The New York Herald Newspaper, August 25, 1875, Page 4

4 GEORGIA. — Social and Political Condition of tia Colorcd People. —_—_———— NEGRO EMIGRATION. Jury Duty and Punish- ment of Crime. ACCUMULATION OP PROPERTY BY NEGROES. Attanta, July, 1875. “Georgia,” said a federal office-holder to me, a re- publican, and long resident in the State, “is still a rude tommunity. In the country districts the people are what you would call careless of law, and apt to take fevenge into their own hands." And he instanced to | me two acts of assassination which had occurred within BIX months at no great distance from Atlanta, the vic- Ums being old citizens, prominent men and democrats, One was waylaid and shot on the road, the other was shot while sitting in his house at night “Politics,” Suid this federal office-holder—who is, as you may im- agine, a strong republican—“has nothing to do with Such crimes. Such things occur, not frequently, by no ‘means constantly, but they happen because our people are,in the main, not much above them. If aman offends or wrongs another this other takes the law into his own hands.”” “Phere has been no political crime, properly so callod, in this State for two or three years,” said another federal office-holder to me, also a zealous republican, und in a position where he had the opportunity to know whereof he spoke. “There is a great deal of crime in the State, but it is not political, The general commu- pity is apathetic; the magistrates often are not active in ferreting out criminals for fear of taking harm them- selves, Matters are improving ; but still rude men in the country districts are too apt to take the law in their own hands, Negroes are generally more openly at- tacked than white men when they become the subjects of dislike by others; but, otherwise, there is no differ- ence. The negro, usually, will not defend himself, and thus encourages attack, The white man 4s more formidable, and so his opponent. lies in wait for him.” He gave me, as an example, the case of a negro who complained to a United States officer that a white man had beaten him over the head with astick. The negro’s hog had got into his white neighbor's garden, whereupon the beating and the request from the black for the interference of the United States government, “Who saw the man beat you? ‘Nobody, sab.” “Were you and he alone?” “Yes, sab.” “And you ‘stood still and let him beat you?” was the officer’s per Unent question, “Now,” said he tome, “you see the black man was then and there openly beaten. If it had been awhite man his antagonist would have lain in ‘wait for him after night and done him some severe in- jary. But it is not political.” On the day Icame to Atlanta news came there that | United States Deputy Marshal had been shot through | Doth legs, and had had his horse shot, in a northern | county. This looked a good deal like Ku Klux, and I have seen such cases reported as Ku Klux outrages. But the Marshal told mo his deputy was engaged in ferreting out illicit distilleries, He had just captured | and destroyed two or three, and the enraged owners took their revenge on him. This business of illegal dis- | tilling is followed to a great extent in the mountain | region of Georgia and North Carolina, and by repub- licans as well as democrats, of course, and these people | hate the sight of a deputy marshal, and do not hesitate | to shoot at him, regardless of politics. PUNISHMENT OF CRIME. Petit larceny is here, as in other cotton States, the principal and the most vexatious offence of the planta- tion negro, “They are an excellent working force,” Said more than one planter to me, “but they will steal cattle, hogs and many other things.” This crime is | very severely punished in Georgia—they are relentless | toward it—and it results that negroes are sent to the | Penitentiary and the chain gang for very long periods for it. The severity of the sentences would be with us inhuman, but the crime is so serious and frequent I am. satisfied that it must be checked with a strong hand. I ‘was amused to discover that in many cases employers refused to prosecute their servants for theft on the ground, as in more than one instance they frankly but privately confessed to me, they “did not like to be the cause of such severe punishment,” and this feeling will, 1 suspect, work its effect by and by in causing milder punishments to be favored. NEGROES NOT DRAWN ON JURIES. There are only very few counties in Georgia where tolored men are drawn for jury duty. The constitution pf the State, made by republicans, declares that “the | General Assembly shall provide by law for the selection | of upright and intelligent persons to serve as jurors. There shall be no distinction between the classes of per- sons who compose grand and petit jurors.” This seems to me an admirable regulation, but I do not think it is fairly administered. There is no doubt that it properly excludes the great mass of the negroes and also a great many whites, and 1am told that juries are generally | carefully selected. But there are certainly in the large towns a few colored men who answer to the detl- nition of “upright and intelligent,” and these ought to be included in the jury lists. Here in Atlanta, the other day, the colored people made up a list of 150 names of men of color whom they regarded as Ot jurymen, and presented it to the Ordinary that he might select from it‘names for the jury box, which, as l understand, is drawn for two years’ service. They now assert that no attention was paid to their request. Ispoke on this subject with an uncommonly intelli- gent Georgian, a planter and business man; he said that in his county the negroes complained of their exclusion, but he thought it wise. “The most intelligent of them are often the worst,” he said; “and to the negro the jury box, with its handsome daily pay, seems heavenly. ‘They would all like to serve on juries ” This last is true | enough; the plantation negro naturally likes jury duty, and the pay, $2 or $3 a day, seems to him princely, while, of course, he is sbamefully unfit. Nevertheless, the wholesale exclusion is neither right nor wise; and it is one of the causes why so many ne- Groes have emigrated from the State; of course, the moat intelligent leave first, COLORED LanonEns. You hear a good deal of complaint, both among planters and in the cities, aboot the unsteadiness of the negro as laborer or house servant. I was a@ little puz- gled at this at first, besause in other States | heard but very few such complaints, But a number of planters | and citizens later explained to me the cause, ‘“Who- ever pays his black laborers regularly and honestly can get as many as he wants, at all times, and they will work faithfully,” said a South Georgian planter to me—a Tough man, whose conversation im some respects im- pressed. me unfavorably, ‘Come down into my country,” he added, “and I'll show you plantations Standing idie, whose owners will tell you that the nigger won't work, and I'll show you plantations right along side of them where 100 bands work faithfully year after year and don’t think of moving away. All you've got to do is to pay them honestiy and sell them nothing, and you won't complain. I don’t keep a store. 