=Copyright, 1897, by THE GREAT ROUND WORLD Publishing Company.=
* * * * *
The recent despatches from India tell us that the soldiers who are
fighting on the frontier have performed another gallant deed.
The heroes, this time, belonged to the Northamptonshire regiment.
It was necessary for the British to find out if the enemy was encamped
anywhere in the neighborhood, so a portion of the troops left the
British camp and marched to the summit of a mountain called Saran Sar.
There were no signs of the Afridis as they marched along, and the top of
the hill was reached with little difficulty.
There they found the remains of a hastily vacated camp, and from the
various signs that were around became convinced that the enemy was on
the mountain with them.
Fearing an ambush, the British commander ordered his men to retreat, and
the manoeuvre had hardly been put in effect before the tribesmen
appeared.
Following the troops closely, the Afridis fired on them from behind
every bush and rock that offered cover, and, after many of the English
soldiers had been killed or wounded, the tribesmen became so bold that
they rushed from their cover and engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter
with the soldiers.
General Westmacott, who commanded the party, at once realized that he
had serious work before him, and hastily arranging his forces so that he
could care for the wounded and move his men as quickly as possible, the
commander hastened the retreat.
It was, however, difficult to do; and in the hurry of the retreat one
little party, which had charge of a convoy of wounded comrades, became
separated from the rest of their comrades and were surrounded by the
angry tribesmen.
The retreating army reached the camp safely about dark, and then it was
discovered that a lieutenant named McIntyre and twelve soldiers were
missing.
It was at first hoped that they had simply dropped behind and would
reach camp any moment. When, however, hours passed and they did not
return, the worst fears were entertained.
At last a soldier arrived, bringing with him the dreadful news, and
telling the story of the gallant deed of the lieutenant and his brave
companions.
It seems that the rough ground over which they had to travel made the
progress of this little party very slow, and the care of the wounded
under their charge hampered their movements so much that they at last
found themselves completely cut off from their comrades.
As soon as the young officer realized what had happened to him, he
despatched one of his men for aid, and with the others formed a ring
around the wounded, preparing to defend them until help arrived.
The wounded men, on their part, behaved as nobly as the lieutenant
himself.
Realizing the situation, they begged the young officer to leave them to
their fate, and do what he could to save his own life and the lives of
his men.
Mr. McIntyre absolutely refused to abandon the wounded, and prepared to
defend them to the last.
When the messenger last saw the gallant little band, they were bravely
facing the enemy, waiting calmly for the death which was sure to follow
unless help reached them soon.
A party was immediately sent out from camp to their relief, but when the
spot was reached the brave fellows were beyond human aid.
Not a man remained alive to tell the tale of their noble struggle. The
bodies of the lieutenant and his men were found grouped about the
wounded comrades they had sacrificed their lives to save, and their
attitude in death showed that each man had died doing his duty, his face
to the foe.
* * * * *
Some of the tribesmen have come to the conclusion that the British
soldier is a hard foe to beat.
The Orakzais have therefore sent a deputation to Gen. Sir William
Lockhart, the British commander-in-chief, asking for peace.
Sir William was willing to talk to them, but the terms he offered were
so much harder than they expected that the Orakzais do not seem
inclined to accept them.
The English general told the tribesmen that the only terms on which
England would treat with them were that they should first give back all
the rifles they had captured since the outbreak, then that they should
forfeit five hundred extra rifles and thirty thousand rupees as a fine,
and lastly, that they must offer submission to the Queen's rule within a
fortnight,--the submission to be given at a full durbar, which is a
native Indian term for a levee or reception held by a native prince or
officer of rank in British India.
As we have said, the Orakzais think these terms too severe, and are
inclined to refuse them.
The Afridis have as yet shown no signs of weakening. On the contrary,
they have sent fresh messengers to the Ameer of Afghanistan, asking his
aid. The English are confident that he will refuse, and advise them to
submit, and hope that there may soon be an end of the Indian troubles.
