Newspaper Page Text
LVOL. xm
ATLANTA, GA* i TUESDAY MORNING. AUGUST 3 1886
price five cents
A BAD NIGHT,
Bf Ghae. W, Chaanutt, Author of “UflCla
Pctar*a Uouae" aud “A Tight Boot."
Cop; righted 1880 hr 8. 8. McClure.
PART I.
My wife baa perhaps more good qualities
than any woman I am acquainted with. I
■hall cot attempt to enumerate them, hut will
merely aay for the purposes of this story, that
Ihe has only one fault. In accordance, how
ever, with the unlTerial law of compensation,
ehe peeresses that one fault in such measure
as to counterbalance a great many of her vir
tues—ebe la the most suspicions of women.
Kalure has given her a fairly symmetrical
figure aud a very pleasant face. Her foaturcs
are net cast exactly in the ancient Greek
mold, but are above the average in these de
generate days, and on tho whole the it a very
good looking woman. 8he does not woar the
finest fabrics, but always dresses in good taste.
Yet whenever she tees anyone looking at her
intently, the at onee becomes indignant be
cause abe imagines that her appearance la being
criticised—that her dress does not fit smoothly
or her hat is awry. She has a mortal terror of
flogs, and canine beauty and fidelity have no
existence fur her, for in every dog ehe seee
either au actual ora probable case of hydro•
phobia. The pleasure of rapid motion, whloh
Dr. Johnson so long ago stamped with his ap
proval, ehe never enloys, lor if the horse gets
out of a walk, abe thinks he it running away.
Beggai s and peddlers never come to our house
but once, for In every one of them she sees a
tramp or a sneak-thief. She hat had a wicket
put in the kitchen deor, through whioh the
can look at any one knocking, and transact
any bntlneas the may have with strangers.
She has even had iron bars put on the
lower windows, and nearly bad-
krupted me once by putting bur
glar alarms and a telephone Into the house-a
rented house at that. In vain have I assured
her that there is nothing In our humble es
tablishment for the take of which even an
amateur burglar would risk his life or bis
liberty. She cannot be convinced that my
Silver watch, the plated teaspoons and the
silver Ice pitcher, which wap the most valua
ble of her wedding presents, ate not a stand
ing teniptation to thieves. We once, during
tho temporary illness attendant upon the
birth of our first child, hired a girl to help
with the housework; but my wife kept such
a close survellanceover Biddy, that that high
spirited scion of Hibernian royalty left in a
luiir, forgetting to pay back the two week’s
wages I had advanced her to buy anew
bonnet.
On one occasion my voncvablb uncle, who
lives in tho couutry, ami.whom.my wifo h»<'
glance, jumped at tho conclusion that ho was
n tramp or a peddler, ordered him out of tho
yard, and slammed tho wlckot in his face bo-
forotho astonished old conpoman had time to
Introduco hlmsolf. Wo have since had to buy
all our Christmas and Thanksgiving turkeys,
apd aid not apond the next luromsr on my
uncle’s farm, a visit which we had looked ford
ward to with pleasant anticipation. I
But them were email matters, and I could
afford to langh at most of thorn, until tho in-
I cldc nt occurred which would have rendered
my wife’s fault nnbearabls and compelled me
' he nature of
e state) If it
her eyes to
>pe, to a per-
evening in
at noon that
as I should
an hour or
would get a
Ml I dll not
ventng, but
isual hour,
treet car, I
r name, anil
a (tunning
intended for
d around la
face to face
allege class-
whom I had
n running a
. . retained, as
soon ss 1 had recovered my brasth, "I haven't
se*n jou ilnce tho floods 1 '
Spratt imrr edlatcly consigned me to the In
fernal regtona in the emphatic language of the
Texan cowboy, while the palatal gtaap of hia
hand and the unaffected cordiality of hie man
ner showed the pleasure he felt at meeting me.
My first impulse was to ask Spratt to supper.
Bat then I remembered that my wifa hardly
expected me to supper, and while I was ment
ally balancing tba pres and oocs, Spratt thrust
hia hand in my arm, and exclaimed:
“I’m stopping at the National and I'm going
np to dinner. Corns op and hava a bite. I
want to talk to you, and I’ve got to leavo tho
city in the morning.’’
Under ordinary clrcnmitancM I would not,
by senialning nwayfsom supper, have sub
jected myself to tho nnjust and dagradiug mu-
pldons to which my unexplained absence
to resort f
which it I
had not al
her own f
manent it
This In
Sommer.
I might n
probably I
two in tt
lunch do?
have to
started •
While I
heard a gi
before I c
blow on tr
a friendly
some trrp
with Spral
mate and i
not tetn fi
cattle rant
"Hello,
would hav
that my w
might risk
Spratt to tl
in n privat
old times
good;tbc
tuperh. fl
and Spratt,
frontlucnj;
have seme
the least hi
tbc flavor.
