THE VALERTIHE DEMOCRAT
VALENTINE , XEB.
I M. KICK , - - - - Publisher.
LINCOLN'S OLD HOME
SPLEXDID TRIBUTE TO BE PAID
HIS MEMORY THERE.
? Iaiis for Dedicating Hie Marble Me
morial Hall by President Roosevelt
Have Been Fully Arranged Foil
.Addro.-.ses Are Scheduled.
Simple and yet splendid with the
presence of the first citizen of the
United States will be the homage paid
the old homesti ad of Abraham Lin
coln in Larne county , Ky. . on the oc
casion of his centenary , Februry 12.
The plans for dedicating the marble
memorial hull by President Roosevelt
have been fully arranged. It has been
determined that the five trains that
will he run to Hodgenville from Louis
ville on February 12 shall bear the va
rious delegations , and that the repre
sentatives of the republican and demo
cratic committees of Kentucky will b
given a place of prominence in the
ceremonies. Mrs. Roosevelt and Mis.-
'Ethel ' Roosevelt will be members of the
president's party. This announcement
has proved of great interest to the
Kentucky women.
The first train will leave Louisville
at 7:30 a. m. February 12 and will
carry all who desire to reach the farm
and roam over the acres where th <
child Lincoln played. The second
train at 7:45 a m. will carry a band
of sixty volunteer militiamen , eighteen
cavalrymen and fifty newspaper men.
The third , nt 8:15 : a. m. . will bear the
federal and confederate veterans who
a.re to act as escorts to the president.
the veterans of the Spanish-American
war and flov August 10. Wilson and
his military staff ; the fourth , at 8:35 :
o'clock , will carry Louisville business
men in charge of the celebration , and
the fifth train , at < : : ; o'clock , will
hear the president. Mrs. Roosevelt ,
Miss Roosevelt. Secretary Loeb and
'Secretary of Wnr Luke E. Wright.
r' ht states have made February 12
{ a \ oliday , hut the observance this
year will not be limited to these states.
BRYAX NOT 1X.JURED.
Commoner Arrives at Jacksonville in
the Best ol' Health.
William Jennings Bryan reached
Jacksonville , Fla. , Sunday from De
land and emphatically denied the re
port that he was injured in an automo
bile accident near Tarpon Springs. Mr
Bryan was met here by his cousin ,
Wm. S. Jennings , and taken to his
liome. Upon reading the report of the
accident he said he was in Lakeland
until noon Saturday , when he left for
Deland , speaking there Saturday night
and leaving there for Jacksonville.
Mr. Bryan K in perfect health and
expressed himsc If as pleased at his re
ception. He delivered his lecture.
"The Prince of Peace , " Sunday after
.noon.
"WIRELESS OPERATOR DROVv'XS.
.A Seaman in a Bravo Attempt at Res
cue Also Sinks.
"While standing on a pond near
"Wood's Hole , Mass. , Sunday , Charles
'Cottliebson , win-less operator of the
revvanue cutter Acushnct. broke
through the ice , and both he and Sea
man Oscar Rongved , also of the
Acushnet , who made a brave attempt
to j ; cscue him , were drowned.
Sjeveral of their shipmates endeav-
orcQ to reach the drowning men from
th < | shore by tying their handkerchiefs
together to make a life line , but the
5/ce kept breaking under them. A tree
i was then secured , but before it could
be put on the ice both men had gone
1 under.
Quarrel Over a Scat.
Confusion bordering on a panic en
dued in a crowded 5-cent theater in
Ualsted street. Chicago , when a pa-
iron , quarreling over a seat , drew a
revolver and shot a man. Two more
shots stopped the show and caused
the audience to rush to the street. The
wounded man. Daniel Zincarelli , prob
ably will die from his wounds. His
.assailant escaped.
School for Chinese Pulpils.
A school for Chinese students , or
ganized and maintained at the expense
of. the imperial Chinese government ,
was dedicated with befitting ceremo
nies in San Francisco Monday. This is
the first institution of the kind in that
city , although similar schools have
"been provided at Sacramento , Los An-
Keles , Vancouver , Chicago and Xew
York.
