Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1903 — Page 2

WHO WAS GUILTY

A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

CHAPTER XXI. .¶ “I will endeavor not to make it long,” said the detective, drawing a chair to the table, which he placed in such a position that I could not leave the room without passing him. “In our profession it is as well to waste as few words as possible. When you gave your commission to my comrade I had just left the force, with the intention of starting a private business of my own, and I was in London and in my comrade's office at the time you called upon him. I heard all you had to say, and the description you gave of your wife’s personal appearance aroused my curiosity. You left a portrait of her with my comrade, and when you were gone I looked at the picture, and was surprised to find that it was a woman whose face I was acquainted with. She had occupied a position as a kind of governess and companion in the house of a rich gentleman in Sevenoaks, where I was stationed when in government service, and I understood that she was a single woman. She went by the name of Mile. Rosalie. Your statement to my comrade that she was your wife, and an Englishwoman, proved to me that in Sevenoaks she had been sailing under false colors. I made a proposition to the officer you engaged, and we agreed to go partners in this affair. There was more depending upon it than you were aware of at the time. In the house in which Mile. Rosalie, your wife, was employed, a murder had been committed. An old gentleman, Mr. Wilmot, was found strangled in his bed, and a large sum of money was missing. Now, there was a mystery in connection with this murder. A man whose name was Samuel Fleetwood, who all his life had borne the best of characters, and had keen employed in the service of Mr. Richard Pardon, the gentleman in whose house the murder was committed, had disappeared on the night of the murder. Suspicion naturally fell upon him. We could not catch him, but eventually he gave himself up and confessed to the murder. He died in the police station a few hours afterward.

“On the following morning the town waa startled, not only by the publication of the news of this confession, but *y the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Pardon and {Mile. Rosalie. They had both been seen the night before by Mrs. Pardon, the lady of the house. Mile. Rosalie at about 11 o’clock, and her hustand at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. Her husband was then in his study, and *y cunning questioning I learned from Mr*. Pardon that when she last saw her lusband in his study, at that late hour iu the night, he appeared to be greatly disturbed in his mind. She ascribed this to his having been completely upset by the dreadful murder which had taken place in his house; I did not agree with her, but I did not tell her so. I was greatly put out»by Mr. Pardon’s disappearance, because he had offered a large reward for the apprehension of the murderer of Mr. Wilmot, and he had promised me, notwithstanding that Samuel JTeetwood had voluntarily given himself op, that this reward should be paid. Up to this moment it has not been paid, tat I live still in hopes. “The natural conclusion was that those two had run off together. I did not agree with the general verdict pronounced up•n the missing pair. However, I kept my opinions to myself, for the reason that 1 had an idea that the reward offered by Mr. Pardon for the discovery •f the murderer of Mr. Wilmot would •oe day find its way into my pocket. ‘How is that?* perhaps you will ask, *when Samuel Fleetwood had confessed to the crime, and the gentleman who •ffered the reward had disappeared, partly because he wished to save his money?’ Well, now, you will think it strange when I tell you that 1 had my doubts as to the genuineness of Samuel "FleetwoM’s confession. It seems that he had given the

clergyman a private letter, which he implored would be conveyed to his master, and that lie had placed a mostyextraordinary and unnatural importance upon the safe delivery of this document. The clergyman informed me that Mr. Pardon had called upon him in the evening in a state of great agitation, and said that the letter had not reached his hands. Now, the clergyman was positive that ie had inclosed it in a packet, coutainfag. besides, a letter from himself and a copy of Samuel Fleetwood's confession, which he had delivered to Mile. Rosalie. “I kept thinking to myself, What could he in this missing letter? and I was not •t all satisfied with things as they stood. 1 was confident that there was a mystery which it might pay me to clear up. Another Circumstance led me to this conclusion. A man of the name of Redwing, who had been taken on by Mr. Pardon for a few weeks to assist the gardener, had also disappeared. What was there singular in that? you will ask. Well, begging your pardon again, Mr. Stanmore — I had seen enough to convince Be that Mile. Rosalie and Redwing were lovers. This, gentlemen, is how matters stood on the day of the disappearance of Mr. Pardon, Mile. Rosalie and Redwing. The first thing to be done was to track them. “But here I found myself at fault. The fact is, I did not feel myself quite justifed in spending a large sum of my own Boney in the search, and’it was, I dare oay, because of this that I did not succeed. After some time had passed I gave ■p the idea, and left the force, as I have toM roa> with the intention of starting business on my own account. “Then came your visit to my comrade. The suspicion of some strange mystery in connection with the murder of Mr. Wilmot revived. Yon supplied my comrade with funds, and with these funds we set to work. I’ll not make my story too long by telling yon till about our operations. It will be satisfactory to you to know that we tracked two of the three missing persons—Mile. Rosalie and Redwing. She had not gone away with Mr. Pardon; she had gone away with Redwing. They had passed some time on the continent, in France and Italy, and it was when they returned to England that we got fairly on the scent From that moment we never let it escape [unsure]. We accompanied them everywhere

