BLOCKS THE
BIO MERGER.
Injunction to Restrain Retirment of North
ern Pacific Preferred.
Northern Pacific , Great Northern and
a Part of the Burlington Are
Declared Parallel.
Minneapolis. ( Special. ) Just after
the noon hour today Charles S. Mel-
len , president of the Northern Pacific
Railroad company , was served with
papers which enjoin the company
from retiring the preferred stock.
The order was issued by Judge El
liott of the district court of Henne
pin county on the application of
Peter Power of New York , who holds
100 shares of the common stock. It
was supposed that the failure of the
action brought in the New York
courts by holders of preferred stock
cleared away the last obstacle to the
retirement of the preferred on Jan
uary 1 , leaving the Hill interest in
control of the road through its ma
jority of thecommon stock. s
The injunction restrains the North
ern Pacific Railway company from is
suing or selling any certificates of-in
debtedness or debenture bonds or
other evidence of indebtedness or cre
ating any indebtedness or liability for
the purpose of raising money with
which to pay or retire the preferred
stock of the Northern Pacific Railway
company , or any part thereof , or from
using or appropriating any moneys or
proceeds other than the ordinary or
surplus net earnings of the Northern
Pacific Railway company to the pay
ment and retirement of the preferred
stock of the company or any part
thereof , and also from creating any
indebtedness or liability other than
the ordinary indebtedness and liabil
ity for the operating expense of its
railroad system , and the indebtedness
and liability now existing which would
be a preferrence or take precedence
of the common stock of said company ,
also from placing Its property , or any
part thereof , or the management of its
railway system or any part thereof ,
in the possession or under the control ,
either directly or indirectly , of the
Northern Securities company , or from
entering into any agreement or ar
rangement , either directly or indi
rectly , through the medium of the
Northern Securities company or oth
erwise with the Great Northern Rail
road company , the Chicago , Burling
ton & Quincy Railway company or
either of them , for the purpose of
causing the railway system owned
and controlled by then. Northern Pa
cific Railroad company to be operated
in connection with or under the same
rules or by the same authority as the
Great Northern Railway company and
the Chicago , Burlington & Quincy
Railway company , or either of them ,
or from entering into any agreement
with these companies , or either of
them for the purpose of avoiding
competition and fixing rates for the
carriage of freight and passengers
. upon cither of their lines of railway.
DEFINES COMMON AND PRE
FERRED.
The petition recites briefly the his
tory of the Northern Pacific railroad
and the divisions of its stock into
common and preferred. It is alleged
that the only difference between the
preferred Istock and the common stock
was that the preferred stock was en
titled to the 4 per cent dividend prior
to anything being paid on the common
stock and the bill in this connection
alleges that the preferred stock was
subject ! to be retired at any time
within twenty years after the time
of reorganization of the company and
the issuing of the stock out of the
surplus net earnings of the company
and not otherwise , that in other re
spects the rights of the preferred and
common stockholders were identical.
The next bill recites theh organiza
tion of the Great Northern , Chicago ,
Burlington & Quincy lines and al
leges that the Northern Pacific rail
road company and Great Northern
Railway company are parallel lines to
the Pacific ocean and that the Chi
cago , Burlington & Quincy railroad
lias a parellel line from Billings ,
Mont. , to Chicago and that such lines
are competing lines for the business
of the northwest.
PURPOSE OF CONSOLIDATION.
Tt is alleged that the officers of the
Great Northern rt ad during last sum
mer and since the plaintiff became
the owner of this stock , and without
any knowledge on his part , went into
a combination with the Great North
ern and the Chicago , Burlington &
Quincy , the purpose of which was to
consolidate the three systems under
one management , and knowing that it
could not be legally effected , the di
rectors of the three companies , for the
purpose of doing Indirectly what they
could not do directly , caused to be or
ganized the Northern Securities com
pany , a New Jersey corporation , with
a capitalization of 5100,000,000 , which ,
under its charter was auhorized to
purchase and hold stocks , bonds and
SAYS WHITE MAN MUST RULE.
