Houston Daily Mercury (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 92, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 24, 1873 Page: 2 of 4
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DAILY MERCUBY
wednesday1,
DEC 24, 1873.
EAST DiTOBOES. 4
The manner in which divorces
are sometimes obtained in the
different States is adi^ff-ajrasto
the Union, and a blot upon so-
ciety.
The laws of Texas, we blush to
say, are, by far, too lax on this
point. Any man or woman who
will come into court and state in
his or her pleadings that life
With his wife of her hnsband, as
the case may be, is "insupport-
able," and thep, on t^e witness-
stand, swear to it, is entitled to
a divorce under the law. The
Statute so reads. The law needs
amending and making stricter,
and we hope the Fourteenth
Legislature will take the matter
in hand. There is but one
ground (that of adultery) in
sacred law that holds good for a
divorce, and that should be the
only one known to the laws of
man. If the records of some
Of the cases which occur
in the courts were to be made
pUbKe, it would evidence the em-
ployment of means which should
cause the cheeks of decent peo-
ple to tingle with shame, at the
perversity and wickedness of
men making a pretensets respec-
tability. "V:
Nearly every day in the wisek,
one or more advertisements may
found in
divorce
that divorces can be procured
without publicity, and that these
human vultures,' find willing
clients, is proved by the fact that
now and then an in stance .comes
to light, where some unotfentting
wife has been cast off without
her knowledge./ The perfidjj^f
the man who hassworn to be her
protector, and the connrSance of
a shyster doe! the bnsmesa.. The
first intimation that the aston-
ished wife has of the aifeir, is a
decree of divorce flaunted in her
face by the man who has
thus wantoonly deserted her.
There are cases not
which men desert
OUB| EXCHANGES ON THE
^ TIOH FRAUDS.
FLEC-
be found in the public prints,
Min divorce shysters, stating
in
_ $ J
men uesert their wives
- ,.'U *
without provocation, and then
obtain a divorce upon the ground
of desertion, swearing that they
have been deserted when they,
themselves, are the delinquents.
If the laws are not-stringent
enough to stop this nefarious
business, they should be made
so; and if public officers are de-
relict in their duty in takfng'Tio-
tice of the perjured scoundrels,
who wantonly desert their wives,
and obtain a divorce- upon the
ground that their wives deserted
them, such officers shouM be
visited with the fines and penal-
ties to whieh neglect or refusal to
perform their duties,' subjeet
them. •'-/ f;1'
• , • * ^♦ * . ■> i—
Oar metropolitan neighbor has
■ for his Sunday morning leader an
exceedingly well written and
truthful puff of himself. All that
ho says is true, with one solitary
exception, and for the love we
bear our friend, and by the way
of kindly criticism, we will name
it fie has all the presses, fold-
ing machines, and trained at-
taches of which it boasts, but
still, like the young man in scrip-
ture, it needs onfe great requisite.
It needs, badly and sadly, a
" keeping-out editor," a man who
knows what not to put in. Its
columns contain an abundance
of wheat, but the pile of ehaff.is
like Domine Sampson's books,
" prodigious.* — Galveston "Civi-
lian.
How, how could yon go and do
that., neighbor I Yonwillafetd
Governor Davis the. fast thing
yoa krfow, and the combined ire
of that functionary atid his or-
gan would be still more "pro-
digious.^ " Ali is grpat, iii4 Ma-
homet is his prophet," and you
have gone and ridiculed the pro-
phet! (profit possibly would be
the better way of spelling it.)
Elijah or Elisha, (forget which,)
caused ihe bears ta davoar^ the
children who laughed at him,
Ijyfliii 4k$ irat will fall upon
yoa if you bow not the knee to
Personal.—We were glad to
meet our esteemed friend- Gen.
Ai G. Malloy, of ih-
spector of the State Penileotiary
and the newly elected Sheriff of
Marion county. Gen. Malloy is
a most estimable gentleman, de-
servedly popular wherever
known, as evidenced by the fact
that he ran ahead of his tiekctin
Marion county, men of both par-
ties voting for him. We hope
that his stay in our city may be
pleasant and agreeable, and that
the lines of his life may always
be cast in pleasant placed.
Lieut. G. C. Gordon,''Of the
Oth United States Cavalry, en
route for Fort Gibson, Indian
Territory, did us the honor to call
on us yesterday afternoon. He is
looking the picture of robust
health,and roughing it from post
to post and in camp seems to
agree with him. From appear-
ances he is just to
fcaekleeither therea'&WsetWr
frontier or the bronze-coldted
Dons of Spain. He has our
best wishes for a boa voyage.
many, has become
mblish What others of our
say on the election
in thift county. We are
pleased to know and to say that
the press throughout the State
are condemningwwith a few ex-
ceptions—the iniquitous proceed-
ing of polling illegal votes, either
by their- silence, on the part of
the timid, or by strong, and un-
meaabred language.
But for the illegally imported
votes of the Texas Central Bail-
road, Hon. J. G. ®jacy would
have beaten Mr. Baker, the Vice-
President of the Central, about
five or six hundred votes in the
Harris district. Baker's majori-
ty is small.,;; notwithstanding
* votes. We hope
y'will contest the seat.
