VOL.XXVII.
FATAL SHOOTING
This Time lt> Is hone In Sell
\ efense
A SUNDAY MORNING II OK 808.
Tti® Insane Act of a Border Costs Him Ilia
Life—He l'oured Water In the Plan® and
Ruined tli Parlor Furniture, aud
When Accuaed He Acted Like a l)es
perado—An Almost Incredible Tale—
'A he Knife and the Revolver Both Piny
Their Part—Kx-Keglater and Recorder
James Gritfln Badly Uaed Up—A Pro
reeding Without a Precedent.
Another homicide swells Johnstown's
already lengthy list. It happened Sun
day morning about 4 o'clock.
The scene was at the house of Mr. Ed
ward Brudy, Mo. 26 Singer street, Ninth
ward. Mrs. Brady keeps several board
ers, and has her house very nicely fur
nished, a fine piano and an elegant tapes
try suite being some of the parlor furnish
ings. Why anyone should seek to destroy
the piano aud furniture is certainly a mys
tery. But nevertheless an attempt to do
so led to a murder as will be seen.
The family of Mr. Brady consists of
hiraße t, bis wife and two daughters,
Annie and Ella. The former is the well
known vocalist, and was not at home at
the time. Having been at Morrellville at
a concert the evening previous, she re
mained at Conway's Hotel all night.
As nearly as could be ascertained the
particulars are as follows :
About 3 o'clock yesterday morning a
noise in the parlor, which proved to be
the upsetting of the piano stool by s>mc
one's falling over it, aroused Miss Nellie
the younger dauguter. Sue at once went
to the sceuc of the noise, coming down
the from stairway without a light. She
went to the parlor door, which opens into
the hall at the foot of the stairs, and was
startled on opening it to hear the trickling
and bubbling of water. She also heard
footsteps in the dining room and thought
some one rau up the back stairs. She ran
back up stairs to inform her mother that
something was wrong. The two then
proceeded with a light to the parlor,
where they were astounded to find the
piano full of water, the carpet and much
of the furniture soaking wet, For a mo
ment they were dazed with astonishment.
Returning up stairs they aroused the
boarders, all of whom came down,
and in a short time the water was poured
off and out of the piano as well as could
be done. Everyone present expressed his
amazement at the extraordinary happen
ing.
Mention should be made here of two of
the boarders. They were James O'Con
nor and John Pflieger. James Griffin,
ex-Register and Recorder was another
boarder.
O'Connor came to Brudy's about six
month's ago, and was employed as a
stone mason, some say a plasterer. He
claimed to hail from Washington, D. C,
He is known to have done some drinking,
but never, while here, was seen much un
der the influence of liquor. His age he
gave as forty-two years. He had always
deported himself properly while about
the bouse,and elsewhere so far as is know.
Pflieger came to Johnstown from Ohio
about the last of October, and has boarded
at Brady's ever since. He is a carpenter
and worked for Michael Kist,, the con
tractor. He is much esteemed by those
who know liim and has many warm
friends.
Mr. Griffin is too well known in this
vicinity to need have anything said about
him.
And now, to return to the scene in the
parlor.: The piano was quickly opened
and part of it taken apart to admit of rap
idly drying it, in the hope that it might
be saved from what seemed inevitable
ruin. On the keyboard was found some
blood, and this further excited those
present. On the floor near the piano was
found a carpet slipper such as the boarder
O'Connor was known to wear. He was
suspected, but nothing was then said.
Proceeding to the kitchen a bucket was
found filled with water ready, it is pre
sumed. to be poured over the things in
the parlor.
The boarders again went upstairs, and
Mrs. Brady sought to solve the mystery.
The slipper was in her mind a tell-tale.
She examined more closely. She found
wet tracks leading from the parlor.
These were traced to the door of the room
occupied by O'Connor and some others.
She accused him of destroying her furni
ture and piano, whereupon he grew indig
nant. Mr. Brady was sleeping on a
lounge, and his pockets were turned in
side out as if he had been robbed. Mrs.
