The New York Herald Newspaper, January 25, 1879, Page 8

| LIL AT ET 8 ‘ ARCTIC SEARCH The Subject Reviewed by Mr. D. Melville Brown. AID FOR THE EOTHEN. Lost Records of the Franklin Polar Expedition. The announcement that Mr. G. Melville Brown would deliver a lecture at Chickering Hall on the “Search for the Franklin Expedition,” in aid of the Franklin record search party commanded by Lieu- tenant Schwatke, now in the Arctic regions, attracted @ very large audience to Chickering Hall last evening. Among those present were Chief Justice Daiy, General George W. Cullum, T. C. Acton, Frederick De Peyster, General Egbert L, Viele, Elial F. Hall, Wilham G. Hamilton, Francis Baker and many others taking @ deep interest in geographical science and Arctic exploration. The fair sex was also largely represented, Mr. Brown began his lecture without being formally introduced, and held the attention of the audience until the close. The stereopticon views with which the lecture was interspersed were much applauded for the wierd ideas they afforded of strange Arctic scenes and novel phases of Polar life, Mr. Brown substantially spoke as follows:— THE LECTURE. It is now nearly thirty-four years since the govern- ment of Great britain despatched Sir John Franklin, in command of the ships Erebus and ‘error, on his last expedition to the Arctic seas, The main’ object of his expedition was to discover what is known as northwest passage. The achievement of this disco ery was a life dream of Franklin, and to him was in- trusted the new and, so it was ‘hoped, final expedi- tion; and for thirty years the world has been seeking to obtain intormation regarding the work accom- plished by the expedition prior to the abandonment of the ships. ‘THE LADY FRANKLIN EXPEDITION. In April, 1857, after having made an unsuccessful appeal to the British government to aid her in mak- ing one last attempt to ascertain the final fate of the lost expedition, Lady Franklin purchased the steam yacht Fox, and from her own means and aided by the generous contributions of her friends and others in- terested in the cause, # ed in fitting the vessel for a cruise of twenty-eight months. The command of the expedition was given to the gallant Captain McClintock, who had served previously in the Arctic seas under Sir John Ross and Captain Austin, and had signally distinguished himself, _ es- pecially in his extensive journeys on the ice when associated with Captain Kellett. cClintock passed the winter of 1858 and 1859 at Port Tena) at the entrance of Bellot Straits. On the morning of the 17th of February, with the ther- mometer indicating a temperature varying from 31 to 4244 degrees below zero, he left the vessel with a sledge and a party of four men to examine the shores of Boothia-Felix. On the 1st of March, at about the position of the magnetic pole, he met a party of four natives. McClintock, observing upon the dress of one of them a naval button, inquired where they obtained it. They informed him that it came from some white people who had starved upon an island where there were salmon. It is sup posed from this that the island referred to was in a river. They also stated that the iron from which their knives were made came from the same place. From this tribe he obtained by barter six silver epoons and forks, a silver medal, part of a gold chain and numerous articles supposed to be made from portions of the wrecks of the lost vessels. Satisfied for the present with the results of his journey he returned on board, having been absent twenty-three days and travelled 360 geographical miles, equal to 420 English miles. M'CLINTOCK’S SECOND SLEDGE JOURNEY. On the 2d of April, 1859, McClintock, in com; vy with Lieutenant Hobson, started on another sledge journey. Each of them had a sledge drawn by four men, besides a dog sledge and a dog driver. While prosecuting his part of the search Lieutenant « Hobson found a paper relating to the Franklin party at Point Victory on the northwest coast of King Will- iam’s Land. ‘This record or paper was one of the printed forms used in discovery ships for the purpose pf being enclosed in bottles and thrown over! at sea in order to ascertain the direction of currents, blanks being ieft for the date and position. It bore the date of tue 28th of May, 1847, and at that time Sir John Franklin was commanding and all was well. It was signed by Graham Gore, lieutenant, and Charles F. Desyaux mate. But also around the margin of the paper upon which Lieutenant Gore in 1847 wrote these words of hope and promise, another hand had subsequently written the following :— Arnit 25, 1548.—Her Majesty's ships Terror and Erebus were deseried on the 22d ot April, five leagues north uorth- wost of this, having been beset since the 12th of September, 1846. ‘The oificers aud crews, cousisting of 105 souls, under the commund of Captain F. R. M. Crozier, landed bere. Sir John Frankiin died on the i]th of June, 1847, and the total loss by death in the expedit , to this date, nine offices fitteen men. It was signed by F. R. M. Crozier, captain and . Senior officer, and James Fitzjames, captain of Her Majesty’s ship Erebus. Below it stated that they were to start the next day for Back’s Fish River, The writing on the margin was by Captain Fitzjames, but the note stating where they were going was in the handwriting of Captain Crozier. There was some ud- ditional information relative to the transfer of the document to its present position—viz., the site of Sir James Roses’ pillar, from the spot four miles to the northward, near Point Victory, wuere it had been originally ‘deposited by the late Commander Gore, This little word ‘late’ sho: 8 that he, too, within the twelvemonth bad passed away. THE EOTHEN SEACH PARTY. We will turn to the expedition tor the benefit of which this eutertainment is given, and with a few words regarding it I wiil bring my remarks to a close. You will most of you remember, and espe- cially those among the audience who read the news- pupers, how on the 19th of June last there sailed irom this port the schooner Eothen, under the com- mand of Captain Thomas F. Barry, anu having on board a party of men despatched for the purpose of searching for the missing records of the Franklin expedition. This purty was fitted out by the aid of public subscription and private enterprise. WHAT CAPTAIN BAKRY HEARD. Captain Thomas F, barry, 4 suipmaster of high re- pute and large experience in the Arctic whale fishery, was in Hudson Bay in the bark Glacier from 1871 to 1373, and in the winter of 1872, while his vessel was in winter quarters in Bepulse Bay, the Esquimaux built their suow huts close to the vessel and remained there during the winter. Among the Esquimaux were several beioaging to @ tribe called the Notehilli. From these men Barry learned thet many winters ago—how loug they had uo means of indicating—a large party of white men had come to their winter set- Uement; several of the white men had colored stripes on their arms and shouiders, different from the rest, and the natives supposed them to be chiefs. One large man in'particular they respected greatly, both on account of his size and from the obedience the rest rendered to his orders. The win- ter was very severe, and no game was to be had. When spring came all the white men had perished. many of them had died the rest made # nes and put under it some books and papers, The natives offered to go and point out the spot where the cairn still remained, with the books and papers under it; but it involved a journey of indefinite length, as the natives have no idea of distance, and the offer was, therefore, declined, Some articles of silverware were obtained from this party which bore the crest of Sir John Frauklin. Barry was told a similar story in 1876, and he then made an agreement with the natives to mect him in the following sprin, repared to make the journey to their country? o> THE S2ORY OF THE EXPEDITION. Barry, attaching considerable importance to these stories told him by these two differeut parties of men, though belonging to the same tribe, immedi- ately on his arrival in New York, in the fall of 1877, communicated with our Arm, laying before us the statements of the facts as given Lim by the natives, On hearing his story and after careful eration of the subject we communicat with Chief Justice Charles P. Duly, dent of the American Geographical ‘aud with his co-operation and that ot other pro: nent members of the »graphical Society and others we Wereenabled to provision and equip the expedition for eighteen months, but as it will take from two and & halt to three years to aecomplish the work we ieel ourselves under th oral ob tion to send out ad- ditional supplies to those brave men this spring, THE COLEMAN TRAGEDY. CONTINUATION OF THE INQUEST IN NEWARK— FINDING THE FATAL ENLFE—THE ARREST OF YOUNG COLEMAN, Coroner Mandeville continued the inquest at Newark, N. J., yesterday in the case of Martin Coleman, who was stabbed to deuth by his fon, Martin Col Jr. George Coleman and Mary Elien ¢€ brother and sister of Martin, ga ouy corroborating that already given by t Cody and Mrs. Catha- rine Coleman. Ce that the death of the ult of the loss of blood cau ounds inflicted with the knife, Drs. Smith, Bleyle and Osborn corrobor- ated Dr. Hewiett. The inquest was then adjourned noon, When it will be brought to a c stated ntil this after- dusion, © with which the stabbing was done. After cross questioning George Coleman for some time the iatte finally told the constable where to find the n. dt had been thrown in the stove, and was fc the ash ptle in the yard, nd in It is an ordinary-sized jack- knife, snd will be produced at the inquest this atter- hoon. IN CUSTODY. Martin Coleman, Jr., was taken to Newark from | this city yesterday, by order of Superintendent Wall- ad been, ing, who hi notified by Chief Meldrum, of Newark, that he had preferred a charge of murder against Coleman, Coleman went to Newark will- ingly. He is very downcast, and — seems to feel his position keenly, He declares that he had no intention of doing his father serious injury, and says that whatever was done was the result more of an accident than anything else, He is closely guarded. Upon his left temple is an ugly scar, the result of the blow given him with a boot by his father. ‘The tuneral of the latter took place yesterday and was largely attended, THE MURDERED SAILOR. A CORONER'S JURY VIEW HENRY MADDEN'S BODY AT THe FOURTH PRECINCT STATION HOUSE— A SHOCKING SPECTACLE. The jurors empanelled by Coroner Woltman oD the spur of the moment had a ghastly spectacle in- deed to look upon as they stood in the waiting room of the Fourth precinct police station yesterday. Stretched upon the floor, stiff and dead, with traces of the past night’s wild orgies un- obliterated and the wan face distorted by the last moment's agony, lay Henry Madden, the jolly tar of the British ship Omba, The shower of lead which Smith, the Oliver street dance house keeper, had poured from the shotgun upon his drunken pursuers, had struck the sailor full in the throat and torn it to pieces. The gaping wound was revealed, exposing the inner arteries and muscles of the neck, and showing about its edges the dull, dark stains of the exploding powder. The blood had gushed out upon his clothes and soaked them through and through, and the ghastly red hue of his hands showed that he had carried them to the dreadful hole with his last spark of life in an instinctive movement to arrest the current. The dead man was a stalwart, able-bodied fellow. He had just come from Sabos, in the Philippine Islands, and it was on his first land spree that he met his death. He was generally regarded with favor by his ship- mates, was thought a peaceable sort of # man, and is said to have borne the least conspicuous part in the row his companions inaugurated. A lot of sea- flavored fellows in blue jackets had dropped into the station house to look ‘upon the body during the morning, and one and all testified to his huving been a quiet, inoffensive man and a jolly good fellow aboard ship. One of them hinted that there had been trouble between Smith and Madden betore about a woman. THE FATAL FRAY. From what was gleaned yesterday the first reports of the affair were in the maincorrect, The capers of an inebriate woman had led Smith, the keeper of the “Sailor’s Return,” as the place was called, to force her up stairs. The tars of the Omba were in high glee at the time, filled with liquor, excited with NEW YORK HERALD, the dance and ready to takea hand in any trouble | that arose. Smith's interference gave them a pre- text. Then came threats and remonstrances, Blows followed. The girl screamed. Sailor Green struck Smith. Smith pulled out a revolver, menaced the crowd and dragged the girl to hisroom, The glass door was shut behind him, but the brawlers were at itina moment. Smith them, caught up the fowling piece, and Henry mn fell dead when the charge crashed through the door, Smith yesterday bore marks of his ill treatment, and his counsel, Colonel Spencer, feels confident of making out a clear case of justifiable homicide. THE POSI-MORTEM. The post-mortem examination revealed a gunshot wound in the front part of the throat, severing the trachea across and shattering the ‘The open- ing in the throat was one and a half by one inch, and blackened with powder upon its . A large quan- tity of lead shot, about fifty in number, were found in the muscles of the neck on the left