The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, January 24, 1888, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textx > HE WHite® 1I IWlßloWl jgpJll ft I Ifift ff L V "' '. . Bl | IM WW VOL. XIX. Gabriel Foot Highwayman. From Longman’s Magazine. ' jury re-entered ths court after half an hunt's consultation. It all comes back to me as vividly as though I Stood in the dock at this very moment The dense fog that hung over the well of the court; she barristers’ wigs that bobbed up through it, and were drowned again in that seething caul dron : theraysof the guttering candles (for the murder trial had lasted far into the evening) that loomed through it and wore a sickly halo; <be red robes and red face of my Ixird Judge Opposite that stared through it and outshone the candles; the black crowd around, seen mistily; the voice of the usher calling “Si lence'.” the shuffling of the jurymen’s feet; tiro blank pallor on their faces as I leant for ward and tried to read the verdict on them : the very smell of the place, compounded of log. goal-fever, the close air, and the dinners eaten earlier in the day by the crowd—all this strikes homo upon me as sharply as it then did, after the numb apathy of waiting. As the jury huddled into their places I stole a look at my counsel. He paused for a mo ment. from his task of trimming a quill, shot a quick glance at the foreman’s face and then went on cutting as cooly as ever. "Gentlemen of tho jury”—it was the judge's voice—“are you agreed upon your verdict?” “We are.” “Do you find tho prisoner guilty or not guilty?” “Not guilty.” It must have been full a minute, as I leant hack clutching the rail in front of me, before I saw anything but the bleared eyes of the 'dandles, or heard anything but a hoarse mur- from the crowd. But as soon as the court erased to heave, and I could stare about me, I looked toward my counsel again. He was still shaping his pen. He made no motion to come forward and shako hands over toy acquittal, for which he had worked untir ingly all day. He did not even offer to speak. He just looked up, nodded carelessly, and turned to his junior beside him; but in that glance I had read something which turned my heart cold, then sick, within me, and from that moment my hatred of the man was as deep as hell.. In tiro fog outside I got clear of the gaping Crowd, but the chill of the night after that heated court pierced my very bones. I had on the cloilros I had been taken in. It was June then, and now it was late in October. I re member that on the day when they caught me I wore my coat open for coolness, tout months And a half had gone out of my life.- Well. I had money enough in my pocket to get a great coat; but I must put something warm inside me first, to get out the chill that cursed lawyer had laid on my heart. .’ I had purposely chosen the by-lanes of the town, but I remembered a certain tavern—the Lamb and Flag—which lay down a sido alley. presently the lights from ns windows loomed like a beacon ahead. I pushed open the dem and entered. Tho small bar was full of people newly come from the court, and discussing the trial in all its bearings. In tho babel I heard a dozen dif ferent opinions given in as many seconds, and learnt enough, too, to make mo content with UjO jury I had had. But the warmth of the place was pleasant, and I elbowed my way for ward to the counter. There was a woman standing up by the door as I entered, who looked curiously at me for a moment, then turned to nudge a man at her side, and whisper. The whisper grew as I pressed forward, and before I could reach tho counter a hand was laid on my shoulder from behind. I turned. “Well?” said I. It was a heavy looking drover that had. touched me. “Are you the chap as was tried today for murder of Merchant Todd?” he asked. “Well?” said I again, but I could see the crowd falling back as if I was a leper at his question. “Well ? ’Tain’t well then, as I reckon, to be making so free With respectable people.” There was a murmur of assent from the gaping mouths turned toward me. The land lord came forward from behind the bar. “I was acquitted,” I urged defiantly. •’Ac-quitted!” said he, with big scorn in the syllables. “Hear'fin now—‘acquitted!’ Land lord, is this a respectable house?” The landlord gave his verdict. “H'out yer goes, and blame yer impu dence'.” I looked round, but their faces were all dead against me. > “H’out yer goes!” repeated the landlord. 41 And think yerself lucky it ain’t worse,” added the drover. With no further defense I slunk out into the night once more. A small crowd of children (heaven knows whence or how they gathered) followed me up the court and out into the street. Their num bers swelled as I went on, and some began to hoot ami pelt me; but when I gained the top of the hill, and a lonelier district, I turned and struck among them with my stick, li did my heart good to hear their screams. ’ After that I was let alone, and tramped for ward past the scattered houses toward tho open country and the moors. Up here there was scarely any fog, but I could see it, by the rising moon, hanging like a shroud over the town be low. The next town was near upon twelve inilcs off,but Ido not remember that I thought of getting so far. I could not have thought at all. in fact, or should hardly have taken the high-road upon which the jeweler had been Stopped and murdered. There was a keen wind blowing, and I shiv ered all over; but the cold at my heart was worse, and my hate at the man who had set it there grew with every step. I thought of the four months