Daily Bee. THE OMAIIA DEE clean, reliable newt-paper that It admitted to each and erery home. WEATHER FORECAST. For Nr-braaka FarMy cloudy. For Iowa Increao'.-.n cloud Inees. Kor weather repor: are pag 2. VOL. XXXIX-NO. 231 OMAIIA, "WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCHl 16, 191(-TWELVE PAfirei SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. MIKES' LOSSES TOTALMILLIONS Harvard B. Simpson, "Man Who Knowi," Sayi $5,000,000, Haa Been Harvested Since 1893. WITNESS TERRIFIES DEFENDANTS Iowa Reform Shool Girls Make Trouble STANDARD OIL STRIKE AVERTED AT LASTM0MENT Walkout of Firemen Halted bj Acceptance by Men of Federal Mediation. SUITTiNG ORDER IS RESCINDED NATIOFSDANGEIt Big- Corporation Called This and Other Bad Things By Frank B. Kellogg. COMPANY MUST BE ERADICATED The Omaha Attorneys for Mikes Handle Prose cution'i Star With Kid Glove . FEAR HE MAY TELL ALL ? T V V- r. - Testimony of Spokane Man, , , Concluded, Sensation of Ti WILL UNFOLD MORE YET TO er Jons, reach r of Prosecu , In Which One letlm Wu Former Prosecutor of Cook loinlr, III. M ferny Diary Of. fered In F.vldenee. Five million dollars hav been taken from the mikes by the "big atore Rang" Mnce Its organisation In IRSW, according- to Urn one man who knowi, Howirt H. Simp son, now a Spokane capitalist. Slmpaon la llio stor wltneas for the government and i ilie on fear of the defense in the trial of ! 1 lie llabray gang In federal court at Coun cil Bluffa. Slmpaon, the man who knows the gang from the day of its beginning, took the wit ness aland yesterday to aid the govern ment In the introduction of documentary vcldenre. Each and every man he knew, and In answers or yes: and no told the why, when and where. Neither side ques tioned the authority r( his statement. They knev he knew, hat was enough. Simpson has a grudge to square. lie clalma that It shall be squared and squaerd completely when he gets the opportunity to testify against ft. R. Herrlman, Ed. C. Mooro and Frank Brown of the. Lys An gole store, who wtll probably be tried In federal court In Omaha. iSlmpsnn alone has knowledge of the gigantic scope of the operations of the gang. Ills estimate of $5,000,000 Is based on real figures. The government now has an acountlng of operatlona which netted the gang's store in excess of $1,500,000. There arc Jobs of which the government has never learned, says Blmpaqn, and ho promises to tell it all when the time comes. Ma will bo then revenged on that Los An geles crew. " ' ' Reap 9350,000 In Council Blaffi. l.SOS The Council Bluffs store In the one pros perous season of 1908, lu which It operated lu the city across the river, collected a total of t250.O0O. Macellua L. Temple, dis trict attorney, yesterday was Informed of two Job Which have never before come to official's' which discount all mlkhik oper ations on record. A Canadian mike la said to have lost $6.000. Hecond In rank was a former prosecutor of .Cook county, lit., who was miked for $M.O00. To add to Che lgnomy of his fall this gang Is declared to havo put the prosecutor-mike up on a big flat rock tind forced him to deliver a speech to them, Immediately after he had been operated on. - The work of the secret service men and tha postofflcii detectives Is constantly adding to the list of mikes and the end is not In .sight. Officials working on the Investigation of the big Btore gang are convinced that but a fraction have been discovered. Scorea yet remain who would rather keep atlll about their losaes than to face publicity and ridicule. The pre mier mike whose misfortunes are among the records now In court at Council Bluffs ' Is J. K. Cavanaugli of Oklahoma City, Who lost $37,000. . Wltnesed Delicately Treated, ftlmpaon' testimony marked the beat that the. government has adduced In the positive connecting up of the member of tlio gnug. By the defense he has been handled with the utmost delicacy. In the words of one of the lawyers for the de fence, "He might break loose and tell a Whole lot more than we want him to." Klmrin may yet bo recalled to the stand for a bit more of the exceedingly careful cross-examination, but while he is on the Witness aland the general attitude of the defense will continue to be that of a man ih a powder house. The prosecution scored when George Al berta. clothier at Btoux City, mlkcd for $1,000, and later offered a lob as stcerer to recuperate hi losaes In the betrayal of an employer, produced a "ahow letter" written by a Maybraylte and sent to him through the malls. The introduction of thla letter