In the mean while the Afridis are making all the trouble they can. Every
night they cut the telegraph-wires, and every day they lay in wait for
any baggage convoy or foraging party that leaves the camp.
* * * * *
You will be pleased to hear more about the brave piper of the Gordon
Highlanders, who, though shot through both ankles at the battle of
Dargai Ridge, propped himself up, and continued playing on his pipes to
cheer his comrades.
The Indian despatches say that he has been recommended for the Victoria
Cross.
This decoration is the English reward for great bravery. It is the
decoration of all others which British soldiers love to receive.
It is a simple little bronze cross, of the shape known as a Maltese
cross; in the centre is the crown, with the British lion standing upon
it, and on a scroll beneath the inscription "For Valor." For soldiers it
has a red ribbon, for sailors a blue. The slide through which the ribbon
passes is a bronze bar ornamented with a laurel wreath, the symbol of
victory.
The value of the Victoria Cross is practically nothing, but those men
who have been happy enough to earn it value it above any riches or
honors.
Piper Findlater, of the Gordon Highlanders, is a proud fellow just now,
and would not be willing to change places with any duke or millionaire,
no matter how great his rank or wealth, for in that little simple cross
he has gained something that rank cannot command nor money buy;
something that he possesses and the commanding officer of his regiment
may not be able to gain; something which raises him to the highest place
among men.
We felt sure you would be glad to learn that the brave piper was not
killed at Dargai Ridge, but lives to receive the reward for his gallant
conduct.
* * * * *
There is trouble in Haiti.
Haiti is in the West Indies, and is a sister island of Cuba, and the
next largest of the Antilles. It is divided from Cuba by a strait called
the Windward Passage.
It was discovered by Columbus in 1492, and the first Spanish colony in
the New World was established on it in 1493. After a while, the colony
was neglected and died out, and Haiti became the prey of buccaneers,
those bold seafaring men, who, half pirates and half rovers, sailed the
seas during the seventeenth and early part of the eighteenth centuries,
harassing foreign foes for private gain.
After many ups and downs, the western half of Haiti was settled by
French buccaneers, and after another period this portion of the island
was ceded to France by Spain in 1693.
The French rule did not please the natives, and a long period of
discontent followed, till, in 1796, the Haitians, under the leadership
of Toussaint L'Ouverture, rebelled against the French and drove them
from the island.
The victorious insurgents then set about conquering the eastern portion
of the island, and for a time held possession of it. After a time,
however, it was divided into two portions: the western end which the
natives had secured from the French was called Haiti, and the eastern
eventually became the Republic of San Domingo.
The inhabitants of Haiti are negroes, or, to be more exact, nine-tenths
are negroes and the rest mulattoes; the whites are not very numerous,
and are principally foreign merchants and traders.
The President of Haiti is a colored man, named Tiresias Simon Sam, and
the officers of the government are all colored people.
The language of the country is a dialect known as Creole French. The
official reports of Haiti say that the President is elected for seven
years, but that his term is generally cut short by insurrections.
A good many Germans have settled in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of
Haiti, but, white people being so scarce in the island, the consuls are
kept busy trying to secure justice for their countrymen.
Last fall, the German consul to Haiti, Count Schwerin, was asked to
adjust the present difficulty.
The servant of a young German named Lueders was accused of committing
some crime, and, according to the story, a dozen stalwart Haitian
policemen went to Mr. Lueders' house and forcibly arrested him.
Mr. Lueders went to police headquarters to complain of the conduct of
the officers, and was at once arrested and charged with interfering with
the officers while doing their duty, and also with attempting to kill
them.
He was at once fined $48 and sent to jail for a month.
Mr. Lueders claimed that he was innocent and could prove it, and asked
for a second trial. When this was given him, he brought forward
witnesses who proved that he had not attempted to interfere with the
police.
