VHJ5 VALl'E of as oath.
. an unpopular case to defend.
was
of
ne oi "rrr ,P,, lar verdict 1
had
cuiw - l il
was
the
Arthur Berkley, the prisoner, had mar
A Edith Granger, wealthy heiress,
Wher had died leaving her a
,1,096 . pjtcinsion of
bs0Tjr-; whom he had dit
8i n
bi F.0"'," r.r' frm home.
Berkley died within a year after
i, leaving an infant, a feeble
creature, renu ring constant and
' ilnous care..fiideed, Dr. Ualdwm
TrTnat took up bis quarters in tue uouse,
often pa83'"! e
,vht be on hand in case of need,
""jr . . wa niffhta. the doctor, as
..u ...j, oiofc.il in his evidence, after
iring to bod, feeling solicitous about
Surge, got up and stole softly to the
1116 m t .. ,.,,4l. ,',,. was all
nursery to see vuu
"lie found the door ajar and a dim light
tinctlv saw Arthur Berkley standing by
X." ..Vi holding to the child's mouth
winch it was accustomed to
Leive its food. At the sound of the
ibetor's footsteps he steathily left the
i)artmeni oy wu cuwum-o.
r.i Utile mirnrised at these mov
ments, the doctor approached and laid
Ms hand on the child's faoe, which he
found in violent convulsions, which
' were followed in a few seconds by the
iiulden stillness oi aeaui.
A flost-portem examination and
snalysi of the contents of the stomach
placed it beyond doubt that prussio acid
UJ been administered. And an ex
the bottle, fonnd where
JUlliUw -
Berkley had left it, proved that the milk
in it contained a iurge quuuwiy ui u
wmo deadly poison.
On this evidence Berkley was arrested
and indicted for murder; and there was
i .lUsnnfinir voice as to his cult. An
incentive to the crime found in the fact
that, as heir to ins cnua, lie wouiu m-v.-t
tha fortune which had descended
to the latter through the death of his
mother. lo womier tne aeea s
monstrous, should excite the deepest in
Berkley's previous character had been
good. He always appeareu genue nnu
1,0,1 hppn a devoted husband, and
during the brief period of its life had
showed the tendorest attachment for his
Tn mv nnnfprpnnn with him he seemed
overwhelmed with grief, but strenuously
denied all imputations oi gum, asserting
that he had not gone to the nursery after
retiring that night till called by the alarm
of bis child s ueatn.
Of course bis statements, in tne face of
proof so damning, weighed but little. J
L.l nn nnndilnnnn in them nivsfilf. Still
MV " '
it was my professional duty to see that a
1 mnn nn trial fnr his life, who had en
trusted me with his cause, had every
ncrht oi tne law accoruea mm. xuis
duty perfonned, my conscience would
lm olonr whatever the result.
Ti VI 1. - i..lin..n A 1.a11 til rt
X&WUUIU UU bCUluun w uno4 vu
steps preceding the trial. I interposed
tin nhmntinn to its ir mini? on Boeedilv.
My aim was not to thwart the ends of
justice, but to see it rainy meteu out.
Dr. Baldwin was the first and chief
witness! Ha tnlil his stnrv clearlv and
methodically, and it was very easy to soe
it carried conviction to tne jury, iuy
rigid cross-examination only served to
bring out his evidonco with more dis
tinctness of dotail. I elicited the Tact,
for instance, that the child's nurse lay in
tlm uma rnnm flint, film was asleep when
the doctor entered, and it was to her he
first announced the child s death, l also
examined fully as to the prisoner's acts
at tlm time tlm alarm wns iriven. en
deavoring to show that he came from the
direction of his own chamber, appearing
fn nnffd Itnnn inat ArmiOAil frnm RlnPfV
But I made nothing of this, the witness
stating that his agitation iiau aisraocieu
his attention from these points. '
The rWtnr lin.fi nnlv renentlv settled
among us, but his conduct had been so
exemplary that he hod mule many
friends. He had especially won the con-
him as to his past career, but brought
out nothing to his discredit.
The evidence of the chemist who made
the analysis was 'next put in, and the
State's attorney "rested."
"I have brought the nurse here," he
aid, "but as she was asleep when the
prisoner entered, her evidence is nnim-
her here, however, to afford the other
side the opportunity to call her if they
desire."