in various disguises; we slept in the next rooms to theirs wherever they put up. We overheard their conversation, and took it down in writing. Putting all we heard intelligibly together, it makes a strange story. Your divorce is all right, Mr. Stanmore, but there is something much more serious behind all this than you can imagine.’’ CHAPTER XXII. The detective paused impressively. Then he resumed: “From the day MWe. Rosalie entered Mr. Pardon’s service under false colors she commenced to plot and plan. She tried to inveigle him into making love to her, but she failed. An artful woman, gentlemen, is this Mile. Rosalie, otherwise Mrs. Stanmore, They don’t make them much artfuller in these days. Failing, she took great pains to entangle him, so that for her own purposes by and by she might make it appear that he was her lover. The unlucky gentleman was a sleep walker; had been so from childhood, and it was an infirmity he could not cure himself of. Well, one night Mile. Rosalie happened to see him in this state. What did she do? Why, she slyly slipped her pocket handkerchief into his pocket; and on the next day, when he found it there, he couldn’t for the life of him remember how it came upon him. That was her first move. “Her second move was the introduction of her lover, Redwing, into the temporary service of Mr. Pardon. Only one person 'knew that she was acquainted with Redwing; that person was Samuel Fleetwood. Correctly divining that Fleetwood had communicated his suspicions to Mr. Pardon, she sought that gentleman in his garden in the dead of night, and worked so artfully upon his feelings that she succeeded in destroying the unfavorable impressions which he had gained. She informed Mr. Pardon that Redwing was her brother. Chance played into her hands. The interview, by her conniving, took place after midnight and in the dark. She and her master were surprised by Samuel Fleetwood, who passed them without speaking. Thus, in Fleetwood’s eyes, Mr. Pardon was seriously compromised. “There is no doubt that Mile. Rosalie introduced Redwing into Mr. Pardon’s house for the purpose of robbery; but before the plan they were devising was ripe, higher game presented itself. Mr. Wilmot paid a visit to his nephew, Mr. Fardon. He brought with him a sum of five thousand pounds. Mile. Rosalie, always on the watch, ascertained that thero was discord between the old gentleman and her master with respect to the marriage of Miss Pardon. Mile. Rosalie and Redwing decided to murder Mr. Wilmot and rob him. To reach the bed chamber of Mr. Wilmot they had to pass through that of Samuel Fleptwood, upon whom they intended to cast the suspicion of the murder; if he awoke they resolved to kill him also. In silence the deed was done. The old man was weak, and with swift cruelty he was strangled, and scarce a murmur came from his lips. ‘•They found the keys of the'”dispatch box in his pocket; unlocking if, they took out the five thousand pounds, relocked the box, replaced the key in the dead man’s pocket, and were about to leave the chamber when they were startled by the sudden appearance of Mr. Pardon. He was in one of his sleep-walking trances. Quick as thought they changed their plans, and resolved to throw the suspicion of the murder upon him. Mile. Rosalie slipped a diamond ring off the murdered gentleman's finger and slid it into Mr. Pardon’s waistcoat pocket. Then she took the cord from Mr. Wilmot’s neck, and glided with it to Mr. Pardon’s bedroom. The door was ajar, liis wife was asleep. In a moment the cord was slipped under the pillow of a sofa which was in the room. The murderers reached their own npnrtments in safety and bidet} the issue of events. “After they were gone from Mr. Wilmot’s room, leaving Mr. Pardon there, Samuel Fleetwood, it appears, awoke, and, seeing his master standing by the murdered man, instantly came to the conclusion that he had committed the murder. This man was suffering from heart disease, and was awSire that he had but a short time <o live; he was deeply, passionately devoted to his mistress and her young daughter; he knew that the arrest of Mr. Pardon would bring incredible misery upon them, and he resolved upon a course which doubtless many persons admire. He fled, and thus the suspicion of-the murder fell upon himself. What afterward happened to him I have already f.-lated, and is public property.”

