Blair County Newspaper Articles
News, obituaries, birth, marriage and death notices, by date.
Items from The Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa.,
Thursday, March 18, 1875
LOCAL NEWS.
(From Thursday's Tribune.)
BURGLARY AT OLMES & SINKS' MEAT MARKET. - After midnight yesterday
morning, the meat market of Messrs. Olmes & Sink, on Eleventh
street, opposite the Opera House, was burglarized. It seems that the
burglar first gained entrance to the yard in the rear of the market by
scaling a high fence, and then by the aid of a "jimmy," or some
similar instrument, forced open the rear door communicating with the
office. From the marks and indentations on both the edges of the door
and jam, it would seem that the effort to gain access to the market,
was attended with considerable difficulty. Once inside the building,
the burglar proceeded to interview the surroundings. The money drawer
was rifled of its contents, amounting to about two dollars, while in
addition, three coats that had been left hanging in the office and
several links of Bologna sausage were carried off. At the present
writing, no clue has been obtained that would lead to the detection of
the perpetrator of the burglary, yet nothing will be left undone to
ferret the matter out. If Fred Olmes succeeds in getting hold of the
chaps, he proposes making Bologna sausage out of him.
A WORKMAN PAINFULLY BURNED IN THE WHEEL FOUNDRY. - In the railroad company's wheel foundry, on Tuesday afternoon, an accident occurred which resulted in the severe burning of an employe named Samuel Shultzberger. A laborer named Jacob Glouser was employed to skim liquid iron in a ladle and attempted to do so with a skimmer that was not perfectly dry. As a natural consequence an explosion ensued, scattering the hot liquid in countless directions. Glouser was slightly burned on the arm, while Shultzberger was frightfully burned on one of the feet, and also sustained a number of painful burns on the back. His sufferings at the time and during the remainder of the day are said to have been of an intense character. His fellow workmen immediately went to his assistance and conveyed him to his home, at the corner of Third avenue and Nineteenth street. Medical aid was summoned and everything possible done to alleviate the sufferings of the unfortunate man. At a late hour last evening he was reported to be resting easily.
A FREIGHT FLAGMAN SUSTAINS PROBABLE FATAL INJURIES. - Between 8 and 9 o'clock last evening as a freight flagman named "Bub" Kirtley, was assisting to make up the train on which he is employed - the fourth Union Line - in the railroad company's yard, this city, he was struck by a locomotive in the vicinity of the lower shops, and sustained injuries that will probably result fatally. Sometime after the accident occurred the body was found lying on one of the tracks by other railway employes and at once placed in a caboose, brought to the oil-house, and the railroad surgeons summoned. Upon examination it was found that Kirtley had been terribly injured about the head. He sustained a frightful scalp wound, while his face down to the neck was red with gore. The injured man is employed between this place and Conemaugh, and has a wife and two children residing at the latter place.
FILIAL INGRATITUDE OF THE BASEST SORT. - One of the meanest acts of ingratitude that an only son could return to the mother who gave him birth - a kind and indulgent mother - occurred in the vicinity of Bell's Mills a few days ago. The perpetrator of the act is named William Huston, who resided with his aged mother. Under the cover of darkness he stole the sum of one hundred and forty dollars from her, and then left a note stating that he needed that amount; that he was going away, and she need not look for his return home again until two years had expired. The ingratitude of the son was the more bitter and crushing to the aged mother from the fact that she never thought for a single moment that the wickedness of his heart could prompt him to commit such an act. Thank God Blair county has but few such villainous scoundrels within her borders.
AFTER HIS DAUGHTER. - A man named Jacob Ginther, of Fulton county, arrived in Altoona Thursday afternoon on the Way Passenger train in search of a runaway daughter. His story is to the effect that a daughter named Rose, aged nineteen years, left her home a few days ago for the purpose, as she stated, of visiting a young lady of about the same age, named Lukenbaugh, whose parents resided about a mile distant. Instead of going to the residence of Mr. Lukenbaugh the daughter left for parts unknown, and the parents had good reason to believe that she came to Altoona to see some of her friends. A thorough investigation revealed the fact that she was not in this city, and the almost heartbroken father returned to the east on the Atlantic express train last evening.
