R. T. Van Horn & Co., Publishers.*

Thursday, June 23, 1870.

     The Walter B. Dance came up yesterday morning, bringing a good trip for this place, and 600 bars of railroad iron to be discharged at Wyandotte.  She returned to St. Louis in the afternoon.  the Henry S. Turner, of the "O" line from St. Louis, is due to-day.  The river is getting quite low; business on the levee was a little brisker.  The thermometer at Hoover & Vaughn's, on the levee, one of the coolest places in the city, stood at 98 degrees in the shade at one time during the day.

     Yesterday evening the community was shocked and the families of two laboring men at the Gas Works named Ross and Finley were thrown into the most poignant sorrow by the loss of a bright little son from each.  James Ross, aged 7 years, and Anthony Finley, aged 9, went down the river about seven o'clock, directly opposite the Gas Works, to swim.  James went in first and immediately began to sink.  Anthony ran immediately to his assistant and caught hold of his little comrade, but getting beyond his depth they both went down to rise no more, clasped in each others arms and drowned within six feet of the bank.  Anthony's mother, hearing their cries, ran down the river just in time to see them sink.  According to an old superstition one of the boys hats was thrown into the river, under the impression that it would designate where the bodies were, but of course if failed and men were dragging the river at last accounts but without success.

     The goats that have graced the public square for the past two days, were started on the road to Independence yesterday.  they appeared to go-at a "killing pace," considering the terrific heat.

     Wills' Dramatic Troupe will appear at Frank's Hall next Monday evening.  Couldock, who has a national reputation as a superior actor, will, during the stay of the troupe, give our play-goers the pleasure of witnessing his noted representations of "Luke Fielding," "Peter Probity," and other characters.  His daughter, Grace Couldock, will also appear.

     Yesterday afternoon a party of t en men, mounted on horses, and carrying both pistols and rifles, come up at a sharp trot to the Court House door, dismounted, and went into the Marshal's office.  A crowd soon gathered -- all curious to know the object of the strangers  After a short conference with marshal Spears, the ten men mounted their horses and rode out of town briskly, in a southerly direction.  From the party we obtained the following facts:
     Seto Mason is an old and highly respected farmer who lives some fifteen miles southeast of Lexington in this State.  He has lived on his farm for the past eighteen years.  It is located near the St. Louis and Lexington railroad.  Some time since a man named Tom McDaniels (Dr. Ridge, of this city, is his uncle) was at a ball where Mason's daughters were in attendance.  Mr. Mason told his girls not to dance with McDaniels.  The reason for this was that McDaniels had been suspected of horse stealing.
     The girls were asked, during the evening, by McDaniels, to dance with him, but they declined.  Since that time he has threatened to have revenge on the old man.  Last evening Mr. Mason went to Higginsville, and while in a store McDaniels entered.  Mason spoke to him pleasantly, but received a cold reply . the old man afterwards spoke in a low tone to the storekeeper, saying he feared McDaniels meant mischief.  Soon Mr. Mason started home, when his revengeful enemy fired five shots from his revolver at the old gentleman, seriously wounding him.  It is thought he will die from the wounds he received.  A party ws made out promptly -- one of the number being a son of Mr. Mason -- an d pursuit commenced.  They traced the would-be murderer to Independence, and when they left here they were confident they would capture him dead or alive.