VOL.XXVIII. THE CITY COUNCILS. Fr ©<•*•! iiign of the Meeting of Both BraDchett Lt Evening. Both branches of the City Councils met in regular monthly session last even ing in their respective, rooms. A quorum of the Select Council not being present, a policeman was sent out to hunt t p the ab sentees. IN THE SELECT COUNCIL. A quorum was present at 8 o'clock, the following men 1 ers being present : Messrs Barry, Kennedy, O'Sliea, Brixuer, Moses, Slick, Kist, Huebner and Hogan. Those absent were Messrs. Haws, Yeug ley, Buser, McLaughlin, Smith and llocli steio. in the absence of Chairman Yeagley, Mr. Kennedy presided, A petition from John B. Gerhard! ask ing for permission to lay, at his own ex pense. a row of stepping stones across Horner street in front of his place of business in the Seventh ward was granted. A petition from citizens of Moxham, Seventh ward askiug for the extension of Wheat street in that place to Coleman nvenue. was referred to the Committee on Highways. The following message from the Mayor was read : M A voit'a OFFICE. 1 CITY OF JOHNSTOWN, June 17, tsao.f Tu the Strlevt and Cniwnoh CfAWCUS a] the City (it Jolmstown: In response to resolution of your bodies " re questing the Mayor and solicitor to present to council the proper measure to prep.ue the way for raislDg the money necessary to protect the city from tlood whether by the issue of Kiver improvement Bonds or other form—" I have to say that the only mode of Incurring Indebted ness by the municipality is by, ® First. Ascertaining the amount of outstanding liability then ascertaining the amount ot reve nue wltnin one year which the municipality will derive fiom all sources, t his of course should include the probable expenditures within the year to which the revenue would have necessar ily to be applied, this amount being ascertained, the Councils by resolution or ordinance may In cur an Indebtedness equal to two per cent, upon the valuation of all the taxable property within the limits of the city as ascertained by the last proceeding assessment. Should the amount of the outstanding liability be equal to two per cent, then the Councils have no authority to eonfract a loan or Incur an indebtedness without having the sanction of the electors of the city us follows : Second. The municipality may contract a loan or incur an indebtedness not to exceed the sum of seven per cent, upon the valuation of the taxable property within the limits of the city by fixing a ttme and giving notice of •> special elec ttVti upon which the questioned incurring an in debtedness shall be submitted to the vot ers. should a majority ot the votes cast be In favor ot incurring an indebtedness, then the municipal authorities may contract or incur an indebted ness tor any lawful purpose not to exceed ihe seven per cent, above mentioned. In either event the proper officers ot the mu nicipality must file a statement, under oath, "with the clerk of the Court of Quarter sessions, Hhowlng the amount of the last annual assess ment, the amount of the revenues within the next year applicable to the payment of the In debtedness, the amount of tlielndebtedness.the form and character of the obligation Issued, and when payable. At the time of Issuing any obligation under the Act ol Assembly relating to the municipal indebtedness, the Councils must authorize the levying ot a tax applicable to the liquidation of * the debt, and the period lor which bonds may be Issued shall cot exceed thirty years. Pursuant to your resolution, a contract with the Cambria Iron company for the building of a temporary bridge across the Little conemaugh river, and the tilling of the river bank for tl>? protection of the Eleventh ward has been en tered Into, and I recommend the appropriation of a sum sufficient to cover the amount ot Bald contract, to wit.: the sum of si,oooforthe cost of the bridge, and the sum of say sa)o to cover the actual expense for labor in laying the rail road track Pursuant to ordinance and resolution, I have accepted the bid ot Hoover, Hughes k Co., they being the only persons who tiled a bid for the erection of tire temporary Mayor's offli e and lock-up or station house, to be used as a city prison. In accordance with the plan and speclil , cation approved by the respective committees on public property of each branch ot council; the price atd sum of said building Is tt,400, and is already covered by a proper appropriation. in accordance with the resolution of the councils, a contract tor the tilling or Main street to Walnut, from Walnut to the bridge crossing the Little conemaugh and Iron street and the Intersecting streets and Idleys with Brown Bros, at the rate per cubic yard lixed by resolution, has teen entered into, the work to he done under the direction