Nebraska Newspapers

    THE VALENTINE DEMOCRAT
. . . .
- - - - - i ii fmt
I. M. RICE , Publisher.
VALENTINE , NEBRASKA.
U. S. GIVES 1
.FIRM ATTITUDE TAKEN BY THE
STATE DEPARTMENT FOR
FAIR TREATMENT.
ORDER SENTTO AMBASSADOR
Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson In-
sturcted to Present Views of This
Country to Both Federal and Rebel
Authorities or that Country.
Washington , D. C. Warning by the
United States to the Mexican govern
ment , as well as to Gen. Pascual Or-
zoco , chief of the insurrectos , "that it
expects and must demand that Ameri
can life and property within the repub
lic of Mexico be justly and adequately -
ly protected and that this government
must hold Mexico and the Mexican
people responsible for all wanton or
illegal acts sacrificing or endangering
American life or endangering Ameri
can property or interests. "
The attitude of the United States
as expressed to both the federal and
rebel authorities is that any maltreat
ment of American citizens will be
deeply resented by the American gov
ernment and must be fully answered
for by the Mexican people.
Acting Secretary Huntingtou Wil
son , of th state department , who is
sued special instructions to Ambas
sador Henry Lane Wilson at Mexico
City and Marion Letcher , American
consul at Chihuahua , authorized the
statement that intervention was not
contemplated by the United States.
Ambassador Wilson was ordered to
communicate the views of the United
States to the Mexican.minister of for
eign affairs and a copy of his instruc
tions was likewise sent to Marion
Letcher , American consul at Chihua
hua , with special representations ad
dressed to Gen. Orozco.
Orzoco recently refused to recognize
Mr. Letcher as the American consul
at Chihuahua because the United
States recently withheld recognition
of the rebel cause. The presentations
to Orzoco accused him of the "prac
tical murder" of Thomas Fountain , an
American gunner enlisted with the
federals , but summarily executed last
week when taken prisoner by the in
surrectos.
Though declining to justify partici
pation of Americans on either side ,
the United States expressly stipulates
that American combatants when taken
prisoner must be given humane treat
ment in accordance with the interna
tional rules of war.
DIRIGIBLE PLUNGES TO EARTH.
Prof. Schiuette's German Aircraft Partially -
tially Wrecked.
Schwetzingen , Germany. The four
teen passengers carried by the
Schuette-Lanz dirigible balloon on its
first flight this year had a narrow es
cape from death near here. When
the dirigible , with the inventor , Prof.
Schuette , acting as pilot , had reached
an altitude of a few hundred feet , the
vertical steel gear jammed and the
airship plunged at full speed to the
earth , where it bui'ied its bows and
the forward gondola in the ground.-
The six inmates of the gondola , to
gether with Prof. Schuette and a
mechanician , were thrown out with
great violence , but nobody except the
mechanician , whose breast was crush
ed in , suffered serious injury.
The dirigible , with the remaining
passengers , then rose again rapidly.
The water ballast containers had been
smashed and the airship was blown
helplessly across the Rhine , but a de
scent was eventually effected without
further mishap.
Fire Burns Over Sixty Acres.
Minneapolis , Minn. Fire caused
from a spark of an engine burned over
GO acres , destroyed 15 box cars in the
Chicago , Milwaukee and St. Paul rail
way yards at St. Paul park , a suburb
and for a time threatened the destruc
tion of Interior and Great Western ,
two of the largest elevators in Min
neapolis.
Live Stock Market.
Sioux City. Cattle Good to choice
corn fed steers , $7.25@S.25 ; medium to
good , $6.25(3)7.25 ( ) ; good to choice fat
cows and heifers , $5.50@6.50 ; grass
cows , $3.50@5.00 ; canners and cutters ,
§ 2.50@3.75 ; bulls , $3.75@6.00 , veals ,
§ 3.50@7.50. Hogs Prices range from
$7.40@7.75 , with a bulk of the sales at
? 7.GO@7.70. Sheep Lambs , § ( J.OO@
7.25 ; yearlings $5.75 @ 6.50 ; ewes ,
? 4.00@5.50.
