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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1906)
NEBRASKA NOTES' STATE TREASURER MORTENSCN’S REPORT MADE PUBLIC. A BALANCE IN AIL THE FUNDS A Movement on the Part of State Offi cials to Save Nebraska Birds—Other Matters Here and There Over the State. -»— LINCOLN—The report of State Treasurer Mortensen for March filed with the auditor shows ,t balance in all funds of $375,866.42, and there has been paid out during the month the sum of $647,708.44. The redemption fund created by the Sheldon bill, levy ing 1 mill to pay off the state debt has been increased during the month by the receipt of $21,267, while out of this fund there has been paid the sum of $25,302. In the temporary school fund there is a total of $297,690, which means the May apportionment will be a good one. Of the permanent school fund there is only $30,762 uninvested. The report in detail, together with the hank statement, is as follows: Balance Balance March 1. March 31. General .* 13.288.3S 3 2,661.17 Perman't school . 30,762.23 Tempor y school 232.9,SI.97 297,690.79 Permanent univ. 32.285.59 . Temporary univ. 2,921.21 . Penitentiary ... 645.50 645.50 Kedemption .... 5.183.74 1,149.25 Kearney Nor. li. 1,623.62 613.46 Orthopedic hos.. 159.50 2S5.50 Iios. tor Insane. 140.83 143.99 State library.... 969.02 691.97 University cash. 32.135.35 29.990.23 Normal library.. 2,643.55 2,643.55 Nor. endowment. 2,385.59 . Normal interest. 595.15 1,116.63 Agriculture and mechanic arts. 11.882.23 7,047.78 U. S. Exp. staion 2.894.17 325.39 Totals .3342,106.20 3375,866.42 TO SAVE SONG BIRDS. State Officials Make Move in a New Matter. LINCOLN—An effort is to be made by state officials to save the lives of the song and insectivorous birds of Nebraska. Chief Game Warden Car ter nas now in preparation a circular which is to be distributed by State Superintendent McBrien in all of the schools of the state. The school chil dren are to take the appeals to their parents. Mr. Carter remarked this morning that the farmers and horti culturalists should be especially inter ested in the preservation of the birds, as insects would become almost ex terminated if the birds were let alone. A single robin eats at least sixteen ponds of insects in a year. A picture of Nebraska song birds will adorn the front cover of the cir cular, which will contain ten excellent reasons for not killing birds. Extracts will be given from the Nebraska laws and penalties for bird slaughter, and the last page will contain an approp riate poem. It is hoped that the little pamphlet will result in much good, not only to the members of the feath eriM tribe, but also to the farmers and fruit growers of the state. Barker Case Dismissed. The insanity charge against Frank f Barker, the Webster county murderer, I filed to save him from the gallows, has I been dismissed by Judge Holmes of the Lancaster district court for want : of prosecution. A few days before Barker was to have been executed Judge Hamer, his attorney, filed the charge and Judge Holmes refused the jury trial, claiming he had no jurisdic tion. The case was taken to the su preme court and that court held Judge Holems did have jurisdiction to give the man a trial by jury. At this junc ture Governor Mickey gave the man a reprieve for two years. The case was ; called the first part of the term and because no one appeared to prosecute Judge Holmes entered an order of dis missal. No New Clothes for Visitors. When old soldiers leave the Sol diers’ Home to visit back in the places where they came from, they will wear the same clothes they have been wearing if they will hold to gether. In other words, the State Board of Purchases and Supplies has decided not to buy any new clothes for the i old soldiers when they desire to leave the home on furlough. The matter came up in a request from a number of inmates who wanted new suits to go visiting in. The board then and there made a rule that no new clothes can be furnished. Der.ths at Soldiers' Home. GRAND ISLAND—Three deaths at the Soldiers' home within the space of twenty-four hours form an incident emphasizing the great number of helpless veterans in the hospital con nected with this institution and the fact that the members of the old guard are rapidly nearing the end. Governor Accepts Terms of Law. In the absence of a legislature. Gov ernor Mickey issued a statement giv ing the assent of the state to the pro visions of the recent law enacted by congress providing for the appropria tion of money for experiment stations. Widow With Millions. LINCOLN—Mrs. Ida Macomber, an Inmate of the Norfolk hospital for the insane