Newspapers / The Semi-Weekly Citizen (Asheville, … / Oct. 20, 1892, edition 1 / Page 3
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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1892. THE LIMEKILN CLUB. BROTHER GARDNER ON THE DEATH OF KURNEL CABIFF. Smm Iteeolatlaas That He Tktaks An Little Too Flowery to Salt the Knr Ml'i Well Kdowb Character He Was Oaly a Mao Altar AIL (Copyright. 1MB. by Charles B. Lewis.) "I bold beab in my hand," said Brother Gardner at the hint regular meeting of the Limekiln club, "noma resolushuos pre sented l y Shindig Watkins on de death of Hniilder Kurnel Cabiff. which took place on - week ago. Dap am fo'teen 'where aM'.' I'.n selienteen 'resolves,' an de ideab at Brulder Watkins was to make oat dat de wor,.I in gineral baa suffered a losa it kin nebber recover. I shall not present 'em fur yo'r considerashun. but f oiler de una practice of sendin a letter of condo lence to de fam'ly. Not that I would de tract one iota from de deceased brudder'a reputasbun, but rather bekase I would like to save it from criticism. "My frens, we all k no wed de kurnel from lop to bottom. It am foolish to 'whereas, be waa de soul of integrity,' as it am writ ten heah. He had about de aiverage stock of integrity, but no mo'. He paid bisdebts; be worked off his lead nickels on de street kyar conductor, same as de rest of us. He returned borrowed money, but be took bis time 'bout it an neblier said a word 'bout interest. If left alone in a grocery while de man went out fur change be wouldn't pocket anything, but if be found a dollar billon deflo..: i of dis ball he didn't go round axin who had lost money. If be agreed to put two coats of whitewash on a fence be'd do it fur suah, but of co'se de last coat was migbty tbin. If he sold a dawg he got all be could fur him. If be bought a mewl he beat the price down to de lowest notch. While be wouldn't break into yo'r hen coop an steal chickens, if one o' yo'r fowls get into bis yard it nebber returned. "Heah am a resolusbion which declar's datde kurnel prized truth above all else. Dat's pilin it on too thick. If yo' axed him bow many chillen be bad he'd count up as straight as a string, but if yo axed him bow many fish be'd catcbed be'd alius make de number twenty-seven. He prized troth de same as de rest of us. It's all right when yo' want to work off balf cotton on somebody, an all wrong when somebody wants to work it off on yo'. "As to bis bein a patriot, dat's all right. We am all patriots. It doan' cost a cent nor bring any risk in times of peace. It's our bizuess to be patriot, an nobody gits any partickler praise fur it. DC KITIHCEL PICK!) OP A HALF RIPE WATKU MI1XTOK. "Dear resolnsbions say that be was gin rotix u a fault. Yes, I reckon be waa, but in dis day an aige sicb a. pusaon is referred to as light in de bead. Deir generosity is also mostly outside de fam'ly, an it's mostly bestowed wbar it doan' do no real good. I'sr knowed of bis wife goin b'arfoot in de rioter kase be waxao generous. "Heab am a resoluaban which says de world am Iter fnr but bet in lived in it. Dat reads well, bat we'd better stop it right beah. He did jobs o whitewashin, ao blacked stoves, an walked up an down an around, same as de rest of as. I doan' reckon anybody eber beard o him outside de ward in which be libed. His influence on de United States, to say nuffln of de world at large, didn't result in any change of weather, as 1 eber beard of. De world doan' seem to keer two cents who libs or w bo dies. "I can't agree wld dis 'whereas' which ays dat Providence selected a sbinln mark in removin Kurnel Cabiff. De facts in de ease am de knrnel picked up a balf ripe walrruiillyon sumwbar an carried It home an ate de bull outfit MoT bis wife and chil len dun woke up. It brought on a case of cholera morbus, an Just as be was gittin better be filled np on plums an harvest ap ples an took a relapse. Providence bad nuffln to do wld It. He brought it all on hi If. I shall pat de reaolusbans in de stove, tint In de letter of coudolence dar kin be no objecksbnn to say in dat we grieve ober bis death and sympathize wid bis family. Dat's all bis widder expects, an if we tacked on any mo she'd argy dat we didn't know bim as far Was. If any of yo mm disapufbted, an some of yo look dat way. let me add dat de widder bad only two dollars in cash on band last night, an it's aiy opinyon she could make better use of m trq dollar bill dan of fo'ty rods of wberaMen' and 'resolves.' '" THE ARIZONA KICKER. f aa Esteemed Cltlsea sad . Other laterestlag Incidents. ObitOAKT. News reached as two or three days ago of the sadden death of oar esteemed fellow