1 thak the niggers go off to the village. ‘That's what they want, and I pay cash; that’s all they want; and I can get | 100 extra bands whenever I want; and I’m not an easy- | going man cither.” The same story 1 heard from citizens, ‘Where a man complains that his ser- vants leave him you'll find that his wife hi paid them in driviets, a dollar now and half a dollar gnother timo They don’t understand accounts; they Bro spendtbrifts, and at the end of the month, when they have but little due them, they think they ha been cheated, and go off dissatisfied, 1 suifered in this | way for a while; but, now I pay them their whole month’s wages punctually at noon on the day their | month Is out, and they never leave me. Punctual and honest pay is all that is needed to make them faithful | and steady servants.” Similiar testimony I received | from a pumbeg of persons of both sexes, Irregularity of pay, and often the failure to pay wages, hus been | auother fruitful cause of the large negro emigration | from the State. | THE POLL Tax, Alaw of the State deprives a man of his vote atan | election who ha# not paid his taxce for the year previous, ‘There i# » pol tax of $1. “This,” said a republican me, “works badly again#t our party, becouse the Regroes evade its payment, or are careless about it, or Jose their tax receipts, and then their vote is vigorously challenged and they lose it.” “Half the negroes in Georgia are disfranchised for non-payment of their poil tax,’’ was the assertion of another and 4 zealous repud- lican, a leading mau in the party, “Many whites do not pay either,” he added, “but the republicans de not challenge as vigorously as the democrats.” A number of republicans complained of this law to me as though it) was wrong, or unfair; 1 think, on the contrary, it is just and right. Indeed, I would go even further. In the Sand- wich Islands I found a law which seemed to me excel- lent. It compels every man to pay an tax, $2 road tax and $2 schoo! tax, making $5, which is exacted from every poll, Such a law could wisely be adopted in every Southern State, and, indeed, in all our States. And if a voter neglects or refuses to pay his poll tax, certainly he is not fit to cast a vote, By the way, republican in North Carolina owned to me that so remiss were the colored people there in paying their poll tax, that if failure to pay there forfeited the vor two-thirds of the negroes in the State would be disfran- chised. Aside from this perfectly just reason for disfranchis- ing a voter I am persuaded that in Georgia other means have béen used to overeome the colored vote—means not at all justifiable, Iu some cities, for instance, as in Atlanta and Savannah, insufliciont voting boxes are pro- vided, and the negro voters are crowded out and pre- vented from casting their full vote, A candid planter whom I questioned upon this subject—he living in a county which had ablack majority, but had been for some years ruled, honestly, I must add, by demoerats— said, “We had white republican county officers, natives; we discovered that they were corrupt, They kept the county offices for themselves, but were. ready | enough to let a negro go to the Legis- lature, where the democratic majority left no chance forstealing. As we could get no county reform by arguments or appeals to the negroes, who were as three and a half to one white voter, we made up our minds to buy the black leaders, who fooled their people with imitation republican tickets, Later we bought over also some of the white leaders, and others we put in jail when we could prove corruption against them. ‘We have had a struggle for it, because some even of our own men proved corrupt and we had to pitch them overboard, But we have managed to maintain a pretty good government.”” In another case I was told, “Wo can always elect a democrat to the Legislature, There is no stealing there, and neither the negro leaders nor the corrupt whites care to go there. The struggle is over the county offices, In my county and in others I do not doubt there has been ballot box stuffing. This was unknown among us before the war, and it is one of the bad things that will be left here, arising out of the new order of ly $1 poll | | | but” | to bring out from England. As ali the freight for Cara- } of the engine. things. I don’t justify it, and I very deeply regret it, | for once introduced {t will continue to be practised; but means of very serious robbery, and men are apt to think that anything is justifiable to save themselves from such gross misgovernment.” In yet another case « planter said to m¢, “The republicans began in my county with union leagues, and these became quickly the prey of vagabond and corrupt whites, almost without exception natives, for we have had few carpet baggers in our local politics. You could not buy a member of the union league, but we found we could easily buy the leaders, and this we did do. These leagues are now faimost entirely broken up. The negroes have dis- | th | by ag ics, followed by carriages c ‘etiahe: tha “laclen: alerin’ a Mego Gaafoelay they aleiihe | Cyn Gund ck pollen, Holbaed Dy corny covered that the white leaders were corrupt ; but they | stick to their black leaders, some of whom are sharp, but generally unscrupulous men.”” Igive you these statements, because they describe pretty accurately what has been done in many counties | where the negroes have a majority of votes. The whites have been determined to keep the local governments in their own hands, and they have used means which the | Detter class do not attempt to justify, except upon the | plea that no other means were available to save them- selves from the hands of thieves. That the negro voter has been to an extraordinary degree the prey of demagogues and scoundrels, wherever in the South he has had a considerable majority, no one can doubt who has ex- amined the question. His ignorant attachment to the republican name and his readiness to follow black lead- ers, who are usually easily corruptible, and low whites who flatter him, have made him the tool of robbers, ‘That the whites, wherever they can, should protect themselves, even by counter-frauds, is lamentable, but natural. I wonder it has not been more universally practised in other States. That occasional intimidation and crowding out at the polls should be practised is not at all remarkable, under the circumstances. Governor ‘Smith seemed to me to speak sensibly when he told me that these evils could be cured only by a division of parties off the color line, which he thought must, before long, come about. The other means used, however, have, I believe, made actual intimidation rare 4n the last two or three years, except here and there in some uncommonly rough and lawless county, where it would be practised upon whites as well if the white vote were divided. Georgia has a few such counties, where society is not ina pleasant condition, where violence is frequent, and here the negro suffers probably oftener than the white because he does not defend himself, But emigration is emptying these counties of the negroes. It is a sure cure, morever, even in these counties, I have been told by republicans of some cases where the perpetrators of violence upon an unoflending negro found the public sentiment, to their surprise, so changed of late that they thought it prudent to leave the State. 