THE O’NEILL FRONTIER
O. H. CRONIN, Publisher.
J’NEILL, NEBRA3KA
Some tests recently carried out on
the osmium lamp by Dr. W. Wedding
at the Technical college, Berlin, go to
show that this method of illumination
Is making progress. In the experi
ments two groups consisting of six 37
volt lamps each were connected In ser
ies across a 220-volt circuit. In group 1,
for the first 3,132 hours the average life
of the six lamps were 2,853 hours, and
the average candlepower fell from 30.1
to 23.7. The meun consumption per
candlepower rose from 1.46 to 1.78.
After 520 hours the first lamp collapsed,
and after 3,724 and 3,940 hours, respect
ively, two other gave out, the remain
three still burning alter 3,973 hours. Iri
group 2, which consisted of six 25
eandlepower lamps, the report gives the
average life aa 1.479 hours, the candle
power dropping In 2.198 hours from 25.1
to 19.9 and the energy consumption In
creasing from 1.37 to 1.75 watts per
candlepower.
Denmark suffers from a quite mediae
val paucity of surnames, and so In
convenient is this fact becoming that
the government has announced Its In
tention of presenting a bill to the legis
lature sanctioning and encouraging the
adoption of new surnames. Such names
as Hansen. Petersen and Sverensen are
overwhelmingly frequent. It Is even
said that there ore towns of 30,000 In
habitants among whom there will not
be found more than twenty different
surnames, as many as a thousand diff
erent people having the same surname.
Bed-headed people are less subject to
baldness than others. A doctor ex
plains the matter thus: The hair of
the red-headed Is relatively thick, one
red hair being almost as thick as five
fair or three brown hairs. With 30,000
red hairs the scalp Is well thatched,
whereas with the same number of fair
hairs one Is comparatively bald. It
takes nearly 160,000 fair and 105,000
brown hairs to cover adequately an or
41 nary head.
In order to protect themselves from
forgeries of their pictures some Brit
ish painters have taken a leaf from the
scientists, and In addition to their sig
nature Impress the mark of their
thumbs on the wet oils or water colors
in one corner of the picture. The Idea
»f Identifying people by the Impression
sf their linger tips was Introduced by
Sir Francis Galton and has been prac
ticed of late for the detection of crim
inals.
A preliminary report received by the
war department from Brigadier Gen
eral Joseph P. Sanger, superintendent
»f the Philippine census, shows that the
total population of the Islands Is ap
proximately 6,976,574 persons, Including
»bout 650,000 members of "wild tribes."
The most populous province Is Cebu,
with 651,621 civilized Inhabitants. Ma
nila province has 319,941, and Cavite,]
adjoining, 134,438 civilized Inhabitants.
Among the fetaures of Louisiana's
transportation exhibit at the coming
exhibition In St. Louis will me a minia
ture train of rice cars and cane cars,
made of wood. There will be a real
•team engine, though proportionately
Lilliputian, to draw these Infantile de
vices through miniature fields. The
:'ars will be loaded with sections of real
mgar cane and tiny sacks of rice.
M. Bunau-Varllla, the minister from
Panama. Is the French engineer who|
was Invited by the king of Roumania
lo Improve the navigable waters of1
that country. He utilized a dredge of
his own Invention, which Is believed
to be the first of the kind to be oper
ated by electrical power. Its advan
tages have since led to its extensive
use elsewhere.
There are 190,277 professional beg
gars In Spain, of whom 61,948 are wom
en. In some of the cities beggars are
licensed to carr> on their trade. Seek
ing alms Is recognized as a legitimate
business, and the municipality de
mands a percentage upon the collec
tions. Seville Is the only city In ihe
kingdom which forbids begging In the
streets.
me countess or Warwick intends to
establish agricultural settlements In
different parts of England, where wom
en who are expert in horticulture, dairy
tanning and poultry raising can work
on the co-operative principle. She be
lleyes that the problem cun be solved!
by training Intelligent and educated
women to these callings.
Light Havana cigars contain less
nicotine than those of I’orto Rico, and
those of Porto Rico less than those of
Germany. When one smokes the ntoo
tlne lodges just back of the burning
part. Clgarets are worse for the eyes
and lungs than cigars because of the
smoke from the burning paper.
The nitrate mines of Chile, which
furnished the world’s supply of that
fertilizer, yielded 1,250,000 tons last
year, which furnished work for 23,000
men. The production of nitrate Is lim
ited in order that a high price may be
maintained. The government tax on
the output was $21,000,000.