of tiie City Engi neer and the same Is now being rapidly pushed •to completion. A proper appropriation shoul I bo made for i tho payment of the sum of said contract. L I have been Informed by the cohtractor hav f Ing In charge the building ot the proposed In cline at the foot of viLe street that they will lie required to excavate and remove from six to ten thousand yards or ground in order to make the foundations tor that structure, and they will be required to expend the ground some where else than In the river. Doubtless a con tract could he made with them to fill the lower portion of Main, Washington, and Union streets and Intersecting alleys at a very low ngure, and I recommend the propriety of referring the mat ter to the City Engineer and street commlr sloner, giving to them authority to confer with and secure from the contractors the ground to he expended, conferring at the same time the ' right to make a contract If the"terms are satis factory to a [troper committee of the councils and the Mayor. I have drafted an ordinance deilnlng the width and location for part of the course of the Little conemaugh river and recommend to your bodies its prompt adoption as the same is drawn in conformity with the survey atd recommen dation of the City Engineer. It will be at least a commencement and should there be litigation It might as well commence at the point of vital k interest to the Inhabitants of the city |p the matter of obtaining an outlet for the (low of the water. It changes the mouth of the Little Cone maugh the width of Itself down the stream so as to make Its flow parallel with Its couflu- JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY. PA., FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1890 ent, the stonycreek. and will relieve us of the dangerous bar heretofore thrown up at every rainfall. It will be seen by a reference to the map or plan prepared by the Engineer that the proposed change will affect but slightly prop erty holders except at the lower end, where the Cambria Iron company will be mostly affected and with them I hope but little. If any, contro" veny will be had, as the practical effect is but to give a better outlet to the stream and relieve us ot the trouble of the bar deposit above re ferred to. A change may he required In the lo cation of Conemaugh street In the Thirteenth ward, which will be all the street affected Dy the change recommended by the Engineer. It is to me apparent that there is more re quired at the hands ot the City Engineer than he can possibly accomplish. The councils have ordered, and I commend them for It, that the City Engineer throw aside all other work and proceed with the survey ol the water courses In order that ordinances maybe passed estab lishing their width preparatory to cleaning the same, clearing the rubbish, debris, and deposits and opening the channels to relieve us from the danger of luture floods. The grading ot streets Is now going on, which must be done under the direction of the City Engineer, who must be constantly on hand to establish the line and as certain the number of cubic yards of ffillDg done. He Is beset on alljsldes by persons desir ing grades, lines, and levels; an average of ton to twelve persons dally complain to the Mayor of the refusal of the City Engineer to give them grades, lines and levels. If all this work is to be done, the City Engineer must have assist ance, and I call the attention of the councils to the fact, in order that they may take such sters to secure to citizens the opportunity to obtain lines and levols as the councils may deem proper. The committee to whom was referred the mat ter of Investigating and reporting upon the pro. priely of making a change In the Eire Limit ordinance so as to relieve persons who had in good faith entered into contracts and prepared material for the outer walls of their bullalngs prior to the adoption or the ordinance met and Investigated the matter and concluded to recommend the adoption of an ordinance re pealing the last proviso of section 4, of said or dinance a draft of which will be duly presented to Councils. The new temporary office for the Mayor will soon be completed and ready for cccupancy. T here Is now no proper desk, bookcase or pigeon holes for tiling the papers, keeping ihe blanks and securing tho dockets, books and registry pertaining to the offloe. The information, war rants, subptenas, committments and such simi lar papers are pubic records and must be pre served, I therefore recommend to councils the propriety and necessity of providing for the Mayor's office a suitable desk with drawers and case for the purpose of depositing the dockets and storing the blanks as also proper pigeon holes for flllDgthe office papers and the pro curing of