"-T3C EMI tjts r Oim.noo PLATTSMOUTH, NEB.. FEHRUAltY 16 1900. VOL. IX, NO. 29. ones- on or . IK i TIIK NF.V-C, Estabished Not.5,1S91 i Consolidated Ja-n. 1. iswi. Till-. lil.l.ALK. tstablisued April 10. I s64. ( 'uiubriac ttuc. loo lug - News V BOTHA HAS A BATTLE lie Kills, Wound anil Captures Mali a Force of Lancers. Great Sit 1. fact ion ler ti- ws of French's Succc.ifiil Move I'rlvate I-et- . ter from a Captain in an lrlh Regiment Tell of tli Ti rril.-le Fire at Colenso Make Several Charges AfHlixt the Boers lor looting Brltih Utilise of Commons I 'u tlie l.overnmciit Mili tary .t-lieme. London. Feb. 1 il. The house of eom luons has adopcd t!if ;ijveruiaeiit's military scheme by a vote of -'''.; againt 31. tin minority consisting chiefly of Irish members. Boer l.aaer Near Latlysmith, Feb. 13. Yesterday 'eneral I'.otlia, with at Miiall lre. i-i'iisstHl Hit' Tuirela to a doscrti d I'.ritisli o.imp. where lit eii f oinii. i il fifty lancers, of whom thir teen v.i'ii' kibe l.live wi.unded ami nine taken pri-niier. one of the prisoners was -i-i-i in tell tli.- I'.ritish to fetch their uuim.led. Mm li l'l:'.ieil Are I lie Londoner. Vi!'l"'i. Cob. lo. I iiteno satisfac tion c.ntiiiues i. n i iii.i lit in conse tiUeino ..f Ki-!! .Marshal Lord Roberts plan il upora t i n i : in iuii .trioa. as reveal' il yest-rla by t lit ' Then lispai.-hes published is no further new &i:.sf.i:al noniA. A. i. ...1. ;.it.. tlm Ornn(va . ' ''f.'tA act i it v at the M odder V. " " r i jjr of tiuiet colltitleuce ... y .. ' r ug haudsot Hobs U'V,.. ' hero of Khartum shit.7 toward a much- that t It it ;ers victory. lie Tellx Ahont I Oleil-o t'itlllt. Minneapolis. Feb. It'.. A private let ter lias been received here from a cap tain of the Mtoyal IMiblin Fusiliers, written from Frere camp after the bat tle of I'olenso. It is written on the margins of a copy of the Natal Wit-I-s.s containing a description of the battle. The captain writes: "My regiment lost in killed and wounded out of aliout NMi, but behaved endidly. This. I fear, is to be a ter ily costly war in lives, and I know e will have many more serious bat les before us. The lire at Colenso was terrific, and tlie bullets were like y h.til. How any or us ever came hack from the front alive is a womier. but tit men returned as slowly and steadi - ly as they would on parade. Make Charge Ai;aiiit the Kiter. ".My regiment lias lost nearly t'i0 in killed, wounded and prisoners since the war commenced, but distinguished itself at Cleucoe and also at Colenso. Tlie heat is terrific living under can vas, and the discomfort great, but if we can onlv do what we have come to end that infamous government of South Africa ami make it a free coun try 'til our losses will not have been in vain. The Boers, though kind to our wounded, looted all the bodies of our dead, stripping them even of their uniforms, ami they cut off poor Hen it's this lieutenant who was killed) i linger in order to get his ring. They Jalso fired on our ambulances." ' IN Tilt: COMMONS A'I I.OKOS. ( Wur in Africa the One .Subject licuctl ill Ittith Houses London. Feb. Id. I Hiring the debate in the commons last night previous to the vote on the government military iseheme, Itetlmolid strongly objected to at'dinga single man to the Hritish army. which, he said, was now "engaged in : war which is an insult to dod, a war waged by Christain England against a Christian people who only desire to retain their own land." He declared his belief that the British reverses were tine to I he fact that the British cause was unjust. Wyndham. paiili limitary under sec - rotary for war. said it was unnecessary to reply to Redmond's argument, be cause the Irishmen at tlu front were giving the answer with their lives. Balfour, speaking about the possi bility of employing Indian troops, said his former statement to the oft cot that the government would not employ na tives in the present war was based on the belief that by common consent the war would be confined to the two European races, adding:- "If the Boers adopt course inconsistent with that idea we hold ourselves free to reoon vMev'otir decision." ItuoliieM llltwk in AnIie. Leiicre, Ills., Feb. in. Fire destroyed r.r. mi tire business block at tins piaee. The loss is .$ir,(KR. The Opera House, a saltan and dwelling owned by the dwelling and millinerv store owned by 1. Eschbach a Ir.r.ti lot rd ware store, stroehouse anil another building were burned llrvan Talk to Carolina Solon. Columbia. S. C, Feb. Id. William ion nil." itrvan addressed the general ,..s.o.ihlv here yesterday. On arrival here Br van was accompanied by the Bneoial leuislativeeonimittee represent ing both houses and the committee frnni tht oitv council, who went to Charlotte Wednesday night. Leading Politician Head. Brazil. Ind.. Feb. V. Major James M. Hoskins. one of the leading Pemo- cratie politicians of this congressional district, died Thursday night of heart trouble, aged IS) years. Hoskins served two terms as county auditor in lsCtie-74. and held the rank of major iu the Mexican war. Rockefeller Story i Oenied. " Chicago. Feb. 10. The story from ' New York that John I. Rockefeller will announce a further donation of ci 5,H.000 to the University of Chicago at a meeting of the Chicago Alumni club of New York city next month is denied officially at tne university, M1LITAEY SUPPLY TZAUD3. Mithigan Officials Want tl.e I mi ictmcnts Agnlri't Ihi ni Ouiislietl. I-inslng. Mich., Feb. 10. Argu ments on the motions to quash the in dictments Against General Arthur F. Marsh and Colonel Eli R. .Sutton, who were Indicted bv the grand jury for the alleged fraudulent sale of military supplies, have been taken under ad visement by Judge Wei.