Brady also accused O'Connor of having
robbed her husband. He became abus
ive, and Mr. Griffin, who occupied a bed
in the same room spoke up. O'Connor
made at him with a knife, slashing him in
the fare and about the head. Others In
terfered to save Mr. Griffin's
• life, foremost among whom was
JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY. PA., FRIDAY, APRIL, 3, 1890.
Pflieger. O'Connor threatened him
called him a murderer, an assasin, aud
an escape from prison, and declared " I'm
Jack llie Ripper," or words to the effect
of the abnve. O'Connoi advanced toward
him, and Pflieger, who was armed witli a
lliirty-eiglit calibre self-setting revolver,
warned him three times to keep bi3
distance, when O'Connor did not heed
this aud came toward Pflieger, the latter
fired once, uiming overhead, thinking
that would have the effect of quieting
O'Connor, but the two soon had hold of
each other, and as O'Connor was the
stronger, it was plain that Pflieger was
goiug to get the worst of it, seeing which
he fired one or two shots more, when
O'Connor fell to the floor.
He was cared for by Dr. H. F. Tomb,
and about daylight he was taken to the
Scveut 1, Waid Hospital, where he died
at about halt past 1 o'clock in the after
noon.
Pflieger made no attempt to escape and
no arrest was made until about 0:30 in
the forenoon, when he was put in the
Conemaugh borough lock-up to await the
result of the shooting. In the meantime
he had attended 8 o'clock worship at St.
Joseph's Church. He claims that he got
into the trouble by interfering in behalf
of Mr. Griffin, who was murderously as
saul ed, and that when he himself was
attacked he shot in self-defense.
O'Connor was able to speak after the
shooting, aud is reported to have said that
he was to blame for it himself. He
claimed to be a Catholic, and was asked
at the hospital whether he wanted the
priest, and he replied that lie did after a
while. Father Corbinian of the German
Catholic Church went to visit him about
3 o'clock, but the patient was then dead.
In his lower hip was a cut, it is supposed,
from havi g struck on the piano, where
the blood was found. This left no doubi
as to who tried to destroy the piano and
furniture. It was the fall when the cut
was received that caused the Doise
whereb\ he was discovered.
The Coroner was notified of the death
of O'Connor, ami yesterday afternoon he
summoned a jury composed of Alex. N.
Hart, Foremau ; J. S. Aslibridge, Dorsey
King, J. S. Smith, lla.vy Mabon, and
Rily Cramer. They repaired to the Sev
enth Ward Hospital and viewed the re
mains, after which they adjourned to
meet at 'Squire Hart's office this forenoon
at 10 o'clock.
Coroner McQougk then ordered the
body taken to Henderson's Morgue, where
•in autopsy was made last night by .'Jr.
I'omb, assisted by Drs. Matthews and
Wagoner. The resttlt will be made
known at the inquest. There were two
bullet holes in the body, one near the
collar bone and the other in the breast,
the hall penetrating near the heart.
Mr, Griffin's injuries consist of bruises
and cuts about the head and face. They
are of a painful and serious natnre. Yes
terday he spent in his room, and it may
be some time before he will be able to be
about.
In consequence of the shock which she
has sustained by the sad happening at her
house, Mrs. Brady is almost prostrated,
while a gloom has been cast over the
whole household, which will linger for
some time.
Hoily ot a Woman Fonnd.
On Friday evening u body, that of a
woman, was found at Conemaugh Fur
nace, eight miles below this city, at the
old dam, which did service in the days of
the canal. It will be brought to this city
to-day, when a complete description will
be made out.
The body is described by the tinder L.
S. Shaw, foreman of the Sang Hollow
division, Pennsylvania Railroad, as hav
ing on it a brown coat and brown dress,
high buttoned shoes, about No. 3, and
black ribbed stocking, brown dress, cardi
nal trimmings, brown hair, faalse teeth
gold hand ring, inscribed, "John,"
Nov. 1885, gold ring with set.
