Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 33, Number 10, 25 February 1908 — Page 1

RICHMOND PAIXADIUM

THE

AND SUN-TELEGRAM. IUCJI3IOXD, IND., TUESDAY EVENING, I'EIJUl AKY ., UMKS. SINGLE COPY", a CENTS. YOT,. XXXI IT. NO. 10.

SWEEPING INQUIRY INTO THE NIVAL REGIMEBEING MADE Senate Committee on Naval Affairs Began Investigation Which May Result in Lively Denouement.

CONVERSE AND CAPPS TO TELL ALL THEY KNOW. Alleged Defects in Warship Building and Reported Conflict of Various Boards the Cause of Investigation. - Washington, Feb. 2. With -the Hale reorganization bill" as a basis the senate committee on naval affairs bosun a thorough investigation into the affairs of the navy today. The inquiry is to include the increase of pay of officers and men, the necessity for the existing bureaus and boards, the Kixey-Brownson controversy and the scandals ,nat liave lwpn circulated by the publication of the Keuterdahl reports and other articles alleging delects in waiship construction. The sessions of the committee are cpen in the sense that it is the purpose to allow the reporters for press associations to he present. It is Known, however, that some of the na val officers who have been brought into the various controversies, s-uch as lieutenant Commander Sims, naval aid to the president, desire to throw the doors open to all, that the world may Know what is going on. They are opposed to star chamber proceedings. The claim that they have heei abused by iuuenilo and otherwise and all should have an opportunity to hear what they have to say. The committee intended to examine Tcday Rear Admiral Converse and Rear Admiral Capps. chief of the bureau of equipment. Rear Admiral Converse is the officer who was selected by the navy department, on the approval of the president to answer the Reuterclahl articles. In his report lie mentioned no names. To Hear Many Officers. Rear Admiral Capps also reported voluminously on the ulle'ged defects of the navy, but kept secret much of his iniorniauon, wmcu ine committee in- u tended to extract from him on the Hand. Resides these two officers it is very likely that a score or more will be called before the investigation ends. Some members of the committee hold that Brownson. for instance, was not beard in full. In the statement which was gven out. from him in the White j louse he made reference to certain documents which did not appear in the budget furnished to the press. Surgeon general Rixey. who was the antagonist of the Brownson hospital ship fight that led to the resignation of Brownson, is in contempt ef the rules of the navy department which forbids one officer to criticise another. How he was able to do this without even a reprimand, no one here can tell. Apart from this irritant, the Reuterdahl affair looms up big. as Keuterdahl is still with the fleet under the ving of some officials of the navy deVartment. Officers have been accused of furnishing him with information with which to discredit the navy, and junior pointed to Lieutenant Commander Hill, of Admiral Dewey's staff, and lieutenant Commander Sims, of the president's staff. To Fix the Blame. Owing to the prominence of these f wo officers, who have been catechized by the navy department, an unusufillj" grave scandal has developed, and it is stated by their friends that they do not wish to shirk any responsibility, but on the contrary, are desirous to clear themselves and put the blame where it belongs. An attempt was made recently to connect Rear Admiral I2vans with the affair, but. the scandal vanished when it was discovered that it was based on a false telegraph dis patch. Out of the criminations and recrimi nations an entirely new torm ot government for the navy department may . be evolved by Senator Hale and hi colleagues in the committee. The President, it is understood, had ap proved a bill for a reorganization of the department. Senator Hale's bill also looks to important chances. He is convinced that there are too many boards, and a consolidation at least would be to the advantage of the ser vice. Such a reorganization took place Hot many years ago in the war depart ment and it was brought about by con ditious which find their parallel in the liavy quarrels of today. On account, therefore of ihe officers Involved, their public and private rela lions 10 nigner omcers. the momen tous issues at stake and the fact tha the navy has been free heretofore of hcandal affecting the bureaus, the pro eedings to be opened will be watched! villi keen interest.