brought forth one of the battles of Ihe trial from the defense's opposition. Aa the one great expert on mtkeology Simpson was put on the stand when the pionccutlon produced the Mabray's direc tory containing the official record of tha operations of the gang. "Exhibit No. 101" Is tha official Appellation of the elabo v ratoty Indexed pocket ledger which held tha secrets of the gang. In finely exe cuted penmanship the number of each of the mlkers Is given with his real name and all aliases, together with true and fictitious addresses. Secret Code Explained. Kroin this valued book, taken in the raid at Pulaski Heights bear Little Kock. from Mubray a trunk, held in hand the prose cuting attorney called the name from the coded pntes lllo Simpson told the his tory In terse sentences of the man named. "If I'd have had the sense of a yellow dug I would not have been Into It," aald J sines Turner, former police Judge of Curo luiland, Md., $4,000 mike of the Council llltiffs slore'a July crop of 1007. Kven Ilia Vole U More. Turner la ao 'aor" about It his vole wa huaky a be testified. Horn of the bitter word seemed to choke him. He now lives at Meyersdale, Pa. Turner had Just been "turned" for $o00 ti h a hors raco scheme In Chicago when Clarence Class, defendant under alias of O'Brien, picked him op. Tuiner told a atory of tha fight In which he , hacked Clae, by rounds. My man got too keen and got knocked out In the -third round, tie bled out of th ears."1 "I went back to Chicago and got sick." ' I ilktd to a died, too; wish to God I had." ' Now what was aald and done?" asked i l Ivt-ster R. Ruah, uraaing th wltifea on regard to the Council Bluffa race. "Well, It was mostly done, niore'a It wae aid," replied Turner full of grief. "I aaa putting up the money of my own plltlon; I didn't hav ene enough to e what 1 waa up against." said the witness lu a tone of self-pity. "Wlicn the betting was over at th hotel iCuitlluued on cuud Page.) Second Mutiny Takes Place at Mitchelville Because of With drawal of Privileges. (From a Staff Correspondent. 1 PES MOINES, Ta., March 15. (Special Telegram.) A secondrlot this year broke out In tho Industrial school for girls at Mltrhellvlllo today. It started last even ing, when the girls trade demand for the release of a girl, whose confinement started the last riot. This was refused. During the night an effort was made to "scape from the upper stories and one Irl fell to the ground and was Injured, ti forenoon the girls In the cottage, ere the larger ones live started a fight, ng the band Instruments and march ibout the yard. 1 members of the board of control -rrlson, the f uperlnlendent and a spokes man for the girls. The latter was Har riet Pegger, daughter of nn Omaha man. The girls Insist that Ihey have been de nied many little privileges they are sup posed to have. They say dancing had been forbidden, that there is not time for music and hflr orchestra Is going to pieces, that there Is too frequent punishment. During the afternoon the governor took a hand by long distance telephone and demanded an Investigation, twelve of the girls had In the mean time been arrested, accused of Inciting a riot. It is greatly feared that more trouble will follow. Another Cannon Reported Hanged Cousin of Leroy Cannon Reposted Put to Death By President Madriz. I WASHINGTON. March 15-Reporta of a varied character saying that George Can non, supposed to be a cousin of Leroy Cannon, had been hanged In Nicaragua by order of President Madriz, found their way to tho State department today. No news of audi a thing has been re ceived by the State department. One re port wus that George Cannon bad been charged with being a conspirator. NEW ORLEANS. March 15. A special from Port Limun, Costa Rica, .says: "A report has reached here that George F. Cannon, ah American cousin of Leroy Cannon, who was executed by order of Zelaya. president of Nicaragua, Is In the penitentiary at Corlnto, charged with being at tho head of a conspiracy to take the llfo of Dr. Madriz. who succeeded 'Zolaya as president of Nicaragua. "It Is ' alleged that while In Blueflelds Cannon waa secretary to General Chamorro. Leaving Nicaragua, ha reached -Costa Rica, where-, he . passed under tho nam of Itoblnson. Changing his name to "Wal lace, ho Is aald ?o have 'succeeded in get ting a letter of Introduction to Dr. Madrlx. Cannon put up In San Joso at the Imperial hotel, where ho waa recognised by an old acquaintance, who Informed tho editor of the paper." HARRIS BURG, Ta., March 15,-David K. Car non. father of Ieroy Canoon, Raid to day that tho George Cannon reported as ha 'ing been hanged in Nicaragua, was no relative. ' SENATOR BURKETT PUTS IN RESOLUTIONS FROM OMAHA Nebraska Member Alao Introduce Resolution From Civil War Veteran a to Pensions. (From a Staff Correspondent.) WASHINGTON. March. 