townsman. Captain John Williams, who was temporarily sojourning at Rockville. U. T., in hopes to benefit bis health. His demise came about just as we , had many times predicted it would. While the captain was honesty itself In all busi ness affairs, be would slip an ace np his sleeve In playing poker. We bad person ally detected him in the trick at least fifty times, and everybody here thoroughly nn detatood bis failing and made allowances. Be shouldn't have attempted to play with stranger at all, as i.e nevercanied a gun, hot It seems that be sat down to a game with a man from Salt Lake, and bad worked three ont of tbe - four aces np bis alee re wben suddenly' called from earth way. Tbe Salt Lake man didn't know of .bis (ailing of course, and tbe coroner's Jury will doubt lees return a verdict of "justifiable homicide. " Tbe deceased waa charitable, kind hearted and a loyal friend, wherever be gave bis friendship. He leaves s wife who was devoted to bim, although his sudden taking off 'was no surprise to her. She knew that he must either qui, foollnr: with tbe aces or It wss inevitable that be would some day ran up against a " stranger full of business. - Lost lira MuUL Among the freighters who arrived here Friday afternoon was a tellow named Lightning Joe. When some of tbe boys told bim that the mayor of tbia ! : town (who Is ourwlf) not only attended church on Fni' '.-v. but led thecboir. passed j theeontr" -" ' l e- assisted Insgen- eral way to run things, and aside from that wore a plug hat, a boiled shirt, s pair of yellow kids and had bis pants mads In Denver, with regular creases in the bind part of the legs, Joseph decided that the wave of civilization must be checked. Aft er cleaning up his guns and buying fifty extra cartridges he bet bis mule against ten dollars that be could shoot the bat off his honor's head and get away without a scratch. The trial was made Sunday after noon within a block of tbe church edifice. Joseph waa waiting for a Jim dandy to Tome along, and wben it appeared he start ed in to win the wager. There was a smile a confidence on bis face, and the expres sion in bis eyes went to show that he con sidered be bad struck a soft snap. Thirty seconds after bis first move he was sitting on the ground covered by his own guns, and tbe expression in his eyes had changed THIRTY 8KCOKDS AFTER. to snrprise and alarm. He spent his Sun day in the lockup, and Monday morning paid ten dollars fine and had his guns con fiscated for the benefit of the road fund. He bad nothing whatever to say, except that be wanted to go off somewhere for a week or two and think it over and try and make out just how it all happened. Our esteemed contemporary is out in a column article this week beaded, "Tbe Mayor At tempts to Assassinate a Stranger," but that was to be expected. We have given tbe facts in tbe case as scores of our citi zens know them. A Canard. We notice that a Salt Lake paper has an item to the effect that we shot tbe postmaster at this place for tbe fifth time last week, and Mint he is not expected to survive. The item is a canard. The present official was appointed two years ago. During this interval, in order to ex pedite tbe mail service and secure fair play for Thr Kicker, we bave lieen compelled to snoot him on three different occasions and in three different portions of bis anat omy. On bis part be has wounded us twice. We seem to bave come to a satis factory and mutual understanding, and there hi no call for further shooting. THE NINTH MAN. Dot He Wa the Chaonploa Jackass of America. There were nine of us in the smoking car, and wben we came to compare notes we discovered that the entire crowd were to get off at Burksville. It was only a village and there was only one hotel. Fonr or five of tbe boys bad been there before, and wben some one asked about tbe hotel be was answered: 'You might as well prepare to camp out. The man who owns and runs the bouse Is tbe champion jackass of America. He's got about fifty of tbe most absurd rules and regulations any one ever beard of, and you've got to abide by 'em or you can't stay." "But Is he personally disagreeable?" "Is a hyena personally disagreeable? The minute yon set eyes on him you want to knock bim down!" "Why don't tbe people get rid of him?" "They bave been trying to for tbe last ten years, but be is staying for spite. There ought to lie a law by which such old idiots cou'd be bounced." We all agreed to that sll but tbe ninth man, who sat in a seat by himself and didn't enter into tbe conversation. Each of as expressed our personal opinion of the landlord and bemoaned tbe trials and trib ulations awaiting us, but it wss