FHE OMAHA DAILY BEE ESTABLISHED JUNE 19 , 1871. OMAHA , SATURDAY IMOHXI-NG , 10 , 1800-TWELVE I' AGES , S1XGT/E COPY FIVE CENTS. CONTEST TAKES A NEW TURN Fopocrat Notary Sends T. W , Blackburn to Jail for Contempt. HABEAS CORPUS PROCEEDINGS STARTED ItiNlut on CioliiK Into Mnt- ICI-N .Not III INMIIC mill ( lie \VI- I1VNM lil'Ctllll'N ( O AllHUOr | ( III * ( llM'HllOII. , T.V. . Illackhurn was committed to Jail for contempt yesterday inbtnlng by Notary I'lattl for refusing to answer Irrelevant questions In the legislative contort at the Jacksonlan tluli room ? . Mr. Blackburn's refusal was for the purpose of testing the question whether the contestants shall he allowed to ( mention witnesses In regard to the manage ment of the congressional campaign and other mattery that have no connect Ion with the legislative controversy. Thin question l.as been more or less dis puted , nil through the contest. The attorneys for the contestants seemed desirous to Katlsty tlielr curiosity In regard to all sorts of matters In connection with the campaign that were entirely opart from the legislative fight. These questions have been objected to by the contcstccs and supported by two of the notaries. Hut as the popocratlc notaries almost Invariably ruled as sug gested hy the contestants , the witnesses were compelled to answer. In two'or ' three cases they announced their Intention of testing thu matter , but finally concluded to nave the expense of an attorney by sub mitting to the Inquisition. Mr. Illackburn was the firet witness who had the courage of his convictions and he stood pat on the proposition. Mr. Ulackburn was the chairman of the congrcfalonal committee during the recent rampalgn. Thursday he was put on the utand and stated that he had received ? 5 ! > 0 from Congressman Mercer , which money ho had expended In Mr. Mercer's Interest. No othur funds had been handled and there were applied solely to the congressional con tent. Mr , tllack'hurn showed that moat of the money had been expended for cards , printing and cilice expenses. Ho had paid mnall sums to workers to distribute Mercer cards and otherwise advance his Interests. When the question WES at > kcd to whom this money was paid , the witness refused to niiswcr on the ground that It was entirely Irrelevant , as It had no connection with the legislative contest. The objection was SUH- tnlned by Notary Walk-up for the contcstces , and even Notary \Vappleh for the contest ants declared that the position was well taken. Mr. Wapplch said that ho had given the contestants the greatest amount of latitude all through the Investigation , but hu was disposed to be half way fair end the question was so clearly Irrelevant that ho couU not conscientiously require the witness to answer. llETURN TO TUB QUESTION. That ended the matter for the time , but yesterday morning the contestants had It fixed to null them. Mr. Wapplch was absent and Notary I'lattl appeared In his place. When the , same question was asked , Mr. I'lattl assumed to overrule the adjudica tion of the previous day , and declared that Mr. Ulackburn would have to answer. At torney Sbccan protested that this was a proceeding previously unheard of In any court , but the .protest counted for naught. The contcbtnnts had a mittimus already made out and I'lattl had brought his no tarial 'seal In' anticipation of the Incident. Mr. niaekburri again refused to answer , stating that It was for the reason that theie was only one notary present and he had been brought there for the express purpose of overruling the decision of the previous day , anil , also for the reason that an objection to the same question had been sustained tbo day before by the decision of all the notaries present. On his refusal , Mr. I'lattl at once Issued the order of commitment , which was turned over to Constable Cos- grove. Habeas corpus proceedings were com menced before. Judge Fawcott yesterday afternoon In Hlackburn's behalf. Applica tion was made for his release on the ground that the notary who had ordered his arrest had exceeded his authority and had no legal right to Issue such an order. The notaries were not present , either In person or hy attorney , and after hearing the statement of Illackhurn's attorney Judge Fawcctt set the case for hearing In his court at 2 o'clock this afternoon In order v to give the notaries an opportunity to pre sent their ship of the case If they so desire. In the meantime Blackburn Is In the cus tody of Deputy Sheriff Lewis. NOTARIES AGREE ON ONE POINT. The only witness at the afternoon ses sion was Frank W. 'Hryant ' , a commissary sergeant In the United States army. Depart ment of the I'latte. Bryant testified that ho voted at thn recent election. He was n resident of this state previous to Ills en listment In the government service and had been assured that ho still retained his rights as a citizen. He refused to answer a question as to whom ho had voted for. This brought up the question whether Bryant was a qualified voter. The contest ants declared that they bail the right to In quire how tbo witness voted because his votnvnn Illegal under the clause In the Rtatutcs which provides that no member of the United States army or navy shall ae.- qulro a residence at any place by reason of being stationed there. They asserted that this meant that no soldier or sailor could vole at all , The enntcslccs claimed that the section merely referred to men who wcro brought from another state and Jta- tlonod here. They contended that since the witness was a qualified voter In Nebraska when lit * enlisted the section did not apply to his case. The matter was argued and dlscusticd for over an hour , hut all the notaries finally decided against the contest ants and Hryant was excused. The notaries remained In session until after ( o'clock for tlio purpn.se of securing Manager Holdrrgn of the Burlington rail road for whom an attachment had been isBiicd. The railroad man did not appear nml an adjournment was Anally taken until 10 o'clock today. Itt'iliioi'it Water Hilton. OMAHA. Dee. 18. To the Editor of The Dee : Should It be advisable to extend the American water works contract until 1907 , the following rates nhould be obtained : For a llvc-roo.n house , the rate Is now JO , It should bo reduced to $5 ; rnch additional room U 7G conic , tdionld bo ieduced to CO cents ; witter rlosot la $ L'.GO. should bo reduced to $2 ; bath tub Is $3,50 , altnuld bo reduced to Jl.7" ! . . Lawn Sprinkling Fifty feet front U ? G. flhould bu reduced to $4 , Motor Rates 100 to COO gallons , 35 coiiU. should bo reduced to 25 cents ; 500 to 1,000 gallona. 