LETTER FROM THE DEAD.
Evidence In the Sternaman Poisoning
Case.
DEFENDANT TAKES THE STAND.
Produces
a Letter Signed by Her Second Husband a Few Days Before His Death,
Holding Her Blameless—Was Subject to Attacks.
BUFFALO, Nov. 13.—Commissioner Fairchild's
office was not large enough to hold all the people who wanted to hear Mrs. George
Sternaman's testimony in her own behalf in her examination on the charge of poisoning her husband. She identified two letters written by her husband, the first
in answer to his mother, who had urged him not to marry the defendant, in which
he expressed skepticism of the gossip about her having poisoned her first husband,
and confidence in her virtue. He wrote the second letter to protect her from slander.
It is in the nature of an ante mortem statement.
The defendant detailed all the circumstances
of her husband's illness, and said that after his death she had authorized a post
mortem examination so that there might be no doubt that he had died a natural
death.
During Mrs. Sternaman's examination a most
remarkable document was submitted by her to the court. It was a written statement
signed by her dead husband and which Mrs. Sternaman declares was drawn up and
signed three days before her husband's death. The document is addressed "To
all whom it may concern," and in part reads as follows:
"I, George H. Sternaman, having had very
peculiar attacks at times during the past six months, and of which no one but my
wife and a few of her relatives know anything, write this to state that if 1 should
die whilst in one of them that no person can say that it was caused by her
hands in any way that I died.
"I have never had a doctor, because 1 always
come out of them all right.
"I hope what I have written will
convince all that they may not think that my wife had anything to do with such
an uncommon death."
Mrs. Sternaman said that this statement had
been drawn up because she had heard some talk of her former husband dying of
poison.
The case was not concluded when the court
adjourned for the day.
General
Herkimer Monument.
LITTLE FALLS, N. Y., NOV. 13.—The General
Herkimer monument was dedicated here by the grand lodge of Masons of New York
state.
Horseless
Mail Wagons.
NEW YORK, NOV. 13.—It is announced at the
postoffice that within a week or so the first horseless mail wagons ever used in
the United States will be put upon the streets of this city. Superintendent of Railway
Mail Service Bradley, who has special charge of transportation matters in this
city, said: "I believe that the experiment will be successful and their
general adoption will revolutionize our service. The first wagon of this
description is now being built. Just when it will arrive I cannot yet
say."
To
Punish Sun Yat Sen's Captors.
LONDON, NOV. 13.—The Daily News says that
the government has decided to prosecute Sir Halliday McArtney, councillor of the
Chinese legation in London, for his share in the arrest and detention in that legation
of Sun Yat Sen, the Chinese doctor. The News adds that the government has also
resolved, under certain circumstances, to prosecute the Chinese official implicated
in the affair, unless the Chinese authorities save the government the trouble by
themselves prosecuting this official, as requested by the Marquis of Salisbury.
 |
| Fridtjof Nansen. |
In
Arctic Exploration.
The arctic explorations of 1896 were not
startling in any way. Still, they were, on the whole, satisfactory. It is true
that Nansen did not reach the north pole, Peary did not bring home the big
Greenland meteorite from Melville bay, while Andree did not even start on his
wild goose chase of a balloon voyage across the pole. These are the things that
were not done.
As to what was done, Nansen proved that a
ship may be built strong enough to drift for a year among the ice floes of the
polar region and not be crushed. He also got within 250 miles of the pole
itself—nearer than anybody else had done—by walking and sledging over the ice.
It was ice. He has proved that there is no land north of Franz Josef Land on
the eastern half of the globe. Whatever landward advances are to be made in
future will therefore be from the western side of the world north of Greenland.
The Americans Brainard and Lockwood found in
1881 a fringe of land northeast of Greenland and traced its southern shores
westerly for some distance. It was in latitude 83 degrees 24 minutes. This is
still the highest point of land attained by man. Lockwood and Brainard thought
it was part of the northern coast of Greenland. Peary proved two years ago that
it was not, but that it was a detached mass north of Greenland. It will
probably turn out to be the land that is nearest to the pole of any on the
globe. And it will yet be reached—that, too, by the Greenland route, which the
explorations of 1896 apparently show to be the most feasible.
The interior of north Greenland has been
named Peary Land, and the channel which separates the north coast of Greenland
from the land reached by Brainard and Lockwood has been named Peary channel.
In the frozen solitudes of Alaska, Professor
Alfred Eldridge made the discovery, already noted, of the ruins of a
prehistoric city 400 miles up the Kuwalik river from its mouth in Kotzebne
sound. Of all the achievements of the arctic explorers this year that of
Professor Eldridge is most interesting. The city was great and prosperous in
the days when the north pole enjoyed a warm climate. Interesting as well as
important, too, was the finding by Professor Dyche of great ledges of coal in
Alaska. The coal is so soft that it can be cut with a knife. Still, it is
there.
