THE DANBURY REPORTER;
VOLUME 1.
Tms REPORTER.
PUJII.IKHKI) WEEKLY lIY
PEPPER & SONS,
PffOiMtl KTOBS.
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION. ;
Qne Year, payable iu advance, - $t p
Six Months, - - - 100
RATES or ADVERTISING.
One SqUnre (ten lines or leu) 1 Um«, SIOO
For each additional insertion, - 50
Contracts for Wgcf time or nirire spneo can
IM made ill jirojtortioo to tlio ahovs rates,
Transient advertisers will lie e*|>ected to
remit according to these rates at the time tliey
send tbeir favors.
Local Notices will be chnrged 50 par cent,
hi pier than above rn'es.
Bu4int«s Cards will be inserted at Ten Dol
lars per annum.
Bam'L WUITS, JOHN A. JABBOB,
O. E. Scnm.i.MAN.
WHITE & BUSC/H.WAN,
wholesale dealers in
MATS, CAPS. FURS,STRAW UOODS AND
LADIES' IIA^S.
Ho. 3TB W. Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md
11. 11. LANIER,
1 with
B. P. BAYIiJSY & CO.,
importers of
CHINA, GLASS AND (JUEENS
WAKE, LAMPS.&o.
27 Hanover street, Haiti more, Md.
' e. M. oi s. a,
WITT!
R. W. POWERS & CO.,
WHOLE SA L E DRUGGISTS,
and dealers in Paints, Oils, Dyes, Varnishes,
French Window Glas j , Ac.,
Ho. 1305 Main St., Richmond, Ya.
proprietors Aromatic Peruvian Hitters .f" Com
pound Syruj/ Tolu and Wild Cherry.
J. r. KAMTOLPII &. E\GMSH,~~
BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS, AND
BLANK-liOOK MANUFACTURERS.
1318 Jlain .-treut, Richmond.
A Large Stock of LA 11' ISOOKS tilicuyi on
bol-fim hand.
A h. ELLE'L'T, A. JUDSON \VATKINS,
CLAY DREWRY, STEPHEN li. IIUOUBS
A. L. EI.LETT & CO.,
importers and jobbers of
DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS.
Nos. 10, 12 and 14 Twelfth street (between
Main and Carv)
nl-ly RICHMOND, VA.
IIARTMW .V H lIiTEIIILL,
WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS, CLOTHS, CAS
81MEREH, ETC.
31 and 323 Ilaltiinore sheets, Daltitnore, Md.
aol-lj
O. r. DAY, ALBERT JONES
DAY & JONES,
Manufacturers of
' SADDLERY, HARNESS, COLLARS,
TRUNKS, .jo.
Ko. 33G W. Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md.
nol-ly
W. A. TUCK Kit, 11. O. SMITH
8. 11. NPRAUINS. .
TUCKER, SMITH & CO.,
Manufacturersßnd Wholesale Dealers in
BOOTS; SHOES; HATS AND CAPS.
ISO Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md..
ol>ly.
JNO W. HOLLAND
with
T. A. BRVAN ii CO.,
Manufacturers of FRENCH and AMERICAN
CANDIES, in every variety, and
» in
FRUITS, NUTS, CANNED GOODS, CI
GARS, Jr.
339 and 341 Baltimore Struct, Baltimore, Md.
Orders from Merchants solicited. "&S.
C. W. THORN, J E. F.TCIIISON.
C. W. THORN' &, CO.,
wholesale dealers in
HATS, CAPS. STRAW GOODS, AND
LADIES' TRIMMED HATS.
1300 Main Street, Richmond, Va.
OH AS. T. HALS LEY,
Vith
CHAS, r. STOKES k CO.,
Manufacturers and wholesale dealers iu all
kinds of
WOODEN, WILLOW AND TINWARE,
Richmond, Va
Broom, Bucket and Tinware factories, Harvie
town, Va.
D. 11. STBVKMSON,
MORT. W. ROOERS, 1,. SLINCILUPP
STEVENSON, ROGERS k CO.,
wholesale
BOOTS AND SHOES,
£24 W. Baltimore Street, (near Howard,)
Baltimore, Md.
R. E. BEST,~
WITH
HENRY SOMVEBOItN & CO.,
WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS.
