 |
| Yates Hotel, Syracuse, N. Y., Library of Congress photo. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, Nov. 22, 1901.
OUR NEW YORK NEWS.
GANG BOLDI.Y STEALS FULL EXPRESS WAGONS.
Five Wagons and Loads the Record of One Week—Tried to Lynch Bold Thief in Fifth-ave.—Girl an Heiress by Hidden Will—Novel Hotel Scheme.
New York, Nov. 18.—A bold gang of organized thieves have been working in the most crowded parts of the city for the past week with amazing success.
The gang's plan is simple as it is brazen. It steals express wagons, horses, trunks, valises and packages, and all by following a wagon about until the driver and helper go into some house for a trunk. The thieves dressed like expressmen, simply get in to the unguarded wagon and drive off with it.
Within the past week five express wagons with their contents of trunks, valises and other baggage have been stolen. The futility of the police efforts to stop the robbery and catch the thieves is one of the extraordinary features of the crimes.
◘ Fifth avenue crowds, enraged by the daring of a highwayman who held up two men at a pistol point and robbed them of a sum of money on the fashionable thoroughfare while it was thronged yesterday, made frantic efforts to take the robber from a policeman, who nearly lost his life in capturing the man.
Several hundred men and women, many fashionably garbed, surrounded the policeman and his prisoner and followed them for blocks shouting, "Lynch him," and "Kill the thief!" Although a few minutes before the robber had fought to shoot down the policeman, the latter with his club kept off the crowd and landed the man in the West Forty-seventh Street Police Station unharmed.
◘ By the accidental breaking open of an old bureau it was discovered that Hazel Graham, eight years old of No. 150 East One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street is heiress to $30,000. She is the daughter of Edward Graham, an actor, and Mrs. Kate Graham, an artist. Her grandfather, James McKenzie, of Woodside, L. I., is a retired civil engineer who is accounted wealthy. His second wife died not long ago and, as the children by his first wife were well provided for by their father, she made her own daughters her heirs.
One of these daughters was the late Miss Belle McKenzie of Woodside, an elderly spinster, who has a great love for her half-sister's little girl Hazel. She used to take the child upon her lap and tell her long stories, adding that when Hazel was a woman she would have money enough to live like a princess. As Hazel's father was poor and his "acting" was not very remunerative, the child could never see where her wealth was coming from.
But she accepted the prophecy in good faith. When the spinster died little Hazel was one of the most heartbroken of the family. To cheer her grandfather Hazel was sent out to the village of Woodside, and has been there, the light and sunshine of the old house ever since.
One of the treasures of the dead woman was an old mahogany bureau made in England in 1691. It had always been kept locked in the lifetime of the spinster and at her death the key could not be found.
A family consultation was held and it was decided to break it open. This was done, the back falling out and revealing a secret compartment. The first thing that came to the eyes of the startled women was a faded bunch of American Beauty roses that had been in the bureau for years.
Under these were two bunches of yellow letters tied with ribbon and addressed in a man's firm hand to "Miss Belle McKenzie." Tied to one of the bundles was a package marked "secrets." This the women opened with tender hands and reverend thoughts. In it was the last will of the dead sister, which read like this:
"These letters are not to be read by any one while I am alive. At my death they are to be given to my beloved father. My whole estate I give and bequeath to my sweet niece, Hazel Graham." It was signed in the prim, delicate handwriting of Belle McKenzie.
◘ Milo Like, the former proprietor of the Vanderbilt hotel, Syracuse, and before that connected with the Yates hotel at the same place, almost has completed a scheme whereby he hopes he will become the proprietor of a big Broadway hotel. He has organized a stock company composed of upstate capitalists and a large number of commercial travelers. No individual stockholder can own more than one share of stock which is at the par value of $1,000.
Every stockholder obligates himself to stop at this hotel for at least one day each time he comes to the city, which would make a regular steady patronage, irrespective of that which the merits of popularity the hostelry would achieve with the general public.