1 beli¢ve this better sentiment is caused, in part at least, by the fact that planters in such localities see their laboring force removing to other States, COLORED TAXPAYERS. It may seem to you that the condition of the negro in Georgia is not happy under all these circumstances, And yet I believe such a judgment would be mistaken, It is not difficult to hear of instances of abuse;’ but the best and conclusive proof that these are only sporadic. cases, and that in general the colored people are safe in their lives and property, is found in an official report of the Comptroller General of the State, for 1874, giving the character and value of property and amount of taxes returned by colored taxpayers for that year. The number of colored polls returned was 83,318. These returned an aggregate value of taxable property amount- ing to $6,157,798, on which they actually paid $30,788 in taxes, They owned 238,769 acres of agricultural land, and city and town property to the amount of $1,200,115. Now, remembering that these people were slaves only nine years before; that they owned, when they obtained their freedom in 1865, absolutely nothing, except what they stood in, and that they have not only acquired all this property in seven years, but lived, spent a great deal of money in foolish ways and lost, Ido not know how many thou- sands, in the Freedman’s Savings Bank, I think ft clearly establishes that—First, they have labored with creditable industry and perseverance, and, second, that they have been fairly protected in their rights of life and property by the democratic rulers of the State, I do not think the colored people in any other State I have visited own half as much real estate, or, indeed, a quarter as much, us these of Georgia Surely this says @ good deal for the effective justice and protection given the negro in this democratic State, CHARLES NORDHOFF. THE TORNFEST. | passes that is not disgraced by drunkenness, brawls and FESTIVITIES AND EXERCISES AT JONES’ WOOD | YESTERDAY. ‘The Turn societies and organizations now in this city to participate in the exercises of the biennial festival started early from the Turn Hall wsterday and pro- ceeded to Jones’ Wood Colosseum and Washington Park, Large crowds of visitors were in attendance until late m the evening, and the Belvedere was con- tinually crowded with dancers, Tho Turner gym- nasts resumed thetr exercises. The prize turning by the eleven of the Turner school and the exhibition | ot Turner gymuasties by the adult Turners began early in the forenoon, and continually attracted large crowds, The riflemen of the Schuetzenbund and other organiza. tions were nearly all day engaged in prize shooting, but the most interesting features of yesterday's ex: were a swimting match and an aquatic tournany (Schifferstechen) on the Kast River, whieh attrac thousands of spectators to the river side, The prize of the various sections terminated lave the aftern and the day's —_ festivities the evenmmg were wound up with a dramatic eventation by the dramatic section of the Turn Verein, at the furn Hall, in Fourth street. The piay Ultimo,” which’ was cleverly represented by who were rewarded by frequent outbursts of applause from the numerous audience, The festivities to-day Will include a procession trom the bloomingdale exercises in in | Turn’ Hall, through several of the principal thorough- fares of the upper part of the east side to we Livn Brewery, where the tournaments and prize exercises will be Continued, aud in the evening there will be w dis- tribucion of prizes wt ube Tura Hall, whic Will be Jol- jowed by @ vail, | not be able to ascend the mountains to Caracas, and | ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAINS OF CARACAS ux | A BOAD LOCOMOTIVE—ENTERPRISE IN THE ‘TROPICS. VENEZUELA. Lacvayna, August 3, 1875. ‘A wonderful steam journey has been made hei On | Saturday, the 24th of last month, the road # ner | Guzman Blanco started from this port and made the ascent of the stage road to Caracas, The mountains lying between Caracas and the sea, over which this road | passes, rise at some points to an altitude of over 9,000 | feet, and the road itself at one point is over 3,500 feet | above the level of thesea, The sharp turns, curves and | steep grades are numerous, frightful precipices being of frequent occurrence along the route, The Guzman Blanco is tho first of several ioco- motives which the entrepreneur, Dr, Naphegi, proposes cas, the capital of Venezuela, and for the interior is | carried over the mountains from this port on mule- back and in carts, the advent of the locomotive will revolutionize the carrying trade and bring Caracas and Laguayra practically much nearer to cach other. | ‘Though Caracas iu a straight line is less than five miles from Laguayra and the sea coast, by road jt 14 over | four times the distance, | On the 10th of last month the Guzman Blanco ar- | rived at Laguayra from England on board the ro: mail steamer Larne (cargo boat), The process of put- ting her together was watched by large crowds of the natives, After she was ready the fire was lit by the Collector of Customs, and she imade trial trips to Maquetra and Marcato, villages adjacent to 1. ey ‘The inhabitants turned out en masse and numerous rockets were let off, a large crowd following in the wake | The muleteers and others interested in | the present mode of transporting goods, from the | period of her debarkation watched ey movement | with jealous eyes and were loud in their predictions | that, tirst, she wld not go wond, that she would now, having arrived will not draw freight. THE ASCENT OP THE MOUNTAINS. On the 24th the locomotive, spondent in a carriage, comme cus, and bravely mounted the steep grades, turning | well around the numerous turns and curves. | On paxs- ing through Maquetra her progress was arrested by one of the town olficials, who ‘stated that she would ruin the streets, She was then forced to make a detour up the | dry bed of a stream, The ollicious official was unpris- oned the next day by an order from Caracas, The cn- gine halted for the night at Catia, a few miles from Caracas, and on the next day (Sunday), the 25th, at tive } o’clock in the afternoon, a triumphal entry was made. | ‘Nhe streets through which she passed were lined with | flags and large crowds, while the seforas and seroritas filled the balconies, “The Diplomatic Corps assembled at the American Legation to withess the entrée, Numerous rockets were let off during the progress and the military band played appropriate airs, though ngne of the “music of the future.” On arriving at the magnificent Plaza Bolivar, which takes its naine from a lossal equestrian statue of the Liberator in the centre, | »ngine made the circuit of the plaza, accompanied | ataining high Veneziielan authorities, “Having completed the cireuit she stopped in front of the @overnment Palace, where the locomotive and Dr, Naphegi were received by the President, Guzinan Blanco, standing on the palace steps. A short speech was made by the entrepreneur, | acknowledging gratefully THK FACHATIES GIVEN BY THE GOVERNMENT to his enterprise, and was responded to by the Pre: dent by calls for numerous vivas from the popula in honor of the Révolution of April, Progress and I Naphegi. The President, accompanied by his Cabinet, | then inspected the locomotive, and a large crowd sur- rounded it, with curious looks, as long as it remained in front of the palace. The freight wagons are expected by vessel from England in a few days, and other locomo- tives, both passenger and freight, ‘have been ordered from’ England, It is understood that in addi- tion to the line between here and Caracas others will be established to Valencia and other points in ‘The parties interested have the exclusive d right of way for twenty-one years, and by PPesident Blanco and his e this traly commen fely there, they contend that she | | my | -ything srnment toruid and et able enterprise. T' of the * locomote as the natives call it, was a singularly appropriate one, Deiny the feast day of St, Jago the Apostie, the pa saint of Caracas,” On the next day, it being the birt day of the President’s wife, the engine called at Blan- din, the President's country’ residence, near Caracas. Great credit is due in the whole matter to Dr. Naphegi, @ Hungaria, but a naturalized American citizen, who had the locomotive brought out, The latter is trom the | works of Messrs. Aveling & Porter, at Rochester, Kent, | England. Some trouble was expected from the discontented mu- | leteers on the voyage up, but though a large body of | them made several aggressive movements, these Were soon stopped by the presenting of several revolvers at the heads of the would-be opponents of progress, ‘There is very little news of any importance throughout the country, ‘The cotlée crop is doing well; there has been plenty | of rain, and the planters are content. Cocoa, also, is | doing Well, aud magnificent crops of both are expected, THE JERSEY RAILROAD WAR. ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE MIDLAND COM- PANY AND THE NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. ‘The trouble between the Erie Railway Company and the New York and New Jersey Company is likely to | Jead to a long course of litigation. President Pattersom | of the latter company, announces that he will appeal immediately to the Chancellor for. an injunction, He ‘was prepared to pay the rental, and was on the point of doing so till the Eric Company proceeded to ex- treme measures by tearing up the frogs at the | Hackensack Junction, The New York and New Jer, | sey Company have made arrangements with the Mid- Jand Company for running their trains over the tracks | of the latter from Hackensack to the Pennsylvania | Railroad depot in Jersey City. President Patterson | denies that his company is embarrassed financially, On the contrary, the debts of the company have been con- siderably reduced during the past year and the profits have increased, He insists that his company is entitled to damages from the Erie Company for the interruption of travel, So much for one side of the case. ‘on the other hand the charge of malice in their action, If any malicious purpose existed the Erie Com- pany could even now cut off communication from Nanuet to Spring Valley, where the cars of the New York and New Je mpany run on the Erie tracks. Nay more, the E Company sell uckets to passen- ers on the New York and New Jersey road between lackensack aud Jersey City, so that practically there is no inconvenience to passengers. “The Erie Company was prepared to return to the former arrangement before the lease was dissolved. If this be not acceded to it will insist on the prompt payment of the | rental, Bitter recrimination passed between the officials and laborers of both lines at the junction yes- terday, but no disturbance occurred. gang of laborers bas been posted there by the Erie Company | to prevent the employés of the other line from replac- ing the frogs. It is charged that General Manager Bowen, of the Eric, took advantage of the absence of Mr. Jewett to resort to extreme measures, but this is denied by the Erie officials, who state that notice had been repeatedly given to the New York and New Jerse Company to pay its rental, but no atteution was paid, it is alleged, to these notices. RIOTING AT ROCKAWAY, The Erie officials Rockaway has this season Leen the scene of moro violence and rioting than were ever before known there. Fights are frequent on the beach, and scarcely a Sunday general lawlessness. On Sunday night last, between twelve and one o'clock, a party of young roughs called at the hotel of Messrs, Hendershott & Button, on the beach. The house was closed. Finding that they could not other- wise gain adinission the party attempted to break open | the door. They were fired upon from the inside, and, | itis believed, with some effect, us in the morning the men were tracked for sume distance along the Southern | Railroad track by blood stains. { On Saturday t seven young men, supposed to Delong to the neighborhood, attacked two gentlemen | from New York, named Augustine EB. Costello and John li, evidently with the intention of robbing them, | The gang was arined with stungshots, which they freely } and one of them had a small pistol whieh be dis- four times, but fortunately without effect. | Hi and Costello made a ce, han dling some of th ceeded in driving them off, though ne ing serious bodily injury. No 4 though the police were duly notified and ali the parties implicated ure believed to reside in the vicinity. The | le, who does police duty in the locality, ad- | nows the parties, who arc all young men from niven to twenty yeurs of age, but says he is afraid pin, as they huve frequently threatened to “lay him out.” Robberies have also become v¥ frequent, One | gentieman from Bergen Point was robbed on Sanday | Light of a gold watch and $82 1 cash, A POLICEMAN SERIOUSLY INJURED. Yesterday morning, betwoen twelve and one o'clock, Oflicer Burnett, while on duty in the Third preeinet, Jersey City, heard the cries of a woman in distress, He Tushed toward the pluce and heard the woman's strug- | gle with a man who hud thrown her down near the Ravine road, The man, hearing the officer ap- proach, took to his heels. Just at that moment the st, and fell in vus injuries of the to his assistance, who beard the *station was procured. The tuajuries to be ofa very serious character, 1 relused to give her nary, or that of her assailant, but stated that be hud bees on @ Visit to the Louse in which she lived and bad imguced her to walk a short distance with him, when he Bee eure her, She thug sereamed for | officer ‘stumbled against a broken lampp such @ manner that he sustained » spinal coluwn, 4, the | This NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1875—TRIPLE SHEET. MUNICIPAL NOTES. Alderman McCarthy intends, at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen, to call up the Kingsbridge ordi- nance, which was, several months ago, referred to the Committee on Roads, The Alderman has done his best to have the question involved in this ordinance settled definitely in some way or another, The ordinance was introduced by Alderman Reilly ; but the attitude of the republicans, who seem to have a tacit agreement among themselves to eppose’every general order which they know that the democrats desire to have passed, convinced the committee that when brought before the Board again jt would meet with the same fate as the Croton main ordinance. Besides, the decision of the Kingsbridge question = was pending in the courts while the — ordinance was before the committce, and so a few weeks ago they came to the conclusion that the best way to do was to wait until the decision was rendered. Now that it has been rendered Alderman McCarthy believes that the property owners should have an opportunity to say just in what manner the work of flagging, curbing, &e., should be done—either by day’s work or by contract—in asmuch as there are two ordinances now pending rela- tive to the matter—the one on the files having been sent to the Board by the Commissioner of Public Works.» Alderman MeCarthy’s motion to-morrow will be that the two ordinances shall be eonside | by the committee, and that a day be fixed by nm when all citizens interested inthe work shail be given a | chance to decide for themselves as to the manner in which the work should be completed. Mayor, Comptroller, uference yesterday to de- the interest on the city hecks. No