We want to see if there is any
honesty in the Democratic Sen-
ate just elected, and this contest
would test that question.—
BrotonsviUe Ranchero.
r Wi . R.Baker, an employe of
the Central Railroad, was a can-
didate for "the. Legislature from
the Harris District in the recent
election; and to secure his elec-
tion that corporation practised
frauds upon the ballot-box suffi-
cient to accomplish its ends. As
Baker was a Democratic nomi-
nee, of course- this corruption is
laid at the door of the Democra-
tic party, and we are shocked at
the moral degeneracy manifested
by certain politicians of that once
worthy1 school who excuse their
own crime by citing the fact that
the Badicals have done the same
thing. Out upon such rotten-
ness ! And Mr. Baker, who
aspires to a seat in the Legisla-
ture of Texas, is bound by all
interests, we learn, to the Cen-
tral Eailroad. Should that cor-
poration become the subject of
jpefcMr.Bake*fc
regarded a delicate
one, by all honest men. Could he
reconcile the interests of the cor-
poration-with, the interests of his
constittrerflcyt We trow not.
Politics with
a trade.
■-¥11* m (Smnsellor of
a Corporation is not a fit man to
fill a seat in the legislative body
of~a Stats' before which his cor-
poration isr liable in any contin-
cy to' become the subject of
When •: Eailroad
fcoifient tb allow them-
selves to.be used for such nefa-
rious purposes, ballot-box stuff-
ing, a^jjL repeating will follow as
a nSttJ^Njonsequence. It is not
the poor laborer who is sent to
the penitentiary for voting twice,
who is to blame; it is the sleek
boss, arrayed in glosspy broad-
cloth, who is the real criminal.
We hope the ballot box staffers
above alluded to—though they
should prove 4o be the first Dem-
there until their sentence ex-
pires.—Victoria Advocate.
the election in harris
. county. , .
. . JElie ..Houston Daily Mer-
cury of the 17th contains a
lengthy and somewhat savage
attack - upon Mr. Baker, the
newly elected Senator from Har-
ris county. The article soundly
charges that Mr. B. carried that
county by fraud. It is to be
recollected .-that the caddidatc
upon the opposite side was Mr.
Tracy, whose political history
for the last two years is well
known. If the Mettcttry man
is merely insisting on the purity
of the ballot box in general, it is
all very well; but if he proposes
to reverse the verdict and seat
Mr. Tracy, his reasoning is very
lame, fo say the least.
.* As- a general rule, when a
party complains of a frdud, he
must not only establish the fraud-
as a fact, but must further show
7 seme injury to
fraudulent aet, how-
ever, wickedly intended, really
inured to the benefit of the party
complaining, he can take no ad-
vantage of it, for the simple
rpason that he has received no
tsnce, it is al-
. Baker brought
number of Mexi-
ct to register and
for himself. The
answer that these
though, perhaps,
brought down in the interest of
Baker, really voted for Taacy.
*ckns
vote them
other side
Mexicans,
If this be
complain.
true, Tracy cannot
Again the Mercury puts the
case thus: >'The first ward of
this city (Houston) has a popula
tion of not over 1,500 souls, yet
ttesggi**r*tioe war swelled to
over 1,300 names. Of this num-
ber, not over 300 are resident
voters of the ward, or of Harms
county." This is certainly raising
queanotrnr nor ^neftner tnese
1,300 men are now citizens of
Harris county, but how long
they had resided ip the State and
in Harris county before the elec-
tion. The Radical party had un-
limited control in the formation
of our present constitution, and
they so framed it as to enable
them to make a very free use of
the transient voting material of
the State. They conld localize and
use it in every place when it
might be desirable for par-
ty purposes. It is prob-
able that few men in the
State have made a more liberal
use of this same material than
Mr. Tracy himself. And now, if
a power thus created by the
Badicals, for their own purposes
against the people of the State,
is wrested from their bands and
used against them by the people,
we think they - have very
little reason to complain. At all
events, it Mr. Tracy has been
wronged, there is a proper mode
in which he can have hisYemedy,
and ifhe i& honestly entitled to a
seat in the Senate, we believe he
can ggt it This talk about shifting
votes from place to place would
have been appropriate if ad-
dressed to the convention which
framed the Constitution: but
•—— —' V
ranee the adoption of that instru-
ment, it has ceased to be a prac-
tical question—until another con-
vention is called, or until new
amendments are proposed.—Col-
orado Citizen. . J •
OFFICIAL YOTK OF FOURTEENTH
SENATORIAL DISTRICT.
The following is the joint vota of Harris
and Montgomery counties for Senator and
Representatives of this District, giving
the total vote cast for the respective can-
didates, and itnajorities of the Democratic
nominees:
Candidates.
n. U. Barziza (Dem)—------
Henry Clin 6 (Kep.)
EricF. Schmidt (Dem)
Richard Allen (Rep). —
C. B. Stewart (Dem)
Emulous Anderson (Hep)—-
SENATOR.
W. R. Baker (Dem)
J. G. Tracy (Bep)
K
as
§3
a
3933
2114
9937
3114
3858
3106
680 3613
716
673
3687 6*4 3311
3331 705 3036
2816
3537
2780
783
747
383
graridw-;
Christmas Eve.
TEXAS NEWS.