15-(Speclal Tel egram.) Senator Burkett today Introduced a resolution from the Audubon society of Omaha, urging the passage of a bill for the protection of birds, also the resolutions of surviving veterans of the civil war resid ing at Clay Center, Neb., urging the sup port of "the dollar-a-day bill." Tho secretary of the Interior has author ised th reclamation service to construct structures of various types at numerous places along "laterals under the North Platte Irrigation project lit Nebraska and Wyoming. The structures consist of con crete drops, turnout gates, bridge piers, culverts, flumes, etc., and it is estimated that the total cost will be about $40,000. FAITS UNDER JUDGES WORDS Bank Embesiler Collapse a Sentence Hint ta Prison. Coart INDIANAPOLIS, March 15. As sentence was pronounced on him by Judge Ander son In tho United States district court to day, I'aul)C Gall collapsed and slipped to the floor between the two deputy marshals who were supporting him, aa Judge An derson said: "I sentence you to five years In the federal prison at Leavenworth." Gall was convicted of having aided Max P. Kmmerlch. a bookkeper of the Capital National bank of tills city. In abstracting $40,000 of the bank's fund. "Strong;" Man Abandon Wife. NKW YORK, March 15.-Charles A. Carver, former Vale athlete and the uni versity "strong man," waa arraigned In the Tombs police court today charged with being a fugitive from' Justice from Illinois, where he la charged with havlng-ahandoned his wife. Louisa Carver. He was held under $1,000 bonds. Mike Sees Man Bought Coffin To hav been miked for W.000 and then to have bought coffin and flowers for the burial of th wrestler whose "drop dead" gam lost him th money, la th memory that nourishes the canker of revenge In th heart of J. K. Cavanaugli of Muskogee. Okl., a witness In the' Jdabray case at Council Bluffa. Mr. Cavanaugli got more for his money than any other mlka Th drama pro aented for hU delectation Included ' more than tho uaual tragic chapter of th fatal Injury of his wreotler. H waa treated to the pleasure of preparing for and attending th funeral of the unfortunate, Of course, he pa'd for thla little dlveraion. Just out of sympathy for tha poor victim. Federal Attorney Says Organiration Mast be Ousted from Business. BLACK FLAG WAVED BY JOHN D. Men Likened to Pirates During Gov ernment Argument. MTLBURN DEFENDS CORPORATION OH Lawyer Claims Matter of Profits Has Been Co Justly ' -m pa ted anil That' Coele Sam Favor . . In Too Great'. WASHINGTON, March . Holding up the Standard OH company of New Jersey as a danger to the country and Its organi zation as a commercial precedent that must be .eradicated from the 'business world. Frank B. Kellogg today arraigned tho cor poration before tho supreme court of the I'nlted-States with all the power of his eloquence. It was the government's turn to- be heard in the argument over the dlssolu lion of the company as decreed b the circuit court of the t.'nlted States for the eastern district of Missouri. Black i Kins of Rockefeller. "They have waved the black flag over the land as others have done over . the ocean. Do I deny they have demonstrated their ability? ' No. They have competed with an ability unequalled in this coun try." In these words Frank B. Kellogg, for the government, arraigned the Standard Oil company before the supreme court of the United States today in the second day's argument. of the case for the diaso' lutlon of the New Jersey corporation as decreed by the United States circuit court for the eastern district of Missouri. "With It's ramification, It's money power, gtva It carte blanche, let It combine, as Mr. Watson auggests, and let it cut prices as Mr. Milburn speaks about and I predict l'. will control every Industry in this coun try In ten years, yes. In five years." Hit Big; Corporation. "What makes a great country?" he asked. "Not great corporations. It Is the Indlvl dual; the independent proprietor with the star of hope that has alwaya been held out to men before him. Your honors, it Is but a step from combination to socialism and but another from socialism to anarchy, Except about twenty minutes that John Milburn consumed at the beginning of the sitting In the conclusion of his