The detective paused, and fixed liis eyes upon me. In breathless amazement and gratitude I had followed his words. I was innocent —innocent! Once more I could clasp my beloved wife and child to my heart! Once more, thank God! Once more I could kneel by their sides in prayer, and lift up my voice in thankfulness to the Giver of all good! In the* silence that ensued the terror was lifted from my soul, and involuntarily 1 slid to my’ knees and lifted my hands to heaven, while the tears rolled down my face nnd beard. Then, when my passion of gratitude was in some measure abated, I rose to my feet and said: “I am Richard Pardon!" “I knew it, sir,” said the detective, “not from your appearance, which completely deceived me, but from your voice when you asked Mr. Stanmore whether you should leave us together. It is a true telltale, the voice; a man may change himself from white to black, but he eannot disguise his voice. All that I have related to you as gained, at odd times, by me and my partner, from the conversation we overheard between Mile. Rosnlie and Redwing. He U with her now at the Bull and Mouth, and the handcuffs are in my partner’s pickets. I will tell you something more, sir. I know where Redwing purchased the cord with which Mr. Wilmot was strangled. I will tell you even something more. They have spent the fire thousand sovereigns; but at this very moment they have upon them the four thousand five hundred pounds in Bank of England notes, which as yet they hive been afraid to attempt to pass. I have

the numbers of these notes in my pocketbook here; I obtained them from the bank at which Mr. Wilmot’s check was cashed. We have the net tight round them. The rew-ard you offered is all right, I suppose, sir?” “It shall be trebled,” I said, “and all the expenses you have been put to repaid.” “That is my affair,” said Stanmore; “the detectives were engaged upon my business.” • “Nay,” I said, “they were engaged u{>on mine. Do not argue with me. lam like a man newly risen from the grave.” Indeed, I was trembling so that they had to assist me into a chair. Presently I said: . “I know now, Stanmore, where I saw copies of those sketches which I recognised in your portfolio last night. Your wife had them.” “It does not surprise me,” said Stanmore. “When she ran away from me she robbed me pretty freely. Heaven have mercy upon her!” To which I said, “Amen.” I could prolong my story, bnt it would be only repeating what is already known. Redwing and Mrs. Stanmore were tried and condemned. He expiated his crime upon the scaffold. She was sentenced to imprisonment fSr life. Months have passed since then, and I have recovered my peace of mind. My darling wife is by my side as I write these concluding words. Eunice and Harry Clanronald are in the garderi below. They are soon to be married. We have left Boscombe Lodge for good. We shall never return to it. Humbly do I thank God for the pern I escaped. Over the grave of Samuel Fleetwood bright flowers are blooming. We shall meet him in the hereafter. (The end.)

PICTURESQUE ASTORIA.

Founded by Karly Explorers and Trappers a Hundred Years Ago. Astoria ‘is 1 one of the. most picturesque of American towns, quaint and old, having been founded by the early explorers and trappers who came to this country nearly a hundred years ago. Long the outpost of John Jacob Aster’s trading company, it was on£e taken by the British and held as a frofatier fort. Placed here on the steep river edge, where there was rightly no room for a city, and finding It difficult to crowd its way up the hill, the town has reached out over the river, many of the streets, banks, stores, hotels, canneries and warehouses being set up on piling, with the tide sweeping through underneath. Step off the sidewalk, and drop twenty feet Into salt water; look through the cracks in the little court of the hotel, and see the dark river swirling beneath, and smell the barnacled piling. Even the railrpod that now reaches the town comes in on legs, centipede-like, a long bridge of piers across a river bay. It is a strange, interesting, not unambitious old town, set about with net-drying platforms, slippery fish wharves, canneries exhaling the odor of cooking fish, the little, low homes of fishermen and net makers of many nationalities, from Norwegian to Portuguese; the crowded tenements of Chinese and Japanese workers in the canneries; and, higher up the hill, the more pretentious homes of the packers and business men. Here and there an Indian or two, remnants of a passing tribe, looke -on imperturbably at the usurpation of their ancient fishing places. When the tide favors, the river beyond the wharves is busy with the heavy boats of the fishers, and often, more distant, on the mighty river one sees an ocean craft bound up for Portland or down again to the sea. —Century.

