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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1905)
BLOODSHED Mutiny on Board of a Ship Results in a Number of Deaths WILMINGTON, N. C—Her decks and cabins splotched with blood from the fearful butchery amidship early Tuesday morning off the North Caro lina coast, the four-masted schooner Harry A. Berwind, of Philadelphia, was towed into Southport Thursday by Wilmington tugs. Aboard were the prize crew of the New York schooner Blanche H. King, who were wanted as witnesses against the three negroes shackled and brought to the Cape Fear quarantine station on Wednesday charged with mutiny and murder. At the preliminary investigation be fore United States Commisssioners Collier of Wilmington and Pinner of Southport, the men who boarded the Berwind told the story of conditions on the vessel as they found them and the three prisoners were introduced at their own request. They gave their names as Robert Sawyer, Henry Scott and Arthur Adams, all negroes and under 40 years of age. Sawyer and Adams employed coun sel and both charged that Scott did the killing of the five men. with the exception of Captain Rumill. who dis appeared before daybreak Tuesday morning in a manner of which they knew nothing. Each said he saw Scott shoot the mate on the lee side of the ship and throw his body over board. Then he killed the engineer and went down the companionway. Veby soon they heard shots below deck in the galley and a short while there after Scott came up again, bearing the body of the cook, a small white man, in his arms, depositing his bur den over the rail.. They afterward bound Scott and were steering the ves sel as best they could until overhauled by the Blanche H. King. Scott says all the seamen, four oegroes formed a conspiracy soon af ter leaving Mobile September 23, feel ing outraged because of short rations. He said that he kiled no one except Cokeley, the seaman found on deck, and that he killed him in self-defense. Cokeley, he claimed struck him with a stick and shot at him while he was bound. He attempted no explanation of why he had been bound except that his companions wanted to get rid of him after the trouble. He sair he saw Cokeley shoot the mate and saw Adams kill the engineer. He does not know how the cook was killed, as the shooting was done below the deck. FOR A NATIONAL ARMY. Arnold Foster Seeks to Strengthen England's Military Scheme. IXINDON—The Daily Chronicle announces that Arnold Forster, secre tary of state for war. is working out with an army council new scheme to organize a “national army,” of a million of men to be composed of militia and suplemented by regulars and volunteers available for foreign service. The project, the paper says, includes the building of barracks throughout the country for the new force with special depots.. TO EXCHANGE WAR PRISONERS. Japs Get 1.866 and Turn Over 64.000 Russians. St. Petersburg—Russia on Saturday agreed to the Japanese proposition to exchange prisoners of war. whereby 1,866 Japanese prisoners in Russia will be delivered at some point on the west ern frontier of Russia, and 64.000 Rus sians will be delivered yf. the ports of Kobe. Nagasaki and Yokoboma. whence they will be conveyed to Vladivostok in ten Russian transports now' interned at Shanghai and Saigon and two or three other ships which are be.ng sent from Odessa. MANILA RAILWAY PAYS WELL Net Profit for Year of 1904 of 15 Per Cent. WASHINGTON—According to the annual report for the year 1904 of the Manila Railway company, owning the line connecting Manila on the south with Degupan on the north, the road paid 15 per cent net profit. The total receipts were $1,145,069 and the ex penditures $660,724. leaving a net pro fit of $814,345. The original cost of the road was $5,363,700. It is stated that by American meth ods of accounting the property would have paid almost 35 per cent on the investment. It is thought at the in sular bureau that this showing may have an important influence on bidding next month by American capitalists for the right to construct additional railways in the Philippines. Taft Going to Panama. WASHINGTON — Secretary Taft will sail on a naval vessel from New Orleans for Panama about November 1. He goes to look after the canal situation as it now exists in the way of construction and preparat;on. At the conference with the president, when it was decided to leave the ad ministration of the canal to the secre tary of war. Secretary Taft made it plain that if he was to have the re t sporsibility for the canal he would be iy supreme in its command and there would be no