Sioux City Live Stock Market.
Saturday's quotations on the Sioux
"City live stock market follow : Top
Cattle , $4.80. Top hogs , $0.40.
Gen. Fredericks Guilty.
Gen. Fredericks , former governor of
JNizhni-Xovgorod , Russia , whose trial
on charges of complicity in the grain
-scandals that attended the distribu-
nion of famine relief in 1006. has been
= going on for the
past five days , was
-convicted of negligence and corruption.
Violent Earth Shocks.
At Tiflis , Transcaucasia , two violent
shocks of earthquake were experi-
lenced Sunday night , but no damage In
ireported.
CYCLONES HIT SOUTH.
Sections in Dixie Land Devastated by
Storms.
Mayor Geo. 31. Brier , of Cullman ,
Ala. , wires that seven people are
known to have been killed in that
county Friday afternoon by the tor
nado which passed over that section
of the state , but that wire communi
cation is impossible with the stricken
locality. At Kayesa , a mining camp
west of Birmingham , on the Southern
railway , five houses were blown down ,
but only one man was injured , a Mr.
Logan.
The property loss in the territory
north of Birmingham appears to have
been very large. Telephone commu
nication to the north is impossible.
Death for nearly a score of people ,
loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars
lars worth of property , and the crip
pling of many telegraph wires resulted
between noon and dusk Friday from a
series of small cyclones and tornadoes
which swept Dixie from the Tennessee
line to the Texas Panhandle.
The storms were accompanied in
most cases by hail , darkness and ter
rific lightning flashes and sheets of
rain.
Most of the towns where the losses
of life occurred are isolated so that
news from them has been coming in
but slowly.
Arkansas and upper Louisiana rice
fields were injured to the extent of
many dollars , while the larger cities
had rains and darkness illuminated by
lightning bolts that made the atmos
phere quiver.
XEGRO RUXS AMUCK.
Terrorizes a Section of Xortli Memphis
Before lie is Killed.
Henry Morton , a negro , was killed
by police and citizens of Memphis ,
Tenn. , Friday , after e had held up an
other negro , fired repeatedly into street
cars and houses and terrorized a sec
tion of Xorth Memphis.
After forcing a negro to give him a
bundle of hides Morton tried to make
a trade with a produce dealer , while
threatening him with a pistol. Fail
ing , he sent a confederate to dispose
of the booty and both escaped before
the arrival of the police.
Morton later was located on a street
cars , but as a police man approached
lie jumped from the car , firing blind
ly several times.
A riot call brought a squad of po
lice , who were joined by many citizens ,
and Morton was finally brought to bay
on a porch. Morton continued firing ,
but his bullets went wild , and then he
fell dead before a volley fired by the
crowd.
XO VERDICT IX TIIE GOW CASE.
The Jury is Unable to Reach an Agree
ment.
A Brooklyn jury , before which Will
iam Gow , formerly president of the
International Trust company and di
rector of the Borough bank of Brook
lyn , was ti ied on a charge of larceny
of $14.,000 , disagreed early Friday ,
the vote standing eight for acquittal
nnd four for conviction. Gow already
uas held under $117,000 bail and this
vys continued.
The charge against Gow was based
on the withdrawal of $145,000 in the
Borough bank , it was charged , to
finance the organization of the Inter
national Trust company. Another
charge of larceny of $250,000 is also
pending against flow , as also are three
charges of misdemeanor , based on the
all < { red overdrawal of his account with
the Borough bank.
BODY FOrXD IX CISTERX.
Ar-aihi-r D\ton. O. . Murder Mystery
Added to Tjist of Crimes.
Another murder mystery has been
Hded to the long list which have al-
"ridy occuired in Dayton , O. Late
, iT.iy aftei noon the body of a young
vnman was dragged out of a cistern in
'ha rear of a vacant house. Her broth
er has identified her as Lizzie Fulhart ,
* > years old , of Vandalia , O. , and her
v.-eetheart. Albert Wilkie , employed
? .t a local machine shop , is being held
ji suspicion. He declares , however ,
: .e had not seen the girl since Decem
ber 29.
