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| Image of Captain Devereux Shields, courtesy of his granddaughter Julia Shields. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, November 24, 1900.
MAGNIFICENT BRAVERY.
Thrilling Story of Capt. Shields' Capture and Rescue.
FIFTY MEN FOUGHT AGAINST 2,000.
Were Only Captured When They Had Exhausted Every Round of Ammunition and Then Fought Hand to Hand—Treated Well in Captivity.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.—Mail advices from Manila give in considerable detail the story of the rescue of Captain Shields and 50 men of the Twenty-ninth infantry after their capture by the insurgents in Marinduque. The fight that Captain Shields and his party put up against an overwhelming force is declared to have been one of the most brilliant incidents in the history of the bush fighting in the archipelago.
The 50 men in question were pursuing a party of insurgents of superior force into the mountains when they were ambushed in a box canyon by a force of 250 riflemen and 1,800 bolomen. They made a continuous fight for eight hours, killing a large number of the insurgents and were overpowered only after they had fired their last shot and practically were smothered in a hand-to-hand fight with their 2,000 adversaries.
Sergeants Williams and McCarthy, who were in charge of some of the wounded, come in for particular praise. They were cut off from the rest of the party during the retreat and entrenched themselves on the hillside where they stood off their assailants for about three hours, surrendering after every cartridge had been exhausted. Scarcely a man in the expedition escaped being grazed or slightly wounded during the fight. The total list of killed amounted to only five.
Captain Shields was wounded early in the fight, but continued to direct the operations of the rear guard during four miles of retreat. He finally was knocked out by a bullet through the jaw, neck and shoulder, which was thought at the time to be a fatal wound. The rescue of the party was effected by General Hare who some months before, when only a colonel, led the party which effected the rescue of Lieutenant Gilmore and the men from the Yorktown after their long months of captivity in Northern Luzon.
Captain Shields and his men say that they have no complaint to make of their treatment during captivity. Maximo Abad was the insurgent in command and in response to Captain Shields' request allowed some of his men to secure medicines and dressings for the wounded soldiers. The release of the party seems to have been due in some part to the object lesson which General Hare gave to Lieutenant Gilmore's captors during the long and persistent chase through the almost impassible mountains of the northern districts.
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
Jury Out Just Long Enough for Supper in the Krist Case.
ELMIRA, Nov. 24.—Fred Krist, who shot and killed Katherine Tobin in Waverly in April last, will die in the electric chair at Auburn State prison during the week of Jan. 6. Such was the sentence passed upon Krist this morning by Justice Mattice at Owego. The death sentence was listened to by Krist with same calm indifference that he has exhibited throughout the trial. The jury in the case went out 5 o'clock last night and returned a verdict at 8 o'clock last night of guilty of murder in the first degree.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Al. W. Martin has recently returned from a trip to Cuba bringing with him two Cuban bloodhounds for his production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which will be seen at the Cortland Opera House next Tuesday evening. There are probably the only genuine specimens of this noted hound, which figured so prominently in the cruel war between Spain and Cuba, that have ever been brought to this country. They were secured from the kennels of Jose Sanaldo, a well-known fancier of Havana. The dogs are not as large as is popularly imagined, being about the size of a big bull dog. Mr. Martin has had them trained, and they are now being used in his production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to pursue Eliza in her nightly escape over the Ohio river. The dogs are possessed of a most acute power of scent, and are extremely ugly, requiring great care in handling, as they are inclined to become too realistic in their acting for the comfort of those who are compelled to work with them, Mr. Martin prizes his new canines very highly and has named them Maceo and Gomez. Seats now on sale at the Candy Kitchen.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Census of this State.
Completed returns from this state under the present census enumeration, show in detail that the recorder gain of 1,270,159 inhabitants in the last decade, which has raised the population of the Empire state to the great figure of 7,268,012, is a gain achieved very largely in the cities. The four counties of New York, Kings, Queens and Erie are responsible for about one million of the increase, and nearly half of the remainder comes from eight counties. Oneida furnished 10,000; Niagara, 12,000; Suffolk, 15,000; Richmond, 16,000; Schenectady, 17,000; Onondaga, 22,000; Monroe, 28,000, and Westchester 37,000.