Travis County.—It turns out
that Wiley Stout, the brother-in-
law of the man murdered near
Austin, Shifly by name, was the
murderer. He has been arrested
and says he didn't mean to kill
him, but fctruck him with an ox-
yoke to keep him from cutting
him. The difficulty grew out of
family af&irs... .Austin is doing
a thriving business, and cotton
comes to that place in considera-
ble quantities Sportsmen
have fine times killing geese and
partridges.
Denton County.—One man
raised 4495 pounds oi seed cot-
ton on two acres of land this
year. This is over one and a
third bales to the acre Four
thieves have been arrested with-
in the past week.
Fannin County.—Hog kill-
ing is going on extensively.
Several lots, all averaging 400
founds per hog, have been kill-
ed—mast fattened hogs at that
The Qdd Fellows will give a
' festival alj Bonbam on
A hUppe* and
dancing are the prominent fea-
tures of the occasion.
Leon County.—Jewett is a
lively and business little place.
.. .--The health is most excellent,'
indeed. ——?•— —
Cameron County.—The Dis-
trict Court is in session, and the
Grand Jury performing its func-
tions with eclat. A Mexican
stabbed Mrs. Loucadou the other
night. He cut a hole through
the back of . her chimney, ami,
entering her room, attempted to
murder her, but was driven off
by her screams. . \ .
-Grimes COUNTYt—A_ small
frame building, the property of
E. A. Miller & Bro., was burned
on Saturday last. The business
houses in its vicinity were in
danger for a while.
Bexar County.—Colonel N.
O. Green, District Attorney,was
quite severely hurt by an unruly
cow the other day. He was not
the- first green thing that cow
ever went for There were
fifteen marriages up to the 20th
instant. a
Gonzales County.—The new
county officers have been sworn
in. . . .Fat hogs are. being driven
through Gonzales for this mar-
ket... .A drove of 150 turkeys
were driven through Gonzales
last week coming to market.
The gobblers were priced at one
dollar, and hens at six bits. > •
Colorado County.—The mo*
lar'tooth of some antediluvian
animal has recently been found
ne$r Columbus, in the bed of the
river. It weighs six pounds and
eight ounces Mr. Harris, the
Marshal of Columbus, was forced,
in self-defense, to kill an obstrep-
erous negro the other night, who
he was attempting to arrest.
The negro resisted the arrest and
seized his gun to shoot Harris,
when Harris killed him There
are still a few ' cases of yellow
fever in Columbus, but no new
ones for several days.
Bastrop County.—Bastrop
is going to have a muaiQipai
election in January The
health of the county good, in-
deed--.-Best lands, improved,
sell at from five to ten dollars
The town of Bastrop is steadily
and surely improving. ' r-
McLennan . cquntr.—The
wheat crop of the couety is
splendid, indeed. .4. The Waco
suspension bridge is getting
shaky and needs attention
The county roads are complained
of as being extremely bad....
The School Directors have organ-
ized and are taking vigorous
measures to start public schools
at once. A ji j
Johnson County.—Mr. Whi-
ted, whose steam gin and mill
was burned a short time since,
has got his .mill righted and at
work again. Such energy is
commendable and is just what
makes a country The Episco-
palians are determined to have
a Church in Cleburne, and are
making strenuous efforts that
way. They will have a bazaar
and fair for the purpose of rais-
ing funds during Christmas
week....The Grand Jury is in
session and has found forty-two
indictments already.
Galveston County.—County
warrants are only worth sixty-five
cents on the dollar A brakes-
man, while drunk-, was run over
and killed by the cars at the de-
pot on Sunday last Oscar Nel-
son, a hand on the schooner Ball
Player, was knocked overboard
at Galveston by the boom, and
was drowned....A man named
John was drowned from a skiff in
Galveston Bay, on Sunday morn-
ing One hundred and fifty
immigrants from the Southern
States arrived at Galveston,
Monday morning, en route for the
interior of the State....There
will be midnight mass at the
Galveston Cathedral at Christ-
mas.
Both Houses of Congress ad-
journed over till the 5th of Jau-
uary. , "
M. Paul Du Chaillu arrived in
the City of Brussels, after an ex-
tensive tour in Norway and Swe-
den.
LETTERS Fit")a THE r^OF!E.
The Galveston Mandamus Cam.
Editors Houston Mercury:
The application for a manda-
mus ordering Mr. Johnsou Eeed,
District Clerk, to surrender his
office to Mr. Wakelee, the Dis-
trict Clerk elect, was argued this
morning before Judge McCor-
mick. Mr. Gresham, of Mann
& Gresham, supported the appli-
cation, which was resisted on be-
half of Mr. Eeed by Mr. Neil.
The arguments presented no fea-
tures new to the readers of the
Mercury. Judge McCormick,
in granting the mandamus, re-
marked that he was clear that
the Legislature had a right to
change section 6, article 3, of the
Constitution, in both clauses,
and held that the declaration of
election limiting the term of
office to four years from date of
election, is part of the organic
law, having been submitted
along with the Constitution to
the people. Mr. Eeed applied to
retain his office pending an ap-
peal to the Supreme Court, but
was ordered to surrender it at
once. Exception to this ruling
was taken and noted. S.