' Cleveland , O. ( Special ) General Jo
seph Wheeler was in this city today in
the interest of a new army rifle. In a
newspaper interview he stated , in re
ply to a question on the possibility of
'
a. political break In the south :
"There Is no question that the su
periority of the white race , in the
south must be maintained. . Anyone
who has seen the south under the rule
of the other color , as it was directly
ili * - - *
securities of other corporations , the
intention being to cause a majority
of the stock of all three raiway com
panies to be transferred to the North
ern Securities company , and to be
controlled by it , thereby controlling
the three systems of railway through
thhe medium of the Northern Secur
ities company , suppressing competi
tion , regulating the tariff rates and
conducting the entire business of the
three systems as one corporation.
PRONOUNCES SCHEME ILLEGAL.
It is further alleged that thereupon
the Northern Securities company com
menced to advertise on terms of ex
change , all the stock of the Great
Northern company , and that the
whole scheme was illegal , in violation
of the law of this state and other
states through which the railway
lines pass , against the pubic laws of
the United States and of each of the
places.
The bill also alleges that under and
by virtue of the charter of the
Northern Pacific Railway company
and under the provisions of the re
organization agreement the preferred
stock can only be paid for and re
tired out of the net surplus earnings
of the Northern Pacific Railway com
pany and not otherwise.
That notwithstanding these provis
ions the directors of said company , for
the first step in carrying out their
plan of transferring the control of the
defendant corporation to the North
ern Securities company , have served
notice upon the holders of the pre
ferred stock , that on January 1 , 1902 ,
they would retire such preferred
stock. The bill alleges further that
since Its reorganization the Northern
Pacific Railway company has con
ducted a successful' and profitable bus
iness and has paid 4 per cent on its
preferred stock and is now paying 4
per cent on the common , out of the
earnings , after paying the fixed
charges and the operating expenses ;
that there is a fund of about $3,000,000
set aside to secure payments of divi
dends on preferred stocks and be
tween $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 of a
general surplus ; it has now on hand
exceeding $3,000,000 derived from the
earnings of the road , wherewith to
pay the $75,000,000 of preferred stock
at par , but that in order to retire
such preferred stock the directors of
the company are threatening to issue
and sell certificates of indebtedness of
debenture bonds , amounting to $75-
000,000 of the Northern Pacific Railway
company , and out of the proceeds pay
off the stockholders of the preferred
stocks at par , January 1 , 1902.
NOTICE OF RETIREMENT.
It is alleged that the Northern Pa
cific Railway company has caused to
be sent to each of its preferred stock
holders a notice that it would retire
the whole of the preferred stock at
par on January 1 , 1902 , and that the
transfer books of the company were
closed Tuesday , December 10 , 1901 , at
3 o'clock , for the retirement of the
prefered stock aforesaid.
The paintiff says he has been unable
to obtain a copy of the resolutions of
the board of directors as to the issue
and sale of the certificates of indebt
edness or debenture bonds , but the
general effect of the resolution , he al
leges , is set forth in a circular issued
by the Northern Pacific railway to the
stockholders , a copy of which circular
is made a part of the bill.