understood that we should bave to stop at tbe hcsV-l and put np with bis meanness as best we could. Wben we got off tbe train eight of as walked np town together, while tbe ninth man went upin a vehicle. We reached tbe hotel in a few minutes. Tbe office door wss shut, the windows down and a lone THE KIXTH Myr. man waa sitting on tbe steps. All recog nized bim as our ninth man. "What's tbe matter here?" asked one of tbe crowd as be tried tbe door and found it locked. .' . Tbe lone man pointed to a written notice just tacked upon a column, and we pressed forward to read: ; THIS HOTXI. J : CLOSKD roH THKZB OATS. " ' I . . . . By order of the : ; ' AMMOB JACKASS Or AMERICA. j Tbe ninth man of our crowd wss tbe owner and landlord of the hotel and bad beard every word said against biml We lid not plead wttn bim nor atteniDt to pal liate our off -use. - It would bave been breath thrown away. We- simply went across tbe street and leased a cooper p hop for two days and bought cheese and crack ers at tbe grocery. Easy iwmi la Arithsaetfe. .,. A- who is m young girl, is seated at one and of a flftr foot veranda with her , mother, while B., wbo Is a palpitating J young man, is seated at the other end all ! alone. Tbe mother Is taken with head- I ache and retires. Tbe young folks are at- traded toward each other at the rate of a foot and a balf for every forty-two sec- onds. How Ions will It take them to bump togetberr . A tin peddler cheats a farmer's wits out of eleven cents on her paper rags and seventeen cents on a calfskin, while she works off two dozen bad eggs on him at fourteen cents per dozen, and stuffs a pound and and a balf of bens' feathers into the sack of geese feathers she sells at forty cents per pound. How much is tbe tin peddler ahead? And why doesn't he smile over Itf A preacher on a salary of $800 per year and a steady job buys a croquet set for two dollars and invites one of tbe church trus tees to play a game with him. How much would tbe salary of the preacher have amounted to in three years, seven months and thirteen days had be staid ou instead of having a "call" within four weeks after L.ating the trustee A dry goods clerk on a salary cf fifteen dollars. a week, and having a cash capital of $1,000 in the bank, begins to court a girl. His intended fatber-in-law borrows of bim at the rate of thirty-two dollars per week, and be saves seven dollars per week out of bis salary. What will be tbe state of his finances at the end of one year? OS" His Mlud. There were fire or six of us on the hotel veranda when a queer looking old fellow came up the ..teps and said his name was Thompson and that he was the village cooper. Then he explained: "Gentlemen, I want to ask a question, and I hope you will answer me truthfully. I want to ask each one separately, so as to see if all agree or disagree." Then he walked each one of us in tnrn down the veranda a few feet and whisper ingly inquired: "Do you believe that any such mau as General Washington actually lived and was the father of bis country" "Why, certainly." "You can't possibly be mistaken about itf" "Of course not." "Willing to bet your life?" "Yea, sir." When he had finished with the last man he said: "Gentlemen, I'm sorry to bave troubled you, but for the last thirty-five years I've argued and contended that there was no such man. This morning I determined to get I be blamed thing off my mind one way or another. It is finally off. I believe there was such a man. You don't kuow what a relief! feel, and I will now go and get drunk and celebrate his birthday." It was September, but he got drunk 'and whooped for the 22d of February, Thanks giving, Christmas and Fourth of July all rolled into ou and was in the lockup thai evening wben .. e left town. Sally Was Consoled. After I bad bunked down on the floor of the squatters' cabin and bad been given ibout a quarter of an hour to go to sleep, ( l ird tbe woman ask her husband across .be fireplace: "Jim, wben be nn gitsupinthemawnin srill him ask fur soap?" "Of co'se not," replied the man. "Fur towels?" "No." "Won't be un ask fur whisky?" "No." 