side. ‘After viewing the remains the jury were discharged, with instructions to be in attendance to-day at the Coroners’ office, when the inquest will take place, The following witnesses tothe tragedy were ar- rested by Captain Petty and locked up in the House of Detention:—Ida Lockwood, Mary Bannon and Mary Smith, all of No, 13 Oliver street; William Green, a sailor; Delia Ross and Nella Whitelock, no residence; Frank Gurad, Dominick Modana and Vin- cenzo , musicians. THE MAN WHO KILLED FURNISS, WILLIAM L. PALMER, JB., BELIEVED TO BE IN- SANE—A COMMISSION OF LUNACY APPOINTED-— QUEER CONDUCT IN CoURT. The commissioners appointed by Judge Gilder- sleeve—Dr. John Ordronesux, Colonel John R. Fel- lows and Charles B. Waite—to inquire into the sanity of William L, Palmer, Jr., who, it will be remembered, shot and killed Officer Asa H. Furniss, of the Four- teenth precinct, in the Metropolitan Hotel, last month, met yesterday in the District Attorney's office. The prosecution was represented by Assist- aut District Attorney Beil, and Mr. William P. Dixon, a cousin of the prisoner, watched the proceedings on his behalf. Palmer was taken from Bellevue Hospital by two court officers. His appearance betokened any- thing but a healthy mind, his actions being wild and irrational. When placed at the bar Mr. Dixon proposed to shake hands with him, but the offer was indignantly refused, the prisoner alleging that his cousin was among those who had entered into a con- spiracy to kill him. While the indictment was being read over to him he gesticulated in the wildest man- ner, and drawing himself up to his full height cast = look of contempt around him, After Mr. Bell had recited the various counts in the indictment, the prisoner, in answer to the usual interrogatory, said, “I am not guilty. Is that all you want with me?” Mr. Dixon then handed in a special written plea of insanity, and it was accordingly placed on the record, Just as Palmer was being conveyed from the court room he turned quickly, and, stepping toward the bench, said to Judge Gildersleeve, “Your Honor, I want & trial, Can't I have the privilege of choosing my own lawyer, and haven't Ia right to go before the Grand Jury ?’” “Certainly,” replied the Judge, by way of mollify- ing the prisoner. ‘‘The District Attorney will attend to all that for you. The prisoner then inclined his head in token of acknowledgment, and, in custody of the officers, yro- ceeded to the room where the commissioners were in session. He looked suspiciously at them and at bd intimated that they also were in league against im. As the commissioners under the first order of the Court had not the power to inquire into the prison. er’s sanity at the time of the murder, but only to as- certain the state or his mind at the present time, adjournment was had until to-day, when, under the amended order of the Court, they will take testimony as to the prisoner’s insanity at the time the murder was committed. Should they find Palmer insane all other proceedings will be stayed and he will be sent to a iunatic asylum. From all appearance Palmer is not of sound mind, Drs. McDonald and Gray having, it is said, already examined him and pronounced him insane. Palmer, it is averred, is laboring under the delusion that all the attachés at Believue Hospital have entered into a conspiracy to poison him, and for days he has refused to take food, Nourishment was finally administered by force, aud he was permitted to go outside in charge of an officer to buy lis own food. Palmer, it is said, is the possessor of a large fortune. FOUR YEARS IN STATE PRISON. Frank McKenna, of No. 118 Malberry street, who ‘was recently convieted in Part 2, of the Court of General Sessions, of manslaughter in the third de- gree, was called to the bar yesterday by Assistant District Attorney Rollins for sentence. It will be re- membered that in the month of September last William B, Willse and his brother engaged in a street fight with McKenna and his brother, when Willse re- ceived a pistol shot wound in the forehead, from the effects of which he died. Mr. William F. Howe made @ motion for a new trial, which was denied. Ji Cowing, after stating that he concurred in the ver- dict of the jury, sentenced the prisoner to the full penalty—four years in the State Prison at hard labor. After sentence had been Oates, the mother of Willse, left court, accompanied by her husband, the deceased's stepfather. ‘The con- victed man’s mother followed her and addressed her tauntingly. In addition, it is alleged by Mrs. Oates that Mrs. McKenna used insulting language to her and knocked her husband's hat off. is occurred m near the Tombs Prison and Mrs, Oates entered the court room, where Judge Smith was sitting, and asked for protection. A warrant was issued upon her complaint and Mrs, McKenna will be arraigned to answer it this morning. TRAVELLERS IN TROUBLE. Superintendent Walling received a telegram from Southbridge, Mass., on Thursday night, calling for the arrest of two girls, named Lena and Annie Maxwell, who, it was stated in the telegram, would arrive in this city yesterday morning on the Provi- dence boat, Officer Jordan was sent to the pier. and upon the arrival of the steamer went on board and took the girls into custody. They were arraigned before Judge Smith, at the Tombs Police Court, on a charge of robbery, The nature of the complaint was so vaguely set forth in the telegram that Judge Smith temanded the prisoners to Police Headquarters until this morning and sent word that unless some specific charge were made he would disciarge them. ‘The girls gave their at seventeen, though they appear mach older, and take their incarceration eanly. Lena Reid states that she isan orphan, and was until recently.an inmate of « convent in Boston, where she met her companion. ‘The latter's story is that she is a native of South- bridge, Mass.; that her mother is dead and that her father resides in Pensacola, Fla, What the object of their Journey to New York was they did not state, | over 20,000,000 of milreis, which he BRAZIL, CHANGES IN THE CABINET—THE BUDGET—CRUSH- ING OUT RELIGIOUS ORDERS—-HORRORS OF THE FAMINE IN THE NORTHEAST PROVINCES. Rio Janerno, Dee. 27, 1878. A Cabinet crisis occurred in the beginning of the week, and Dr. Andrade Pinto, the Minister of Marine, resigned and has been replaced by Dr. Jois Ferreirade Moura. ‘The ostensible and main, if not the only reason of Dr, Andrade Pinto’s retirement, was the removal of Visconde de Prados trom the Presidency of the ‘province of Rio Janeiro. The present Cabinet had resolved that no member of the Legislature should be president of # province while the Legislature was in session, holding that the previous system of governing provinces