Newspaper Page Text
2 TIMES
WEEK
VOL. 44.
SKIRT DANCE OF SALOME.
The Head of John the Baptist on a
Plate Her Reward.
Does Dancing Take Too Much Place
and Occupy Too Much Time in
Modern Society P Rev. Talmage
Propounds and Then Answers the
Query—Old-Time Denunciations of
the “Poetry of Motion.”
Brooklyn, Sept. 30. —Rev. Dr. Talmage,
who is still absent on his round-the-world
toiir, has selected as the subject of to
day’s sermon, through the press: “The
Quick Feet,” the text chosen being
Matthew 14:6: “When Herod’s birthday
was kept, the daughter of Herodias
danced before them, and pleased Herod.”
It is the anniversary of Herod's birth
day. The palace is lighted. The high
ways leading thereto are all ablaze iyith
the pomp of invited guests. Lords, cap
tains, merchant princes, the mighty men
of the land, are coming to mingle in the
festivities. The table is spread with all
the luxuries that royal purveyors can
gather. The guests, white-robed and
anointed and perfumed, come in and sit
at the table. Music I The jests evoke
roars of laughter. Riddles are propounded.
Repartee is indulged. Toasts are drank.
The brain is befogged. The wit rolls on
into uproar and blasphemy. They
are not satisfied yet, Tunn on more
light. Pour out more Wine. Music!
Sound all the trumpets. Clear the floor
for a dance. Bring in Salome, the beau
tiful and accomplished princess. The
door opens and in bounds the dancer.
The lords are enchanted. Stand back
and make room for the brilliant gyra
tions. These men never saw such “po
etry of motion.” Their soul whirls in
the reels and bounds with the bounding
feet. Herod forgets crown and throne
and everything but the fascinations of
Salome. All the magnificence of his
realm is as nothing now compared with
the splendor that whirls on tiptoe before
him. His body sways from side to side,
corresponding with the motions
of the enchantress. His soul is
thrilled with the pulsations of
the feet and bewitched with the taking
postures and attitudes more and more
amazing. After awhile he sits in en
chanted silence looking at the flashing,
leaping, bounding beauty, and as the
dance closes and the tinkling cymbals
cease to clap and the thunders of applause
that shook the palace begin to abate, the
enchanted monarch swears to the princely
performer: “Whatsoever thou sbalt ask
of me I will give it thee to the half of my
kingdom.” Now, there was in prison at
that time a minister of the gospel by the
name of John the Baptist, and he had
been making a great deal of trouble by
preaching some very plain and honest ser
mons. He had denounced the sins of the
king and brought down upon him
the wrath of the females of the
royal household. At the instigation of
her mother, Salome takes advantage of
the extravagant promise of the king and
says: “Bring me the head of John the
Baptist on a dinner plate.”
Hark to the sound of feet outside the
door and the clatter of swords. The exe
cutioners are returning from their awful
errand. Open the door. They enter, and
they present the platter to Salome. What
is on this platter? A new glass of wine to
continue the uproarious merriment? No.
Something redder and costlier—the
ghastly, bleeding head of John the Bap
tist, the death glare still in the eye, the
locks dabbled with the gore, the features
still distressed with the last agony. This
woman, who had whirled so gracefully
in the dance, bends over the awful burden
without a shudder. She gloats over the
blood, and with as much indifference as a
waiting-maid might take a tray of empty
glassware out of the room after an enter
tainment, Salome carries the dissevered
head of John the Baptist, whilo all the
banqueters shout with laughter, and
think it a good joke that in so easy and
quick away they have got rid of an dar
kest and outspoken minister of the Gospel.
Well, there is no harm in a birthday
festival. All the kings from Pharaoh’s
time had celebrated such occasions, and
why not Herod? No harm in kindling
the lights. No harm in spreading the
banquet. No harm in arousing music.
But from the riot and wasjail that closed
the scene of that day every pure nature
revolts. lam not at this time to discuss
the old question: “Is dancing right or
wrong?” but I am to discuss the question,
“Does dancing take too much place and
occupy too much time in modern socisty ?”
and in my remarks I hope to carry with
me the earnest conviction of all thought
ful persons, and I believe I will.
You will all admit, whatever you think
of that style of amusement and exercise,'
that from many circles it has crowded
out all intelligent conversation. You will
also admit that It has made the condition
of those who do not dance, either because
they do not know how, or because they
have not the health to endure it, or be
cause through conscientious scruples they
must decline the exercise, very uncom
fortable. You w.ll also admit, all of you,
that it has passed in many cases from an
amusement to a dissipation, and you are
easily able to understand the bewilder
ment of the educated Chinaman who,
standing in the brilliant circle where
there was dancing going on four or five
hours, and the guests seemed exhausted,
turned to the proprietor of the house and
said: “Why don’t you allow your ser
vants to do this for you?”
Y'ou are also willing to admit whatever
be your idea in regard to the amusement
I am speaking of, and whatever be your
idea ot the old fashioned square dance
and of many of the processional romps in
which 1 can see no evil, the round dance
is administrative of evil and ought to be
driven out of all respectable circles. 1
am by natural temperament and religious
theory opposed to the position taken by
all those who are horrified at playfulness
on the part of the young, and who think
that all questions are decided—questions
of decency and morals—by the position of
the stet. while on the other hand, 1 can
see nothing but ruiu, temporal and eter
nal, for those who go into the dissipations
of social life, dissipations which have al
ready despoiled thousands of young men
and young women of all that is noble in
character and useful in life.
