Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1897 — Page 2

A MODERN FABLE. |raA fable old for a modern rhyme, J?Take or leave, as you’ve wish or time. ■MI tender vine in a forest grew, plfMting out tendrils, two by two. ’.Jhe crept to the oak so tail and green, ■MBd Sighed: "May I on thy bosom lean ? g/The voice that quickened the soul in me ffißnld 1 was only a part of thee. f,“And I was never alone to stand, ■ Or sink deep roots in the motherland. f'“A creature of light, of love, of air, 19should have no part in the rude world's B care. i‘“But over thy breast, austere and old, | My warmth and beauty I should enfold, “While thine to shield me from all alarms, ' lAnd daunt the storms with thy mighty |L arms.” the oak replied: “To me, it seems ? Xou are much inclined to idle dreams. “Folks seem to think I can work and work ' -?Mt to let you hang around and shirk. •“I’ll let yon love me; I'll hear your song, £ But you must hustle and help along.” r And the little vine replied: “I'll try." But her leaves drooped low; she had to | sigh. I Iknd deeper, deeper, without a moan, » She braced her roots and she stood alone. I The wind blew hard, and, unhelped, at last ■ She loosed her hold and she faced the K ; blast. | Then cried the oak: “Alack, alas, | That such a thing should come to pass! “The vine has from my shelter fled {And flaunts a wicked, saucy head.” But then, complaining soft and low, r Che blushed: “I did not wish to go. “I stand alone, you know, I trust, !Not cause I would, but 'cause I must.” J *—Chicago Journal.

THIEVES ON BOARD.

k “Mrs. Melhurst’s compliments, sir, ’ *Dd would you please come down to >er stateroom immediately?” f I had just shut myself into my little •slice on deck, having run through the ship's acounts before turning in that • night. I had scarcely got my accounts fairly In hand when I was interrupted by a •light tap at the door. I arose at once ?Jnd opened it, and there stood Mrs. Melhurst s Canadian maid, with flushed face and nervous, agitated manner. > I switched off the electric light, lockid the door, and hurried away after xier. When I got to Mrs. Melhurst’s Stateroom I saw at once that something had occurred to cause her serious anxiety. The berth, the couch, and even Ihe floors, were littered with the contents of cabin trunks and hand bags. In the midst of the confusion stood the lady herself, looking decidedly perplexed and anoyed. I, “This is very singular, Mr. Morse,” •he said, pointing to an empty jewel ease which lay open upon the upper flberth. “My diamond ornaments are onlssing.” I “How did it happen?” „ “I cannot possibly tell you. At dinner this evening I happened to mention to Mrs. Latimer that I had picked ■P a certain crescent-shaped brooch on the continent. She expressed a wish to •ee It. When the tables were cleared I eame in here, took out the brooch, and left the jewel case lying on the berth, ibut when I got back the case was • empty.” “How long were you absent?” B “Not more than half an hour.”

“You are sure you had the key oi your cabin iu your possession all the time?” fe?“Positively. I never let it out of my hand while I was jn the saloon.” I I examined the lock carefully, but there was absolutely nothing to show that it had been tampered with. I had just got to the head of the saloon stair when I heard some one bounding up after me, three or four gteps at a time. I turned and saw Mr. Carter, who, by the way, had made several voyages with us on previous occasions. ? “I say, Mr. Morse,” he said, taking me confidentially by the arm, “you've <ot some queer customers on board this trip.” “How so?” | “Why, someone's gone and walked off ■With my silver cigarette case, a couple •f rings, and a pair of gold——” k “Tell me exactly what has happened.” t “My dear fellow, how can I? It Is ♦Dough to puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer. You see, I went to my stateroom Lgfter dinner—l can swear to that—and | > remember slinging my cigarette case, lyings, and a pair of gold sleeve links |mhd the npper berth. Then I put on my Mu in"!"." gown, stretched myself upon fttfae couch, and had a downright good MDDOZc. When I got up about five min&Cey ago, I found my trinkets had van- | I lost no time in hunting up the cap- !. lain, and made him acquainted with Btaw state of affairs. He was just as Mauch puzzled as I was myself. We Hpath questioned the lady closely, but Pber replies did not tend to throw any ISght. on the singular occurrence. Elfor the next few days we had no ■Bwther complaints. The thief was eviBfientiy “lyihg low,” waiting until tran■Mlilllty was restored before making a EEwdi attempt. Meanwhile I kept my f W« happened to have a passenger on Kfagrd— a Brazilian, named de Castro— Kwfeo was a bit of a mystery to me all the voyage. But for the fact I had conclusive evidence to show