-t. Jt is ex pected he will rentier his decision within a few tlays. Judge Pope, of Allegan, in his argument in behalf of General Marsh, asked for a bill of particulars, saying it was important for the defense to know what the re spondents had done and where J hey j liadcommitied theaetschargod against! them. j Circuit Judge Weist asked if, sup posing the bill of particulars was! granted, the prosecution would be bound by them in the trial of thej cases. Prosecutor Tnttlo s;ud lie had; no doubt that such would be the case, j lie stated that the defense was evi-; tientiy trying to secure the evnlence submitted to tin grand lurv and that! courts had rcpeattdl v held that such' or American citizens uui not reacn evidence could not be furnished. He' l iin fmuctually, and asked that pro thought the motion an attempt to oh- ltst made on account of this rath tain something which the people did' or arbitrary proceeding on the part of not have the riirlit to give. j Hie po.-d.il a u liorit ies. The department The attorneys for the defense, how ever, denied that lixy wan led any thing more than a statement as to tlie time and place when and where the of fenses charged were committed. The arguments i ipi.-ish the indictment against Representative 1 . A. Ham mond were postponed and no day was set for the hearing, the attorneys hav-j ing evidently decided to await the, jud; ton re s action cases. in the Marsh ami Sut- KID'S FATHER A SLUGGER j As AV-JI a. a -linl-r of tlu Mit lt-iit Indianapolis. Feb. It;. Kid" Mc Coy's father, Francis Sclby, w;;s lined in a justice's court here for assaulting; Austin Reed, aged 77. Tlie assault1 brought our the story of a remarkable religious sect which the prize liuhlor's 'fattier and mother have founded, t lie church of the First Born. It was on- ' tablished last autumn as the result of a revelation to Mrs Selhy. '1 he church creed teaches that the Savior will ap pear before fifty years. Its members are the chosen of Uod. They will never die. All property is held in com-; mon. The temple i an o.ik strict residence. Here the members dwell Sclby and wife and two other men and their wives. Everything belongs to the church. The members oat at one table.' Reed joined the church three weeks ago. He cannot dlillk coffee. Tli's started the trouble: he wanted tea. The others voted solidly for coffee. Reed, in open rebellion, brought home a half pound of tea: his complaint as to the fare continued. This week he purchased an individual loaf of bread in plain violence to the rules of the church. " NO INHEIRTAKCS TAX ON THIS. Chicago Man to liiii!e $ 1 ..lOO.O!): I5ei..r lf,-4t ..-- Jletico. . Chicago. Feb. Pi. Ir. I . K. Fear- , i 1. 1 .... L sons, of l ineage, w no miring i:ie mst ten years has given to colleges and charitable institutions gitt amounting lo 'J.."i m .( H m ). is aboit to deed away the remainder of his fortune, Sl.".ui. (KM) iu all. in similar ho'iuosts. Fr the maintenance of himself and his wife during the remainder of their lives Ir. Pearsons will stipulate that onlv an annuity of 12 per cent, be paid by those who receive his guts here after. On the S1.roo.i!iM which it is his in tention to bestow this will mean a yearly income for the doctor and his wife of SoO.ooO. w hich will cease when both he and his wife are dead. Legislation for I onl lUfcirern. lies Moines. Ia.. Feb. It'.. The house yesterday passed the Kendall mining bill by a vote of S4 to 1, requiring op erators to pay for slak in the mining of coal. A special committee from the State Fnited Mines Workers' conven tion called on (Jovernor Shaw and pro tested against Mine Inspector James S. Campbell, claiming that he favored the operators and that he had been negligent in his duties. l'lltal Shooting at ft l;in:c. Kokomo. Ind.. Feb. IG. Arthur AVol-' ford yesterday shot ami killed Herman Sehiiitz at the home of Jacob Harness, south of this city. Wolford Is now in jail. Tlie shooting occurred during a dance at the Harness home and was witnessed by many persons. Schultz was P.l years old and was a soldier in the Spanish-American war. The cause of the shooting is unknown. j Snins; Their l.atr It ttiti(--. Malinger. Decatur, Ills.. Fob. Id. Stockholders of The Herahl 1 lispatch company have started a chancery suit .against Virgil N. Hostetler. in which tho.i allege that he owes the company .s".".t.'uii and ask an order on him to pay it. He was for nine years general manager of the comnanv and sold out a controlling in terest in it last August. Think hi kerlili; Was Murdered. I Watertown. X. Y., Feb. HI. Th" Staudard prints a lengthy statement ; Bignetl by Mrs. Charles A. Chit kering. I widow of Representative ( luckVring. ; who was killed in New York on Titos- ' day by falling from a fourth story window of the ('.ran. I I'nion hotel. Dr. : II. II. Cramer and .1. S. Mitchell, Mr. Checkering s private secretary, m which it is stated that they believe that Mr. Chiekeiing was the victim of" foul play. . Atlacketl by Insurgents. Manila. Feb. Id. Insurgent forces, estimated to number -V.nmi soldiers, mostly bolomen. attn ked the Ameri can garrison in the convent at Daroga. in the province of Aibay, during tie night of Fob. .". They were repuls.