intermediary. ST. LOUIS—The joint committee of the twenty-Sve allied organizations working for the proposed bond issue to erect a free bridge over the Missis *ippi here met today and adopted a resolution thanking President Roose velt for ordering action on the alleged combination that monopolizes the two bridges and ferry here and exacts an "" arbitrary rate, and thanking Attorney General Moody for beginning the In vestigation. A second resolution adopted pledges the organizations to continued effort against the bridge monopoly. CASE OF PACKERS Intimation That Counts of Conspiracy Are Good. CHICAGO—The hearing of argu ments on the demurrers to the indict ment returned by the federal grand t jury aginst five of the big packing concerns and seventeen of their em ployes was closed late Wednesday af ternoon and if Judge Humphrey, be fore whom the arguments were made, retains his present impression of the case one-half of the indictments charg t ing the packers with conspiracy in re straint of trade will be sustained and the remaining counts overruled. When it was announced that the case had been closed Judge Humphrey said: “As it now looks to the court the odd numbered counts are sufficient. The argument has been so clear that this is my present impression. “I will faithfully read the authori ties cited by either side of the case. When I am ready to render my deci sion in the case I will notify the dis trict attorney and attorney for the de fendants.” The odd numbered indictments which may be considered sufficient by the court charge conspiracy among the defendants in restraint of trade. The even numbered counts charge a monopoly. The first count in the in-* dictment is not to be considered in the decision of Judge Humphrey, as to this count the packers are to plead not guilty and go to trial immediately. Edward Tilden. president of the Chi cago Board of Education and head of the National Packing company and Libby. McNeill! & Libby, has been served with a subpoena to appear as a witness in the trial of the packers, their agents and attorneys, who were indicted on charge of conspiracy to monopolize the meat business. MEAT FAMINE IN GERMANY Horse Flesh Rises ar.d Dog Flesh is No Longer Attainable. BERLIN—There is much evidence to show that Germany's meat famine is growing worse. Reports from all parts of the country make mention of the measures that are being taken to abate tbe famine. At Eisenach a con ference of the municipal authorities in that region decided to establish regular rabbit markets and in the Munich public markets also public rabit stalls have been opened. Since horse flesh has risen in price and dog flesh is no longer obtainable a number of municipalities be-ran buy ing carloads of sea fish at the coast towns* and selling them at cost to citizens. This expedient was first adopted at Sol ingen. but has now spread to various Westphalian cities, to Posen and even to Bavarian towns. MARKEL CONTRACT ANNULLED. Present Arrangement for Feeding Em ployes is Found Sufficient. PANAMA—The last action of the Panama canal commission before sail ing from Coion for New York was the annulment of the contract awarded to J . E. Markel of Omaha for feeding and caring for the employes of the canal. The reason for this action is Chief Engineed Stevens, through the deartment of materials and supplies under Messrs. Jackson and Smith, is handling the commissaries successful ly, rendering unnecessary the arrange ment with Mr. Markel. Protests made by the employes against the arrange ment, it is believed also influenced the decision. The contract with Mr. Markel was to run five years, and it was estimated that it would involve $50,000,000. Hudgins & Dumas, one of the other firms bidding for the contract pro tested against the award to Mr. Mar kel, alleging favoritism and charging that the latter, was enabled through a leak in the office of Chairman Shonts to gain information about the other bidders which aided him in bidding successfully. The protest was for I warded to President Roosevelt, who j referred it to Chairman Shonts for report, and later decided that the con | tract would stand. — ENDORSE THE PRESIDENT. Lumber Interests Favor His Attitude Toward the Railroads. 