He already has 755 subscribers to the stock and expects to get 1,000 in all. As all of those interested are Mr. Like's personal friends he has absolute assurance that he will be made manager of the new hotel.
NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
News Gathered and Condensed From Our Wide-Awake Exchanges.
A large asphalt plant is to be erected at Syracuse.
Cows in Delaware county are selling for from $60 to $75 each.
Albert Ellis was fined $50 at Oswego for sending in a false fire alarm.
Cooperstown merchants say the trolley is bringing them increased trade.
A Deposit man shows an ear of corn 17 inches long, containing 450 kernels.
George Rice of Norwich counted his cucumbers gathered from five hills for pickles and reports 1,627.
The New York Central railroad has bought 400,000 tons of bituminous coal delivered at $1.25 a ton, the lowest price ever known.
Within a few days after the barbers of Schenectady advanced the price of a shave to fifteen cents the hardware merchants had sold over 400 razors.
A Canastota correspondent says the click made by the voting machines, used in that village Tuesday for the first time, clearly indicates that the voter is voting a split ticket.
John Whitney of Downsville has four yoke of oxen to sell, "all newly shod and ready for business." He's almost as old fashioned as Mr. Palmer of Franklin, who laid 122 rods of [stone] wall the past year.
Operations are under way for opening up some valuable quarries near Gouverneur where pure white marble has been found. The Central railroad is now engaged in building a branch line to bring out the stone.
William Madrid was digging a well at Richfield Springs and was 15 feet down when a fellow workman accidentally tipped a load of cobblestones onto the surprised digger, who fortunately was in a stooping position.
The bean crop in Schuyler county is one of the most profitable the farmers have grown this year. The average yield is upwards of 20 bushels and the prices range from $2 to $2.10 per bushel for red kidneys, the favorite variety.
A woodchuck may bring W. H. Perry of Arbutus a fortune. His son in digging out a woodchuck found what is believed to be a valuable vein of magnate of iron, and New York capitalists are already negotiating for the surrounding land.
Ex-Congressman Belden offered to the First Presbyterian church of Syracuse a magnificent residence, valued at $60,000, as a site for a new church, but the gift will probably be rejected, because the location is inconvenient to a large part of the congregation.
A few nights ago some sportsmen of Penn Yan, passing a coon in the woods of Bluff Point, built a fire around a tree in which he was hidden, to smoke him out. Fifty acres of the surrounding forests have burned over, but the coon has not been captured.
After spending a pleasant summer out of jail, a Binghamton prisoner who escaped four months ago has voluntarily returned to prison and asked permission to serve out his term. The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow, then what will the cold tramp do then, poor thing?
HENRY HOWES OF CUYLER, N. Y.
The Pan-American Here at Home.
The great Pan-American has closed and the dreamland of light and beauty has faded away and become a splendid vision of memory. It is doubtful if such a picture of glowing light and beauty will ever be produced again in all its reality, but a wonderful reproduction of it has been accomplished by that remarkable wizard of science, Thomas A. Edison. His latest realistic moving pictures of the great exposition with the equally wonderful scenes, showing the last speech and funeral ceremonies of the late President McKinley will be shown at the Cortland Opera House on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov 27 and 28, afternoon and evening both days. The Wednesday matinee will be at 4 o'clock, but on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, the matinee will be at 3 o'clock, an hour earlier. This exhibition is under the arrangement of J. P. Dibble, who is well known throughout the country as one of the most successful of moving picture managers, and the entertainments have recently been shown before crowded audiences in Rome, Watertown, Utica and Oswego.
Death of Joseph Bushby.
Joseph Bushby, who came from Joplin, Mo., a few weeks ago, died of cancer at the home of his brother, Robert Bushby, in this city Tuesday morning, aged 55 years Mr. Bushby was also a brother of Mrs. Charles H. Bates of Homer, and he formerly resided in that village. Another sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Westmoreland, resides in Syracuse. He was a member of the Tenth N. Y. Cavalry in the Civil war, and enlisted from Homer serving with bravery and distinction.