-l. however, after they had burned much of the town. One lieutenant wounded was the only loss sustained by the Americans. Fatal" Kail low ns'alrs. New York, Feb. 13. John B. Olt man. a broker, was killed at the New York Athletic club early in the morn ing by falling down the marble stairs leading to the main floor. When half way down the stairs he slipped and fell, then slid down the remaining 'steps, his head striking each step. Mr, Oltman was picked up unconscious; ind died soon afterward Sutdtle of an Octogenarian. ! Elkhart Lake, W is., r eD. n. Johann Knoll, aired" SO years, commit- T.timo..y That w, c.iven to the Senate ted SUicide by hanging himself With a Election- Committee. binding-twine in his home In the Washington, Feb. 10. Highly sen town of Rhine, sational testimony was developed yes- STATEMENT "IS DENIED Department Takes Note of Ma oriiiu's Open Letter. Say 1'l.ey Have o Evidence That Urill-h Authorities V iolated Our Omt-ial Mail Fx-Cc.iitttl's M itstutoiiit ixt About Ainer InKcn Attack on Hay Senate I'uhm'8 Jt Currency Bill, 4(i to I! Attempt to Itrihe a Montana .Insist-. Washington. Feb. 1J. While state department officials were uversje yes terday 1o discussing the published statement of ex-Coitsul Macrum, it was authoritatively stated that a search of the records failed to show that .Macrum had ever reported to the department that his official mail was being regularly tampered with by the l.ritish authorities. It was said that he did, in a general way, report that both nfii.-ial and private mail intended inve.-tig.ited the matter and learned that i'o unnecessary delay existed, and does not credit tlie statement that any correspondence, ollicial er otherwise, was opened, inspected and delayed by British authorities. In Drmr Alport tin A inerinircii. Macrum stated that Lis vice consul. Van A U'eringeu. eh sed up Ids busi ness, took i lit- oath of allegiance to the republic, and went to the front as burgher. The records show that when Van Aiueringeii applud for appoint ment as vice consul at I'retoria he stated that lie wasboi n in Holland: that his h -al residence was I'retoria. and that he was a naturalized citi.cu of the South African Republic. This a;vli'-ati:i:) v:;s th'ted Pretoria. Nov. .Vlliuk mi vtnt.irv l!nv. ! Macrum's statement bas started a great hal of t'e-n uncial ion of the "A merief! iiism" of Sccreij'.ry Hay, whose l'lier.iis do not hesitate to de nounce t lie ilet.uiu iat ion. which, in fact began when it was known that the secretary had negotiated the Hay I'aiuicef'oie treaty. Although senators and leiui setitntives interviews! differ its to tin wisdom of the signing of the treaty and as to its effect upon isth mian canal l--nIslMtiou. they one and all agree that Secretary Hay was acting for llie I'niiod States when he signed the document and had no ulterior mo tives. 'ilay o American tis the Soil." ; iter Eevoridgo says that Secre tary Hay "It is imp "that he s cs is. 'I'm many thi sin h wild is an American first and last, osible :iiirfih-urd." he said. hould b'-ir-iy American iufer evigeneies of politics excuse lg . iM nothing can justify i : 1 1 1- as reported. Schooled by I. in. m::u el public. el'l. i'e e s. el, tary !:ewas; ;j tlie e,. ten;. ,11 pi Op!." of tllO IV- who--.- : : ; i ; and ihought ho "lp!e!--d pre e a ml vuw- !-'v i ,-'- V-tieiii :" '1J ,5"" '"'" 'Tills view is taken by Senators I'avrs. i ei' -. anil I'rye and '.t:i1 i es llitl, r.outell. and SeJ'-l'er V :e ,a sls tin Mae tor prove t' e existence of a i':!;n::- e wilii llli',la ml and Sen- li.! . 1 .!! n itself. cul'-.i Repff oi her rum 1 e..-. rei Itoi Jo'-es of Ark;'! .s.-is (ieelares it i-ei vie!lCV of till! ti-h ir-teresls." e! i' o-1 rates ti.e sf 'iiiiinisi I ;! ion to I'.ri si n at." I :;::! A lit i.i. r sj:s.- lnr Tr "illy St'l I S Wiishing'. Sllbst it lit" i' W as p.;- - e.l j i'e dee'sive t". 1 1:0 tin:'! i: c S'-taitor- iii t trd Th .'.".-.Mil-! '.li-- Me iis'.ire. Feb. Id. '1 lie setiate ,, tt - iio:;s. i-orreiicy bill v the senate yt-terday by t-e j.e-ity ef MX t "' I. Fliof p-ss;g-' Ihe blil aillend- t-i.i'siiiei-i .1 uinler the t 11 O'liy tt, of these ameud-a-lept!T--one ofiered by einm:iiee keeing the door i-t,:i I ioe.ii bimetallism and ! hi ,M ''iv.e-ola. providing b.t .i':s wit li -'.Yiio i caoi- in Ills were n.i: rei". wer--- I - . ; , i It N'eis. li t. fo I; in ol no tli-iu t.ooo 1 1 oil I i i e Vtil'I'MlS actically ! P ' 'k' .il. r voted tor . ! di e ('.::'. l!:e c bin. : ! iso. v e s:l nd-.ii am i at. bur against i.ili'!av voted f :;e 1 -1 .".!.!".!, bile?;!, but the o.t'.v senator was not paired. Mule offered by tin I emoera tie lei- :., V. I i T lii Tito fr Jole-S. was am -rl.s . the 1 . v ;'.s i'. i" e vote 1. vr i ! il .' :! . i e: ;i- r. "''!ii "..ekrt d side P.'