he could not have been directly concerned in, the robberies—for Inquiries proved he had remained on deck the whole evening—he certainly would have been treated to a private interview in the captain's cabin. Nothing further occurred to excite suspicion until the last day or two of the voyage. Then, one evening after dinner, word was brought to ine that three other staterooms had been rifled in the same mysterious manner. When the alarm reached me I happened to be standing in my deck office. I had in my hand twenty sovereigns. I didn't wait to lock up the gold; I simply placed it on my desk, switched off the light, and hurried away. I had no fear for the safety of the sovereigns, my door having a particularly intricate lock. In which I took care to turn the key before leaving. I remained below for an hour or so, but. as in the other cases, I was utterly unable to make head or tail of them. Vexed and bewildered, I went back to my office, unlocked the door, turned on the light, and—my little pile of gold had vanished. Then I managed to pull myself together, and took a look around my little cabin. In the course of my observatlons mv eye happened to rest upon the porthole, which stood wide open, the weather being oppressively hot. I went outside and thrust my arm in through the opening, but my hand did not reach within fully two yards of the desk. Still, it struck me as being the only way by which a thief could get the money, and I determined to put my theory to a practical test. I went straight up to a young American gentleman, who I knew had a great many trinkets in his stateroom, and was rather careless, too, in the way he left them lying about. “Don’t show any surprise,” I whispered, glancing around at the other occupants of the saloon, “but might I ask whether your stateroom is locked?” “It is.”

“And the porthole open?” “I should say so! I don’t want to find the place as stuffy as the engine room when I go to turn in.” “Well, just pass me your key. I want to try a little experiment. Walt till I’m gone and then stroll up on deck. Let yourself be seen—on the lower deck particularly—but don’t pay too close attention to anyone you may notice loitering there.” I went and shut myself in his stateroom, crouching down so that I could just keep an eye on the porthole over the top of the lower berth. Suddenly, as I glanced up at the porthole, my blood ran cold, and in all my life I never had such difficulty to keep down a yell. In the dim light I saw a long, thin, hairy arm thrust in through the opening. The next moment a small black hand had fastened upon a leather case lying close to the window, and withdrew it as quick as thought almost. I dashed up the saloon stairs and made for the lower deck. There, just about the spot where I judged the stateroom to be situated, I came face to face with the Brazilian De Castro. . Suddenly, a happy thought flashed through my mind. I turned round and sprang down the saloon stairs, running full tilt against the chief steward, who was standing at the bottom. “Get me a handful of nuts—quick!” I cried. The Brazilian had moved away a little toward the stern. I went close up, stood right in front of him, and then began deliberately to crack the nuts. Presently I saw a corner of the cape drawn aside, and behind a pair of small, gleaming eyes fixed greedily on me. It was enough. My suspicions were confirmed. The moment I laid my hands upon him I heard a vicious snarl under his cape; it was pulled suddenly aside, and out flew a monkey. When searched, Mrs. Melhurst’s diamonds, Sir. Carter’s cigarette case and rings, and a miscellaneous collection of other valuables were found bn him. In his stateroom we discovered a perforated box, apparently intended for the use of the monkey, who was evidently quite as accomplished as his master. —Elmira Telegram.

Why the Soldiers Were Too Short.

