Benoa ada
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
ws ——
INK SLINGS.
—Very funny things are being sugges-
ted in a political way in Centre county
these days.
—The fellows who, last fall, were long-
ing for an old fashioned winter are more
than satisfied with results.
—The snow was deep but it was so
light as not to be hard on the backs of
those who had to shovel it.
—Anyway, the longer you have to
heave the snow shovel the fewer will be
your parades behind the lawn mower.
—VANCE MCCORMICK reserves the
right to bolt the ticket if he is not nomi-
nated for Governor. That's exactly the
kind of a Democrat he always was.
—The principal reason VANCE McCoRr-
Mick fought BRYAN when he ran for
President was because BRYAN is a friend
of the common people and VANCE is any-
thing but common.
—A warm rain is all that is needed
now to bring about a repetition of that
great flood on the 22nd of February,
1904, or the larger one we had on the
28th of February, 1902.
—Mr. VANCE CAMERON MCCORMICK’S
platform looks amazingly like a bid for a
place on the Prohibition ticket for Gov-
ernor, in case his grip on the Democrat-
ic nomination should slip.
—Science tells us that the big dipper is
to disappear from the skies some of these
days. No, dear reader, it isn’t the new
law against public drinking cups that is
going to make it disappear.
—Gen. COXEY’s second “army of the
unemployed” will start from Massillon,
Ohio, for Washington on April 16th, just
fifteen days later than the proper date to
launch such a fool pilgrimage.
—OQur Democratic State committee is
sending out appeals for funds just now
and then using the funds to further the
interests of favorite candidates. That's
a fine example of fair play to show be-
fore a primary.
—If all reports be true a good bit of
second growth, sap pine, worm-eaten,
wind-shattered, woodpecker holed politic-
al timber is being veneered up to be of-
fered on the primary market in Centre
county in May.
* —The Mayor is making a noise in the
council chamber every two weeks like he
means to do something. More power to
him, of course, but don’t mar what other-
wise might prove to be a great record
by asking him to take that dam splash
board off.
—The wise Republican will keep one
lamp burning and shining right on HEN-
RY CUTE. Don’t you think he resigned
the office of chairman of the Republican
county committee because he is too busy
with other things. He never was and
never will be too busy to play a little in
the political game, hence this advice to
keep an eye on him.
—ROOSEVELT has laid down the law
for Pennsylvania Progressives. He will
not speak for any Progressive who has
the Republican endorsement; in fact, he
declares, he will denounce him from the
stump. As ROOSEVELT is all there is to
the Progressive party it looks like three
tickets for sure in all the Congressional
districts of the State. :
—The Hon. A. MITCHELL PALMER has
opened up enough to let us all know that
4,000 Democratic voters made up the
sum the so-called Democratic State com-
mittee had for party purposes. He
might have told also, that whatever this
sum amounted to it had already been
expended for the personal interests of
two men; himself and VANCE CAMERON
McCORMICK.
—Technically it may not be “embezzle-
ment” but it looks wonderfully like it
when the money contributed for the gen-
eral needs of the Democratic party is
used exclusively for the benefit of Mr. A.
MiTcHELL PALMER and Mr. VANCE CAM-
ERON MCCORMICK in their primary cam-
paigns. Really the “longer we live the
more we find out,” and the less some
people appear.
—While Mr. VANCE CAMERON McCoOR-
MICK is rated as a several times million-
aire, he seems to have no hesitancy in
asking the Democratic voters to finance
his primary campaign for him. An ap-
peal has just been sent out for more
funds for his State committee, which
means that PALMER and MCCORMICK ex-
pects the public to foot the bill, and the
party to take care of itself.
—CASTILLO, the Mexican bandit who
was responsible for the Cumbre tunnel
horror has escaped the vengeance of the
rebel leader VILLA, by throwing himself
into the cusiody of the United States.
Really, in just such an emergency as this
it is a pity that we are as enlightened a
christian nation as we are. The Cum-
bre murders by CASTILLO can scarcely
be expatiated with anything else than
mediaval means of torture.
