Dade County weekly times. (Rising Fawn, Dade County, Ga.) 1884-1888, November 18, 1887, Image 1

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T, A. HAVRON, Publisher. THE SCAFFOLD. Spies, Parsons, Fiacher and Engel Pay the Penalty. They Go to the Scaffold With Stolid In difference and Meet Their Fate With out a Shudder - Every Thing Pascod Off Quietly. THE LAST DAT. Chicago. Nov . 12. -The day fixed for the execution of the Anarchists dawned bright and clear. The early morning air was rather sharp, but as the day advanced the sun shone out warm and pleasant. Soon after sunrise people could be seen hurrying along all the central thoroughfares of the city, intent upon securing places in tlic immediate vicinity of the county jail, where the execution was to take place! and by nine o’clock there had col lected quite a largo number, but not nearly as large as many had expected. The sun’s rays, lighted up the dingy-looking building comprising tho Criminal Court and county jail, covering the cost half of the square bounded by Clark. Illinois, Dearborn and Michigan streets, just below Igpjyp mkim* THE CONDEMNED MEN. the point where the ultra-fashionable sec tion Ytf the North Side begins. Lines of grim and determined-looking policemen, armed with rifles, and seemingly amply prepared for any emergency, stretched all about the square in which the jail is situ ated, and no one except representatives of tho press and various city officials were allowed to enter the interacted section. On top of the jail and on the tops of nu merous buildings in the immediate vicinity, were to be seen more armed policemen, ready, from their elevate I positions, to aid in suppressing any dis urbanee that might arise. Other policemen were pacing up and down Clark street, some distance from the jail, keeping a sharp look-out on the movements of those who were gathering on all the streets contiguous to the scene of the execution. At five o’clock in the morning everything was quiet at the jail. The sheriff was asleep in the jailer’s private office, and nearly one-half of his guard was enjoying a rest also. The streets were almost de serted, save by policemen and night watch men, and if there is to be any trouble there are now not the slightest indications of it. At 1:30 o’clock the death watch was changed. Parsons woke up shortly after two o’clock, or, rather, he was awakened by tho noise tne crowd in trie office made. He sat bolt upright, and turning to the watch at the door, exclaimed: “Why don’t you stop that noise outside! 1 can’t sleep if it is continued.” The watch called a man to relievo him, and going to the door leading to the office, closed it, and thus shut out the sounds tho Anarchist cqmplained about. Parsons laid down agaiu, and was soon sound asleep. COOK COUNTY JAIL—MiI IMG AN STREET EN TRANCE. The other three did not complain of the noise, for thev slept too soundly to be dis turbed by it. The in.in who silently watched over thorn and listened to their regular, heavy breathing, said they were sleeping as peacefully as if they were in their own homes. The other 200 prisoners, notwithstanding that they were all crowded together in the cells" of the south corridor, wero u nusually quiet. They made scarcely a sound. They seemed to realize the import of the work that was going on so quietly in the north corridor, and they behaved as if they wanted the last night of the doomed men to be a peaceful one. The scaffold was all ready for service at two o’clock. It was not only up and all in place, but the ropes that wero used to swing the four Anarchists into eternity had been thoroughly tested by means of 200- pound sand bags. The lour coffins —hideous emblems of deuth—arrived shortly after three o’clock and wero placed in tho basement of the jail and locked up. Thev were very plain, but were considerably better than the coffins that are usually furnished on such occasions. It is not probable, however, that any of the four men will be buried in them, if their bodies are turned over to their relatives and the Anarchists of the city are allowed to hold such a funeral as they have been planning for months back. No very plain coffins will do for them. They will have nothing but the best that can bo obtained lor money. There seems to be » grain of doubt as to whether the sheriff will turn the bodies over to relatives, even if the lat ter demands them. They belong to the State, and the State can do whatever its proper officers care to do. In tho light of recent developments and the chances for extensive rioting, if a funeral is held, it is not impossible that the sheriff will inter the bodies himself. If lie gives them to relatives or iriends it will only be so upon condition that there-will be no public dem onstration. KEAtI OF .FAIT* Mrs. Parsons, .with her two children and a Mrs. Holmes, put in an appearance at the Dearborn street entrance and demanded to see her husband. She was refused admit tance and declining to go