and more which parted the two lives of Gabriel Foot, and what I should make of the new one. I had my chance again—a chance gained for mo beyond hope by that counsel but for whom I should be sleeping tonight in the condemned cell; a chance, and a good chance, but for that samed cured law yer. Ugh! how cold it was, and how J hated Irini for it. There was a little whitewashed cottage on the edgo of the moorland just after th<- hedge rows ceased—the last house before the barren heath began, standing a full 300 yards from any other dwelling. Its front faced tire road, and at the back an outhouse and a wretched "garden jutted out on the waste land. There was a light in each of its windows tonight, and as I passed down the road I heard tire dismal music of a flute. Perhaps it was this that jogged my thoughts and woke them up to my present pass. At any rate, I had not gone more than twenty yards before 1 turned and made for the door. ‘ The people might give me a night’s lodging in the pnthouse; at any rate they would not f.-f:-.-e a Ctust to stay the fast which I had not broken since the morning. I tapped gently with my kfiueklcs ou the door, and listened. 1 waited five minutes. and no one answerer’. The flute still continued its melancholy tunc: It was evidently in the hands of ale-.rm r'.L rthe air (a dispiriting one e: o-.’.gli at the I ist, ke; t 'breaking off suddenly and repeating itself. But the performer had priticneb, ami fire sound flever ceased for more than two seconds ata time. Besides this nothing was to to heard. Tho blinds were drawn in all the window" The glow of ti e candle - through them was cheerful enough, but n- tiling was to ba seen of the house inside. 1 kno-lred a s-.-eoud tiare, and a third, with tire game result. Finally, tlraq of this* I pushed open the low gate which led into tho garden behind, and stole round to the back of the cottage. Here, too, the window on the ground floor was lit up behind its blinds; but that of the room above was shuttered. There was a holo in tho shutter, however, where a knot of tho wood had fallen out, and a thin shaft of light stretched across the blackness and buried itself in a ragged yew tree at the end of the garden. From the loudness of the sounds I judged this to be tho room where the flute playing was go ing on. Tho sound of my footsteps on the thin soildidnot disturb the performer, so I gathered a handful of earth and pitched it up against the pane. The flute stopped for a minute or so, but just as I was expecting to see the shutter open, went on again: this time the ah- was “Pretty Polly Oliver." I crept back again, and began to hammer more loudly at the door. “Come,” said I, “whoever this may be inside, I’ll sec for my self at any rate, " and with that I lifted the latch and gave the door a heavy kick. It flew open quite easily (it had not even been locked), and I found myself in a low’ kitchen. The room was empty, but the relics of supper lay on the deal table, and the remains of what must have been a noble fire were still smoul dering <m the hearthstone. A crazy, rusty blunderbuss hung over the fireplace. This, with a couple of rough chairs, a broken bacon rack, and a small side table, completed the fur niture of tho place. No; for as I sat down to make a meal off tin- remnants of supper, some thing lying on the lime-ash floor beneath this side table caught my eye. I stepped forward and picked it up. It was a “gossan” wig, as we call it in our pints: a wig grown yellow and rusty with age and wear. It looked so sly and wicked as it lay there, aud brought back the eventsof the day so sharply, that a queerdread took me of being discovered with it. I pulled out my pistol, loaded it (they bad given me back both the powder and pistol found on me when I was taken), and laid it beside my plate. This done, I went on with my supper—it was an excellent cold capon—and all the time the flute up si airs kept toot-tootling without stop ping, except to change the tune. It gave mo “Hearts of Oak,” “Why, soldiers, why?” “Like Hermit 1’oor,” and “Come, Lasses and Lads,” before 1 had fairly cleared the dish. “And now,” thought 1, “I have had a good supper; but there arc three things to be done. In the first place I want drink, in the second I want a tod, and in the third I want to thank this kind person, whoever he is, for his hospi tality. I’m not going to begin life No. 2 with housebreaking.” I rose, slipped tho pistol into my tail pocket, and followed the sound up tho ramshackled stairs. My footsteps made such a racket on those old timbers as fairly to frighten me, but they never disturbed the. flute player. He had harked back again to “Like Hermit Toor” by this time, and the dolefulness of it was fit to make lire dead cry out, but he went whining on until J reached the head of the stairs and struck a rousing knock on the door. The playing stopped. “Come in,” said a cheery voice; but it gave me no cheerfulness. Instead of that, it sent all the comfort of my supper clean out of me, as 1 opened the door and saw him sitting there. There lie was, the man who had saved «ny neek that day. and whom most I hated in tire world, sitting before a snug fire, with his flute on .is km'-', r,.A .im of port wine at his elbow, and looking so comtoriame with ibntkvowing light in his gray eyes, that I could hav6 killed him where he sat. “O, it’s you, is it?” he said, just the very least bit surprised and no more. “Como in.” I stood in the doorway hesitating. “Don’t stay letting’ in that monstrous draughtsmen: but sit down. You’ll find tho buttle on tin- table and