Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 37, Number 137, 13 April 1912 — Page 1

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RICHMOND PAJXABIUM AND SUN-TELEGRAM .VOI.. XXXVII. NO. 1ST. RICII3IOND, IXD., SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 18, SINGLE COPY 2 CENTS.

HEAVY HAVOC

IS E BY FLOOD TODAY Three Breaks in Mississippi Levees Inundate Vast Territory and Render 50,000 Homeless. RICH FARM LANDS AT RIVER'S MERCY Conditions at Memphis Improved, but Further South, Destruction by Flood Has Been Extensive. (National News Association) MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 13 Three breaks in the Mississippi river levees where for forty eight hours a thousand men have been laboring to hold back the torrent, allowed the flood waters to sweep over Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana today inundating a vast stretch of country and rendering fifty thousand persons homeless. The breaks occurred at Pat her Forest, Ark.; Lake Village, Ark.; and Salem, La. Although the flood swept out over the lowlands, it failed to relieve the situation at Helena, Ark., and the surrounding country is still in danger of a flood that will cause untold loss and imperil lives. Lake Village, a town of 3,000 inhabitants, was soon the center of a swirling torrent, when the break occurred and the inhabitants fled. The town is In danger of destruction, some houses being already washed from their foundations. To Flood Texas Basin. The breaks will flood the entire Texas basin including the richest farm lands in the southern Mississippi valley. From Desha county and Chicot county, Ark., as far south as the mouth of the Red River and for a stretch miles back from the old river course the country will be under water by tonight, it is asserted by government levee experts here. Other breaks are threatened. Weak spots are reported at' Osceola and Luxora. Men have been fighting desperately to save the embankment protecting these towns, but today a consultation was held and laborers may be put to work removing household goods and helping women and children to fly to ia safer place. ; Levee engineers are expecting a break In the lower Lazoo county and Ishould it occur nothing could prevent the flooding of the entire Mississippi delta country inhabited by thousands of negroes. Hundreds of miles of territory would be covered with water. .'Warnings have been sent out and they have not been generally heeded and iheavy loss of life would be almost a (certainty. 1 The St. Francis river is rising an Inch an hour. Marker Tree, Ark., is kinder water and deserted. Refugees are coming to Memphis. Caruthersville 'Mo., is Inundated, sickness has broken out and appeals for help have been issued. Levees Are Weakening. ! The levees above Helena and Arkansas City, are weakening , today. Slight slides of earth from the banks ihave been reported and a break that 'will send a torrent of flood waters into these cities is expected. Precautions 'are being taken to protect property as much as possible and arrangements to ,xnove inhabitants to the higher ground ihave been made. The better residence section of Helena is on the bluffs and would probably be safe, but the business section land the poorer residence quarter of Ihe city would be swept away. A break In the levee at Vidalia, La., lis expected hourly by the engineers at Natchez. Reports received there today say the Vidalia levee is weakened and has begun to slough off. Memphis is the center of relief work. jTwenty thousand refugees are being cared for in this district. The steamer, jwith a cargo of government rations arrived today. Ten thousand refugees are being icared for in the Hickman territory, i 3,000 at Tlptonville, Tenn., and Greenville, Miss., is organizing a relief corps .Conditions here have greatly improvjed. It is expected that the railroad 'traffic will be resumed by the end of ijiext week. HOLD CONFERENCE ON TUBERCULOSIS (National News Association) WACO, Texas., April 13 The Texas State Conference of Charities and Correction, which will begin its sessions here tomorrow has attracted to Waco a large number of men and jwomen prominent in charitable, philjanthropic and reform work. In conjunction with the meeting this year there jis to be held the Southwestern Conference on Tuberculosis, to which the j States of Utah, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arizona and !New Mexico have been invited to send delegates. The proceedings will be opjened tomorrow evening with an address of welcome by President S. P. jBrooks of Baylor University, the annual address of the president of the conference, Prof. C. S. Potts, of the ."University of Texas, and an address Ion "The Call to Social Service." by jProf. Thomas J. Riley, of Washington University, St. Louis.

DON

Warrant Out In

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A warrant has been issued for the arrest of F. O. Beach at Aiken, S. C, where the millionaire clubman and Mrs. Beach spent the biggest part of the cold weather at the fashionable winter colony. Mr. Beach is charged with being the one who is guilty of the mysterious attack tjiat was made on Mrs. Beach on the night of February 26, when Mrs. Beach was attacked by a man in her own front yard and her throat was fearfully slashed with some sharp instrument. Mr. and Mrs. Beach are now in London, and both declare the charges are "ridiculous." The Aiken authorities have begun proceedings with the state department to bring about the extradition of the clubman.

