Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1904 — Page 2

WEEKLY REPUBLICAN. OEO. E. MARSHALL, Publisher. RENSSELAER, - - INDIANA.

REFUSES A FORTUNE.

DENVER PHYSICIAN WILL NOT TAKE $1,800,000.

Bays He Always "Paddles Hie Own Canoe," and Wants Sister to Accept Money—Workmen Are Waylaid and Beaten by Strikers in Louisville. Dr. William A. Harroun of Denver has refused to accept $1,800,000. The fortune has just been left to him. Me said it would be much better if his sister. Mrs. J. M. Lewis of Portland, Me., had the money. so he sent this telegram to her: “I will not accept a cent of money. It is all yours. This is final.” Ilarronn is the heir of James A. Harroun, who ’died a few weeks ago in Ireland. James

A. Harroun was a brother of Dr, liarroan's father and the last of the brothers to die. An agreement was made between the brothers that tlie last to die should leave all his estate to the oldest living son of any brother. This happens to be Dr. Harroun. The property consists of a large estate in Ireland with a big supply of cash. Dr. Harroun is not old and not wealthy. Dr. Harroun says he always has been able to make his own way. and he believes he always will. He adds that be is able to "paddle his own canoe. - ’

GIVES LIFE FOR HIS SINS. Conscience - Stricken Farmer Starves Himself to Death. A story of tire fanaticism which resulted in the death, virtually from suicide, of Mathias Brenna, has just been related at Cass Lake. Minn. He was a wcll-to-to farmer living in the town of Eden, near the village of Fosston, and had been possessed for some time with the hallucination that he must, on account of his sins, do penance by continuous fasting. For a year past he had taken nothing at his meals but bread and water, and a month ago decided to eat absolutely nothing until after March 24. Relatives attempted to force him to take nourishment, but doctors were called to assist in inducing him to feed himself, but all to no purpose, and. after suffering untold agony, Brenna died from actual self-imposed starvatioa. STRIKERS WAYLAY WORKMEN. One Man Shot and Four Badly Beaten at Louisville. " ’ Tn a general fight between striking butchers and non-union men who have taken their places in the plant of the Louisville, Ky., Packing Company forty non-union men were badly beaten , and one man was shot by a gang of strikers, who waylaid the workmen as they left the plant. Only two of the strikers, who are said to have engaged in the riot, are under arrest. They are J. T. W’olverton and Dud Smith. All of the injured men will recover.

THREE KILLED BY EXPLOSION. Albia, lowa, Bank Buildinc and Three Stores Demolished. An explosion in the Citizens’ National Bank building. Albia, lowa, resulted in three men being killed and several persons injured. The dead are: R. Ramsey, Edward Dougherty, Richard Grimes. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but it is supposed it originated in the heating plant. Besides the bank building, a clothing store and two grocery stores were destroyed by fire. The loss is $75,000. Former Chicago Pair Slain. Dr. F. W. Draper, county medical examiner in Boston, has examined the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Brown of Roslindale. formerly of Chicago, who died from bullet wounds the other day. and will report that they were murdered. At first it was siipposed that Brown had hilled his wife and then himself. Willis H. Wilson, a son of Mrs. Brown by a former marriage, is under arrest. Landslide in New York State. Inhabitants in the vicinity of Devil’s Hole, near Dansville.’ N. Y.. are terrified over an enormous landslide occasioned by some subterranean phenomena, as yet unexplained. The landslide occurred the other morning at 3 o’clock, a muffled explosion being heard at the same time, coming "from the bowels of the earth. —————— Quake Tears Down Houses. The steamer Newport, which arrived nt San Frandisco, brought news of an earthquake at Manzanillo, Mexico. A number of buildings were shaken down, but thegrentest damage was done to the big breakwater that is being built there by the Mexican government for the improvement of the harbor.