by vice presidents while the presidents were in Rio attending the Legislature was @ pernicious one to the interests of the prov- inces. Dr. Andrade de Pinto did not object to this as arule, but thought the Presidency of Rio Janciro might be an exception, its seat of government being only twenty minutes’ steam from Rio, and the Presi- dent's (Visconde de Prados) continuance being essen- tial to the carrying out of the reforms he had initiated. The rest of the Cabinet, however, held that the rule should be au absolute one, and that in the case in question there was a special reason for insisting on it, inasmuch as Visconde de Prados had been elected President of the Chamber of Deputies. The Minister of Marine would not yield, the more that, as a warm friend ‘isconde de Prados, he felt ag- grieved that this gentleman’s name had not been placed on the Senatorial ticket of Minas Geraes, and he retired, Visconde de Prados also resigning the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies upon being removed from that of the province of Rio Janciro. Visconde de Prados is an experienced astronomer, and for some years took charge of the Imperial As- tronomical Observatory. The new Minister of Marine is a wealthy planter from Bahia, which province he represents in the Chamber ot Deputies, and is re- puted a most honorable and active administrator. FINANCES. On the 23d the Minister of Finance read his budget for the executive year, 1879-80, He asks for appro- priations to the amount of 121,119,593 milreis (about $60,600,000), and estimates the receipts at only 101,000,000 milreis (360,500,000), ieav! @ deficit of ‘8 the Legisla- ture to provide for by further taxes. Notwithstand- ing all the ouinge made by the present Cabinet the expenditure asked is some 14,000,000 milreis more than the votes tor the current year. Among the ap- propriations asked in the budget is 3,600,000 milreis for redemption of paper .money. ‘the appropria- tions asked for are as follows (a equalling fifty-one cents American money):— unis (Interior). Milreis, 8,822,725 asks authorization to pont the necessary sum upon | guaranteeing the interest and redemption of hy- pothecated bills to be issued by land banks of loan to planters, + RELIGION. Among the measures which the government proposes to bring forward is one for the total sup- pression of the religious orders in Brazil, the pen- fioning of the existing monks and nuns and the ap- plication of the property to the reduction of. the national debt. ‘this property is estimated at $2,500,000 to $3,000,000, and the number of religious persons to be pensioned would not be more than forty or firty, most ot them aged, as for years the ad mission of novices to profess has been rigidly pro- hibited, STARVATION. The accounts from the northeast provinces are of ex- tendiug drought and misery, intensified by the preva lence of virulent smallpox among the generaliy un- vaccinated population. last dates, the mortality from smullpox in two towns alone was 1,800.a day, the sick dying like sheep every- where and famine utterly depopuiating the iuterior. In Ceara a woman was caught roasting the hip of her child. In Piunhy and even the failure of pasture and water is destroying the herds and forc- ing the people to emigrate, and general ruin seems to be the inevitable tute of the five northeast prov- iuces. A CRUEL JOKE, A joke was last week on s half-crazed in- dividual known as the Baron de Cayapo, who had been driven partially deranged Wd twenty-two years miming concession, the Legislature. Having offered himeselt as a can for Goyaz and offered to work for halt the pay, a counterteit diploma of election was sent to him and with it he took a seat in the Chamber of Deputies and had to be forcibly ejected, on which he denounced the’ Emperor furiously, whom he declared was at the bottom of 8 conspiracy to deprive him of his rights of deputy. NKWS FROM THE SOUTHWARD, In Buenos Ayres on the 18th a great open air meet- ing of 12,000 to 15,000 persons was heid to protest ‘against the enormous taxes just imposed by the pro- vincial Legislature on tobacco and alcoholic drinks. In Paraguay locusts are destroying the crops. In the province of Ceura, at | PLYMOUTH PRAYER MEETING. MR, BEECHER DISCOURSES ON HOW THE SOUL CAN FIND PEACE BY TRUST IN GoD. “2 will read a note which I have received,” said Mr, Beecher when he began his talk at the prayer mect- ing last night. The note, on being read, proved to be # request for the explanation of # passage in Isaiah, in which peace was promised to those whose mind was fixed on God, It then de scribed the spiritual condition of a friend of the writer, who for many years had led an outwardly religious life, was a professor of Christianity, and yet was under the dominion of some powerful temptation that assailed him so se- verely that he was afraid his forty years of religious profession would be withered and come to naught by the temptation getting the victory. After a short explanation of the circumstances that accompanied the < a in the passage of Scripture referred . Beecher turned to consider the individual casé described. He said that it seemed to be one in which the family doctor, if he were a good doctor, might be useful. Very much of the bias and yielding to temptation was traceable to myeieal poy yes Some men had o uate dency to an overmastering passion of some kind, and its influence could only be checked by being placed under régime or diet that would restore harmony, to some ex- tent, between their lower and higher na ture. He gave several ‘illustrations. of this and then said:—“This note asks if it is possible to have a peace that shall so radiate the nature that it shall rest confidently on God and be illuminated thereby. I say, ‘Yes.’ The New Testament is abundant in its aasertions that this peace is possible. I have known & good many simple-minded persons who have un- doubtedly possessed it,and who have looked down from the jitudes of their faith and trust in God upon the storms and worries of life with great complacency and Christian endurance. There was §e Cath bishop of Geneva, who lived so: hree hundred years ago, whose friends desired to turn aside some troubles that were pressing over him = severely. He desired those friends to desist; he told them that he wae in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if He saw it best that he should suffer this trouble it was well, and that when He saw fit to remove it He would do #0, and for three or four years he bore this trouble under that sublime faith, until it was removed and the bishop’s on . When men ask if this peace can be attained I say itcan. But the king- dom of heaven must be taken by violence. Men to have the kit m of heaven within them must train for it; must mon their nature and accompany that discipline with earnest prayer.” TALMAGE'S TALK, Mr. Talmage lectured last night in the Brooklyn ‘Tabernacle on the events of the week looked at from a religious standpoint. Our city, he said, has been honored this week by ® magnanimous deed on the part of the Clinton Avenue Congrega- tional Church. Rev. Dr. Budington becomes pastor emeritus of that church—that is, after long and absorbing service he is honorably from active work, but elected for the rest of his to be supported by the chusch. What a brilliant contrast to the old way of tumbling sick end aged ministers into the snowbank! As Dr. Bud- ington steps out of active pastorate work in this city Ltake the opportunity of saying that in all the land a higher type of Christian honor I know not, But the most st ig event of the week is na- tional, the remnant of 4 tribo of Indians swept off the continent into eternity. As near as I can the Indians were fighting against the outrages of the infamous white man's Indian Bureau, Our hottest indignation is for the infernal polities which have allowed the perpetual swindle and exas tion of the red men. The negro slaves of this country were never #0 mercilessly treated as have been the Indians, Tho Bight was to keup the negro in bondage, but here the fight is to anil and exterminate the Indian. The tact is that the Ind- jans have as much right to live in this country as ‘ou aud I, There is something awfully rotten in hat state of American politics which exterminates Indians but fosters Mormonism by allowing its rep- resentatives to sit in the councils of the nation. A WEALTHY YOUNG BURGLAR. Walter Johnson, ® young man, who resides in Park- ville, L. 1, and is the son of wealthy parents, was ar- rested a day or two since charged with robbing the residence of Peter Weish, at the corner of West and King streets, Parkville. The residence of young John- son was searched, when about $400 worth ot stolen property was found. Judge Pratt, of the Kings County Supreme Court, yesterday refused to dis- charge the accused, who was before him on a writ of habeas corpus, SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1879.—TRIPLE SHEET. INSURANCE COMPANIES. CONDITION OF THE CORPORATIONS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR—GENERAL DECREASE IN IN- COME For 1878. Axpany, Jan. 23, 1879. The following table includes the first instalment of the annnal statements of the fire insurance com- panies of New York city to December 31, 1878, as com- pared with the showing of December 31, 1877, accord- ing to the report of the Superintendent of Insurance. Liabilities and net surplus are in all instances exclu- sive of capital :— Total assets. Capital stock. Liabilities, except capital. Net surplus beyond capital... Income.... Exvenditures.. Assets. Capital... 00) Liabilities, except capital. “ surplus beyond capital. $276,310 150,000 38,692 86,618 71,687 65,356 $206,054 ay 42,805 65,61 * Capital stock impaired $19,626. + Not inclusive of $24,000 paid by stockholders. GERMAN-AMERICAN, a 2,324,709 $2,442,050 900 000 1,000,000 687,758 626,) 686,950, 815,190 +00 01,045,663, 1,169,473 873,981 1,024,395 WERE THEY MISMANAGED? ‘WHAT THE UNDERWRITERS SAY ABOUT THE RECENT GREAT FIRES—OPINIONS OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND OFFICERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. “There is a lack of management somewhere,” said Mr. T, L. Thornell, secretary of the American Fire Insurance Company, to a HERALD reporter last even- ing, “when a fire that is discovered and reached almost at the moment of its breaking out is allowed to attain such propor- tions as the Worth street fire did.” Mr. Thornell is oue of the underwriters interested in the Grand aud Worth street fires who believe that the chiefs of the Fire Department were guilty of mis- management on both of these occasions, and the reporter was interviewing him as to the grounds on which he made this serious charge. Ho said:—‘I am surprised that the Fire Commissioners have not already mado this matter the subject of an investigation. For- merly when a fire spread to any extent every officer ‘was obliged to give a full detail of his experiences, so that it might be definitely kuown why it spread. ‘The alarm for the Worth street fire was sounded by the automatic instrument, so that it cannot have reached any great extent before the Fire Department was apprised of it. If it had, the instrument would have been destroyed. When the engines ar- rived two or three streams oe to have been taken up to the third floor, where the fire was, when I have no doubt it could have been extinguished without going further. There ought to have been ladders rai to the windows and streams applied in that way. Iam told the flames tended toward the open space in the middle of the building and it would have been easy to have worked trom the front, THE OWAND SERERT . “As to the Grand street continued Mr. Thornell, ge Temember the Fire Patrol went in and covered up ail the goods down stairs and on the fourth floor. Then there must have been a reason- able chance of saving the building, The great fault here, as in Worth street, was that no ladders were raised to the windows, There must have | been plenty of time, for there was nothing to burn up so quickly as to prevent it, The floors could not have becone uusefe, either, for the men \or some time, a the beams would have to be burned simost through betore they would be in danger of per! Ido not wish to reteot on the entire rt- ment in what I say. I know the mon work weil, but their efforts were misdirected. The way I feel about the matter is this, that as an underwriter I could not advise the company with which I aim connected to tuke risks in this — district near! every — triflir fire ; floor in @ minute or two, and were f were to be mismanaged and allowed to spread to a conflagration. I was for eight or nine years a in the old department; I was not at the Grand street fire, but I was at Worth street when the fire had been burning some time.” Commissioner J, L, Perley, of the Fire Devart- ment, is understood to coincide in some of the above He considers that there was a blameable delay in sendi out the third alarm ‘orth street fire, whic ar & eyed time beyond control. He 10 have ex- | ey weg to the effect that the fire could ve been subdued on the floor where it had broken out, and ¢! ladders bught to have been raised to the floor and hose carried up to the windows. Mr. M. B. Wilson, chief of the Insurance Patrol, ‘said he was present at both fires, and knew consider- able about them, He declined, however, to express any opinion as to their management by the Fire De- partment, saying that he understood an official