the necessary chairs and furniture In order to enable him to discharge the duties of his office. I feel it my duty to call the attention ol the Councils to the delay In passing the ordinance relating to sidewalk. There is now no munici pal regulation which will enable the executive officers of the city to prohibit obstruction of the sidewalk except to prosecute in the Courts for a public nuisance those who store their goods, barrels and boxes on the same. Nor Is there any regulation to compel persons to repair their sidewalks as all ordinances on that subject passed by the sev oral boroughs now forming the city have been repealed. The delay, as I learn, Is caused by those who desire to eoupie with the passage of reasonable regulations In reference to the side walks a proviso which proposes to give to mer chants a right to obstruct the side-walk for their own personal convenience and pecuniary advantage. The citizens ol the whole commu nity are made to suffer in order to enhance the protlts and give an ImproDer advntage to a par ticular class. The views ol the Executive upon the subject ol this privilege has heretofore been made the subject of a special message vetoing the ordinance by reason of the obnoxious clause referred to. should those who desire to attach to a general regulation designed tor the good or the whole people reflect lor a moment. It seems to me they would see the propriety of adopting the ordinance without the clause referred to, and then Introducing It as a separate measure. If the measure Is a meritorious one, it could and would stand alone and be adopted by a proper majority of the councils, hut when attached to a measure of tellef and municipal regulation, which ought not to be delayed. It only places the advocates of the special privilege in the Position of obstructing much needed legislation. I have called the attention of the Councils to the matter, and leave with you the responsblll ty torourbrckcn sidewalks and encumbered foot-ways. The change or the grade at the corner of Wal nut and Main, as also at ihe corner of Wulnut and Washington streets, necessitates a ceange In the lire-plugs. Of course the change In grade and elevation will have to be borne by the city, and I am Informed by the Superintendent of the Water company that plugs will have to be re newed, the one at the corner of Main and Wal nut being ot the old McClellan pattern and the one at t he comer of Washington and Walnut can only be replaced by attaching a new stand pipe. The work will require to be done at once and I reccommcnd that the Street commissioner or City Engineer be instructed at once to inform the Water company to make the necessary' change. Also within a short time when the grading is done at the Intersection of I'nlon and Main a ne>v plug will have to beputlnandl suggest the propriety of having instructions given to the water company to change it to the proper grade. The grade of Morris street has been changed near the lower end. The street Hallway track conlorms to the new grade. The sidewalk must be elevated to correspond. The grade Is made to suit the proposed elevation of the bridge at one foot over the present height of the existing abutments. The condition now Is that the street is impassable for teams, something must be done. If the Franklin ssreet bridge Is to be constructed upon the existing abutments only to be changed by an elevation of the same the street should tie filled up to meet the case so that wagons can use the highway. If the stream Is to be widened and the abutment set back the lines should be given at once, and the work of construction begun. If the st ream Is to be widened, where the embank ment Is to be taken off, on which side, to whay extent, and who Is to he affected should be as certained without delay, to the end that If we are to be delayed by refusal of those claiming the property to permit It to be removed, their houses torn down or set back, and lltlgattlon Is to ensue or precede the work of construct ing the bridge upon the new lines, the fact should be known and the courts appealed to In whatever form may he deemed proper at once. Th street Hallway people claim that they are not responsible lor the condition of the street is they only followed in elevatlhg the track the ! lines given by the proper%fficlals and they are • in no wise responsible for the condition that renders the street impassable and of which I here complain. The Street Katlwav company aver that they are anxious to go on and com plete the road and set In motlou their cars but can not do so until at least three of the bridges, the Franklin Street, the Walnut Street and the bridge across the conemaugh connecting tho Fifteenth ward are built. The bridges should be built. The location of the lower