a glass on tire shell.” I poured out a glassful and drank it off. Tho stull was rare (I can remember its trick on the tongue to this day), but somehow it did not drive tho cold out at my peart. I took another glass, aud sat sipping it and staring from tho lire to my companion. Ho had taken up tho flute again, and was blowing a few deep notes out of it, thoughtful ly enough. He was a small, squarely built man, with a sharp, ruddy face liken pippin, heavy gray eyebrows, and a mouth like a trail when it was not pursed up for that everlasting flute. As lie sat there with his wig off, the crown of his bald head was fringed with an obstinate-looking patch of hair, the color of a badger’s. My amazement at finding him here at this hour, and alone, was lest in my hatred of the man as I saw the depths of complacent knowledge in his face. I felt that I must kill bim sooner or later, and the sooner the better. Presently ho laid down his flute again and spoke: “I scarcely expected you.” I grunted something in answer. “But 1 might have known something was up if I’d only paid attention to my flute. It and I are not in harmony tonight. It doesn’t like the secrets I’ve been blowing into it; it has heard a queer lot of things in its time, but it’s an in nocent-minded flute for all that, and I’m afraid that what I've told it tonight is a point beyond what it’s prepared to go.” “I take it, it knows a deal too much,” growled I. He looked at me sharply ter an instant, rose, whistled a bar or two of “Like Hermit Poor,” reached a couple of clay pipes from the shelf, filled one for himself, and gravely banned tho other with the tobacco to me. “Beyond what it is prepared to go,” ho echoed quietly, sinking back in his chair and puffing at tire pipe. “It’s a nice point that wo have been discussing together, my flute and 1, and I won’t say but that I’ve got the woist of it. By-the-way, what do you mean to do now that you have a fresh start ?” Now I had not tasted tobacco for over four months, and its effect upon my wits was sur prising. It seemed to oil my thoughts till they worked without a bitch, and 1 saw my plan of action marked out quite plainly before me. “Do you want to know the first step of all ?” I asked. “To be sure ; the first step at any rate deter mines the direction.” “Well then,” said I, very steadily, and star ing into his face, “the first step of all is that I am going to kill you.” “H’m,” said lie, after a bit, at d I declare that not to much as eyelash of the man shook, “I thought as much. 1 guessed that when you came into tho room. And what next?” “Time enough then to think of 'what next,’ ” I answered ; for though I was set upon blow ing his brains out, I longed for him to blaze out into a passion and warm up my blood for tho job. “Pardon me,” he said as coolly as might be, “that would be the very worst time to think of it. For just com id r: in the first place you will already be committed to your way of life, and secondly, if I know anything about you, you would be 1 r too flurried for any thought worth the name.” There was a twinkle of frosty humor in his eye as he aaid this, and in tho silence which followed 1 could hear him chuckkling to him self, and lasting the words over again as though they were good wine. I sat fingering 1115- pistol and waiting for him tosneak again. Whim he did so, it was with another dry chuckle aud a long puff of tobacco smoke. “As you say, I know a deal too much. Shall I tell you how much ?” “res, you may if you’ll be quick about it.” “Very well, then, I will. Do you mind pass ing the. bottle'.’ Thank you. I probably know not only too much, but a deal more than you guest. Fir t Jet us take the case for thy Crown. The jeweller is traveling by coach at night over the rm or-:. He has <ne postillion otilv, Itoger Tallis by name, and by character shady. J lie jewc.rer has money (he was a niggardly dii.tr,cud of great, or rather of enormous and n . ,?e, nd(l.o wan a bigger fool to take tbi', . In the dark morning two horses come j galloping back, frightened and stream with 1 tv-a. A 1 ...k-'rety go< s out, finds tire coach uujc-t bi- tire 1 our Holed Cross. the iaw- 1 ATLANTA. GA., TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1888, oiler lying beside it with a couple of pistol bul lets in him, and the money, 11,e diamond, and Koger Tallis—nowhere. So much for the imr ■ doted man. Two or three days after, you,.Ga briel Foot, by character also shady, anil known to be a friend of Koger Tallis, are whispered to have a suspicious amount of money about you, also blood stains on your coat, ft further leaks out that you wore traveling on the moors on foot on the night in question, and that your pistols are soiled-with powder. Case for the Crown eloses. Have I stated it correctly?” I nodded; he took a sip or two at his wine, laid down his pipe as if the tobacco spoiled the taste of it, took another sip, and continued : “Case for the defense. That Roger Tallis has decamped, that no diamond has been found on you (or anywhere), and lastly that tho bul lets in the jeweller’s body do not fit your pis tols, but came from a larger pair. Slot very much of a case, but this last is a strong point.” “Well?” I asked, as he paused. “Now then for the facts of tho case. Would you oblige me by casting a look over there in tho corner?” “I see nothing but a pickaxe and a shovel?” “Ha, ha! very good; ‘nothing but a pickaxe and shovel.’ Well, to resume: facts of the case. Roger Tallis murders the jewler, and you murder Roger Tallis; after that, as you say, ‘nothing- but a pickaxe and shove!.’ ” And with this, as I am a living sinner, tho rosy-faced old boy took up his flute and blew a stave or two of “Come, Lasses and Lads.” “Did you dig him up?” I muttered hoarsely; and although deathly cold, I could feel' a drop of sweat trickling down my forehead and into my eye. “What, before the trial? My good sir, you have a fair, very fair, aptitude for crime: but believe me, you have much to learn both of legal etiquette and of a lawyer’s conscience.’ And for the first time since I camo in I saw something like indignation on that ruddy face. “Now,” he continued, “I either know too much or not enough. Obviously I know enough for you to wish, and perhaps wisely, to kill me. The question is, whether I know enough to make it worth your while to snare me. 1 think I do; but that is for you to decide. If I put you tonight, and in half an hour’s time, in possession of property worth £IO,OOO, will that content you?” “Come, come,” I said, “you need not try to fool me, nor think I aiu going to let you out of my sight.” “Toil misunderstand. I desire neither; I only wish a bargain. I am ready to pledge vou my word to make no attempt to escape before you are in possession of that property, and to offer no resistance to your shooting me in case you fail to obtain it, provided on the other hand you pledge your word to spare my life should you succeed within half an hour. And, my dear sir, considering the relative value of my word and yours, I think it must bo con fessed you have the better of the bargain.” I thought for a moment. “Very well, then,” said 1, “so be it; but if yon fail ” “I know what happens,” replied he. With that he blew a note or two on his flu In, took it to pieces, and carefully bestowed il in the tails of his coat. I put away my pistol in mine. “Do you mind shouldering that spado ni-fl pickaxe, and followingrne .’“ he asked. Ttc them up in silence, lie drained his glass Ur, I pul on vis hat. “Now 1 think we are ready. Slop a mo ment.” He reached across for the glass which I lad emptied, took it up gingerly between thumb and forefinger, and tossed it with a crash on to the hearthstone. He then did the same to my pine, after firstjsmipping tho stem into halves. This done, he blew out one candle, and with great gravity led the way down tho staircase. I shouldered the tools and followed, while my heart hated him with a firccr spite than over. We passed down the crazy stairs and through the kitchen. Tho candles were still burning there. As my companion glanced at the sup per table, “H’m,” he said, “not a bad begin ning of a new leaf. My friend, I will allow you exactly twelve months in which to get hanged.” I made no answer, and we stepped out into the night. The moon was now up, and tire high-road stretched like a white ribbon into the gloom. The cold wind bore up a few heavy clouds from the northwest, but for the most part we could see easily enough. We trudged side by side along tho road in silence, except that I could hear my companion every now and then whistling softly to himself. As we drew near to the Four Holed Cross aud the scene of tire murder I confess to an uneasy feeling and a desire to get past the place with all speed. But the lawyer stopped by the very spot where the coach' was over turned, and held up a finger as if to call atten tion. It was a favorite trick of his with tho jury. “This was where the jeweler lay. Some fifteen yards off there was another pool of blood. Now the jeweler must have dropped instantly, for ho was shot through tire heart. Yot no one doubted but that tho other pool of blood was his Fools.” With this he turned off tli.roa .ul at right an gles, and began to strike rapidly across tho moor. At first I tlioughtlbc was trying to es cape me, but he allowed mo to catch him up readily enough, and then I knew the point for which I was making. I followed doggedly. Clouds began to gather over the moon's face, and every now ami then I stumbled heavily on tho uneven ground; but Ire moved along nimbly enough, and even cried “Shoo!” in a sprightly voice when a startled plover flew up before his feet. Presently, after wo had gone SOO yards on the heath, tire ground broke away into a little hol low, where a rough track led down to the limo kilns and tire thinly wooded stream that washed the valley below. We followed this track for ten minutes or so, and presently the masonry of the disused kilns peered out, white in the moonlight, from between the trees. There were three of these kilns standing close together beside tire path ; hut my com panion without hesitation pulled up almost beneath tire very arch of the first, peered about, examined tire ground narrowly, aiid then motioned to me. “Dig here.” “If we both know well enough what is un derneath, what is the use of digging?” “I doubt very much it wo do,” said he. “You had better dig.” I can feel tire chill creeping down ruy back as I write it; but at tire time, though I well knew tire grisly sight which 1 was to discover, I dug away, steadily enough. The man who had surprised my secret set himself down on a dark bank of ferns at about ten paces distance, aud began to whistle softly, though I could see his fingers fumbling with his coat tails as though they itched to be at the flute again. Tire moon’s rays shone fitfully upon the white face of tire kiln, and lit up my work. Tire lit tle stream rushed noisily below. And so, with this hateful man as solitary watcher, J bared to tire light of heaven the remains of tho comrade whom, almost five months before, I had murdered and burled there. How I had then cursed my