Nebraska Newspapers

    '.Stftta Historical
Secity
DAKOTA : COUNTY HERALD.
V0LU3IE XVI
DAKOTA CITY, NEB., FRIDAY, DECKS! BKU 18, 1907.
NUMBER '1C.
CURRENT HAPPENINGS
FAITHFUL CHRONICLE OF ALL
IMPORTANT ITEMS.
AT DENVER JULY 7T11
DEMOCRATS NAMK TIMH AM)
place ron coxvKXTir"'-.
Wlilouus, Clayton and Smith Icnd
Fight Against Acceptance of $100,.
000 Fund, Attacking Them as Bribe,
Which Ilepuhllcaiis Rejected.
After deciding to hold the next
Democratic national convention at
Denver, Colo., and fixing the date of
the meeting; on July 7, 1908, the Dem
ocratic national committee, In session
in Washington, D. C. late, Thursdn
entered upon a spirited debate on the
propriety of Accenting more of the
9100,000 offered by Denver for the
convention than actually needed to
pay the convention expenses In that
city. Tho opposition to the accept
ance of the contribution took the
form of a resolution by Representative
Clayton, of Alabama, declining; money
not actually needed for convention
purposes, but after a long debate the
resolution was laid on the table by a
vote of 31 to 14.
Mr. Clayton, Representative John
Sharp Williams" of Mississippi, .and
Gov. Hoke Smith of Georgia, spoke In"
favor of the passing of the resolution.
Mr. Smith was especially emphatic
In saying that the $100,000 which had
been offered to secure the Republican
convention and refused by the Repub
lican national committee had been
offered to and was about to be ac
cepted by the Democratic committee.
He said the Republicans had turned
down the offer because It was regard
ed as In the nature of a bribe and
that Democrats, In view of thut cir
cumstance, could not "afford to ac
cept It. -
Mr. Williams spoke in a similar
vein, as also did Mr. Clayton.
Mr. Taggnrt advocated the accept
ance of tho $100,000, saying it would
be needed now even worse than money
was needed In 1900. and that at that
time It would have been practically
Impossible to hove opened headquar
ters for Judge Parker If they had not
had tho extra money secured from St.
Louis, where tho convention was held.
Senator Stone, of Missouri, made a
long speech in which he favored the
acceptance of the rrfblYeyv ': .--.
INDICT FATHER AXI SOXS.
Four Accused as Result of Brooklyn
Blink Failure.
John CI. Jenkins, formerly president
of the First National bank, of Brook
lyn, and his three sons were indicted
by tho Kings county grand Jury Thurs
day on charges of conspiracy and per
jury. This Is the first indictment
against tho elder Jenkins, but his sons
already had been Indicted on other
charges. They are John G. Jenkins,
Jr., former president of the Jenkins
Trust company; Frank Jenkins, for
mer president of the Williamsburg
Trust company, and Frederick Jen
kins, a director in these institutions.
The doors of all these Institutions
were closed several weeks ago.
The four Jenkins had been warned
that they would be wanted In court
and wero present to be arraigned.
Their counsel pleaded not guilty lu
their behalf, and ball for John G.
Jenkins, Sr., was fixed at $10,000',
while that of his sons was made $2,500
as they are already under heavier
ball in other cases.
The charges against them are based
on the loans alleged to have been
made by the First National bank of
Brooklyn and the two trust companies
to the accused men. It is charged
that they engaged In a conspiracy to
secure these funds In excess of 10 per
cent of the paid in capital stock of
the various concerns, and that reports
to the state superintendent of banks
were so falsified by them as to con
ceal tho fact that the loans wero
made. The charges of perjury were
based on this alleged concealment.
X OMI XATIOX WITH DKAWX.
Oregon Attorney Fulls to make Good
In Prosecutions.
It was announced at the department
f Justice In Washington Thursday
that the nomination of W. C. Bristol.
United States attorney for Oregon,
which had been sent to the senate,
would- be withdrawn in accordance
with the department's recommenda
tion to the president..
" "Mr. Bristol's course with reference
to the land fraud prosecutions In Ore
iron has been unsatisfactory to the
department, and the action of the de
partment is due to this fact and to
the attitude aken by Mr. Bristol in
some recent telegraphic correspond,
ence with the department."
Kloux City Live Stock Market.
