Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1894 — SOMEWHAT STRANGE. [ARTICLE]

SOMEWHAT STRANGE.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF EVERYDAY LIVE. Queer Facte and Thrilling Adventure* which Show That Truth la Stranger Than Fiction. Da. Plateau, of London, recently received a fee of $12,000 for attending a royal patient. A Boston lady beat this. She once paid an English physician $25,000 for hu services. A Danish author told Dr. Felix Oaward of the case of a relative, a kleptomaniac, who would steal from himself. He used to tiptoe into his own pantry and make off with uncooked prunes, raw onions, or anything of the kind. In splitting open s log at Middlesborough, Ky., workmen discovered a darkbrown spherical mass, which proved to he a toad. It was at first perfectly lifeless, but upon coming in oontaot with the air showed signs of life and soon began to hop. On a recant Sunday, for the first time in many years, the water of the Delaware Bay was nearly as fresh as the water of a mountain stream. This condition of affairs was brought about by a strong northeast wind that blew continuously daring the week. A Hindoo baby is named when it ia twelve daya old and usually by the mother. Sometimes the father wiahee for another name than that selected by the mother. In that case two lampe are placed over the two names, and the name over which the lamp burns tha brightest is the one given to the child. Thirty-five years ago a rich fanner died at Ridgeway, Pa., first telling his heirs that they’d find $35,000 in the attio. But they didn’t, though they doubtless looked. Recently the house was sold to Andrew Benner, who found $7,000 of the money and told about it. The farmer’s daughter ia still living, and brought suit to reoover.

It is a Parisian ne who has taken the cake at shoplifting. She was accompanied by a nurse carrying a baby—a very convenient baby that never cried, not even when its hollow pasteboard body waa stuffed uncomfortably full of laoea and jewels, acquired without money and without price, until the day of reckoning that somehow never fails came at last. The town of Hart, Ga., boasts a notable specimen of the albino negro. The man waa once pure black, but for years his akin has been changing until now he ia white all over with the exception of a few dark spots. Not only is he white but much whiter than most white men, his changed skin being a clear, milky whiteness. The transformation has been natural and unattended by any pain or inconvenience. Among the Welsh “bidding weddings” were formerly the oustom, the bride and groom sending out noticea to all their friends announcing the wedding and soliciting presents. All married persons to whom either made a present on the wedding occasion are expected to return an article of the same kind and value, and the “bidding paper” promisee that new gifts shall be faithfully recorded and scrupulously returned when the donors are themselves married. The latest instance of crime bringing Its own punishment comes, on the authority of Dr. Leonard Guthrie, from Italy. An Italian woman had a husband, and the husband had the dropsy. But the dropsy did not work quickly enough. The woman put a toad into her husband’s wine to poison him. But the poison whioh the toad’s skin secretes has an active prinoiple—phrynin —which much resembles digitalis, which is the best possible remedy for dropsy pending on heart disease. So, instead of killing her husband, she restored him to health. A curious example of how sharply the edge of a windstorm may be defined is reported by the captain of the bark Peter Tredell, whioh recently arrived at San Diego from London. When off Valparaiso, the captain says, a whirlwind came along and passed over the stern of the vessel. A great sea accompanied the wind, and every sail and movable thing on the after part of the ship was carried away. The forward part of the vessel was untouched by the storm, which passed away in the distance, leaving a train of foam in its wake. An interesting discussion has sprung up among the palmists in regard to the line of the hand known as the marriage line. One recognized authority says that when this line curves upward the possessor is not likely to marry at all. Other experts reply that they know many married and happy people with such a line. It is also alleged that the traverse line on the “hill of Meroury,” which one party aays ia the marriage line, is not so considered by the Chirologioal Society. “Our opinion,” says.the editor of the party organ, “is that these lines are signs of attachment, and there is scarcely a hand ever seen without at least one in the hand of either married or unmarried people,” Two shocking cases of miscarriage of justice are reported, one from France and the other from Germany. In France a woman has just been released after sixteen years’ imprisonment on the discovery that she is entirely innocent of the death of her husband and of her brother-in-law, with the responsibility for which she had been charged; while in Germany a cashier of the ministry of finance, who was in the penitentiary for having embezzled a sum of 5,000 marks, has been liberated after twelve years’incarceration on it being brought to light that there had been no money stolen and th,at the apparent discrepancy had been due to a mistake on the part of the auditors. In neither case will the victim have any redress, as the law does not provide for any such judicial errors. Among many quaint customs which are gradually disappearing is the so-called “Lion Sermon,” whioh, after having been annually preached in the Church of St. Catherine, in the oity of London, for nearly three centuries, has just been abolished. It owes its origin to an adventure which befell a mediaeval Lord Mayor of London, Sir Richard Guyer. According to the legend, being attacked by a lion while traveling with a caravan in Arabia, he fell upon his knees and vowed to devote his life to charity if spared from the lion’s jaws. The animal is stated to have thereupon turned tail.;, and in pursuance of the vow thus made, 1 the “Lion Sermon” has been regularly preached ever since. An ancient ceremony was revived qn the occasion of the procession of judges,, when ,the Michaelmas term was opeuwer at the law courts in London. It was the carrying of an exquisitely chased silver oar, some three feet long, before the president of the Admiralty Court; and as soon as ha had taken his seat on the bench the oar waa lal* **» the table la

