THE NORFOLK WEEKLY NEW&JOURNAL. , , , , . NORFOLK NEBRASKA FU1DAY KKUHUAUX 21 11)08. ) ft ADMIRAL THOMAS IS NOW COM MANDING THE FLEET. SIGHTED AT CALLAO , PERU WIRELESS MESSAGE FROM CON NECTICUT BRINGS NEWS. DIG CROWD TO GREET BOATS The United States Fleet Bound for the Upper Pacific Was Sighted at 8 O'clock Thursday Morning SteamIng - Ing Into Big Seaport of Peru , Callao , Porn , Fob. 20. Admiral Ev ans' fleet was sighted at 8 o'clock this morning. Wireless messagefiom tlio Connecti cut states that the health of Admiral Evans Is still very poor and ' Ad miral Thomas , command' ' / . sec end squadron , has been ° < l ' secu - maud of the entire fleet. a > An Immense ciowd nrrlvcv * $ ° city early today to witness the ot the licet. The government baa Issued a d , making Saturday a holiday In of Washington's birthday and Ur > Americana' visit and it has ordered- the Peruvian warships to salute the American flag at noon. President Pardo will give a public reception to Rear Admiral Evans and the other offl CBTS at C o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Cnllao Is the largest and most Im portant seaport of Peru. Its popula tion Is 31,000. HUGHES TALKSJO SUFFRAGISTS Bays Decision of Question Will Ulti mately Rest With Themselves. Albany , Feb. 20. Women ot' all de scriptions mingled with race truck fol lowers , ministers , politicians and a generally curious crowd in the leg islative corildors intent upon the hearing of the propobud constitutional Amendment to strike the limiting word "male" iroui the constitutional previ sion regarding the right to vote. This hearing before the joint legislative committee ou judiciary vied In inter est with that of the race track bills. Th equal sufl'niglstb by no means had It all their own way , for a. strong delegation of women from all parts of the state was theietooppoaotueru. At the conclusion of the hearing the governor addressed the women briefly. Ho said the question was not ono with which ho was charged with any otu- clal responsibility , it being a proposed amendment to the constitution , which does not require the governor's sig nature. He then said : "Now I am not going to express any opinion on this quea- r Uon , but nieioly to make the practi cal statement that I believe the deci sion of this matter will ultimately rest with the women thcmsslvos. What the women in this state really want , and I do not mean by that a numerical majority , but I mean the force of opinion among the Intelligent women of the state , who will form the public opinion of women with regard to this question that whatever the women in that sense really want they will have. That demand on the part of women will bo in the course of time irresistible and' ' the question la elrnply what do the women want ? For the men , the voters of the state , who will pass upon this subject when It is presented , will eventually , In my judg ment , act In accordance with the de mand which they feel actually exists on the part of those who will be af fected by tha change. " REID SC FSATJALK OF WAR Every Reason to Think Japanese Sin * cerely Our Friends. New York , Fob 20. Whitelaw Reid , ambassador of the United States to Great Britain , in a speech at the din ner of the Pilgrims of the United States at Delmonlco's , declared that talk of the obligation of Great Britain to sustain Japan lu war against tha United States was nonsense. The am bassador said that "thero was not the ghost of a possibility of war with Japan , " and that there "was every reason to think the Japanese slnceiely our friends. " Our relations with Gieat Britain , tha ambassador said , vverg coi 'tal and there were no serious com plications. The ambassador was given an ovation when he aiose to speak by the 400 mcmbeis of the Pilgrims ol the United States and their guests. JoEeph H. Choate , ex-ambassador tfl Great Britain , was toastmaster. Much of the fun of the evening wai afforded by "Mark Twain. " Ml1 , Clemens said that he was gratified that congress was about to restore to the coinage the words "In God W Trust. " He continued : "I knew thai \KO would get line difllculty if we left those words off and straightway the trouble came. The prosperity of the whole nation went down In a pile when we ceased to trust God In that ronsplcuoiis and well advertised way If Plorpont Morgan had not stopped la lust then ? Now that we have re turned our trust in God we will dis charge Mr. Morgan from his high of- OVERWHEIMINGLY FOR TAFT ' ! Primary Vote In Boone County Shows Tnft the Popular