30 cents , bhonld be reduced to 20 centu ; 1,000 to 2.09(1 ( gallons , 25 cento , should be reduced to IS cents ; 2,000 to .1,001 gallons , : o cento , should be reduced In 1C centf1,000 : gallons and over , 15 ecnls , Hhoi'Jd , bo reduced to 12'.i cents. Wo havp 1,337 hydrants , for 2SO of which wo arc paying $ S1 per annum , and 1,087 we ara paying $ 0 per annum ; the 250 should be reduced to the tame price as the 1.0S7 , which la $81) ) , each. . WATER CONSUMER , I'rlHoiKTK In t'nlleil Sliitcn Court. Deputy United States MarchM Thraihtr brought In four prisoners Thursday evening from Thurston county charged will1 ills- pniilng nf ll < | uorn to Indians on the Omaha And Wlnnebago reservations , TinBM Frank Wlnni-meyer , 1C. J , Smith , Edward 1'nlly end Peter Rnmnus , Yi'itorday after noon Wlnr.cmrycr and Ilainum pleaded Bullty and aentenco wan deferred until lhl < morning. 1'olly pleaded net guilty aud Builtu was not arraigned. IH2MAI , IIV KXHIXKUIl IIOWICM. . Sayn lie Ni-vor .Mixed In the Wnti-r \VurkH Milder. The conmlttce appointed at the citizens' ma.vs meeting Monday afternoon to Investi gate the charge tnat City Engineer llowell had approached E. L. Hlerhowcr of the Omaha Water company with a proposition that he could secure the extension of the water works franchise by putting S. L. Wiley on the pay roll at a nominal salary of $100 per month , met yesterday morning In the office of City Attorney Council. Mr. Pop- ploton wan not present and the committee organized by electing 11. T. Clarke chair man and Curtlss Turner secretary. In reply to a request to appear before the committee and give the facts Mr. Hlcrbowcr submitted the following letter : "OMAHA , Dec. 18. H. T. Clarke and C. C. Turner , Committee : Gentlemen In reply to your re-quest , dated the 17th Inst. , that I come to the city attorney's ofllcc this mornlig to meet a committee appointed at a meeting of city ofllclals and citizens , held In the council chamber In the city hall last Monday afternoon , to Investigate a certain statement ir.cde at that meeting. "I was not at the meeting , but Infer that the Rtatcment referred lo Implied a serious reflection upon the personal character of a city olllclal by a prostitution of his official position. It seems to me that It Is only just to all concerned that an Investigation should bo as public aud thorough as possi ble. If thu accused Is Innocent ho should have the full benefit of a public vindication , and If the statement la true the public may want to know It. "I therefore respectfully decline to meet your commlttJc , for which I have much re spect Individually and collectively , and state that I will at any time , If properly summoned , go before any committee , court or other tribunal that has power to summon witnesses and enforce the giving of testi mony under oath and power to enforce the penalties lor perjury to testify In this mat tcrto anything that I may have knowledge of. E. L. BIERBOWER. " E. Rosewater , who made the charge before the citizens' meeting , was present and stated that If desired he would repeat the charge made on the previous occasion , that Robert E. Howell , city engineer , had solicited an allowance of $100 per month for Solon L. Wiley from the water company as an Induce- mcnt for Wiley's support of the proposed contract by which the city would waive Itu right to purchase the water works plant before 1907 and recognize the validity of Its franchise. Ml. Rosewatcr added that he relied on Mr. Blerbowcr to substantiate the charge , but he was not In a position to compel Mr. Blcrbower to respond to the In vitation to attend the investigation or to make him testify If he was not disposed to do BO. Frank Ranf.om was present as attorney for the city engineer and In reply to his qucs lions Mr. Ucsewatcr stated that ho had heard these reports previous to the election. They had afterward been confirmed by Mr. Blerbowcr. Engineer Howell entered a general denial of the charges. I In declared that Wlloy had never asked to bo put on the pay roll of the water company and that ho himself had never received a dollar from any corpora tion slnco he bed been In the service of the city. city.Tho committee , will make up Its report and submit It to the city council at the meeting next Tuesday night. It Is expected that the report will recommend that the council shall provide for an official Investigation , at which the attendance of witnesses can be com pelled , DiiiiscToii \v.ucii'ir.in TO u I'rpfom ( o Itctnlii ( Soorelarynlilii of ( lit * Ixi | xlliin Axuocliid A delay of twenty-four hours In the trans mission of the certificate of the Transmls- slsslppl Exposition organization has ensued on account of the discovery that the secre tary of state neglected to Impress his official seal upon the great red wafer pasted on the certificate of the legality of the Incor poration of- the Transmisslsslppl and Inter national Exposition ansoclatlon. The docu ment was sent back to the secretary yes terday morning and It Is expected to be re turned by Hits morning , at which time the necessary Information will bo Immediately transmitted to the/ Treasury department. Secretary John A. Wakofleld has an nounced hU Intention of resigning his posi tion as a director of the exposition associa tion , which will leave a vacancy to bo filled by the board of directors. It has been the sentiment of the members of the directory that thu secretary should bo paid n Balcry. as he will have to devote all his time to the dutlea of his otllce. but the resolution unanimously adopted at the last meeting prohibits a director from receiving any compensation for his services In any capacity In connection with the exposition and It has been understood that Mr. Wake- field will resign. Judging from the sentiment which developed at the meeting at which the first vacancy was filled , the vacancy caused by Mr. Wahcfleld's resignation will bo filled by Hie olccllon of a director from cither South Omaha or Iowa. Both Interests arc demanding recognition , and th3 sentiment In the board scenia lo ho In favor of recog nizing both. Iowa has representative nn the board In the person of Luclcn Wells of Council Bluffs , a business man of high standing In thu city over tlio river and also In tlio slate. Tlio packing center of the west hai no representative In the directory and Is making moat strenuous efforts for consideration. E. 13. Bruce , chief of the department of exhibits , returned to the city Thursday night and was seen at his office yesterday. lie said ho had been flooded all morning with per sonal application ! ! for positions in his de partment and had not had time