It is alleged in the bill that no meet
ing of the shareholders of the defend
ant company has been called to make
the issue of the certificates of indebt
edness or debentui-e bonds ; that the
board of directors is without power to
issue such call ; that at the time of the
issue of the certificates of stock to the
common stockholders when the com
pany reorganized in 1898 and by the
reorganization agreement provided
"that the company shall not put a
mortgage on its property embraced in
the property in the Northern Pacific
system , nor shall the amount of the
preferred stock be increased except
after obtaining in each instance the
consent of the majority of holders of
the whole amount of the preferred
stock and the consent of the holders
of the majority of common stock , to
be voted separately ; that the plaintiff
Is unable to ascertain whether certifi
cates are to be secured by a mortgage
on the property of the Northern Pa
cific company or not , but whether se
cured by mortgage or not it constitut
ed an indebtedness due and payable
not later than 1907 , with interest at 4
per cent , whether the company has
any. earnings or not out of which to
pay It , and , an indebtedness upon
\yhich judgment can be obtained , the
property of the company sold , the
rights of the common stockholders
foreclosed and that if the common
stockholders foreclosed and that if the
common stockholders or a portion of
them take advantage of the option of
fered them to take common'stock for
their certificates of indebtedness , the
common stock is greatly increased
without the vote of the stockholders
of the company and without the au
thority of the law of the state where
i was incorporated.
NOT A LIEN ON PROPERTY.
The petition alleges that it was pro
posed in this way to substitute for the
present preferred stock , which in no
way constitutes a lien upon the prop
erty of the Northern Pacific company
and is not a charge against the earn
ings of the company and has no prior
after the war , can understand why
this must be so. For one reason white
supremacy alone can insure financial
stability. There will be no political
break in the ' '
'solid south' Jby any party
which tries to interfere from the
north , through the medium of politi
cians , with the solving of the color
problem by the south.
Slbley , 111. , schools are closed on ac
count of an epidemic of
smallpox in
mild form.
right over the common stock except
in priority of dividends , a convertible ,
negotiable security or debenture bond ,
bearing Interest at the rate of 4 per
cent per annum , which said amount
of 4 per cent per annum is a fixed
charge against the earnings of the
company and its property and must
be paid whether the earings for any
year amount to 4 per cent upon said
issue of convertible certificates of in
debtedness or debenture bonds or not ,
and under which , if default is made
In the payment of said interest or any
payment of the principal when due in
1907 or at any time prior thereto un
der the provision of said certificates of
indebtedness or debenture bonds , the
entire property of the Northern Pa
cific Railway company be sold to sat
isfy the judgment or judgments which
may be obtained thereunder and all
equities and rights of the common
stockholders extinguished.
SCHEME PROVOKES LITIGATION.
The bill sets forth that the scheme
has already provoked litigation , which
Is now pending , and plaintiff swears
that by reason of public criticism oth
er serious litigation will be instituted
unless the defendant railway company
be restrained from carrying out its il
legal scheme and design , and in this
connection it is allegede that proceed
ings are about to be instituted against
the Northern Securities company , the
Northern Pacific Railway company.the
Great Northern Railway company and
the Chicago , Burlington & Quincy
Railway company by some one or
more of the states through which the
roads pass , to prevent the consolida
tion in the manner alleged in the bill ,
.and that the action of these compa
nies wil linvite and arouse hostile and
punitive legislation by all states thro'
which the roads pass , and that in tht
case the railway company should car
ry out and accomplish the plans and
schemes mentioned it will be subject
to have its charter rights forfeited.
The bill recites the provision for the
constitution of the state of Montana
prohibiting the consolidation , of com
peting and parallel lines of railway ,
and also the laws of the state of
Washington prohibiting the consolida
tion of parallel and competing lines ,
and alleges that the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern Railway compa
nies are parallel and competing lines.
GIVE PURPOSE OF COMPANY.
It is particularly alleged in the bill
of complaint that the Northern Securi
ties company is a railroad corporation
and was organized for the express and
sole purpose of uniting under its man
agement and control the defendant ,
Northern Pacific Railway company.the
Chicago , Burlington' & Quincy Rail
road company and the systems of rail
ways controlled and' operated by each
of these railway companies , respect
ively , and for no other purpose , and
that the Northern Securities company
was organized for the purpose of own-
Ing , holding and controlling all three
of the corporations mentioned in the
bill and their various systems of rail
way , so that all competition between
these companies may be stifled and
prevented.and that unjust and inequit
able exorbitant rates for both freight
and passenger traffic may be obtained
by them.
