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RAGING WATERS OF THE OHIO
REACH DANGER LINE.
LIFE AND PROPERTY JEOPARDIZED.
Advices From Kentucky, West Virginia,
’Aiicssee and Ohio Indicate a
Fearful State of Affairs.
A Cincinnati dispatch says: Shortly
after 3 o’clock Monday afternoon the
Ohio river reached the danger line,
forty-five feet. At 9 o’clock the stage
was forty-seven feet, four inches, a
rise of nearly six inches in an hour.
Advices from Louisville state that
twenty-six hours steady rain has caused
nearly every stream in the state to
overflow its banks and sweep away
live stock and fences.
The Kentucky river is carrying off
thousands of logs.
Immense damage is reported from
Harlan, Perry, Leslie and Letcher
counties, Cumberland Kentucky. At Pineville the
river has reached the
doors of the courthouse. At Frank¬
fort twenty houses are under water
and the gas works threatened. The
lower portion of Catlettsburg is under
water.
Railroad traffic has been suspended
in The eastern portion of the state.
Northeastern Tennessee and south¬
eastern Virginia report that the timber
interests have suffered heavily from
floods.
From Huntington, W. Ya., comes
news that trains on the north end of
tlie Kenova division of the Norfolk and
Western have been annulled. It is said
that the big Norfolk and Western
bridge across Bernie’s ford has been
washed away.
At Montgomery, W. Ya., the Ohio
is rising rapidly, and families living
near the water have been compelled to
move. The tracks of the Powellton
and Pocahontas railway are under
water and all traffic is suspended.
At Point Pleasant the river rose
eight feet. Trains on the Kanawha
and Michigan railroad have stopped
because of washouts.
Heavy rains throughout East Ten¬
nessee and Kentucky have swollen
streams enormously. Two trestles on
the K. G. C. and L. road were washed
away Monday night. All telephone
and telegraph wires east of Knoxville
are down and trains are at a standstill.
Clinch river at Clinton is forty feet,
and residents are leaving their houses.
Hundreds of families are moving out
of the lowlands in the Guyan, Twelve
Pole and Big Sandy valleys, in West
Virginia. The loss of property lias
already reached alarming proportions
from flood and the rain continues gen¬
eral along these streams. Some lives
are reported lost in Tug river valley
and much live stock drowned. Land¬
slides are reported along the Norfolk
and Western railroad and business is
temporarily suspended.
STOLE AND CONFESSED.
Downfall of a Young Man Who Lived
At a Rapid Pace.
Otis Smith, cashier for the Georgia
Security Banking Company, at At¬
lanta, has been arrested for embezzle¬
ment. He has signed a statement ad¬
mitting his wrong doing, The full
amount of liis shortage is estimated at
between $8,000 and $10,000. If all
peculations during the course of five
years Avero knoAvn the amount might
be doubled.
As cashier for the Georgia and Se¬
curity Banking Company his shortage
has been placed at $500. An expert is
still at work upon the books of the
corporation. As confidential clerk of
James W. English, Jr., he is thought
to have taken between $1,500 and
$2,000. As bookkeeper for the insur¬
ance firm of Harry L. English k Co.
he is supposed to have appropriated
OA-er $1,000.
The fate of Otis Smith has been at¬
tributed to social indulgences and a
scarcity of funds to keep pace with the
onrush of fashionable demands.
Fighting in Constantinople.
The Cretan troubles led to a serious
fight at Constantinople Sunday betAveen
a number of Greek and Turkish port-
ers.
Knives were freely used and some of
the combatants were badly wounded,
All Avho took part in the fight were ar-
rested.
GUILTY OF FILIBUSTERING.
OAvner of Luuradu and Bermuda Violated
Neutrality Laws.
Captain John D. Hart, owner of the
filibustering steamer Laurada, who
has been on trial in the United States
court at Philadelphia for several days
charged Avith setting on foot a milita¬
ry expedition to Cuba in defiance of
the neutrality laws, was found guilty
Tuesday morning by the jury.
The defendant was in court at the
time the verdict was announced, but
he gave no outward indication of
emotion. Counsel for the defense at
once made a motion for a new trial
and Avas allowed the usual four days
in which to prepare his brief.
SALES OF AUSTRALIAN WOOL.
I ifty Thousand Rales Less Last Year
Tliau in 1893.