—When VANCE MCCORMICK explains
to the real Democrats of Pennsylvania
why he never voted for BRYAN and why
he actually fought the Great Commoner
every time he ran for office there might
be some of them who will turn in for him
for Governor. But VANCE will never ex-
plain. He doesn’t have to. He thinks
he owns the Democratic party in Penn-
sylvania now and it will do exactly what
he orders it to do. And it probably will.
!
i
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VV e
—=o__
OL. 3:
Problem Difficult to Solve.
The Democrats of the House of Repre- |
sentatives in Washington are “between !
the devil and the deep sea.” The Secre- |
tary of the Interior has recommended an |
appropriation of $35,000,000, or there- |
abouts, to construct and operate a rail-
road in Alaska. He declares that it is!
the only way to develop the resources of |
that frigid section of the public domain |
and prevent the immeasurable wealth of |
an empire from falling into the greedy |
hands of a pack of human wolves who |
are preying upon it. To the average |
Democratic mind this looks like a step
in the direction of government owner-
ship of railroads, which is obnoxious to
the principles and traditions of the Dem-
ocratic party.
At this crisis the Hon. WARREN WORTH
BAILEY, Representative in Congress for
the Nineteenth district of Pennsylvania,
came forward with a proposition that!
there be no appropriation for the expens-
es of building and operating the Alaskan
railroad, but that the money be raised
by levying a special tax upon the land
abutting upon the right of way or adja-
cent thereto. Mr. BAILEY reasons with
characteristic force that the land in ques-
tion will be greatly enhanced in value by
the construction of a railroad and that
consequently it would be only just and
right that such a tax should be levied.
But it is looked upon as an insidious ef-
fort to inject the single tax scheme into
the policies of the party.
Government ownership of railroads is
unquestionably abhorrent to the tradi-
tions of the Democratic party. Compe-
tition by the government in any enter-
prise in which citizens as individuals or
by combination are able and willing to
perform the service faithfully and well,
is subversive of the interests of the peo-
ple. But where such service cannot be
obtained otherwise, the government may
provide it ‘without : impairment of the
rights of the people or the principles of
Democracy. It is for this reason that the
Postoffice Department was established
and because of “it‘that the parcels post is
justified. Possibly the - Alaskan railroad
might be undertaken for the same rea-
son. The wast wealth of that region
must be preserved for the public.
Mr. BAILEY'S plan’ would certainly
work an acceptance of the fundamental
principle of the Single Taxers and so far
as we are able to discover, could achieve
little else. The objection is not so much
to the payment of the expenses of con-
struction and operation out of the pub-
lic treasury, as it is to the right of the
government, under the constitution, to
own and operate railroads. Mr. BAILEY’S
plan wouldn’t avert that evil. Even if the
money were obtained by an unequal tax-
ation of property, the government would
still exercise the dangerous power of
ownership and operation of the road.
Some better scheme must be devised if
the traditions of the party are to be pre-
served. :
Creasy and the Palmer Ticket.
An esteemed contemporary has ex-
pressed the apprehension that Farmer
CREASY was so disappointed because
MITCHELL PALMER selected VANCE C.
McCormick for Governor, instead of him-
self, that he will refuse a place of lesser
importance on the ticket. Our valued
contemporary may compose its perturbed
spirits. . :
The other day while the. New York
Bull Moosers were in conference upon
the ‘question of nominating Colonel
ROOSEVELT for Governor of that State,
his nephew, Mr. DOUGLAS ROBINSON, was
asked whether he thought the Col-
onel would run. According to the
published reports Mr. Robinson smiled
and said: “Run? Yes; he would run for
anything from constable up.” -
That is precisely the case with CREASY.
He so lusts for office that he would ac-
cept a nomination from any party for
anything. It wasn’t always so. There
was a time when he had to be paid to
run for office or at least his expenses had
to be guranteed. But that was when
he was in office and was “farming the
farmers” in the interest of the party ma-
chine. But he has been absent from the
crib for a considerable time.
There is no danger of Mr. CREASY re-
fusing to accept any nomination that is
handed out to him by Mr. PALMER or
anybody else. He would like to get the
first choice, of course, but he will take
the second, or third or last place if it
holds out the shadow of a promise of at-
tachment to the pay roll. But if he gets
no nomination, then Mr. PALMER would
better look out.