The bill further sets forth that it is
the design and purpose of the North
ern Pacific Railway company , the
Great Northern Railway company and
the Chicago , Burlington & Quincy
Railroad company to consolidate and
merge in the Northern Securities com
pany , the complete and exclusive con
trol of each and all of these railway
systems and that the proposed at
tempted retirement of the preferred
stock of the Northern Pacific Railway
company is solely for the purpose of
enabling the Northern Pacific compa
ny to turn over to the Northern Se
curities company a majority of the
stock of 4the Northern Pacific Rail
way company ; that the proposed and
attempted creation of an indebtedness
of $75,000,000 on the part of the North
ern Pacific Railway company is solely
for the purpose of paying off and re
tiring the preferred stock , to the end
that a majority of the common stock
may be so turned over to the North
ern' Securities company.
It is alleged that in case the North
ern Pacific company proposes to and
does carry out the plans and scheme
leged in the complaint that the
plaintiff will be irreparably damaged
and that he had no remedy at law
for his damage or Injury or any part
of it , either against the company or
the officers thereof.
The bill then prays for the writ of
injunction as issued by Judge Elliott.
MEAT SELLING AT RUINOUS FIGURES.
Denver , Colo. ( Special. ) Meat is
selling at ruinous figures , a fact caus
ed by the war between the butchers'
union and the Swift Packing company.
Retail shops became involved and the
prices dropped 50 per cent , which
makes them 30 per cent less than the
cost on the hoof. The union has warn
ed retailers that a boycott will be de
clared on all shops handling the Swift
product. The fight was caused by
the refusal of the Swift companyto
pay a fine of $500 , imposed by the
union for selling to a non-union shop.
The state of Colorado is involved , and
the company announces it has ? 1,000 ,
000 to spend In order to win out.
Call on the President.
Washington , D. C. ( Special. ) Sena
tor Perkins of California introduced to
the president. Prof. Campbell , superin
tendent and director of the Lick ob-
servatory.and Prof. Simon Newcombe ,
he ceelbrated astronomer. Prof.
Campbell invited the president to visit
the Lick observatory. The president
old him that it was his Intention to
make a trip to the Pacific coast next
summer and that if his plans were
carried out it would give him great
pleasure to visit the observatory.
JOE BARTLEY
IS PARDONED.
t
The Defaulting Ex-Treasurer Is Released
From the Penitentiary ,
Governor Savage Declares He Has
Been Punished Enough , Gets
Many Petitions.
Lincoln. ( Special. ) With his wife
on one side and his daughter on
the other former State Treasurer Jo
seph S. Bartley walked out of the
doors of the state penitentiary last
week with' a full pardon in his hand
to commence the year 1902 a free man.
Governor Savage signed the papers
which brought Bartley into1 the world
again.
The time served by the former state
treasurer in the walls of the prison
is , counting the time put in in the
Douglas county jail , five years , seven
, months and eight days.
Governor Savage commuted his sen
tence to this period and the time ex
pired at midnight , December 31.
i
i Private Secretary Clancey was sent
j to the Bartley residence with the
papers. He placed them , together
with a discharge from the peniten
tiary , in Mrs. Bartley's hands.
The house was a scene of the ut
most excitement as the family hastily
entered the carriage of Charles O.
Whedon and drove with all speed for
the big gray stone building.
"Warden Davis had been expecting
them and had the prisoner ready. His
incarceration was all the more bitter
since the taste of liberty he had had
1 by the parole grantedy the governor
i July 13 and recalled July 28.
| The scene , when the family met in
the warden's office , was an affecting
. one. But after the first greetings and
congratulations the party went to the
carriage and drove directly to the
Bartley home.
Here it was but a few minutes until
crowds of friends bfcgan to gather and
overwhelm him with good wishes. In
vitations to New Year dinners were
given almost without number , but the
former treasurer refused them all ,
. preferring to remain at home for the
'
day.
