Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1901 — Page 7

BECORDOFTHE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. - Brutal Hazjni of a Teacher—Murder Mjratery in Indianapolis—Marries a Youth in Jail—Reign of Terror at Chesterton—Father’s Plot Fails. Wesley Dugan, a public school teacher in the southern part of Pike County, was •the victim of a brutal hazing at the bands of his pupils, which nearly cost him his life. During the school hour h« was set upon by a number of the larger pupils, his hands secured behind his back and then forced to go with, them to a large pond about a, mile from the school house. It was tlrfe intention to duck him in the pond, but he succeeded in releasing himself, and wading out into the water got upon a large stump. Not being able to carry out their purpose, the pupils began to pelt him with stones and clubs, and he was 'soon forced to leave tha stump and attempted to reach the opposite bank, nearly half a mile away. Ila was benumbed by the cold, and although i good swimmer he was exhausted before .■caching the opposite bunk and lost consciousness. He had sunk to the bottom ■Of the pond when a farmer rushed in an# rescued him. Leading Vason Shot. William 11. Smythe, grand secretary of the Masonic order in Indiana, was shot in the head behind the right ear and perhaps fatally woundhd in bis office in the Masonic Temple at Indianapolis. Th* shooting is a mysterious one, and, although a corps of police and detective* have been at work diligently on the case, the mystery is not satisfactorily solved. Before Mr. Smythe lnpsed Into uncon* sciousness he told, in an incoherent manner, of a blond woman who entered hi* office and asked to be permitted to use the office telephone. As she had called twice before in thd moruing and be wn* busy, he refused'her request. At this, h* said, the woman drew a rerolver from somewhere about her clothing and fired point blank at'him. He felt the sting of the bullet and fell to the floor, where h« was found a few minutes later by Lewi* A. Coleman, an attorney, who had call* «d at the office to transact business rr lating to the Masouic order. Bride Gcej to Jail to Wed. Mrs. Bertha Arthur, a young widow of Anderson, was married at the county jail In Muncie to Walter “Dobber” Itiehy, who will in a few days be sent to State’s prison for the robbery of the Bowles ■dry goods store. The young woman went to Muneie as soon as she learned of her sweetheart’s incarceration and sought to get a marriage license. She failed to procure the license without affidavits, but later she renewed her efforts nnd wqs successful. Justice Moreland performed the wedding ceremony in the jail corridor. Itiehy is 22 years old. His bride is 25, and is unusually pretty. „. Chesterton Has "felun of Terror.” Chesterton is having a “reign of terror.” A few nights ago John Strabl was held up at the point of a gun, but knocked the highwayman down nnd escaped. In two nights five houses were broken into. At the Catholic parsonage offerings amounting to SOO were taken, sllO in the same drawer living overlooked. Small thefts are of f almost nightly occurrence. Cars are being robbed on the side tracks. Car Inspector Fensky of the E., J. df E. Railway capturing a man leaving a car with his arms full of shoes. Plot to Kidnap Han Fail*. Charles H. Beach, formerly of Logans|K>rt and now of Chicago, lies in jail in the former city charged with trying to kidnap his son, over whom the boy’s mother has control. Beach was placed under a sf>oo bond to await trial. It i* said the Bench family was broken up several years ago, since which time Beach lias lived in Chicago. Within Our Border* Franklin has a big gang of robbers. Hartford City is chock full of tramps. I.nporte already plans great July 4 celebration. Louis J. Schmidt, 00, Lafayette, tva* run down and nearly trampled to death by a careless driver. Win. Yulpilat, it Marlon hotelkeeper, got mad nt a justice of the peace because be required bond and tried to whip him. While bunting, John Knight, 18, Nash ville, discharged both barrels of his shotgun accidentally and has but one foot now. Walter Newman nnd Ross Neeley were blown several feet by a bursting Muncie gas main, but neither was injured seriously. " ' v Cornelia Barth, aged 24, wist of August IlaTth of St. Croix, was fatally burned while rescuing her year-old babe from their burning residence. Two window glass factories nt Dunkirk, where 300 Labor Assembly men went out because of the employment of league cutters, resumed work nnd all is quiet. I)r. William Randolph, claiming to be from Chicago, was sentenced to three years iu State prison for the theft of a patent medicine recipe from Dr. Otto Ivanuth of Evansville. John Anderson, Muncie dairyman, caught k fellow taking a turkey from his roost. Anderson fired three times nt the thief, who fell. Anderson thought he had killed him nnd ran for a doctor. Then the fellow escaped. Jackson Clemens, who was charged with murdering Arnold Ferry, near Koch ester, more than fifty years ago, nnd who escaped from jail during the trial, has just died in Missouri, where he livi-d an upright life under an assumed name. Greenfield Gas Company has turned another well into the mains. Northwestern Scraper An derson, has gone into the hands of a receiver. The Hamilton County grand jury was Instructed to inquire into alleged election - frauds. American Car and Foundry Company, Jeffersonville, shipped fifteen coaches to New Zealand. . Miss Emma E. Newborn sued Frederick J. Bloom, at Richmond, for breach of promiM-