Insurance Man Passes Away.
Chicago. George W. Wontgomery ,
for years prominent in fire insurance
circles , died of pneumonia after a
short illness.
Phosphorus Match Bill Signed.
Washington , D. C. The president
has signed the bill to tax white phosphorus -
phorus matches. It is claimed the law
will effectually prohibit their manu
facture. The matches have been de
nounced in congressional hearings as
harmful to laborers engaged in their
manufacture.
KILL II. S.
AMERICAN SHOT TO DEATH BY
MEXICAN REBELS DESPITE
PROTESTS.
SLAIN UNDER 'LAW OF FLIGHT *
Insurrectos Ignore Plea in Man's Be
half From Washington Tried by
Court-Martial for Disabling Federal
Gun After Villa's Retreat.
El Paso , Tex. Among the 184
Americans and other foreign refugees
.who returned from the battle-swept
'districts ' around Parral was an American -
, can newspaper man , who brought
news of the execution of Thomas
Fountain of Las Cruces , N. M.f by the
'rebels ' , after American residents had
ineffectually sought a modification of
his sentence and after what is be
lieved to have been an appeal for his
, llfe from Washington had been made.
Fountain vas captain of a federal
jgun under Gen. Pancho Villa. When
, Villa retreated last Thursday night
Fountain removed parts of the piece
and concealed himself in a part of a
private residence seldom visited.
The American was driven by thirst
and hunger to reveal his presence on
'Sunday ' after 72 hours of self-imposed
torture. He was armed with a re
volver , but made no resistance.
On Monday he was compelled to
show the rebels where he had secreted
the missing parts of his rapld-firer ,
was tried by court-martial and con
demned to death , apparently for hav
ing disabled the gun.
American Consul Letcher at Chihua-
ihua gent to General Salazar what Is
'believed ' to have been an appeal from
Washington. In delivering the missive
tto a messenger the consul remarked : !
"This is the last resort. "
In Mexico they have recourse to' '
what is known as the "law of flight-
under which a prisoner who has been ;
condemned , but where there exists a' '
doubt as to the legality of the sen- ;
teuce , is allowed his freedom within'
certain limits.
The prisoner knows his fate. isj
sealed. Even If he does not walk ai
step the fatal bullet will come from
some unexpected quarter and the report - ' ,
port will be made that he was shot
-while "in flight. " It was thus In
Fountain's case. He told the corre
spondent that there was no hope , but
strolled about the streets waiting for
death.
When his body was brought in it
contained four bullet wounds , made by
.shots fired from behind.
Washington. Consul Letcher at
Chihuahua was Instructed by the state
department to make a peremptory de
mand on the rebels for the release of
C. A. Heberley , an American consult
ing engineer , who has been held pris
oner in Jiminez since April 7. Tele
graphic communication is interrupted
partly and it is believed possible the
engineer has been released and is
making his way into Chihuahua.
SPRECKELS WILL FIGHT ENDS
Litigation by Sons and Heirs Over
. Sugar Magnate's Millions Ended
by Court.
San Francisco. Years of litigation
over the millions left by the late
Glaus Spreckels , sugar magnate , in
which two sous , Glaus A. and Rudolph
Spreckels were arrayed against his
other sons , John D. and Adolph B.
Spreckels , ended here when the su
preme court sustained the validity of
the elder Spreckels' will.
Five million dollars was involved in
ithe contest. Glaus Spreckels left an
estate of § 10,000,000. Half of this
[ went to the widow and the other half
was willed to Glaus A. and Rudolph
Spreckels and Mrs. Emma C. Ferris ,
his daughter , In equal one-thirds.
f The decision of the supreme court
'reverses ' Coffey's decision and leaves
John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels with
no share in the $5,000,000 under con
test. They Inherit only what their
father gave them before his death.
CAIRO IS ALMOST NORMAL
River Falling and Business in Illinois
City Has Again Been
Resumed.