In spite of this, he was again found guilty, and sentenced to one year's
imprisonment and $500 fine, presumably to punish him for demanding the
second trial.
The German consul had followed both the trials with great interest, and
when the second decision was rendered he felt that it was time for him
to interfere.
He telegraphed to Berlin for instructions, and in reply received orders
to demand the immediate release of Lueders, and to insist that damages
to the amount of $1,000 be paid by Haiti for every day Mr. Lueders had
already spent in jail--twenty in all, and an extra $5,000 for every
day's imprisonment after the request for his release was received.
At first President Simon Sam refused to listen to the demand, and Mr.
Lueders remained another six days in jail.
Then the German minister sent word to the President that he had hauled
down his flag, sent his valuable papers to the care of the United States
consul, and had broken off all relations with the Haitian government.
This announcement caused considerable excitement in Port-au-Prince. The
Germans and the natives both became indignant, and the feeling ran so
high that the angry blacks threatened to attack the German Legation and
burn it to the ground, and then lynch Lueders.
Fearing a serious outbreak which might call down the wrath of Germany,
President Simon Sam decided that the wisest thing to do was to get rid
of Lueders; so the young man was hurried from his prison and put on
board a steamer bound for New York.
By the time this was done Germany's pride had been aroused, and a
war-vessel had been ordered to sail for Port-au-Prince, and insist upon
reparation being made, under pain of bombardment of the town.
Of course, this is not a pleasant outlook for Haiti, but the natives are
not so frightened as they might be, because it is well known that
Germany has not an alarming navy, and it will probably be a good long
time before she can send a ship to Port-au-Prince, and in the mean while
other things may have occurred to make her forget the difficulty.
As a matter of fact, the only vessel available for the purpose is not
ready to go to sea, and cannot be made ready before December 10th, and
it will then be some time before she can reach Haiti.
The Germans are much annoyed that they will have to put up with the
little republic's impudence for so long a time, and one political party
in Germany is taking advantage of the opportunity to urge the necessity
of enlarging the navy.
The Emperor of Germany has for some time past been insisting that it
should be increased, and has asked that large grants of money be made
for that purpose, but the majority of the people have not been in
sympathy with him.
Germany's sea-coast is very small, and they think it a waste of money to
build and maintain an expensive navy to defend it.
The party in favor of the navy are now declaring that, if Germany wants
to keep the respect of other nations, she must maintain her dignity by
having war-vessels ready to punish offenders.
The Germans in Haiti are in full sympathy with this idea. They complain
that they are not treated with half the consideration and respect that
the American residents are, and they say that President Simon Sam
behaves better to the Americans only because he knows that he would have
a United States cruiser after him in a very few hours, if he attempted
any high-handed dealings with our citizens.
We have lately been accused by both England and Japan of being
discourteous in our diplomatic relations with other countries; it is
therefore some satisfaction to know that the Germans in Haiti greatly
appreciate the methods which our foreign ministers employ.
In the course of the discussions over the Haitian troubles it has been
said that while we are not formal in our diplomatic work, and do not
always use the polite forms which etiquette demands, our ministers have
a manly, direct way of going about their business which gains the
desired point every time.
Serious trouble is not anticipated with Haiti; it is really too small a
place to be able to oppose a great country like Germany. If she does not
speedily obey the wishes of the German government, a taste of the
war-ship's big guns will soon bring her to her senses.
* * * * *
Nansen, the Arctic explorer, is in this country, and it will interest
you to know that he fully believes that Andrée is all right, and will
return safely in due course of time.
Of all men Fridjiof Nansen is best able to form an opinion as to the
likelihood of Professor Andrée ever returning to us, for he himself has
penetrated farther north than any other Arctic explorer, and has learned
so much about the Polar Sea that he is able to form a good opinion as to
the possibilities of Andrée's success.
Nansen returned from his famous voyage before THE GREAT ROUND WORLD came
into existence, and so you might perhaps like to have us tell you about
him.