away, the four were placed in a patrol wagon and taken to the Chicago avenue station. All this time none but representatives of the press had been admitted to the jail office. This arrangement was an admirable one for the newspaper men, who, at previ ous executions in this building, have been compelled to perform their duiies under great difficulties. It, was not relished, how ever, by tho outsiders, who stood and shiv ered in the cold air and stamped their feet to keep the blood in circulation. At ten o’clock two dispatches were taken to Parsons. Just as the dispatches had been taken in the sound of singing, in gut teral voice, broke upon the ears of those gathered in the office. In an instant all was as still as death. The voice was that of Fischer, and he was standing at his cell door, singing the Marseillaise with all tho strength of his powerful lungs. There was a smile upon his face, not one of cynicism, but a hearty, open faced smile, as that of a man who was entering heart and soul into the sentiment of the words he was singing. He sang two stanzas of Rongent de l’lsles, famous song of the French Revolution, and then subsided. None of his comrades joined in the chorus, although the faces of Parsons and Spies brightened up and they listened intently until the note 3 had died away. Schwab, who, many a time in days gone by, had joined in the chorus at the meetings of the International, was considerably ex ercised by the episode, and paced up and down his cell with energy. Fischer was talking with his death watch. Ho said last night he dreamed of Germany and his happy childhoood’s home. Just then a loud noise was heard. It was a deputy testing the scaffold with sand bags. Engel came to the door of his cell. He knew what the sound meant, and winked at his death watch. f|f|p Oj^-7 1 TIIE JAIL COURTYARD. Rev. Dr. Bolton (10:15) again visited the cells, but from none of the condemned did he receive a word of encouragement. “When I get to heaven I’ll put in a good word for Bill Stobie” (one of the guards), said Fischbr to his death watch. Stobie had been very kind to the condemned man. At 10:25 Fischer talked gaily with his guard. Spies lighted another cigar and aiso talked to his keeper. He exhibited signs of nervousness. He received a letter and Parsons a telegram. Engel walked up and down his cell. He was offered some stimulant, but refused it. At 10:40 a. ni. all of the condemned men were composed, except Parsons, who was slightly nervous, but otherwise all right. At 10:50 County Physician Moyer took his leave of the men to whose health he has been daily ministering for the past, seventeen months. All of them shook him by the hand, but not one of them displayed the slightest emotion. From 10:50 to 11:00 Spies occupied himself in reading a paper. The others paced up and down thoir cells, stopping at every turn to look out through the bars like caged criminals. The narrow corridors, upon which the cells of the quartette look out, was filled with the deputies who were to conduct them to the scaffold. At 11:21 a. m. all the men took a lunch and stimulants except Parsons, and then called for coffee. The sheriff then read the death warrant to each of the condemned men, and placed on them white shrouds. The procession was formed and the men walked unas sisted, with firm steps, to the scaffold, which they reached at 11 tnT. Sheriff Matson lead tfce procession, and the prisoners, accompanied bv deputies, followed. When tho procession reached the scaffold the four men were placed upon the trap. All were ghastly pale. Spies’ hair seemed to literally stand up on end. Engel’s shoulders seemed nearly to touch the top of his head. Parsons set his teeth firmly together and looked down calmly upon the crowd beMath. His face was the face of a man of iron. A murmur of admiration for his unflinch Ing nerve went through the crowd. Engel turned round and said something inaudible to the deputy. It was evidently of a jocu lar character, for the condemned man laughed heartily. Eiseher looked at him a moment and then he, too, put in a remark. Spies and Parsons, at either end of the scaffold, maintained a stolid and dignified demeanor, but there was a look of uuutter able woe upon the face of the ox-editor, which pierced tho hearts of those sur rounding the scaffold. * The shrouds had already been adjusted before the men left their ceils. Nothing TRENTON, DADE COUNTY, GA., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 1887. remained but to encircle each neck with the noose, and to cover each head with the cap. Jailor I’oiz approached Spies. A quick movement—so quick that it could hardly be noticed—and the rope was around his neck and drawn taunt. There was not a movement of a muscle. The same stolid look, the same woc-begone look from the eyes. Foiz moved a step, and in a moment tho throat of Fischer was encircled by the noose. He moved his head up and down, as if it hurt him. Engel did not move while the operation was