Cairo , 111. The river marked 53.8
feet on the gauge here and is falling.
The lid Is off and business has been
resumed in Cairo.
Adjt. Gen. Frank S. Dickson
went to see what was needed in
way of supplies for flood refugees and
will order them more sent by the
state. The government steamer Noko-
mls passed Cairo point loaded with
supplies for'tne flood sufferers at Col
umbus , Hlckman and other points
down the river. The boat had on
board several thousand dollars' worth
of provisions donated by the citizens
of St. Louis , besides a supply from
the government , Including many tents
and blankets.
None of the railroads will be able
to resume business into Cairo before
the end of the week.
Claims Against Estate $4,500,000.
Denver , Colo. Claims aggregating
$4,506,566 were filed against the estate
of the late D. H. Moffatt in the district
court. It Is conceded by those fa
miliar with the estate of the Colorado
railroad builder , banker and mining
man that of an estate valued at $10-
000,000 to $15,000,000 the heirs will
realize only about $750,000.
New Mexican Minister.
Mexico City. Pedro lascurian took
the oath of office as minister of foreign
relations , to replace Manuel Calero
PREPARING TO HONOR COLUMBUS
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V tLt\ r , -fT.r r - ujrirTr viwwix7W - ) / \ / : < ? ' ' /r / T/V
are very busy In Washington erecting the statue of Columbus
WORKMEN
bus in front of the Union station. The monument is to unveiled on
June 8 with considerable ceremony.
SECRETARY STIMSON ALSO CRITI
CIZED BY COMMITTEE IN
AINSWORTH CASE.
REPORT IS SENSATIONAL
Says That Accusations Against the
General Were Based Upon Preju
dice ; That His Advocacy of 5-Year
Enlistment Plan Was the Cause.
Washington. The house committee
on military affairs came to the de
fense of former Adjt. Gen. Fred C.
Ainsworth in a report which impugns
the motives of the president of the
United States , challenges the veracity
off Secretary Stimson and discredits
the ability and experience of Gen.
Leonard Wood , chief of staff , and
charges that a conspiracy between
Stimson and Wood forced Ainsworth
out of office at a time when his serv
ices were most needed by his country.
Charging that the accusations
against General Ainsworth had been
bolstered up to secure his removal and
that the language used by the officer
in his communications had been tor
tured , misrepresented or suppressed
by Secretary Stimson , the report con
tinued :
"The secretary of war In his letter
of February 14 , 1912 , addressed to
the adjutant general of the army , uses
language more intemperate and less
justifiable than any which your com
mittee has been able to find In the
Ainsworth papers , or which has been
quoted by the secretary of war. "
"Your committee , being familiar
with all the different phases of the
legislative features in the army ap
propriation bill can very readily ac
count for this violent assault on Gen
eral Ainsworth. On May 17 , 1911 , in
response to a summons from this com
mittee , and not at his own suggestion
General Ainsworth appeared before
this committee for a hearing on the
bill then pending to fix the term of
enlistment in the army at five years.
He expressed himself frankly and
freely In favor of the measure and his
reasons for favoring the bill were so
cogent , so convincing and so clearly
stated as to carry conviction of their
soundness to the mind of many If
not to those of most of the members
of the committee.
"Clearly It was to the Interests of
those opposing these measures to dis
credit General Ainsworth and his
views. It was known that the army
appropriation bill would come to a
vote on February 15 , 1912. On that
date the letter of the secretary of
war of February 14 , relieving General
Ainsworth from the duties of his of
fice was served upon him.
Referring to Secretary Stlmson's
claim that he was not required to
send the Ainsworth papers to . the
house , the committee observes :
"The secretary of war has a very
erroneous Idea as to what his relation
Is to the congress of the United
States. His office Is not a constitu
tional one. He derives no power
from the executive. He Is the crea
ture of the congress of the United
States and as such Is amenable to It.
He has no power which the congress
does not confer. "
Rate Cut Peril to Roads.
