FOURTH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1914.
NUMBER 21.
Lilt TELHPH NEWS
NORFOLK, March 9.—Eighteen
members of the crew of the wrecked
steamer Charlemange Tower, Jr.,
last Saturday and carried to sea in
an open boat have been rescued
from their perilous position. They
were picked up by the steamer Bay
Port and landed here yesterday.
They had nearly perished from
exposure.
PHILADELPHIA, March 9.—
President Wilson spent Saturday
afternoon in this city and strolled
along the streets unattended with
out being recognized. He went to a
noted occulist s office to have his
eyes examined and then went to a
bookstore where he purchased a
book before returning to keep his
appointment with the occulist.
ST. LOUIS, March 9.—Seven per
sons are known to have perished
and more than a score are missing
and are believed to be in the ruins
of the Missouri Athletic club build
ing which was destroyed by fire
early this morning. The building
was occupied entirely by members
of the club and was one of the finest
in the city.
The fire started in the basement
and had gained great headway be
fore an alarm was turned in. Many
were injured by jumping from the
upper stories to the pavements and
adjoining buildings. An investiga
tion has been ordered by the mayor
as it is claimed the building was not
properly equipped with Are escapes.
Streams of water are still being
played on the ruins and idle work
men are being engaged to search for
the bodies of those believed to have
perished.
NEW ORLEANS, March 9.—That
prohibition will never be enforced
in any Christian couBtry is the opin
ion of Cardinal Gibbons, who is
visiting his brottaw* Here. He said:
“Prohibition can never be enforced
in America or any other Christian
country because it is a restriction of
the citzens' rights. Temperance in
liquor, as in all things, is urged by
the church as the solution of the
problem.”
ST. LOUIS, March 9.—A search
of the ruins of the Missouri Athletic
Club building which was destroyed
by fire this morning has revealed 30
bodies. It is believed that all who
lost their lives have now been
accounted for.
NEW YORK, March 9.—The Aero
Club has announced that Alphonson
Pegoud, the trick aeroplanist, will
visit this country early next sum
mer and was seeking engagements
for his famous upside-down flights.
The proposed world aeroplane race
of the Panama-Pacific Exposition
has aroused great interest in Europe
but many firms are hesitating from
making entry owing to the enor
mous cost which the flight of a
machine around the w'orld would
cost. It is estimated that from 60
to 90 days would be consumed in
making the flight.
WEST CHESTER, Pa., March 9.
—George Ramsey, who was arrested
for embezzlement of $10,000 from
the Honey Brook National bank,
where he had been employed as
assistant cashier for several years,
was admitted to bail today in the
sum of $2,000.
COLl'MBl'S, O., March 9.—The
contention of Tax Deputy Faekler,
of Cleveland, that owing to a defect
in the Ohio State lax law that the
personal property taxes of John D.
Rockefeller in Ohio, could not be
collected has been overruled by
Attorney General Hogan and the
Tax commission. ■ The tax- in Rocke
feller’s case amounts to several
million dollars.
§ HANCOCK, Mich., March 9.—Be
fore the Congressional investigation
conimittee which is completing its
labors of investigating conditions in
the strike districts, the National
Guardsmen were bitterly attacked
by representatives of the ilnions.
Scores of witnesses were introduced
by the Western Federation of Min
ers who gave testimony that the
militiamen had interferred with
parades and even attacked the min
ers as they were passing along the
streets.
ST.- LOUIS, March 9.—Several
shoe companies which closed down
last December renewed operations
this morning and put on about 5,000
workers. The secretary of the
union to which the operatives be
long report that more than 12,000
have started to work during the
past two weeks after more than
three months of idleness. Othdr
factories have announced their in
tention of resuming at an early date
with a full force.
^ Rolling mills and many kindred
WASHINGTON, D. C.. March 10.—The Senate passed the
conferees report on the Alaska railroad bill this afternoon by
a vote of 41 for and 29 against. The bill was not changed and
passed the Senate as it came from the House, and is ready to
go to the president for his signature.
The report was bitterly denounced by Senator Cummins,
who said: “As the bill now stands the government can only
build inland from the present terminals of privately owned
lines and as a result the government lines will be at the mercy
of the privately owned lines for tidewater terminals. The bill
is a mighty fine thing for the privately owned lines because
they will insist on an enormous profit if the government ever
decides to take them over. I am opposed to the government’s
entry into the Alaskan railroad situation unless it owns a
railroad from the ocean to the interior of Alaska and can act
independently of any privately owned lines.”