Thursday's quotations on the Sioux
City live stock market follow: Beeves,
$4.75fi 5.75. Top hogs, $4.75.
KnccN to Pray; Find Tliief.
When Elizabeth Glauber, of Pitts
burg. Pa., age.d 12, knelt beside her
bed to Kdv her prayers one night re
cently, hhf l;iu!t on the hand of a
burglar hiding under the bed.
To A'd 'Jujiun in Washington.
W. D. Stevens, the American diplo
mat who l as Just been appointed ad
'viser to the J a pant-so ambassador at
I Washington, is en route to America.
DISAStF.Il IN HXK)1)S.
Loss of Life and Property In Pennsyl
vania.
High water Tuesday night caused
the collapses of a new bridge in course
of erection over the western branch
of the Susquehanna river at MlfTln
vllle, eight mile? north of Hloomburg.
Pa., and resulted In the death of sev
n men' and the Injury of nearly n
score of others, two perhaps fatally.
Forty men were at work in the trav
eler on the middle span of the struc
ture when It collapsed. Thoy were
nil thrown Into the swollen river.
The collapse of the . bridge war
caused by the rapid rise In the river.
The water rose during the day at the
rate of almost one foot an hour and
debris carried down the stream by the
flood struck the false work of the
bridge and caused Its collapse.
A large tree trunk struck the false
work- Just before the bridge fell.
The accident occurred Just at night
fall, when the men were preparing to
abandon their work. As a result tho
work of rescuing those who were
thrown Into the water with the mass
of Iron and steel was greatly retarded.
The second span of the bridge vcti
weakened, and it was this span thnt
fell with the big traveler. The bodies
of four of those killed were found
floating on the surface of the water
entangled among the bent and twisted
girders and ironwork, but the others
have not been found. Many of the
men were caught In the rapid water
and carried a rajle or more down the
river before they were rescued.
One of the most remarkable escapes
was that of William Nesblt, who was
caught in the ironwork and held a
prisoner for an hour with his mouth
' and chin above water before being
rescued.
The bridge was being built by the
state to replace the one carried out In
a freshet In 1893.
OUTSTRIPPED BY JAPAV.
llead of a British Steamship Line
Tells of Doss of Trade.
Presiding at the annual meeting
Tuesday afternoon of the Peninsula
and Oriental Steam Navigation com
pany at London, Sir Thomas Suther
land, chafrman of the company, had
to make the disagreeable confession
that the entire trade of the line be-t
tween Bombay and Japan had been'
wiped out by its Japanese competitors,
Speaking of tho startling strides
made by Japanese trade in the cast,
the chairman said It seemed to him
that the "soul of a people that had
lain dormant for centuries 11 sud
denly awakened to almost supernat
ural activity."
He said he thought " the Japanese
government, to a certain .extent un
fairly, was "forcing the Japanese
steamship companies to increase their
Bombay sailings, and the result was
that the Peninsula and Oriental com
pany had been entirely left out in tho
cold.
BREWERS AS REFORMERS.
They Declare Hint the Bow Dives Musi
Go.
Ways and means to combat the pro
hlbitlon wave that Is sweeping the
country were discussed In New York
City at a meeting of brewers repre
senting ail sections of the United
States, Tuesday. No secret Is made
by the brewery interests that unless
something la done to check the local
option sentiment It means the loss of
business In territory heretofore ccn
sldered by liquor men to be invulner
able.
The representatives to the confer
ence discussed at length the policy to
be pursued, and the view was ex
pressed generally that the low saloons
should be wiped out. It Is their the
ory that these are responsible for
much of the animus against the liquor
traffic, and as the low groggerles are
notorious violators of the law It Is de
creed that they be destroyed.
To Rebuild Telegraph I.'rifs.
Plans have been approved by the
secretary of war for rebuilding tele
graph wires on the Yukon river, con
struction of a second wire between
Fairbanks and Valdez and In sections
of wireless telegraph lines and im
provement and extensions to the cubic
lines. s
Penalty $500 a Minute.
A penalty of $500 a minute la Im
posed In a contract just signed with
the New York Edison company. The
company must pay this if it falls with
in three minutes after a Are alarm is
given to furnish adequate power to
operate pumps for the city's new high
pressure mains.
A Triple Tragedy.