Bartley's real imprisonment CCTI-
menced when he was first placed in
the Douglas county jail , June 24 , 1897.
The supreme court approved his sen
tence of twenty years in the peni
tentiary July 6 , 1898.
The recall of the parole of July 13
was due to the action of the state re
publican convention , where resolutions
were passed.
With the commutation of the sen
tence Governor Savage has issued a
long statement of his reasons. He
has , he says , come to the conclusion
that Bartley has suffered enough for
his crimes and that the sentence
shoud be shortened.
The primary question to be consid
ered in all cases involving executive
clemency is , "has the prisoned been
punished in a degree commensurate
with his offense ? " the governor says.
His action answers the question as
he sees it.
A thorough examination int othe de
tails of the matter has been made ,
Governor Savage says , and this has
convinced him that the demands of
organized society have been met.
He also gives attention to the state
ments that have frequently been made
that Bartley's offenses were more bit
terly criticised than they might have
been throughthe fact that the state
was then in thhe throes of a cam
paign and that Bartley's sentence had
in it something of a personal equa
tion.
In closing the governor says he has
petitions containing the names. , of
more than 4,000 of the state's most
prominent citizens , asking for Bart
ley's freedom
STIRRED BY THE BARTLEY PARDON.
Lincoln , Neb. ( Special. ) Governor
Savage has left for a short tour of
the southern states , his final destina
tion being New Orleans. At the state
house it was understood the pardon of
Joseph Bartley was to be the final act
of executive clemency for the present
holiday season. No local happening
for months has caused the sensation
that did the release of the former
state treasurer.
Governor Savage said he had receiv
ed many personal expressions of ap
proval of his act , as well as messages
of congratulation. Telegrams of the
same tenor poured into the Bartley
home , and friends and former neigh
bors called to express their good will.
In this city there were also expres
sions condemning the governor's ac
tion , accompanied by predictions that
it would have an important political
bearing. Mr. Bartley would make no
statement. The theory that the gov
ernor was actuated by the belief that
the pardoned man would be in a posi
tion to make restitution ofpart of the
funds lost to the state was neither
affirmed nor denied.
Congratulated on Honor From' Kaiser
Washington , D. C. ( Special. ) Miss
Alice Roosevelt , the daughter of the
president , was much complimented to
day by her friends and acquaintances
over a cablegram from Berlin , convey
ing the information that the kaiser
wanted her to name his new yacht.
Thus far no official intimation of the
International compliment has reached
the White house. The kaiser's request ,
when officially made , will take some
time to reach .Miss Roosevelt , through
tha usual diplomatic channels.
FIGHT MERGER IN THE COURTS ,
Helena , Mont. ( Special. ) A defi
nite plan of action to defeat the pro
posed consolidation of the Northern
Pacific , Great Northern and Burling
ton railway systems was today
unanimously agreed upon by the gov
ernors and attorneys-general of sev
eral northwestern mates in which
those roads" have mileage.
Legal action will be instituted Im
mediately in Minnesotacourts with
this object in-view , and to quote At
torneys General Douglas of Minnesota ,
"the thing will be fought to a finish. "
Just how , when or where these suits
will be brought , neither Governor Van
Sant of Minnesota or Attorney Gen
eral Douglas would state. The con
ference adjoruned late this afternoon
after adopting resolutions condemning
the proposed merger as contrary to
sound public policy and pledging sup
port to any proper legal action which
may be brought to test its validity.