When I
o’clock. I
never was I
a strut c
n fit of abas
door tsirh I
discoveries
and gate* d
hang my
floor atd
ner. 1 did
np, as aalii
mo made m
tfan I toe
the back of
ItsVppsdo
the floor, b
t think i
t redacting
I thought I
wont with
ppor served
1 talk ovar
o soup was
s toast was
as of wluo,
tastes of tho
sllity, mutt
■only took
psest, totry
about nine
rtabl« and
ft. I took
horns. In
> open the
while, but
o latch key
r meant to
til on tke
a car
lo to pick It
saliag over
saury cxer-
tang it over
s corner,
find It on
there I did
wsi
feeling very sleepy by this time .And lay down
on the lonr *
That is h
lounge, bu
mistake, oi
and lay do:
little indict
ramimbtr J
good deal o
on the Iona
of another I
dnumstani
mo. As tl
eomfortshli
lown on the
h alation or
the lounge
aetuory Is a
r now, but I
Id require a
ed Ue down
s possibility
it under the
enough for
as not vary
the lounge,
and rolled under it the chinta cover, which
fell in a curtain to the floor, shaded my eyes
from the light, and I went to sleep almost Im
mediately. My memory is almost an utter
blank as to the subsequent events of tho even
ing, end what happened dnrlog the next hour
1 relate ss It was told to me afterwards.
My wife not expecting me home until some
what late in the evening had stepped across
the street to a progressiva euchre party at the
house of en intimete friend, where the stayed
until stout eleven o'clock. On coming home,
she did not, for reasons above stated, see
hat or overcoat, and naturally supposed I
not yet come In. My sister- In-uw, who was
•laying with us, bad gone to a party with her
young man, thna leaving my wife alone lu tho
home. As tirno passed and I did not put in
an appearance, she became a little
natives and nervont, as was but natural for
a wrman of bor disposition. lu looking
aronnd tho room for some object that was mis
placed, she caught sight of my feet protruding
from under the lounge. She hid noidoathat
I was in tlio home, and she needed but a
glance at the boots, which had become very
ditty in my bomoward meandcriugs, to con
vince her that a burglar had secrotod hiuielf
under the lounge, with the intention of rob
bing the house whoa all the lnmitos were
asleep.
Most women, nnder like circumstxncoi,
would have screamed or falute.l, or in some
way exhibited their emotions. But my wife,
sa I have said, was no ordinary woman, but
possessed a firmness and strength of character
which is by no means common, ovon among
the sterner sex, and rarely met with in women.
She did not scream or faint, but went quietly
out of the room, ran up stain to tho library,
closing tho doors behind her softly, so as to
prevent the noise from balng heard below, and
telephoned to the nearest police station, stat
ing that a burglar was concealed In tho homo,
and asking tbit n policeman bo sent to nrraot
him. Then the got my revolver out of n ba
teau drawer, went down stairs, aud sit down
by tho work-table, within ten foot of the sup-
petrd burglar. I question whethor ono woman
in a thousand would have been capable of as
much.
In about five minutes a knocking was heard
at the door, and my wife admitted two gnar-
dlsns of the peace—an Irishman and a negro.
"Whir is do bngglar, ua’a?” whispered tho
colored policeman.
"Under the sofa In the next room." she
said, pointing to tho open door of tnc ttttlug
room.
"Go In front,” suggatad the Irishman to
tho colored man, “ana o?ll have tho nippers
ready whin ye’ve grabbed tho spalpeen.”
They entered the room, and my wifo's
nerves not being equal to any further tension,
she fainted. When oho came to tho I rising*'
was holding a glass of water to bor lips, am
as the opened her eyes ho Said:
""'Faith, mum, an’wo arrlsted ’im. -The
spalpeen attimpted to resist thu officers of this
Ir.tv, nnd wc dubbed him over tho hetd libit.
tbo sounder tooigl '
. , sn$far
Into tbo night. My sister-in-law' first wont to
b> d, and my wife followed shortly after; but not
to sloep, as aha was alarmed at my.nouappoar-
ai.ee, and tormented with fears fpr tuy oafoty.
TAUT It
In the cold gray du:vn I awoke from a
troubled sloop. I was not at first sore th.s I
was awake. My head fait queer, aud as I <11*
covered by peering my band am It, was cov
ered with contusions of vinous degreei of
msgnltudo and tenderness. My clothes wore
torn and muddy, and taking mo altogether, I
looked as though I had been tolled by an an
gry bull or sun over by a Ira engine. I found
myself in a small apartment witli a narrow
grated window and an Iron door in thootono
wail. It required no second glance to show
me that I was in prison. I was. in fact, im-
mnrrd in acell of tbc Central police station.
1 endeavored to recall tho events of tho
previous evening. I remembered, somewhat
vaguely, all that took place np to the time
when 1 went to strop under the lounge. What
happened afterwards I could recall only as n
dream, In which, likes loatspirit, I had bsan
toimrutcd by devils, who clubbed mo with
telegraph polos and prodded mo with redhot
pitchforks.
But why was I here? Had I imbibed too
fieety of Spmtt’s Kentucky whisky, aud In n
fit of alcoholic mania murdered my wife or
ono of the children, or tho whole finally? I
pictured to myself the bloody corpus of my
children, tlaiu by a father's rutbloss hand.
