PANIC IN A CHURCH

Rev. Dwight L. Moody.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, April 22, 1895.

PANIC IN A CHURCH.

Roof Falls In on Evangelist Moody's Congregation—Were Just Giving Thanks For Rain For Which They Had Prayed.

 Many Seriously Injured.

   FORT WORTH, Tex., April 22.—All of Texas has needed rain, so the great Evangelist Dwight Moody called upon his audience of 8,000 Christians to pray fervently that the flood gates might be opened.

   Last night when the tabernacle was crowded by 10,000 people from Fort Worth and surrounding cities, Mr. Moody announced that word had come from several points that rain had fallen.

   A few minutes later the storm burst on Fort Worth and torrents of rain fell.

   Then Mr. Moody gave thanks to God and called upon the congregation to join in singing "Coronation" and "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, Let Angels Prostrate Fall."

   The song had surged forth from 10,000 throats, when a cracking noise was heard and the roof sank and the rafters gave way and the heavy timbers and boards covered with tar and gravel came down on a portion of the congregation.

   There was a panic. Scores upon scores of women feinted; some men lost their heads and piled pellmell over those near them.

   Mr. Moody grasped the situation, and moving to the middle of the platform, lifted both hands to heaven, moving his arms slowly to and fro. His attitude and coolness stopped the panic and men began to go to work to rescue those in danger.

   A drenching rain was falling, but they worked hard and the wounded were soon taken out and carried to their homes or to the houses near by.

   A large number of persons were seriously hurt and one perhaps fatally.

Cuban Rebels Classed as Anarchists.

   MADRID, April 22.—A committee of the chamber of deputies has decided that the same penalties shall apply to the Cuban rebels as are applicable to anarchists.

NEW GUIDE BOARDS

To be Erected at all Intersecting Roads in Cortland County.

   Governor Morton has just signed a bill which has passed the legislature, having been urged forward in its passage by the League of American Wheelmen, providing for the erection of guide boards at all intersecting country roads in the state if a properly prepared application for the same is made to the highway commissioners. The full text of the law is as follows:

   "Section 1. Whenever five or more citizens, resident within any town and liable to assessment for highway taxes within this state, shall file with the commissioner or commissioners of highways of said town, or whenever twenty or more citizens, resident within any county and so liable to assessment, shall file with the commissioner or commissioners of highways of any town of said county, their petition in writing, signed by the petitioners and requesting the erection of one or more guide boards at the intersection or intersections of highways within the town in which the petitioned commissioner or commissioners have been elected to serve, it shall be the duty of said commissioner or commissioners of highways forthwith to cause to be erected in a firm and substantial manner at each highway intersection designated in said petition, a suitable guide board with proper inscriptions and devices, giving the names and distances and indicating the directions of adjacent towns, cities and villages from the point where the said guide board shall have been erected. The costs of such guide board or guide boards shall be paid out of moneys raised and collected from the town at large for highway purposes.

   "Section 2. Each petition filed with any commissioner or commissioners of highways, under the provision of this act, shall clearly designate and point out each intersection of highways at which a guide board is requested to be erected, and such petition may also suggest the inscriptions and devices for any guide board or guide boards for which petition is made.

   "Section 3. If any commissioners of highways of any town shall neglect to carry out the requirements of this act after having been duly served with a petition, as prescribed in the foregoing section hereof and shall omit and neglect, for a period of sixty days after having been duly petitioned, to cause to be erected any guide board for which petition shall have been made, then and in such case, the commissioner of highway, guilty of such neglect shall forfeit to the town the sum of $25, and said sum shall in each case be  recovered by the supervisor of the town under the provisions of law now in force for the collection of penalties and prosecutions therefor.

   "Section 4. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

   "Section 5. This act shall not be so construed as to require the erection of guide boards at any point within the limits of any incorporated city or village.

   "Section 6. This act shall take effect immediately,"

   Notice has already been served upon Highway Commissioner E. C. Rindge of the town of Cortlandville to the effect that an application for the erection of sign boards will soon be presented to him, and similar notices will within a few days be served upon other highway commissioners in the other towns of the county. Local wheelmen are taking up the matter and will go over all the roads in this county and will indicate to the highway commissioners what corners must be marked. It is also expected that they will ride over these roads with wheels to which cyclometers are attached so as to measure distances and furnish a statement of the same to each highway commissioner. All wheelmen who have cyclometers and who will volunteer to go out on May 1 upon an assignment to measure certain roads for this purpose are requested to send their names to Secretary A. C. Kinney of the Cortland Athletic association.

   The marking of the corners in this manner will be a great convenience, not only to wheelmen, but to all persons who are going through the country in carriages or on foot. This is the law and has long been practiced in all the New England states, and New York is taking a step in the right direction in following the example.

Warren, Tanner & Co. store on Main Street, Cortland.

SHOPLIFTERS CAUGHT.

DRYGOODS STORES SYSTEMATICALLY ROBBED.

Silk Dress Identified on the Street—Confession Secured—Much Property Returned.