conelusion four gentler probably stagain to-day, when the matter will be settled, ‘The Corporation Counsel, it is said, will maxe bis ap- pointments next Frid Another attempt will be made to-morrow by the | democratic members of the Board of Aldermen to pass | the Croton main ordinance, that 13, if General Porter's reply to the resolutions offered by Alderman Vance last ‘k is handed im in tim ere Was a rumor yes ominissiouers haul sent rday afternoon that the Po- yor un elaborate wycr Townsend; but the Mayor stated that if they had prepared a reply he had not as yet received it, Several firemen called at the City Hall yesterday to Jearn if the Fire Department warrants for June had yet been countersigned, and found that they had not been, The new lamppost with five Boulevard lamps, just erected by order of Superintendent of Lamps and Gas O'Callaghan at the junction of Contre and Chatham streets, has given such satisiaction that it is proposed to erect one of the same style on the car square at the junction of Broadway and Park row, It is claimed that the present lamp does not give light eaough, COMMISSIONER OF JURORS’ OFFICE. ROUIINE WORK PROCEEDING QUIETLY—PANELS FOR THE SEPTEMBER TERMS DRAWN. Colonel Thomas Ddulap, who is at present recognized by the County Clerk and the Supreme Court as Com- missioner of Jurors, and his assistants are now busily engaged 1n the routine business of the office at the New Court House. Prompt responses are made to hundreds of notices sent out callmy upon citizens to report to the Colonel to offe against serving ag jurors, ‘Two panels for th nd two for the Marine Court at the September terms have been already drawn and transmitted to Sherif Conner for service. Mr. Ackerman, Colonel Dunlap’s deputy, was employed yesterday inanswering questions and examining eitizens Who bad been cited to appear before the Comtissioner So fur no apparent confusion has resulted from the conflict existing between Mr. Douglas Taylor and the recognized incumbent of the office. “A decision of the Court of Appeals can alone settle the dtfiiculty. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. of Jurors, OPERATIONS OF THE NEW MARINE COURT LAW— WORK TAKEN FROM THE CITY MARSHALS. The last Legislature passed a law under the provi- sions of which all processes of the Marine Court mast now go to the Sherif’s Office. This law did not prac- tically go into force until last month, and it is only now that its effects are felt in the Sherift’s Office in a Hitherto all processes of y of the are decided increase of business, the Marine Court could be thirty-tive city marshals. directed to file their papers in the Sheriff's hands or The enactment seems to work admirably and to give Satisfaction to the members of the legal profession, When the trial terms of the Marine Court commence in a few weeks the provisions of the new enactments will De more generally felt in the business of the Sherift’s Ollice. Attachments, orders of arrest and replevins are the principal papers ‘now being procured frown the Marine Court. When trial terms are regularly opened executions against proverty, both real and personal, will be issued by the hundre BOARD OF The Board of Police Commissioners held a session yesterday, President Matsell in the chair, ‘A number of patrolmen were, on motion, transferred to and from various precincts for a variety of reasons. Sergeant John F. Buckley, of the Seventeenth pre- cinct, and Patrolman Georgo Randall, of the Tweaty- ninth precinct, were dismissed from the departinent— the former upon charges of neglect of duty and couduet unbecoming an officer, and the latter for profanity and insubordinahon, ‘On motion of Commissioner Voorhis it was ordered that suitable sleeping apartments for the captain and sergeants of the Nineteenth precinct be procured in the neighborhood of the station house, the accommodations of the latter being insuflicient. ‘A resolution Was adopted making certain unimpor- tant changes among the olficials of the House of De- tention. AN ALDERMANIC CANDIDATE. He said that he belonged to the regular army of voters, His grandfather fought in the Revolution and Was a personal acquaintance of Washington's first nurse, who had never been shown up in any menagerie, So what if he did look ragged and forlorn; if his hair hadn't been combed im a month; and his hat was in shreds and his shoes had parted with the best part of their soles? He strode up the City Hall steps as proud ‘as an emperor, and as he put on a pair of spectaclesr with the glasses cracked, and glanced up at the clock in the great tower, thanked his etars that the time of POLICE. day at least was given free of expense by the city. “I yoted,” said he, as he drew a lopg breath on reaching the. Aldermen’s room, “I voted for President Jackson, and my granddad, he voted for Washington, and I have been told in a vision that I must be an alderman,” A gentlo labor ticket bunter told the old man that it would cost a great deal of money. “I don’t want money,” said he, as he drew himeell = to his full height of six feet and stroked his shaggy white beard with one hand and placed the other over the region of his heart, “I will ran on my merits, 1] hear that there is to be an election and that honest inen must once for all come to the front, Don’t you think they'll nominate me?’ He folded his arms acro: lis breast, chuckled to himself and Jooked unutterabie things, at though he had it ail fixed already, It the ollice-seeker was intimated = to. patriotic that the election would not take place until November, “can’t wait,” said he; “f shall see the Governor about it. November is too far off, and it is so cold then, #0 cold;” and @ shiver shook the attenuated frame as though he already felt the snow under ‘his fect and the chill blast of winter in the wir, “We must have an election immediately and T must be an algterman, ‘The country is going to the do; Delays wre dangerous, and we must actat once. Whiskey is at the bottom of tall, Do want proof? how the republican aldermen refuse to increase the water supply of the city. ‘They ure in the pay of the whiskey distilleries.” The old mat paused for 4 moment, gazed pensively wt the marble ceiling of the corridor and then exclaimed mournfully :-— “Whiskey did the business for me, and Iam now in the harness‘of the Lord. I tust be au alderman to stem the tide.’ And with a lofty wr he went down the steps into the Park, muttering ‘1 must be an alderman.” BOND MUST NOT TANTALIZE, AN EXCITING RIDE AT ORANGE, N. J.