bridge re ferred to should be ascertained at once. The Finance committee claim they arc ready to assist with funds In building bridges when their location and length are duly established. At a recent interview pt least one member ot the committee announced that he was not willing to contribute any money towards building Ihe bridges until the council widened the streams to the lines given by Mr. schenk. In his survey. Everybody wants the bridges built, whether or not a change shall be made In the width of the Stonycreek at the FranitUn street Bridge, or whether the bridge shall be erected upon the abutments Is a matter exclusively for the deter mination or the councils. So is it with the loca tion of the bridge to be erected on the lower Conemaugh. I believe there will bo no contro versy in regard to the width or length of the bridge at the end of walnut street and at the upper end of Kailroad street as the Cambria Iron company, owning both sides of the stream at the upper bridge and all the land on the up per side of the Walnut Street Bridge, have vol untarily opened the stream or agreed that, It shall be opened to a width of ICS feet. But still councils must act and 1 recommend tho appoint ment of a Joint committee of the Councils to take up the whole question and give to It care ful consideration of the expense, delay, and possible Htlgatlen to follow tho widening of the streams, the danger ot overllow II the same are not widened, and having carefully considered all these matters report to councils what should be done in order that action may be taken. It will not do to trifle with this matter. Action Is necessary, delay is Improper. I will repeat what 1 have heretofore said; I will enlor-e, If the same can be done, any scheme Councils may devise within the hounds ol law tor our relief. W. HORACE HOSE. Moved by Mr. Barry that the message be received and taken up seriatim. Tiie matter of raising money to improve the rivers was referred to the Finance Committee. On motion, the City Solicitor was in structed to draft an ordinance covering the recommendation of the Mayor in le gard to the bridge to the Eleventh ward. The same action was taken in reference to the matter of the couiract with Hoover, Hughes & Co., for building the temporary Mayor's headquarters. The part of the message relating to the matter of tbe ground tc be excavated in constructing Ihe incline plane was re ferred to the City Engineer and the Street Commissioner, with power to act. The mattei in reference to the furnish ing of the Mayor's Office was referred to the Committee on Citv Property, The matter of the change of water plugs necessitated by the change of grade in the First and Second wards was re ferred to the Mayor and the Solicitor to ascertain at whose expense the change should be made, with instructions to re port at next meeting. A resolution instructing the Mayor and the Solicitor to draft an ordinance de claring the width of the Stonycreek river in the city limits be 200 feet passed. The vote by which the sidewalk ordi nance failed of passage at the last meeting was reconsidered. The ordirance was then passed unanimously on third reading. An ordinance declaring the width of the Little Conemaugh at 125 feet and fix ing the lines of that river from the Cam bria Iron Company's railroad bridge to its junction with ihe Stonycreek passed two readings. A resolution from Common Council di recting Brown Bros., to take from the river the filling they are using to raise the streets in the First and Second wards. Passed. An ordinance authorizing the City En gineer to employ an assistant passed two readings. An ordinance relating to the move ment of street railway cars within the city limits passed two readings, An ordinance relating to tho depositing of garbage or other obstructing materials in the rivers passed two readings. An ordinance regulating the movement of vehicles on the public highways of the City of Johnstown passed one read ing. An ordinance making appropriation for the payment of the interest on the outstanding indebtedness of the sevei'al boroughs now comprising tho City of Johnstown passed two readings. A communication from the City Solic itor was read, asking that the City Engi neer be directed to iurnish him the neces sary lines for Gauticr and Quarry streets, in the Tenth ward, to enable him to com ply with the request of Council to draft an ordinance declaring them public streets. On motion, Council adjourned to meet on Friday evening. IN THE COMMON COUNCIL. The members present in the Common Cofincil were Messrs. Arthur, Donaldson, Neary, Fearl, J. M. Davis, Foster, Mat thews, McConnell, Greene, Flanagan, Coleman, Zimmerman, and Miltenbcrgcr. Tho absentees were Messrs. R. Davis, Beaujohn, and Slater. The minutes