Nothing could render the prisoner's
case more hopeless than it was al
ready, while something might come out
ro ma advantage.
"I will call the witness." I said,
She was a middle-aged woman, of not
unprepossessing appearance. Her agita-
uuu was visiDie; and l nouceu uiui iu
taking the oath she laid her hand beside
the book and not upon it.
"I asked that the witness be sworn
with her hand en the book," I said, call
ini? attention to the omission.
The Judge so ordered, and the witness'
hand shook violently as she reluctantly
obeyed tho direction, and the oath was
re-administered.
After a few preliminary questions as
to the hour of her retiring, her falling
aslepp, etc.
"What is the next thing vou remem
ber?" I asked.
The witness hesitated.
"Answer the question," replied His
Honor.
"I heard a noise as if some one was
coming into the room."
"Did you see any one enter?"
Another pause.
I repeated the inquiry.
"I did," was the answer.
"What did the person do?"
The woman's face grew paler, and it
was with difficulty she found utterance.
"He came to the side of the cradle,"
fhe said, "with the bottle of milk in his
Jand, and put it to the baby's month."
The Judge and State's attorney both
bent forward in eager attention. The
wter, it was evident, had not expected
this testimony.
I felt that my question thus far had
only served o draw the halter closer
about my client's neck. But I had gone
too far to retreat.
ilj voice trembled almost as much
as did that of the witness as I proceeded.
"Did you recognize that person?"
"I did," was the answer scarcely au
dible.
My client's life hung on the answer of
the question! The silence of the court
room was deathlike. I dreaded to break
it. The sound of my voice startled m
wnen i spots.
"Who was it?"
Her lips moved, but no sound came.
Her agitation was fearful to witness.
bbe shook from head to foot. A death'
ly pallor overspread her face. Slowly
raising her trembling hand and pointing
to ur. iaiawin:
"That is the man!" she almost shriek'
ed
Then in quick, wild accents, she went
on to tell that on nndmir himself dis
covered by reason of her waking, the
culprit, who was no other than George
Uranger, Mrs. .Berkley sproflisrate broth
er, had disclosod to her that his purpose
was to regain his lost inheritance by
putting out oi the way those who rtood
between him and it, promisinsr the wit
ness to provide for her handsomely if
sue Kept his secret, but when, put to the
test, she had found herself unable to
violate lior solemn oath.
George Granger, alias Dr. Baldwin
would have left the courtroom, but an
oflioer was ordered to detain him; and
when his disguise was removed, though
he had been absent for years, there
were many present who could testify to
ins identity.
. Mv client was nonnittpil on tho snot
and his cell in prison was, that night,
occupied by his false accuser.
A Race for a Mine.
The Humboldt Times speaks of a
lively race between two mining parties
or companies, both parties chartered a
tug and started for Crescent City, not
wishing to wait for the sailing of tho
Humboldt. The object of each party
was to get upon the supposed rich
ground, post their notices, and returned
to Eureka, and make the proper filing in
the Humboldt land office. The rivals
were the Big Flat Company, a Boston
firm, and a California company. The
former have erected extensive works and
spent a great deal of money at Big Flat
in Del Norte county, and the disputed
ground is within threo miles of their
irround. .Both tugs left this place to
gether, but the Boston man was first to
land. Horses were at onoe procured,
and the journey to the mine, a distance
of thirty miles, was commenced. The
Californian started a short timo after,
The trail was muddy and the streams
high. At the crossing of the Smith river
there is a ferry which was built and
owned by the Big Flat Company. The
Boston man arrived at the river first, and
crossed the ferry, and as the water was
very high, the ferryman was instructed
not to cross any one, as it was dangerous,
but the Californian, like Sheridan, was
five miles avtay. The Boston man went
to the ground and posted his notice
some little time in advance of his rival,
and roturned to Crescent City, and the
Californian followed in turn. They both
had disposed of the tugs, so they were
were fellow passengers on the steamer
which arrived next morning from
Crescent City. When the Humboldt
was coming up the bay, and when near
Flannacran's mill, a small boat came
alongside, and into it the Boston man
sprang, and was pulled to the mill wharf,
where a buggy was waiting for him. He
jumped into the buggy, was driven
rapidly to the land office, and made his
application for the filing of the Big Flat
Mining Company beiore tne iiumnoiai
touched her dock. The Californian left
the steamer at the earliest moment, and
came up F street at a pace that would
have made (J Leary look to his xaurcis,
but he arrived just in time to be too
late. The Boston man was there nrst,
and had done the business. The piece
of land in question is reported to be very
valuable, the prospects showing that tho
"color exists in large quantities.