—A BAN FLOGS HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW WHILE BOTH ARE ON HORSEBACK. On Monéay afternoon Mr. Henry Shuman, of Orange, N.J., was arrested on complaint of Mr. Samuel L. Bond, who charged Shuman with having horsewhipped him, Shuman gave bonds in the sum of $100 to answer tothe charge, It appears that about eighteen months since Bond was married to Shuman’s sister, Their life was not happy, the consequence being that Mrs, Boud | Jeft her husband and returned to her father's house, Bond then put an advertisement in the local papers, | warning ail one from trusting his wife, as he would not be responsible for any debts she might contract, action increased the rupture between the partiés, On Monday — witern Bond — saddled his horse and went out for a ride, passing by his father- in-law’s house, The younger Shuman observed him, mounted a fast racing horse, and, provided with whorse- whip, went in pursuit, Bond soon discovered his eno my following him aud put spurs to his Lor But all in vuin, Shuman quickly got up to Bond and began to ply the whip over the bead and shoul is brother: in-law, who was unable to offer any resistance, forevery time He tried to stop his horse for the purpose of geuing ou the ground Shaman gave the animal a blow and thus kepi ton the move, As the Jatter’s horse was inuch the faster he had matters all by of about two milos, Shuman states that his reason jlogging Bond was that the latter rode past his fath gua for the puroose of tantalizing lia mater City Chamberlafn and the | own way for adistance | INDIAN FRAUDS. Reply of Mr. Welsh to General Cowan. THE FIRM OF COWAN AND DELANO. False Vouchers Asked for and Gross Frauds Committed. PuiLavetrma, August 23, 1875, General B. R. Cowan: My Dean Sim—As your letter of the 14th inst. was directed at me rather than to me, and as I thought a suflicient answer had been given in anticipation in my second letter to Professor Marsh, I had determined not to comment upon it, A full copy from the Cincinnatt Gazette has just been sent to me by a worthy profes- sional man in Ohio, with the evident desire that I would iive further explanations, andI take this method of | complying with his request. Two points only | in your letter need comment, and, unless you | bave radically changed since 1 had much | pleasant personal intercourse with you, it will afford you pleasure to correct the errdrs into which you have fallen. At the close of your comment on my alleged refusal to appear before Mr. Delano’s commission, ap- pointed to investigate charges against the Rev. EB. P. Smith, when acting as Indian agent, you make this statement:—“If this investigation resulted im an imn- proper verdict of acquittal, then Mr, Welsh, who claims | to have in his possession conclusive evidences of Mr. Smith’s guilt, is glearly responsible for the failure, and has virtually hindered investigation.” You were aware that Messrs. Gilman and Otis, my attorneys, declared their readiness to appear at any time and prosecute the charges, if the commission obtained authority to compel the attendance of witnesses and to oblige them to testify, &c, Un- less it has escaped your memory, you must recol- lect the elfort | made to procuro for ‘the commission the authority demanded on December 8, 1873, by my attorucys, ‘Under the law appointing Indian ‘inspec- tors authority was given for them to administer oaths, examine withesses, ke, 1 submitted that law to the ex: perienced attorney of my mercantile firm, and he said that any United States court would, uf applied to, lend its power to an Indian mspector to take testimony, &., in any case that a Cabinet officer deemdd important, sof my attorney were coimecided in by the United States District Attorney residing here. then applied to the Secretary of the Interior to send an In- dian inspector, that he might give the commission the power they needed to conduct their investigation with good effect. 1f you will turn to your copies of tele- rams you will find the counterpart of that now before me, Which reads thus: Duckmuen 17, 1873. By telegraph from Washington, D. C., to William Welsh':— Commission was directed on the i1th inst. to use Daniels (an Indian inspector) if he was needed. B, RK. COWAN, Assistant Seeretary. In my innocence I then thought that Secretary De- lano Was sincere in his professed desire to imyestigate the conduct of Indian Agent Smith, [therefore tele- graphed immediately to the commission, then in ses- sion at St Paul, Minn., urging them to get Indian Inspector Daniels to apply to the federal court for the aid requisite to carry the law into effect, This is the copy of the rep: James Smith, Jr, a lawyer, and one of Mi. Delano’s commissioners :— on Lake SuPERIOR AND Mississirer RarLnoap Comp, y's Orrice, Br, Paut, Dee. 18, 1 member of the Board of Mission: pt of your telegram relative ling witnesses to appear and testify yn appointed to investigate charges ith, Iate Chippewa agent. pression that we have or have ii procuring the attendance of witnesses, This Every witness named by yon and every person supposed by us to possoss any Information Tuaterial to the mvestigation, lus responded promptly to our subpana except He Mt tice. Mr. Riew refused to attend, and evidently expected his ‘course would. be followed by others, 1 howe: not the case. With and if you suppose our ty snot the case, | will not be exbaustive " terday we exaini and head men of the White Earth Reser . together with the in charge of that mission, und this closed the ex: fox Int Minuesota, At the close of our proceedings one i Boileau, « laif-breed, being present, the defendant, aiith, requested lim to be sworn and tell what he knew, if wnyciing. alr, Boileau decli veause, as he said, he ard that the commis to subpoena tM der these we have * it be us to 9 mation ¢ embraced in the Wilder the pi tract. He is not a lumberman, and it is presumed his testi- mony could not be as satisfactory as the evidence of exp rienced and intelligent lumbermen, several of whom, o! y and intelligence, we have examined, ‘The doubted probi Rice is mainly, we believe, the testimony in po documentary intrusted im and forwarded by you T expect, as you have the Kd have the power to control this’ evidence, th cure its re- turn yourself, +0 that we ean, whe ilwdelphia, we ¥ us we propose to do, have the benefit of it and such facts as you may possess pertinent to the investigation with which we wre charged. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JAMES SMITH, Je. From this letter it is apparent that the Commission preferred its own mode of procuring witnesses through | the accused, and of taking evidence, but they gave w tice that the Commission would assemble in Puilade phia. Anticipating their visit, 1 had arranged with the United States District Attorney to procure Judge Cad- wallader’s wuthority to use the power of the United States Court as above indicated, The Commission did not assemble here, but insisted upon my going to Washington, where it was well known that voluntary say on the 22d of January, 1874, that I had always been ready, and still continued to be ready, to appear before any commission having wuthority to compel the attend- ance of witnesses, &e. To that letter neither you nor the Commissioners made any reference, James Smith, Jr., in his letter states that one Clem- ent Boileau was prosent, but refused to testity unless the Commission had power to compel the attendance of witnesses. I believe him to be a very respectable man, but if he had volunteered to tell all that he knew | about Indian Agent Smith he and his family wouid have been driven from the reservation where he re- sided. His testimony alone would have compelled the Commission wo pronounce Agent Smith guilty of fraudulent practices, by which the law was violated and the Indians defrauded, and for which Agent Smith’s suc- cessor Was driven from the reservation in deep disgrace, Mr. Boileau would also have testified to illegal practi | Which Agent Sinith freely confessed to me, to wi The purchase of pork, flour, & , and its sale by him on his own ount to the Indians on his reservation, The following is an extract from Statutes at Large, vol. 1V., p. 735, see. 14 ud be it further enacted that no per- son employed in the Indian Department shall have any interest. Or concern in uny trade with the In- dians except for and on wecount of the United State and any pet offending herein shall forfeit the sum of $5,000, and upon satisfuctory juformation of such offence being aid before the Pres- ident of the United States