INDIANA'S EDUCATORS.

Anna*! Session Is Addressed by Many Prominent People. The Indiana State Teachers’ Association held a three days’ session in Indianapolis and fully 1,000 teachers employed iu the public schools of the State were in attendance. In addition to the general association, which includes the members of all sections, four separate organizations also met, namely, the county superintendents, the township trustees, the Indiana Academy of Science and the college section. While the latter is regarded as a part of the general association, its meetings have a distinctive character, and many members attended them who did not go to the general meetings. The teachers and township trustees appear to agree upon the advisability of asking the Legislature to repeal the section of the school law which permits the transfer of pupils from the rural to city and town schools. They do not object to transfers where it is designed to give pupils the advantage of high school branches, but say that the transfer of all classes is destroying the rural or district schools and overcrowding the schools iu the towns and villages. The first meeting of the general association was held Wednesday night. W. H. Glasscock, superintendent of the Bloomington schools, delivered his address as retiring president, which was followed by the address of Robert Hamilton of Huntiugton, the iucoming president. Thursday addresses were delivered by Dr. C. R. Henderson of Chicago University,,President Parsons of the. State Normul, Superintendent R. G. Boone of Cincinnati and Prof. John L. Lowes of Hanover College. Other prominent educators were heard in the several discussions. The sessions of the association closed at noon Friday. The principal lecture of the morning was by Dr. John M. Coulter of the University of Chicago on “Some Problems in Education." An important event on the program was the report of the committee appointed by the association a year ago to form a plan to interest the people at large in Indiana historical subjects and to bring about a more systematic study of history in Indiana: Thb eommitteeTeeomnionded that provision should be made iu the common school curriculum of the State with a view to giving definite instructions in Indiana history. A resolution was adopted looking to a combined effort with the National Teachers’ Association to ask Congress to reorganize the national bureau of education on broader lines and to iu crease its efficiency. The session closed with the election of the following officers: President, H. B. Brown, Valparaiso; secretary and treasurer, James It. Hart. Lebanon; recording secretary, Miss Leila Vaught, Martinsville; chairman of executive committee, Lawrence McTernan, Anderson.

State Items of Interest.