'Nor a comb fur him's ba'r?" "No." "Reckon be un will look fur coffee and stent?" "Of co'se not." "Nor fur sugar or butter?" "No." "Reckon he un will eat pone and bacon and say nutbin?" "Sartin." "Jim, I wish we had towels and soap and brusb and comb fur be un," she continued after a bit. "Sally, you purty nigh blind, I reckon!" be exclaimed in reply. "Can't you see he's a gentleman, and doan' yo' own sense figger it out tbat no gentleman ever uses sich truck wben he kin possibly dodge itl" M. Quad. Afraid of the Shock. In tbe meadows far beyond the suburbs of the town the frogs croaked. Some boys were pounding them on tbe head with clubs and tbey croaked because tbey couldn't live any longer. In tbe hot city all work on public con tracts bad ceased it being after 4 o'clock. A man with a ladder was creeping along tbe tborougl are like a guilty thing, sur reptitiously lighting a few street lamps. Tbe car which bad just turned tbe corner was crowded to suffocation. Thrice bad tbe off bor fallen i .ion bis nose in tbe effort to effect transit of some sort. Inside, tbe only i.ian who remained sit ting wore no necktie and ot berwise evinced adisposition to ignore the rights of human ity nt large. "Will you give some lady your seat?" Tbe coudur-'ur was talking brusquely to tbe man with no necktie. "No," was tbe unequivocal reply. "Why not?". Tbe man without a tie snorted savagely. "Because," be growled, "the doctor says I must studiously avoid a sudden shock." The conductor betrayed his Impudence. "Well, now, wbere's the sudden shock In giving a lady your seat?" be hotly de n ended. "She might thank me." There were not more than two or three v. ttbin bearing distance who failed to ap preciate tbe point. Detroit Free Press. High Tariff. An exchange tells a story of a little girl wbo baa m regular weekly allowance, wbicb ber mother uses rather Ingeniously as a means of correction. For every little naughtiness the culprit Is fined in other words, ber allowance is diminished. Tbe other morning Miss Isabel was In a peculiarly contrary mood. She did some thing out of tbe way and was fined a cent. In a few minutes she erred again, and a second One wss Imposed. For the third time tbe offense was committed. "Now, Isabel," said the mother, "I shall One you two cents this time, and if yor disobey again I shall make it four cents." "Ob, dear me!" sighed Isabel, "I tbink this Is a pretty expensive place to live in." Youth 'a fntnnanion. I Why He Bought No Stamps. "Mr. Scribble." said tbe old millionaire. "Yes, sir," answered bis private secre tary. "Here -are ISO begging letters received yesterday." "Yes, sir." V "And yon will observe tbat every one has a two cent stamp Inclosed for a reply." "Yes, sir." ' "Well, answer them all evasively on pos tal cards and encourage them to writ again." Texas Sifting. eeeesfal. "Did Mia Barrows sing "The Lullaby" wtllf" " "Beautifully. Why, I fell out of my enair Into tbe aisle, nearly dead with sleep, before ah waa half through." Harper's iAasar.' ... . i - . i SAVED BY A TREE. AN ADVENTURE IN INDIA WITH A STRANGLER. Tbe Mysterious Murders That Took Place Near Hyderabad and How the Mur derer Was at Last Discovered He Makes a Full Confession. Copyright, 1S32, by Charles B. Lewis.) Three years after the Sepoy rebellion bad been put down in India, and with the coun try under such military and legal discipline as it had never known before, I was at Hy derabad, a large town 500 miles east of Bom bay, in the province of Dekkan. It was there that a band of professional thugs, number ing thirty-two men, was captured and ex ecuted in 1860. The vigorous search after and prompt punishment of criminals was having a due effect, and not a case of poison ing or strangling bad been known about Hyderabad for several months. In fact these two classes of murderers were sup posed to have become extinct in that prov ince. One morning a ryot, or farmer, was found dead on the public square, and it was speedily discovered that he had been choked to death. The imprints proved It to be the work of a strangler. The thug used a cord, while the strangler used bis fingers. His marks could not be mistaken. He brought bis thumbs together on the "Adam's apple," while the ends of the fin gers got their purchase just below the vic tim's ears. Sometimes the fingers clutched bis ears or hair. The "mark" was always plain to be seen on the neck. Now and then a victim was attacked from behind. In such cases the strangler's thumbs were brought together on the back of the neck, and bis fingers were locked together ovi the "apple." Several suspects were arrested, but noth ing came of it. About twenty days after the first case a woman was found dead with in three blocks of the public square, and she bad also fallen a victim to thestrangler. Not only had she been choked to death, but her neck was broken. The police were a train aroused, and bodies of cavalry scoured the country and brought in dozens of suspi cious characters, but as in the other case nothing could be proved and all had to be released. At the ' investigation almost every suspect miulo the same reply, as fol lows: "No, sahib, I am ashamed to admit that am noi guuty oi mis crime, we are no