The first resolution is as follows :
"In our opinion the consolidation or
threatened consolidation of the Great
Northern , Northern Pacific and Bur
lington railway systems in the several
states through which they run as par
allel and competing lines is contrary
to sound public policy and also , with
the exception of Idaho , is in violation
of the constitution ctnd laws of said
states , and mindful of the obligation
which the law imposes in such cases
upon the officials of the several states
here represented we hereby give our
unqualified approval and endorsement
to any proper and suitable proceed
ings which may be Instituted in any
court having jurisdiction by the sov
ereign state of Minnesota or any other
state affected thereby , designed and
intended to speedily and finally test
and determine the validity of such
consolidation or threatened consolida
tion and to that end we hereby pledge
our earnest co-operation , and , fur
ther , we unanimously protest against
any combination or consolidation
which restricts or stifles free competi
tion in the trade or commerce of the
country. "
This resolution was unanimously
adopted. The second resolution , which
was a substitute for the one offered
by Governor Hunt of Idaho , along the
same lines , was as follows :
"Whereas , A consolidation of the
great transcontinental railway lines
is threatened , which , in the opinion of
the members of this conference , is
inimical to the public welfare , there
fore be it
"Resolved , First , That the con
gress of theh United States be and
hereby is requested to investigate the
general subject and take suitable ac
tion thereon.
"Resolved , Second , That power
should be granted to thhe Interstate
Commerce Commission to fix maxi
mum rates upon interstate traffic and
to regulate the same.
"Resolved , Third , That a copy of
these resolutions be forwarded to the
senators and representatives in con
gress of theh states here represented. "
Governor Van Sant expressed him
self as much gratified over the re
sult of the meeting which had been
requested by him.
"So far as I am concerned , " said he
after the meeting adjourned , "I am
thoroughly satisfied with the work o ?
the meeting. It accomplished all that
could be desired. I am very mucb
pleased. "
BOER GALLS ON THE PRESIDENT.
Washington , D. C. ( Special. ) Com
mandant W. D. Snyman , who was a
member of General Dewet's staff in
South Africa up to a year ago , and
who for some time nas represented
the Boer cause in the west.called upon
President Roosevelt. Commandant
Snyman is a tall , fine-loking Boer and
talks English with a slightly broken
accent.
"I called upon the president , " said
he , "to ttiank him for having sent to
my wife , who is in South Africa , some
money I desired her to have. I shall
always feel grateful to President
Roosevelt. I saw my wife's signature
today for the first time in months. "
"How did you wife get the money ? "
"Through the United States consul
at Capetown and her answer to my
letter was returned through the same
channel. '
He did not think the war in South
Africa a proper subject to discuss
with the president. He simply wanted
Jo thank him for getting the money
to his wife. "TheBoers , " said he ,
'can see easily that the president can
do nothing to stop the war even if he
vere so disposed. But we will appeal
to congress for an expression of opin-
on. We hope that both political par
ties in this country will unite in such
an expression. We do not want the
matter made a party question so as
to embarrass the United States in any
vay. I believe the English people
vould welcome an interference suffi
cient to cause the authorities to drop
the war. eW are willing to make
some concessions. "
Guarded By Dogs.
Rawlins , Wyo. ( Special. ) Guarded
faithfully by his two dogs , the body
of W. M. Mooney , one of the herders
of the Pacific Sheep company.who was
frozen to death , was found by search
ers and brought to this city. The dogs
had been by him several days , and
kept the coyotes away.
Governor Rodgers Funeral.
Tacoma , Wash. ( Special. ) The fu
neral of John Rankin Rogers , the
bird governor of Washington , * was
held yesterday. The entire city was
draped in black and thousands of peo
ple thronged the streets. The remains
were escorted to the Hillside cemetery
at Puyallup , by several companies of
he National Guard , and fifty files of
Masons , besides a long procession of
riends and tho public. The services
at the grave were under Masonic aus
pices.
\
DISOLVES THE .
INJUNCTION.
Federal Court Decides in Favor of
Northern Pacific.
Refuses to Allow Appeal from Order
' Setting Aside Injunction to Re
strain Retirement of Stock.
Minneapolis. ( Special. ) Judge * Wil
liam Lochren of the United States
circuit court today dissolved the
temporary injunction , issued in the
case of Peter Power against the
Northern Pacific Railway company by
Judge Elliott of the district court of
Hennepin county Monday.