Had I gene out in my sloep aud unwittingly
committed arson or burglary, or some other
heinous offense? or bad I merely boon ran in
for disorderly conduct? I gave It up, but my
rrfliciiouajrera not pleasant while I waited
for enlightenment.
About 8 o'clock a turnkey put in an appoar-
anco with a plats of coarse food aud a brown
mug of what purported to bo coffee, aud abor-
ed them through a wicket in the doar of my
cell.
“I say,” I anxiously inquired, "whore ami,
anyway?’
• You’re in a very fins place, compared with
where yon will be before long,” was the gruff
retponsa. "You'ra In the Central station
now, but tho chances are that you will be In
Jail about two hours.’’
Tbit information was not vary reanurlug.
"But wbat cm I in for?" I asked.
"Burglary and resisting the officers. You
know what you’re In for; tho old thing, no
doubt. Hurry up sod est your, breakfast if
you want any, for tbo court will open in half
an hour, and yonr case la the first or second
on tho dockot.”
I was horror-struck, crashed, almost nnni-
hilatcd. What n position. A -life which to
far bad bean At bast honest; a reputation
without a flaw, to bo blasted io a single night
by tba well-moaat hot ill-timed hospitably of
Spratt. I am afraid that in tho axcitainont of
tho moment I referred to Spratt in language
which would not bear repetition.
Bot the all important question was, how to
C it out of the scrape, if possible. Of coarse a
wyer was the first thing needed, and, after
some achate lions. I induced the turnkey, who
was naturally inclined to consider mo rather
n desperate and irresponsible character, to
lend tor an attorney of my acquaintance, on
is hose skill and secrecy I could so y.
1 had hardly lima to giro my attorney 5*
1 asty and somewhat incoherent account of
each events of the precei-
ing evening as I could roc-
ol act, when the presiding genius of the Insti
tution reappiand, end called out in a ling,
song lent:
'Number three, burglary and resisting offi
cers," and I wss hurried up a flight of stone
etspe, through n long corridor ana into a din
gy court-room, whore aat a somewhat suiters
loosing Judge with hair and whiskers slight
ly Streaked with gray, and a mustache dipped
straight acmes the upper lip. As the day was
wet and disagreeable, the number of specta
tors ins small, for which I was devoofiy
thankful.
Wbat is yeur name?” asked the court.
John Smith," whispered- my legal adviser,
end I nnbluahiogly gave the time-honored
You are charged with tire offentee. Toe
first charge against you is burglary. Are yon
guilty or not gnilty V
"Not guilty,” I answered, at the instance of
my attorney.
"Mr. Bailiff, call Patrolman Sullivan.”
Patrolman Michael Sullivan, being flrat
duly sworn, testified that on the evening be
fore he had been on duty at the Forest street
S oilce station; that at 11 o'elock he had bsan
stalled by Sergeant Donnelly, in response to
a telephone call, to go with Patrolman
Osar Johnson to No. STS Birch street and
arrest a burglar who was concealed on
the premises-, that they had been ad
mitted to the house by the front door, nod hed
found the prisoner concealed or partly oonceal-
ed under a lounge In the sitting room: that he
wee evidently under the Influence of liquor at
that time.
When I heard tho number of tho bouso I ba
ton to understand the situation, aud the sub
sequent disclosure made It all clear to me. I
remembered rolling nnder the lounge, nnd
knowing my wife’s peculiar temperamont, I
saw that I had been the innocent victim of
circomitarccs. I hurriedly whispered to my
lawyer, aud I told him how things ware, a
broad grin slowly diffused Itself over his face.
IntitiupllngOhe witness he exclaimed:
"May it please the court, this whole affair is
a moat ridiculous mistake, as I can oouviuce
jour honor In two minutes private'oonvenm-
t-on, If your honor will grant me that.”
Our police court la not very ceremonious,
snd the coveted two minutes was granted, aad
in tho adjacent witness room the court was
toon Inputted that I had been arrested In my
own honso. on tbo eomplslnt of my own wifo.
Tho judge was a little Incredulous at drat, but
on the assurauco of my atturnoy the cases
against me wore dismissed. The court garo
me a f< w words of advlcr, which I received
in a spirit of proper humility, and I was once
mores free man.
I begged my attorney to call a hack for mo,
at en eppeartnee on the street In my condi
tion at that time would have occasioned so-no
remark to say the least, even If some rations
policeman had not roar rested me ou general
principles. Bren the hackinan was auspicious,
and demanded his fore In advance. I paid it
and was toon driven homo.
I alighted from the vehicle and ran np the
■trpa'u quickly as possible, to avoid tho eyes
oi inquisitive neighbors. A Jsrk at the door
bell brought my wife, who uttered a shriek of
Joy and morally threw herself upon me. lit
my weakened physical condition I was oblicad
to brace myselr up against the wall In order
to sustain the shock.
' O I'an), Panl, my dear husband! where have
you 1)1 cn? O my poor hnabahd, hysterically
bow did youeicapt?”—and soon, klblng tie
while.
