Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 34, Number 31, 9 December 1908 — Page 1

ONLY 14 MORE SHOPPING DAYS, UNTIL CHRISTMAS. DO YOUR TRADING NOW

T BICHMONB PAJLILABIUM AND Sni-TFTFilTRAM. VOL. XXXIV. NO. 31. RICHMOND, IND.f WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECE3IIJEK 9, 11)08. SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS.

Extravagance Responsible for Deplorable Condition of Richmond's Finances

Economy Has Not Been Practised Notwithstanding Condition of Treasury and Taxpayers Are Tired. Many Big Mistakes By City Officials Sewer Construction Made at Great Cost to City and Error Has Been Made in Street Improvements. Saturday of this week the (ax burJen of the citizens of Richmond will be further increased by the floating of It $25,000 bond issue which bears 3.G5 per tent interest and is payable in six J ears. This bond issue was authorized by council to meet the deficit in the city's expenses for the current fear. For the past three or four years the Hty's finances have been in deplorable condition, but notwithstanding this fact, the city administration and Uc city council, since the first of this kear have failed to practice economy. In fact, money has been spent with a lavish hand. This is the reason why the city on January 1, wiil begin a new bear with a deficit amounting to $'io,00, which, with interest at 3.65 per tent, would in six years total, $30,473. . Council and the board are held Equally to blame by the taxpayers. Extravagances are shown in sewer and fctreet Improvements primarily. The tlty's share of the cost of sewer systems located this jrear will, in round numbers, reach the total of $S0,KN. tn HN7 a little over $($,)00 was spent m sewers. In street improvements email extravagances are shown. For Instance, temporary improvements ave been made where permanent imravemeutg should., hay ibeen,made.j fhe board took the proper stand Jn this matter, but council failed to sup port it. An instance of this illtimed extravagance is cited in the immovement of North Tenth street. This street did not need to be remade. North Ninth street, which is used for heavy Ihuiekage, was overlooked and remains fen eyesore to the city. I The board stood pat on the proposition of paving North B street from Tenth street to Sixteenth Btreet, thus feavtng the city eventually thousands of dollars, but the council listened to the E' iroperty owners and refused to auhorize the Improvement. Sewer Systems Expensive. , Two immense sewer systems were tuade this year, one In Northwest Itiernond and one In southwest Richmond. Both were necessary and are regarded as splendid improvements. pnt local business men fall to see the toolicy of the city in making two such expensive Improvements in one year's time especially at a time when the jrity could not afford to spend so much knoney. Howls are now going up from property owners owing to these two improvements. They protest they have been assessed too much. Whether .this is so or not, the fact remains that jlhe cty positively can not afford to mssume an additional share of this indebtedness. Hose House Impossible. Fire insurance rates for manufacturing and mercantile establishments liave soared to what is generally regarded an abnormaFrate. Should the fire department be increased, as the business interests of the city desire, fend the new company located in West .Richmond, as the people in that section insist upon, the fire insurance rates would shrink perceptibly. But the city can not afford to increase the fire department. The above, business men state. Shows that the condition the city's inanees have been allowed to get ino, not only affects the city as a whole, lut also nearly every taxpayer personally. This is further borne out by the fact that the shippers of this city have In the past two years lost approximately $3!0,H in business by the squabble the board of public works and the two traction companies engaged in (luring that period of time. This vexctlous question was only settled after the shippers, disgusted with the board's fcttttude. interfered, and in a short time secured terms from the traction interests satisfactory to themselves and to the city at large. Waste on Streets. Streets in the wholesale and manufacturing section of the city continue to be macadamized, when the outpour of money for these Improvements could be for all time stopped by permanently improving the most used streets with brick paving, it is generally stated. North D street, which probably has more heavy drayage on it than any other street tn the city, was recently temporarily Improved, only to Jiave this Improvement ruined by the traction company placing a new line ftlong the street. , - As to whether the city's hospital appropriation is or is not economy, the

council and the administration have locked horns, and public opinion is about equally divided. The city has out a $144,000 municipal plant bond iFSue, bearing 4 per cent, interest, which does not become payable until 1W27. Up to last Monday the plant owed the city $3:;,34.$.tW for money borrowed from the city treasury. At the present time the plant is being operated in a most economical manner and the taxpayers have no complaint , to make. On January 1, this year, ..V). 41, was owed the city by the light plant. It Is probable that the plant's running indebtedness to the city will be paid off within the next two years, providing no extravagant improvements are made.