has been doing a big business during the last few months by secretly advertising that she is a rich widow with $12,000,000 in assets. She has re ceived letters from hundreds of dupes in all parts of the country. She started the advertising while she was in the Lincoln hospital. The authorities sought to stop it ar.d linally secured an order to stamp the mail “fraudu lent" and return it. "boy Kills Brother by Accident. GRAND ISLAND—While playing with a loaded shotgun, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Quaring, on a farm in Cameron township, this county, was accidentaLy shot and in stantly killed by his brother, a year or two older. Hunter Loses an Arm. KEARNEY — Word was received from Elm Creek, that while out hunt ing Sunday a young man named Rhodes had his right arm shot off be tween the wrist and elbow. OVER THE STATE. J. D. Hennessey, formerly a hard ware merchant at Grafton, has located at Walla Walla, Wash. After a campaign of six months by leading members of the York Commer cial club, York will pave most of its principal strets. The Farmers’ Grain and Stock com pany of Kenesaw filed a statement with the secretary of state that as soon as it could wind up its business it would cancel its charter. John Mick, son of George Mick, died at Schuyler, of consumption. Mr. Mick had come home Thursday after noon. having been out west for his health. He was an attorney. M. B. Thompson, president of the Albion National bank of Albion, who was stricken with paralysis several weeks ago, is yet alive and his con dition has not materially changed for the past two weeks. County Clerk Conlee of Gage coun ty has issued twenty-four hunting licenses during the past few weeks. Sixteen of these have been to Beatrice sportsmen, six to Wymore nimrods and two to Filley sports. A, lively fight for possession of the Fremont hospital terminated last week in the surrender of Manager Miss Katheryn Fox and Misses Eoline Clark and Mary Ostrand, who bought the building recently, have assumed con trol. The oldest woman in Cuming coun ty, Mrs. Susan Miller of West Point, was 94 years old last week. A'very largely attended birthday party was given by her friends and neighbors in her honor, and a handsome reclin ing chair was presented to her. G. A. Wilkinson, a farmer living northeast of Beatrice, made a thorough investigation of the peach buds on his place and reports that he was unable to find a good bud in his orchard. He is of the opinion that there will be no peaches in that section this year. R. E. Harris, secretary of the coal dealers’ association of Iowa and Ne braska, with headquarters in Omaha, has resigned and is succeeded by E. H. Betts of Sioux City. The office re mains in Omaha. Mr. Harris goes into the wholesale coal business at Chi cago. There is a strong probability that a fair and driving park association will be organized at Pierce in the near future. The enterprise is being push ed by a number of local horsemen. A meeting was held to talk over the proposition and was attended by a large crowd. Miss Anna Caldwell, director of kin dergarten work in the state normal school, has gone to Milwaukee as a representative of the school and of the state of the International Kindergar ten union. The took with her a fine exhibit of the work done in the kinder garten at the normal school. The fight for the reward offered by the state for the discovery of coal is now on in earnest. A. M. Borst, the owner of the land on which the coal was discovered, near Peru, and F. M. Medley, who says he made the dis eovery, have both filed claims with Governor Mickey for the money. The Northwestern Realty company of Omaha filed its article of incorpora tion with the secretary of state. The capital stock of the new company is J100.000. The business of the corpora tion is to buy and sell real estate mortgages, and act as trustees ot agents. The incorporators are J. M Brunner, Franklin I. Reber, Charles W. Lyman and Wallace Lyman. The state board of assessment met ! to pass upon the question of where cattle should be assessed, in the coun ty in which they are pastured or where the owner resides. The assessor of Dawson county assessed cattle which were being pastured in Custer county and the assessor of the latter county also got them on his rolls. The board derided the cattle should be assessed where they are pastured. Solomon Yanson was killed by Bur lington train No. 42 while he was try ing to mail a letter on the train at the depot on Lincoln avenue. He had writ, ten the letter to his wife, who was at Scotsbluff. and went to the depot to mail it. When the mail car passed where he was standing, he endeavored