Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1898 — BAD GIRL BURGLAR. [ARTICLE]

BAD GIRL BURGLAR.

LATEST SPECIMEN OF MASSACHUSETTS’ CRIMINAL CROP. Girl Sixteen Years of Age Robs a House During the Summer Absence of the Family—Joplin Murder Mystery Is Cleared Up. Girl Is an Enterprising Thief. Nellie Huxford, only 16 years of age, is charged by the police with the larceny of more than SI,OOO worth of clothing and other property from the residence of Arthur H. Tiluey, Newton Center, Mass. The girl has confessed to complicity in the affair, but endeavors to place part of the blame on the shoulders of a man, whom the police believe to be non-existent. She will be brought into court alone to answer to the charge, and no effort is being made to find anj- accomplice. In many respects this is one of the most remarkable cases which has ever come to the notice of the Newton authorities. Never in Newton has a woman been charged with so serious a larfeny, and seldom has a girl of only 16 anywhere been charged with an offense of such magnitude. The robbery was discovered on the return of Mr. and Mrs. Tiluey from.their summer vacation. They found that the house had been systematically ransacked, and that property valued at SI,OOO, chiefly dresses, had been stolen. Other property had been prepared for removal and left in the cellar, through which entrance hud been effected. The police have evidence to show that the girl let herself in at the basement door without assistance from any source. They are also convinced that she whs alone in the case. MURDER MYSTERY SOLVED. Slayer of Lengthy Bill Smith Confesses His Crime. At Joplin, Mo., an old murder mystery that has puzzled the police for months has been solved by the confession of the murderer. The many old abandoned mining shafts in Joplin and Galena have enabled murderers to quickly dispose of their victims by dropping them down into the shafts. Last February an old miner known as “Lengthy Bill” Smith suddenly disappeared. A few days later his body was found in an old shaft with indications of foul play, but the murder remained a mystery until a dispatch from La Grande, Ore., stated that a man named Weed had confessed to murdering Bill Smith at Joplin last spring. Weed will be brought to Joplin for trial.

INDIANS GO TO MEXICO. Delawares Purchase a Big Tract of Land in Southern Republic. It is stated on good authority that a deal has been concluded by Delaware Indians for the purchase of 550,000 acres of land in Mexico and that as soon as they secure settlement with the United States and the Cherokees they will*remove there. It is thought that many of the full-blood Cherokees will accompany them. The tract purchased is on the Yagin river. State of Sonora, and is said to be fine land. Repre--1 sentatives of Mexican land holders were recently among the Cherokees. Poachers Take Many Seals. An authentic report regarding the pelagic sealing fleet has just been received in San Francisco. Among the poachers that have made the largest catches were the following: Enterprise, 553 skins; Minnie. 400; San Diego. 673; Theresa. 320, and Otto, 727. These skins, being excluded from the United States, are shipped to England, where they are disposed of at reduced rates. Terrific Floods in Japan. A terrific storm swept over Japan recently. The wind did great damage to shipping. Rivers soon became torrents, flooding many sections. A summary of the loss of life and property follows: Deaths. 250: bouses swept, 164; houses overthrown. 1,195; partially wrecked. 11,460; houses inundated, 15,597; river banks broken, 78. Plot to Kill a King. A man has been arrested at Orsova, charged with complicity in a plot to assassinate the King of Roumania. The police received timely warning and the attempt was frustrated. A phial of poison, a dagger and several other weapons were found in the man's possession.

Stab Wound Proves Fatal. , Captain Thomas Young, who was stabbed at Sedalia, Mo., by J. 11. MeManigal, while the two were talking in a saloon, is dead. MeManigal is in jail under a heavy guard, as threats of violence have been made against him by friends of the dead man. Rough Rider Fatally Shot. William Shields,of Dayton, Ohio, wus on a visit to Trenton the other day, and when getting off a traction car allowed his revolver to fall. An explosion followed and Shields was fatally wounded. He was a member of Roosevelt's rough riders. Cumberland, Win., la Burned. Fire originating from burning forests destroyed half of Cumberland. Wis., a city of 1,500 people, causing a property loss estimated at $225,000. About twentyfive families are homeless. Five children are reported burned to death. Huy in the Cabinet. Col mel'John Hay has been sworn into office as Secretary <>f State. The ceremony took place in the President's room at the White House, and the oath was adnrnistered by Justice Harlan of the Supreme Court. Henry George No minuted. At a meeting of the Chicago platform Democrats Tn New York, Henry George, the son of the single tax advocate, was nominated to head an independent Democratic ticket. More Armenians Killed. Turkish advices from Van say fighting has occurred at Alashgorb between the Turks ami a number of Armenians from Russia. About fifty Armenians were killed. — I Fire in Clinton, Me. Fire swept away the Centra! Maine Railway station and many adjoining buildings at Clinton, Me., and for a time the town was threatened. Loss $50,000. Earthquake Shock in Spain. Two severe earthquakes ’were felt nt Fortuna, sixteen miles from Murein, capital of the province of that name, in Spain. “Teddy” la Nominated. Col. Theodore Roosevelt is the Republican nominee for Governor of New York.

