Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday,
September 8, 1894.
IN AID OF
SCIENCE.
Corbett
and Courtney Fight in Front of a Kinettoscope.
NEW YORK, Sept. 8.—There was a fight to
finish between James J. Corbett and Peter Courtney yesterday at the Edison
laboratory in Orange, N. J. It was witnessed by about 15 men, and every move
of the pugilists was reproduced on Mr. Edison's wonderful kinnetoscope. It was
an out and out prize fight in all that the words imply, except that the rules of
the Marquis of Queensbury were altered to suit the requirements of science.
The proprietors of the machine approached
Corbett soon after his arrival from Europe and made him a proposition to box
John L. Sullivan to a finish for a purse of $10,000. Corbett jumped eagerly at
the offer and remarked that he could do up the ex-champion in one kinettoscope
round, which lasts about one minute and 30 seconds. John L., however, would not
consent to meet Corbett. An opponent was, however, found for Corbett in the
person of Peter Courtney, a strong heavily built young fellow who hails from Trenton
and whose chief claim for fame rests in the fact that he once fought a four-round draw with Bob Fitzsimmons. Courtney is 26 years old and weighs 180
pounds. He is five feet ten inches tall. His pugilistic record is very brief.
The building in which the fight occurred is
called the Black Maria. It is about 80 feet long, 13 feet wide and 8 feet high.
It is covered with tar paper inside and outside and has a movable roof, which
is taken off whenever the instrument is operated. There was no "ring"
but the walls were padded and the men had their finish fight in a space about
12 feet square.
Corbett received $5,000 for his efforts in
knocking out Courtney and Courtney was presented with $500 for being made the
victim of the champion's skill.
The fight lasted six rounds. The rounds
averaged about one minute and thirty seconds each, and there was a wait of from
one minute and a half to two minutes between each.
The last punch in the sixth round did the
job and Courtney rolled over on his face and was counted out and the battle and
purse were awarded the champion. The champion went over to Courtney's corner,
and as soon as the Jerseyman had regained consciousness shook him by the hand
and said "You're a game fellow and gave me a hotter fight than Mitchell
did. My advice to you is to go back to Trenton, open a saloon and get all the
money."
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| Thomas. C. Platt. |
OSWEGO, N. Y., Sept. 8.—The Tioga county
Republican convention to elect delegates to the state and congressional
conventions was held at the courthouse in this village. The following were
elected delegates to the state convention: Hon. T. C. Platt, Hon. E. Howe, A.
G. King, Percy L. Lang and D. P. Witter. The delegates were not instructed.
The congressional delegates were instructed
to use their influence for the renomination of Hon. George W. Ray of Norwich,
the present member of congress from this district.
HEATED DISCUSSIONS.
LIVELY
DEBATE AT ALBANY OVER APPORTIONMENT.
The
Measure Finally Sent to Third Reading After Much Partisan Debate and Scenes of
the Wildcat Confusion—Fifty Senators to Serve Three Years; One Hundred
and Fifty Assemblymen to Serve One Year.
ALBANY, Sept. 8.—Probably never before in a
constitutional convention has a measure created such heated discussion, aroused
so much partisanship and caused so much disorder as did the proposed scheme of
senate and assembly district apportionment of the majority in the convention.
Members were screaming at the top of their
lungs through the chaos for recognition on points of order, questions of
privileges and demands for counts. The minority charged the majority with
forcing a partisan measure, and the latter charged the former with obstructing
progress. The minority thought the matter had gone far enough and began
offering amendments.
The chair refused to entertain them and then
began a scene of the wildest confusion. Democrats rushed frantically forward,
brandishing amendments which were being manufactured by different members of
the minority as fast as possible. The Republicans remonstrated, raised points
of order, etc., which the chair was not willing to hear, but on account of the
uproar could not [sic.]
The noonday recess cooled the members off to
some extent and when they reconvened at 8 p. m. affairs proceeded in a more
orderly manner, the apportionment was finally sent to a third reading by an
almost strictly party vote. As the bill now stands, it provides that the senate
shall consist of 50 members. The senators elected in 1895 shall hold their
offices for three years and the assembly shall consist of 150 members, who
shall be chosen for one year.
The arrangement of districts is unchanged
from that sent out some time since, except that the Fifth ward in Rochester is
transferred from the Forty-third to the Forty-fourth district.