longer men, but slaves. I no longer have courage, but am a coward and dare not lift my hand." Ten days later the strangler counted his third victim, and this time it was a Euro pean. Only at rare intervals before the mutiny had a European fallen a victim to tbe professionals of any class. It seemed to be an understood thing with all not to meddle with them in any manner. The vic tim in this case was a clerk in the civil serv ice department attached to the tax collect or's office, I believe. He had been ill for a week or two, and waa occupying a room in a bungalow in tbe heart of tbe town. Ten or a dozen clerks kept "bachelors' ball" together, and there were balf a dozen native servants to tak care of tbe place. This clerk, whose noma was Adams, hadit native man for a nurse, but was almost convalescent. One night at 10 o'clock he sent his nurse with a note to a bungalow half a mile distant. The nurse was ab sent abou t three-quarters of an hour, and upon bis return he found Adnns dead. There was the mark on bis throat, and there was no question about bis having been the victim of a professional, and probably of the same fiend who bad stran gled tbe other two. Tbe police and the military now quite lost their beads. During the following week there were about 700 arrests, some of them being made 200 miles away. Noth ing like detective work was attempted, and as a consequence every suspect had to be discharged for want of any evidence against bim. The authorities seemed to go on the idea that If a sufficient number of people were arrested the guilty party would somehow betray himself. Strong efforts were made in three or four cases to convict on shady testimony, but after n few weeks every person who hod been ar rested was set at liberty. Being new to tbe country, and having taken a great In terest in the work of exterminating the "professionals," I asked for information on every band. One day, in conversing with a Major Burke on tbe subject, he explained: in my time I have Inspected the bands of at least a score of strangler. Their strength lies mostly in wrist and fingers. ueiore graduating as professionals thev practice ou dummies and resort to certain gymnastics to strengthen tbe parts I have named. Ibis man now among us is cer tainly a professional. If arrested you will find bis thumb flattened on the ball. If I were a detective I should go about looking at thumbs. In most instances the victim leaves scratches or cuts on the bands of tbe assassin, which would further help to Identify bim in case of suspicion." from tbat time on I instinctively glanced at the bauds of every native with whom I came in contact, but without the slightest hope of making any discovery of value. Five weeks after the murder of tbe clerk the strangler waa beard from again. This time bis victim was a ser geant of infantry, and be met bis death on tbe highway between the town and the camp. It won about 9 o'clock In tbe even ing wben he started for camp, and It was known that he was considerably under tbe influence of liquor. He was almost a giant in size and strength, and it waa reasonable to conclude tbat be bad made something of a struggle, even though balf drunk and taken un.iwares. Indeed, when tbe surgeon came to look bim over blood was found in his finger nails to prove tbat he had lacerated tbe hands of bis murderer. This was a point to go on, but was not even considered by the authorities. They followed tbe course previously pursued and made several hundred arrests. On the third day after the sergeant's death I had a bit of chain work to do on a piece of land two miles east of the town, and my helper was a native who bad served In the department for a year. He was a middle aired man. vrv slmi.lur nn.l I nis weignt was not aoove lau pounds. He bad drifted into tbe town at the close of the war, and It was said of him tbat be ! came from the north and had been faith ful to tbe Knglisb during the struggle. ! Wben not ac.lng as a helper hi tbe field he bad the care ot some horses belonging to tbe department. ' The only name that he was known by was Peter. When 1 sent . bim word that I wanted him be returned I a reply that be was ill, but balf an hour I later be put In an appearance and ex plained tbat, be was feeling better. We bad reached the field and had fairly begun work when niy attention was attracted to his bands. The backs of both were scratched and lacerated, though the wounds were half healed. "It was the monkey at the stables wbo did It, whib," he explained aahe held np his hands for tnanection: "I waa KJUbstltssT him and be not revenge. I will sell him if can una a nayer. " I knew he bad a monkey