opening address and about an equal length of time occupied by T. Watson at the ,clo of the, day, both in defense of the Standard Oil, all the - time was taken upi by Mr. Kellogg. His object was to give a history of the Standard Oil and Its activities, which he characterized, as monopolistic, but fre quently he was led off into the law of the Case. He seemed Inclined to leave many of these points for the discussion of At. torney General Wlckersham, who Is to close the case for the government tomor ro)V. Particularly was this true as to the point of common ownership of Standard OH property urged by the defense to have existed both before and after the organ tzatlun of tha alleged illegal coblnatlon of 1899. Court Interested In Ownership. Time and again the court manifested Its keen interest In the case by subjecting the counsel before it to a series of queries. They were particularly anxloua to know about the common ownership claimed by the Standard OH counsel, and to get the various Interpretations of the meaning which should be given to monopoly, ai used In thm KhnrmnM antLlrna, a ' The day brought out a shorp conflict of purposes by the government and tho Standard Oil. Mr. Kellofg, on behalf of the government dwelt upon the activities of the corporation with a view of at tempting to provo an Intent to monopolize, In addition to th reorganization of 11199. On the other hand, the Standard Oil counsel contended that such matters were not before tho court for review. The only question, they claimed, waa whether the alleged illegal combining of U99 waa a violation of the law as held by tha lower court. This they base on the fact that tho government did not appeal from the de cision of th lower court. Tho plan to night la for Mr. Watson to continue his address when the court meet at noon tohvorrow. Ho is followed by Mr. Wlck ersham for the government, while John G. Johnson I to clos at the end of th day for tho corporation. Milburn Defend Corporation. Mr. Milburn devoted himself to some ob servation on tho Income of th Standard OH. He complained that the government unjustly computed the percentage of per mits on the original capital. II argued that capital assets had been the bafls of thla computation. This would show the net profit to be 25 per cent per annum during th years 1900-190S. when there was such a great development of the by products. H also spoke briefly of prices, claiming the table he presented showed there was no arbitrary action. ' "Thla company has been under search as no other concern ha ever been," said (Continued on Second Page.) for Whom He Walk in Court The man whose roffla, Mr. Cavanaugli selected at New Orlans Walked Into court In presence of his victim and pleaded guilty under the nam of Ole Marsh of Seattle. Mr. Cavanaugh by virtue of his expendi ture of $37,000 own mora stock In the "big tore.", than -any of the other of tho throng of Investors. His contribution marks the highest point In the success of this suc cessful organisation. He excelled where many trov for prominence. An enthusiastic mlka with a pencil has figured that had Cavanaugli won on the odds of the gam presented he would have pulled down nearly $C00.000. Th gam, however, waa mad to operate In only on direction. Ifrom th New Tork World. CUMMINS HITS RAILWAY BILL Iowa Senator Will Oppose Measure Even Though He Loses Job. MOST IMPORTANT ITEM THAT IS UP Cannot e Hashed and D4acaloa May Continued Fa Into Summer ' Pitilaeaft vctton Crltt- clsed. -' WASHINGTON, March 15. That he would oppose the administration railroad bill, even though It might result in an effort to lead him out of the party, Senator Cum mins of Iowa, in effect, declared 'n the aenate today. Te was making the Initial speech on the railroad bill and oommcnting especially upon the history of the measure, which, he aald, had originated In the executive branch of the government, rather than in congress. After occuplng Ita place of the senate calendar for eighteen days the bill was taken up at 2 o'clock, and thus was launched the discussion of what the mem bers of the senate regard as the most Important legislation before congress. The Iowa senator had proceeded for only about two hours, when he asked leave to sus pend until tomorrow. Th leave was granted, but;Senator Hale, chairman of the republican- caucus, gave notice that hereafter the bill would be kept constantly before the senate. ' In language Just as positive, Mr. Bailey de clared that the blU could not be rushed and declared that congress was liable still to bo