Newspaper Page Text
OLO SERIES —VOL. LXXX
NEW SERIES VOL. XXXVII
(Ttyrom'clr anb Sfnfiml.
TERMS.
TIIE DAILY CHRONICLE^SENTINEL, the
oldest newHf.ipcr in tlie South, if) published
daily, except Monday. Terms : Per year.
410: six months, 45; three months, *2 50.
THE TUI-WEEKLY CHRONICLE A SENTI
NEL is published every Tuesday. Thursday
and Saturday. Terms: One year, 45 ; six
months. 42 50.
THE WEEKLY CHRONICLE A SENTINEL is
published every Wednesday. Terms: One
year. 42 ; six months, 4L
SUBSCRIPTIONS in all cases in advance, and
no paper continued after the expiration of
the time paid for.
RATES OF ADVERTISING IN DAILY.—One
sijnare one insertion, seventy-five cents ;
and each subsequent publication for one
week, fifty cents. Advertisements in the
Tri-Weekly, two-thirds of the rates in the
Daily : anil in the Weekly, one-half the
Daily rates. Marriage and Funeral Notices
41 each. Kpecial Notices, 41 per square
for the first publication. Kpecial rates will
he made for advertisements running for a
month or longer.
REMITTANCES should be made by Post Office
Money Order or Express. If this cannot be
done, protection against losses by mail may
he secured by forwarding a draft payable
to the Proprietors of the Chbonici.e asd
Hkxtinki.. or try sending the money in a
registered letter.
Address WALSH A WRIGHT,
Chboxjcj-e A Kknti.skl, Augusta. Ga.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 1873.
THE “CONSTITUTIONALIST” ANI)
THE "CHRONICLE AND SENTI
NEL.”
From a notice published in the Con-
Klilutionalixt yesterday morning by the
proprietors—Messrs. Stockton A Co.—
itnd republished in this paper, it will lie
seen that the C<mxliltilionalist has sus
pended publication—that its last issue
lias been given to the public. A paper
which for a quarter of a century was a
recognized organ of Georgia and of the
South which at one time wielded great
power and influence—has ceased to ex
ist. Like the M< IWU/7/ and the Courier,
of Charleston; the Iribune, of Mobile;
the .Mail, of Montgomery; the Journal
and M>Hnenf/r r, of Macon; the Intelli
gencer, of Atlanta, and many other
Southern journals, it has been obliged to
succumb to causes which its proprietors
were powerless to control. While it was
necessarily our rival and our competi
tor, still the rivalry was honorable and j
the competition open and manly, and we
can sympathise with its friends who
mourn its decease. It battled well for
the right; it struck many brave blows
for the South and her people, and none
arc readier than ourselves to accord full
recognition of its zealous service and
successful labor.
So much for the dead; now for the
living. The suspension of the Constitu
tiona/ixl leaves theCfIRONiCLK andSrnti-
NK.r. the sole occtmant of the field of jour
nalism in Augusta. How will this condi
tion of affairs affect the city and its citi
zens V We can safely answer that it will in
many ways prove a benefit. Let us
premise by saying that Augusta has
just felt the effects of a change which is
making itself manifest all over the
South. The tendency of Southern jour
nalism is towards consolidation. The
weak are falling or else are being swal
lowed up by the strong. And the result
lias been mutually beneficial to both
press and people. We have fewer papers
and better papers. The quality lias in
creased in inverse ratio to the quantity.
Instead of small sheets run exclusively
in the interest of politics and politi
cians, the Southern press is making bold
and rapid strides towards a wider field,
to a more elevated position. In point
of fact, most Southern cities are not
able to support but one gpod paper,
and when two or three occupy the
ground the struggle is too sharp and se
vere to justify the expense of a first
class daily, and journalism has grievous
ly suffered by being over-crowded. But
by thinning them out, the publishers,
the subscribers and the advertisers are
all benefitted. The increased revenue
justifies the publication of more and
better matter, and the patrons of the
paper get a superior article for less
money. Instead of a merchant or citi
zen paying twenty dollars per annum for
two dailies, as most of them did, they
will pay half the money for a better
paper than both of the old jour- (
mils combined. The advertiser, in
stead of placing his notices in
two papers at double rates, obtains j
for them a wider circulation and for
himself double the benefits which he
would otherwise have received for about
half the expense. There will be no
danger of anything like an oppressive
monopoly. It will be to our interest to
prevent competition by publishing a
better paper without increasing the cost,
and not by the adoption of any other or
harsher policy. While we regret that
cur neighbor was forced to retire, still
we hope to conduct our own journal in
such a way that the public will sustain no
damage, but be actually benefitted by
the change.
There are people who think that news
papers coin money. This is a grievous
mistake. Few papers in the South have
miule money siuee the war. The ex
pense of conducting a newspaper now in
our Southern cities is one hundred
per cent, more than before the
war. The average outlay then was
about four hundred dollars. Now it
runs up to eight hundred and a thous
and dollars per week for anything like a
good paper. With increasing expenses
and a more limited field of subscription
and advertising, there are but few cities
in the South which can afford to sustain
more than one paper of even average re
spectability. Mobile, with a population of
fifty thousand, and Charleston, with a
population of forty-eight thousand, have;
but one paper each—the Jteffister in the
former, and the Xetrs and Courier in
the latter. Competition is said to be
the life of trade, but in the newspaper
business iu small cities it is extremely
hazardous, and ultimately leads to seri
ous inconvenience and embarrassment.
In assuming control of the Chronicle
and Sentinel we made no flourish of
trumpets defining our position and
promising wonderful changes, preferring
to allow the paper to speak for itself,
knowing, as we did, that an intelligent
community would be quick to perceive
and appreciate whatever improvements
might be made, and we have the best
reasons for thinking that our efforts t$
please have been fully recognized and
appreciated.
Just as we conclude this article we j
learn of two other suspensions of able '
and influential journals, proceeding, we
believe, from the same cause—viz: over- i
crowding. The Union, of Columbia,
lias been consolidated with the Herald,
and the Jit publican, of Savannah, will
iu a few days, we hear, be merged with
the Advertiser. A few may suffer by
this change in journalism, but the public
will be a great gainer by the policy of
consolidation. Fewer and better news
papers are what we need.
- [From the Constitutionalist of yesterday.]
SUSPENSION.
By reference to an advertisement in
another column, it will be seen the eo
partnorshp heretofore existing between
John L. Stockton and F. M. White has
been dissolved by mutural consent, and
that it, therefore, becomes necessary to
saapeud the publication of theCbnstitu
tionaliel.
THE CRIME AGAINST LOUISIANA.
The President’s friends are endeavor
ing, as best they may, to defend his
course in the affairs of Louisiana. The
chief pretext is that his proclamation
threatening martial law was made neces
j sary by tlie violence and lawlessness
which prevailed in the State, and was is
j sued in the interests of peace and good or
! dor. If this be true, how is it that the
j proclamation was not made when there
was danger of a collision between bodies j
j of armed and hostile partisans? Why was
I General Grant dumb when General Al
; cibiades Deßlanc and his men held pos
' session of the parish of St. Martins and ,
successfully resisted the attacks of the
Metropolitans ? And why does he now
speak so loudly after the patriot leader
ha* surrendered to the Federal authori
ties ? When civil war seemed immi
nent, when it had really commenced,
and bloody conflicts had occurred, as at
Colfax, the President remained silent,
why did he find tongue only after the
danger was over? Kellogg asked for
aid many weeks ago; why this delay in
supporting his creature ? These aie
questions which naturully suggest them
selves upon a consideration of the Presi
dent's policy in Louisiana affairs. Will
they be satisfactorily answered by his
friends and apologists?