Miss Fulhart came to Dayton on December -
comber 20. raid was staying with her
mint , Mrs. Samuel Deeters.
Bridge Burns Xcar Xorfolk. Xcb. . .
The burning of a three-span bridge
on the Omaha road blocked all traffic
between Sioux City and Xorfolk , Neb. ,
Friday. The bridge was over Pigeon
creek , between Winside and Hoskins.
The cause of the fire is unknown. No
accident resulted. The passengers and
mail were transferred.
Police Rout Strikers.
As a result of violence being offered
Friday by the striking miners at the
Trerrfont coal mine , Belle Vernon , Pa. ,
near Pittsburg , to the nonunion miners
who went to work , a troop of state
constabulary charged the strikers. Sev
eral persons on both sides were slight
ly injured.
Fire Loss is $220.000.
The most disastrous zre at Cha-
Jottesville , Va. , in twenty-four years
Friday destroyed property valued at
$220,000. The blaze originated in the
building- the Charlottesville Hard
ware company.
Mnn Blown to Atoms.
James Cody , while operating a ma-
; hlne drill in the Bluebeard mine , at
Victor , Colo. , drilled into a missed shot
and was blown to atoms.
OBJECT OF SOME COMMENT.
Frisco Agog Over Movement of War
J Munitions.
The close of the present week will
see an unusual amount of war mate
rial and supplies shipped from San
Francisco to the Philippines and the
Hawaiian islands. This fact taken in
connection with the arrival of the
t
, transport Buffalo from Honolulu
! painted leaden gray , the color that is
associated in the popular mind with
' the fighting garb of the American na
vy , and the unexpected return of the
torpedo flotilla from the south is caus
ing some local comment.
Saturday the bark Mohicon left foi
Honolulu , riding deep in the water un
der the weight of the two great disap
pearing guns destined to form a part
of the defense at Pearl harbor , the
site of the new naval station in the
Hawaiian islands. Sfurday the Pa
cific mail liner Asia saileu for Manila
and Japan , carrying 3,500 tons of car
go , 2,000 tons of which consisted ol
army and navy stores for the Philip
pines. Included in this shipment arc
2000 submarine mines which are to be
placed beneath the waters of Subig
bay at the entrance of Manila harbor ,
and 2,500 cases of small arms ammu
nition.
The army transport Sheridan lefl
for Honolulu laden with : > 00 tons ol
general supplies for the troops in tlu
islands.
While admitting that there is un
usual activity just at present in Pa
cific coast naval circles , officers of the
navy profess themselves unable to ex
plain it.
SHOOTS WOMAX AXD C1IILDREX
Long Island Man Then Hangs Him
self in an Attic.
Tn the little village of Farmingdale
Long Island , a few miles from Oystei
Hay , Frederick Buck holt , 40 years old
Thursday night shot and killed Mrs
Elizabeth Rust , wounded her twc
children as they stood clinging to hei
skirts , and then hanged himself in tht
attic of his home. The tragedy occur
red in the presence of IJuckholt' :
wife.
Mrs. Rust , a divorced woman , board
ed her children in Cuckholt's home
When she called to sec them Ruckhol-
demanded an increase in the board she
was paying. A dispute followed
which enraged Huekholt , and th
tragedy occurred. The children ar < I
not dangerously wounded.
PASSED LOWER BODY.
.Johnson Bill Goes Through the Cali
fornki House.
Gov. Gillett sent a message to tht
assembly Friday asking that body tc
reconsider the vote by which it passcc
the bill compelling Japanese childrer
to attend separate schools. This ac
tion is the result of a message receiver
from President Roosevelt. appealing
to him to devise some means of block
ing the measure in the legislature.
The governor's message to the as
sembly was a strong appeal to the-
members to stand by the aministration
and deal with the question of treatio
with Japan and other nations.
Kills His Brothcr-in-Law.
Leslie Brophy , after fatally shooting
his brother-in-law , George Mayer , ai
St. Louis , Mo. , Thursday , walked tc
the police station and surrendered
Mayer had been quarreling with his
wife and his mother-in-law and the
shot was fired after Mayer , it is said
had threatened violence. Mayer died
at the city hospital.
