The New York Herald Newspaper, January 12, 1879, Page 8

8 NEW YORK HERALD ee BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. oo JAMES GORDON BENNETT, FROPRIETOR, hic despatches must rly sealed. returned, Hz SOUTH SIXTH y YORK HERALD— PHILADELPHIA OFFIC i XO. 46 PARIS € NAP! FI Subs@iptions and advertin forwarded on the sane VORUME XLV ~ AMUSEME RooTH's THEATRE— THEATRE COMIQUE—Me AN Guarp Bart WALLACK’S THEATRE—Ovns.” UNION SQUARE T —Tik BaNken’s DavcuTer MASONIC HALL—Tow THOMAS’ OP! TIVOLI THEAT, TONY PASTOR SAN FRANCISCO MINSTR BROOKLYN PARK THEA’ c QUADRUPLE NEW YOI rs are that the weather i York and its vicinity to-day will be slightly warmer To-mor- row it promises to be colder and partly cloudy or Jair, Watt Street Yesterpay.—The stock market Was strong and very active, and almost all the active stocks showed a handsome advance. Government bonds were firm, States steady and railroads strong. Money on call lent at 219 a 3 per cent, the closing quotation being 2 a3 per cent. More Y. E INTRUSIVEN —The Ameri- caus beat the Scotch at “curling” yesterday on the frozen lake in the Park. and partly cloudy, with rain or snow. Tue Lion axp tue Lamp lying down to- gether—John Kelly makes a specch at the dinner to Mayor Cooper. Ovr Rerorr of an int w with Mrs. Cobb will be read with unusi terest by the thou- sands of people who have followed the prison- er’s trial and noted the extraordinary directness of her testime ANoTHER SunpAy, wherein man canyot work, except on the sly, and Mayor Cooper's appoint- ments are still delayed. Needles and pins’ are as downy cushions when compared with the un- easy seats of office-seckers to-day. ‘Tuer seems to have been a period of “clean- ing up” among the physicians and nurses at the hespital on Hart's Island. The charges and specitications are only to be imagined, but the dismissals will be likely to be satisfactory. Tne Merrororiran “L” Roan is at work with its old energy along the upper sections of its extension, and what energy means at this sea- son of the year and in an ungraded country aay be learned from our sketch to-day of “Rapid Transit.” ens of the late Cathedral fair had better take charge of the national debt or some other financial ineubus. Any body of men that can clear nearly two hundred thousand dol- lars within a single month should be carefully sted for referen Now tir Mana A Voruntrer Lire to soon be numbered among New York's per- manent institutions. A mass meeting under the direction of various business “exchanges” is to be held next week ; meanwhile the amateur soci- ety, under “Nan,” the newsboy, is being rap- idly equipped VICE promises Tue Mysrery Exvevorixe the Schulte mur- der begins to dfsappear. It now seems that the murdered man, according to his own memo- randa, was twice fired at upon his own farm in Germany, and only three days betore ture for Ameri cupidity or hi have been the red, will probably be found to e to the murder. Tar Gov ig from certain of its own officials some suggestions as to how and where prisor of the nation should be punished. It is time that this should be done, jor the prison systems of most of the States being almost villanous the general government should In some way avoid its’ practice of sending pris- oners to State institutions for punishment. kynopy Ksows that every Custom House officer is as pure as a lily, but the public is just contrary enough to wonder how the Custom House clerk of Benkard & Hutton could have made bis defaleations without the collusion of some clerk or higher official in the Custom House itself, and the refusal of Collector Mer- ritt to allow counsel for the defence to search the office files for evidence will strengthen the public impression that a single man cannot con- stitute a con: Tur We extends over all the districts from the Missis- sippi to the Atlantic and north of Tennessee and . Its centre of highest pressure is off the Middle Atlantic coast. During yesterday the pressure began to fallin the southwestern dix triets, and a very small depression appeared near the mouth of the Rio Grande and moved northeastward across the Western Gulf. ‘Toward t the barometer began to mae again quite skly. The barometer is only relatively low in rihwest, although the indications point to theadvance of a disturbance from that quar- Snow fell throughout the lower lake the Middle Atlantic and New nd States, and rains have been numerous central valley districts and the » In the latter section the fall has y. The winds have been fresh throughout the country. The temperature bas been variable in the Middle Atlantic and Ni England States, has fallen in the Gulf distriets and has risen decidedly elsewhere. As will be keen by our special weather cable from Europe, printed elsewhere, the storm continues with unabated violets The sudden change from comparatively mild to intense cold weather must be felt very much, — particularly ‘Dy the poorer class, It is almost too much to hope that this terrible storm will subside with- out having carried destruction and death to many homes. The weather in New York and its v ity today will be slightly warmer and partly cloudy, with rain or