The Australian wool sales closed
December 24, last, and, according to
I uited States Consul General Maratta,
at Melbourne, showed a falling off’ of
50,000 bales, compared with those of
1895, though they were -J dentieal with
those of 1894 and 189J.
The sales Avere 607,186 bales. Of
tha* purchased in N ictoria,35,009 bales
were for the United States and Canada.
REFORM EDITORS AT MEMPHIS.
I’aul Van.lervoort’s AD-etlng Attended by
Hundred* of Delegates.
The Reform Press association meet-
in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, V.
called to order at 10 o’clock by Presi¬
dent Paul Yandervoort. The number
cf delegates in attendance reached into
the hundreds and nearly every south-
ci'n and western state was represented.
Ihe only prominent eastern people’s
party i man on the ground was George
• NV ashburne, of Boston.
Mr. Washburne is a member of the
national executive committee of the
third party and was closely associated
with Senator Jones in the direction of
the late campaign. Many of the south¬
ern and western states have state or¬
ganizations of the Reform press, and
all of these state associations were rep¬
resented at the meeting.
The annual address of President
N ^ andervoort was given close attention.
He said in part:
“We have passed through a most
eventful year, and the struggle for the
life of our party has been the hardest
in the history of tlie organization.
All of our papers have suffered on
account of the mistake we made
at St. Louis; many have suspended,
and our great campaign of educa¬
tion was sidetracked and our liter¬
ature useless. When we last met we
were all aware that a deep laid con¬
spiracy to ruin our party and destroy
the reform movement had been inau¬
gurated, had secured control of our
party machinery and of nearly all
those whom we had elected to posi¬
tions of honor and trust. But Avith all
their devilish skill in manipulating
events and men, they have never been
able to seduce or destroy the power
and influence of the great body of the
reform press.
WANT NEW ASSOCIATION.
Reform I’ress Editors Who Oppose Au¬
thority of Vandevoort.
The Populist editors Avho refused- to
recognize the authority of Paul Yan-
de\’oort in cabling a meeting of the
National Reform Press Association at
Memphis, Tenn., met in Kansas City,
Monday for the purpose of organiz¬
ing a neAv association.
The gathering was the outcome of a
call issued by Arthur Roselle, secre¬
tary an d teen surer of the national as¬
sociation and chairman of the Missouri
state people’s party committee, for the
purpose of “organizing and perpetu¬
ating a real people’s press association. ”
The meeting Avas called to order by
Chairman Roselle, who made a brief
address. He said:
Friends and co-workers of the Re¬
form press: In calling this meeting to
order and before proceeding with a
temporary organization, I deem it my
duty to acquaint those ayIio are not fa¬
miliar Avitk the situation with the facts
leading up to this movement. It is not
my desire to say anything that may
tend to widen tlio difference that
liaA’e grown up between some of
our editors, or to add to the in¬
harmonious conditions in the party
organization. On tlie contrary I w'ould
heal over any difficulties that may ex¬
ist. The most of you are familiar with
the organization of the National Re¬
form Association at Cincinnati on the
20th of May, 1891, at which time the
people’s party Avas formed, Avhich or¬
ganization has unfortunately declined
in membership and interest until at the
present time not more than fifty of the
1,200 populist editors of the United
States claim any connection Avitk the
association and not a dozen, if indeed
one of these are in good standing Avitk
dues fully paid as required by the
constitution.
“The reason for this disorganized
condition are A'ery generally known
and it is hardly necessary to engage in
a lengthy discussion of them at this
time.”
HAS LEE RESIGNED I
A Report From TT Tliat Our Consul
Will Quit.
A dispatch to the New York Herald
from Havana Key West says:
Consul General Lee has resigned. His
letter tendering his resignation under
certain conditions goes by the next
mail. He determined some days ago
to take such a step if he Avere not up¬
held in his effort to protect all Ameri¬
can citizens in Cuba.
The consul general asked the state
department that he be authorized to
demand the release of citizens of the
Unite -5 States confined in Cuban pris-
ons under the same illegal circum-
j stances as was the ill-fated Ruiz. Such
authorization has not been granted
him.
ORDERED TO HOLD ASSETS.
The Southern Mutual Securities Foot Up
Only 3335,000.
The securities of the Southern Mu¬
tual Building and Loan association of
Atlanta, Ga., on deposit with the state
treasurer, amount to about $335,000.
Not more than this and not less than
$330,000. This is the result of the
count. It has been supposed that the
amount was larger, but the above fig¬
ures show the reality.