BIG STRIKE BY SHOE LASTERS. Operatives All Over Southeastern Massachusetts Quit Work. In pursuance of the ultimatum issued by the Lasters’ Protective Union at Brocton, Mass., that if the lasting machine companies did not withdraw agents whom they had put into factories there to take the places of strikers all the lastera in that section would be ordered out the strike has been extended in all directions. Men abandoned lasting machines in shops all over southeastern Massachusetts. Even concerns that had settled on the price list trouble were not exempt and the operatives went out with the rest. This is the most general and united strike of shoe lasters that has been known in many years. PA6BENGEKS' NARROW ESCAPE. Spike in Rail Near St. Louis Causes a General Smash-Up. As the north-bound through passenger train on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad was running into St. Louis the engine struck a spike that had been wedged in between the rail ends and plunged across the double tracks, stopping on the very brink of a fifteen-foot embankment. A moment later a freight train, running on special time, crashed into the rear end of the passenger train. No one was hurt. It is thought some small boys placed the spike between the rails. The property loss to the railroad is considerable, but not estimated. Expert Counterfeiter Arrested. A well-organized and successful gang of counterfeiters and passers of spurious money was rounded up in El Paso, Texas, by William H. Forsyth, a United States secret service man. The alleged leader of the gang, George de Fontaine, a prominent business man of the city, was arrested. Ninety dollars in spurious greenbacks was found on De Fontaine’s person when he was arrested and nearly sll,000 in United States treasury notes of various denominations were seized at his residence after he was arrested. In one room were tools of every description for use in finishing coins and retouching bills. Two cigar boxes were filled to the lids with paper money amountbig to $5,000 that had not been given the finishing touches. Ready mixed colors -and finp brushes such as are used by artists were also found in the room. Another di gar box was filled with United States and Mexican coins of various denominations in a crude state. Five thousand dollars in treasury notes was floated in Omaha thirty days ago find its counterfeit character was npt detected until some of the money was deposited in a bank. Meditator Meets Death. At Hoisington. Kan.. Lew Kelley and L. E. Baker had an altercation, brought about by an alleged insult to Mrs. Kelly by Baker. The result was a running fight, in which Kelley pounded Baker on the head with a revolver. B. F. Ruggles, an old man. interfered and tried to stop the fight. The revolver in the hands of Kelley was discharged, and Ruggles was shot and instantly killed.

Thos. F. Bayard la Dead. Thomas Bayard died at Karlstein, the summer residence of his daughter, Mrs. Samuel D. Warren, at Dedham, Mass., after an illness of six weeks. His death was without paip. Conflict Between Miners. Imported negro miners and strikers met in deadly conflict in the streets of Pana, 111. Two hundred shots-were fired and a Wild riot ensued, in which several persons were wounded. ' . Great Heat in Kansas. For a few days thp heat was so great in Kansas that the rails of the Union Pacific were warped out of shape at Bellevue and Silver Lake. Fatal Dynamite Explosion. An explosion of a wagon load of dynamite near New Whatcom, Wash., killed two men and one boy. Several others are •injured. Village Burned Ont. A Claremont, Minn., special says that village was wiped out by fire the other night, twenty two buildings being destroyed. Town Swept by Fire. The entire business portion of Ipswich, S. I).. was destroyed by fire, with the exception of one block. Van Wyck Is Nominated. Augustus Van W£ck has been named for Governor by the Democrats of New York. Crane for Governor. Alvin W. Crane is the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Jersey.