'Washington—President Roosevelt has received further indorsement of his attiaude toward the enactment of railroad rate legislation from the big lumber interests of the country. Louis Dill, president, and Robert W Higbie, , a member of the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers’ association, and George Gardner and Silas Gardner, representing the Central Yellow Pine | association of Mississippi, told the 1 president that their associations ap proved heartily of his course in the rate legislation question. Aged Warrier Dead. NEW YORK—Col. Wili am T. Clark of Washington, D. C., died aged 74 | years. He was a member of congress from Galveston. Texas, from 1869 to 1873. He was the last surviving adju | tant and chief of staff of General i Grant‘d Army of the Tennessee. Hill Buys Chicago Terminal. CHICAGO — Burlington passenger ; trains soon will begin to arrive and depart from the Grand Central pas ger station, according to the Record Herald. Financial control of the Chi | cago Terminal Transfer Railroad com pany has been secured by James J. Hill and his allies for the benefit of the Burlington, which for a long time has found the Union station too great ly crowded to give it sufficient room for its trains. The change in stations will be made as soon as the affairs of the terminal company are adjusted. Hearst is Named. NEW YORK—William Randolph Hearst was nominated for mayor of New York at a convention of the Municipal Ownership league and al lied organizations held in Carnegie hall. WASHINGTON — Monday’s state ment of treasury balances in the gen eral fund, exclusive of the $150,000,000 j gold reserve, shows; Ava lable cash balance. $137,866,041; gold coin and | bullion. $67,624,631; gold certificate*, j $51.038.410: total $256 529 082 1 RED FLAGS They arc Waved in St.Peters burg and Troops and Strikers Clash ST. PETERSBURG—For the first time since the advent of M. Tropoff as head of the government of St. Pet- | ersburg, demonstrations on a large scale took place here Sunday, the oc casion being the removal of the body of Prince Troubetsky to Moscow. Students, workmen and spetators gathered by thousands in the streets, and demonstrators with red flags paraded boldly through the Nevsky prospect, the city’s main avenue. The crowds and the proces- j sions were several times charged and j dispersed by mounted police, but for tunately with no grave consequences. The most grave injuries are those sus tained by two men who were slashed with sabres. Firearms were not em ployed by the gendarmes or military and thought the first collision was pro voked by a shot from the crowd and a few cases of stoning occurred, the ; crowd manifested no inclination to re- j sist the police and troops. The students are exasperated over the attacks by the police and the ar rest of several members of a coalition committee chosen by a student meet ing September 6 and a renewal of the disorders is not improbable. The serious feature of the situation is that a strike of printers was de clared on political grounds, which is to last for a period of three days, but it may be continued longer in case of repressive measures or ar rests. A few of the leading daily news papers hope to be able to issue a single sheet giving telegraphic news, but the others will suspend publica tion entirely. The employes of sev eral factories are ready to follow the lead of the printers and the authori ties are fully alive to the dangei that the strike may become general. There were no disturbances in the industrial quarters of the city. Large forces of troops were held in readi ness in the court yards of the bar racks and in the squares in various parts of the city to deal with any dis order. From the Nevsky prospect a band of students and workmen car rying red flags and chanting revolu tionary songs marched across the river and began an open air meeting in the square in front of the university. While the speeches were in progress the police again charged and dis persed the crowds. In the melee a workman and a student received sabre cuts. The crowd took refuge in the university buildings, and the meeting was continued there without being dis turbed by the police. PROFITS IN COTTON SWINDLE Indictment Says Men Who Manipu lated Government Report Made $200,000. NEW YORK—the profits of the al leged conspirators in the operations based on the recent leak in the govern ment cotton reports are placed at ap proximately $200,000, according to an indictment presented in court today on the arraignment before United States Commissioner Ridgeway of Frederick A. Peekham and Moses Haas. Accord ing to charges made in this indictment Edwin S. Holmes, jr.. associate statis tician of the Department of Agricul ture. received $25,071. The indictment which wa? found by a grand jury in Washington on Octo ber 3, is against Edwin S. Holmes, jr., and L. C. Van Riper, as well as against Haas and Peekham. and charges all four collectively with having con spired to defraud by procuring advance information from Holmes concerning the government’s