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NORTH GEORGIA TIMES.
C. N. KtXli, I Proprietor
S. B. CARTER, 1
Two Bards.
A bard who wrote in staves
Once made a heathen hymn.
It had this stern refrain,
And moved as though in pain,
“The underthought of graves
: Makes the sea grim.”
, A south-land singer sting
W'th happy heart and free;
The living, not the dead,
He dealt with, and he said,
“The world is glad and young,
And good to me.”
And ever since mankind
Is shuttled back and forth
Between these singers twain
Of glad and sad refrain:
The south-land warm and kind,
The bitter north.
—[Richard E. Burton, in Harper’s Wef ly.
DETECTING- A ROGUE.
BY LAWRENCE LESLIE.
One of the cleverest feats in the de¬
tection, pursuit aud capture of crimi¬
nate that has been developed for years
was performed by an officer of the
New York detective police force some
years since.
About that time tho officers of the
City Bank of New York discovered
that they had been swindled out of
$75,000 by means of a forged chock
for that amount, purported to have
been drawn by Commodore Yander.
blit. Nearly a month passed before
the fraud was discovered, and in the
meantime several other checks for
large amounts, drawn by the same
party, had been honored; so it was
almost impossible for any of tho bank
officiate to remember with satisfactory
distinctness any of the circumstances
connected with the payment of the
fraudulent document. However, it
was placed in tho hands of a shrewd
detective, and ho wont to work to find
a clew and trace out the myslery.
The officer’s first suspicion was that
some of the clerks of the banks had
been in collusion with the forger, and
doubtless shared the profits of his
erime. After two weoks’ scrutiny of
the character, habits aud associations
of the various clerks, that theory was
abandoned, aud it only remained for
him to gather from them, if possible,
some clew,'however slight, of the bold
operator. His finsLinquiry was if any
f one, not ' ’ in tho4,habit of preslhtiug
she cks, had been ctoin the
past month. OnlyAy
had any memory on the , and
theirs was of the most shadowy and
unsatisfactory character. One remem¬
bered seeing a stoat, elderly man
driving a strikingly beautiful black
horse and fine carriage up to the bank,
enter the office, and transact some bus¬
iness, lie knew not what, and depart,
since which he had not seen him.
The other clerk, after a thorough
examination, aud a multitude of
questions pnt to assist or quicken his
memory, at last concluded that he did
recollect a strange man, who entered
the bank one day about the time the
forged check was presented, and had
a draft cashed for a largo amount. A
peculiarity iu the man’s neck-tie at
» traded bis attention, and he looked
him full in the face, and retained a
vivid recollection of every feature.
He was an amateur artist, aud especi¬
ally expert In pen-drawing. Taking
a sheet of paper and an old pen which
was lying upon tho desk, he quickly
produced a portrait, which lie de¬
clared to bo a good likeness of the
man he suspected.
The officer did not look upon these
clews, if such they might be called, as
promising much hope of success. He
first ex’ ifited the drawing to tho clerk
who had seen the suspected rogue
drive up with the fine black horse, and
he confidently identified it.
Here at last was some encourage¬
ment. The first attempt was to trace
the horse and carriage, and discover
who owned or who had hired snch a
rig. The effort was nnsuccessful; the
officer, however, was convinced that
the man, whoever lie might bo, was an
admirer of fast; and stylish horses, and
he therefore commenced a search
among the establishments devoted to
the stabling and sale of such animate,
hoping that lie would find some one
who could identify the parties.
After going to nearly all such es¬
tablishments, exhibiting the portrait,
he came upon a man who recognized
in the drawing one William Living¬
ston, whom he had known a year or
two, bot who had disappeared within
Ihe past month, after paying up some
pid debts and baying one or two fancy
SPRING PLACE. GA.. THURSDAY. MAY 28, 1891.
horses. Further inquiry brought ont
the fact that Livingston was in very
straightened circumstances but a few
months previously, and how he could
honestly obtain the means to pay his
old debts aud gratify his love for
horseflesh was not so clear, and gave
fresh encouragement to the
ing detective.
To follow Livingston was necessary,
but how could he be traced? He had
disappeared, and no one knew when
or whither. “What, then was to be
done? Should the trail be abandoned
and the case given up aB one of the
mysteries that baffled solution?
Never, said the indefatigable officer,
aud he went to work with desperato
energy to unravel the tangled skein.