   For some months nearly all of the Cortland dry goods stores have from time to time been missing goods. Now it would be a piece of silk, now a piece of lace, now a pair of gloves, now a skirt, and other things, but no positive clue could be found which would lead to the detection of the parties, though in some of the stores the clerks were instructed to keep a particularly sharp eye upon certain persons whenever they were seen to come inside of the doors.

   About six weeks ago Warren, Tanner & Co. received a request for some samples of silk pattern. The samples were sent out and were in a few days returned with an order for a particular pattern. When Mr. T. N. Hollister, who is in charge of the silk counter, looked for this piece which at last accounts had contained sixteen and one-half yards, it could not be found. Inquiry through the store among the other clerks failed to find any one who had sold that piece of silk. A diligent search was made. The silk had been there when the samples had been sent, but it was not there then. The proprietors and employees were forced to the conclusion that this piece had gone the way of other goods which had mysteriously disappeared. The pattern was quite a peculiar one and every one in the store was on the watch for its appearance.

   Last Saturday afternoon as Mr. Hollister was returning from dinner and had nearly reached the store he met two women, one of whom was wearing a silk gown which he was confident was made from the piece of silk for which he was watching. This gentleman has quite a wonderful faculty for carrying in his eye a pattern of goods of any kind that he has ever had anything to do with, and he rarely ever makes a mistake in such a matter. Stepping quickly to the store door and at the same time keeping track of the whereabouts of the two people, he told Mr. Warren what he had seen. That gentleman told him to follow it up. The women had gone into a business place on Main-st. Mr. Hollister followed and calling aside the one in question said to her in a courteous manner that he did not desire to be inquisitive, but for certain reasons he would very much like to know where she purchased the silk dress-pattern which she was then wearing. She replied that her daughter in New York had sent it to her.

   Quick as a flash Mr. Hollister asked, will you make an affidavit to that effect? That rather staggered her and she hesitated. Mr. Hollister then said, I think that is a pattern that came from Warren, Tanner & Co.'s and for which I have been looking for some time. At this the woman threw up both hands with the exclamation "My God, how much will it take to settle this?" Mr. Hollister replied that it couldn't be settled with money, still he must have the pay for the dress. She then sent her companion away for her bank book to give to Mr. Hollister as security. Upon her return Mr. Hollister made inquiry of the other as to some bead trimming upon her cape. She said it came from Detroit, and expressed her willingness to make an affidavit to that effect. Mr. Hollister then called her attention to the fact that the trimming on the cape and the trimming on the other woman's silk dress were exactly alike. She then altered her statement and remembered that this particular piece she had bought at Case, Ruggles & Bristol's. After a few more questions she too broke down and confessed that the trimming was stolen. For nearly three hours there was a running crossfire of questions, during which time Mr. Hollister got quite a list of other things taken and also the admission that a third woman who lives some miles out of town was associated with them in the thefts, with a statement of some things that this third party had in her possession.

   As soon as Mr. Hollister left the two, he took a horse and carriage and drove directly to the house of the third woman. He told her that he had come for the things which belonged to Warren, Tanner & Co. She inquired what things, and he replied that she knew as well as he. After a brief parley she produced a great variety of articles aggregating in value nearly $40. Mr. Hollister himself was surprised at the number and value of them.

   He had not gone twenty rods from the house on his return to Cortland when he met one of the other two women in a carriage, evidently going out to give the alarm to her confederate. He stopped her and requested her to return to Cortland with him at once if she did not wish to be immediately arrested. She promptly complied and started behind his carriage back toward town. Before many minutes had passed she invited him to ride with her, as she desired to talk with him. On the way back, after many questions had been asked, she made a full confession of her guilt, and gave him a list of things which the three had stolen. She promised to return to him on Monday morning all the goods that had been stolen, and a large number of articles had been returned up to noon to-day. Their value will considerably exceed one hundred dollars. Among the articles returned are some belonging to other stores in town.

   We have refrained from mentioning the names of the parties concerned, though they are all known to us, because no arrests have yet been made. Some of the houses are this afternoon being searched. Not only Warren, Tanner & Co., but all the business men in town feel seriously over an affair of this kind and are not disposed to pass over it lightly. There is hardly a store in this town or any other that sooner or later does not have such an occurrence. Oftentimes they are settled up and an effort is made to keep it all quiet. Proof is frequently lacking at first though suspicions are strong, but sooner or later the proof generally comes and then there is a time of reckoning. This should be a warning to any who may be inclined to follow the example of these three people referred to. What the final outcome in this case will be, we cannot yet state.

SILVER WEDDING.

Woman's Relief Corps Helped and Mrs. Hill Observe It.

   Saturday, April 20, was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hill. Mrs. Hill is the very efficient president of the Woman's Relief Corps and is now serving her third term in that capacity. Some of her sisters in this organization earned of the eventful day and planned a little surprise for their chief executive officer and her husband. To about the number of seventy-five they met in the First M. E. church at 8 o'clock. Not only the Woman's Relief Corps was on hand, but also representatives from Grover Post and the Sons of Veterans. It was a joyful occasion. At an appropriate time Comrade B. T. Wright presented Mr. and Mrs. Hill with a beautiful silver tea service, handsomely engraved and a box of silver dollars. Mrs. Hill tried to express her thanks, but broke down completely. Refreshments, which the ladies had brought with them in abundance, were served and the whole affair was most delightful to all concerned.