cotton crop report. GOVERNMENT HELPS OIL MEN Russia Will Lend Money to Owners to Make Repairs at Baku. ST. PETERSBURG—The govern ment has decided to send the Baku oil men the money necessary to repair the damages caused during the recent rioting there, but has declined their request that the loans be without in terest. The sum necessary is esti mated at from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, on which 5 per cent will be charged. The minister of finance, has sent an urgent telegram to the viceroy of Caucasus urging immediate compli ance with the oil men’s request that the troops in the pumping districts be strengthened. One Trooper Kills Another. JUNCTION CITY. KAS—Private | James A. Keeth, a negro trooper in the j Ninth cavalry, shot and killed Private j Manley of the same organization as j the result of a quarrel. Keeth has | been arrested. He will be tried by j the regular federal court instead of by court-martial. MISS ROOSEVELT STARTS HOME1 Daughter of President Sails With Party From Japan. YOKOHAMA—The Pacific Mail ! Steamship Siberia sailed for San Fran- ■ cisco at 3:25 o’clock Saturday after- j noon, with Miss Alice Roosevelt and j her traveling companions and E. H. j Harriman. president of the Southern i Pacific company, and his party on I board. The distinguished Americans ( were given a great sendoff by the ; Japanese, the residential and civil of-1 ficers. - - - Hoch Case in Supreme Court. SPRINGFIELD, O.—The state filed Its brief Friday in the Johann Hoch murder case and it will be submitted to the supreme court by oral arguments and briefs next Monday, the 16th. No decision will be rendered by the court before the December term. The state sets up twenty-four points, the most Important of which is that it is not necessary to prove corpus delicti by direct or positive evidence and that it would be most unreasonable to require aach evidence. DOMINICAN LANDS ARE SOLD Secretary Taft Completes the Purchase of the Philippine Tracts. WASHINGTON—Secretary Taft has approved a settlement arranged by the the Philippine government which com pletes the purchase of the Dominican friar lands in the Philippine islands. Those lands include nearly half of these purchased from the friars and amount to about 200,000 acres. After the contracts were signed it was found that a mistake had occurred by reason of a difference in the Spanish and English versions of the surveys. The Spanish version made the price S200.000 more than the English ver sion. It was also found that the titles to eight different tracts were defective While Secretary Taft was in the is lands he effected a compromie by which the titles were to be made com plete and the purchae money paid ac cording to the English version while the $200,000 in controversy was to be submitted to arbitration. Since his return the secretary has received a ca ble from Governor Wright saying that the Dominican agents offered to com promise by accepting $50,000. Sec retary Taft today cabled Governor Wright approving the compromise. The total amount to be paid in the Dominicans is $3,050,000. The money will be paid in New York about Oct. 20. STAND SQUARELY BEHIND HIM President Assured of Support From Kansas. WASHINGTON—Railroad rate leg islation, and the oil situation with special reference to the middle west ern field, were discussed today by the president and Representative Camp bell of Kansas. Mr. Campbell talked briefly of railroad rates and of the contest between the state of Kansas and the oil combination. He assured the president that the people of Kan sas stood squarely at his back on the question of railroad rate legislation. CAPT. TAGGART WINS OUT Gets Divorce and is Granted Custody of the Children. WOOSTER. O.—Judge Eason, who he . the divorce case of Captain El more F. Taggart against his wife, ren dered his decision Friday afternoon. The court grants Captain Taggart the divorce and the custody of the two children. Culver, aged 11, and Charles, aged 7. Although Mrs. Taggart is de nied possession of the children she will be permitted to see them. Captain Taggart was in court during the read ing of the decision. Mrs. Taggart is ill and was not present. NO PROMISE OF IMMUNITY. Hyde Will Testify to Insurance Matters. NEW YORK—Charles E. Hughes, counsel to the legislative insurance inquiry, and Samuel Untermeyer, coun sel to James H. Hyde, had a confer ence in Mr. Hughes’ office today. While neither lawyer would discuss the mat ter it is said a3 a result of the meeting Hyde probably will appear voluntarily as a witness before the investigation committee, although it is likely he will not be summoned in the immediate future. Hughes has gone on record as re fusing to promise Hyde any special immunity or privileges as a witness and it is understood that when he ap pears to testify he will stand on the same footing as others. DOWN IN DIXIE LAND President Roosevelt Will Be Given En thusiastic Welcome. LITTLE ROCK. ARK.