I calmly endured these demonstration! of
Joy for a few moments, and then putting her
frtm me I raid sternly: . A
Mrdstr, behold tho consequences of yonr
folly. You hero scoompllshe t your work; it:
me you sees nervous wreck, a blasted repute-
Hon, blightcd.prcspceU and a ratued llfo. Un
bind ntc, madam and 1 stalked as m^cstic ii-y
os:\naporslb!o nnder tho circumstances, fof>
' 1 gl/tcod hastily into thofintmirrer Icanto
MEXICAN PRISONS.
A Personal Experience or Their IZorforf-Arrsgauco
or Meric*ne Toward American*-A Thrtlllns
Story or a Nlaht’o Ur per taco to o Mex
ican JAll-Powerl#M Consuls—Etc.
From the N. Y. Commercial-Advertiser.
"I wonder if the Mexleana will ever learn
to treat foreigners, end more especially peo
ple bom this conntry, decently,” ejaculated a
young man the other dey, putting his feet on
the window sill and emitting n cloud of
•moke from hiemouth. "Thepepenprlnt n de
spatch from l’aso dal Norte tho other day
that proved Intensely interesting to me, aa
the circumstances related are not uuUko those
I experienced whilo In tho land of the Astcci.
Yen may romrmber the cue, though, uu-
fertunetoly, such things don’t attrsot as
much attention as they should. Tho cue
in point was that of an American res
ident at El Paso, Texas, who wont
across the liver to epeud tbo
evening. Yen know, I presume, that Paso
del Norte le in the extreme north of tho state
of Chihuahua, on tho Rio Grande, aud Is eon-
urctcd with El Paso by a line of horse, or
mote properly speaking, mule cars. The Mex
ican city is somewhat noted for Us cathedral,
which Is ssld to he 300 years old, Its porioili
....... .. -kfycooking matin,
cal bull flghtf. Its weekly cocking
aud
Jajt, and when they want to have a Jolly
time. The poor bllow mentioned in tho de
spatch, e journalist, went over, sodas he hed
offended sumo ono by n newspaper criticism
bents dipped Intojall. A few ilsya Inter
Kiue of his friends heard of hit flight and
went to ice him, but were refused admit
tance, though the Infermatl-m was conveyed
to them that if they so dttlred, they could
leave some money which would go toward hie
living (xpeuscs. The disgusted friends ap
plied to the American consul, who very prop
erly began an Investigation. Ho found that
tlo .man was arrested and bald without a
wainut of any kind, nnd bid not even had
the benefit of nn examination before a magis
trate, althouth the char gal agating -
him was of the most flimsy nature. The consul,
of coarse, made a fuss, and equally, of coarse,
wss laughid st for hie point. At niuel in
such aura, the consul bocamo very angry, and
said he intended to moke a report of rhe cats
to tho secretary of state at Washington* That
wss the last news received by the New York
_. . —■ , tll i j.ngnijhing i n
y excitement may
. _ _ died out, and tho
TOorfellow'e fete will depend largely upon tho
whim of tomo petty Mexican officer.
‘,’U doubtless seems to you that such a case
dtservus a JiUlo more than a xluy paragraph
wss inn rose news reccivcu uj
pacers. The American is stl
Jill. Whatever temporary
have existed has probably dl
or a diisppoiotmcnt to find that it
had nor. I shall always hereafter be a little
skeptical about that tiiuo-honored literary ex
1 idltnt; for according to all the canons of flu
tluii, my sufferings certainly out to hare had
that remit.
While I watdressingmy woundsaulchang
ing my clothes, my wifo aud I wore mutually
cnJIghtencdas to the events of the night. Of
cent to I heaped reproaches on her hoed, and
with such a pointed Illustration at hand,! was
tot alow in pointing out to her tho absurdity
of that suspiciousness which was her one
fault. In her mortification at my arrest and
the portiblo social aud financial conteqnencos,
she din not, aa I feared ehe would, make any
sliutlun to my Inebriated conditionattbo time
1 camo home, which was, I am reluctantly
foretd to adult, the primary Gluts of this
most unfortunate sffiur. I need not horo stop
to ray that she hat mentioned it several tlmse
sinco then.
But this was not the end. Same sharp-
nosed reporter bad learned of the arrest of n
supposed burglar at No, 373 Birch street, the
night before, and had the whole disgusting de
tails dished up In tho Morolug Swill Barrel,
together with several circumstances which
seemed to connect me with a notorious band of
criminals. This brought tho ecsvoogon of
fie evening papers t round to loam more about
the matter, and in the course of their inquir-
Ira they learned that I had not been aeon sinco
leaving the hot*! the night before. This fact
was duly chronicled in tho evening pipers
under the conspicuous title of a “A Myster
ious Disappearance;” nnd the theory was put
forward that I had been pat oat of the way liy
the burglar before retching home, in order to
facilitate the csuimiMion of the barglary.
When I hurried down to tho office shoot three
o'clock, I found the proprietor and tho assis
tant bookkeeper deeply lmmrned in the ac
counts, and I know from the look of rolioftbat
came into tho proprietor's face that my reap-
icarance had liRed a load from hit mind.
1 remained closeted with him for half nn
bon r. I made n clean breast of the matter, for
I did not want to bare him hear a garbled
tdition of it from some other source. He was
a fair man, wot too good to sympathise with
the weakness of others, and tbs matter was
overlooked. I took a week's vacation while
mywouudewen heeling aud whileataUor
was making me a naw suit.
