Plymouth Tribune, Volume 1, Number 26, Plymouth, Marshall County, 3 April 1902 — Page 1

ID) LYMOUTH 'I t I ''I WEEKLY EDITION. Uecorder's office ITfcbOl VOLUME I PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, APRIL 3. 1902. NO. 20

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NOBODY BRIBED

Richardson Merely the Tool of a Revengeful Dane. Alleged Scandal Sensation the Result of a Quarrel Between Captain Christmas and Nels Gron. GRON ASKED 60AIAUSSI0N And When. Els Claim Was Rejected He Boasted Tnat He Would "Get Even" Wltn His Government. Copenhagen, March 31 In an interview with a representative of the Associated Press the subject cf Congressman Richardson's resolution for the appointment of a committee to investigate charges made by Captain Christmas in connection with tho negotiations for toe sale of the Danish West Indies a high official said: 'Neither Christmas nor Gron was ever given credentials as agent for the sale of the Danish IVest Indies. They never negotiated with Washington and have in no way influenced the negotiations. These were conducted through L. S. Swenson, the United States minister here, and Constantino Brun, the Danish minister at Washington. The Danish government is under no obligation to any private persons in connection with the sale. Hence no commission is due or will be paid. The alleged scandal is the result of a quarrel between Christmas and Gron. The latter, claimed he effected the sale, and that hence he wanted a commission. Christmas made a similar claim, accompanied by a confidential report to the Danish grovernment containing statements regarding the bribery, etc., as recently published In Washington." Most of the report-was printed by the Danish press some time ago. Gron, seeing it was hopeless to expect a commission, started for Washington with Christmas's report in his pocket, boasting to the anti-sale advocates here that he would be revenged by influencing congress to decline to pass the appropriation tor the purchase of the islands. Before the commencement of the negotiations Christmas and Gron actually tried to become connected with the matter as agents. The then premier, Dr. Hoerring, gave tham some encouragment and private parties favoring the sale furnished small amounts for their traveling expenses. Dr. Hoerring was indiscreet. He discussed a commission, but bribery was not suggested. He and the other parties speedily discovered that they had been imposed on and broke off their connection with Christmas and Gron, considering them to be without influence. Christmas has now been forced to declare that his report of bribery was false. TENNESSEE FLOOD HAVOC. Twent j-Tvo Drowned and Prop erty Losses of $4,00,0000. Nashville, March 31. Re ports from the flood districts of Tennessee emphasize the gravity of the situation. The damage resulting, it is believed will reach $4,000,000, while 22 lives are known to be lost. Several counties certain to have suffered heavily are yet cut off from communication, and the loss in property and life may go higher than these figures. The Louisville & Nashville railroad is running a few trains from here to Lynnville, 18 miles south of Columbia, while the Nashville, Chattanooga r.St. Louis has only succeeded in getting through to Murfreesboro. Neither line can resume regular traffic before Tuesday. The section visited by the flood embraces one of the richest por

tions of the State and damage to farm lands is a serious item. It includes counties lying between the mountains on the east and the Tennessee river on the west, and between the Cumberland river and the Alabama line. Stone fences that have stood the storms of forty years were washed away in many of the well-known riverside farms of of Lincoln county and crops destroyed. REPLY TO THREATS

