Thursday, August 29, 1901
DANCING
We have discussed many of the moral and social topics so why not have a discussion in the Times as to the pros and cons of dancing. Down in Mingo County last spring, Preacher Wohl and Lawyer Stokes argued the case with revolvers. The result was a dreadful tragedy.
We may spill a few drops of ink, eschewing pistols, razors and other dangerous weapons. In this particular amusement, this writer will never give offense owing to incapability to commit the crime. There is no community between our ears and our feet, and we move in the mazes of the dance with the grace of the cinnamon bear. Our friends say we suffer from the “Presbyterian Foot.”
So let those who have convictions on this subject take the text Ecclesiastes 3rd Chapter: “To everything there is a season… A time to mourn and a time to dance.”
Let us have some five-minute talks on the subject and help some of our young friends to choose the better part.
BASS FISHING AT MARLINTON
If the amount of money expended by fishermen who visited Pocahontas County this season to have a try at the bass in the Greenbrier could be estimated, it would show a total of thousands of dollars.
With a few exceptions, our visitors have done the bass very little harm. We want to note an hour’s sport in the heart of the town last Friday afternoon, if anyone would like to read a little fishing literature.
At 4:45, I took a trout rod and trout flies and entered the river at the 8th Street county bridge. I fished down the river one square to 9th Street and caught 12 bass large enough to keep, having returned four small ones to the water. The catch filled my fish basket, and I took a bath in the swimming pool and returned at 6:10 o’clock having been out one hour and 25 minutes all told.
There was not a pool in the distance fished, the fish being found in the ripples.
If there is any other town where such conditions are possible, we would like to hear from the sportsmen.
AN OUTRAGE
We have just learned of a low-down dirty trick by which a boiler was tampered with which might have caused an explosion.
Some time ago someone, who is on the high road to the gallows, went to the engine of Isaac McNeel’s mill at Millpoint and turned on the valve at the bottom of the glass water gauge and then emptied the boiler.
The fireman seeing that the glass indicated plenty of water, built a big fire. He discovered that the boiler was empty in time to prevent an explosion, but the boiler was greatly damaged. The engine has been repaired and is at work again.
PECULIAR ACCIDENT
The death of a young man at Alexander, Upshur County, is reported in a peculiar way.
Moses Bennington, the 18-year-old son of John Bennington, was shot and killed by a sheep, while he was squirrel hunting. He and his father were returning home and had seen a squirrel up a tree. While they were watching the squirrel, their dog scared up a flock of sheep and as they passed the boy, he stuck the muzzle of his gun out toward them to ward them off. One of the sheep jumped upon the gun, discharging both barrels, the charge lodging in his bowels and killing the boy almost instantly.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Wallace Jackson’s residence near Marlinton was struck by lightning last Friday night. The family had retired when a bolt struck the house, coming down through the room and badly shocking Mrs. Jackson and a little child. All were asleep. The damage done consisted in tearing away the ceiling in the room and filling the house with the fumes of sulphur.
The house is located in a cove which has been particularly free from lightning, the thunderbolts striking on the hills on either side. One of his neighbors says that Wallace thought an excursion train had struck him.
A CASE OF SELF-DEFENSE
Last Sunday evening, Rev. J. W. McNeil held services at the Driftwood church. There was considerable confusion on account of some misbehavior on the part of some young men who had been drinking, and the service came to a close early in the evening. The train crew of Conductor Courtney attended church and most of them escorted young ladies of the vicinity. James Tacy was under the influence of liquor to a considerable extent, and he seemed to take it as a personal afront that the train men should go with the girls of his neighborhood. He followed on and fired a shot so near that Captain Courtney’s face was burned.
John Hennessey was with a Miss Turner, a daughter of James Turner. He was accompanied by Charles Adams, who was with a Miss Mclaughlin. They parted from the rest of the party in going home, and near the residence of James Turner were overtaken by James Tacy, who first stopped to pick a fuss out of Adams. Failing in this, he went on to Hennessey who told him very quietly that if he had anything to settle with him, he would meet him after seeing the young ladies home.
Thereupon Tacy snapped his pistol in Hennessey’s face twice. The third time the pistol snapped, Hennessey warded it off with this hand, and drawing his own pistol, shot Tacy three times…
This adds one more to the long list of horrors due to speakeasy liquor. Jim Tacy, when at himself, was a good natured, kindly disposed boy, but mean liquor would make him quarrelsome. He is a son of Geo. N. Tacy, a respected citizen of our county, and a grandson of Allan Galford.
The father, mother and family generally have the sympathy of the whole community in the terrible affair…
