Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1883 — ADDITIONAL NEWS. [ARTICLE]

ADDITIONAL NEWS.

The Friend building at Milwaukee, the largest mercantile block In that city, was swept away by lire. The total loss is #600,000, most of which was sustained by Friend Brothers, although the stocks of Landauer A Co. and Straw, Ellsworth A Co. suffered to a degree not exceeding 5 per cent of their value. A race riot at Oconee, Ga., resulted in the killing of several white men....Bluford Smith, a colored man, who killed Chaa Kenser, was taken from jail at Tazewell Court House, Va, and riddled with bullets.... Dave Roberts, a negro, charged wtlh cotton stealing and murderous assault, was taken from the Abbeville (S. C.) jail by a mob and lynched. The Ford brothers, who attained to an unenviable notoriety through their connection with Jesse James and other gentlemen of the bush, added to their reputation at Boston in a rather undesirable manner. They had been engaged of late In repeating on the stage, with toy pistols and doll knives, the life they were wont to lead in the back counties of Missouri. They were delighting the gallery in a Boston place of amusement when one of the audience ventured to remark that the dramatic efforts of the Ford boys were not quite up to the Boston standard. The retired outlaws heard the remarks and at once returned to their old profession. Jumping from the stage, they emptied their revolvers In true cowboy style and cleared the house at once Boston policemen, however, proved more active than Missouri Sheriffs, and the redoubtable outlaws were marched off to the station-house.... While watch-night services were being held in a church at Reading, Pa, twenty young men backed a large cannon against the building and fired It The front wall was crv.shed in and every pane of glass was shattered down upon the congregation. Several of the mischief-makers are in jaiL In an article on mercantile failures for 1882, Bradatreet'a says that the business disasters of the year numbered 7,574, against 5,929 in 1881 and 4,350 in 1880, being an increase of 1,645 over the record of last year. The paper says: The feature of these returns worthy of special comment is the large increase during 1882. This increase largely occurred during the last quarter of the year, while the general readjustment of trade to a lower range of prices has been going’ on. The numbers reported for the first, second, third and fourth ?iuarters of the year were respectivaly 2,146, ,503,1,658, 2,26 r It will be noted that the number of trade disasters was exceptionally larger in both the first and last quarters of the year, when the blimders of the twelvemonth have had time The reaction that has been going on throughout the country must be regarded as a sign of returning health. There is now good reason for the ‘belief that the country is returning, by gradual steps rather than by a violent movement, to a point where the swelling tide of trade will bring a new excess of disasters.”.... The Court of Queen’s Bench at Toronto, Can., has unanimously decided that the laws of the Province place no restriction op the carrying of passengers by land or water on Sunday, thus overruling a decision thirty years old which held that it was illegal for ferryboats to ply on the Lord’s Day.... The books at Castle Garden show the arrival of 455,450 immigrants for the past year....A shock of earthquake swayed buildings and churches at Halifax, in some cases causing a panic among watch-night worshipers. Mrs. Langtry hal for lier opening night in Chicago an audience large in numbers, but rather undemonstrative as to appreciation. Wide differences of opinion were expressed as to her gift of beauty, but her grace of bearing was conceded by aIL .... Mary I. Martin, of Emporia, Kan., who poisoned Mrs. Kuger in order to obtain insurance of #5,000, has been sentenced to the gallows, after a confinement of one year in the penitentiary'. Sir Charles Dilke, having been opposed by the Queen on account Of his earlier radical tendencies, now announces a complete change of front, and in' his eagerness for official position declares that all those republican theories were but youthful follies which he has long since outgrown. William H. Bulkley, the Republican candidate at the last election for Govomor of Connecticut, has declined under any circumstances to accept the office in case the Democratic “black ballots” cast at New Haven shall be rejected. Miss Josephine C. Meeker, who was for some days a prisoner among the IJtes in C olorado, died of pneumohia at Washington, where she was employed in the office of the Secretary' of the Interior. The popular little actress, Miss Annie Pixley, has made a big success of her characterization of Zara, in the play of that title. She played to large houses at McVieker’s Theater, in Chicago, last week. This week she appeais at that house in her old Eart of “M'liss,” in which she has achieved er greatest fame.