Easy for Abe AltcH.
Abe Attell , of California , found lit
tle difficulty in retaining the feather
weight championship when he met
Eddie Kelly , of Xew York , in a sched
uled ten-round bout before the South
ern Athletic club at New Orleans , La.
Kelly's second threw up the sponge in
the seventh round.
Head Hcatcn to a Pulp.
Joseph Vigne , residing at Cocolalla ,
a few miles west of Sand Point , Idaho ,
killed his wife in a jealous frenzy ,
beating the woman's head into a pulp
with the butt of a gun. Vigne then
dragged the woman's body into the
cellar , where it was found by the of
ficers.
Cock Fight is Raided.
Sheriff Jerge early Friday at Buf
falo , X. r.t raided a cock fight on the
outskirts of the city. Over 100 men
were arrested and 75 dead and live
birds were captured. The prisoners
include men from Ohio , Pennsylvania ,
Canada and down-state points.
Boy Given Life Penalty.
Harvey Hazel , 17 years old , of Tole
do , found guilty of murdering his
mother , has been sentenced to life im
prisonment. Hazel was convicted of
slaying his mother January 1 , 190S ,
by beating her to death with a ham
mer.
May Be Johnson's Brother.
In the morgue at New York City
there is an unclaimed body of a negro
believed to be that of Rosecoe John
son , a brother of "Jack" Johnson ,
champion heavyweight fighter. He
died in the New York hospital from
pneumonia.
Prince's Auto Hits Pole.
Crown Prince George of Servia suf
fered another automobile accident as
a result of indulging in fast driving
Friday. He is nursing cuts on his face
and bruises on his head received in a
collision with an c'ectric light pole.
Anti-Bucketshop Bill Passes.
The anti-bucketshop bill passed final
reading In the senate Friday at Nash
ville , Tenn. The bill prohibits the dealIng -
Ing In futures.
WOULD SETTLE QUESTION.
Whether Whitp Men and Colored
Women Can Legally Marry.
Some time since James Hand , a
white man , and a negro woman , were
arrested in Xebraska City , they hav
ing been living together. The couple
claimed to have been married in Coun
cil Bluffs and on their own testimony
they were released by the county
judge. The county attorney , D. W.
Livingston , is not satisfied with the
finding of the court , and wanting the
question settled .as to whether a white
man and a negro women can live to
gether in this state , even if married in
another state , has appealed the case
to the supreme court. In the meantime -
time Hand and his dusky wife , who
borrowed the money with which to
fight the case and secure their release
from jail from a poor widow , have
packed their belongings and it is said
have gone to Oregon , where the laws
permit the mingling of people of dif
ferent colors in legal marriage.
LOXELY DEATHS THEIR LOT.
Auburn Man Pens Explanation Before
End Comes.
"Salmon made me ill , " wrote Elmer
2 ook a few minutes before he died a
lonely death in a house on his farm
a few miles from Auburn. Finishing
this brief statement he dropped back
on a canvas cot and peacefully suc
cumbed. When found his face was as
calm and uncontorted as that of a
sleeping baby.
He had borrowed a horse and buggy
from his brother-in-law , D. H. Mcln-
i'ch , and expected to return in the
e 1rly afternoon. Night came and he
did not return and his wife became
uneasy. About 10 o'clock her brother
jrot a team and drove to his farm.
On the table was the remains of the
lunch which he had bought at a store
starting to the farm. On an envelope
were written his last words.
HEARXEY BOXE 31 ILL BURXED.
Wont I'p in Flame About Five Tues
day Afternoon.
The Knrdy bone mill , located just
e st of Kearney , was burned Tuesday
aftrenoon about 5 o'clock. The mill
was not running and the cause of the
lire is unknown , unless tramps set the
fire. The machinery was badly dam
aged , and the fertilizer and feed stored
in the mill was all destroyed. The loss
will be over $5,000 with only $2,000
insurance.
The mill was owned by C. A. Rob-
i'lson and Robert Hardy. It will prob-
ob'v he rebuilt.
Heavily Fined.