Favorite. Albion. Nib. Poll 20 Spi'i-lnl to The NCVVH- The olllclal return < of ( hipilmnrli'H hold In Uoono cimtj. Saturday , Pelirunrj h" , by the u pub lican party , shows the following re- tuins : Total vote cast , 231. Tnft 1CS ; Cannon ( J , Palrlmnks 2 ; Hughes 10 ; UiPolluttc 22 ; KooBovult 28. Cnss County For Taft. Plattmnouth , Neb , Peb. 20. Special to The News : The Cass county re publican convention today endorsed Taft for president and Gov. Sheldon for delegate at large. JUDGE WELCH PRONOUNCED MIN IMUM SENTENCE. PASSED FORGED PAY CHECKS Kcnnard of Plnlnvlew , ex-Northwest ern Brakeman , Sentenced to Spend One Year at Lincoln Confessed Crime a * I Will Ask For Pardorx MP - ufo. , Peb. 20. Special to r' . f , > Kcnnard Is sentenced U * 3 -ird labor In the state * * ' & 'strict Judge Welch. . * . o passing a forged * heck in Norfolk. < rci , nlmutn penalty. sciu Ine of $50 and -r Kv. nas been taken to ' icoln by .01 Iff Clements an effort will be made to secuie a pardon from Governor Sheldon. Chi Is Lenser of Norfolk , Implicated In the same forgery , appeared In the dlstilct court and pleaded "not guilty. " His case has been continued until the May term. The Uocho case will be called at 1 p. m. next Monday. STRANGE MAIL PACKAGE. Human Thumb and Finger Are Sent Through Mall From Randolph. Randolph , Neb. , Feb. 20. A human thumb and finger weie mailed at the Randolph postollicc this week and the ofllclnls were puzzled to know what late of postage would bo sufficient to carry the strange package and if It was legal to accept them at all. About ten days ago , a Creighton ma'n lost them In a saw mill near hero. Ho left them behind , but later decided that he wanted them and sent for them with the above result. DIES WHILE ON A VISIT. Mrs. Birk Dies While at Home of Daughter In Verdel. Verdel , Neb. , Feb. 20. Special to The News : Mis. Harriet Dirk of Ben son , Neb. , died heie last night at the home of her daughter , Mrs. A. D. Morgan. Mrs. QIrk came here about a week ago on a visit and was taken sick , giowlng gradually vvoise until the end She was sixty-three years old. JAP CABINETFACES CRISIS _ Immigration Question Causes Stli Among Politicians. Tokio , Fob. 20. The memorandum of the Japanese government In reply to that ot the United States on the subject of emigration was handed to Ambassador O'Biien. It Is undcifctood that it agrees In the general terms with a number of sug gestlons made by the American gov ernment and requires a further restric tion of emigration by the practical prohibition of laborers. The Japanese government points out that the icstric- tlons already enfoiced , including the closing of emigration to Canada , Mexico ice and the Hawaiian Islands , will make fuithcr complaints from Amor lea almost impossible. Every evidence goes to prove that the Japanese government has been un sparing in Its effort to avoid further complications arising from the emigre tlon question , but the government U facing a poweiful opposition from the emigration companies , who are behind a pioposed resolution .in the diet to censure the foreign policy of Vis count Hnjashl , minister of foreign affairs , toward. China , America and Canada. Should the resolution be introduced in the diet It will probably be de feated bj a narrow margin. Its passage - sago would certainly entail the resit ? nation of the cabinet. Nawab Sultnn A 11 $ for England. New York , Feb JO. After a flying trip across the American continent , making no stops except to change cara and gathering his only Impressions of the countr > from a train window , his highness Nawab Sultan Ul Mulk Ba hadour of Hyderabad , India , accom panted by a retinue of servants and two physicians , arrived In New York and was hurried at once to the steam ship Baltic , which sails today for Eng land. His hurried mission to England is to consult with specialists regardIng - Ing an Illness which resulted from a fall from a horse two years ago. Ruling on Ruef Case. San Fianclsco , Feb 20 Judge Lawler rukd that It was proper for the court to Inquire Into the circum stances of the immunity contract be tvvoon Abraham Huef and the prosecu tlon which , It Is alleged , caused Rucf to waive certain rights which he CAN OF GASOLINE EXPLODES IN OMAHA HOME. BLEW SIDE OF THE HOUSE OUT Mrs. Dodder and Her Sister , Mrs. Hamilton Are Fatally Burned by th Explosion of a Five Gallon Can of Gasoline. Omaha , Feb. 20. A flvo gallon can of gasoline exploded In the homo of Mrs. E. L. Dodder this morning , fatal ly burning