. br; '; ( 1 l ; d b iv ;i ".nandity of '!: -17 to u's 'I he sen i -list thi passage of the i'.a.e. Berry, Butler. hi. Clark of Montana. . t id1 i Ot.C.S Keim rs-.n. . 1 a oi. I. llar- 1 A "'".:! ilsas. Jones i t , il. i of Nov I .am in. ins. i;-t ft rro. T The ! ii I-. ,!a. Ma. .MeJInery. Mc y, Morgan. Fet- tin. M vims. II. r. ViP ill as i a. ,'it. Snihvau. Talia ln. Turlcy ;i nd Vest. I provides that 'th -if gold, liiiie-ienrhs standard unit of f'irnis of Ftiitotl d..i',ar tile. v.-he- f ""..S g .'.: tail "oe ; at.-l ih-it Mates n l.ey il it. ad !e mn.'.nta iiied at a ind that trcasurv notes parity v. and g, eell'l;; ..!d. 'li..' is to set a p. in gold for !-s ,:,-,ll be red"omable in e i . ' try of liie treasnry ii a fiiud of S 1 r.t i. H m i.oi i! Ihe redetnn; 'on of these Holes. ;tli ligure no powered States, b v.:: 'A pet it i a! ,d to t I. '! to s maintain this fund at a ,v stoii iitm lo is em 11 h.ai-! of the Fnited ar'n.g iutorej-t at ma excee.l ci nr. . m. ;.; the duly of the secre- t i'-y of the treasury, as fast as stand ard silver drd'ai are eolited. tt) retire an eipt:i .meoliii tji. t '-eastiry notes i'i'd lo is,i:e silver cei l hica tes against ihe silver --o comel. Under certain provishats. too. i: .!d eorMicatos are to be issued :u;::;:wt the ir-dd hold in the treasury. No i'ldico .-dates notes or triasnry l-oio- nte .. he issued iii denominations of less ihau shi. ;md no silver coi ti. .:t:- in denoiuin,itoti of more than I .! seer : aiy : in'' r.ea-;;ry is also ailttioliv-vl 'o fef -..d ti.e Voe led .it or tae i n km .-.Trues m . tnrty-year bonds heaiing 2 !'! cent, interest, the princ'.jMl and. interest of th-se bonds to be paid in gold. A.ny national bark, by deposit'ng viO the United States lmuds of this couT'.ry, shail Le permitted to issua circulating notes to the face value of the bonds deposited, no bank being al lowed to issue circulating notes in ex cess of the amount of the paid-in capi tal stock of the bank. ATTEMPT TO lUMIlK A Jl'UGE. terday in the investigation by Ihe sen ate comuittoo on privileges and elec tions of tlie election of Clark to the senate from Montana. Justice Hunt, a Republican member of the Montana supreme couit, testified that his family physician, J)r. Tracey, had made what he (the justice) regarded as attempts to have him consider a $100,000 bribe to favor Lawyer Wellcome, one of Clark's attorneys, in the disbarment proceedings against Wellcome for his action in the Clark campaign. The wit ness did not directly connect Clark with this bribery proposition, so the latter's counsel moved to strike the whole testimony from the record, but did not succeed. The witness testified that the same day one of the attempts to bribe him had been made similar efforts had been put forth to reach Justice l'iggott, another of the justices of the supreme court of Mon tana. Counsel for- Clark ross-iiuoslioned Justice Hunt quite sharply as to why he had not prosecuted the doctor or made a statement at the time concern ing the matter, the reply in substancu beingthat witness iclt too much humili ated over the proposition and also believed that Tracey did no realize the enormity of his offense. The commit tee held a night session at which Justice l'iggott testified con cerning remarks made to him on two tlays when lb. Tracey had interviews wirh Justice Hunt. Justice l'iggott's statement was that ( lark's leading counsel. Frank E. Corbett, had come to him. and while apparently under great j excitement said that he had just been advi-od by Mr. Xcill. of Helena, that the supreme court could be unduly in fluenced in the Wellcome disbarment proceedings and wanted to know if it wore in-, and spoke of denouncing any such attempt. Witness had in formed counsel that he never would hoar of su h an attempt from him (Piggotti for he would kill any one coming to him with a bribe offer. ANOTHER STORY OF ANDREE. (amr fluun .hi I.ar.tl inflit lCalloon, but Tn I i:r.liTt il tiv KsltiiiiOH. London. Feb. o a. m. The Stand ard today pi hits the substance of a let ter from Bishop Xcvuhaui. of Mono sonee. d.i'e.l Fort Churchill. Hudson's Bay, Oct. 1. which says: "Two Eski mos came here this summer, after traveling from the far north, to tell that two white men had come down from the sky in a balloon, the remains of which they had seen. "They say the mi n had been mur dered by some F.-kimos there. I be lieve this is net hemic, but have not had time to inquire. It would be sad if this should be the hist of poor An dree and Ins companion." TV0 THOMAS 0ERIEXS. IJni'i Itciiuc !' Same X:in. a olilier of a Net. Vnrk I!ei;i!io lit. Indianapolis. Fob. l.". - Thomas O'Brien, of Tagus. Me., and Thomas O'Brien, of N'evay. I ml., were in the United States court here and if their statements ar- to be believed they are SlTr.joils o'T'.ricn made application for pension, claiming be fought in the Fourth New Vo;k Lincoln cavalry dur ing the civil war. Thomas O'Brien from Maine savs he is ihe O'Brien who fought with the Fourth cavalry, and iu brought discharge papers to prove it. The Indiana man says lie lost his papers in a fire. The Maine man took the stand and identified the ; Indiana man as Thomas Iscarvo. j "The Indiana o'Bii.n will please ' Stand up." exclaimed Assistant Dis . trict Attorney I.afollette. "Mr. Maine ; O'Brii n, do you know that man?" Maine scrutinized Indiana and then .bawled out: "Shore, it's Tommy Iscarvo. my old bunkie in the Lincoln cavalry. Him ami me fought together ! and was in Andersoiiville together," Captain McCoy turned to the docu i ments and there found Thomas Is ; carvo duly recorded as a member of 'company H. Then Robert J. Wallace, of New York, another government I witness, also recognized the Indiana i O'Brien as Iscarvo. j The Vevay man had but a few wit l nesses and they could only testify that ! he had lived in Switzerland county for j fourteen years and was a quiet, law abiding citizen, lie said if lie is not j the real Thomas O'Brien he does not : know who he is. His witnesses said they had never known him by any : other name and always accepted his I story- MAKES A CHASGE OF EOODLERY Farmers I ii-ip am Man Accuses the I.e-j-isl::tnrs of .11 ichi tun, Grand Rapids. Mich.; Fob. 33. II. II. Porter, oi" I lowagiac, -chairman of the legislative commiitoe of the Mich igan Association of Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance companies, in a sensa tional report to tic association, said a bill was introduced in the last legisla ture which if passed would have crip pled farmers' companies. He said he went to Lansing to see about it, and was Informed by R. Mott, claiming to represent other mutual companies, that it would cost ihe farmers 5-100 to have the bill pigeon-holed, lie said he agreed to pay it, provided favora ble action resulted, and then went before the insurance committee to make an opposition argument. A few days later he was informed that his a run n ion t was so forcible that the committee had been impressed with the importance of the measure and the price bad gone up to $700. Porter said lie did not pay this amount but the bill w-is not passed; neither was another bill which the farmers companies wanted passed. Porter claims to have letters and other docu ments to incriminate several mem bers of the legislature. I.c:-iuc of Vmcritnn Wheelmen. Philadelphia. Feb. It,. Yesterday's session of the national assembly of the League of American Wheelmen was devoted entirelv to the reading of re ports, l'n sideut Thomas J. Keenan ar., read a lengthy report and devoted . some space to racinz. Durinz the course ot his remarks he said that rac in- oweu everything to the league; the rciK-ie Hunting to racing. tiovpi uor lahner Not Seriously 111. -spiiiiiifi.i, iiis.. icu. 10. Governor Aaiincrs condition was somewhat iin proved yesterday morning. He spent i uuiui iii'.ii auu jis aoie to sit up for a few minutes. His condition, though he is a very sick man. is not alarming to his family as has been re ported, and he expects to be able to resume his duties at the state house within a short time. Trinity Methodist Episcopal church. Chicago, was almost totally destro;Vd i.y lire, wmcn starteu wnne a prayer meeting was being held. MAIMS STATEMENT! I:-CoiimiI Tells Why He xireil to Come Home. IJe- I Weslred to lVrtoiinlly Lay llefore the De partment II in Mew of the Situation In the Transvaal lriti!i Censor Monkeys with I in le Sam's OlMt ial Correspondence Macrum Ultimate That Hay Has Treated Him Ifadly in More Than One Particular. Washington, Feb. 15. Following are the important points of a signed state ment given out last night by Charles E. Macrum. former United States con sul to Pretoria: "The situation in Pre toria tras such that first, as an official, I could not remain there while my gov ernment at home was apparently in the dark as to the exact conditions in South Africa. Secondly, as a man and citizen of the United States, I could not remain in I'retoria, sacrificing my own self-respect and that of the people of I'retoria while the government at home continued to leave me in the posi tion of a British consul and not an American consul. I want lo say right here that there w :.''" ne single re quest made of me U-.t-o'i the depart ment of state looking to the care of Ilritish interests in I'retoria which I did not fulfill and report upon ncord iug to my ord.vs. Americans rightini; for the Utters. "I issued the statement received from the state department that Americans must remain neutral. In the face of this A morion ns were continually going to the front and taking up arms in the cause of the Boers'' " juld not help but know that in .". ' iiese were cit izens of the Unlli d Sia es. I also knew that many of them in utter despair at the apparent attitude of our own gov ernment were taking the oath of al legiance to the Transvaal republic. When affairs i cached that state my vice consul. Mr. Van Atnoringen, closed up his business, took the oath of al legiance to the republic, and went to the front as ji burgher, I thought the time had come when I should make a report of these oonlitions. Com ln ins of he Itrilisli Censorship. "It was over four weeks from the time the war opened before I received a single mail dispatch from my govern ment or a personal letter. The mail for the Transvaal had all been stopped at Cape Town by order of the high commissioner. When this mail was finally forwarded to me after Colonel Stowe, the consul general at Cape Town, had secured its release, I had the humiliation as the representative