Death Due to Shoe Polish. City Chemist Kirchmaier and Coroner Eton of Toledo, Ohio, have decided that W. S. Rader, who died suddenly March 2, and whose death was attributed to cigarettes and dancing, was poisoned by nitro-benzole, an ingredient of shoe polish that Rader hud used. Prairie Fire in Nebraska. A prairie fire broke out near Basset. Neb., and burned a strip of prairie from the railroad north to the Niobrara river, averaging four miles in width. Numerous buildings were destroyed, and the loss will be large. Bryan Loaea Will Case. New Haven court ruled out the sealed letter In the Bryan-Bennett will case, defeating William J. Bryan in his suit for $50,000. An appeal will be taken. Rote Thorn Kills Woman. Mrs. Frances Daunbacher of Bloomfield, N. J., is dead from blood poisoning dne to the scratch of a rose thorn. While celebrating her 71st birthday recently she received a bouquet of roses and scratched her finger on a thorn. Vice Regal Residence Burm. Lady Minto, wife#f the governor gen- . eral of Canada, was rescued by servants from death in the blazing vice regal residence at Ottawa, where she was lying helpless with a broken leg. Others of the household had narrow escapes;

WARTWOMONTHSOLD

PROGRESS OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN. Strict Censorship Makes It a Difficult Matter for Correspondents to Get Accurate News to Outside World—Dispatches Received Are Contradictory.

The world knows about as little of what has been done or is going on in the wgr area of the far East as if the telegraph were not yet invented. The war correspondents seem to have been bottled up and do not know what the belligerents are doing, and they are not permitted to tell the little they may happen to find out. Therefore they amuse themselves and confuse the readers of newspapers with rumors and guesses. In jplace of news and fai ts, the newspaper readers of all the world are fed with idle gossip and the more or less absurd theories of self-advertised experts on the conduct of operations of which they are absolutely ignorant. Tuesday morning, we are told, at vast expense of cable tolls. Admiral Togo’s fleet, consisting of fifteen big ships and eight torpedo boats, advanced upon Port Arthur, which the admiral had captured on the previous Sunday, and bombarded it. Why Admiral Togo did this is not explained. Nor are we informed how it was that the Russians regained possession of the city. Yet they must have recaptured it, for we are notified that on Monday they evacuated Port Arthur, first having surrounded it with land and sea mines and kerosened all the buildings, coal and stores. At the same time the Russians, ns is stated by the correspondents, are rushing large quantities of supplies to Port Arthur. As the Japanese have captured the town it is certainly very polite of the Russians to supply tl\em sq bountifully with food. Meanwhile, the Russians, having evacuated Port Arthur as ter having recaptured it and driven out the Japs,, have had time, in mining the harbor, to recover fifteen Japanese torpedoes from which the Japanese, in their pardonable excitement, forgot to withdraw the safety plugs. This nevertheless, has not prevented the Japanese, as we learn from the- London Times’ correspondent at Tokio, from blockading the entrance to Port Arthur. The tidings from Vladivostok are no less interesting. The harbor is blocked with ice, and the Russian squadron, which left the other day for the purpose of effecting a junction with the Russian fleet blocked at Port Arthur, is frozen up there. This seems peculiar, in view of the fact that the Vladivostok fleet has sailed to intercept at a certain point in the Pacific the battleship and two cruisers bought by Japan from Chili, which reached Japan two weeks ago and participated in the bombardment of Fort Arthur on Tuesday morning. But we are getting used to these little things.

Two Months of War. The Russo-Japanese war has been in progress for two months. So far as can be gathered from the meager dispatches the operations of the war have been limited to the naval attacks on I'ort Arthur and Vladivostok. On land there has been no engagement more serious than picket skirmish. There have been no reconnoissances in force, no maneuvers of the opposing armies; there has been no unmasking on either side. In eight weeks there has been no war on land. In the several bombardments of Fort Arthur Russia has met with considerable loss, but the naval operations have had little influence in shaping the course of the campaign oir land. Undoubtedly Russia has been put at a disadvantage on the sea front of the theater of war by the crippling of her fleet, but this has not prevented the massing. of troapson strategic lines, and it is nfiw reported that the mobilization of the Manchurian army is complete. On the Japanese side there must be the same degree of completeness in preparations for advance. This does not mean that a general en-

CLEVER RUSE OF THE JAPS. Ingenious little islanders rig up dum my lights and draw the fire of Russian forts.