HOW A LAWYER LOOKS IN PRISON GARB.

kBE HUMMEL. Abe Hummel, who is shown here in prison garb is very deeply interested in the troubles into which his friend and client, Chas. W. Morse lias become involved. It is hardly likely that Hummel will be tble to be of much assistance to Mr. Morse. PROPOSED TRACTION LINE NEXT WEEK Portland Is the Only Town Whch Has Not Appointed Committee to Meet in Big Joint Conference. TRACTION LINE IS WELL THOUGHT OF. Predicted That If Favorable Action Is Taken at Richmond Meeting, Stock Company May Be Organized. Cash Beall, George R. Dilks, Ed ward Humpe and Lee B. Nusbatun have been appointed as a committee by the Richmond Commercial club to meet with committees from other towns and cities along the proposed route of the continuation of the Ft. W. & S. traction line from Decatur to Richmond. This meeting of all the committees will be held in Richmond some time the first of next week. Winchester. Lynn, Fountain City and Chester have appointed committees. The only town which has not yet ap pointed representatives is Portland. A committee will be named by the Commercial club in that city some time this week. At the meeting to be held here the men will discuss the feasibility of building the proposed line. If the pro ject, is regarded with favor the com mittees will so report to their various organizations and steps will at once be taken to place stock in a company which will be organized to build tne line. The project, it is thought, is re garded with favor in ever town on the route and it does not require a stretch of the imagination to predict that the line will bo built. At Winchester the Merchants association held a meeting, endorsed the movement and appointed the following committee to attend the joint meeting in Richmond: P. K. Goodrich, Charles Roland, V. H. Huston, H. E. Magee, R. J. Litschert. At a public meeting held by the citizens of Lynn the following committee was appointed: Edward Hopkins. Georg Fickel and C. R. Carter. The Comn jercial club at. Fountain City has appoi ted the following committee: M. f. Lacey, O. C. Thomas, J. R. Chei .weth. George B. Harris, Claude Kee er. The citizeus of Lynn will be rep :sented by the following men: Wi lam A. Morrow, Theodore Gist, W' Jam Ryan, J. W. Hall and Thomas Borden. THE WEATHER PROPHET. FOR INDIANA Rain Tuesday night; Wednesday, fair. OHIO Rain and warmer Tuesday night; Wednesday, colder and fair except local snows in northeast portions; brisk to high southwest to northwest wind.

CONFERENCE

MANY MEN PLACED IN DINGY PRISON CELLSJLAST YEAR Four Men Were Convicted and Sent to Michigan City and Eight Were Forwarded to The Jeffcrsonville Prison.

THIRTY-SEVEN MEN CONVICTED FOR FELONY. Many of These Served Time In the County Jail Chief of Police Bailey Is Preparing His Annual Report. During the past year 37 man, as the result of the work of the Richmond police department, were convicted on felonious charges and sent to serve time in the county jail, the northern penitentiary at Michigan City, the state reformatory at Jeffersonville and the reform school for boys at Plainfield. This is quite an increase over the previous year when only 23 males were sent to these various institutions to serve time on such charges. These statistics are shown in the annual report of 1907, which Chief Bailey of the police department is now preparing. It is a most interesting report and on its completion will be submitted to the board of metropolitan police commissioners and the city council. Of the nineteen men sent to the county jail last year to serve time on convictions for felony, eighteen were guilty of larceny. One was seut up for forgery. The sentences In these cases averaged from ten to ninety days. In each one of the nineteen cases fines averaging from $1 to $2." were assessed. I here were quite a number of felony cases where only fines were assessed. No record w-as kept of ihe so cases. Six fugatlves wanted in various places were arrest ed here, while ten fugatlves were re turned to Richmond to answer to the charge ot felony. Of the tour men sent to the Michigan City prisou it is a remarkable fact that all of them were colored and all entered pleas of guilty to the charges on which they were convicted. These men and the charges- on which they were convict ed are as follows: Robert Samuels, embezzlement. John Brown, shooting with intent to commit murder. Alonzo Fisher, murder. William Payne, larceny. In 1906 the same number were sent to the northern prison through the ef forts of the local police. The past year eight men were sent to the Jeffersonville reformatory. Six of them plead guilty to the charges made against them. Three, of the" number were colored. The Jeffersonville con signment last year was compos' of the following men: Henry Kroma, robbery. Leroy King, larceny. George Lipscornbe, larceny. William Woodford, larceny. . Lavester McRoberts, rape. Arthur Pingburn, larceny. James Carter, larceny. Vera Green, intent to rane. In 19lfG the Tocal police sent six un desirable citizens to the Jeffersonville reformatory. Six juveniles were seut. to the Plain field reform school. All were con victed of felony charges. The effici ency of the local police department is shown by the fact that nearly all the men and juveniles sent to state insti tu'tions to answer serious charges en tered pleas of guilty to the charges placed against them. This saved the county quite a nice amount of monev. WOMAN SHOT A LAWYEujnHE HEAD Angered Because He Would Not Act in Case. New York, Feb. 25 Charles M Sanford, a prominent Brooklyn attor ney, was shot twice in the head today in his onices by a woman who is thought to be crazy. The woman was arrested and gave her name as Jennie V. Blunt, Schermerhorn street. She averred that she shot Sanford to avenge a wrong he had done her. The lawyer's injuries are not serious. Sanford said he refused to take a case against her husband and this angered her. KUHN DELEGATES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN Brownsville Democrats Endorse Preacher. Brownsville, Ind., Feb. '."i The democrats of Brownsville township have selected delegates to the various conventions. The Rev. T. H. Kuhn was innored for the democratic nomination for governor. A township ticket y as nominated.