President Will Stand by Pension Commissioner Evans. WAShiNGTON, April 1 President Roosevelt announced that he would not appoint a successor to pension commissioner Evans or relieve him from the duties of his present office until he had been .cdnfirmed by the United States senate for a better position which would be named for him. This emphatic announcement was made when Mr. Roosevelt was informed that various G. A. R. organizations throughout the country would object to his being selected for a higher position. A telegram was received from Kansas to the effect that he would be vigorously opposed if his name went to the senate for a better position in the government service than that which he now holds. The president gave careful consideration to this announcement and then declared that it was his determination that Mr. Evans should be promoted and not turned out of office, and that to guard against all eventualities he would send to the senate his name for a ne v position and would take no further action in the matter until it was confirmed. Mr. Roosevelt said he had no place in mind for Mr. Evans which he would discuss at this time. Be admitted that he might be considered for the diplomatic post in Japan or Spain or elsewhere, but, as these posts were not vacant, it would not be proper for him to anticipate any changes. It was stated that it was desirable for him to make an official announcement on the question of promotion in order that there should be no mistake about his intentions. A Frisky Old Bridegroom. Terre Haute, March 29. James Godsey, a West Enu character, was married the fourth time at Paris, 111., brought his new wife to Terre Haute and soon afterward appeared in his former haunts with a roll of money and declared that he had "caught a rich widow." He weut to the house of a former wife "just to make her jealous," he said, and broke up her furniture. She hurried to a magistrate's court, but he overtook her there and whipped her in the presence of the court. When the magistrate objected Godsey started to whip the court, but finally was placed in jail. Hurricane In Alabama. Isbell, Ala., March 31 A hurricane struck Isbell Friday afternoon about 4 o'clock, blowing down houses, churches, fences trees and everything in its path, and doing several thousand dollars' worth of damage. The Methodist Church and the Baptist Church were wrecked. The residence of Mr. Gaisser was demolished. A cedar tree about twelve inches in diameter, which stood within two feet of a feed warehouse, was twiisted off about five feet above the ground and blown through the house, landing on the opposite side of the reat. Pope Prepares for Death. Rome, April 1 The Osservatore Romano, the organ of the Vatican, prints the Easter encyclical issued by the pope in which the holy father says the time has come when he must recognize that he is approaching tho term of his life on earth, and that this encylical should be his testament to the Catholic church.

SNOW LIGHTNING KILLS TWO

Mother and Daughter Found Dead in Ruins cf Home. Crown Point, ind, March 31 Early this morning a bolt of lightning, during a snowstorm, struck the farm residence of Christopher Larson, near this city, and set fire to the structure. The bodies of Mrs. Larson and her 10-year-old daughter, Addie, were found in the ruins burned to a crisp, recognition being impossible. The two bodies were lying on the springs of the bed, apparently not having moved after the lightning struck. The husband is employed in Chicago by Marshall Field & Co. The wife and daughter were the only occupants of the house. Only this one bolt of lightning was seen in this section. Flood in East Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn., March 31, The loss by the flood which swept Emory valley Saturday may reach nearly SI, 000, 000 in Roane and Morgan counties when the full story is known. At Harriman the loss will be between 855,000 and 8125,000. The exact amount will depend on the amount of damage done to the Harriman Leather Company. If this is a total loss the damage to this one plant alone will be 875,000. At Oakdale the loss is not more than 815,000 but it is on the farms along the Emory where the greatest damage it is feared has been done. The flooded section of Harriman presented a desolate appearance today. Marks of the flood are plainly to be seen and the whole country presents a devastated appearance. The city's light plant cannot be operated for a week or more. The majority of the homeless are housed in the gymnasium of the American Temperance University. s House Forecast. Washington, March 31. The house during this week will . be largely occupied by the sundry civil appropriation bill which will be called up today. Such time as remains will be devoted to the consideration of the senate bill to promote the efficiency of the revenue cutter seryice and the Chinese exclusion bill. Both are on special orders but they do not interfere with the revenue or appropriation bills. It is the intention of the leaders not to bring forward the Cuban reciprocity bill until next week. Pushing Electric Lines. Kokomo, Ind., April 1. Geo. McCulloch president and general manager of the Union Traction Company filed a 83,000 bond here today, guaranteeing the'eonstruction of intertiroan line from Kokomo to Indianapolis, also to connect Kokomo with Peru and Logasport, the roads to be in Kokomo by September next, Indianapolis to be connected by June 1, and Peru and Logansport by July 1. IMPROBABLE GOLD STORY Patterson Says There is Too Much of the Yellow Metal. Denver, April 1 Senator Patterson telegraphs his paper from Washington a story which purports to give a reason for the failure to finish the Denver mint. He repeats a conversation between Senator Rawlins and Director of .the mint Roberts, in which the latter is quoted as saying that the great production of gold is creating alarm in money circles; that as soon as mining is recommenced in South Africa the gold production will be so enormously increased that it will seriously disarrange if not destroy the world's credit, Mr. Roberts is reported as saying further that it seemed to him necessary to discourage rather than encourage the production of