to put it in the car and it is supposed the letter fell and that he stooped over to pick it up when he was struck by one of the car steps and was dragged under the wheels. His chest was crushed and he died almost instantly Thrown out of the second story window of the old court house at Grand Island, now undergoing disman tlement, there are the complete part? of an old scaffold, built for an execu tion in this county over twenty year? ago, an execution which never took place. A policeman named Hart kill ed a saloon man. He was tried, con victed and sentenced to death. Before the day of execution drew near he es caped. Recaptured at Omaha, he was held there until the day of his expia tion should be near. In the meantime a carpenter was set at work making the gallows. Just before the time of execution his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Later he was pardoned. The Nebraska institute for the blind has been placed on the list of accredit ed schools of the state university. A letter to Superintendent Morey, reads as follows: “The committee on ac credited schools after an hour’s con sideration of the question (a new one distinctly) unanimously voted accred itment; not on the ground that your school would be a feeder to the uni versity, nor because your course of study harmonizes with our entrance requirements; hut because they wish ed to express confidence in the legiti mate standard school work you are do ing.” Martin McFadden of Coleridge met with a painful accident. While at tempting to bridle a mule the animal turned and made a vicious lunge at him and bit him severely, the teeth cutting deep into the flesh of the palm. The mortgage indebtedness of Otoe county was increased last month by $46,679.01. The figures were as fol lows Farm mortgages filed, sixtv, amounting to $181,207.15; released, fifty-five, amounting to $133,740.S5; in crease. $47,466.30. On city and town property the mortgage indebtedness j was decreased $789.29. ! OFFER OF MINERS ANTHRACITE MEN READY TO SUBMIT DIFFERENCES. THE DECISIONJSTO BIND ALL Employes to Resume Work as Soon as Proposition Is Accepted — Offer Comes as a Great Surprise to Ope rators. NEW YORK—Having failed to come to an agreement among them selves, the hard coal miners of Penn sylvania through their representatives, proposed to the operators that all mat ters in dispute be referred to a board of arbitration for settlement, the tri bunal to be composed of the board of conciliation which was created by the award of the anthracite strike committee in 1903, with Judge George Gray of Deleware or any person he may appoint as chairman and umpire. If the operators accept the proposition and a convention of mine workers ap proves the plan the 160,000 men now idle in the anthracite fields will return to work at once. While it had been reported for several days that the miners might ask that the differences be arbitrated, the proposition made to the mine owners today came to them as a great surprise, as they did not believe the union leaders were reaay to leave the controversy to a third party at this time. Text of Miners’ Offer The text of the arbitration proposal as submitted to the operators is as follows: The subcommittee of miners met at 1 o’clock today and the miners sub mitted the following proposition: The committee appointed by the Shamokin convention of December 14 last, representing the employes of the various companies operating the mines, washeries and breakers in the anthracite coal regian having under consideration our proposition to you, dated February 27. together with your committee's proposition, of March 9. which was a continuation of the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike commis sion. and a letter from the governor of Pennsylvania, has decided in view of the great public interest involved, aside from those we represent directly, it is our duty to make some further effort and sacrifice of what we believe justly our due in the matter of wages and conditions of employment in order that a great public calamity may be avoided. Therefore we propose that, subject to the approval of a convention of an thracite mine workers, which shall be called at the earliest date possible, the differences between us as stated in our propositions, and your counter propos als be referred for determination and settlement to a board of arbitration composed of the present board of con ciliation provided for in the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike commis sion with Judge Gray or any person he may appoint to act as chairman and umpire. The decision of this tri bunal or the majority of members thereof insofar