MEAT DEALERS AGREE TO CLOSE Purchase of Meat on Sunday May Be Impossible After December 20th. MANY FAVOR THE PLAN. GIVES BUTCHERS DAY OF REST, AND ONLY THREE HAVE REFUSED TO SIGN RULES IN FORCE IN BIG CITIES. In the effort to bring about a closer observance of the Sabbath, a committee of the" Ministerial association has been endeavoring to induce the meat dealers to close their places of busi ness upon Sunday. A number of the leading dealers of the city have shown their willingness. In fact several dealers claim they would not open their shops if the patronage did not demand it and competition make it a necessity. The assertion is made that it is not necessary for the shops to remain. open...&t. this season of , the year as no ice Is required for the. preserva tion of meat. The committee of the Ministerial As sociation todayIssued the following statement to the meat dealers and pub lic: " The Ing is a list of the meat dealest, o city who have recently agreed to close their shops provided all others will i-o agree: J. H. Lichtenfels, Isaac Paxson, John Maher. Long Brothers, Joseph Geier. I. N. Bennett, Rosa Nungesser, O. Harris, S. K. Bran denburg, Ed. H. Temme , George J. Knollenberg, John McKone, George G Schwegman, Koorson and Taube, F. Oesting, Frank Scheibler, M. L. Chris topher, C. H. Smith, Peter Husson, C H. Smith. Payton Mitchell, C. A. Haisley, L. W. Hadley, R. G. Thompson John School declined to sign the paper but agreed to close if the others do, Effective Dec. 20. "Only three refused to sign. With that exception all received us kindly. Two or three others have not been seen but will be in a few days. Since so large a number has signed and hoping all may do to soon we have decided to fix on Sunday, December 2, as the day when the agreement shall take effect. We hereby ask all the meat dealers of the city to close on that day and remain closed. If we failed to see any dealers it is because we failed to have their names, and will try to find them this week. In Indianapolis all meat shops are closed on Sunday and if at any time some one opens his shop on Sunday the police soon learn of the fact and it is closed. The same is true in Cincinnati. "We fell assured that after a fewweeks of the closed shops and the whole rest day every week, all will be glad of the change, "Should the city authorities see fit to take action in this matter? Our only effort has been to secure signa tures to the agreement. "ISAAC HUGHES. "GEORGE H. HILL. D. C. HUNTINGTON, M. C. GRAHAM, "REV. RUSSELL. "Committee." HARRY GUYNEY DEAD. Was One of Wayne County's nent Farmers. Promi Harry Gurney, one of the well known farmers, north of the city, died last evening after a short illness at a wry old age. My. Guyney has for many years been one of the lead ins larmers 01 mis vicinuy and is liked and respected by all those who know him. Dr. Allen Bramkamp was called and pronounced due to senility. THE WEATHER PROPHET. INDIANA Fair Wednesday night and i nursaay, except threatening in extreme north portions; light var iable winds. OHIO Partly cloudy Wednesday . night with snow flurries near the . lake; Thursday generally fair; variable wind. -