Columbus postolflce is getting new fixtures. Ruth Wilson, 3, East Columbus, died from burns. Vigo County Commissioners may buy voting machines. Rev. Father Hegger, Richmond, diet! in a Cincinnati hospital. At a Richmond gambling house raid, ten poker players were arrested. Robert Smith and wife, Richmond, celebrated their golden wedding. Muncie snappers compromised with window glass managers, and the strike is off. Hiram Amos, charged with stealing a revolver, cut his way out of the Seottsburg jail. Ross Coojper. Maxwell, lost an arm by the accidental discharge of a muzzleloading gun. A new trial will be asked in the John Diehl murder case. New Castle. Diehl was convicted of procuring the death of Mary Farwig at Muncie. Washington Cook of Warren has been declared of unsQtmd mind and, will be committed to Longcliff asylum. Cook is 2t» years old and sgjoked from twenty to forty cigarettes a day. The saloon known as the Blue Goose, at Burlington, was attacked by protesting citizens, who, with stones and brick bats, demolished all the windows of the place, smashed in the doors, nnd, taking the kegs of liquor into the street, poured the contents into the gutters. Mrs. Frank \V bite of Keystone and Janies Woods, an oil operator, eloped. As they left the woman’s house a daughter was awakened and rushed to hei mother. Wood* grabbed the child and whipped it until it fell insensible. The deserted husband is almost crazed. Alice and Martha Grogan, daughters of Alex. Gregan of Marietta, became violently insane through some mysterious means which the doctors suspect tfi have been a dose of belladonna. The girls wanted to attend a European academy of music, which their parents felt unubie to grant. Frank 8. Jones, attorney for tlie defendants, announce* that all the cases begun in the Federal Court by Mrs. Lulu C. Jenkins against Ripley County citizens for damages for the death of her husband'by lynching nt Versailles linve beCu compromised, nnd the cases have been dismissed by the plaintiff. By the terms of the compromise tho defendants will pay Mrs. Jenkins $4,000 iu satisfaction of all elulms. Miss Bertha Culbertson, aged 21, a school teacher, tilled herself at Olenwood with -n revolver. She shot herself through the heart and died instantly. She lmd received the attentions pf Charles May, n prosperous young mad of Fayetteville. He left for Giendive, Mont., for permanent resilience, and his relations with Miss Culbertson were severed for good. She brooded over the separation. , Tho jury in the trial nt Winchester, wherein Patrolman Cyrus Waite of Un-w ion City was accused of murder for killing Fred Hardwick, whom he shot while resisting arrest, has returned a verdict of justifiable homicide. Joseph Douglass of Crawfordsville shot and fatally wounded Frank Parrish nnd Charles Doyle, who had called nt his house to see. his wife. The men went to the rear door, and failing to get n response, kicked it opeu. Douglas* confronted - them with a shotgun, tearing Pajrrish’s face off and pouriug a second *hot Into Doyle’* back.

M’KINLEY THE HOST.

GREETS 6,000 PERSONS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY. President and His Wife Receive Distinguished Diplomats. Army and Navy Men and Others at White House —Scenes of ! plendor. The beginning of the twentieth centprjr was fittingly celebrated in Washington. Beginning with the reeeptiod nt the White House at noon, persons iu official life were whirling about until late in the afternoon. The arrangement* at the White House were satisfactory, considering the small space available for receiving the large timing. Tile diplomatic corps entered the historic structure from the south. Thirty-six friendly nations were represented in the gathering by members of six embassies and thirty legations. The Marine band and the Elev enth Infantry baud alternated itr dis coursing selections, the former presenting for the first time a fantasia, "Timely Thoughts,” composed by Lieut. Snntelmann, the leader, and including parts of all the favorite airs of Mrs, Mclviulcy. Representatives of the army and navy ware gorgeous in gold lace and polished buttons, Gen. Miles lending the army with Adit, Gen.. Corliiu beside him, and Admiral Dewey the navy. About 5,000 persons had been received when, nt 1:30 o'clock, the reception was to close. However, as the crowd still stretched four abreast beyond the outer gates the President directed that the reception proceed, that all might come in. U rs. McKinley cndqred the trying ordeal with milch composure, remaining alongside the President throughout. It was 2 o'clock when the end of the line appeared; and the President, waving a final salutation to the guests, escorted Mrs. McKinley to her apartment*. After the Presideut and other members of the receiving party had Liken places in the blue parlor the long line of guests began to move. First iu the line came the ambassadors nud ministers from foreign courts, accompanied by their full staffs. At their head was the venerable Lord l’nuucefote, British ambassador, and doau of the diplomatic corps, in full uniform. With him wore Lady Pauneefote nnd the Honorable Miss Pauneefote, Following came Baron Fava, the Italian ambassador; Dr. von Holleben, the German ambassador; M. Gambon, the French ambassador t Count Cassini, the Russian ambassador, nnd Sruor- Don Aspiroz, the Mexican ambassador, each accompanied by bis staff and ladies. The Chinese minister, iu his rich oriental silks, accompanied by Mine. Wn. in elaborately embroidered gown, attracted much attention. After the ambassadors ami ministers came the chief justice and associate justices of the United States Supreme Court, the judges of the Court of Appeals, Senators and Representatives in Congress, fovmer cabinet officers and ministers of the United States. From the state dining room the guests passed into the retl parlor.

FREE HOMES OUT WEST.