Mrs. Dodder and her sis ter , Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton. The explosion blew the side of the house out. BILL NEARLYJOUR MILLIONS Cost of Maintaining Institutions ol Nebraska. Lincoln , Neb. , Feb. 20. The books In the auditors ofilee show In ; the re colpts and expenditures for the amount spent foi all puipoHOb , main taining the stale Institutions , except the university , the supreme court anil distilct couilh , and legislative ex poiijui , amounted to $3,831,011 30 1-i-r the maintenance of the unhcislt ) $ S77.7ii."i 7ii wat , oxpi ndcil , or almost 2.J poi ciiit ol the total amount spent lor the entire Ht- : i > . Deputy Audltoi Cook believes this justifies him In demand Ing the filing of university claims with the auditor , that they may bo checked over. Trains Delayed on Branch Lines. Lincoln , Feb. 20. Trains were gen erally on time , so far as the main lines are concerned , but wore stalled or de layed on many of the branch Hues. In and around Lincoln conditions were nearly noimal except that rural mall can lei s weie unable to make their tilps. Headed by a lotary snow plow the Rock Island westbound limited got Into Lincoln last night and went west. This released the eastbound limited , which also moved out. Lincoln Memorial Association. Lincoln , Fob. 20 An association t be known as the Abraham Lincoln memorial fund was organized heio with Governor Sheldon as president , Secretary ot State Junkln , secietary and State Treasurer Bilan , treasurer. The purpose of the onjanlzatlon late to commemorate the memory of Abiaham Lincoln and to erect a suit able monument on the state houst grounds of the capltol which bears his numo , Missouri Pacific Secures Time. Lincoln , Neb. , Feb. 20. In the fed- eial court the Missouri Pacific railway secured a continuance of thirty days In the suits involving the validity of the 2 cent fare law , the rallwa > com mission act and the statute reducing oxpiess rates. MAY MAKE WINSIDE DRY. Novel Fight May Defeat the Saloon Proposition. WInslde , Neb. , Feb. 20. Wlnslde has a novel fight on and may go "dry" In consequence. Business men In the east end of town who believe that a saloon draws trade , will not sign a petition unless one is located In their section. A compiomlse might be brought about by hav ing one In each end If the village boaid would reduce the license tax. The board does not feel that way and the one saloon of the town , which pa > s $2,000 a jear for the privilege of limning , may have to close. The town Is about equally divided on the saloon question , anyhow , and the split In the ranks of the saloon element puts them In the hole. The Anti-Saloon league at Wayne has extended Its crusade to all portions tions of the county , reaching Wlnslde , Hosklus and Carroll. OPERATION WAS POSTPONED. Murderer William Jones Was Too Weak to Stand It. Lincoln , Feb 20 Special to The News- Murderer William Jones , the negro who shot and killed Detective Drummj at Omaha and who himself iccelved a gun shot wound , is consld- crablj weaker today , and the attend ing suigeon , Dr. GIffen , postponed the Intended operation until tomorrow. After the shooting In Omaha Satur day night , Jones was brought to the penitentiary In Lincoln to prevent violence lence , and he Is in a critical condi tion from the gunshot wounds re ceived. The prison physician says he cannot live long if the operation is delayed. It U\d been Intended to perform the operation today but the condition of the prisoner Induced the surgeon to postpone the operation an other day. Pioneer Dies. Albion , Neb. , Feb. 20. Special to The News : F. B. Pettlbone , one of the pioneer settlers of Boyd county , died at his homo here and was burled yesterday. Mr. Pettlbono has served ns county treasurer of this county , and recently purchased the controlling In terests in the Albion Milling company. Albion Sewer System. Albion , Neb. Feb , 20. Special to The News The Albion sewer system in the filrst district 1ms been complet ed and n contract has been let for the extension of the same Into the faecond DECISION IN CONTROVERSY OVER GIBBS ESTATE. HAS FIGURED POLITICALLY George Lossy , an Administrator , Is Re leased , While Allen & Reed Are Called Upon for an Accounting. Other District Court Matters. Madison , Neb. , Feb 20. Special to The News : District Judge Welch , now holding district court at Madison , has announced what his lullng will bo In the long drawn out controversy over the Glbbs estate ; that his decision when entered will be In