- Judge Dean at Ebensburg, last week, in charging a jury, held that the teacher stood during school hours in loco parentis toward the children entrusted to his care; that his duties required him to maintain good order and to see to the morals of his pupils, and that he has a right to use the rod to restrain breaches of morality in the school, exercising as much force as is necessary for the government of his school: whatever may be the advanced theories of some, in Pennsylvania, society has not reached that point where the law considers it possible or proper to govern either a family or a school without the moderate and proper use of the rod.
REMARKABLE FREAK OF NATURE - Five Fingers and a Thumb on Each Hand. - Among the tramps who sought shelter at the Altoona Station-house last evening was an Englishman who was making his way as best he could from Pittsburgh to New Jersey. There is nothing remarkable in the fact that his name is Charles Miles, but there is in the fact that the "turnpike sailor" has five perfectly formed fingers and a thumb on each hand. It is certainly a strange freak of nature. Barnum should have that fellow.
DON'T FAIL TO NOTIFY US. - Subscribers to the ALTOONA TRIBUNE, particularly to the WEEKLY TRIBUNE, who propose changing their postoffice address this spring, should not fail to notify us of the fact as early as possible. Furnish us with the name of the office you remove from, as well as the name of the office you remove to.
WORK IN COAL BANKS SUSPENDED. - Nearly all the coal banks between Lilly's station and Sonman station, have suspended in consequence of the miners being out on a strike, the latter demanding ten cents per ton more than they have been receiving. Whether or not the operators will accede to this demand remains to be seen.
LIFE A BURDEN.
A Young Lady of Seventeen Summers Attempts Suicide by Hanging - She Repents of the Rash Act While Dangling at the End of a Rope - The Sixth Ward the Scene of the Occurrence - A Sad Case.
Yesterday afternoon we were made acquainted with the particulars of a melancholy occurrence which was reported to have taken place in the Sixth Ward, this city, the same morning, but upon inquiry into the facts in the case it seems that it occurred on the afternoon of Saturday. A young lady named Miss Russell, aged about seventeen years, attempted to put a period to her existence by hanging herself in a bedroom, during the temporary absence of her brother-in-law and sister, with whom she lives; but happily did not succeed in accomplishing her rash purpose. It seems that during the past five years Miss Russell has been living in Sinking Valley with a family named McMullen. Recently she grew morose and melancholy from some secret or fancied cause, and at times would act in an unusually strange manner, causing the members of the family with whom she resided, oftimes to think that she was either going mad or was crazed with grief.
Some two months since she left the McMullen family, came to Tyrone and from thence came to the residence of her brother-in-law, Eighth avenue and Twenty-first street, in Altoona. Since her arrival here it has been observed frequently that she is subject to a severe mental depression of some sort, which culminated on Saturday afternoon in the effort to take her own life. As soon as she had fully resolved upon a suicidal death she adopted a novel plan to execute her purpose.
On the afternoon in question her brother-in-law was absent and her sister had a business errand down town. As the latter left home Miss Russel remarked to her that she would run into the house of a neighbor named Cahoe, and remain there during her absence. It seems, however, that she did not do so, but that as soon as her sister had taken her departure she began making preparations for a fearful launch into eternity.
Procuring either a piece of bed cord, or clothes line - we were unable to learn which - she proceeded up stairs and into a bed room in which there is a hatchway communicating with a low and dingy loft. Securing a stout billet of wood she laid it across the hatchway and then deliberately tied the one end of the rope to it. Afterward she manufactured a noose in an artistic manner, placed it tightly around her neck and then - stepped from the top of a trunk on which she had been standing all the while, and dangled in mid air. Almost immediately she must have repented, and catching hold of the rope above her head succeeded in drawing up the body until her feet again rested on the trunk, after which she managed to unloose the noose and then threw herself on a bed.
The brother-in-law returned home before his wife, and upon the return of the latter she asked after the whereabouts of the sister. As the conversation continued the sister came down stairs and related to them substantially what is above reported. The struggle through which she had so recently gone caused her face to wear a darker hue, while her eyes were terribly bloodshot and started from the sockets, and the marks of the rope were still plainly visible around her neck.
One of the young doctors of the city was immediately summoned, who gave it as his opinion that the young lady was out of her mind and advised that she be sent to an asylum for the insane. Not having a desire so to do, one of the oldest physicians was consulted and at present writing the lady is under his care, with prospects of an ultimate cure.
It is certainly a very sad case, and we trust that in the near future the partially deranged unfortunate will be given the full and free use of her mental faculties once again.