snow. ‘To-morrow it promises to be colder and partly cloudy or fair, ‘ s NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 1879-QUADRUPLE SHEET. Our Bungling Executions—The Need of a Reform. Undoubtedly the public service the worst performed of all in this country is that of the executioner. Public servants of indit- ferent quality are common enough in every sphere, and from the highest to the lowest every function of public life exhibits in some degree the slovenly indifference of the functionary to all that nicety and excel- lence which is to be observed where men take some pride in what they do, where their enthusiasm is enlisted, where the artistic sentiments of thoroughness and propriety govern the workman's thoughts. In the distinguished duties of the hang- man this slovenliness is more glaring than in many other functions, because while there is hardly a man in the United States who can hang another with artistic elegance and completeness, there is certainly not one who is not a competent judge whether @ man has or has not been well hanged. One may be an exceedingly poor Presi- dent and the people never know it, especi- ally ifhe is possessed of trickery enough to close the mouths of the party that might clamor against him, and to open enor- mously that of the party disposed to chaunt his praises. Sometimes we have had, in this metropolis, exceedingly good Mayors, and sometimes very poor ones, and the people have hurrahed over the achieve- ments of the poor ones and decried the worthlessness of the others. One may bea very poor parson, as Talmage is said to be, and even his own congregation will not discover it. Perhaps it is possible, in asober city like this, fora man to be even a poor concocter of mixed drinks and the public not find it out if he flourishes his right hand with grace and style and grates his nutmeg impressively. There are four or five thousand Chinese luundrymen in this city, and the public has not yet discovered that the Chinaman can neither wash nor iron, and is incapable of comprehending the true significance of the term clean shirt. In all these functions, more or less familiar to everybody, the public seems to admit that it isan incapable judge, and its ver- dicts are uncertain ; but the moment a man is a poor hangman everybody finds it out, and the clamor of indignation is raised against him as one whose incapacity ruins the public enjoyment of an important judicial festivity. Nobody has ever more grievously disap- pointed the expectations of a confiding pub- lic than the hangman, Calhoun, at Camden on Friday. Hunter, we are sure, would, at any moment of his life, have hanged Calhoun with far more grace, dignity and thorough- ness than he was hanged by Calhoun; and, indeed, we cannot remember a murderer who would not have done on the Sheriff in a superior style the office that it chanced to be the fortune of the Sheriff to do on him. One of these days, when we determine to reform this thing, it may be worth our while to consider whether the ends of justice would not beas completely answered and the requirements of good taste more fully met if we should change the law so as to make it the duty of aman who has been found guilty of murder to hang the Sheriff of the county, rather than of the Sheriff of the county to hang him; for every murderer with any human sympathy in him, compelled to do this service with the present apparatus, will suffer far more at doing it on another than if it is done on him. But it was precisely on this point of improved apparatus that we had some hopes of the mechanical skill of the Cam- den hangman. His scheme for hanging Hunter without the ordinary gallows ma- chinery was represented in the Henatp on Thursday, and it seemed to augur a result different from that we were compelled to record. But the Camden official, though a distin- guished instance of a bad hangman, per- haps the worst in the United States, is not the oniy bad one we have got, for there is one in every county in the country almost. Effective and instantaneous infliction of death by the rope is so rare as to be almost unknown, while the record of deaths inflicted in this way that are overcharged with cruel and barbarous details due to unskilfulness is spread before the public every day. On the same day on which the culprit at Cam- den was drawn upon the pulleys by the superior weight of the men at the other end of the rope another wretch in Canada, fighting for his life, was able to seize with his hands the fatal noose and thus painfully extend the awful infliction of death on the gallows. Not less than five hundred men are hanged every year in this country, and perhaps a great many more; and that a duty so often performed should be always done so badly implies that the system is radi- cally defective, or that it requires more skill and intelligence to do it well than is found in the Jack Ketch of the period. Hanging, however, when well done, answers to the theory, and the theory is good. Properly hanged men have the spinal marrow cut off at the base of the brain. They are decapitated essentially, but without the bloody demonstration of the guillotine. But they