Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, April
20, 1894.
THE OLD
OLD STORY.
Kerosene
and Live Coals Do Not Conduce to Happiness.
Ever since the discovery and use of kerosene
oil it has been generally understood that it was not a good thing to pour that
explosive fluid upon live coals, or even upon dead ones either, for the oil
seems to have a remarkable power of resuscitation, and when oil and fire come
in contact the results are never happy. And yet once in about so often people
will be found who will persist in trying the experiment. They rarely ever
repeat it, either from inability to do so or because they have learned wisdom.
In two rooms in the third floor of the
Standard building live a colored family, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Reese. There
are three children, the oldest being Lottie, an adopted daughter, aged 15
years. Mr. Reese is the janitor of the building,
This morning at about 7:45 o'clock after the
parents had gone out to work, Lottie, who was alone with the two little
children, attempted to freshen up the coal fire in the kitchen stove. There was
no light and no appearance of fire, and she thought a little kerosene oil would
help the operation. She stood directly in front of the hearth. There was a
stream of oil from the can, a flash, and the whole front of her dress was on
fire. She rushed into the other room and seized a quilt from the bed and
attempted to smother the flames, but the quilt was all cotton and it only
served to feed the flames.
Seeing that she could not extinguish the
fire, she ran back to the kitchen, passing under a line of clothes hung up to
dry. The clothes were thoroughly dry and caught fire from her blazing garments.
Then she ran out into the hall screaming at the top of her voice.
The cries attracted the attention of the
eight young ladies in The STANDARD'S composing room which is upon the same
floor at the other end of the hall. As they opened their door she was seen
jumping up and down, waving her hands and wrapped in flames from foot to head,
even her hair being on fire. There was a
faucet and city water in the composing room, and several pails, and it required
but a moment for the young ladies to fill those and to rush down the hall to
the rescue of the unfortunate girl. Before they reached her, however, every
article of her clothing was burned from her body, and some of the ladies turned
their attention to extinguishing the fire on the line of clothes in the inner
room and in the bed where the frenzied girl had hurled the quilt when she found
it would not smother the flames in her burning clothing. One of the young
ladies had the bottom of her skirt and her foot burned in stamping out the fire
upon the floor. The whole thing occupied less time than it has taken to tell
it.
Dr. F. D. Reese, whose office was next door,
was summoned. He found the girl very seriously burned about the lower limbs,
about the body up to the arm pits, particularly upon the left side. The left
arm also was a blister from wrist to shoulder. The back of her neck was badly
burned and part of her hair was gone. Her face, however, was not harmed and she
inhaled no fire. The doctor dressed the wounds and made her as comfortable as
possible. He thinks she will recover, but she will undoubtedly suffer extreme
pain during the next few days.
At about 10:30 o'clock Beard & Peck's
ambulance was summoned, the young girl was placed upon a stretcher and put in
the ambulance and carried to the hospital where she can have better care than
would be possible at her home.
Burial
of Mr. Hinman.
The remains of Rev. Frank H. Hinman arrived
at East Homer from Boston at 8:40 o'clock this morning. His brother, Mr.
Charles Hinman of Boston, accompanied the remains. A large company of neighbors
and friends were gathered at the station. The cover of the casket was removed so
that a parting glimpse of the loved one might be taken through the glass.
Brief services were conducted by Rev. W. H.
Robertson and remarks were also made by Rev. Charles E. Hamilton, who for a
long time had been an intimate friend of the deceased. The family of Mr. Hinman
are reported to be better. [The Hinman family had diphtheria—CC editor.]
The
Hospital a Valuable Institution.
Few people in Cortland realize what a valuable
and necessary institution the hospital has become. In addition to the
attendance of those hurt now and then by accident, and of those who are ill in
town and who cannot have proper care at their boarding places, it has become the
place where all kinds of operations are performed by various physicians and
surgeons upon patients who come from a large area of country surrounding
Cortland. These last of course in the majority of cases yield a revenue to the
management which helps to defray the expenses.
Since Feb. 1 the following operations have
been performed there by various surgeons: amputation of the thigh for necrosis of
the tibia, two cataracts removed, two operations for appendicitis, abdominal
section for tubercular salpingitis, removal of an ovarian tumor.
These have all been successful except one
case of appendicitis, in which the abscess had broken into the general peritoneal
cavity.
A Freak
of Nature.
Mr. T. M. Marks of 8 1/2 Argyle Place has a
black cat eight years old that is frequently blessed with additions to her family.
She now rejoices in five, but in some mysterious way the five are one, for
while they are all perfectly formed, they are all joined together at the hind
legs. The kittens are spotted and are marked almost precisely alike. Two years ago
the same cat produced a similar freak of nature, only then there were but four.
Mr. Marks drowned them when a few days old. This time the old cat his gone one
better and Mr. Marks is going to let them grow up to cathood and see what the
result is.
They
are now between two and three weeks old and they form a very catty crowd. When
put upon the ground they give utterance to their objections to their crowded
condition in a very forcible manner. Every leg is in motion as they try in vain
to get apart, and every mouth is open while from the five throats come a
variety of unearthly sounds expressive of displeasure.