gold, and because every new government assay office tended to encourage production he could not assist the Colorado senator in the Denver mint project. After Twenty Years. Laporte, March 31. After a separation of twenty years, during which time neither knew the whereabouts of the other, Dr. I K. Reed, of South America, and Mrs. J. W. Muir, of Laporte, were yesterday reunited here. The doctor is a man of wealth and position and the sister would have lived in want but for the assistance of friends. Mrs. Muir came here about a year ago with her husband and two children; but the husband was imbued with the idea that he had a mission to perform, so left his wife and children in destitute circumstances while he went to establish missions for slum work in the west. Years ago the Muirs were well-to-do and prominent socially in an eastern city. Dr. Reed came to the United States recently to find his sister, and after tracing her to Chicago, then to Indianapolis, Marion and other Indiana cities, finally found her in Laporte. Oil Company Organized Wabash, Ind., April 1. The Eclipse Oil Company with a capital of 8300,000 most of which is held in the East, was organized here today to develop 2,000 acres of oil and gas land in Liberty township Wabash county, the gas to be piped to Wabash manufacturing concerns. The company has begun drilling an oil well on the extreme southeast corner of the lease, and will make several other test wells before laying the mains. All the Wabash factories, which hold good blocks of the stock, will be connected with the lines and domestic consumers along the lines also will be supplied.

Damage at Benton Harbor. Benton Harbor, Mich., Mch. 31 The Benton Harbor k St. Joseph Street Railway line is tied up for the first time in ten years, and not a car is running. Duringthe storm every pole of the street railway line and the telephone system for half a mile between the cities was blown down. Telephone connection between Benton Harbor 1 and St. Joseph is broken, together with the wires of the Postal Telegraph company. Lightning: Strikes Church. Evansville, Ind., March 31 The St. Boniface Catholic church located on Wabash ave. between Franklin and Michigan str., was destroyed by fire Sunday morning. The building was struck by lightning. The loss is placed at 8200,000, with but 810,000 insurance. The congregation has no place to worship. The church was the finest in the city, and, it is stated, it will be rebuilt. In Favor of Reciprocity Washington, March 31. The ways and means committee, by a vote of 12 to 5, ordered a favorable report on the Payne bill for 20 per cent, taiiff concession to Cuba." Eight Republicans voted for the bill. No amendment on the reciprocity feature were made, but by general consent the United States contract labor laws were included, with the naturalization and exclusion laws as applicable to Cuba. A series of democratic amendments for general tariff revision were defeated on strict party' votes." Great Storm at Pittsburg. Pittsburg, Pa., ivjarch 31 The windstorm here yesterday was one of the fiercest ever known in this city, groat damage was done to property and several people killed. Two churches filled with worshippers .vere partially demolished. . The spire of one of these churches was struck by lightning just as the pastor began the. benediction. Great damage and loss of life is also reported in the northwestern part of West Virginia.

TEN YEARS IN U. S. COURT.