Diamond Cut Diamond,

Two Yankee miners -were playing cards and found tlieir amusement rather a dull one, for neither could overreach the other. At last one of the precious couple pushed his chair back, arose, and said: “I’m tired of this; let’s have a change. I’Ll just bet yer even one thousand dollars that I kin take them keerds and cut the Jack o’ hearts the very fust time.’’ “I’ll take yer,” replied the other, a very quiet fellow. Stakes were deposited with an onlooker, and a pack of cards was produced and laid on the table between the gamblers; The layer of the bet thereupon drew his bowie knife, and neatly sliced the cards from top to bottom. “Thar," said he. “I cut the Jack o’ hearts th’ fust time, mister, an’ I reckon I’ll freeze on to that thar cash. Fork her over, mister. The agreement was that I were t’ cut th’ Jack tli’ fust time, an’ I done it. I cut it, didn't I?” “Wal, no,” said the other, “I rayther think not, for th’ Jack were not there. Yer see, stranger, I thought It wiser, under th’ circumstances, to take the precaution of placing that there card up my sleeve!”

He Doesn’t Count.

“Well, how do you like married life?” inquired the friend. “Not at all, 4 ’ replied the man who had married money and was suffering for it. “I'm a case of matrimonial dyspepsia.” “Matrimonial dyspepsia?” “Yes. She never agrees with me; she's too rich.”—Atlanta Constitution.

TOO Many for Him.

“Man, made In the Creator's Image, is the proudly defiant "ruler of the universe.” remarked the orator. “Guess you forget ttte microbe,” piped a voice from the real' of the halL”— Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Convalescent.

“Look at By’er Williams —on crutches, wid bis head tied up en his aft* in a sßng.” “Yes; he's des up from settlin' da race problem.”—Atlanta Constitution.

Real proof of the pudding U the state of your stomach a few hours aftc*- eating It

POLITICAL COMMENT.

Good Time to Stand Pat. While there has never been any serious fear that the tariff tinkering movement started in the Republican camp, by certain lowa politicians would ever be strong enough to change the historic course of the party, or turn it away from genuine protection, it is none the less gratifying to have the time-honored principles and policies of Republicanism reaffirmed with the emphasis given by Hanna's speech and the Ohio platform. The mere discussion of the lowa idea In Republican ranks gave encouragement to the free traders and the tariff tinkers of all kinds and tended to confuse the public •mind. It is just as well to have it known that the party will maintain the protective system unimpaired. As Senator Hanna said. “The party intends to write the inscription upon its base in letters that all who run may read—Hands off.” Events now occurring in Great Britain make it important that the present protective tariff should not be changed in any notable degree. We may at any time in the near future be called upon to meet an emergency that will handicap our export trade, and under such circumstances we cannot afford to lower our protective walls or lay down a single one-of our industrial and commercial weapons. .'"The issue of protection in Great Britain has, in fact, become the dominant factor in the politics of the country. It occupies pubtic attention to the exclusion of everything else. Reports

from London show that the struggle between the protectionists and the free traders has already begun in earnest. The supporters ,of the old cause have raised the familiar cry of “bread tax,’’ have started bands of men marching through the streets denouncing what they mil the “starvation policy” of the ministry, and, in short, all the machinery of political agitation has been put Into operation. The followers of Chamberlain have been equally active and are organizing protection clubs even among the ranks of the workingmen, so that the campaign is actually under way, although a general election is supposed to be fully two years off. Free trade is, in fact, dying in the land of its birth, and in the very place where it achieved its greatest, if not its only success. It will not die easily, for the British people have long been taught to look upon it with something of the faith accorded to the dogmas of HpJy Writ. Moreover, a thousand important interests nre bound up with it, and they will fight hard for the continuance of their ancient privileges. Still tho system is evidently doomed, for the record of its failure is written large all over the world and quite plainly in Britain Itself. It would, then, be folly for th 3 American people to enter iq>on any free trade experiments at this time. It is now more imperative than ever to stand pat.—San Francisco Call.

