Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS.

—An Irishman Lynch, belonging in Gardner, Me., died in the town of Whitefield, In the same State, not long since, and on preparing the body for the tomb, Government and other bonds to the vahie of soine SIO,OOO were found in a pocket that was fastened about his person. Those who knew him supposed he had some property, but did not think it was in this form, or so large in amount. • —There is an eccentrle gentleman in Virginia who is haunted with the idea that he will die in the poor-house, although he is in comfortable circumstances at present. He has erected a handsome marble shaft bearing his name, in the cemeteiy of that institution, blank spaces being left to be‘filled in at his death, and now only waits for fate or destiny to strip him of his property and make him a candidate for his expected position. —Another man has been found in London whose crime is that he has too much faith. His child had scarlet fever, and he refused to call a physician, but went down on his knees and asked the Lord to cure the boy. The Judge said that the prayer was undoubtedly a good one, but that it ought to have been accompanied with chamomile tea. He then sentenced the criminal to three months’ hard labor, declaring that it was not because he prayed, but because he did not practice. —A very unique case was brought before a Waterfora (Conn.) Justice, recently. It seems that a woman of that village expected the death of one of her children, and borrowed a dress of a neighbor to wear at the funeral. The child recovered, which caused its mother so much happiness that she went to a tonic beer party, wearing her neighbor’s dress, and spilled some of the beer on it. The owner of the dress demanded compensation, which was refused, whereupon she appeals to the law. By the advice of the Justice the affair was settled without atrial.

—Newburyport, Mass., boasts the most terrible infant yet. He is something over five years old, and the other day stole five dollars from his father and went out to invest it. He went to a store and bought a pistol and cartridges, and after practicing awhile with it happened to meet a young playmate, at whose head he presented the weapon and threatened to blow his brains out if he did not “ hook Jack”—meaning play truant from school.' The good boy got away, however, and told his mother, who complained to the police, and the fierce young renegade was arrested. Several plugs of tobacco were found in his pockets and a quantity of candy. After being confined awhile he was set at liberty, on his father giving bail for his good behavior. —The Jackson (Miss.) Times relates the following wonderful escape of an infant from a horrible death: The child was lying in its cradle with a mosquito-bar spread over the top, and a little sister, about three years of age, and a little colored girl about the same age were the only occupants of the room. The elder child held a chip in the fire and ignited it, and in shaking it to and fro to extinguish it, the mosquito-bar was set in a blaze, and the quilt and sheet burned, and even the mattress was burned at the head. It happened that at that moment a young brother opened the door and discovered the situation of affairs, and the fire was extinguished. The infant lay in the crib smiling at the flames, and neither she nor her clothes were scorched. —Cincinnati papers of a late date contain reports of die death of Micajah Bailey, a provision broker of twenty-five years’ standing in that city, through the error of a drug clerk, who put up prussic acid for a harmless mixture prescribed by the physician. Mr. Bailey was suffering from a strain received while acting as a pall-bearer at the funeral of an acquaintance. He had taken to his bed, and his physician had prescribed an ounce of prussiate of potash dissolved in four fluid ounces of water, a tablespoonful to be taken every four hours. The druggist compounded the cyanide instead of the ferro-cyanide of potassium, and the patient died one hour after taking the first dose. The druggist admits his fault and says he is prepared to stand the consequences. —Francis Graffatte, the Frenchman found guilty, in this city, on Saturday, of murder in the second degree, for killing Simon Hoover, in March, was found dead on the floor of his eell this morning. I was at the jail until midnight, when all appeared right. Graffatte was quiet afterthe verdict, and spoke in jail only when praying. He exclaimed, frequently: “ Oh, Lord! what will my sentence be?” “ Oh, Lord! they will hang me to-mor-row!” No one heard any unusual sounds. Death was effected by tying a towel to a rafter in the cell, and a handkerchief to that, 1 with a noose. He hung until the noose slipped out and the body fell to the floor. Sentence was to have been reserved until Saturday, to allow him to dispose of his property, valued at s2o,ooo.—Waterown (N. Y.) Dispatch.