Another change provides that every county
having four or more senators shall have a full ratio for each senator and no
city or county shall have more than one-third of all the senators unless the
counties of New York and Kings or the cities of New York and Brooklyn are
consolidated, in which case the city and county so formed shall not have more
than one-half of the senators.
The ratio for apportioning senators shall
always be obtained by dividing the population, excluding aliens, by 50; and the
senate shall always be composed of 50 members, except that of any county having
three or more senators at the time of any apportionment shall be entitled on
such ratios to an additional senator. Such additional senators shall be given
to such county and the whole number of senators shall be increased to that
extent.
Charities
Committee's Report.
ALBANY, Sept. 8.—The charities committee
presented a substitute for their previous proposition in the constitutional
convention. It provides for the creation by the legislature of a state board of
charities, a state board of lunacy and a state committee of prisons. The
governor has the power of appointment and removal of members of the state board
and of said committee.
ENDORSES BROCKWAY.
DR. WEY
SAYS SPANKING IS A GOOD THING.
Actions
of the Inmates Since Paddling Was Abolished Shows This, He Says. Managers
Never Recommended the Paddle or the Hot Hook, but Approved of Them—Dr. Wey,
Jr., on the Witness Stand.
NEW YORK, Sept. 8.—The examination of
witnesses for the defense in the Elmira reformatory trial was continued.
It was mutually agreed that this session
will end today. Dr. Wey, president of the board of governors, was called to the
stand. The commissioners questioned the witness, who testified that the first
prisoners, 194, were transferred to the reformatory in 1876. In the following
year prisoners were sent to the institution on the indeterminate system, which
system was suggested by Mr. Brockway to the managers and became a law by a
unanimous vote of the senate and assembly in 1877.
The witness in speaking of spanking said, in
his opinion, it was a much better system than that of locking the men up or placing
them on a lower diet.
"Then you think spanking is preferable
to any other system of coercion?"
"By all means," said Dr. Wey,
"for it has been shown very plainly by the actions of the inmates since it
was abolished a year ago."
Dr. Wey, in answer to another question, said
he had never seen any inmate paddled nor did any other one of the board of
managers. To him it would be revolting to administer or to witness such
punishment and he was sure he could speak for his colleagues and say it would
be revolting to them.
Dr. Wey said he did not think Mr. Brockway
had lost the respect of any of the inmates by his personally inflicting the
punishment. He had never heard of Mr.
Brockway striking a man over the head in the bathroom until a colored man named
Johnson made such a complaint.
Mr. Brockway had told him that when a man
wouldn't hold his head in the proper direction, he would give him a
"spat," but not a blow. When a prisoner resisted he was overpowered
by the keepers and probably they struck out right and left.
Chairman Learned called the witness'
attention to the case of a man named Wallace who was confined for 72 days in
solitary confinement for refusing to give the names of his parents.
Dr. Wey said that the board of managers were
aware of it.
The man refused to give the names so as to
save his family from disgrace. He was sent from Elmira to Auburn prison, where
he is serving a 10 years' sentence. Application has been made to Governor
Flower for his pardon.
Upon cross-examination Dr. Wey said that the
board never recommended the paddle or the hot hook, but they approved of them.
Before the inmates had testified to the fact of Brockway's methods in the
bathroom and the subduing of the prisoners there, he was aware of them.
Dr. Wey, in answer to Judge Gilbert, said
that from October, 1888, until Sept. 30, 1893, there were 65 deaths in the
reformatory. This did not include the deaths of men who were discharged on
parole and died within 12 months after leaving the prison.
The witness was very anxious to impress upon
the commissioners that these men were discharged at the requests of their
relatives, in order that they might die at home or with their friends, and it
was not done to in any way decrease the death rate in the reformatory.
One of the last questions Judge Gilbert
asked Dr. Wey was: "Head Keeper Sample has testified that out of 1,000
punishments that he saw 10 per cent of the inmates were struck with the paddle
over the head, for no other reason than that they did not keep their faces in
the position Brockway told them, and that in 5 per cent of the 1,000 these
blows over the head gave black eyes, bloody noses or other bruises. If you
believe that testimony, do you approve of it?"
"I do not believe it."
"Do you approve it?"
"I approve of the discipline of the institution,"
and Dr. Wey would not say any more.