At the request of Judge H. B. Tomp¬
kins, Judge Newman, of the United
States court, has granted an order re¬
straining Treasurer Speer from part¬
ing with the custody of any of the as¬
sets of the Southern Mutual.
CUBAN FARMERS AT WORK.
! Minister Delome Says That Sugar R-ais-
ers Are Grinding Cane.
Senor Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish
minister, at Washington, has received
the following telegram from the presi-
ffent of the chamber of commerce of
Havana:
“The sugar planters* in the larger
manufacturing districts are grinding
caue . Railroads and telegraphic com-
munication are regular,
(Signed) “Eeexaxduz.”
TELLER’S COHORTS 10 MEET.
CALL ISSUED BY SILYER REPUB¬
LICANS IN CONGRESS.
WANT A NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Each State and Territory Formally In¬
vited to Cave Representatives at a
Meeting in Chicago June 8 Next.
The silver republicans in congress,
headed by Senator Teller, have issued
a call for a meeting of a national com¬
mittee of silver republicans, to be held
at Chicago on the 8th of June.
The call was given to the public
Tuesday afternoon. It is a long docu¬
ment, reciting the reasons why the
call is issued and declaring that silver
republicans believe themselves to be
more in harmony with the original
spirit than of the old republican party.
They say they cannot follow those
who have usurped the dominion of
that party iuto a shameless abandon¬
ment of American interests and the
tyranny of an alien money power. The
address says:
“Circumstances have sometimes in
the past thrust upon the undersigned
responsibilities on behalf of silver re¬
publicans, Avhich, in the absence of
formal organization, we have felt war¬
ranted in assuming. Recently, more¬
over, we have been receiving a vast
number of anxious inquiries from va¬
rious parts of the country upon
the question of party policy and
requesting us to give some defi-
nite direction thereto. The com¬
munications exhibit a surprising and
gratifying unanimity in sentiment and
plan. Responding to these ca nest
suggestions, and at the same time
expressing our oavu deliberate opin¬
ion, we urge upon the silver republi¬
cans of the United States, and upon
all citizens of whatsoever previous
party association, who are willing to
co-operate with us in political action
until the great monetary issue is set¬
tled and settled right, that immediate
steps be taken to perfect organization
in the states and territories, to the
end that thereafter a national conven¬
tion may be held for the purpose of
making an authoritative announcement
to the country and effecting a national
organization.
“As soon as possible each of the
states and territories should designate
a member of the provisional national
committee of the silver republican
party, which committee will have
charge of the calling of the national
convention and of all matters prelimi¬
nary thereto. Meantime Ave have taken
the liberty of naming Hon. Charles A.
Towme, of Minnesota, as chairman of
said provisional national committee,
Avhose official address for the present
will be the city of Washington, and
to AA'hom all communications should
be sent.
The provisonal national committee
is hereby called to meet in executive
session at the city of Chicago, at a
place to be seasonably announced by
the chairman, on Tuesday, the 8tli
day of June, 1897.”
The address is signed by Senators
Teller, of Colorado; Dubois, of Idaho;
Cannon, of Utah; Pettigrew, of South
Dakota; Mantle, of Montana, and
Jones, of Nevada, and Representatives
ToAvne, of Minnesota; Hartman, of
Montana; Shaforth, of Colorado, and
Allen, of Utah.
IGNORED FLAG OF TRUCE.
Turkish Warships arul Soldiers Again
Shell the Insurgents’ Position.
A special cablegram from Canea
Suda says: Tuesday a Turkish warship in
Bay and the soldiers in the
arsenal there fired repeatedly at the
A'illage which was shelled Sunday by
the foreign fleets. There was abso-
lutely no reason for this attack except
that the Turks were desirous of pro-
A’oking an occasion for further inter-
A T entiou on the part of the European
powers.
A Avhite flag was flying oA*er the po¬
sition occupied by the insurgents, but
this did not prevent the firing. The
insurgents, understanding probably
the motives of the Turks, did not re¬
ply to the fire.
The leaders of the insurgents who
■were shelled Sunday have made
through the Greek commodore a for¬
mal protest against the action of the
foreign admirals.
BANKER M’CONNELL INDICTED.
A Rotten State of Affairs in Ocala Rank is
Brought to Light.
The indictments found by the United
States grand jury against R. B. Mc¬
Connell, president of the Ocala, Fla.,
Merchants’ National bank, Avhich were
made fully public Monday, show a
most alarming state of affairs.