The corn crop, which Is the most val
uable one. required for Its production
88,091,993 acres last year, and yielded
on an average 25.6 bushels, aggregating
2,244,179,925 bushels, which marketed at
an average price of 42.5 cents, repre
senting a total value of close to a bil
lion dollars—$952,868,801.
Only three of the fifteen members of
the famous electoral commission of
1877 survive—ex-Senator Edmunds,
Senator Hoar and General Eppa Hun
ton of Virginia. All of the five jus
tices of the supreme court who sat on
the commission long since passed
away.
The promotion of the antitoxin treat
ment of diphtheria has resulted In a
reduction of the death rate of that
scourge of the nursery from 36 per
cent, to less than 7 per cent. In the
thousands of cases treated by the med
ical Inspectors of the health depart
ment of Chicago.
Fix hundred thousand acres of In
dia’s best land, says a circular Issued
by the Christian Union against the
opium traffic, are used by the govern
ment for the cultivation of opium, the
great, bulk of which goes to China.
An anti-swearing league has been
formed at Hammersmith, London,
which will appoint Inspectors, whose
duty it will be to warn, and afterward.
If necessary, summon uny person found
swearing In the street.
Australia has more churches per
capita than any other country. She
has 210 churches to every 100,000 peo
ple. England has 144 and Russia about
fifty-five. _
Arrangements have been made for
telephonic communication between va
rious towns of Lancashire and France.
*Tench legislative sanction Is awaited.
EXPERT ACCOUNTANT
AWARDEO CONTRACT
Lancaster County Will Have
Books Examined for Last
Ten Years.
.SET A CANNING FACTORY
Plattsmouth Business Men and Capi
talists Interested in Offer to Es
tablish a Sweet Corn Can
ning Plant.
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 26.—J. M. Gil
christ has entered Into a contract with
the county commlslsoners to examine
'the books of the office of the county
treasurer for the last ten years at >20
a day. Gilchrist Is to furnish two as
sistants and complete the work as soon
as possible. The publication of the con
tract has caused considerable agitation,
and it is expected that suit will be
brought to annul It. One taxpayer
called at the court house seeking Infor
mation how to go about such a suit. He
said it meunt a three years’ Job at *8,000
a year, and It Is the general belief that
there will be nothing result from the
ixamlnation.
TO HAVE A FACTORY.
Offor to Erect Plant for Canning of
Sweet Corn Is Acoepted.
Plattsmouth, Neb., Jan. 26. -Pursuant to
a call of Mayor Frank J. Morgan busi
ness men of Plattsmouth assembled to ac
cept the offer of W. L. I-andon to erect
suitable buildings and equip them with
the latest improved new machinery for a
first class canning factory. He will con
tract with the farmers to raise and sell
to him 1,500 acres of sweet corn this year.
The yield is usually from four to six tons
per acre, for which he will pay the sum,
of *5 per ton. The plant and machinery
will cost about *75,000, und will furntsh
employment to 250 persons during the
busy season.
—f
PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGE.
Principal of 8chools Stands Trial on
Complaint of Woman.
Blair, Neb., Jan. 26.—Sheriff Mincke re
turned from a trip to Wauneta, Chase
county, bringing Ralph R. Benedict, prin
cipal of the schools of that place, who
was arrested on a charge preferred by
Miss Bessie M. Drown, who resides with
her parents, residents of this county. A
preliminary trial was given Benedict be
fore County Judge C. G. Marshal. He
pleaded guilty and was bound over to the
February term of court In the sum of
*1,000. Miss Drown was In court with her
l-month-old baby. t
FARMER GOES INSANE.
Trouble Is Due to Brooding Over Deatn
of Parents.
York, Neb., Jim. 26.—Friends and rela
tives of Abraham Ratzloff, a prosperous
York county farmer, owning a good farm
northwest of Charleston, complained that,
he was acting queer and that they thought
be was Insane. Deputy Sheriff Affiebaugh
brought Ratzloff to York last night and,
owing to tils violent condition, was ob
liged to use straps. Some attribute bis
Insanity to smoking clgarets. They say
that for the last seven years ho has been
smoking excessively. Mr, Ratzloff Im
agines that he Is about to lose a part of
an estate, and the fact that his father
filed two years ago nnd hts mother a short
time ago, leads many to think that he has
t>een brooding over their deaths,
CAST LAW ASIDE.