considering It when the "dog days" arhed. Criticise tho President's Action. In th main," Mr. Cummins' speech waa devoted to a general review of the rail road measure, but It was preceded by a recital of the history of the proposed leg islation. In which he crlticired the course of th president and declared his Inten tion of opposing the bill in Its present shape even at tho expense of the severe dlhpleaaure f the chief executive. "If the uncontradicted and repeated and apparently authorized statement of tha newapapers be not in error, every republi can at least la expected to vot for It Just as . it Is, unless he decides not to Incurs the executive displeasure, but to be banished from the republican ranks," said Mq. Cummins. "I do not speak of this phase of the subject In a spirit of anger. I am con scious of no other sentiment than pro found regret. I recognize that It is not only tho privilege, but the duty of the president of the United States to make such recommendation to congress as in his Judgment will best promote the general welfare. He is quite within his privileges and his duties In expressing his views upon such subjects as often as he likes and as emphatically as. he pleases. "Whether he is within tho privileges of his duty when he attempts to prescribe for, which legislation shall assume, may well be doubted. His great predecessor evidently thought that legislative propriety did not permit It, for when he was dealing with th same subject in his message at the beginning of I he first session of the fifty-ninth congress in HX6, lie said: It Is not my provlnco to Indicate tha exact terms of th law which should be enacted, but I call the attention of the congress to (Continued on Second Iaje.) If yoi are prepar ing for Easter, read the Bee want ads. They give you information that you shouldn't be without. They tell you what you should have, what it will cost you, and where to get it. te5lg,0YotKT Of Jm '"IVM6ES .-z T " ItPSiilp RiBATING. ' THE NEW PIPE LINE. Millet Picture In Studio of German Artist Famous Painting Was' Simply Bor rowed to Make Copy, Says. : ' Prisoner.;', r''- t . SAN FRANCISCO, March 15. Declaring that he took the picture In order to make a copy qf It, William Kunze, a young Ger man" artist, was bj rested this afternoon in possession of the $10,000 painting, ''Shepherd and Flock," by Millet,, which was stolen last Sunday from the Golden Gate Park museum. " Kunze was nabbed In his studio. Immediately after being booked on a charge of grand larceny the prisoner waa taken from tho city prison by several de tectives and It Is believed that they went In search of possible accomplices. Kunzo answered that he was led to take the picture by his love of tho beautiful and a desire to secure an adequate copy. Tho painting, loanod to the museum by Miss Sara Spooner of this city, was painted by Jean Millet n 1831. Laymen Gather at Capital City Fourteen Hundred People Crowd Lin coln to Attend South Platte Convention. (From a Staff Correspondent.) IJNCOLN. March 15.-(Speclal.)One of t! e largos: gathering of men ever assemb ej In Lincoln began a two-days' meeting here tonight with a banquet at the auditorium and an overflow feed at St. Paul's church. The occasion Is the Laymen's Missionary meeting of the South Platte country. This afternoon 1,400 persons had registered and the auditorium and the clrurch dining room wero crowded. The banquet waa served by the various churches. Chancellor Avery made the Introductory speech. HASKELL CASE MAY GO OVER Trial nn Chars; of Fraud In Town Lota Mar Be Continued Yenr. GUTimiE. Okl.. March 15. It waa slated hero today that the trial of Governor t'liarleg N. Haskell on -the charge of using Illegal methods to obtain title to town lots in Muskogee, Okl., might be continued for a year. I OPTION TAXIS HELD GOOD Missouri Supreme Court Sustain Legality of Stamp Reieuue on Future Dealing. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., March 15.-Tho supreVne Court today sustained the con stitutionality of the law requiring a stamp of Do cents on each deal In futures of grain, stock and provisions. Weston "All In" After Walk of 72 Miles Monday GARFIELD. Kan.. March lR-Edwaid Pay son Weston, overcome by the exertlona of yesterday in walking stventy-two miles, waa unable to continue his Journey east ward today. He walked to ml lea and then wn forced t give up and go to bed. He declared, howiver, he would be walking again by afternoon. ' Wenon pa.