There is an impression among the rela
tives of Mr. John J. Geis, of Salina, Kan
sas, who live iu this city, that the body
found is that of his wife. The ring an
swers well. Mr. Geis was married in
October, 1885. Some of the clothing as
described does not correspond to that
which sLe wore, but there may be some
mistake about that. The difference in
the date of the ring and the marriage may
be explained.
Mrs. Geis, it will be remembered, was
visiting here at the time with Mr. Geis's
folks. She went down in the flood, and
has never been heard of yet. unless the
body described is hers.
Death of UII Aged Woman.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ribblett, who died iu
West Taylor township on Thursday, at
the age of ninety-two years was one of
the oldest residents of this section.
When a young woman, she and her hus
band, Bartholomew Ribblett, moved on a
farm in West Taylor township, where they
lived for many years. Mr. Ribblett died
over twenty years ago since which time
she has been living with her sons. She
reared quite a family but only three sur
vive her. William and Abram of West
Taylor township, and Mis. Yeager who
lives near Pittsburgh.
FATALLY SHOT.
Cooperxdale the Scene I a Tragedy on Sat
urday Afternoon.
Between the hours of 12 and 1 o'clock
on Saturday afternoon a fatal shooting
took place at the house of a man named
Hagen, who lives in the lower eud of
Coopersdale.
A young mau named John O'Neill was
shot dead, by receiving in his mouth the
full contents of a loaded shot-gun in the
hands of a fellow boarder named Bert
Davidson, Davidson promptly surrend
ered himself, and is LOW in the Millvilie
iock-up. He claims that the shooting
was purely accidental. He is much dis
tressed at what has happened.
The particulars are best given by the
fo'lowing, the official record of the facts
as far as taken up to this time :
In the absence of the Coroner of Cam
bria county, Alex. N. Hart, Esq., of
Johnstown, empanelled a jury to inquire
into the death of John O'Neill, ol Coopers
dale, Cambria county.
The jury empanelled by the Justice is
as follows : J. S. Smith, foreman, John
McCurdy, Win. Colbert, Campbell Hess,
Wm. H. Hess, and B. F. Boyer.
After viewing the body, the following
testimony was taken.
Miss Kettle Uagen, sworn.-1 live In Coopers
dale, Cambria county ; was piesent at the time
of the shooting; was In the room with johu
O'Neill and Bert Davidson; they proposed going
hunting; O'Neill went up stairs and brought ills
gun, a shot-gun ; O'Neill took a cap off the wall
an placed It on his head, having the gun in bis
band at the tl ne; Davidson remarked tbat it
became him, and In a playful manner proposed
that he (Davidson) shoot It off ; Davidson at tUe
time was sitting upon the lounge and O'Neill
Standing In front and about four feet distant;
O'Neill remarked, " All right," and banded him
the gun; I Immediately heard a report and
seen O'Neill reel and fall to the floor; Davidson
jumped to his feet and i ushed out of the room;
I did not see him raise the gun; knew of no diffi
culty existing between the men; they appeared
to be aa intimate as brothers.
Mrs. Lucy Hagen. sworn.— At the time of
the shooting I was In the kitchen ad] lin
ing the room wli'-ro the s.ootlng occurred;
heard the reporter the gun ; my nephew, Milton
Bolalnger, w.is sitting at the door leading Into
the room ; he Immediately opened It and Bert
Davidson rushed out exclaiming : " oh, my
God 11 hive shot him he asked me where the
constable lived ; I told him aDd ho started to
ttnd him ; 1 know of no difficulty existing be
tween ihe men; they acted more Uke brothers.
Milton Dolstnger, sworn.-My home Is In Ebens
burg; Mrs. Hagen lsmy aunt; I was present at
the time of the shooting ; was sitting at the
door leading Into the room when the shooting
occurred; on hearing the report of the gun, I
lmmedlately opened the door; Sam O'Nell fell
to the floor and Davidson nished out of the
room.
Mr. Hagen was also sworn, but bis tes
timony was corroborative of the above
and contained nothing additional.
After hearing the testimony the jury ad
joined to meet at Justice Hart's office, to
day at 3:30 r. M.
HARDLY A ROSY OUTLOOK.