in- Vestigation would take pince. THY OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY. Mr. V. C. King, Chairman of the Board. of Fire Commissioners, said to the reporter that he was pres- ent at both fires, and, in his opinion, all was doue | that ability and experience could suggest. Chief was in char, of the "Grand street, fire, Assistant ‘Chic Shea and Chief of Battalion Bonner of the In fifteen minutes the Grand street building was # mass of flames. The absence of partitions on the upper floors caused the flames to spread like lightning. There was no opposition to them and plenty of araught to fan them. The men went in with their hose and were driven out in afew minutes by the heat. The ladders of the department are only sixty-five feet long, too short to reach above the third floor, Bonner was on hand with Engine Com- pany No, 7, at the Worth street fire, three minutes after the alarm was sounded. He and Captain Kehoe went in with a line, but were driven from the third to escape from the Thomas street side of the building. The delay in sending out the third alarm was owing to an accident to the telegraph line. Bonner sent @ man at once box No. 86, uer of Broadway and Thomas street. The box would not work. When the man discovered that he rau, by order of Chief Shea, to No. 124, corner of Leonard and Church streets. Some time was lost in this way, but it was unavoidable. Mr. King thought it was useless to ladders, and believed that the tire must have been burning at least an hour before the alarm was given. Commissioner Gorman was in‘the theatre, he said, when the first alarm was sounded for the Worth street fire. That was at 7:52 P.M. He was notified before the curtain rose eight, came out to the steps of the theatre and saw that the sky was already illuminated by the flames. He ought that if ladders were raised at this re both they and any men who might have been on them would have been lost. He was at both fires within fifteen minutes after the alarms, and saw at once in both cases that was no hope for the buildings. WHAT THE FIREMEN FOUND AWAITING THEM, Chiet of Battalion Hugh Bonner went to both fires on the first alarm, As he drove out of the engine cor- ' house in Chambers street to go to the Grand street fire he saw the sky already bright with the reflection of the flames, When he got there the flames were pouring trom all the windows on Crosby street and tor 100 feet along Grand on three siories. The men entered the building from the Broadway side, but were uriven out in less than five minutes, When he arrived at the Worth street fire flames were pouring from the windows. It must have been burning a | long time. The third floor was so far gone that when he and Kehoe broke im the door opening on the stairway they could get no foothold on that floor, “They worked on the stairway till they heard the safes and heavy objects falling through the floors, and then they and their men were forced to fly for their lives. He says that no men could at any time have worked on ladders on account of the flames pour- ing from the windows, and the heat was so great that it was impossible to stand opposite the building. HELP FOR REPENTANT ORIMINALS. MICHAEL DUNN'S NEW MISSION FOR EX-CON- VICTS—WHAT HE PROPOSES TO ACCOMPLISH. Some ten or twelve men sat around a table in a store at No. 311 Water street last evening and read a chapter from the Bible, each taking 4 verse in turn until it was completed. They were all rough look- ing fellows, and more than one of them had served a term in State Prison. The place was Michael Dunn’s New Mission for Ex-convicts, and thése men were the first fruits of his labors. One or two of them read remarkably well, in firm and confident tones; several went through the verses in a mechanical pri- mary school sort of way, and one very intelligent looking young man hesitated when his turn came, and then blundered hastily through a verse, blush- ing like o girl, as if conscious of some incongruity in his utterance of the sacred words. . When the chapter was finished Dunn himself talked fora while with his visitors, telling them about his career as a criminal and a convict and sketching his future work for the reclamation of released convicts, ‘‘Most of these poor fellows,” said he, “have no means when they get out of prison; they have no place to go to and they can get no work. Now, I want to have ® plece here where they can come and get a meal and a bed, and if they want to be honest they.can be put in the way of. earning a: honest living, When Twas released from prison last spring my old keeper said he would keep my job six weeks for me, as he expected me back in that time, I guess I would have been, only the grace of God came to me, Now,1 hope many a poor fellow will be kept away from his old companions and habits by coming in here when he gets out of prison, and 1 hope to find means to start all who want to be honest in some honest way of life.” HOW HE WILL WORK. “How do you mean to work?’ a Henatp reporter asked Mr, Duun when the mecting was over. “Well, of course I had to get some help at first,” he replied; “but I hope to make the mission seif-sup- porting in a short time, If some one would donute some Manuel and thread and impsements for sewing I would get a machine and set some men to work making sailors’ shirts and such things. You know all convicts can sew. Then I will send some of them to peddle small wares, and one way or another I think { will be able make ends meet. I intend to give help to every convict who comes in, whether he has money or not. Then I'll give him achance to work, if he shows a disposi- tion to be honest and to work for his bread I will help him to get employment. A great many men are seut to prison ior short terms for slight offeuces— often for no dishonest act. Perhaps a young tellow was drunk and bad a fight aud was imprisoned for six months, When he comes out he may be anxious for work, but he finds it just as hard to get honest employment as if he was a confirmed thief. He has no means of support; he degins to drink and he may very soon be forced to steal to buy food to save himself from ba ae > Now, it is young fellows of this kind that I hope to reach more than the regular criminal class. Two men slept here tast night; we will have five to-night. Thaa two ex-convicts at breakfast, three at dinner and tour at supper. | have given one man some tools and he is trying to get jobs mending locks, Another starts out book canvassing to-morrow. Ove came in who was a sailor; he has just Guished a three months’ term for petit larceny. He will sip in the navy in a day or two. We will also send to his home in Can- ada a poor fellow who haa lately come from Fort Leavenworth, where he served three