Isaac C. Wilcox, a telephone line
man, shot and killed Mrs. Wilkinson
and her brother, "Cotton" Hanson, at
the home of Louis Leitz, in Hannibal
Mo., and then blew out his own brains
with a revolver. Leitz was the only
witness to the tragedy.
Rat Mudo Xcst of Money.
Pulling up the flooring of his houso
to locate a dead rat whose odor hail
become obnoxious, John Warlowskl at
Mlnersville, Pa., found a nest In which
there was over $1M)0 In bank notes
Most of them were badly chewed.
Wan Prominent Southerner.
William J. Rogers, for forty years
prominent in southern cotton mar
kets, Is dead at Lexington, Ky. II, i
was a brother of John H. Rogers, fed
eral Judge of the eastern district of
Arkansas.
Trust Ciimiuuiy ItCMiimes ISiikIiic..
The liath Trust Company, of Hath,
Me., at one time controlled by Charles
W. Morso, resumed business Monday
after a suspension of several weeks
FORBIDS THIRD TERM.
Roosevelt Repeats Ills Election Night
Statement.
In view of the Issuance of the call
of the Republican national committee
or the convention the president makes
the following statement:
On the night after election I made
the following announcement:
"I am deeply sensible for the honor
done me by the American people In
thus expressing their confidence In
what I have done and have tried to da.
appreciate to the full the solemn
responsibility this confidence Imposes
upon me, and I shall do all that In
my power lies not to forfeit It. On
the 4 th of March next I shall have
served three and a half years, and this
three and a half years constitute my
first term. The wise custom which
limits the .president to two terms re
gards the substance and not the form.
and under no circumstances will I be
candidate for or accept another
nomination."
I have not changed and shall not
change the decision thus announced.
If any man knew of the president's
intention to make the foregoing dec
laration at the present time he kept
the president's secret well, for there
was no intimation that it would be
made for some time to come. When
the president was In Tennessee lar.t
October, returning from his bear hunt
In the swamps of Louisiana, he was
informed that the Republican leaders
of that state proposed to hold their
state convention as soon as possible
after the call of the national commit
tee for the national convention, and
that they Intended to send a solid del
egation instructed for the renomlna-
tlon of Mr. Roosevelt. As the national
committee was to meet In Washington
early In December It was expected the
Tennessee convention would be not
much more than a month later; that
Is, early In January of the new year.
The president has told a great num
ber of Individuals during the last few
weeks that he would not be a candi
date for the presidency next year, and
he reiterated this declaration to cer
tain members of the Republican na
tional committee last week.
MILWAUKEE TO PUT LID OX.
City that Beer Has Made Famous Will
Reform.
Tho great temperance wave sweep
ing northward and spreading in all di
rections has hit Milwaukee, considered
the invincible stronghold of the liquor
Interests, with such force that the li
quor men have hastened to Inaugurate
certain reforms themselves, hoping to
forestall more radical action by the.
temperance element. This acknowl
edgment of the strength of the prohi
bition movement Is highly significant.
It amounts practically to an epoch lu
the history of that city, which hereto
fore has sneered defiantly at all tem
perance movements.
Evidently the brewers and saloon
keepers have had agents out through
the country testing the real strength
of tho prohibition movement, and
know what Is coming. Hence the de
cision to steal the thunder of their
enemies, which took the form of a res-
olution in the council to close all sa
loons at midnight and keep them
closed until 6 o'clock each morning.
This resolution was backed by all -the
liquor Interests and slipped through
the council without any opposition.
Other reforms afe being Instituted,
and Alderman John Koerner, proprie
tor of a saloon that heretofore has not
had too much regard for the proprie
ties, delivered an address in St. James
Episcopal church, his topic being "A,
Plea for Early Closing."
DIES IX ELECTRIC CHAIR.
Murderer Is Put to Death In . New
Jersey.
The first official electrocution In
New Jersey occurred In the state's
prison at -Trenton Wednesday when
Severlo Dl Giovanni, an Italian, paid
the death penalty for the murder of a
fellow countryman at Raritan last
September. The electrocution was
pronounced a success in every way.
Besides Dl Giovanni three other
murderers are doomed to die in the
electric chair during the present
month. Two are negroes and the oth
er is an Italian, and the sentences of
all three are to be executed during the
week beginning December IS.
