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proceeded to try, convict, and sentence the man
to death at the embassy, having him hanged from
one of the windows 'of his palace. It is also re
corded by the Tribune writer that when Sully
was French ambassador in London and one of the
members of his staff killed an Englishman, with
whom ho had become involved in a quarrel at an
inn, he assembled a jury of Frenchmen at the em
bassy, and on the strength of their verdict con
demned the man to death, turning him over to
the London public dxecutioner for punishment as
a matter of convenience. King James, who was
then on the throne, heard of the affair and par
doned the man, whereupon Sully protested against
this act of clemency, declaring that as the French
man having been convicted and sentenced to
death by a tribunal of his own countrymen the
English Uing had no right or competence to inter
fere in the matter. There is also the case of
M. de Thou, who, while French envoy, at The
Hague, kept a member of his staff in prison for
no less than four years in the cellars of the lega
tion as a punishment for some breach of French
law that the man had committed.
RECENTLY THE UNITED STATES AND
the republic of Chile entered into a treaty
"for the mutual extradition of fugitives from jus
tice." According to newspaper dispatches the
signing of this treaty was the signal for the dis
appearance from the city of Santiago as if by
magic of a colony of fugitives from the United
States. Until the ne"y treaty was signed there
was no provision made for the extradition of such
persons. This treaty simply lessens by one, how
ever, the number of places of refuge to which the
violator of United States law may go feeling en
tirely secure.
THAT THERE ARE ODD CORNERS ALL
over the world where fugitives from justice
may live in peace and security is a fact shown in
an interesting way by a writer in the Chicago Tri
bune. According to this writer, the extradition
treaties with Canada (made through England, of
course) and with Mexico are flimsy and ineffectual.
This was shown in the case of the latter agree
ment but a few months' ago, when J. K. Murrell,
the ' St. Louis boodler, sought refuge across tho
Mexican line. He was tracked and found by a St.
Louis newspaper man, Frank R. O'Neill, but even
after his hiding place was revealed, and his alias
was torn away, it was impossible to secure his
return to St. Louis until O'Neill induced him to
make the journey voluntarily. The United States
has been always chary of making hard and fast
treaties with South and Central American repub
lics, because of the fact that the latter, when
treaties exist, are continually making efforts to
securo the return of political offenders.
IT' IS ALSO SHOWN BY THE SAME AUTHOR
ity that there are scores of little nations with
which the United States has no treaties at all. '
Abyssinia is one, and were an-American fugitive
to reach Addis Ababa he might remain there the
rest' of his life without fear of molestation., In
the' West Indies are two republics in which the
American evil doer is almost as securely safe.
One' is Haytiand the, other is11 Santo Domingo.'
Both are usually so torn by revolutions that the
existing government is almost unrecognizable. In,
con'sequence both are favorite resorts, for Ameri
can adventurers and fugitives bf the more enter
prising sort. One American, who' left New Or
leans inconspicuously because of a little difference
with" tho law, rose to high rank in tle Haytian ,
army, and was eventually killed in a fight with
revolutionists on the "Dominican border. The lit
tie republic of San Marino, in the south of Europe,,
is another secure stronghold for American fugi- .
tives. But it is so small that the average evil ,
doer does not seek it out for fear that ho "may
toss in his sleep and roll over its frontier into ,
Spain. And far to the eastward there is Sara
wak, In the East Indies, where an Englishman
holds forth as absolute monarch, and every stray ,
soldier of fortune is welcome. I
IN MANY OF THE QUEER NATIONS OF CEN
tral Asia an American fugitive might find
safety, at least from American justice, but in ,the
opinion of this writer it is more than likely that
the natives would soon finish him. There are,
however, others where the fugitive could go with ,
greater hopes of security and these are described
in this way: In Afghanistan the ameer would
ho glad to see him, and in Beloochistan the, irulers ,
of the state would treat him as a distinguished
visitor. In Thibet proper, he would be under
The Commoner.