Dancing is the graceful motion ot the
body adjusted by art to the sound and
measure of musical instrument or of the
human voice. All nations have danced.
The ancients thought that Castor and
Pollux taught the art to the Lac< da mo
niaus. But whoever started it, air climes
have adoped it. In ancient times they
had the festal dance, the military dance,
the mediatorial dance, the bacchanalian
dance, and queens and lords swayed to
and fro in the gardens, and the rough
backwoodsman with this exercise
awakened the echo of the forest. There
is something in the sound of lively music
to evoke the movement of the hand and
GEORG I
( THE MORNING NEWS. »
■< F.STABI.ISHED 1860. INCORPORATED 1888. >
( J. H. ESTILL, President j
foot, whether cultured or uncultured.
Passing down the street we uncon
sciously keep step to the sound of the
brass band, while the Christian in church
with his foot beats time while his soul
rises upon some great harmony. While
this is so in civilized lands, the red men
of the forest have their scalp dances,
their green-corn dances, their war
dances. In ancient timfis the exercise
was so utterly and completely depraved
that the church anathematized it. The
old Christian fathers expressed them
selves most vehemently against it. St.
Chrysostom says: “The feet. were not
given for dancing but to walk* modestly,
not to leap impudently like camels.” One
of the dogmas of the ancient church
reads: “A dance is the devil’s
possession, and he that entereth
into a dance entereth into bis poses
sion. As many paces as a man
makes in dancing, so many paces does he
make to hell.” Elsewhere the old dog
mas declared this: “The woman that
singeth in the dance is the princess of the
devil, and those that answer are her
clerks, and the beholders are his friends,
and the music is his bellows, and the fid
dlers are the ministers of the devil. ' For
as when hogs are strayed, if the hogs
herd call one all assemble together, so
when the devil calleth one woman to sing
in the dance, or to play on some musical
instuments, presently all the dancers
gather together.” This indiscriminate
and universal denunciation of the exer
cise came from the fact that it was ut
terly and completely depraved.
But we are not to discuss the customs
of the olden times, but customs now. We
are not to take theevidenceof the ancient
fathers, but our o*wn conscience, en
lightened by the word of God, is to be the
standard. Oh. bring no harsh criticism
upon the young. I would not drive out
from their soul the hilarities of life. Ido
not believe that the inhabitants of ancient
Wales, when they stepped to the sound of
the rustic harp, went down to ruin. I be
lieve God intended the young people to
laugh and romp and play. I do not be
lieve God would ha ve put exuberance in
tbesoul and exuberance in the body if
he had not intended they should in some
wise exercise it and demonstrate it. If a
mother join hands with her children and
cross the floor to the sound of music, I see
no harm. If a group of friends cross and re
cross the room to the sound of piano well
played, I see no harm. If a company, all
of whom are known to host and hostess
as reputable, cross and recross the room
to the sound of musical instrument, I see
no harm. I tried for a long while to see
harm in it. I could not see any harm in
it. I never shall see any harm in that.
Our men need to be kept young, young
for inafly years longer than they are kept
young. Never since my boyhood days
have I had more sympathy with the
innocent hilarities of life than I
have now. What though we have felt
heavy burdensj What though we have
had to endure hard knocks! Is that any
reason why we should stand in the way of
those who, unstung of life’s misfortunes,
are full of exhilaration and glee? God
bless the young! They will have to wait
many a long yeor before they hear me say
anything that would repress their ardor
or clip their wings or make them believe
that life Is hard acd cold and repulsive.
It is not. I tell them, judging from my
own experience, that they will be treated
a great deal better than they deserve.
We have no right to grudge the innocent
hilarities to the young.
As we go on in years let us remember
that we had our gleeful times; let us be
able to say, “We had our good times, let
others have their good times.” Let us
willingly resign our place to those who
are coming after us. I will cheerfully
give them everything—my house, my
books, my position in society, my herit
age. After twenty, forty, fifty years,
we have been drinking out of the cup of
this life, do not let us begrudge the pass
ing of it thatothers may take a drink.
But while all this is so, we can have no
sympathy with sinful indulgencies, and I
am going to speak in regard to some of
them, though I should tread on the long
train of some popular vanities.
What are the dissipations of social life
to-day, and what are the dissipations of
the ball room? In some cities and in some
places reaching all the year round, in
other places only in the summer time and
at the watering places. There are dissi
pations of social life that are cutting a
very wide swath with the sickle of death,
and hundreds and thousands are going
down under these influences, and my sub
ject in application is as wide as Christen
dom. The whirlpool of social dissipa
tion is drawing down some of the bright
est craft that ever sailed the sea—thou
sands and tens of thousands of bodies and
souls annually consumed in the conflagra
tion of ribbons.