Senator Pittman took exception to Senator Cummins’
interpretation of the bill declaring that the point was not well
taken. “The conference committees report.” he said,
“provided that the government must build or acquire a
continuous railroad from the coast to the interior but enabled
the president to lease existing railroads for the purpose of
facilitating the construction of trunk lines while negotiations
were pending for the purchase of the existing lines.”
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 11.—The vote on the
Alaska railroad bill yesterday stood 42 for and 28 against, one
senator having been recorded as voting against the measure
instead of favoring it, and was allowed to correct the error.
The bill is now ready to become a law as soon as signed by
the president. The final debate on the bill was vigorous and
centered about the proposition of giving the president the
right to operate the road “after failure to lease.”
Senator Sutherland and others who have opposed the
government ownership feature of the bill w’ere opposed to
government operation of the lines after completion and
maintained that the president might not attempt to lease the
property and could simply report to congress “failure to
lease” as an excuse for government operation.
Senator Norris and others who have contended for govern
ment ownership of the lines, favored the elimination of the
provision permitting the president to lease the railroads and
spoke for straight government operation of the roads.
The provision of the bill giving the president discre
tionary power to build the trunk lines to interior Alaska from
the end of the existing railroads before purchasing the
privately owned lines was attacked by Senator Cummins. He
had introduced an amendment to the bill in the Senate
requiring that the president purchase the existing lines in
advance of any construction work being undertaken on the
trunk lines to the interior. His amendment had been voted
down. He declared that the bill, with his provision eliminated,
would favor the privately owned roads and the government’s
$35,000,000 would simply be a feeder for the private lines. He
also contended that the increased business of the pirvate lines,
resulting through the government’s operations, would cause
them to demand an enormous profit when the government
decided to take them over.
Senator Poindexter urged haste in disposing of the
conference committee’s report but he declared that he did not
want to see the government pay any enormous sum for the
existing lines. He believed the matter could safely be left in
the hands of the president.
WASHINGTON, 1). C., March 11.—It is believed Presi
dent Wilson will sign the Alaska railroad bill tomorrow. The
same pen will be used which Speaker Champ Clark used in
signing the bill. The pen is made from Alaskan gold and the
holder from a mastodon tusk taken from the gravels of an
Alaskan stream. Both the pen and holder were supplied by
John Ballaine and will be presented to the territory of Alaska.
Many prominent Alaskans now in the city, as well as senators
and congressmen who championed the measure, have expressed
a desire to be present during the ceremony attending the
signing of the bill.
Mexican Situation Is Approaching Crisis
—
WASHNGTON, I). C., March 9.—The entire session of the
Senate on Saturday was taken up in a discussion of a resolu
tion which Secretary Bryan, of the state department, had
caused to he introduced to determine the status of the
Mexican situation respecting the Anglo-American commission
appointed to investigate the death of Benton, the Englishman.
The situaton is known to be very critical as the British govern
ment is looking to the United States to secure the fullest
satisfaction possible.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9.—Sir Cecil Spring-Rice,
who succeeded Sir Carden as British ambassador to Mexico,
has informed Secretary Bryan that an Englishman named
Syndan had been driven from his ranch in the state of
Chihuahua and his property confiscated by the Mexicans.
Secretary Bryan has telegraphed to Consul Letcher, at
Chihuahua, to make a full investigation of the affair at the
earliest possible moment. It is believed that the attack on
Syndan, following as it did shortly after the killing of Benton,
will cause the British government to serve warning on its
subjects to leave the isolated places and seek safety where they
will have the protection of the British consuls.
LONDON, March 9.—The British press and public is
growing impatient over the delay in investigating the killing
of William S. Benton, in Juarez, by General Villa. Benton Avas
a wealthy rancher and mine owner and employed several
thousand Mexicans before the Avar. He belonged to a prominent
family, being a brother of Sir John Benton, former head of
the British irrigation systems in India. Benton’s son is an
officer in the British army.
LAREDO, Texas, March 9.—The mutilated body of
jCostillo Vergara, the American citizen who was kidnapped and
taken across the line by Mexican federal soldiers, and after
wards put to death, was discovered on the American side of
line early this morning. A party of Mexicans were seen to
cross the border and later disappeared in the darkness.