LEGAL ACTION

MAY FOLLOW PANAMA CHARGES Editor Chas. P. Taft, Through . The Columns of His Newspaper Hints at This Probable Action. ALL CHARGES MADE ARE DENIED IN FULL Former Senator Millard Says Cromwell Concealed Facts About the Deal Investigation Desired. Cincinnati, O., Dec. n. The Cincin nati Times-Star, of which Charles P Taft is editor and proprietor, published the following reply to the article on the Panama canal, which appeared in the Indianapolis News amd New York World: The New York YVona, trie paper which was responsible for most of the talk about the 'Panama Scandal' dur ing the recent campaign, says: " 'Whether Douglas Robinson, who is Mr. Roosevelt s brother-in-law, or any of Mr. la;ts brothers, associate himself with Mr. Cromwell in Panama exploitation or shared in these profits is incidental to the main issue of letting in the light." "This statement is intentionally mis leading. The Panama story was used in the campaign for political purposes solely. The one thing that gave it political value in the eyes of those who used it, was the fact yiat the story, as printed, carried the names of a brother of the republican candidate for the presidency and of a brother-in-law of the president. The inference was plain enough. It was that Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft had used their influence as high officials of the United States government to help near relatives in looting the treas ury at Washington. That was the meat of the story., , If, the names of Douglas" Robinson and Charles P. Taft had not been included in it, flimsy and absurd as it was. the lying yarn never would have been used by the World, the Indianapolis News, and other pa pers which for one reason or another wanted to defeat Mr. Taft and discredit Mr. Roosevelt. "The World is trying to dodge the is sue. It wants to be relieved of the responsibility of trying to drag the names of Mr. Robinson and Mr. Taft. into its made to order mess of scandal and slime. Both the World' and the Indianapolis News are crying 'let in fhe light.' We thoroughly agree with them. But after a little time has passed, after the most desperate efforts of the cornered World and News have produced all the evidence they can, an apology will be in order from those newspapers. "In the meantime Mr. Taft reserves the right to take legal steps which possibly have been made more desirable by the events and insinuations of the last forty-eight hours." Millard Tells of Inquiry. Omaha. Neb., Dec. 9. Former Senator J. H. Millard, who was chairman of the senate committee on the Panama canal when the investigation was made as to the matter in which this government acquired the Panama rights, stated that the French government was not connected in any way with the deal. He said it was through William Nelson Cromwell, who acted for the canal company, and who blocked every effort of the committee to secure the list of stockholders of the company to whom the $40,000,000 was paid. Senator Millard says many of the statements contained in Roosevelt's letter to Foulke are wrong, among them being the statement that ?40,000,000 was paid the French government. Mr. Millard says this money was paid J. P. Morgan & Co. Mr. Millard added: "I am certain there was no grafting on the part of any government official in this country so far as the payment of the $40,000,000 was concerned. None of the money stuck to the fingers which handled it before it passed into the possession of the American Panama Canal company, but of course I cannot say where it went afterwards. "Mr. Roosevelt undoubtedly knew all about the result of the inquiry. He seems to have forgotten a number of them now, however." World Demands Full Inquiry. New York, Dec. 9. The New York World, to which Delavan Smith, editor of the Indianapolis News, referred In his reply to President Roosevelt's attack upon him. says: "In view of President Roosevelt's deliberate misstatements, the World calls upon congress to make a full and impartial investigation of the entire Panama scandal. The investigation of 1905 by the senate committee was blocked by the refusal of William Nelson Cromwell to answer the most pertinent questions. "The Indianapolis News said: It has been charged that the United (Continued on Pag Eight)

CANNOT SPEAK HERE

Impossible for Hon. Selden Spencer to Appear at Y. M. C. A. Dedication. WORK NEARS COMPLETION Secretary George L. Goodwin today received a letter from the Hon. Selden Spencer of St. Louis, president of the International Y. M. C. A., stating that it would be impossible for him to deliver the dedicatory address at the dedication of the Richmond Y. M. C. A. building, Sunday, December 27. This was a great disappointment to the local Y. M. C. A. workers. An effort will now bemade to secure some other prominent man to deliver the dedicatory address. Contractors have practically completed their work on the new building and "just a snia'1 staff of workmen is now employed putting on the finishing touches. The decorator has been at work for a week and will probably complete his job by the last of next week or the first of the following week. BLACK HAND SEEKS REVENGE Foiled in Securing Ransom, Bomb Is Hurled Into Tenement. TWENTY-NINE ARE INJURED MANY OF THESE CARRIED FROM NEW YORK BUILDING TODAYPANIC AMONGST SISTERS AND CHILDREN IN CONVENT. New York, Dec. !. Nine persons were badly injured and twenty others cut and bruised by falling walls and shattered glass early today when an agent for the' "Black Hand!- society dropped a bomb from the roof into an air shaft of a five story tenement, at grso East Sixty-third street. The explosion was terrific, breaking many windows in many of the neighboring buildings. The tenement was occupied exclusively by Italians. The convent of the Holy Rosary, across the Btreet. experienced a panic amongst the Bisters and children. The nine that were injured had to be carried from the wreckage. The police believe the outrage was another attempt to get revenge on Giovanni Cozussi, the banker, who refused to pay a ransom on his kidnapped son more than a year ago. APPEAL PROBABLE Both Sides in Martin-Chit-wood Case Careful to Take Exceptions. TRIAL ENDS TOMORROW It was stated by an attorney in the Martin-Chitwood case, which has been on trial in the Wayne circuit court for more than a week, that the case will come to a close tomorrow. Mr. Little, the attorney, who drew the will of the late George Frybarger, the terms of which have caused the entire litigation, was on the stand the greater part of today. Indications are that whichever way the jury decides, an appeal will beasked. Attorneys for both litigants have been very careful to take exceptions to adverse rulings by the court and have had the exceptions made a part of the record of the trial. Judge Fox has been careful and considerate in his rulings, also, with the purpose to exclude any chance for a mistrial. ENTERS SUIT FOB TEN DOLLARS Boyd Brings Action Against An Estate. Suit has been filed in the Wayne circuit court by Horace B. Boyd vs. the estate of . Susan R. Hollingsworth on claim, demand $10. The sum named in this suit is the smallest that has figured In any case filed in the local courj for years. WIFE DESERTED HIM. OHn Aldrich Would Secure Legal Separation. Orin Aldrich has entered suit In the Wayne circuit court for divorce from boulM Aldrich. Desertion is alleged.