SO Hanover Street, (between German and
Lombard Streets,)
BALTIMORE, MO.
H. SONNEBOHN, « UUMLINE.
♦My
B. F. KING
WITH
JOHNSON, SUTTON & 170.,
DEV GOODS.
Not. 31® and 318 Baltimore street; N. B. cor
ner Howard,
HALTIMOXE MD.
T. W. JOHNSON, R. M. SUTTON,
J. a. B. CBAUUE, Q. J. JOHNSON,
nol-ljr.
*HTAU.I3UBD 1525.
RED SOLE LEATHER.
E. LARRIDEE & SONS,
importers And Dealers in
SBOB FINDINGS AND FRENCH CALF
SKINS,
i Manufaeturers of
OAK-TANNED HARNESS AND UPPER
LEA i HER.
Ko. 20 South Calvert street; Baltimore, Md.
Consignments of Rough Leather solicited.
47-flm
PEEON^VILLE, MUJRHEE.
That was what it Was called in ihs
tiewspapers, tfrd "Hehinaville Murder,"
for Heroosmle Ws a sTekftf, qtriet lltths
village, and there was selilditf »ny such
excitement in the place it bii'c&uteH by
this event. ftsirig it detective, murder
was rathsr an everyday matter in roy
life, bat there w*s much that was tnys
terions and hafinffg fn this affair from
the first.
N— being the nearest large town to
the scene of the murder, and I being
the only member of the seoret detective
force at N—, it was quite regular for
me to be cent down to see what I could
make of the case, more especially as my
| mother owned a cottage at Heronsfille,
i where I wis in the habit of visiting; so
my appearance would exoito no com
i ment.
To be pure, there was a man in the
county jail charged with the murder,
with everything against him but popular
sympathy, and let mo tell you that is a
pretty big exception in a man's favor.
He was a peddler, and his name was
i John Watson. The first time he ap
peared in fleronsville with a well-assort
ed pack of notions, was in July, and I
declare solemnly before the day was over
half the women in the place were in love
with him.
He was a tall, straight, well-made
i young fellow, handsome as a picture,
| with merry brown eyes, a clear, joyous
voice, and the ringing laugh of a light
! hearted schoolboy. He had a jest for
I everybody, was "hail fellow well met"
with the men, Bauoily familiar with tbc
girls, and respectfully deferential to the
aged. It was and is uiy belief that when
John Watson oould not sell a paok of
goods, no man living could sell them.
Why, even my old mother bonght me a
dozen handkerchiefs with borders of
skull and cross-bones, because the fellow
told ber that they were the very latest
, New York fashion for young swells.
He stayed a week in July, came back
I twice iu August, again in September,
and again in October, when he was com
mitted to jail lor the murder of old
•Josiah Wjlie.
He had laughingly declared that on
his travels West, he could get no further
than Herousville, as he invariably emp
tied his paok there, and was obliged to
return to New York for fresh supplies.
But it was prstty well understood in
the village black eyes and rosy
i cheeks of Fanny Gules, the belle of ail
I the country parties, bad more to do with
> bis frequent visits than his customers
But Fanny Ooles, who was as full of
, life and animation as John Watson hitn-
I self, who had flirt with all the farm
; era' sons for utiles around, and yet kept
them all for fast friends, was not easily
won.
! She might give love for love, be will
ing to put her little baud iuto Johu's
and follow his fortunes, but Bbe was old
Josiab Wvlie's uieoe, and he was dead
set against all peddlers, and John Wat
son above theui all.
"What you see to like in that grin
oing jackanapes 1 can't understand," he
would say, and Fanny would retort with
some allusion to the gloom of her home,
tho miserly stint of even comforts, and
, declare she would marry John if only
for the like of a good laugh now and
! then.
It was a miserable home. Tho only
servants wero an old woman, almost past
work, and her son, who was homely and
balf-witt«d. Neither of them lived in
the house—coming in the morning;, and
returning at Dight to a wretched hovel,
nearly a quarter of a mile from Wylie's-
They were not particularly food of the
old man, knowing that he employed
them because they could command only
low wages, but they worshipped Fanny.