5Leneyo of the Ghlnose authorities, but outwardly
Ihibet is not Chinese territory, and tho treaties
with China do not affect It. High upon tho cen
tral Asian tableland are perched Kafristan and
Turkestan, neither of which recognizes even tho
exlstenco of the United States. Southeast of
Arabia is the independent kingdom of Oman, and
toward the north are Bokhara and Khiva, vassals
of Russia, but still not affected by Russian trea
ties. And in Africa there is the vast expanso of
the Congo Free States unhealthy, maybe, but
still safe. In the west are Borum and Waday, in
dependent kingdoms, and Kanem and Bogirmi, no
man's lands.
THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE UNITED
States and Russia relating to the claims of
American scalers for the seizure of their vessels
by the Russian government in 1892 has recently
been settled at Tho Hague by Professor Asser, the
Dutch jurist who acted as arbitrator. The deci
sion of the award was in favor of the United
States. According to nowspaper dispatches Pro
fessor Asser appraises tho damages in the case of
tho American schooner C. H. White at $32,444; in
tho case of the James Hamilton Lewis at 528,558,
the Kate and Anna at $1,488, and the Cape Horn
Pigeon, $38,750. Professor Asser delivered his
judgment in the arbitration court in tho presence
of the representatives of the United States and of
Russia and others, including the foreign minister
of the Netherlands, Doctor Van Lyndonau. In
giving his reasons for the award Professor Asser
held that the schooner C. H. White was seized
outside Russian territorial waters and that the
Russian contention that a warship of one nation
was entitled to pursue beyond the boundaries of its
territorial seas a vessel guilty of illegal action
within these waters was untenable.
TN THIS CASE PROFESSOR ASSER HELD
JL that the jurisdiction of the state could not
extend beyond its territorial waters except by
special treaty. The seizure and confiscation of
the C. H. White and the Imprisonment of her crew
was therefore illegal, and Russia was condemned
to pay the C. H. White $32,444, with interest at
6 per cent. The case p tho James Hamilton Lewis
is governed by tho same decision, while In tho
case of the Cape Horn Pigeon, Professor Asser,
in fixing the damages at $38,750 and the interest
at G per cent, held that the general principle that
damages should include the prospective profits of
which the victim had been deprived applied equal
ly to international litigation. In the case of tho
Kate and Anna the arbitrator decided that tho
captain could have continued seal hunting, and
that therefore Russia was not responsible for" Che
prospective" profits. Both the James Hamilton
Lewis and Kate and Anna receive (5 per cent in
terest on the amount awarded. The basis 6n which
the damages were awarded was the' average
annual catch. This was the contention first made
by Herbert H. D. Pierce, who represented the
United States government. '
. . ,
AN INTERESTING REVIEW OF THE
opening chapters of the story of Standard
Oil, written by Ida M. Tarbell, is provided by a
writer in the Des Moines Register and Leader; In
1870, when the Standard Oil company was 'organ
ized, five years after Mr. Rockefeller hail become
actively identified with oil refining, there were
many prosperous refineries ill Cleveland. For a
few years they attributed the phenomenal growth
of the Standard to exceptional business manage
ment But when as their profits shrank "smaller
and smaller they saw its prosperity continue un
abated, they began to suspect something, and then
learned that the railroads had been returning 15
of every 40 cents paid in freight to the Rocke
feller company. The protests of the other refiner
ies finally secured an agreement from tho rail
ways that they could have the same rebate if
they shipped the same amount of oil with the same
regularity. But this .meant ruin to the small
companies. Their restlessness and the uncer
tainties of the situation suggested the next step,
the consolidation of enough interests to control
the output of oil. Thus the larger Standard Oil
company has evolved and with It one of the most
astonishing shipping contracts in the history of
railroading a contract' signed by W. H. Vander
bllt, W. H. Clark, Jay Gould, Gen. George B. Mc
Clellan and Tom Scott in behalf of the great rail
way systems tapping tho oil regions. By the terms
of this contract the Standard Oil , company got a.
rebate in cash of $1.06 on evory $2.56 paid in
freight, and -also a dash bonus of $1.06 on every
$2.56 paid by its competitors, and as an evidence
of good faith the railroads turned over all shipping
bills for oil, thereby keeping tho Standard com
pany Informed of how much its competitors wcro
shipping and to what customers.
