Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1898 — WESTERN. [ARTICLE]

WESTERN.

The past winter Ims been a very favorable one for range cattle, which have come through fat and strong. There have beeu no severe weather losses in the intcrmouutain district. Frank V. Salazar, an Oakland. Cal., blootblaek, is claimant for 200,000 acres of la ml in tho State of Sonora, Mexico. His title, he-asserts, is based upon government patents issued to his grandfather. . Negroes at Springfield, Ohio, chased tli’e proprietors of a museum from the city beeu use they exhibited the embalmed remains of two negro murderers lynched at KiWinghaui, Ala. The police had, to disperse the 1110 b. There was a tremendous bulge in wheat on ’Change at St. Louis, and for a while the market boomed up like a rocket. There was an increase at one time of 9% cents a bushel. This brought the market up to $1.18%. Burglars broke into the Farmers and Merchants’ bank of Humphreys, Mo., and blew open the safe, but the officers of the bank have not made public what was taken. Their doors were opened the next morning for business. A. man in State militia uniform, found wounded and probably dying near the railroad tracks several miles from Lincoln, Neb., has been identified as Calvin Hopper, a private in Company I, who, it is charged, deserted Camp Saunders. There are two bad wounds on the head.

It is reported that twenty Indians are dancing on Marshall prairie, thirty miles from Tacoma, Wash. All but two or three Indian families are in the dance, which begins at dusk and continues until 20r3 a. in. The country is sparsely settled and the whites are alarmed, fearing an outbreak. The National Association of Canned Goods Manufacturers closed a two days’ session at Cleveland, Ohio, and adjourned to meet next year in Philadelphia. A resolution was adopted providing for a national seal, which all members in good standing will be permitted to use. Officers elected were: President, George W. Moon-, Baltimore: vice-president, Mrs. C. It. Sears, Circleville, Ohio; treasurer, F. O. Conant, Portland, Me.; secretary, E. S. Judge, Baltimore. The colonization commission of-the Social Democracy makes a formal announcement that the report of the first attempt to establish a co-operative commonwealth lH*ing made in Kansas was erroneous and arose from the fact that the co-operative commonweal;*! company wok incorporated in dllat State. It is said that colonies Will soon be established in Tennessee, Washington aud Colorado and in Idaho and Kansas later on. “The main purpose of concentrating socialists in sparsely settled States will not be abandoned, even if we should start in Tennessee as a beginning,” it is added. Definite statement of the plans is withheld until the deeds for the land have been secured. At Duluth, Minn., fifty frame buildings on Minnesota point, just above the ship canal, were burned. There wns a puff of smoke, a burst of flame and then u long row of ramshackle buildings were in a blaze. An hour later 2,0()0 people were homeless. The tin 1 took twelve frame store buildings, fronting on lower Lake avenue, just-’below the "Under-tlie-Ilill” district, and swept from there back to the lake shore. The district was populated by the poorest people iu the city. There are no very large individual losses. The total is thought to be over SIOO,OOO. Among the sufferers were fifty families of Jews, members of a colony, who were at a mass meeting praying for the success of- the American nrmy in the war with Spain. There were many narrow escai>es from death, hut it is believed that everyMody was. rescued. The most thrilling criminal episode which has taken place iu New Orleans since the Italian lynebings of 1891 occurred the other day. A. negro barging, who was pursued across the most populous districts of the city, killed two wouldbe captors and was finally shot to pieces by a mob after a desperate fusillade, In which several citizens were wounded. Hie

crime for which the negro was being arrested when he made his dash for freedom wss of some weeks’ standing. Officers had orders to arrest him on sight, and when seen he was taken into custody. The moment the officers were off their guard the desperado, who was of large physique, dashed them away and ran. Police Corporal Cleary witnessed the act and rushed in front of the man to prevent his egeape. In an-instant the negro sent a- bullet through the officer’s brain. The shot brought crowds from oil directions, and the hue and cry went up as the criminal dashed away. He was pursued to the open country, where he took refuge in a barn. Officer Trimp was the first to attempt to enter the building. He was shot dead by the negro. Finally a man got to the roof and sent n bullet into the negro’s head. The body was riddled with bullets by the infuriated crowd. Back of the recent arrest of a man giving his name as Jones at Gallipolis, Ohio, on the charge of burglary and the subsequent arrest of Mrs. Pratt of Toledo, is a sensational story. The alleged burglar is announced by the police authorities to l>e Melvin O. Ladd, a prominent Toledo real estate man, who has a wife and two daughters. A sister of Ladd says she knew of his infatuation for the handsome widow, hut the wife was in ignorance of the intrigue. Mrs. Lewis, whose house was the robber’s goal, is worth $75,000. Mrs. Pratt is her daughter by adoption and her only heir. Marshal Kuhn of Gallipolis was shown a picture of Ladd and declared it was that of the man in jail there. He said: “I am confident the couple were in a conspiracy to rob Mrs. Lewis, who always keeps a large sum of money in the house, and if the coast was clear they intended to kill the woman.’’ A hint was given the police that an attempt was to be made to rob Mrs. Lewis and possibly murder her. The man arrested, said to be Ladd, was caught with a piece of gas pipe in his hands, and when searched had a revolver, dirk and mask in his possession. The window had been4eft open downstairs, so he could easily have effected an entrance, Mrs. Pratt and Ladd had beeu seen to meet several times recently and they were being watched. Ladd is shrewd and Mrs. Pratt is considered deep and designing. She refuses to say a word.