DOMESTIC INFELICITY. - A case of domestic infelicity is reported from Philipsburg, Centre county. On Thursday the wife of Frank Gowland entered complaint against him, before Justice Riddles, for desertion. There are facts connected with the case that render it peculiar. The wedding occurred about the holidays, both bride and groom being still in their teens, and they began housekeeping only about a month ago. On Tuesday, the young husband left home and from Tyrone wrote to his father on the following day directing him to go to his house, take his furniture, and return it to the merchants from whom he had purchased it, as he and his wife could not agree and he had left her. These instructions his father carried out to the very letter, on the same afternoon, removing even the stove in which two loaves of bread were baking, and leaving the young wife without a single article of furniture in the house. The adolescent husband returned to town and his father's house the same evening and was cited before the Justice on the following day and gave bail for his appearance at court.
THE FIRST SNAKE STORY OF THE SEASON. - We have positive assurance that the coming season will be a good one for snakes, while the MORNING TRIBUNE can justly put in the claim of reporting the first snake story in the year of grace 1875. People of a nervous temperament will not relish the foregoing statement, nevertheless we deem it advisable to put them on their guard in advance. On Friday evening as E. B. Funk, a son of ex Sheriff James Funk, of Duncansville, was going to his father's stock fields after the cows, he encountered in the path a live snake over three feet long, which was in the act of crawling at a brisk rate over snow one foot deep. Mr. Funk immediately dispatched his snakeship, and took it along home with him. The ex-Sheriff, who writes us, measured the serpent and will vouch for the truth of the foregoing. Possibly it was a copperhead on its way South from New Hampshire, as the recent election in that State would seem to indicate that that locality was not very healthy for copperheads.
ILLNESS OF MISS JOHNSTON. - On the Mail train on Saturday afternoon, Miss Annie Johnston, who has been engaged in giving music lessons, in this city, for some time past, was taken to her home, at Shirley, in Huntingdon county. The lady is suffering from cancer on the breast, and it is thought cannot long survive. She had rooms at the corner of Tenth street and Chestnut avenue, and has been seriously ill for the past four weeks. She was carried to the train on a lounge, having previously expressed a desire to die at her home.
ANOTHER BREWER ARRESTED. - On information preferred by John Seeder, Mr. Gust Klemert, a well-known brewer on the East side hill, was arrested by Chief-of-Police Smith on the charge of selling beer by the keg in violation of the local option law. The defendant entered bail before Mayor Gilland for his appearance to answer.
- Sunday night, the 7th, pending the furious snow storm which visited a large portion of the country, flashes of lightning illuminated the heavens at Mifflintown, Pa. Snow and lightning is certainly a strange phenomenon at one and the same time.
STRAY CATTLE. - Any person who takes up stray cattle and neglects to advertise the same in one paper in the county, within ten days thereafter, subjects himself to a certain penalty prescribed by law. It is well for our readers to make a note of this.
DEATH OF MRS. LUCY DONAHUE. - With feelings of sorrow we learn of the death of Mrs. Lucy Donahue, which occurred at her home in New Castle, Lawrence county, yesterday. Deceased was the wife of Mr. Charles Donahue, a well known contractor, and formerly resided in Altoona. Her remains will arrive in this city on the Day express train this morning, and from here will be taken to Newry, this county, the home of the family, at which place they will be interred in the Catholic Cemetery to-morrow (Wednesday.) Mrs. Donahue leaves a sister (Miss Annie Malone) residing in this city, and a large circle of friends and acquaintances to mourn her sudden death. She was a lady who was highly respected by all who knew her, having won the esteem and friendship of her acquaintances by the kind and gentle disposition which she ever exhibited. After a short life of usefulness here on earth, she has gone, we firmly believe, to receive her reward in Heaven. The friends and relatives have our deepest sympathy in their sorrow.
TROUBLE AMONG THE JUNIOR SONS OF '76. - In Altoona at the present time, there are two lodges of the order known as "Junior Sons of '76," an order composed mostly of working men, and which has been known to exhibit its strength, numerically speaking, on election day in the past. Each of the two lodges claims to be the Supreme body of the world, and one of them has applied to the Blair County Court for a charter of incorporation. The other lodge having filed exceptions thereto, two gentlemen of the city are now engaged in taking testimony in the premises, which testimony will be presented at the Argument Court, when His Honor, Judge Dean, will decide which of the two lodges can lay just claim to being the Supreme body. With intense eagerness the result is awaited, not only by the members of the order, but by outsiders who are familiar with its workings.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. - At noon of yesterday this locality was visited by a rain storm which at first threatened to be of long duration yet happily such was not the case. For a brief season the rain descended very rapidly, while vivid flashes of lightning were to be seen every few minutes, supplemented by the deep rolling thunder. The only annoyance caused by the storm was the thorough drenching of christians who were en route homeward from the numerous religious resorts at the close of the morning services. The storm came on so suddenly that but few were provided with umbrellas. Silks, etc., suffered terribly.