These twelve counties are the counties that have made the convincing advances. Singularly enough, the little county of Schenectady has done better in proportion to its population than any other. Its gain of 17,000 represents an increase of nearly 60 per cent. Of the other counties in which progress has been most rapid, New York has gained 35 per cent, Kings nearly 40 percent, Erie 34 percent, Suffolk 25 per cent and Niagara nearly 20 per cent. Aside from the expected tendency toward urban life, perhaps the most interesting story told by the tables of increases is the building up of Long Island. The new county of Nassau starts off with a population of 56,448 and in the adjoining island counties of Kings, Queens and Suffolk, there are 370,000 more persons living now than in 1890.
It has been observed that twelve counties showed large increases. In the other forty-nine, twenty-nine have made fair advances, ranging from a few hundred to about seven thousand in each. It should not escape attention, however. that twenty counties in the state have lost in population during the decade, the heaviest losses being in Rensselaer and Columbia, each of which brings in totals 3,000 less than in 1890. Most of the counties which have gone backward are composed of rural communities, but the city of Troy is in Rensselaer county, and the city of Albany is in Albany county which, while it has not lost, has stood practically still, having gained but 1,000 persons since the last federal census.
On examination it is noticeable that the decrease has not been confined to detached counties, but has been felt over sections of some extent. It may be roughly assigned to three general sections of the state. The first of these is the eastern tier of counties. Westchester and Dutchess have made good gains, but all the other counties on the right bank of the Hudson—Putnam, Columbia, Rensselaer and Washington have …tered. The second are in decline because at the Hudson and stretches…south of the Mohawk and parallel to its course; it includes Albany, Greene, Schoharie, Otsego and Madison. The third area of decline comprehends the lake region of western New York and includes Orleans, Wyoming, Allegany, Livingston, Wayne, Yates, Schuyler, Cortland, Madison and Oswego, There was a slight decline in this area to the decade ending in 1890.—New York Mail and Express
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FIXES CITY'S SHARE OF EXPENSE OF RECENT ELECTION.
Recommendations of Committees on County Almshouse—Committee on Employment of Prisoners Elected—Appropriation for Care of Soldiers Monuments at Cortland and McGrawville Fail to Find Favor.
Eleventh Day, Friday, Nov. 23.
The board of supervisors met at 9 o'clock Friday morning with all present except Mr. Hunt. Several reports were read and placed on file. A memorandum of items of election expenses for the city of Cortland was given by County Clerk Bushnell as follows:
The supervisors wished to determine the share of this expense which the city should pay for the purely city election and what share could come to the county for the general election.
There were fifty-three candidates on the ticket outside of the city, and eight city candidates, making in all sixty-one. By dividing the whole expense for the six districts of the city, $186.26, by the number of candidates the expense of each was found to be $3.05 3-10. This multiplied by eight gave the city's share of the expense $24.42, the remainder of it being borne by the county.
The committee on visiting the county farm submitted its report. Messrs. Kingsley, Rowe and Surdam constituted this committee. The sanitary conditions were reported to be very good. A new basement barn was recommended. A steam pump in the boiler room for fire protection was also advised. The inmates, consisting of thirteen females and thirty males, the report states, seem contented, and all that is necessary is being done for their welfare.
Reports of supervisors from Cincinnatus, Cortlandville, Cuyler, Solon, Taylor and Truxton were read and placed on file.
On motion of Mr. Kingsley, Dr. P. T. Carpenter was appointed jail physician.
The report of the committee on footing assessment rolls was adopted by the unanimous vote of the board.
The selection by ballot of a committee to purchase a stone crusher and have charge of the matter of working county prisoners, being a special order of business for this time, the board proceeded to ballot, and Messrs. Webb, Rowe, and Kinyon were declared elected as such committee, they receiving the highest number of votes.
Mr. Bingham offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the compensation of the committee to purchase a stone crusher and to do other work necessary to the employment of Cortland county prisoners, shall be fixed by this board at $2 per day and necessary traveling expenses for all days they are necessarily employed in their work as such committee.