Social dissipation is the abettor of
pride, it is the instigator of jealousy, it
is the sacrificial altar of health, it is the
defiler of the soul, it is the avenue of lust
and it is the curse of every town on both
sides of the sea. Social dissipation. It
may be hard to draw the line and say
that this is right on the one sidd, and
that is wrong on the other side. It is not
necessary that we do that, for, God has
put a throne in every man’s soul, and I
appeal to that throne to-day. When a
man does wrong he knows he does wrong,
and when he does right he knows he does
right, and to that throne which Al
mighti' God lifted in the heart of every
man and woman I appeal.
As to the physical ruin wrought by the
dissipations of social life there can be no
doubt. What may we expect of people
who work all day and dance all night?
After a while they will be thrown on so
ciety, nervous, exhausted imbeciles.
These people who indulge in the suppers
and the midnight revels, and then go
home in the'cold, unwrapped of limbs,
will after a while be found to have been
written down in God’s eternal records as
suicides, as much suicides as if they had
taken tneir life with a pistol, or a *knife,
<jr strychnine.
How many people have stepped from
the ball-room into the graveyard! Con
sumptions and swift neuralgias are close,
on their track. Amid many of the glitter
ing scenes of social life, diseases stand
right and left and balance and chain. The
breath of the sepulchre floats up through
the pe fume and the froth of death's lips
bubbles up in the chatnpavne. I am told
that in some of the cities there are pa
rents who have actually given up house
keeping and gone to boarding that they
may give their time illimitable’ to social
dissipations. I have known such cases. I
have known family after family blasted
in that 'way in one of the other cities
where I preached. Father and mother
turning their back upon all quiet
culture, and all the amenities of home,
leading forth their entire family in the
wrong direction. Annihilated, worse
than annihilated—for there are some
things worse than annihilation. 1 give
you the history of more than one family
when I say they went on in the dissipa
tions of social life until the father dropped
into a lower style of dissipation, and after
awhile the sun was tossed out into society
a nonenity. and after awhile the daughter
eloped with a 1 reneb dancing master,
and after awhile the mother, getting on
further and further in years, triesxto hide
the wrinkles but fails in the attempt,
trying all the arts of the belle, an old
.iserable butterfly without
any win h /'A,
If there is anything on earth beautiful
to me it is an aged woman, her white
locks flowing back over the wrinkled
brow—locks not white with frost, as the
poets say. but white with the blossoms of
the tree of life, in her voice the tender
ness of gracious memories, her face a
benediction. As grandmother passes
through the room the grandchildren pull
at her dress, and she almost falls in here
weakness; but she has nothing but candy
or cake or a kind word for the little dar
lings. When she gets out of the wagon
in front of the house the whole family
rush out and cry; “Grandma’s come!”
and when she goes away fro mus never
to return, there is a shadow on the table,
and a shadow on the hearth, and a
shadow on the heart. There is no
more touching scene on earth than when
grandmother sleeps the last slumber and
the little child is lifted up to the casket
to give the last kiss, and she says: “Good
by, grandma!” Oh. there is beauty in
old age. God says so. “The hoary head
is a crown of glory.” Why should people
decline to get old? The best things, the
greatest things I know of are aged. Old
mountains,o’d seas, old stars, old eternity.
But if there is anything distressful, it is
to see an old woman ashamed of the fact
that she is old. What with all the arti
ficial appliances, she is too much for my
gravity. I laugh even in church when I
see her coming. The worst looking bird
on earth is a peacock when it has lost its
feathers. I would not give one lock of my
old mother’s gray hair for fifty thousand
such caricatures of humanity. And if the
life of a worldling, if the life of a disciple
given to the world is sad, the close of such
a life is simply a tragedy.
Let me tell you that the dissipations of
social life are despoiling the usefulness of
a vast multitude of people. What do
those people care about the fact that
there are whole nations in sorrow and
suffering and agony, when they have for
consideration the more important ques
tion about the size of a glove, or the tie
of a cravat? Which one of them ever
bound up the wounds of a hospital?
Which one of them ever went out to care
for the poor? Which of them do you find
in the haunts of sin distributing tracts?
They live on themselves, and it is very
poor pasture.
Sybaris was a great city, and it once
sent out three hundred horsemen in bat?
tie. They had a minstrel who had taught
the horses of the army a great trick, and
when the old minstrel played a certain
tune the horses would rear and with their
front feet seem to beat time to the music.
Well, the old minstrel was offended with
his country, and he went over to the ene
my, and he said to the enemy: “You give
me the mastership of the army and I will
destroy their troops when those horse
men come from Sybaris.” So they gave
the old minstrel the management, and he
taught all the other minstrels a certain
tune. Then when the cavalry troop came
up the old minstrel and all the other
minstrels played a certain tune, and
at the most critical moment in the battle
when the horsemen wanted to rush to the
conflict, the horses reared and beat time
to the music with their forefeet, and in
disgrace and rout the enemy fled. Ah!
my friends, I have seen it again and again
—the minstrels of pleasure, the minstrels
of dissipation, the minstrels of godless
association have defeated people in the
hardest fight of life. Frivolity has lost
the battle for ten thousand folk. Oh!
what a belllttling process to the human
mind this everlasting question about
dress, this discussion of fashionable in
finitessimals this group looking askance at
the glass, wondering with an infinity of
earnestness how that last geranium leaf
does look—this shrivelling of a man’s
moral dignity until it is not observable to
the naked eye, this Spanish inquisition of
a tight shoe, this binding up of an immor
tal soul in a ruffle, this pitching off of an
immortal nature over the rocks when
God intended it for great and everlasting
uplifting.