Successful Government. It begins to look very much as If ♦he futture student of colonial government will find In Porto Rico a model to which he can point as one of the most successful efforts of one people to govern another shown in history. That was a remarkably pleasing story told by Governor Hunt lu an Interview printed in the Journal of Monday. The exports of Coffee, fruits, sugar and tobacco have grown with marvelous rapidity, and the development of the Island has made more progress in the four years of American territorial government than It did during the centuries of Spanish rule. All reports agree that the people are more prosperous, more ambitions and happier than before the American flag was raised. We did not go Into Porto Rico as conquerors of the people, and the Island was not devastated by war, but It was devastated a few months later by a cyclone that did more damage than war could ever have done. By a remarkably happy solution of the revenue problem fee the Island, the United States government was enabled to at once put in a very considerable system of internal Improvements, which gave employment to a portion of the people. Time and relief from the great burdens of taxation bprne by tho Porto Ricans under Spanish

rule have dene the rest. We now find close trade relations with the United States, an influx of American capital and energy engaged in building up transportation facilities, and a wise administration, all contributing their full quota toward the prosperity aud contentment of the people. It has been and is a much more difficult situation to handle in the Philippines, where the distance from home Is greater and the people are of a diverse origin and in various stagfes of civilization, but there is reason to believe that the government of the Philippines by the American people will in time-prove as beneficent as that of Porto Rico.—lndianapolis Journal. ‘ - r ~~

Antiquated Notion'. The protectionism of the United States conclusively proves to workers that the way to get mere pay is ta get better on to the job. The increased product is absorbed by the increased purchase-power. An American worker cams much more thah a British worker because he has more nerve and needs less muscle, for our system turns brains to exploit nature, and tools, instead of man In muscle. Thus leisure advances and better use of leisure completes the cycle. The free-traders have said correctly that whges in the United States are higher because, the people produce more, man for man. But why do they produce moi'e? Allow much for climate and the novelty of the environment

TRYING TO RAISE A DEAD ISSUE

and you have not fully answered the inquiry. Protection has diversified industry, stimulated ambition in all ranks, and thus made the total product of tools and of nerves fabulous, while U has marvelously promoted the equities of distribution The old economists saw no h~pe save In luxurious wastefulness of the aristocracy. The great revelation came when the people arrived as consumers. Until 18C0 we were taught by freetrade Democracy that it was the American function to send raw material to the Old World and bring back English silks and cassimeres, and French knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. Protection came and Hamilton and Webster, Lincoln and Seward were vindicated. And yet the mugwump continues to see-saw with the unscie.n?ific and antiquated notion of raw material. Was the handicap period between 1893-7 In spite of the Wilson-Gormah law? Is the amazing prosperity of the country under the Dingley tariff in spite of that tariff? A little knowledge afield Is better than a cargo in a box.—Boston Journal. , . Protection Wine by 300 Per Cent. The product of pig iron in this country the present year will exceed twenty million tons. That of Great Britain and Germany combined will be considerably below this; and the preeminence of the United States in iron and steel Is growing more pronounced year by year, under the Influence of the benign policy of protection, which the Republican party Las couferrr.d upon the country. Our present rate of production is a remarkable contrast to the production In this country nine years ago, the “boss” Cleveland year, when the pig Iron produced in the United States was but 6,757,248 tons, or about one-third of the present rate. In that year Great Britain's production considerably exceeded ours, while Germany's didn’t lag far behind. The showing is n remarkable object lesson in the comparative advantages to the country of free trade vs. protection, and protection wins by 300 per cent. —Salt Lake Tribune.

No Assault on the Tariff. The convention of 1904 will mnke no demand for any tariff revision. It will suit the Republicans to make a fight on the tariff if the Democrats can be inveigled into assailing the protective policy next year. The chances are, however, that Gorman and the rest of the shrewd leaders of the Democracy will prevent their party from making any assault on the tariff that can arouse Republican opposition. st. Louis Globe-Democrat. * \ Our principal export* to Corea arc electrical appliances and idol*