—Plans for the reception and entertainment of Presi dent Roosevelt in Little Rock on Octo ber 25 were mapped out today and a reception committee appointed, com posed of twenty-two men, headed by Senators Berry and Clarke and Gener al Powell Clayton, former ambassador of the United State to Mexico. The appointees are notified that they are expected to remain with the president while he is in the city from 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. The president will be escorted first to Fort Logan H. Root, which he will inspect. Then he will go to the city park to address the people. LOW RATES TO PACIFIC COAST One Way Price. Second Class. Every Spring and Fall. CHICAGO. 111.—Officials of the Un ion Pacific, Southern Pacific and Ore gon Short Line, at a conference here Friday, agreed that hereafter the regu lar one-way second class passenger rate between Chicago and all Pacific coast points shall be $33 for four months of every year, spring and fall. According to today’s agreement the rate will be effective every year from September 1 to October 31 and from February 1 to April 7. The rates from St Louis and New' Orleans will be.cut to $25 and $30 respectively and similar low rates will apply from all western points. Sugar from Hawaii. MAZATLAN, Mexico — Representa tives of the American Hawaiian Hawaiian Steamship company, who stopped at this port on their way from San Francisco to Salina Cruz, say the company expects to ship at least 300. 000 tons of Hawaiian sugar annually across the Mexican isthmus under the contract recently entered into with the National railroad of Tehuantepec, pending the completion of the Pana ma canal. Two new steamers are be ing built for the company at Califor nia yards. Get One-Third of Lands Surveyed. MAZATLAN, Mexico—The Sinaloa Land company, which was organized in Los Angeles to survey the public lands of Sinaloa under a government concession, has nearly completed its work. The public lands of the state amount to about 10.000.000 acres, and according to the terms of the conces sion the company will receive one third of the land surveyed. The com pany plans to bring over thousands of Japanese and settle them in this state. Colonists will also be secured from Germany and Holland. CLOSE CALL Trance and Germany Nar rowly Averted War in the Morocco Affair PARIS—The French government continues silent concerning the alleged relations of Great Britain's offer oi naval and military aid to France if Ger many assumed a belligerent atttitude over Morocco. In the meantime the newspapers add new phases to the dis= closures. The Figaro gives a detailed version even more sensational than the previous alleged disclosures of the Matin. It says that the previous re port of Great Brtain offering to mobi lize its navy and land British forces in Germany is not correct, but that the actual occurrence was as follows: “Before the Moroccan crisis became acute the British government made three distinct overtures to learn if France was disposed to conclude a treaty of defensive alliance. France declined to consider the question. Later when the Moroccan crisis became acute Paul Cambon, the French am bassador to Great Bri*ain, reopened the question and obtained verbal as surances from Secretary Lansdowne of Great Britin’s effective concourse in the event of a conflagration. M. Cam bon was thereupon able to announce to M. Delcasse (who was then foreign minister.) ihat if a casus foederis (case coming within a treaty) was de sired. Great Britain would reiterate its assurance in writing. The German ambassador in London Count Worff-Metternich. learned of these assurances and informed Berlin, j Emperor vv illiam decided on a counter move and made Italy the medium of its execution. He informed Italy that any treaty whereby Great Britain gave France military support relative to Morocco would constitute a casus I belli. The Figaro asserts that this amounted to an indirect ultimatum and I that the Italian government communi cated the situation to M. Barrere, the French ambassador to Italy, who in formed Paris June 4. Immediately thereafter M. Delcasse resigned (June 6) as a result of a violent scene in a cabinet council. During this council M. Delcasse is alleged to have said: “I have a formal assurance of Great Britain’s support” DEATH