-nid last nl'ht at a farm, house two miles went of the city, having completed the seventy-two mile he had fixed for his day's work. He did this In celebration of his evei:ty-second birthday, which I today. H started out at o'clock BUSY DAY FOR ROOSEVELTS Ex-President and Family Seeing the - Sights Around Khartum. VISIT SCENE OF BIG BATTLE Party Will I,eaT Khartum Thurs day and Will atop at Asauan ad I.u.ior edbr to - ' ' Native) Servant. t , 'V nnrnspu-ai KHARTUM, March IS. Colonel Roosevelt atated today that he could not return to the United States by the way of San Fran clseo, but If possible would visit Denver and Cheyenne in August. T. G. Bonfele of Denver, who came here to meet Colonel Roosevelt, today had an interview with the latter and presented him with a petition from the chambers of commerce of Kansas City and other west ern cities asking the former president to return to the United States by way of San Francisco. f Mr. Roosevelt replied it would be Impos sible for him to accept the suggestion owing to ,hla engagement including hig. presence at the marriage of his son, Theo dore Roosevelt, Jr.. to Miss Eleanor B. Alexander, which la to take place in June. If possible, however, he said he would visit Denver and Cheyenne during the frontier day celebration in August. Colonel Roosevelt upon hi visit, to the Gordon Memorial college addressed the student Informally, expressing great in terest in their work and remarking upon tho splendid progress made by British en ergy within the few years that it Influ ence had been exerted In Khartum. Bent on making tho most of their brief stay in this,, the capital of the Egyptian general government of tho Sudan, the Roosevelta were early astir today. Colo nel Rooeevelt waa especially busy, occu pying tho Interval between excursions to points of historic interest in receiving caller and making reply to such of his voluminous correspondence aa he had been able to examine. After breakfast he aummoned to him the native servant who had accompanied him throughout the expedition and bade them goodby. Each received a presont of ca.-h from Colonel Roosevelt and a gift from Mrs. Roosevelt. The sight-seeing program began with a visit to Gordon Memorial college, built at th east end of the town In 1902 hy sub scriptions solicited from tho British people by Lord Kitchener. From the college a drive was taken to other parta of the town. Colonel Roosevelt, Mrs. Roosevelt, MLo Ethel and Major General SJr Rudolf Baron Von Sladen, the inspector general of the sirdar's staff, "made up th party. They ordered a carriage drawn by a handsome pair of horse and escorted by two Egypt Ian lancers. During the drive they were Joined by other members of Major General Wingate'a ataff, occupying two carriages. Later in th forenoon th Roosevelt abandoned the carriage for a' motor car and, unaccompanied, drove into the suburbs. Thla afternoon the Rooaevelts planned a visit to Kerrerl, the scene of the great bat tle on September 2, W8. when the Anglo Egypllan force defeated the khalifa and reconquered the Egyptian Sudan. The trip (Continued on Second Page.) today bright and happy, ar.d apparently good for a good day'a Journiy. When he reached this place, however, a great neanness suddenly overtook th aj1 podcatrlau. "I'm all In," he said. "I guess I'll have to stop snd rest." Wton now la seven days ahead of his schedule. LARNL'D, Kan., March U. Edward Pay .on Weston resumed Ms Journey after rent ing Hire hour in bed at Garfield. Ht arrived her at 1 10 p. m , following a ten mile walk. Will Be Re-Issued, However; if Medi ation Falls Through. IMMEDIATE ACTION DEMANDS Union Men Wire Washington Officiah to Hasten to Chicago. ' ALL DANGER PAST, SAY MANAGERS Railroad Ofl'teera Forare Amlcabli Settlement illhongh Fmploycs' n Thnt Tbele Consent to Mediation Is Simply F.vl drnce of Falrnea. CHICAGO. Starch ll.-nnngor of an Im mediate Mrlko of 17.000 locomotive firemen, the throwing it of employment of mora than 125.000 other employes and the tem porary siiRper.ln!i of business on pr.ic llca'ly every railroad rystcm between C:il cntto and tho Pacific const was avrrtcd today thromrli the acceptance of offers of mediation from the - fctloral authorities at Washington. At the rrqucxt of the general mmngers of llio forty-fieven western Mllroadx In volved. Chairman Martin A. Knnpp of the Interstate Commerce commission and Com missioner of Labor C, p. Nell! telegraphed an offer of federal nitdlation to the union official. Thla offer wns accepted, W. fl. Carter, president of Ihtf Brotherhood ot Locomotive Firemen ond EnRlnemen, stipu lating, however, that nctlon