He has given notes of the Equitable
Life Assurance Society, of NeAv York,
to the total amount of S10,000. As
president of the Brooksville State
bank, he gave its note for $5,000, and
accounts show he has credited himself
Avith $26,000, besides the amounts
already named.
These are a few of the counts against
him in the two indictments returned.
SLAUGHTER OF MOSLEMS.
Reports State That 27,000 Men, Women
and Children Have Been Killed.
A dispatch to the Central News
(London) from Constantinople says
that official reports from Crete say
that the total number of Moslems—
men, women and children—who have
been killed during the present troubles
in that island is over 27,000, and that
twenty-five Moslem villages Lave been
pillaged and burned.
MANY PEOPLE DROWNED.
A Story of Disaster and Deatb the Result
of Floods iu Kentucky.
A Special of Tuesday from Frank¬
fort says: Streams in Kentucky are
clear out of their Banks and doing im¬
mense damage. Many persons have
been drowned in various parts of the
state. Much stock has been lost, fenc¬
ing swept away and other property al¬
most ruined. The streams all through
the mountains are higher than for
years, and the greatest damage is
feared.
In Perry, Knott, Letcher and
Breathitt counties the flood is doing
much damage. Jameson, the county
seat of the latter county, is partly un¬
der water. At Beattvville, which is at
the junction of the three forks of the
Kentucky river, the rise has been un¬
usually rapid and much valuable prop¬
erty has been swept away.
At Middlesboro a cloudburst delug¬
ed the locality, drowning James C.
Harwell, wife and four children.
All but two blocks of Pineville is
covered, while a number of little towns
along the north fork of the Kentucky
river are under water. The people
have been forced to seek on the moun¬
tains. Reports from Jackson and
other places up the north fork say
there has been considerable loss of
life and property.
Mrs. Hutsell and little daughter
were drowned in their house, which
was washed from the mountain side in
Breathitt county Tuesday night.
Two men, whose names could not
he learned, were drowned in one of
the streams in Bell county.
The flood damage in southeastern
Kentucky is estimated at $200,000.
The Kentucky river rose forty feet
in two hours in the mountain country
and swept everything before it.
Advices from Charleston, W. Ya.,
state that the Kanawha valley is suf¬
fering from the Avorst flood in years.
The city is under water. Members
of the legislature went to the stato
house iu boats Tuesday, but no session
was held as the basement was flooded
and the tires out. Suffering among
the poor is great and churches and
schools are tilled with those driven
from their homes.
FOUR PERSONS CREMATED.
Mob Attacks a Disreputable House and
Apply tlie Torch.
A dispatch from Sisterstfille, W. Ya.,
says: In the oil fields there has been
a gambling di\-e and disorderly house
running and the neighbors decided to
get rid of the objectionable characters.
The mob at first attempted to tear
down, the house, but as this Avas sIoav
work, a torch Avas applied. The in¬
mates made no attempt to get out
Avliile the crowd Avas tearing down the
building, and four of them Avere unable
to reach the street after the place was
set on fire.
Two women and two men were
burned to death. The names of the
persons Avko Avere seriously burned in
tlieir endeavor to escape from the
building cannot be learned, but it is
known that there were five or six of
them.
HAVANA IS ALARMED.
Report Tliat Spaniards Are Highly In¬
censed at Consul Lee and Americans.
A dispatch to the NeAv York Sun
from Havana says: “Havana is alarm¬
ed. Tlie Spaniards are wildly excited
against Consul General Lee and the
Americans. The report was circulated
Monday morning that American war¬
ships were on the Avay to Havana by
request of Consul General Lee and
the indignation of the volunteers
was so intense over that re¬
port, that fearing a demonstra¬
tion against the United States, the
marquis of Ahumada privately called
to his office the colonels of the battal¬
ions of volunteers in the city and
assured them that the report Avas ab¬
solutely false, and that General Lee,
in investigating the death of Dr. Ruiz,
only obeyed instructions from the
state department at Washington given
in a friendly, peaceful spirit.”
ASK FOR RECEIVER.
Defalcation of Otis Smith May Cause Liti¬
gation—Insolvency Charged.
Application was made at Atlanta,
Ga., Tuesday afternoon for a recei\-er
to take charge of the affairs of the
Georgia Security and Banking com¬
pany, the real estate and loan concern,
and a petition for injunction >vas also
tiled, asking that the directors of the
company be restrained from disposing
of the real estate owned by the com¬
pany. This is the company of which
Otis O. Smith has been cashier.