to open his morning mall. Aslrto fiom a few momenU devoted to the subject Thursday night , Mr. Bruce "said he- had not given the details ! of the work In his department much consider ation and had done nothing beyond outlining In a general way hi : conception of the plan and scope of his department which he would submit to Iho executive committee for consideration. TWO You.vn MUX FHOJI MII.VAIIICKI - : Kollovrt'il ( o Thl * Clly ami I'luc-cil I'lulcr Arri-M , flcoi'ia Webber" and Qeorgo Kingston , two young men who were pursued to this city from Mlhv.uil ; < ; o by John L. llnlan of tlio latter city , were arrested early yesterday af ternoon at Fifteenth and Dodge streets and were booked at the pollco station with the crime of grand larceny. According to Dolan , Webber wan employed In hl.i store at Milwaukee and was dis charged. Two wi'tka ago yesterd.iy he re turned to the place with Klngslim and tbn two took JSO from the cash drawer and also stole u $ lfiO overcoat , belonging to Dolan. They ( "kipped from the i-lty ami wcro pur sued ic Omaha hy Dolan , wlw hftJ been look- Ins for them a couple of day. . lirrur Ii > ' tin' City Comptroller Wtstlicrn rcfucied yesterday morning to appi'o\o thu refunding of $12.50 In taxes to an Individual who had succeeded In Inducing the city council tn order him reimbursed. The qu.&tiou Involves a cler ical error by the nwiPMcnN In lhi > description of the property. The iiixpajcr In question owns llfty-one tint of .1 full lot which wan described by the sMCeuor ax the "r.outh flfty-ono fot't. " That wan an error , but the auucsamcntas an equitable valuation ot Ills part of the lot. Conicqui'iitly ' the comp troller .has decided that he Is not entitled to ovmlo thu pnvment of thu tax and hate to olgn thnvavrant l-ilri'trli' l.lulit ( 'iiiiiiiin | v Klf'don. A me-tMtng of thr Jrcrtorri of the Now Ouinha Thomson- Houston Electric Light com pany wav held T'lcrh'lvv ' uftcnigon. Thomas L. Klmball was formally elected president of the company , he bclifg Instructed to enter upon thu pfrfornuncu : of lts | duties at once. The flection of the ether ofllcrrH WAH al lowed to go over until thu next meeting , which \M1I bo held Jauuary 1 , 1897 > CUTTING OFF DEADHEADS Less Travel or More Fores n Hulo Greatly in Favor. FEWER RAILROAD PASSES NEXT YEAR ixN Coinnilllcf of O in nil II ItoniN MC < < ( N anil .Mi'iulii'i-M A ! < to Cut DIMVII ( InUiiiiuMly of Vrve TriiiiMiot-lutl | m. , > The fate of the Ncbraskans who doslrc frco transportation over the rallroada of thla state during the coming year was set tled at an Important conference held yc - lerday In the local headquarters of the Bur lington road. U was the annual meeting of the loal pass committee , of which George W. Holdrcgi1 , general manager of the II. & M. , Is chairman. The Union Pacific was represented by Oencral Manager Dickinson and General Solicitor Kelly. Assistant Gen eral Frelfjht and Passenger Agent I'hllllppl looked after the Interests of the Missouri Pacific , and General Freight Agent Snydcr of the Rock Island represented his road. The Elkhorn. the Omaha and the other members of the Northwestern family wore repressed by General Manager Bldwcll and General Solicitor Sterling of the Elk- horn. Tha Iowa lines that do not operate west of the Missouri river were not present at the meeting , their pass agreements being looked after in Chicago. The authority of this pass committee Is over ali matteis originating In Nebraska and along the lines of the Omaha roads fur'.har west than this stale. The work of controlling the Issue of passes for this ter ritory was delegated to the local committee by the general pass conference of western roads held seme weeks ago In St. Louis. The conference began at 10 o'clock yca- tcrday morning and continued all day. While the sessions were behind closed doors , it Is known that a vigorous effort was made to icduce the nui T of free rides issued each year by the Omaha roads , and it Is given out that many who have hith erto rode free will pay In 1S97. The western roads have already agreed that a request from nn agent of one road to a pafecngcr agent of another road cannot be honored next year , but that all such requests for transportation must be countersigned by the president , vice presi dent , or general manager of the road Issu ing the transportation. The local commit tee may take further action along thia line for Ihe territory under Its control If It so desires. Railway men say there Is no doubt but that the rules governing the issuance of passes for next year will he more rigid than ever before , the only question In the matter being whether or not the railroads will live up to the agreements. U Is no secret that the agreement of 1S96 has been badly fractured throughout the year ; ship pers of many Nebraska towns being repre sented as men of great political Influence In order to grant them the desired transpor tation. ItKCI.AIMI.VC ( MM.OltADO Altll ) I.A.MIS I'lnilx to .Millie ( lit * DcKi'i't llloMNom I.Ike ( litIt OKI- . If plans that are. now being formulated by the railroad companies can be successfully carried out , the arid eastern section , of Colorado will be converted Into fruitful farm lands. As explained by W. W. Longer , land Inspector of the Union Pacific Railway com pany , the railroad ofllclals propose to Intro duce varieties of agriculture and horticulture that are adopted to the Boll of eastern Colorado as It now Elands. To do this will require a great deal of Investlga- llon and experiment. An effort will be made at once. It Is said , to get aid from congress toward this end. If no aid can be obtained from this sour.ce the railway man agers may act alone. Experts In agriculture and horticulture and the effects of climate , altitude and drouth on three two Industries will bo sent Into Siberia , Persia and other high ecunti les which possess the gen eral climatic and physical characteristics of this region. There they will find out what staple crops arc raised by cultivators of farm and garden products , and specimens of these will bo sent to Colorado for plantIng - Ing In the arid eastern territory. "This work Is under the direction of the Colorado State Agricultural college. " Eald Land Commissioner McAllister of the Union Pacific yesterday morning , "ami , our company Is lending" all the aid possible to the movement. Some sea sons there are good crops raised In this arid strip and other seasons everything falls. Of course , the object of the Union Pacific In encouraging this ex perimental work Is to write It possible to have goo.l crops there annually and open up the strip for settlement