Old News

While Googling the name of an old acquaintance (Hello Judy Robinson), I came across this old series of reprints from the Mt. Vernon Signal originally reported on June 9th, 1900. I thought some might find them interesting. I left the considerable number of typographical errors in place, and picked out some of the more whimsical and bizarre. One happens to refer to a case I've been interested in researching for some time, but before I get to that century old abortion case, I though I would start off with this jewel of a report on an occurrence that happened at Green Bay Wisconsin-

At Green Bay Wisconsin on Thursday some children saw a woman cut a
chickens head off. They concluded to play chicken themselves,
selecting the smallest in the number they proceeded to chop of the
childs head. Some men were working in the yard at a derrick. Becoming
horrified at the sight one let go a rope which threw the derrick to the
ground killing eight men

Kids, huh?

Here's an old "Letter to the Editor" that I find fascinating, for some strange reason-

Dear Signal: After a lingering illness in which I have suffered much,
taken medicine, lost what little avoirdupoise I once possessed and
nearly all my beauty, I am again able to pen you a few items. The six
weeks drought is broken and farmers are driving business with a vim;
nearly every man farmer is done planting and out of the first weeds.
Wheat generally reports favorabley but oats and grass have had severe
set baks. Plenty of peaches, cherries, blackberries and some apples to
look forward to with delight and expectancy. Corn was never as scarce
in Possum Holler as it is now, but I have seen the price much higher
than 75 cents per bushel. A.J. Sears our enterprising merchand who
sells more goods than any other country merchant is Rockcastle county
holds egges, the poor womans dearest frend at 9 cents per dozen. The
healt of the denizens of the Holler was never better, but the rations
are dangerously short. Cattle shelp and hog buyers are as plentiful as
Republicans in Jackson. All liberty loving people in our town without
regard to politics or religion like the decision of the Supreme Court
in the Beckham-Taylor case. This clearly shows to all minds that it is
yet conceded by the highest authority that the states the people have
some rights that must be respected. Elder Todd now regulary fills his
appointments at the Christian church.

Many of our young ladies who have been at much trouble time and expense
to qualify themselves to teach are left without a job. Remember young
ladies there is ayet room at the top of the ladder and go up higher and
"try again".

As we are force to the necessity of an election for Governor at the
coming November election adn as there are divisions an schisms in ur
party and as Mr Beckham has a "cinch" on the Lieutenant Governor's
office for the whole term, we think it our duty to seriously cast about
for a candidate who has never been mixed up in any of the "late
unpleasantness", one calculated to be acceptable to the whole Democracy
of Kentucky and not objectionable to our freinds, the enemy and as I am
and have ever been a Democrat, I think I have some rights in the matter
and as I am sure that we find in the person of the Hon J.D. Black of
Barbourville with all the esentials and preequisites necessary for a
candidate who can be elected by 25,000 majority we areise to niminate
him, while all Possum Holler stand ready to second the same. Give us
Black and we are safe without the least of trouble, Very truly yours,
Buck Varnon


Here's hoping old Buck recovered his beauty and his "avoirdupoise" (whatever the fuck that is). Note the reference here to the Goebbel assassination. If you diod not already know about it though, you would never surmise that much.

Evidently, these next two reports have something to do with the end of a term of military service during the preceding Spanish American War, though it could pertain to something else, possibly the assassination of Governor Goebbels that occurred earlier at the beginning of this year, or maybe even some mining strikes. See, that's the thing about these old newspaper accounts. You read them and they raise more questions than they answer. At any rate-

Capt C.C. Calhoon who went to Barboursville to muster out John Powers
Taylor militia company, was unable to do so because the members on
their return from Frankfort had taken the arms into the county. He
haas ordered Lieut Black to gather up all the equipment


This next one, in a similar vein, is even better-

Capt C.W. Longmire and Sergt B.R. McClure of Lexington went to
Maysville to muster out the Mason County Gurards. They spent the night
with some kindred spirits and Police Judge Wadsworth issued a warrent
for their arrest, charging them with being drunk and disorderly. They
went to Aberdeen Oho to avoid arrest. The Mason County Guards turned
over their equipment ot Capt Horace Cochran


You have your political sex scandals as well. At least I guess that's what the following report is about. Why report it at all if you are going to skimp on so many details?

Mrs Sarah E. Boreing filed suit in London against her husband
Congressman Vincent Boreing for divorce and alimony


It makes you wonder if this was simply meant to embarrass the Congressman for the upcoming election, but then again, that was five months away at the time. Here's some more examples of skimpy reporting from the era-

A colored girl delivered the welcome address at the Berea College
Commencement


All black or African-Americans of the day of course were referred to as colored, and in many cases they seem to have been nameless. Unless of course they were criminals, as is the case of the following report from nearby Garrard County-

Edward Summers, colored, escaped from the Garrard county jail early
Monday morning by prizing the bars leaving three other prisoners in the
jail, who delclined to go. Summers was in for alleged burglary. He is
the foruth prisoner to escape from the jail within a month

Evidently the following marriage announcement was premature, or things didn't turn out exactly as planned-

It was reported last week in the Interior Journal R.H. Hamm and Miss
Helen Thurmond were married while taking in the reunion at Louisville
and a great many were surprised when Mr Hamm returned bringing no one
with him


That's it. No explanation. Maybe she met somebody at the "reunion" (of what you will note is never stated) that struck her fancy more than poor Mr. Hamm. Maybe Miss Thurmond's bones rest to this day at the bottom of the Ohio River. We may never know, and probably won't.

