North Carolina Newspapers

V ""--'-L -THEJ- AJSf EXCELLENT) u!:ial Organ of Washington County. PLBST OF' All THE V ADVERTISING MEDIUH.' 1 Circulates cxlensivtly In the Ceunllas tf Washiflflon. L'irtin, Tyrrell tod EiasfcrL &b Printing In ItsYarlous Iranshss. 1.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE. FOB GOD, FOU COUNTRY, AND FOB TRUTH." SINQLK COPY, 5 CENTS. VOL. IX. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1898. NO. 51. 'IlSiil T',:''-''V lit n i 1 " FATE' .' Fair as the summer azure , A timid ylolet blew , Close to the fort's embrasure,. O'er which the hot shells flew. 'Koath battle-smoke and thunder . I The fort was quickly stilled, Its huge wall blown asuuder, Its brave defenders killed. Still on the fortress battered, - Whose heroes lay entombed Beneath their banners tattered, The peaceful violet bloomed. -E. K. Munkittriek In Collier's Weekly. A City Tragedy. "My goot frient, what shall I haf Jone nut this ?"inquired Stomp pathet jcaljly as I entered his room one day. vere is a man who haf to see me 5atennd he cannot speak der words .' a6f hear, and he haf hurt der hand so . ic he to write is not able." . . tomp was evidently in a state of tome excitement, for his nervous energy sras always in direct ratio to his in ability to speak the Queen's English. What's wrong?'; I asked. "More monkey dricks,"said Stomp; "Pah! I with der human race dis- gasted am. I colne home and my dih ner'expect, und l find dot, und he haf give me dis!" saying which he flung i dirty scrap of "paper across to me. l'tinfolded it, and saw an erratic scrawl,. evidently written with a blunt pencil, and so much smudged and smeared as to be illegible in parts. I managed to decipher painfully a few words. 'Kommen sie gleich. . Folgen- ; Sie haben mich gefangen. Eringen ein anderer iq- rPVe8-. irt. A. de B. - Hng the paper back. ' .;" "Ach, drifei you shall gall it, my so goot friend! Dot is der language of der gods," -;v. - "Possibly, "I answered. "It's Greek to met anyway." "The paper haf say," said Stomp solemnly: " 'Come at once. Follow (brobably der bearer). - They haf saught me. tiring another man with yon. Urgent.' Und it is sigued 'A. de B. : Dot is. De Brenne, who haf been gone from England six months. . I do not onderstand, but I haf think i Hhat rows there will be. This bagan is der servant of my frient. He was born mit dree senses only. You will come with me? Und on der way I will tell you der story of De Breune. " fYes; of course I'll come," said L 'I'm spoiling -for a row. "Dere shall be der very big rows," aid Stomp., All this time the deaf-and-dumb messenger sat motionless a3 a carved " statue, watching our.faces as we talked. I think that, in common with others . afflicted as he was, he had the power of understanding our speech by the movement of our lips. . At any rate, his face brightened when he saw Stomp making preparations to start, and sprang from his chair with a' low gutteral sound unlike anything I ever heard before. It gave me quite a shock, and, turning rapidly to the man, I saw that the hair on the back of his head was darkened "and matted together. Stomp's eyes followed mine. . "Ya, I haf noticed," he said. "Dere will da der first-glass rows. Haf you a revolver?" I shook my head. V Stomp unlocked a case on the man telpiece, and hauded me one, a long 1 barrelled 32 Smith & Wesson; the fellow to it he slipped in his pocket. "They're not, loaded," said I, snap ping the breech to. , Stomp grinned. "I have der shells in niy bocket. Butder moral force ia der safest; you might shoot me in der log or der pinafore." "You do make a fair target," I re " .-ted, a little nettled, for I think . jJvjthing of myself as a revolver shot, """ i 1 tjnmp'fl waist measurement is a record. - ' Ha loloked at the uncanny mes senger, who, with another of his gut tural BoAnda,, nodded, and made swift , ly for thje door. When' we got out-side Stomp hailed a four-Wheeler, and glanced inquir ingly at our guide. "Piccadilly?" he 8VvL The man grunted, and Stomp ited the word to the driver. rJow,"said he, as the cab lumbered ag, l snau tea yon aer siory. ihia De Brenne of whom I spoke.der writer of der note, is a great friend of rnine. I haf known him many years. Jn is very rich man; his uncle haf ' 1 ' i sH the money. There is also Brenne dot ia named rle Bortugaest blood Vj also der nephew N ' my frient "-3d he haf " ,dot he was wet, half-deserted streets, and .finally pulled up at the entrance to a narrow little passage at the back of Berkeley square. , "So'said Stomp, "they have caught him in his own house." The deaf-and-dumb messenger scrambled off the box and opened the door for us, and we followed him along the narrow pavement in the pouring