ate not well hanged by the present apparatus, because it isa departare from the original and cor- rect method, Probably the present method of hanging was intended as a reform. In the old New- gate system the man stood on a trap with the noose adjusted ; the trap was suddenly withdrawn, and he shot downward through the air, to be brought up with a fierce snap at the end of the rope. That snap dislo- cated the first vertebral bone, the edge of which went like a knife through the spine, and the man was dead ixustantly. Some- body perhaps—some tender-hearted philan- thropist—pitied the prisoner that awiul fall; and in that sentiment arose the notion of hanging men gently, as they are hanged now. At once the trap was done away with and the man stood on firm ground, while the rope with a weight at the other end was adjusted to lift him softly two or three feet in the air, there to dangle and struggle till killed by the strangulation of the cord. Now, why have we not been able to reform the coarseness of the old plan without the ex- clusion of the essential fact—that sudden snap at the end of the fall? Other nations have improved their methuds more success | j the man go through the floor, fully. In countries where they used the axe they have adopted the guillotine, which is simply an axe put into hands that never grow unsteady, never miss their aim and never have to hit twice. Improvement an- alogous to that is what we want in the method of hanging. We must restore the drop. It would not be bad to borrow part of the Camden man’s fancy; but instead of having the rope go through the ceiling let He will be killed and will be out of sight. Nobody should be admitted to the room below but the doctor to certify to his death. Much might be said in favor of the entire abandonment of the rope as part of the ap- paratus of justice. Either the guillotine or the garrote is far better, and we are inclined to regard the garrote as the best instrument now in public use in any country for the infliction of capital punishment. It grasps the throat firmly, but docs not strangle. Death is in- flicted by the pin that penetrates at the buse of the skull and cuts the medulla oblongata. Indeed, when hanging is done pertectly the bone that is displaced euts the spine much as the steel point cuts it in the garrote; but then the garrote does this infallibly and easily. Electricity could be adapted to do this service better than all other agents. But, if we will not give up hanging, at least we should improve it so as to make it effect- ive and swift in the infliction of death. Privilege of Parliament in Germany. Offensive words used in a parliamentary debate are as unpleasant to the German government as offensive words spoken else- where, and it does not see any reason why itshould not attempt to compel men to refer to it civilly there as elsewhere. Hence the bill, an outline of which we give in our cable news, and which has excited a holy horror in Engiand over the lost condition of Germany, as well as some vigorous and just indignation in Berlin. Evidently the Imperial Chancellor believes that parliamentary privilege has its abuses, and he cannot understand why a certain group of men, because they have been sent to Berlin as lawmakers, should have a divine right to be exempt from the operation of the laws they have made for everybody else, England cries out ; but these ideas were once as cloudy on the Thames as they are now on the Spree—more cloudy even ; for Germany, in her iron age at least, proposes that delinquents in Parliament should be judged by acommittee of their own body, while in England the King used to send out his officers to seize obnoxious members and put them in the ‘lower. Gander Pulling. Our readers to-day will have the pleas- ure of learning of a sport of which they never before heard, and which, though long in danger of sinking into oblivion, has, through the efforts of a loyal son of North Carolina, come again into popularity. This pastime is distinctively American, cven to its inelegant but expressive name, and we proudly wave the game and its name in the face of pleasure-palled Europe and fear- lessly ask whether anything like it was ever heard of on the other side of the Atlantic. England once hada diversion faintly ap- proaching this; it consisted of chasing a pig with a greased tail; but there are im- portant physical differences between a gan- der’s neck and a pig’s tail; besides, gander pulling must be attempted from horseback, while its feeble British prototype is played on foot. Aside from the sport itself there is something charmingly natural and pas- toral about the setting of the merry pic- ture which our letter suggests. It is not every pastime that is introduced and super- intended by a parson—one in whom a love of sport and astrict regard for propriety | are so evenly balanced, and who, while dis- pensing for the inner man that comfort which in the backwoods is romantically as- sociated with moonshine and the glowworm of the still, is competent also to see that the gate money is sufficient to cover the prizes. Even the rules of the play are de- lightful in their directness and