of the American government of sitting in my office in I'retoria and looking up on envelops bearing the official seal of the American government opened and officially sealed with a sticker, notify ing me that the contents had been read by the censor at iMtrban. Mull Services font miiiilly luterriipte.f. -;riioiiail service f rom I Vlaq;-, Iy, by the action of British men-of-war at that port. The service was over two weeks longer than by the west coast, and there was continually rumors that that port would be closed and com munication with the outside world en tirely out off. The cable service tor the Transvaal was absolutely cut off. I was privately informed by the Belgian and Herman consuls at I'retoria that their official cables in code to their governments had boon refused by the censor." ASKS i Olt l.KAVE O V AltSENCIC Is Surprised When lie l.earns That He Is o Longer Consul. Macrum then tells of the holding up of an entirely harmless cable by the P.ritish censor and proceeds as follows: "The misrepresentations which had been going on before the war and aft er it opened were of such a serious na ture, and would require such detailed explanation, that on the 0th of Novem ber I filed a cable to the department in code stating that 1 wished leave of ab sence in order to visit the states. I set forth in this cable that my vice consul had enlisted in the lioer army; that a Mr. Atterbury, an American whom I hail known very favorably for more than a year, could take charge of the office uutil niy return. In reply to this dispatch, which was forwarded with out any delay. I received from the de partment a reply advising me that my presence at I'retoria was important to public interests." He then details his repeated cables to the department at Washington asking permission to leave i reioria. some ui which were not answered ami some delaved by tlie censor, uutil finally on Dec. 4 lie received a cable permitting him to come home, and signed by Hay. Macrum cabled that he would come by Naples. On his way home he notihed the department ot nis w nereaoouis. He then proceeds: T arrived in Wash ington Monday, the 3th of February, and renorted to Assistant Secretary Hill, of the state department, who of- liciallv informed me that "secretary llav's son had leen appointed in my id-ice .-ind that he was on his way to I'retoria. "I appreciated the seriousness of the conditions in South Africa to the ex tent that on my way to Washington Iwdioving that I was still the Consul in I'retoria I refused to make any statement that would in any way in volve the department or embarrass it. My one object was to lay the informa tion before tin department as to the tine state of affairs -in South Africa. If the department thought these facts wore of a value sufficient to warrant the expense of tlie trip I had taken I expected to be remunerated and return to Pretoria, leaving the department to act as it may see fit upon the fact: which 1 laid before it. -Instead of this. I find that Sec retarv Ilav. whether acting upon the reports in the newspapers or upon ad vice from the P.ritish government, or some other motive I do not know, saw Ct not to wait until I could present my vrhvn I accented my post as consul knew nothing of any secret alliance between America and Great Britain. nd that I had seen nothing in the regulations which made the consul of the American repuolie subject to the whims and caprice of an Lngltsn ruin tnrv censor at Durban. " " "There is not one soul who can point to a single official act of mine which departed from the strictest neutrality Mv confidential dispatches to the de partment contained information which will show my sympatny ror tne re public, but which time will prove to be unbiased as to actual facts. My acts as a public official are all recorded f .at tne deuartmeut M.v acts now as a private mau can iu no way involvae the public service, and I simply make this statement iu my own defense as against those which have come from the department, secretly and officially. "CHARLES MACRUM. MINE " WORKERsToF- IOWA Refuse to lostp.ne the Joint Conference Will Ask a liaise. Des Moines. Ia., Feb. 13. The meet ing of the National Mine Workers for the Thirteenth district, composed of Iowa and northern Missouri, ap pointed the usifal committees on scale, organization and manner of procedure. The scale committee will probably rec ommend ; cents per ton, mine run, an advance of lo cents over last year's scale. The request of the Operators' association that the joint conference be postponed from Feb. 13 to Feb. 25, 26 and 27 was refused by a unanimous vote. Tlie operators requested this Id order to secure information as to the Illinois scale before arranging one in Iowa. Operators say they will not attend a joint conference before Feb. 23, and will refuse to treat on any other terms than the screening scale. The scale last year was S3 cents for screened coal. The local coal operators and Teamster union have conferred, the teamsters demanding a raise of 10 cents per ton for hauling. They have been getting :3 to 30 cents. The de mand will probably be refused and the teamsters, gixi in number, will prob ably strike and tie up the city's coal supply. EIGHT HURT AT "FIRES. All or Whom