She had a bright spirit, that even the
gloom of the old house oould not quel l ,
aod baring no mother, she was food of
old Mrs. Potter, saviug hur what she
oould, and always keeping some liulo
piece of oake or fruit for Bartoa, the
MR. , LsilqqA -nnsm 1 " aJicT ttsa i
Io his idiotio way Bart Potter wor
shipped the girl, the only per sou he bsd
ever known, not excepting bjfl own
mother, who never had A blow rough
word for him.
He wouhi look up at her in a sort of
dumb worship-'wlrtw-jhe'put her gentle
band on bis shoulder, or asked him to
perform the littlo services for which be
was paid, as if they wore personal favor*
BURY, "N. V.,THUR.SDAY, MAY 31, 1877.
DAN
"ft'ils IftV
4u4 the girl's
pityiog foe the lad, found
Room in his pack for gat*di|y-oolored
glints, or roll# of oUy candy to give to
FITRFSW IJJ I u ran :LI■ ■ •
Everybody at .Heronspillp knew ex
actly the of a&tirq at Josiah Wy
lio's, John 4 pqrsi*tent wooing. Funny's
constancy, and tbo old man's opposition
But in (sotober, when the latt of the
visits 1 have mentioned had just begun,
when John bad openly declared his in
tention of marryiog Fanny before he
left IleronsTillo again, there came the
awful murder that apptHed the quiet
village. The faots put into my hands,
upon whioh to work, were these, in the
chief's own language :
"John Watson went over to see Fanny
Coles on Wednesday evening ; Fanny
was out, but old Mrs. Putter was in the
kitchen. She says that Josiah Wylte
ordered John Watson out of the house,
aod threatened to turn Fanny out, too>
if ever she spoke to him again. John
aooused him of wanting to keep Fanny
unmarried to be his slave. They quar
reled loudly, and the old woman got
frightened, and ran over to Smith's to
get some of the men to separate Josiah
Wylie and John. Coming back, she
met John, hurrying up the road, evi
dently in a fearful rage, aod iu the bouse
she found Josiah lying doad upon the
floor, his head split open with an axe,
that lay beside him. John Watson was
arrested as a matter of course, and I
was the mtn who did that piece of duty.
Now. Hoyt," and here the chief empha
sized each word by tapping his right
forefinger upon the open palm of his left
hand, "I put my hand on John Watson's
shoulder myself, and if there ever was
an innocent man's face turned to a police
officer, that face was John Watson's. —
Many a one I've clapped my hand on,
but never one that started with a cherry
'hulloo !' and a boy's laugh to ask what
1 wanted. Just that first touch will be
tray a man if he is guilty, even if his
nerves are of iron, but there was not a
shadow upoa John Watson's faoe, or a
quiver in bis voice. You might have
thought he waf guilty two minutes later,
when I told him what I did want. He
turned as white as death, and shook as
if he had the palsy, but it was the shock
of surprise and horror, not of guilt.—
Now, lloyt, your business is to fiud out,
Jobn Watson being innocent, who did
murder Josiah Wylie. I needn't tell
you that we must hold the peddler till
you find us a man to put in his placo."
So I went to Heronsville in an every
day dress, with no trace of my uniform
about me, to make a visit to my old
mother. Greatly to my satisfaction I
found Fanny Coles was her guest, a
heart-broken girl, sobbing alternately for
her murdered uncle and her suspected
lover, but refusing utterly to believe that
John's hand was evet raised to strike
down * gray-haired, feeble old man,
however much he was angered against
him.
In a quiet way, as a visitor to the
placo, interested in the latest piece of
news, I obtained all the information
mother aod Fanny could give me, and
my conclusion was that things looked
very black for John WaUoo, very black
indeed.
There was the quarrel, and the fact
of John's rushing out of the house ap
parently directly after the murder.—
There was the fact that murder alone
was the crime, as not one artiole in the
house, or upon the old man's person was
disturbed, even his watch and purse were
untouched, so robbery was not the temp
tation. Above all, there Was the mo
tive, glaring as daylight—the removal
of the only otstaclein the way of John's
love for Fanny, before her unole could
carry out his threat of disinheriting ber.
Very black for John Watson.