rain.' About fifty yards from, where the cab was standing he stopped op posite a small door let into the Wall, and motioned us to be quiet. . Ha opened the door noiselessly with a small key, and we walked softly along a dark, narrow passage of con siderable length. As far as I could make out we were entering one of the Berkeley square houses by a private entrance. I whispered as much to Stomp, who nodded in rejjly, at the same time holding up a warning finger not to speak. Our guide, who was leading, stopped' suddenly, and Stomp and I stumbled up against him in the darkness. Just ahead I could see a tiny spot of light, evidently a hole in the panelling, through which the interior of the bril liantly lit room beyond was visible. " Stomp applied his eye to this, and for a second or so the point of light was blotted from view; then he drew back his heacTwith a jerk, and with a sudden hissing, indrawn breath. "Ach! der villains!" he said, in a hoarse whisper; and, slipping his hand into his pocket, he handed me some shells. "Der play-agting business is over.' Der rows shall be real rows." And he snapped the breech of his revolver to with a vicious snap. The panel slid noiselessly into its casing in the wall, and Stomp and I stepped into the room. I shall never forget the view that met my eye. It seemed as though I were dreaming, acd had suddenly been wafted back to mediaeval days; it was incredible that such a scene should be enacted here in the end of the nineteenth century, in a smart house in the very heart of a great city. Firmly lashed to an ordinary kitchen table chair sat a man whom I immediately recognized as De Brenne from Stomp's description. His head was bent forwards, and round his temples was a . piece of thin cord twisted so tightly that it had cut into the flesh. A man behind him was in creasing the pressure from time to time by turning a short piece of stick which was inserted in the cord, whilst two others were making preparations for even more ghastly and inhuman torture. 1 De Brenne's face was a putty color, and great beads of prespiration were streaming. down it. On a small table in front of the group was what looked like a legal document, pens and ink, and, a jug of cold water, which had evidently hem used to revive De Brenne should he lose consciousness under the terrible ordeal. The room was perfectly quiet, save for a low moan now and again from the victim as an extra twist or so made the pain unendurable. , The three fiends were so occupied with their brutal task that they did not'' notice our entrance. ' "Will you sign?" asked the mani pulator of the string in a low.pleasant voice. A stifled moan was the only answer, which rose to a sharp wail as the stick was turned another half revolution. Stomp raised his arm, paused for a second stea.lily. as a rock, pressed the trigger, and the man's arm dropped limp from the elbow downward, fie gave a yelp of pain and surprise, which was echoed by his two companions, and clapped his other hand to the wound. The string relaxed and De Brenne's head dropped forward on his chest he had fainted. "Hands up!" shouted Stomp. One of tire two uninjured men slipped his hand behind his coat-tails. Crack! wfnt the revolver again, and a small pocket-pistol dropped to the floor, whilst the fellow's band was splashed with crimson drops. It was wonderful shooting. I be lieve Stomp cauld have picked out the buttons ou the man's waistcoat, had he chosen. . i'Now," said Stomp to me, "will yon haf der goodness to take down the der curtain-ropes and to tie up der hands of our friends therewith?" This I did whilst Stomp still kept them covered with that ominous black smudged barrel. After which he crossed the room and, throwing open the windows waked the stillness of the night by requesting the presence of "a boliceman" in stentorian tones. Marvellous to relate, one came in less than five minutes, followed by three more whom he summoned. Meanwhile I had been doing my ut most to revive De Brenne, with suffi cient success to enable him to make a short statement to the inspector, which resulted in our three friends being marched off in safe keeping. The story was briefly as follows: De Brnne had gone to the continent, but his pursuers had tracked him, and with fiendish ingenuity had hunted him back to England to his awn "' ouse, so that he would be handy for Wiling the required documents. The " use was empty.save for a caretaker, 'nrii they had speedly got rid of.anff IJrenne s own deaf-and-dum aerv--vhom they retained "ier ensur v.oelves" ajai'""' llie possibility ring with the out- 1 They had then calmly kept Da Brenne a close prisoner in his own 1 house, and started to torture him systematically until such