as it influences wages to be effective from April 1, 1906. and to continue in force until March 31, 1908, such decision to be final and binding upon all parties in interest. The employes of the anthracite mines, washeries and breakers to resume work pending the decision cf said boards. (Signed) JOHN MITCHELL, T. D. NICOLLS, WILLIAM H. DETTRY. JOHN G. GALLAGHER, JOHN FAHEY. GEORGE HARLIN. SENATOR M’CUMBER HAS AMENDMENTS WASHINGTON — Senator McCum ber offered a number of amendments to the railroad rate bill as follows: Prohibiting rebates and providing a penalty three times as great as the rebate allowed in each case. Making the bill apply to refrigerator and cold storage cars i.nd requiring that charges for their use shall be just and reasonable. Requiring railroad companies to own their own refrigerators and cold storage cars after 1908. Prohibiting the interstate commerce commission from making rate regu lations which will result in prevent ing competition among the various railroads lines or In discrimination as between railroad lines and different cities. Iowa Miners Stand Firm. DES MulNES, la.—The joint con ference of the Iowa coal sperators and the miners took a recess until next Tuesday, but not until the miners had expressed by vote their determination not to consent to the settlement of a single question in the proposed scale until the basis for a wage price had been determined. During the time of adjournment both sides will hold con sultations and the miners will ask ad vice from their national organization. “Man With the Muck Rake.” WASHINGTON — President Roose velt will deliver his decoration day ad dress this year before the army and navy union at Norfolk, Va. The cere monies there will be held at the navy yard and In the sailors cemetery. The address of the president will be prac tically a repetition of the address he delivered at the dinner recently given by Speaker Cannon to the members of the Gridiron club and other guests. The text of the speech was: “The Man With the Muck Rake.” Foreign Trade is Growing. WASHINGTON—According to a bul letin issued by the Department of Commerce and Labor, the exports from the United States for the first eight months of the fiscal year 1906 are $190,000,000 in value, in excess of those of the corresponding months of 1905. The imports for the eight months of 1903 are $71,000,000 greater than for the corresponding period of 1905. The growth in exports of manu factures has been $45,000,000 and in agricultural products. $133,000,000 over ‘he same period last year. MANY DIE IN RUINS. Collapse of Hotel in Germany Kills Fifty-Five. NAGOLD, Little Black Forest, Ger many—The Hotel Zum Tirsch fell dur ing the progress of a festive dinner. There were two hundred persons pres ent, most of whom were buried in the ruins. At 10 o’clock at night hfty-tive dead bodies had been recovered and one hundred injured were taken from the ruins, many of them in a serious condition. Twenty persons still are missing and probably are dead. The accident is attributed to care lessness on the part of those who were making repairs on the building, which had been raised five feet from the ground in order to give more space for the lower story. The work began early in the morning, and was supposed to have been finished at noon. The keeper of the hotel invited workmen and a large number of townspeople to a grand dinner. The company as sembled in the middle of the banquet room and was drinking the health of the builder and landlord when .the building collapsed. HOUSE PASSES THE QUARANTINE MEASURE WASHINGTON.—By a vote of 203 to 26 the house passed the national quarantine bill. The bill places the control of all quarantine stations, grounds and anchorages under the secretary of the treasury, and directs that as soon as practicable after the approval of the act he shall select and designate such suitable places for them and establish the same at such points on or near the sea coast of the United States on the Mexican border as in his judgment are best suited for the same in order to prevent the introduc tion of yellow fever into the United States. The bill further gives the sec retary of the treasury the right to establish a quarantine station at Dry Tortugas islands, and at such other points on the sea coast, not to exceed four in the aggregate, as he deems necessary. , SOUTH OMAHA DEMOCRATIC. Elect Their Ticket from Mayor Down to Member of School Board. OMAHA—The democratic ticket was elected Tuesday in South Omaha by majorities ranging from 1,146 for J. J. Gillin, who led his ticket, down to the contest for members of the school board, in which Thomas Corrigan beat his opponent by 104.' The vote on the head of the ticket was W. P. Adkins 1,725 and Thomas Hoctor 2.335. This gives Hoctor a majority of 610. The total vote as nearly as it could be es timated was between 4,100 and 4,200. THE SAME OLD SOUTH SAYS SENATOR FRAZIER NE WYORK.