He finally reached the following
conclusions: The perpetrator of the
forgery was Livingston; ho was a
good deal of a horse-fancier, and
would doubtless spend a considerable
portion of his dishonest gains in the
purchase of fine stock; and, further,
that tho stock would be purchased iu
New York, as that market promised a
bolter selection, and the criminal con¬
sidered himself entirely safe from de¬
tection.
The first step, therefore, was to
learn if any one had recently made
any extensive purchases of such stock,
and if so, to run them down and see
who they were.
For weeks the search was without
reward, but at last the case brightened.
A man was found, of whom several
horsos had been purchased by a man
much resembling Livingston, but here
giving the name of Peck. The horses
were shipped to Buffalo, whither “Mr.
Peck” stated that he was going.
Here was a long-sought clow, and
the officer lost no time in visiting
Buffalo, to learn further of Mr. Peck’s
present abode. Another disappoint¬
ment met him here. The freight
books showed that the horses had been
received two or three months pre¬
viously and taken away, but nothing
further was known concerning them
or Mr. Peck.
Nothing daunted, however, the in¬
quiry was pursued, and finally the
horses Were traced to a stable, but
were now owned by a Mr? Welch.
Several other animals were, purchased,
and the whole then shipped to Chi¬
cago. From the description,’theJof&cer
was convinced that Livingston, Peck
and Welch were one and tho same
person, and the pm suit began to wax
interesting.
Arriving at Chicago, he found that
the horses had been taken away, but
the most careful inquiry revealed
nothing more. As they had not been
resliipped, tho officer concluded they
had been driven into the country.
There were some mares among tho
stock, and he concluded that the party,
whoever he was, designed to open a
stock farm. Finding all other attempts
to trace the horses vain, he attempted
to learn if any farm suitable for sucli
a purpose had been purchased recently,
and if so, by whom.
At one of tho real estate agencies he
found that a man from the East,named
William Livingston, had been looking
for such a place, and had finally pur¬
chased one, but where was not known,
certainly not in Cook County, as an
examination of tho records proved;
but the officer reasoned that it could
not be far from Chicago, as the stock
was apparently driven instead of being
shipped.
If, reasoned the officer, Livingston,
who was without doubt the criminal,
has purchased a farm of this charac¬
ter, he must buy a large quantity of
tools, harness, saddles, wagons, and
like goods far its use. A careful
search among dealers in those articles
revealed the fact that a liberal quanti¬
ty of such goods had recently been
bought by a Mr. William Livingston,
and sent to Da Page County, about
forty miles from Chicago, where he
had bought four small farms and con¬
solidated them into one handsome
stock farm. Believing detection im¬
possible after the lapse of so long a
time, he had boldly taken his own
name, and, though almost within the
clutch of the officer of justice, was yet
entirely unconscious of bis danger.
The game was found—now for its
capture. Taking four or five police
officers from Chicago, all in citizens’
flothes, the party went ont to the farm,
and inquired for William Livington.
Tho “elderly, short, stout gentleman,”
who had figured so conspicuously in
the officer's search, appeared, and the
correctness of the pen and ink sketch
impressed the officer as remarkable.
The party represented themselves as
from Chicago, who, having heard of
his farm, aud come down to see for
themselves, and perhaps purchase some
of his choice stock.
They were cordially received, hos¬
pitably entertained, shown over the
piace, and finally dined and wined i«
the spacious mansion. On rising
from the table the New York officer
remarked:
“Well, Mr. Livingston, do you
like this place and this quiet life a?
well as life in Now York.”
The man was startled,looked sharply
at the officer and answered:
“What do you mean? I was never in
New York in all my life.”
“Well, then,” retorted the officer,
“you will have an excellent opportu¬
nity to go there. William Livingston,
I arrest you!”
Livingston turned as pale as a
ghost, and gasped out:
‘What for!”
“For the forgery of a check on the
City Bank of New York for $76,000,”
replied the officer, drawring a pair of
handcuffs from bis pocket, aud ad¬
vancing toward him.
“Stop, sir!” oxclaimed the culprit
“Stop, sir! This is an outrage,” and
he glanced around the room for some
weapon with which he could defend
himself. He was quickly surrounded,
however, and tho irons fastened upon
him.
For a time he raged furiously, mak¬
ing fearful threats against his captors;
but the storm soon spent itself, and he
was able to talk over the matter calm¬
ly. He represented that a relatjrre ’
who had recently died, had left Hun a
considerable sum of money, with
which ho had purchased the farm and
stock.