mut begin without delay. Strike Prevented at Last Moment. The appeal to Washington was t.iken a, nn eleventh-hour move to prevent a walk cut which. It was declared, threatened the greatest railroad atrike Mnee that of 1SPI. Thlrty-seve n members of the western federated board of the brotherhood at mld i.lKht last night formally voted for a xtrlka. The hour for striking h.id been set for next Monday morning and the member were pit pared to start for their homes some of them as far as the Pacific coast to p it the strike into action when tho mediation Atps were taken. It is stipulated that the mediators slin'l to-ne to Chicago. Accurdlng to Mr Carter, this function will be not to arbitrate the matters in dispute, but to determine whnt shall be arbitrated. The questions Involve wtgcB which both side have agreed upon as arbitrable ami two other technical points, Involving promotion and representa tion In the union, which tho hrothorhnod contend are arbitrable, hut which the railroads assert are not. "If the mtdlation falls through, tho ett Ike will go-right on "a'"plaiined." said Mr. Carter. 1 nlun Men Agree to Mediation. The acceptance of mediation was con tained In the following telegram seat by tho -brotherhood to Messrs. Nclll and Knapp. "Matters In controvery Involve condi tions of emplayment ond Increase In wages. Come preparing to leave city. As surance (a given that mediation will be gin Immediately and In the city of Chi cago. Authority for the men to leave th service of the companies will bo tempo rarily withheld. The fact that we hav postponed arbitration on nil matters in controversy and tho fact triat the man agers have ecJeclxjk our proposition, done not lead our men Jo e::pe t a settlement from mediation, but ns evidence of our fairnifca will accept your friendly offlc under the conditions named herein. Plran answer promptly. "W. B. CARTER." Firemen' Reply to Manager. The commute sent the following lettef to the general niatiagers; "W. C. Nixon, chairman of the manager committee: "Dear Wr Your letter of March Kith" has bei n received, In which you oommun leato the Information that tho manager' committee has Invoked the aid of the. Kid man act, and that the honorable chairman of the Interstate rotnmerce Communion and tho honorable United Hiates commis sioner of labor have been requested by tha managers' coinniitleo to tender their good offices. "This In to advlso the managers' commit tee that tchalrrnon of the Interstate Com merce coinmisaloii and the conimltslonrr of labor hnvo tendered by wire thejr friendly office:: In an endeavor to settl through mediation the pending controversy. "Tho proposition of our committee that matter In cuntrovers y bo submitted to ar bitration Is evidence of tho regard! that we havo for the Interests of th publlo and after giving the matter further considera tion our committee InMruct me to notify the managers' comimtea that it has ac cepted Die good offices of tho chairman of the Interstate Commerce commission ond the commhialonor of labor i;t an effort lo reach an amicablo adjustment t.f matter in dispute, provided that such mediation r.hall bo conducted In tho c.ty of Chicago and without delay. "Our committee nfraln InMxts that as'd from the Interests of the public there era no other parties concerned in this dlnpuio except the railways iepre-iented by th managers' connniUeo and the employes n-picsented by our committee. In a stf.temi'iit given out tonight the gen eral manager.! ):ald: "All proxpects of a BtrlUe, are over. There will be none. Hrttlument of tho wiiole c:n-ti-ov'crsy hy mediation and arbitration is assured. " ltullronds Make 1 irst Mote. The application for modli tlon wa-i mad by tho railroads. The nnntt was Imme diately granted. Immediately after Chairman Knapp of the Interstate Coimneite commission ar rived at his office today r presumptive of the lailroad general inaiiaRi'm' commit leo prt-rciitt-d to him tho application of the railroad officials for mediation of th trouble, The application wus signed by W, ('. Nixon, chali rr.aii of tho general man agers' committee. The request was for the meilutlon .if the difficulty that had arUn on the sub jects of "w aires, hour of labor and cor.dl tiona of employment," between the forty- seven roada Involved and th" Brotherhood of locomotive Firemen and Engliieinen." , It wus rcouesti d in the application that tha mediators, Chalrr.an Knapp and Dr. Nelll, rommlsslr.nnr of labor, enter Into communication wlih W. B. Carter, presi dent of the broth- rhoi d with a view to an