being performed. Parsons riveted his gazo on the ground and his features were r.on trae'ed. All four were evidently deter mined to die game. A deputy approached Spies wi'h the rap in his hand The condemned man said something in an undertone; lie was evi dently lemons rating. The deputy wavered for a moment. Spies then spoke still more earnestly. The deputy looked at the sher iff; the latter closed his eyes. It was enough. The cap was quickly drawn over the face of the Anarchist leader. It had been seen for the last time in life. The head of Engel was next covered; then Fischer—Parsons last. Fischer’s head moved up and down in the direction of the sheriff, who, with his hands upon the iron railing of the gallery, was ready to give the signal. It was as though Ihe Anarchist, as well as he could in his muslin-covered head, was beckoning the sheriff to approach him. That official, how ever did not respond. ANARCHISTS’ CELLS AN D VISITORS’ CAGE. There was a moment of death-like still ness. Then clear and distinct came the voice of Spies. His form straightened up; the muslin seemed to move in harmony with his lips. “Our silence is more power ful than speech,” that was all, but there was a ring to it that echoed far away down the corridor. Silence then came again for a second. Then, in a round, full voice, a shout: “Hurrah for Anarchy,” came from Engel. Another pause, broken, this time, by the voice of Fischer, “This is the happiest moment of my life,” he says. Then the clear, well modulated voice of Parsons breaks the op pressive stillness. There is not that enthu siastic ring in it which marked the utter ances of the others. It is not the voice of a judge delivering a decision. A scarcely definable pause between each word—“ Shall I be allowed to speak, O meu and women of dear America?” The sheriff shifted his position a little; he was several feet away from the speaker, but tho speaker must have seen the movement through the folds of the cap. There was a rising inflection in his voice, not so mucli of pleading as of de mand. “Let me speak, Sheriff Matson,” is what he said. “Le; the voice of the peo ple be heard ” down went the drop. The last words of Parsons died upon his lips. Four bodies swung in empty air, and the Havmarkot massacre was avenged. The drop fell at 11:55:96. From the first step of Spies upon tho scaffold until the cutting of the rope, precisely six minutes and three seconds had elapsed. For a mo ment after the drop had fallen not a soul stirred. A low murmur, like a pent-up sigh of relief, went through the corridor. Then, as if moved by one common impulse, every man rose to his feet, and every eye was riveted upon the body of Spies. The arch- Anarchist was dying hard. His legs and arms moved convulsively and with extra ordinary rapidity—it was as though he was alive and conscious and struggling to free himself from the cords that bound him. His whole frame was agitated by a tremor. Low groans of horror came front many lips, and the expression “He’s dying hard,” was heard on all sides. If < '/fQy I. ifr^ v *s£w" jjr A j, Ip WHERE THE EXECUTION TOOK PLACR. This continued for over a minute, and then the sti uggles grew fainter and fainter, until they finally ceased. The bodies of Engel and Fischer wero motionless for a moment after the drop, save for the swing ing to and fro. Then Fischer’s legs drew up and down, and there was a convulsive movement in his arms. Engel's struggles were brief. Parsons atone died as though his heart had been pierced by a bullet. He came down like a log. There was not a twitch, not a single contraction of the muscles. His neck hud boeu broken install ly. All three of the others evidently slowly strangled to death. The bodies were lowered at 12:2">, after having been hanging thirty minutes. The coffins—plain ones, painted a dark brown, with silver-plated handles, were placed under the bodies, acrjss short wooden horses. Spies’ body was the first to bo low ered into the coffin. Tho white cap cover ing his head w'gs drawn up some little dis- tance, exposing his neck with the rope tightened around the skin. It was with great difficulty that the noose was loosor.od by a deputy. After much tugging, the knot was slipped and the white cap was taken off. Spies’ face was covered with a greasy perspiration, and his mouth was open show ing teeth somewhat discolored. There was no discoloration of the face, and the noose left no mark on the neck. Dr. Lewis placed his linger under Lhe right side of the neck and pressed in. “Spies died from strangulation,” ho said. “The neck is not broken.” Instantly tho cap was replaced and the cover ol tne coffin was screwed down. As soon as lhe coffin lid had been ad justed Fischer’s body was lowered and pre pared for encasement. His long neck allowed a blue-black line of discoloration, with a slight coagulation under the left ear. Engel’s body was warm, although his hands showed great discoloration. The strain on his handcuffs had been so severe