He is a young Norwegian, only thirty-six years old; very young to have
made such a great record.
At the age of nineteen he entered the University of Christiania and
devoted himself to the study of zoölogy, or the science of animals and
animal life, from man to the lowest form of life.
When he was twenty he made a voyage into the Northern seas for the
purpose of studying animal life in high latitudes.
When he returned he was made Curator of the Natural History Museum in
Bergen, Norway. A curator is a person in whose charge the valuable
collections in a museum are placed. He is the caretaker or custodian of
all the priceless treasures the museum contains.
Six years later Nansen made a trip across Greenland on snow-shoes.
There had long been a theory that in the interior of Greenland there
were fertile spots capable of cultivation.
Nansen proved that Greenland is covered with a huge ice-sheet, and is,
in fact, one vast glacier which rises slightly toward the interior, the
surface of the ice-cap being only occasionally interrupted by mountains
which protrude from the ice.
Nansen believed that an Arctic explorer should be able to live the same
life as the natives of the land he was exploring, and during his winter
in Greenland he lived much with the Eskimos, sleeping in their rude huts
of stone and dirt, and joining in their hunts on land and sea.
He learned many useful lessons of these people. One was how to make and
manage a kayak, or Eskimo boat, which he declares to be the handiest,
lightest, and absolutely best small boat constructed.
It was the knowledge that he gained during this Greenland winter that
enabled him to get one hundred and ninety-five miles nearer the North
Pole than any one else had ever done.
He also learned from his Arctic friends how to handle dog-teams.
The Eskimos use dogs for travelling as the Laplanders use reindeer. The
dogs are, however, much more difficult to handle, for while they are
hardy, strong, intelligent, and willing, they do not make good servants.
All their training cannot entirely tame them, and they have certain ways
and habits which lessen their usefulness.
They are, for instance, terrible fighters.
Every one who possesses a canine friend knows that this is a very
dog-like attribute, and one of which no dog, large or small, can be
entirely broken.
We all appreciate how unpleasant it is to be out walking with our
favorite French bulldog, and suddenly have our be-ribboned aristocrat
forget the dignity that his long pedigree should give him, and dash from
our side to make tufts of hair fly from somebody else's equally
be-ribboned poodle.
Such an occurrence is serious enough--but it becomes a matter of life
and death when, miles from home in a frozen country, you are depending
on your dogs to bring you safely back again, and your team forgets its
duty and becomes a waving mass of legs and tails, from which you hear
nothing but the howls of the vanquished. A dog-fight often becomes one
of the most terrible catastrophes that can overtake an explorer.
With these fierce little Eskimo dogs, the result of such an encounter
means generally the loss of two or three, and a walk home with the
wounded survivors occupying the sled.
Under the circumstances it is very necessary to understand how to handle
these useful but eccentric beasts. The Eskimos have reduced this
knowledge to a science, and from them Nansen learned to be the master of
those dogs which were of so much service to him in his last and greatest
expedition.
This expedition was undertaken in June, 1893, and its object was to
drift across the pole from Siberia to Greenland.
During Nansen's Arctic experiences he had noticed that the shores of
Greenland were strewn with driftwood of a kind also found on the shores
of Siberia.
The matter caused him some deep thought, and at length he arrived at the
conclusion that there must be a current which crosses the Arctic Ocean
and carries this material from Asia to America.
After much thought, he came to the conclusion that if he could only
build himself a vessel which would withstand the pressure of the ice,
and once get into the stream, he and his vessel would be carried with
the rest of the drift from Asia to America, and in the course of the
trip would be borne right across the North Pole.
It was a bold scheme, and for a time no one would listen to it, but
Nansen's reputation stood him in good stead here, and finally convinced
people that he must have a good foundation for his belief.
With the aid of a few wealthy persons and the assistance of the King of
Sweden, Nansen was able to have a suitable vessel built, and to make
preparations for the undertaking.