—United States Sena tor James B. Frazer of Tennessee in the course of a speech at the annual dinner of the Tennessee society of New York at the Waldorf-Astoria ho tel said: “If we of the south want to nomi nate a southern man for the presi dency we have a perfect right to do so, and if we do so he should not lose a single vote because he comes from the south. “There is no new south,” continued the speaker. “It is the same old south. We, as ail true Americans, have the love of constitutional lib erty.” BENSON WINS OUT. Result of Primary Contest for Repub lican Nomination for Mayor. OMAHA—Benson wins the republi can nomination for mayor in the pri mary election held Tuesday. Most of the candidates for other of fices endorsed with him on the Fon tanelle ticket also won out over their opponents for places on the republi can ticket. Westberg, the Fontanelle man for comptroller, is defeated by W. Ernest Johnson, and possibly one or more Fontanelle council candidates may be found fallen by the wayside when all the votes are tabulated. Dahlman heads the democratic city ticket without opposition in his own INAUGURATION OF GOVERNOR GENERAL MANILA—The inauguration cere monies in connection with the induc tion cf Henry C. Ide into the office of governor general took place with civic and military display. Three thousand troops of all arms attended and the marble hall of the Ayuntamiento, the official home of the governor general, was thronged with thousands of citi zens of all classes while the naval of ficials, consular officers, Captain Shi mamura and staff of the Japanese navy all in full uniform, added brilliancy to an impressive scene. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano of the supreme court. State Capitol Fight. PIERCE, S. D.—The state $uprem9 court denied the temporary writ of prohibition asked for by citizens of Sioux Falls to prevent the opening of bids for the construction of the new state capitol. Visit Tomb of Washington. WASHINGTON—Earl Grey, and the other members of the vice regal party visited the tomb of Washington at Mount Vernon. They returned and were guests at a luncheon by Mr. and Mrs. Wayne McVeagh. Pemberton for Grain Case. LINCOLN—L. M. Pemberton of Beatrice, was appointed by the su preme court to be referee to hear the testimony in the grain cases. Sena tor Pemberton is attending the Kan sas supreme court at Topeka and it is not known yet whether he will accept. A Rival of British Boat. KIEL—The government has placed an order with the Krupps Germania works for a battleship of 18,000 tons, party. RATE BILL WORK BUT NO HOPE FOR VOTE FOR SOME TIME. MANY SPEECHESJTET TO COME McLaurin and Morgan to Start Off the Talk on the Measure—Postoffice Ap propriation Bill Uppermost Subject in the Lower House. WASHINGTON—The United States senate will continue this week to dis cuss the railroad rate bill, and the in dications fail to support Senator Till amn’s prediction that the week will witness the termination of the general debate. The conservative senators who are still standing out for a sweep ing provision for court review, and some of them were at least quite as determined as they ever wrere on their opposition to the bill in spite of the Long amendment. The presentation of the Long provision has had no ef fect upon the more pronounced of that element in the direction of intensify ing their opposition. Sir. Tillman will continue to prefer his request for the naming of a day, but for the present will meet with the same denial that has attended his previous efforts in that direction. The discussion will be resumed Mon day by Senators McLaurin of Missis sippi and Morgan of Alabama. Mr. Bailey has given notice of a speech for Tuesday in reply to the criticisms that have been made by Mr. Spooner and Mr. Knox of his amendment de priving the United States circuit courts of the power to issue temporary writs of injunction in rate cases. Much in terest is felt in the senator’s reply and there is little doubt that it will bring out r number of speeches in rejoinder. He will occupy most of the time Tues day, and it is understood that Mr. Spooner and Mr. Knox will make for mal replies later in the week. Mr. Foster of Louisiana, who is a member of the committee on interstate com merce, will also speak on the bill dur ing the week. It is expected that the conservatives will present their court review provi sion soon