On searching him, howevqy, a roll
of bills amounting to $10,000
found in an inner pocket, many ol
them being entirely new, and on 4he
City Bank—the very notes whiph hi
been paid ont on the fraudulcu^obm
some months before. After .thjptdi
covery he was more quiet, asK.jri!
ingly accompanied his a
York, ' BE
The cash found on his person, the
t
farm ahd stock were taken possession
of by t)ic victimized bank, and man¬
aged so judiciously that more than
$65,000 was realized, leaving the bank
a sufferer for less than $10,000.
Livingston was soon aftor brought
to trial, convicted, and escaped with a
sentence of four years and a half. Al
the expiration of his sentence he went
West, and when last heard from was
opening a small stock farm in Iowa.
The case in all its phases ranks
among the most curious and interest¬
ing in criminal aunals. The slight
clew so persevcringly followed, the
little incidents which pointed so uner¬
ringly toward the culprit, and the sa¬
gacity with which all these little hints
were followed to the end, places the
detective art among the most notable
and useful of the scionccs.—[New
York Weekly.
A Maltese Bog.
A rival to the Maltese cat is the
Maltese dog, an irresistible bit of
canine beauty which comes straight
from tho Paris kennels. His mistress,
a Washington beile, who has but just
returned from abroad, considers him
the most valuable prize she has secured
daring her wanderings. He has been
dubbed Marquis, and is thoroughly
French from the top of his curly white
head to the tip of his snowy tail.
Spoken to in French he becomes a most
obediqpt dog, but his knowledge ol
English is at present very limited.—
[New Orleans Picayune.
Kept His Appointment.
Mrs. Blifkins (time, midnight)—
Horrors! husband! husband! I hear
some one burrowing through the
wall!
Mr. Blifkins—Weill well! It must
be that book agent. I knew we’d all
be in bed bv 11 o’clock and I told him
to call at half-past.—[Good News.
Vegetable Diet.
Jones—That’s all nonsense about
eating meat being injurious to health.
My ancestors for hundreds of years
ate meat.
Vegetarian—Yes, and where are
they now ? Dead, ain’t they ?— [Texas
Siftings.
HOME OF THE MAFIA.
Traits Observed Among Sicilians
in Their Native Land.
They Rely Upon Themselves to
Right Private Wrongs.
The last British Consular report
from Sicily remarks that there arc
dark shades in the Sicilian character
which contrast with the simplicity by
which one might imagine the people
to be wholly possessed. They can be
deceitful, reticent, malicious and vin¬
dictive; petty thefts and robberies are
not.uncommon; it is said also that in
gratitude they are sometimes wholly
deficient It is significant that to be
“scaltro” (cunningly clever) is with
them a meritorious quality, aud that
advantageous lying is regarded with
favor even in children.
Owing to the spirit of “mafia” and
“omerta,” which pervades all Sicily,
they combine to hide each other’s mis¬
deeds, and in the case of robbery, and
even assassination, it is generally im¬
possible to get evidence against the
wrong-doers, even from the victims
themselves. There is a secret under¬
standing among alt that no one shall
assist the legal authorities iu their ef¬
forts to bring criminals to justice, and
the Sicilian, as a rale, relies on himself
and on his friends for obtaining retri¬
bution for private wrongs, and every
one who transgresses this unwritten
law has to fear the vendetta of his
neighbors.
Onp of the most disagreeable traits
In their character is excessive crnelty
to animals of which travelers in Sicily
frequently f have seen revolting in¬
stances. When remonstrated with on
at t df this they simply shrug their
era and say: “What matters?
ire b^jtized.” They cannot
ahem -t ang creature has any
, ration the*& '«ide
c wm Frightful 9 pal e
of and« thi j|frch. raws iu horses
keys go unnoticed, and are
fed orfby flies; deep boles are plugged
with tow, and lame animate are made
with heavy loads as though
nothing was the matter with them,
As for relieving a horse or a donkey
of a heavy burden going up hfh, such
a thing never enters their heads.' To
see a country cart crammed
people behind a horse which can
scarcely stagger under its heavy load,
and to observe that no one ever eu
doavors to relieve the poor animal in
the most difficult passago is a common
occurrence. Live poultry is carried
to the market slung on pack saddles,
or carried by pedestrians from the
hand, by the legs. The birds keep
their heads up as long as strength en¬
dures, till at last they can do so no
longer, and die a painful death by a
rush of blood to the head. Children are,
it is said, taught cruelty to animals
from infancy, for one of the common¬
est sights in town and country is to
see children playing with newly caught
robin redbreasts and goldfinches,
which they held tied by the leg with a
string, and pull back when the poor
bird attempts to fly.