Just at the time when vague reports were beginning to creep abroad that Germany was meditating fresh extension of her frontier at the expense of Holland a Dutch official of high rank happened to be visiting the court of Berlin and among other spectacles got up to amuse him a review was organized at Potsdam. “What does your Excellency think of our soldiers?” asked Prince Bismarck as one of the regiments came marching past in admirable order. “They look as if they knew how to fight,” replied the visitor, gravely, “but they are not quite tall enough.” The Prince looked rather surprised, but made no answer, and several, other regiments filed past in succession, but the Dutchman’s verdict upon each was' still the same: “Not tall enough.” 1 At length the grenadiers of the guard made their appearance—a magnificent body of veterans, big and stalwart enough to have satisfied e'-en the giantloving father of Frederick the Great, but the inexorable critic merely said: “Fine soldiers, but not tall enough.” Then Prince Bismarck rejoined: “These grenadiers are the finest men in our whole army; may I ask what your Excellency is pleased to mean by saying that they are not tall enough?” The Dutchman looked him full in the face and replied with significant emphasis: “I mean that we can flood our country twelve feet deep.”—London Tid-Bits.

Our Average Weight.

The weight of the average-sized man is 140 pounds; of the woman, 125 pounds.

JURY FAILS TO AGREE

FAMOUS LUETGERT MURDER CASE ENDS IN A MISTRIAL. Jury Was Out Sixty-six Hours and Stood on Last Ballot Nine to Three for Conviction New Trial Will Be Necessary. End of the Long Siege. The great Luetgert trial in Chicago, the most absorbing criminal prosecution of the century, ended in a disagreement of the jury. For sixty-six hours the jury tried in vain to reach a verdict. For thir-ty-eight hours the vote was 9 to 3 for conviction and at 10:40 o'clock Thursday forenoon the twelve men announced an irreconcilable disagreement, and Judge Tuthill, being convinced that it was useless and inhuman to attempt to force a verdict, reluctantly ordered its discharge. The twenty-second and last ballot stood nine for conviction and three for acquittal. This was irrespective of any question of the penalty which had to wait on the jury’s decision as to the guilt or innocence of the prisoner. The big sausage maker, the center of a series of the most dramatic episodes in the annals of criminal procedure, will have to go through this experience a second time, for he will be put on trial again for the murder of his wife. The closing events of the famous trial made up a scene of not more than eleven minutes’ duration. But a tense, feverish emotion was packed into every one of these minutes and even Luetgert, with his iron nerve, felt the strain. His face was bloodless as he entered the court room and a tangle of deep furrows extended across his brow. A keen, swift look shot from beneath his shaggy gray eyebrows and his glance seemed to take in at a flash that the supreme moment in his fate had arrived. As he came in from the jail a battery of eyes threw at him looks whose significance expressed all degrees of curiosity. In his walk, his mhnner, his mien, constraint was there and the anxiety that sent the blood from his cheek and put a purple tinge on hi® lips was visibly shared in by his counsel. Coutt was opened and the jurors notified to appear. Nearly three days of wrangling, loss of sleep, and the close confinement had worked a wonderful transformation on them. They entered the room with lagging steps and sank into their chairs a woe-begone looking crowd.

ADOLPH L. LUETGERT.

In response to command from Judge Tuthill, Foreman Heichhold arose in his place and announced as his positive belief that no verdict could be reached. The judge interrogated the jurymen individually and each positively declared that no influence or argument could change his opinion. The attorneys for both sides agreed that the jury be discharged, and it was done. Thus ended the first trial of what must be regarded as one of the most remarkable criminal cases of the century. The trial was in progress nearly nine weeks and cost the State of Illinois over $15,000. Of the disagreement it can frankly be said that the division in the jury fairly represents the division of opinion in the great world outside the jury box, where every fact and incident of the trial has been followed with engrossing scrutiny. It is probable that a poll of all those who have given intelligent consideration to the testimony and the law as laid down by the court would present a division of three to one in favor of a conviction. The proportion of those who believe in the prisoner’s guilt is probably much greater. But belief in guilt and convicting a prisoner on circumstantial evidence such as that produced for the State in this case are two very different things. Ready for a New Trial. State’s Attorney Deneen said he would press for another trial, but when he did not know. He said it would be on the same theory as the one finished was prosecuted. The vat theory, the boiling of the body of his wife in crude potash, and again the convincing part es the evidence of the heinous murder would be the rings. It was the rings that fortified the majority in the jury in its demand for the conviction of Luetgert. Attorneys Vincent and Phalen said they were ready for the new trial whenever it might be held. They said they would present a far stronger defense than before, Luetgert said he was anxious for another trial and confident it would be ended in his acquittal. He charged the failure of securing a verdict that would exonerate him from the fearful charge to the fact that Juror Shaw was accepted. The next time, he tsserts, he will take the stand in his own defense, with or without the consent of his counsel. Judge Tuthill said that he believed it would be impossible to select a competent jury in Cook County on account of the~publicity given to the proceedings of the trial just ended. It is therefore possible that Luetgert may never be tried again.