quaintness, and in verbal points they resemble certain chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy. In- deed, the pastor would be coldhearted and suspicious who would prevent his parishioners from taking part in a diver- sion the rules of which are to be enun- ciated in that peculiar twang that in- sensibly carries an odor of sanctity with it. Last, but not least, the wisdom of the gander, who merrily fluttered his wings and craned his neck while danger was slight, but sagaciously died in time to de- cently dispose of his feelings before his head was snatched of, deprives the sport of any suggestion of cruelty and of inter-er- ence by the officers of the local 8. P. C. A. “AM the Modern Improvements.” Our readers will bear witness to the fre- quency with which we have published school trustees’ strictures upon the reports of the Heratn’s sanitary inspections of the schools. Had any of these criticisms shown our reports to be erroneous we should have been glad, in spite of having been found at error, As, however, in questions of difference it is well to have the opinion of a third party, wepub- lish this morning a letter from a gentleman who accompanied our inspector during some of his visits, and who has been charged by a foreign government with work of simi- lar nature, but far more comprehensive in its scope. It will be noticed that there is a decided disagreement between one of the trustees and this gentleman upon what constitutes modern improve- ments. An uncovered steam supply pipe passing within two feet of a pupil may be in itself a modern improvement, but the child could probably recall some old fashioned preventives of torture by heat which might have been applied to this pipe. Darkness, though not of modern origin, is‘an improvement upon daylight when one wishes to slumber or to roba bank, but not when it is the most notable feature of a class room where children are compelled to strain the only eyes they ever can have. Furniture disproportionate to the sizes of the pupils does not come under the head of modern improvements, while a plain wooden trough, uncovered by metal, unpainted and unprevented in any way from absorbing and forever retaining physical excreta to poison the air, can hardly be called a modern improvement in urinals, The Pope on the Condition of Society. Our cable despatches give the outline of the Pope's encyclical letter, recently pub- lished at Rome—apparently the most im- portant document that has emanated from the new Pontiff. 1t isa vigorous declara- tion against socialism, communism, nihil- ism and kindred evils dependent upon er- ropeous views of the relations of individuals to society at large and to government. Nobody will be surprised that these abomi- nations of our time are denounced by a voice of authority in the Church. Indeed, if there is any ground for sur- prise in this connection it is that the denunciation did not come much earlier, Every tenet of the agitators of the day is in violent conflict with all the instructions and doctrines of the Church, which, therefore, has only to repeat certain of its time-honored principles to utter their condemnation. Thus the Church respects government; the socialists, nibilists and communists wish to destroy it; it respects the lives of sovereigns, the institution of property, the family, the marriage tie, the general organization of society. On all these the others make relentless war as so many forms and varied dilutions of oppres- sion and tyranny. Equality is tbe clamor- ous demand of the socialists; but the Church upholds inequality as a necessary condition of that subordination of lower to higher which it regards as beginning in heaven itself. In all this is declared the views of the Church on those evils which have excited revolt in the world, and in all this the common sense of the world will be with the Pope. But when His Holiness goes a step further—when he inquires into the causes of these evils and proposes a remedy--it will require some other kind of sense to agree with him; for the Pope de- tives all these evils from the Reformation, and argues that a prompt return of the world to the Church and the abandonment of its errors in religion is the great and only remedy. Perhaps the world at large out- side the Church will regard this remedy as altogether too thorough. How it will be regarded inside the Church we do not know, of course; but we doubt if in the Church beyond Italy it will be re- garded as the supreme point of hu- man sagacity. It partakes of the nature of machine wisdom. For a great many centuries the popes have twaddled in this way about the Rrtormation, and they have become so used to alleging it as the cause of everything that they are at a loss for any explanation of a modern event un- less they are permitted to ride the same old hobby. Fora pope to allege the Reforma- tion as the reul grievance, when the world is amazed at present vices and evils which flow from human passions that were al- ways the same, is to invite men to hear al. most with contempt a voice that it was hoped might be raised with the greatest effect for the good of society and civiliza- tion. Pulpit