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
It was a sad story which appeared in
our columns yesterday morning from
the rescued members of the ill-fated
Arctic expedition. Such a sickening
recital of envy and malice, exhibited on
such an occasion, has rarely been given
to the world. One would naturally
suppose that in a party of men who had
isolated themselves from the world for
the accomplishment of a great purpose,
who were hemmed in by dangers on
every side as with a wall, the bad pas
sions of their nature would have slum
bered until the peril passed. But in
stead, according to the account of the
rescued survivors, the crew -was divided
into factions, petty hates and jealousies
arose which grew until bad feeling
culminated in the death of Captain
Hall, not without suspicion of foul play,
and the abandonment of a portion of
the party upon an ice floe. The story
would he incredible were it not so
strongly substantiated. Bat as it is
given there is little reason to doubt its
correctness, and we have another and a
crowning evidence of the depravity of
human nature which can not be re
pressed even beyond the confines of the
habitable world, in the face of a horri
ble death and in the midst of perils
innumerable.
DECORATING THE UNION GRAVES.
In keeping with their cruel and cow
ardly conduct of two years ago, the
Washington Post of the Grand Army of
the Republic gave notice a few days ago
that they would not tolerate, on Decora
tion Day—the 30th of May-—any floral
tribute to the Confederate Dead interred
at Arlington. But it appears that an
outrage which was tolerated then will
not be permitted now. The just and
almost universal indignation which its
perpetration excited has admonished
the friends of the President and of his
Administration tint it will not be pru
dent or safe to connive at such an act for
a second time. Accordingly the Wash
ington Chronicle —the organ of General
Grant in the National Capital—in com
menting upon tlie resolutions adopted
by the Grand Army of the Republic,
makes the gwtsi-official statement that
the Arlington Cemetery is not under the
control of the G. A. R., but of the
United States Government, and that the
former has no power to prescribe rules
for the conduct of visitors, or to prevent
the decoration of any graves, whether of
Union or Confederate soldiers. Only
disorderly persons, the Chronicle says,
will be excluded from the grounds. The
blockhead bummers of the G. A. R. will
be considerably disconcerted by this
sharp reproof from the man whom they
thought they were serving best by their
malignity and intolerance.
STATISTICS OF CRIME.
Some impoitant statistics of crime
were read the other day before the
Social Science Convention, at Boston.
It was shown that, in England, nearly
forty-nine per cent, of the offenses com
mitted by males were attacks on proper
ty and person, while a little over fifty
one per cent, were crimes growing out of
sensuality, including under the latter
term drunkenness and licentiousness.
Those of female criminals appertain very
largely to the latter class. Over seven
ty-seven per cent, of the women brought
before the Courts are as much their own
enemies as those of the public; only
twenty-two per cent, being savage or
dishonest. The proportions in this coun
try vary a little from the above. In
Massachusetts forty-six crimes of vio
lence and injury are perpetrated by
males to fifty-three of sensuality. In
New York the perpetration of crimes
against person and property are still
smaller. In England and this country
women are more inclined than men to
repeat their offenses. The average of
female committals is nearly twice that of
male. Thus, while one hundred males
went to prison one hundred and eightv
two times, the same number of women
were committed three hundred and
forty-six times. This shows that while
the offenses of women are generally less
heinous than those of meu, their refor
mation is more hopeless. How much of
this result is attributable to mental and
moral constitution, and how much to the
different treatment of fallen men and
women by society, we shall not attempt
to determine.
FRANCE AND lt£R PRESIDENT.
The King is dead; long live the King.
M. Thiers has resigned, and General
McMahon has surrendered the baton of
a Marshal of France to accept the Presi
dency of the young Republic. The hero
of Algiers and of Magenta—the French
scion of an Irish stock—has had the
destinies of a groat nation entrusted to
his keeping, and upon the zeal and the
fidelity with which he discharges his
trust depends the peace of Europe—
perhaps the peace of the world. France,
in deposing Thiers and elevating Mc-
Mahon, has made almost as violent a
change as when she substituted the Re
public for the Empire. A people prone
to extremes, nowhere has the national
taste for novelty been more conspicu
; ously displayed, more strikingly exeni
i plified, than in this revolution of the
i twenty-fourth of May. For the States
' man we have the Soldier; for the littera-
teur the writer of official dispatches; for
the historian one who helped to make :
history; for the man of words the man
of the sword. Will the fortunes of i
Franee change with her ruler—will her ,
people be benefitted by the bloodless
triumph of the Conservatives ? For our
own part and from onr own stand-point,
we believe that both country and peo
ple will have no reason to regret the
change of administrations. M. Thiers
did not give a firm and stable govern
ment. Great man, as he undoubtedly
is, he was not a great ruler. His gov
ernment was a despotism without being
strong, was a Republic without being
free. From its very nature it could not
be expected to stand loug against the
assaults of hostile parties—it was esseu-
tiallv weak. It is safe to predict of his
successor that his errors, if he commits
any, will be in an opposite direction.
Whatever else he may do, he will cer
tainly give to France a strong govern
ment and rule with a firm hand. Is not
this what is needed ? If he is incor
ruptible, sagacious and bold ; if he up
holds the national honor and makes
France feared and respected ; if he adds
to her material wealth and prosperity as !
, well as to her glory, is he not the man of j
I all others to guide her fortunes and con- I
trol her destinies ? Suppose his Presi- j
dency does lead to the Directory, the '
Consulate, the Empire, what then ? j
France has always been great under her
Emperors, why should she be afraid of
tl;e Empire ?
BECOMING ALARMED.
Forney's Chronicle, the Washington
organ of the President, is disgusted
with the recent Congressional Conven
tion, at St. Louis, which it styles the
“quasi rump Congress of the West.” It
sees in it treason to tlie Republican
party and proceeds to dilate upon it
after this fashion :
The session in the West of a qnarter
I or a third the members of Congress
elect, besides being in spirit if not in
letter a quasi rump affair, is unequalled
in the past history of this nation, and is
believed to be without precedent in tho
history of tlie legislative bodies of other
nations. The effect can hardly be other
wise than pernicious and mischievous,
because the local prejudices and pas
sions excited by it will naturally grow
into a rebellious and insurrectionary
feeling if the objects sought are not en
dorsed and adopted by the whole body
assembled in regular 'session at Wash
ington. It is the business of the latter
body, or of the whole Congress, to con
sider and to act determinedly upon all
questions affecting every part of the
country, under .their solemn obligation
of fealty to the Constitution and of re
gard for the public good. Whatever
popular conventions of citizens of a
given locality, or State Legislature, may
indicate as proper objects of Congres
sional policy, is one thing, but for Con
gressmen of such localities to get to
gether to act separately and distinctly
from the entire body is another and en
tirely different thing. In so doing they
transcend their proper duties, and go
further in mischievous steps that may
lead to disunion than did the Hartford
Convention or the Southern Convention,
that finally resulted in that civil war, the
evils and mischief of which are not con
fired to the facts of costs and carnage,
devastation and inhumanity, but include
a demoralization that seems to have
reached every condition of life, and has
lowered, if not irrevocably vitiated, the
sense of honor and integrity that before
had so high a p!ace > in the thoughts and
acts of American citizens. The fearful
demon of American politics is sec
tionalism, therefore separate and dis
tinct sessions or meetings of Con
gressmen, or other Government officials
of this or that portion of the country, is
frought with dangerous complications.
With a united South aud West in Con
gress upon material issues, affecting the
separate or united interests of the sec
tions, a combination could be formed
which would disentegrate the Republi
can party. And it is tnis fear which
alarms the Chronicle and calls forth its
denunciation of the St. Louis Conven
tion. Self-interest is the great motive
power which influences and controls the
conduct of States and peoples. If the
West can make money by uniting with
the South upon issues affecting its in
terests, it will be anxious to combine in
breaking down the influence which
New England has heretofore exercised
in the general protective legislation of
the country.
A NEW VIEW OF THE QUESTION.
The editor ot tlie Columbus (Ohio)
Journal, who was at first disposed to be
hard upon the back-pay Congressmen,
and to bo especially severe upon those
members who received the swag and
then attempted to make capital for
themselves by donating it to schools
and colleges, now repents and takes the
back track in the following article :
In appropriating $5,000 to themselves
from the Treasury, our Congressmen did
but enlarge the prerogative of the peo
ple’s representatives. They might have
taken Washington’s old breeches from
the Patent Office. They might have
taken the Washington Monument—but
they didn’t. Somo people will continue
to complain of them, bu t we are mute
from this moment. We apologize to the
whole human race for everything. Asa
rash and blinded Sunday-school scholar,
we may have spoken disrespectfully of
J. Iscariot. The experience of the last
six months shows that Mr. Iscariot may
have been a gentleman who was much
misunderstood by the people of the pe
riod. Some Scribe probably placed the
thirty pieces of silver where he thought
they would do the most good, and when
poor Judas thought that he had bought
into a law suit (Hon. P. Pilate, Chief
Justice), he went and hung himself.
