Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1875 — THE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

THE NEWS.

On the 38th the city of Wis., was for the third time within the last few years visited by a disastrous conflagration. The area burned over is about a mile and a half long by half a mile wide. The principal business blocks and the finest residences were destroyed, including all the newspaper offices, the Opera-House, the Court-House, the banks, all the hotels except one, the telegraph office, several saw and shingle mills, and millions of feet of lumber. Three lives were lost and hundreds of families v ‘‘•re rendered homeless. The loss is *riously estimated at from $750,000 to $3,000,000. Lord Hobart, Governor of Madras Presidency, India, died on the 38th. The Prince of Wales was installed Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Masons, at London, on the 38th. Judqb Pierbepont, of New York, has been tendered and has accepted the United States Attorney-Generalship. In his evidence in the Beecher case, on the 28th, Mr. Traey said that in his interviews with Messrs. Moulton and Tilton they only charged improper proposals and that Mr. Tilton denied the truth of the charge now made. Mr. Moulton had never told witness that defendant was guilty of the graver charge, and witness had never told him that if it were true it was a case where lying was justifiable. He had advised the destruction of the documents in Mr. Moulton’s possession. The agricultural implement and car pet manufacturers of Great Britain have decided not to send their wares to the Philadelphia Exhibition, on account of the tariff which the United States imposes on the importation of such merchandise. The French manufacturers are said be preparing contribute liberally.

The final act of reparation for the Gustav outrage occurred at Santander on the 28th, when the German flag was saluted with a royal salvo of artillery. At Pap Hollow, a small village near Wilkesbarrd, Pa., on the 29th, a Constable and two deputies, armed with legal documents, endeavored to eject a miner’s family from a house that had been bought at Sheriff’s sale- As the officers entered the house they were met by the women of Lawrence O’Connell’s family and driven away with stone,s and other missiles. The Constable shortly after returned with five polieemen and several deputies, and two arrests were made. As they were taking the prisoners away the miners opened upon them with firearms, killing two and mortally wounding another. They retreated to Wilkesbarre, gathered a posse of twenty-five armed men and started for Pap Hollow once more, where about 3,000, men, women and children were assembled. O'Connell’s house was surrounded and they were again fired on. The O’Connells were finally captured, ironed and taken to Wiikesbarre. Ex-Senator SUhurz and family left New York on thd 29th on a visit to Europe. Mri* Schurz was given a complimentary banquet just before his departure by several of the leading citizens, at which William M. Evarts presided. The direct testimony of Gen. Tracy was finished on the 29th, and he was cross-examined by Mr. Beach. His evidence was in the main contradictory of the statements of Messrs. Tilton and Moulton in regard to witness’ connection with the parties prior to the beginning of the suit. The Weber furniture factory in Detroit and ten or twelve adjoining dwell-ing-houses were burned on the 29th, indicting a loss of about $300,000. Oh the 29th announcement was made that the breaks in the Union Pacific Railroad, cansed by the freshets in the Rocky Mountains, had been repaired, and that trains had resumed their regular trips. A coal-mute explosion occurred on the 30th ult. in Bunker’s Hill colliery, North Staffordshire, England, while the miners were at work. Twelve dead bodies had been taken out at last accounts, and the twenty-three remaining in the mine were not expected to be recovered alive. Count Waldeck, the French artist, died at Paris on the 30th ult. at the remarkable age of 110 years. A bill was recently introduced in the German Reichstag abolishing all religious orders in Prussia.

At the end of Mr. Tracy’s cross-exami-nation on the 30th ult. Mr. Evarts announced that the defense rested their case. Mr. Beach said it was due to the prosecution to state that they made no objection to allowing Mrs. Tilton to be called as a witness, although she was incompetent under the statute. Mr. Evarts said it had never been a question with them whether Mrs. Tilton would be a witness, as they knew the law was against them. If Bhe could at any time have been admitted there were grave questions to be * considered, and that if his client needed any additional evidence it wonld be his duty to adduce such testimony. They had not been brought to angr pcint when they were led to consider the force of the evidence. Mr. Beach replied that, in his view of tiie law, the counsel were mistaken in the intent of the law as to the propriety of allowing the wife to defend herself. It was not its policy to forbid that adverse position, but he only mentioned this matter first so that if counsel desired to produce the lady they were at perfect liberty to do so. Mr. Evarts said he did not believe the consent of counsel made the wife a competent witness. Judge Neilson said there

was no Question about the allowability of the other side to offer this lady as a witness. It would be a very trying position for her, but on the whole he was Charles C. Stanley and ts. W. Maddox were called in rebuttal, and testified that Mr. Tilton was not with Mrs. Woodhull in the-Communist procession. John Swinton testified that he walked arm-in-arm with Mr. Tilton in the procession, and that he did not see either Mrs. Woodhull or Miss Claflin during the procession. On the cross-examination witness said he was surprised to see Mr. T. in the procession, and did not suppose, before seeing him there, that he would be present. An Oshkosh (Wis.) special of the 80thult. says the loss by the late great fire was then estimated at $2,500,000, with about $950,000 insurance. Of the eightynine business houses destroyed contracts had already been made tor the rebuilding of at least half of th«ln. Everything in the bank vaults had been recovered in a good state of preservation. The property destroyed had been decided to have been about as follows: Five hundred residences, sixty-nine stores, three banks, five printing-offices, opera-house, Postoffice, four hotels, two engine-houses, three school-houses, five churches, telegraph offices, one depot, five mills and lumber-yards. Relief was needed. The recent cold weather is reported to have destroyed the young grasshoppers in many sections of Minnesota, and it is generally believed there will be no further trouble from this pest. The Michigan Legislature adjourned on the 29th ult. The Attorney-General of Louisiana has filed a petition in the Superior District Court against State Auditor Charles Clinton and the securities on his special bond for the aggregate sum of over $500,000, including accounts received by him from tax collectors and unaccounted for. Judges Brooks and Dick, in a late charge to the Grand Jury of North Carolina, declared the criminal features of the Civil-Rights act unconstitutional. French arid English gunboats have been ordered to the banks of Newfoundland to prevent threatened trouble between the fishermen of each nation.

