Newspaper Page Text
W t=j 02 COUNTY HERALD.
VOL. IV.
Two Ilards.
A bard who wrote in staves
Once made a henthen hymn.
It had this stern refrain,
And moved as though in pain,
“The underthonght of graves
Makes the sea grim.”
A south-land singer sung
With happy heart anil free;
The living, not the dead,
He dealt with, and he said,
“The world is glad nnd young,
And good to me."
And over since mankind
Is shuttled back and forth
Between these siugers twain
Of glad and sad refrain:
The south-laud warm and kind,
The bitter north.
—[Richard E. Burton, in Harper’s Weekly.
DETECTING A R0GIJE.
BY LAWRENCE LESLIE.
One of the cleverest feats in the de¬
tection, pursuit and capture of crimi¬
nals that has been developed for years
was performed by an officer of the
New York detective police force somo
years since.
About that time the officers of tho
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.
bill. 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 &nv of tho bank
officials to remember with satisfactory
distinctness any of the circumstances
connected with ihe payment of the
fraudulent document. However, it
was placed in the hands of a shrewd
detective, and lie went to work to find
a clew and trace out the mystery.
The officer’s first suspicion was that
6ome of the clerks of the banks had
been in collusion with
4 doubtless shared
crime. After two w t
the character, habits and as». ciations
of the various clerks, that theory was
abandoned, and it only remained for
him to gather from them, if possible,
some clew, however slight, of the bold
operator. Ilis first inquiry was if any
one, not in the habit of presenting
ihecks, had been doing so Avithin the
past month. Only ttvo of the clerks
had any memory on the subject, and
theirs was of the most shadowy and
unsatisfactory character. One remem¬
bered seeing a stout, elderly man
driving a strikingly beautiful black
horse and fine carriage up to the bank,
enter the office,, and transact some bus¬
iness, he kueiv not Avliat, and depart,
since which he had not seen him.
The other clerk, after a thorough
examination, and a multitude of
questions put 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 large amount. A
peculiarity in the man’s neck-tie at¬
tracted his attention, and he looked
him full in the face, and retained a
vivid recollection of every feature.
He was an amateur artist, and especi¬
ally expert in pen-drawing. Taking
a sheet of paper and an old pen Avhich
was lying upon tho desk, he quickly
produced a portrait, Avhich he de¬
clared to be a good likeness of the
man he suspected.
The officer did not look upon these
clews, if such they might bo called, as
promising much hope of success. He
first exhibited the drawing to the 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 such a
rig. The effort was unsuccessful; the
officer, however, avus convinced that
the man, whoever he might be, was an
admirer of fasI; and stylish horses, and
he therefore commenced a search
among the establishments devoted to
the stabling and sale of such animals,
hoping that he 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 Avho recognized
in the drawing one William Liviug-
eton, whom he had known a year or
two, but who had disappeared within
the past month, after paying up some
pld debts and buying one or two fancy
“We Seek the Reward of Honest Labor.”
JASPER, PICKENS COUNTY, GA , ♦ THURSDAY. MAY 21, 1891.
horses. Further inquiry brought out
the faci that Livingston was in very
straightened circumstances but a few
months previously, and bow he could
honestly obtain the means to pay his
old debts and gratify his love for
horseflesh was not 60 clear, and gave
fresh encouragement to the persever¬
ing detective.
To follow Livingston was necessary,
but how could lie 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 as one of the
mysteries that baffled solution?
Never, said the indefatigable officer,
and he went to work with desperate
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 the stock would be purchased in
New York, as that market promised a
better 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
horses 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 thdt he was going.
Here was a long-sought clew, 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
v ’’s showed that the horses had been
ed f' or three months pre-
y anu .uken 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, the officer
was convinced that Livingston, Peck
and Welch were one and the same
person, and the pursuit 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
reshipped, the officer concluded they
had been driven into the country.
There were some mares among tho
stock, and lie concluded that the party,
whoever lie was, designed to open a
stock farm. Finding all other attempts
to trace the horses vain, be attempted
to learn if any farm suitable for such
a purpose had been purchased recently,
and if so, by whom.
At one of the 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 the 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 for 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 Du 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 %o 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 his danger.
The game was found—now for its
capture. Taking four or five police
officers from Chicago, all in citizens’
clothes, the party went out to the farm,
and inquired for William Livington.
The “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 remarkablo.
The party represented themselves as
from Chicago, who, having heard of
his farm, and come down to see for
themselves, and perhaps purchase some
of his choice stock.
They wore cordially received, hos¬
pitably entertained, shown over tho
place, and finally dined and wined in
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 as
well as life in New 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.”
(i 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 Bauk of New York for $75,000,”
replied the officer, drawing a pair of
handcuffs from his pocket, and ad¬
vancing toward him.