No doubt Mr. PALMER would have been
glad to give Mr. CREASY the place on the
BELLEFONTE, PA.. FEBR
Republican Senatorial Candidates.
The announcement of ex-Mayor DiM-
MICK, of Scranton, as a candidate for the
the possibilities it involves. For exam-
ple, it makes the withdrawal of Senator
PENROSE, without stultification, entirely
possible, in which event the disintegra-
tion of the Bull Moose party would prob-
ably follow and the restoration of the
Republican party of the State might en-
sue. The Bull Moose party is composed
of two elements. One is the worship-
pers of ROOSEVELT and the other the en-
emies of PENROSE. Senator FLINN ex-
pressed the sentiments of one, the other
day, when he told CHAMP CLARK that if
‘| ROOSEVELT were eliminated he would be-
come a Democrat. Dozens express the
other view, inferentially, every day.
But if Mr. DiMmMICK’S candidacy doesn’t
result in the withdrawal of PENROSE, it
means nothing. The candidacy of Mr.
AINEY, as we suggested a couple of weeks
ago, is nothing more than a joke. But
he will get a considerable number of
votes, nevertheless, and they will all be
drawn from the element of the party
which might have been expected to sup-
the leaders of the party a practicai unit
| for PENROSE he is certain to be nominat-
ed in a three-cornered fight at the pri-
maries and he would probably be success-
ful even if the opposition were united.
The Bull Moosers are registered as such
and will be excluded from participation
in the Republican primaries so that they
can neither help DIMMICK nor hurt PEN-
ROSE.
In view of these facts the announce-
ment of Mr. DIMMICK’S candidacy is in-
teresting, if not of great importance. He
is a gentleman of high character and fair
ability and if PENROSE should withdraw
and leave him a free field to fight AINEY
he would probably be nominated. With-
out experience in public life he would be
of little service to the State for a time
and if OLIVER retires at the expiration of
his present term, Pennsylvania would cut
a poor figure in Senatorial affairs with
two greenhorns in commission. But po-
litical exigencies may force such a condi-
tion. It is practically certain that PEN-
ROSE cannot be re-elected and realizing
that facthe may be partisan enough to
who would have a better chance.
——The Philippine Assembly has
passed a general appropriation bill and
judging from the sentiments of President
WILSON on the subject it must be
without a “pork barrel.”
Misappropriating Party Funds.
The Democratic State Committee is
levying a tax upon federal office holders
in the State to provide money for the
expenses of the PALMER and MCCORMICK
primary campaign. With all Senator
QUAY’S political iniquities he never de-
scended to as low a level as that. Sena-
tor PENROSE would hardly dream of such
a crime against political ethics. If the
late WILLIAM A. WALLACE, SAMUEL J.
RANDALL or JAMES KERR had undertaken
such a palpable misuse of party power,
they would have been execrated from the
Delaware to Lake Erie. If Colonel GUF-
FEY had so prostituted the functions of
leadership, he would have been denounc-
ed from onc end of the State to the other
as a political recreant. :
The Democratic State Committee main-
tains a “literary bureau,” from which, at
the expense of the party treasury, plate
matter is supplied to the country papers.
During the last three months all the en-
ergies of this bureau have been expend-
ed in fulsome praise of those who par-
ticipated in the reorganization movement
and in malignant abuse of those who
protested against the methods by which
the organization was stolen from those
who had been legally chosen to admin-
ister the affairs of the party. Paying for
funds as the use of a bank’s funds by an
officer of the institution, for personal
purposes.
Since the meeting in Washington of A
MITCHELL PALMER, VANCE C. McCoR-
MICK and ROLAND S. MORRIS and the selec-
tion by them of candidates of Governor
and United State Senator for the Demo-
cratic party of Pennsylvania, this literary
bureau has been laboring to create senti-
ment in favor of the ratification of the
edict of the bosses. It is for the pur-
pose of continuing this nefarious work
ticket he wanted. CREASY imagines that
he carries the votes of all the farmers in |
his vest pocket and possibly PALMER
thinks CREASY can deliver the goods.