A Secret fob Thirty Years. Light
has at last been thrown on a mystery
that has boon inexplicable for over
thirty years. Tho developments ore of a
startling nature and concerns a man
named Griffith, sexton or the irst ljres'
bvterian Church. Allegheny, who disap
peared about that time. He was addicted
to habits of intemperance, and it was
supposed that he had run away from his
family and gone to part unknown. After
tuese many years ii uus ueeu jeoiuuu
that he was murdered. The strange
story, which comes from what is consid
ered a reliable source, is as follows: Two
butchers, when going to Pittsburg with
their meat in the dead hour of the night,
in passing an old grave-yard on Point of
Hill, in Allegheny, saw a dim light in it.
They opproached quietly and saw
Griffith in the act of lifting a body out
of a grave which he had opened. One
of them took in his hand a piece of board
.. - !i i... l l.l
and struck him a blow, the edge hitting
him on the head, splitting the skull. He
foil dead on the body he was stealing.
Boing alarmed at what they had done,
they concluded to fill up the grave on.
the two, holding that the murder wouia
neyer be known. In the course of time
one of tho butchers left for some other
parts and there died. The other became
dissipated, and once while under the in
fluence of liquor stated these- facts to
some friends, who concluded to keep the
matter secret, as the occurrence took
place many years ago, and nothing but
trouble could be made out of it at this
late date. This man died a few years
ago, the friends keeping the secret until
the present timo. Pittsburg Press.
An Auusmo Incident. A rather
amusing incident is told as having oc
curred recently at a church in Connec
ticut, not many miles from Fairfield.
The clergyman, it would appear, desired
to coll the attention of his congregation
to the fact that it being the last Sunday
in the month he would administer the
rite of baptism to children. Previous to
his having entered the pulpit he had re
ceived from one of his elders, who by the
way, was quite deaf, a notice to the effect
that as the children would be present
that afternoon, and he had the new Sun
day school books ready for distribution,
he would have them there to sell to who
desired them. After the sermon the
clergyman began the notice of the bap
tismal service thus: "All oi tuose Hav
ing children and desiring to have them
baptized will bring them this afternoon."
At this point the deaf elder, hearing the
mention of children, supposed it was
something in reference to his books, and
rising, said: "And all of those having
none sua aetunng uiem, wui m uyi" ,
by me for the sum of twentr-flve cents!"
MAJOR BOOTS,
Once upon a time a certain gentleman
who lived splendidly and did not pay his
debts, owed his shoemaker a large bill,
nd the shoemaker having been told to
call again many times, and having writ'
tea notes without end asking for a set'
tlement, resolved to disgrace h's cus
tomer by exposing him to his friends the
very noxt time he gave one of those large
dinnor parties which so excited the cred
itor'sire.
Accordingly, having seen the wagons
oi the caterer stop before tho door, and
watched the waiters enter one by one,
Mr. Shoemaker, attiring himself in his
Buit, and with his little bill elegantly
written out, awaited the appcarauco of
the carriages, and when at last buy had
arrived, set down their burdens and de
parted, stalked up the doorstep like a
vengeful ghost, and ringing the bell
most furiously, found it opened for
bun with startling celerity, and stood
loco to lace with a toll, black waiter,
white-gloved and stately.
"Whore's Mr. Cheatem?" whispered
the shoemakor.
"Gentlemen's dressing room, second
floor back) responded the waiter.
Some one else had arrived, and was
treading on his heels. A vision of splen
dor, in the most wonderful soft, white
wraps, floated past him.
"Ladies, front room, second floor,
gontlomen, back," repeated the waiter.
Mr. Shoemaker was hustled forward,
hat in hand, and saw his delinquent
debtor in all the elegance of dress-coat,
Vintrnn.linlA Aaipa a nil 1i J A sttpairnt
UUttVU'UVlO AW Vt CI HUU n Al W Vlltl WV
bowing to, shaking hands with, and
smiling upon aristocratic personages in
numerable.
The sight fanned anew the flame of the
tradesman s just wrath. He marched lor
ward, planted himsolf directly before the
elegant Mr. Cheatem, and stared him in
the face.