WANTS TO BET $10,000 TEDDY WILL BE "IT." Washington, Feb. 25. Senator Elkins of West 'Virginia and Senator Bourne of Oregon met at the White House. Both are millionaires. Senator Bourne is the sole patentee of the second elective term. "The president will not be renominated," said Senator Klkins to Senator Bourne. "There is no use of you wasting any more time in that direction." "He will be nominated," said Mr. Bourne, emphatically. "He will not," responded Senator Klkins. "I will be you $H,nOO that Roosevelt will be named by the Chicago convention." rejoined Mr. Bourne. 'I will not. bet," replied Elkins, "but," lie added, "if I thought you had that amount of money on you I would throw you down and take it away from you."

WAR STORIES NOW THREATEN TO RUN RIOT OVER WORLD Government Prepares a For mal Protest Against the Japanese Policy in Manchuria to Be Sumbitted. ONLY MORAL PRESSURE WILL BE USED BY U. S. There Is No Danger of War, It Is Claimed Japan Is Not Living Up to Portsmouth Treaty. Washington, Feb. 2u. The United States government Is preparing a formal protest against Japanese usurpa tion of territory and territoriol con trol in Manchuria. This protest will soon be issued. It will undoubtedly be regarded as a sensational event all over the world. It will undoubtedly cause another war scare to run riot in the press and in the minds of many men. The protest will be a strong and earnest one, and though addressed to the Japanese government it will prob ably be sent to all the powers in the form of a joint note. So far as the moral influence of the American gov ernment can be exerted, everything possible will be done to compel Japan to observe her treaty obligations and to respect the territorial entity and administrative control of China. But it should be fully understood at the outset that the United States will not go beyond exercising moral pressure. There is no danger of war. The Japanese so understood it. They may heed the American protest and they may not, but if they do it will not be because they fear the United States might resort to force to back up its contention. United States Friend to China. Ever since the late John Hay initiated the open door policy in the autumn of 1899 the United States has been regarded by all the powers as the leader in the movement to protect the Chinese from aggression. But at the same time it has been as fully understood by all that the American government never had any inten.ion of resorting to physical force. Indeed, (Continued on Page Seven.) FIRE DESTROYED HOUSE NEAR CHESTER Home of Ben Norris Burned To Ground. Yesterday the house on the farm of Sanford Hennings, near Chester, caught on fire from a defective flue and burned to the ground. The house was occupied by Ben Norris and family. They succeeded in getting all the furniture out of the burning building. PRESIDENT TAKES PART IN EXERCISES Pressed Button That Started Tunnel Machinery. New York. Feb. 2j President Roosevelt pressed the button at the White House at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon that set In motion the vast machinery o the Morton street branch of the McAdoo tunnel between New York and Hoboken, X. J., amidst elaborate ceremonies. Governor

Hughes and Governor Fort of New- j pected that there will be a large nnm.Tersey participated. The tunnel will! her of delegates attend this convene oj?t'Eed to the public at raid,n'ht, tion.