PREFERRED TO TRIAL New York Lawyer Commits Suicide Rather Than Face a Jury. NEW YORK—Rather than face trial on the indictment charging him with fraudulently taking money from the Weissel estate. Armi'age Mathews, lawyer and secretary of the county republican committee, committed sui cide today by jumping from a window in his apartment to a stone paved court yard. He struck on his head, fracturing the skull and died in a short time. Mathews, who was a young man. had advanced rapidly. : both in the practice of his profession and in politics. He was a friend of former Governor Black and Abraham Gruber and they were loyal to him in his trouble. SIR HENRY IRVING IS DEAD Distinguished Actor Passes Away Sud denly at Bradford, England. LONDON — The English speaking world has suffered an irreparabble loss by the sudden death of Sir Henry Irv ing, who was universally regarded as the most representative English actor of contemporary times. He died liter ally in harness. He was giving a series of farewell performances in the Eng lish provinces and this week was play ing an engagement at Bradford, ap pearing in several favorite roles. Thursday he presented “King Rene’s Daughter" and “The Bells.” and seemed to be in excellent health, tak ing the exhausting part of Matthias in the latter play, wih all the vigor of youth. Tonight (Friday) before an enthusiastic eudience he portrayed one of his most characteristically intellec tual parts, the title role in his own stage adaptation of Lord Tennyson's “Becket" with marked success. After the performance Sir Henry returned to the hotel, reaching there at 11:30 when it was observed that he was in great pain. Physicians were immediately summoned, but before they could ar rive Sir Henry was seized with an at tack of synocope and expired within a few minutes, without having uttered a word. Americans Get a Franchise. MEXICO CITY—Messrs. Scully, Perry and Newell, Americans, have acquired for the sum of $2,500,000 a group of mining claims situated in the state of Durango. The first payment $1,400,000 has been placed with the national bank at Mexico. Czar Cables President that He Has Signed Document. ST. PETERSBURG—The ratifica tion of the treaty of peace is formally announced in the official Messenger, which says that its operation began Saturday. The text of the treaty is not given. As a graceful mark of appreciation of the part he took in bringing about the conference at Portsmouth and the resultant peace, President Roosevelt was the first person to be notified by the Russian government that Emperor Nicholas had ratified the treaty. Cattle Dealers Denounced. PHILADELPHIA—The transporta tion of cattle was discussed at Wed nesday’s meeting of the American Humane society in annual session. The subject was brought before the conves tion in a paper read by James Brown, president of th® Toledo Humane so ciety. Mh. Brown declared that cat tle dealers rarely consider the com fort of the stock during transportation to market and asserted that the ani mals suffered cruelly from neglect Mrs. Mary P. Lamb of Los Angeles, Cal., was among the sneakers. GREATEST ACTOR OF HIS DAY London Newspapers Comment on Irv ing’s Death. LONDON—The news of the death of Sir Henry Irving was received too late to permit more than brief announce ments in this morning’s London news papers. The Daily Telegraph and the Morning Post, however, print lengthy memorials, speaking of him as the greatest actor of his period. The Morn ing Post says: “No stronger personality, no more unflagging activity has within living memory adorned the English stage. His death is a national loss and his memory a national possession. Had he gone to the bar he would have reached the bench—if into the church he would surely have become a bishop. He chose the stage and was easily the foremost actor of his time. The Times says: “Henry Irving was a great actor, but his greatness sprung from a dif ferent source than that of any other actor who can be mentioned. The suc cess of his famous predecessors lay in their power to affect the emotions of the audience through the strength of their own emotions. Irving was not an emotional actor or one who touched the emotions. His greatness lay in his brain and not to the emotions. Whenever there was room for his brain to work he was at home, while any thing approaching the commonplace, the full blooded or the sensational left his peculiar gifts unemployed. HENDERSON'S DEATH IMMINENT Former Speaker of House Barely Able to Move. DUBUQUE, 1A.