But Cheatem did not wait. He know
his guest well enough, and ho under
stood his purpose; but what he did say,
was:
"Beg pardon; for the moment I've for
gotten your name.
"Have vou ? Then perhaps you'll ro
member me when I tell you that I made
you boots.
"Now, if you'll troublo yourself to re
peat these last four words rapidly, you
wul nnd that you do not say, as you oe
lieve you do: 'I made yonr boots,' but,
'I niftiur boots.' "
The lucky Cheatem dotocted this fact
on the instant.
"Major Boots!" he criod, demonstra
tively shaking hands. "Dear, dear; how
could I forgot you for a moment! De
lighted to soe you delighted. Mrs.
Chiffins, let me introduce you to my old
friend, Major Boots."
"So glad to know you," responded tho
old lady thus introduced. "I'm sure I've
heard Cousin Cheatem speak of you a
thousand times. Sit down, do, and tell
me who all these people are. I'm qaite
a stronger : I ve isolated myself in
Europe so long. Sit down, Major Boots;
here is a chair.
The newly-christened shoemaker hesi
tated a moment, but it was not possible
for him to cry out: "I am not Major
Boots; I'm Clamp, the shoemaker, come
for my bill." He found ho had not the
courage. He crammed his hat under the
velvet chair to which he was motioned,
and subsided into angry silence while the
old lady went on:
Oh. Maior. I always feol so privileged
when I have the opportunity to taiK to a
military man. I adore courage. And
were you ever wounded? Do toll me all
about it."
The bootmaker, finding it necessary to
fsply, said "that he never had been
wounded. i
And the old lady went on:
"Never! How charming! Bore a charm
ed lifo, and all that sort of thing. Do tell
me all about it."
The shoemaker replied "that there was
nothing to tell."
On which the most gushing of old
ladies queried:
"Now. Major. I won't believe that. It's
like the modesty of you celebrated mili
tary men. 1 know you stormed redoubts
and led forlorn hopes, and were the only
one loft of your regiment, and all that.
I'm sure I read all about it at the time.
Oh, here Colonel Hobbs, a celebrated
English officer, did something awfully
brave in India. Colonel, let me make
you acquainted with Major Boots, ono of
our bravest military men. He's been
telling me all about the wonderful things
he did in the army. I mean ho wouldn't
tell me about them just like all yoa
great men won't trouble himself to fight
his battles over for an old woman."
'Ah awfully charmed. I'm sure, re
sponded the gallant colonel. "Awfully,
ah! Must introduce you to my brother,
Captain Hobbs, in the same regiment
with myself."
The shoemaker had arisen and was
looking down on his business suit.
"I didn't intend to that is, I didn't
expect to be at such a swell affair as
this," he stammered, "or I I should
have worn my dress-suit."
Oh. my dear fellow, we always ex
fxxt you Amewican officers to be wough
and weady. We'd be disappointed if
you were not. The ladies, you know,
adore wough and weady men. It's the
particular charm of Amewicans."
Away he led the bootmaker, wno really
began to feel that he must have been, at
some period of his life, a military man.
And after being introduced to Captain
Hobbs as Major de Boots, who was "de
lighted," found himself tete-a-tete with a
very lovely young French lady, who ad
dressed him as "General de Buta," and
whom, at the request of his hostess,
whom he had never seen before, and
who hod no idea who he was he took
down to supper.
Somehow this stranger, with bis sulky
air. had been set down as a most eccen
tric and distinguished military man by
everybody. He was regarded with at
tention, listened to with reverence when
he condescended to say a few words.
The French lady introduced him volum
inously as General de Buta; and thus
was he addressed thereafter. The wait
ers offered him champagne frequently,
and the bootmaker gradually grew ex
hiliarated. Never had he been preeent
at snch elegant festivities. Never had
he partaken of such viands been so
overwhelmed with festivities. Never had
so lovely a creature leaned upon his arm
Never had he tasted sucli wine. At first
it exhilarated him, then it mounted to his
head, and suddenly it appeared to him
that his host was a glorious fellow, and I
that he was under infinite obligations to
mm.
Doubling his fist, he bronirht it
upon the table with a crash that made the
giussos ring again.
"Better man than Cheatem don't live!"
cnea ne. i
"I agree with you," replied his noigh'
UOr, UllllMJlT.