I am happy to state that the story never got
cut. My lawyer was discreet, and the wretch
ed creature who had nppeared in the polio*
court would never have boon recognised at
the elegant 1’aul My disappearance
wss ‘accounted for to inquisitive acquain
tances by n sodden summons to a neighboring
town to attend Um dying hod of my aged great
grand lather.
As I remarked st the beginning of this
story, which I publish aa is warning to yonog
married people, the most important result of
tho a flair—and ono which consoles mo tot all
tho annoyance nnd expense in tho way ol doe-
tors. lawyers aad tailor’s bills, has bean n
gradual ebango for the better in my wife's
disposition. At the present rata of Improve
ment, I hope aeon to eeo her one vice thor
oughly indicated, when j shall be able to
present to tho world that rarest of creatures —
“A perfect woaean, nobly planned.
To warn, to comfort and command."
“SHERWOOD” SURRENDERS.
I'rcd. 8. Ilrown Girls Bond to Appear rot
Trial.
CiKcurxaTr, July 28.— Fred 8. Brown, of
the Enquirer, surrendered himself to tho fed-
irel authorities yesterday and gave bond In
$1,000 to appear at the next term ofthe United
States court in Georgia to aaawor to an la
ri tetment for anno tag an obaeraa letter through
the mailt. Brown was in Georgia a yotr and
a half agoeud wrote aeverel sensational let
ters to bis paper In which some old scandals
were revived and which raised a I eep feeling
•gais.it him. The letter on which the iodist-
rnent It besed was addressed to the editor of
a paper in Macon and is said to bars come
nadir the definition "Obereae.” Brawn
tbinkeeomo one forged tho letter and had
him indicted to as to get Um in Macon,
where bo will be liable to arrest nnder tbo
■tale taw.
abominableJails, but I know of none thet can
be rompartd with those of Mexico. Let mo
tell of a litUo jail experience, quorum pars
srsgnafui." The young man stopped to take
a few whiffs from bla big pipe, aad the reporter
looked at him curiously. Ho was not tbo
tort of a man one would expect to too as the
central figure of a prison adventure; on tins
contrary, ho was a mild-looklng individual,
with a cleanshaven face and eyeglasses, and
might easily have pemed himself off as a
divinity student, lilt tone anil manner were
mild enough to eorrMpoud with his looks.
k< ep apart. I never know exactly what hap
pened, bnt I suddenly saw n
crowd gather around my friend,
who had evidently gotten Into
seme kind of a fight. I saw him pull hie re
volver end yell out in Spanish that union
everybody retired instantly he would do some
damage to somebody. The crowd moved back
are Howard calmly backed toward tbo door,
his pistol still out and cocked ready to solid a
bullet through a man at a moment's notioe. I
followed him outs few moments later, but he
was already out of eight. I walked on, but
before I had gotten many feet away
I received sating lug blow on the heed from
behind that might bavo killed me had not my
hat offered some protection. I looked up a
moment later, feeling dued nnd sore. Two
Mexican sold lets, one of whom had used hia
gun so effectively over my hood, wore bonding'
ovoi me, oue having already taken my revolv
er, for which 1 Instinctively foie, from my
pocket. I was orderdered to jump up aud go
with tho men, an order which I compiled with
ns quickly as possible. I was takon over tho
badlypavedetreotsofthetownforabout half
a mile. Every step was torture, as the Jolting
uf tho rapldjralk my captors insisted upon
my assuming « ut a tbonaand pains tingling
tbiongh Ihe wound en my bead. I tried to
assert that I was an American and to ask why
1 was as rested and what tho chargo against
me wan, but owing to the pain and
ixcitcmsut, my knowledge of Spanish, im-
liifn-t at best, seemed to dsaert mo en
tirely, and French words appeared to bo the
only ones I could think of. I finally managed
to ray what I wished, but got absolutely no
salitfaction, except to ho told to ‘shut up aud
la ha vo myself.’ Between the rows of one etory
adobe houses, oue block exactly similar to tho
next, we passed, and Anally when I was about
to give In suid thought I might na well drop
and asked to he killed atoncewearslvedatthe
little Jill, A few lioery raps of the guns on
Ihe door aronsed tbo jsller, who was slocping
within. He oiled ont In a testy voice to find
out what waa wauted, and upon being inform
ed he epened the' deor and we entered hie
sterling apartment; The eoldlers told tho
Jailer in a low tone something about my ease,
and without even going through ouoh formal
ity aa raking my name, I waa so violently
shoved through the door opposite tho ono I
bad entered that I fall on my handa aqd knoos
inside.
A SIXXICAN lir.M K HOLE.