FRUSTRATE A PLOT TO MURDER MADERD Wholesale Arrests Made by the Mexico City Police Department Today. (National News Association) MEXICO CITY, April 13. Tremendous excitement was caused throughout this city today by the discovery of a plot to kill President Madero and dynamite the public buildings. Twenty-five arrests have been made here and the suburbs. While the police are secretive it is said further arrests will be made. A majority of the prisoners are of the peon class, but the electrical appliances for setting off the dynamite charges found in the possession of some of them, and the discovery of code messages, corroborated in the minds of the authorities the belief that men of higher class were cerned in the plot. conREVOLT SPREADING MEXICO CITY, April 13. General Zapata, with 2,000 insurrectos, has taken up his position before Jojutla and threatens to make another attack on that city. His plans are to use Jojutla as a base against Cuernavaca. Advices from Chihuahua say that Gen. Orozco, the rebel leader in the north, has refused to recognize Marion Fletcher, the U. S. consul and seized a great quantity of Mr. Fletcher's private papers, declaring that the American official was giving the government information relative to insurrecto movements. INSPECTSJEW PARK E. E. Walker, Landscape Gardener, Will Prepare the Plans. E. E. Walker, of Cincinnati, a landscape gardner of national reputation, spent the forenoon in this city, making an inspection t)f the grounds of the Richmond Amusement company at the Hawkins estate. Walker made plans and took measurements of the grounds, and will draw up a set of plans for driveways, lawns and a general system for the beautification of the park. Walker will return in a short time with his plans and submit them to the company. Four deep pits, fifteen feet square, have been dug at the site of the dam which is to be at the western end of the lake, which will have a forty acre basin. The holes are being sunk to bed rock. As soon as this is done, the contract for the building of the dam will be let, agd toeorfrtegun,

Mysterious Case

WHEAT PIT NTH PANIC TODAY Reports of Crop Failures Caused a Rush of Bear Shorts to the Cover. (National News Association) CHICAGO, April 13. A wheat panic such as has not touched the Chicago market in many seasons threw the pit into riot and confusion today. Wheat was sold and bought in such extreme rapidity and in such quantities that it was almost impossible to follow the market. Prices mounted in a breath and tumbled again by stages. May wheat opened at $1.06 and jumped to $1.10 in a few minutes. It dropped back to $1.07 almost as quickly and then advanced again to $1.08. Other markets showed corresponding activity. The panic today was a rush of bear shorts to cover, and even up on outstanding contracts. Behind this immediate cause, however, were the persistent bad crop reports that have been coming in from Illinois, Ohio, Northern Indiana and sections of Missouri and Nebraska. Not only have the reports been uniformly bad, speaking of heavy winter killing, but many of them have been accompanied by orders for wheat. As these ill prophesies piled up it be came apparent tnat tnere would be a heavy shortage. Today's rush to cover on the part of the shorts was one of the first effects of the reports. In addition to the activity in May wheat, July and September wheat also did gymnastics. July cfpened at $1.044, quickly jumped to $1.06 and finally settled back to $1.05. September opened at $1.03, went to $1.04i and settled to $1.04. These price fluctuations were accompanied by an enormous trade. For the last three days the bear shorts have been covering right along, but there has been no movement of wheat such as that of today. There is still a big opea interest in the market despite the three days covering movement. After the day of wild excitement wheat closed w-ith prices showing gains from 1 to 4 cents in the different options. It was a genuine old-fashioned crop scare, the like of which has not been seen here in five years. Corn closed 14 cents better. OaOts ranged from unchanged to cents better, provisions were about 10 cents higher all round. FACTORY MUST ADD NEW FIRE ESCAPE State fire inspector McMahon has ordered another stairway to the glove factory on South Eighth street, and an additional fire escape. In this factory he found many girls between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, who are employed as helpers. They are legally employed, having the consent of their parents, but the inspector stated this v.-as a deplorable condition. He saisl he had not found any violations of the child labor laws here. McMahon will have completed his investigation ot the cttx bjr ih$ last of next seek.