favor of Gcorgo Losoy , one of the defendants , and that ho would call for an account- lug from Allen & Reed , who represent ed three of the Glbbs heirs. Judge Welch's decision has not been entered and nothing Is known beyond Its general outline. The Glbbs heirs claimed that their interests in the Glbbs estate had been disposed of at a nominal price and afterwards sold for much more. With interest they asked for about $11,000. The case has figured In county pol itics and has been long In the courts. George Losey was administrator. The $25,000 damage suit brought by Mrs. Ida Kurpgowelt against Edward Klrby , both parties living near Battle Cieek , for attempted assault , went to the jury nt 9:30 : this morning. Klrby was accused of having called for Mrs. Kurgewclt one night on the pretense that a neighbor was sick and of hav ing made Improper advances. The case of John Wlshard against D. 'A. Ommerman has been settled and dismissed. A verdict In favor of King has been returned in the suit brought against I. W. King by A. B. Robinson. In the case of the First National bank of Madison against C. W. Sprout the jury decided the case against the bank , sustaining Sprout's defense that the notes the bank had purchased had been forged. The case of S. T. Napper against the county was passed for settlement. This afteinoon Mrs Hannah Bry ant's suit against the Modern Wood men will be heard. Tomorrow the suit brought by Mrs. P'J'uns against tha Battle Creek saloon keepers will be tried. SOUTH CAROLINA STATESMAN SUCCUMBS IN WASHINGTON. SUCCEEDED SENATOR M'LAREN Senator Asbury C. Latimer Was a Big , Fine Fellow He Was in the House When Senator Allen Was in the Senate Predecessor Fought Tillman Washington. Feb. 20. Senator As- bury C. Latimer of South Carolina died this morning. Senator Latlmer's home was at Bel- ton , S. C. He succeeded Senator Mc Laren. Former United States Senator Wil liam V. Allen of Madison was well ac quainted with Senator Latimer. Lati mer was In the house of icpresenta- tives when Senator Allen was In the senate. "Asburj Latimer was a big , fine fel low , " said Senator Allen over the tel ephone to The News Thursday , when told of Latlmer's death. "He came in after McLaren Mc Laren had a fight with Ben Tillman. " STATE BANK TAX HELD LEGAL District Judge in Oklahoma Sustains the Law at First Test Case. Guthrie , Feb. 20. Judge A. H. Hous ton , in the dlbtrict court here , sus tained a demurrer filed by Attorney General West in an injunction suit brought by the NoUle fctate bank agaliibt the state banking boaid and the bank commissioner regarding the collection of a state bank tax , on the ground that there was not sufficient facts in the petition to constitute a case ot action. This Is the first test on the Oklahoma guaranty deposit law. In passing on the case Judge Houbton stated that under the police powers of the state given by the act the defendants have the power to col lect the taas , the banks that are allowed to do business In this state are corporations and that they are as much accountable to the legislature as any other corpoiattou which serves the nubile. rrencn uereaiea in Morocco. Paris , Feb. 20. A special dispatch from Tangier says that the Freni-n steamer Paroc , from Casablanca , rn ports that General D'Amade , ventur Ing too far beyond Settat , had bis communications out by the follov/on of Mulal Hafld , who In great force routed all the French outlying posts The gieatest anxiety prevails , It ii said , at Cabablanca Spanish tree ( are preparing to defend the cltj am ) marines have been landed from t'1 French cruiser Klobor. It Is turtlu" reported that a French column eta tloncd not far Irom Rabat linn lu "n MAY VOTE ILLINOIS CENTRAL STOCK OWNED BY U. P. WINS EVERY POINT CONTENDED Defeats the Suit Brought to Prevent Him From Voting In the Illinois Central Election and the Election Will Now Proceed. Chicago , Feb. 20. Ilaulman won ovoi.v point contended for In the suit hi ought to prevent him from voting Illinois Central block owned by the Union Pacific. The election will now pioceed. RECEIVERSHIPJTORY DENIED George J. Gould Says No Possibility o { Missouri Pacific Going That Way. New York , Fob. 20. Reports which have been circulated in the west for several dajs to the effect that a re- cclveiship waa about to bo asked foi the Missouri Pacitlo rallioad were given positive denial today by George J. Gould , piesldent of the road. "Theie is absolutely not a word ol truth in those leports or any reports of that kind Involving ; this