BATTLE WITH FANATICS COSTS LIVES OF TWO Five Other Persons Are Injured, Two Fatally, When Police Storm Meeting of Religious Band.

BATTLE IN CROWDED KANSAS CITY STREET Chase of Fugitives Ends When Women on House Boat Surrender After Child Receives Mortal Wounds. Kansas City, Dec. 9. The victims of yesterday's shooting are in a critical condition and great confusion and disorder hinders the investigation by the authorities. John Creighton of the Working Men's Mission disclaims any connection whatever with Sharp's religious sect, except that they sought and were given shelter several days ago. Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 0. Two persons were killed, two fatally injured. and three others wounded in a battle Tuesday between a crowd of religious fanatics and police. One of the dead is a policeman, another a child member of the band, and one of the fatally wounded was. "Adam God," the leader of the' fanatics. The other fatally wounded were police. The battle began in a crowded street causing a panic among hundreds of passersby. It ended in a sensational chase of a woman fanatic and a child, who had taken to a skiff in the Missouri river after they had been chased from a houseboat which the police stormed in the face of armed resistance. In this attempt to escape the child was wounded. She died later. During the battle in the streets more than 30O shots were exchanged, the combatants- going several blocks, while hundreds of shoppers scattered to evade the bullets. It occurred in the business center of the city, in the shadow of the city hall. The Dead. The persons killed were: Dalbow, A. O., patrolman; killed inttantly by first shot from the rioters. Piatt, Lola, aged 13, girl member of band, who was shot while trying to escape in skiff on Missouri river, following battle; she died several hours later in hospital. The Wounded. The names of those injured are: Sharp, James, Known as "Adam God," a street preacher, fatally wounded. Mullane, Michael, a patrolman; fatally wounded. Clark, Patrick, a police sergeant. Stege, Harry E., policeman. , . Holt, George M., probation officer. The trouble began when George M. Holt, probation officer of the Juvenile court and a pioneer in the work of saving boys from the streets in this city, went to Fifth and Main streets to investigate a case of alleged abduction. Near tha street corner he came upon Sharp, who, surrounded by his companions, was exhorting a crowd. With Sharp were Louis Pratt, a woman, and five children. The children ranged in age from 14 to 3 years. The officer's suspicions were aroused by the manner in which the woman attempted to secure money contributions from the crowd and he decided that she and her male companions were not (Continued on Page Two.)