I've come to the conclusion that whoever set the type for the old paper must have been dyslexic, as (s)he repeatedly misspells the same words in the same way. Or maybe the poor soul just didn't know how to spell. Take the following two reports about two different men who worked at "falgging" (flagging?) for the local railroad, one of whom met with an unfortunate incident.

D. Martin who is falgging for the work train on this line, has made a
reputation of Killing snakes and explaining the political situation


Coming so closely on the heels of the assassination of Governor Goebbels, one has to wonder if the irony here was intentional, and if so, on whose part? The next one though is best-

Hubert Hartley brakeman was struck by an engine at Pittsburg, Monday
night and seriously injured. he was falgging and sat down on the track
and went to sleep

Damn, people sure were strong in 1900.

This lack of attention and even lack of general interest in details admittedly adds a sense of mystery to the times in question, yet, it seems all the more odd when you consider that even the most ordinary, mundane aspects of the lives of every day folks could fill the little weekly paper. Here's some examples-

DEATH: Miss Mattie Wiley, daughter of Jesse Wiley died at Ridgeway
four miles east of Fulton, from the effects of a dose of morphine taken
with suicidal intent. Ill health was the cause of suicide

Mrs W.H. Brannaman who has been sick so long with rheumatism is getting
able to go about the house without the use of her crutch. It is to be
hoped how soon this good woman will get well and be herself again

John Mullins charged with grand larceny came before the court yesterday
morning plead guilty and was given one year in the pen

S.H. Martin received rather a painful but not serious injury by
spraining both of his ankles while attending the Confederate Reunion

The editor of the paper at the time-one Edgar Albright-is the subject of a couple of reports much like those immediately preceding-

Misses Maud Coble, Dove B. Letcher and Annie Thompson, Mrs Cleo Brown,
Judge R.G. Williams, W.R. Henderson, T.A. Stewart, E.R. Cox Master
McKenzie Brown, and the editor, composed a party that spent a very
enjoyable day Sturday at Sigman's spring. The spring flows out of a
large cave it is surrounded by a beautiful shade and is a most
delightful place to spend a little outing.


And then there's this little piece of obvious ass-kissery-

The editor of the Signal Mr E.S. Albirght ws here Saturday with that
usual pleasant smile on his face. Edgard is a good boy and a hustler

Well, he probably never read his own paper. Check out the misspellings on this report about that year's school graduation-

The Commencement exercises of the Mt Vernon Collegiate Institute which
took place Friday night were highly creditable to the entire faculty
the graduates T.a. Stewart and W.R. Henderson both had good orations
and delivered them well. Hon W.R. Ramsey who delivered the class
address almost captivated the entire audience by the beautiful and
striking contrast which he drew between yesterday and today showing how
differently and better situated the girls and boys of today are to what
they were 100 years ago. The music under the control of Miss Cox was
first class and added greatly to the enjoyment of the evening. The
diplomas were then presented by C.C. Williams Pres of the Board of
Trustees in a few and appropriate remarks after in which Prof Ewers
said a few words expressing his satisfaction the progress which the
entire shcool had made during the eyar he also expressed his
appreciation of so great amount of interest manifested by the people
generally in the school, and assured them that by a continuance of
their hearty cooperation that he would be able to make the school even
much better than it had been this year.

Here's an add for strawberries that I found interesting.

STRAWBERRIES: I will have about 3,000 plants to dispose of this fall
of my own raising. they are the earliest..ripening by May 5 and th
largest, some measruing 5 inches around. Send me your order for the
amount you want. Price 40 cents per hundred for fall planting. S.C.
Franklin, Mt Vernon

What makes this particular edition so compelling is the trial that unfolded this year involving a well-connected attorney tried for the murder of a young girl whom he had impregnated, then killing her in the course of trying to make her have an abortion. He had supposedly promised to marry her. The affair occurred at the hotel in London, Ky. where the girl and her father both worked. Once he got what he wanted, he got more than he bargained for, and then ended up with a five year prison sentence. Here's the story in part-

At twelve o'clock Monday the jury in the Wilson case was secured and
the commonwealth began promptly at 1 pm, taking evidence. The
follwoing is a list of the jury, G.M. Sigman, W.H. Carmicol, W.H. Doan,
W.H. Chasteen, A.G. Burdett, Jothan Brown, Isaac Phillips, R.P. Pike,
Fount Craig, C.M> Cummins, David Hysinger, Micajoh Southards. The
attorneys for the defense are Hon James B. Black of Barbourville, J.A.
Crapt, R.L. Ewel and R.L. Reed of London, W.A. Morrow of Somerset and
C.C. Williams, L.W. Bethurum and S.D. Lewis of the local bar. The
attorneys for the prosecution are W.R. Ramsey of London, Judge J.H.
Tensley of Barbourville Commonwealth's attorney J.N. Sharp of
Williamsburg and Judge R.G. Williams and Judge P.D. Collyer of Mt
Vernon. The case is being watched very carefully by the attorneys on
both sides, and greater interest is being manifested by every one, than
in any case we have ever seen tried in this court room. Ther have been
about forty eight witnesses testified, including specialists from
Cincinnati and Lexington who made an examination of the waman after her
death. "Picture of Miss Mary Cloyd, the dead girl". The testimony was
finished Wednesday and the argument by the attorneys was begun Thursday
morning. Each side was allowed five hours for the argument. The
attorneys for the prosecution wanted four speeches, while attorney for
the defense only wanted one. So the case for the defense was argued by
W.A. Morrow of Somerste and commonwealth's attorney Sharp argued for
the prosecution.

I've seen the girl's picture, by the way. She was drop dead gorgeous, which in her case was her downfall.