of the last regular meeting and the subsequent special meetings were read and approved. I The message from the Mayor was read It was considered seriatim. An ordinance making appropriation for the City Engineer's department, passed finally. Au ordinance making appropriation for the payment of the laborers in the Street Commissioner's department, passed fi nally. Mr. Matthews then moved that tbe City Controller he requested to give au esti mate of Ihe probable receipts and expeu ditures tor the current year, and also the assessed valuation of the property in the city. Agreed to. Mr. Fearl offered a resolution directing Brown Bros, to take from tbe river the filling they are now using. It was moved that the Solicitor he in structed to draft an ordinance in accord ance with the Mayor's message in refer ence to the filling in the Eleven!h ward. Bills to the amount of $2,768.10 passed two readings. Mr. Foster moved that the Committee on Highways, the Solicitor and the May or be mstiucted to confer with Sparks ifc Evans, in the matter of Hie ground exca vated at the incline plane, to see what terms could be obtained to have them put it on tbe streets in the lower parts of the city, and if satisfactory to draw up n pro per ordinance iu lefcrtaee to the matter. The clause in the Mayor's message re lating to the furnishing of his office was, on motion of Mr. Fearl, refeired to the Committee on Cfly Property. Messrs. Matthews, Foster, Green, Fearl and Arthur were appointed a special com mittee to meet a like committee from Se lect Council to consider the sidewalk ordi nance. The ordinance on nuisances was also referred to that same committee. The matter in regard to the water plugs on Walnut street it was resolved that the water company he directed to place new plugs or make necessary im provements in water plugs at the intersec tion of Main and Walnut, Washington and Walnut, and Main and Union streets. Passed two readings. Mr. Greene offered a resolution directing that the new bridge between the Four teenth and Fifteenth wards he located at Broad street. Agreed to. Petition from the citizens of Iron street that a sewer be p'aced along that street for the drainage of tbe properties on the north side of said street, was re ferred lo the Committee on Highways. Petition from the Seventh Ward Fire Company asking for an appropriation, was referred to the Committee on Fire and Fire Engines. Mr. Foster presented the petition of the Johnstown Turnverein, asking for per mission to lay a private sewer at their own expeose and under the direction of the Street Commissioner, from the rear of their lot at the corner of Itailroad and Jackson streets to Locust street. The petition was granted. The City Engineer was instructed to give the grade and line to the citizens along Connelly avenue so that they can put down their curbstones. On motion adjourned to meet Friday evening. New Convent Building. Prior to Ihe flood the Benedictine Sis ters, belonging to St. Joseph's congrega tion, occupied a rather small frame build ing on Railroad street, above the parson, age. It shared the common fate of build ings in the track of the flood. A fine new two-story brick building is now Hearing completion on the old site, and will, when finished, make a very comfortable resi dence for tbe sisters. Considering the amount of property it lost in the flood St. Joseph's congregation has made very rapid progress since the disaster. Their work of rebuilding will be done when the convent is completed. GREENMBUKG HAPPENINGS. GKBBNSBCRG. PA., June 15.—Mr. Peter Householder, of Bunker Hill, was fatally injured yesterday morning by a fall of coal in the Greensburg mines, south of town. His skull was fractured iu two places, bot'i ears were torn off. and he was badly injured internally. He is sin gle and about twenty-five years old. Morris Hasson, of Ludwick, made in formation against 8. B. 8. Miller, conduc tor of the first section of the Western Ex press, charging him with throwing him from the train near Penn, on May 23d, while running at the rate of forty miles an hour. The conductor was arrested and entered bail for a hearing on Tuesday next. Friday evening a girl named Mary Loge, in the employ of the family of Dick I'rehetel, was fatally scalded by upsetting a kettle of boiling water over her person. The flesh on her body from the breast down was literally cooked. Bones of Two Children. On Friday the bones of a child were found at New Florence and shipped to the morgue authorities here. Spring-hcel shoes and black stockings were the only article? of clothing found with the body. On Laturdav the bones of another child wese found at thef Point and taken to the morgue. No description could be giveD, as there was nothing but bones. Partners with a