"The horror that seised me at the momout
I heard the heavy door alam behind ms I
cannot adequately expreaa In words. Tha
darkness was intense, The odor In tbo piano
waa fairly (tokening. The floor waj of bare
earth and one of my hands wss plimpod Into
slimy mud. TBIs much dawned upon my
ttnrra at Once. Then I heard a Might noise
beside Die. My lloah crept nnd I hold my
bitath fora moment. Tho nolao I had hoard
!l few ue- on-in nnd to it w.cs
ji.int^fln 1-t-iivy breathing of a sleeper. I f-.-lt
d the pains from my head seemed tn
ry portion of my body. I put out
In the newepsj-cre, but if you know this hnr- my hand H rt-ch sunn-thlng that would si
nr of a Mixican prison you would ho silt: n.* • x -wtq-my her V? >1-— ru nlh-'i!:
more indignant. 1 rayaclf bavo aeon many on romo living creature which I Know sotll
STARVING TO DEATH,
. HORRIBLE STORY OF SUFFER'
INO AND MISERY.
Tbe Todlani and gsqutaiaux Dying by Scores for
Want erroed-A Bald one Labrador more-
boUBC-Orer riltelb Hundred JSeepls
flaccurub-Notes or tbs ramlue.
"My experience with prisoners and prisons
It varied," bo began, after a brief silence. "I
know bow seven ruaUers, as the cow thieves
are termed, were treated, who were arrested
in Sbakepcare, Now Mexico, aad whom I eaw
i jnchid the saint night. I know how tha
Apacbra tint their prisoners, and I have had
tbc pleasure of seeing how the Apaches are
treated when they are at tha mercy of tho
Mtllcre. I know how miserable it is to bo in-
•Ido oi n Texas ftonUer Jail, nod how it foola
to have n howling mob outside, limited so
ecu of violence by a local. newspaper
rein whoso personal enmity leads him to
distort facta and to urge tbo popu
lace to take what he cnlla'jtistloo’ into their
oun bends; bnt tbe meanest thing within the
range of my experience U tbe treatment of n
t.rironcrby Mexican Jailers. I had alien
hi aid of their peculiarly unpleasant methods
ofproccdnre, end was consequently interest
ed the first time I had an opportunity of see
ing an American in the clutches of the taw
•cruse tbe border. This was in tha city of
Chihuahua, capital of tbe stats of tho same
name, and about three yean ago. I saw a
: of prisoners work log on tho streets un
ite direction of tbe military. (too ofthe
men wee quite nnlike tbe other dark-skinned,
swarthy fellows, in whose reins the native In
dian blood predominates. I stopped for a mo-
meat to welch tbe man, and be approached me
end sskrd me to giro him some mousy.
He said that be. eould not procure sufficient
fcid to live en from tboscanty allowance made
by tbe Mete. ‘Wbat were you arretted for? 1 1
•sksd. He sold be did not know, though ho
probably lied In that, but he evidently told
tbe truth wb< n bo told mo (boat his sufferings
in tbc jail. Ho had b#*n arrested some six
months before and had never enjoyed the
privlicdge of an examination. Whether be
would over be nleeced seemed extremely
dcnbtfhl to him. Well, I give him some
money nnd passed on.
"A few months Inter I was talking about
Mexican prisons lo n friend named Howard,
who hed jnst sold out ahorse ranch he bad
owned in tbe state of l)aa ango. ’I bars inch
a fear of them,’said he,'that I would never
sckmlt to an arrest a* long as I had n bullet
loft In my revolver end had a chance to tue it.’
Howard was only to spend a short time is tho
town, to wo prepared to make tbe meat of it.
We dteided to go over toa bails in the old
town that night. Perhaps yon don’t knew
whet n bails Is? Well, it's a dance, sod
tha kind of fun that sometimes happens at
•nch affaire cannot ho hotter illustrated than
by a little anecdote Howard told mo on oar
way to Palo del Norte. Ho arid be bad been
not a little amaetd by tha cool answer of a
Ttxaa ranchman of tha lower class to whom
he bad ones applied for pemitaion to take his
daugbtm to mheilo. ’Waal,’ was the mat's
drawling answer, T really would like to bavo
yen take Sol Jett to see wet happens. Erl-
tac’on Gonxalet has sworn that he'd cut the
livor rutrn any man who took Sal out at
nltbr, an’I'd Jest like to know if ho meant
it.* Howaid laid that a pressing engagement,
which he hid forgotten up to thet rime,
obliged him to leave been the boils took
p'aoe.
"Tbe bails we went to bora a striking fami
ly liktneea to other public affaire of the kind
condacted by Mexicans. Aa niual, the place
waa crowded with a miscellaneous throng.
There were, perhaps, thirty or forty brawny
Msxkens in their everyday working attire and
nntuuaijy heavy boots, with which
tbiy managed to beet time with
the music while dancing. . At netul
tke women alone occupied one side of tha
room, end only Joined the men while dancing
or drinking with them. At tha conelseion of
each fiance they separated, ami the women
rushed alone to their setts. Well, Howard
and I were dancing, and of coarse we had to
honrak rad ^withdrew them in dtgguet and
. uruped up hurriedly, I bar* been many n
:lme in placet where my life waa in dangor,
but never did euoh an awful fear gain posses-
■lou of my soul. I rushed to tbo doer and
pounded on it, shrieking to be let out.
Tho Jailer grufily sold that un
lit* I kept quiet he would chain mo to
tho ground in the corner, nnd I heard the
sioc|or in the corner of tha cell turn over nnd
grumble Tha threat silenced me, M I shud
der* d at tho thought of being attained where
tbe rats and vermin and reptiles ol ell sorts
cculd crawl over me, and perhaps devour me.