Eight Men Are Arrested for Seizing
Corn in Payment of Claim.
Pender, Neb., Jan. 26.—Over a dispute
arising from a division of rents. Farley
Bros, of Bancroft, with a train of wagons,
drove to the farm of Nlsson Bros., twelve
miles east of here, on the reservation, and
forcibly, without writ or officer, took pos
session of 350 bushels of corn. The Nis
sons came to Pender und swore out war
rants for eight men, charging them with
unlawful taking of property. Deputy
Sheriff D. A. Kelso went to Bancroft and
got his prisoners. Each of them gave
bonds for their appearance for trial, which
la set for hearing February 18 before Coun
ty Judge Wright.
SPINNEY IN TROUBLE.
Former Iowa Man Head of Omaha
Company Which Is Placed in
the Hands of a Receiver.
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 25.—Chief Justice
Holcomb today granted the request of the
deputy state auditor for a receiver for
the Bankers Union of America, an insur
ance order with headquarters In Omaha,
and Sheriff Powers of Omaha was ap
pointed. The deputy auditor alleges that
all the liabilities, Including $30,000 dun
policyholders, have not been reported and
that the assets are only $2,347. E. C. Spin
ney of Omaha Is president and his wife
Is vice president. Spinney formerly lived
In Des Moines and has been mixed up In
Insurance and bluldlng and loan con
cerns.
METHODIST CHURCH BURNED.
Fire Totally Destroyed Edifice Yester
day at Ireton.
Ireton, la., Jan. 26.—Fire completely
destroyed the Methodist Episcopal
church of Ireton this afternoon. The
lire In a brief space of time had made
such headw'ay that the lire department
was powerless to checks its progress.
The firemen gave their entire attention
■ to saving surrounding buildings, and
succeeded In confining the loss to the
| one structure. The fine new parsonage,
which was built last year at an ex
pense of $4,000 and which was located
near the church, was threatened.
The loss on the church building was
about $4,000, $1,500 of which Is cov
ered by Insurance In the Church Mu
i tual Insurance company.
The building was erected in 1884.
The pastor Is Rev. E. E. Gilbert. He
was not In town at the time of the fire,
having exchanged pulpits for the day
wtth his brother. Rev. A. B. Gilbert,
pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church at Hawarden.
| Henry A. Castle, auditor of the post
office department In Washington for the
last six years, taught a Sunday school
class In the west before he entered the
government service. One of his scholars
was a little girl whose mother had ex
, pended great effort in teaching her the
■ blble verse each pupil had to learn. Many
times, gays Mr. Castle in telling the story,
the mother repeated the verse, which was
chosen for Its brevity. It was, "Let your
. light shine." The child said it over and
) over on her way to church, but after she
> got there It escaped her, although the Idea
stuck. When Mr. Castle came around to
(her she responded promptly:
"Always keep the gas lit,"
AFTER MERGER ROADS.
Rockefeller’s Broker* Reported Buying
Up Stock of Northern Secur
ity* Company.
New York, Jan. 25.—It is rumored on
Wall street that John D. Rockefeller
Is to take from Morgan and Hill the
control of the Northern Securities com
pany. The buying of the stock by
Rockefeller brokers yesterday on the
curb and the sharp advance In price
was said In railroad circles to mean
that the light for control already has
been started.
E. H. Harrlman, who Is recognized as
one of the Standard Oil faction, Is the
largest minority holder of stock, and It
was his efforts to get control of the
Northern Pacific railroad which caused
the Northern Pacific corner and the
formation of the securities company.
On the board of directors of the se
curities company are E. H. Harrlman,
James Stillman and Jacob Schlff, rec
ognized Rockefeller men. Rockefeller
Is a director of the Northern Pacific
with Stillman and Harrlman. while
Stillman, Harrlman and M. L. Schlff
are directors In the Burlington. These
pnen turned their stocks In these differ
ent roads In for Northern Securities
stock; so It can be seen that It will take
all of Hill’s and Morgan's holdings to
control.
Greater Merger Planned.
If Rockefeller gets control It Is said
the securities roads and the Union Pae
clllc and Southern Pacific systems will
be merged, either openly or In some
manner that will make them, to all In
tents and purposes, one system. Such
a system would be the most powerful
In the world. Its total mileage would
be 36,274, and Its total capitalization
1788,103,327. This move by the Stand
ard Oil crowd against Morgan is an
other in the long fight that the Rocke
fellers have been engaged In against the
promoter of the steel corporation.