Fakir. One day, after the editor ot the Weekly Banner and Home Journal had returned to the office from a trip around the vil lage, he announced to me that the paper would suspend with that issue. I was an apprentice at $2 per week and " found," and he was in debt to mc and everybody else, and could raise no more subscrip tions or advertising. We were discuss ing the gloomy outlook when a young man with a hawk eye and a thin nose came bustling m. That he was down on his luck could easily be told at a glance, hut that he was discouraged was not so clear. " I want two or three days' credit for a little printing," he promptly announced. •' You can't have it," growled the editor. The young mail was turning away, seeming not at all discouraged, when the editor asked : " Who are you?" '■ A fakir." " What's that ? " " A man who travels and lives by his wits." " Well you've hit the wrong towu. You couldn't raise a quarter here in a week's talking. I've worked like a jackass for a year to establish this paper, and she busts this week." '•My friend," said the stranger as he sat down," " let's go pards." " How ?" '• You print me some labels and dodgers and I'll do the selling and we'll whack up." " What have you got? " A liver tonic." " No good." " Best thing in the woild. How many people you got here ?" "Twelve hundred." "Then I'll sell twelve hundred bottles of my South American Liver Invigorator at a dollar a bottle." After some further talk the editor agreed to tho partnership. I went to the drug stores and found one hundred bot tles of a certain size. One thousand more were telegraphed for at Pittsburgh to come C. O. D. We got UD a label, got out five hundred dodgers, aud the "Invig orator " was made at the editor's house. It was a mixture of water, molasses, ginger, and whiskey, and cost about four cents a bottle. When all was ready the fakir went out ,ou the street, I circulated the dodgers and the editor gave him a page adver tisement in what we thought would he the last issue, Can you guess what that chap did in seventeen days ? He made, bot tled and sold 2,900 bottles of that " In vigorator," working two other villages be sides our own. In the making and bot tling lie had three cr four to help, but he did all the selling alone. Children cried for it, and old chaps who had forgotten that they ever had a liver bought two bot tles and then came hack for a third one. I saw $1,450 counted down on the impos ing stone for our editor, and he very kind ly handed me my hack salary and a pres ent of SSO. It was a godsend to him, for he squared up, the paper went on and to day it is one of the liveliest small dailies in the State of Ohio. A TRAIN ri.I'NUES DOWN A HILL. Three Killed ami Several Wounded on a North Carolina Train. ASHKVILLE, N. C., June 19.—A terrible railroad accident occurred at Melrose sta tion, on the Ashevillc and Spartanburg division of the Western North Carolina road last night. The dead are : Engineer J. J. Smyra of Chester, S. C.; Engineer Lewis Tunstall of Yorktown, Va.; Fireman W. G. Taylor of Morris town, Tenn., son of W. P. Taylor, for twenty years a conductor. The injured are; C. Bowcock, flagman, thigh broken; conduc toi, injuries not serious, escaped by jump ing : William Hoe fireman, slight injuries, escaped by jumping ; two colored brake men named Foster and Greenlee, painful, but not dangerous, wounds. From the apex ot Saluba Mountain to Melrose, a distance of more than three miles, there is a fall of COO feet. The track was very wet last night when a coal train started down, and soon after begin ning tbe descent it became evident that tho twelve loaded ears were too much for both engines to hold with all brakes down, and the speed grdually quickened under the heavy pressure until a rate of seventy five miles an hour was reached, when the tracks spread and the train plunged down the mountain with a terrible crash, bury ing beneath the broKen cars, cross ties, and earth the brave fellows who had stood to their posts. The loss to the company in engines anil cars will reach $75,000. A Surprise Blrtlnlay Party. Yesterday being the sixty-third birth day of 'Squire Wm. C Bland, of the Thir teenth ward, a crowd of his friends called on him in the evening byway of a " sur prise " and presented him a fine rocking chair. The gentlemen in the party were Thomas P. Keedy, Esq., ex-Burgess of Millville borongh, Select Councilman Chas. Brixner and Ed. T. McNeelis, Esq. Quite a number of ladies were present. The 'Squire in his well known hospitable manner entertained the party till among the long hours. NO. GREBNsBUKG KXCITED Over the Shooting of Dr. W. J. Hammer by Hit Wife. GBBKKSBUHG, June 19. Last night about 10 o'clock our quiet little city was startled by the Dews of the shooting of Dr. Will