The Last Great Homestead Race to Be Hun Next Summer. The last and, perhaps, the greatest race, for homes ever run under government auspices is on the card for the coming summer. The Fort Sill country is to he thrown open for settlement. It lies between Texas and Oklahoma, is sixty miles square nnd in the Indian tongue is called “Beautiful Land.” It is the last or the Indian reservations of notable size which still remains a part of the public domain ami. l»y a law passed last June, it is to lie cut up into homesteads, ns the Cherokee strip and other Indian lands have been within recent years. The exact date for the opening lias not yet been fixed hv the President, who is empowered to say the word which will start thousands who are eager for free homes on a dash into the Indian country. The entire area is not. however, to In* parceled out nniong the prospective settlers. About one-third goes to the Indians. Certain sections will be set apart for public schools, government buildings and other purposes of the future State of Oklahoma, of which this section will form a part. There must also he subtracted 50,(Kk) acres for the Fort Sill military reservation, leavin^about 1,614,076 acres for settlement. Probably onefourth of thin is mineral or waste lands, so that only nbpilt 8.000 quart/r sections of desirable land will he left for the cottiers. There is bound to lie disappointment, because the number of possible winners when the Fort Sill country is opened will Ik' strikingly disproportionate to the interest felt nnd to the number of entries. It is probable that the government will to some extern mitigate the situation by opening at tbe same time the Wichita reservation. North of the eastern part of the Kiowa nml Comanche country is this Wichita reservation, containing about 750,000 acres. It is much smaller than the other tract, hut the Indians to lie given lands are not sit many. Allotmeat has been going on ihere gradually for some years. The proportion of good land is larger than in the Fort Biil country. The reservation consists of broad and fertile valleys nml rolling upland, suitable to diversified farming. It is estimated that 2,000 white settlers may he aide to find farm* there nfter all of the allotments nml reservations for school and other purposes arc made. .But, in addition to the farms to he distributed to the swiftest, the opening of these reservations will present many other opportunities, for towns will be laid out and populated in a day. While perhapa fewer than S,<MA) will win farms of 100 ncres, several times that number will find homes nud business njid lulror in the new counties to be incorporated as political parts of Oklahoma. In opposition to the delerjuiued vegeiarlnns. who condemn ull animal food, there is.a growing number of physiologist* iu Germany who insiwt that abstention from meat, if continued for ages and generations, is responsible for the feebleness and low intellect of certain races. Tire Btate of Ohio expend* $14.(A>0,000 annually on its 1.200.<A)0 school children. Of this fund Cincinnati pays sl,000.000. F. I,owortn was killed by “Gingec” Blue, Steubenville, Ohlx . »

REPORTS ON CROPS OF 1900.

Figure* of Department of Agricnltnre Show Good Condition*. The statistician of the Department of Agriculture estimates the United States wheat crop of 1900 at 522,229,503 bush* els, the area actually harvested being 42,495,385 acres, and the average yield per acre 12.29 bushels. The production of winter wheat Is estimated at 350,025,409 bushels and that of spring wheat at 172,204,096 bushels, the area actually harvested being 20,235,897 acres in the former case and 16,259,488 acres in the latter. The winter wheat acreage totally abandoned in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois is finally placed at 3,522,787 acres and the spring wheat acreage totally abandoned in North Dakota and South Dakota at 1,793,467 acres. The extraordinarily rapid rate at which the winter wheat acreage of Nebraska is gaining upon the spring wheat acreage of that State has necessitated a special investigation of the relative extent to which the two varieties were grown during the last year. The’ result of the investigation is that, while no change is called for in the total wheat figures of the tat*, 590,575 acres have been added to the winter wheat column at the expense of the spring variety. The newly seeded area of winter wheat is estimated at 30,282,504 acres. While this acreage is slightly greater than that sown in the fall of 1899, ns estimated at the time, it is 000,054 acres less lhan_ the area that was actually sown, the discrepancy being due to that remarkably rapid development of winter wheat growing in Nebraska with which ,ns above stated, the department’s reports had failed to keep pace. A comparison of the newly seeded ncrenge with that of the fall of 1899 shows that of the eleven States and territories that sowed 1,000,000 ncres or upward with winter wheat one year ago, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Kansas, California and Oklahoma report an increase amounting to 971,704 acres, and Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Texas and Tennessee a decrease of 1,780,191 acres. The average condition of the growing crop on Dec. 1 was 97F per-cent of the normal. There are many complaints of the Hessian fly, but the low-condition figures reported from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee —80.80, 87 and 84, respectively—are fully offset by tbe exceptionally high condition reported from Kansas, Missouri, California, Oklahoma and other States, in all of which it is above normal. The production of corn In 1900 Is cell mated at 2,105,102,516 bushels; oats, 809,125,089 busliels; barley, 58,025,833; rye, 23,995,927 bushels; buckwheat, 9,506,966 bushels; potatoes, 210,926,897 bushels, nnd hay, 50,110,&00 tons. The area from which these crops were gathered was as follows, in acres: Corn, 83,320,872; oats, 27,364,795; barley, 2,894.282; rye, 1,591,326; buckwheat, 637,930; potatoes, 2,011,054, nnd hay, 39,132,890. The corn crop of 1900 was one of the four largest over gathered, while the oat crop has only once been exceeded. On the o*her hand, the barley and rye crops are the smallest, with one exception in each case, since ISS7; the buckwheat crop I* the smallest'since~ißß3, and the hay crop the smallest, with - one exception, since 18S8.