at the stables. and his explanation was perfectly satisfac tory. Tbe matter was forgotten in a mo ment, and it would never have occurred to me again but for what followed. It was a scorching hot day, and after an hour's work we sought the shade to rest. As was lighting my pipe for a smoke Peter observed that he was very thirsty and would visit a spring be knew of about a quarter of a mile away. The field on which we were working hod once been cleared, but was now pretty well grown over with bushes and small trees. He dis appeared at my back, and I gave bim no further thought for many minutes. I hod out my book and was uiaking some field notes wben all of a sudden it struck me that Peter had a peculiar look as he ex plained how he had received the wounds on his hands. I remembered tbat his face hardened and that there was a cruel glitter in his eyes. Things of this sort never strike one at the moment, but are vivid when recalled. When I remembered his looks I wondered that he had not killed the monkey for attacking him, and I re flected that the man must have a hot tern per when aroused. I do not suppose I de voted over five minutes to t his train of thought. As time paused by 1 forgot my surroundings while busy with the pencil Peter had been gone about thirty rain utes, as I afterward figured up, when 1 was suddenly clutched by the throat. 1 was leaning back against a tree hardly larger than a man's arm, and was reclin ing to the left. My eyes caught no glimpse of anything, nor bad my ears detected the slightest sound to put me on my guard. Tbe first sensation was exactly like that of falling. 1 remember a roaring in my ears and fireworks dancing before my eyes, and 1 was perfectly conscious that my throat was in the clutch of human fin gers. What saved me was the tree and the position in which I sat. I did not realize tbat I struggled to break the clutch, but I did put forth a mighty effort. My right shoulder and arm were a lever against the strangler's right wrist, and as I heaved I broke his clutch and leaped to my feet. It was Peter, as you have suspected. He had only gone a few rods away and then turned and crept back on me like a ser pent. His route was through bushes and vines, but wben I came to go over it I could not find that he had broken a twig. My springing up threw him down, but be was on his feet like a cat, and with a cry like that of an enraged beast be sprang for my throat again. His eyes were fairly blazing, bis face distorted with passion and I realized in an instant that it was bis life or mine. Under the new laws no native was al lowed to carry a deadly weapon. If one was found provided with knife or pistol he was sent to prison. On tbe other band, all Europeans went armed. I bad a revolver buckled around me, and if Peter bad not been so sure of strangling me he could bave secured the weapon as he crept up be hind me. He sprang upon me like a wild cat, seeking my throat at every clutch, and we grappled and rolled over and over on tbe ground. He made a dash for my throat with bis right band as we rolled about, and I caught the ends of his first two fingers in my teeth and bit tothe bone. Tbat one . bite gave me , the , victory. Still gripping his fingers, I struggled to my knees, reached for my revolver, and I bad the muzz against bis body when the t hought flashed across my mind tbat'he was the profes sional strangler wanted by tbe police. Up to tbat instant I bod no thought as to why be attacked me. Wben I dropped bis fin gers and covered bim with tbe revolver be made no further resistance. The native of India, like the Arab, believes in fate. "Sahib, you bare won," be said as I stood over bim. "It was to be, and so it is. Do as you will with me." "Peter, why should you seek my life?" I asked, even yet half hoping there might be some mistake about it. "Why did I strangle the others, sahib? A voice commanded me, and I obeyed." "Good beavensl but you are not the mur derer of tbe farmer, the clerk and tbe sol dieryou wbo bave been considered so faithful to the English?" "Even so, sahib. It was to be, and it is. Take me to tbe police and I will admit everything and die like a man." I drove him before me until we encoun tered a troop of cavalry which bad been scouring tbe country for suspects, and which was then returning to town with no less than twenty-six prisoners. Had Pe ter denied his admissions to me nothing could have been proved, and be only would bave been punished for assault. But be felt that fate bad delivered him into the bands of bis enemies, and he was willing to help convict himself. He gave tbe par ticulars of each murder with such detail tbat no doubt