BREVITIES.

   —One of the coaches on the D., L. & W. train north blossomed out this morning in a new coat of paint.

   —Rev. H. T. Sell of Chicago, Ill., visited the Normal [school] this morning and conducted the chapel exercises.

   —A black mare belonging to Liveryman M. H. Kingman died of colic at about 9 o'clock this morning.

   —A special meeting of the C. A. A. will be held this evening, when officers will be appointed for the coming athletic meet.

   —The Actives baseball nine defeated the Normals at the Driving park Saturday afternoon by a score of fifteen to eleven.

   —Mr. Chas. H. Moshier of Cortland has leased the Dryden hotel at McLean, where he will be glad to meet his many Cortland friends.

   —Quarterly conference at the Homer ave. church will begin to-night at 7 o'clock sharp. All members are requested to be present.

   —D. McCarthy & Co. of Syracuse have donated to the Cortland hospital a very handsome agra art square two and one-half by three yards in size.

   —Mr. T. R. Wayne, who resides three and one-half miles west of the village, was in town Saturday and exhibited a number of snakes' eggs which he had ploughed up,

   —The elegant supper, which was served at the Crescent club dance last Friday evening, was under the supervision of Caterer E. K. Price. It was perfect in every detail.

   —The fine weather and good roads made Cortland and the nearby towns quite alive with wheels yesterday. Cycling parties went to nearly all the towns within a radius of twenty miles.

   —A lecture will be given by Dr. H. A. Cordo this evening, April 22, at the Baptist chapel, upon the subject, "Across the Continent." Admission ten cents. The lecture will begin at 7:30 o'clock.

   —The hearing of the town board in regard to the franchise for the Cortland and Homer Traction Co, which was called for 10 o'clock this morning was adjourned until 4:30 o'clock this afternoon.

   —Because of the death of Mr. Charles Frasier, one of the proprietors of the Homer steam laundry, no laundry work will be done there this week. Collections and deliveries will be made as usual next week.

   —The mothers' meeting (north) will be held at the residence of Mrs. M. J. Nichols, 81 Maple-ave., Wednesday, April 24. Subject, "Training of the Appetite." A good meeting is anticipated and all mothers are especially urged to be present.

   —Mr. and Mrs. Clark Wadsworth were Friday night surprised by about one hundred of their friends, and a delightful evening was spent with games. Fine refreshments were served. Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth were presented with a handsome set of tapestry curtains.

   —A regular meeting of Co. D., Loyal Temperance legion, will be held this evening in the W. C. T. U. rooms at 7:30 P. M. There will be a review of the first five lessons in Manual No. 4. All young people over thirteen years of age who are interested in the work are cordially invited.

   —Pat Dooly was found last night in an intoxicated condition wandering about Pendleton-st. without shoes or hat. Officer Monroe escorted him to the place where he would not need shoes or hat and he bunked in the cooler. He paid a fine of three dollars in police court this morning for the privilege.

   —Two well-known Cortland young men who went to Michigan about a week ago to look for a job and who declared that they did not intend to return to Cortland, have started for home after being offered seventy-five cents a day. They have probably come to the conclusion that Cortland county prices for labor are not as bad as they might be.

   —The Norwich Sun and the Chenango Telegraph are having a prolonged controversy as to whether Foreman D. S. Jones of The Telegraph, formerly of Cortland, was actually thrown from a bicycle into a puddle of muddy water by colliding with a tree while riding at a rapid rate. Mr. Jones in The Telegraph claims that the occurrence exists chiefly in the minds and imaginations of The Sun's reporters. The Sun, on the other hand, presents lengthy affidavits of various people to prove the truth of its assertions. The controversy is carried on in number after number of both papers. Surely news must be scarce in that country town when either paper can devote so much time and so many columns to a man learning to ride a bicycle.

Took a Ride—The Consequences.

   Masters Ward and Jere Wickwire and Ted Brewer started on a fishing expedition Saturday. They drove the former's pony to Cooper Brothers' barn near the East river, where they unhitched and left it. During their absence three boys by the name of Jones, Howland and Davey hitched up the pony and took a ride. Chief Linderman, after three hours' search, found the rig in a barn on the Conable farm across the Port Watson-st. bridge. The pony had been driven till it was almost completely exhausted. The boy Davey was arraigned in police court and Justice Bull reprimanded him in a manner which will not soon be forgotten. He was then discharged.

Near the Fatal Corner.

   A horse belonging to T. R. Wayne, who resides west of the village, became frightened at the electric car Saturday afternoon, while standing in front of Wells' butter store. The animal made a bolt, the wagon struck a pole and the horse broke loose and ran to Beard & Peck's alley, where C. E. Warren caught him. The only damage done was a broken pair of shafts.

Hop at Little York.

   Landlord A. Gay will give a social hop at the Lake House, Little York, Friday evening, April 26. Good music will be in attendance.