after the conclusion of Sen ator Bailey’s speech. Senator Clapp will make an effort during the week to secure, action on the conference report on the affairs of the five civilized tribes of Indians. He will also try to get the Indian approp riation bill passed. Postoffice Bill in House. Another week is to be devoted to the postoffice appropriation bill in the house of represenutatives. The gen eral debate on the measure has taken a wide range and the demands for rec ognition will make it impossible to reach Hie details of the bill before Wednesday. To complete it will con sume the remainder of the week. There is to be a general reply to democratic tariff speeches by Colonel Hepburn of Iowa, probably on Tues day. He will pay particular attention to the showing made last week by Mr. Rainey of Illinois on the question of importation of American watch move ments which had been sold abroad. The pure food bill has been made a special order to fill in time not taken up with the appropriation or revenue measures. TOWNS ARE IN RUINS. Mount Vesuvius Becoming More Dead ly as the Days Go By. NAPLES—The hope that Mount Vesuvius was beeomnig calm was dis sipated Sunday when the volcano be came more active than ever. The panic has spread to Naples. Two strong earthquake shocks, which shat tered windows and cracked the walls of buildings, were experienced today. The entire population rushed to the streets in terror, many persons crying "The Madonna has forsaken us; the end of the world has come.” No trace remains of Bosco Trescase, a commune on the southern declivity of the mountain, where up to forty eight hours ago ten thousand persons lived; and Torre Annunziala, on the shores of the gulf of Naples, one mile to the southward, is almost surround ed by the invading lava and has been evacuated by its thirty thousand in habitants. IOWA MAN DROPPED DEAD. Fell on Depot Platform at Denver and Expired. DENVER, Colo.—John Culver, aged 74 years, a retired business man of McPherson, la., dropped dead from heart failure while strolling along the platform at the union depot. He was returning from California with his wife and daughter. Von Buelow Faints in Reichstag. BERLIN—Inquiry a* me residence of Chancellor von Buelow’ who fainted while attending the sitting of the reich stag elicited the information that he is continuing to improve. He is now able to read the newspapers and to hold short conversations. Intervention Net Timely. LONDON.—Replying to a question in the house of lords as to whether the government intended to lay on the table of the house any consular or of ficial reports concernirg the recent outrages of Jews in Russia which it may have received. Lord Fitzmaurice, under secretary for foreign affairs, said the government was desirous of a cessation of the outrages, but consid ered that the success of the reforms introduced by the Russian government was the only nepe of ending long staandlng oppression. Mrs. Dowie is in Collapse. CHICAGO — Physical collapse of Mrs. John Alexander Dowie on Thurs day, followed the rumors that the party In favor of the “First Apostle” had grown so strong that a serious conflict between the two factions in Zion City might follow the return of her husband. Friends of Mrs. Dowie, say that she expressed the belief that bloodshed might result. Early on Thursday, she fell in a swoon, while in her home and it was feared for a time that she had suffered a stroke of paralysis. [ RUSSELL A. ALGER OUT OF IT. Michigan Senator Is Not a Candidate For Re-Election. DETROIT, 'Mich. — Announcement was made late from Senator R. A. Al ger’s office in this city that he will not be a candidate to succeed himself in the senate when the legislature meets on January 1, next. The announce ment took the form of a letter which it was stated was received today from the senator. It says: “Owing to the condition of my health I am compelled to withdraw my candi dacy to succeed myself in the United States senate. While it is a great sac rifice to sever a connection of many years’ standing with the public af- j fairs of my state, that sacrifice nas become necessary. I take this oppor tunity to convey to the friends who have so loyally given me their support my heartfelt thanks and sense of last ing obligations and to express to the state my deep g-atitude for the honors it has seen fit to confer upon me.” A RAILROAD CONTEST SOON TO START ST. PAUL. Minn. — The Pioneer Press says: James J. Hill is to have a twin trans continental road operating, now being under way for the construction of an east and west line between Winnipeg and . ancouver. Five hundred miles of the new line is already in process