could exist. It was tbe ser geant who had lacerated bis bands. He was keeping shady while he waited for tbem to heal. He would not bave accom panied me tbat day but for the fear tbat be might be suspected, though as a matter of fact be would bave been among tbe very last to fall under tbe ban. "I had no thought of strangling you wben we started out," he said to me after bis trial. "It was only after you bad no ticed my hands. While yon appeared in different, I was afraid tbat you suspected. I could bave snatched away your pistol and shot you dead, or I could bave beaten you to death with a club, but my creed would not permit. I must either strangle you or let you live on. Had I been successful 1 should bave made my way north as fast as possible." He did not hesitate to tell the police tbat he was a professional strangler, and it was with considerable pride that be exhibited bis flattened thumbs and illustrated the manner in which the deadly clutch was made. He had been a professional for up ward of twenty years. He spent one whole day making out a list of dates, localities and victims, and the number of murders was appalling. Tbe figures ran up to forty-two or forty-three, and there were seven Europeans among them. He begged no one's forgiveness had no apologies to offer. He told me very plainly that he i was sorry he bad not succeeded wltn me, i as he believed be could have safely escaped ! and lived to gather In ten or twelve more victims. He bod "marked down" six dif- lereui. rjiirupeaus in tne town, ana out or the interference of fate would have stran gled them at intervals of about four weeks. Peter went to the gallows with the utmost Indifference. He did not even be tray the anxiety of a man walking about tbe street. He was, I believe, tbe last pro fessional strangler executed in tbat prov ince, although bis class flourished else where and were picked up one by one for many years after. RUN DOWN BY BLOODHOUNDS The Story of m Positive Who Was Ran , to the Death. .. . . In tbe gray of morning, as people began to move Inside tbe stockade, an alarm was raised that a prisoner had escaped. A prisoner meant a state convict- man overworked, underfed and treated worse than a decent man treats , his dog. , . Life in state prison is vast' and luxury corn- pared with life in a convict camp. Men go out of prison to reform and hold np their beads again among their fellow men. Men leave a convict camp wrecked in body and soul degraded until they abhor them selves. ' "Wbo is it?" "Big Jack Long." "Get out the dogs!" 'Ab, now, we are to see a man bunt with bloodhounds! Man often bunts down man, but there is no fierceness in the pur suit, no longing fnr blood, no wild run across rough fields and through thick for ests. Here tbe fugitive not only seeks lib erty, but flies for his life. 13ig Jack Long, who bad been whipped only the day before who bad been worked like an ox when well and treated worse than a brute when ill who bad years yet to serve and bad nothing to hope for had slipped bis chains during tbe night and found a way over the stockade. Two o three of the guards said they bad expected) something of tbe kind for several weekat two or three others hoped he had got far enough away to give the dogs a good ran and arouse their savage ire. One three five of them real blood bounds, which have tracked down many a fugitive und wet their lips with Ids blood and torn his quivering flesh with their sharp fangs! They know what is wanted! As they are led out they tug and strain and go wild with excitement. A guard brings out the blanket from the rude bed on which Big Jack has slept so long, and tbe dogs tear it to pieces in their growing impatience. Tbey have completed three quarters of a circle around the stockade wben they suddenly strike tbe seer'. There is no holding them now. Their impatience bos turned to fury. The convict knew that bloodhounds would take up his trail. He knew the wonderful keenness of their scent, the ap palling persistency with which tin- would follow on, their mad eagerness to u. -rtake and pull him down. His flight was a hope born of despair. He ran striiiybt away for half a mile. Then he doubled bant and crossed his trail, bent to the riht, bent lo the left, zigzagged like a serpent niakiug its progress. lie forced his way through thicket, be sped swiftly thii.nuli the pine woods, he crossed clearings ami leaped ravines and clambered up rocky hillsides. Once he found a running brook and cried, "Thank God!" as be stepped into tbe shal low water and felt tbat his trail was hid den at last. But after a journey of a few rods the creek lost itself amid such a tangle of vines