That was where he made a mistake. He
ought to have sent the money down to
the Capernaum Female Seminary, and
then appealed to the generous confidence
of a constituency with whose feelings
and interests every throb of his heart
beat in unison. The editor of the Gali
lean Telegram would have made a very
nice thing of that, and the Honorable
J. Iscariot would have been oue of the
most prominent candidates at the next
election.
GRANT’S DEFENDERS SOUTH.
The manner in which General Grant's
conduct in the affairs of Louisiana is
defended by some of his few Southern
admirers is as absurd as it is humiliat
ing. They profess to find iu the Presi
dent's unwarrantable interference with
the affairs of a sovereign State nothing
but a desire to enforce the laws ; to dis
cover iu the support which he has given
his creature the usurper Kellogg, iu his
overturning a legal government of the
people and setting up in its stead a
corrupt tyranny with United States
bayonets, nothing more thau an effort to
carry out and execute the judgments of
the Courts. This is going a little in
advance of the bitterest members of the
Radical party. The leading organ of
that party—the personal organ of General
Grant—the New York Times, holds the
President responsible for the condition
of things iu Louisiana and reminds him
that “his own appointees in Louisiana
are, to a lamentable extent, responsible
for the bitterness and confusion which
prevail there, and that had he in 1871,
as we-then urged him to do, removed
Messrs. Casey and Packard, and com
pelled their associates and successors to
keep out of State politics altogether,
his present action would either nexer
have been required, or, if required, it
would have come with a much better
grace. - ’
W hat does Senator Carpenter—a
leading Republican Senator—say: “There
is nothing in all the comedy of blun
ders and frauds under consideration
more indefensible than the pretended
canvass of this Board. The following
are some of the objections to the va
lidity of their proceedings ; 1. The
Board had been abolished by the £ct of
of November 20. 2. The Board IT is
,under valid and existing injunctions,
restraining it from acting at alt. 3.
Conceding that the Board was in ax
is to nee and had full authority to canvass
the returns, it had no returns to can
vass." And he adds : “ The proceed
ings of Judge Durell and the support
given to him by United States troops
resulted in establishing the anthority
l de facto of Kellogg and his associates
in State offices and of the persons de
clared by the Lynch Board to be elect
ed to the Legislature. We have already
seen that the proceedings of that Board
, cannot be sustained without disregard
i ing all the principles of law applicable
AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE 4.-1573.
to the subject and ignoring the distinc
tion between good faith aud fraud.”
Tlie ablest, the bitterest and most ma
lignant partisan of the Administration
is Senator Morton. This is what he
thinks of the Court and its decree: “The
conduct of Judge Durell cannot be jus
tified or defended. He grossly exceed
ed his jurisdiction, and assumed the
exercise of powers to which he could
lay no claim. His order issued in the
Kellogg case to the United States Mar
shal, to take possession of the State
House for the purpose of preventing
unlawful assemblages, under which the
Marshal called to his aid a portion of
the army of the United States, can only
be characterized as a gross usurpation.”
The above is what the Radical press
aud politicians think of the President’s
course. This is what a leading Demo
cratic journal—the New York World —.
has to say on the subject. We commend
it to the consideration of our readers :
Nothing can excuse him for having en
tered upon a course which subverted the
lawful government of a State ; which,
upon no evidence, transferred its offices
to nnelected officers ; aud which, to sat
isfy the greed of his most unworthy
relative and most unscrupulous parti
sans, maintains the intelligence and
virtue and property of the State in sub
jection to an ignorant minority. It is
certain that the lawfully elected Gov
ernor of Louisiana, McEnery, and all
those whom he guides and counsels,
will do nothing to provoke a collision
with Federal force. It is equally certain
that their legal and passive resistance
as tax payers to the Kellogg despotism
they will continue to interpose to the
extent of their ability. Were the Fed
eral arm withdrawn, that passive, law
ful and bloodless resistance would
quietly put an end to Kellogg’s usurpa
tion in thirty days. As it is, Louisiana
will remain the standing shame, the in
effable disgrace of the Republic until
the arm of a usurped and superior
power is bidden back to its lawful
bounds.
CONFEDERATES IN EGYPT.
The Egyptian Kliedivo evidently ap
preciates the military talent of the lead
ers of the Lost Cause. Many ex-Confed
erates Generals have already found a
home and plenty upon the banks of the
Nile, and in return for high pay and
honorable positions teach the art of war
to the descendants of the Ptolmies.
Recently the Khedive has secured an
other recruit in the person of Gen. R.
E. Colston, of Mississippi, who held tlie
position of Major-General in the Con
federate army. Gen. Colston accepts a
professorship in the polytechnic school
of Cairo, and a colonelcy in the Egypt
ian army.
COCKBURN VS. CUSHING.
The book upon the Geneva arbitra
tion and award, published a month or
more ago, and written by Mr. Caleb
Cushing, one of the counsel entrust
ed with the couduct of the American
case, has provoked a reply. Con
taining the comments of counsel upon
a cause which could not be regarded as
ended, the book was one which we think
most honorable lawyers would have
refrained from publishing. But when
in addition to comments Mr. Cushing
devoted the greatest portion of his space
to a bitter and malignant assault upon
the representative of England—Lord
Cockburn—an attack unwarranted by
any facts, malicious as it was uufounded
ed, its author subjected himself not
only to the censure of his brethren of
the bar but of all fair and honorable
men. The charges were of such a
character that the party attacked is
forced to reply, but with better taste
and a nicer sense of propriety he has
delayed his answer until the termination
of the litigation. As the telegraph in
formed us yesterday that Great Britain
had accepted and confirmed the award,
Lord Cockburn’s promised defense may
expected in a few days.
COMMISSION SWINDLES.
The Chicago Tribune is exposing a
growing evil, or rather an outrageous
swindle, in regard to false quotations of
prices of produce. A case in point was
reported to us yesterday. One of our
merchants received a dispatch from a
commission produce merchant in a Wes
tern city stating that he could purchase
bacon at a certain price. Tlie merchant
here telegraphed to another commission
house in tlie same city, asking the market
price and received a reply quoting prices
a quarter lower. In large transactions a
quarter of a cent makes a serious differ
ence, and the rascality of this imposition
and fraud should be exposed. Brokers
in large cities can readily combine and
swindle both small dealers and pro
ducers by fietitous representations of
the market in any line of trade. But
every part of the commercial world is
overrun with deceptions and frauds of
one kind or another, which extena into
and embrace every commercial centre
and almost every department of trade.
We reproduce and endorse what the
Chicago Tribune has to say upon this
subject:
Some doctor barley with brimstone,
others make “patent coffee,” and still
others manufacture bogus tea, or imita
tion oysters. The American Grocer has
recently done a good work iu exposing
wholesale swindles in canned goods (?) ;
where a single oyster or half a dozen
strawberries does duties for a pound,
while “green peas" are raised from those
that have been dried. All these things
are swindles, and ought to be denounced
as such, not only in general terms, but
in specific language, that poinis to the
Bwindier as Nathan did to David—
“ Thou art the man.” So, too, the com
mission man who sells at one price and
reports a lower price to his principal,
is a swindler, .though a part of his ill
gotten gains be donated to the church,
and ought to b-e made to attend divine
service in the penitentiary.
It is really a wonder that hon
est traders have not long since taken
concerted action to clear their respective
lines of business of the swindlers, who
really rob the honest trader as well as
the public. The-dishonest commission
man can always afford to underbid liis
conscientious rival, in the matter of per
centage charged for services, and lienee
not seldom jets the bulk of the trade,
out of whiclr he grow s rich, while the
other can scarcely pay office rent. We
note incidentally that ono way in which
these sharks may be foiled is for honest
dealers to take pains to post the public
prints in regard to the real selling prices
of goods that are good, both in condi
tion and quantity.