But PALMER had to have a rich man on
the ticket for Governor. He needs an
“angel.” And he thinks McCorMICK will
prove one. For this reason CREASY has
been compelled to accept what is given
him.
that the federal officers, appointed at the
| instance of PALMER and McCORMICK, are
i now being taxed to provide funds to pay
' the expenses. Obviously Mr. MCCORMICK
has taken lessons in political financiering
from his uncle, the Hon. J. DONALD CAM-
ERON. It is equally certain that Mr. PAL-
MER wisely selected Mr. MCCORMICK
' as his “angel.” :
port DIMMICK against PENROSE. With |
get out of the way of another Republican
such service out of the party treasury |
was as clearly a misappropriation of |
i McCormick Makes Two Statements.
{ The Hon. VANCE C. McCORMICK, who
has been appointed Democratic candidate
! Republican nomination for United States | for Governor of Pennsylvania by A.
| Senator is important only on account of | MITCHELL PALMER and ROLAND S. MoR-
| RIS, has made two important announce-
ments since that event. The first
| is that he will not support for election
' any Democrat who might defeat him for
the nomination and the other that he
will conduct his campaign for the office
“on the lines pursued when he was elect-
ed Mayor of Harrisburg. Both these
declarations are significant, in a way.
They are alike characteristic. Mr. Mc-
CORMICK has never supported any Dem-
ocrat, for any office, unless he felt rea-
sonably certain that his election would
give him some personal advantage.
It is true that he subsequently qualified
his statement that he will not support at
the general election a candidate who may
defeat him at the primaries. The state-
ment looked bad on its face and proba-
bly PALMER ordered a modification of it,
whereupon Mr. MCCORMICK said that
what he meant was that he wouldn’t sup-
‘port any other candidate than himself
unless the other candidate were honestly
nominated. But he reserves the right to
determine for himself what is an honest
nomination and it may be’ set down as a
| settled fact that he will conclude that no
| nomination is honest that doesn’t come
to him. He imagines that he, PALMER
and their satellites are the only honest
Democrats in the State.
With respect to his plan of campaign
there is comfort for the “boodlers” of all
parties. His campaign for Mayor of Har-
issburg reached the high-water mark of
political corruption. On the day of his
election money was as free, about the
polling places, as water was abundant in
the Susquehanna river at the highest
flood tide in its history. Men stood at
the polling places with fists full of bank
bills, bidding for votes and the MCcCOR-
| MICK agents drove all others from the
contention because of the abundance of
their funds. Of course Mr. MCCORMICK
| can afford this sort of campaigning while
Mifiers con't but the beneficiary of polit-
[ical auctioneering should remember that
| others can withhold support from the
{ winner as well as he.
i
}
i
Where the “Watchman” Stands.
|
i
—Understand us here and now. The
| WATCHMAN is not for anybody for Gov-
| ernor, United States Senator or any oth-
er office before the primaries. It isa
Democratic paper and is always for the
! best interests of the Democratic party
i and therefor for the best interests of the
masses. The primary elections were de-
| signed so that the people might select
their own candidates and not be interfer-
ed with by bosses and we believe it to be
| the duty of Democratic papers to stay
| out of the fight until the nominees have
been made, then to espouse their cause.
It is a duty, however, of newspapers of
the faith to inform its readers as to the
eligibility of the men who are seeking to
become the party’s nominees and for
that reason the WATCHMAN, much as it
disapproves his methods in the attempt-
ed reorganization of the party, takes this
opportunity of informing you that A.
MITCHELL PALMER has always borne the
A charge of bolting the party's tickets
cannot be maintained against him.
VANCE MCCORMICK, on the other hand, is
not that type of Democrat atall. He has
repeatedly publicly repudiated the nomi:
nees of the Democratic party and each
time WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN ran for
President Mr. McCorMICK fought him
with all the energy at his command.
——There are a good many Senators in
service at Washington who could be spared
better than AucusTUus O. BACON, of Geor-
gia. He was a capable, conscientious
and courageous legislator and though he
boasted little of his labor, he was a wise
counsellor and safe guide of the Pres-
ident in the exercise of his most difficult
But “death
loves a shining mark,” and in laying his
cold hand on BACON he bereaved the
whole country.