Los Angeles , Cal. Henry D. Mudge ,
president of the Chicago , Rock Island
& Pacific railroad , declared that If the
Interstate commerce commission re
duced freight rates on the transcon
tinental roads after the opening of
the Panama canal , in all probability
the terminus of all western roads
would be In Denver. "If rates are de
creased , " said Mudge , "it simply
means that the railroads cannot do
business as transcontinental carriers.
We cannot compete with the canal. "
Signs Child Bureau Bill.
Washington. The act of congress
creating a bureau of child labor In the
department of commerce and labor
was signed here by President Taft.
The pen used by the president was
given to Dr. A. J. McKelway , secre
tary for the southern states of the
child labor committee.
Have Third Set of Twins.
New Castle , Pa. Twins have ar
rived at the home of Constable and
Mrs. Jack Fee , the third set to reach
their home.
KEY TO PEACE
HARD COAL MINERS AND OPERATORS -
ATORS HAVE MEETING TODAY.
President White Believes Suitable
Terms Will be Reached Will Re
new Old Demands.
Philadelphia. Hard coal miners'
officials and the representatives of the
operators met here in a conference
at which it is hoped that all existing
differences may be settled.
With the conference rests the de
cision whether the present suspension
in the anthracite coal regions will be
come a strike or the men shall return
to work under a new agreement.
President White of the United Mine
Workers in discussing the situation
prior to going into the conference de
clared that he and his colleagues
would renew the demands which they
had presented at the last conference
with the operators. In case he and
his committee failed to reach a satis
factory agreement with the operators ,
he said , there would be no arbitration
and the union would not apply for
mediation under the terms of the
Erdman act.
He expressed his belief that suit
able terms would be reached , but
said : "We realize that we are not
going to any front parlor conference. "
The miners' leader said that neither
President Taft nor former President
Roosevelt had taken any hand in the
present controversy. He declared tfiat
no governmental nor political interfer
ence was desired and that the miners
are amply able to take "car 9 of them
selves without any outside Interfer
ence.
TWO RECEIVERS ARE NAMED
D. W. Call and Otto H. Falk to Take
Over Allls-Chalmers '
- Company's
Affairs.
Milwaukee. Receivers have been
appointed for the Allis-Chalmers com
pany by Judge A. L. Sanborn of the
United States district court. The re
ceivers are D. W. Call , president of
the company , and Gen. Otto H. Falk of
this city , a prominent manufacturer
and president of the Merchants and
Manufacturers' association.
The appointments were made on the
application of the First National and
the Wisconsin National banks of this
city , both creditors of the company ,
and W. W. Nichols of New York , a
bondholder and stockholder.
PLAN SHAFT FOR BJORNSON
Norwegians of Minneapolis Honor
Poet In 1914 Will Give Norway
$1,000,000.
Minneapolis , Minn. Norwegian res
idents of Minneapolis have formed an
organization to erect a § 10,000 monument
ment to the memory of Bjornstjerne
Bjornson , the poet , during the centen
nial celebration of Norway's freedom
in this city , May 17 , 1914. A fund of
$1,000,000 also is being raised by the
Norwegians of America to be present
ed to Norway at the time of the cele
bration , with a four-volume history of
Norwegians in the United States.
GENERAL BOOTH 83 TODAY
Head of Salvation Army Hopes to Re-
gair Sight By Operation In
May.
London. General William Booth ,
the heud of the Salvation Army of the
World , is eighty-three years old. The
old general is In good health , save for
the annoyance caused by his partial
blindness. On May 23 he will under
go an operation which he hopes will
restore his sight.
His medical advisers say that after
the operation he may have ten years
of good sight.
Authorized to Wear G. A. R. Buttons
Stockton , Cal. Sons and daughters
of Civil war veterans are authorized
to wear the bronze button of the G. A.
R. by a resolution Introduced at a
meeting here of the department of
California and Nevada. This action
*
was taken In an effort to prevent the
vanishing of the decoration.
Greek Islands Damaged by Quake.
Athens. Considerable damage has
been done by a series of earthquakes
in the Greek islands of Cephalonia and
Ithaca.