as to imbed the irons iu the flesh. The somewhat frail form of Albert Parsons was easily handled. Over a spotless yndershin lie wore a new suit of dark blue flannel. It is given out that. *SOO has been offered for the clothes which Parsons wore at the hanging. After the bodies of Engel and Lingg had been embalmed they were placed in plain, unpretentious coffins and taken to the resi dence and store of Mrs, Engel. Hundreds of friends of the dead men filed into and out of the little shop and took a last look at the faces. At one end of the store Mrs. Engle sat with eyes red with weeping, and her face shrouded in a black veil. Eda Mueller, too, sat Deside tho casket which held all that remained on earth of her lover. Her face was pale as death, and she sobbed convulsively as the symprlhizing /riends filed in and out. Further up Milwaukee avenue, at No. 536, is another undertaker's shop, where the bodies of Spies, Parsons and Fischer were cared for. Mrs. Parsons was the most noticeable person there. She sat with her back to tho window, through which a hun dred eager, curious eyes peered. A woman clothed in black, with face covered with a heavy veil, held Mrs. Parson’s hand. This was Mrs. Van Zandt, mother of Spies’ proxy wife, and she was as deeply affected as the Anarchists’wives. A small bowed figure sat alono in a corner on a low stool. It was Mrs. Spies, August’s mother. Her head was buried in. her hands, and they were- almost in her lap. She rocked to and fro in agony of grief, strangely at variance with the action ol of Mrs. Parsons, who sat bolt upright and toward where the body of her husband lay. Her eyes were fixed in a stony stare, they were large and lustrous, but seemed te have lost llio power of weeping. She sat with one hand clasped in that of the woman next her, her lips moving as though mut termg some resolves, the thin, peaked, dark features peering from behind the mass of crepe, and looking as though there was something in the future to anticipate. Prof. Sullivan, of Bostfln, cmbalmer, ac companied by Dr. J. J. Morrison, Charles Hager and C. H. Saunters, embalmers of this city, went to tho undertaking estab lishment at No. 495 MUvvaukee avenue yes terday afternoon mejFopare for burial tho bodies of Spies, JJrecher The body of Spies was embalmed first and turned over to his mother, who took it to her home late in the evening. Tho em balmers next went to work on the bodies of Persons and Fischer and may not finish their work until this morning. ‘fudging from the appearance of the bodies^,” said Prof. Sullivan to a reporter, “the hanging of these men was a thor oughly ?Sj£iitifie piece of work. I did not witness and my judgment up<Mi tho skill with which it was managed is tmsed upon my observation of the ap pearance of the bodies which I am now wonting upon. Yes, Engel was the only one of the four whoso neck was briken. The other three choked to death.” Five hundred dollars was presented yes terday to tne widows and orphans of the men killed at the Haymarket, as follows: To the widow of Officer Nels Hansen and her four children-#l5O, $125 to the widow of Officer Flavin, s2sto Mrs. Redden, SSO t,o Mrs. Barrett and $59 to tile son of Matthias J. Degan. The money was the girt of a prominent business man, who put it in In spector Bonfield’s bands at the time well known citizens began to sign the petitions for clemency. He refused to allow the use of his name. The money was distributed iu proportion to the size of the family and was handed out in the inspector’s office yesterday afternoon. The ArbHter Zeihtng was not issued yes terday, the employes having decided that they could best testify to their respect for the memories of “their best comrades of the past” by closing the office. The build ing was draped a little, a streamer of black and white having been strung from tho top windows. Mrs. Parsons was released from custody in the afternoon and she immediately called a cai> and was hurried to her home on Mil waukee avenue. Once there she secluded herself in her room and refused to be seen. A report was circulated that Nina Van Zandt had committed suicide. The report was generally believed, but at the Van Zandt residence the servant stated that Nina was a'ive and well and bad been out driving with her mothor during the after noon. Just before tho march to the gallows Fischer lifted his face to tho cells of Field en and Schwab, in the gallery above, and shouted: ‘Bruder Schwab, Wir wuenschen ihnen ein glueoklishes leben, und dass sic bald heraus kommen.” I Brother Sehvvaib, We wish you a lmppy life and that you may soon be free.) Then ho addod: “Good by, Sam.” ‘-Good by, Sam,” echoed Spies and Engel. Parsons said nothing. “O, my God, my God!” exclaimed Field en as his comrades disappeared from sight forever. Then he threw himself into a cor ner of his cell, dropping to bis knees hiding his face in his hands. His powerful frame shook under the terrible strain of the mo ment with convulsive