You know as well as I do that the dissi
pations of social life are destroying thou
sands and tens of thousands of people,
and it is time that the pulpits lift their
voice against them, for I now prophecy
the eternal misfortune of all those who
enter the rivalry. When did the white,
glistening boards of a dissipated ball
room ever become the road to heaven?
When was a torch for eternity ever
lighted at the chandelier of a dissipated
scene? From a table spread after such
an excited and desecrated scene who ever
went home to pray ?
In my parish of Philadelphia there was
a young woman brilliant as a spring
morning. She gave her life to the world.
She would come to the religious meetings
and under conviction would for a little
while begin to pray, and then would rush
off again into tho discipleship of the
world. She had all the world could offer
of brilliant social position. One day a
flushed and excited messenger asked me
to hasten to her house, for she was dying.
I entered the room. There were the phy
sicians, there was the mother, there lay
this disciple of the world. I asked her
some questions in regard to her soul. She
made no answer. I knelt down to pray. I
rose again, and desiring to get some ex
pression in regard to her eternal interests,
1 said: “Have you any hope?” and
then for the first time her lips moved in
a whisper as she saidr “No hope!" Then
she died. The world, she served it. and
the world helped her not in the last.
And I tell the hundreds and thousands of
young people who may read this sermon,
the world will laugh with you when you
laugh, and romp with you when you
romp, but they will not weep with you
when you die. I wish from my’ heart
that 1 could marshal all the young people
in this land to an appreciation of the fact
that you have an earnest work in life and
your amusements and recreations are
only to help ytfu along in that work. At
the time of a religious awakening
a Christian young woman spoke to
a man in regard to his soul’s sal
vation. He floated out into the world.
After awhile she became worldly in her
Christian profession. The man said one
day, “Well, lam as safe as she is. I was
a Christian, she said she was a Christian.
She talked with me about my soul; if she
is safe lam safe.” Then a sudden acci
dent took him off without an opportunity
to utter one word of prayer. Do you not
realize, have you not noticed, young men
and old—have you not noticed that the
dissipations of social life are blasting
and destroying a vast multitude? With
many life is a masquerade ball,
and as at such entertainments gentle
men and ladies put on the garb of kings
and queens or mountebanks or clowns and
at the close pull off the disguise, so a
great many pass their whole life in a
mask, taking of the mask at death. While
the masquerade ball of life goes on, they
trip merrily over the floor, gemmed hand
i 4 stretched to gemmed hand, and gleam
ing brow bends to gleaming brow. On
with the dance! Flush and rustle and
laughter of immeasurable merry-making.
But after awhile the languor of death
comes on the limbs and blurs the eve-:
sight. Lights lower. Floor hollow with
sepulchral echo. Music saddened
into a wail. Lights lower. Now
the maskers are only seen in the dim
light. Now the fragrance of the Howers
is tike the sickening odor that comes from
1 SAVANNAH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1894.
garlands that have lain long in the vaults
of cemeteries. Lights lower. Mists
gather in the room. Glasses shake as
though quaked by sullen thunder. Sigh
caught in the curtain. Scarf drops from
the shoulder of beauty, a shroud. Lights
lower. Over the slippery boards in dance
of death glide jealousies, envies, revenges
lust, despair and death. Stench the
lamp-wicks almost extinguished. Torn
garlands will not half , cover the ulcer
ated feet. Choking damps. Chilliness.
. Feet still. Hands closed. Voices hushed,
i Eves shut. Lights out.
Oh, how many of you have floated far
away from God through social dissipa
. tions. and it is time you turned. For I
remember there were two vessels on the
! sea, and in a storm. It was very, very
; dark, and the two vessels were going
straight for each other, and the captains
| knew it not. But after awhile the man
I on the lookout saw the approaching ship,
I and he shouted, “Hard a-larboard!” and
from the other vessel the try went up,
“Hard a-larboard!” and they turned
just enough to glance by and passed in
i safety to their harbors. Some of you are
in the storm of temptation and you are
driving on and coming toward fearful
collisions unless you change your course.
Hard a-larboard! Turn ye, turn ye, for
“why will ye die, oh, house of Israel?”
THE DAMAGE TO ORANGES.
The Crop Not Badly Damaged Near
Orlando.
Orlando, Fla., Sept. 30.—The storm of
the past few days cut off communication
between us and the outside world more
effectually than a rigid quarantine could
have done. A through train over the
Florida Central and Peninsular railroad
yesterday morning brought us the first
mail since Monday afternoon. Savannah
and Jacksonville papers of Wednesday
were the latest.