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. Distillery Fire Causes Heavy Loss— Shortest Kail way in World Is Finished —Snnb for Island Park Chautauqua Association. A fire which started in the elevator of the whisky trust’s Majestic distillery in Terre Haute caused a loss of SIOO,OOO on the building, grain elevator and machinery. The spirits house adjoining, in which there were 100,000 barrels of spirits in large copper tanks, was saved by the work of the firemen and a change in the wind. The loss is fully covered by insurance. There were 1,200 cattle in the pens and the distillery was grindihg 3,200 bushels of corn daily. J. E. Beggs, until July 1 manager of the trust, is building a new and larger independent house for Cincinnati and Louisville wholesalers and blenders, and, it is said, the trust may not rebuild. Finish Shortest Hallway. The shortest railway system in the world has just been completed twelve years after its construction was commenced. The line, 2.000 feet in length, is known as the Mooney Lateral Railway, and was incorporated in this form at the time of .its organization. It connects the Mooney tannery at Columbus with the Big Four Railroad. When the Big Four tried to lay a switch into the tannery in 1801 the Pennsylvania company refused a crossing. In to condemn a way the company was organized with a full corps of officers and directors. The construction was begun, but court proceedings were instituted and the tracks hare just been completed. Fabbatarians Are Snubbed. The Island Park assembly, a Methodist organization, posted a notice at Rome City, bordering Sylvan lake, asking several hundred cottagers along its shores to refrain from boating, fishing and bathing on Sunday. The cottagers posted a most indignant reply. They pointed out that the assembly officers themselves rented boats on Sunday, that one of the leading officers keeps store open on Sunday in order to selr ice cream and soda fountain drinks, while they keep Island Park open on Sunday in order to get the 25 cents which is charged for admission to Island Park on Sunday. 1 Hail Cuts Down the Crops. Reports of almost total destruction of crops by the heavy hailstorm come from points in the southern part of Kosciusko County. In many places hailstones as large as walnuts fell, cutting entire fields and shattering thousands of window panes. The damage is estimated at SIOO,OOO. Electric Shock Proves Fatal. Beyard Quick, ant superintendent of the Brookville Electric Light and Power plant, was instantly killed while trimming an arc light. Owing to an accident lie received a heavy shock of electricity. Quick was a member of a well-known family. Woman Hangs Herself, Mrs. West, wife of Captain James West, a prominent citizen of, Frankfort, went to an upstairs roonim her home and hanged herself. She had been in poor health for some time. Brief State Happenings, Smallpox has given Washington physicians all they can do vaccinating citizens. Henry Seward of ferre Haute was bound over to the grand jury at a preliminary hearing on the charge of wife murder. The recent award of a contract for a $24,000 bridge- f to span White river at Anderson calls to mind that Anderson has nine bridges. While in bathing at Miller Station a stranger, who is thought to be from Chicago, cried for help. Before aid could reach him he was drowned. Steven Shanks, 70 years old, a former county treasurer, committed suicide at Frankfort, by throwing himself in front of a Clover Leaf passenger train. JohiL W. Sipes, an old soldier, aged 72 years, was walking on the Southern Indiana track at Calc, and failed to hear the qdiistle. lie was killed instantly. \ |.. A jury at Valparaiso has returned a verdict for tho heirs of John W. Swygart of South Bend, holding that deceased was not of sound mind when he executed his will.

A petrified log has been found 45 feet below the surface of the earth near Sullivan. The log is about 12 feet in length and two feet in diameter," nnd the outlines of its bark make it look like a fluted stoue column. The log was found .by workmen who were sinking a coal shaft. The old bridge across Wildcat creek, near Kokomo, is being torn down, which recalls die .hanging by a mob of a man named Long, in 1882. Long was accused of assaulting a little girl, but physicians who examined the child exonerated him. He confessed to stealing a lior.e, however, and the mob banged him anyway. Robert Meyers of Terre Haute says his bride of two weeks, whom he married through the agency of a matrimonial bureau, is a failure as n housekeeper. Therefore he has sent her back to Clintonville, Wis. He was a widower with eight and she the Widow Penn with two children, when the couple W££p married. An unknown colored manTlttemptcd to assault Mrs. Joseph Watt*, wife of a - prominent fanner near Ijogan.vport. Thrashers on the farm heard her screams and started after him, chasing him several miles and firing a nnmber of shots at him. He escaped into the swamp country and is believed to be badly wounded. John Collins, n wealthy farmer living west of Richmond, was accidentally shot by his 8-year-old son and the wound may prove final. Collins was tireparing to go hunting and the boy wa* playing wK’h his rifle, which was accidentally discharged. . - . A wreck on the Union Traction Company Railroad in the suburbs of Anderron caused the death of one person and serious injuries to seventeen passengers. The car was going at full speed when U struck a short curve. The brakes failed to work and the car'shot from the track and turned over. j