Topics To-Day. The temperance cause will not suffer for lack of advocates and leaders to-day, for Mr. Murphy, C. W. Sawyer, W. M. Evans, Rev. W. C. Steele, Captain Boyton and “Nan,” Professor Seizer, Rev. W. N. Searles, Rev. G. W. Terbush and other notables will ex- pend nota little eloquence on the proper- ties of the mountain spring. Dr. Talmage will iash his clerical and lay critics to-day, and tell them what he thinks some of the former do not know—namely, what the voca- tion of a minister is. But they will hardly agree with him that it isto root among the slums of great cities and make public exhi- bition of the findings on Sabbath. The spirit of controversy seems also to have taken possession of Mr. Smith, who, notwithstand- ingall the “gush” about Christian union last week, will review, and of course with a view to refute, the roseate tales of the Roman Catholic Church’s position in Europe, as recently told by Mr. Potter in the Baptist ministers’ conference. Mr. Pullman, too, will controvert, if he can, Joseph Cook’s position on the Universalist doctrine of repentance after death. But very many of our city pastors will follow up the week of prayer just closed with awaking sermons, intended to arouse the consciences of the impenitent. Notably among them is Mr. Searles, who will demon- strate that man has a heart te give away; Mr. Richmond, who will shake up the dry bones and encourage those who are near the kingdom to enter in; Dr. King, who will sug- gest reasons why the impenitent are neg- lected, and Mr. Sweetser, who will contrast theoretical with experimental religion. Mr. Adams will make a royal offer of marriage to young ladies, while Mr. Martyn applauds Queen Esther. Mr. Colcord will issue his world- wide proclamation of salvation, Mr. Hull will send forth God’s challenge to His peo- ple, while Mr. Moment encourages Chris- tian assurance and Mr. Davis examines the source of power at Pentecost. Mr. Ackerly will discuss the right of Christians to care for the souls of their fellow men, and Mr. Lloyd will present the philos- ophy of prayer which leads Mr. Jut- ten and others to the Lord's side. Mr. Burch will exhibit the folly of hardening the neck to the claims of God, Dr. How- land will examine the doctrine of the dual lite of Christ, Dr. Carter will discuss the limits of concession to ritualism, and Mr. McCarthy will present arguments for the existence of a personal God. Dr. Tyng, Jr., will offer the cross as the judgment of law, Dr. Rogers will talk about a name- less woman, Dr. Knapp about the triumphs of the Advent in the overthrow of anti- Christ and Mr. Mickle will draw such les- sons as can be drawn from Israel's last night in Egypt. Mr. Hepworth will talk about home life, and Mr. Seward about the woes that are to come upon the world, PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, There are fifty ex-soldiers in the Massachusetts Legislature. Senator-elect George H. Pendleton, of Ohio, is at the Hotel Brunswick. Lord Beaconsfield's oratory is said to be in the “Paradiae Lost” style. ‘The corner stone of Lord Brongham’s monument at Cannes has been laid, Sir James Fite-James Stephen has been appointed Judge of the High Court of Justice vice Sir Anthony Cleaaby, resigned. Englishmen naturally cannot think of the Chinese as a conquering people. In six years in Italy there have been 15,982 b-mi- cides and 14,563 arrests therefor. ‘Yo the Paris fair there went 64,014 Englishmen, 31,000 Belgians, 23,000 Germans, 16,000 Itulians and 14,000 Americans, New Orleans Picayune:—‘The man who wills his body to medical college for the benefit of science gives himself dead away.” ‘The Standard says that it has reason to believe that Mr, Gladstone has decided to accept the invitation to contest Midlothian at the next election. In Burmah a British soldier had himself tattooed, so that when he returned to England he might pass him- self off asa man who had been captured by savages. Schooner Elizabeth Smith, of Portsmouth, N, H., Captain Kaymond, has for part of her crew two girls, who do the work on deck as handily as able bodied men. They are the daughters of the captain. New Orleans Times:—One of our handsomest and most impressive citizens the other day, on hearing that somebody had struck a stray case of fever, re. marked, ‘Dear, dear! He must have had the gems of the disease in his midst all summer.’ ” London Yruth :—‘The fact is that the age is becom- ing far too mealy-mouthed, To take away the char- acter of aman by innuendo, or to betray him with a kiss, is regarded as legitimate; but when a spade is called a spade there is an outery from all the spades who want to be called by some other name.” The Ogdensburg Journal says that although the country round about there is famous for its splendid cheese none of the home people ever get any of it, the best, going abroad for sale; and travellers who have heard of the great dairies leave disgusted because they never sce a good bit of cheese in the vicinity. Reading the Washington gossip correspondence of provincial papers one is struck by the similarity of all that has appeared during sev. ral years, The only variety in them is in the references to ‘‘the best hotels,” the correspondent puffing the one which suits his heart, ‘The reader would think that there is nothing in Washington but the correspondents’ pet hotels, London World:—‘To the man of letters, sitting in his library, it matters little whether the fresh odor of hay is wafted in at the window or the crisp crackle of the fire forms the accompaniment to his labors; alone with his ‘friends in Russia and Morocco,’ he tastes the sweets of intellectual enjoyment. He is superior to the aberrations of the thermometer, and, unless he be engaged in the pursuit of some scientific problem, is perhaps unconscious of the state of the atmosphere.”’ The Saturday Review is ot opinion that while intel- letual men like the pleasures of cating, and that while even grave philosophers at Swiss hotels will enthusiastically discuss the merits of some national dish or wine, it is pretty certain that, if an ideal wise man could prescribe for us our course of life, he would have to lower the customary or ‘average posi tion of gustatory enjoyments and would seek to cor- rect the cxagyerated estimate of these pleasures which is embodicd in the common expression “to live well.” Evening Telegram:—The New York press bears witness to the genuine esteem in which Theodore ‘Thomas‘was held here by the good nature with which it endures his scolding since. he has emigrated to Cincinnati. ‘New Yorkers,’ says Theodore, ‘have money for ecclesiastical quacks, Jim Fisk parades, spectacular gewgaws, bad whiskey and worse women, while for true art they will only dole out their stray bones and cold potatoes.’ When Theodore comes back to us from Porkopolis he will be sorry for this little outburst of his temper, and it is only a ques- tion of ashort time how soon he will return. No genu- ine artist of the first class—and Thomas is one—can long be happy away from the stray bones and cold potatoes of New York.” OBITUARY. THE MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE. Mail advices from England record the death at his residence, Walden Cottage, Chislehurst, Kent, De- cember 2, in his fifty-fifth year, of Colonel Arthur Hay, ninth Marquess and Earl of ‘Tweeddale, Earl of Gifford, Viscount Walden, and Baron Hay, of Yester. ‘The deceased nobleman was the socond son of Field Marshal George Hay, eighth Marquess of Tweeddale, Aide-de-Camp to the Duke of Wellington in the Pen- insular war, his mother having been a daughter of the fifth Duke of Manchester, He was born Novem- ber 9, 1824, and entered the Grenadier Guards in 1841, under his courtesy title of Lord Walden, becoming lieutenant and captain in 186, captain and lieutenant colonel in 1854, colonel in 1860, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventeenth Lancers in 1866, in which year he retired from the army. In 1845-6 he served inthe Sutlej campaign as aide-de- camp to Lord Hardinge, and was present at the battle of Sobraon, for which he received a medal. He served also in the Crimea, for which he had the medal and clasp, the Sardinian medal of valor, the order of the Medjidie and the Turkish war medal, The Mar- quess married in 1857 Héléne Eleanore Charlotte Au- usta, daughter of Count Kielmansegge, Hanoverian inister in London, and. two. years after her death he Julia, second daughter of Keith-Stewart » of Sea- forth, He succeeded to the marquessate in 1876, his elder brother George, Earl of Gifford. hav- ing died in 1862. Lord ‘Tweeddale was a distin- guished zovlogist, and from the date of bis settle- ment in London in 1857 he devoted himself alm entirely to science, taking little interest in politics. His specialty was the classification of lurds with ref- erence to their habitats, a branch vestigation which brought him into intimate relatf™ne with Dr. Alfred Russell Wallace, He formed a fine museum at Gester House, Scotland, which contained the moxt beautiful collection of orchids in Europe. He was for some years President of the Zovlogical Society, and contributed largely to its “Transactions.” He lett no children, and is succeeded in the peerage by his brother, Lord William Hay, M. P. WILLIAM 0, WEBB, William 0. Webb, an old resident of Harlem, died on Friday night at his residence, in Exst 117th street, Mr. Webb was seventy-five years old, and had been a member of the Tammany Society for fifty years. He was an active politician unt] within a few yearsof his death, and had been rewarded with numer- ous minor positions. He was captain of the watch in the Tenth ward for several years during the existence of the “leatherhead’’ po- lice and for over fifteen years a keeper on Tandali's Island. He also held a position in the Custom House under several democratic administrations. His remembrance of political leaders and paged in this city extended back half a century, and his many anecdotes and good conversational powers made him an agrecable companion to both old and young. His Genk, was commas by softening of the brain, pro- duced by paralysis. His funeral will take place at one o'clock to-day (Sunday), from the Methodist church at Second avenue and 119th street, married, secondly, MICHAEL FOGERTY, Michael