I'll ) district court at McCook Bell
Hall , Minnie Brown and Ruth Barry ,
three keepers of disorderly resorts in
that city , pleaded guilty to selling liq
uors illegally in their houses of disre
pute , and were finded $250 each and
costs , amounting in each case to over
$300. These three houses were raid
ed about a year ago by officers of the
Anti-Saloon league and a large quan
tity of liquors found in them.
May Be a Fraud.
The farmers about Inland contrib
uted gener.visly to an oily tongued
agent and between them bought a car
load of oil. The carload of oil is on the
sidetrack at Inland and has been there
for some time , but the agent has not
showed up. Perhaps it would be a good
thing for th m to get together and
investigate to see whether the bar
rels contain oil or water.
Boy Injured.
While Ray Gantt , the 5-year-old son
of Amos Gantt , of Falls City , was rid
ing with the man who was delivering
coal at his home Sunday afternoon he
fell from the wagon , which contained
two tons of coal , and the wagon ran
over his body. At firts it was thought
that he was most seriously injured but
upon examination itas found that no
bones were broken , but some very se
vere bruises sustained.
Xarrow Escape.
Frank Williams , a blacksmith at
WyomJng , had a narrow escape from
being instantly killed. He was using
a gasoline engine to run some machine
over which he as working and un
dertook to stop the machine by throw
ing the belt off. He had a long gash
cut in his face , his right eye was near
ly cut out , and his head and arm are
badly lacerated.
Stella Had Sunday Fire.
At an early hour Sunday morning
fire was discovered in the Ramsey drug
store at Stella , but had gained such
headways that nothing could be done
only move the goods out of the adjoin
ing frame building * on the south. The
Sherman Byrley barber shop , G. D.
Knapp's drug store and the Moran
general merchandise store on the cor
ner were destroyrd.
Dies Xcar Railroad Track.
An inquest v7as held by the coroner
on the body o * a man found near the
railroad track west of Powell , eight
miles west of Fairbury. From papers
found on his person it appears that he
was E. B Ellis , of Denver , Colo. , and
that he v/as an electrician and a mem
ber of > labor union of Denver.
Fire * at Xebraska City.
ET.rly Saturday morning the resi
dence , in the western part of Nebraska
C'ty , occupied by Leonard Taylor and
family was consumed by fire with its
contents.
The Omaha University.
Preliminary to the active work of
canvassing for funds for the universi-i ;
ty of Omaha. 100 gusts were assembled - ;
bled at a dinner at G:30 Monday and1
listened to partial outlines of the uni
versity promoters , followed by com
ment of some of those present. The
plan involves the raising of $200,000
by Omaha citizens and contingent up
on the success of that , it was an
nounced that $300,000 would be added
to it from the educational fund main
tained by John D. Rockefeller.
'CAIRO ' BUSINESS HOUSES BtTRX.
. Early Morning Blaze Does Damage
I Amounting to $30.000.
I A fire , doing damage to the extent
of about $30,000 , visited Cairo early
' Sunday morning , completely destroy
ing the hardware store of McAllister
Bros. , the general merchandise store
of F. W. Goodrich , J. F. Carland's
confectionery and residence rooms oc-
j cupied by J. S. Pickett , Charles Omer
and Mrs. W. Miller.
The fire was discovered at about 3 a.
m. and upon investigation it was found
that the entire stock of F. W. Good
rich was ablaze. An alarm was imme
diately sent in and every available per-
Hon joined in the effort to extinguish
the fire.
Bucket brigades pi-evented the
spread of the flames to adjacent
buildings , though several of the larg
est business houses suffered some loss
from the effects of the fire.
The loss is estimated at about $30-
000 , being only partially covered by
insurance. J. F. Garland was serious
ly injured while attempting to remove
some property from the burning build-
ings.
HEATHER BOUXD OVER.
Irregularity in Obtaining ? tloney
Cannes Him Trouble.