J. Hammer, one of our promi nent youDg dentists, by his wife,to whom he has only been married about fifteen months. The cause of the shooting wan family troubles, which had been brewing; for some time, aud which culminated in a quarrel yesterday, when Mis. Hammer went to her father's, Eli Sell, at Paradise, our southern suburb, and complained to him about the manner in which they have been living. Mr. Sell told her that he would go back home with her and try to have an amicable settlement of the matter be tween them, This he did, and last night about 9:80, when the doctor got home from his office, he found the old gentle man and hfs wife there. In a short time tl.ey got into a fight, which culminated in the doctor striking the old gentleman with a cane, knocking him down and se riously injuring him. Mrs. Hammer thinking he was going to kill her father, went to a cupboard and got a revolver and fill d twice at her husband missing both times. She then ran out into the street calling foi help, which brought Mr. Dally, a neighbor, out. who ran over and finding the door locked broke it open and rushed in, followed by Mrs. Hammer, who as soon as she got in fired again, this time the ball taking effect in the back, of her husband, and passing through the right lung, came out at the breast. She then ran out and into a neighbor's house BDd a physician was sent for. The wound is a wry serious one and may prove fatal, although the doctor I hicks he may possi bly pull through. Mrs. Hammer is at her father's, acd at this hour has not been arrested. The excitement is great, owing to the prominence of the parties, who are all wealthy. The Nicely ltoys. INDIANA, PA., June 19. —The Nicely boys, convicted of the rubbery and mur der of Farmer Umberger, have brightened up since the receipt of a letter from a sis ter, in. which she states that a confession has heen made by one John Beach, of Somerset county, to having murdered Umberger, and implicating a man named Miller from the same county, a3 an ac complice. The story as given by the Nicely girl, is that a certain justice of the peace presented himself at Somerset re cently, made affidavit that John Beach had appeared before him rnd c infessed that he and a man named Miller had kill ed Umberger, and that the Nicely boys had nothing whatever to do with the murder, The sister's story lacks confirm ation, and in some respects looks im probable. Some of the court house offi cials believe it was cooked up to influ ence the Board of Pardons, before which their case will be brought again. A spec ial from Greensburg gives a different ver sion of the alleged confession. It says : A rumor is in circulation here to the effect that a man named Pat Cavanaugh, a con vict in Somerset jail, has confessed to the murder of old man Umberger. The con fession is alleged to have been procured thiough the efforts of the father of the Nicely boys. It is said he has the papers In his pocket and will arrive here to-day and make affiidavit to the papers. Cava naug is an eccentric individual and lived in the neighborhood of the Nieelys. Remarkably Rapid Growth of a Trias Child. DOCGLASVILLK, Texas, June 13.— Pine Level, a hamlet lying six or seven miles east of this place, and just across the line dividing this State from Louisiana, boasts of a phenomenon in the shape of a girl not yet quite ten yeais old who has already attained the height of five feet ten inches. She is the daughter of Mr. James Rutherford, engineer at the lumber mill of Carter, Robinson >fc Co.,'who is himself a giant in size, while his wife is six feet and a quarter in height. The girl, who was. the par ents say, an unusually small, sickly baby, began to grow when she was about six years old, and in four years has gained two feet and a half, an almost unprece dented growth. She is stout aud devel oped in proportion and has the strength of a man, but her mind is feeble, or else has been so outstripped by her body as to give it no chance to develop. The young giantess presents a most remarkable spec tacle with her childish face and dress, seated playing in the sand or amusing a doll. The Gallitzln Water-Works. The work of building the Gallitzin Water Works is progressing rapidly. The reservoir is completed and the pipes have reached the limits of Tunnelhill borough. The contract for the building of the reser voir and the laying of the pipes is in the hands of fc Mr. David Wylie, of Altoona who is losing no time in pushing the work to completion. The water is ob tained by pumping lrom three artesian wells one-half mile north of the town near the top of the mountain. If nothing unexpected retards the progress of the work the water will be ready for privatu U9e by August Ist.
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