◘
What a Spaniard is at his best,
courteous, honorable, high minded and quick tempered, mankind knows. What a
Spaniard is at his worst the hapless Moors in Spain found out more than four
centuries ago, the Montezumas in Mexico and the Incas in Peru found out soon
after America was discovered and the Cubans are finding out today. They have
had the knowledge forced upon them that a red Indian in planning his most
fiendish and ingenious torture schemes is no worse than a high born Spanish
gentleman at his worst. It is on record and is a fact that a wounded Cuban
scout, so injured that he fell from his horse and was captured by the Spanish
in the province of Havana, was tied to the tail of a horse with his arms bound
behind him. The horse was then galloped over the roughest roads hither and
thither till the life was beaten and bruised out of the unhappy scout. When
they released the thing that was left, the flesh had been nearly all torn off
the bones. Oh, yes! it is well to raise a cry against Armenian outrages, is it
not, while such horrors as these are perpetrated at our own doors in Cuba?
◘
With General Maceo in Pinar del
Rio are the Cuban farmers and patriots from the rural districts. With General
Aguirre in the province of Havana are many young officers and gentlemen of the
best known families in the city of Havana. All alike, however, are devoted to
Cuban liberty. The rich men fight as well as the farmers; the farmers fight as
well as the rich man.
◘
The first fruits of the royal
welcome the American people gave Li Hung
Chang are already ripening. A
Philadelphia locomotive works has received the contract for building eight
railway engines for use on the imperial line of China.
Spain Puts on a
Good Face.
MADRID, Nov. 13.—In an interview this
morning Premier Canovas Del Castillo said there had been serious reverses in
Cuba, but that these ought not to discourage the national spirit. Within the
present month, he said the government was sending such reinforcements to Cuba
and the Philippine islands as should be able to put an end to the wars in both
countries in a short time. Until the country objected to the sacrifices, he
declared the government would never desist in their prosecution of the wars in
Cuba and the Philippine islands.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
Fourth Day,
Thursday, Nov. 12.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The board reconvened at 1 o'clock and resumed
committee work.
The rules were suspended to permit Mr.
O'Donnell to introduce a resolution to rescind a former resolution regarding
the hours of the supervisors' sessions and make them from 8 A. M. to 12 M., and
from 1:30 P. M. to 4:30 P. M. Carried.
Committee work was then resumed until 4:30
when the board adjourned.
Fifth Day, Friday,
Nov. 13.
The board convened at the usual time and was
called to order by Chairman Crane. At rollcall all were present. The journal of
the previous day was read and approved.
Communications from the assessors of the
towns of Willet, Truxton and Cuyler were read by the clerk and were referred to
the committee on erroneous assessments.
The report of the railroad commissioners of
the town of Taylor was read by the clerk and was referred to the committee on
appropriations. From this it appeared that the bonded indebtedness of the town
is $33,500 placed at 4 per cent, and that $2,340 is required this year to pay
the interest on the bonds and the principal of two bonds which are due.
The clerk presented an additional report of
the railroad commissioners of the town of Taylor which was ordered placed on
file.
The report of the supervisor of the town of
Taylor was presented by the clerk and placed on file.
The report of the supervisor of the town of
Truxton was presented by the clerk and placed on file.
The clerk presented the report of the railroad
commissioners of the town of Cincinnatus which was placed on file. From this it
appeared that the bonded indebtedness of the town is $41,200, and there is
required this year the sum of $1,648 for interest and $1,000 of principal to
pay the bonds that come due.
Mr. Brown, chairman of the committee on
printing, submitted the report of his committee which was referred to the committee
on appropriations.
The following report of the special committee
appointed by the last board to visit the Cortland county almshouse was read by
the clerk and ordered on file:
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors:
Your committee appointed to visit the
almshouse beg leave to make the following report: We visited and inspected the buildings
and grounds, Sept. 9, 1896. We found the buildings in good condition. The
improvements recommended by the last board of supervisors had been made in what
seemed to us a very satisfactory manner. The rooms throughout the building were
well and cleanly kept, and the inmates were in a neat and tidy condition, and expressed
themselves as well satisfied with their board and treatment. The farm and stock
appeared to be well cared for. It was our judgment that those in charge were
doing their every duty.
BENJAMIN KINYON, W. A. BRINK, WILLIS H.
DELONG, Committee.
Mr. Holton, Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Tuttle
introduced resolutions which were carried permitting them to add to the
abstracts of their several towns certain bills, which had been omitted from the
audits, but which had been properly verified.
Mr. Lee introduced a resolution calling for
sealed proposals for bids for printing 3,400 copies of the proceedings of the board
of supervisors according to specifications given. The bids will be opened by
the clerk on Wednesday morning, Nov. 18.