time as he would sign a will in his cousin's favor (dated some year's previously). Had they accomplished this, they would have again carried him abroad and en sured a fatal alpine accident by the simple process of dropping - him over the edge of a convenient precipice, and leaving him to be discovered. Luckily for De Brenne, however, he had been able to get a note con veyed .by his servant to Stomp unob served, and so was enabled, as the latter remarked, "to finish up on.der topside." " LIABILITY . FOR SA HORROR. Captain of the William Brown Convicted of Forcing Passengers Overboard. Since the terrible fate that befell the passengers on board the French steam er La Bourgogne much speculation has arisen as . to the liability of the French crew under the charges brought against them in connection with the sinking of the ship. It is 'well settled that the law in England and. the United States is adverse to the crew. The leading American case is that of the people against Holmes, which was tried in Philadelphia by the bril liant lawyer, David Paul Brown, as prosecuting attorney. The story is an interesting one. The ship tVilliam Brown sank off Nova Scotia in March, 1811. The passengers and crew over loaded the boats. After drifting for several days a storm came up, making it evident that the overloaded boat which Holmes commanded would be swamped and all lost. Under these circumstances he gave the order to lighten the boat. Twelve passengers were thrown overboard, and two sis ters voluntarily jumped into the sea. The remainder of the passengers in the boat and the crew were saved and brought to Philadelphia. Holmes was indicted and tried. In his de fence the above circumstances were shown and additional evidence ad mitted that Holmes was one of the most active in saving the passengers and getting them in the boat; . that at the risk of his life he had personally saved several. Nevertheless Holmes was convicted, and the United States court sustained the conviction on the ground that the contract of the sailor bound him to use every means iu his power, even to the sacrifice of his own life, to deliv r each passenger at the port for which he shipped. The point of jurisdiction was raised, when it was held that the flag con verted the ship and her apparel, in cluding the boats, into national terri tory. As to acts done in the waters of the high seas, it was further held that the contract controlled as to the sailors. The court also held that as to the same acts done between pas sengers on the high seas a different rule prevailed; in the absence of inter national law as to them they owed no duty to one another; they were, from the moment of leaving the ship, re mitted to their natural rights, and the law of self-preservation prevailed. . Much sympathy throughout the country was manifested for Holmes in this case from its purely doctriual law, and, its being a case of first impres sion, his sentence "was commuted to imprisonment. After 18 months he was released, but the principle that the sailor owed a duty to passengers, even to the sacrifice of his own life, was established. . An Invisible Monkey. There are many animals, especially birds and insects, which mimic in their colors and shapes the natural objects amid which they dwell, and thus frequently escape the eyes of their enemies, but, as Dr. Lydekker says in Knowledge, "Until quite re cently no case was known where a monkey, for the sake of protection, resembled in form or coloration either some other animal, or an inanimate object." Such monkeys were discov ered by Dr. J. W. Gregory during his recent journey in East Africa. Near relatives of the monkeys seen by him have long been known to naturalists and have excited surprise by' the bril liant contrast of the black fur cover ing their body and limbs with the snow-white mantle of long, silky hah hanging from their shoulders and the equally white plumes on their tails. The contrast, Dr. Gregory found, serves to render the animals practi cally invisible.for the trees which they inhabit have black stems and are draped with pendant masses of gray white lichen, amid which the monkeys can hardly be distinguished. Why Slgsbee Turned Scuttler. On one occasion Captain Sigsbee deliberately sank his, ship to save het from a still worse; fate. He was in command of the ccasf survey steamet Blake and was anfihored in a West In dian port when a' hurricane came up, and in the h?eavy sea the ship's an chors begr4to drug. She was drifting to utter ail ieTtab!e destruction on f reef. Wlf he lay there was a soft, sandy lip' hen.