"Ah! I adore such enthiiBiastia friend
ship, such lof like Damond and Pythias
in xe play," ejaculated the French lady.
"How original! How delightfully eo-
cemnci a penoct military man," wins
pered others.
Meanwhile the bootmaker, staggering
to his feet, made his way as best he
niigui, lowara ins host.
"Cheatem." ho cried look hore! I
come" here he reeled and cought at a
table "I came to givo you this bofors
every ic; everybody.
And he held out his folded bill,
which Mr. Cheatem instantly took.
"Now I-I wouldn't (hie) do it-for
lor -
"Mr. Cheatem beckoned two waiters.
"My dear old friend," he said, you're
not well. Let theso men put you in a
carnage, and go home. I'll call on yon
to-morrow, so glad to have seen you.
As for tliis pooh! pooh!"
Tho waiters led the bootmaker from
the room, after their host had whispered
a direction to be given the driver.
And Mr. Cheatem thus addressed his
friends:
"You must not think ill of my old
friend for this little lapse of his. After
tho trials of military life it is only to be
expected that his habits should not be
those of quiet civilians, and tis his only
weakness.
"One forgives everything in a soldier,"
remarked a lady.
"A very ordinary failing for a military
man," responded a gontleman.
And to think the honest creature
should have remembered so slight an in
debtedness as this, and been so anxious
about it," sighod Mr. Cheatem, and he
put the shoemaker's receipted bill into
his pocket.'
Uoiigh and the Students.
An amusing story is told of John B.
Gough, when he went to address the stu
dents on temperance. A few evenings
before an eminent man was to have de1
livered a lecture at Oxford on "The
Evils of Tobaooo." Tho boys got into
the hall an hour beforehand, each with
what Dr. Carroll drolly emphasizod as a
collego pipe in his mouth, lhe time
for the locture arrived, but ii the lectur
er did, it was never discovered ho was
not visible through the fog. The stu
dents sent word to Mr. Gough when ho
came that they wouldn t have any torn
perance, and advised him not to persist
.i !.. 1.- L i. 41. I.. 11
ill louiuriug. uii no nun i, iu ma uui,
For twenty minutes he spoke in panto
miue amid the deafening catcalls of the
boys.
Finally he stepped forward, domandod
British fair play and offered to whip
every one of the 500 singly. This offer
was loudly cheered and promptly ao
cepted, and a big six foot athlete was
sent up on the stage. Gough, who is a
little man, backed off as tho big fellow
approached him and explained, "My
friends, you evidently misundorstand
me. This is to be an intellectual con
test, not a prize fight." The students
cheered again at this evidence of the
American's shrewdness and ordered the
debate to proceod. The college lad
was, therefore, obliged to tackle
the temperance champion. He was at a
tlinAilvantAire. but he emoted Scripture,
and reminded the plucky lecturer that it
was one of the apostles who wrote to
Timothy a young man, too, hko them
selves -to take a little wine for his stom
ach's sake and for his other intimities.
The lads shouted vociferously at this,
and wanted to know how Gough could
get around this.
"Gough slowly examined the six footer
from top to toe, and then said, "My
friends, look at this athlete, this follow
with muscles like steel, who can wield
the club of Hercules, who can bend an
English yeoman's bow, who could knock
down an ox with the blow of a hammer.
He is the personification of health and
strength, but he thinks he needs a little
wine for his stomach's sake !"
Gouch's inimitablo manner of saying
this hod a tremendous jeffect. The stu
dents actually yelled with delight,
and their defeated champion retreated.
Another was sent up. He was the intel
lectual giant of his class, in contradis
tinction to the six-footer. He. with
much solf-coulidence, mado a finished ar
gument for liquor drinking, basod on
Christ's changing the water into wine, at
the wedding feast. His comrades cheered
him to tho echo, and thought his argu
ment unanswerable, , and Gough was
chaffed for his defeat.
Young men." said ho. solemnly, "I
admit that your champion has forestalled
me. He has said for me just what I came
here charge yeu to do. Drink, all the
wine vou can find that is made entirely
out ol water !"
, 'Growth of Boys and Girls.