Threaten Life of Minister.
The Rev. A. M. Couchman, of Farm-
ersburg, Ind., awoke one morning re
cently to find these words painted on
his porch: "Leave at once or we will
hang you.. Signed, Dynamite." V A
bundle of switches and a flask of whis.
ky accompanied the threat. '
Bank Manager Ends Life,
Flllpe Pinnella, a manager of the
Banco Agrlcola, at La Paz, Bolivia,
has committed suicide. This, with the
announcement mat a shortage of
$140,000 In the funds of the bank has
been discovered, has caused a sensa
tion there.
Sees First Iluy at Sixty.
Although over 60 years of age and
worth several millions of dollars, J.
W. Dennis, of Hardlnsville, 111., never
attended a theatrleul performance or
was In a theater until the other night,
when he visited the Heillg to see Marlu
Cahlll. It mude a hit with him.
Koiikii Fully Recovered.
John Philip SouHn has fully recov
ered from an attach of ptomaine poi
soning from which lie bus been suf
fering for the past ten days. Ho has
left Chicago for Detroit.
Cannot Collect Excchs Fore.
The ,state corporation committee of
Oklahoma has ruled that railroad
companies could not collect In excess
of 2 cents a mile from passengers who
board trains without tickets.
Nebraska
State News
t
X '
AGED WOMAN CLAIMS AN ESTATE
Is u Sister cf the Sell I trot her of
Circus Fume.
Charles Robinson, of Tccumseh, will
depart for Columbus, (., within a few
days, whom business matters of un
usual Importance culls him. His moth
er, Mrs. Aconlth Robinson, of Tecum
seh, Is a slfcter of the late Sells broth
ers, circus men of wide renown. Upon
the death of her mother many years'
ago, Mrs. Koomson claims sne siiouiu
have come Into possession of a largo
amount of the estate, valued at nearly
$100,000, but she says her brothers pot
hold of the entire estate of the parents
and Invested It In the clreos business.
For many years Mrs. Robinson tried
to settle with her brothers, she clulrns,
but could apparently do nothing. Now
the last of tho Sells brothers of circus
fame, Lewis Sells, has pussed away.
For many years Mrs. Robinson bus re
tained an attorney, at Columbus, the
home of the Sells, to care for her Inter
ests, and now this attorney writes the
woman that there is a possibility of
her getting a settlement from the
heirs of the Sells brothers. During
all these years the woman has scarce
ly enjoyed the necessltes of life, while
her brothers bocamo many times mill
ionaires. With a chanee for a settle
ment in sight, age has fastened Its
clutches upon the woman, and she Is
not able to Journey to Columbus, and
so her son is going to look to her In
terests. Should Mrs. Robinson come
Into possession of the money shi
claims rightfully belong! to her, she
would onjoy It' for but a brief time,
for she Is 'old and Infirm and not long
fcr this world.
SHOCK FOR PRISONER. '
Governor Says Hp Will Decide His
Case on Friday, the 13th.
Gov. Sheldon Tuesday evening con
cluded a two days' hearing held in the
Interest of Harrison Clarke, the negro
murderer under sentence to be hang
ed In the Btate penitentiary Friday, the
13th. Clarke, who practically acted
as his own attorney, made a plea 'that
was at times eloquent. When Gov.
Sheldon Indicated that the hearing
was at an end Clarke turned to him
and said:
"Governor, what kind oC u message
can I send to my old mother In Mis
souri?" Gov. Sheldon told him he had not
fully reached a decision.
"When wilL you reach a decision.
governor? persisted Clarke.
"On Friday, the 13th," was the re
ply.
Gov. Sheldon -visited the .cells of
Gnthrlght and Wain, the two accom
plices of Clarke, who have already
been convicted and sentenced to long
terms In the penitentiary, and ques
tioned them concernig the murder. A'
the men have nothing to gain or lose
Gov. Sheldon hopes to secure from
them a truthful story of the crime,
and will base his action accordingly.
TO FIGHT OMAHA SALOON'S.
Citizens Organize n llrancli of Anil
Saloon liCUKiic.