The greatest danger to Arctic travel is the pressure of the ice. When
the winter comes on, and the sea tries to freeze over, the currents and
the tides, and the unthawed blocks of ice that have been left from the
last winter, cause a terrible disturbance. The ice, in its endeavor to
pack itself solidly together, slides over itself with groans and creaks
that sound like human cries.
The force the ice exerts under these circumstances is enormous, so great
indeed that it can crush big ships, and crack their sides as though they
were no stronger than eggshells.
Nansen could not hope to build a ship which should be strong enough to
withstand this pressure, but he did hope to make one that would be able
to rise above the ice, and escape the crushing altogether.
His object was to have the sides so shaped that the ice would encounter
a rounded surface on which it could not get any hold, and would
therefore slide lower and lower down the sides of the ship until it at
last met under the keel, lifting the ship above the dangerous pressure.
The vessel, which Nansen called the _Fram_, was built according to his
own plans, and when finished was a clumsy-looking craft.
In an ordinary sea she pitched and rolled so badly that everybody on
board was seasick, and during the first few days of her trip the sailors
were one and all afraid that she would roll completely over and go to
the bottom.
In the ice she behaved exactly as Nansen had expected she would, and,
once frozen to the ice, gave the explorer no anxiety that she would be
crushed or wrecked.
For three long years Nansen and his party were away on their expedition.
Steaming from Norway to the coast of Siberia, where he took his pack of
dogs on board, Nansen headed for the Polar Sea, and made all the speed
he could to reach the farthest north possible before the winter set in,
and was finally frozen into the ice where he supposed the current must
be which was to bear him across the North Pole.
To his infinite joy, he found, after weeks of uncertainty, that he was
actually drifting with the ice, and that his theory was correct.
He did not go as directly north as he had hoped, and on March 14th,
1896, after nearly three years of patient drifting, he made up his mind
that the _Fram_ had gone as far north as she would go, and that
henceforth she would take a southerly course.
He was but three hundred and fifty miles from the Pole, and he
determined to make an effort to reach it himself, with the aid of his
dogs and kayaks.
He therefore left the _Fram_, and, with but one man to bear him company,
he made a dash for the Pole.
He succeeded in covering ninety-five miles of the unknown ocean, and
reached within two hundred and sixty-one miles of the Pole, but here he
was obliged to turn back. All his dogs were dead and he had but two
weeks' provisions left, so he turned his face south.
His surmises about the _Fram_ proved correct; she drifted south, and
eventually reached Spitzbergen.
The immediate scientific advantages of Nansen's trip are that he found
the Pole was covered by sea, and that no land existed there, as so many
persons had believed.
He found that the Polar Sea, far from being shallow, as had also been
supposed, was a wide sea of vast depth.
He explored many of the lands that lie in the Polar Sea, and made
observations that will be of immense value to geologists and botanists.
Greatest of all, he proved that it is possible for men to undertake the
perils and hardships of an Arctic expedition without loss of life or
health. The first of his achievements was the proof that there is a
current from Asia to America, in which the _Fram_ drifted for three
years, not, it is true, carrying him to Greenland, as he had expected,
but none the less taking him across the frozen sea, and landing his
vessel at Spitzbergen.
Next to it come the ease and comfort with which this tremendous
undertaking was accomplished.
During all these long years he did not lose a man, nor indeed were any
of his companions sick; the doctor of the expedition had to study
diseases of dogs to keep his hand in, so little work was there for him
to do.
The story of the voyage reads like the journal of a quiet family at
home, it is so peaceful and uneventful. It tells no tales of hardships
and privations, no sickness or suffering from the isolation.
It is instead the record of a well-ordered household, in which each man
performed the duties assigned to him, duties which gave each enough
exercise to tire him out and make him long for the quiet hours of
reading or chess-playing, or games, which were to follow in the cabin
when the day's work was done.