Investigation of their actions revealed the body of Vergara.
The body had evidently been buried as the clothing is earth
stained. Physicians who have examined the body state that
deceased had been hanged and shot several times. '* The
examination shows that the body was mutilated before life was
extinct while other disfigurements have clearly been made
since it was taken from the grave where it had been secreted.
The finding of the body has created intense excitement. A full
account of the affair has been telegraphed to Secretary Bryan.
WASHINGTON, 1). C., March C.—The Sim’s bill to
repeal the Panama Canal Tolls act was favorably reported
back to the House today by the House commerce committee by
a vote of 17 to 4, showing that the personal request of President
Wilson to the joint committee of the Senate and House
yesterday is having immediate effect. President Wilson in
explaining his desire that the act be repealed stated that it was
in conflict with the treaty made by the United States with
Great Britain and other foreign countries, and should be
repealed to sustain the national honor by upholding treaty
obligations.
industries are operating with an in
creased force of skilled workmen
and state that before the close of the
present month the largest force of
men on record will be employed. In
creased business and an easier
money market is given as justifica
tion for the renewed activities.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 10.
—The House judiciary committee
today dismissed as uncorroborated
the charges which had been pre
ferred against Justice Wright, of
the District of Columbia by Wade
Cooper, the financier.
The complaint charged the jurist
with private and professional mis
conduct and characterized him as a
disgrace to the judiciary. The in
vestigation of the charges was
thorough and although every oppor
tunity was afforded Cooper to sub
stantiate his allegations he was
able to produce only hearsay evi
dence.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 10.
—Prominent suffragettes from the
Congress Union today again be
sought the House judiciary com
mittee to act favorably on the pend
ing resolution for a suffrage con
stitutional amendment. Despite the
disinclination on the part of the
members of the committee to regard
the action favorably the suffragettes
were determined to employ their
heaviest guns in the interests of the
cause. The suffrage for women
amendment advocates did not have
things all their own way, a number
of women prominent in the fight
against votes for women, being on
hand to voice the same old argu
ment, “We don’t want to vote so
don’t give it to those who do.”
SUM AS, March 10.—Telegraphic
information from Abbotsford, B. C.,
states that the Abbotsford bank had
been held up and robbed of $2,000
by armed bandits this forenoon. The
men forced the cashier at the point
of revolers to hand out the con
tents of the cash drawer and quickly
made their escape. Information
has been wired to all parts of the
country to be on the watch for
suspicious characters.
PHILADELPHIA, March 10.—Al
though the present contract between
the coal operators and the United
Mine Workers of America expires
on April 1, no agreement for a
renewal of the wage scale has been
reached. The miners insist that the
new contract should provide that all
coal be weighed before being
screened and paid for on a mine run
basis.
The operators have refused fo
meet the demands of the miners and
one of the worst industrial conflicts
in the history of the country is
threatened. Should the strike be
called it will affect every coal mine
in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West
ern Pennsylvania.
KANE, Pa., March 10.—After
millions of feet of gas had gone to
waste the big well of the Wykoff
Oil & Gas Company, has been put
under control. It is estimated that
the loss to the company, caused by
the blowing out of the packer by the
tremendous pressure, is close to
25,000,000 feet. When the well was
struck last month, measurements
showed it had a capacity of 2,
500,000 feet per day.
ELKTON, Md., March 10.—Every
precaution to protect the prisoners,
two negroes, said to have confessed
to the killing of H. T. Coleman in
December, is being taken during
their trial here. The men were re
moved here from Chestertown fol
lowing their arrest after a mob had
three times stormed the jail, and
begun a search for the negroes in
the lower tiers of cells when the
sheriff and 20 deputies drove the
mob back. Two hundred militia
men accompanied the prisoners
here. Judges Adkinson, Hopper and
Constable were on the bench today.
DAWSON, March 10.—The ses
sion of the Yukon legislature opens
here Thursday next. One of the
chief problems which will come be
fore the House will be the consider
ation of the proposed installation of
a city owned water, power, tele
phone, electric power and light sys
tems.
The Dawson Civic League, which
is pushing the movement for permis
sion for sale of bonds to carry out
the work, says the rates for years
have been excessive while the ser
vice given has been very poor. The
privately owned plants have ibur
dehed the community too long and
although they have realized great
profits the money has all been
sent out of the country.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 10.