At a meeting in Omaha at the Lyric
theater the nucleus of a local branch
of the Anti-Saloon league of Omaha
was formed, when fifty prominent citl
zens subscribed to an obligation to
take up and push the objects of that
organization. These fifty men will go
to work at once to form a permunent
organization In Douglas county, with a
full set of officers. Tho meeting was
presided over by W. T. Graham, a
prominent real estate man, and thi
principal speaker was Dr. Samuel Z.
Batten, president of the Anti-Saloon
league of Nebraska, and pastor of the
First Baptist church of Lincoln. Dr.
Batten said a set of books was being
kept in which the record of every of
ficeholder who failed to enforce the
law might be found. Tho principal
part of the business of the league, he
said, would be to dig the political
graves of these men. Dr. Ratten said
the entire state soon would be organ
Ized,
Duniuge Case Appealed.
-Frank Anderson, who was Injured
In the Union stock yards at South
Omaha and who prosecuted a suit for
$6,000 damages unsuccessfully In
Douglas county against the stock yards
company, has appealed his case to the
supreme court. He alleges as error
that the trial Judge struck out of his
petition the allegation that he com
pany should have mainalned auto
matlc couplers.
Teaciicrs Meet at Tekamah.
The Burt County Teachers' associa
tlon was held at Tekamah on Friday
and Saturday of lat week. On Frl
day evening at the Presbyterian
church an Illustrated lecture was giv
en by Dr. O. E. Condar, of the Unl
verslty of Nebraska, and whs a fine
discourse on the physical conditions
of the different portions of the state,
Boy Promises to Be Good.
August Schroeder, of Creighton, has
asked Gov. Sheldon to commute his
sentenco of liiiisonmcnt in the Lan
caster county" Jail bo that he may g,
home to his parents and be. good. He
Is 19 years old and was given a long
tail sentence for taklnir money fron
his employers In Lincoln.
IlCMiiiic Work ni Telephone I. Inc.
The Nebraska Hell Telephoiiu corn
pany, which bean the construction o
a telephone line urrnKS the Indian res.
ervutlon to Walthlll in the early pn
of last summer, und who after work
ing for a few days were ordered to
seawe work by the United States In
dlun agent of the Omaha tribe on the
ground that they hail not secured
right of way across the reservation,
aguln have a gang of men on tho
round and are going to yush tho
worn to completion.
SI JP-AUATE 11 NEUALH HELD.
Mrs.
Xcthnwny's Parents Veto PUuM
for Btirliil with Husband.
The last act In a double tragedy was
plnypd at Norfolk Sunday when the
. bodies of Valley D. Nethaway. mnr-
1 deter and suicide and that of MM,
N'ethnway, his victim, were consigned
to graves In opposite parts of the
Prospect Hilt cemetery,
Relatives of the husband
dcslref
a double funeral and a single grave,
but the parent of the murdered wom
an would not consent to have her
body placed beside that of hor slayer.
The funeral of Mrs. Nethaway wao
held at 10 o'clock from the home of
her friend, Mrs. Fred Harder, who
was with her at the tlnle of the mur
der. The services were conducted bjf
Rev. W. J. Turner, pastor of the Flrt
Consreiatlonal church. The obsequies
were largely attended.
The funeral of Nethaway In the af
ternoon bad a dramatic ending. When
the relatives were viewing the body
for the last time Nethaway's little 13-i-ear-old
daughter, and only child,
steprd up to the casket and exclulm
ed: "Oh. pupa, why did you hurt
mamma!; The child was led awsr
from the bier sobbing bitterly.
Nethaway's funeral was held from
his old home under the auspices of
the Modern Woodmen of America and
the Modern Brotherhood of America.
Rev. C. W. Ray. pastor f the Meth
odist Episcopal church, conducted the
services. Hundreds of his friends
were present to pay their last re-
pects.
Relative of lfe and husband at
tended both funerals. The duughter
will receive $10,000 Insurance. She to
attending a convent at West Point.
FEW SMALLPOX CASES.
Situutlon at Wakefield Said to Hare
Been Exaggerated.
Wakefield, In spite of all the reports
o the contrary, has but four mild
cases of smallpox In the village. Two
of these are confined In private
homes, another at a boarding house.
and Mr. Boyd, landlord of the Com
mercial house. Is confined In the he
el on the west side of the street. This
house has been used only for rooming
purposes. The first case was let out
Monday, his time having expired,
which will leave but three cases. So
far only two places in tho country are
:i Pfectel, one at Art Slaughter's, nine
miles south In Wayne county, and
liPinniy Iloogncr, four miles north
west.