Another defect in the character and
bnbits of the Siciliampeasant is lack of
cleanliness. But in spite of all these
the treneral demeanor and habits of
the Sicilian are so pleasing that one
feels inclined to regard his deficien¬
cies with much leniency.—[London
Times.
Forgot to Slide Down,
The primitive knotted rope fire
iscape has done some service at hotel
fires, but one must know bow to
handle it, just as he must know how
to handle a lobster. One of the guests
of a hotel that burned last week tied
one end of the rope to the bed post
and leaped out of the window with
the other end in his hand. When he
reached the ground, which he did in
about the tenth of a second, ho must
have been greatly pleased to discover
that he might have fallen ten feet fur¬
ther without taking up all the slack.—
[Hotel Mail.
The Whale's Latent Power.
An English naturalist who has been
out to see the whale in his native
pastures estimates that a full-grown
whale, driving ahead at fall speed;
could break down any break-water
ever built, and that the sweep of his
lower jaw is equal to the foree of a
thirty horse-power engine working at
Ms uli spaed.—-[Detroit Free Press.
Vol. XL New Series. NO. IT.
Peculiarities of Korea Children.
People of Munson claim to have
among them the queerest family as to
physical peculiarity in the whole
country. Jacob Hiers, a farmer in
moderate circumstances, lias seven
children. The oldest is sixteen, a
bright boy, but having thirteen lingers
and thirteen toes—seven on one hand
and six on the other, Lis toes being
similarly divided. Next to him is
another boy, fourteen years old. As
long as this boy is quiet no one would
suspect he had any peculiarity, but tho
moment he opens his mouth to talk lie
loses all control of his hands, arms,
feet and legs, and they jerk and thrash
aud kick around as if they were hung
on wires.
The boy is as slow of speech as his
]iinbs are active, and in answering a
simple question it is no uncommon
thing for his legs to have carried him
a rod or more away before he is able
to articulate yes or no. The boy does
not seem to mind his affliction, and
not only does not hesitate to respond,
or try to, when he is addressed, but is
always ready to begin a conversation
on the slightest excuse, lie can be
seen almost any day arguing witli or
explaining some point to some com¬
panion, who is kept constantly busy
either in avoiding tlje involuntary kicks
or blows of the boy’*.sprightly feet or
hands in following him briskly to
keep the run of the subject.
The third child is a girl, who is a
hunchback and a dwarf. She is
twelve years old. A boy next to her
is deaf and dumb- The fifth child has
a bright red birthmark encircling her
ncck like a piece of flannel. It is an
inch and a half wide. The other two
children are twins, three months old
—a boy and a girl. The boy’s head is
covered with hair enough for a grown
person, while the girl twin hasn’t the
sign of a hair npon the head, the little
poll being as white and shiny os a bil¬
liard bail. The girl is fat and the boy
lean. Whe tire boy laughs the little
girl cries lustily, and when his little
sister is merry the boy sheds tears and
yells.
Every one of these seven children is
handsome and mentally bright. Mrs.
Hiers is a fine-looking woman, and
her husband is sound physically and
'mentally.—[Philadelphia Inquirer.
1 Lake with Petrifying Properties;
A writer in Douahuo’s Magazipe
tells of a grange lake in Ireland,
fying any subsiance that may be put
into it. Of course it is understood
that petrifaction is not the actual turn¬
ing of a substance into stone, but that
the material of atone, dissolved in
water, is deposited in its cells where
it hardens. A stone is made upon the
model of the substance petrified as a
casting is made by filling a mold.
An English firm, a well-known cut¬
lery house, heard of this lake, and at
once sent a man to examine it. He
selected several pieces of hard wood,
and having tied weights to them,
plunged them into the lako, and
marked their location by small buoys.
In two weeks, he returned and took
up two pieces, which he found to be
partly petrified. Two weeks after¬
ward tho rest was taken up, and each
piece of hard wood was hard as flint,
petrified through.
Then the firm made experiments
with the wood iu the different stages
of petrifaction, and discovered that
unusually excellent razor hones could
bo manufactured from it. These
hones are now a famous product of
the firm, but the razor-sharpening
world little knows that the ston* is, 60
to speak, wood, petrified in a few
weeks in the largest of the Irish lakes.