luck because forced to hide his corpse away before 1 could return and search for the diamond 1 had failed to find upon his tody! But as I tossed the earth and lime aside, and discovered my handiwork, the moon's rays were suddenly caught and reflected from with in the pit and I fell forward with a short gasp of delight. For there, kindled by her broad glory into countless shafts and points of color—violet, green, yellow, and iimi<---t red Jay ti eiuis::ipg diamond amoirj tho bones of the man wi.o had committed m-ir-.i i to possess if, and had teen murdered for its ke. As I clutched the gio rlons g<>tn a bln'l: t-.h -dow fell betwe n tho moon and me. 110 -ked up. My companion van standing over me with the twinkle Slid in bls eye and the flute in his hand. “You were a fool not to punss that he had swallowed it. I hr>ua vuu are satUfled with tire bargain, As we are not, I trust, likely to meet again in this world, I will here bid you adieu, .though possibly that is scarcely the word to use. But there is one thing I wish to tell you. I owe you a debt tonight for having prevented me from committing a crime. You saw that I had tho spade and pickaxe ready in tho cot tage. Well. I confess 1 lusted for that gem, I was arguing out tire case with my flute when you came in." “It,” said I, “you wish to share ’’ “Another word," lie interrupted very grave ly. “and 1 shall be forced to think that you iu su.t me. As it is, lam grateful to you for.sup porting my flute's advice at an opportune mo ment. I will now leave you. Two hours ago 1 was in a fairway of becoming a criminal. ’ 1 owe it to you, and to my (lute, that 1 am still m.rely a lawyer. Farewell!” \\ ith that he turned on his heel and was gone with a swinging stride up the path and across tho moor. His figure stood out upon tho sky-line for a moment, and then vanished. But I could hear for some time the tootle tootle of his flute in the distance.and it struck me that its note was unusually sprightly and clear. Planting i:i tho Moon, Dakota Cor. Modern Miller, In tiio east thousands of people plant and row ‘‘in the moon” to insure rapid growth, but in I-akota it is dangerous to plant in tire prolific phase of the moon, so they are (iireffil to plant nt such a time that the moon will exert its influence in holding the crop buck. 1 have known several dis asters to result from neglect of this precaution. Ono day last January I got lost out in the country, and while I was toiling through the tall, now grass 1 , saw a man with nothing on but his suspenders tearing along like mad. Ho stopped just long enough to tell me w hat was up, and oil' lie went again for the lowa side of the Sioux river,which ho cleared in abound, and fell ou all fours into a snow drift four feet deep. He said lie and bls wile had looked up the moon business, and had planted their garden tho evening before, but iuipi end to g fl hold of last year's almanac, and missed it about four days. The result was that when he woke up that morning, the boots that he planted forty feet from the house had iro bed in his collar walls, and a squash vine had taken the door oil' its hinges, mid was just mopping the floor with all there was left of his hired man, whom it bad snatched out of bed in tiie attic. He didn't know where his wife was, but he saw some shreds of a nightgown and a several agate buttous In tho front yard as he- tied. lie said there were pea vines alter him, with pods on ’em large enough for phantom boats; and one could see by the way he was orcssed that if he was a liar at nil, he was not a regular Dakota thoroughbred sam ple. If I really thought I would over become an average Dakota liar, I would want to die. This ter ritory must be divided sometime before the day of judgment, for how could tho Almighty ever audit its accounts with only one set of clerical ungels at work at a time? About two wce'rs ego I svw ?. firmer cut behind a straw -stack gathering into a heap a lot of old bones and pieces of hides and sprinkling salt ou them. Yesterday I saw this fame man selling a tine pair of steers to a butcher uptown. They were so fat and bad filled up so fast that he had pieced out their hides with an old buiftilo robe. This granger was a Sun day school superintendent before In- dine to Da kota, but be swore, that these were the came cattle that Iliad seen him kicking together behind the straw-stack. He said all that they lad eaten was some wild grass'that 'had sprung up iq,bis doftt yard, where the women hud thrown out a few tubs of warm soap-Suds on washdays. He said that he had learned that the best way to winter stock in Dakota was to knock them all to pieces, in tho fail and set them up again as wanted, otherwise, unless we get a blizzard eve ry Week, they they are liable to get too fnt and round on th • native grass. hast fall I stopped at a house to borrow n motih to light my pipe. Tho man told me to go right In tho garden and pick nil I wanted. 1 did not know what lie meant at first, but he went out with me, and—l'm almost afraid you'll think mealtar for telling it—there was about half an acre grow lug tho finest parlor matches I ever saw. They were as thick os hairs on a blind mole. He said he had a poor crop the year before, because the teed was too good for such soil. Tids year ho laid mixed his seed mutches with about one-fourth toothpicks, and got a splendid yield. 