The churches here were planning on
their usual Christmas festivities and
the merchants had already everything
n stork for Christmas trade. Tho lo
cal board of health, considering the
nearness of the holidays nnd the safe
ty of the public at lurge and to not
Intimidate patrons coming to Wake
field, met In Joint session with the
school board and ordered all churchei
dosed and public gatherings of all
kinds stopped and the vllluge schools
closed, the schools to remain closed
until the first week In January, In this
way losing but one week of school, as
the usual tw weeks' vacation had
been previously arranged for. Should
there be no more new cases from ex
posure within the next fourteen days
the churches and public gatherings
will be allowed to go on. It Is the aim
nnd object of the board of health and
the citizens of Wakefield to check this
disease as speedily as possible.
WOMAN ATTACKED AT WVMORE.
Rufiiun Grubs Actress on Street, but
Runs When She Screamii.
The town of Wymore was consider
ably excited over a cowardly assault
that was committed on Main street.
A woman member of the "Irish Sen
ator" company returning to her hot-!
from the theuter was accosted' by nn
unidentified man Just the other sld
of what Is known as "saloon row."
She attempted to go on, but the man
jrabbed her arm. The woman threat
ened to shoot him, although she had
io gun. She attempted to break away
from his grasp and then the fellow
ft ruck her in the face. She Bcreamed,
but when men arrived from a nearby
restaurant no one could be found. The
woman's face wiis 'badly bruised.
MISSOURI PACIFIC LAVS TRACK.
New EI:hy-Flve.Pouiul Steel on Omaha-Kansas
City Line.
A force of fifty men began work
this week v laying the new 85-pound
steel on the Missouri Pacific road, be
ginning at a point one and one-half
miles west of Falls City. They will
continue from thereas far as Union.
The work will bo continued through
the winter months, A large gang of
graders have been working out of Au
burn for the last two weeks widen
ing the grade preparatory to the lay
ing of the new steel. The Improve
ment Is a long needed one and will bo
greatly appreciated.
Saloon Men to Plead Guilty.
Attorney Matt Oerlng, of Lincoln,
has notified the food commissioner
that the saloon men of Plattsmouth.
who were proceeded against for selling
liquor from unbranded bottles will
plead guilty and take their fines. The
penalties run from $10 to $100 In the
discretion of the court.
Dry Farming Congress.
A call has been issued for a trans
Mississippi dry farming congress to
meet In Lincoln, Jan. i!3-26, for the
purpose of boosting dry farming
methods. The governor la asked td
appoint Nebraska delegates to the
meeting. The coll Is issued by Fisher
Harris, of Suit Lake City,
Purcnls Surrender Deserter.
Chief of Police Cooper, of Lincoln,
left recently for San Francisco with
nurry ittchard White, alias M. R
Brooks, a youthful deserter from the
navy. Whites parents live In Lincoln.
nnd were making nn effort to secure
his dliehaige from the navy at tha
timn he newerted.
ObJi-ct to In -lira nee Com-uiny.
Ivlneoln Insurance men oppiured at
the auditor's olilee tti protest agulnst
;idin!ttlnK to bu'iuers liv tho stute tho
Great Western Insurance company, of
Kansas city. The objections were ver
bal and will biter bo reduced to writ
Ing.
Dutes f r Wlsni-r Sun k Show.
ilio llrectois of the Winner Live
Stock Show and Agricultural associa
tion at a meeting Saturday set the
dutes for ttio 1U08 fhow for Sept. 9,
IV anu 1 1.
WANT HALF PAY.
Volunteer Army and Navy Officers,
to Urge Their Claims, in Congress.
Backed, by precedent established
Ifter the Revolutionary Wnr, survlv-
ling Volunteer officers of the nnny and
nary of the Civil War ore to demand
jf Congress the enactment of n lnw
providing for their benefit a volunteer
retired, list with half pay for life. In
the Inst Congress a bill wns introduced
providing for such a lis, but restrict
ing it to volunteer army oKjcers. It
lid not pass, largely because of the
,'ry of discrimination thut wns raised
by nnvnl rolunteers and their friends.
It Is now projiosed by a committee
jf volunteer nnrnl officers to have pre
pared a measure thnt shall Ik? satis
factory to the nnry nml marine eon-.