The preliminary hearing of Audrey
J. Heather on a charge of obtaining
money under false pretenses , was held
at Oxford , Heather , last March , in
duced A. W. Vetter to sign a sight
draft with him on a Colorado townsite
company , and drew $75 expense
money from the bank on the strength
of the endorsement. The draft was
protested and Mr. Vetter was held for
the amount. The latter averred that
he had not been repaid by Heather ,
who represented himself as beinff In
the employ of the townsite company
when he obtained the money. After
hearir.g the arguments put up by the
prosecution and defense , Justice
Briothaupt bound Heather over to dis
trict court , which convenes in Febru
ary at Beaver City. The defendant
was brought to Beaver City from Pue
blo , Colo. , a few weeks ago , since
which time he has been an inmate of
the county jail.
HUXGRY 31 AX STOLE BULLtOX.
Exportation Offered by One Caught
Stealing Metal.
An unsuccessful effort to stcar a
large disk of bullion , mostly copper ,
with probably a little gold in it , re-
j-ultfd in the capture of one ot the
thieves , John Pete , and his being sent
to jail in Omaha for fifteen days on
the charge of petit larceny. The other
man made his escape and it in not
known \\hether or not he took any of
the mr-tul. Neither of the men knew
just what he was stealing , and Pete
told the judge in police court Saturday
morning that he stole because he was
hungry. '
That the bullion was of great value
is discounted by the fact that in the
larceny complaint filed against Pete by
the smelter offici.'ils. gave the value
of the metal as $14.50 , although no one
knows its exact value , and it is said
there was a percentage of gold in the
"pig. "
KILLED BY A FALL.
Colored Man at Holdrege Discovered
Dead.
Gery Gates , a colored porter in the
Palace barber shop in Holdrege , was
found at the foot of the stairs leading
to the room occupied by him over the
shop at o o'clock Monday morning
by the night watchman , dead. Phy
sicians were at once summoned and
reached him before his body was cold
and gave it as their opinion that the
cause of his death was concussion of
the brain , resulting from falling down
the stairs. He was found lying flat
on his face , with both arms extended
and there were bruises over both eyes ,
indicating that he had struck his head
on the way down. Xo inquest is deem
ed necessary and none will be held.
Farmer Scalded.
Henry Stull , a well known farmer
residing a few miles northwest of
Plattsmouth. while attempting to scald
a hog in a large vat of boiling water ,
accidentally slipped and went into
the steaming fluid himself. His hired
man tithed him out. The flesh on his
left arm to the elbow was badly cooked
and his feet and lower limbs were
scalded. Fortunately Stull's head was
kept above the boiling water or he
would certainly have lost the sight of
both eyes.
Fnrm Hand Inline.
W. Rhodes , a farm hand , formerlj
from Wall Lake. fa. , who has been
working near Trumbull , returned from
Hastings and going to the farm of
James Campbell , tried to get a gun
with the avowed intent of killing him
self. He finally wandered into a draw
in a cornfield and wont to sleep , where
was found. He will be taken before
the insanity board , as he has pro-
nouncc'l symptoms of insanity.
Student Threaten to Strike.
The board of trustees of the Grand
Island college held a long session over
the threatened departure of some of (
I
the students , variously estimated from
ten upward. The students in question [
have been making much complaint j
against the management of President
Sutherland. It was the unanimous
feeling that President Sutherland was
entitled to the continued confidence of
the board.
\Vttnt Sunday Ball.
A petition is being circulated at Wy-
inore favoring the Sunday baseball
bill , and it is being liberally signed.
It is said that a first class ball team
will be organized at that place this
rprinpr. and in that event the baseball
enthusiasts of Wymore are anxious
* o have the bill favoring baseball
become a law.
Hot Brick Starts Fire.
In trying to warm their bed Mr. and
Mrs. Kovarik. an aged couple living in
iSchuyler. put a heated brick in their
bed. The brick was very hot and soon
had the 1 > 0 > 1 afire. The fire was put
out ly neighbors.
Deaf .Mute Killed.
Word comes to Tecumseh that Judson -
son Brown , the deaf mute who was
run down and knocked off the track
by a Burlington passenger train a mile
west of Tecumseh on January 20 , died
at St. Elizabeth's hospital , Lincoln.
STffllli
What Is It That Is "Incompatible
" Which
with Public Interest"
Prevents Action by Congress ?