Fogerty, one of the oldest residents of the Fifth ward, died yesterday at his residence, No. 81 Watts street. He was born in Kilwallock, Limerick county, Ireland, and achieved an ample fortune in the lumber business, which he carried on for over thirty-five years. He Jeayes three sons—William, Denix and Michael. Mr. Forgerty was highly os: teomed in the ward, and he was prominent in the con- duct of local affairs, REY, ELISHA WATSON. Rev. Elisha Watson, a leading clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Chureh, and formerly Presiding Elder of the Saratoga and Burlington districts, died suddenly in Schenectady yesterday morning. Hv had been detained there by the snow blockade, HENRY H. BOORAEM, Henry H. Booracm, a member of the Board of Freeholders, New Brunswick, N. J., died at his resi- dence, near that city, yesterday morning. He was sixty-seven years old and had for years been in office, AN EX-MAYOR DYING. Ex-Mayor Jacob A. Westervelt, one of the Dock Com- missioners, has been dangerously ill for some time at his residence in this city, At one o'clock this morning his physicians declared that there were little hopes of his recovery, He was at that hour sinking very fast. THOMAS LORD DYING, ‘Thomas Lord, the millionnaire who created such asocial sensation # year ago by marrying Mrs. An- netta W. W. Hicks, is dangerously ill at his resi- dence, No, 10 West Fourteenth street, and there are very slight hopes of his recovery. He is over eighty- five years of aye, and it is feared that he will live but a few days at most. For two weeks Mr. Lord has taken no solid food, and he hes kept up solely by the aid of stimulants, His wife is con- stantly in attendance at his and no one but het i the physicians, among whom is Dr, tiers, are admitted ty the sick ruom. ARMY INTELLIGENCE. Wastixaton, Jan, 11, 1879. First Lieutenant W. A. Kobe, Jr., Third artillery, is relieved from duty with the Board of Army Equip- ment, &«,, now in session in this city, and will joim his battery, An army retiring board having found Surgeon C. C. Gray, United States Army, incapacitated for activo service, he is, by direction of the President, retired from active service, Captain C. McKilbim, Fifteenth infantry, will re- port in person to the Superintendent of the Mounted Recruiting Service, to uccompany a detachment of re- cruits to the Pacific coast. On the completion of this duty he will join his proper station. Sr NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Nonvoux, Va., Jan, 11, 1879, ‘The United States steamer Quinnebaug sailed to-day to join the Mediterranean squalron, She will touch at Funchal. ASSIGNMENTS, Wasuincton, Jan, 11, 1879. Master C. P. Rees has been ordered as assistant in the department of drawing at the Naval Academy: Commander L. Huntington to hold himself in readi- ness to command the Alert, on her arrival at San Francisco; Chief Engineer George H. White, Passed Assistant Engineers D. P. McCartney, A. L. Smith, J. J. Barry and A.C. Engard to hold themselves in readiness for sea service. DEPARTURE OF THE UNITED SLATES SLOOP-OF- WAR RICHMOND FOR THE ASIATIC STATION— GENERAL GRANT AND PARTY WILL JOIN HER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. ‘The United States steam sloop-of-war Richmond, Captain A. E. R, Benham, left the Brooklyn Navy Yard at eleven o'clock yesterday morning for the Asiatic station via the Mediterranean and Sues Canal. When she arrives at Hong Kong she will take her place in the squadron as the flagship of Rear Admiral IT. H. Patterson, Ex-President Grant and his son, Colonel F. D. Grant, will join her at some point on the Mediterranean, and after visit- ing Aden, Bombay and other points in the East Indies, will proceed to China andJapan. The follow- ing ix a list of the officers of the vessel Commandcr—Captain A, E. R. Benham, Executive Ofticer—Lieutenant Commander Lewis Clark, Na’ tor—Lieutenant Charles S. Sperry, Watch Ofticers— Lieutenants George G. Clay, Thomas H. Stevens, N. J. K. Patch, Sidney H. May. Master—Henry McCres. En- signs—F. J. Mulligan, Charles Laid, G@ H. Worcester and Frank E. Beatley. Cadet Midshipmen—John @, Quimby, Frank J. Sprague, Charles N. Atwater, homas W. Ryan, William C. Canfield, Allen G, Rogers, William L, Lada, James H, Hetherington and Augustus C. Almy. Purser—Assistant Paymaster 0. C. Tv = Doctors—Passed Assistant Surgeon J. F. Bransford and Assistant Surgeon Clement Biddle. Chief Engineer—Charles H. Baker. Passed Assistant Enginecrs—Nathan P. Towne and John LL, Hannan. Assistant Engineer—William K. Cathcart, Cadet Engineers—F, J. Snoll, H. W. Spangler, John L. Gow. Boatswain—Josiah B. Aiken, Gunner—T. Bascom Watkins. Carpenter—Josiah B. Carter. Sailmaker—Francis Boom. Marine Officers— Captain, J, H. Higbee; Second Lieutenant, Randolph Dickens. Paymaster's Clerks—William H, Roach and C, C, Pearson, THE GEDNEY AT PENS..COLA, [By TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.) Prssacora, Fla., Jan. 11, 1879, The United States Coast Survey steamer Thomas R. Gedney arrived here this morning. All on board were well. HULL'S DISCHARGE. A PRISONER ALLOWED TO GO FREE UPON SUBs RENDERING THE MONEY IN HIS