18 Jul 1877
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 28 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel
Location
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America
Date
Jul 18, 1877
Page
1
The Evening Sentinel chronicles a rising tramp menace over ten years, detailing their audacity and alleged criminal behavior. It describes a fictive Freemasonry among tramps, their private grips, chalked marks, and coded signs guiding where to beg, where to avoid, and how to read each other’s intentions.
A garbled OCR fragment mentions terms like COPER'D GAMMAY and FLUMADTXED with warnings about dogs and a possible prison sentence. Religious reference and unclear terms suggest miscellaneous notes or slang from an old page.
The piece portrays tramps as free roaming folk who winter in cities and travel in summer to live off the land. They shun responsibility and often peddle with little money, hoping to gain weight and sustenance before cold months return. They travel light and prefer solitude or small groups to avoid farmer scrutiny.
The Lay torpedo, an electric guided weapon built in Cleveland for a European power, wowed crowds as it covered three miles in three minutes and twenty seconds to a stake boat and back. The device uses explosive forward sections, air driven propulsion, and a shore or vessel linked harpoon system. Notable attendees included Young Yuen Poo and naval officers.
The Portland Standard reports a gruesome murder in Union county where a dead man was found bound to a Blue Mountains summit tree. His throat was cut, head severed, ears removed and pinned, wrists bound, and the body whipped. The remains are decomposed and a rain-washed note and horse tracks were found nearby.
The Times held a novel matrimonial premium drawing at the opera house with 116 candidates in list No 1 and 124 in list No 2. About 1,000 subscribers entered the lottery for tickets while photographs and letters were exchanged between ladies and winning bachelors or widowers. Names and residences of winners to be announced in this issue with photos sent to the chosen bachelors.
Residents fear a revenge driven crime as investigators search for the unknown victim. No reliable clues exist beyond a single mention and silent evidence points to the offender. Community efforts to identify the perpetrator intensify amid horror.
The will of Maurice de St Palais bishop of Vincennes Indiana is presented for readers. He bequeaths all estate real and personal in the United States to Archbishop John Baptist Purcell of Cincinnati or, failing him, to Bishop William McClosky of Louisville. It directs trust for Catholic Church use in Vincennes and envisions conveyance to successors. The document, dated October 24 1871, is witnessed by Joan Bary Joan Bayes and Henry Cawthorn.
The Indiana market shows a large wheat yield and superior quality across the region. Farmers are urged to sell early to beat northwest competition, with the first new Indiana wheat sale reported at 1.50 dollars. Wheat is in demand by mills and for shipment, and proceeds could boost national prosperity.
The 4 percent issue lowers money costs, with fifty million of 5-20 bonds called in. Much is not rolled into the new loan, as 4 percent lacks the lure of 6 percent. Banks in New York offer 7 percent for commercial paper, while local loans with real estate security run at 8 percent, down from 10. By completion, good mortgage money may range 6 to 7 percent.
The Cincinnati Commercial laments the habit of drinking ice water. It argues that cold beverages strain the stomach and skin as the body works to rid itself of the burden. The piece contrasts American tastes with German beer and French wine, exaggerating long term effects.
A moral fable ends with the ant advising thrift and forethought as a savings bank suspends, revealing the risk of misplaced funds. The grasshopper had relied on luck rather than savings, while the ant had prudently stored fonds in a savings bank. The line Moral-Dum Vivimus, Vivamus echoes the caution.
Georgia customers inquire for Foutz's Celebrated Horse and Cattle Powders and recommend them in the highest terms as far superior to anything of the kind they have ever used. Harrd & Pelzer, Wholesale Druggists.
Chicago Journal reports a public concern over debt and strained finances. The piece notes residents facing pressure from creditors while authorities seek relief measures. Citizens consider loan practices and possible remedies amid ongoing economic strain.
New Orleans Times reports ex Governor Wells may consult with Anderson before deciding on charges against late returning board members. The piece hints at hidden deals behind Louisiana’s 1876 electoral count, suggesting outside influence and possible public disclosure of involved names and actions.
Captain Chauncey, night watchman at the Madison Marine Ways in Madison Indiana, was fatally burned when a lamp oil can exploded near one o clock after midnight. He fled burning through the yard for minutes calling for help, fire engulfing his body. Fire crews saved the office but he died six hours later after heroic efforts. He served in the Mexican War and the Civil War era, leaving a wife and three children. The incident cast gloom over Madison with many sorrowing mourners.
The text reports on Mayes’s letter urging public officers to maintain personal integrity while serving. It notes Secretary Sherman’s June 13 communication to Talbot, solicitor of the treasury, indicating a resignation is desired and suggesting further resignations may follow.
Oakley Barker, about twenty seven, was arrested in New York on charges of stealing a gold watch and chain. He confessed, named his pawned articles, and a police judge preliminary examination revealed he was Commodore Vanderbilt’s grandson and had an income of 10000 dollars that day, with alleged involvement in several other thefts.
The article outlines a theft conviction involving clothing and jewelry as conclusive evidence. It notes no attempts to prove Heptomattis' guilt beyond the presented items, and remarks that a young man earning $10,000 yearly might be tempted to steal. It suggests the commodore's fortune may have passed into questionable hands.
State House Commissioners consider rapid demolition of the old rookery while arranging temporary offices in the court house and inspecting Masonic Hall for possible state library and offices. Officials weigh costs, location, and timing ahead of next legislature, with funding not secure until May.
The Logansport Star manuscript recounts D D Pratt describing 1833 gold shipment from Indianapolis to Lawrenceburg on horseback. He recalls a tempter’s whisper near the Ohio River but abandons crime after memories of his aged mother reading the Bible. He dies suddenly as Julia reads further, leaving a moral verdict on virtue and providence.
A quip notes no one knows the exact number of Texas counties. It jokes that two counties equal Massachusetts in size, one equals Connecticut, and two would total about forty Rhode Islands.
Mr William A Boyd urged Tammany supporters to back Democratic papers. He argued party papers must inform workers, expose fraud, and avoid aiding hostile press. He warned against papers that vilify leaders and called for a fearless press to unite Democrats and secure victory in 1880.
Cleveland July 12 A high profile equity court case pits Bishop Gilmour seeking to bar the county treasurer from taxing lands held in trust for a Catholic parochial school. Judge Jones ruled that parochial schools may be exempt as purely public charity if not tainted by illegality or anti policy aims, with the bishop shown as trustee for school purposes.
Montreal reports peace in the city after a day of Orange tension. Guards remained unmolested while crowds gathered at St James and Craig streets. A stranger in Victoria square was shot dead. Britons prepared to escort returning Cornwall forces. Some blame English police for the day’s troubles.
Springfield July 12 Capt John Tobin former California and St Louis resident and now Springfield will be Howard's key witness to prove Brigham Young linked to the Gentile massacre. Tobin recounts guiding anti Mormon travelers, a Mormon ambush, and later rescue by a mail wagon with casualties, claiming documents show plotting against the government and Gentiles.
An advertisement extols Vegetine as capable of curing numerous ailments from rheumatism and gout to dyspepsia and nervous disorders. It asserts the medicine purges the blood, opens pores, invigorates the liver, and cleanses the stomach to yield rapid, permanent relief for chronic diseases.
Letter from architect Perrine of Little Falls praising Vevetine for curing years of blotches on his face and neck after using two to three bottles. He calls it the best medicine for impurities of the blood and urges others to try it. Perrine is a well known architect and builder in Little Falls, Minnesota, for thirty three years.
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