MANY OF THESE FACTS HAVE BEEN
presented to tho American peopfo before,
although not in so attract! vo a way aB thoy aro
presented in Ida M. Tarboll's story. Commenting
upon tli is tale, tho Register and Loader reviewer
says: This is not tho story of tho upbuilding
of a legitimate industry. Neither is It tho story of
competition distanced by superior talent, meth
ods or organization. It Is the story of a conspir
acy of great railway managers, formed in viola
tion of state laws and without regard to public
righto, a conspiracy planned and executed under
directions from the presiding genius of the oil
business of the United States, John D. Rockefeller,
it the history of tho other great monopolies which
have flourished as tho Standard Oil company has,
were written, in ninety-nine out of every hundred
cases it would bo found that their supremacy has
been gained through tho same connivance of rail-
rnmanag?,r8.,and th0 aamo am,H0 of shipping
Privileges. Railway discriminations has had mora
f fi ?! l,h0, success of trust and monopolies
ether d than aU ther caU8es put to"
NEWSPAPER MEN IN AMERICA MAY BE
persuaded to believe that their lot is Indeed
a happy one when they learn of the embarrass
ments under which the Austrian press labors. A
writer in tho London Globe describes the situation
5i i8r nay: ,TXy.peop, In England have any
idea of the disabilities under which the press in
Austria suffers. They accept the abuse of Eng.
land which too many Austrian papers have poured
out during the war as tho outcome of tho real
feelings of the people for us, ignoring tho fact
that the continental press being, as a rule, tho
slave of the police, is only too glad to bo able to
divert to a neutral object tho diatribes which it
longs to inflict on its own government. In Vienna
a paper can bo summoned, punished, and even
suppressed on the slightest excuse. A paper is
obliged to insert without commont ail official
contradictions of facts, and even if it can provo
that Its statements were absolutely correct, it is
not allowed to do so. Moreover, a Viennese paper
, cannot be sold In the streets, and so its readers
aro limited to its subscription list. But apparently
. this state of things is beginning to disgust oven
the ministerial circles for Horr Koerber has just
brought in a bill to give the press a little moro
liberty and greater facilities for distribution. It
Is proposed to allow papers to be sold in tho
streets, tbo writers and not only the paper will bo
held responsible for signed articles, and the editor
will' bo allowed to comment on offlcial contradic
tions In the very number of the paper In which
these i contradictions appear.- The Viennese press
f will thus be somewhat emancipated from tho slav
ery la which it has hitherto been, which is some
thing to the good." '
THE ST. PETERSBURG CORRESPONDENT
of -the New York Times describes the forma
tion Of H new sect in the government of the Zar
izyn in Russia. ' This sect is founded on the ven
eration -of the peasants for Father John of Cron
stadt, whom they declaro to be tho reincarnation
of the 'Pronhet Elijah. This sect prophesies tho
u speedy deslructldn of the world and the Times
" correspondent says: "As signs of universal calam
ity thoy adduce all the latter-day manifestations
such as'railwayg; telegraphs, and telephones. Tho
agents 'of the -anti-Christ imprint their seal upon
men, though not upon the body, but upon a paper
which they must carry with them, and which is
called their pass. Finally, the Enochites teach
that the prophet Enoch is already upon the earth,
though1 as yet ho has not been seen by anybody.
As soon aff he has appeared to his disciples tho
world will be destroyed. So far as the Enochites
are able to see, but two years yet remain boforo
the destruction of tho world. In order to check
the pernicious activity of the pect; the government
has dispatched forty Russian traveling priests to
the governmont of Zarlzyn."
THE. KING OF SWEDEN HAS BEEN SUM
moned to appear before a court in Stockholm.
According to a recent Stockholm cablegram, King
Oscar is the defendant in proceedings brought by
the heirs of the late Helga de la Brache. Helga,
who was the daughter of tho dethroned King
Gustavus. Adolphus IV., died some years ago. Her
legatee now demands the delivery of papers re
ceived by King Oscar's father from Helga. These
papers fire, understood to be of an interesting his
torical character.
31
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