{ administrative functions.
——It must be admitted that the PAL-
MER-MCCORMICK method of selecting
candidates is cheaper than the old con-
vention system but that is the only advan-
tage which can be claimed for it. Shod-
but it isn’t half as satisfactory.
——In the partnership between the
Standard Oil company and China our
sympathies simply surge toward the
Orient. When JOHN D. gets the right cue
the balls will fly fast and furiously.
——The ground hogis all right but
when you come to think about it the odds
are greatly in his favor about ground-
hog-day.
———Subscribe for the WATCHMAN."
UARY 20, 1914.
} | version. :
reputation of being a staunch Democrat. :
dy is cheaper than wool, for that matter,
NO. 8.
One ‘‘Re-organizer” Who Wants Demo-
cratic Unity.
Ryerson W. Jennings in Philadelphia Record.
A leading editorial with a misleading
heading appeared in one .of your “es-
teemed contemporaries” yesterday morn-
ing. It called upon Senator Penrose to
efface himself, and the article was head-
ed “Next Republican Senator from Penn-
sylvania.” It reminded the writer of the
story of the urchin eating an apple. He
was asked for the core by his boy
companion. The answer was: “There
ain’t a-goin’ to be no core.” the same
| token there is not going to be a “Next
Republican Senator” from Pennsylvania.
Your contemporary was quite right in its
contention when it declared Mr. Penrose
cannot succeed himself, but Mr. Penrose
thinks that he can, and that settles that
question, and at the same time it will
settle Mr. Penrose.
The Democratic party in Pennsylvania
has an opportunity at this particular time:
that occurs but once in a lifetime. If
that wing of the party which hugs the
title of “reorganization” so fondly to its
| breast, seeing no situation beyond its
personal wishes, could but realize it, the
Democrats who oppose their narrow aad
destructive policy are just ‘as much in
favor of good government, as is evidenc-
ed by their asking Michael J. Ryan to be
their candidate for Governor re
They knew that he would make an
ideal Governor. They knew that he was
unassailable as a citizen. They knew his
record as a public servant. They knew
that he was not, or ever would be, any
man’s man. Yet, knowing this, why did
they not name him as their choice for
Governor when they indulged in their
slate-making? He was first in the field;
his platform was a model of clarity,
brevity and constructive statesmanship.
Had they named him as their choice for
governor, with A. Mitchell Palmer for
Senator and “Farmer” Creasy for Lieu-
tenant Governor, there would have been
heard a mighty shout of acclaim from
the entire Democratic party of this State,
a shout that would not have ceased until
after the polls had closed on election day,
only to be resumed after the ballots had
been tabulated. And its not too late.
Roosevelt Boom for Constable.
From the Harrisburg Star-Independent.
Theodore Douglas Robinson, neph-
ew of Colonel Roosevelt and chairman of
the Progressive State Committee in New
York, was asked recently whether the
Colonel would run for Governcr- next fall,
and he is quoted in thé mordE¥" wows
papers as saying: “Of Ccoursé ' Colonel
Roosevelt will run for Governor: He will
run for anything from constable up.”
We do not know with what authority
Mr. Robinson speaks nor do we believe
that Colonel Roosevelt, former President
of the United States, will ever be called
upon to pin a big star on his chest, swing
a hickory nightstick and patrol the out-
lying precincts of Oyster Bay of nights
rounding up drunks or interfering with
the avocation of those who make a living
by prowling around the chicken coops in
the neighborhood of the one-time summer
White House.
But who can tell what the versatile
Colonel might or might not do? He has
tried almost everything from hunting
lions in Africa to hunting crooks in
Washington. He has told foreign poten-
tates how to run their governments and
good-naturedly kissed dirty-faced babies
held up to him by proud mothers during
campaign tours. He has run political
machines and smashed others. He has
fought Spaniards and displayed his teeth
for the benefit of the moving picture
men.