BANKER GIVES BOND.
President of Broken Germaniu National,
at Louisville, Now Goes Free.
M. McKnight, president of the Ger¬
man National bank, at LouisA’ille,Ky.,
who was arrested a feAV days ago with
Alderman Britt on warrants charging
them with having misappropriated the
funds of a national bank, has gteen
bond in the sum of SI2,090 and has
been released from custody,
Bond had been fixed at $12,000 and
McKnight, who had but a feAv Aveeks
ago been a financial magnate of Louis-
ville, found the greatest difficulty in
securing it. He finally succeeded in
getting it by transferring all his prop-
erty to his son, who became his surety,
Britt is held under $5,000 bond.
M’KINLEY AGAIN IN DISPOSED.
He Has a Relapse. Bat His Condition Is
Not Alarming.
A Canton special says: Major Mc-
Kinley was not feeling as well Mon¬
d a y as for several days past. He has
a troublesome cough and more than
ever needs rest for the remainder of
his stay in Canton.
The president-elect’s condition need
give no cause for apprehension, the
physician vl vising absolute rest and
ouiet, which will restore Jii? hc<n.
BARTOW SAGE AGREES WITH REED
IN DEFENSE OF POE.
fi DISCUSSION OF POEMS AND POETS.
Dr. Clilvera, According to Dost Authority,
Did Not Inspire “Tlie Raven”—Letter
From Mr. J. P. Graves.
If my good friend Wallace Reed had not
come forward as Toe's defender, I should
have refrained from further mention of Dr,
Thomas Holley Chtvers. It seemed to me
that enough had been written by outside
parties to provoke a clearer expose from his
kindred or more intimate friends.
There is still a shadow over his relations
to Edgar A. Poe, That they were personal
friends is proven, but as to who preceded in
that peculiar style of lyric poetry is not
prolren.
I have an interesting letter from a cultur¬
ed old gentleman of College Turk, Mr. James
P. Graves, father of John Temple Graves,
who says that while a college boy on his re¬
turn home to Washington, Wilkes county,
he visited Dr. Chivers and had a conversa¬
tion with him. He says:
“This conversation awakened in me the
liveliest interest. He spoke of an essay or
criticism he had just written for the South¬
ern Literary Messenger, of Richmond, insti¬
tuting a comparison of the literary merits of
the poets, Byron and Shelley. The impres¬
sion made on me was that it was a mastei-
ful production. He spoke of his ‘Lost
Pleiades’and other poems; said ho had just
received a letter from Poe, and I think he
read it to me, and he mentioned correspon¬
dence with other distinguished men of the
north.
“The picture given of him in the Consti¬
tution is most accurate, liis complexion was
dark especially so under the eyes.
“The idea that Dr. Chivers inspired‘The
Raven’ or any way aided in its production
was far not in I knew. that day entertained by any one
so as
“Dr. Chiver’s style of talking was A*ery
ornate, and he appeared familiar with the
arts and sciences and to be a very erudite
scholar. I used to wonder A\ T hy he was not
more recognized by the learned of both
sexes, but supposed it Avas because he Avas
something of a recluse, and preferred to
revel in his own dreamy and poetical
thoughts. There Avas no show of wealth
about him, nor did he seem to care for any.
Long after that he remoA’ed to Decatur,
Avhere he died and was buried. Mrs. Chi¬
vers was a cultured and most estimable
lady. For further information, I refer you
to Dr. F. T. Willis, of Richmond, Va., who
was a half brother to the late Samuel Bar¬
nett, of Washington, Ga., and also to Judge
William Reece and Rev. F. T. Simpson, of
Washington.”
So it seems that if Dr. Cbrvers did not
himself bring charges of plagarism against
Poe, but remained his friend and corres¬
pondent, the bill should he “nol proesed.”
Moro especially is this so since Mr. Graves,
himself then a young man of classical cul¬
ture and a contemporary, never heard of
such a charge, and Poe’s biographer in
Appleton makes mention of a life of Poe
yet to be published that was Avritteu by Dr.
Chivers.
When I last wrote on this snbject it was
my impression that Dr. Chivers was Mr.
Poe’s senoir not only in years, but in poeti¬
cal work, and as they were bosom friends in
New York, that Poo drew his inspiration
from the doctor; but more mature reflection
satisfies me that Wallace Reed is right.