“Stop, sir!” exclaimed the culprit
“Stop, sir! This is an outrage,” and
he glanced around the room for some
weapon Avith 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 relative,
who had recently died, had left him o
considerable sum of money, with
which ho had purchased the farm and
stock.
On searching him, however, a roll
of bills amounting to $10,000 was
found in an inner pocket, nuny of
them being entirely new, and on the
City Bank—the very notes Avhich had
been paid out on the fraudulent check
some months before. After this dis¬
covery he was more quiet, and Avill-
ingly accompanied his captor to Nets
York.
1 lie cash found on his person, the
farm and stock Averc taken possession
of by the victimized bank, and man¬
aged so judiciously that more than
$05,000 was realized, leaving the bank
a sufferer for less than $10,000.
Livingslon was soon after brought
to trial, convicted, and escaped with a
sentence of four years and a half. At
the expiration of his sentence he went
West, and Avlien last heard from Avas
opening a small stock farm in Iowa.
The case in all its phases ranks
among the most curious and interest¬
ing in criminal annals. The slight
clew so perseveringly followed, tho
little incidents Avhich pointed so uner¬
ringly toAvard the culprit, and the sa¬
gacity Avith Avhich all these little hints
Avere folloAved to the end, places the
detective art among the most notable
and useful of the sciences.— [New
York Weekly.
A Maltese Dog.
A rival to the Maltese cat is the
Maltese dog, an irresistible bit of
canine beauty Avhich comes straight
from the Paris kennels. His mistress,
a Washington belle, who has but just
returned from abroad, considers him
the most valuablo prize she has secured
during her wanderings. He has been
dubbed Marquis, and is thoroughly
French from tho top of his curly white
head to the tip of his snowy tail.
Spoken to in French he becomes a most
obedient dog, but his knowledge of
English is at present very limited.—
[New Orleans Picayune.
Kept His Appointment.
Mrs. Blifkins (time, midnight) —
Horrors! husband! husband! I hear
some one burroAving through the
wall!
Mr. Blifkins—Well! well! It must
be that book agent. I knetv we’d all
be in bed bv 11 o’clock and I told him
to call at half-past.—[GoodNews.
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 are
dark shades in tho 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
gratitudo they are sometimes wholly
deficient. It is significant that to be
“scaltro” (cunningly clever) is with
them a meritorious quality, and 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 all that no one shall
assist the legal authorities in their ef¬
forts to bring criminals to justice, and
the Sicilian, as a rule, 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.
One of the most disagreeable traits
in their character is excessive cruelty
to animals of which travelers in Sicily
frequently have seen revolting in¬
stances. When remonstrated with on
account of this they simply shrug their
shoulders and say: “What matters?
They arc not baptized.” They cannot
comprehend that any creature has any
claim to consideration the outside pale
of the Church. Frightful raws in horses
and donkeys go unnoticed, and are
fed on by flies; deep holes are plugged
with tow, and lame animals are made
to work 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 hill, such
a thing never enters their heads. To
see a country cart crammed with
people behind a horse which can
gcarccly Btagger under its heavy load,
and to observe that no one ever en¬
deavors to relieve the poor animal in
the most difficult passage is a common
occurrence. Live poultry is carried
to the market slung on pack saddles,
or carried by pedestrians from tho
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
habits of the Sicilian peasant is lack of
cleanliness. But in spile of all these
the general 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 firc-
jscape has done some service at hotel
fires, but one must know how 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 lie did in
about the tenth of a second, he 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
full speed.--[Detroit Free Press.
Peculiarities of Seven Children.
People of Munson claim to liavo
among them tho queerest family as to
physical peculiarity in the wholo
country. Jacob Biers, a farmer in
modcrato circumstances, has seven
children. Tho oldest is sixteen, a
bright boy, but having thirteen lingers
and thirteen loos—sevon on one hand
and six on tho other, his toes being
similarly divided. Next to him is
another boy, fourteen years old. As
long iis this boy is quiet no one would
suspect lie had any peculiarity, but tho
moment lie opens his mouth to talk ho
logos all control of his hands, arms,
feet and legs, and they jerk and thrash
And kick around as if they were hung
on wires.
The boy is as slow of speech as his
limbs are active, and in answering a
simple question it is no uncommon
thing for his logs to have carried him
a rod or more away beforo lie is able
to articulate yos 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. He can be
seen almost any day arguing with or
explaining some point to some com¬
panion, who is kept constantly busy
either in avoiding the 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
neck 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. Tho boy’s head is
covered with hair enough for a grown
person, while the girl twin hasn’t tho
sign of a hair upon the head, the little
poll being as white and shiny as a bil¬
liard ball. The girl is fat and the boy
lean. Whe the boy laughs the little
girl cries lustily, and* when” 5
sister is merry tho boy sheds tears utifl
yells. children is
Every one of these seven
handsome and mentally bright. Mrs.