No damage was done to buildings or to
trees here. Naturally, our citizens feel
deep interest in the effect of the storm
upon the orange groves. There are a
number of buyers and packers here, and
these men are very alert. They have
made a very thorough inspection of the
groves. Business men and the growers
have done the same thing, and, as the
weather has been perfect for the past
three days, there has been a favorable
opportunity to estimate the extent of the
damage. Within a radius of six miles
of Orlando there are probably upwards of
4,000 acres in bearing orange trees. By
including the region tributary to Mait
land, seven miles north of this point, an
other thousand acres could be added to
this estimate. All of this district has
been subject to a very thorough examina
tion during the three days since the
storm abated. It is safe to claim that the
loss from windfalls, and thorned and
bruised fruit will not reach & per
the total crop, and the crop this year will
be somewhat above the average of former
years.
While vast quantities of water fell here,
there was little damage to either wagon
or railroads. Farther to the north and
south of us there were serious washouts
on the railroad lines. At Soldier creek,
seventeen miles north of Orlando, there
was a bad cut on the line of the Savannah,
Florida and Western railway and at Kis-
pn the same road, b tteea mijes
soutn.'there was a ureal; of 25(> feet. Trits
line has been repaired, however, and since
Friday trains have been running between
Tampa and Sanford. Owing to the de
moralized condition of railroads and
telegraph lines it will be several days
before the full extent of the damage
caused by the storm can be estimated. All
things considered this immediate section
seems to have been specially favored,
TALLAHASSEE TOPICS.
A Fiendish Crime of a Negro Woman.
Tallahassee, Fla., Sept. 30.—Sallie Rog
ers, a negro woman living in the southern
portion of the city, attempted to murder
her husband early Saturday morning.
While he lay asleep in bed she put the
muzzle of his pistol against his head and
pulled the trigger. Sallie is in jail and
her husband in charge of a doctor, and
not expected to survive. Domestic
troubles are assigned as the cause of the
tragedy.
Prof. A. F. Lewis, president of the
faculty of the state seminary, arrived
yesterday.
H. P. Simmons, manager of the Geor
gia and Florida Investment Company, has
gone to New York with his family.
Misses Emma ana Fannie Wilson have
returned from a pleasant sojourn at Mem
phis.
Mr. James H. Randolph of this city,
after passing all other examinations for
admission to the naval academy at An
napolis, was turned down in the physical
examination. It was discovered that his
hearing was defective.
PENSACOLA’S NEW FORTS.
Over 91,000,000 to Be Spent in
Making the Port Impregnable.
Pensacola. Fla., Sept. 30.—At its last
session, congress appropriated $400,000 to
begin the work of fortifying four ports on
the Atlantic and Gulf coast lines, to be
designated by tfie Secretary of War.
Secretary Lamont in accordance with the
recommendation of the engineers con
stituting the board of fortifications has
designated Pensacola as one of the ports.
The engineer in charge of the
government work in this harbor
has been notified that the sum
of SIOO,OOO has been placed to the credit
of Pensacola, and instructed to begin the
surveys for a site upon which to erect a
battery of heavy disappf lying guns and a
battery of seacoast, J? ■Stars. The site
has been selected on < & Rosa Island,
one mile east of Fort xens. and a sur
vey is now being made tor a steam railway
upon which to haul the material for the bat
teries from a wharf that will be erected.
The estimated cost of the work is over
$1,000,000, and when the batteries are
completed it is believed that the defences
of the orbor will be Impregnable.
Death of Well Known People.
Braidentown, Manatee county. Florida,
Sept. 30.—Judge J. J. Wimbish died at his
home in Palmetto after several weeks ill
ness. For years he had held the position
of probate judge of Manatee county. He
made a good officer and was liked by
every one. He leaves a wife and several
grown daughters.
At Manatee the wife of Col. J. H. Vise
died Tuesday morning.
DEATH IN A WELL.
Two Diggers Overcome by Firs
and Perish.
Warrensburg, Mo., Sept. 30.—1 n Simp
son township, eight miles north of this
city. Bob Martin and Ashley Potts, two
well diggers, were killed yesterday by
fire damp in a well they had just about
completed. One of the men went down and
not answering to signals from above, his
partner followed, thinking probably he
was hurt. Both men were dead when
brought out of the well.
BLOODY RIOT AT A CAMP.
Two Blacks Killed and a White
Family Alarmed and Hurt.
The Cause of the Trouble—Black
Gamblers Resist Being Fined—They
Get Drunk and Attack the Manager
of a Turpentine Still—Bullets Fly
Thick and Fast.
Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 30.—News reached
this city this morning of a riot four miles
from tefivn that occurred last night, in
which two men lost their lives and a
whole family escaped with severe bruises
and wounds. The details of the riot
bristle with the desperate boldness of a
hegro gambler, and is a typical illustra
tion of the dangers that are assumed by
turpentine men in almost every section.
The scene of the tragedy is four miles
from town on the Savannah, Florida and
Western road toward Savannah, at the
turpentine still formerly owned by Mr.
J. A. Conolly, but which has recently
been bought lay Lucas & McNeil, and
operated by them. Mr. A. Gillispie is
the superintendent of the still and it was
he and his family who became involved
in the terrible struggle with several of
the negro hands.
It seems from best information gath
ered by the Morning News correspond
ent, that there is a rule among all tur
pentine men to fine employes who are
found gambling in the camps, and this
rule is generally embodied in the con
tracts with laborers. The fine at Lucas
& McNeil’s camp was fixed at $5, and the
enforcement of that fine on yesterday
was the cause of the trouble.