Tlm results of a systematic measure
ment of the pupils of the public schools
of Boston show, among othor things,
that the growth of children takes place
in such a way that, until the age of eleven
or twelve years, boys are both taller and
heavier than girls" of the same age; at
this period of life girls begia to grow
very rapidly, and for the next two or
three years surpass boys of the same ago,
both in height and weight. Boys then
acquire and retain a size superior to that
of girls, who have now completed their
growth. Again, tho children of Ameri
can born parents were found to be taller
and heavier than those of foreign born
a superiority seemingly dependent partly
on the greater average comfort in which
such children live and grow up, and
partly upon differences of race or stock.
Pupils of American parentage at the pub-
t i : - ..,.i 1 : 1 i : ..l.nnlu
and the Institute of Technology showed
pporentlv for the same reasons supe
rior weight and height to the generality
of boys of American parentage attending
the public schools; and pupils of the
same selected schools were also taller
and heavier than English boys of the
non-laboring classes attending pnblic
schools and universities.
A native baker in India, anxious at the
some time to cailttention to his loaves
and to demonstrate his acquaintance with
the English tongue, describes himself as
a "Euroiican Loafer."
raid Jones' Flag.
Those wore lively days when Taul
Jones and his Hying squadron of four
ships were hanging off the mouth of the
Huniber in the autumn of 1779, and
when, after one of the most terrifio duels
ever fought between a brace of ships at
sea, the Bonhomme Richard, com
manded by Captain Jones, forced her
much heavier English antagonist, tho
Seropis, to haul down her flog. Every
thing connected with Paul Jones, has,
indoed, suoh a spell of romanoa thrown
around it by American enthusiasts that
it is hard to explain why among our
selves he is little more than a name.
That he is still regarded in this country
as a pirate may be inferred from the foot
Uiat not many years ago a raco-horse
called Paul Jones wou the Chester cup,
and that he bore this name becauso he
was the son of Buocaneor. At the com
mencement of sue of his novels Sir Wal
ter Scott alludos to the unseemly scare
which took possession of Edinburgh and
of Loith, its port, when, in 1778, Paul
Jones aud his little squadron, carrying
altogether Igbs than a thousand men,
threatened Leith from tho sea, with the
avowed intention of levying from the lit
tle town a contribution of 300,000. At
the moment there wore not fewer than
'20,000 soldiers, some of them regulars
and the rest militia and volunteers, in
Edinburgh alone; but the terror excited
in the breasts of our fathers by Paul
Jones proves beyond question that his
fame as a man of unusually intrepid
courage, of singular coolnoss in dangor,
and of ready resources, had spread for
and wide, which makes it strange that
more should not be known as to tho
chief incidents of his history than is or
dinarily current in England, even
among what are called well-informed
mon.
John Paul for this was his real name
first saw the light at Arbigland, in
Kirkcudbrightshire, upon the edge of
the Solway Firth, in tho year 1747. His
fathor was a respeotablo gardon, who was
said in England to have onco been in the
employ of the Earl of Selkirk an alle
gation which is indignantly denied by
the Amoriean biographers of" Paul Jones.
Bo this as it may, the boy showed from
the first a passionate partiality for a sail
or's life. He was therefore bound ap
prentice by his father to a merchant en
gagod the Amoriean trade, and made his
first voyage to Virginia when a lad of
twolvo. He was dolighted with tho
country, and at once became an Ameri
can rathor than an Englishmen iu feel
ing. Ho mado many other voyages, but
his heart was in Virginia, and thither he
returnod in 1773. Great events were on
tho evo of happening, and. sympathizing
eagerly with the American rebels, John
Paul, who had by this time added Jones
to his name, placed his services as a
sailor of experience at tho disposition of
the colonists in 1770. He was 28 years
old, full of bodily vigor and mental en
ergy, and with the advantage of having
before he went to sea receivod a Scotch
education which was far better than that
picked up by most of tho naval officers
who had joined the Amoriean rebellion.