Circulars have been sent out to all
surviving volunteer nnrnl officers !n
due United States calling upon them
to take nn netlve part In ;h Interest
f the measure. These circulars re
view the history or legislation for the
benefit of volunteer veternn officers
from the close of the Revolutionary
Wnr to the adjournment of the Fifty
ninth Congress, and it Is charged thnt
there lias always been n systematic at
tempt to eliminate the naval volun
teers from the benefits of such laws.
SKYSCRAPER MENACE.
What a Conflagration Among These
Cliff Dwellers Would Mean.
A catastrophe that will eclipse the
destruction of Sao Francisco Is the cheer
ing prospect offered for the con temptation
of New York by the president of the
board of fire underwriters, says Collier i
Weekly. And it is not New York alone
that in threatened, but every great city
that permits the construction of skyscrap
ers. The underwriters think thnt there
Is not only a possibility but a very strong
probability of a blaxe starting in the top
stories of a neat of these aerial hives ami
leaping across the canyons that separate
them, raging aloft like a Are in the upper
branches of a forest, and sweeping un
cheeked out of reach of the helpless fire
men in the street. When office buildings
go higher than the Washington uiouument
all the ordinary methods of protection be
come obsolete. No hose can carry
stream half way to their roofs. No street
mains can furnish pressure enough" to
send water up In standplpcs. Of course
there are satisfactory methods of supply'
ing the upper floors in ordinary times,
but they would count for nothing in a
conflagration. The experience of Son
Francisco has shown, in the opinion of
President Bnbb. thnt "so-called 'fireproof
buildings cannot withstand the attack of
a wave of flame." If a fire should sweep
the financial district of New York
would cause a loss of from one to two
billion dollars; the insurance companies
would bo hard pressed to pay 20 to -3
cents on the dollar, title guaranty com
pontes, mortgage concerns, savings banks,
and all other financial Institutions would
suffer, and the city would feel at once the
loss of revenue from the destruction of
taxable values.
Another menace that hongs over the
skyscraper districts of great cities Is the
danirer of panic. It is said that if a sua
den shock should send the swarming cliff
dwellers all surging to the streets at once
the highways would not bold the human
flood. The streets of our cities were do-
sicned to match buildings three or fou
stories high. When ten such buildings
are piled one on top of another, and the
same thoroughfares are expected to ac
commodate the people from all of them.
the results are likely to be startling.
The London '( Canada) Labor party
has pronounced in favor 'of old-age pen
sions. " ' 1,11 ""
A majority of the musicians of Santa
Ciua, Cal., met recently and organised a
union.
Organized labor In Seattle, Wash., has
carried out its proposed plan of obtaining
a coal mine.
Snrimtueld (Canada) miners ask for
another board of conciliation to investi
gate the system of weighing boxes.
The building trades of 8an Francisco
are discussing a proposition to settle on a
scale of wages for three years.
The Central Labor Union of Scranton,
I's., has decided to build a (.iO.OUU tem
ple for the use of the trades unions of the
city. .
At a meeting of Engineers' local No. 1
of Denver, Colo., the finance committee
reported that increased wages to the mem
bers of the union during the last year
amounted in the aggregate to ?l,!VI0. It
was reported that conditions In this trade
are very prosperous.
The total number of men killed while
mining coal In the United States during
11HK1, according to statistics gathered by
the geological survey, was 2,(K11. The
number of workmen receiving injuries in
this industry more or less serious, but not
fatal, wns 4,708 during the same period.
Miss Marot, secretary of the Woman's
Trade Uniou League of New York, a
short time since delivered an address in
which she urged women to urgnuize in ev
ery branch of industry and co-operate in
union agitation, holding that in that wny
only emi women compete, on equal terms
with men in the trades.
The union men of Wilkes-Hurre, Pa.,
have started a movement to boycott the
beef packers n. Inns ns prices remain at
the present hiiih rule.
The Federation of I.iihor nt Springfield,
Mo., has decided to enter politics next
year,, and will put forward its president
hi n candidate for tlie lieneral .sseiiiiny,
The Carpenters' Union of Winnipeg,
Miiiiitolin, In three members who have
been coin 'unions members of the oruanua
tion for muie tuail lliirty-six years. Their
years of membership total about 110
years. The union believes mw uots a rec
ord.