Judge John H. Baker's Record on the Federal Bench. Indianapolis, April 1 About the Government building it is said that Judge John H. Eaker, during the ten years he has been on the Federal bench, has made a record in business disposed of that has not been equaled by any other judge of the Indiana district, and it is doubtful if a Federal judge in the districts of surrounding states can come up to the mark he has set. Judge Baker is now beginning his eleventh year in the United States court. He has reached the age and time limit when he may retire on full pay. No one about his court has drawn up a complete record of the civil and criminal business that he has disposed of, but it is estimated that he has passed on from 400 to 500 cases a year, not including the adjudications in bankruptcy he has made in the last four years. It is estimated that in some years Judge Baker has passed on as high as 300 civil cases, and on more than 200 criminal cases. During his time on the Federal bench his experiences as a criminal judge have been varied. He has sent presidents of National banks to the penitentiary; he has dealt with petty counterfeiters, as well as notorious ones, and, the government officers say, it has been the quality of justice that he has dealt out to the counterfeiters that has driven the expert makers aud "shovers" of imitation money out of the state and loft the secret service agents with little to occupy their time. During his career on the bench Judge Baker has had a good deal to do with violators of the revenue laws and Indiana moonshiners, and "bootleg" liquor men have so profited from their expe riences in the United States court that they have ceased to give the government much trouble in Indiana. It is further estimated that in his ten years Judge Baker has rendered civil judgments, in cases in which the United States was not a party, amounting to from 860,000,000 to 870,000,000, For the fiscal year of 1899 the judgments rendered in the United States court in this city amounted to 815,000,000, and for the fiscal year of 1900 the amount was 86,000,000. Those who are familiar with the affairs of the United States court here say the volume of business transacted during a year is at little cost in comparison with the expenses of district courts of other states. Christmas Has Recanted. Washington, April I. Mr. Brun, the Danish minister here, called on Secretary Hay yesterday with reference to the pending investigation by the House of charges preferred by Mr. Gron, in view with the acquisition of the Danish West Indian islands by the United States. Thero is reason to believe there has been received from Denmark a sweeping denial by .Christmas of any attempt on his part to corrupt" American legislators and newspaper men. ICE A1NE IN ARIZONA. Caves Near Flagstaff Said to Have Inexhaustible Supply. Phenix, Ariz., March 31. A company of capitalists has been organized to mine ice from the curious and famous ice caves in northern Arizona and supply the towns on the, Santa Fe railroad with the product during the long oppressive summers. It is expected that a supply sufficient also for the Arizona divisions of other railroads will be mined.. Little is known of the Arizona ice caves and nothing authentic has ever been written about them. The main cave is at the head of Clark's valley, 14 miles southwest of Flagstaff. Until

last August the main cave had been penetrated to a depth of only 200 feet. ' E. R. Dalton, of New York, then explored the cave past the point where the narrowness of the opening had stopped other explorers, and found that the passage was gradally widened out into a series of chambers, all of solid ice. Since then other exploring parties have discovered that the caves are mines of inexhaustible ice, which extend far down into the bowels of the earth. The temperature in the cave drops 60 degrees during the first twenty minutes of descent.

WHITE HOUSE EGG CARNIVAL Washington Children Play Annual Easter Monday Games. Washington, April 1. The green sward back of the white house was alive yesterday with swarms of children, who, with baskets filled with brightly colored eggs, entered with zest into the annual Easter Monday eggrolling carnival. The throng was thoroughly cosmopolitan and all sorts and conditions of children mingled freely in the fun. Tne grounds were open from 9 o'clock until sunset. The Marine band gave a concert at 4 o'clock and brought to a close a thoroughly enjoyable day for the younger generation. The President and Mrs.Roosevelt and their children, together with a number of friends, appeared on the portico of the white house, while the crowds were on the grounds and the former was kept busy in acknowledging the many salutations he received from the little ones. The party remained on the portico until a threatened shower drove the multitude to shelter, GRAVE RIOTS IN CHINA One Thousand Persons Repoted to Have Been Killed. Pekin, March 31 Chinese officials say 1,000 people have been killed in riots at Ta-Mung-Fu, the southernmost prefecture of the province of Chi-Li. This, perhaps, is an exaggeration, but the loss of life was undoubtedly great. The riots were due to attempts of local officials to collect indemnities for the Catholics, as arranged between the officials and the priests. Soldiers have been dispatched to quell the disturbances, and a tao-tai has been sent to adjust the differences. The officials warn the missionaries to keep out of the disturbed district. Such resistance to the payment of missionary claims is to be expected in localities where the population is poor and large sums are levied. The latest reports from Ta-Ming-Fu say the greatest loss of life occurred during the fight between Yuan Shi Kai's soldiers and the populace. The inhabitants of several villages,, who were enlisting in the so-called United Villagers' society, resisted the soldiers, but, as most of the villagers were only armed with swords, they suffered great slaughter. Would Rake The Old Maine. General Wocd has brought to the attention of the war department, I the propriety of making some ar rangement for raising the wreck of the Maine from the ooze and mud in which she lies embedded in Havana harbor. It is stated by him that not only are there sentimental reasons for this, owing to the fact that according to common belief the remains of forty or fifty American sailors lie within the sunken hulk, but this heavy steel structure is also a menace and obstruction to navigation in the harbor of Havanna and it is our duty to the Cubans to remove it. The expense attached to the undertaking is very heavy the bids ranging anywhere from $400,000 to $900,000. Ngle6t titans Danger. Don't neglect billiouanesa and constipation, Your health will suffer permanently if you do. De Witt's Littlo Early Risers cure euch cases. The best pills. They never gripe or cause nausea. For sale by J.W, Hess.

