pen5i0n555,259,406.98 Navy department 1,785,3'0.85 Indians 54,785.18 $15,377,724.31 $7,099,503.01 Net decrea5e.58,278,221.30 FISCAL YEAR 1889. For the present fiscal year the revenues, actual and estimated, are as follows: Customss2l7,ooo,ooo.oo Internal revenue 125,000,000.00 Hales of public lands 10,500,000.00 Profits on coinage, assays, etc 9,500,000.00 Tax on national banks 1’500,000.00 Fees—consular, letters-pat-ent, and lands 3,250,000.00 Miscellaneous sources 10,250,000.00 Total ordinary receipts. $377,000,000.00 The expenditures for the same period, actual and estimated, are as follows: Civil and miscellaneous ex-- .. ' Peuses $79,250,000.00 Indians. 6,250,000.00 Pensions 77,000,000.00 Military establishment 44,000,000.00 Naval establishment 21,000,000.00 Expenditures for the District of Columbia 4,500,000.00 Interest on public debt 41,000,000.00 Total ordinary expenditure55273,000,000.00 Estimated surplus, ap-

plicabio to purchase of bondsslo4,ooo,ooo.oo FISCAL YEAR 1890. The revenues of the fiscal year ending , June 30, 1890, are thxis estimated upon the I basis of existing laws: From customss2l7,ooo,ooo.oo From internal revenue.... 125,00000.00 From sales of public lands 10,000,000.00 From fees—consular, letj ters-patexit, and lands.. 3,250,00(100 From miscellaneous sources 21.250, I >oo.ou ■' * Total estimated receipts. .$377,000,000.00 1 The estimates of expenditures for the same period, as subnxitted by the sevex-al executive departments and offices, are as follows: Civil and miscellaneous exi pen5e5580,653,022.48 | Pensions... 81,758,700.00 Postal service. 4,403,414.90 District of Columbia 5,949,535.61 Miscellaneous 20,906,849.66 Perniaxxent annual appropriations— Sinking fund 47,800,000.00 I Interest on public debt.... 38,000,0<X).0b I Refunding—customs, internal revenue, lands, etc... 12,464,500.00 Collecting revenue from customs 5,500,000.00 Miscellaneous 4,927,555.95 Total estimated expenditures, including sinking fund... .$323,567,488.34 Ox- an estimated surplus 0f553,432,511.66 Excluding the sinking fund, the estimated expenditures will be $275,767,488.84, showing a suplus of $101,232,511.66. SINKING FUND. The requirements of the act of Feb. 25, 1862 (R. 8., 3688, 3689), establishing a sinking fund for the gradual extinguishment of the public debt, estimated for the current fiscal year at $47,583,000, have been thus far met by the redemption of treasury notes, fractional currency, and bonds of the United States, which had ceased ~ to bear interest, amounting to $77,797.35 and by the purchase of $26,839,650 of the funded loan of 1891, at a cost to the fund for premium of $7,672,222.29 on the forixxer and $844,206,73 on the lattexloan. SURPLUS REVENUE. In the last annual report it was estimate! that the revenues fox- the year to end June 30, 1888, would exceed the ordinary expenditures, not including the sinking fund, $113,000,000. It will be seen from the foregoing statement that such excess was in xeality $1.9,612,116.09, or $6,612,116.09 more than the department estimate. It was also estimated in the same report that the like surplus for the fiscal year to end June 30, 1889, would lie $104,318,365.64. Judging from the actual expenditures for the first quarter of this fiscal year, and in the light of receipts and expenditures to the middle of November, it is probable that this estimate will prove to have been fairly accurate, and that the surplus will almost exactly equal the predicted sum. The accumulated surplus on Sept. 29, 1888, was $96,444,845.84; the surplus revenues from that date to June 30, 1889, as estimated, are $85,365,203.25, making the total accumulation oxx June 80, 1889, which could l>e used in the purchase of bonds. $171,810,054.09; however, between said Sept. 29 and Nov. 22 $44,399,509.50 has been paid for bonds; consequently, it no more bonds were bought between now and June 30 next the surplus would then amount to $127,000,000. Upon the basis of appropriations recommended by the department, and upon the assumption that the revenues of the fiscal years to end June 30, 1889 and 1890, will be equal, the surplus revenues for the latter fiscal year will be $101,000,000, which, with the surplus revenues of this year and the sxxrplus already accumulated, make a total of $228,000,000, which might be used during the next nineteen months in the purchase of the interestbearing debt, and which ought to be used fox' that purpose unless the laws are to changed as to reduce the difference between expenditures ami revenue by nearly that sum.

About $188,000,000 of the 4J per cent bonds are now outstanding; they are payable Sept. 1, 1891. The total amount of interest which will accrue on them from now until their maturity is in round numbers $25,000,000; consequently the present surplus and the surplus which will probably accrue before July 1, 1890, will suffice to pay the principal of those bonds and all the interest which would accrue upon them should they l»e jiermitted to remain unpaid until their maturity. Tho principal of the 4 per cent bonds is now $680,000,000, and the interest which could accrue upon them until their maturity in 1907 is about $500,000,000; a calculation will show tliat the present surplus reventies, if continued, would pay before 1900 all of the 4 per cent bonds and all of this interest. Of course all the money which is saved by the purchase bonds less than the principal and the interest to accrue but shorten* the time when all the bonds may be paid if the holders will surrender them.