CANNOT MAKE EAR DRUMS.

Doubt Thrown on Story that One Is Being Made for Miss Rockefeller. The report that Viennese aurists are making new ear drums to order for Miss Alta Rockefeller has attracted a great

deal of attention. Physicians on this side of the water are almost unanimous in declaring that it would ft An. *w» mm * be a physical Impossibility. A St. Louis doctor stated to the Chronicle that it would be impossible for the Vienna specialist to graft a new

natural drum in his patient’s ear. It is extremely improbable that new bones or substitutes can be grafted in the tympanum, and the construction of a new outer wall or membrane is an utter impossibility.

Echoes of Christmas Day.

The Elks of Roanoke, Vn., entertained 500 poor people at a dinner that cost sl,500. Louisville celebrated with Greworks and crackers. Hundreds of poor were given free dinners. In St. Petersburg high noblemen dined at the People’s Palace with peasants nnd families of workingmen. The feature of the f day in Omaha .was a fashionable reception to Gep. and Mr#. Fitzhugh Lee and their daughters. Five thousand people of Kansas City were feasted by the Salvation Army, while a business man entertained the newsboys. The wife of President Loubet of France gave 7,000 francs to poor widows. The day was plensant and the celebrations were as usual. The Salvation Army of Chicago gave dinners to 6,000 poor people, and the Pacific Garden Mission cored for 1,000 more. The Union Traction Company fed 8,000 men at its big barns. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, provided 15,000 dinners for the poor of that city, •nd the Salvation Army and Union Mission distributed 500 baskets of food. Th* Elks provided for 150 families. In London the day wn's miserable, but the observance was general. Queen Victoria entertained a large royal party at Osborne House and tbe Prince of Wales bad a family party at Sandringham. The Salvation Army of Cleveland entertained 1,000 poor people. United States Senator Ilnnna was present and made a short speech, praising the Salvationists. Five hundred baskets were sent to the poor. The weather in New York was unusually mild. The Snlration A ring fed 4,000 people at Madison Square Garden. Five hundred newsbays feasted nt the Newsboys’ Home. Miss Helen Gould entertaiued small boys. Tbe United Charities distributed gifts at the hospital*. State Senator Sullivan entertained 4,000 of his constituency. ,

DIGEST OF THE YEAR'S LAWS.