MINE EXPLOSION

Twenty-two Killed by Gas in Tennessee Mine. MANY OTHERS INJURED Dry Cool Dust in Colliery Ignites and the Suddenness of the Shock Prevents Chance of Escape. Chattanooga, Tenn., Apr. 1 At 4:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon an explosion of gas in the Nelson mine of the Dayton Coal and Iron company at Dayton, Tenn., ignited the dry coal dust in the mine and caused a terrific explosion. Twenty-two men are known to be dead. Ten bodies have been recovered. Twelve bodies are still in the mine. Gas exists in the Nelson mine, and the men are required to use safety lamps. It is the rule of the company for the miners to place their fuses ready to be lighted for blasts just before quitting work each day, and there are workmen known as 'firemen," who go through the mine after all the miners are out and set off these blasts. The miners quit work at 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon. It takes them about forty-five minutes to get out of the mine. The two "firemen" who are supposed to have caused the explosion are Lark Hunter and John Harney. They shot the blasts about 4:45 o'clock, before all the miners could get out of the mine. It is supposed that one of the fuses was defective, and resulted in what is known as a "blown blast." The flame shooting out from the blast ignited the gas, which in turn ignited the accumulation of dry coal dust m the mine. The explosion that followed was horrible in its intensity. It shot out of the mouth of the mine and completely wrecked the shed at the mine entrance. Three men were killed while standing outside the mine, and two seriously and one fatally injured. This mine has been the scene of two serious explosions in the past. In 1689 four men were killed and e'ight seriously injured by an explosion of gras. Dec. 20, 1895, an explosion of mine dust occurred, in which twenty-eight lives were lost. This was caused by a miner carrying an open lamp, contrary to regulations. In May, 1901, an explosion of a similar nature occurred in the Shalliday mine, operated by the same company, in which twentyone lives were lost. The force of the explosion in the Nelson mine was terrible. Bodies were literally mangled and torn to pieces. The company states that there were but seventy-five men at work in the mine when the explosion occurred. A Significant Case. Col. Ingersoll used to tell a good story about six young men who start in to learn the shoemaker's trade. Five of them as soon as they received their pay would go to saloons and Other questionable places and spend it at once, while the sixth one would save his and often work over time at night. After a time he was enabled to take his' best girl out riding, and finally marry, and then set up business for himself. The other five youths were disgusted at the conduct of this sixth workman and met in a saloon soon after and passed resolutions declaring capital unequally divided and asked for a re-division. Winona Plans Are Ready. A business meeting of directors of "Winona assembly association was held this week and plans for the proposed agricultral and trade school were approved. These will be forwarded to Pittsburg to receive the final approval of the college board, which will meet there on April 14. It was decided to remove the general offices of the association from Indianapolis and occupy the ad ministration building at Winona the year round.