Balance of Trade. —The Secretary of
the New York Chamber of Commerce
has prepared a statement of trie foreign
trade of this country as transacted
through the port of New York, includ
ing tables of exports and imports, cover
ing in detail the fiscal year ending with
Jane 30th, 1872. From this report it
appears that the total imports of the
country, deducing re-exports, were $617,-
569,569, gold valuation. The exports,
at gold valuation on the basis of gold at
10 per cent, premium, were§500,199,144,
giving an excess of imports over exports
of §117,369,825, gold value. The im
ports were in excess of exports in our
trade with Cuba, Brazil, China, France,
Canada, Germany and Mexico: and the
exports were in excess of imports with
Great Britain, Holland, Belgium, Pern,
Russia, Spain, Hayti, Chili and Danish
W. I. The excess of imports from the
Island of Cuba alone is $54,156,336,
nearly one-half of the whole balance of
trade that stands against us. The sum
of om exchange with countries in North
and Sonth America and the Caribbean
sea are about three hundred millions,
or twenty-five per cen.t. of our total
foreign exchanges.
COTTON.
Review of the Meek.
[From tho Financial Chronicle.]
Friday, )}. m., May 23, 1873.
By special telegrams received to-night
from the Southern ports, we are in pos
session of the returns showing the re
ceipts, exports, Ac., of cotton for the
week ending this evening, May 23. It
appears that the total receipts for the
seven days have reached 34,044 bales
against 41,031 bales last week, 43,770
bales the previous week and 48(046
bales three weeks since, making the to
tal receipts since the first of September,
1872, 3,378,514 bales against 2,641,119
bales for the same period of 1871-72,
showing an increase since September 1,
1872, of 737,395 bales.
The exports for the week ending this
evening reach a total of 42,542 bales, of
which 29,807 were to Great Britain,
4,849 to France, and 7,886 to the rest of
the Continent, while the stocks, as made
up this evening, are now 327,529 bales.
From the foregoing statement it will
be seen that, compared with the corres
ponding week of last season, there is an
increase in the exports this week of 27,-
704 bales, while the stocks to-n ght arc
121,509 bales more than they were at
this time a year ago.
The market the past week has been
quiet for cotton on the spot, though du
ring Wednesday and Thursday there
was some improvement in the demand
aud a steadier feeling generally. This
improvement was due to better advices
from Liverpool, but private cablegrams
were received, stating that the renewed
life there was due to reports pub
lished in Liverpool of very bad
weather iu our Cotton States.—
These reports not being supported
by late information here from the South,
our market lost this improved tone, and
to-day was dull, and so closed, but with
out change in the quotations. For fu
ture delivery the market has shown
similar changes, though they have been
more marked. Prices were drooping till
towards the close of Tuesday’s business,
when, witli better private advices from
Europe, they took an upward turn, and
in the course of Thursday a considerable
advance was paid. May contracts, which
had sold on Tuesday at 18J, touched
18 31-32, and other months showed a
similar or greater rise. Before the close,
however, a reaction set in and a portion
of the advance was lost. To-day prices
nearly returned to those of Tuesday and
closed weak, sales being made after
’Change at 184 c. for June and 17c. for
December—the latter with seller paying
brokerage. The total sales of this de
scription for the week are 69,900 bales,
including free on board. For im
mediate delivery the total sales foot up
this week 8,240 bales, including 3,109
for export, 4,876 for consumption, 255
for specnlation, and in transit. Os
the abovo 1,137 bales were to arrive.
Weather Reports by Telegraph.—
Our advices to-night by telegraph show
an improving condition of the crop. They
have undoubtedly had a cold late Spring
throughout the South, very simiilar
to our own, and as a general thing cot
ton is small, but good progress is now
being made, and the present indications
ar’, we think, increasingly favorable. In
some sections there has been consid
erable rain during the week, but we have
received no complaints on that account.
At New Orleans and Mobile the weather
has been warm, sultry and wet, raining
more than half the week, but at Mobile
the latter part of the week has been clear
and pleasant ; the crop is developing
promisingly. This rain does not ap
pear to have extended over the whole
State, as our Montgomery dispatch
states that it has been warm and dry
at that point through the whole seven
days. At Selma there has been no
rain except on one day ; the crop is
developed promisingly. From Colum
bus we Rave failed to receive our usual
weather telegram. Our correspondent
at Macon telegraphs that on three days
in the earlier part of tlie week they had
rain, but the balance of tlie week has
been pleasant ; the dispatch adds that
the young cotton is small, owing to the
late Spring. At Charleston they have
also Rad some fine showers, which were
much needed. It has rained one day at
Memphis, hard, but the remainder of
the week has been pleasant ; planting
is now about completed, and the condi
tion of the crop is said to be only
moderate. At Nashville it has rained on
two days; there are less complaints about
the crop now, and it is in a rather more
favorable condition. The thermometer
at Memphis has averaged 73; at Savan
nah, 73; Macon, 78; Mobile, 76; Mont
gomery, 74.
Consumption of American Cotton to
November Ist. —A correspondent sends
us a statement of the movement of
American cotton for the balance of the
season, and asks us to point out what
errors there may be in it. Believing the
subject to be of some interest at tlie
present moment, we give the following
as our own view of tlie approximate
supply for Liverpool, up to November
Ist, using our friend’s figures so far they
are applicable :
Stock of American on liand at Liver
pool May 16 366,000
American afloat for Liverpool May 16. 200,000
Exported week ending May 16 not in
cluded in afloat 51,395
Exports to Liverpool to Sept. 1 from
May 16 300,000
Exports from Sept. 1, '73, to Nov. 1,
'73, (which will arrive) 60,000
Total bales 977,395
The portion of stock now held by Eng
lish spinners, which they can use if
desired 80,000
Total supply for Liverpool to Nov. 1
(24 weeks) .1,027,395
Total consumption, if we accept Smith,
Edwards & Co.’s estimate (33,000
bales per ivee«) 792,000
Stock of American in Liverpool Nov. 1
would be 265,395
These figures are of course only an
approximation. We allow nothing for
exports from Liverpool, having deduct
ed that in the estimated future move
ment from this side; and, on the other
hand, it is not at all unlikely that the
consumption of American may be less
than it has been during the earlier part
of the year, as the India cotton now
coming on the market is much superior
in quality to the last crop. Os course,
either very unfavorable reports with re
gard to our growing crop, or very low
prices for cotton, mi .-fit induce spinners
to stock up ; but, otherwise, the above
may, we think, be taken as less than the
stock of American cotton at Liverpool is
likely to be at the date specified.
Bombay Shipments.— According to our
cable dispatch received to-day, there
have been 43,000 bales shipped from
Bombay to Great Britain the past week
and 10,000 bales to the Continent, while
the receipts at Bombay, during the same
time, have been 42,000 bales.
From the foregoing it would appear
that compared with last year there is an
increase this year in the week’s ship
ments from Bombay to all of Europe of
6,000 bales, and that the total move
ment since January 1 shows a decrease
iu shipments of 51,000 bales compared
with the corresponding period of 1872.
Gunny Bags, Bagging, &c.—The
market for bagging has ruled very quiet !
the past week. Sales as recorded foot J
up about 2,000 rolls; about 500 rolls ;
Ludlow at 13c. cash, 500 rolls Ludlow
at 13c. cash, and 500 rolls Boston at 13c. j
cash. We hear that 13‘c. was offered ;
for 500 rolls more Boston, and 18 Jc. was ;
asked. The market is not animated,
but it is steady, the price being 13@13ic. :
cash for immediate delivery, and i
14i@14;C. for Summer. There has been |
but little doing in bags, the market be
ing very quiet. The quoted price of bags j
is 14i@15c., according to weights. The
market for butts has met with more ac
tivity lately, but at falling prices. The
week opened with the market at 2c. less
discount and 2 l-16e. on time. At the
close of the week the price may be
quoted at l;c. cash. The reported sales
for the past week foot up about 3,800
bales, part at 2 l-16c. time, 2c. time, 2c.
less discount for cash, 1 15-16 c. cash
and lie. cash. The recent arrivals and
telegrams showing increased shipments
from Calcutta, have caused the market
to decline.