Dr. H. P. Wey, physician of the reformatory and
a son of the last witness, was then called to the stand.
Lawyer Ivins asked Dr. Wey as to his having
treated a number of inmates, among whom were Beltz, Lewis, Jolly, Hoffman,
King, Conway, Lynch and Smith, who had previously testified that they were
injured by the paddle.
The doctor in each instance said that they
were not injured in the manner they described.
Ex-Judge Gilbert then took the witness in
hand and after asking the doctor a few questions concerning a prisoner named
Noyer, who went insane, he asked if he knew a former inmate named Moses Aaron.
Dr. Wey said he knew him and that he had
been transferred to Matteawan Insane asylum. The doctor said that he did not
know that Aaron was confined in the "rest cure'' cells for 72 days or that
he had been paddled seven or eight days before he was removed to the asylum.
The certificate in the case was lost. The
prison records, the prosecution stated, showed that Aaron was admitted to the
reformatory on April 1, 1892, was reported for feigning madness the following
day, paddled on April 14, again on April 27, again on June 14 and 16, placed in
the rest cure cell on June 28, kept there until Aug. 10, transferred to the
seclusion cell until Aug. 27,
then back to the rest cure, paddled on Aug. 31 and transferred from the rest
cure cell to the lunatic asylum at Matteawan on Sept. 8 of the same year.
Judge Gilbert asked Dr. Wey if he did not
think that the punishment and long confinement did not tend to increase the
malady from which the prisoner was suffering, but the witness said he did not
think so.
When the commissioners adjourned the hearing
the cross-examination of Dr. Wey was not concluded.
BREVITIES.
—Mr. Vernon P. Squires of Chicago university
will preach in the First Baptist church to-morrow morning, and the pastor in
the evening.
—Rev. Geo. H. Brigham will address the young
men in the Y. M. C. A. rooms Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. All men invited.
Mr. E. H. Baldwin will lead the singing.
—The remains of the infant daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Weber (nee Miss Bee Murray) are expected on the E., C. & N.
7:07 train this evening from Watkins. They are to be taken to the home of Mrs.
Weber's brother, Daniel Murray on Fifth-ave., from which place the funeral will
be held to-morrow afternoon.
—Commissioner N. L. Miller held teachers'
examinations yesterday at the Normal for second grade certificates. Nine tried
the examination. To-day thirteen are assembled at the same place taking the
examinations for third grade certificates, and eight more are trying the second
grade certificate examinations in the subjects needed to secure the certificate
as a credential for entering the Normal school.
It has been decided to put a Y curve in the
electric road on Railroad-st. just east of the D., L. & W. tracks. The
track already laid for the single curve was taken up and, as it was impossible
to put down the new curve under three weeks, as parts have to be made to order,
the trench was filled. When the parts come the new curve will be made. This
will admit of the cars changing ends at this point and will answer for a switch
as well.
The report circulated yesterday afternoon
that the road would not go to McGrawville
this year has not a semblance of foundation. The contract binds the
stockholders to build the road this year, and they could not back out even if
they so desired.
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| Pullman coach. |
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| Pullman "Palace Car" interior. |
Started
for To-day the First on the E., C. &
N. R. R.
The four elegant new Pullman day coaches
built especially for the E., C. & N. R. R.
have arrived and one of them began its trips on the regular train leaving Cortland
for Sylvan Beach at 7:20 o'clock this morning. The others are expected to start
out on Monday on other passenger trains. They are some of the finest coaches
that have come to Cortland and for neatness, stability, ease and smoothness in
traveling and convenience would be hard to excel.
The four coaches are each seventy feet from
platform to platform, between six and seven feet in width and each will seat
about seventy-five persons. The interior is finished in oak, the old gold plush
high back spring seats insure comfort, the windows are in keeping with the rest
of the fine car, being thirty-two inches in height and almost as wide. A brass package
carrier runs the whole length on both sides of the cars and ten lights brilliantly
illuminate each car. Big trucks, and big wheels and many minor convenient
features all combine to make the cars just about what is aimed for them—that
they shall be the most comfortable and best appearing that come into Cortland.
Like the old coaches, the Pullmans are heated with the Martin steam heating
system.
The old smokers have been taken off the
road; the coaches which have been previously used for ladies will become the
smokers of the new trains. The Pullmans
will be used in place of the former ladies' coaches, this change greatly
improving the service throughout.
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