A portion of the Carllst forces on the frontier of Nav»re have revolted, demanding peace and recognition of Alphonso. The diplomatic controversy between Germany and Belgium has been concluded to the satisfaction of the fqrmer Government. St. James’ Hall, in Liverpool, Eng., was burned on the 2d. Loss $150,000. The blockade around the provinces occupied by the Carlists has been re-es-tablished. The condition of the public debt May 1 is reported as follows: Six per cent, bond* $1,132,177,060 Five per cent, b/bnda 580,362,750 Total coin bond*. $1,718,589.850 Lawful money debt $14,678,006 Matured debt 19.659440 Legal-tender notes 878,123,492 Certificate* of deposit. 47,865,000 Fractional enrrency 48,809,165 Coin certificate* 22,4ti8,800 Interest.... 35,828,1 TS • Total debt. $2,274,796,475 Cash In TreasuryCoin $94,625,669 Currency...- 1,096,375 Special deposits held for- the redemption of certificates of deposit, as provided by law 47,885,000 Total in Treasury.... $143,587,044 Debt less cash in Treasury $2,181,809,431 Decrease during April 2,325,346 Decrease since June 30,1874 11,778,809 Bonds Issued to the Pacific Railway Companies, Interest payable in lawful money, principal outstanding $64,69*512 Interest accrued and not yet paid.... . 1,298,470 Interest paid by the United States.. 26,264,102 Interest repaid by the transportation of mails, etc..... 5,946,430 Balance of interest paid by United States - 90,318,458 The Secretary of the Treasury has directed the sale of $5,000,000 in gold during the month of May. On the 2d the Department of Agriculture reported that the area of land in winter wheat this spring is 7 per cent, above that of last year. -* Ida Greeley, the elder daughter of the late Horace Greeley, was recently married in New York to Col. Nicholas Smith, of Covington, Ky. *. ••:

According to the official returns of the Connecticut State election Ingersoll (Dem.), for Governor, received a majority of 0,521; the average majority of the rest of the Democratic State ticket was about 5,500. The Democratic majority on Congressmen was 2,857. The Philadelphia Press states that all hopes of the recovery of Charley Ross had been abandoned. A British ship arrived at New York lately with a cargo of salt, arsenic and' other merchandise. The salt was stored in the hold and the arsenic in betweendecks. Daring the voyage some of the packages of arsenic were broken, and the contents distributed about the decks. On the ship’s arrival the cargo was delivered to the consignees, and the salt was sold and mast of it sent out of the city. Subsequently fears arose that some of the arsenic might have come in contact with the salt, and an analysis of portions of the latter showed the presence of the poison. The salt already sold was ordered back to New York for examination, and large quantities of it have been returned. A colored man named J. Reed recently shot a policeman at Nashville, Tenn., and was lodged in jaiL A large and excited crowd attacked the jail on the night of the 30th ult., seized the prisoner, fastened a rope about his neck and took him to the suspension bridge, from which he was thrown with the intention

of hanging him; but, the rope breaking, he Ml ninety feet on the rocks beneath, and f rom thence into the river. He was shot once on the way and again at the bottom. Hu body *•**"*. The Attorney-General of Louisiana has filed a petition in the Superior District Court, claiming that John C. Moncure was elected and is legally entitled to the office of State Treasurer, now held by Antoine Dubuelet. Telegrams were received in London, on the Bd, announcing great victories achieved by the Carlists at Breda and in Arragon. The United States Supreme Court has recently decided, in the case of the State of Maryland against the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, that the capitation tax provided for in the charter of the road is a valid and constitutional contract. The opinion was expressed that a State cannot impede commerce, and that Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce; that this is one country commercially, and that the progress of merchandise mnst be unimpeded. While no local interests could interfere with Hie due progress of commerce the rights of the State must also be protected, and hence the decision that the charter of the railroad is a legitimate, reasonable and constitutional contract with the State.

On the morning of the Bd, in the Beecher case, Mrs. Tilton, who was present, sent a written communication to Judge Neilson, which she requested him to read aloud before the opening of the proceedings of the court. After reading the note the Judge said the matter would be considered. The note was unden tood to refer to the question of Mrs. Tilton being allowed to testify. Several witnesses were sworn who testified to the effect that Mr. Tilton was not in the company of Mrs. Woodhull in the Communist procession. Albert Martin, the Superintendent of the Mission Sunday-school of Dr. Storrs’ church, testified that he was at Mrs. Ovington’s on the day that Bessie Turner went before the Church Committee and that Bessie was in the back parlor with Gen. Tracy for over two hours; witness could hear them conversing together but could not understand whgtwas said; witness took Miss Turner around to Mr. Storrs’ in order thaUßhe might testify before the committee. Franklin Woodruff was recalled and testified to two interviews, at which he told Mr. Tracy that Mr. Tilton’s charge against Mr. Beecher was for the greater crime alleged, and that Mr. Beecher had advanced SSBO for the relief of Mr. Tilton’s family.