- Mrs. Barr, the mother of one of the boys who run away from Hollidaysburg, a few days since, was in Altoona on Saturday inquiring after the whereabouts of the travelers. As they had been released from custody by the authorities here the day previous, she was unable to glean any information. Diligent inquiry yesterday failed to reveal anything additional.
LIQUOR SELLERS IN TROUBLE. - During the past few days several persons who have been engaged in selling liquor to minors, and otherwise violating the license laws, have been placed under bail for their appearance at court to answer. Bail was promptly furnished, after which, the violators returned to their old haunts to pursue the same course.
- Business men generally should not lose sight of the fact that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue has ruled that a note or acceptance payable at any bank, banker, or trust company, must be duly stamped with a two-cent stamp to comply with the requirements of section 15, of act of Congress, approved February 18, 1875.
Death of Adolphus Patterson.
An aged oak has fallen! A good Samaritan has gone home! A most profound scholar rests from his labors, and after "life's fitful fever sleeps well!" As the old family clock slowly tolled the eleventh hour on Monday evening, March 8, 1875, all that was mortal of Adolphus Patterson passed pleasantly and peacefully into a higher and brighter immortality.
Born in Tuscarora Valley, Juniata county, Pa., December 16, 1792, he departed this life at the advanced age of 83 years, 2 months, and 20 days. He came to Williamsburg in the spring of 1819, and was consequently, for 56 years, a resident of the town, during which time he arose to and maintained the responsible position of its benefactor and best business manager.
There was a time when he commanded the entire grain trade of Morrison's Cove, and directed in every leading mercantile and manufacturing enterprise of his adopted home. His counsel was sought after and relied upon by every farmer and business man in the valley, and so unassuming and generous was he in good works, that rich and poor alike, held him in high reverence, and felt it an honor to do him any favor he might require. His bearing was that of a gentleman and a scholar, no matter what the position in which he was placed, nor under what opposing circumstances that surrounded him.
He was a man whose broad charity, sound judgment, strong common sense and brilliant intellect caused everyone near him to instinctively feel that they were in the presence of a great and good man, and no matter where he went nor where he was, his stately form and dignified bearing, won willing and honored esteem. Always being more statesman than partisan, he was no aspirant for political honors, yet twice in his life he was, without his seeking or even desiring it, complimented in District and State Conventions by a very flattering vote for State Senator and Canal Commissioner.
He is gone now, and Williamsburg has lost a great man, the poor a great friend, and society a great scholar. The writer of this has been his constant companion and watcher during the past two months, and has ever since his childhood days, known intimately and favorably the person whose obituary he thus announces, and feels a pride in having been instrumental, in his feeble way, of contributing in some measure, to the noble work of cheering him in his last days, and making easy and pleasant his dying hours.
"Lives of great men all remind us,
That we can make our lives sublime;
And departing, leave behind us,
Footprints on the sands of time."
The funeral took place on last Thursday morning at 10 o'clock, March 11th, from his late residence in Williamsburg. - FRANK.
MARRIED:
HALL - OWENS - At Birmingham, Pa., On Thursday evening, the 11th inst., at the residence of A. P. Owens, father of the minister and bride, and in the presence of a numerous company of friends, by Rev. W. J. Owens, Miss Blanch Owens and Mr. J. S. Hall, of Beech Creek, Pa.
BROWN - GLASGOW - On the 9th inst., at the St. Charles Hotel, in this city, by the Rev. H. Baker, Mr. James Brown, of Lloydsville, to Miss Lydia H. Glasgow, of Cambria county.
DIED:
BLACKBURN - On the 12th inst., John Wesley, son of George and Annie Blackburn, aged 1 year, 4 months and 10 days.
SINK - On the 15th inst., Mary Emma, daughter of Harry and Jennie Sink.
KATZMAIER - In this city, on the 10th inst., William Frederick, son of John and Harriet Katzmaier, in the 3d year of his age.
Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, March 18, 1875, page 3