Luetgert said he was not surprised that the jury disagreed and that he was confident no verdict would be made twentyfour hours before. He was not taken by surprise when he heard Foreman Heichhold announce that no verdict had been made and none was likely to follow. Neither was it a surprise to him when every man in the jury box said the same thing in response to the questions of Judge Tuthill as he polled the-jury. No objection was made to the discharge of the jury. Judge Tuthill asked Attorneys Vincent and Phalen what they were disposed to do and they said it seemed as if the discharge of the jury was the only thing justified by the situation. Luetgert was then asked the same question by Judge Tuthill and he agreed with his attorneys. State’s Attorney Deneen said

JURORS IN THE LUETGERT TRIAL.

12 Heory Franzen B—J. 8. SLaw. 4—J. Mahoney, Secretary.

he thought it was apparent that the jury could not agree. Not once, however, did the jurors ask to be discharged. They were a determined set of fighters and they looked for no interference on the part of the judge, in whose discretion they might have been released at any time. In the interview's given by members of the jury they said they paid little attention to the bones. Although the battle of the osteologists was the great feature of the trial, the sesamoid, femur and other bones which were introduced in evidence as portions of Mrs. Luetgert, and over which the battle was fought, were not considered by the jurors. They were east aside as having no weight in proving guilt. To the way of thinking employed by several of the jurors, the work of impeaching the Schimpke girls and Nick Faber was fruitless. There were those in the jury who gave credence to their testimony that they saw Mrs. Luetgert with her husband going toward the engine room of the factory that night. Greater, however, than all of the evidence was that of the rings. The absence from the smaller ring of any milling was the point that did most to keep the three jurors strong in their assertion that Luetgert was innocent. Nearly all - of the witnesses said the small ring had a milled edge when they saw it with Mrs. Luetgert, while the one in evidence had a smooth outer surface. And when it was all ended an encomium of Inspector Schaack’s methods issued from the jury room. With the exception of Foreman Heichhold, who wrote this peculiar document in which Schaack’s manner of securing evidence was commended, most of the jurors denied any knowledge of signing such a document. They admitted having signed resolutions of thanks to Judge Tuthill and the court officers, but exhibited no knowledge of the last paragraph which sounded approval of the north side police inspector. . . Were it not for Juror Harler, it is asserted by many of the other jurors, a verdict of guilty would have been rendered. Harlev -was convinced of Luetgert’s innocence and he voted for acquittal on every ballot. His positiveness was a prop and support to Holabird and Barber, who voted with him on every ballot. When he left the court building he was cheered by the crowds in the street, who distinguished him as the one who was immovable in his belief of the prisoner’s innocence. After nearly two months of legal contention the case goes upon the records to be cited as another of the historic murder trials of the century. The celebrity of this sensational case has been partly due to the extraordinary character of the alleged crime as described by the State and partly to the unusual developments of the trial itself. The State had before it the difficult task of evoking the image of Mrs. Luetgert from a few bones and two gold rings. To connect the dead woman with the accused it then had to present to the jurors a story which naturally would seem hard to believe, and in proof of which it had only circumstantial evidence

MRS. LUETGERT

to offer. Experts were called m to identify bones and debris, and then these gentlemen were promptly met by experts for the defense who were able to deny the possibility of such an identification. This feature of the case, mere even than the length of time consumed and the endless technical discussions, will call attention ag.ain to the marked inferiorityjpf American criminal procedure as compared with that abroad. There was a waste of time and money and there was an unconscionable waste of words. There were times during the testimony of the experts when the recondite investigations into science became almost farcical and made this