itshal become his duty to remove such person from the office or situation he may hold.” ‘There was, therefore, suilicieut reason for not compe.ling Mr. Boilcaa to testify. not appear. trom the voluminous report of the Commis- sion tuatit iuvestiguted any of the alleged wrong- doings of Agent Smith, except that which referred wo sales of pine timber on Indian reservations, If that is shly there will be revelations more humiliting thau auything yet published. I may not ask you to be a voluniary Witness, but you know full well that ziven from the Interior De- partwent & partuer of Chipman, Hosmer & Co., Washington, requesting 8. N, Clark, the Jadwn agent of Bayti iw, to favor him with a contract for Indian pine timber, It was further stated ju the letter by General Gilmore that if Agent Clark Would make @ Contract of sale tor pine umber that Joba L. Delany would mect Clurk in Chicago and make all right. You know that poor Clark, in a inoment of weakness, did make the sale of Lae Court d’Orielles ping timber, as requesiod, in the natne of a Mr, Rust for $60,000, When Agent Smith heard of the sale he wrote from Winona, November 20, 1872, thus:— Dean Mason C.:—Mr. Wilder requests me to forward I bid forthe pine ou Lee Court d’Urielies [believe this from $79,000 to $140,009 better than Meust's oder, wad unless You ure estopped iron further negotiations I suggest taat you draw wcoutruct and sign it, and forward it to Wilder. * * Wilder will make any advance payment you wish, Yours truly, EDWAKD P. Salil As you know, the Washington claim agents were too well backed w ve iteriered with by A. H. Wilder, who nt power until Agent Smith had become of Indian Aduirs, Voor Clarke repented rong to the Indians, as he wrote December ler now before me: fhis Lace Court es me a good deal, I fear uation Will be eifected at Washington to curry that ought not to he made,” You weil remenber the circumstances under which that contract was made, and that | wrove to Secretary Delano, Decem- ber 1, 1874, « lever, of which the following Is a copy :— Purapenriia, Dec. 1, 1873, Mave Driaxo, Seeretary of the Interior — Dean Six—Allow nie, as & coworker with you in Indian civilization, eurnestly ty beg you to suspend temporarily all furthepuction wader the eu: HOF Muy bY Hon. Co Ageny Clark with loiz, and by Agent Binith with AHL Wilder, November 8, 1872, nnd by Agent Smith with Merriam, August 1, 1872) If this request ts wit olily by telegraph ws well terest, as well Ws the age Lake’ Superior bands of C je, that large bands of lawl 1 reservabionn, How tbat 1 Understand that you (authority for these contracts, theretore s tht te contractors should not Ue allowed (o incur great expenses in_ preparing for the winter when there is « strong probability tuwt the annulled either by your aetion oF by that of ¢ Another still st n is tbat these are Iutauad tv prosoeate the paces who hare lesgued togetuer wud thi anu the goverume! “Tha moodtsbanviog charges wcalum she Vasa weoat, B. P. witnesses could be overawed, The delegation of | Commissioners that visited me fusisted upon having a written answer to their verbal request, 1 immediately wrote to them, | It does | iby porsossion If you wdjudge the contract Uiegal, woless you mi throw some tignt upon the su ¥ especially, Witeitie Wins You will no doubt remember hig atm serge . &t the request of the Secretary of the Interior that the contracts had been suspen land all action undet them stopped. I had, however, advice that action un- der the Rust contract was not’ stopped, and that the timber was disappearing rapidly from the reservation. You are aware that I took the ground in relation to the sales of timber by Agent Smith and others that they were illegal, and also fraudulent if made without the consent of the Indians, You are also aware that these views have since been contirmed “by a decision of the Supreme Court. And you can no avubt call w mind the preparation of a bill introduced into the House of Representatives, December 1874, by Mr. Isaac C. Parker, with this title:—A bill to provide for the go nent and to promote the civilization of the Greene — bo? aware of the discussion that ill receive we Interior i. You fll Setter wel cr i elena intended ws a gon to nullify this deel nd that section ten was designed jon of the Supreme Coart of the United States by authorizing. the sale of timber on Indian reservations and by confirming sales already made, 1 think it was by the vigilance of the Hon. Samuel Randall that the enactment of this iniquitous Dill was prevented. I could pursue this subject almost indetinitely from papers lying before me, but I think this will sutlice to. show you that ‘no commis. sioners appointed by and under the influence of the Interior Department, without authority to compel the attendance of witnesses, could possibly detect and ex. pose such compheated frauds, & Thad written thus far when 1 received the following letter :— a Putcaperuia, August 23, 1875, Dean Siu—In this morning's issue of the Times I read you, third Jetter to Professor O. C. Marsh, in which you expose the false voucher transactions of A, H. Wilder. “As I have Hon. Witttam Wetsi:— lived in for the past four years aud have had deal ings with e named Indian contractor, pot by voucher transactions with me may be of interest to you. have now in my possession in this city written requests from A. Hl. Wilder (through bis confidential clerk) requesting me 10 make out and sign false vouchers, also books, papers, de., that show him to be guilty of gross frauds upou the Indiant ‘and the government, wndshould you or any une deputized by you wish to examine the evidence in my sion T wil | willingly submit it for your or theirconsideration. Yours tuly, T. J. MURREY. On receipt of this letter I first made diligent Jpauisy as to the credibility of the proposed witness, and be- came Well satisiied that Mr, Murrey is thoroughly re- liable, Then examined the paperd in his possession, and ain satisded of their trathfalness, He is Wallingee subimit them to the scrutiny of the United States Dis- | trict Attorney if you desire it, ‘This will, however, be hardly asked for, as itis understoo! that Mr. rv DO | longer denies the truth of Mr, Murrey’s testi y, a entries are in the well-known writing of Mr, Samuel Gordon, lus contidential manager and clerk, The tret fraudulent voucher recorded is for $39 65, instead of $4 35, the sum actyally paid to ‘Thomas J, Murrey by A, H. Wilder. ‘The following is the order for this Voucher which I saw in the handwriting of Samuel Gordon:— ‘Tom—Pleuse make up three bills like copies bélow on your letter head and receipt same. SAM. « Sr. Pave aNp Sioux City Raitnoap Company. To T. J. Monnny — April 16, For party of tifty Indians... April 18. For supper, breakfast aud care over night of. - 4 25, reukfast and luneh for two Tn supper, The next vouchers were for $587 27 tually paid. The entries in Mr. Murr these are also in the writing of Mr, Wilder’ 4 record was made of the other vouchers. Conniving at such frauds would invalidate testimony in some re- gions, but not in Washington, where taise bills are ha- Ditually made, and certainly not in Minnesota, — Store- keepers there who will not conform to usage are forsaken by their most profitable customers, Of course | do not justity Mr, Murrey; indeed he does not attempt te justify himself, Having read law, he showed unusual caution, through fear of the operation of law, by refus- ing give false vouchers, unless Mr. Wilder’s author- ized representative would make out the vouchers