WILL GOVERNMENT BUILDING BE SOLD

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10 SATISFY CLAIM Uncle Sam Owes City of Richmond and According To State Law, Property Can Be Attached. STUDY SAYS THAT CITY WILL HAVE TO SETTLE. Claim Is for Cement Alley and Time of Paying Assessment Has Expired Johnson Puzzled. Can the city advertise the public sale of the Richmond post office and then dispose of the property to the highest bidder for the purpose of securing the amount of the assessment made by the city against the federal j government for the cementing of the alley to the west of the post office which runs from North A street to Sailor street? This was a question that CityTreasurer Ninirod Johnson studied long and deeply over. According to the state law such action could be taken but he doubled if the city, even though it was supported by the laws of Indiana, could compel Uncle Sam to pay his assessment in the event he didn't want to pay it. For the purpose of getting some advice on the perplexing question, Mr. Johnson appeared before City. Attorney T. J. Study and put it up to him. Mr. Study delved into some formidable looking law books and finally emerged with the statement that if Uncle Samuel failed to pay up, the city of Richmond would have to pay the deficit out of its own gaunt and hungry-looking purse. Some time ago the board of public works approved a resolution to have the alley in question paved with cement. This work was done and the federal government was assessed $196.28 as its share of the cost of the improvement. A bill for this amount was sent to Postmaster J. A. Speken hier and he in turn forwarded it to the proper bureau of the postoffice department at Washington, D. C. Since then thirty days have elapsed, it is asserted and nothing more has been heard of the claim. The state law pro vides that if a public improvement as sessment is not paid or waivered w ith in thirty days after it Las been tiled, the property of the debtor shall be ad vertised and sold at public sale. TAGGART IS FREE Charge of Embezzlement Was Dismissed by Court Today. JESSUP MAKES STATEMENT. This morning in the circuit court Prosecutor Jessup sprung a surprise when he made a motion to dismiss the indictment of embezzlement filed against former city clerk John F. Taggart by the grand jury last year. Judge Fox sustained the motion. In his motion Prosecutor Jessup assigns the following reasons for asking the dismissal of the indictment: "That at the time of the alleged offense was committed the said John F. Taggart w;us city el?rk of the city of Richmond and which official position I he has since resigned: and that a full I and complete settlement was and has ; been made as between the interested j parties, other than the state; and that this prosecuting attorney believes no public interests are to be subserved by further prosecution of said indictment." It will be remembered that the grand jury returned an indictment against Taggart for the alleged embezzlement of funds of the Indiana Municipal league, of which organization Taggart was for several years secretary. Since his arrest he has been out on bond furnished by his father-in-law. J. W. Wilson. H. Y. Johnson, attorney for Tag gart, states that he has left the city in search of employment. His many friends will be pleased to learn that the embezzlement charge against him has been dismissed. SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTIONS CHESTER Will Be Held in the Friends' Churcht Next Sunday there will be a Sunday school convention held at the Friends' meeting house at Chester. It is ex-

MAN'S RESIGNATION CREATES WIDE BREACH

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l H. H.