On motion of Mr. Greene:
Resolved, That when the board adjourns Saturday it shall be until 1:30 P. M. Monday.
The county superintendent of the poor, Mr.
O. P. Miner, came before the board and presented a matter relating to the
building formerly used by the county insane, referring to Chapter 481 of the laws
of 1890, as a suggestion to the board. No action on the matter was taken at the
time.
The matter of insurance on the county
buildings soon to expire was presented by Mr. Smith and, on motion of Mr. O'Donnell;
Resolved, That the committee on county buildings be directed to continue said
insurance at the same amount as at present.
The regular order being completed the board
engaged in committee work.
At 10:20 A. M., on motion of Mr. Hunt, the
rules were suspended for the purpose of introducing a resolution.
On motion of Mr. Hunt:
Resolved, That mileage fees for town assessors to meeting of state assessors in the
county be eight cents per mile going and returning from his (the town
assessor's) residence to the place of the state assessors' meeting.
The board resumed committee work and at
10:40 A. M., on motion of Mr. O'Donnell, the rules were suspended for the
purpose of presenting a matter to the board.
Mr. O'Donnell presented to the board the
subject of tramps and the interests of the county in the matter, as to whether they
should be arrested and confined at the county's expense or given a meal and
lodging and sent on their way. He presented the bill of John O'Connor of Truxton
for the care of thirty-eight tramps amounting to $20 and moved that the same he
allowed. After considerable discussion, on motion of Mr. Childs:
Resolved,
That this subject be made a special order for next Tuesday immediately after
the regular order of business.
At 11 A. M., on motion of Mr. Childs, the
board adjourned until 1:30 P. M. for the purpose of immediately reconvening in
the county clerk's office for the purpose of completing the official canvass.
The supervisors reconvened at 1:30 this
afternoon and spent the afternoon in committee work.
—Two tramps were lodged at police
headquarters last night.
—Horseless mall wagons are to be put in use
in New York in a week or so.
—New advertisements to-day are—H. G. Stone,
Dry Goods, page 6; W. J. Perkins, Pure Drugs, page 7.
—Isaac Cotanch of Freeville, father of Jay
Cotanch of Cortland, died on Sunday, Nov. 8, at his home at the age of 71 years.
—The Groton High school football team comes
to Cortland to-morrow to play the Normal team at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
—The Alpha Chautauqua club will meet with
Mrs. M. O. Clark Monday evening, Nov. 16. Roll call, interesting events during
Queen Victoria's reign.
—There will be a reception to-night from 7
to 10 o'clock at the First M. E. parlors for the new pastor and his wife, Dr.
and Mrs. O. A. Houghton.
—The New York state division of the L. A. W.
has increased in membership from 3,000 to 20,131 in three years. Cortland is
largely represented in this organization.
—George D. Bailey, Democratic candidate for
school commissioner, First district, to-day filed at the county clerk's office
a statement of his election expenses consisting of $4.50 for traveling expenses
and $.70 for postage.
—The
board of supervisors this morning adjourned to the county clerk's office and signed
the statement of the official canvass of the election returns and then made the
final adjournment as a board of canvassers.
—The Myers ballot machine factory of
Rochester has shut down. It is reported that J. H. Myers, the inventor of the
machine, has been deposed as manager. As Rochester has refused to take the
machines it has tested it is not likely the factory will open up again.—Ithaca
Journal.
McGRAWVILLE.
Crisp local
Happenings at the Corset City.
Mr. George Pudney, the cyclone pitcher of the
[baseball] Ponies, has gone into training for next season. He thinks that
pepsin gum is a great strength giver and buys the same at wholesale.
Mr. Carl Dillenbeck of Homer was in town
Thursday.
Wild West novels have a bad effect on their
readers. Thursday at high noon the 12:30 passenger car was held up at the
corner of South and Main-sts. Although volleys of rice were fired at the
passengers who were outnumbered by the assailants, the car escaped. The only
blood shed was that of M. W. Loomis caused by his taking a trip on his face in
the gravel. The newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cummings, were
passengers on the car.
The families burnt out in the boarding hall
have secured rooms and settled to housekeeping. Mrs. Fish has moved into rooms
in the Lakin house on North-st. and Mrs. Hopper into a portion of Alvie Gross' house
on West Academy-st.
Mr. Glen Oliver has finished his work for A.
L. Shuler in Solon.
Messrs. John McChesney and Frank White are
removing their sawmill from Oneonta to this place. Mr. White is in Oneonta
shipping the machinery which will be located north of this place.
Miss E. L. Talbot has accepted a position as
forewoman in the factory of the Normal Corset works
in New York City and has gone to that place.
Miss Nellie Freeman has opened dressmaking
parlors in the rooms over the corner store.
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