of construction, and the plans call for a total of 1,500 miles. Hitherto it has been surmised that Hill was building in connection with the Canadian Northern, but this is not the case and an exciting railroading contest soon will start between the Great Northern, the Canadian Northern and the Grand Trunk Pacific. FOR CONSUMPTIVE CARRIERS. National Home Is to Be Established at Colorado Springs. CHICAGO—Plans have been formu lated by the National Association of Mail Carriers to build a national home for consumptive members of the asso ciation in Colorado Springs, Cola , ac cording to announcement made today by members of a committee of the as sociation, who are attending the con vention of the National Association For the Prevention of Tuberculosis, | which is being held in this city. “The Businessmen’s Association of Colorado Springs has donated 1G0 acres of land for our home,” said John C. Bunton, chairman of the committee, “and we intend to raise $100,000 to build the institution. We have re ceived an offer from a well known phil anthropist whose name cannot be di vulged at present, who will donate a dollar for every dollar that we raise, and we hope to have ail the money needed for the project by next fall.” GOVERNOR WILL HAVE . A PRIMARY LAW SPRINGFIELD, 111.—The supreme court handed down a decision declar ing the new primary law unconstitu tional. Governor Deneen will call a special session of the legislature for 10 o'clock next Tuesday morning to pass a new primary law in conform ity with today’s decision of the su preme court. The republican state central committee will meet in this city at 10 a. m. next Saturday to res cind the cail for a state convention. SUIT FOR FIVE MILLIONS. Philadelphia Contractors Asked to Re turn Unearned Money. PHILADELPHIA—Civil proceedings were instituted by the city against the contractors and former city offi cials interested in the construction of the municipal filtration plant to re cover $5,000,000. which sum is alleged to have been wrongfully retained by the defendants. A bill iu equity was filed with the prothonotary of the common pleas court by City Solicitor Kinzy and former Judge James G. Gordon. Mayor Weaver's private coun sel. Those named in the bill are Is rael W. Durnhim. former republican leader of this city; State Senator James P. McNichoi, Anastasia Mc Nichoi, his wife; Daniel J. McNichoi and John M. Mack, all of which were at one time members of the contract ing firm or Daniel J. McNichoi & Co.; William C. Haddock and Peter E. Cos tello, former directors of public works, and John W. Hill, former chief of the filtration bureau. The paper is sworn to by Mayor Weaver. Receives Winder’s Message. WASHINGTON — President Roose velt has received a telegram from John H. Winder, president of the bitumin ous operators of Ohio, a duplicate of which was sent to President Mitchell of the miners’ union, proposing arbi tration. At the White house it was stated that the elegram was sent to the presi dent for his information, that no reply is expected and none will be sent. Vesuvius Creates a Panic. NAPLES—The inhabitants of the villages in the vicinity of Mount Ve suvius are in a condition bordering on panic. Many homes have been abandoned for the open air, although there has been a thick fog all day and the atmosphere has been dense with volcanic ashes and the fumes of sub terrannean tires. The churches are crowded day and night with people praying for deliverance from an im pending peril, manifestations of which are heard and felt in explosions which resemble a heavy cannonading. ■» _ Decrease In Public Debt. WASHINGTON—The estimate of the public debt, issued Monday shows that at the close of business March 31, 1906, the total debt, less cash in the treasury, amounted to $981,623,438. which is a decrease for the month of $5,898,117. WASHINGTON—The state depart ment has received an additional $25, 000 from the Christian Herald of New York for the relief of the famine suf fers in Japan. This makes a total of $150,000 raised by that paper. HAS A BIG HEART PRESIDENT PROMPTLY ACTS IN . THE SHADOW OF DEATH. A WIFE’S PRAYER IS HEEDED' A Nebraska Prisoner Allowed to Go. to Her Bedside That He May Once More See Her Before the Final Sum mons Comes. WASHINGTON — That President Roosevelt showed himself a man of most generous impulses is the opinion of Representative Hinshaw, but as for the president’s secretary, Mr. Loeb, the congressman from the Fourth Ne braska district is by no means as cer tain. Some weeks ago Rev. Mr. Ware was convicted of frauds in connection with western Nebraska lands. He was tried in Omaha and sentenced to the penitentiary. Ware had