Farm Dale, Dec. 20.
Editors Houston Mercury:
As the all-absorbing question
and topic of conversation now is
the legality of the late election,
I, in common with the whole
people have been exercised in
mind on that point. Being a
plain farmer I never once
thought there could be any
question about the validity of
tile election law, and was re-
joicing fully over the blessed
privilege of once more voting
for the men of my own choice
and seeing them in office. I
sometimes read the laws closely
and apply to them the test of
the Constitution, not in a hair-
splitting way, but as nearly in a
practical common sense manner
as my capacity will admit of.
Now, Mr. Editor, I am a simon-
pure Democrat, and voted the
entire Democratic ticket, not
scratching one single name—
though there were some nominees
of the party I had to hold my
breath to vote for--and as a
Democrat I took my constitution
and the election law and com-
pared them, viewing the law un-
der all the different, aspects it
would admit of under the Con-
stitution, and I must confess that
it strikes me ihe Taw is unconsti-
tutional. It pains me to be
forced to believe so,-but as an
honest and a. candid man, I must
admit that such is my iudginent.
I do not mean to discuss the le-
gality of the election bill, but
will quote Section 6, Article d, of
the Constitution, that all may
sec how it reads: "All elections
for State, district, and county
officers shall be held at the coun-
ty seats of the several counties,
until otherwise provided by law;
and the polls shall be opened for
four days, from eight o'clock a.
m. until four o'clock p. m. of each
day." This is the "strict letter of
the Constitution, and its spirit
breathes forth from every line.
It will be seen that the whole
trouble is in a punctuation point,
a pitiful, miserable semi-colon.
What trouble that semi colon is
likely to produce; what bitter,
burning feelings it has begotten;
what criminations and recrimi-
nations it has and will engender!
Mr. Editor, can't we do away
with semi-colons ? It is mere
quibbling, Mr. Editor, to try to
ring the Election Declaration of
the convention in as a part of the
Constitution. I think I could
show that in two short sentences,
were I amind to. But, suppose,
Mr. Editor, the election law is
constitutional in reality, but, as
we don't kifow it to be, and there
are grave doubts of it, and as the
question is already mooted and
being discusstfi generally, is it
not the part of prudence and
wisdom to have the matter
tested! For some man in office
to refuse to yield his position to
the newly elected and let the
question go up on a quo warranto,
I believe the lawyers call it, to
the Supreme Court T It is not
whether Coke or Davis is Gov-
ernor, whether the Democratic or
Badical candidates are elected to
the Legislature, whether Smith
or Brown is sheriff. There is a
more serious and important ques-
tion than all this involved. The
rights of litigants in the courts
(are involved; the rights to be in-
volved under the laws that would
be passed by the next Legisla-
ture are at stake. Suppose the
present officers, just elected, go
into office and a suit is brought
in the District Court, the Clerk
issues the customary paper, the
sheriff serves, one party, obtains
a judgment against another, exe-
cution is issued and property
sold thereunder; and alter
awhile the heirs of the party cost
in the suit, or; the party himself
brings suit to recover, pleading
the illegality of the acts of this
clerk and sheriff; because of the
unconstitutionality of this election
law and when it goes before the
highest tribunal ot the State it
decides the law unconstitutional,
will not the hardships that have
been worked bo severe, heavy,
outrageous ? And soppose, in
years to come, some one brings
to test the laws passed by the
Legislature elected under this
law and the decision is that this
law is unconstitutional, are not
the laws so tested null and void
ab initio, and will it not bring
about) confusion, breed strife and
beget trouble ? You know what
these lawyers will do, Mr. Editor.
They will turn up anything they
can for a client—study out all
advantages, and twenty years
hence will not bo too late to test
the constitutionality ol this elec-
tion law.
Oh, that semi colon, that ter-
rible semi-colon! Well, we will
see what we will see. All
l ean say is let moderation and
prudence govern us all, aud let
us hope that we will be guided
aright through the troubles and
evils that beset us, being hopeful
for the best always, and assured
by the fact that out of the cruci-
ble cometh the fine gold. r.
BY TELEGRAPH
SPECIAL TO HOUSTON MERCURY.
FROM MARLTN.
Man Killed—He was Drunk
and Overbearing!
The Shooting'Done in Self-
Defense.
The Slayer Surrendered Him-
self to the Authorities-
Great Excitement.
v Marlin, Dec. 23.
About four o'clock this even-
ing a disturbance arose in the
Age saloon at this place, which
resulted in the killing of one
John Easly by J. G. Ewing, bar-
keeper in the above saloon. The
particulars of the difficulty were
as follows:
Easly was somewhat under the
influence ot liquor and insulted
several respectable citizens, all
of which was uncalled for. While
the crowd were in the back room
of the saloon, loud threats and
swearing was heard in the bar
and, on rushing to the door,
Easly was seen with a large bar
tumbler in each hand, raised in a
striking attitude, and said to
Ewing, "I know you have a pis-
tol, ana I will make you shoot."
Ewing did everything to
prevent a difficulty, . but
Easly seemed bent" on
hurting some one and began
throwing the tumblers at Ewing,
which he dodged. The third
tumbler was about being thrown
when Ewing fired with a pistol,
the ball taking effect in the
breast, killing Easly instantly.