HOW ABOUT THIS?
Canada Doesn’t Like America’s Disre
gard for Enforcement of Law.
Joliet, 111., Jan. 25.—Sir William Van
Horne, the railroad magnate who put
through the Canadian Pacific and was
knighted for his services by Queen Vic
toria, now Opening up his system of
railroads In Cuba, and who spent the
earlier years of his life In Joliet as
messenger boy for the Michigan Cen
tral railroad, and telegraph operator
for the Chicago & Alton, arrived In
this city today from Montreal, with
the body of his sister, which was bu
rled in Oakwood cemetery.
Speaking of the proposed annexation
of Canada to the United States, Sir
William said:
"I think the annexation Is more like-'
ly to be the other way. Canada Is very
well satisfied as It Is,
“Our administration of the laws Is
much more prompt and Just than In
the United States.
"When a crime Is committed In Can
ada punishment follows, swift and
sure. The contrast Is strongly present
ed In the mining camps of the two
countries, even though they may be
only a few miles apart. It Is noticeable
at Skaguay, which was claimed by
Canada, though nobody wanted the!
people. The crack of the revolver was
heard every day, and everybody was
armed to the teeth. But when the rush!
to the Yukon began the Canadian gov
ernment sent a customs Inspectors and
half a dozen mounted police. The re
volvers and knives dropped at the bor
der line and north of It those terrors
of the town were as meek as Sunday
school children.
"That Is not a Canadian character
istic only, but similar conditions pre
vail wherever Great Britain’s flag files.
It Is this that makes her so successful
as a colonizer.
"Conditions are Improving greatly)
in the United States. But Canadians'
feel a comforting securl. y as to life and
property."
Sir William declared that he was
almost out of the business world him
self, and Intimated that after the Cu
ban railroad system was perfected he,
would retire from active business life.!
He left for Montreal late yesterday aft
ernoon.
TO MEET IN ST. LOUIS.
South Dakota Press Association Wilt
Go to the Exposition for Week
of June 16-22.
Sioux Falls, S. D., Jan. 25.—At this
forenoon’s session of the South Dakota
Press association addresses were made
by W. H. Besancon of the Pierre Free
Press, C. W. Downey of the Mitchell
Republican, and T. A. Crlsman of the
Redfleld Journal-Observer. Xhe matter
of selecting the place or route for the
summer outing drew forth a prolonged
discussion. The choice lay between a
trip to St. Louis and a trip over the
Canadian Pacific railroad. It was
finally decided to accept the Invitation
from St. Louis, and hold a meeting In
the exposition city during the week of
May 16-22.
HE DIED GAMELY.
Negro Murderer Said He Was Going to
Meet His Victim in Heaven,
and Then Dropped.
Baker City, Ore., Jan. 25.—Pleasant
Armstrong, who murdered Minnie Ens
mlnger, near Haines, this county,
Christmas, 1902, was executed In the
jail yard this morning. His neck was
broken by the fall.
Armstrong maintained his Iron nerve
until the last. He made a brief address
to the assembled crowd, saying he was
sorry for the crime, but was going to
meet the girl Minnie Ensmlnger. At
the close of his address he knelt and
received the last sacrament of the
Catholic church.
HULL DOES SOMETHING.
Des Moines Congressman Appears in
the Rather Humorous Role of
a Reformer.
Washington. Jan 25.—When the
house convened today a resolution was
submitted by Hull of Iowa from the
committee on military affairs, request
ing the secretary of war to furnish the
house a statement showing the number
of horses, carriages and automobiles
maintained at government expense for
officials of his department; also the
amount of wages paid coachmen, foot
men and chaffeurs. It was passed.
This being pension day, the house
went into committee of the whole for
consideration of pension bills.
Chicago Milk Trust.
Chicago, Jan. 22.—Under the name
if “The Chicago Dairy C*»npany” Chi
cago capitalists are tornuf.g a corpora
tion designed to control the milk sup
ply of Chicago. It is organized under
the laws of the state of Maine. The
company has an authorized capital of
14,000,000^
EXPLOSION GUTS
OFF 150 MINERS
Two Men Dead, and Much Mys«
tery Prevails About the
Entire Affair.