and. development. The railroad company has given oil thu ground to the experimental station and has advanced quite a little money for the work. 7h rest of the funds comes from the government under the provisions of the Morrlll act , which provides for financial aid to state agricultural stations. " SHH.V TIIHOiCill ; AX OFFICIAL 13YU. Itnlluny .Mini FluilN Fault with ( lit * Omaha Depot. The.location of the union depot and Its accommodations for those who arc com pelled _ to wait hero for trains Is no new theme , but It la not often than any refer ence to the many Inconveniences caused Is made by railroad men themselves. A prominent olllclal of one of the Omaha lines has recently been called to Chicago quite frequently. It has happened that each time ho has returned the passengers who were on the same train and himself have been blocked in their exit by another train. Spc.ikltig of the matter ho said : "I don't know whoso fault 1 * . Is , but It's a shame to keep pcnplo waiting a long time oc force them to walk clear around a long train. I ha\o come ; n several tlmca lately on the Northwestern train. On getting out , a B. K. M train has always stood right opposite It. and Invariably the passengers from our train have been compelled to walk around U. U may bo that our train has always plopped In the wrong place. Perhaps It should not have 'run up so far , or maybe , It should have gone further ; or the other train may have been In the wrong place , but Gomo one Is 'to bliiino , sure. The depot facilities are wretched enough even when tralfts arc properly cut so as to allow pas sengers from trains that occupy the out side tracks to reach the exit , hut when several trains arc drawn up parallel , and the passengers have to walk clear around them , I think tome ono ought to be called tn time , " SLOW .MOVI3MiXT OF ( ; OHX CHOI1. itcusini for Hiilillnu tlio 1'roiliicl IluoU from MiirUi't. "No. there la not a great volume of groin being moved out of Nebrceka at present. " tad ! Assistant General Frelpbt Agent Wood of the Union Pacific yesterday morning. "ThiTC are covcral good reasons for I lib condition of affairs , The market U not what It might be , hut even should It go up , there Is an- oilier mattp-r that would hold the shipments hack , The continued damp weather has prevented the corn from getting thoroughly dried out. There has been mure moisture than usual , and consequently the corn doesn't have the ic ( tie thai dry corn lisa. " Other freight agonto cpiroborute thh view of the matter. Hut comparatively llttlo m-w corn linn been movrd , and incut of the uld corn was moved out of the tdnte before the advance - vance In rat OH on November 2. Thn uouth- ecu movement , too , has disconcerted roiue of the local lints , especially the lawn roads and those having friendly tralllc rolitloiiH with them 1'li'iini'N I'rt'Nliltmt I'l-rUhiH , President Perkins of the Burlington passed through Omaha Tliureduy afternoon cnrouu from the west to Burlington. General Mandcrson went down to Lincoln to meet and accompanied him coat as far as thla city. Prcfldcnt Perklna expressed himself an well pieascd with the cordial reception that hod been accorded the Burlington's an nouncement of Its subscription to the ex position and Its Intention to build a depot of Its own In Omaha. , I'LAXS KOH A imTjA'l'luill' CA\AI OIMMIII SlrniiHTH ( o Snll from ( lip Atlantic lantico ( lie * ftrrnt I.nken. DETROIT , Mich. , Dec. IS. The deep water ways commission was appointed to make Investigation ofithe feasibility of es tablishing a deep waterway of sufllclent magnitude to permit of-the free passage of ocean steamers between the-grcat lakes and the seaboard , and report the result to con- gri-s ? . The United States' commission Is working In conjunction with a similar body appointed by the Canadian government. President Angel ! of the t'nlvcrflty of Michi gan Is at the head of { the United States commission , with John 15. Ku : ell If Massa chusetts and L. E. Coley ] of Chicago as fellow members. The Canadian commission Is composed of A. A. Holland , C. E. Shafer and J. C. Moon. The latter Is a civil en gineer for the dominion. The first meet ing was held In Detroit last January and a second one at Niagara Rills. "Our time has chiefly hecn spent In gath ering and collecting data , " said President Angcll today. "An Immcnso mass of de tailed Information Is absolutely necessary for Intelligent action. We have gathered many surveys , however , and had much other per sonal work done. " "Will you reach definite action at this meeting ? " President An ell was asked. "It Is highly probable that we shall. Much , however , will depend upon the re sult of our joint meeting with the Canadian commission , which will take place here next Monday. At any rate , It IS our Intention to report to congress before the close of the present session. " "Will that report be favorable to the es tablishment of the deep waterway ? " "Wo can make no statement on that point at present. " I'AVIXC OKI' PACIFIC IIOAI ) DUHT. Srcri-tary CnillNliWill Sell S 1-'u nil IlotiilN. ST. LOUIS , Dec. 18. A special to the Republic from Washington says : A step toward the payment of the Pacific railroad bonds has been taken by .Secretary Carlisle In the Issue of a notice of the sale of some of the bonds held In thi > sinking fund. Sealed proposals arc Invited for the purchoixi' of $2,780,000 first mortgage bonds of the Central Pacific , Union Pacific and Kansas Pacific railroads , now constituting a part of the sinking fund of the Central Pacific rail ' road. The proposals will'be received until noon of Monday , December 21. Most of the titters will probably como from New York and from persons who would bo satisfied with a single day's notice. The offer of bonds Is 'somewhat experi mental In character and docs not Include a sufllclent amount to pay for all those of the Pacific roads which mature January 1 next. The entire amount thus > maturing which will be redeemed by the government Is $9,721,000. The Central .Paclfc figures for only $2,112,000 In the nnu.nnt to he released. The principal of the bonds will bo paid from the treasury if necewary , and a favor able opportunity awaited for the marketing of a sufficient amount of those held In the elnklng fund. U Is the Intention , however. , to offer more of the sinking fund bonds for sale before January 1 , If'the responses to this first offer are suflleifntly favorable. Itnllivny XolfH miJ.l'orauunlM. Thtf Kanaas Clty-St. Louis linear-will not- meet the reduced rates oijcrcd 'by the Mem phis route for holiday ( trade. Western roods have declined to grant a one-faro