property , " said Mr. Gould. "Recolveishlp pro ceedings have not been thought of , ot even di earned of , and there is not even the most remote possibility that they will bo. " "IN GOD WE TRUST" ON COINS House Committee on Coinage Over rides the President. Washington , Feb. 20. President Roosevelt was o\ei ridden bi the house committee on coinage , weights iuul meaHiueb when by unanimous vote it was agieod to icport favoiably the McKlnley (111. ( ) bill requiring the rebloiatlon to gold and' silver coins ol the national motto "In God Wo Trust. " During the discussion Representa tive Knowlnnd of California , being in a facetious mood , moved that the com mittee further recommend the plaelr.g upon all clearing house certificates the biblical Inscription , "I know that my redeemer llveth. " RAILROADS TIEDJP IN MICHIGAN Traffic Completely Abandoned- Some Lines. Detroit , Feb. 20. At least thirteen passenger trains poked their pilots Into Impervious snowdrifts throughout / out Michigan and reports from out In the state Indicated that some of these tialns are still snowbound. Traflic was completely abandoned on the Kalamazoo - mazoo , Lake Shore and Chicago and on the Port Austin division of the Pore Marquette only ono train was sent over the line. The Allegan dlvUlon of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern waa completely blocked , as was also the Midland , Bay City and Vassai division of the Michigan Cen tral. The westbound Wolverine flyer on the Michigan Central buried Itself near Comstock In a drift out of which five locomotives were unable to re lease It , but the passengers were transferred to another tialn and weia can led past the drift on the cast- bound track while one hundred men were set at work with shovels to dig out the snowbound "flyer. " Other lialns were snowbound during the day near Ionia , Lottievllle , Ind. , DecKer vllle. Owf-nddlo. Allegan , ShHIMd K.il.imazoo , Adrian and Munger IClor- tih lint tiafilc 'A as thoroughly demur- ali7ed , as was the inial route delnoi.v. Seven Physicians Lost in Blizzard , Hamilton , Tb. . 20 Si'von Viiuennc ? ph-lcians. who voluntreied thnlt services and went on a lellef expcdi tlon to the lloodul dibtilct in Kno\ countiv , aie Iott to the \\oild bj the fleice bll'/rnid severing all mr'aiiH ol communlcat'on. ' The dnrtois went In thf > htiukon dlitrift ov01 hind Monday but the } r.uinot set back because the wati'i strttdies five nnles wide bo twocn HiPMi and di > Ian.I . at Vin CPiini's A n llof initvLifted out In boats , notvvlllistan tin , ; Ilium It , a tilt > mi ! " an limit ; ; ule dmng : snow with tnlllim fcure. Three Burned to Deatn. Parkoibburg , W. Va. , Feb. 20. Mrs John Angus and her two small chil dren vvere burned to death In their home at Tallyho , near this city. Tlio house is supposed to have caught fire following the explosion of a lamp. Second French Car Fast in Drift. Erie , Feb. 20 According to a long distance telephone messue ) from State Line , Pa. , the second French car is fast In a snow drift there. FREE WEDDINGS AT BOONE Cut Rate War Between Judges Puts Matrimony at Low Price. Boone , la. , Feb. 20. A free wedding ceremony and dinner , a year's sub scription to a local paper , and a wed ding outfit at half price to any bride groom Is tlio otter Boone holds out to the matrimonially inclined. All this Is the result of the cute rate war between Judges Lockard and Me- Blrnle. Last Friday Judge Ix > ckaid offered to marry free all who called dm ing the day. Judge McBlrnlo en in a back , offering free ceremonies and embossed certificates during the en tire week. To those getting married on Saturday ho will tjlve a wedding banquet. Then a local paper and a clothing Tilt CONDITIONS ; THE WEATHER Tcmpcrntuie- Twenty.four Hours. Forecast for Nebraska. Condition of the weather as record ed for tlio only-four hours ending nt S ( i. in. today. Maximum 19 .Minimum 3 Average 11 Bnronrctoi 29.0S Chicago , Pelt 20. The bulletin Is sued by the Chicago Hlntlon of the United. States weather bureau gives the forecast for Nebtuskn as follows- Pair tonight Pi Ida } , increasing cloudiness. JURY DECIDES ON PENALTY FOR WULFF ABDUCTORS. JONES IS GIVEN THIRTY YEARS. Wife Is Sentenced to Twonty.Flve Years In Penitentiary Accused Each Other of Responsibility for th * Deed Story of the Crime. Chicago , Fob. 20. William Jonoa , also known as William Birmingham , and his wife , Alzlua Jones , w ro t'ound uullty by u jury hi Judue ICersteua court here of having kidnaped Lillian Wulff , a twelve-yotu-old