—Both the state and war depart
ments have ordered investigations
as to how, in what manner and by
whom Vergara’s body was brought
across the border. The information
regarding the recovery of the body
is very conflicting. Governor Col
quitt has wired the war department
that the body was turned over to
Captain sanaers of the Texas
rangers, by Mexican federal soldiers,
while the information which has
reached the state department states
that the body was found on the
American side of the line by officers
who had been sent to investigate a
mysterious group of Mexicans who
had crossed the border under cover
of darkness.
HIE TELEGRAPH NEWS
TERRA HAUTE. lnd„ March 11.
—Bert Dickens, a carpenter, ha*
been indicted by a federal grand
Jury for conspiracy to kill Judge
Charles M. Fortune, of the circuit
court, Felix Blankenber, special
judge who is hearing the election
fraud cases and Joseph Roach, spe
cial United States prosecutor in the
case.
The court officials recently re
ceived information that an attempt
would be made upon their lives
and secret service detectives were
placed on the case, resulting in the
indictment of Dickens. The detect
ives claim that the accused is only
a tool in the case having been hired
to destroy the court officials and as
much of the evidence as possible in
the hopes that the principals might
escape. Sensational developments
are promised as it is understood
that some of the most prominent
men in the district are implicated
in the conspiracy.
PORTLAND, March. 11.—\V. C
Barker, a millionaire clubman, has
been sentenced to serve live days on
the rock pile for auto speeding
within the city limits. He will take
an appeal and declares he will spend
half his fortune before serving the
sentence.
Barker has already appeared in
court on two former occasions when
he was fined $10 and $50 respec
tively. He was cautioned that under
the ordinance the third offense was
punishable only by Imprisonment.
The speed ordinance was ordered
rigidly enforced after two children
had been killed in one day by joy
riders. In one case the driver was
so intoxicated that he was unable
to tell the police where he lived.
PORTLAND, March 11.—Port
land claims the honor of being the
first Pacific coast, city to begin a
boom for the appointment of one of
its citizens as a member of the
Alaska Railroad commission which
it is believed President Wilson will
appoint.
Captain Ellicott. the retired in
spector of the 17th lighthouse dis
trict, is the man whom the citizens
of this city would like to see become
a member of the commission. It
is realized that Seattle and other
cities will shortly begin pulling
wires for the appointments and
Portland decided to beat them to it.
Captain Ellicott will have the en
dorsement of all the commercial
organizations of the city and as the
senators and representatives from
this state took a prominent part in
the fight for the passage of the
Alaska railroad bill, making the ap
pintment of the commission neces
sary, it is hoped he may be able to
land the situation.
PARIS, March 11.—Official infor
mation has been received reporting
heavy loss of life on the island of
Madagascar from a tidal wave
caused by a cyclonic storm which
swept in from the ocean. The wind
gained a velocity of more than 70
miles per hour and caused moun
tainous waves to roll in engulfing
many towns along the coast.
PEKING, March 11.—Cninese
brigands sacked and burned the city
of Las Hakow last night and car
ried off a number of Europeans as
hostages for ransom. Dr. T. Froy
land. a Norwegian missionary, was
killed during the battle between the
citizens of the town and the bandits
before the capture of the city.
Hundreds of Chinese merchants
who resisted the bandits in their
raids on the business houses were
killed and their bodies thrown into
the streets, it is estimated that the
army of bandits number fully 5,000
men.
SEATTLE, March 11.—L. H.
Howe, city health inspector, was
shot and dangerously wounded to
day by G. ,T. Rutterworth, a painter,
whose home and premises he was
examining. Howe is in the hospital
and is not expected to recover.
Butterwortn gave h.mself up to the
police after the shooting, which is
believed to have been due t.o
jealousy.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 11.
—Dr. Barton W. Everman, chief ot'
the Alaska fisheries service, has sent
his resignation to the bureau. Ho
has accepted the directorship of the
museum in the California Academy
of Sciences in San Francisco. He
has been in the government service
for a numbr of years and was slated
for the appointment as chief of the
bureau which the department is
urging the government to establish
in Seattle.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 10.
—The supreme court of the United
States has refused to review the tes
timony in the appeal case of the
Indianapolis dynamiters who were
convicted and sentenced to long
terms in prison.