1 went out after breakfast and saw the man blow ing up hubbard squasl.es with gunpowder. They were too large to be moved, and the farmer wanted tire ground. I noticed that one of Ids wife's legs was about ei. ht inches longer ti an the other, and the man explained it thus: He said when they first came to Dakota they lived in a “dug-out,’’ with nothing but the ground for a floor, from which they bad to mow the grass onoe a day to find the baby. He said his wife had a habit of sitting with one leg over the other kuee, and the leg that remained in contact with tho soil got such a siart that the other could never catch up. Ono day I was very thirsty. I asked a man if tho water in that ricigkb ,rbo >d was good. He said: “You see that mule standing over there.”’ I reply* ing in the affirmative, he said: “Why, three months ago tl at mule was a jack rabbit. I should say the water was good.’’ lie must also have taken a copious supply of tho alkali grass, which grows in this country in abundance. Deaths from Wild Animals. From the Times of India. I Miring the year 1 the number of persons killed by wild animals and venomous snakes in Hindustan was 24,841. This is an increase Os 1,934 over the figures for the previous year. The fatalities from snake bites rose from 20,142 to 22,134, wliile wild animals killed 2,707 persons, as compared with 2, <65 in 1885. Tiger;-; wore responsible for 928 deaths and wolves for 222, those figures showing ninety more deaths from tigers and twen ty-six fewer from wolves as compared with the pre. ceding year. Llephants, leopards, bears, hyenas, wild boars, bison?, wild bogs, jackals, alligators, crocodile", wild cats and panthers had also their quota of victims. The very large proportion of lire total deaths from injuries inflicted by wild animals and snakes take place In the lower pro , Inces of Bengal and in the northwestern provinces of Oude. For cxamile, during 1886, no fewer than 18,805 fatal cases of the aggregate of 24,811 for the whole of India occurred in these district", in Bengal during the year, 477 deaths were caused by jackals anil 198 by alligators. Tho total number of cuttle killed throughout India by wild animals and snakes during 1886 was 57,511, as compared with 59,029 in the previous year. With regard to tho destruction of wild animals, the figures are far from satisfactory. Comparing the year 1886 with 1885, tlio number of tigers killed fell ftotn 1,855 to 1,461, of leopards from 5,466 to 4,051, and of bears from 1,871 to 1,668. The decline was chiefly In Bengal and Madras, and tho reason has been generally attributed to the smallness of the rewards, whereby shikaris arc not encouraged to kill tho noxious animals. There was a fulling oil in the number of snakes killed from 426,0-14 to 417,596. Tire decline was chiefly in Bengal, and tho Cause assigned is again the small amount available for the payment of re wards. The total amount paid in India dhriiig 1886 In rewards for the destruction of wild animals mid poisonous snakes was 189,006 rupees, against 221,126 rupees the previous year. Os tho former amount mpci's were ta'dfor the distructlou of snakes. H.e rnnke-i killed In Bombay were more In nmnfier than all the other snakes destroyed over U.c whole ol Judin. SUNDAY SCRAPS. A Virginian politician leaves Mr. Blaine far behind in the race for “the tobftceo vote.” Mr, Jilaine called tobacco a neer - ty form n ordy; Col onel Jtobeit Beverley, in asp -ech at Richmond lad I week, declared himself‘co:, vlncsd that tobacco h anoienl'.y to man, and woman too.” ’/.'.0 Scotch, Fngllsh and New England cap- : italls's have mortgages on farms In tl.e vast end : s.uthwe-/. Ut ,m‘XX>,<rp, the Interest . ranging fr<>m Ito 3 per cent, per mon'h. Iftld- cs- ■ Un. de Is ever a.-pi oxlmutely correet.tbcu ca;kalhu i will toitomt) "blouto-d land uwue.i." I TIIB Bottomless Pit. BY WAI.LACB V. REKD. For The Atlanta Constitution. The disappearance of John Hinton was a nine days wonder in Irondale. John was the handsomest, brightest and most popular young fellow in the tow n, and if he luiil an enemy in the world nobody knew it. It was not likely that lio had run away. He was well off in this world’s goods, and was en gaged to be. married to Annie Maxwell, tho belle of the place. The young man had gone out for a walk late one afternoon, and his failure to return by the next morning had excited,considerable uneasi ness and alarm. There, were no lawless characters in Iron dale. No tramps had been seen in tho vicinity. It was hardly possible that Hinton had been waylaid and murdered. Tire town marshal was spoken to about tho matter. “Wait,” ho said in a faint whisper, after the case had been explained. “Do you suspect anything—have you a clew ?” asked old Colonel Maxwell, Annio’s father. “Hush!” said tho marshal, “it w ill not do for lire to say anything now. It would spoil everything.” This encouraged the missing man's friends a little, but left them hopelessly inilio dark. “Ho was last seen walking in tho direction of the Bottomless Pit,” remarked a young man, eagerly. Why not send out a searching party and scour tho country in tire neighborhood oj the Pit?” “Sou here,” said tho marshal, “you aro too frosh, you are. Wo’U got up tho searching party, but we'll not go to tho Pit. We'll take tire woods on the opposite side of town, and go over every square inch.” “But,” interrupted several in tho same breath, “if it is known that John was soon go ing towards tho Pit, what do you moan by making your searoii in the opposite direction?” The marshsl frowned. Thon ho winked one eye. “I understand these things belter than you do," lie replied. “There is nothing to seo at tho Pit. John never spent any time fooling about such a place. You may bo sure that he changed his course and wont to tho