girl , fioiu her Lome In Chluaeo last Dccombor. Tbo punishment of Jones wan llxed at thlity yeais and that of bla wife at twenty-five jeais In the penitentiary. The Wulff girl was enticed trom bur home In the southern portion of the olty by Al/lna Jonas early In Doceru- bcr last yeiu and forced to enter a covered wagon lu which Jones was waiting. A week later the couplu was found near Momonce , 111. , with the child In their possession. The iden tity of the child was suspected by a farmer , of whom Inioimatlon was asked by the abductors as they trav- uled through the country , from widely printed stories of thy kidnaping The authorities were notified and Jones and bis wife wore arrested and brought back to Chicago \\lth their victim. Jones , under questioning by the police , endeavored to shift the blame upon his wile , asserting that it was to console her for the lost of a child by death that ho took the child. The woman on the other band de clared , and so testified at the trial , that she was forced by Jones under threats of death to steal the child that ho might train her to beg for him. She declared that all the while she wau peisuadlng the little glil to ac company her she was menaced by Jones , who sat In the wagon with a shotgun in his hands. The Wulft child took the stand In court and tes tified that after being taken prisoner , which was accomplished by promises of cauuy and a now pair of shoes , her clothing was taken from her and burned by the roadside and' that she was whipped by Jones on several oc casions when she attempted to escape. When found she was clothed in rags. The case attracted widespread inter est nt the time of the abduction , re ports of the child ha\mg been found were received Horn far and near , ana numbe'less clews having been fol lowed before the reco\eiy of the child was consummated. Mrs. Jones claimed to have been at one time a member of the Salvation arm > in Hvanston , III , and admitted ha\lns boon convicted several years ago In Kansas City of horse stealing , Tor Uiirrime she was sentenced to sci ve two years' imprisonment , but wiiS raioled after having seived two moniht .Toiifs was also charged with having Kidnaped a child in Kansas City. This child , Ella Catos. was iu ihd In an Institution In Dubuque , la , CENSUS BILUN THE HOUSE Progress Is Slow Because of Numer ous Amendments Offered. Washington , Feb. 20. The bill pro viding for the taking of the thirteenth census occupied moat of the tlmo of the session of the house. Progress with it vva.s slow because of numerous amendments offeted. but which lu the main were rejected. The bill was emended Ir one important particular , however , and that wa3 limiting the census to thu mainland of the United States , Alaska , Hawaii and Poito RUe Previously to the coiibldeiation of the ceiibuo Li'l ' Mr Henry of Tc-xas , taking his cue from Mi. Boatell b re marks lauding Speaker Cannon , asked the Republicans to bring in an em ployers' liability bill and u bill re quiring notice before tha issuance of federal injunctions. A spsoch by Senator Johnston ( Ala. ) on the Aldrich currency bill and a statement by Senator Halo , chairman of the committee on naval affairs , con cerning the proposed Investigation ot charges of defects in the construction of battleships , were the chief subjects of Interest before the senate. Mr. Halo had pilnted the reports of Rear Admirals Converse and Cappa In de fense of the navy and Incidentally ex- prehsed his belief In the efficiency of the battleships. The senate in executive session rati fied the arbitration convention be tween the United States and Franco , which was signed on February 10. A naturalization treaty between the United States and Peru also was rati fied. Pennsylvania Fund for Bryan. Hamsburg , Feb 20 A campaign fund of $3 ooo for the election of a finun delegation frum Pennsylvania to the democratic national convention wn * mlsed at n meeting hero of the RQ08EVELT ANTICIPATES 8ERI. OUS INUUOTRIAL OISPUTE8. 