Judge Draper, who, since the expiration of
his term as New York state superintendent of schools, has held the position of
superintendent of schools of the city of Cleveland, has just been offered the
presidency of the state university of Illinois, located at Champaign, with a
salary of $7,000 per annum. The presidency was first offered him about a week
ago and was refused, Mr. Draper then having other arrangements in view. A few
days after his refusal, he received an invitation to a consultation with the
trustees at Chicago, which was accepted. The results of the interview are not
definitely known, but it is highly probable that he will occupy a presidential
chair. The university of Illinois has a faculty of forty professors, a yearly
attendance of 600 students, grounds and buildings worth $750,000, scientific
apparatus valued at $75,000 and is supported by state grants and a half million
of invested funds.—Albany Argus.
OUTLAWS WIPED OUT.
NOTORIOUS
DALTON GANG PURSUED.
Fierce
Battle Fought Near Ewen Mountain In Oklahoma—Eight Persons Reported Killed,
Including the Notorious Bill Dalton and His Lieutenant, Bill Doolan—Woman and
Child Among the Slain—Gang Reported Routed.
KANSAS CITY, MO., April 20.—A special from
Perry, O. T., says:
News was received here by a messenger that a
terrible fight occurred about 40 miles east of here, near Ewen Mountain.
The noted outlaws, Bill Dalton and Bill
Doolan, and another outlaw, said to be Bitter Creek, were killed on the spot,
and a woman and her little girl and two deputy marshals were also killed.
Marshal Nix of Oklahoma has been planning
for some days to catch the Dalton gang, and Marshal Burrell Cox, with Heck
Thomas and Bill Tighemann of Perry, with a crowd of 14 deputy marshals, left
some days ago for the eastern part of the Cherokee strip in pursuit of the
Daltons.
The marshals met Bruce Miller, one of the gang,
and the fight commenced. This was on McElroy's ranch, 15 miles this side of
Ingalls.
Bill Dalton and Bill Doolan were nearby when
the fight occurred, and went to Bruce Miller's assistance, and a regular fight
took place.
The messenger says that eight persons in all
have been killed, and the latest from the field of conflict is that a running
fight is still in progress and that it looks very much like the noted outlaw
gang will be swept out of existence. The price of Bill Dalton's capture dead or
alive is $2,500 and the price of Bill Doolan's head is $1,500.
The best officers of the territory are
camping on the outlaws' trail and at this hour the latest news from the field
of carnage is that the Dalton gang is a thing of the past.
They have terrorized Oklahoma and Southern
Kansas for the past four years.
Several messengers have arrived from the
vicinity of Ewen mountain.
The
Story Discredited.
KANSAS CITY, MO., April 20.—After diligent
inquiry, the correspondent is unable to verify the story of a bloody fight
between United States deputy marshals and the so-called Dalton gang of outlaws.
The story is discredited by the sheriff at
Perry, O. T., by trainmen and passengers on the Santa Fe road.
CHURCH AND STATE.
REASONS
WHY THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATION OF THE TWO.
Rev.
Madison C. Peters Says That All Church Property Should Be Taxed—The State Has
No Right to Tax One Man to Propagate Another's Religion.
The census of 1890 has reported the alleged
value of church edifices, the lots on which they stand and their furnishings as
$680,687,106. This does not include the value of parsonages, lots, monasteries,
convents, schools, colleges, orphanages, lands, etc., of which the various
churches hold probably $700,000,000 more. General Grant, in his famous message
to congress in 1875, was probably not far from right when he said, "In
1900, without a check, it is safe to say this property will reach a sum
exceeding $3,000,000,000."
The census of 1890 shows that the Catholic
estimate of the value of their church edifices alone is $118,342,365. This does
not include schools, convents, real estate and mercantile property, so called
church property. A very careful student of the Catholic church in this country
says she has now $250,000,000 worth of property.
There are other rich religious corporations
in this city deriving large revenues from property that ought to be taxed.
Instead of the nation paying tribute to the church, the church ought, like her
founder, to pay tribute to the nation. Tax all church property, and we will
find out whether all of the churches are loyal or not. In order that we may not
be compelled to repeat here the history of other nations, let us tax church
property and thus effectually check ecclesiasticism. Without taxation confiscation
will be inevitable.
Let Americans take warning by the fact that
corporated religious wealth became at one time so great in England and in
France, Italy, Spain, and South Germany that it crippled their resources, paralyzed
industries and produced ambitions which were only alleviated by wholesale
confiscation. Mexico and many of the South American republics had to seize the
property of the church. Four-fifths of the Protestant clergy and the Protestant
people are in favor of the taxation of all church property, and the other fifth
will be as soon as it gets any information on the matter.
Benjamin Franklin said: "When a religion
is good, I will conceive that it will support itself, and when it cannot support
itself and God does not take care to support it so its professors are obliged
to call for help from the civil power, I apprehend of its being a bad one."