Visible Supply of Cotton Made Up
by Cable and Telegraph. —By cable we
have to-night the stocks at the different
European ports, the Indian cotton afloat
for all of Europe, and the American
afloat for each port as given below.
From figures thus received, we have
; prepared the following table, showing
she quantity of cotton in sight at this
date (May 23):
Stock in Liverpool bales . 752.00(1
Stock in London 160.250
Stock in Havre 144.000
Stock in Marseilles 17.250
Stock in Bremen 52.750
Stock in Amsterdam 83.000
Stock in Antwerp 33,000
Stock in Hamburg 37.500
Stock in Barcelona 67.750
Stock in Trieste 18.500
Afloat for Great Britain (American i... 215.000
Afloat for Havre I American and Brazil) 31.000
Afloat for Bremen (American) 11.000
Afloat for Amsterdam (American; 5,000
| Total Indian cotton afloat for Europe . 4t>3.000
Stock in United States ports 327.529
| Stock in inland towns 05.879
j Exports from United States tliis week. 42’542
Total 2,526,950
j These figures indicate an increase in
, cotton in sight to-night of 92,490 bales,
! compared with the same date of 1872.
THE COURT OF CLAIMS.
MORE PLUMS FOR SOUTHERN
CLAIMANTS.
Another Batcfi of Judgment —Tli e
Lucky Litigants—The Estate of Thus.
Metcalf Gets the Largest Slice—The
Questions Decided.
Washington, May 26. —The Court of
Claims has rendered the following judg
ments for cotton saized by Gen. Sher
man’s forces at the time of the capture
of Savannah, and sold by the United
States: In favor of Williamjßattersby for
$87,014; in favor of William Battersby
and Andrew for $3,940; in favor of Win.
Battersby aud Octavus Cohen for $7,881;
in favor of Wm. Battersby and tlie ex
ecutors of Tlios. S. Metcalf for $485,242
—the latter being the largest single
judgment ever rendered by the Court
of Claims. Battersby is an alien sub
ject of Great Britain, who has resided
for 30 years in Savannah. The other
parties are citizens of Georgia. The
cotton claim of Wm. S. Miller, another
British subject, was dismissed on the
ground that the cotton for which he
sued was purchased by him outside of
the Union lines and in violation of the
regulations then in force. Judgment was
rendered for $155,554 iu favor of Charles
Green, of Savannah, who is a subject of
Great Britaiu. The main question in
this (the Green) case was, whether an
alien domiciled during the rebellion
within the insurrectionary States could
be guilty of the crime of treason against
the United States. The Court of Claims,
following a decision of the United
States Supreme Court at the last term,
decides this question affirmatively, but
also holds, under the same decision, that
aliens guilty of treason by failing to
observe their obligations of qualified al
legiance, were included in and pardoned
by the President’s amnesty proclama
tion of December 25th, 1868. A decis
ion was rendered in the long pending
case of Eliza J. Atocha, administratrix
of Alexander J. Atocha, deceased.
Atocha was a native of Spain, but a nat
uralized citizen of the United States,
who did business as a banker in the City
of Mexico, and was expelled from that
country during the revolution of 1845,
which overthrew tlie Government of
Santa Anna. The United States having,
by treaty of Gaudnloup and Hidalgo, as
sumed the claims of its own citizens
against Mexico, Atocha presented his
claim for losses caused by his expulsion,
and it was rejected by the commission
appointed to examine such claims. Sub
sequently, in 1865, Corigress referred
the claim to this Court, which now ren
ders judgment in favor of Atocha
against the United States for $207,-
459 37, being the balance of the three and
a quarter millions provided by the treaty
of Gaudaloupe-Hidalgo for payment of
claims of citizens of the United States
aga’nst the Government of Mexico,
which now remains unapplied to that
objecti Judgments will also be ren
dered for $92,598, in favor of Wm.
W. Cones, of Memphis, for cotton
seized by the Government, and in favor
of Harvey and Levisy for $42,306 for work
aud damages in building a bridge for
tlie Government at Rock Island. In the
case of the executors of John J. Piatt,
a claim for supplies furnished the army
in the war of 1812, the Court found that
tlie Government was justly indebted to
Piatt to the amount of $131,509, but
were equally divided upon a subsequent
question, namely: whether a judgment
for part of the debt under a private act
of Congress, does not bar a recovery for
the balance now. Mr. Piatt, after press
ing this claim upon the Government for
many years, died in a debtors’ prison in
this city. The Court, after hearing
'argument in the Hot Springs cases, ad
journed till next Monday, when an ad
journment will probably be ordered
until October. ,
LOUISIANA.
TRIAL OP (JEN, DeBLANC, ET ALS.
A Dark Cloud of Witnesses—How a
Tool of Tyranny Makes Affidavits
“on General Principles”—The Case
Submitted Without Defense—Trium
phant Acquittal.
New Orleans, May 26.—Generals De-
Blanc, DeUlonet, and others, from St.
Martinsville, were up this morning for
trial, and charged by L. T. Martin with
conspiracy, etc., or as commonly called,
Ku-Kluxism. The witnessss for the
prosecution being called, J. L. Been,
colored, was sworn : Reside in St. Mar
tins, and am a planter. Have resided
there thirty years. I am acquainted
with the prisoners. Know nothing
against them. Witness here desired to
hear the affidavit read, which was done.
Knew nothing of no such offense being
committed by prisoners. I was at St.
Martins in May. Knew of no colored
people hindered in the exercise of their
rights as citizens.
Victor Pochon, colored, one of the
parties named in the affidavit, and a
member of the bayonet Legislature,
testified: I know the prisoners. I never
knew of their doing anything against
the colored people. I did inform Mr.
Martinett that the Fusionists intended
to resist the police in our parish, and
asked him to obtain United States
troops to preserve the peace. I, how
ever, knew of no offense being commit
ted by the prisoners. None of them
did anything to any colored man that I
know of. I was present at the time of
the troubles. I only saw two of the
gentlemen there. I saw them where
they usually were, in town by themselves
and quietly walking together.
Question by the defense. You say
you wanted soldiers to preserve the
peace ?
( Answer. Yes, I did, because I did
not desire the people hurt, and I knew,
at least they said, that if United States
troops came all would be quiet.
Gustave Baker, colored, resides in St.
Martin and is a teacher ; I know the
gentlemen (the prisoners). I do not
know of their intimidating colored peo
ple. There were rumors to that effect,
but no one credited them. The rumor
was that if the police were whipped, the
colored people would next be attacked.
None of the colored people believed
this, however. I did not see any of these
gentlemen skirmishing with tyie police.
Know nothing about their being con
nected with the affair. They never
kept me from attending school or did
anything against any colored men.
Theogine Castell, colored. I know
the gentlemen (the prisoners). I know
of nothing against the gentlemen. They
never intimidated any colored men in
the parish to my knowledge. I saw
them in St. Martin. They had no arms
or weapons and were peaceably walking
about, tending to their business.
Chas. Hercure, colored. I keep a
store in St. Martin. Know the gentle
men. They never intimidated any col
ored people or any one else. Never in
timidated me. Saw Gen. Deßlanc after
he was arrested, not before. They are
all quiet and peaceable. I have known
them for years. Gen. Deßlanc has been
a friend of the colored people.
Adolphe Pratt, white : I live in St.
Martin. Know the gentlemen. Was
there all the time. They never hurt
any colored people. I did see them
‘ once, Messrs. Declanet A Bertrand, with
| shot guns. Do not know whether they
were connected with any body of men
'or not I was not disturbed and nobody
was hurt. I saw a fight, but did not
recognize any of the gentlemen there.
Monroe Baker, colored : I reside in
St. Martin and keep a livery stable.
Know prisoners. They never troubled
the colored people at all. The police
: were the only people that made any dis
turbance. They went out one evening
I and after shooting came back again,
i Two of them were shot. They forced
Ime to receive them. I never saw the
■ prisoners make any disturbance. Gen.