Mr. Surdam raised a point of order, stating that the statute prescribed the amount of compensation allowed supervisors, and the chair ruled that the point of order was properly raised, and that the resolution was out of order.
At 10:45, on motion of Mr. Patrick, the rules were suspended for the balance of the forenoon.
Mr. Patrick offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the sum of $1,200 be and is hereby appropriated and placed at the disposal of the committee selected to employ the prisoners of our county jail for the purpose intended by the resolution in reference thereto.
The ayes and nays were called and all voted for except Messrs. Hunt and Hammond.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
On motion of Mr. Walrad the rules were suspended for the afternoon.
The action of the board in adopting the report of the committee on footing assessment rolls was reconsidered, and such report was referred back to the committee for correction.
The resolution of Mr. Walrad offered the seventh day, being an appropriation of $25 for the Cortland Soldiers' Monumental association, was voted upon and declared lost, there not being the necessary two-thirds vote for it. The vote was as follows:
Aye—Kinyon, Walrad, Johnson, Allen, Peck, Kingsley, F. A. Phelps, Rowe, Patrick, Bennett, Surdam, I. W. Phelps, Webb—13.
Nay—Mynard, Wavle, Hunt, Crosley, Bingham, O'Donnell, Ingersoll, Hammond—8.
The petition of the executive committee, Wm. H. Tarbell post, for an appropriation of $25 was voted upon and also declared lost, two-thirds of the supervisors not favoring it. The vote:
Aye—Kinyon, Walrad, Johnson, Peck, Kingsley, F. A. Phelps, Rowe, Patrick, Bennett, Surdam, Bingham, I. W. Phelps, Webb—13.
Nay—Allen, Mynard, Wavle, Hunt, Crosley, O'Donnell, Ingersoll, Hammond—8.
At 4:30 the board adjourned for the day.
Twelfth Day, Saturday.
Committee work received the attention of the supervisors this morning till 10 o'clock, when, on motion of Mr. Bingham, an adjournment was taken till Monday morning.
The English Sentence
By Lillian G. Kimball, instructor in English, State Normal school, Oshkosh, Wis. Cloth, 12 mo., 244 pages. Price, 75 cents. American Book company, New York, Cincinnati and Chicago.
In this book which is based upon the English sentence as it has been written during the present century, high schools and Normal schools will find a profitable continuation of grammar's study. By this examination of the structure of sentences in relation to the thought embodied, students will acquire a vital and useful knowledge of etymology and syntax which they never have obtained before. It will not only be a study of thought, and as such discipline the mind, but it will train the student through practice, which is the most effective way to interpret the thought of others, and by presenting to him the best models for imitation, it will aid him in communicating clearly his own thoughts. Such a book will do much toward making the pupils in our schools writers of good English.
BREVITIES.
—Rev. Jas. A. Skinner of Syracuse will officiate at both services at Grace church to-morrow.
—The annual farmers' institute is scheduled for Cortland on Dec. 21 and 22. DeRuyter's date is March 4 and 5.
—Rev. Geo. E. T. Stevenson will address the young men at the Y. M. C. A. rooms at 4 o'clock to-morrow afternoon,
—The Normal football team went to Ithaca this morning to play an engagement with the Cascadilla school team.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Hudson, Gray & Co., Crockery, page 5; J . W. Cudworth, Optical talks, page 7; Opera House, "Two Little Vagrants,'' page 5.
—Upon the invitation of John H. Mourin of the Messenger House, all the inmates of the Old Ladies' Home at Homer, who were able to do so, attended the matinee at the Opera House this afternoon
—Men establish a good reputation for themselves by keeping their word. All men learn to trust them, and they acquire power and influence because of the faith in their integrity that their conduct inspires.—Ex.
—The Cortland Opera company of seventy voices under the direction of Mr. George Oscar Bowen, which is to give Pinafore in Cortland on Dec. 6 and 7 with an orchestra of ten pieces under the direction of Mr. A. E. Darby, will also repeat the whole performance at Whitney Point on Monday evening, Dec. 10. A special train will be run for the accommodation of people from Marathon, Killawog and Lisle.
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