rate for the rourjd trip to thu Mis souri and Kansas Lumbcv Dealers' and the Western Retail Implement and Vehicle Dealers' wsoclatlons forjthclr meetings at Kansas Clly , January 19-21. The reduced rate of one and one-third regular faro for the round trip will bo granted. The Illlrols Central and the Louisville & Nashville roads are having a merry time competing for , passenger business from Chicago cage to Nov. Orlcpns. Both have recently shortened their time , by over two hours and Improved their train equipment. The time between the two cities has now been re duced to nearly twcntylx hours , the new schedule going Into effect on Sunday next. OK TlilS Fit A XT'THIAI , . Kvlili-iHM. Auiilnxl ( lie Mur. ili-rrr of Ili-NHlr I.lttlo. DAYTON , 0. , Dec. 18. The most Im portant testimony brought -out today In the trial of Albert Frantz , for the'murder of Bessie Little was that of the clerk who sold him a revolver previous to the crime , a gardener living near the Stlllwatcr bridge who , on the night of the murder , August 27 , heard a woman scream and then two shots , and the story of William Zlegler and Frank- Ross , who found blood slalns on 'the bridge and a piece of side comb , Identified as be longing to the unfortunate girl. Interest In the case Is unabated. 11131,11 l-'I * A < AI.A1IA.MA KXI'HKSS. .MiiNUfdMm Hub a. Trnlii , hut ! ( Vt-ry I.ltlli-.Money. NASHVILLE , Tenn. , rfcc. 18. A Birming ham , Ala. , special to the Banner cays : Train No. 35 , westbound , on the Southern railway , which left hero yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock , was stopped at 7 o'clock last night In Fayctte county , sixty-five miles from here , by two masked men , who flagged the train on a bridge. Ono of the express safes was broken Into. The robhera got very little for their trouble. The exact amount U not stated. Will Malic Clotlilnu' at ( In.MIIlN. . TACOMA , Dec. 18. The successful con summation of another enterprise which de pended upon the Novcmb'er election la an nounced. Early In January there will bo rctabllHhcd In Taconia the first wholesale clothing manufactory In the northwest. It will bo managed In connection with the Taconm Woolen mills. A new plant coat ing $40.000 will be established , having a capacity of ICO suits dally and employing ISO persons. Chicago buelnces men are behind the project. Trying < < > HforKaiitxf lint Illllrl I'ool. P1TTSBURG , Dec. 18. The Bessemer Steel association , otherwise ; the billet pool , 1.1 making an effort to gel together again on the basis of the organization before the Bollalro Steel company , ' -precipitated the abandonment of the ugreecmcnt on price * . Colonel George S , Grlscom , the commissioner , has Issued a rail for a meeting to ho held at the Manhattan hotel , ' . New York , next Monday to discuss ( he Advisability of re forming the association. Sli-iiiiici- riiantrvTijlii'N ( lieUOIUH. . SAN FRANCISCO , 0/-C. 18. Chilian advices - vices state that on Saturday , November 7 , the steamer Cbantrcy , belonging to Lamport & Holt of Valparaiso , went on the rocks at Horcon , about 1,000 feet from the spot where the Kosmoa compiriy'a atcamer Pen- taur was wrecked last July. H Is expected the Chantrey will become a total loe.s. The utcainer wns on a vojasc from Ouyaqull for Valparaiso with a general cargo. lliil K Drail KANSAS CITY , Deci 18 , . A. special to the Star from Ottumwa , la.,1 ways : Many hogd are dying from cholera In the vicinity of BlekesburK , thla county , and men arc going through the country buying carcases , It ' Is ald' ' they are nhlpplng the diseased meat to the'larger clllro. Dfcliii-i-H ( III ! llMiiill Dividend. NEW YORK , Dec. 18 , The Chicago , Rock Islund & Pacific Railroad company directors have declined the regular quarterly dividend of cnc-liulf of 1 per cent , payable February 1. ELLIOTT IS SELF-POSSESSED Exhibits No Concern as to the Result of His Trial forMurdor , STATE MAKING OUT A STRONG CASt Xollilnir of liiiiiortnncr YV ( llcvcl- oiM-tl , lloMt' t'r , Hint XIM > Miiiirrn lluv > o ( AllwillPiliitril I'1 ' AITiilr , The Elliott murder trial Is progressing rapidly and the evidence Is weaving u strong web about the man charged wllh the murder of his friend. Elliott was decidedly nervous Thursday and sat most of the time with his face averted from the Jury , hut yesterday morning he had apparently re covered his equanimity and was self-pos- sc&sod and confident. The court room Is crowded at each session , a number of women be-lng Interested spectators. Elllalt U a rather pleasant lookIng - Ing man and carries himself with a certain amount of grace. There Is a sort of devil- may-care air about him which seems to attract the fair PCX. James D. Butler , proprietor of the Windsor ser , was the first witness called yesterday morning. His testimony was mainly cor- ruborotlvo of the evidence of the hotel clerk , Stewart Stough , In addition to this he Identified a chair taken from the room cccuplcd by Elliott and Hutsonplller , on the seat of vthlch were spots of blood and a small quantity of human hair. George W. Gay , proprietor of the Metro politan hotel , was the next witness. Ho testified that Elliott , Hutsonplller and several other attaches of Buffalo Bill's rhow stopped at his hotel October 25 , and remained about two weeks. Elliott's bill was not paid when he left the hotel , but he came back November 17 and paid It , at the same tlmo ordering Hutsonplllcr's box sent to the depot , telling witness that he. Elliott , and Hutsonplller were going to Chicago on the 4 o'clock train. Witness afterwards dis covered that Elliott's name had been cut from the hotel register. Hutsonplller's box was traced to the depot and John Benson , a baggageman at the depot , testified that Elliott had given him a mackintosh , but on cross-examination ho was not absolutely positive as to Elliott being the man , but A. C. Hedinon , another baggageman , Identified Elliott as being the man who had been eo generous. SAID THEY COULD NOT WAIT. Robert Lees of LomkI county , Idaho , one of the Buffalo 'Bill ' troup , said he had ac companied Elliott and Hutsonplller to Omaha with the Intention of going further west In their ccmpany. Previous to the murder thu three men had been talking of their trip and had agreed to go together. The witness met Elliott on his way to the depot and cskcd him If he was not going to wait until the next day , as had been agreed. Elliott said he and Hutsonplller could not wait , as their tickets had been punched and he was then on his way to the depot to take the train for Montana. Elliott also told the witness that Hutsonplller had taken a car