The Republican Chances In the State Are
Not ho Good as ttuay's Friends Tell lliin
—An Uprising Against Deiamater.
There is a great deal of quiet smiling in
Harrisburg over the way the alleged
leaders who have had Senator Quay's
ear at Washington, have been plaiting
that statesman's hair in telling him of the
rosy outlook for Deiamater. The fact is,
from information received from various
parts of the State, the outlook is not only
not rosy for Deiamater, but there is an
undercurrent of opposition that is decid
edly alarming. The expose of the way in
which Chairman Andrews worked Cam
bria county for Deiamater has set people
to talking, and politicians from different
parts of the Btate are outspoken in their
denunciotion of a campaign in which the
State Chairman uses the party machinery
to further the interests of a particular can
didate.
Especially is there a kick in the oil re
gions. Prominent Republicans in that
section who have beeu asked to be dele
gates have refused ou the ground that if
Delamater is a candidate, they would not
then bo free to fight him, which they pro
pose to do, tooth and nail.
Especially aggravating to the free think
ing voters are the dispatches sent ou f
from Washington, under Andrews's di
reclion, to the effect that any man who
enters the field against Delamater does
so at his peril, and to the " injury of his
future political prospects." This warning
to clear the track or be smashed will not
be tamely submitted to.
Another subject of comment is the ab
surd liabit of the Delamater people have
of claiming everything. Last week they
claimed that Miller, the delegate from
Snyder, was for Delamater, when the fact
is he defeated the Delamater delegate
and is for Hastings. In Ilarrisburg, if a
vote of the people is taken on indorsing a
candidate, Hastings would defeat Dela
mater two to one. The delegate will be
Lyman D. Gilbert, and he is not pledged
to any candidate.
There are stories to the effect that
Chris L. Magee. Wharton Barker, James
McManes, Charles W. Stone, Daniel T.
Hastings, William R. Leeds, Lewis W.
Emery, Thomas B. Cochran. Barton D.
Evans, E. Nevin Pomeroy, and other
prominent men of the party will combine
and make a vigorous fight against Dela
mater on the ground that if he is nomi
nated there will be a repetition of 1882.
This may be interesting for Mr. Quay to
ead in Philadelphia to-morrow.
DEATH OF DAVID BYRON GIBBONS.
IIIN RroiuiNing Life Comes lo an End Fri
day Morning at O'clock—The Fu
neral.
David Byron Gibbons, one of the best
known and widely esteemed citizens of
Alioona, and for many years a much re
spected resident of this city, died at his
residence, 1309 Twelfth avenue, Altoona t
at 12:2") o'clock Friday morning, aged
33 years, six months and twepty four days.
Death was the result of consumption* a
disease which had been slowly sapping
his life away for many months past.
About one year ago he was attacKed with
hemorrhages of the lungs, which left him
in a weakened condition.
The Altoona Times of yesterday pays
him an eloquent tribute, and in doing so
voices the sentiments of many friends of
the deceased in this city. Continuing the
Times says : He had apparently recov
ered from his first attack and was in good
health until the Johnstown flood. In that
fearful calamity he was subjected to ex
posure, which finally terminated in the
disease which caused his death. During
the long and weary weeks of suffering he
bore himself with Christian fortitude an 1
was never heard to complain. He was
conscious to the last and affectionately
bade his sobbing wife and friends fare
well.
The deceased was born in County Mayo,
Ireland, in the Purrish of Giver. He was
the son of John and Murrie Gibbons, par
ents of excellent character and the highest
peerage. He came to America in the
year 1870, when but 16 years of age. For
several years be attended schools in Phil
adelphia ai d Scranton, and during these
early years fitted himself for his later life.
As a scholar he was considered unusually
apt and bright, and always head of (lie
class.
About six years ago he was united in
marriage to Miss May Bradley, eldest
daughter of Mr. Hugh Bradley, a well
known citizen of Johnstown and soon
after that date lie took up his residence in
that city. He was there at the lime of the
flood, and his escape from death was in
deed a miraculous one. All his property
and possessions, including a magnificent
library, were swept away and destroyed.