71 LIVES'ARE MENACED
THIRTY PASSENGERS SAVED
FKOM BURNING SHIP.
Blaze Is Extinguished After a Hard
Fight S. O. S. Signals Wake the
Rescue Possible.
Ditch Plain Life Saving Station. L , .
I. The rescue of a ship in peril at sea
was again due to the wireless , when
the 30 passengers of the coast-wise
steamer Ontario , plying between Bal
timore and Boston , were taken off the
craft after a fire had broken out in
the hold.
The ship ran aground off Montauk
Point and the passengers taken to
New London by the tug Tosco , sum
moned by wireless. The crew , 41 men ,
stayed with the captain on the boat ,
and after a hard fight succeeded In ex
tinguishing the blaze.
The fire broke out during the night
and became so threatening that Cap
tain Bond ordered the wireless operator -
; tor to send S. O. S. distress signals.
An hour later he turned back upon his
.course . and drove the vessel full speed
ahead for the reefs off Montauk Point.
The life savers , reinforced by a crew
from the Hether Plain station , two
miles away , transferred the passen
gers In small boats to a tug and stood
off In readiness to take the crew
ashore if need be. The passengers
were transferred In the Ontario's life
boats.
The revenue cutters Mohawk and
Seneca picked up the wireless call at
New York and the cutter Acushnet at
Boston hurried to the scene. They
were able to give little assistance ,
however.
JOHNSON NOT FREE MASON
Committee Appointed to Inquire Into
Legality of His Initiation Declare
It Void.
London. Jack Johnson is not a
Free Mason. This Is the conclusion
arrived at by the committee appointed
by the Free Mason provincial grand
lodge of Forfarshire to Inquire into
his hurried initiation last summer as
a member of the Dundee lodge - The
.committee states that the meeting at
which the initiation was carried
through was illegal and all the pro
ceedings at that meeting are there
fore null and void and the initiation
.of Johnson has no effect. The find
ings of the committee have been ap
proved and the lodge which admitted
him will be directed to show cause
[ why it should not be suspended.
DENIES GRANT WILL QUIT
Aid de Camp Howze of General Calls
Report of Serious Illness Mere
Fabrications.
New York. A revival of reports
that Maj. Gen. Frederick Dent Grant ,
U. S. A. , in command of the depart
ment of the east , was ilT in the south
and might relinquish permanently ac
tive work , led to the issuance of the
following statement by Lieut. Marion
Howze , General Grant's aid de camp :
"The reports about General Grant's
health are mere fabrications. General
Grant , who was run down in health ,
upon the advice of his physician ob
tained an ordinary leave of absence
and went south for a rest , giving no
public address so that he might not
be bothered with mail. "
TOO U. S. SOLDIERS HELD
Sergeant and Private Accused of Holding -
ing Up Man Who Had Be
friended Them.
Chicago. Two soldiers of the
United States army , one of them a
sergeant and the other a private , were
arrested charged with having robbed
D. A. Caldwell , a Jailor , of his watch ,
a diamond stickpin and a small sum
of money , after he had given them
food and shelter in his home.
The soldiers , Sergeant Harry Van
Reed and Private Frank Coonfield , the
latter engaged to marry Miss Ada
Kissel of Libertyvllle next Thursday
night , were arraigned In Judge Caver-
ly's court , but not having counsel their
cases were continued.
WOMEN PLAN TO BUY SALOONS
Fair Sex of Excelsior , . Minn. , Have
Novel Scheme to Keep Town
"Dry. "
Minneapolis , Minn. Women of Ex
celsior are planning to keep the vil
lage "dry , " even if they find it neces
sary to purchase the saloon licenses
at $1,500 each.
The formation of this plan comes as
the result of the recent election in
which Excelsior , a few miles from
here , went "wet" after several years
of no liquor.
Two Die In Auto Accident.
Philadelphia. John Lewis Hoffman
and Arthtr L. Ryerson , Yale students ,
were killed In an automobile accident
while speeding. The young men were
home for the Easter holidays. Ryer-
son was the guest of Ho-man.