1 went over to the jail, still with no
hint of my true errand, and had a long
talk with the prisoner, coming away
firmly convinced of his innooenoe, bdt
almost as firmly convinced of the impos
sibility of clearing him. Like many
bright, buoyant natures he was utterly
down fey hia misfortune, And gloctu
ily despondent. '•
Stili, as a curious Visitor, 1 pcrwaded
Fanny to go wjtii mo to the house, to
point out to tue the scene of the warder,
tfhe shrank from kite task, but allowed
herself to be persuaded by • cautious
lilnt that we might discover some olue
j to lead to the detection of the real mur
derer. There had been the usual polioe
| investigation, tbe coroner's inquest, bat
tho resa4t had only been to fix the sus
picion of guilt more firmly upon John
WalMDf
Finny was very silent at re walked
across tbe long path through tbe mead
ows, leading to her home. She looked
like a gbeat of her pretty bright self,
with her white cheeks and tipr, and her
heavy blaok dreaa and *ati.
The house had been closed since tbe
funeral, and had a cell-like chill about
it as we opened the'doors and an barred
the heavy ahuttera. Upon tha aheap
carpet in the aitting-room was still visi.
ble, though scoured, the ghastly stain
1 sbfejire the bead of the murdered man
bad rested. Tbe aie stood io one cor
ner of the room, blood clotted, a heavy
weapon.
"Where did you keep this T" I asked
"Behind the woodpile in the oellar,"
i said Fanny, Bhivering with eold and
horror.
"And whooaed it?"
"Unole Josiah himaelf. We never
coold persuade Barton to go into tbe
cellar. He was terribly afraid of tbe
| durk, and would have a kind of fit if
left alone after nightfall. Poor Bart!
I ought to go over there. I suppose
he and his mother most miss the food
and wagoa, poor as they were."
"Will you show me wbere the axe
was keptl" I asked.
"Y«e. We will need a candle."
We found the candle, lighted it, and
went to tbe oellar. While I was peer
ing into the woodpile, the oandle being
upon tbe cellar stairs, Fanny touohed
my nrtn with a trembling hand.
"Mr. Hoyt," she said, in a whisper,
"what oan they do to a half-witted man
if he oommits a crime 7"
"l'ut him in a lunatio asylum "
"The day before tbe murder," she
said, still in a whisper, her lips pallid
and shaking, "we had a heavy rain."
"Yes," I said.
"And tberS is no house upon the yel
slay Ijrt bwt the ,eao where old Mrs.
Potter snd Bart live."
"Wellf" My beari was beating with
unprofessional.rspidity.
' "Look 1 Barkis lame; limps !"
She lowered tbe candle as she spoke.
Distinctly traced apon the black, bard
earth of tbe cellar toor, in bright yellow
olay, was a footprint, then the print of
half a foot—the limping pressure of a
lame man to the woodpile and back again
"Bart was h«ret" Fanny said. "Bart!
i He is sfraid of tbe dark. He never
came here. Mr. Hoyt, he came for tbe
■ axe."
"Have yoa seen him siooe 7" I asked
"Not onoe. ID my aajfisb grief I
forgot him. We—we will go over
I You are sure they do not hang idiots 7"
"Quite sure," I answered, striving to
keep up my character of mere enriosity
, seeker. "Suppose we do go over 7"
We fouod Bart alone, sitting upon tbe
doorstep of the wretohed hut be called
home, his hands idly folded. He started
to bis feet when ha saw Fanny, and ran
to meet bcr.
"I'm so glad ! I'm so ghd !" he kept
1 saying, and the poor girl showed in her
i quivering lips and tearful Ayes the strag
gle it cost her to try to fasten a crime
upon the poor idiot. But controlling
herself she said, steadily :
"Bart, I came to ask you if my unole
any message for me befbre he
r
! "No, Miss."
"Did he speak at all after you struck
him with the axe f"
"Not a ward 1 Dropped right down."
As Fanny .would have dropped, I
quickly threw my arm around bar, in
I support. "Courage," I whispered, "re
member John." Bhe recovered bemlf
in a moment, and asked :
j "Why did yeu strike bin, Bart 7"
The boy'* vacant blae eyes opened
! wider in amazement.