Bumor says Ewing was per-
fectly justifiable, which is no
doubt true. Ewing gave himself
by to the authorities. Consider-
able excitement prevails.
f f i ■> 3 ' i ■ p.
Traveling Committee—Supreme Court
*' Adjourned.
Washington, D.C., Dec. 23.—
Messrs. Wilson and Eklridge
will leave here not later than
Saturday, and they Will be ac-
companied by a stenographer
and sergeant-at-arms.
The Supreme Court adjourned
to the 5th proximo.
California u. s. Senator.
San Francisco, Dec. 23.—
jer. anti-Bailroad can-
Was elected UnitetL States
Senator for short term on the 2d
ballot.
Weather Probabilities.
For the Southern States, west
of the Mississippi river, north
winds with cloudy weather and,
possibly, light railfall will pre-
vail. For the Lake region,
light, variable winds, slight
changes in pressure and temper-
ature and generally fair weather,-
but areas of light snow from the
north west,
Two Ships Collided.
London, Dec. 23.—The bark
Oliver Cromwell, from Wisbeach
topmastandysrds,having bee
collision with an unknown ves-
sel. _ ,
MARKETS BY TELEGRAPH
KVKNtNG. I
;.:NEW; O&leaio, Dec. 23.-4
Flour in fair local demand; com-
mon $4 75®5 i2£; XXX $6 50
<@7 75; -family $8 50®9 75.
Corn, lower; white 72<®73c.; yel-
low 74c. Oats quiet at 52c.
Bran dull at 95£c. Hay dull,
but firmer; prime $19; choice
$23; ' Pork dfill and held at $15
50; ho bayerai—Dry salt meats
quiet at 8J®8|c.; bacon scarce
and higher at 8,8J, 9J®9Jc.; new
hams scarce and in demand at !3J
®14c. Laud, light supply and
firmer: tierce 8|c.; keg9J®9fc.
Sugar dull; inferior 4®4|c.; com-
mon 5®5|c.; fair to fully fair 6®
7|c.; prime to choice 7i®8|c.
Molasses in good demand and
firmer; common 41c.; fair to good
57c. --Whisky lower; Louisiana
9G®97c.; no choice Cincinnati
in market. Coffee firm 21f®27c.
Corn meal scarce at $3 30.
Freights, by steam and sail, to
Liverpool fc.; by steam to New
York £c.
Cotton very activ^.^S^es 12,-
000 bales. Prices ii*egtU& with
some sales at less than inside
quotations. Good Ordinary, to
strict Good,
Low-Middling^
dling 14|'SJlSJc^ Middling _ to
strict Middling f©2&17c.
Beceipts, 16,935 bales. Exports,
continent j 12,018'; bales^ Great
Britain 9434 bales. Stock oh
hand 219,110 bales. Unsold last
evening 94,700 bales.
Monetary — Gold 110®110J.
New York sight $c. discount.
Sterling bank 18£. /
- New York, Dec. 23.—Cotton,
net receipts 1542 bales; gross
3859 bales. Futures closed easy.
Sales . 19,800 bales as follows:
January 15 7-32c.;. February
lS'-2?42<2)l$|c,; VMfrrdh 16^
AprilIfife.; Mayl?a#Wfe.'Cot-
ton quiet. Sales 2^51 bales 'at
15|'®16Jc.; ^ some sales at |c.
higher.
Groceries*— Flour unchanged,
Wfciskt 'sfcfedy at Wheat
10® 12p.; better..;: Corn un-
changed. Coffee firm with an
npwtft-d tendency. Sugar steady.
Molasses quiet and unchanged.
Bice quiet. Pork firm; new $16.
Lard weak at 8|®8§o. Tallow
firm at 57&c. Navals quiet.
' Freights steady. /
* Monetary—Money easy 6® 7.
Sterling weak at 1- Gold 110J
®110£. Governments dull and
but little doing. State bonds
quiet and nominal. >
London, Dec. 23.—Turpen-
tine 31s. Od. to 36s. Tallow 40s.
9d. ■
Liverpool, Dec. 23;—Ter-
pentine 30s. to, 33s. 6d. Yarns
and fabrics at Manchester dull
with a downward tendency.
Flnftnchl ItPTioTv of the Month of So.
g * rember. "iir
^November was marked by a
steady recovery from the effects
of the panic,'and, from the very
first day of the month, when
Messrs. H. B. Clafflin & Co. an-
nounced to the banks that they
had made such arrangements
with their creditors that no fur-
ther monetary assistance was re-
quired, the general commercial
situation began to mend rapidly.
Subsequent to the adjustment of
the affairs of the Spragues, in
Ehode Island, and the mercan-
tile house in New York, above
referred to, there was no other
serious disaster having any gen-
eral influence in financial circles,
except the embarrassment of the
California and Texas Construc-
tion Company, which Was en-
gaged in building the Texas and
Pacific Eailway. As Mr. Thomas
A. Scott, of the Pennsylvania
Eailroad, and some other promi-
nent financiers and raliroad men
in Philadelahia were endorsers
on the paper of the Construction
Company, it was feared at first,
that the failure might result in
most disastrous consequences.