My wife says he is. Hlie has but little
patience with people who seek to rob the
dead, or Avho destroy the idols of her youth.
Ever since she used to recite “William
Tell,” the hero of the lakes, as her Friday
e\ r ening speech at school she has been mad
with the man Avho first discoA’ered that
there wan no such hero, or if there avos he
never shot an apple from off his boy’s head.
Poe was certainly a gifted genius, for his
prose is as marvelous as his poetry. Both
are artistic, ingenious, dreamy and of the
borders of fairy land. But they live in the
admiration more than in the heart. For
.perns that charm our human nature and
linger' ih the «oul of me~ "•*' T wnHd rather
read Burns Goldsmith, Gray, Cowper, Coleridge,
and Tom Hood than any others.
Byron’s are grand and stately in their
beauty, but do not melt down within us and
make us better, kinder and moro loving.
The most beautiful lyric poem ever AV'rit-
ten is, I think, Coleridge’s “Genevieve.”
When I Avas a young man I read it with
supreme delight and it has not yet lost its
charm. My sympathy for love and lovers is
still alHe and glowing and my soul is thrill¬
ed Avith eestacy when I read how he won his
“bright and beauteous bride.” That poem
and Goldsmith’s “Hermit” I committed to
memory more than half a century ago and
I dearly love to recall them.
For solemn, serious meditation on the
vanity of earthly things there is no poem,
equal to Gray’s “Elegy.” leads
For home and heart Burns ail id
tenderness.
For exquisite pathos that appeals to our
charity and our pity there is nothing in the
English language so affecting as Hood’s
“Song of the Shirt.”
On tbi3 side of the water we have some
few poets whose works have stood and will
continue to stand the test of time. Marco
Bozzaris is sublimity itself. In thought and
execution as a single poem it stands alone
and unrh’aled. I would rather have com¬
posed it than to have been Wellington at
Waterloo.
Somehow I have no taste for poetry that
has to strain for language or that has to
hunt the dictionary for unusual or uncom¬
mon words, such as aiden, gloaming, sheen,
etc. Nor for poetry that has to strain for
rhymes, It reminds me of the freshman’s
first effort:
“Daddy built a well sweep,
The wind blew it down—sheep.”
The rhyme should be as natural as the
sentiment.
All of our best hymns have been handed
down to us from famous English authors.
With but a few exceptions there have been
none written within the century. Did these
old authors exhaust the field or has the
spirit of sacred poetry departed? Who
writes a hymn now? But even some of these
old popular English hymns are quite faulty
or unfortunate in expression. When I was
a boy I used to hear “Come thou fount of
every blessing” sung very often in our
church and I got the idea into my head that
angels’ tongues were made of fire, for the
hymn says, “Sung by flaming tongues
above.” I did not like that nor do I like it
yet. That kind of music is a little too hot
for mortals to appreciate and adds nothing
to the attractiveness of heaven.
I reckon I am hypercritical about such
things, but I can t help it. When the
smiles in \-erse are unnatural they distress
me. As much as I admire Longfellow I
have never been reconciled to the lines:
“As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.”
There is nothing like the falling of dark¬
ness in that to me. It is a strain of thought;
might as well have said, “From a buzzard
in his flight,” and that would have been
horrid. The coming of darkness is a big
thing and shrouds the earth from horizon to
horizon, but the falling of a stray feather
from a bird Ls a very little thing—too little
for a comparison. But I reckon it is mean
to find fault with a poet who wrote so many
beautiful poems. I was only ruminating.
Sometimes do*vn suddenly a change of expression brings us
from the sublime to the ridic¬
ulous. Webster’s last words were whis¬
pered, “I still live,” but a young man I
knew undertook to repeat them and said,
“Boys. Fm not dead yet,” and all the solem¬
nity disappeared— Bill Arp, in Atlanta Con-
stiiatiaii.
THROUGH GEORGIA.
It is rumored in insurance circles
that the $2(2,000 policy in the Mutual
Rerserve Fuid Life Association car¬
ried by l)r. 1 core at the time of liis
death would be paid at the rate of 50
cents on the dollar.
The question of whether or not the
tax collector of DeKalb county shall
collect the special tax levied by the
now defunct county commissioners
will be decided by the supreme court
of Georgia.
* 4> *
There is a movement on the part of
a number of citizens of Jackson coun¬
ty, who live near the Clarke county
line, to have that portion of Jackson
county annexed to Clarke. They give
as their reasons lower tax rate in
Clarke and their proximity to Athens.