woods.” Tho villagers had their doubts, but they thought it best to be guided by tire marshal. So a largo party was organized, and a number a; men and boys spent tire day boating tire woods. Tire most active member of the party was Stephen Marks. Stephen was a stalwart young num Blanding six feet two in his boots. His height, his long black hair and dark face, and his stentorian voice all combined to mnko him a striking.figure in a crowd. He had plen ty of dash, too, qualities essen tial in a leader. iStephcn Marks had been Hinton’s most intimate friCml, and lie socined to have a brotherly affection for Annie Maxwell. Under tho:"circumstances it was natural that ho should bo foremost in tho search for his lost friend, If tire grief-:tricken Annie relied upon any one man to find and restore her lover it was tire strong anil during Stephen. Tire little woman admired John’s comrade, and had the most perfect trust in him. “Oh, Stephen, yon will find him!” she said imploringly, when tho young man called on her in tire morning to tell her Hint he was going out with the searching party. “If ho is alive 1 pledge myself to return with him,” said Stephen taking tho little hand in his, and loooking earnestly .into tire girl’s anxious eyes. “You loved him, and lio was devoted to yon,” said Annie. Stophen winced at this. Ho did not look like a man with a tender heart, but when ho was talking to his old friend’s sweetheart he could not hide his emotion. His face was palo and ho spoke nervously and witli a trembling voico. "God bless biml” said Annie when he left her. Tire party in the woods had a weary day of it. They searhed far and wide, but. found nothing. One of tho men in dispair suggested that somebody ought to go to the Pit. “Will you go with me?” lie asked Stephen. “No, it. is useless," Stephen answered. “Our marshal is right about tliis thing. There was nothing at tire Pit to attract John. I am satis fied that ire came this way.” “Then I’ll go alone,” said the other. “All right,” was tire surly response, “Go and waste your labor.” After that Stephen went on sulkily, saying nothing to anybody, until the close of tire day found them all worn out and ready to give up tiro search. ***** Two years elapsed, and still there was no clue to John Hinton's whereabouts. In Uro course of time ids fellow townsmen camo to tire conclusion that ho was dead, nut the man ner of his death remained a mystery. Even Annie Maxwell was forced to share tire opinion of others. Blie knew that if lier lover was alive Ire would have returned to her. Ono thing gave her great concern. Stephen Marks was beginning to rnako it plainly ap parent that his interest in her was something far more serious Hum mere friendship. Fora long tinio she was blind to the real state of affairs, but at lost sire could no longer mistake Stephen's intentions. Once Ire told her of his love, but i.lro togged him to understand Unit they could never Ire anything more than friends. After a while, Stephen grew moody and ir ritable. Ho held himself aloof from his neighbors, audit was rumored that lio was drinking hard. These reports gave great pain to Annie. Sho was -till tire young mini’s steadfast friend, and she hoped that ho bad a bright future be fore him. One afternoon Stophen called on Irer and urged her to take a waik, Sire consented reluctantly. Sho did not like to refuse, but tho expre .-ion of Iror visitor's face .'.bowed that Ire was not in an entertain ing mood. Their walk brought them finally to tire Bot tonucsi Pit. This remarkable freak of nature was not very picturcsquo, but tliero wns a ter rible fascination in looking down Into its black i and unfathomable depths. It was a circular hole at tbe foot of the rocky hills, rising just westward of Irondale, aud had doubtlesi been made by a landslide. Annie looked ut tho vawulntc mouth of tire PRICE FIVE CENTS. Pit with a shudder, but Stephen drew her to a seat on a moss grown rock, and before she could stop him broke out excitedly with a dec laration of his undying love, and concluded with the statement that lie could not live without her. “All this hurts me,” said Annie. “You know that my heart is buried with John, and lam only waiting for tire time when death will unite us.” A mad light glowed in Stephen's eyes. “I believe,” he said, “that you would rather bo dead and lying by his side than to live and bo with mo!” “You have said it,” sire replied, solemnly; "that is just the way I feel.” “Thon j'oii shall have your choice!” he ex claimed, as lie seized both her hands and pulled her from the rock. “Oli, mercy, Stephen! What do you mean ?” sho cried. “1 mean this!” shouted Stephen, his fea tures contorted with rage. "I mean that you shall leap with mo into tire Pit! You wish to bo witli your lover, and lam going to take you to him!” “Stephan Marks!” screamed tho girl. “How do you know that John is down in that fright ful place? My God! Did you murder him?” Stephen paused a moment, and then an swered her question. “Yon will call it murder,” ho said, “and so would others; but I tell you it was a fair fight. I followed him when ho walked out here. I told him that lio ought to give you up and leave the field to mo. 1 told him that I had known you before he camo to Irondale, and that I had always determined to win you. t charged him witli taking an unfair advantage of mo. Ho replied witli hot words, and al last struck me. Then we fought, and ho foil back ward into the Pit.” Annie was nearly ready to faint. “Murderer!” sire gasped. “And madman, you might have said,” sneered Stephen. “Well, I'll play the