In several ancient histories there is
reference made to the “hard, woody
stone,” which was taken from the bot¬
tom of Longb Neagh for spear and ur
fow-heads by the early Irish. So that,
although Irishmen today are unaware
of the useful peculiarity of their “big
lough,” those of ten and fifteen cen¬
turies ago knew it well, and utilized
it. In the museum of Trinity College,
Dublin, can be seen several of these
spear and arrow-heads made centuriei
ago.
Not So Difficult, After AH.
t Dashaway—Just look at Miss Jasper.
She has a dress for every day in the
week.
Clevertos—How the mischief can
her father afford it?
Dashaway—Easy enough. It’s the
same dress.—[Cloak Review.
.
In Quietness is Strength,
CVsnse. cleanse your soul from tin sad
soil,
AnJ poetry will in it grow;
Quell in it greed and hate's turmoil,
And music from its depths will flow.
Still, still in tranquil mood advance.
From everchangefjl scene to scene;
Atoms and molecnies may dance.
But n'jii should hold a constant mien.
Mad, mad. my masters, is the age.
It plunges down, like Plueton's team;
Consumed by fear and lust and rage,
We have forgotten how to dream.
Less, less the golden store he mine,
So that I may have quiet hours
In which to train inv cottage vine
And pick the priceless wayside flowers.
—[The Academy.
HIMOKOL'S.
An ice bill may be cool, but it is no
always collected.
When is a window like a star?
—Wheu it’s a skylight.
Teacher—Freddy, iiow is the earth
divided? Freddy — Between them
that’s got it and them that wants it.
Here’s a remarkable case. The
other day a wagon-make. - who has
been dumb for years picked up a lmb
and spoke.
The Squire—flood morning, Hiss
Violet. Bent on an errand of mercy?
Miss Violet (the rector's duugluor)—
Oh, no! I am just taking a few little
pies of my own making round to the
cottagers.
Aged Husband—I understand you
were engaged to biin before we were
married? Young Wife—Yet, but he's
single yet, und there's certainly no
harm in his asking how your cough is
getting along.
“Has she no pride—no self-respect?
How can she permit that fellow to
smoko while they arc promenading ou
the avenue?” “Ob, that’s Charley Van
Ninny, and she’s afraid people wouldn't
know it’s a man.”
Gadsby—Those llirco dude sons o t
Van Xostraud cost him about $0000 a
year. Mias Caustiquc—Then he has
bren putting a good deal of money
into real estate. “How's that?" “He
is spending $6000 a year on a vacant
lot.”
A gentleman had Just succeeded in
bJg clothing merchant from
drowning. “Ah,” remarked lie, grate,
fully, “I see, in rescuing me, you have
ruined your clothes, remit m to
hand you my butiu esttratrd Ten iidnt*
of the best suite in the city !f„q>
$10 ”
fipwards.”
His Idea of Heaven: He bad
telling stories and spinning yarns
great vivacity and emphasis that urate
them audible throughout the car
for an hour and a half, and thsu
turned to the genii* man iu the nest
seat, asking: “What is your idea of a
perfect heaven, sir." “An impossible
place, where every old story will be
told to a new audience I” Hilenea
reigned supreme until Springfield wu
reached.
A Strange Punishment.
True to the well-known umtto of
E Pluribus Unum ou the armorial
bearing of our country, the navy is
composed of the descendants of many
nationalities; and in the future, as in
the post, these adopted sons of Uneh
Sam will, undoubtedly, point the gum
of his cruisers to the confusion of his
enemies. But it happens that they
are not seldom addressed in ianguaga
at once abusive aud contemptuous by
the thoughtless and ignorant, l renob
lect, some years ago, a strange punish'
ment being dealt ont to one of these
revilers—a “hard case” from fcau
Praucisco—who had called one of hie
shipmates a “Dutchman.” The so
pression was heard by the command¬
ing officer. He at once ordered the
o(lender “to the mast” (tbs break Of
the quarter deck, where elf deilo
quents are arraigned on a ma»-of
war), and roundly reprimanded him
“Now," said the commanding'offi¬
cer, “you will stand four hours of
each day for a week on the bridge,
and every quarter of an hour yon wfU
point to the ship’s ensign, 4ywg atthe
peak, and while doing so yo# will m
to the officer of the deck: “That gsg
is potent enough to oationehte find
ualuralizc every one who ml* mfaf
it!”
The man was astounded, bn# f
rather think it had a mat saiutery #f
fcct, suhdumg many asperWe# of
speech in other directions for f long
time*—[Nety Qfhm
crat.