Two negroes, Mack Adams and Tom
Smith, were caught gambling a few days
ago. and when the hands were paid off
yesterday, the regular fine was deducted
from their pay. Both of them came to
town yesterday and loaded up with
whisky and returned to the camp ready
for a fight. They went to Gillispie’s
house where he and his family were at
supper and began cursing in a threaten
ing manner, when Gillispie got up from
the table and endeavored to quiet them.
A FREE-FOB-ALL FIGHT.
One or two of the other hands took
sides with Gillispie, and in a few minutes
a tree fight ensued. Mrs. Gillispie
from the bouse to aid her husband,
when an old negro, who had been work
ing for him, took a hand in the riot. The
negro assailants succeeded in wrenching
Gillispie’s rifle from his hand, and then
they opened fire upon the family. One
bullet struck Gillispie in the hand and
came out near the elbow. Another
struck the old negro, Bob Butler, in the
side and came out on the
other side. Mrs. Gillispie was bad
’y ,brui-ed up ; jthe ■ so.
and both of the small children were
bruised up by being run over and knocked
down.
The two negroes kept up the fire upon
the house for a few minutes and then
went off together. A little later a fusil
lade commenced between them, and this
morning one of them, Tom Smith, was
found dead with two bullet holes in hie
head. Bob Butler died this morning.
Gillispie brought the news of the
trouble to towh about midnight last night,
and Dr. Rose of this city went out to at
tend the wounded. The sheriff and dep
uties went out on a search for Mack
Adams this morning, but did not succeed
in finding him. They arrested one negro
as accessory to the trouble, but nothing
definite could be learned from him.
The two negroes stated to some one
here yesterday that they intended to have
some trouble with Gillispie. Both of
them were negro tramps and were very
desperate characters.
The coroner carried a jury out this
evening and the disclosures made by his
investigation are awaited with interest.
The laborers at Lucas & McNeil’s still
are usually quiet, and there would have
Deen no trouble but for the two tramp
gamblers. A gentleman here remarked
to-day that a negro gambler was the
most desperate character in the world,
and the statement seems to be verified by
fact. Bob Smith, one of the killed, was
the tallest negro known in this section,
measuring 6 feet and 11 inches.
FIVE KILLED ON THE RAILS.
One of the Victims in His Death Strug
gles Chews Another’s Wrist.
Woodstock, Hi., Sept. 30.—At 8:30
o’clock this morning a freight train bound
for Chicago was wrecked on the Chicago
and Northwestern railroad at Grovers
Crossing, about a mile west of this city.
When the wrecking crew reached the
spot the voice of a man was
heard calling for help. His hand pro
truded from beneath the debris. This
car was loaded with green planks, and
the lumber was removed as fast as possi
ble. the result being the discovery of five
dead bodies, one man badly injured and a
boy seriously bruised and shaken up.
The dead are: Bert Little, Freeport,
Ill.; Tyrell Davis, Mount Morris, III.; an
unknown boy, Lincoln. Neb.; unknown
boy, residence unknown; unknown man,
said to be known as “Milwaukee Eddie.”
Injured—Joseph Grady. Fall River,
Mass., left leg broken, back injured, and
one wrist chewed by one of the boys in
his death struggles, the latter dying with
Lis head pinned by lumber to Grady's
breast. Samuel Newman, 12 years old,
Freeport, 111.
SHY OF THE STUMP.
Harrison and McKinley Decline to
Speak in Tennessee.
Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 30.—A member
of the Shelby county republican execu
tive committee is authority for
the statement that Gov. McKinley
of Ohio has cancelled his engage
: ment to speak in Tennessee, and
I ex-President Harrison has been in-
I duced to fill the governor’s appointments.
Gen. Harrison will make four speeches in
the state at the four principal cities,
Nashville, Memphis. Chattanooga, and
Knoxville. He will open at Nashville on
.Oct. 19.
HARRISON DECLINES.
Memphis. Tenn., Sept. 30. 11:30 p. m.—A
dispatch has been received from Indian
apolis to-night stating that ex-President
■ Harrison has positively declined to speak
’in Tennessee. The republican managers
requested the ex-President to fill the en
gagements for addresses originally made
: out for Gov. McKinley. Gov. McKinley
was billed to speak at Memphis, Nash
ville, Knoxville anck Chattanooga, but
will be able to spedk only at Nashville,
on Oct. 29.
RESCUE OF THE MINERS.
The Escape of the Men at Simpson a
Most Miraculous One.
Scranton, Pa., Sept. 30.—Rescued from
what was believed to be certain death on
Thursday, when a portion of the work
ings of the northwest colliery at Simpson,
near Carbondale caved in, Williato
Mitchell, George Arney, John Fanning
and Andrew Klapkowski are to-day the
objects of demonstrative rejoicing in the
village.
When the cave-in occurred their death
was regarded as certain, but on Thurs
day night the rescuers heard responses to
their tapping and it was believed there
was one man to escape the fall. Yester
day when it became a certrinty that all
four were alive, the agony of Thursday
was turned into almost uncontrollable re
joicing. The rescuers pushed their work
more vigorously than ever and they
pierced the black wall that had made the
prison almost five hours earlier than ex
pected.
RESTORED TO THEIR FRIENDS.