* * *
Otis O. Smith, cashier of the Geor¬
gia Security and Banking company, at
Atlanta,and a well-known society man,
is under arrest charged with embez¬
zling $7,000. Smith has made a writ¬
ten confession acknowledging the
shortage and has thrown himself on
the mercy of those whom he has
wronged.
* ♦ *
Edward Flanagan was not put on
trial for murder at Decatur Monday
morning. It was the prevailing opin¬
ion that the murderer would be tried
for liis crime at once if found sane at the
trial on the special pica of insanity
just ended. But such is not the case,
and it may be that months will pass
before Flanagan is carried into court
again.
Hon. R. E. Morrow, one of the old¬
est and mo3t prominent citizens of
Clayton county, died last Sunday
morning at 5 o’clock, at his home in
Jonesboro. The deceased Avas 86
years old at the time of his death, and
had lived all of his life iD Clayton
county, Avliere he was a leading spirit
in every movement for the public good
or his county’s advancement.
* * *
Colonel W. N. Mercier, for years a
prominent cotton factor of Augusta
and a man of considerable means, is
made defendant in a breach of prom¬
ise suit, filed in the city court at Au¬
gusta, Avhich is the sensation of the
hour. The suit is brought by Miss
Celae Hathaway, Avho asks $50,000
damages from Colonel Mercier, avIio,
she claims, deceived her by promise of
marriage, Avhiclx ho has not kept.
* * *
It seems that the insurance agents
of Milledgeville are somewhat agitated
and worried over the fact that Avhen
the insurance on the state’s property
in Milledgeville, especially the new
$100,000 building, was given out thty f
did not Avrite all of * the insurance.!
The agents of Milledgeville, it seems,
have been writing the insurance on all
the state’s property in their oily, and
when some time ago the insurance
the neAV building and some on other
buildings was given to agents in other
cities and counties their feelings were
hurt.
United States Deputies M. W.
Scott and J. R. Wore returned from
( ^ "iD'Anff n ^ — ty a f<;~ r ' n a", ago after
'
1 ‘ While in
* a -1
- .
Gwinnett they raided ana ’ '-ap lured
.
eight large stills. No men weto
brought l ack Avitli them, but the stills
they destroyed Avere ones Avkich haye
flourished in that section of the coun¬
try for some time. The officers Avork
steadily and almost every trip they
succeed in capturing and destroying
seA*eral stills. Despite this fact, illicit
distilling seems to be on the increase
and keeps the officers continually oa
the move.
A sensation Created at Mac £ A
was
lew days ago by the statement
two young women, both of them of
splendid families, had been sent homo
from Wesleyan college, suspeetedr of
having been guilty of attempting to
burn down the building upon separ¬
ate occasions. The announcement is
unofficial, and the names of the young
women are not given, but the story is
generally accepted. It is known,how¬
ever, that for more than three Aveeks
the faculty has been quietly investiga¬
ting the recent fires at the college,
and it is said tka~ every effort, except
calling in private detectives, has been
made to discover the origin.
* * *
vict The remarkable case ». U^fnegrTTeGt 1 .- f
AA'ho has served fifteen years in
the state penitentiary, with a new trial
granted him by the supreme court, has
just come to light. The new trial was
granted on the grounds that he was
not guilty under the evidence, and the
fact that he has neA r er received the
trial has just been discovered. Solici¬
tor Genera. W. W. Osborne, of Sa-
\ r annah, found the case on the docket
when he went into office and begin¬
ning with the intent of clearing the
docket, and keeping it clear, he has
taken up this case, and will haA*e it
disposed of at the coming term of
court.
The ninth session of * the Albany
Chautauqua opens Sunday, March 21,
and the baccalaureate sermon will be
preached by Rev. R. R. Meredith, D.
D., of Brooklyn. The Monday even¬
ing program is devoted to short talks
and to a grand conceit conducted by
Dr. H. R. Palmer, and a solo by
Madame Cecelia Eppinghauser Bailey,
so distinguished as a vocalist. Tues¬
day will be grand military day, twen¬
ty companies to be revieAved in line by
the governor and his staff. The gov-
ernor will deliver an address in the
tent tabernacle at 11 a. m. and a grand
concert by the chautauqna chorus and
Rogers’ band will be rendered at 3 p.
m. Albany will be crowded with peo¬
ple on this military day.