After that calamity he came to Altoonu
and had resided here ever since.
Three small children have preceded |
him to the grave, the youngest, James
Leo, having died only a few weeks ago.
and of the once happy family a sorrowing
wife remains. Three brothers—Peter, of
Philadelphia, and Dennis and Edward
and one sister, Mame, residing in Lead
ville, Col.—survive, as do several brothers
and sisters, being at the old home in Ire
land. David Gibbous needs no eulogy.
He was a man too pure and noble to have
his virtues painted in the feeble colors of
language. His memory will live after
him. and will be cherished by all who
knew him.
Possessed of rare intellectual and phy
sical endowments, he was destined to
make his mark, and hard indeed was it to
find a man of wider and more practical
knowledge than he. He was the means
of aiding many a sorrowing and unfortu
nate fellow-being; and numberless are the
acta of charity and kindness performed by
him. But, most of ail, he was a Chris
tian. At the lime ot his death he was a
member of St. John's Church in this city,
and few meu are there who lived as con
sistent and faithful a life.
'I he funeral will take place from the
residence of Mrs, B. Dunn, No. 1309
Twelfth avenue, at 0:80 o'clock Saturday
morning and proceed to St. John's Church,
where will be celebrated Requiem High
Muss. From there the remains will be
taken to Johnstown on Pacific Express.
When the remains arrive here they will
be taken to the residence of Mr. Hugh
Bradley, corner of Vine and Market
streets, where they will remain until Sun
day afternoon, when interment will take
place at 3 o'clock in Lower Voder Ceme
tery.
MAKE THE lit OWN COKIi.
The Cambria Iron Compuy Will Establish
a riant Here.
The Cambria Iron Company will here
after make all the coke to be used in their
mills at Johnstown. They owned what is
known as the Lemon mines at East Cone
maugli, but never were able to coke the
coal. For some weeks they have been
making a test of the new Adam's coke
ovens at the Atlas mines, Dunhar. Pa
Saturday Superintendent Taylor, of the
mines made a report to the Company, in
which lie stated that a high quality ot
coke had been turned out by the oven
from the Lemon coal.
The oven was tried in connection with
an ordinary beahivc oven charged with
coal from the Atlas mines. The oven be
sides putting a ton of coke more a day
than the beehive made one-hundredth per
cent more coke from the same amount of
coal. The Cambria Iron Company was
perfectly satisfied and will put in a coke
plant at Johnstown just as soon as pos
sible.
■
GOVERNOR BEAVER has appointed the 11th
and 25th of April as arbor Days. Two
dates have been fixed so that you can plant
on the second the trees you failed to
plant on the first.
I THE NEW ELECTRIC STREET RAILWAY
I The R utes It Will Take, ami Other Inter
esttng Information Concerning 11.
As has already been stated in the col
umns of the DEMOCRAT work is in pro
gress on the new electric street railway
in the Seventh and Eighth war.ls. The
route to be built immediately is a double
track from where the work was begun in
the Seventli ward, at the General Office,
Moxliam, to the Pennsylvania railroad
track at Morrellville. The route lay
along the valley pike to the old track
Grubbtown, thence through the Eighth,
Sixth, and Fifth wards to the Franklin
street bridge, over the old route, to the
corner of Main and Market streets. The
track will be laid down Main to W iloul.
and over Walnut to the Licoln bridge.
From there to Morrellville the route will
nc the same as the old one, unless the
site for the new Cambria-Millville bridge
be located on a different site from where
the old structure stood.
At the Morrellville end of the line there
will be a loop, such as those at the Bed
ford stieet and Moxham stations of the
Johnstown & Stonycreek Railroad, a
piece of ground north of the Pennsyl
vania Railroad and west of the crossing
having been leased from Mr. Strayer for
that purpose. The Hori erstown and
Woodvale routes will be built as speedily
as possible, after the route spoken of has
been completed, which, the Company ex
pects will be by July Ist. At that date it is
expected that cars will be running from
Moxliam to Morrellville. A line will
likely be built to G'oopersdalc The Itox
bury people are anxious, as has been pre
viousiy stated, to have the cars, but
whether the road will be extended to that
place or not will he a matter for the
1 future to decide.