THROWN

L ft VERY BUSY T Many Important Questions

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M COM G

Will Be Brought Up for:ins as other town

Discussion at the Meeting Monday Evening. TAYLOR TO ANSWER CHARGES OF EVANS Glen Tracks Feud to Reopen, Ordinance Revoking Car Company's Franchise Is to Be Presented. The final step in the fight for better street car service is scheduled for the council meeting Monday night. Alphonse Weishaupt, chairman of the councilmanie investigation committee, stated today that the committee had prepared its report which would be submitted to the council Monday night. A meeting of the committee with City Attorney Gardner to inspect the ordinance revoking the company's franchise, which the city attorney recently prepared, is scheduled for tonight. The ordinance will be presented Monday night. It is expected by the committee that the ordinance will be passed under a suspension of the rules. The specific complaints which the committee has incorporated in the ordinance are' not divulged. The agreement between the city and the two traction companies for operating freight through the city, under the terms of which the tracks in the Glen are to be removed, comes up for third and final reading Monday night. This will be the signal for a fight. Several of the councilmen have announced they will not vote in favor of taking the tracks from the Glen. Residents of east Main street and North Twentieth street, the route over which the freight cars would run if the Glen line is eliminated, have prepared a remonstrance and will be present in a body to fight against the agreement being ratified by the council. Taylor is to Reply. v CltyMarketmaster-'Taylor, who wasattacked at the last council meeting and given a sound rhetorical drubbing for alleged neglect of his duties, will be present and defend himself against the charges. He says he will give evidence that he has not neglected his work. He is supported by the mayor who says the marketmaster should not be required and is not required by law to play detective and policeman in catching short weight dealers and wagon drivers. The cluster light proposition for Main street, proposed by the Y. M. B. C, will be argued pro and con, up and uown, ana mrougn ana inrougn. &upi. Johnson of the light plant declares the light plant should not be required to furnish free current for the cluster lighting system. The Y. M. B. C. committee views the matter in a different light. The question of providing an arch at the Glen entrance on Main street, and for a cement storm basin for the ravine between the Irst bridge and Main street at the Main street entrance, will come up again if the mayor so orders. Parliamentary law is involved in the legality of this measure. By the mayor it is claimed the measure is dead, but by several members of the city council, it is claimed the ordinance appropriating funds for this improvement, is up to the third reading. This will be decided Monday night. The dog ordinance, providing for a checking system, will be up for first reading Monday night. Several changes in the wordings of the ordinance had to be made before it was in the proper legal condition for action by the city council. DRY MEASURES GO INTO THE DISCARD NattonaI News Association) BOSTON. Mass., April 13. Fifty thousand dry measures used by retail grocers and provision dealers throughout Massachusetts were thrown into the discard today as a result of the new State law coming into operation which requires that all vegetables, nuts and fruit must either be sold at retail by weight or numerical count. The law further stipulates the number of pounds to the bushel of the various commodities, ranging from beans to peanuts. The State weights and measures department is arranging for a strict enforcement of the law. BISHOP OBSERVES JUBILEE SUNDAY (National News Association) PROVIDENCE, R. I., April 13. Bishop Harklns' twenty-fifth anniversary as head of the Providence diocese will occur tomorrow, and arrangements are being made to celebrate the event with elaborate services in the Cathedral of S3. Peter and Paul. The religious observance will be followed on Monday by a celebration of the laity. Bishop Harkins is in receipt of a congratulatory message from Pope Pius X., conveying the papal blessing to Uie bishop, his clergy andjegle.

BAILEY'S VIEW OH CLUSTER L1GHTIHG Thinks It Would Be Economical and Improve Appearance of the City.