8UQGE8T8 AN INVESTIGATION , Louisville and Nashville Railroad An. nounces General Reduction of Wages and Gives Adverst Legislation as the Cause. Washington , Feb. 20. Serious Indus trial dispute ! ) in pioapuct weru In the mind ot Piesldent Koosovolt when hu wrote u letter to the lutoistuto com- murca connnlunion , which wau mudu public. Ho sayu that information Ima touched him that on account of the enactment of dnutlu lawa by congresi tuid by tha viuloua stnto legislatures it Is reuardod as uacotysary by rail road companies to reduce the pay ot employes. He point * out that under thu law either party may domaud tha services of the chairman of the Inter state commerce commission and of Ui commissioner of labor as a board of conciliation. Ho suggests , therefore , that the Interstuta commerce commis sion make such an InvoBtlgatlou as will enable it to furnish data concern ing wage condition ! ) on various rail roads OH may relate , dlioctly or Indi rectly , to the possible impending con troversy. Text of the President's Letter. "To the Interstate Commerce Com mission ; I am informed that a nutn her of railroad companies have served notice of a proposed reduction of wages on their umploycu. Ono of thorn , the Loulnvlllo and Nashvlllo , in announcing the reduction , states that 'the drastic laws Inimical to tha interests of the railroads that have In the past year or two been enacted by congress and the state leglalatureu * are largely , or chiefly , responsible for the conditions requiring the reduction. Uudoi such circumstances it is pos sible that the public may soon be con fronted by serious Industrial disputes and' the law provides that In such cases either party may demand the services of your chaliman and' ' of the commissioner of labor as a board of mediation and conciliation. These re ductions hi wages may be wan anted , or they may not. As. . to this the pub lic , which Is a vitally Inteieated party , can foi m no judgment without a mora complete knowledge of the cshentlal tacts and leal merits of the case than it now has or than It can possibly ob tain from the special pleadings certain to be put forth by each side in casu Uielr dispute should bring serious in terruptions to tiafllc. If the reduction in wages IB duo to natural causes , the losa of bufilutm being such that the burden should bo and is equitably dis tributed between capitalist and vvaga worker * , the public and congiosa should know it , and If It is caused by misconduct in the pabt financial or other operations of any railroad , then evei > body should know It , especially If the excuse of unfriendly legislation la advanced as a method of covering up past business misconduct by the railroad managois , or as a Justifi cation for 1 allure to treat fairly the wage earning employes of the com pany. Preservation of Peace First Duty. "Moroovei , an Industrial conflict be tween a rallioad coiporation and Its employs oiTeis peculiar opportunities to an } small number of evil disposed peiHons to detj life and property and foment public diicord. Ot couise , If life arm pioportj and public order are endangered , piompt ai.d diastlc measuiob for theli piotection becomes the flist jiluin dut > . All other duties then become biiboidlnate to the pre servation ot the public peace and the i al meilts of the oiiginal controversy are necesaatily lost from view. Thla vital coiisidciatlon should be over kept in mind by all law-abiding and farsighted - sighted members of labor organiza tions. "It is bincerely to be hoped , therefore - fore , that any wage controversy that may arise between the railroads and tholr employes may find a peaceful solution throi'gb the methods of con ciliation and arbitration , already pro vided for by congiess , which have proven so effective during the past > ear To this end the commission should bo In a position to have avail able lor any board of conciliation or orbitiatlon iclevant data pertaining to such cairlors as rnav become Involved In Industrial disputes. Should con ciliation tail to eifect a settlement and arbitration bo rejected , accurate Information should be available In order to develop a properly informed public opinion. I therefore ask you to niaKo Midi Investigation both of your records and by any means at your command as will enable you to furnish data concerning such condi tions obtaining on the Louisville and Nashville and any other roads as may- relate , directly or Indirectly , to the real merits of the possibly Impending controversy. Ask Impeachment of Wllfley. Washington , Feb. 20. A petition for the impeachment of Judge L. R , Wilfley of Shanghai , Judge of the United States court for China , signed by Lorrln Andrews , a resident of Shanghai , In his own behalf and for other citizens of the United States living there , was Introduced' In the house by Mr. Waldo of New York. Taft Returns to Washington. Lowell , Fob 20. Secretary of'War William 11 Taft finished a two daya' visit to New Hampshire and Massa- elmsUs and left Lowell for Boston , where ho boarded the Federal Hxpresi