and gene to the depot. Annie Gaul , a chambermaid at the Windsor ser , testified that at noon the day of the murder , Elliott stopped her In the hall and apologized for' the fact that he and Hutson plller had been In their room all morning , thereby preventing her from cleaning the croora. She. sald-ISlllottrraskcd her If she could not clean the room while they were at dinner. "My friend Is not feeling well , " Elliott had said to her , "and ho wants to lie down after dinner. " The witness said she did as requested and did not go near their room again until late In the afternoon , when nho was told the men had left the hotel and she went to the room to prepare It for other occupants. She opened the door with her pass key and saw that a man was lying on the bed. She at once notified the clerk and he accompanied her to the room to In vestigate. Fiorn this point the testimony of Miss Gaul was corroborative of the evi dence of Clerk Stcugh , regarding the finding of the body. Miss Marlon Rich , a guest at the Windsor ser , testified that she occupied a room on the fiatno floor as the one occupied by El liott and Hulsonplller and almost exactly opposite their room. She saw Elliott come out of his room at 3:30 : p. m. the day of the tragedy. He had a satchel and sorno dark garment In his hands and locked the door , afterward going direct to the hotel office. The witness was in her room or the hall until the discovery of the murder and was quite positive no one had passed through the hall or entered the room left by Elliott until the chambermaid came up at 5:30 : p. m. m.BOUGHT BOUGHT A TICKET FOR CHICAGO. A. Forrean , ticket broker , testified that he sold a ticket to Chicago to a man between 3 and 4 o'clock In the afternoon of the day of the tragedy. Ho was not positive that Elliott was the man. The party asked for a ticket for Indianapolis , but the witness had none and tlin man went out. He came back soon afterward and bought the ticket , tendering two $10 bills In payment. Ho Identified a ticket produced by the county attorney as the one he had sold on that occasion. Detective Hudson was called. He testi fied regarding the finding of the bloody coupling pin beside the washstand an the floor. It was covered with a piece of naws- paper , which was spotted with blood ami looked as though It had been used to grasp the pin. The witness then detailed a con versation had with Elliott in the Council Bluffs Jail , In which Elliott told of his move ments previous to the murder and told of receiving $100 by mall from an uncle in Alton , O. Elliott said the money was In ono bill aud he went to the Omaha National bank and had the hill changed. The wit ness also stated that Elliott told him ho had been a cowboy In Texas and Indian territory. At this statement of the witness Elliott seelncd to he greatly amused. Detective Cox testified to the condition of the bedding and toilet articles In the room where Hutsonplller was found , and the blood-stained articles wcro produced In evidence. All these articles wcro excluded except the carpet taken from the floor and the paper which was under It , both being Maturated with blood. Thu witness produced the trousers taken from the body of Ilnt- ronplllcr. The pockets were all turned In side out and the witness testified that they were In that condition when ho first saw the body. Ho also produced n pair of trou sers taken from Elliott at the tlmo of ar rest. Ho said thcso trousers were turned over to Dr. Footo to make n microscopical examination of the spots on them. The witness told about searching Elliott at Cedar ItuplOH and finding $ C5 In largo bills In the top of Elliott's hat. The money was handed to thu Jury for Inspection and the Jurymen fondled It lovingly. Iliiaril .MiiHt Tn lie At'llon. Judge Kcyeor yesterday morning passed upon the application of Mrs. Virginia B Galllgaii for a writ of man- dainti'i to compel thu fireand pollco commission to grant her appll- tion for a pension , as the widow of the late J. J. Oalllgan , for tyany yearn chief of the tire department of this city. Testimony in this case was taken Huveral weeks ago , A writ of mandamus was ordered to Issue , directing the board to take action upon the application of Mrs. Galllgaii. Judge Keysor wald 'tho granting or ivfnslng of the applica tion was a legislative act and the court could not restrict the action of the hoard , but ho granted Iho application to HID extent of requiring the board to act upou the ap plication. HUH an IIMVII Ulvorri * . - The application for a divorce made by Mm. Inda Coffman from Samuel J. Coffman ban been dismissed In this county , Mrs , Coffman having been granted a divorce In Mills county , Iowa , on the ground of cruelty. Thla Is tbo case which WAS pretty thoroughly ventilated ticveral months ago In the cauilu of Douglas county , The partlca lived at Thlrly-slxth and Leavenworth streets. Coff man Is a stockman at South Omaha and his wlfo asked for thu custody of two small children , both girls , VOTIJ DOWN T1II3 I'UNSIOX 1111,1 , . Oiniiliii TwirlirrH IK-clilo .MlU'll-DlNWINNtMl MCII Nil PC. In rrapoKto to a Mil Issued by Superin tendent Pcarse the teachers and principals of the public schools met In the board rooms In the city hall last evening. It was announced that Chancellor J. irv Mac- Lean of the State university would give an address , hut there , was additional Inter est lent to the session by the fact that thu dispute In connection with the teachers' pension bill would be rettlcd. The school forces have been almost equally divided upon this subject ever slnco Its Introduc tion , many of the teachers contending that n levy of 1 per cent per month on the sala ries was an Injustice to themselves , on they might not alwayu remain In the tanks of Instructors. They might remove to some other city , marriage was a possibility among thn feminine members and It was contended that any one who grew old enough in the service to deserve a pension bhould have saved enough money on the wages paid to llvo comfortably. Othcw contended there were accidents unforeseen that might take a teacher from the actlvo Hat , In which case a pension would bo a blessing. The amount per Individual , they contended , was so Mnall that It was Inslgnlilcant. Previous to bringing up the subject of the pension bill Superintendent Pearsc In troduced Dr. Owens , who giive an Instructive lecture to the teachers on tlio care of the cyca and ears of their pupils. He stated that test cards would shortly bo distributed by the board by the aid of which the con dition of these scnces could bo accurately ascertained. Chancellor Mncl.ean followed