MULE BLOWN FROM SHAFT
There Were 150 Men at Work in the
Mine and Their Avenue of Escape
Was Shut Off—Fatal Explosion
at Another Place.
Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 26.—Dr. W. B.
McCullough of Cheswick, who has been
In the mine for two hours, has just
come to the surface and told the Asso
ciated Press representative that in his
opinion not one of the miners who were
in the shaft at the time of the explos
ion is alive. He thinks it wiH be sev
eral hours before any of the bodies can
be brought to the surface.
Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 26.—The report of
the rescurers an hour ago to the effect
that many were alive was rudely shat
tered at 2:25, when the body of Selwyn
Taylor was brought to the surface. He
had evidently been dead for several
hours and now hopes for the other im
prisoned men have been abandoned.
The rescurers are being brought out
coated with ice, drenched to the skin
and unable to walk. They report that
the dead are scattered thickly about
the different headings. Water is fast
pouring into the mine, covering the
corpses with a shroud of ice and mak
ing the work of rescue almost impos
sible. Afterdamp is now collecting.
Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 25.—An explosion
occurred in the shaft of the Harwick
Coal company, near Cheswick, Pa., on
the West Pennsylvania railroad, today,
cutting off escape of at least 150 miners
who were at work. Three tripple men
were bady burned and one later died.
Three injured men were put on’a train
for Allegheny and one died on the way
to the city. When the explosion oc
curred the concussion was so great that
a mule was blown out of one shaft. It
is not yet known what caused the ex
plosion or just how it occurred.
About 200 men were employed in the
mine, 150 inside and the remainder on
the tipple. The latter w'ere badly
burned by the explosion, which came
with a loud report, and a shock like an
earthquake. The tipple was destroyed,
the walls of the shaft filled with debris
and earth, completely cutting off tneans
of escape.
Just in what part of the mine the ex
plosion occurred is not yet known, and
there is no means of knowing how
many were killed. Unless the entrance
can be cleared and fresh air forced in
to the mine all will be dead in a few
hours.
Gangs of men are at work in the at
tempt to clear the entrance and relieve
the men inside. The mine is located a
mile from Cheswick, and opened two
years ago. It is owned by the Alle
gheny Coal company. At 2 o'clock no
one had been able to descend to the
mine.
Crowds Soon Gather.
As soon as the rumble of the explo
sion and the crash at the pit mouth
startled the little village the wives and
children of the men below rushed to
the scene of the disaster, but to gain
no encouragement. There was no way
to get into the deep workings. The
cages that let the men into the mines
and brought them out again when the
day’s work was done were both demol
ished.
All day long there was a jam of
waiting women and children about the
mouth of the pit. There were calls for
assistance and for surgical aid from
the men in charge of the mine, but it
was not until 11 o’clock this afternoon
that the first attempt at rescue was
made. This was a failure, as the two
men who volunteered were driven back
by the foul air. Shortly after 5 o’clock
Selwyn Taylor and one of his assist
ants signaled for the engineer to lower
them into the shaft. Taylor is still
down. Three times efforts have heen
made to reach him, but so far without
avail.
Thomas Wood, one of the first of the
rescue party hauled to the surface, told
his story of his trip through the mine.
He said:
“I was with Taylor, and we clam
bered over three or four falls. Taylor
laid out the mine and seemed to know
the way. There was a man alive at the
foot of the shaft. He was sent up, and
then we took the mule patl* into the
south level. We saw two men who
were alive, and notified those back of
us, then went on. We passed the third,
fourth and fifth headings and then
through an overdrilt into the air shaft.
I began to feel dizzy and sick and then
I saw Taylor stagger and fall. His
lantern fell. We tried to lift him, but
could not carry him up, and I made my
own way to safety.”
F. W. Cunningham, the mine in
spector of the Fourteenth district,
reached Harwick tonight. When seen
by an Associated Press reporter soon
after his arrival he said:
"The mine where the explosion took
place was inspected, I think, about the
1st of December. There was some gas
in there then, but I never considered
the mine dangerous."
The last inspection blank in the mine
company’s office is dated July 17, 1903,
but It Is evident that a later report has
heen torn off.
Hartwick Horror-Stricken.
The little village of Hartwick has
been horror stricken all day. The wives
and relatives of the entombed men
have crowded about the entrance to
the pit. beseeching for news of those
below, but only to meet with the same
sad answer: "We do not know yet, if
we find him we will send him home.”