sobs. He was writh ing in agony. Schwab stood at the door of his cell, his hands folded behind, his brow overhung by matted hair pressed against the iron bars. Tears streamed down his cheeks and ran into his black and unkempt beard. He Avas so overcome by emotion that he could not speak. Not one of-the spectators was un moved. % William Roger, a German printer, and Herman Miller, a German carpenter, were arrested for seditious talk. They were looked up at the Chicago aveuue »{atic«a as disorderly persons. LAND PURCHASES, Borne of the Most Gratifvlus Products of Democratic Policy. The United States originally com prised the old thirteen colonies east of the Alleghenies which fought the revo lutionary, war and afterwards became the thirteen original States. When tho treaty of peace was made at Paris in 17.83 it was an interesting question what should be the Western, or rather the Northwestern boundary, the British commissioners proposing to draw a line from Lake Erie to a point somewhere on the Upptft- Ohio river. This would have reserved to the mother country all the magnificent Northwest Terri tory. as it was called, which the old colony of Virginia had partially con quered from the Indians and then claimed as part of its domain. The American commissioners insis ed on the surrender of it to the United States, and two of them, Franklin and Jay, declared if it was not conceded they would return home and leave matters where they stood at the battle of Yorktown. The British commis sioners yielded at last; they eouhl not foresee the future value and impor tance of a wilderness occupied at the time by hostile Indians, and, in sur rendering their claim to it, they had little conception of what they were doing. The country, as de fined by this treaty, comprised all the domain south of the St Lawrence river and lakes on the north and east of tho Mississippi, with the exception of that part of the present State of Louisiana east of the river, and the Territory of Florida—an area of 827.500 square miles. This was the be ginning. The domain was a mag nificent one and the statesmen of that day thought—if they ever took the trouble to think about the matter at all—that it was enough for all time. But they could not grasp the tremen dous future that was about to press upon them. Twenty years later, and while some of the American commis sioners who had. negotiated the treaty of Paris were still living, President Jefferson, by a stroke of statesmanship which, in the language of James G. Blaine, deserves to be commemorated by a statue to the Father of Democracy in St. Louis, bought the Louisiana territory from France, paying $15,000,- 000 for it. Iu telling the Louisiana territory Napoleon had a better idea of what he was doing than the British commissioners had when they gave up the Northwest territory in 1783, hut even Napoleon only dimly discerned what the wilderness he was parting witji would grow' into. It included the vast domain lying w r est of the Missis sippi and north of Texas, Mexico and California, and extending to British America, now embracing the States of Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Louis iana, Kansas, Nebraska, lowa, Minne sota and Oregon, the Indian Nation, and the Territories of Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Washington —the whole having an area of 1,173,- 000 square miles—nearly a third greater titan the original domain of the country. The next acquisition of territory was that of Florida, bought from Spain at a cost of $5,000,000 by the Monroe Administration, in 1321. By this pur chase we gained 70,000 square miles of new territory, and secured a contin uous line of seacoast from Maine to the Sabine river. Texas was annexed in 1815, under the Polk Administration, giving us an additional 270,000 square miles. Out of this annexation grew the Mexican War, under the same Administration, in 1847, which ended in the conquest of Lite territory now embraced in part of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and small parts ;>f Wyoming, and hating an area square miles. Under the Administration of Mr. Pierce, in 1853, we negotiated the “Gadsden purchase,” as it was called, by which we acquired an additional 45.500 square miles, now included in Arizona. The next and last acquisition was that of Alaska, under tho Andrew Johnson Administration, in 1868. This added a territory, of 575,000 square miles area to the country, ami extended its northern limit up within the Arctic circle. Wo paid for it $7,500,000. An examination of tiie map will show that Alaska is the only part of the public domain separated from the hotly of the country. A part of British America lies between the. two. This awkward arrangement grows out of the Oregon boundary treaty of 1810. The British and our selves both claimed the whole of Ore gon Territory; we up to latitude 54.40, and the dispute waxed so warm and war like that "Fifty-four Forty or Fight,” actually became an alliterative war cry; but a treaty was finally made at Washington, by which the British backed up and we back d down to the forty-ninth parallel, which has ever since constituted the boundary. It will be observed that this succes sion of Requisitions by which, in the brief period of sixty-live years, the or iginal domain of the country was ex panded fvpm 827.500t0 3,600,000 square VOL. IV.