aud make the ies in his own handwriting, Mr. Murrey Jearned that the same character of vouchers were claimed and obtained on the entire route of the Winne- bago panne from Wisconsin to Nebraska, Indeed, the prices must have corresponded, or Wilder's fraud in St. Paul would have been discovered in the office of the Sec- ond Auditor of the Treasury, although perhaps not in yo Gaparttent, ap Lupyer heaed pr ath Wilder ky yoqaaee sticking there, With the power to compel the atten ance of witnesses who must elect between telling the truth and ten years’ imprisonment I can unearth scores of such frauds. As James Smith, Jr,, one of t Delano commissioners, is a practising lawyer in St. Paul, it can be easily understood why he did not want authority to compel Witnesses to testify, If you desire it Mr. Murrey can give you mformation about the social and business relations between Mr, John L. De- Jano and A. H. Wilder, [t can now be readily under- stood why the Hon. Columbus Delano sent Mr. Wilder note to the Hon. George TH. Stuart about the false nea voucher, and why Wilder considered that ex- posure as a loss to hun of $100,000, and laid his damages at that sum. This is the man who swore fulsely that he had not in any way disposed of or con- veyed to others any part of the immense tract of Indian. pine thnber that you und the Rv, EP. Smith sold to im, in Violation of law and fraudulently, because op- posed by the Indians, I dwell upon the evidence of Mr. Murrey and of his books of original entry because you, Secretary Delano, Indian Commissioner Smith and vucher Wilder, have interchangeably testiied that you are equally honest and equally anxious to protect the interest of the government and of the Indian, in whose -¢, both temporal and spiritual, you all feel so deep erest. other point is what you are pleased to term my : estify before the Committee of the House om Indian Affairs April 2, 1874. You say “Here, again, if, as he claims, he is in possession of conclusive evi- dence of the guilt of officials, by refusing to testify he has virtually screened those guilty officials, and is him- self guilty of obstructing investigation.” I'am horritled atthe thought of my obstructing investigation and of screening those guilty officials, and if these accusations are capable of proof I will petition the Legis. lature of Pennsylvania to change my name te Delano, Cowan or Smith, If you had quoted from the minutes of that committee, as they were originally noted down by the shorthand re- | porter before they were moulded by you intg, their present shape, readers would have understood the case | without my throwing any additional light upon it, Ob, that you would give all the information within reach as to the appointment of that committee and the | patronage received by the various members of it I | you will undertake that work in carnest I will come t ) your help with much valuable information in my pos session. The exclusion from that committee of such democratic members as would have any investigating force was thoughtful. The published report of the com mittee, in spite of your modifications, reveals all that need be said to show the error into which you have fallen, The resolution of inquiry, adopted March 10, 1874, is as follows:— Whereas repeated com unfairness and irregular Tudian suppl June 30, ter and June 30, 1874, &e., Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be directed to make « thorough investigation into the facts connected with the transactions above reterred to, It will be seen that this resolution, gotten up by dis appointed contractors, restricted the Indian committee to a consideration of frauds in making contracts, and not to the execution of contracts or other frauds unless itshowed fraud, unfairness or irregularity in making contracts, I told the committee that I was quite pre- pared to give them valuable mformation as to frauds, including sules of the Indians’ pine timber, if they de: sired it, The majority placed the strongest restrictions upon my testimony, but as there was some difference’ of opinion 'I was sent out of the com- mittee room until a vote of the committee could he had on the Hiberty they would allow me, The ro. striction was written down and read to me on my bein, recalled, and under it I could not testify even if 1 cn | seen 1,000 oxen, weighing 200 pounds each, delivered ‘and paid for as 1,000 pound oxen, unless I could aflirm ) that this fraud was designed in making the contract, The two democratic members of the committee saw the trick and that it would be impossible, under that reao- lution, to get any information of . They, there- fore, prepared the following resoluuon, which was at first opposed by General Averill, the Chairman of the committee, Mr, Wilder's pine tiinber man, but it finally passed the House, ou the 18th of April, 1874:— Resolved, That the resolution passed by this House on the 10th day of March last, directing the Committee on Tudiaa Aifuirs to investigate the matter of contra Tudian su lies and transportation for the fiscal yours ending Ju 873, and June W, 1874, be so ainended and enlarged us to require sald committee’ to make a thorough investigation into all frauds, unfairness or irregularity, if any, connected with the administration of Indian affairs for the yours named You ure fully aware that I was never invited to tes- tify under this resolution, If, after reading the letters that I have already written, you will not withdraw the charge that I virtually screened those guilty officials, T ho; at you will yet do so, as I intend, if possible, to avoid any sach imputation, and [ hay pers and docu. nents in My possession that will surely convinee you if you have not already been convinced Some very si gestive documents have been brought to me, and I wi Close this letter with a reference to one of them. It i a bill made out by Buckley, Welling & Co., whose store is the headquarters of the Indian King, for large pur- ¢ made of them for Indians by one General B. RK. Cowan and one John L. Delano, If officers having high authority under the goverument commit such irregu- luritics as to make private parchases in their own pines, #t will be impossible to control clerks and ot ers Who receive stoail saluries from imitating the exam. ples of the officers who are over them, Yours respect- fully, , WILLIAM WELSH, FIRE IN BLOOMFIELD, N. J. SUPPOSED INCENPIARISM-—LOSS ABOUT TWENTY- VIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. Between two and three o'clock yesterday morning @ fire broke out in a row of frame tenement houses, The fire was discovered in an unoccupied house, but wag afterward found to have originated in the basement of the premises occupied by a man known as Duteh John. Five of the houses of the row were destroyed, and two others badly damaged. The total loss amounts to about $25,000, A strong smell of burning kerosene was noticed when the fire was discovered, and this, coupled With the fet that the same buildings wore very near being destroyed last fall by means of kerosene, gives irength to the suspicion that the fire was the work of an incendiary, in the matter of contracis for plaints have been mado of fraud, 1 tation for the fiseal years ending | | | “REAL ESTATE, The attendance at the Exchange Salesroom yesterday was very slim, and although several sales bad been an- hownced to take placo but one ovcurred, By D. M. Seniman, foreciosure sale of tho heuse and Jot, 18x00 on the east side of Third uveuue, 167 foes 6 inchaa north of Fourteenth ptrect, $6,900, |