#february 1885

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Doubling the Dose - Quickly Extinguished - Clothing Was Torn Off

24 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

RECORDER’S COURT.

Among the usual crop of Monday mourners who faced the stern gaze of his honor yesterday, sat Jeff Cain. Jeff seems determined to keep up an unbroken record in the line of violating the municipal statutes. This time it was for “packing” a pistol. He asked for a jury and they made it $50 and costs. The verdict was in violation of all precedent; never before was a jury known to go over the minimum fine of $25. It may be the case that they thought by “doubling the dose,” so to speak, Jeff might be influenced to omit the six-shooter when he made his toilet hereafter. Jeff will “lay out” his fine unless he escapes the Bastille, as he managed to do only a few days ago.

A SMALL BLAZE

On the premises of Mrs. Snyder who keeps a millinery store at 110 West Ash, attracted a large crowd yesterday afternoon. The firemen were promptly on hand and quickly extinguished the flames. The fire originated in the kitchen, but beyond a flooding of that apartment with water no damage was done.

WAYLAYING A WOMAN.

A young white girl, a nurse in the employ of a well known Austin citizen was attacked by some unknown ruffian, between 8 and 9 o’’clock Sunday night, near the bridge over shoal creek on west Pecan. She finally jerked loose from her assailant and fled, though nearly all her clothing was torn off in the struggle to escape.

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Astonished the Crowd - Outrageous Orgies and Reckless Revels

21 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

LEFT BY THE LADY.

Mille. Louise Armaindo astonished the crowd at the fair grounds yesterday by her skill and speed on the bicycle, and easily carried off the honors of the day. Owing to the chilly state of the weather there was not a large gathering, but those who went seemed to enjoy the performance. She beat one of Monroe Miller’s trotting horses in two straight quarter dashes, making the first quarter in 46 seconds, and the second in 45 1/2. She also beat Mr. Eck himself, an accomplished bicyclist. The crowd applauded vociferously, and hearty cheers rent the air every time the little lady passed under the wire. She is not only the fastest wheel-woman in the world, but is noted for her wonderful feats in lifting. There is not one man in Austin (possibly one) that can manage as heavy dumb-bells as little Louise. She will exhibit at Turner hall tonight.

FIERCE FLAMES.

The Gem Saloon, on the corner of Cedar and Lavaca, caught fire and was burned down between 3 and 4 o’clock yesterday morning. It was situated in Giddy Guytown, just a few doors south of that delectable spot known as Hard Man’s Hole. The building was owned by Tom Hill, a negro, and its contents belonged to August Tiedeman. The blaze made by the burning [...] cast a bright glare over the squalid tenements inhabited by negress women and depraved men of the worst stamp. The house that was destroyed has been the scene of some of the most outrageous orgies and reckless revels that ever made the night hideous. No tears were shed for its loss, but it was a “good stand,” and ere long another structure may be expected to take its place.

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Gambling Discussion - St. Mary’s Completion - Cornerstone Invitations

15 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

AROUND AUSTIN. Points Picked up in Reportorial Ramblings Over the Capital City.

A SPORT HIMSELF.

It is said that a member of the house, noted for his zeal in advocating the punishment of gambling by having it made a felony, has been seen several times in Austin gambling houses. How would it do to punish the players in the same way as the keepers of the game? What is sauce for the goose does not seem to be sauce for the gander, in this instance.

THE TOWN TALK.

The gambling bill is the general theme of discussion. Men discuss it continually -- on the curbstones, in the lobbies and hotel corridors -- everywhere. As engrossed in the house yesterday, it makes the exhibiting of any gaming device a felony. Though it passed that body by a large majority, it is extremely doubtful if it ever gets the sanction of the senate. A great many conservative men say that the law would never be enforced on account of its severity.

ST. MARY’S ACADEMY.

This handsome new building is rapidly nearing completion. When finished it will be an ornament to the city. Occupying as it does a central situation, and crowning one of those beautiful heights which have given to Austin the wide spread sobriquet of the “Cit of Hills,” the academy is most charmingly located. The view from the upper stories is simply superb. The good sisters are to be congratulated on the elegance and solidity of their new home, and the beauty and healthfulness of the site. May they continue their blessed and useful labors within those peaceful walls for many years to come.

A GREAT EVENT.