"I should like to know the reason why Richmond should not be as pro gressive in the matter of street lightRichmond boasts of its progress, enterprise and pros- I perity, but we are still clinging to an antiquated system of street lighting j for public places," said William Bailey, j chairman of the cluster lighting com mittee of the Young Men's Business club. Mr. Bailey has been working for months on this proposition and aa j a result has stacks or correspondence from the majority of the cities and towns that have adopted cluster lighting. The proposal that the committee representing the Young Men's Business club and the Commercial club are making is that th merchants on Main street shall present to the city, ready to turn on the current, cluster lights on ornamental iron poles, such as Indianapolis, Dayton, Chicago and other cities all over the country are adopting for lighting their public thoroughfares, and the city in return shall furnish the current free of charge. "The total cost of installing 72 columns complete, ready for lighting, is about $100 a post. I have been figuring this expense at about $7.50o. This expense the merchants on Main street, between Fourth and Eleventh streets propose to bear if the city will furnish the current," said Mr. Bailey. "The "expense to the city of maintaining the arc lights at the corners is now in the neighborhood of $40 a lamp. So this amount should be deducted from the amount of the increased cos. I calculate that 288-60 watt lamps running five hours from 7 p. m. to midnight would be 86 kilowatts per day or $1.72. While the 72-100 watt lamps which would burn all night,, on the top of the posts would be $1.44 a day. At 2 cents a kilowatt land counting thir ty days to the month) this would make the total expense $94.80 per month. Deducting the arc lamp expense this shows an increase of $54.80. "The merchants therefore propose to invest $7,500 if the city will bear this extra expense therefore both Richmond and her private citizens w ill co-operate to light Main street effectively. "We are going down to the board of works Monday morning willing to lis ten to what Mr, Johnson has to say and more than anxious to co-operate with him. I have counted 2 cents a kilowatt I don't know what Mr. Johnson calculates the cost of his current at but to be conservative 1 have used the United States Central station report, which gives it at that figure. As an electrical man of some experience I think that is a conservative figure." A E CONTEST Connersville and Richmond Bible Classes Engage In. The Bible schools of the First Christian churches of this city and Connersville, Ind., have entered into a Bible class contest. Last Sunday was the first day of contest, and Connersville defeated Richmond. The school having the largest attendance and offering each Sunday is given five points in the scoring. Last Sunday, Connersville had 450 present and an offering of $12.20, and Richmond had 283 present and an offering of $10.03. Connersville has the larger school of the two according to the average attendance, of the past year, but this did not keep Richmond from entering i ,nto ine contest ana lr connersville J wins. taey wilJ have to keep moving, It is hoped that the contest will result in a larger attendance in both schools not only during the contest, but after it is concluded, which will be the first Sunday in June. INJURED BOY HAS IMPROVED RAPIDLY Ralph Stewart, the nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Will Stewart. National road west, who was seriously hurt Tuesday by falling from a street car west of the city, is slightly better. His back and limbs are still swollen, but he is able to walk a little. It is not thought now he will be a cripple for life. His shoulder, which was broken, still gives the boy much pain, but is thought to be healing nicely The father will engage the services of an attorney to take the case into the courts and attempt to get damages for the Injuries to his son. There was no conductor on the car to prevent the youngster from stealing a ride and falling off the car as he subsequently did. THE WEATHER HIGH SCHOOL OBSERVATORY Forecast for Richmond and vicinity, rain tonight and Sunday. Maximum temperature, SO at 2 p. m, Friday. Minimum temperature, at 7 a. m., Saturday. Temperature at 11:30, 60. Total rainfall, 8.90 inches. Rainfall since yesterday. -38 inch. Barometer. 29.83. Direction and velocity of wind, east, 1 miles an hour. . - - -

UN1QU

News Nuggets

(National News Association) CINCINNATI. O.. April 13. Jacob G. Schmidt, a Cincinnati capitalist and owner of many model tenements, in an address on prosperity here said a family of fire ought to live on $15 a week and save money. ASHTABULA. O.. April 13. As Eddie. Gifford, a one-legged high diving bicycilist, lay dying, his last request w as for a box of cigarettes. CINCINNATI. O.. April 13. John P. Ruch Jr.. has secured a divorce from his half sister, whom he married two years ago. completely unaware that they were related. They have two children. NEW YORK. April 13. Mrs. Harold Remsen. who died March 25. leaving a $23,000 estate bequeathed $5 to her husband. YONKERS. N. Y.. April 13. Mrs. Algernon Schaefer. 333 North Broadway, has appealed to the police because a woodpecker on a nearby roof awakens her too early in the morning. WASHINGTON. April 13. The German ambassador has sent a bill to the United States government for $3.45 due for postage while trying to find heirs in Germany, of John A. Beck, a former soldier in the United States Army. NEW YORK, April 13. A Collie dog near caused a series of disasters in Brooklyn by carrying off a red flag placed over an open manhole where repairs were being made at Church avenue and Carnesie road. PRINCETON. N. J.. April 13. President Hibben. of Princeton, has announced that a farm has been opened here where poor students may work to pay their way through the university. A DOCTOR DEPARTS', CREDITORS GRIEVE Whereabouts of Dr. Pierre Lafayette Stewart an Unsolved Problem. Dr. Pierre Lafayette Stewart, sole proprietor of a physical repair establishment over th StaTrPiano "siTesrooms, has departed with most of his household goods and office equippment. and a long list of creditors are anxious to ascertain the doctor's destination. It is reported he left unsettled claims, totalling nearly $500. When Dr. Stewart was preparing to leave this fair city, of which he had only" been a citizen a short time long enough, however, to work up an excellent practice and considerable credit he confided to a close friend that he was going to Decatur, III., to join his wife, and later would go to Mun cie. The friend was Informed that not later than Friday he would receive a letter informing him of the doctor's future plans, but the letter never came. Hpwever, the doctor's friend stated today, a young woman who was employed in the doctor's office, has received a letter from Mrs. Stuart inquiring as to her husband's whereabouts, saying she had not heard from him for some time. CRANK IS ARRESTED When He Forced His Way Into the White House. (National News Association) WASHINGTON, April 13. Armed with a big clasp knife but earnestly disavowing any intention of doing harm to the president, a man who gave his name as Michael Winter, and who claimed to be a German subject, twice forced his way into the executive mansion early today. He was finally arrested and persuaded to enter a carriage by Sergeant Williams and sent to a precinct police station. He later was transferred to the Washington asylum for investigation as to his sanity. Questioned by Sergeant Williams the man said he was 36 years old and that he had made several applications at the German embassy for a letter of introduction to the president but had been refused. Winter refuses to tell the nature of the matter he desired to see the president about. All knowledge of Winter was denied at the German embassy. ESCORT OF HILDA NOT YET LOCATED The police have not "yet located the escort of Hilda Miller, the white girl who was carried away in a buggy by Halley Roberts, a negro, Thursday night. The girl in an interview with the chief of police last' night, stated she believed the man's name to be Randolph Harris, and that he was a railroad employe, but investigation of the list of employes of the railroad of the city does not show any man of this name. The police are anxious to have the man appear and file charges against his assailant, who Is held in jail on a charge o awanlt and Lattery, ...