The little school house has been pre
pared as a morgue and hospital. The
benches and seats have all been re
moved, and eight girls from the highest'
class at the school have been impressed,
as nurses.
Doctors have been summoned from,
the surrounding towns of Springdale,
and Denny, and also from Pittsburg,
i but nothing can be done until further;
details come from the mine.
1 Mr. Scheetz, the manager of the;
mine, said last night to a representa
tive of the Associated Press:
' “The explosion Monday morning was
terrific. Both cages were blown from
the shaft, one of them a distance of
over 200 feet. Three men at work on
the tipple were blown to the ground
and one of them is already dead. The
other two are badly hurt, but I am told
they are resting easy and may recover.
“There are at least 190 men in the
mine, and I am afraid there are a
number more, although there are sev
eral men on the pay roll who did not
~cport this morning.”
Mrs. Craig Dead.
Sioux Falls, S. D., Jan. 25.—Mrs. Lucy
Parker Craig, a pioneer resident of Sioux
Falls and mother of C. H. Craig, city
editor of the Argus-Leader, died this
morning at an advanoed age.
i
CHARGED WITH BRIBERY
t --
Col. Melvin Grigsby, a South Dakotan
Accused of Accepting a "Fee.”
Washington, D. C., Jan. 27.—The de
partment of Justice has nearly concluded
its investigation of the charges against
I'oionel Melvin Grigsby of South Dakota,
I he United States district attorney at
Nome, and Attorney General Knox will
probably take conclusive action in the
case at an early day.
It appeared today for the first time
what the real nature of the charges is.
flworn statements have been filed with
(he attorney general, saying that Grigsby
leceived $10,000 from the Pioneer Mining
lompany as the price of refraining from
prosecuting the company. Grigsby has
imployed Thurston & Ballinger, lawyers
ef this city, to present his defense to the
ilepartment *>f justice, but up to this time
the department officials who have the
matter In charge have not been satisfied
sf the Innocence of the district attorney.
Among the papers In the case Is the
sworn statement of Jafet Linderberg, In
which he declares that the fee in ques
tion was paid to Grigsby by himself In
order to retain him as his counsel. He
swears that the money was not paid on
behalf of the company, but by himself as
un Individual. Other evidence on file,
however, shows that the $10,000 in question
was paid over to Grigsby by the Pioneer
Mining company and not by Linderberg
us an Individual.
The district attorney admits that he re
ceived $10,000 from Linderberg, but, of
course, denies that it was paid to him for
any Improper purpose. He says that he
was engaged as counsel. It is not unusual
for United States district attorneys to
engage In the private practice of law dur
ing their terms of office, and the depart
ment of justice does not discourage this
usage.
It appears from the information ob
tained by the special agents that when
Grigsby landed at Nome on a certain Sat
urday in the summer of 1902 he immediate
ly met representatives of the Pioneer Min
ing company. On the following Monday,
as shown by this evidence, Grigsby ap
peared in the federal court in his official
capacity in connection witli the Pioneer
Mining company's case, involving the title
of a claim in Glacier creek. A few days
later, and before the judgment in this
case was handed down, the $10,000 "re
tainer" was paid over to Grigsby, either
by Linderberg or by the Pioneer Mining
company. The department of justice
doesn’t care very much whether the
money came from the individual or from
the company; the important point is the
object of the payment. It appears in the
testimony, and is admitted by Grigsby,
that the $10,000 consisted of $5,000 in cash
and $5,000 in shares of the Pioneer Mining
company.
The department cannot understand why
the mining company should have paid
Grigsby $10,000 for legitimate legal serv
ices when it is shown by all the testimony
and records in the case that William H.
Metson had for some time been the sole
attorney of the company, that he was still
acting in that capacity and that the com
pany did not have an unusual amount of
litigation in prospect, it is also regarded
as peculiar that Grigsby should be able so
promptly to secure so valuable a client
and to receive the substantial fee of $10,
000 in advance.
Colonel Grigsby narrowly escaped dis
missal last year on account of insubordi
nation. He left Alaska for the winter,
despite the specific -rders of the attor
ney general. Aside from the disobedience,
no charges against the district attorney
were seriously considered by the depart
ment last year. The present charges,
however, are chiefly substantiated by the
evidence obtained ' by the department’s
own agents in Alaska during the summer
of 1903.
District Attorney Grigsby is now in
Washington.