ROGERS, Jr. 1 1. It. Rogers. Jr.. Captain of Company C, of the Twelfth Regiment, New lork, is the tenth officer to resign since the court, of innuirv exonerated ti, ri, ro,a iv,i,',i nv. f the same regiment and his action created a wide breach among the men Ul lilt Ki,IUKni. SMALLPOX SCOURGE HAS BEEN STAMPED OUT, SAY OFFICIALS Practically All Danger Has Passed and Richmond Peo ple Can Now Rest Easy Without Fear. HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE WORKED VERY HARD. As the ReSUlt, the' Disease Which Had Threatened to Sweep the City Has Run Its Course. The city health omcers are now con fident, that the smallpox scourge whicn has swept through Richmond the past two months has at last been practical lv stamned out. At the nresent time there are only two cases in the city un - der quarantine and these are mild ones. Last week the first smallpox j case in the county outside of Richmond was reported. It was that of a local shop employee, who lives on Easthaven avenue, which is just west of the west corporation line of the city. County Health Officer Grant has post ed a card at this home d This morning Dr. Grant stated th his patient was doing nicely and th the case was a mild one He said that the guard had been posted at the house to prevent any possible chance of the disease spreading to the Kasthaven insane hospital. sanitary officer George Young states mat mere nave Deen ovr twenty cases of smallpox in the city in the past several weeks, but that fortunately nearly every case has been a light one and up to the present time not a death from the dread disease has re sulted. There have been a lare num ber of people quarantined because they have been exposed to smallpox cases, but in the majority of cases those who were exposed did not contract the disease. The health authorities have compelled those who have been indirectly exposed to submit to vaccination. A few people were exposed to the case now quarantined on Easthaven avenue. One man who was indirectly exposed to this case, was ordered to be vaccinated, but he refused to comply with the order. The health authorities then quarantined j him at his home. I The most cases of smallpox report1 ed to the health officers at any one time was about a month ago. when a local physician notified Health Officer Bond that there were six cases of smallpox in a certain family in the south end of the city. The fight that has been waged against the smallpox scourge has been conducted qufetly and when it appeared to be most threatening the newspapers were requested to ignore the matter for fear that comment on the matter would spread a general alarm. Few people ia the city realize the fact that Richmond is now just emerging from the most threatening smnllpot scare in years. This li alxut the only contagious disease that the local health officers have been called npon to fight this winter. At the present time the two mild smallpox cases are the only contagion In the city. It will be remembered that last winter the health authorities had to tombat a threatening measles eridmic.

LOCAL BANKS WILL

NOT BE AFFECTED BY TREASURY CALL Richmond Institutions Have Received No Notice of Call For 25 Per Cent of Government Deposits. WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT IF THE CALL WAS MADE The Banks Hold Security Bonds All Banks Over the Country Will Respond to The Call. It is not the opinion of local banker that the call made upon national banks by the secretary of the treasury for approximately '17 per cent of the public funds on deposit, will effect the three government depositories in Richm0nd. the First National bank, th National bank. It is stated that none of the local depositories have received notices from the treasury department. . ,u.h( -.ill nnlv h. recalled from active depositories. The three local bauks are not regarded a active deiosltories. At the Second National bank the government ban $t"Ni on deposit. The other two banks have each y.iO.ooo of govern ment money on deposit. Even if twenty-five per cent of these deposits are withdrawn, the local banks would not be embarrassed as the banks hold security bonds for the amount Unci Sam has placed in their care. All tha local banks would have to do, to make up for the twenty-five per cent the government might draw from the deposits, would ie to sen twenty-m per cent of the security bonds. A Washington dispatch says: The secretary of the treasury has announced a call upon national banks for approximately 2r per cent of toe public funds now held In the active depositaries having on deposit such funds in the sum of $100.00. or more, and 25 percent of the public funds now held bv atve depositories where the neposii is !,. f u kucu or in neess thereof, and where such withdrawal can be made without inconvenience to the treasury department In the transaction of public business. Under the call approximately $.iri,x,o will be returned to the treasury. Payments under this call will be made as follows: Ten per cent of the amount called on or before March O, axla lne remaining u pr cent uu r j neiore .Martn ... Secretary Corteljou stated that adviceH from all portions of the country are to the effect that this proportion ot the government funds now on deposit with these national banks can be withdrawn without detriment to financial conditions in any section. METER EXPLODED AND CADSED FIRE Threatening Blaze in the Mc Conaha Building. This morning the fire department was called out to extinguish a blaze in a flat in the McConaha building on j Fourth gtretf whIcb originate In a peculiar manner. A natural ga meter located in a cloeet in the flat suddenly exploded with a deafening crash. When a frightened occupant of the flat opened the closet door a tnreatening blaze was discovered. Thi fire was soon extinguished with but small loss. " MANY LOCAL PEOPLE AREJOW LIABLE Violated, the United States Postal Laws. By order of the postal authorities at Washington the third and fourth class mail matter at the postoffice was inspected by the Richmond force. Eridenco incriminating merchants, lawyers, physicians and in fact all persons using the mail to a large extent was secured for violating the poftal laws'. The violation consisted of placing personal notes to the consignee concerning the article sent, and whlelt made this mail first class. The number of violations recorded would not be made known today, bnt upon the isit of the postal inspectors in th futnre a lare sum will be collected ii nes, -

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