Nothing more is needed than the foregoing statement to show the absolute necessity of a readjustment of the public revenues at the earliest possible date. To continue taxation with no other use for its proceeds than such an investment is a cruel waste of the people’s money. PURCHASE OF BONUS. Since the last annual report, and after the completion of the sinking-fund requirements for the year ended Juno 30, 1888, no bonds were bought until there had been an expression of opinion by resolution in Iwth houses of Congress that it was lawful and proper to invest the surplus in bonds necessary to obtain them. The purchase was resumed under a circular of April 17, 1888, and since that time nearly all the bonds which have been offered for sale to the government have been bought by it. Ninety-four millions of dollars of bonds have been secured under this circular ami a premium paid for the privilege of buying them of about $18,000,000; the net rate of interest realized from this investment is only alwut 2 per cent and the- saving in the total amount of interest which would have been paid had the bonds been allowed l to run to maturity is about $27,000,000. Had taxation been reduced so as to leave thia money with the people, and if it is worth in their business 6 per cent j>er annum, the total value of the money to them during the term which these bonds had to run would be about $83,000,000; thus there is a resulting loss to the people of $56,000, - •XK) upon this transaction alone.

ARMY AND POSTOFFICES

REPORTS OF SECRETARIES ENDICOTT AND DICKINSON. The Administration of the War Depart* nient-Estimate< and Expenditures! for Military Protection—The Postal Service Fully Considered. Secretary Endicott has made a report of the War Department during the fiscal year ended June 30 last. The total expenditures were $41,175,107; the appropriations for the cureent fiscal year amount to $.19,879,934, and the estimates for the fis?al year ending June 30, 1890, aggregate $44,632,507, as follows: Salaries and contingent exjxenses, $1,988,890: military establishment, support of the army, and military academy, $/5,293,378; public works, ineluding river and harbor improvements, $13,885,234; miscellaneous objects, $3,575,000. The Secretary gives a brief review of the trouble, with the Chiriacahua Apache Indians, who are now confined at Mount Vernon barracks, Alabama, and discusses plans lor their disposition. The Secretrry says it is very desirable to secure some place where the climate Is suitable or opportunity may be had to instruct and employ them in agricultui‘e. Desertions from the army continue in large numbers, as in previous years, but from investigations recently made it appears that 80 per cent of the desertions occur before the expiration of the second year of service. In discussing the various plana suggested to prevent desertions the Secretary says: “It is worthy of consideratioxx whether the officers in command of troops at military pasts, or the captains of companies, should not be authorized to impose punishment for xuixxor offenses. But in gx anting such authority it will l>e necessary to specify the extent and character of the punishment for each offence, otherwise there would be no uniform rule, nor would it be wise to impose so large a discretion upon a single officer. ’ ’

The Secx-etary says that all the States and Territories now have an active nxilitia sufficient under the regulations to entitle them to I'eceive ordnance and quartermasters’ stores from the United States, excepting the State of Arkansas and the Territories of Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. It is hoped that very soon practical instruction in seacoast defenses and the handling of heavy artillery may be given to the militia, and the officers of the army may be relied upon to give a zealous and cordial assistance. The report continues: “By a generous supply of ammunition fox - target practice to colleges where army officers are serving as instructors it is possible that competitive contests in rifle shooting might, in time, become as popular with some of these inland colleges as biwit racing is now at the universities at our seaboard.” The attention of Congress is again invited to the defenseless condition of the seacoast and lake frontiers, and liberal and immediate action is recommended looking to the effective defense of our principal seaports. The Secretary adds: “It would appear now more important than ever that such action should be taken at the second session of the present Congress in view of the fact that the last session gave appropriations for the constauctioxx of heavy ordnance. Without .heavy platforms, strong armored protection, and other permanent emplacements these guns and mortars when finished will be of comparatively little use. “The building of modern gun and mortar batteries requires longer periods of time thaxx the construction of the armament. It would appeal* the part of wisdom that the preparation of these two important components of a well-equip]>ed defense shoulg proceed simultaneously. For the beginnind of the construction of such defenses an appropriation of $2,840,000 is asked for.” He concludes his reports by calling attention to the great need of an assistant Secretary of Wax*, and says that such an officer is imperatively needed for the proper and efficient administration of the war department.

THE FOSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT. An Estimated Deficiency tor the Last Fiscal Year of *4,190,227. Postmaster-General Dickinson’s annual report shows a remarkable expansion of business anti a large increase in expenditure. The gross revenue for the year was $52,695,176. The total expenditures, inclusive of liabilities for the year unpaid and embracing the amount for transportation of mails on Pacific railroads, for which the government receives credit, was $56,885,403. The estimated deficiency is $4,190,227. The total estimated gross receipts for the year ending June 30, 1889, are $57,392,576. The amount appropriated for the service of the year is $60,860,223. The total number of postoffices is 57,376, an increase over 1885 of 6,124. The number of postmasters appointed during the year was 12,288, of which 6,521 were upon resignations and commissions expired, 1,244 upon removals, 659 to fill vacancies by death, and 3,684 on establishment of new postoffices. One thousand six hundred and forty-five postoffices were discontinued during the year, and the names and sites of 1,493 offices changed, retaining the incumbents. The adjustment of July 1, 1888, established ninety-seven offices in the first the third class, making a total of Presidential offices at the date last named of 2,502. The gross receipts which accrued at the presidential offices for the four quarters ended March 31, 1888, amounted to $38,438,987, an increase of $3,326,826 as compared with the adjustment of July 1, 1887. There lias been an increase of $522,5'10 in the amount required for the salaries of Presidential ]>ostmasters over the amount required for 1887. The total volume of busmess in the money-order division for the year is upwards of $143,000,000, and shows a net profit to the government of about $50,000. The report recommends a revision of the law regulating the compensation of fturthclass postmasters so as to provide for a readjustment in harmony with the reductions in postage rates; a readjustment in the classification and salaries of clerks in the larger postoffices, and the repeal of the law fixing the minimum rent for third-class officer at S3OO, with an allowance of S6O for fuel and lights. The best interests of the service, the report says, require that the last mentioned items should be left discretionary with the department.