The imprisoned men werg faint from
lack of food and drink, but these in stim
ulating quantities were supplied them,
and they were shortly after midnight
this morning restored to their friends,
hundreds of whom stood massed at the
mine’s mouth to receive them. They
were taken to their homes in wagons with
demonstrations of joy greeting them along
the way. z
Their escape from death is regarded al
most a miracle, considering the extent of
the cave-in, and the fact that they were
at work right beneath it. They had
heard the warning of the cracking roof
and fled to a place of safety before the
fall reached where they were.
THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THEIR TOMB.
Carbondale, Pa., Sept. 30.-John J.
Fanning, William B. Mitchell, George
Barney and Andrew Klahesky, the four
miners who were entombed in the slope
of the Northwest Coal Company on
Thursday, were rescued at a late hour
last night. All are alive and well
and do not seem much the worse for their
long imprisonment. As soon as an open
ing was made, refreshments were passed
through to the prisoners and their hunger
and thirst had been satisfied before they
reached the surface. The men were
without light and food for fifty-four
hours. They procured water from a min
iature well which they dug in their cell.
In consequence of having been so
long in darkness, Fanning, when taken
out of the shaft, was unable to see a lamp
held two feet away from him. None of
the men could remember whether or not
they had slept, and said that the sensa
tion was like that of a person in a trance.
There was rejoicing when the men were
brought to the surface and escorted to
their homes.
SAD END OF A TRUANT.
Fatally Crushed While Trying to
Board a Fast Train.
Columbia, S. C., Sept. 30. Last
Wednesday night as the south bound pas
senger train on the Florida Central and
Peninsular railroad rushed by
heard a cry of pain. Going out, they
found on the track a youth who had been
fearfully crushed by the car
wheels. He was still living,
but Gaston being a remote coun
try hamlet, it was three hours
before a physician could be obtained. He
died a few minutes after one arrived.
The boy was a handsome little chap,
neatly dressed and evidently of reputable
birth. He was told that he could not live,
and he then gave this story. His name
was Samuel Williams of 2,736 German
town avenue, Philadelphia. Without
cause and without saying good-by to
his father or mother, he had run
away. He had only $3.65, and hoping
to save his money he had attempted to
board the platform of the moving train,
had missed his footing and fallen between
the wheels. The poor boy plead that the
bystanders would prolong his life only
long enough to enable‘him to kiss his
father good-by. The people of Gaston
gave him every possible attention and
buried him as though he had been one of
their own sons.
GAVE LIFE FOR BEAUTY.
A Chicago Girl Dies While Having
Facial Blemishes Jtemoved,
Chicago, Sept. 30.—Belle White, 24
years of age, daughter of Benjamin S.
White, s wealthy lumberman, died at
Woods hotel this morning about 10
o’clock, while under treatment for the
removal of facial blemishes. Death
was caused, it is supposed, by the
use of cocaine to deaden the pain from
the application of an electrical current,
which constituted the means of treat
ment. The operator was Dr. Sophia Santa
of the Dr. Sophia Santa Company.' Eliza
James, the business partner of Dr. Santa,
was assisting in the work at the time. In
one hand Dr. Santa held the electric
needle and in the other a sponge satur
ated with a 4 per cent, solution of
cocaine, which was applied at intervals
to deaden the intense pain caused by the
needle. She had almost completed the
treatment when Miss White gasped for
breath, and before the operator could as
sist her she slid from the chair to the
floor, dead.
BRAINERD SAVED BY RAIN.
The Downpour Came Just in Time to
Sava the Town.
Brainerd. Minn., Sept. 30.—A heavy
rain set in at 7 o’clock yesterday morning
and all fear from the forest fires has now
passed. Friday night was a night of
terror. The fires had eaten their way
into the city limits, and a fierce
gale was blowing the flames toward
the residence portion of the citv.
Hundreds were fighting the flames all
night, and every one was awake and
anxious. The smoke was dense, and the
red glare of the angry flames forcibly re
minded the residents of the Hinckley
disaster. Scores of farmers have been
burned out in this district. Many coming
into the city have lost all but the clothing
on their backs.
SEVEN DROWNED.
A Drunken Man Drives His Team Into
a River With His Family.
Chaska, Minn., Sept. 30.—Seven persons
were drowned here last evening. Louis
Scharf and family, who had attended the
fair, started home at 7 o’clock. Scharf
was intoxicated and whipped his horses
and thej furiously dashed down the river
bank, over the ferry and into the river.
His wife, five children and Miss Mary
Rcskus, Mrs. Scharf’s sister, were
arowned, as were the horses. Scharf
clung to the wagon box and was rescued.
The bodies of Mrs. Scharf and two of the
children were recovered.
j WEEKLY, (8-TIMES-A-WEEK) SI A YEAR. ) , , x
i 6 t^? NTS A COPY. VO
I DAILY, 110 A YEAR O 4 •
MONDAYS
ANO
THURSDAYS
BAD BLOOD OVER POLITICS.
A Populist ( Shot Dead by a Democrat
in Wayne.
The Dead Man Accused of Sending
Threatening Letters Warning His
Slayer to Quit the Democratic Party.