On December 22. 1875. he was appointed
First Lieutenant of the Alfred, lying off
Tliiln1i1..1kia fin1 if. was nil linarl thin
4 UUOMU.'UlH. .. . H TTMM WM K ..... . . '
little vessel that Paul Jones hoisted with
his own hand the flag of indopondont
America for the first time that it was ever
displayed. This flag consisted at first of
thirteen alternate red and blue stripes
upon a white ground and not until many
months later were the stars added to the
stripes. The Alfred, in oompany with
the Hornet sloop and the Wasp schoon-
or, both from Maryland, put to sea in
February, 1770, and after many a brush
with English vessels, in nono of which
was the Alfred worsted. Paul Jonos re
turnod to the land of his adoption and
was put in command of the Ranger. How
it eamo to pass that in the Rangor he
swooped down upon Lord Selkirk's beau
tiful country seat on the coast of Gal way,
and, finding its ownor away from homo,
carried off tho plate, which ho sub
soouentlv returnod with a very chival
rous letter to the Countess of Solkirk, is
well known to Scotchmen. But the ac
tion by which his fame was indestructi
bly established was fought on a x rencb
vossol the Bonhomme Richard and it
is in connection with this action that at
tention has been called anew to a strange
nnd eventful history. Walter Stafford
Northcoto, son nnd Private Socretary to
tho Chancellor of the Exchequer, has
just written to a contemporary to sny
thut there now exists a flag being nono
othor than tho first star-sponglod banner
evor sent by the United States which
was preserved from capture by Lieuten
ant James Bayard Stafford in the action
between the Serapis and the Bonhomme
Richard off Scarborough in X77'J. wo
fear, as wo shall presently show, thut
Mr. Northcote will have some difficulty
iu establishing the authenticity of the flag
in question, but there can be no doubt
that if authentic it would be a most val
uable and interesting relic. No sharper
action was ever fought at sea than that in
which tho Serapis, carrying forty-one
guns of heavier calibre, triod conclusions
with the Bonhommo Richard with forty
guns, of which six were only eighteen
pounders and the rest little better than
field artillery.
The action commenced at 7 o'clock in
the evening of September 23, 1779, and
raged with the greatest intensity by
moonlight for three and a hulf hours,
the two vessels being locked together for
more than half that time, a device to
which Paul Jones had recourse in order
to negative the suierior mona'vering
power of his adversary. Both vessels
wore frequently in flames, as might be
expected when the muzzles of their guns
were actually touching. Mr. Northcote
says that Lieutenant Jamos Bayard Staf
ford, on board the Bonhomme Richard,
preservod her flag from being captared
by the English vessel. Now for two
reasons this con hardly have happened.
In the first place, the Bonhomme
Richard was nover boarded by the
Serapis, and secondly, there is among the
list of the officers who fought on board
the American ship, no such name as that
of Lieut. James Bayard Stafford. By re
ferring to Col. Sherburne's "Lifo of
Paul Jones, the second edition of which
was published at New York in Mr.
Northcote will find the names of the
Bonhomme Richard s crew, both officers
and men, and in the archives of the
Navy Deportment at Washington there
is a fnll catalogue of the "Naval Heroes
of the Revolution." Search will be mode
in vain for the name of Lieut. Stafford in
many records which are easily accessible,
and there are, moreover, inaccuracies in
the story, as related briefly by Mr. North
cote, which can hardly be snpportod, in
viow of the facts given in the exhaustive
reports of the action from the jens of
Captain Jonos and of Captain Peorson,
who commanded the Serapis. Such was
tho sense of the stubborn courage
shown by the latter that the British Ad
miralty created him $ knight, much to
the amusement of Paul Jones, who ex
claimed: "Next time I moet him I'll
make hira a Lord." But the tradition
that an old "star spangled banner," pre
served reveentially in the United States,
was once carriod by the Bonhomme
Richard, is, we fear, shadowy and incap
able of being substantiated. "What is
truth?" asked jesting Pilate, and who
would not stay for au answer; and few
who have had any experience in human
affairs will be found to deny that, like
the reputed affairs of the Bonhomme
Richard, facts, as represented by histor
ians, are singularly at variance with
facts as they colly happened. M. Pros
per Aieriuioe used to say that he cared
for nothing in history except its anec
dotes, which he felt to be truer than the
inforonoes drawn from thorn by histor
ians. To a similar kind and degree of in
credulity, life, with its unmasking reve
lations, is apt to reduce all who can en
dure what Cowper calls " the insupport
able fatigue of thought."
Scientific Truths.
Professor Macgregor tells us that his
attention was attracted to the use of girls
for scientific purposes bv overhearing a
younut lady remark that her "bant; would
iiot keep crimped in damp weuthcr."