MAY PROHIBIT SALOOMS.
Town of Miller May Vote for Pro
hibition This Spring.
Miller, S. D„ Jan. 27.—The probability
of this town voting the saloons out at
the spring election is good, owing to
the large number of accessions to the
prohibition cause from the disgruntled
faction that was refused a bond for the
second saloon. The second saloon peo
ple have carried their case to the su
preme court, but the election will come
before a decision is handed down, and
then if Judge Gaffy should be reversed,
both the second and first saloon would
be contesting for supremacy in a pro
hibition city. The likelihood of the pro
hibition days ten or more years ago
recalls the odd diseases that some drug
gists were compelled to prescribe for in
many cases, as the law permitted a
druggist to prescribe liquor if a patient
had the proper ailment. The druggist
then had to report the same to the
county judge at regular intervals. From
an old report from a St. Lawrence
druggist, when that town was In flower,
the following entries are taken:
"John Doe, ag 30; Ailment, constipa
tion; remedy—one gallon applejack;
taken as appetltie demands.
"John Doe, age 30: Ailment, running
away of bowels; remedy—one gallon
applejack: taken as appetite demands.
"John Doe, age 70: Ailment, croup;
remedy—three pint bottle common gin.
John Doe, aged 20: Ailment, cold in
the extremities; remedy—one quart
flask of common liquor.
"John Doe, age 68: Ailment, rush of
blood to extremities; remedy—ono
quart flask of common liquor.”
FIRE AT RAPID CITY.
Horses, Incinerated.
Rapid City, S. D., Jan. 27.—James
Belknap's livery stables were entirely
destroyed by tire and ten valuable
horses were incinerated. There were
it number of costly carriages and other
conveyances, a large quantity of hay
and feed and other property in the
barns, bringing the loss up to $2,200.
It required some strenuous efforts to
prevent the fire from spreading to ad
joining buildings.
A New Railroad.
Pierre, S. D„ Jan. 27.—Articles of in
corporation have been filed with the
secretary of state for the Minnekatahta
and Key Canyon Railroad company, of
Keystone, S. D., with a capital of $10,
000, its purpose being to construct four
miles of narrow gauge road in Fall
River county. The incorporators are:
George A. Clark, Charles A. Clark, M.
R. Taillerm, Ella D. Axford and C. J,
Patton, all of Keystone.
Meeting of S. D. National Guards.
Salem, S. D„ Jan. 27.—At a meeting
of Company F, South Dakota National
Guard, held at the armory, Captain C.
Sweinhart completed the organization
of the company by appointing one ser
geant and five corporals. The officers
now are us follows: C. Sweinhart, cap
tain; Dion E. Pearce, first lieutenant;
F. H. Putnam, second lieutenant; J. E.
Patton, quartermaster sergeant; Adolf
Ericsson, Frank Padgett, John Frick,
George Krebs and Lem Hazen, ser
geants; Morris Gregory, Willard Gapp,
i Albert Eckleln, Will Myers and Gus
Blassl, corporals. Company F is com
posed of an energetic and enthusiastic
set of young men who propose to make
their company the best in the state.
Company F was transferred from Can
Iisto'.a to Salem in November and ha»
been reorganized.
HIGH OFFICIALS ARE
HELD TO GRAND JURY
Mayor Harrison of Chicago Is
Directly Responsible for
Iroquois Holocaust.
REPORT OF THE JURY
Accuses Officers of City of Lamentablo.
Lack of Force, and Others for
Gross Neglect of Duty in Not
Enforcing Ordinances.
Chicago, Jan. 27.—The coroner's jury
ivhiclt for three weeks has been listen
ing to evidence relating to the tire in
the Iroquois theater, returned a ver
dict by which the following persons are
held to await the action of the grand
jury:
Carter H. Harrison, mayor of Chi
cago; Fire Marshal William H. Mush
man; Will J. Davis, proprietor in part
and manager of the theater; George
Williams, building commissioner of the
city; Edward Laughlin, building in
spector under Williams; William Sai
lers, fireman in the theater: James E.
Cummings, stage carpenter, and Will
iam McMullen, who had charge of the
light that caused the fire.
There were over 750,000 words of tes
timony, and each juror would, accord
ing to the law, be compelled to sign,
his name to the testimony of each wit
ness, which meant that each man would
be compelled to write his name 672
times. This work alone, the coroner es
timated, would consume five hours.