The apprehension on this score,
however, was not of long dera-
tion, as it was soon reportedthat
a settlement with creditors for
an extension on easy terms would
be effected.
Immediately following the dis-
turbances came the news of the
extremely unfavorable situation
in London and the advance of the
bank rate to 9 per cent on Friday,
November 7. This was the high-
est point reached, and it remain-
ed at this figure until November
20, when it was reduced to 8,and
again reduced November 28 from
8 to 6 per cent, after a considera-
ble gain in bullion and with a de-
cidedly better feeling in the mar-
ket generally. The month there-
fore closed with a feeling
approaching, buoyancy and a con-
fidence on tbe part of business
men that the recovery already
made had been real and import
ant. ./.. . '. ..C?;- f •
The tendency of the . money
rfcarket was towards easier rates,
and from a high and irregular
market at the beginning the best
class of borrowers were able to
get money during the last half of
the month at 6 to 7 per cent, the
rates to stock borrowers at the
close ranging up to 1*32 .per'day
and, interest. ..
The report of the Bank. {j Com-
mittee of nine" 6n reforms pro-
posed for the adoptibh of the
Clearing House Association, was
one of the most important events
of the month and elicited very
warm discussion. - The report
was a most able document on the
subject of bank reforms, but met
With opposition from the less con-
servative banks, and iits pro-
posals were not adopted. !
The banks commenced again
to issue their statements of total
weekly Clearing House averages
on the 22d inst., and on Satur-
day, the 29 th, they held $36,420,-
000 legal-tenders. -
Government bonds advanced
in the month from 2 to 3 per eent.
The Treasury issned, November
1, another "call" for the redemp-
tion of $5,000,000 more of the
bpnds of 1862. — Commercial
Chronicle.
Itiij . —rtt :1;
URATE ROBBERS.
r A Sew and Profitable Business. ;J j
On Saturday morning last,
some three' hours before day-
break, Policeman McGlue, at the
coiner of Twenty-first and K
streets, arrested Dr. George A.
'Christiana and Margaret Harri-
son, white, tmd Charles Green,
colored, and took them to the
Fourth Preciact station, oharged
with robbing graveyards at dead
bodies and disposing of them to
medical colleges in different
places throughout the country.
On the person Of the Doetor was
found ehemieals used in embalm-
ing, and in the pocket of the lady
a case of surgical instruments.
The medical man's diary revealed
the fact that he was making ex-
huming a regular business, and
received? from j$30 to $40 for
every body disinterred, and those
not bought in this city were dis-
posed of elsewhere. There was
also found a memorandum of re-
cent transactions, as follows:
Under the date
cember 1, it is
Potter's Field; shipped two sub-
jects in whisky barrels to Vir-
ginia." December 4, "Visited
Holmead's and Young Men's
grounds and bailed." December
6, "Visited Ebenezer, Kate and
I, ahd got a subject.'? December
7, "Went to Mount Zion and got
ia subject." ' December 5, "Vis-
ited HoimeacPs and Young Men's
grounds and failed." - ■
The- diary further contained
notes showing plainly that the
accused was engaged in the ex-
huming of Beau Hickman's body
and the horrible mutiliation there-
of. last, bnt not least,was found a
card of membership of the Young
Men's Christian Association.
Leaving the accused parties at
the station,- Sergeant Kneas and
Officer Hawkins concluded to ex-
amine Holmead's burial ground,
and on visiting that spot found
the body of Thomas Fletcher,
colored, that had' been buried
only the night before, dug up
and inclosed in a bag awaititog
transportation. The ^ burial-
ground being in the Second Pre-
cinct, Lieutenant UToonan was
notified and sent men to look
after the remains. • :*♦?-•>;*;<k )
The acoosed were taken before
Judge Snell and committed to
jail^ in default of $1000 bail, to
aWait a further hearing.—Wash
ington National Republican.
.: A Country postmaster, in mak-
ing a 'requisition to thb Depart-
ment at Washington for three
thousand postal cards, apologises
for the unusually large number
by saying, " You may think that
. this amount of postal cards that
I send for is groW (our office be-
ing sfiiall), but 4 wiU fexplain it
to you., We want .them to ad-
vertise for a man that was our
town treasurer and absconded."
A SAD l>F8CEVT.*r
<£ y. fej 1 E
I • f «f-L-
A rf Honor to the Km press Car-
lotta, mi Her Dweeni to the Gutter.
[FMft tbe Krtr Tark Mereoty.] .
On the 9th of October a gen-
tleman named Frederick Dela-
pigne appeared at the office of
the French Prefecture of Police,
and said that the evening before,
at the Theatre Frangaise, he had
become acquainted with a young
lady in one of thg proscenium
boxes, who had told him her
name was the Princess Elvira
da Silva, from Bio Janeiro. After
the performance he had escorted
her to the Cafe Torlonia, where
they had supper, and where
she had asked him for the loan
of two thousand francs, which
ho bad given her hi four five-
hundred franc notes, receiving as
security two magnificent brace-
lets, studded with what he be-
lieved to be diamonds. Next
morning a jeweler had pronounc-
ed the stones to be paste, and
estimated the bracelets at less
than one hundred francs. He
asked for ah order of arrest for
Senora da Silva. The detectives
found the woman in a disrepnta
ble house in the Bue de Breda.