That is what the laying of the capitol cornerstone, on the second of next March, is bound to be. The committee of invitation, through Secretary Lambert, has sent out the following circular to every county judge in Texas:

“Yourself and the citizens of your county are hereby cordially invited to be present at and to participate in the ceremony of laying the cornerstone of the capitol of Texas. The following will constitute the principal features of the day: Street parade by civic and military organizations, from all parts of the state; prayer by Rev. Homer S. Thrall, of San Antonio; orations by Gov. Ireland, Hon. George Quinan, Hon. F.B. Sexton, of Harrison county and Hon. W.L. Crawford of Dallas. The cornerstone will be laid with Masonic rites, by the grand master, B.A. Botts, of Houston. Rev. J.W. Whipple, of Austin, will pronounce the benediction.” Gen. R.L. Walker has for some time past been engaged in leveling the grounds for the accommodation of the vast throngs on that memorial day.

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Feathery Flakes - Case Somewhat Peculiar - Severe and Unnatural Treatment

14 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

AROUND AUSTIN. Points Picked up in Reportorial Ramblings Over the Capital City.

THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW.

A few feathery flakes fell in the city yesterday, but the small boy’s anticipated fun was doomed to destruction. Texas can beat the world on northers, but when it comes to snow it occupies a sort of back seat, as it were.

NOT GUILTY.

A young white girl named Willie Edwards was tried by a jury in Judge Von Rosenberg’s court yesterday for “vagrancy,” and acquitted. The evidence shows her case to be somewhat peculiar. It seems that the girl ran away from her parents in San Antonio some weeks ago, and coming to this city, was run into a low dive of prostitution kept by a mulatto named Fannie Whipple, once of the most abandoned women in Austin. It is said that the parents of this unfortunate (German) were here some time ago to take her back home, but being unable to find her returned.

A BRUTAL FATHER.

E. Peterson is a painter who dwells on Colorado street in the rear of Turner Hall. Of late he has been drinking too much whiskey, and when under its influence made things very disagreeable at home for his wife and little children. The other evening he came home drunk, and while his wife was in the yard milking, treated one of his little girls, aged six, with the greatest cruelty. He caught the child up and dashed her against the floor several times, inflicting painful bruises. The child had done nothing that merited such severe and unnatural treatment. The mother on being told what was occurring rushed into the apartment and made him desist. The other child, a babe of three, had in its terror crawled under a bed. That night Mrs. Peterson took her children to the residence of her father, and so returning to her home next morning found Peterson had left. He has not been seen by any of the family since. The above was narrated by the mother of the child herself, who wept bitterly while telling the sickening story. Perhaps a whipping, post is not such a bad institution.

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Perfectly Free From All Viciousness - Mirthful, Malignant, or Tender - She Waded Into the Sinning Hack Driver - Pulled to the Top

13 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

AROUND AUSTIN. Points Picked up in Reportorial Ramblings over the Capital City.

KICKED BY A HORSE.

Offficer John Chenneville was severely kicked by his horse yesterday. He received the blow on the back of his left hand and several bones were broken. The animal that did the work was the saddle horse that he regularly rides and was considered by the owner perfectly free from all viciousness.

VALENTINES.

Even the hard times will scarcely affect the sales of these missives, in this tough year of your Lord 1885. The custom has become as fixed as any institution in the land. As usual, they are of various types -- mirthful, malignant, or tender as the motive that prompted the sender might be. In this connection, in accordance with a suggestion made by a post office man yesterday, it is apropos to remark that it requires a two-cent stamp to get them to the proper parties, whether residing in or out of the city.

JERRY BROWN,

Is a well known colored hack driver of Austin. Everybody knows “old Jerry,” but everybody don’t know what a sound flogging he lately received at the hands of his wife. It seems that Jerry has not been half as true as all good husbands ought to be of late. His wife, learning of his fondness for another woman, kept an eye on her lord’s movements, and tracked him to the abode of a lady who does not bear the slightest resemblance to the character that Caesar wished his wife to have, accordingly, waiving all formality about knocking at the door, she walked in on the astonished Jerry, who thought her calmly reposing at home. She waded into the sinning hack driver in a way that he won’t forget for the rest of his life. No bones were broken but old Jerry complains of feeling sore in every portion of his anatomy.

A Narrow Escape.

A little child, the son of Mr. Thos. Harrell, who resides in the Seventh ward, on Brazos street, came very near drowning to death recently by falling in a cistern on the premises. The father tried to get down to rescue the little fellow, but the opening was too small to admit his descent. A youth named Philip Best heard their cries for help and coming to the rescue went down by the rope and catching up the little fellow who was fortunately floating, both were pulled to the top in safety.

[violetcrownchronicles]

The Gamblers are Jerked Up Occasionally

10 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

ABOUT GAMBLING. What a Sporting Man in Austin has to say on the subject.