Deßlanc, whom I have known for a life
time, has always been the best friend of
the colored man.
Lablane Adair, colored : I am a
preacher and reside in St. Martin. Know
the gentlemen. They never hurt anv
colored people or intimidated them in
j the least degree. It is true the colored
! people were frightened, but the white
j people talked to them, and they found
1 they would not be hurt. The police
! came and fired, which was returned. I
kept ont of the way. I have a place
j there and own a plantation. After firing
the police came back. I did not go .ont
after the police came.
Alcede Neasie, white : I reside in St.
Martin. Am clerk of the' Court. The
prisbners never intimidated anybody,
except the Metropolitans. Never in
timidated any colored people. The
(ITT » i ■ 1 , rTTFV
prisoners went out to camp. I saw them
When they left town. Col. Deßlanc com
manding, They went quietly on horse
back, armed with shot guns. It was on
the 4th of May. They went about two
miles from town. They were organized
about ten or fifteen days. They had a
list, with names signed, to resist the
police. None of the prisoners’ names
were signed to this, however. I saw
them every day quietly in town. Never
heard them say anything against any -
body but the police. I was elected clerk
of the Court, but nobody ever kept me
out of it by intimidation, only through
the Courts. Mr. Sonnet, clerk at the
time, did. He did not resist mo by
force. I was elected on tlie Republican
ticket. All the officers were white men
on this ticket, the same as the Fusion
ticket. The Fusion officers never made
any effort at intimidation of ns. We are
now in office and nobody intimidates us
or attempted to. The Fusion clerk of
the Court kept me out by an injunction.
This has, however, been dissolved by
Judge Castell in private chambers.
No regular judgment was made. This
was done iu the private chambers.—
There is someone claiming Judge Cas
■tell’s office, which has never been de
cided. Judge Castell held court only
once since the stli of May.
Fontinell, white: I am Deputy Sheriff.
I know the prisoners. They resisted tho
Kellogg government and the Metropoli
tanjpqlice. Tin y said they would not
submit to the Kellogg government. The
colored people had nothing to do with
this. They were let alone and not in
terfered with.
Edward Jost, colored: I live in St.
Martin and am coroner of the parish.
Do not know any but Mr. Bertrand.
Never saw any of the gentlemen doing
anything to anybody. None of the
prisoners ever intimidated any officer.
They never troubled the colored people.
Martinell Swann: All I know of these
gentlemen was in St. Martins. Some
time before, I received information that
the Fusionists intended to resist the po
lice.
I was afraid they might hurt the col
ored people. The three gentlemen ex
amined stated to me tluit they then were
not themselves intimidated, but other
colored people were. Did not hear that
colored people were gi >ing to be hurt,
but 1 was myself afraid of that faot, and
I could not get the soldiers to go unless
I made the affidavit. Therefore I did it.
Ido not know, however, of anything
they did. I only made the affidavit on
general principles, having an idea that
they were leading the Fusionists. In fact,
I thought Deßlanc would be there. I
had no other knowledge. I also had a
letter stating that there was going to be
a fight. It was written by those men
who said they wero not intimidated this
a. m. lam a member of the Legislature
—Kellogg’s Legislature. Thought the
McEnery Legislature also acknowledged
me. I said on affidavit that Pochon,
Meyers and others were intimidated.
They sent me a letter with that fact.
[The letter read in evidence. It stated
that the Fusionists intended to fight the
police at all hazards. They assured him
that it was the belief of the colored peo
plo that they might be attacked, though
they intended to keep out of the fight,
believing that the Fusiionists under Gen.
Deßlanc were good uieiq and only in
tended to resist tlie Kellog ggovernment. J
I made the affidavit, as I have said, to
bring up the troops. I consulted Judge
Billings and Kellogg;. The latter ad
vised me to make this affidavit. I refuse
to answer who else advised me. Gen.
Grant advised Marshal Packard to use
United States troops when he wanted
them, and that js one of the reasons I
did it. I saw Govern or Kellogg the day
I made the affidavit. He then said the
police could hold on, but I didn’t be
lieve it.
The evidence for the prosecution was
now closed and the counsel for the de-.
sense, intimating that they could not
offer on their own behalf anything
stronger than had already been shown,
submitted the case, whereupon the Com
missioner said:
“ this case there is no proof to
justify the detention of the prisoners. I
regret that there should be those im
bued with, fears which impel them to
suggest %> others the making of affida
vits with but just cause. Those who en
gage in this kind of work should look
better to be attending t;o their own busi
ness. To be sure the defendants have
been unjustly put to expense of time
and money, but this is a sacrifice they
must be content to end'are for the good
of the body politic.”
Kellogg’s Attorney General this morn
ing filed in the First District < onrt an
information against M. M. Cohen and
C. R. Rally, jointly charged with at
tempting to murder W. P. Kellogg—the
assassination case. The parties were
bailed iu $5,000.
THE GALLOWS.
THE LAST EXECUTION IN GEOR
GIA.
Hanging of Nick Boswell in Eatontou
—The Crime, the Criminal and the
Punishment—Composure of the Con
demned—The Leap Into Eternity.
[SPECIAI.LT REPORTED FOR THE CHRONICLE AND
SENTINEL.]
Eatonton, Ga.. May 24, 1873.
HANGING NOT PLAYED OUT.
Hanging in the State of Georgia is
fast becoming a thing of no uncommon
occurrence. Justice, which seems to
have been sleeping during the past de
cade, appears to be awakening, and now
the man who, a few years ago, could
with impunity imbrue his hands wilful
ly and maliciously in a fellow creature’s
blood, for such a crime almost invariably
forfeits his life upon the scaffold. It
should not be otherwise. The safety
and security of society demand the pun
ishment of those who wantonly infringe
its laws. The last execution which took
place in the State was that of Nick Bos
well, colored, who was hanged in this
place yesterday, at one o’clock, p. m. He
was convicted during the March term of
Putnam county Superior Court of the
murder of Robert G adden, also colored,
and sentenced to be hanged on the 23d
day of May. Efforts were made to in
duce the Governor to commute his sen
tence to imprisonment in the penitentia
ry for life, but these proving ineffectual,
that sentence was eiecuted upon him
yesterday.
THE CRIME.
The circumstances attending the kill
ing, as shown by the evidence adduced
on the trial, were substantially the fol
lowing : In January last, the negroes of
the community in which both of the
parties resided met for the purpos'o of
having a kind of social reunion. Many,
no doubt, were partially intoxicated,
and among others the perpetrator of the
crime. There was, however, no evidence
to show that there was a general melee ;
none to show that these parties were,
before this gathering, on unfriendly
terms. But in the midst of the festivi
tives, according to the testimony of
several witnessed, Boswell drew his
knife and deliberately, and without
provocation, stabbed Gadden in the
bowels, the force of the blow causing
his entrails to protrude. Gadden, after
being stabbed, lived but a short while,
and when dying declared that Boswell
had killed him. On the testimony 1 of
several witnesses that they heard these
dying declarations, and of one, that he
saw the crime committed, the jury
predicated their verdict of guilty!
ALMOST AN ESCAPE.
I will mention here that shortly after
the commission of the homicide, Bos
well was arrested and brought before a
Justice of the Peace, but there being in
sufficient evidence to convict, he was
released. More facts being discovered,
he was again arrested and committed to
jail to await trial at the following term
of the Superior Court, at which he was
convicted. When asked if he had any
thing to say why sentence of death
should not be passed upon him, he
simply replied, “They all say I did it, and
I reckon I will have to stand it.” # While
the Judge was sentencing,him, fa* atood
unmoved and perfectly indifferent. In
deed, he did not seem to realize the full
force and meaning of the proceedings.
EXPIATION.
The execution had been ordered to
take place in private, no spectators be
ing permitted to be present except a
guard and the friends that the prisoner
might wish to have around him. How
! ever, early Friday morning jieople be
gan to collect in town from the surround
ing country, determined, if they could
not witness the execution, to soe the
criminal removed from the jail, and fol
low him until the high enclosure sur
rounding the gallows should forever ex
clude him while in life from their gaze.