-.srf lie captain ordered md down she went. Imped out and raisec - " pration, but for lesf tg a new ship. Munsef SearlS drought! said to : other. static PAYING OFF THE TROOPS THE COMPLICATED TASK WHICH PAY MASTERS HAVE TO PERFORM. One of the Pleasantest Features of Army Life Is His Arrival With a Gripsack Full of Money How the Soldiers Get Their Fay The Volunteer Paymaster. One of the pleasantest features of army life is the coming of the paymas ter with his gripsack full of money. Since the ' declaration of war with Spain the war department has added seventy paymasters and twice as many clerks, under the Emergency act pro viding for an increase. The work re quired is almost wholly that of ex pert accountants. Especially is this true of the department of the east, in New York city, where, in addition to keeping the accounts of the.volunteers in this vicinity, the paymasters are obliged to take care of the accounts of regulars and retired officers and sol diers. There is no mercy shorr to a green paymaster. Whether he under stands the work or not, he has to do the same amount as is given to a pay master who has1, been in the, service twenty years. In fact, there is a growing suspicion that the volunteer paymaster gets- the worst of it all round. . The retired list which new paymas ters are required to wrestle with in the paymaster's office in this city comprises the accounts of 400 officers and men who have been retired from the service, but who are drawing three-quarters pay. These payments are made once each month under an intricate system of bookkeeping. It is so complicated that no business man of today would think of applying it to his own business. The retired officers and men are paid on the first day of each month. Those residing in New York receive their pay in currency at ''-he paymas ter's office, while those residing out side the city are paid by check. The New York pay department is under the control of Lieut. -Col. Wilson, who ranks next to Paymaster-General Stanton. Under him at the present time are two regular army paymasters and three emergency or volunteer paymasters, all ranking as majors. , As in the army proper, there is noth ing done in the pay department with out orders, and the soldier who be comes impatient at not receiving his pay at the anticipated time should not blame the paymaster. It may be that' he has not received his orders. The First New York Volunteers were paid off recently by Major Fow ler at Fort Hamilton, and the method of procedure will serve to illustrate all payments in the field. On the rolls furnished by the company com manders an estimate due each man, less fines, was made by the paymaster, and the latter, with his clerk, went to the camp with sufficient currency to pay off. At Fort Hamilton the place selected for paying the troops was the hall of the local lodge of Good Tem plars. Each company was lined up, one at a time, in front of the paymas ter's desk, and as his name was called out each man stepped forward and re ceived his money. First comes the captain, who re ceives $150; then the first lieutenant, who takes S125. The second lieuten ant walks off with $116.67, and then follow the non-commissioned officers, beginning with the first sergeant, whose compensation is $30 a month. After, the non-commissioned officers come the privates, who receive $15. 60 a month instead of $13 a month, as formerly. In fact, in all the salaries of non-commissioned officers and pri vates there has been a uniform in crease of 20 per cent. t Wrhen an entire regiment is paid off it is done from what is known as the roll of the field, staff and band, ccra fcaining the names of the brigade or regimental field officers. Those offi cers are paid by the paymaster in the same manner that other payments a're made, but the amounts are much larger, the brigadier-general receiving 15458. 83 a month ; colonel, $291.67; lieutenant-colonel, $250, and major, 1208.83. - Regimental quartermaster and regimental adjutants receive $150, while the regimental chaplain's pay is $125 a month. Commissioned officers may draw their salaries from any paymaster, and it is not infrequent that accounts are iuplicated. In such cases there is trouble in store for the officer. Pay masters, although they handle large sums of money, are only under $10, 000 bonds. - They are responsible for the accuracy of their accounts, and the overpayment of money to soldiers is a loss to the paymaster. The pos sibility of error is a constant worry to the volunteer paymasters, who are unfamiliar with the work, and who are largely dependent upon their clerks. For this responsibility their com pensation is $208 a month. Were it not for the gold shoulder 6traps and the rank of major which goes with the office, there are few paymasters in the volunteer service who would accept the place. There are among the vol unteer paymasters some whose in comes from their private business ex ceeded that of their salary, but whose age disqualified them for army service, ho have joined the pay department that they mkht acquire a military Me. " Such V)f these vavmasteia as have been assigned to the department of the east are fast realizing that they are paying dear for their titles. 