•''Cause," ho said, "he drove John
, Wutsou off, an' stood a mutterin' an' a
muttcria' the awful things he was goiu'
to do to hia and to you, Miss, a sendhi'
you off to the almshouse an' such talk,
j An' it jes' come over mo good times
we'd all ba«e, you an 4 Mr. John, an'
: me an' mother, if be waa goss, an' I
, fetched the axe, I did—all alone out of
1 the dark cellar."
Tbe last words wero spoken triumph-
I sntly, and th« Ud paused »• if iting
to be pruised for bis bravery But
Fanny waa beyoud speech, shivering and
1 sobbing, and I said :
"And you struck tbe poor old maw?"
"Just one orack !" '
At this moment Mrs. Potter Ofossed
the patch of ground around the hot..—
She understood in a moment that the
boy had betrayed his guilt, and' Uirst
into loud lamentations. But my duty
was plain, sod before night Barton Put
ter was in the Heronsville jail.
At the trial Mrs. Potter confessed
that she had suspected her son after the
inquest, and won a full story af the
murder from him, but swore most posi
tively that up to that time sho had he
lieved John Watson to be the guilty
man
It had removed a haunting horror
from the old woman's mind to know that
her son would not be hanged, but placed
uoder proper restraint in an asylum,
wbere she c mid visit him, and where he
would really be gfore comfortable and
better fed than he had ever been.
John Watsou was theberoof Herons
ville for many a long day. The money
that Fanny inherited" frtfui h?r uuqle she
put into her husband's bauds to si art a
store in tbe village, and he gave up ped
dling to settle down in the old home
stead, made so cheerful and home like
by Fanny's bright devices, that the vil
lage people hlVe quite forgotten to asso
ciate gloomy thoughts with the spot
where the Heronsville murder occurred
A Bernini ecuco of Washington.
A needy sailor with a wheelbarrow of
shells accosted the (Jeneral on the street,
and, holding up a number of oonch
shells, implored him to buy them
Washington listened with sympathy to
the story of his sufferings and want, and
kindly replied that he would buy them
if he could in any way make use of
them. Necessity perhaps sharpened tho
sailor's wits, and he promptly suggested
that they would make lovely buttons fbr
his velvot coat. The General doubtless
smiled at the ingenious proposal, but
agreed to try them. Carrying home his
occad treasure d -jJi-.k ' shells, he sent
for a button maker to know if he colild
manufacture a article out of the
playthings with which he found himself
enoumbcred. The workman replied that
he could make the buttons if he could
find an instrument sharp enough to
pierce them. Washington would have
nothing useless about him. and so the
shells were delivered to the manufactur
er, who in due time returned them to
him in tho shape of concave buttons, a
little larger than a quarter of a dollar,
with a silver drop in the center, hiding
the spot where the eye is fastened be
nenth The President then astonished
the Republican court by appearing in a
coat with pink conch-shell buttons spark
ling on Us dark velvet surface. liighty
years ago, it seems, fashion rule;! io the
hearts, or rather over the costumes, of
men and women, just as it does nW; for
Captain Lewis bears testimony that
conch-shell buttons immediately became
the rage. The shell venders' and button
makers' fortunes were made by the Gen
eral's passion for utiliting everything
that came into his possession —Scrib
ncr's Monthly.
Fretting. „
It was the Celebrated Dr. Xbernathy
who said that "one-half of file diseases
in the world were caused by ttuffivfj, the
other half by /rcttinj." Doub'tesS the
ecoentric doctor was somewhat too sweep
ing in his classification. Still the truth
is that we see a great deal of fretting
done constantly, and that it Is as hurtful
as it is useless.
Fretting is first a habit, then a dis
ease; and unfortunately! tha chief suf
ferers from this disease are not the pco
pie who do the fretting biit the people
who have to listen to them. One per
siatently fretful man or woman can make
ao many victims miserable that the oon
temptation becomes appalling.
Therefore, wo say t Don't fret-, dear
sisters, don't fret, even though your
oareless servant has oraefcotf your be>t
china dish, or soratehed your new silver,
er let the furrtaoe Ire go out—even
though tbe dressmaker baa disappointed
yoa, at Johnnie'l new suit doesn't fit,
or yoer parlor cailiaff'haa boon spittle 1
by a leak in tbe pipe; let noae of these
evils and vexations touch yon so nearly
as to uiake jou tret, snd you will soon
find that uo uue eUe will lret in
presence,
. »♦•*- » : ——— ,
1 A final report—tb«: ciack of doom.
NUMBER 51
Spontaneous Combustion.