After entering this enclosure the con
demned man gave out and united in
singing, in a tone in which there
was no perceptible. tremor, the hymn
commencing: “Why do we mourn de
parting friends ?” When this song was
ended he mounted upon the scaffold and
knelt in prayer, earnestly praying that
“the example which was aliout to be
made of him might be a warning to all
others.” At the conclusion of a second
hymn and a prayer, offered by the at
tending clergyman in his behalf, lie
bade farewell to kindred and friends,
shook hands with the sheriff, and with
the utmost composure stepped upon the
drop. When asked by the minister if
he was prepared to (lie, he answered
firmly, “I am.” The sheriff mounted
the gallows, read aloud the judgment
of the Court, ordering the execution, and
as ho read the concluding sentence,
“may tho Lord have mercy on your
soul,” the condemned man responded
“Amen. ” The noose was arranged over
his neek and the fatal cap that forever
shut out the world from his view was
adjusted. When everything was in
readiness the preacher again asked him
wliat song ho wished his friends to sing.
He said, and these were his last words—
“any you wish”—aud as they entered
upon the hymn, “Why Should we Stand
and Fear to Die?” The final momentr
four minutes before ono o’clock, so
which all were anxiously looking, ar
rived; the cord supporting tho drop was
severed, aud the body fell clear six feet,
with a dull, heavy tliud; remained sta
tionary fora while, and then drew up its
shoulders twice iu succession, but there
was no violent struggling, not a twitch
ing of the fingers, nor moving of the
legs. The neck was broken. The pulse,
however, continued to beat for fifteen
minutes Rfter tlie falling of the drop,
and then lie was pronounced dead by
Dr. Nisbet, the examining physician.
At the expiration of twenty-two minutes
the body was cut and iwn and delivered to
bis friends, to be disposed of as they
wished. When the cap was removed
his features appeared natural; there
were no indications of his having suffer
ed any intense agony. G.
A SAD SCENE.
A Brooklyn Quarrel-A Law Student
Kills llis Mother.
New York, May 26.—A sad domestic
tragedy was enacted in South Brooklyn
last evening. George Roderick, aged
20, resided with his parents at No. 105
Ninth street, near Second avenue. Yes
terday morning he went on an excursion
with a party of friends to Fort Hamil
ton, and returned to tho city about 6, p.
m. While walking along Second avenue,
on his way home, ho met Thomas Fit
lum, and was engaged iu conversation
with him when another acquaintance,
James Corcoran, advanced toward them
from the opposite side of the avenue.
They noticed that he was considerably
under the influence of liquor, and, be
ing anxious to avoid him, quickened
their steps until they reached Roderick’s
house. They then halted, and Roderick
had liis hand on the gate, and was abo.'t
to open it, when Corcoran ran up and
caught him by tlie arm, at tho same time
exclaiming, “Do you want to fight?”
Roderick replied that ho did not oaro
about fighting and requested Corcoran
to remove Ins hand. But this the intox
icated man refused to do and continued
to jerk away at his coat-sleeve. Fitlum
then got hold of Corcoran and was striv
ing to pull him away from tho gate,
when Roderick criodj “ Tom let him
go!” This Fitlum did and tho two
men then endeavored to pacify their
friend, but their efforts were unavailing,
as he became wild with passion and in
sisted on fighting with them. Finally
lie broke away from Fitlum, who had
again seized him, and dashing up to
Roderick struck him several blows in the
face. Roderick drew back and placed
his hand in his coat pocket. Corcoran
perceiving this, exclaimed, “ I hear that
you have a revolver; well I’ve one too,”
and at tho same time he struck Rode
rick another blow, which was returned.
Mrs. Ann Roderick, aged 50, who lmd
witnessed the quarrel from tho parlor
window, where siie had been seated, ran
out at tliis moment aud stepped in be
tween her son and Corcoran just as both
had drawn their revolvers. She besought
the drunken fellow to go away, and was
urging her son to enter tlie house, when
Corcoran made an effort to push her
aside and obtain possession of his oppo
nent’s weapon, During the struggle the
revolver held by Roderick was dis
charged, and a hall entered the right
eye of his mother, who dropped dead
instantly upon the sidewalk. Seeing
what had been done, Corcoran quickly
ran across the Hamilton avenue bridge,
and was arrested for drunkenness by an
officer of the Third Precinct, who had
no knowledge of tho tragedy. Young
Roderick was horror-stricken at the
terrible fate of bis mortlier, and throw
himself upon tlie ground beside her
body, weeping bitterly. Tlie neighbors
assisted Mr. Roderick in conveying the
body of his wi e into the house, and the
grief-stricken son gave himself into cus
tody of Sergeant Driscoll, of tho Eighth
Precinct. He was locked up in tlie station
house with Fitlum, wlio is held as a wit
ness. The young man is a student in
the law office of Messrs. Morris Sr l’ear
sail, and bears a good reputation, llis
father is engaged in the wholesale drug
business in New York.
KILLED BY 1118 SON.
A Fearful Domestic Tragedy.
[Prom the Savannah News, of yesterday.]
The victim was Elders Ditterich Meyer,
who'Opened a retail grocery and liquor
store in the basement. He was gen
erally reputed a peaceable man in the
neighborhood whon not under the in
fluence of liquor. But unfortunately it
seems this was frequently the case, and
numerous disturbances in the domestic
circle resulted from this, until it became
generally known that Meyer and his
wife did not live happily together, the
cause of which is alleged on one hand to
have been the result of his drunken
sprees, during which lie beat his wife
terribly. On the other hand, it is as
serted that tho wife was of .a jealous dis
position, and was very high tempered.
However this may be, it iiad only the
result of arraying the son, a youth of
eighteen years, named August, against
his father, and they had several difficul
ties in regard to tho treatment of his
mother. These, however, had resulted
in nothing but harsh words and a few
blows. Things went on from bad to
worse, however, and bad feelings were
engendered. It appears that, mixed up
in this unfortunate case of domestic in
felicity, was “a strange woman,” whom
Mrs. Meyer conceived had alienated the
affections of her husband. Upon this
subject rnanybitter words had occurred,
and yesterday eventuated in a bloody
tragedy, which occurred In tho store
when only husband, wife and son were
present, and which is somewhat shroud
ed in mystery. It appears that during
the morning Mrs. Meyer, according to
her statement, discovered her husband,
under suspicious circumstances, in an
outhouse on the premises. A difficulty
immediately ensued, when, it is assert
ed, Meyer seized his wife and roughly
used her, and on entering the store the
quarrel was renewed, aud the bad feel
ings excited increased as the day ad
vanced, culminating in the afternoon in
another row, in which it appears tho son
was concerned in some manner. Meyer,
in his anger, threw a pitcher at the head
of his son. No further difficulty oc
curred at the time so far as we can learn,
and the son shortly after went out. In
'the meantime another disturbance oc
curred between Meyer and his wife, in
which it is asserted he struck her iu the
mouth, the blow causing the blood to
low. A few minutes after the son
August re-entered the store, and seeing
the condition of his mother, inquir
ed the cause. Upon learning it,
August denounced the conduct of
his father, who replied, it is said,
“Go to hell; I’ll kill you both if you
don’t like it.” Shortly after uttering this
remark, and before many more words
were spoken, a shot was fired from a
pistol, followed quickly by another, and
Ehlers Ditterich Meyer lay stretched
upon the floor of his store a dead man,
both the shots fired having taken effect
in the right and left breast. Immediate
ly after the killing, August Meyer pro
ceeded to the barracks and surrend.-red
himself, stating that hekilled bis father.
He was taken m custody and placed in
confinement. Further than this state
ment nothing was gleaned 'from him.
Three witnesses were examined, whose
testimony we give below. Carrie Wil
son, the woman whom Mrs. Meyer states
she caught with the deceased in the
morning, was called in and testified that
she knew nothing whatever of the case,
and was upon Jones street, in company
with a friend, when she heard of the
killing. Miss Wilson denied most posi
tively the assertion of Mrs. Meyer that
she had seen her with Meyer in an out
house, and swore she had not spoken to
deceased the entire day.