She acknowledged the truth or
the charge, and said, with tear-
'ful eyes, "1 would like to make a
statement." She then told a
most startling story.
She was, she said, twenty-six
years of age, a native of Havana,
of American parents. Her real
name was Anna Brewer. Yellow
fever had kitted both her parents
in 1857. Then a United States
officer had taken her to California.
But, he being of a despotic turn
of mind, she had run away and
gone to Acpulco, where a French
merchant had made her his mis-
tress under promise of marriage.
She lived with him two years
when he deserted her, and she
went to, the City of Mexico,
where a French officer married
her. His name was Faudeim, and
she Was appointed lady Of honor
to the Empress Carlotta. A dif-
ficulty: with her husband caused
her to leave Mexico in 1866. She
went to New York, where she re-
mained several months, and
then slkiled for Paris, where she
had ah iaudiehce with the Em-
press Eugdniie^ who gave : her
50,000 francs. Her husband
having died i Mexico, she went
to Vienna, where the Archduch-
ess Sophia, Maximilian'smother,
received-tier -with open arms, and
gave her a pension of Ave hun-
dred florins a year, which was
withdrawn from her three months
later. Since then the prisoner
said she had. led a life of gilded
wretchedness, living with all
sorts of adventurers, and . only
necessity had compelled her to
resort to operations like that for
which she had been, - appre-
hended. B -r I.; -
J(ew Advertisements.'
THE CIT * IJAXK OF HOCfeTOt Will
not be * bustaeis on OHKI3TKAS
DAT, neosotbee 28tit Pspsr mamrfng on that
dajr will be preseatart for payment ota Wednes-
day, December 24. 1873.
d««a*lV ' & F. W£Ett8, Oaabisr.
-——— u. — ' ■■■ • -
BUFF COCHINS.
How ii the ttaa to atock
your conltry jardt.
1 will bare at Barrett's
atreet, Deoein-
* times. ,
M. E. WOOD.
^PEClAi '^UCTION SALE.
BV SIMOH GAJIS, this BAT at 10
o'clock A. M.:
Will ekxe oat the balance of the eoaaign-
menti of Boot* 8hoet, Dry Goods, and
jrottow, for aoooont ot whom a may ooo-
' oera; &iao, a lot- of Bedat—da. - MatteemeaT
Bacos aod Qrocerlec, heeldae tuuwa-
' ble other articles,
SIMON GANS,
d«34-lt . "
Notice of Admlnistralion.
.' f.'Oiii «3.- *"
ustatu of,
IV tioe 1«
the <
hare dely qnalified. All psraoxta U<J
estate Mil call and pay what they
those ha viae cUlau vill pit* ant than for setUe-
ment " .T. *A. BEKTKG.
Hoatton. Dee. SS^ISTS. r j /.. ' dsc33tf
Estate of hxsby tilgk, deceased._on
Monday, jaaoary 8t lsts.st Us late
realdeno*, foi the
to o^e'sbbve Sat
othse livestock. aa&pl
^Tebms—CASH. - ' : ' i«
dec33tf
00
Administrator,
FOR KENT.
ST ALB OP HEHBY Tirol, deceased.
E8TA
The late BS8IDSN0B of Honry Til^e, dse'd;
also, his BASK. ?pt parUnlars and terms,
apply to - . . A. BERING,
deeM-tf - 4'
millinery goods
AT . L E SS T fi AN TOST
■ : - - h ifVii
Oa account of tbe hard timra
ijt'
TltOlSLSON cfir Oo:
WiU tall their entire stock of
Millinery • and Fancy Goods,
At Icaa than ro«t, toraite the necessary cash
to pay their Indebtedness. "Prtcs loir ts alt
those who h« the «#ah.'^. ? vi ; - deMS
No.l. A. T. ted
i'i,
Uembsraof Holland 1 „ .
iVESISO, December m, 18j«, at which Umeaa
election a* coopf* fcr th| Usotug Xasoale
jear will Uko puca. a Mneral attendance or
the Brethren is M«ttlred. mt-mben of Gray
xzujg-AFSj&r"'
BysrdesoftlM W.'tl. t- jgjgtg
WAItTED,
— -♦ — ■ - —
By * fe tv*<s«; of vw ytms* esperiance, a
portion as \t> iff**-#*} >
BOOk-Ktt>lB,t BB«POt)«*T orOWSRK.
The highest tt.«tlm6nl*ls offered.
d clffdtf ' ■^O.tnM.
EDUCATIONAL.
-. •«VnTT I,-, ----- •'< ' -;,ri
a lady of cspecienee'to tiffing desires pa.
pus in |n and oil,
tutor wwlf. matte, Spanish, and the Xogliah
branches. No oU action ton place'in the ooon-
try. Ad jrea o. n.,Hoa«too Postofflc*. box It*.
dec9i-*ST3t
,'r.V■' . . \ ADncirT" - '
, rtwYi'iy Cards,' Business Cards of of
kinds, Gentlemen's Cards, vldm and em-
botsed, ex-
hcubd m the highes! styU of tie eft, at
Ihe most reasonable pricet, of ff>* Jt&cwy
St"im Printing Establishment over At
Postofice.
9ew AdrertteeraeBts.