There was, therefore, considerable sur
prise when the jury announced shortly
before 11 o’clock that it had reached a
verdict and was ready to report.
It was also decided by the coroner
that all men who would be held by the
verdict to the grand jury should be
taken into custody last night. He
therefore prepared warrants for then
arrest, and called on the police depart
ment for force to arrest them.
“I do not expect that some of these
men who are likely to be held will try
to escape,” said the coroner, "but some
of them who have not large property
interests might take it into their heads
to do so. I do not Intend that there
shall be any mistakes in that direction t
laid to my department. If I cause the
arrest of one of them I am compelled
to cause the arrest of all, and there will
be no favoritism Shown, no matter who
are the men held by the jury."
As soon as the finding of the jury
was announced details of officers were
sent at once for the men named In the
verdict, with orders to bring them in
at once, and If they could not furnish
bail they were to be taken to the coun
ty jail for the night.
Findings of the Jury. -y
The findings of the jury are as fol
lows.
“The cause of the fire was drapery
coming in contact with a flood, or arc •
light.
"City laws were rot complied with
relating to building or ordinance, fire
alarm boxes, fire apparatus, damper or
flues on and over the stage and fly gal
leries.
Violation of the ordinance requiring
fireproofing of scenery and all wood
work on and about the stage.
"The asbestos curtain was wholly inad
equate, and was entirely destroyed.
"Building ordinances were violated, in
that aisles were enclosed on each side of
the lower boxes, and absence of fire ap
paratus on the orchestra floors.
"Building ordinance was violated In that
there was no fire apparatus In the gallery
or first balcony.”
Will J. Davis was held responsible as
president and general manager. He was
primarily and general manager. He was
primarily responsible for the observance
of the laws, and was bound to see that his
employes were properly Instructed as to
their duties In case of fire.
In relation to Mayor Harrison the ver
dict reads as follows:
“We hold Carter H. Harrison, as mayor
of the city of Chicago, responsible, as he
has shown a lamentable lack of force,
and for his efforts to escape responsibil
ity, evidenced by the testimony of Build
ing Commissioner Williams and Fire Mar
shal Musham. As heads of department
under the said Carter H. Harrison follow
ing this weak course has given Chicago ,
Inefficient service, which makes such
calamities as the Iroquois theater fire hor
ror a menace until the public service Is
purged of incompetents."
Building Commissioner Williams was
held "for gross neglect of his duty in al
lowing the theater to open Its doors to
the public when the said theater was in
complete, and did not Comply with the
building ordinances of the city of Chi
cago.”
Fire Marshal Musham was held re
sponsible “for gross neglect of duty in not
enforcing the ordinances, and failure to
have his subordinate, William Sailers,
fireman at the theater, report to him of
the lack of fire appartus in the theater.
Sailers was held for not reporting the
lack of fire apparatus. McMullen for
carelessness in handling the light that
caused the fire; Cummings as stage car
penter, for not providing the stage with
proper fire protection.
Mayor Not Arrested.
Later In the night, after the members
at the jury had departed, it was decided
by Coroner Traeger that it would not be
necessary to arrest Alayor Harrison, Fire
Marshal Alusham and Building Commis
sioner Williams, and no officers were sent
for them. Alitimusses were made out,
however, for the other six men. A special
grand jury will convene next week to re
open the investigation and decide what J
action shall be taken on the report of
the coroner’s jury. The charge, as far
as the city officials are concerned, which
the grand jury will consider Is malfeas
ance In office. Conviction means their re
moval from office in addition to any other
Penalty.
MORO TREACHERY.
It Results in Death of Lieutenant Flak.,
and Private Foy of the Twen
ty-Second. A
Manila, Jan. 27.—It is reported tha^
Lieutenant Campbell W. Flake of the
Twenty-second Infantry, was killed
while trying to enter a Moro cotta in
Mindanao for the purpose of examining
the locality. He was accompanied by
Private Foy. Flake was shot treacher
ously, the Moros tiring on the party
while Major Bullard was parleying
with them. The place was immediately
taken by assault and twenty Moros
killed. _ _
Germans Still Losing.
Berlin, Jan. 25.—An official dispatch
from Wlndkoak, German Southwest
Africa, says the Germans have lost
heavily in unsuccessful attempts to re- /
lieve Okehandja, and that five settlers A
and their entire families have been
murdered and the hereros are threaten
ing Windhoek.