The Populists of the County Ac
cused of Trying to Intimidate White
and Black Democrats by Threaten
ing Them With Death.
Jesup, Ga.. Sept. 30.—News reached
here this morning of the shooting and
killing of W. K. Rogers, by J. B. Surls,
yesterday afternoon at Rich, in this
county, about fourteen miles from this
place.
Owing to the swollen condition of the
creeks from the recent heavy rains, it is
difficult to get the full particulars
of the killing. However, the most relia
ble information received is that Mr. Surls
is a staunch democrat and Rogers was a
populist. For several weeks past the
third partyites of that section have been
threatening the democrats, and especially
Mr. Surls, he being the one upon whom
vengeance had been sworn. For the
past few days he has been receiv
ing letters instructing him to have
his business in shape in the next five days
and leave the country or quit the Demo
cratic party, or he wmuld be severely
dealt with. Rogers was supposed to be
the one who wrote the anonymous letters,
and being spoken to in reference to the
matter, a difficulty followed as stated
above.
A SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS.
The populists of this county have be
come very threatening lately towards the
democrats and the negroes who anticipate
voting with them. Last night P. H. Hurst
and Williams, negroes addressed
a crowd of their race at Sand
Hill in behalf of the Demo
cratic party. After the speaking, it is
said, a desperate negro named Drake
drew his rifle and attempted to shoot
Williams for speaking democratic prin
ciples, and no doubt would have suc
ceeded had not L. R. Aiken
interfered and put a stop to
the difficulty upon his property.
There are quite a number of negroes
in the county who have always voted
with the democrats in state and county
elections and will continue to do so it
they are not molested at the polls. A
great many of them, no doubt, will stay
away from the polls on account of fear,
as many threats have been made against
them if they vote other than a populist
ticket.
SOLID FOR THE DEMOORAfs.
The negroes of this district are practi
cally solid for the democrats
and haye passed resolutions con
demning the populists and
the means they are using to keep voters
from the polls, and have appealed to the
colored voters of the country districts to
vote a democratic ticket in the district
where they I’ve or come here and cast
T;.•>»» molop’-'-Mian This
place can boast of having
citizens of any place dor " in
this state and they recogi jat
the democrats are their bcWfrimwis and
have always cared for them when they
were in trouble.
WAYCROSS GLEANINGS.
The Populists Ask to Be Represented
at the Polling Places.
Waycross, Ga., Sept. 30. —D. B. Smith,
an aged citizen of this place, died yester
day evening near Tifton. His body was
received by relatives here this morning,
and the interment was at Lott cemetery.
The Christian Laymen's Association is
conducting a big religious meeting at the
Class building in this place.
Hon. Warren Lott, the newly elected
cashier of the Bank of Waycross, will
take charge of that office to-morrow
morning. Mr. Newton Wood worth, his
predecessor, leaves for Jacksonville to
morrow.
The populists in this county have asked
the chairman of the democratic executive
committee to appoint one manager and
one clerk from their ranks at each of the
voting places in the county on the day of
the state election. Their request will be
properly considered.
DANGERS OE THE DEEP.
Further News of the Wrecking of
Two Schooners. (
Baltimore, Sept. 30.—The schooner E.
A. Baizley, Smith, which went ashore on
Fryingpan Shoals, and was, totally
wrecked, was bound from Ashley River
for Baltimore. She was owned by J. J.
Townsend, of Absecom, N. J., and S. B.
Marts of this city. The vessel and her
cargo of phosphate rock were valued at
SII,OOO. The captain and crew were res
cued by the life saving crew.
LOSS OF THE LEE.
Advices received here report the proba
ble total wreck of the schooner Benjamin
F. Lee, Capt. Steelman, bound hence for
Charleston. She went ashore on Cape
Romaine late Thursday night. The Lee
was valued at SIO,OOO, and her cargo of
cotton ties and canned goods was worth
SB,OOO more. She was owned principally
by S. B. Marts and Slingluff & Co. of
this city. The fate of her crew is un
known, but it is supposed they took to
the boats and were saved.
REACHES ST. JOHNS.
St. Johns, N. F., Sept. 30.—The great
gale, which has been ravaging the At
lantic coast ot the United States for the
past week, reached here last night and
raged fiercely to-day. No messages from
outlying places have been received
yet, out it is believed that con
siderable damage has been done,
and especially to the fishing fleet
on the grand banks. Four vessels an
chored off the mouth of the harbor are in
a very daneerous position. Two of these
are the barks Viola and the Belle of Exe
from Brazil. Thethiidis an American
schooner, name unknown, and the fourth
is a locol schooner laden with fish. All
are unable to enter the harbor, owing
to a head wind. No steamer is in
port, so it is impossible to tow them
in. The local schooner was abandoned by
the crew this afternoon, as they feared
she would founder. There are grave
fears for the others to-night. It is be
lieved they must either slip their an
chors or drive on the rocks when the
wind changes. About thirty lives alto
gether are involved ana serious appre
hensions are felt here.
A Universal Suffrage Parade.
Vienna, Sept. 30.—A demonstration in
behalf of universal suffrage was held in
this city to-day. Fifteen thousand people
took part in the demonstration and
marched in procession through the streets.
Ten arrests were made, but there waa no
serious disorder.