The power station will be built in the
Seventh ward, between Horner and
Baumer streets, on the vacant lot South of
Eramerling's brewery. It will be of brick,
forty-two by 112 teet. Two large boilers,
of 150 horse power each, have been or
dered for it, from John Wood, at Conslio
nocken, Pa., to be delivered June Ist.
There will also be three engines for the
plant. They have been ordered from the
Ball Engine Company, Eric, Pa., to be
delivered not later than May 20th.
The generators and motors will be fur
nished by the Electiric Railway Company,
of Cleveland, Ohio. The line work will
all be done by the Street Car Company of
this place. The cars—ten motor and ten
trail cars—have been contracted for with
the John Stevenson Company, of New
York, for May and June delivery.
The car shed will be built, work on it
having already been begun, a short dis
tance south of the General Office, at Mox
liam, on the west side of the Valley Pike,
or Central Avenue, as it is called in the
plan of Moxham.
LRU BIIOKKN IN TWO PLACES.
Actum ltoicllr, of Wooclvule, Beaten by
Thugs on Saturcluy Night.
On Saturday night about 1} o'clock as
Mr. Adam Roidle, of Woodvale, was on
his way home from having been down
street, he was beset bv some thugs and
badly beaten. The affair took place in
Coneraaugli borough on Railroad street,
not far from the Haynes street crossing.
He was taken to his home in Woodvale
by some frieuds, and Dr. 11. F. Tomb at
tended him. Besides bruises on the head
and face and being otherwise used up, one
of his legs was broken in two places bv
being kicked. One of the bones only was
fractured, the two breaks being between
the knee and the ankle.
The assailants of Mr. Roidle made their
escape. Yesterday evening he was getting
along all right, but may not be seen on the
streets again for two months.
TO MAKE IIKICK.
The Refuse f rom the Old Ore Mines 111
Frog Hollow to be L'setl for That Pur
pose.
Some time ago satisfactory experiments
were made with the refuse from the old
miues in Frog Hollow—for the purpose of
ascertaining whether the great piles of
stuff could be U9ed in making brick. A
very good quality of brick was produced,
very heavy, and of smooth surface. They
are said to be very superior to clay brick.
The makiug of the brick will now be
pushed rapidly. The materials is in the
shape of a slate, or shale. It is first
pulverized by machinery. After that the
process is the same as in making clay
brick.
Funeral of I). B. Gibbons.
The funeral of Mr. D. B. Gibbons was
one of the largest bad in this city for a
long time. The remains were taken from
the residenco of his father-in-law, Mr.
Hugh Bradley, corner of Market and Vine
streets, at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
and interred in the Lower Yoder Ceme
tery. Twenty-eight carriages were in the
procession. Among those who were in
attendance from a distance we have the
names of the following : Altoona—Miss
Maggie Dunn, Misses Celenmn, Miss
O'Neill,JT. H. Grcevey. Esq., John A.
Doyle, Esq., E. 11. Flick, Esq., Dr.
Sheedy, H. A. McPike, Esq., Messrs.
James Snyder, Matthew Dunn, Michael
McCann, Richard McCall, P. H. Kelley,
Miles Moran, J. A. Smith ; Gallltzln—T.
P. Burns ; Portage—Felix O'Toole.
NO 4A 5" 0
OBITUARY.
MIES. ANNIE CATHARINE HINGE), t
The subject of this notice died ut the
residence of her daughter, Mrs. Adolph
Fritz, at No. 11l Adam street Ninth
ward, about 5 o'clock Monday morning-
She had returned on Saturday'from a
visit to her daughter in Beaver Falls, and
complained of feeling unwell, taking her
bed soon after her arrival. There seemed
to be no change in her condition till 3
o'clock yesterday morning, when she
called her daughter and went to the
kitchen. The old lady complained of a
feeling of distress about her heart, and
after some treatment returned to bed.