years for de- serting from the em He is destitute, Dut has friends at home who will set him on his feet. You see there are plenty of cases of this sort, where a man only wants achance to become a good citizen, and these are the kind I hope to help.” HERMAN AND ELIZABETH. A favorite lounging resort of Newark, N. J., officials end well known citizens is William Wirtz’s place in William street, near the Newark City Hall and Police Headquarters, Last July the proprietor went with his family to Rockaway, leaving the place in charge of Herman Rothschild, stout, pleasant faced German. Wartz also lett in his house, over his saloon, @ buxom young ser- vant girl, seventeen years of age. Beiween her and Herman close intimacy sprang up. While the “boss” and his tamily were away, as the girl, Eliza- beth Gall, alleges, Herman led her ast ae der & promise of speedy marriage. ling that Herman was not disposed to keep his word and that she would soon become s mother she caused his arrest. He was tried yesterday before Judge Paulin and @ jury, and found guilty of what the girl alle, He will be sentenced to-day, He "wed, stoutly denies the hard impeachmont despite dence and verdict, " evi- AN “IMPROVED” TELEPHONE. (From the Rochester Express, Jan, 23.) It is not very long since the mere possibility of the existence of such a thing as the telephone of to-day was scouted. Now an ordinary telephone is not con- sidered anything tnusual by any one. But there is a tolephonic apparatus now in operation between the office of the Fire Alarm Telegraph, presided over by Mr. B. F. Blackall, and his residence at No. 42 North Union street, that puts anything before exhibited alittle in the shade, It is an improvement on the transmitting instrument of the Beil telephone aud its principal novel features consist in the connect- ing of the apparatus with a battery, The air pioce is the same as in the ordinary Bell telephone. A de- tailed description of the improvement would hardly be interesting, but one of its workings will. A re) resentative of this paper called at Mr, Blackall's office this ow i to find one gentleman holding the ear piece to his head while Mr. Blackall was walking about the room talking ia his ordinary tone of voice to his daughter Minnie at his residence, something like a mile Lv 8 The mouth piece was against the wail, and some away from the speaker. In moment the reporter was given the ear piece and Mr. Blackall went iuto another room, at t thirty feet away from the mouth piece, and «poke in ‘@ tone of voice My! slightly raised. The answer came ‘as promptly and distinctly as possible, and showed that his mi must have been heard with perfect ease, And all this notwithstandi that the mouth of the transmitter was pointed in_ the opposite direc- tion from Mr Biackail, the sound having to strike the opposite wall and rebound, as it were, at least twelve feet, making forty-two feet in all. Afterward Miss Blackall played on piano in another room, some ees or thirty feet from the instrument. Then she wi japered in the phone with suprisingly distinct results, ‘Tuken all in all the new improvement is the auost woudertul in use #0 far. LETTER FROM JEFF DAVIS. “TO DENY THE RESPONSIBITATY OF THE REP- RESENTATIVE TO HIS CONSTITUENCY WOULD BE TO ATTACK THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PO- LITICAL SYSTEM.” {From the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion.) We are gratified to have the opportunity to pub- lish the following letter written by Hon. Jefferson Davis, in reply to inquiries designed to elicit his opinion upon # subject of vital public importance, It will be read by his countrymen with the interest which they attach to everything that emanates from its distinguished author:— Beavvorn Posr OrFice, Hagnison County, Miss., Dec. 14, 1978, My Dear Sin—I this day received yours of the 12th inst., asking for my opinion as to the right of the Legislature of @ State to instruct her Senators in Congress. Personally a disinterested observer, I stand upon the political river, earnestly watching whatever it may bear, but without any purpose ever again to lauuch my bark upon it. My opinions, however, upon any subject which interests Mississippi are, as they always will be, at the service of my friends who may desire to have them, ‘the government of the United States is essentially Es rpg the necessary consequence of the ad- mitted sovereignty of the people and the individu. ality of the States. To deny the responsibility of the representative to his constituency would be to at tack the foundation of’ our political system. The two houses of Congress represent, the one, the people; the other, the States themselves, It the people of a Congressional district were to asseimbie in mass and instruct their Representative Upon any particular question, who will guinsay their right to do so or his dut; obey? In the compact ot the Union it was provided that the representatives of the States, their Senators, should be chosen 1 their respective Legislatures, Those Legisiatures do in that counection express the Voice of the State, aud the Senator who accepts his election by the Legislature as such expression of the will of the State would seem to be estopped from contending at any future time that the Legislature was not the proper chanuel through which the Stato should speak to him, It has been the practice of the democracy, either to obey instructions or to resign the office held from the peop.e, so that their constituents might, if they so desired, select some one else wuo would more truly represent tem. Nor has this been entirely confined to the democracy. The statesman woo has been called che expounier of the constiiuuon, when the wild waves of abolitionism were ceating against the buiwarks of the constitution, and tireatentug its subversion, in view ot the prospects of receiving in- structious which he could not conscientiously obey, said ue hoped the event migat not arise, and iy indicaied, though ue did not express it, that in such uw continyency he would vacate ® seat he could not consistently retain. In the democracy of Greece the people assembled in mass .o discuss and to legislate. In the Republic | ot Mome the government wes one of orders, the patricians and the people having conflicting powers, dn neither of these could representation such as ours have been tie foundation of government, ‘Therefore we had to be a law unto ourselves. Wuere- 4s all other modern republics were based upon pre- existing feudal system, we had no compromises ‘to make with abuses and with privileged classes, but were offered a clear sheet, on which the charter of human liberty and the supremacy of law might be written. ‘The people of each it State, sovereign power, organized