The Colonel must never be without
something to do. Just now he is some-
where in South America’ alternating be-
tween hunting wild animals, telling the
folks his ideas on race suicide and tak-
ing notes for the “Outlook,” but when he
comes back he must find some new di-
Doubtless the accommodating Colonel
will run for Governor of New York if they
ask him, or for that matter, for constable
of Oyster Bay, and he would stand a
good chance of being elected to either
office. The Colonel will attract as much
attention in one post as another, and
enjoy himself just as much, just soit
provides something new and plenty of
action. £278
Simply a Straw.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
The Democratic party seems about to
accomplish the hitherto impossible by re-
-vising the tariff and being returned to
Washington as the majority party in the
House. Since the Civil war any party
that has touched tariff legislation has
been defeated at the next succeeding
election—with one exception, in McKin-
ley’s administration, when there was a
foreign war to complicate the political
situation.
| The reason is that not a single previ-
' ous revision has been done in good faith.
| The people have always been deceived,
and they have showed their resentment
at the polls.
The Underwood-Simmons revision was
an honest one, and Democratic strength,
instead of waning, has held its own. The
several recent bye-elections have shown
the Democrats polling as heavily as they
did in the Presidential election of last
year.
The best example is the recent election
in the second Iowa district, in which
Henry Volmer, a Democrat, was elected
to be the successor to the late Irvin Pep-
per. Here was an evenly balanced dist-
rict showing normally a slight Democrat-
ic majority. It was the sort of district
| in which any anti-Democratic sentiment
| caused by the tariff legislation would be
sure to show. Volmer was elected by a
comfortable majority.
This election was an index to show
how the political wind will blow next
| November.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—The Wightman glass plant at Punxsutawney
is nearing completion and will soon be ready for
machinery.
—Curwensville is reported to have had twenty
mad dogs in the past few days. All unmuzzled
dogs are to be shot.
—Scarlet fever and other contagious diseases
are on the increase in Sunbury despite the closing’
of the schools and keeping children away from
all gatherings.
—In a three days’ membership campaign in a
contest with the DuBois and Punxsutawney
Y. M.C. A., the Clearfield association last week
landed 400 new members, DuBois 244 and Punxsu-
tawney 177. [
—Blake Nearhood, believed to be Clearfield
county’s tallest resident, died on Saturday night
at 11 o’clock at his home between Kylertown and
Winburne. He lacked only one inch of being six
and a-half feet tall.
—The career of three “boy bandits” was cut
short at Dunlo when they were arrested for a
black hand scare. They had posted a notice
stating that any child passing that way would be
kidnapped and held for ransom.
—Mrs. Fanny Kelley, of Mt. Union, was award-
ed $119 by a jury for injuries sustained in a fall on
a broken sidewalk. The verdict included $50 for
personal injuries, $60 for doctor’s bill and $9 for
domestic help while incapacitated.
—W. S. Patterson, returning from Johnstown
to his home at Indiana, climbed the fence instead
of going through the subway at the station at
Blairsville Intersection and was struck by a
through train. He was 65 years old.
—A stranger giving his name as Faber and his
occupation as school teaching attempted the
check swindle on Williamsport merchants a few
days ago and police there would like to locate
him. He is aged about 50 years, weighing about
200 pounds, five feet, eight inches tall, has sandy
moustache, wore gray overcoat and soft hat.
—While cutting down a large sugar maple near
Muncy, Ralph Seid had his foot caught under the
tree. His wife and her sister made heroic but un-
availing efforts to rescue him, but he was a pris-
oner for an hour until the mail carrier came
along. He raised the tree by means of ropes and
the ice had to be chopped away from the foot.
—The case of John Wilkinson, indicted on two
charges in connection with the recent brutal
assault upon Miss May Pooler, the pretty young
Madera school teacher, was settled at Clearfield
Monday afternoon on the basis that Wilkinson
pay the girl $1,050 and costs of prosecution;
undergo an imprisonment of 70 days in the Clear-
field county jail and give a bond for good be-
havior for a period of one year.
—Health authorities at Connellsville on Mon-
day discoyered that a tramp who had been sleep-
ing in an abandoned coke oven for more than a
week, was suffering from smallpox. He was hur-
ried to the pest house where he told attendants
that while he occupied the oven no less than fifty.
tramps had called there, many of them sharing it
with him. Precautions were at once taken to
prevent the spread of the disease.