a number of agents working for him in procuring old soldiers to make application for homestead entries. Among these agents were Harry Welch of Daven port, Neb. Welch pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months’ impris onment in the Douglas county jail and fined $300. Welch has now served three months of the sentence. Believing that Welch was really ig norant of the law a large petition has been signed by citizens of Davenport and vicinity requesting the president to pardon Welch, which petition Mr. Hin shaw presented to the president, hut Mr. Roosevelt refused to act. Last night Mr. Hinshaw received a telegram from Welch stating that his wife was in a dying condition in a hos pital in St. Joseph, Mo., aud stating he had made application to the district attorney to be permitted to go to St. Joseph under guard to see his wife. The prayer of Welch’s had been re ferred to Attorney General Moody who refused the application on the ground, that there was no law to authorize it. This morning Congressman Hinshaw received a telegram from District At torney Goss saying that at his instance the police of St. Joseph had investigat ed the case and had ascertained that Welch’s wife was fatally ill and that she was asking in heartrending tones for her husband and that the doctor in attendance strongly advised his com ing. With these two teiegrasm in his pos session, Mr. Hinshaw was at the White House at 8 o’clock to see>the presi dent, but Mr. Loeb said Mr. Roosevelt could not be seen before 9:30. He told the president’s secretary of the ex treme importance of the case, but Mr. Loeb said it was impossible to forego the rule. At 9:15 the president entered and, possibly having an inkling of the con tents of the telegrams, saw Mr. Hin shaw at once. He read them and then, in his impetuous manner, wrote across the last telegram to Attorney General Moody to have the request of Welch granted immediately, and inside of thirty minutes from the time Mr. Hin shaw saw the president the following telegram was speeding from Mr. Moody to Marshall Warner. ‘ Under authority of president you are directed to send prisoner Welch immediately under proper guard to St. Joseph, Mo., to see his wife, now fat ally ill. 'Wm CENERAL CHAFFEE TO LIVE IN NEW YORK I.OS ANGELES, Cal—A letter from Gen. Adna R. Cha.ffee, who with Mrs. Chaffee is now in Mexico, to friends in this city, states that they will not come to Los Angeles, as intended, but will proceed to New Orleans, from which place they will leave for New York April 7. The letter states that General Chaffee has been offered an important public office in New York City, and that it is likely he will ac cept it. No intimation was given in the letter as to the nature of the posi tion tendered. It had been the in tention of General Chaffee to come to this city within the next month to es tablish his home here. $15,000,000 FOR CATHEDRAL. Former Queen Natalie Intends to Pre sent It to Servia. BELGRADE, Servia—The Stampa says it is reported from an authorita tive source that former Queen Natalie of Servia, mother of the murdered king. Alexander, intends to present the kingdom of Servia with all her prop erties in this country, valued at $15, 000,000, for the erection of a cathe dral, provided the body of King Milan, her husband, and that of King Alex ander are interred in it. New Railway in Alaska. TACOMA. Wash. — The American Smelting and Refining company is to build 125 miles of railroad from Valdez to its Bonanza copper mine in Alaska at once. This has been decided upon by George Gugenheim, president of the company. Mr. Rosewater in Rome. ROME—More than 200 delegates, representing fifty-eight different coun tries. arrived here for the Univarsal Postal congress, which will be inaug urated April 7. Edward Rosewater of Omaha, Neb., one of the American del egates, has arrived. Among the re forms to be submitted to the congress are plans for the reduction of the in ternational postage rate to 4 cents, for the adoption of a universal postage stamp for international service and for the raising of the weight of letters to three-quarters of an ounce. Rural Delivery Service. WASHINGTON—A statement con cerning the operations of the rural de livery division of the postoflice depart emnt, made public and covering the period ending March 31, shows the number of petitions received for the establishment of rural free delivery service to have been 52,611, upon which 14.040 adverse reports were made. The number of routes in* opera tion June 30, 1905, is stated to have been 32,055, while on April 2, 1906, they had increased to 35.205. The balance April 2. 1906 aggregated $889,750