—There is very little change in the condition of ex-Speaker David B. Henderson, although his death may come at any time. Tues day the ex-peaker had an unusually hard day. which left him in a greatly weakened cpndition. Dr. J. S. Han cock, who recently took charge of his case, is of the opinion that death may come at any time and the patient may yet live six months or more. A sud den rush of blood to the head might kill him instantly. Trained nurses are constantly with him, the ex speaker being in such a weak condi tion that he is barely able to move. BOB EVANS MEETS BATTLESHIP English Officer Will Call on the President. NEW YORK—Admiral Evans’ bat tleship squadron left its anchorage in the North river and headed for Hamp ton Roads. Thence the squadron will go to Annapolis, arriving there Octo ber 21. where it will meet the British fleet under Prince Louis of Batten burg. While the fleets are lying off An napolis Prince Louis and his officers will go to Washington to be received by the president. Escorted by Rear Acmiral Bronson’s division of four armored cruisers, the British squadron will leave Annapolis on November 8, arriving there the next day, the 9th. the king’s birthday. ARMY OF THE PHILIPPINES Des Moines- Next Year, and Colonel Frost Commander-in-Chief. CHICAGO—At today's session of the Army of the Philippines, Colonel S A. Frost of Evanston. 111., was elected commander-inchief. Colonel J. W. Pope of the United States volunteer army was Colonel Frost’s opponent for the position. Other officers elected ere: Senior vice commander. Captain H. A. Crow, of Tenth Pennsylvania volunteers; first junior vice commander. Colonel J C. Loper, Fifty-first Iowa volunteers; second junior vice commander. Lieu tenant E. L. Hamilton. Thirtieth United States volunteers: third junior vice commander. Captain Charles E. Metz. First Minnesota volunteers; fourth junior vice commander. Ser gant George J. Weinheimer, United States volunteer infantry. Des Moines was chosen as the place of the next annual meeting. Fines Two Communes. MFLAU, RUSSIA—On account of the recent destruction by revolutionaries of a railroad in this district and the failure of the local authorities to pre vent it the governor general has im posed fines of $1,500 on two com munes. ANXIOUS TO SEE OLD GLORY Americans in Australia Want Ship to Visit Them. WASHINGTON—Orders have been cabled to Rear Admiral Train, com manding the Atlantic squadron, di recting him to detach a ship from his fleet, for cruise in Australian waters some time this fall. There are many Americans in Australia, some of whom have called attention to the fact that the American flag has not appeared in these waters for some time. Ad miral Train has not yet advised the department of his selection for this duty, but as the mission is entirely friendly the ship sent will not neces sarily be a large one. Bryan Family at Qokohama. TOIO—William J. Bryan and his family, who arrived at Yokohama Sat urday will spend two weeks in Japan. They will make a visit of five days to Tokio and Marquis Ito, president of the privy council, and Count Okuma. leader of the progressive party, will invite Mr. Bryan to a dinner. The Japan-American society will invite Mr. Bryan to address its members at the Young Men’s hall on October 17. Count Okuma will preside at the function. Mr. Bryan and family are in excellent health. Fears Precipitate Action. FRANKFORT, Ky.—Governor Beck ham on Saturday afternoon addressed a letter to Thomas W. Lawson at Bos ton. in which he expressed the belief that his declared purpose to protect policyholders against the officials of the life insurance companies in sin cere, and declares it to be praisworthy, but declines to act on the committee suggested, thinking that precipitate action while the present investigation is on may impair rtaher than increase the advantage to be gained by policy holders. SUICIDE AN HONORABLE DEATH, Strange Belief Among the Chukchees of Siberia. A Russian correspondent was talk ing about Siberia. “In that strange land.” he said, "the strangest thing is the suicidal ten dency of the Chukchees. Among the Chukchees, actually, suicide is one of the most common forms of death. “The Chukchees live in northeastern Siberia. They are small and copper colored. They dress in skins and ride reindeer. Tallow and raw kidney are their chief delicacies. In every Chuk chee house hangs a death coat. “A Chukchee doesn’t kill himself by his own hand. He appoints his near est relative—his wife, son or daughter —to do the deed. And the delegate never rebels, never declines this sad and horrible task. “Innumerable are the causes of sui cide—jealousy, unrequited love, an in curable disease, melancholy, poverty and so on. “I knew a man who was prosperous and apparently happy. Suddenly a de sire for death seized him. ‘In three months.’ he said, ‘I will go home to my fathers.' And he calmly settled his affairs and at the appointed time bade his wife to knot a cord about his throat and his two sons to pull upon this cord till he should be strangled. He died, they told me. joking. “The death coat which hangs in every Chukchee house has a hood. It is for use in suicide. The hood hides the facial contortions of the dying. “There are Chukchee families where in suicide is hereditary, wherein it is a point of honor for the sons to kill themselves, a natural death being re garded in such families as disgraceful and scandalous, a sign of the most un pardonable cowardice. “The Chukchees, despite their sui cidal tendency, are a happy and healthy people, moral, truthful, brave and temperate." DESKS OF FAMOUS AMERICANS. Elaborate and Primitive Furniture on Which Great Work Was Done. The desk of Salmon P. Chase, a plain piece of furniture made from mahogany, is in one of the rooms of the Treasury department at Wash ington. There are many of these old desks scattered about the country, their chief claim to interest being that once some well known man leaned over them. Alexander Hamilton’s traveling desk, made of mahogany and measur ing 12 by 16 inches and 10 inches high, is an interesting object. Upon this desk was written much of his lit erary work, and the worn green baize with which it is lined attests to the use to which it was put. There is a drawer in one side, and several com partments for pens and ink. while up on the top is inlaid a silver plate with the name “Gen. Alexander Hamilton” engraved upon it. Within the top is a strip of parchment which says: “Given by Mrs. Gen. Schuyler to her daughter. Mrs. Gen. A. Hamilton.” No doubt the convenient size was what recommended it to the general. Nathaniel Hawthorne's desk is pre served at the Custom House. Salem. Mass. A desk at which he wrote some of his inimitable romances was Just a board standing out from the wall at an angle. This is still in the tower room at Wayside, his home at Concord, Mass. Victor Hugo had In his Guernsey house a study built al most entirely of glass and perched upon the roof. Like Hawthorne, he. too, stood at his writing, and his desk was a mere shelf fastened by hinges to the wall.—The Delineator. Goddess of Smallpox. “They worship smallpox in western Hindoostan,” said the missionary. His audience gave a gasp of horror. “But don’t misunderstand me. don’t get a wrong impression.” he resumed. “I don't mean to say that they love smallpox and desire it. On the con trary, they loathe and fear it. Hence their worship, a worship born of hate and terror. “They have a goddess of smallpox. She has a cruel face, two mouths, four red hands. They pray to her regular ly. Fresh flowers are always lying at her feet. A special priest tends her shrine. “And much time and money are wasted on this goddess that might bet ter be devoted to the purchase and application of some good, pure vao cine virus.”—Chicago Chronicle. The Deserted House. Life and Thought have gone away Side by side. Leaving door and windows wide; Careless tenants they! A11 within is dark as night: In the windows is no light; And no murmur at the door. So frequent on its hinge before. Close the door, the shutters close. Or through the windows we shall see The nakedness and vacancy Of the dark deserted hoOse. Come away, no more of mirth Is here, or merry-making sound. The house was builded of the earth, £nd shall fall again to ground. Come away: fo- Life and Thought Here no longer dweb: But in a city glorious— A great and distant city—have bought A mansion incorruptible. Would they could have stayed with us! —Tennyson. Paris Underground Railway. After the underground railway lin«3 of Paris have been completed the next great piece of municipal work will be tbe removal of the fortifications and great dry moat around the city, which works lost all military value many years ago. The space thus secured will be sold for building lots. Marries Fourteenth Wife. Philip Black, an aged Western pio neer, who for forty years has lived among Oklahoma Indians, was mar ried at El Reno to Miss Euplaha Co mer, of Watonga, his fourteenth wife. Several of Black's former wives were Indians.—Milwaukee Wisconsin. Storm Cloud Injures Actors. The head stage carpenter at the Royal Opera House, Vienna, has been discharged because, during an exciting storm scene, he let a heavy thunder cloud fall on two actors, severely In juring them. Greater London Houses. Greater London contained 924,143 in habited houses in 1901.