—NO. 39. miles, or more than quadrupled, was the work almost exclusively of D >mo cratic administrations. Indeed, if we call Janies Monroe and Andrew John son Democrats —and they can notprojv erly be called any thing oise—then every foot of territory added to the original domain is the product of the Democratic policy which Mr. Jefferson inaugurated in the Louisiana purchase in 1803. —St. Louis Republican. DEMOCRATIC REFORM. Dishonest Republican Postmasters -Made to I)l«i«rje Tlielr Spoils. Very little lias been said about the good work done by the Democratic Administration in turning tho out of post-offices- they held all over the country, hut nevertheless it has re sulted in a very considerable retrench ment of expenses. There w r as wide spread stealing by Republican post masters, but it would never have been heard of if the people had not decided to open the books Find have Dem ocratic officials to examine. That is why a great many fourth class post-ofliees which used to pay the postmaster from SSO to SIOO a quarter do not pay the present in cumbent more than one-tenth of that revenue, lhe reason is that the new Democratic postmasters charge just wdiat their business entitles them to, whereas their Republican predecessors charged just as much as they thought they could gel from the profligate Re publican Administration. Fourth-class postmasters are paid according to the number of stamps they cancel, or, in other words, according to the amount of mail originating at, that office to be forwarded to the rest of the world. “The department,” says Chief Clerk Rov, “lias very frequently to send out an inspector to see what is the reason for the serious falling off iu postal busi ness, as indicated by reduced salaries earned by the new postmasters. A postmaster now r at the end of the quarter claims only $5 or $6 as the amount due him on the business of his office for the three months. The books show that his predecessor was in the habit of making S7O or SBO every quarter. The inspector investigates and finds that there has been no apparent falling off in business. The office is not boy cotted; fully as many people patronize it as formerly, and they send as much mail matter as they had been accus tomed to send. The explanation is that while the Republican postmaster had only done $5 or $6 worth of busi ness he represented that he had done ten times as much and claimed accord ingly. The department has practically had to take the word of the post master; at least, it has generally done so. The marked difference between the large charges made by the post masters of the old regime and the small charges made by their Demo cratic successors, who did not know how to steal, suggested to the Demo cratic Administration that there ap peared to be something wrong, and that an investigation was needed. The investigation lias proved that the Re publican postmasters have been charg ing away out of all proportion to the business done. The charge has been brought home to a large number of them, and so thoroughly that gener ally the delinquent returned to the Government what he had wrongfully drawn in years past, and whenever tho delinquent official has failed to settle the bondsman has generally come to the front with alacrity. In this way the present Administration has already recovered about half a million dollars from Republican fourth-class post masters who had been in the habit of drawing for a bigger lasiness than they really transacted.”— Washington Post. NOTES OF THE DAY. day: What has become of John Sher man. — N. Y. Post. The Democratic party guaran tees free and fair elections, and an honest count, so long as it shall ad minister the Government. — Richmond Whin. • The return of one hundred mil lion acres of land to the people is cer tainly ground enough for continuing Democratic administration, — Louis ville Courier-Journal. To the Hon. J-m-s G. B-a-ne, I’aris—Cleveland's tour ended. We watched him close, but he failed to put his foot in it once. Sorry 1 can't send you more cheerful news. Burn this dispatch. St-p-cn B. E-k-ns. St. Louis Republican. The fact is there* never yet was a politician in the wake of Mr. Biaim w ho would not rather distort the truth than acknowledge any lark of popular strength in the mendacious statesman, hike leader, like followers. Chicago News. There are more Union veterans in the'employ of the Government at \Ya hington under this Democratic Administration than there ever were under any Republican Administration. Of course Republican papers can t span* space to give their readeti items like thia.v-'Boston Globe,,