The New York State Library has issued its eleventh annual “Comparative Summary and Index of Legislation by States,” covering the laws passed in 1900. The bulletin Is prepared by Robert H. Whitten, Ph. 0., sociology librarian, and it digests and organizes the large amount of legislation enacted by State legislatures. An interesting feature of the bulletin is its review of the most important nnd distinctive legislation of tho year, indicating the trend of legislation by reference to laws of previous years. Under the head of suffrage it is noted that a constitutional amendment in North Carolina has been adopted by the people and will go into effect in July, 1902. This amendment has for its purpose, illy concealed, the disfranchisement of the illiterate negroes of the State. It is similar tq that adopted by Louisiana In 1898, and makes ability to read and write a section of the constitution a qualification for voting. The bulletin shows that voting machines are 6teadily gaining in favor. The first law permitting the use of voting machines was passed in Now York in 1892; during the year Rhode Island has created a voting machine commission to examine make provisions for their use; in lowa the use of voting machines has been authorized, and a commission has been appointed to make investigations as to the merits of the machines now on the market. lowa passed a law providing for the appointment of tax inquisitors to discover personalty omitted from the tax lists. It is similar to the Ohio law on the same subject. Missouri has adopted a constitutional amendment providing for the exemption of the amount of a mortgage in the taxation of incumbered property. The nominal owner of the property is assessed for the amount of the property less the. mortgage, and the owner of the mortgage is_assessed the amount—of the mortgage. Virginia has provided for a tax of $1 on the seals of all courts and notaries by means of an adhesive stamp to be affixed jto the instrument requiring the seal. So far as is known this is the only instance of a State using stamps for the collection of taxes. New Jersey has adopted a franchise tax similar in some Tespects to that adopted by New York in 1899. It taxes all persons and corporations using highways, streets anil public places, except railroad and canal companies. Rhode Island has created a State commission to build and maintain sidepnths. A license fee of 50 cents to $1 may be imposed to form a sidepath fund. Maryland also has a sidepath commission. Mississippi, South Carolina and Virginia have revised their laws providing for pensions for indigent Confederate ; veterans, and Louisiana has adopted a constitutional amendment increasing annual appropriations for pensions. _ liouisiana will abolish the present system of leasing convicts as soon as the present lease expires, which will be .March 3, 1901. A number of Statics have provided for the release on probation of convicted juvenile offenders. Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey have extended this system to adult convicts. A Kentucky law provides that the board of prison commissioner* may parole convicts in the penitentiary for the first time. Paroled prisoners are not required to remain in the State, but if they do remain they are-required to report their place of residence and conduct to the board of prison commissioners, through the county judge, at least every six months. North Dakota has adopted a constitutional amendment establishing a board of pardons, consisting of the Governor, Attorney General, chief justice of the Supreme Court and two persons appointed by the Governor. South Carolina has decided to make an experiment iu State insurance. The State will carry its own risks on all State and county public buildings except school houses. Beginning with Jan. 1, 1901, half the amount now paid for premium* on city and county buildings will be paid to the commissioners of the sinking fund for an insurance fund. When the insurance fund reaches $200,000 no further premiums will be collected except to maintain the fund at that amount. Massachusetts has provided for the running of workingmen’s trains in the Boston suburban district between certain hours of the morning nnd evening, and for the sale of season tickets, for distance not exceeding fifteen miles, at a rate not exceeding $3 per mile n year, nnd quarterly anil weekly tickets at a rate not exceeding $1 a mile per quarter, and good for one ride each way six days of the week. Missouri passed a law designed to prohibit department stores by imposing high licenses on stores which carried goods in more than a certain number of designated groups of merchandise. The State Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional. Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have prohibited the use of trading stamps. The Rhode Island law has been declared unconstitutional'. Ohio has authorized the board of control of the agricultural experiment stations to inspect nurseries, orchards and gardens, and to .treat trees Infected with disease. Plantk shipped into the Stat* must hear a certificate of inspection. Virginia has made' its board of control of the Stute experiment station a board of crop pest Commissioners, with power to appoint a State entomologist, with dutle* in the lipe of reports on Insect pests. lowa nnd New Jersey have created State library conimissioi** with a \jew to assisting cities and towns iu the establishment of libraries nnd to co-operat* with local lifcrAiy boards in selecting books and providing suitable management for the libraries. There are now fifteen States with library commissions, their duties being similar to above. Mississippi was the only State to pas* anti trust legislation in 1900. There ar* now twenty-nine States with anti-trust law*.