front of him, much in the same manner as the mace of the House of Commons is laid ia froot of the speaker. This silver oar dates back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when it was first used as a table ornament at the dinner given by the Middle Temple to Admiral Sir Francis Drake on ku return from the Spanish mete. Ax amusing impromptu addition to the performances or the Royal Aquarium Theatre of London occurred the other night. In the play a ghost comes an aad frightens one of the characters, who rushes wildly about calling for help. A troupe of educated dogs, which were awaiting their turn to perform, became so excited by the noise that they rushed on the stage, headed by the gallant Bruoe. They immediately made for the astonished ghost, who jumped upon a table in the centre of the stage, and, there surrounded by the pack, implored somebody to call off the dogs. Never, probably, has a spectre so entirely lost big dignity, while the audieuoe was so convulsed that it was some time after the animals were removed before the performance could proceed.

A report from Butte, Mont., says that when Mr. McConvllle,of that place,killed a chicken for dinner recently he found its crop and gizzard full of gold nuggets. He immediately killed all his other chickens and found in tbe thirty-one crops and gizzards $387.55 worth of gold 18 karats fine, sn average of $12.50-1-6 per chicken. Mr. MoConviile is not willing to abate even the sixth of a cent from (he story, as it amounts to a good deal from a number of chickens. He at once bought fifty more chickens and put them in his gold pasture, and in four days’ time one of them showed sa accumulation of $2.80 worth of gold, or 70 cents a day. Mr. MoConviile proposes, to buy all the ohickens he can find and set them to work, expecting soon to accumulate a large property. A queer story, and one which readers would do well to thoroughly salt (give it more than the proverbial grain) before swallowing, comes with first-class recommendation all the way from England. Thirty-three years ago, in 1860, a member of the Chaplin family died at Blankney, Lincolnshire, and was laid in the family tomb. This particular Chaplin was a naturalist, and among his other pets had a large gray bat. That bat was permitted to enter the tomb and was sealed up alive along with the corpse of his dead master. In 1866 the vault was opened, and to the surprise of all the bat was alive and fat. Od four different occasions since the Chaplins have looked after the welfare of their dead relative’s pet, and each time it has been reported that the bat was still in the land of the living, although occupying quarters with the deed. He was last seen in 1892. On November 17, Alexander Hockaday, residing in Spencer township, Harrison County, Ind., about twenty-five miles west of New Albany, celebrated the one hundred and fourteenth anniversary of his birth. He was born in Virginia, November 17, 1779, the date, it is claimed, being authenticated by a record of a family Bible, now in the old man’s possession. When quite young he came to Kentucky with his parents, but removed to Indiana when that State was a part of tbe great Northwestern Territory. Seventy years ago he removed to his farm in Harrison County, on which he now resides, and has livsd there continuously since that time. His wife is still living, at the age of eighty-six years, and is sufficiently active to perform many of the household duties. Mr. Hockaday still retains his mental faculties utmost unimpaired, and is wonderfully native for his years. He says that he has voted at every Presidential election sinoe 1800, a period of ninety-three years. The old man seems to suffer no abatement of strength, and bids fair to live many years more. The British ship Lanark arrived in port two days ago, says the Philadelphia Press. Yesterdav the physician from the British consulate went aboard to examine the crew. Three-fourths are Lascars, shipped in Bombay. The doctor found six suffering from heart affection and two from other diseases. The last two were in a serious condition. The doctor, through an interpreter, told one he must be removed to a hospital. The crew gathered around the physician and uttered furious protests. The sick man said he would die rather than leavo the ship and his countrymen. A-Lasoar eats nothing but food prepared by a countryman; a Christian touching it would cause contamination, and anyone partaking of it after this defilement loses caste. This waa why the sick man preferred death to leaving the vessel. He consented to go only after the doctor had solemnly promised that he should have food prepared by one of the crew, and be permitted to leap, whether sick or well, when his ship cleared this port. Then he and the other sick man, who is an Egyptian, were taken to the MedicoChirurgical hospital. Not another Lascar comd be induced to leave the ship. They have their own cook, who mixes the food on a square stone, mashes and boils it. Rice, tea, currie, and water form the main part of their diet. Under an agreement between the Indian Steam* ship association and the British government better care is taken of the Indian than of the English sailors. The Lascars ship under special and separate articles, which provides the kind of food they are to have, permit to worship as they please, and stipulate warmer clothing apd plenty of it in cold climates. Little meat is eaten, for only those of a certain caste are allowed to indulge. The Lascars on the Banark are Buddhists and Mussulmans.