Rock Island Mayor Wins.
Rock Island , 111. Henry McCaskrin ,
whose public address was followed by
the recent riots In which two men
were killed , and which resulted in the
state troops being brought here , was
nominated by the Republicans for
state's attorney.
Candian Coal for England.
Ottawa , Ont. The steamer Muir-
field has left Cape Breton for Eng
land with 5,000 tons of coal , the first -
cargo of Canadian coal ever sent from
Cape Breton to England.
\
F. 0.
MAJOR GENERAL IS CALLED SUD
DENLY AT MIDNIGHT
THURSDAY.
WIFE WITH H1IV1 AT TIME
Army Man Closes Life at Buckingham
Hotel , Where He Had Been Taken
from St. Luke's Hospital Few Per
sons Knew He Was in the City.
New York. Grant is dead.
The news , flashed from the apart
ments of Maj. Gen. Frederick Dent
Grant at the Hotel Buckingham short
ly after midnight Thursday , sent a
MAJ. GEN. FREDERICK D. GRANT.
shock through the city such as that
which startled the whole country on
the death of his father twenty-seven
years ago. The news was far anore
sudden. It came less than an hour
after the first alarm had been sounded
that Gen. Grant Avas even seriously
ill. The alarm itself had come before
it had been generally learned that Gen.
Grant was even in the city , as his
presence had been kept a secret.
The following statement was made
at 1 o'clock by Gen. Grant's attending
physician , Dr. Abbey and Dr. Dcnch :
"Maj. Gen. Frederick D. Grant died
suddenly of heart failure without pre
monition at the Buckingham hotel at
midnight , April 11 , after retiring at
11 o'clock , apparently in better con
dition than for several weeks. Ho
had returned from his recent trip
much improved and looking remark
ably well and vigorous. His condition
since his return had given no special
anxiety to his physician , who had been
with him during the afternoon and
congratulated him on his good heauth.
He expressed himself as feeling re
joiced at his renewed strength.
"Gen. Grant had been suflering from
diabetes and the attendant digestive
disturbances , which seemed , however ,
to be perfectly under control.
'This sudden termination came as a
great surprise. His wife and nurse
were with him at the time and physi
cians who were called at once found
the 'heart had stopped instantly : "
HOME RULE UP TO COMMONS.
Irish Measure Put Before British-
House.
London. In a speech lasting two
hours and described by old parlimen-
tarians as the most masterly in recent
years , the prime minister introduced
in the house of commons the home
rule bill , which bears the official title
of "the govenrment of Ireland bill. "
This is the third attempt of the lib
eral party to settle the Irish question ,
which caused the disruption of the par
ty under Gladstone and kept them out
of power for nearly twenty years.
Mr. Asquith's bill met with support
from practically all the- liberals and
laborites and both sections of the na
tionalists , the Redmondites and the-
O'Brienites.
Bomb Outrage in Paris.
Paris. A bomb exploded inside a >
taxicab on the Rue de Lyon. The
blast shook the neighborhood and'
wrecked the motor car. The chauf
feur and several pedestrians were in
jured. The outrage is believed tc
have been committed by chauffeurs ,
mauy of whom have been on strike
for over two months.
Entire Negro Family Killed.
San Antonio , Tex. William Burton ,
his wife and two children and Leon
Evers , his brother-in-law , all negroes ,
were murdered while asleep in their-
home here. The head of each of the
victims appears to have been crushed
with an axe and butcher knives were
*
found stickingin all bodies except ,
those of the children.
Chooses a tennessee Senator.
Nashville , Tenn. Gov. Hooper hass
announced the appointment of Xewell.
Sanders , of Chatanooga. as United-
States senator to succeed the -late-
Senator Robert L. Taylor.
iv/enty Persons Beheaded.
Nanking. Twenty persons v/ere arrested -
rested and immediately beheaded.
They were charged with complicity in.
a plot to dynamite the yamen and "kill
Huang Sing , who has been put in con
trol of the Nankink sphere.