and bushes and drift that be bod to clamber out again. Hp ran on and on, taking but little beed of his route, but feeling that each yard carried him nearer to liberty. He was miles away and still pushing ahead wben the east grew red with tbe glory of tbe coming sunrise. "Oul ou! oul" Big Jock Long stopped dead in bis tracks. Hod the mournful tones of a fu neral bell come down to his ears on the morning air he would have been aston ished. Now he was appalled. The dogs bad been let loose on bis trail. Tbe blood bound bays only when he has lost tbe scent for a moment or wben be sights his quarry. Big Jack bod staggered through a swamp scarce heeding where hia exhausted-limbs were taking bim, and tbe dogs were at fault for a moment. Did you ever see a bloodhound trailing a man? His eyes do not look for foo. prints; his nose is not seeking tbe scent on the earth. The scent rises to him, even though tbe trail be a day old. He runs through it as if it were a mist. No matter wbo has followed over tbat trail or how often it has been crossed he cannot be confused. Should the fugitive double back the dog will run both trails at tbe same time. Should he circle the dog will cross the circle and pick up tbe scent on the far side. Nothing but water con baffle him, and there must be miles of it to make bim giveovertbe buuU Oul oul ou!" The sounds bave a note of triumph in tbem. The dogs bave found tbe scent again. Big Jack can escape tbe fury of thsj beasts by climbing a tree. After tbe dogs) the hunters, after the hunters tbe stockade a beating further degradations. Good! He draws himself up and his eyes flash de fiance. He is going to fight for his life. Not He is going to die fighting! Better to die at once than week by week and niontts by month. Better to die with a weapon la his hands than with clanking chains on bio limbs. He breaks a stout limb from a tree and sits down to recover his breath aud summon np all bis courage. Tbe morning sunshine is pouring into tbe forest. Tbe joyous notes of the birds reach bis ears from every direction, and as his eyes gleam and his lips compress a ground squinet playfully approaches and retreats as if chal lenging bim to mirth. Down there in tbe underbrush some thing movesi There is a rustling and crashing tbe dogs are beret As they cry out in chorus at sight of bim be stands up and takes a firm grip of bis club. Of what use tbat a mighty blow stretches one beast dead at his feet? Tbat another breaks bones and another leaves him but two ene mies to c. nquer? He is weak and ex hausted, and two are enough to pull bim down. When the man hunters ride up the dogs have done tbeir work and lie panting with tbeir red tongues touching tbe earth. Big Jack Ixmg has made good his escape from tbe horrors of a convict camp tbat is, he is lying dead among tbe fiends who have run him down. M. QUAD. To Ue a Cigarette Smoker. To be a cigarette smoker one must have graceful, delicate bands; they are indis pensable to roll cigarettes, as well as to play the harp. The portion of the cigarette that touches tbe smoker's lips is never damp. He does not cough nor spit, and may live in a drawing room where tbe car pel is of white velvet aud never let a grain of ashes fall. He replies Instantly toevery question; only cigar and pipe smokers de lay dialogues to draw another puff. The smoke does not soil bis pink linger nails. evidently more marvelous girts are requisite to form a cigarette smoker than a leader of men. It is easier to make of time money, and all the accessories of money, than to make of it a perpetual st tempt to satisfy an insatiable craving. It is better to be useful than to sacrifice one's '. life to a cruel and Useless desire. That Is : why there are no more cigarette smokers in New York. New York Times. Her First Pair, ' . She knew it all. Of course she did. She , was about of that age when tbey always ,' da She was pert und pretty,- but she didn't wear suspenders. However, shs knew she oughbto. That's why she sailed ; Into tbe store so grandly. Tbe poor Inno cent, Ignorant clerk was utterly overcome by ber tremendous superiority., i He sim -, ply did not know, anything except bow ' terribly lnferior.he was tor this prodigy of, superexcellence. ' ."Have you suspenders here," sbe said with an air of if-you-haven't-you'd-better-have.' ; jvvt ;;f .;' A "1 Tbe clerk could only nod In affirmation. ' "Well,'! she continued, "I want a. se1 I Then the clerk busted wide openD; troit Free Press. ; j ? I . i - -A -V r
The Semi-Weekly Citizen (Asheville, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 20, 1892, edition 1
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