Io K-jnmn's saloon, back of the Citjr
Hall to-day, a man was burned to death
by spoutaueous combustion. He had
oot beoo more than a month in the oi y,
but in that lime bad been frequently
arrested for drunkenness. lie wandered
about uloue, sccuungly demented, oocu
pying bis whole time in drioting the
vilu piisou ol the city front and liarbary
Coast Dens. lie bad twice been treated
by Dr. Stivers for delirium tremens, and
was this morning discharged after a
longer time than usual, lie continued
drinking steadily at the v irious bars ill
the vieiuity, and die. siie of each
potation promised to speedily eend him
back to (he hospital.
At lungth he staggered up to a bar
nearly insensible, and feebly ticked for
a driuk. This was refused biua, and hp
toward the gas jet to light a
stump of a cigar while the barkpeper
turned away. A moment afterward he
heard a low moan and noticed a flash of
lire, and turning round saw fall
ing to the flopr, his bead enveloped in
black, thick smoke, while flumes issued
from his mouth and ears.. Not a mo
ment was lost ip attending to the suffer
er. He was beyond pUef, fyowever.-y
--llia face was perfectly black, partly
charred aud partly covered With a moist
soot. His eyes woro open.- His moutji
was completely roasted on the iositje,
but with the exception of his head and
hands no part of his body bore marks
of his horrible death. A letter found
in his pocket addressed to M. Ilarly or
Hartley, furnishes the only cluo to his
identity— San Francisco Post.
Practicing what He Preaches.
The New York Evening Pout (Repub
lican) says: "The trouble with Presi
dent Hayes appears to .be that he has
never learned the important art of sir
ing one thing and meaning another.
is an old-fashioned man with an old
fashioned prejudice in favor of truth.—
lie Actually thinks that a solemn prom
ise made by his party in convention, aqd
by himself in his letter of acceptanop,
is a thing to be kept. Ho does not un
derstand these things, and in bis sim
plicity add ignorance lie is ruining the
business of surne very large speculators
in political wares, merely for Hie sako
of doiDg what lie and his party promised
to do. It is terrible of course, but it
oouies of taking fur a leader an unknown
man, untrained in the business of party
management, a man who even went 80
far as to declare that he did not need to
be elected once and would oot be elected
twice."
About Babies.
Different countries have different meth
ods of dealing with their yonnij. The
Greenland baby is dressed in furs and
ear: ied in a sort of pocket in the back
of its mother's cloak. When she is very
busy and does not want to be bothered
with it, she dit;9 a hole in the snow and
covers it all up but its face, and leaves
it there until she is ready to take care
of it again. The Hindoo baby bangs
io a basket from the roof, and is taught
to smoke long before ha learns to walk.
Among the Western Indians the poor
little tots aro tied fast to a board and
have their beads flattened by mean* of
another board fastened do*a ever their
foreheads. In Lima the little follow
lies all day in a hammock swung from
a trt«6 top, like the baby fn the nursery
song. In Persia he is dressed in the
most costly silks and jewels, and his
bead is never uoCovored day or night;
while in Yucatan a pair of sandals and
a straw hat are thought to be all tbo
olothing he needs.
Money.
Wealth is potent in its otvn sphere,
hut, impotent beyond it. It ean put a
telegraph u»d> r the sea and cover the
land with a network of wires as with a
spidtt-'s weV II can build railroads and
bridge oceans. It can have houses and
lands and every material advantage;
but here its puwer stops.
It cannot purchase goodness or jus
tice, or gontleneds, patienoe, or love, or
| true friendship It cannot d> anything
to make character ttrnnget or life sweet
er. It can say to the minister, I will
i ioftd you aud olotUe.ynu while you aro
making men better, and to the teaoher,
I will take care of you While you are
making fAcn wi*«r: but it can do nofh
! mg without i(ho bruin Of wisdom or the
j heart of a&idueat. It can build rail
i nads, but it cannot, bui d iqen.— Vhrit
• tin a union..