I wee afraid to stand by tbo damp adobe wail,
lest something horrlblo on it should got on
mo; 1 was afraid to move, ral might run over
roiuetblng, I knew not what; I dared not all
down. I remained standing whore I waa fur
only a few mlnutea probably, though
it are mod lo mo au ago. My logo seemed too
wrtk to support mo aud my poor head throb
bed painfully. I finally gava up tbe idea that
I could etanu up all night and dropped list*
lei fly Into n corner, caring little what might
befall me, thoroughly despondent and only
wishing for a speedy death. I allowed my
bend to sink upon my knees and the molt dis
mal Ibougbts ran through my mind. I toon
fell si-asp, aud nightmares of the most terri
ble nature kept up my torture until I awaken
ed, uurefreabtd and atiff in the morning.
"A few rays of light entered the cell from
tho little tarred window in the door connect
ed with tbe Jnller’a bedroom. I eould make
out the general aspaot of the cell trail along
which tboligbt All, but eould eeo nothing of
tbeicatofUsoptace. My companion in tho
cell, a villainous looking greaser, was at the
window asking tbe Jailer to brieg him somo
feed, end at tha latter started off I Alt grati
fied, for I thought that a good hot moal would
make mo fool better. I also realised that my
fris nda In Kl Paso would immediately begin n
search for me.
"Floelly our breakfast was handed in to ue
and it proved anything bot appetising. A
tin pan filled with a greasy stew formed the
piiee de resistance with n bowl of block coffee
to wash it dosnt. No knife or fork wra given
to cat with, and no milk, isnr or spoon for
tbo coffee. There was nothing to attract my
fancy in the slew, and I disliked the idea of
eating tho honid looking stuff with my Sugars,
so I set It down on the floor and drank my
coffee. ‘You willdowell to save some of your
neat, amigo,’ said the other priioaer to me;
'it's all you'll have for the day except a crest
of biua and a glass of water this evening.’
“You may well Imagine that I was aaxlou*.
ly awaiting tba arrival of tome friend. I tried
to question the keeper of the Jell, hut after
several unsatisfactory attempts to drew him
oat, I gave up in despair. I felt siek on ac
count of tho foul sir. aad my only Idas wss to
obtain my llbarty. I remained standing for
seme rime at tha door, looking through tu
I ittio barred window. When I finally looked
back I saw that my plate was corand with
rata who were rapidly devouring the food*Ieft
S '
paper, with hie plate behind him in or
der to prefect it from tbe rodent*.
"At last I heard tba velco of my partner
outside, and my heart leaped with Joy. Ho
wee told that an Americano waa in the Jail,
bnt a as refused permission to ito me. Mr
pwitnsr. a bright follow, with a perfect knourI-
edge of tbo Spanish language, and who know
crtrjbody of any note In l’aso del Norte, by
bribing tha guardian managed to gain admit
tance. I told him my story, nod be vowed
be would gat na out of my dx that vary day.
••It appears that be had heard of my plight
tbet morning, and hed started right over to
■se me. From tbe Jail bo went lo tbeAmar-
can consul’* office. The consul was quite a
friend of mine, and naturally took so interest
In my case. He went around to the authori
ties, but met with a discouraging noaptiou.
Meanwhile my partner, who bid not over
much feith in the power of an American con-
snj, get sonro Mexican friends, who held la-
fluentfal positions, to intercede in my behalf,
and before night I waa once more at liberty;
after whet seemed to me nn age.
KComo,” said the young mao, getting his
legidnrn to their natural position on the
door once mote, “ill up your glass again end
1st us drink to ’freedom.’ at It it understood
I in ear sister republic, Mexico.”
8t. Johns, N. F., July 20.—Further partic
ular* of distress among the fisherman of Lab
rador bavo been received,seventy Esquimaux;
who demanded food from tbe stone at Mogen.
ford, which could not be given them, owing
to the noed of inhabitant! and tho email sup
ply, made a ruth for the htbor storehouse,
where flour and fish were stored. Tho men
of tho small settlement gathered to defend their
only hope of existence and a desperate fight
ensued. In which four of the
marauding Esquimaux were nearly
killed and two of tho atorehouao de
fenders Kero seriously Injured. Tho Esqui
maux finding that they eould not obtain rood
by force, retreated and sent in several of their
number to ask for a small quantity of food,
which they said waa absolutely necessary to
the continued cxtatenco of their wives and
children. Tiro hundred pounds of flour and
•bout DRy pounds of froien codfish were
glvon them.
It was reported that in Aatoria slono, out
of thirty-five or forty families, or a total of
300 pwttont, over 100 had died, mostly women
end children. In Naln, the catch of fish has
not been sufflcltntto afford food to the In
habitants. The eeeeon which opened on
May 1st was very backward, and bad it not
betn for tho seal Industry, which was tolera
bly pood, not a soul would be living. Along
llsmllton inlet, many hare died. In Wa-
bonck and Iudlsn harbors fish Is the only
food besides a small quantity of
coin meal. They have had no
vogetabloe since March 1, and the
people are almost without olothing. At Hopio.
dale, not over twenty-five families romiln out
of rho entire formrr population. Many have
S one csst along tha coast in the hopo of got-
Ing into better supplied settlements.