5few York Sun. ,' CURIOS OF THE PHILIPPINES. Ancient -War Weapons and Idols That " Are- Attracting Much Attention. In the University of Pennsylvania are curios which are tlosely allied with the earlier periods of the Philip pine Islands. They consistof a num ber of specimens of primitive weapons and are the only examples of the kind in the country. The collection, meagre as it is, has already attracted consid erable attention, and the many visitors attest to the deep interest the people feel in all that pertains to the new territory. The curios are five in number and were obtained at the Eastrow (rag fair) at Madrid, Spain, and deposited in the university museum. ' From the saw of the swordfish sin gle and two-edged swords are con structed. In the case of the former the teeth were carefttlly sharpened on one side and the larger end cut down for a handle. It presents a formidable appealing implement of carnage. With the other the two edged sides were preserved. In the hands of a muscular native these crude swords would make most frightful wounds. A third weapon of later date is a short cutlass-shaped affair of -iron. The Philippine Islanders became ex pert as iron workers, and the ancient weapon shows how well the natives of old patterned their death-dealing ap pliances. The handle of this iron sword is ornamented with tufts of hair and fanciful raised designs, in token, perhaps, of the valuable qual ities as a hair-raising tool. A fourth weapon resembles an ex aggerated meat cleaver of uninviting appearance, with a sharpened edge on one side and a longpoint on the other, in solid iron, with a long handle. -; A Malay creese is the fifth weapon in the collection. These weapons were made by the Visayas, a Malay tribe who inhabit the islands to the south of Luzon. The creeses are short swords of the dagger species, with exquisitely carved handles and grace ful blades. . In the Colonial museum at Madrid many other odd relics are preserved, including idols of the natives. The principal idol was of the male persua sion, the female being a lesser deity. Cast iron cannon and small swivel guns of the early natives, with their military uniforms, are also displayed there. Milwaukee Sentinel. Safety for Miners. A recently invented device for miners will no doubt result in lessen ing the loss of life. It is designed to render the miners immune from the deadly effects of carbonic oxide in the after damp which follows gas ex plosions in mines. It is a helmet which will enable the- wearer to live for at least" half an hour after such an explosion takes place. It is worn over the head and face, and is constructed of a special asbestos tanned leather, or cloth, rendering it proof against fire, heat, steam, boiling water. and all poisonous fluids. It comes down close over the shoulders, and is held firmly in place by means of two straps pass ing under the arms. At the back of the helmet is a metal reservoir, from which the wearer is supplied with fresh air at the, natural air pressure and twenty degrees cooler than the outside atmosphere. The tank has a capacity of 100 pounds, pressure of compressed air, and is always ready for service, the same pressure of pure air being retained for months. . The amount of air in store can be seen on the gauge attached to the reservoir, which can be quickly changed by an air pump. A lever on the top of the reservoir forces the air through the supply tubes to a point inside and di recty in front of the mouth and nos trils. , The supply can be adjusted to the comfort of the weareiv The neck gear has an outlet for the foul air, and the two lookouts are constructed of double plates of clear mica, with re volving cleaners and protected by four cross wires. The side or ear plates have special diaphragms, or sounding discs, which give perfectly distinct hearing. Philadelphia Record. " ' Early Kail way Travel. A New England traveler, writing of early railroad travel, says: "There was no soft, effeminate cush ions in those grand old days; no cun ningly contrived easements to back, body aud legs, were imposed upon the passenger, to rob him of his manliness and his energy and his powers of re sistance. Everything was conducted upon heroic principles;! everything was so ordered that death, at any time likely and at all times probable, was robbed of half its terrors and often times looked upon with complacency, if not with longing." Pall Mall Maga zine. rn Battle Facts. "What is ttle like?" she asked. well," n rned' the veteran thoughtfully, them, haven't "Of course, "Tlion fill.