May llie, While Thirty Five Lives "Were Imperiled. Chicago, Feb. 13. Eight persons were injured, perhaps fatally, in four fires that occurred late Tuesday night and early yesterday in different parts of the resilience districts of this city. In all about thirty-live lives were im periled by tlu fires and there were heroic deeds of rescue by the firemen. The most . serious occurred at a boarding house at 20J1 Indiana ave nue, where the following were injured: C. F. Slado. a student at a veterinary college, severely burned and carried out unconscious by the firemen; M. W. Littlefield. overcome by smoke; Curtis Jamison, sleeping on the third floor, overcome and rescued by firemen; Frank Hampden, overcome and car ried from building. The two small children of Mrs. II. E. Bump, sleeping on the first floor, were also overcome by smoke and rescued by their mother at the peril of her own life. The total Josses will not amount to $30.1 m m. Most of the fires were caused by overheated furnaces. DIS ASTP OUS CfAS EXPLOSION. Twenty Men iu Peril anil One of Them Instantly Killed. Joliet. Ills.. Feb. 13. A disastrous accident resulting in the death of two ; men and the injury of others occurred at the Joliet plant of the Illinois Steel company at 3 o'clock yesterday morn ing. The roofs of blast furnaces Nos. of a great mass or i.'JW the wi5' the furnace by a gas explosion. The tons of iron brought with it the iron pillars and a portion of the stone walls holding the roof iu place. Twenty men were working in the blast furnace, and as they heard the roar of the falling iron, they ran for their lives. Martin lilotnik was caught and his head crushed, resulting in instant death. A man who was with Blotnik at the time is missing, and It is believed he is buried under the wreck of the roof. John Dominlck was caught before he could get out and his legs crushed, lie may die. Sev eral others escaped with cuts and bruises that will not prove serious. The loss due to the accident will be be tween $2,1 mo and $.1,000. Saloon Ouestlon in Iowa. Des Moines. I a., lVb. 13. The board of suifcorvisors, sitting as a board to canvass the saloon consent petition for this city, granted a motion on behalf of the saloon men for a continuance of thirtv days. The saloon people want the time to secure affidavits as to the genuineness of a large number of sig natures which have been assailed as forgeries. Wisconsin Iiairymen. Watertown. Wis., Feb. 13. The twentv-eiiihth annual convention of the Wisconsin Dairyman's association got down to business yesterday with a eood attendance of delegates. Presi dent IL C. Taylor delivered his annual address. Trofessor E. W. Woll, of Madison, told the dairymen of the Danish system of butter exhibits and C. P. Goodrich, of Fort Atkinson, spoke of the experience necessary in breeding a dairy herd. James H. Beirue. of Oakland, read an interesting paper on -'How My Cows Were Cared I- or and I- ed. NEWS FACTS IN OUTLINE. M. Varicle. of Paris, will attempt to go from Vancouver to Dawson by bal loon. John V. Storm. !)f years and 2 months old. died at Fishkill Village, X, Y. Berlin authorities deny that Ger many has any designs against Macao ha rbor. A college professor in the east de clares that whisky is not an antidote for snake bites. Carl L. Slade. who was burned dur ing a hre In a Chicago boarding house, lias since died. On invitation Secretary of Agri culture Wilson addressed the Iowa house yesterday. Three men were drowned and much damage done to property by a freshet along the Hudson river. The Czechs have adopted a plan by which they hope to force the dismissal of the Austrian reichsrath. Princess Agnes Salin Salm. of Carls ruhe, Germany, is going to Chicago to organize a hospital corps for the Boers. Richard P. R. Millar, general freight agent of the Missouri Pacific railroad, died suddenly at Lincoln, Neb., aged GO years. Until May 1 and possibly permanent ly there will be practically no milk delivered Sundays on the Chicago south side. Anti-imperialists at Boston llaveeon gratulated and thanked Senator Pet tigrew for his anti-expansion talk in the senate. The bill repealing the so-called Hor ton law. which permits boxing matches in the state, was passed in the New Y'ork assembly. During the last seven months the balance of trade between the United States and Europe was $313,728,183 In favo? of the United States. FRENCH MAKES A HIT Strikes Boers Where They Were Not leookinjr For Him. . Oor Busy with the Spade Near Frere Mafektng Women's Imager Again Shelled by the Burghers Spies In lia-den-Powell's Camp Comment of a Lon don Strategist on the Success of French Story ot the Rensburg Fighting. London, Feb. 13. The war office has Issued the following message from Lord Roberts, received last evening: 'Dekiel s Drift, Feb. 14, 810 a. in. General French left this point at 11:30 yesterday morning with three brigades of cavalry, horse artillery and mounted infantry, including several colonial contingents, in order to seize a cross ing of the Modder distant about twenty-five miles. He reports by dispatch dated 3:33 p. m. that he had forced a passage at Clip drift and has occupied the hills north of the river, capturing three of the enemy's laagers, with their supplies, while