While eighty psnons. of whloh forty were
squaws and thirty-five children, died from
starvation in Juno alone, there wore somo
deaths In April nnd May; hut thaw worn prin
cipally from exposure to tbe cold. Tito Ok kali
Indians ate suffering greatly, hut there
were net as many deaths among
them se waa at first report
ed, only twelve persons having dlod this
spring out of 123 who usdo up tlx) tribe. Tha
whole settlement la, however, on the verge of
eta) vaticn. 'i'ix- piece.-) epoken of do not in
clude the whole district whnro there is to ha
found destitution soil dreth. In the country
lying hack from okjsah, llopodolc, X»iu suit
t'spe Mugfoni thorn arc it lalgo number of
fauillicr, most of ti cm Jiullonn or Esquimaux,
sn.-ngvrhom su -;! " )- uull.v creator than
rethiJkly pi, rttlomnut*.
)V-c),-'-,..i , .,»i*j from slurvstio'i esui.V he
cstirasttd, hut It Is thought, Judging from ro-
noits now aud then brought!!!, that tho num
ber Is very largo. ’
In New Foundlaml along tho north coast,
there it great destitution. From Capa llsiild
to Heart’s Coutentj hundreds sro In a dying
condition. lit Whlto bay aiouo forty-two per-
sous died last month and n6 one knows how
many since. Not Ices then 1,300 persons mil st
have polished, but tho exact figures con never
bo known, owing to tbe isolated region In
which tbe suffering exists.
St. Johns, N. F„ July 27.—Tho steamer
Barest has put in bora, bringing tho latest
ntwa from tho Labrador coast. Fur noarly
two weeks oho wm blockaded in York harbor,
forty miles cast of Northeast river, by a field
oflco. She brings five families, who had
reaohed that point from Sandwich bay, ovor
100 miles Inland, io sledges drawn by ponies,
on whloh thoy subsisted after their arrival.
York harbor it crowded with fugitives, hut
thoy camo from tbo oouthorn coast and know
nothing of their northern neighbors. July
loth n two days’ snow storm lmr!o<l
eastern Labrador, catting off all
communication with ite copulation of 13,000
K icons. Tho snow ha* closed ail trails. Re-
t vessels will now go direct to York biy to
relievo tret the sufferers there. A White b ty
dispatch states Uut tho whalon report that
Hudson bay strait is again froran over, which
Is an unprecedented oocumneo at this season.
Up to data 020 survivor* hava arrived boro.
Tho number that have died Is estimated at
3,800. hiuco Saturday an east wind bu blown
off tho banks, increasing tho firmness of tho
8t. Johns, N. F, Joly 30.—A apodal to tho
Advertiser says: Ilcrgenatta Tor, ono of tho
Esquimaux, who arrived bore on tho Nancy
Barret, from Okkak, Labrador, says that tho
population of that ooUlomont was nearly 1:01,
yet when ho left with bit wife not a ao-tl
remained. Early in March tho food gava o-sc.
J-lvcry drop of oil and bit of sealskin was
utilised, and at rare Intervals a bsxr
waa killod, but finally tho sup-
S ilt* were quite exhausted. On
une 3, they bad aaten nothing for atx days,
and, Jaded by hunger, they fouled upon this
corpses of stvtrel whltea and a few ln-limi
that had Loon killod by tho cold. When «to m
oftboirown party dlod, tho body wss cut
open, tbo entreite wore takon ont and tho re
mainder wu froxen np foruse. From this
food a terrible dysentery rat in among tho
survivors, aud on July 1 there wore
but sixteen parsons left alive,
tbo bodies of ovor twoniy hsvlug
been eaten. Tho sixteen anrvlvors started
down tho coast in nslodga drawn by four dogs,
tba only living creatures loft them, their po
nies having hren sacrificed to appeaso hunger
long before. When abont twenty-four miles
from Capo Mugford a heavy snow storm set in.
While the party wore endeavoring to find their
way they were attacked by white heirs to tho
number of twenty-five or thirty, which killod
all of the party but two. tba survivors being
among tho number nt Utpo Mugford,
ATLANTA t'NDKIt PROHIBITION.
Ono of Oar Citterns Enlighten* a NaalivIHo
Newspaper Man.
From tha Nashville Union.
"What about tbe reports that are being cir
culated that there are hundreds or vseaut h-mses
In Atlanta, and that people are moving aarsy from
there every day became of tho prohibition tawr’
t$kcd the Union.
ntemSs??
r 1 "Misntafe liquor bill," fontlnned Dr. Cathtaft;
•wuoaMmaMrSi
KSSfi&iSra r
W’fifrr? gome gtnnJne bgneflt
. •**>, Just for mo tt»t AtUni*
.toon town jot, but «oon will bo, and
in obtcnranco of tho law wortiif or
1. EgimutOTcr one bur,'’red
Airhert prohibition prevail! an l I
e of thorn Cvu'.d whisky bs TO’.ei b
indistihct
V