rlAMPSHIRE

T.R. ITS GREETING Colonel Tells Crowd at Nashua that Eyes of the Nation Watch the Progressives in Their State. BAD WEATHER FOR KEYSTONE PRIMARY Pennsylvania Taft Leaders Pleased Over Rain, Believing It Will Work to Advantage of President. (National News Association) NASHUA. N. II., April 13. "You have set an example to all of the country, do not slip back." This advice was given by Colonel Roosevelt to a cromd of one thousand people when his train arrived here today. The ex-president came to progressive New Hampshire to stir up things before the preferential primary, which occurs on April 23. On the way here he spoke at Worchester, Mass. from the rear platform of his car but he had not time enough to give his auditors more than a casual greeting. "You must win your fight In this state." said the Colonel. "If you dont it will give heart to the bosses and the crooked interests behind them. You must do as they did in Illinois. Make a clean job of it. All the country has been looking to New Hampshire to keep up the progressive fight." The ex-president was enthusiastically received, even larger crowds turning out to greet him than those turning out to welcome President Taft In March. The Roosevelt leaders today claim the entire state delegation of eight will be for the Colonel. Roosevelt first spoke at the depot plaza and later at the city hall. RAIN CHECKS VOTING. PHILADELPHIA. Pa., April 13. Disagreeable weather conditions . existed in Eastern Pennsylvania today for the presidential primaries and as a -result-there was- jubilation ta ths ranks of the supporters of president Taft. The machine leaders were confident that a drizzling rain that started early in the day would reduce the Roosevelt vote, put the advocates of the ex-president's candidacy were up and stirring early and hoping that by the time the polls opened at 2 p. m. the rain would cease. . An unusually heavy vote was expected in electing national and state delegates of both big parties and in nominating candidates for congress and the state senate and assembly. Senator Penrose was on the ground here as representative of the administration, confident Taft would sweep the state except possibly in Allegheny county, where William Flynn was leading the Roosevelt forces. The Roosevelt men declared, however, that the recent result in Illinois and tbo tour of the Colonel would result in a heavy vote for him. Though until recently the Democrats who have been supporting Wilson had expected to make a . clean sweep of the Keystone state, there has been a sudden growth of sentiment for Champ Clark, and bis followers gave assurance of a hard battle today. Weather reports from the western part of the state were more favorable to the Roosevelt people than in the east, but rain was also threatened there. BIG ROW EXPECTED. CHICAGO. April 13. Semi-martial law will mark the convention Monday of Cook county Democrats. Reports that slugging crews have been engaged to hold the hall for one faction against the other resulted in an appeal to Colonel Moriarty to place a guard of unarmed militiamen about the building and prevent the admission of the sluggers. The convention will be held in the seventh regiment armory. A stormy session is expected. The Democratic county committee has served notice it will honor credential signed by the chairman and secretary. Credentials of many of the newly elected precinct committeemen have been issued by the election clerks and judges and by the election commissioners. NEW RAILWAY WILL . START ON SUNDAY (National News Association) PITTSBURG H. Pa. April 13. Tomorrow is the date fixed for the opening to traffice of the new connecting line -between the Pittsburg and Lake Erie and Western Maryland railroads. The line is eighty-four miles long and has been built at a cost of nearly $25,000,000. The connection with the Western Maryland road is made at Cumberland. Md, and with the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie at Dickerson Run, Pa. The new line gives Pittsburgh a n-ew outlet to the seaboard and a most direct route between Baltimore and Chicago. will also open up great coal and Umber fields along the Toughiogheny River. - -

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