POSSESSION. [BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.) MonTreaL, Jan. 11, 1879. The discharge of J. W. Hull, brought here to-day under arvest, on @ charge of larceay of $31,350 from Messrs. Field & James, brokers, of New York, reveals extraordinary proceedings of the part of Officer John Fahey, of the detective force. He was on his way to Montreal with his prisoner, arrested at the instance of Superintendent Walling, of New York, but was met last night at Richmond by D. Girouard, Q. C., accompanied by @ bailiff, M. K. Mercier, armed with awrit of seizure ordered by Judge Rainville, of the Superior Court, The bailiff seized the money which the detective had taken from Hull's possession. WAS A FELONY COMPOUNDED? Upon the arrival of the party in Montreal they were met by Mr. James, of Field & James, and all drove to Mr. Gironard’s office. Here matters were fixed up, and Hull, in consideration of no criminal proceedings being taken against him, signed over and renounced all claim to the money or against the parties who arrested him, FAHRY CRITICIAED. Detective Fahey arrived at half-past six A. M. and did not until ten o'clock report at the Central Police Office, where the Chief was in waiting for him. Being sharply interrogated by that officer why he had not come to the police station, Fahey said he be- lieved he had no authority to detain the prisoner, as the case was not an extradicable offence. Quite a scene took place. Meanwhile the prisoner looked the picture of misery. He came into the Chief's office, seized a newspaper, which he tried to read to hide his features, and otherwise acted in a nervous manner. He spoke to no one. HULL DISCHARGED, Hull was then taken before the who refused to discharge him, Chief of Police Penton had learned from Superin- tendent Walling that he would not take proceedings — Hull that the latter was discharged. Hull el that he did not steal, but merely owed Field & James the amount. A leading lawyer “here calls the whole matter compounding a felony. THE DETECTIVE CALLED TO ACCOUNT. An investigation oe the Police Committee of Fahey's conduct is fixed for Tuesday, and indignation is expressed freely at the whole affair. Mr. James denies that he compounded 4 felony, and’holds that the case was one of debt and not of theft. It is al- leged that there has never been such @ barefaced picco of business on the part of any police officer here; and what makes the matter bet in 4 worse light is the fact that Chief Penton did not get Superintendent Walling’s telegram of December 28 until January 7, the paper having been in the hands of the detectives, lice magistrate, it was not until CALDER THE DEFAULTER. MOTION TO QUASH INDICTMENTS FOR DEFEC- TIVE ALLEGATIONS OF HIS CRIME, [BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.] Newport, R. L, Jan. 11, 1879, The case of John B. Calder, the defaulting cashier, came up to-day in the Court of Common Pleas in Providence upon a motion to quash all the indict- ments against him except the one of larceny. There were five indictments against him for embezzlement. His counsel desired this unusual procedure on grounds that the first indictments against Calder allege that he was the cashier of the bank, whereas tho charge should have been, in the language of the statute, that he was an officer, agent or servant of the company; the statute did not recognize any such office as that of cashier; the indictment did not set forth that Calder was the authorized custodian of the funds of the bank, The indictments for em- bezzling presented two phases, First, if the law was construed in one way the indictments contained — fatal defect: second, if it was construed in the other way the indictments were faulty, beeause they did ‘not state that Calder was an officer, agent or servant of the bank, The indictments in counsel's opinion charged neither embezzlement nor larceny within the meaning of the statutes, and did not set forth the inst his client, Counsel for the bank the cashier was an officer of # cited authorities in support of meut, In answer to the claim that Calder was not defined as the custodian of the funds of the bank, he said there was no need of a special defini tion of duties, for if # man was oved to be cashier of a bank it wax presumed that he was the custodian of the bank, and counsel claimed that the indict- mente charged all that it was necesmury to prove. Judge Stiness took the Papen] and reserved his de- eivion until Monday, it will be remembered that Calder ruined the bank, and also stole a package of , containing $3,000, which was locked up in a and which was placed in the bank for sufe keep mon box, ing. NEW YORK'S SENATORSHIP. Axpany, N. Y., Jam. 11, 1870 ‘The following call has been issued :— Aupany, Jan, 10, 1879, Acaucus of the republican members of the Legis- lature will be held on Monday eveniug, January 20, 1879, at eight o'clock, in the Assembly Chamber, for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the office of United States senator, WILLIAM R, ROCKWELL, WEBSTER WAGN: Committee of the HAMILTON HARMS, Senate. rt . SLOAN, 1. 1. HAYES, Comaties ot the A, B, HEPBURN, | wwembly. W. W. BRAMAN,