The jury were considerably nonplus
sed over the evidence, and were nearly
an hoar and a half making up a verdict.
NUMBEII
It will bo seen by tile evidence
tin' slightest information is gi.eii^HH
gurd to who did the shooting.
Meyer informed us personally that nߧ
did not see the pistol; did not know wuoß
tired it. No pistol was produced, and i
the only clue tho jury hail as to who did
the shooting was th ough tho surrender
of young Meyer, and his acknowledg
ment, which, however, was not made on
oath or to the jury.
Catherine Moyers testified—l am the
wife of the deceased; I was present
when my husband and my son August
Meyers quarreled; I caught my hus
band having improper intercourse with
a neighbor, Carrie Wilson; when I up
braided him ho threatened to kill me
and his son; I was present when the
shots were fired; I heard two shots; I
eannot tell in whose hand the pistol was;
there were only three persons present,
myself, deceased and our son, all in the
store; I was near the street door; my
husband was standing near the door
leading into the outry and my son was
between deceased ..and myself, in a
triangular position; I was distant from
deceased about eight yards and my situ
was distant from me anil deceased about
four yards; I am not certain whotlier I
turned toward deceased or from him,
but I turned toward* him after tho first
shot; the two shots were fired in rapid
succession; deceased did not fall-after
the first shot; he fell almost immediate
ly after the second shot; deceased did
nor move nor speak after he fell; I saw
deceased many times with a weapon, he
had in fact a pistol with him at the time,
threatening us frequently; our neigh
bors know this: deceased attempted to
kill his own son with a water pitcher
this evening; my son stepped out im
mediately after the occurrence; I hero f
show you the marks of violence done mo
by deceased.
Recalled—My son had come in nbout
ten minutes; he was perfectly sober;
my husband was sober, too; when my
son came in I told him his father hail
beaten me, and 1 showed him tho marks
of violence; when ho upbraided de
ceased about this, he said, “ You may
go to hell, or I will kill you both;” my
son made no answer; I could not tell if
deceased hail a pistol in his hand; my
son was friendly with deceased up to
the occurence.
After a long consultation, tho jury
rendered tho following verdict, about
121 o’clock, four of tho jurors, as will bo
seen,'signing tho same under protest,
believing that tho act was committed in
self-defense:
“ We, the jury, find that Elders Dit
terieh Meyer came to his death from tjvo
gun shot wounds, ono in tho right
breast and one in the corresponding
left, the gun or pistol to have been fired
by deceased’s son, August Meyer, in the
store, corner of Price anil Charlton
street, 27th May, about!! o’clock.”
A New City in the South- " k
The South has always dreamed of
having a great city of her owh —n South
ern metropolis ; if not a New York, at’
least a Boston, which lias pride in other
tilings beside bhlk—a real provincial
capital, with a provincial aristocracy.
Sho fancied she had it when the Nation
al Capital was moved from Philadelphia
to Washington. Washington was the
geographical heart of the country, and
it was thought it might become tho
Paris or tho Berlin of tho South, if not
the London of the Continent. But there
were two obstacles, both of which
proved insurmountable. In the first
place there was slavery, and in the sec
ond, Washington was 200 miles from the
sea. It lay far inland, up a circuitous
river, but not a harbor inviting to the
shipping of all nations.
But now a century Ims gone by in an
exceedingly short space of time—in fact,
since 1800, slavery is passed, and the
most effective motive that over moved
human effort has been planted in the
negro mind, 4,000,000 strong. There is
to be a cotton crop of 5,000,000 bales—
two thousand million pounds of cotton
a year, and increasing on that. There
is to bo also a now seaport, or a seaport
rediscovered after being forgotten for a
century, because, although it was known
to the Government, nothing led to it
from inland, and, consequently, it lay
unused and almost unknown to ships.
It seems now, therefore, as if the South
might realize its old dream of commer;
cial importance, and have a city of its
own, not equal to New York, but short
ly challenging Boston. Citizens of the
great metropolis can afford to help her
build a competing emporium, since they
have quite out-grown any feelings of
jealousy, and may even rejoice at such
wholesome competition as sho can setup.
Thore is one reason why the splendid
harbor of Port ltoyal has attracted so
little attention heretofore. It is situated
half-way between tho long-established
ports of Charleston anil Havannah, both
of which have had railway connection
inland, with old steamer lines to New
York; and it is qnly recently that, the
harbor has been perfectly buoyed by
the Coast Survey Board. Now, how
ever, under tho late Professor A. I).
Baclie, it has been thoroughly furnished
in this respect; and it is officially an
nounced that it can bo entered by "any
vessel yet built, without a pilot,” the
only direction necessary being to sail in
and out by the colored sides of tho
buoys, which every sailor understand^.
The late completion of the railroad -
from Port Poyal to Augusta gives a
through trunk line of communication to
Nashville, St. Louis, Memphis, and all
the principal distributing points of the
South, at the sametimo connecting witli
tho ports of Savannah and Charleston.
And there is this remarkable fact to bo
observed, that the southwestern trend
of the Atlantic coast, below the capes of
Delaware, gives a much nearer lino of
transportation from St. Louis, the great
center of the Mississippi Valley, to
Port Royal, than to the Northern ship
ping ports of New York and Boston.
While freights may be lower over the
Northern roads for the home markets of
the Eastern States, it must bo much
cheaper to take tho Southern ro#ds for
all products intended for foreign mar
kets, ns the following tublo of distances
clearly shows : *
Mill*. Will*.
St. Louis to New York.. ..1201 ..To I'ort Poyah.. .OKI
Louisville to Now York... 968. .To Port Itoyal... .75:1
Memphis to New York .. .1945. .To Port Itoyal 727
Cincinnati to New York .. 861. .To Port Iloyal 860
Cincinnati is tho point from which,
going West, tho distan’ces favor tho
Southern route. This little table may
do a world of good for tho bread-and
mcat eaters of the North. It says to
the great consolidating and monopoliz
ing railroad lines which govern our
tables, “ Reduce your freights or you
lose trade.”
Here, certainly, are th’e principal con
ditions, now first realized by the Houth
for tho building up of anew city on
their own delightful coast. It needs
only enterprise and perseverai*e to suc
ceed; and all should liail tho project as
a very important part of the grand work
of Southern reconstruction, in which the
Houth can hardly fail to receive the cor
dial co-operation of Northern capital
and Northern skilled labor.— New York
'Jribune.
Frost Statistics. —The following in
teresting frost statistics is taken from
the Charleston Nwh <V Courier, furnish
ed that paper from a record in a meteo
rological journal, kept in St. John’s
Berkeley, for the last twenty-eight years,
from 1846 to 1873.
The latest killing frosts have occurred
as follows, viz :
1846 March 17 I 1851) April 24
I 18-17 April 17 | 1860 April 3
1848 March 17 1861 March 25
1849 April 20 1862 March 28
1850 April 1 1863.... April 10
1851 March 21 1864.... April 17
1852 April 9 1867. .. .April 7
1863 March 29 1808.. . March 22
1854 Ma yl 1869.... April 15
1855 April 12 1870. .March 19
1856 April 6 1871.... March 1
1857 April 23 1872 . March 22
1858 April 28 1873. . . .April 26
It will be observed that cotton planted
at the usual time, about April Ist, and
on to the 15th, would be killed or se
riously injured eight years of the twen
ty-six noted above.
Vegetation inuynot have been entirely
killed in all of the above dates, but iu
some instances partially, as on the 20th
April ; and generally young cotton, if
not killed by frost, sickens and con
tinues to die, requiring continual sup
plying, causing irregular stands. It is
a safe rule always to keep a replanting
of seed.
The Wreck of the Atlantic.
Halifax, May 27. —The schooner An
nie Brown, chartered by the New York
Wrecking Company to carry goods
from the wrock of tho Atlantic, has been
seized by orders of tho Vice-Admiralty
at the suit of Edward Brown, James
Couland and others of Prospect, who
claim 88,000 as compensation for saving
life and property at tho time of tho
wrock.