STOESSELON TRIAL;
PLEADS NOT GUIL1 Y
Officer Who Defended Port Arthur
Charged with Surrendering
Fort.
DISPLAY OF RUSSIAN POMP.
Crippled and Star-Spangled Veteran
Who Fought Japan at Fortress
There in Fore.
Before a brilliant assemblage of hi
old comrades In amis, Lieut. Gen..
Stoessel wns placed on trial In 8t l'e
tersburg to answer with hla life and
reputation for the loss of Port Arthur
on Jan. 1. 1005, nnd In firm tones nnd
with confident mnnner the general
pleaded not guilty to the charge of
needlessly surrendering the fortress)
nnd thereby bumillnting the Rnsslaa
army.
The trial took place In the audito
rium of the Army nnd Navy Club. The
room resembled more a social gathering
of oillcer of high rank than the seen
of a court martini. Among the jndgeav
gpectators, and witnesses were Gen.
Kuropntkln, Gen. Llnevltcfc, Gen. Keit
nenkampf. Vice Admiral WIren, and
scores of other prominent leaders ' in
the Russo-Japanese war. There wcr-
LIEUT. (JEN. STOE88EL.
also present 200 otlleers and soldier
who bad liecn nt Port Arthur and who
were elnd In their full dress uniform
blnziug with stars nnd decorations. ,
Gen. Stoessel alone wns lnelvilla
nttlre, nnd this innde him conspicuous,
Ho wore proudly . arouud his ueck,th
cordon of the military order of St
George, which wns conferred upon hint
by the eilH?ror during fihe siege, nntt '
on his breast wns pinned the cross of
George III., awarded the general fof .
conspicuous bravery In frontier-fight
Ing.
This same coveted decorntlon war
worn by ninny of the wltuesses and
Bpectntors. Kinpty sleeves and crutch
es, especially among the men who had
been at Port Arthur, showed that manyj
of them bad seen hard service during .
the wnr.
J
CHICAGO THE WINNER.
Bepublican National Convention t
Be Held There June 16.
The Republican national conTentloa
of 1908 will be held In Chicago, Junj)
18. This wns the decision reached bj
the Republican National Committee it
session at Washington, Chicago having
thirty-one votes on the first ballot,,
against eighteen for Kansas City and:
four for Denver.
Chicago won on a gunrantee, to paf
the legitimate expenses pertaining t
the convention, and without any prom
ise to raise the nucleus of the cam
paign fund for the national committee
which will be chosen" td prosecute th
work looking to victory at the1 telectle
In the fall.
It wns pointed out nt the meeting of
the national committee that the next
convention of the party will develop
the only real contest incident to th
nomination of n presidential ticket
since 188ft, nnd that In consequence
great crowd will be nttrneted. Chlca
go wns the city that offered the facili
ties to enre for the crowd, as well a
the best facilities for the transmission
of the news of the convention to 90
000,00 people vitally Interested in er
ery feature of Its action.
, FOREIGN NEWS NOTES.
Chinese troops in Formosa mutinied
nd killed sixty-three Japane..
Horace McKinley of Portland. Or,
bored his way out of jail at Mukden.
Two hundred students at Kiev Russia,
were arrested to quell an Incipient riot.
Itichnrd Croker announced his inten
tion of leuviug Ireland to spend the win-
tpr in Km-nt.
The I'ope postponed until January the
consistory which wa to have taken place
in December.
tilmlinl Kir Frnncftf LeonoM Met'lin-'
tock, n mainstay of the Urltisli navy,
died in I-ondnn. S
The King of Spain wns euteiained at
a ball given In the saMerrauean palace
of the Duke of I'urt Intnl.
A Une hurled tlii-(r.!!i a ear window
in St. l'etersUii's injur vl I'm Austria
ambas-ador, hat not seriously.
It was reported that the Ka.-I of Yar
mouth would seek n divon-u from hut
w.fe, a sister of Harry K. lunw
MiM Mary Ilo'oai.u)!'. a wl'invs !- the
famous Drvu-e r.'S". fi.iuted in a London
court rauiu, where was t-.'tlfying.
The sission of the Kiis-T.ati djma open
ed without extraordinary scem-s, it behaa.
in marked contrast t former meetings,
.'-