She grew worse until 5 o'clock when she
expired, saying that she was fainting.
Mrs. Bingell was the mother of ten chil
dren, five of wtiom are living, as follows:
William, Louisa, Edward, Annie—wife of
Frank Vaughn, Boaver Falls—and Ferdi
nand, of Bellaire, Ohio. She came to this
country from Germany about sixty years
ago. She married Dr. Ferdinand Bingell
atMcchauicsburg, Indiana county. They
removed to Johnstown in 1845, and later
dwelt in Zanesville, Ohio, for some years,
returning to Johnstown in 1850. The
Doctor died in 1804, and was buried in
the old Lutheran Cemetery, on Stony
creek street, but his remains were re
moved to Grand View some months ago.
The funeral will take place to-morrO? F
afternoon at 2 o'clock ; interment will be
made in Grand View beside her husband.
MRS. MATILDA ROUGH.
Mrs. Matilda Kougb, wife of Geo. W.
Kough, died at her husband's re idence,
Washington street, Monday morning be
tween 0 and 7 o'clock. The announce-
meat was quite a shock to her friends, as
she was a woman of healthy appearance,
and had always enjoyed good health.
The great Forth brideein Scotland cos
the lives of fifty-six working men during
he seven years of its construction, but
the engineers insist that this is a remark
ably good showing. They say: "The
act that the loss of life has not been
larger on a work of such magnitude, with
so it any men employed in dangerous po
sitions, shows that no reasonable prccau*
lions for their safety have been omitted."
When Edison Itad given two weeks of
his valuable time to going up and down
On Thursday last she went to see the re
mains of the late John Campbell, and was
apparently in good health. She first felt
ill on Friday and grew some worse,
pneumonia setting in. Heart troubles
came on, and the two proved too much
for the physicians in charge, and death
resulted, as stated.
Toe deceased was born in Conemaugb
borough, and w,.s the daughter of the late
Christian Bifiinger, of that borough. She
and Mr. Kough were married in Febru
ary. 1881. Four children—all daughters
—are living, and one is dead. Her age
was thirty-one years, ten mouths, and six
teen days.
The remains of Mrs. Rough will be
taken to St. Joseph's German Catholic
Church to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock,
where a requiem mass will be celebrated.
Interment will then be made in Lower
Yoder Cemetery.
SWINDLING FARMERS.
A New Device lor Obtaining Their Signs
t tire a to PromlsAory Note**
A neat and ingenious device for swind
ling farmers has lately been put in Drac
tice in the interior of the State. A
stranger called upon a well-to-do farmer
of the town of Coventry and exhibited a
plough share, which he claimed to be of
an improved pattern over ol(J styles, do
ing its work better and with easier
draught. He was introducing the plough
share, lie said, as the agent for a Buffalo
agricultural machine warehouse. He
olfered to leave a ploughshare with the
farmer on trial. If satisfactory, a stipu
lated price was to be remitted to the
Buffalo house, and the farmer was to
recommend the new tool to his neighbors.
If not satisfactory, the ploughshare should
cost the farmer nothing.
The proposition appeared so fair that
the Coventry man accepted it, and, as a
matter of form, the agent said, signed his
name to a memorandum of the agreement,
which the agent wrote out on the spot
with a fountain pen that he produced
from his pocket. A few days later the
farmer was amazed by the presentation
for payment, of his note of hand for #250.
The note was presented by a neighbor, to
whom the agent had sold it, with a plaus
ible explanation and at a slight discount.
At first the victimized farmer indignantly
pronounced the signature a forgery, but a
revived recollection of his deal with the
plowshare agent and a closer inspection
of the handwriting sat'sfied him that the
signature was his own.
How did the sharper work the trick ?
The accepted theory is that he wrote out
the contract with an ink that soon faded
out, and then substituted for the farmer's
use in signing the document another
fountain pen filled with common ink. The
trick gave him, after the fading out pro
cess was completed, a piece of paper free
of any mark except the genuine signature,
which he converted into a promissory
note. There is no concern in Buffalo do
ing business under the firm name given
by the sharper.