Upon tins hint ho immediately began a
series of experiment, stretching over a
period of eleveu months and involving
the use of three hundred and soven girls,
lie began by taking the rod-haired girl
with a luxuriant bang, which he caused
to be crimped with great care,' on an
evening when the atraosphore was par
ticularly dry, The next morning the
bang presented a beautifully "frizzed"
appearance; but as toward afternoon tho
air grew perceptibly foggy, the professor
expected that the bang would lose its
erimpidity to use a scientific term. It
did nothing of the kind, and, so far as he
could sue, the state or the atmosphere
had no effect upon it. Instead of being
discouraged by this failure, Professor
Mucgregor presevered. It occured to him
thut the color of the hair might be an im
portant factor, and that red hair might
maintain its erimpidity in circumstances
where othor hair would lose that quality.
He therefore ordered from a charity school
three dozen orphaned girls, of from twelvo
to sixteen years of nge, and of assorted
colors in point of hair. Twelve of these
were black-haired, twolvo were brown
haired, and twelve were red-haired. All
of these girls wore bangs, and were in
every way well adopted for scientific in
vestigations. By a long series of careful
experiments he provod that on tho ap
proach of wet weather the bang of the
brown-haired girls, without exception,
became limp and straight; that a like effect
wus produced upon the bangs of ten of
the twelve black-haired girls, whllo the
red-haired girls were not a particle in
fluenced either by the humidity or the
dryuess of the atmosphere. Further ex
periments upon ladies of ovcry age, from
sixteen to ibrty-flve, gave like results,
aud the conclusion thut tho bangs of a
brown-haired girl is an Infallible indicator
oftbo approach of wet or dry weather
may be unhesitatingly accepted. The
professor also discovered that red-haired
girls show a peculiar susceptibility to
electricity. Whon a thunder-storm is
brewing, their bangs become stiff and f
bristling, and tn three instances, when
the professor tried to smooth a bristling
bang, he received a violent shock In the
region of the ear. He is not at vet pre
pared to say that the presonce of an un
usual amount of electricity in the air can
always be detected by the ubo of red-haired
girls, but he is strongly inclined to
think thatfurther investigation will prove
that Buch is the fuct. In view of this lin
portant discovery, Professor Mocgregor
recommends that brown- haired girls shalr
bo substituted on board all vessels, w both
er naval or mercantile, for the present
untrustworthy burometer. He points out
that In the merchant service, where a
stewardess is at present carried, she should
he required to be a brown-hairod woman,
with a bang, and that any neglect on her
part to crimp hor bang every night while
at sea should be punished asa misdemean
or. In the navy, peculiarly sensitive
brown-huired girls should bo employed,
and the professor suggests that they should
be kept in glass cases, open, of course, at
the top, so that they would run no risk of
being injured. The first cost of a girl is,
of course, more than that of a baromoter,
and it is expensive to keep her in order,
but this is of no consequence compared
with her value as a weather indicator.
The Old Virginia (ilunt.
The allusion in a recent letter of your
Louisiana correspondent to the old revo
lutionary giant horof Peter Francisco,
revives many traditions and reminis
cences of tho wonderful performances
and daring deeds of that extraordinary
man. My father, recently deceased at
tho advanced age of ninoty, well remem
bered him, having frequently seen him
in his native county of Buckingham, and
related many anecdotes of his stirring
and perilous adventures and hairbreadth
escapes as ho heard tho recital full from
the lips of the giant himself. He de
scribed him as six feet one inch in height,
his weight 200 pounds, his complexion
dark and swarthy, features bold and
manly and his hands and feet uncom
monly lorge, his thumbs boing as largo
as an ordinary man's wrist. Such was
his porsonal strength that he con Id easily
shoulder a cannon that weighed 1000
pounds, and he hod seen him take a man
in his right hand, pass over the floor and
danco his head against the ceiling with
as much case as if he had been a doll
baby. The man's weight tfil 19 pounds!
Partaking of the patriotio enthusiasm of
the times, he entered the American revo
lutionary army at the age of sixteen. Ha
was present at the storming of Stony
Point, and was the first soldier after Ma
jor Gibbon who entered the fortress, on
wound in the thigh. He was at Brandy
wine, Monmouth and other battles at tho
North, and was transferred to the South
under General Green, where he was en
gaged in the actions of the Cowpens,
Camden, Guiliford Court House, etc. He
was so brave and possessed such confi
dence in his prowess that he was posi
tively fearless.. He used a sword with a
blade fire feet long, which he conld
wield as a feather, and every swordsman
who came in reach of him paid tho forfeit
f his life. Pittsburg Appeal.
i