During the entire trip Nansen and his men performed the various duties
of their lives, turn and turn about, the difference of occupation giving
the men the change necessary to keep them in health and spirits.
The journal tells of little simple festivities, with processions round
the ship, to celebrate Christmas and birthdays. Of the extra dinners
prepared for these great occasions, dinners which made the men feel a
little tight about the waist and sleepy at the grand entertainment which
always closed a holiday.
The book is full of those little simple nothings which seem hardly worth
telling to the outside world, and which are so full of meaning to those
who have lived them through.
The diary is only here and there varied with an account of a bear-hunt,
or a dog-fight, or a wily bear coming along and stealing a dog or two
for his own private consumption. It is at times hard to realize that
these men of whom the journal treats were heroes ready to sacrifice
their lives in the interest of science, and that in this peaceful,
homelike way the greatest voyage of the century was being made.
It will interest you to know that Nansen used every available modern
invention to help make his voyage successful and bearable.
In the Arctic regions there are long months when there is no day. The
sun disappears beneath the horizon, and does not appear again for weeks.
There is no day and no sunshine, only one long night.
This time is the most trying period for Arctic travellers, and many
poor fellows have gone insane under the terrible oppression of the
months of darkness.
When this time came, and the sun had bidden its good-by to the _Fram_,
Nansen lighted his ship by means of electricity, generated from power
obtained from a windmill. When the wind failed the crew manned a
capstan, an apparatus used for hauling anchors on board ship, and which
Nansen applied to this excellent use.
With light to work by, plenty of work to do, and books and games for the
evenings, one would have thought the men were well supplied, but Nansen
added yet one more pleasure to their store. A friend had made the
expedition a present of a phonograph. Nansen had his faithful wife sing
into it all the favorite songs of the day, and so the sailors had one
more comfort for their peaceful evenings, in the singing of well-known
ballads by a well-loved voice.
* * * * *
The five _Competitor_ prisoners have been released from Cabana fortress
after an imprisonment of nearly twenty months.
The names of these five men are: Alfredo Laborde, William Gildea, Ona
Melton, William Leavitt, Charles Barnett.
By the release of these five men Spain has given us a very decided proof
of her desire to keep our friendship.
She has not done the thing by halves either, for an order has been
issued to return the prisoners any arms that had been taken from them,
and to restore the schooner _Competitor_ to its owners.
The five prisoners will sail for New York at once, and will have the
happiness of eating their Thanksgiving dinners in their own country.
Three of the five men are native-born Americans; of the other two, one
is an Englishman, and the other a naturalized American.
Spain has, however, released them all unconditionally.
* * * * *
General Weyler has just arrived in Spain, and the trouble we were
anticipating is about to begin.
As we told you, his ship had to put into a Cuban port for repairs before
he could really set sail for Europe, and at this port he received a
deputation of citizens, and repeated to them the speech which had made
the Spanish Ministers so angry.
He has been questioned as to the truth of the reports of this speech,
but so far has avoided giving a direct answer, and complains that the
reports are too long.
He arrived at Corunna, but it was expected that he might land at
Santander, and so his admirers in that city set to work to raise funds
for a big reception to him.
One of the features of the affair was to be a flight of rockets, six
thousand in number, which, upon exploding, should scatter ribbons
inscribed "Viva Weyler."
Subscriptions were immediately started to secure the funds necessary for
this magnificent display.
After two weeks of uninterrupted labor the committee had secured $7.80.
The persons in charge of the fête became a little embarrassed how to
spend this sum. As it had been collected from, and sent by, unknown
admirers, it could not be returned.
One practical friend suggested that one of the committee should make a
sketch of the celebrations as they had intended them to be, and spend
the $7.80 in having a nice photograph made for Weyler of the proposed
festivities.
* * * * *
The promised reforms have not yet been granted to the Cubans, and it is
reported that General Blanco is so annoyed at the condition of affairs
that he is on the point of asking to be recalled.