In n most entertaining address unon the subject of "Ttei Missionary of Culture. " It was de voted to the deacrlptlon of the old and modern methods of teaching , In which he likened the present day Instructor to a missionary of the highest order. Superintendent Pearso then opened the discussion of the pension bill. He Invited all prihcat to give their views of the matter. .Miss Laltuo , chairman of the committee which u-ia detailed to draft n resolution embodying the principles of the bill , spoke first. She said that the rystem as adopted In Cincinnati had proved a marked success and she thought In time that Omaha xhould fall In line with the Idea. Teachers were placed undar u large expense on account of their particular calling that other people who received the same salaries avoided. She was of the opinion that but little money could be saved by a teacher during survlce , It was but fair. It was stated , that when old age came on that he or she should be provided for. The thread of the discussion wan then taken up by Mrs. Lemon , Mlssiss McIIiigh. Shlppy , Shirley. Mr. E. J. Kelsey and others. At the conclusion the matter was put to a vote. The ballot resulted in a voteof 143 against and 110 for the bill. It was declared defeated. It IH probable , however , that the subject of a pension will again be taken up In the near future , when It will be advocated that the state create a fund for the support of Incapacitated. HA.VOKI ) KOH MUIMMIlt OK A Colored HavlHlifiMc < * lri 1IU Don Hi on ( lu > CalloirN Tree. UPPER .MARLBORO. Md. , Dec. IS. Jamca Smith , colored , was hanged hero at 10:32 : a. m. today. Smith wan brought here on a late train lost night from Baltimore. He baa .been confined In Baltimore slnco hid arrest. Prior to .Ills-departure from . .Balti more he was immersed by a Baptist minister and died professing that faith , having re fused the ministrations of a Catholic prltst , who tendered them upon the prisoner's arrival last night. Margaret Drown , a young woman , who lived with her aunt neur the -little town of Upper Marlboro , Prince George's county , Md. , was found dead In her roam on the evening of July 29 of this year. Her throat was cut and there were evidences that an other heinous crime had been committed. Suspicion was at once directed toward James Smith , a mulatto , who had been n servant In thu family , but who had been dlsmlfsed far having made Improper ad vances toward the girl. Smith was ar rested on th'j following day In Washington , and confessed to having committed the mur der , but denied the other crime. Ho was re moved to Baltimore for safekeeping until his trial , at which time he again con fessed , and attempted tn put .1 stain upon the character of his victim by alleging that Improper relations had existed between them , and that he committed the murder because she persisted In breaking off the.ie relations. He was promptly convicted and again removed to Daltlmoro for safekeeping , public Indignation rendering a lynching almost certain if he had been confined In Prince George's county. Ho has. during the entire period which has elapsed since the murderer , maintained the most stoical In difference to his fate. TAICI3X IX MY TIIK SL'OAU THU.ST. \ \ oolNon .Sili'i. | Company I'IIMNPH Inlo the I\IK \ t'oinlilnc'H Control. TOLEDO , Dec. 18. The American Sugar Refining company , better known as the Su gar trust , has closed a deal for 1,100 shares of stock of the Woolson Splcu company of this city , being eleven-eighteenths of Its total stock. The price to be paid Is $1,2C , ' > , - 000. The story of this gigantic transaction ID an Interesting one. Some tlmo ago the Arhuckles , the "coffee kings , " branched out Into the sugar business. A large refinery was built In New York , and thereby the Arhuckles became the competitors of tbo American Refining company. The latter was not at all pleased at what It considered on intrusion. At first the refining company offered to buy out Iho Arbuckle plant. RO the story goes , but tbo latter refused. Then the refining company concluded to flunk the movement of thn Arbuckle ? , and hence this deal. Representatives of the refining com- rany opened negotiations with the Wool- son people , who nro a very rloso second to the Arbucklcs In the coffee business , and Mr. Lawrence Newman , one of the largest shareholders of the Woolson Splcu company , went to New York to confer wllh the re fining company. He Is theie now and has practically closed the deal. TIIIIVIS : M iii'iti.sii > AT AVOHIC. lroi ] ] > r < ! Tlii'lr llooty unit Miulta lliiNly IIxll. A couple of sneak thieves entered the residence of Dr. Mathews , 1013 Park avenue , yesterday morning and started to thoroughly ransack the premised. About 10 o'clock Mrs. Mathcws , who lind been visiting a neighbor , unexpectedly returned and found the thieves In a front parlor butilly engaged In tying up her teaUUn cloak , fi rnlt of clothes and numerous other articles. Her on trance frightened the thlovea HO that they dropped their booty and fled through a back door , making good their roenpe. It was found afterward that they had succeeded , however , tn getting away -.vlth a gold thlmblo and some other minor article * which they had hastily crammed In their pockets , An c-n- irancu was gained through a front i'i > ar , which had been loft unfastened. ( ho I'lilpll for I In- SAOINAW , Mich. , Dec. 18-P.cv. Ilcnju. mln T , Trt'Bo of St. John's Ephcnpul chuir.h ho resigned. On January 1 , It l eald , ho will leave the. active ministry and lake up the Bingo , of which iio hmi long hern an ardent ulndent , having written i.cvcrnl meiltorlouii plays. HllllliN Illltt * I'll'llt- 11 f ( inlll , NEW VOIIK , DPO. IH , - The doponltn of gold In the vaults of thu clt-tiing hrnuo UK- noclatlon wcro Increased $78.1,000 today , making thu total held $43,000.000 , a gain of $15,000,000 Jlnco the HftUtnal ckctlvu. REMOVED FROM THE PULPIT End of nn Exciting Episode in Colorado Church Circles , F. F , PASSMORE REDUCED TO THE RANKS .ModioilNI .Inillolnl Conference I'tiNxo I n it unit- ( I lion a len\er Clornj- iniiiiVlio llnri-il CrllleUe ( ho I Conilnel of 111 * IMIOI | | , There uas a frnsatlon In the judicial conference ferenceof the Methodl.it church , which ban just concluded Its Inborn In this city. It was kept n iceret during thu session , but 80ino of the details have leaked out. It ban been learned that Rev. Frank V. Passmoro of Denver was convicted of Immorality and nnmlnlstcrlal and unchrlsllan conduct and was excluded from Iho Methodist ministry. Something like two yeaiw ago the Colorado conference found Rev. Mr. Passmoro guilty