—The Saxton Vitrified Fire Brick company, of
Saxton, in which a number of prominent Bedford
countians are interested, has confessed judgment
to Miss Emma Liitle, S. B. & D. M. Stoler, of
that place, A. L. Little Esq., of Bedford, and
several other parties, for various sums amount-
ing to about $31,000. Executions have been issued
and placed in the hands of sheriff Grant Dodson,
who has levied on the defendant company’s real
and personal estate. ;
—A singular accident foiled the recent attempt
of three burglars to rob the railroad station at
Cresson. The men knocked the receiver off the
telephone and the operator, knowing that no one
‘was d tole at the office at that hour;
called the agent. When he arrived the burglar
alarrfwas ringing, the thieves having managed
to pry open the money drawer a fraction of an
inch. But they had gone, leavingas souvenirs a
satchel full of tools.
—The explosion of a frozen water-front in the
cook stove at the residence of J. E. Shultz, in
Chester Hill about 8 o'clock Friday morning
completely demolished the stove, shattered the
windows in the kitchen and dining room and in-
flicted a very painful wound near the temple to
Mrs. Shultz. Mr. Shultz was stirring the fire
when the explosion occurred, but escaped with-
out any injury. The children were still in bed,
and also escaped injury.
—Fire destroyed the borough school building at
Flemington last Friday, leaving the town without
a school. The 250 pupils marched from the
burning structure in a few seconds after the dis-
covery, but a teacher, Miss May Pletcher, barely
escaped by jumping from a window. The fire-
men of the neighboring towns of Lock Haven
and Mill Hall, who responded to the alarm, were
unable to fight the flames because of the lack of
water, all the plugs being frozen. rad
—Mark L. Swab, of Sunbury, former deputy
treasurer of Northumberland county, was found
guilty Tuesday of aiding and abetting and mis-
appropriating more than $10,000 of the county’s
funds. His attorneys have filed notice of appeal
for a new trial. Swab was indicted about two
years ago. William M. Loyd. of Shamokin,
former county treasurer and Swab’s superior
officer, was found guilty on the same charge.
His appeal for a new trialis now pending before
the State Supreme court.
—Two large buildings owned by the West
Penn Powder company at Tunneltown,
were wrecked and turned; Daniel Daugh-
erty, an employee, was instantly killed; two
other men are missing, and an Italian laborer,
also employed by the concern, was probably
fatally injured Tuesday morning, when an ex-
plosion occurred shortly before ten o'clock. The
cause of the accident has not yet been determin-
‘1 ed. Local officials said that they were unable to
make a statement as to the cause of the accident.
—Lehigh University will receive about $800,000
and St. Luke's hospital, South Bethlehem, about
$82,000, under an adjudication of the eleventh ac-
count of the executors and trustees of the estate
of Asa M. Packer, confirmed by the Orphans’
court in Philadelphia. Mr. Packer, who was the
builder of the Lehigh Valley railroad, died in
1879, leaving an estate of several million dollars.
He was the founder of Lehigh University and the
hospital and the further provision was made for
them in the will which devised life estates to his
three children.
—Frank Huff, who shot his wife at Penfield in
September last, it will be remembered was tried
at Clearfield in December and found guilty of
murder in the first degree. He was granted a
new trial, which took place last week. Judge
Singleton Bell finished his charge to the jury at
10.30 on Saturday night. The jury on Sunday
afternoon at 4 o’clock rendered a verdict of sec-
ond degree murder, and on Monday Judge Bell
sentenced Huff to not more than nineteen years
and six months nor less than seventeen years in
the western penitentiary.
—A romance occurred at the Pennsylvania
railroad station at Latrobe afew days ago that
beats much of the fiction of the day. A pretty
German girl came from New York to meet a
man from Wilpen with whom she had arranged
for a wedding by correspondence. He didn’t show
up and she found him sleeping in the station. At
first he was for calling off the wedding. Then,
perhaps thinking of the $2,700 she was carrying,
he allowed himself to be persuaded. But about
the time the preliminaries were arranged the
bride took a notion to change her mind and went
back to New York with her money but without a
‘——Have your Job Work done here.
husband.