euch for itself a govern- ment of their own; and by the compact union delegated to the general government such powers and functions as they were willing to confide io it. In the State governments as well as in that of. the United States power was attended by a correlative ro- sponsibility or those who trom either received au- thority and trust. It was a wise organism when it was adopted—more wise, perhaps, thun the buiidera knew, for our experience has taught us that corrup- tion, which works in darkness and unseen, may un- dermine the fabric which could resist direct and external blows. We have been by the Divine Master taugiit the danger ot being led into tempiation. In the growth of wealth and luxury we have seen arise us the consequence increased extravagance, waiting on the necessities of Which was an army of lobvyists, the agents ot powerful corporations, of epecial mterests and of the moueyed power. Against the imtluence ot these it were safer to trust the body ot the people who are beyond the reach of tempta- tion than the few who are immediately ex] to it. In opposition to the right of the constituency to | instruct 1 know of no argument which deserves no- tice, uness it be that which denies to the le the requisite amount of intelligence. If that be true the corner stone of our temple is crushed, and it were vain to attempt to prop the superstructure. Bas is it rue? Lhope not, think not, and repel the as- sumption ot any man that he has more w adom than the aggregate of his neighbors. So, sir, end, as I began, with the expression of the that the coexistence of liberty and power re- quire the direct responsibility of the representative to his constituency, This is the characteristic and a oe merit of our political system, State and ral. a iu conclusion let me express the conviction that unless this be maintained and the virtue and intelli- gence of the people keep pace with the demand for Doth in the exercise of the high power they possess, we must look forward to corruption among officials und auarchy, to be followed Ey despotism. Very truly, your friend, ‘ERSON DAVIS. ECONOMY ON BLACKWELL'S ISLAND, AN AGED CHARITY PATIENT DENIED THE USE OF NECESSARY STIMULANTS. Among the inmates of the section of the hospital on Blackwell's Isiand designated ‘Pavilion M” is # poor, broken down, emaciated old woman named Bridget Weglrond, All that is left of her fam- ily are two sons, both unmarried and re- siding at No, 120 Cannon street in this city. For the past four years the old woman has been suffering from a complication of discases and ia now in the last stages of consumption, Her daugh- ter, who performed the duties of housekeeper for the family, died two years ago, and the care of the help, less woman devolved on the sons. They emp:oyed women to attend her until both were out of employment and they were unable any longer to afford her ihe delicacies on which she subsisted almost entirely. The physician who attended her for years prescribed brandy and milk punch, and said that if deprived of these she must rapidly succumb. Not having the means to provide these any longer, the sons nad her removed to the preg ome ital, on Blackwell's Island, four months ago. re she was kindly treated and supplied with brandy, A ter spending two months there she was removed to the pavilion referred to, and at once the supply of brandy was cut off. ‘The eldest non, James L. Walrond, » sign painter by trade, who obtained steady employment uatil re- cently in the vicinity of Houston and Cannon strecis, said to a Hematp reporter:—“I re- moustrated against the treatment my mother received in the pavilion after rhe had be n so well treated in the Charity Hospital, but the matron in charge, Mrs, Miller, told me that brandy wax no longer alowed. Lhave had some experience in hospitals, and any physician will tell you that it is customary in these tnstitutions to adininister oil and brandy to consumptives. If my brother and myself could only get work we would furnish her with such nourishment as she needs.” The reporter called on the chief of staff et the hos- pitai, Dr. C. R. Estabrooke. He admitted that they shared the effects of the general hue and cry tor economy in the public departments, and their supply of liquors, such as brandy and whiskey, been greatly curtailed, ‘the Visiting Commit- tee considered that tite supplies in pre- vious years were somewhat extravagant and gave strict directions for retrenchment in many quarters, including the liquor supply. The cost for liquors in that brauch of the institution lagt year . ‘These liquors are ordered by the visiting physicians. ‘At all events,” said the doctor, “you would not expect us to give liquor to all tne brol down patients thrown on our hands here, Just bee what ac rowd we have. Besides, it is a serious question among physicians whether the use of alcohol should be i pomgeon veto ay hy setcheneyp gene _ not been prescribed in institution until recently in cases like that of Mrs. Walrond, to which the doctor replied, “We supply it still in extreme cases, but in chronic cases what good can it effect? It only pro- longs a life of misery, and surely that cannot servo the patient. For my partI would not administer it in any case where the patient had broken down his constitution by constant indulgence in alcoholic liquors.” . THE TELEPHONE OUL WEST. (From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan, 23.) & An Enquirer man met Mr. Frank Armstrong, the manager, of the Western Union Telegraph Company's Cincinnati office, last evening, and said:—“Hear you have been talking with Indianapolis through the tele- phone to-day?” “Yes, and very satisfactory the experiments were, too,” “Won't the growth of the telephone cheapen tho labor of key operators, or of those who live by the Morse system?” “Not at all, [think. It may do away with afew of the shorter and private circuits; but even there it is not having the expected effect. Many who like the telephone well enough keep their Morse lincs and operators because they want records of their business transactions. Thut is the “keynote’—no play upon words intended—of the whole situation, ‘he hewspaper wants a record of the ne sent it; the basiness man must have his contracts in writing; the speculator will not trust to verbal transactions, Suppose, for instance, a firm had a branch a hi miles away. To use a telephone intelligibly woul wire the employment of two men—one at each po ‘Trust me, in such cases the Morse system will e Th Enguir man did fe we Kaquirer not preci seo, for the possibilities of the telephone Fy probably but be- ons to develop, but it was a cheering View, an; 0 to thove who believe that fe skilled labor are rapidly lessen ag erore ‘te ‘aaa of invention,