SULZER BILL LONG HELD TIP.
Lawmakers May Move at Last to
Bring Wreck and Bodies to
the Surface.
Washington correspondence :
What is it that is "incompatible with
the public interests" and that prevents
the raising of the Maine ? No one can
or will answer this
be found who can
question explicitly. The Maine lies in
its bed of mud at the bottom of Ha
vana Harbor. Sentiment demands that
the vessel be raised and. that the dead
be recovered from her hold , but some
thing Stronger than sentiment seems to
be in the way.
Recently the report of Charles E.
Magoon , provisional Governor of Cuba ,
was made public. Mr. Magoon , af tor .
referring to navigation , wrote : ' 'Even
more important is the fact that this
wreck , although it contains the bodies
of sixty-three American seamen , or
what is left of them , apparently is
abandoned and forgotten 1)3' the govern
ment and the people of the United
States. * * * It has become a na
tional reproach and an international
scandal. "
Representative William Sulzer's bill
asking for an appropriation to bring
the wreck to the surface and to remove
the bodies therein to Arlington Ceme
tery , is in the keeping of the House
Committee on Xaval Affaire , where it
has been for nearly ten months. Sev
eral of the committee members are in
favor of reporting the bill favorably ,
bur the majority seems to be held back
by som ? shadowy thing of which no
one lias or seems to have any substan
tial knowledge- .
On the tenth anniversary of the de--
stniclion of the Maine. Feb. 15 , lfOS ) ,
Representative Sulzer introduced a re-
elution asking that the Secretary of
the Xavy be requested to send to the
House as early as possible "all letters
and data as to the cost and legal status
under which Congress may take imme
diate or future action for the removal
of the wreck of the United States bat
tle ship Maine and provide burial for
the dead lying with the hulk in the
harbor of Havana. "
An amendment to the resolution was
suggested. It provided for the inser
tion of the clause "if not incompatible
with the public interests" after the re
quest for information. Perhaps there
is nothing incompatible with the public
interest in the voting of an appropria
tion for the work of bringing the wreck
to the surface , but that there is such a
reason and that it is holding back the
authorities is the theory which it is
difficult to drive from the mind of
Washington.
Appropriation Was Xot Used.
The Secretary of the Xavy sent to
Congress , in response to the resolution ,
certain facts concerning the raising of
the battle .
ship. Congress once appro
priated $200,000 , but the work was
stopped after a comparatively small
amount had been expended , and the
balance was returned to the surplus
fund.
In Cuba the Spanish contingent at
tributes the failure to remove the
wreck to fear , as Governor Magoon
points out. that the work "will disclose
the incorrectness of the popular belief
that the Maine was destroyed
by a tor
pedo or mine , instead of an interior
explosion. " Certain Americans believe
with the Spanish sympathizers in Cuba
that the government is afraid to act
because an examination of the broken
hulk might show "that the Maine de
stroyed herself" and that the Spaniards
had nothing to do with it.
A board of
competent men settled to
the satisfaction of most
people that an
"exterior explosion" sent the vessel to
the bottom. No one in the service or
out of it probably believes that the re
port of the ofUcers was not accurate
and least of all that a wrong report
was turned in
intentionally
* to lift
blame from the shoulders of the officers -
cers of the ship. Apparently one must
leave the question of the cause of the
disaster when seeking the reason , if
there be one , why it is not compatible
with public interests to bring the ship
and its dead to the surface.
The records of the Xavy Department
show that 231 men were killed when
tLe Maine was destroyed ; that twenty-
four bodies
were recovered immediate
ly and buried at Key West , Fla that
144 bodies were recovered
afterward
and buried in Havana , but later
brought home for interment in the na
tional cemetery at Arlington. The bed
ies of sixty-three
sailors of the Maine
never were
recovered or accounted for ,
and it is supposed that they are enV
tombed with the wreck in the mud of \
Havana harbor. " A
The Xebraska State Railway Commis
sion has issued an order which will have
the effect of compelling railroad
compa
nies of the State
to install telephones in
all stations whenever patrons make the
request , to be maintained bv the rail
roads. There are between 900 and 1,000
stations in Nebraska.