Iliers is a fine-looking Avoman, and
her husband is sound physically and
mentally. — [Philadelphia Inquirer.
A Lake with Petrifying Properties.
A Avriter in Donahue’s Magazine
tells of a st-range lake in Irolahd,
Avliose waters have the power of petri¬
fying any substance that may bo 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 stone, 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 Aveights to them,
plunged them in to tho lake, and
marked their location by small buoys.
In two weeks, lie returned and took
up tAVO pieces, which lie found to bo
partly petrified. Two weeks afler-
Avard the rest Avas taken up, and each
piece of hard wood was hard as flint,
petrified through.
Then the firm made experiments
with the wood in the different stages
of petrifaction, and discovered that
unusually excellent razor hones could
be manufactured from it. These
hones are noAV a famous product of
the firm, but the razor-sharpening
Avorld little knows that tho stone is, so
to speak, wood, petrified in a few
weeks in tho largest of the Irish lakes.
In several ancient histories there is
veference made to tho “hard, woody
stone,” which was taken from the bot¬
tom of Lough Neagh for spear and ar¬
row-heads by the early Irish. So that,
although Irishmen today arc 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 All.
DashaAvay—Just look atMi68 Jasper.
She lias a dress for every day in the
week.
Cleverto*—How the mischief can
her father afford it?
DashaAvay—Easy enough. It’s the
same dress.—[Cloak Review.
NO. 29.
In Quietness Is Strength.
Cleanse, cleanse your soul from sin and
•oil,
And poetry will in it grow;
Quell in it greed and lmte’s turmoil,
And music from Its depths will flow.
Still, still In tranquil mood advance,
From everchangefjl scene to scene;
Atoms and molecules may dance,
But man should hold a constant mien.
Mad, inad, my masters, is the age.
It plunges down, like Phreton’s team;
Consumed by fear and lust and rage,
We have forgotten how to dream.
Less, less tho golden store he mine,
So that I may have quiet hours
In which to train my cottage vine
And pick the priceless wayside flowers.
— [The Academy.
HUMOROUS.
An ico bill may be cool, but it is no
always collected.
When is a window like a star?
—When it’s a skylight.
Teacher—Freddy, how >s tho earth
divided? Freddy — Between them
that’s got it and them that wants it.
Here’s a remarkable case. The
other day a wagon-maker who has
been dumb for years picked up a hub
and spoke.
The Squire—Good morning, Miss
Violet. Bent on an errand of mercy?
Miss Violet (tho rector’s daughter)—
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 him before we were
married? Young Wife—Yes, but he’s
single yet, and there’s certainly no
barm in his asking how your cough is
getting along.
“Has she no pride—no self-respect?
How can she permit that fellow to
smoke while they are promenading on
the avenue?” “Oh, that’s Charley Van
Ninny, and she’s afraid people wouldn’t
know it’s a man.”
Gadsby—Those three dude sons of
Van Nostrand cost him about $6000 a
year. Miss Caustique—Then he has
bten 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
saving a big clothing merchant from
drowning. ‘ • Ah, ” remarked he, grate¬
fully, “I soe, in rescuing me, you have
ruined your clothes. Permit mo to
hand you my business card. Ten thou¬
sand of the best suits in tho city from
$10 upwards.”
His Idea of Heaven: He had been
telling stories and spinning yarns with
great vivacity and emphasis that made
them audible throughout the car
for an hour and a half, and then
turned to the gentleman in tho next
scat, asking: “What is your idea of a
perfeet heaven, sir.” “An impossible
place, where every old story will be
told to a new audience!” Silence
reigned supreme until Springfield was
reached.
A Strange Punishment.
True to the well-known motto of
E Pluribus Unum on the armorial
hearing of our country, the navy ii
composed of tho descendants of many
nationalities; and in the future, as in
the past, these adopted sons of Uncle
Sam will, undoubtedly, point the guns
of his cruisers to the confusion of his
enemies. But it happens that they
are not seldom addressed in language
at once abusive and contemptuous by
the thoughtless and ignorant. I recol¬
lect, some years ago, a strange punish¬
ment being dealt out to one of these
revilers—a “hard case” from San
Francisco—who had called one of his
shipmates a ‘'Dutchman.” The ex¬
pression was heard by the command¬
ing officer. He at once ordered the
oflender “to the mast” (the break of
the quarter deck, where all delin¬
quents are arraigned on a man-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 o£ an hour you will
point to the ship’s ensign, flying at the
peak, and while doing so you will say
to the officer of the deck: “That flag
is potent enough to nationalize and
uaturalize every one who sails under
it!”
The man was astounded, but I
rather think it had a most salutary ef¬
fect, subduing many asperities of
Bpeech in other directions for a long
timei—[New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.