The Injunction which was disserved
by the order of Judge Lochren re
strained the Northern Pacific from ia-
suing any evidences of indebtedness to
retire 'the preferred stock of the com
pany or to retire the preferred stock
in any other manner than by the use
of the surplus net earnings of tho
road. It also restrained the Northern
Pacific and its officers from entering-
into any agreement or doing any act
by which the road would be consoli
dated or merged , through the medium ,
of the Northern Securities compan >
with the Great Northern or the Bur
lington , or either of them.
After the decision was made orally
by Judge Lochren at the close of a
day's argument by tne attorneys for
both sides , an effort was made by the *
plaintiff's attorneys to have the court
fix the amount of bund which would
be required in order to appeal from
the decision and to stay all further
proceedings in the lower court pend
ing the appeal.
Judge Lochren refused to allow a
supersedeas bond in any amount to be
given.
Judge Lochren held that the North
ern Pacific was acting wihin the au
thority of its charter , of the contract
entered into between it and its stock
holders as Incorporated in the cer
tificates of preferred stock and of tha
agreement of November 13 , in at
tempting to retire the $75,000,000 of
preferred stock in the manner al-
lege-1 by Mr. Power.
He also held that railroad corpora
tions could not do indirectly what tha
law prevented them from doing di
rectly and that any method by which ,
consolidation of two or more compet
ing and parallel lines would be
brought about would be illegal and a
writ of injunction would be to re-
si rain the consummation of the plan.
bit that there was nothing in the
c ise as presented to him that would
indicate that the stockholders of th
Northern Pacific Railway company
were attempting such a consolidation
or merger.
Judge Lochren in his decision made
a ruling which the attorneys of J. J.
Hill ? aim settles the question of the
legality of the proposed merger. Said
the court :
"If the Northern Pacific Railroad !
company never thought of consolida
tion , but to pay off the preferred
stock holders and issue common stock ,
it had authority to do that , and that
of itself would certainly have no tend
ency toward consolidation.
"It seems to me tflat the preferred
stock may all be retired without the
Northern Securities company being
formed and if unlawfulness consists
not in the retiring of this stock but
in the acts which result in the forma
tion of that company and placing-
other securities in that company. "
Mr. Powers' attorneys tonight au
thorized the statement that the fight
had just begun and that they would
appeal to the United States suprem
court.
RUMOR MISS STONE JS FREE.
JUondon.Special. . ) A dispatch to >
the Central News from Vienna says a
repart has been received there via
Sofia to the effect that Miss Helen :
Stone , the captive missionary , has
been released. The report lacks con
firmation.
Washington , D. C. ( Special. ) The
state department officials say they
have no recent news bearing on tha
case of Miss Stone and therefore can
not confirm the dispatch from London
transmitting a report that she has
been released. At the same time such ,
a consummation of the efforts in her
behalf would not be surprising , as
the latest information received here
shows that responsible parties are in
communication with the brigands who
hold her captive and the latter know
these parties have all the money that
can be raised with which to ransom
the captives.
London. ( Special. ) The Sofia corre
spondent of the Daily Telegraph has
cabled an unconfirmed rumor to tho
effect that Miss Stone and Mme. Tsil-
ka were liberated in Turkey on Janu- .
ary 1 and that the Americans who
conducted the negotiations resulting in
this reported release agreed , in the
presence of the captives , to maintain ,
absolute silence regarding the-captors. -
Must Eat Pet Dogs To Sustain Life.
Berlin. ( Special. ) The distress
among the agrarians is most serious.
The farmers are flocking to the cities
in the hope of obtaining food. Many-
have been compelled to eat their pet
dogs , in order to escape starvation.
Things have reached such an extrem
ity that the authorities in the villager
of Geben are seriously considering a.
proposition to open a dog butchery.
order to properly prepare carcases
consumption. - _ .