drama out. Como!” Ho drew the excited girl nearer to the edge of the chasm. “Help!” shrieked Annie, and then a sudden desperation gave her ten times her natural strength. Witli one frantic jerk sho pulled herself loose from tire madman’s grasp. Sho freed herself just in time to avoid tho fatal leap, and as sho reeled back against a tree slro saw Stephen stagger ing into tiro I’it, clutching wildly at empty space. The look of terror on his white fuco showed Hint ho realized his danger, and as ho went down into the black abyss, a cry of moro than mortal agony rang out upon tho quiet evening air. Tire horror stricken girl never knew how sho got home. She found hers. If with her father, sobbing as if her heart would break, and telling an incolrorent story of Irer adven ture. Tho whole effair Was almost too horrible for belief. Old Colonel Maxwell found that even In.' ili'm nerves were breaking down, and as tho doctors said that*ft woiihi khi ms uaiigute* to romuiu in Iroudalo, lie paolted up in a night and carried her off, nobody knew where, but some people said to Europe. They never re turned, but tire Irondale people to this day take strangers to tho Bottomless Pit and tell them tire tragic story of tho mad lover and his fearful work. —•- THE TitllJSU’Jf OF SUSANNA. The World's Only Female Mayor, and How She Kuns Hur Town. From tho New York Sun. All tho male world wondered, and all the female world hurrahed when Susanna Medora Suiter was elected lord mayor of Argonia, Kan. liver slnci- tire election tho lady mayor lias been the pride and delight of her sex, wherever tho glorious news was carried tliat. woman's rights lied finally prevailed over tin: prejudice of men. Susan It. Anthony and tho persistent sisterhood who have for a century or more made eom ; rosi:men and national committeemen fc 1 like Cnlfgulas, sounded th® timbrel In every known tongue, and Belva Lockwood furbished up her best gown tor a new nomimition in 18- L i. From Grcenlund's ley mountains to C .mi's yellow strand the h: nft of woman throbbed under the new hope Leldoutjotli® sex. Fvcu the voile 1 odalesques iii tlio hareins a« Byzantium smuggled notes to Sunset (2>x convey ing their rapture that tl.e star of woman's empire hud risen in tire wo;,I. Tire polliicliins begun to cast about and take account of the “pnll” tires® new forces would have in politics, and the prob lem ofcl.nre.-.o labor and Irish votes aeeme l solved. Medora's election wi s not tlic well-pondered reso lut’on of social reformers, implying manly repen tumei.nd r< generation. It wire the joke of a group of the lending "boys' 1 of tho town. “Jack Dasher,” who is known as the ‘ toughest” man In the town ship, named M.-corn, in a hilarious company of sports, after Hie other nominees had been put in nomination days before. Tire "boys" laughed, and took their coals off. Medort'k husband va> par alyzed and tried to stop the “nonsense,” but tho toys liked the notion better the more they thought of it, end Medora came in at the head of the 1011. Then the “toys” were v.-ry happy, and the world looked on in wonder. Argonia Settled down to a motherly administration of its civic affiurs, and th® Loys tool cd ftir.i ard to no end of fun. But Medora bad no notion of merely playing mayor. Sho took Irer place nt tire executive desk eveiy day with her sewing, and, regardless of her buck hair or the set of her bustle, gave Irer Immor tal mind to tire expedition of affairs. It took the boys but a short time to find out that Susauua Medora was no respecter of "pulls." Equal and exact Justice was meted out to all alike. Tire toye soon found that a gynecocracy wus infinitely loss Indulgent to their pleasant vices than tto government of men. One by one the pastim s of the town were restricted. No mor® “poker” of an evening. No diversions in the lurid "Jcg" shows that demoralize the towns laxly ad ministered by men. No '‘sampling” by tire city servants, no “bars" for love or license. Indeed, Susanna Medora has reached In the west tire illus trious rank of Mayor Hewitt In tire east. She hae not attained equal address with her pen, but she hoa vanquished tho men. Arqonla hasn’t known a street fracas or an ern ute since sho assumed Hie civic staff; Tho girls no longer flirt, end the young men no longer "mash." Tire town inovea on, socially and civically, with the de corum of a young tallies’ seminary. Jack Dasher found his occupation of "tough” gone.7 His saloon, in spile of bls instrumentality in nominating Husauua Medora, has been forced to close Us doors. He proposed to compromise or, “crab apple elder," but tire stern Susanna would not hove It. He begged that the boys might amusa themselves in a lolt on the outskirts in “joker for fun,” tot sho denied. Now tiro boys tire all exiles. Argonia knows its old time rackets aud racketeers no moro. They have all emigrated to Kansas City, which emii'ii" Chicago in energy, aud excels It in wlckcdn ■-s 'I here they are reciting their woes to the wicked reporters, un i prophesying salt and ashes to Arqoulu and Its pettieonted mayor. - • Tho young emperor of China will not to marr ed until next year, but meantime Is collecting I n sen’s for Ids brld'. among which are 200ounces of gold. 10,000 ounces of silver, one gold tea service, consisting of teapot and o:.c cup with a lid, one sil ver sen le, two sjlver wash basins, 1,000 pieces ot satin, twenty horses with complete flappings, twenty horses without trapping", and twenty wV dies for neck Uotses aud mules,

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, January 24, 1888, Image 1