SJ. E. Fowler, Jr. 6S. 8. Barber. 7 Jame-i Hosmer. 8— J. B. Boyd.

grave case a subject of jocular mention throughout the country. As a result of all this the jury when it retired for a consideration of the law and the evidence found it impossible to unite on any verdict satisfactory to all of the twelve men. After spending aixtysix hours in heated discussion a majority numbering nine men gave up the attempt to persuade the other three that Luetgert should be convicted and Judge Tuthill let them all go home. While the majority of the public may believe that Luetgert was guilty of the terrible crime laid to his charge, there has always been room for a lingering doubt in many minds that would operate powerfully on a juror’s mind to prevent conviction. But for this lurking fear of doing an irreparable injustice to an innocent man the circumstances of this case would have placed Luetgert beyond the pale of human sympathy. The trial with its disagreement has blasted his life forever —a wrong beyond repair if he is innocent, a righteous retribution if the circumstantial testimony of the deserted factory and its hideous evidences of crime told the truth.

M’KINLEY'S IMAGE IN BRONZE

Medals Now Being Struck Off by the Philadelphia Mint. Bronze medals bearing the likeness of President McKinley are being rapidly struck off by'the mint, and soon the whole issue will have been finished. This work is being., done in accordance with an ancient custom that has prevailed ever since the time of Washington. The medals are very valuable, inasmuch ns the supply is

limited and the demand is large. Some collectors have complete collections of these medals, from that showing the profile of Washington to that showing the profile of Cleveland. Several of the medals already struck off have been sent to the President for himself and the members of his cabinet. The profile of the President is an excellent likeness. On the reverse side is the date of the inauguration. Large orders for the medals are expected, and the receipts are for the benefit of the mint earnings.

Weyler, it seems, drew a blank and Spain a Blanco. The Central railroad buildings at Macon, Ga., were destroyed by fire. Loss, $75,000. A. C. Deuel, aged 75, for forty years superintendent of the public schools of Urbana, Ohio, was killed by a freight train. President Gompcrs has issued a call for the seventeenth annual convention of the American Federation of Labor at Nashville, Tenn., to begin Dec. 13. The auxiliary yacht Utowana has been sold to Allison V. Armour of Chicago, a member of the New York Yacht Club, who has for years owned the steam yacht Ituna. The coroner's jury in the qiqueset upon the death of Cashier Struble of Shepherd, Mich., rendered a verdict of suicide. The verdict was reached after eighteen hours* deliberation; Forest fires near Austin. Pa., are under control after burning $200,000 worth of timber. The northern part of Cayuga County, N. Y., is ablaze, and great damage has been done. The complaint of Mortimer Hendricks of New York City against the Manhattan Railway Company, nllbging that its directors had unlawfully'paid out $3,000,000, has been dismissed. United States Commissioner Tunison decided to hold Karl A. Karlsehn, who shipped as carpenter on the British ship Favonius to Rio Janeiro from Pensacola, Fla., charged with the burning of the ship at sea. John Harris shot and killed George Kebo, an escaped convict, at Keokuk, lowa. Kebo is Harris' son-in-law, but was not living with his wife. Kebo broke into the house and fired at Harris, who killed him. The Cleveland express on the Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad ran into a shifting engine in the West Park, Allegheny, Pa. Ross Griffin, fireman, was fatally hurt and a number of passengers were cut and bruised.

9—William Harlev. 10— Jaji.es H. Helohold, Foreman. 11— J. P. Behmlller. 12— Louh Holabird.

THE M’KINLEY MEDAL.

Sparks from the Wires.

THE VALUE OF LEGS.