- u've seen pictures of u?" ; be answprd. have to do." he tjon "elm plained, "i( that ia cut' r PosL . iiLincie someth 'i'rvut." Chicffo THE WILLOW BOWER. I know a be orer.ma lade of willow trees, Low leanin? from the erasflv waterside. The long leaves drooping in the ripplln Btream, Like lady's fingers trailed in cooling tide. Within the bower is never seen the sun, 1 Though fiercest rays assail Its leafy screen, And, 6ave for lowing of the distant herd And lapping waves, the silence is serene. Herein I sit within my little boat, Soft-cushioned as in dreams of weary men; and little reck I that the world without Is full of care and strife of sword and pen. i " With eyelld3 closed and pillowed cheek oa hand, , ' I dream the happy, idle hours away, Till twilight comes and goes, and night has come, And then I leave my bower, fain to stay. May Belle Wlllls,ln Boston Transcript. , HUMOROUS. "Do you regard late rising as in jurious?" "It certainly shortens one's days." Judge Don't let me see you here again. Prisoner Where shall I see you, Judge? "Mine, miner, minus!' This is the general upshojt of speculation in mining stock. Bob Saw Tom and his wife out wheelinsr veHterdav. WillTnndAm? o j 1 - Bob No; perambulator. Aunt Harry, do you love your baby brother? Harry What's the use? He wouldn't know it if I did. A great "many girls say "No," at first; but, like the photographers, they know how to retouch their negatives. "What's the matter, old man? You look hot and excited." "Ju3t been crying to dodge a cross-eyed girl on a bicycle." He Poorman says he is convinced now that the world does go round. She Well, he doesn't look as if he'd got very much of it yet. Mamma Oh dear! Jimmy, I don't believe you know what it is to be good. Jimmy Yes, I do, mamma. It's not doing what you want to do. Little Pitcher I don't think my papa loves me as much as he loves my mamma. Mamma says papa tells hei !airy stories. He never tells any to oi e. ; ' . Clerk How did you discover that me man in do wa3 olann, the great detective? Bell Boy He had to rin ' for some one to find the towel ioi him. ''" ', Husband (angrily, after a somewhat heated argument with his better half Do you take me for a fool? Wifq (soothingly) No, John! But I may be mistaken. "Pa, can I go to the circus?" "No, my son; if you're a good boy, yoij won't want to go to the circus.' "Then, I'd better go while I'm bad enough to enjoy it, hadn't I?" "I say," asked Jinks, as he walked into Blinks' store, sample case in -hand, "can a cowhide in a shod store?" Blinks wasn't at all slow "No," he says, "but calfskin." The Cabman Gimme your bag, lady, and I'll put it on top of the cab. Mrs. Oatcake (as she gets in) :No that poor horse of yours has enough1 to pull. I'll carry it on my lap. ,"If you had an apple, Johnuie, and your little brother asked you for o piece, you'd greet his request with a cheerful smile, wouldn't you?" "Yes, ma'am, I'd give him the merry ha, ha!" "Lady," began Mr. Dismal Dawt son, "you see before you amanwhosq name is mud m, u, d." "There must be some mistake in your calculations,'' replied the lady. "It takes water ta make mud." Mrs. McCall It's too bad of you, Ethel, to worry your mamma so. Ethel '(aged 5, tearfully) Oh, well, Mrs. McCall, if you'd lived with mam tea as long as I have you'd know which of us was to blame. He I had a queer dream about you last night, Miss Louisa. I was about to give you a kiss when suddenly we were separated by a river that gradu ally grew as big as the Rhine. She And was there no bridge or nb boat. ' "If it wasn't for your father," sai J the wrathful citizen, "you would have starved to death long, ago. You haven't sense enough to pound sand.'" "Haw," answered the - chappie, "J had sense enough to be born into a wealthy family, and that is more thai) you had." Lung Gymnastics. One of the most important items in health culture is to keep the lungs and heart in good condition. It is possible to breathe sufficient air to so , oxygenate the blood that it will con sume the waste and poisonous matters of the system as fire barns up cha0 or tinder. People who feel dull, heavy, stupid, unwilling to exert themselves, indeed often unable to do so, will find that a regular course of breathing ex ercises will be more benefit to them ' than all the medicine in creation. Ther are many times when the use of medi cines merely aggravates the existii!;i ill. xi is simpif a runner aeeuinuia- of undesirable material that must carried about uutil "nature U I tan'ast it out o- L iati Wti "