President Garfield said: "The divorce between church and state ought to be
absolute. If you exempt property of any church organization, you impose a tax
on the whole community."
Tax churches, and only those able to pay
taxes would dare to be extravagant. With so
much poverty and want in the community our magnificent church edifices and
massive buildings for alleged charitable purposes on our most valuable sites are
a burlesque on both religion and charity. Tax churches, and modest buildings
will be erected where they are most needed, instead of building one great
structure in a fashionable quarter. Exemption from taxation is virtually state
support, and that is contrary to our constitution.
Churches are said to be public property, but
in many churches the pew rents are so high and the people so exclusive that the
public feel they are not wanted. I know it is an unpopular thing to say, but it
is the truth, that many of our churches are only social clubs with a religious
bias. So because the churches are not the property of the public they should
not be exempt from taxation.
You are religious, but you do not give that
as an excuse for not being taxed. I would tax all charitable
institutions—hospitals, orphanages and the like. Their work is not wholly
philanthropic. They receive revenue. My mother was left a widow, with three
little orphans to care for. Her little country home was taxed. If any orphanage
should be exempt from taxation, such a one as that was ought to be.
Tax all church property, so we may get a
total separation of church and state and no church may derive support by the
taxation of the people at large. The state has no right to tax one man for the purpose
of propagating another man's religion. There is no reason why any property
which does not belong to the state should not pay the state for its protection.
—Lynus S. Mackey has sold his Sears-st. property
to Chas. Haworth of Cortland for $1,400—Ithaca Journal.
—The station agents and operators on the E.
C. & N. R. R. have been notified of the intention of the company to uniform
them on or about the first of May.
—The many friends of Mrs. A. V. Smith of
Groton-ave. will be pleased to learn that she is slowly but surely improving under
the treatment of Dr. Bolles.
—Harmony lodge, I. O. G. T., will hold a
sociable Monday evening, April 23, at the home of Mrs. F. Fenner, 45 Madison-at.
All Good Templars and their friends are invited.
—Messrs. Tim Noonan, Thomas Sweeney and John
Shea left Cortland about 7 o'clock last evening, drove to Skaneateles lake and
returned shortly after 8 o'clock this morning with 120 pounds of fish,
averaging about two pounds each.
—Mr. A. Mahan has begun the preparation of
the Festival Herald, the publication which
he sends out each year to his patrons and friends as an advance notice of the
attractions of the great music festival which this year is to be held May 28 to
June 1.
—Some of the old soldiers remember that it
was thirty-three years ago tonight that the first war meeting was held in
Cortland. It was Saturday night. About fifteen men enlisted. Another meeting
was held on the following Monday
evening and a large number signed the roll.
—Don't ask an editor to suppress an item of
news. Some other paper will get it anyway. The next week something will happen
to your neighbor and if he asks to have it suppressed, you will be the first
man to jump on the editor for not daring to "say his soul is his own."
Take your medicine when the item happens to fall your way for, really, you
have no more claim on the paper than has your neighbor. See? —Exchange.
—Two bullets were found in the brain of a
physician who committed suicide at Ithaca, The discovery is regarded as of
great importance to the medical world and to criminal authorities. The dead man
is said to have accomplished what was supposed to be impossible, namely, for a
suicide to fire two bullets into his brain. Hereafter only one bullet in the
brain will not be accepted as sufficient proof of suicide.—Binghamton Republican.
—At 1 o'clock this afternoon Officer Monroe
arrested a man who was so intoxicated that he could hardly navigate. The man
said that he had only been drinking "small beer" and did not know
what had come over him. It looked very much as if "mud had come over him,"
as he was one mass from head to foot. As soon as a coat of it had been peeled
off his face he was recognized as Timothy Gleason. Justice Bull committed him
to the "cooler" and he is now sobering up.
—Cortland bicycle riders will be interested
in learning that there is talk of supplanting the popular rubber pneumatic cycle
tire with one made of paper. The reason
given is that the latter is much less expensive than the rubber. The Paper Trade Journal says: In fact, it is asserted that two paper tires will, on
the machine, cost only two-thirds, or one-half, what a pair of rubber tires cost,
and being less yielding the new material may last much longer. Its champions
claim that it will be not so easily cut or punctured by glass or sharp stones,
and will not break from constant squeezing and inflation as soon as rubber.
Tea
Table Talk.
It will be astonishing to the majority of
people to learn that Tompkins county in ratio to population, is said to have more
suicides than any other place in the world. This statement is made upon the
following authority: As is well known each member of the graduating class of
Cornell hands in a thesis which is supposed to be an exhaustive review of the
subject assigned. Miss Jennie Angell of Bay City, Mich., a sister of H. H.
Angell of this city, graduated from Cornell last year, the subject of her thesis
being "Suicides." Miss Angell gave the subject careful examination.
She procured statistics from all over this country and Europe. She went through
the files of the Ithaca Journal far back as they exist. The result of this
preparation and computation was one of the most thorough theses ever prepared
by a student. When completed it showed the deplorable fact that Tompkins county
took the lead in suicides.—Ithaca Journal.
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