PALLADIUM LEADS

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CARNEGIE

SPEAKS Advocates Improved Waterways and Harbors Congress. WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION Washington. D. C Dec. 9 Charles Warren Fairbanks welcomed several thousand delegates to the National Rivers and Harbors congress "which opened its sessiou at ten o'clock today at the New Willand Hotel. Andrew Carnegie was one of the speakers advocating improved waterways. President Roosevelt will hold reception at White House this after noou for the visitiuji delegates. IS BACKING BILL? His Hand Seen in Scheme to Secure Passage of Utilities Measure. CITY WOULD HAVE NO SAY LIGHT PLANT WOULD BE IN THE HANDS OF STATE COMMISSION WHOSE RULINGS COULD NOT BE APPEALED. Is the fine "Italian hand" of E. E. Witherby, general manager of the great corporation which controls the Richmond Light. Heat & Power com nany. seen in the move to have the coming legislature enact a public util ities law? City officials believe so and, they state, should this law be enacted It will sound the death knell of the Rich mond Municipal plant. It is-alleged that Witherby is back of the Vincen nes legislator who has announced that be intends to present a public utilities bill. City officials believe diat Witherby has been quietly working on this scheme ever since council and the board of public works heaped insults and abuse on him when he made his recent effort to purchase the local mu nicipal plant. "The man who spoke before the Commercial club on the benefits to be derived from a public utility law was sent here by Witherby. Tills man delivered his address before the club shortly after the city had plainly and unmistakably told Witherby that it did not care to sell out its plant," stated a city official this morning. "I wish that tills city could make some effort to defeat the passage of a public utilities law. Robert Ashe would be a splendid man to make such a fight, but the city would not be justified In paying his expenses for going to Indianapolis and lobbying against the proposed bill, said another city official. Under the terms of the proposed public utilities law, municipal management of institutions such as light plants and water works is done away with and a commission is appointed to regulate public service corporations increasing or lowering rates as it sees fit. The rulings of this commission cannot be appealed to the courts. City officials point out that it would be an easy matter for the big public service corporations to control such a commission, leaving the dear public to grin and saw mood. In his efforts to absorb municipal plants in this state. Witherby has met with rebuffs and, it is believed, the report he is now behind the public utilities bill, which he is known to favor, is authentic. 1 1 fVmSSySmyf.tf , fjj ( 'A.

WITHERBY

III.

DEMOCRATS 111

DOUBT OVER THE DECEMBER MEETING Will Senators and Represent atives Meet in Separate Meetings or Together, Is a Vital Question. - - THERE MAY BE MEETING NO AT ALL' Statistics to Be Used in Con test Now in Hands of Government and Democrats Are Out $500. (By Special State Correspondent.) Indianapolis. Dec. 9. If the demo cratic senators and representative! don't watch out a great big goblin il going to come along and eat m up. In fact, they are in the wildernesa right now, even if they do not know it, for they do not know whether they are going to have a meeting in this city on December 15 at all. They may have a Joint meeting; they maj have two separate meetings at which each side wUl Ellis Searlcs. have its own playthings, or they may not meet at all. As has been stated before In this correspondence, it was announced some time ago that a committee t( democratic members, of which Representative W. S. Wells, of Fort Wayne, was the alleged iiliairruau. had called a meeting for that date to talk things over and get ready for tha coming session of the legislature; But Wells delayed so long in sending out the notice that some of the senators decided to call a meeting on their own hook. . Whose Meeting i It? And now the talk is that the sena tors' meeting will be for senators andl not for representatives. Now,' will the representatives meet at all? Some f them say they will. Others say they will meet with the senators. Soma of the senators say they will not- Ini the meantime no one knows apparent . ly what the real situation is. Nothing has been heard from Wells lalelr and members who have tried to get In ' touch with him by telephone to ascertain what is going on have beea unable to find him. The democrats are not the onlj? ones who can have a get-togetbei? meeting, however. It was learned t$ day that republican members of tha legislature are to come to town to. night and tomorrow morning and. noli a session tomorrow afternoon. Th notices were sent out by Senator Springer, of Bartholomew county anl all the recipients were instructed tQ keep it under their hats. . Trouble for Hall. This republican meeting probably means trouble for Lieutenant Governor Hall. It Is understood that the , republican senators will lay their' plans for taking absolute control of the senate. They will appoint all tb committees, distribute all the plunder make all appointments and in fact, make Hall as much of a figure head as it is possible for them to do. They, say the rules of the senate make it possible for the members themselves to make committee ap-' pointments, disregarding the Lieutenant governor, who is the presiding officer of the senate. And this Is prob ably true. The republicans do not propose to take any chances on a democratic lieutenant governorrramini; up committees that will be satisfac-'. tory to them, and this is what they will seek to avoid. To Fight Tor Option Bill. It is believed also that the republican conference will consider the county local option proposition and ar range for a fight to save it from "1 peal. Senator C. K. .McCulloch. of Madison county, will lead the fight to re-; peal the metropolitan police law. This' will be right in line with his action at! the last session. He introduced the; bill that passed repealing the law, and' which would have been passed over! Governor Hanly's Teto had not the republicans succeeded in adjourning before the natter could be called op . again. And it Is also rumored that TooA Bresnahan. city editor of the Fort'. Wayne Journal-Gazette, the democratic, organ of Allen county, is to be ap-i pointed oil-Inspector for the Twelfth s district, when Governor-elect Marshall j

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