of the same charges and expelled him fnnn the pulpit. This decision was appealed to Iho rcront judicial conference , which hi the final appellate court for church mailers. Neither sentence , however , excludes Rev. Mr. Pass- more from membership In the church , but positively forbids hln : from preaching Moth- ( idiot doctrine. The dlfllculty between the preacher and the high officials of the church 1111:0 back some yor.rs , when ho was the pastor of a Methodist church In the vicinity of Denvcf. The trouble grew out ot utterances that ho made regarding the worldly behavior of some of bid superiors In the church and of some of the pastors who had churches In Denver. The most prominent of the specific rhargci brought against the preacher accused him almost of blasphemy In his utterances and writings concerning the marriage of the rich catllo queen of Denver , the Widow Illff , to Bishop Warrrn , whoso episcopal ix > sldoncu Is located In Denver. The ceremony occurred about four years ago. It wns made tha occasion for ono of the most magnificent ills- pla > s that the Mountain City had over seen In the social line Money uas spent lavishly and without stint and the affair was marked with every adjunct that taste and luxurj could dlctato and wealth could obtain. TOOK THE BISHOP TO TASK. Rev. Mr. Passmore reverely rebuked from his pulpit. In letters and In ncwspaiierfl and magazines this ostentation and oxtravuganco of his superior officer in the church. Ho called attention to the fact that hundreds of people In Denver were suffering from starva tion , were freezing and destitute , while the bishop , their spiritual leader , was spending money In n kingly and royal fashion. These utterances wore the occasion for any amount of comment and gained wide circulation In the church. Rev. Mr. Passmoro was as severe In hit treatment of other olllclals of the church , Ho attended services at the most magnificent Methodist edifice In Denver , the Trinity Methodist church , which Is under the pastorago of Rev. Robert Mclntyre. Mr. Mclntyro preached on the topic , "The/ Model Old Maid. " Shortly afterword Mr. Paw moru denounced the services and the ecrmon , charging that they were more after the fashion of n theatrical show than an exposition of the gospel. As the Trinity congregation IB composed ot some ot tbo richest and most prominent people of Denver , the matter raised a great , sensation. ' Other churches and ministers In Denver and the vicinity were handled ao roughly hy thu recalcitrant minister. He began and kept up a vlgorous'Cr.mpalgn against sensa tionalism In thu church. He charged that ministers and congregations were inoro ambitious to build up their churches for worldly display than to gain converts and work In the service of the Lord. Hu epoko of many as being Godless. The chancellor of the Methodist university In Colorado was also rebuked by the vigor ous and , bold preacher. Rev. Nat Chamber lain , the presiding elder of Wyoming , which is a mission field , was another of those at tacked by him. The minister denounced Rev. Mr. Chamberlain's practice of living In Denver and paying only occasional visits to his field , traveling to and fro In Pullman palaeo cars at the expense of the church , as the elder received his expenses In addi tion to a big salary. ARTICLES WIDELY READ. Mr. Paasmore wrote letters , not always private , regarding these men of the cloth. A.s hiIs brilliant , effective and plain , his words were widely read and were the occa sion of much comment. All the articles ami many of the letteivi were Introduced ns evl- dcnco before the Colorado conference , when Mr. Passmore was first accused of Im morality and iinmlnlsturlal and unchristian , rnndunt. Hn w.i nrnKpnitlnil limn liv n brother of Rev. Frank Crane , who was at one time pastor of the First Methodist church of this city. In his arguments Mr. Crane said : "If Mr. Para more Is right In thcso matters - tors , then all my sermons aredamned. . " After the conviction of the minister hy the conference and his exclusion from the church , an appeal was taken to the Judicial conference which met In this city. Hero again the letters and papers were intro duced In evidence. The trial occurred before a Jury of four inon , ono from oaeh of the following states : Colorado , Iowa. South Da kota and Minnesota. The decision ot the conference was alllrmed. The only appeal that the minister now has In to the general conference , which meets In IflOO , and it Is considered that ho has no chance for a reversal of the decision there. It Is considered hy local Methodists that the decl.ilon ( if the judicial conference wan affirmed by the appellate court of the church , principally because his exclusion from tha church has hod no effect upon f'o minister. Al'hotmh his pastorate was taken away ha spoke from other pulpits , many of which ho found open ! o Mm. In these he continued lo denounce the worldllnc-as of the Methodist church , drawing unpleasant comparisons be tween Us policy and the strict anil economi cal conduct of Iho early Methodists. As ho In looked upon as a fighting minister it la believed that the appellate courl'fl action will not deter him ono lota , but that ha will continue1 his crusade. THIN YOIJ.VO WII-'H Til I UN MUIC'IDtS. ' . .Marrlril a Itnee Tmek l-'olloivor iintl IN Sorry for II , KANSAS CITY , Dec. J8.Mr * . Lillian Calhonn Turner , daughter of 'Rev. J , 0. KiimOl , a Baptist minister at Dalian , Tex. , attempted to commit siucldu Inxt night by taking a dose of arsenic , because her him * hand , a bookmaker , had mistreated her. The woman' * llfo was saved uftc-r bcrolo effort * of the pollco surgeon. MM , I'urnur married agalnet tho. wising of her parents , eloping to Omaha In March , 1891. The Turner mentioned In the Kr.usns City dispatch U Boh Tumor , at one tlmo or another well known In Omaha gambling and political circles. The last tlmo ho wan hero war an c. pcnclller far ono of the book lea at the Council Bluffs ruce two years ngo. Ho ciiino hero early in March with a beautiful young girl whom ho Introduced to friends as lila wlfo , Ho wuv In Minneapolis dnrliiK April and May , rnlurnlng horn In Juno with a bookmaker fi m Dan SttiHrt's Dalian , Tex. , lioiiro , and remained through tha Union Park miiillng , when ho went Mouth. At that tlmo Mi , Turner WUH scarcely moru than 10 years of ago , llfi'h .Man ( ini'H to I hit 1'i'n , COLUMBUS , Dec. 18.- Allen Ady , who fallr-J for halt a million dollars , wan umi- Icnced lo the penitentiary for olKhtccn inuntlif fir borrowing mon y In a wuy which Kceined to b" riccutcd by first murtint'i : > whet ) It was not ,