PULSE of the PRESS

Extirpate the kidnapers! is the senti 4 meut of every true man nnd woman in the land.—Milwaukee Wisconsin. Congress now has just three month* in which to determine whether it will make a- record for statesmanship or just common surplus spending. —Pittsburg Dispatch. Oklahoma’s delight over her population of almost 400,000 need not be modified by the reflection that the census will never again credit her with an increase of 544 per cent.—Kansas City Star. Gen. Kitchener's preamble to a recent dispatch, "I deeply regret,” was made familiar by Gen. Buffer and Lord Roberts. lie is now having occasion for it* employment.—Brocton (Mass.) Times. When one remembers that 10,000 niur’ders are committed annually in the United States, it does not seem to be a wisd thing to advocate the abolition of capital punishment.—Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph. , , ■' .' '• - T - People who think that sugar is nil made from cane may be surprised to learn that nearly twice as much of the world’s supply of sugar is made from beets as is mnde from sugar cane.—Montgomery Advertiser. It appears that there are twenty-five counties in Texas ivhose average population is less than 500. Yet there are persons who persist in talking as though the country was beginning to get crowded.— Philadelphia Bulletin. The fear of capital punishment would at least prove a most potent deterrent, however, and the actual execution of one or more kidnapers, without regard to their age or condition, would produce most excellent results. —Richmond Dispatch. It should be remembered that the Count dc who is to marry a wealthy Cincinnati girl, is not a bankrupt, but a man of vust means in his own right. This instance is so unusual that it borders on the sensational. —Omaha News. The contention of the railways that iC they are liable for accidents at grade: crossings they ought not to he held responsible for damages caused by elevating their tracks seems to strike the-Sir., preme Cmirr of 111 in■ ■is as good togi e.—' Chicago Tribune. The trend of the evidence in the Boo* hazing case is rather to the effect that the victim was a booby. But that hardly justifies future officers of the. American army in resorting to the petty abuses that drove him to his death.—Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. It is reported that the pay of the Chinese soldier is 2(A cents a day, and he does not always get it. Which suggests that the Chinese soldier must he a finished artist in putting up an article of fighting that strictly corresponds with his pay. —Pittsburg Dispatch. Thus the influence of lynch law is at work to undermine the courts, to dull the public appreciation of the proper modes of administration. The evil has grown beyond bounds until it is necessary to consider it as a national menace, and not a sectional disgrace.—Washington Star. No excuse can ho made for kidnapers. They plan their deeds deliberately, with the purpose of working on tho affections of parents to extort money. Make death the penalty of the crime, and if criminal* wish to avoid the penalty, let them refrain from kiduapiug.—-Pittsburg Chron-icle-Telegraph. It is certain that so lung as the industrials are as much overcapitalized as they are prudent investors will have little to do with them. If the men in charge of these concerns care to put them on an investment basis, they will voluntarily squeeze out most of the water they eonj tain.—Chicago Tribune. - i’ari* is suffering a plague of thieves,* the remnant of the Exposition crowds. Chicago had a similar experience nfter the Columbian World’s Fair. The question naturally arises whether international expositions have anything inherent in their nature promotive of thieves or robbery.—Pittsburg Dispatch, The Boer has set the standard for the soldier of the future. He must bo a man of good physique, a doifr fighter, a sharpshooter, and a man who is able to look out for himself, for he will be on his belly half the time squinting through the sights of his rifle, with no officer to tell him what to do.—New York Evening un. It is about time that public opinion, if not legislation, should deal with the pardoning imwer as a public responsibility and not as a private privilege.;. Its abuse is a serious obstacle to the proper administration of justice and the safeguarding of life, and property, yet there is no way of calling its misuse to uccouut.—• Baltimore American. The whole force of the State of Nebraska and of every municipality in it should be directed to the pursuit of these brigands, nnd every State nnd city in the Unlou should join in the hue mid cry. That a system of Italian brigandage should be successfully operated here iu one of our large cities, that our children should not.tie safe from them on the public streets in sight of their homes is too monstrous to submit to.—Baltimore Sun. The tune has come, howevert when it should he recognized that a boy goes to school or to college to study, not primarily to fight, and while he should be allowed to develop Ids muscle if he is inclined that way, and encouraged, to become strong and athletic, he should not be beaten, abused nnd tortured if lie happens to prefer the work of the brain to that of the prize fighter.—Washington Times. *niere is not u great deni of difference between the Wnlilersce policy in China and the Chumberluiu policy iu South Africa.—Washington Post. I.eroy 11. Piper, former cashier of the First Notional Bank of St. M ur . v ' l '. Ohio, Who disappeared iu Yellowstone Park, has been given up ns dead; There is talk in Kansas of appointing a rabbit commissioner for the State. th* I reason being that 40.0(A) pounds of jack rabbit meat goes to waste annually la 1 Iks State.