BLANKETS BLANKETS
Cheap for Cash.
HEAVY StJ^WLS
PROM THK AUCTION ROOM.
CASES WIDK OKEhT(C^
U l-«. WUKffl II 1.4.
7 .x. .ftat rr .'jriii
m.uui Of" gmt amm
- ' •: *
AMERICAN PRINT:
AT TKS OKITf.
YARD WID8
AT TWMTT ciiti.
Thos. B. Franklin.
deol!—tf •
houston then and now.
BY CHARLES BICKLET.
In Weekly Parte**-Pari I. to be turned 9m,-
day, December 28.
"BEFORE THR REPUBLIC.1
This WiU toil *lat sort of a place bs«0*
Bayoa was before Honaton became a totra.
Prioe at Wr kly tarts kE esnte. Sold by sH
ntwmm, dacM
m. c. wellborn,
COMMISSION MERCHANT,
sad wholesale dealer in
tBtii A9D PBoprcie.
* houston, texas.
dectt tf '
chrlstmas 1873!
Ladies desirous of making their Hasbands
An Elegant Present,
Oar.ast do -better than obtain tbe services ef
(Jr. O-XESBOIST®,
* r'.mis "•/- •: ;
. "IP1* ^l-eet attlnt -
SUIT OF CLOTHRS
* «' >•; * 0 i' -i ir- - ■
. j In tuu, as well ae trery arttole nssfnl sad
ornamental reeded to eontMta g
t
*76 Main Street!
decll—tf
' ANTHRACITE COAL.
hodeton gas -ltsht ookpabt, i
December *1,18t8. j
Sixty tons No. a free bormii* ahthkaotts
ooal, Jnst reoeired direot irom Baltimore, for
sale at prides below given, deliverable at the
t
£
f
o
9000 ponnds-for .|11 ott
1000 pounds for...... 11 00
500 pounds for i m
CASH OS BBZJTJE£T.
Order not accoipvnled with aah wil} sit be
fllled.
decai-aot
T. F. TBn t
Secretary and Treasnrer.
$15 REWARD,
stqux on the night ef Oecemher ll<h,
toub-hoitbb. wacqk. 'wtthoat body; painted
btoe; froct wbee ioeiriy painWd.
decM-lw ; jr).; ,!thos watkb8.
*ayob's oftiqk, t
Crrror Korsroa, Dec. li. w7a f
If. ili.'l :• " ■ ■ rr".v tjfjiir ;
Sealed Pnpoaais tu be received at this oflice
M
SfitnrdajfJunrjt, 1874,
am o'olook p. m.. for &a|a«ee of the
CITY HOSPITAL FOR ONE YEAR.
Possess!on will ha given on
17tk of January, 18T4
) fv-«!1£>'i 1
Proposals to beaddreased to the so
andendoreed " rtnagllal T r« i "
- - ! • : . -?/
The Ctty reserves tbs tight to !eW any or
ul bids. '
Uiu i :s. H
for sale. =
A FIRST CLASS ICE MACHINE,
capable of mennfactaring (9000 pettrds) au
Jsz*
. V. TATLOR.
decll-DUn .• > - - -
for sale.
^ with aU rn«rb tarry,
oa the north side of BnflUo Bayoa near
Tonag'e Brick Yard.
t< rme reasonable; peri cash, balanoa an time,
wih goodaecarity.
w4! - j.baldwin.
Honsion, Dee. 1, 1873. decS—im
towk lots i"OR sale.
On the line • * tbe o. h. ft 8. a. railway,
at Bordan'e Station, 8 miles weat of Cohun-
bnmln Colorado eoaaty. Also, at Weimar, Scbn-
lenborg and PUtonia, Thees plseee promise t
be gooA basinets localities, situated li the
ona and thriving popalsUon. Par farther in*
forras&ra, enquire ol ft a Mrigne. st Bardin ;
DvuO (6BsDQ Vs *BsIB, M « ISiwow.
_ jamr3 oos
Honston. oat«. t«ts-tf - - -
AT |10e PER MONTH RS>¥.
That elegant s'obk adjoining the Bonston
Direot Navigation (company's aftoe; three
stories, with basement; one sto-y shelved. In-
<Hhdea snt abaa bot-ttnc apperataa. WeUatts-
K T wholesale boeit.ejs. Apply ta
dee l-lm J TW. BrotrSB.
REMOVAL.
Bmmg r«mofedB^(
«atha
oquiitt or cant^labd milam bTBKKl ,
[an prepared toexeoatethe meet superior
Portrait* Iq Oil on CbjiyIhss.
■: : "'ta •' I'. i
Also qualified to wahe my owa negatives far
that purpose.
Bafrrs to the leading OaBeriaa in Texas,
THeaalng ft Co., mnam, h. b. bitter,
; J LAWRENCE L. COHEN, S*:,
: 8ra .:« " . Aftist
JE\ .
t B ayab1ll
CHEMICAL PAINT DEPOT.
ii. tt. aluu, Agaat,
Travis St, nast deer to k. t
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Baker, J. H. & Wilson, J. H. Houston Daily Mercury (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 92, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 24, 1873, newspaper, December 24, 1873; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth232940/m1/2/?q=mitchell: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.