He finds he has been deceived about the state of the Spanish army in
Cuba, and the dislike of the Spanish party in the island to Home Rule
has also been a sad stumbling-block in his way. These people throw every
possible obstacle in his path.
The General feels that he is in a false position, and is most unhappy
over it.
Spain is expecting him to open a brilliant fall campaign, and he is
unable to do this because he finds himself at the head of a body of
ill-paid, hungry, and disaffected soldiers, who are neither fit for
difficult work nor willing to undertake it.
On the other hand, a portion of the Cubans are expecting reforms and
help from him, and this he cannot give because he is hampered by the
ill-will of the officials and the delays of the home Government.
The peasants have been permitted to return to their homes, and
permission has been given to commence sugar-grinding. But in the
present state of the country this permission amounts to nothing. The
planters have no money to pay for grinding sugar, and unless the
Government aids them it will be impossible for them to begin operations.
The peasants have no homes to go to, and unless they are cared for until
they are able to care for themselves they must starve.
An edict was issued arranging for certain lines of cultivation that were
to be started by the peasants, in the hope of helping them. The laborers
engaged in this work were to report to the military commanders, and be
under military protection.
Nothing further has, however, been done to carry out this plan, and
indeed it seems doubtful if anything can be done. Spain has no money,
and the Spanish soldiers need food for themselves--how then can the
Spanish commanders supply the peasants with farming implements and
grain, and care for them until kindly earth yields its crop?
General Blanco seems to have unearthed some serious frauds during his
investigation. He has asked the Spanish government to send out a general
named Escribera to him, that he may make him account for the cattle
which he is supposed to have supplied for the consumption of the army,
but which never came to hand.
In the mean time the Cubans are gaining victories all over the island,
and the leaders seem more determined than ever to accept nothing but
liberty from the Spaniards.
General Gomez has notified President McKinley of this fact.
He sent him a note in which he recited the struggles and sufferings of
the Cubans, reminded him of the blood that had been spilled in the cause
of freedom, and assured him again that under no circumstances would the
patriots end the war until Spain had given up the island.
A Spanish general has been sent out by Blanco to take command of the
eastern army, and reduce the rebels to submission. He reports, however,
that the troops under him are in such a poor condition that he can
expect very little from them.
In Spain the Carlists are causing a good deal of anxiety. The Pope has
received certain information that a great rising is indeed contemplated.
Espousing the cause of the infant King Alphonso, he has sent a letter to
the Spanish clergy, desiring them to refrain from encouraging the
rebellion.
There are constant rumors of risings, and arms and ammunition have been
seized in several towns of Spain.
It seems certain that Don Carlos is only waiting for a favorable
opportunity to commence hostilities.
* * * * *
The sheriff and deputies who shot at the strikers in the recent trouble
at Hazleton have been indicted by the Grand Jury for murder, and must
all be tried for this crime.
The Grand Jury is a body of men, generally twenty-four in number, whose
duty it is to look into complaints of crimes that have been committed,
and decide whether they are really serious enough to go to trial.
A trial by jury costs the people a great deal of money and time, and it
would not be right to allow this money to be expended unless it was
pretty sure that a crime had been committed, and that the accused person
was in some way connected with it.
A man will sometimes accuse another of a crime for spite. If it were not
for the Grand Jury the case would be brought before the judge, and it
might take weeks for the accused man to prove his innocence. In the mean
while he would have been branded by the world as a criminal.
With the Grand Jury such a state of affairs is impossible.
The Jury must first be convinced that the supposed crime has been
committed, and then that the accused person is connected with it, before
they find what is called a true bill, and allow the case to go to the
courts.
In the Hazleton case the Grand Jury has decided that a crime was
committed by the deputies in firing on strikers, and the sheriff and his
posse will have to prove that their action was justifiable, or else
suffer the penalty of their crime.