The funeral will be held from the home of his brother this forenoon at 10 o'clock, burial at East Homer.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Lively War in Prospect.
There is likely to be a lively fight precipitated among the Republican leaders of the state over the question of amendment of the Raines liquor tax law, and already the Republican papers are lining up on either side.
Boss Platt has already placed himself on record as opposing any amendment to the Raines law as is favored by Governor Odell, Seth Low and Justice Jerome. Senator Platt declares that "any modification of the act lessening its rigor in matters of Sunday opening or increasing other saloon privileges is impossible as long as the Republican party retains control of the law-making power in the state."
This announcement is in the nature of an open defiance to the incoming Low administration, and as well to Governor Odell. Mr. Platt undoubtedly expects to be able to control the legislature and thus be in a position to thwart any attempt to modify the odious Raines law.
If left to themselves the Republican members of the legislature might favor the proposed modification of the law, but if Mr. Platt cracks his whip, as he usually does, the easy boss, it would seem from present appearances, will have his way with the aid and cooperation of the old guard, and in despite of Governor Odell.
If the governor, Seth Low and Justice Jerome persist in their determination to bring about a modification of the Raines law, a lively war will break out between the Republican state leaders.
HERE AND THERE.
These are the mornings when many are called but few get up.
A fire drill was held at the Normal school Wednesday afternoon, and it was a decided success.
Sig Sautelle is negotiating for the purchase of the wire works building on Copeland-ave., Homer.
Regular grange meeting this evening, with thirteen initiations in the first and second degrees.
We dare any one to dispute the statement that the shooting star display came on time last Thursday night as advertised.
A. L. Spicer of Homer, an employee in the Hayes chair factory, Cortland, lost the ends of two fingers in a planing machine last week.
John Eagan, professional peregrinator, was sent up to Cortland for ten days last Wednesday for vagrancy.—Marathon Independent.
By vote of the supervisors last week our people will have the privilege of riding on a county road that will be as smooth and hard as asphalt.
The annual poultry show will be held in the Garrison block some time in December. A large number of birds from Connecticut will be on exhibition.
This is the annual donation day at the hospital, the hours for receiving donations being from 2 until 9. All suitable contributions will be thankfully received.
A Thanksgiving party will be given at the Virgil hotel on Thursday evening, Nov. 28, with music by Davis & Ripley's orchestra. Full bill $1.50. D. Metzgar, proprietor.
The first series of stereopticon travel lectures by Rev. W. J. Howell will be given next Monday evening at the First Baptist church. His subject will be A Trans-Atlantic Voyage.
A pleasant gathering will be held this afternoon at the Congregational church, when all charter members of the church will meet and enjoy a reunion. Supper will be served at 5 o'clock.
The Misses Wells, 98 Port Watson-st., gave a whist party yesterday afternoon to a number of friends. They were royal entertainers, and those present speak in high terms of the cordial reception given them.
Supervisor Phelps of the Sixth ward generously entertained the supervisors at a chicken-pie supper at the First Baptist church Wednesday evening. They feasted and they feasted till they were too full for utterance.
The grange social and peanut hunt at Mrs. Browne's last Friday evening was very enjoyable. The fact was demonstrated that Arthur Knapp has the keenest nose for peanuts in the entire crowd, as he found sixteen, thus winning the prize.
An old resident states that on November 12, 1873, it began snowing in Central New York and continued for several days, covering the ground with sufficient snow to make good sleighing till December 1. Then a thaw came and there was no more sleighing during the winter. Are we to have a repetition of that experience?
As the Democrat will go to press one day earlier next week than usual on account of Thanksgiving, our correspondents will see the necessity of sending their favors one day earlier than usual.
No comments:
Post a Comment