It is frequently well to get the opinions of all sorts of people. By hearing every side of a question, by listening to discussions from every point of view, the subject can be comprehended in its entirety.

Just now the regulation of gambling is a topic that interests everybody. The present legislature proposes to deal with it. In regard to it the most diverse views are held. One theory is to make it a felony; another is to pass a license law.

Yesterday a reporter meeting up with a well known member of the sporting fraternity, asked his ideas on the subject. The other responded in substance as follows: “Gambling is, I admit, an evil. It has flourished a long time, however, and seems difficult to entirely break up. You ask me what I think of the proposed bill to make gaming a felony. I don’t think it will do. Let them pass this bill and what will be the result? You are doubtless aware that there are various kinds of gambling. Some time ago, the distinction was drawn clearly and correctly in the Statesman. There are men in all cities who run fair games. There are others, so-called gamblers, who are really thieves. Fakirs is the word generally used to designate them. Now, suppose gambling is made a felony. The proprietors of the better class of these establishments will close up. They are not going to take any chances on going to the penitentiary. They will quit the business rather than run the risk of being convicted as felons. But will the fakirs do this? will the keepers of low gambling halls, where drunken countrymen are fleeced, shut up shops? Not by an overwhelming majority. On the contrary these robbers will increase and multiply. They are generally the hardest kind of characters, and are willing to run any risk. The vice, instead of being suppressed will only flourish in an aggravated form. I am not telling you this for buncombe. It is as certain to be the result as the sun shines above us.

But if, on the other hand, gambling is licensed and the tax be put to a sufficiently high figure, only responsible men, men who will be interested in preserving the reputation of their houses for square dealing can engage in the business. This will drive the fakirs out of the business. The licensed sporting men will combine against them, and their occupation will be gone. It will be an easy matter then to enforce the law, for back of it will lie public opinion. Again, the money arising from licenses will swell the revenues of the state to an enormous figure. Why license the sale of liquor and deny it to gaming? Is one any greater evil than the other? They go hand in hand.

As the law now stands, the gamblers are jerked up occasionally and fined. Who gets the money? The prosecuting attorney and the other court officers. The state only gets a part. License it and it is all turned over into the coffers of the general treasury. It then goes to the public good and not to the private purses of its individuals

These are my views, and you can take them for what they are worth. Other arguments might be adduced but the foregoing will do for this time.” So the interview was ended.

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A Thing Never Done on Skates Before

8 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

Skating Sensation. 

Next Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, there will be some of the most extraordinary skating at Turner Hall. Nothing like it was ever seen in Austin before. Mr. J. Prade has engaged, at great expense, the champion skaters of America, Prof. O’Rourke and Allison. They astonish all spectators by their wonderful combination, fancy and trick skating. They will perform the marvelous feat of jumping over twelve chairs -- a thing never done on skates before.

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Ten Full Minutes of Hard Ringing - And Otherwise Abusing Her

6 FEB 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.

A NARROW ESCAPE From Fire -- The Trouble With the Night Telephone Service.

Last night about 12:30 one of the employees of this office noticed a bright light in the rear of the Brunswick sleeping apartments, next to the Statesman office. On examination he found it to be a reflection from a room on the third story which was evidently on fire. Several guests who had not retired hurried to the spot. A wrecked lamp was found in the window. It had evidently exploded and caused the flames. The window still was burning and in a few minutes more a destructive conflagration might ensued. There was no porter or servant on the premises. The guests saved the house.

Just here it is not out of place to say a word about the night telephone service. Though 12:30 is not a late hour, it took a gentleman full ten minutes hard ringing to get communication with the lower hotel (the old Raymond) to inform the clerk on duty there of what had happened. An active man could have walked there and back to the Statesman office before the communication was made. Such service as this is almost worthless, and the public have a right to complain. If this had happened only once, it would not be mentioned now, but it is a frequent thing. It has been the case more than once, that parties, failed to get any attention at all at the Central office, when ringing in the small hours. Manager Watson will no doubt remedy matters.

AUSTIN AFFAIRS.

Two clever and efficient policemen are reported sick -- officers Johnson and Conners -- the last being dangerously ill.

An old lady named Dooley, complained in the city court yesterday that Bud Burns and two fellows named Williams have been throwing rocks at her house and otherwise abusing her.

Oliver Townsend, arrested on suspicion of having robbed Mr. Bill Johnson of a fine watch and a sum on money, a short while back, was brought before Justice Von Rosenberg, on a preliminary hearing yesterday. This trial will be resumed this morning, and the evidence is doubtless sufficient to have him bound over.