Benefits of Correct Walking a* Aid to Good Health. Few people appreciate as they should the advantage of having legs. It is true that many have awakened to the fact that legs are good for working the pedals on a wheel, and others think them serviceable in whirling their bodies two by two over the polished surface of a ball-room floor in the early morning hours, when they had better be sleeping. But how many there are who do not appreciate the blessing of having two sound legs to walk on, and who do not realize that, having them, they are independent of circumstances! Young or old, rich or poor, in good weather or in bad, in the city or in the country, over rough roads or smooth, or no roads at all, they can take themselves out, they can spur up the circulation to its work of supplying new fuel to the boiler of the body and removing Its ashes; they can expand the lungs with fresh, pure air, and blow out the seeds of disease that only ask to be Mt alone to take root and bear deadly fruit; they can clear the brain, brushing away the cobwebs of disappointment, doubt and melancholy, filling their place with the iridescent tints of and healthful hope. £ Here we have a machine that is always ready for use, chainless, with self-lubricating and dust-proof bearings, close tread, changeable gear, absolutely puncture-proof tires, and an anatomical saddle superior to any in the market. Perhaps the reason why so rew appreciate the treasure they possess in their legs is because so few know how to use them. The walker should step briskly, with head, erect, shoulder* back and arms swinging, breathing deeply with closed mouth. Strolling, la better than nothing, for even that takes us into pure, open air; but there is nothing like a good swinging gait for putting life into one. Quick walking is good at any time except just after a hearty meal, but best of all in the forenoon or at bedtime. For students the evening walk is invaluable. If hard study must be continued late into the evening, sleep will be much more certain and refreshing if the mind is cleared and soothed by a brisk turn of five or ten minutes. Such a turn is useful, too, if drowsiness comes before the task is finished; it tones up the tireil brain cells and freshens the jaded memory.—Youth’* - Companion.

Using An Ape’s Weakness.

The late superintendent of the London Zoo, Mr. Bartlett, used to manage the animals by Indirect methods, akin to those by which nervous children are controlled by wise parents. A rhinoceros had a “bad place” on his face. The question was, Did the abscess come from a bad tooth, or did it only need lancing? Mr. Bartlett simply said to the keeper, “Give him a new birch broom.” The rhinoceros at once ate it, grinding up the bits with great gusto. “Ah! You see his teeth are all right,” said Mr. Bartlett, and the next day he lanced the abscess with a sharp bill-hook. The diagnosis was as ingenious as his method of managing ‘‘Joe,” a refractory champanzee. The Spectator describes the “indirect method:” “The big ape needed exercise. This he obtained by being allowed the run of the large monkey-house instead of remaining in a side room before the visitors came. As he knew he would be caught and put back into his own room at this hour, the ape used to climb to the top of the other monkeys* cages and refuse to come down. “As he could not be tempted by food, Mr. Bartlett appealed to his mind by working on what he had noted to be his weak points, curiosity and cowardice. “Mr. Bartlett went to the keeper, and touching him gently on the shoulder, directing his attention in a mysterious, manner to the dark passage underneath the gas-pipe which traverses tho house, pretending to point out to Sutton some horrible unknown creature, using an energetic manner, but saying nothing except words to this effect: ‘Look odt! There he is! There he is!’ At the same time the two men would peer into the dark place under the gas-pipe. “The monkey used presently to come down to see what the subject of fear and Interest was, when Mr. Bartlett and Sutton used to shout, ‘He’s coming out! He’s coming out!’ and rush away in the direction of Joe’s cage. The monkey would rush for the same place of safety, which happened to be the door of liis own house, and sometimes enter it before them. “The monkey never learned the deception, but would be taken in by it whenever the time came to finish his morning's airing.”

Oriental Railways.

A cog wheel nailway is to be built up Mount Sinai to the spot where, according to tradition, Moses stood whHe receiving the Sacred Tables, the spot being already marked by a stone cross' erected by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. It is proixjsed to connect the road with a linefrom Port Said through the Isthmus of Sinai and Arabia, to Barra on the Persian GulC: The Persian Railroad Tramway Company finds railroading the land of the Shah beset with difficulties, the receipts for 181K5 showing a decrease of 18 per cent., to three months' traffic suspension, a lot of boiler tubes ordered' miscarried. and, wnen a second lot arrived. the Shah had been murdered and for fear of an outbreak train servicer was forbidden on certain parts of the line. A girl may cry occasionally when a. fish gets away, but she doesn’t knowreal sorrow until she is so old she ta out of bait.