General Gordon, of the Fifteenth Hussars, with his brigade, who made a feint at Rondeval drift four miles west, has seized it and a sec ond drift between that and Clip drift, toj, rther with two more laagers. Was Too tJuick for the Boers. "General French's jierformance Is brilliant, considering tlie excessive heat and a blinding dust storm which raged during the latter part of the day. Ow ing to the rapidity of his movements General French met with but slight opposition, and his losses were small. Lieutenant Johnson, of the Inniskilling Dragoons, is the only officer reported severely wounded. The sixth division was last night on the north bank of the Riet at Waterval drift, and is moving to support the cavalry. The seventh division is here and will go on this aft ernoon. Four officers and fifty-three men had to be seut last evening in the returning ox wagons to the railway line, prostrated by heat and exhaus tion." Boers Busy with the Spade. London. Feb. 13. The Daily Tele graph has received the following, dated yesterday, from its special correspond ent at Frere: "On Sunday the Boers advanced down the I.adysmith road to ward Potcieter's. Three hundred men on horseback, -with others, proceeded to a point whore they began to con struct new rows of trenches at right angles to the road. This was about two miles north of the drift. A party of Boors also crossed the Tugela, now very low. about six miles below Pot cieter's drift, where they sniped the South African Light Horse, who re pulsed them. Several other skirmishes have taken place, and the Boers are evidently anxious about their positions. V WliJ'? ?;vl"iro.usrff r f -iYri r ninl - tne Spion kop range eastward to tne lllangwana and Monte Cristo hills, botli on the side of the Tugela." Boers Shell Mafeking Again. London. Feb. 13. The Daily Chroni cle publishes the following dispatch from Mafeking. dated Jan. -.".i: "Une Boers shelled the women's laager for two hours on Saturday, Jan. 27. Boer women, warned by spies, evidently, went into the trenches, and clapped their hands and hurrahed when the shells fell near the English women. Lady Sarah Wilson was slightly wounded. Major Gould-Adams and Captain Wilson received contusions from shell fragments." VIEW OF A LOXnOS STRATEGIST. Calls French's Movement the Brilllan) Opening of a New Campaign. London, Feb. 15. Spenser Wilkin son, in The Morning Post today, says: "There is good news today, for a new campaign has begun. The movements of Lord Roberts are a practical illus tration of the principle of concentra tion of action in time and space. The unexpected presence of the Sixth di vision makes Lord Roberts stronger by 10,000 men than any one had ven tured to hope. Evidently he ordered General Macdonald's reconnaissance to Koodoosberg in order to draw the enemy's attention westward, away from the contemplated move through the Free State. 'The Boer army is barred from the direct route to Bloemfoutein, and even on the road by Boshof it would be ex posed to a flank attack during the march. General Cronje, on learning of Lord Roberts' dispositions on Tuesday, and yesterday, must have had an in teresting problem. He had to consider whether to hold on to his positions at Jacobsdal and Magersfontein and to seize Kiuilerley, or to raise the selge and move off and. if so, in what dl eetion whether to Bloemfontein or northward across the Yaal. "These events fYom the brilliant op ening of a new campaign which is be ing marked by concentration of pur pose and by an energy and rapidity that augur well for the future. The public must wait patiently for the re sult of these operations, remembering that the distil nee to be covered is con siderable and tlie heat great. Possibly enough there may be no general action until Friday.' ' SOME IJETAirS FROM KENSBURG. Horn Said to Hare Been Seven to One In the Fighting There. Rensburg. Feb. 13. Before dawn yesterday the enemy opened an attack upon Slingersfontein. assaulting with musketry the hills on the northeastheld by thne companies of the Worcester under Captain Hovel. The artillery attack legan at sunrise. The Boers approached in great numbers, esti mated at seven to one. The British, under good cover, sustained the attack throughout the day. Meanwhile two big guns on the west opened upon the British at daylight and fired for half at hour, when a British howitzer si lenced them with lyddite, the British artillery firing with precision. Then another Boer gun to the north opened on the Royal Irish Rifles, but rather ineffectually, as the Rifles had good cover. The shelling continued all day. and last evening the Boers brought up a forty-pounder in order to bombard the camp from a hill to the north. The attempt was plainly visi ble, as the gun could be wen being drawn up by eighteen oxen. . After a woman has been married for about six months she assumes the rolo of private detectlvet l"o I l'K) f His. . ISn tunc Lwswill I f ith our ( lo(t,tII- ( los Ial. . M thisl re invite f roa once f ill never 4 swl.erry win. NTS raslca. 'illinm v, Wll . John Car lix. h day olmes Class . 'lmes, ' t. and f said 8 pro Aient lying U an- upon ay of 'hich pear e al rthe ther late, ence ring day tws- inty :e, I ay ti-e-st t. r- ie a. id id it n r tl