gageinent will be fought until the Japanese commander feels that his army is strong ejwuih to force a battle. Then will come the real, test of strength. It is not known to what extent the Russian fleet has been crippled, but the Japanese admit that it is still strong enough to. give them great uneasiness. Japan, with nearly all of its available military force in Korea, must retain control of the sea to win, or in case of defeat to save its army from destruction, whereas Russia can conduct great land campaigns and permit its fleet to remain or. the defensive. As the main issue of the war turns on the occupation and control of territory. whatever the fleets may do, the decisive battle or battles will be fought on the land, not on the sea. The strict news censorship is painful to press associations and publishers, who have sent squads of high-salaried correspondents to the war, and very annoying to the public, yet it must be owned that the Japanese have shown rare good judgment in keeping their military move'ments concealed from the reporters nnd from their enemy. A censorship that cannot bo beaten by the ingenuity of a whole battalion of American newspaper men is a corruscatipg triumph of administrative efficiency and executive ability. Milan, Italy, not Lyons, France, is now the greatest silk market

RUSSIAN TROOPS IN MANCHURIA.

The Czar’s forces hare had weary marching in their advance towards Korea. King Winter has been almost as formidable a foe as the Japs.

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

It is likely that when Russia gets all her troops concentrated in Korea, Gen. Saharoff, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, will direct their operations

FLAGS WILL FLY AGAIN.

Protest of Consul Miller Heeded byRussian Officials at Newchwang. Under a strong representation made by United States Consul Henry B. Miller that the civil administrator at Newchwang had invaded neutral rights when he ordered the lowering of the American flag from JauUdings belonging to American citizens, even though it was done through the apprehension that the flag was Illegally used by Chinese for the purpose of resisting police inspection, the civil administrator has promised th duly and in proper form through the military

authorities rui -• the flag over the building from which it was removed. The British flag, which was ordered taken down, will also be allowed to remain. M. Protasieff, Viceroy Alexieff's financial agent, says that it is not Russia's intention to strangle the shipping trade at Newehwang and he consents to negotiate terms which will facilitate the trade. Sir Ernest Satow. the British minister at Pekin, has informed the residents of tl.at nationality in Newehwang that Great Britain will not interfere to keep u warship here and he advises them to accept the situation as it is. The British residents regard* Minister Satow's letter ns inadequate to the situation and severely criticise him. Viceroy Alcxieff has approved a plan permitting cargoes to leave Newehwang.

NO BIG ENGAGEMENT NEAR.

Kuulana Do Not Expect Severe Fighting Before Last of May. In the course of a conversation the Russian military ngent in Tien-tsin snid he did'not expect n serious engagement between Russia and Japanese land forces for two or three months nnd that it was very improbable that the Japanese would attempt to land at Newehwang or in that vicinity. E" -"• " ' Rio Janeiro has begun harbor improvements to cost 130,000,000, I

JAPANESE WIN FIGHT.

Victorious in First Serious Land Battle of the War. A serious battle was fought Monday at Chong-Fu, in northwestern Korea, in which the Russian forces were defeated and forced to retreat, with what loss cannot be ascertained, though the official report says only three men were killed and twelve wounded. It is believed that the Japanese, though victorious, lost heavily. Cavalry and infantry on both sides were engaged. The Japanese fought gallantly , but were so exhausted that they were unable to follow up the retreating Russians, who fell back in good order on Kasan.

The battle came as the climax of three days of skirmishing between the outposts of the hostile armies confronting each other between the Yalu and Ping-Yang. News of "the'engagement came in the form of a report from Gen. Kuropatkin to tire Czar, transmitting Gen. Misht-c-henkb’s report of the action. This report. as given out, is exceedingly vague on the matter of the Russian retreat and the reasons for it if the loss was no larger than he admits. It is entirely within the range of possibility that pen. Mishtchenko’s report was edited before given to the press.

It thus happens that the first report sent by Gen. Kuropatkin after his arrival in the field records a Russian defeat on the sixth anniversary of the Russian occupation of Port Arthur. The operations took the form of a cavalry attack by six companies of Cossacks, led personally by Gen. Mishtchenko, against four squadrons of Japanese cavalry, which the genefal believed to be beyond Chong-Ju, but which he found to be in occupation of that town.

Despite a cross-fire which Gen. Mishtchenkp cleverly directed against the enemy he pays a tribute to their tenacity and bravery, the Japanese only ceasing to fire after a combat winch lasted for half an hour. Before the Russians could follow’ up their advantage three Japanese squadrons galloped toward the town, which two of them succeeded in entering, while the third was driven back in disorder, men and horses falling. The tire maintained on the town was so destructive that the Japanese were unable to make an effective return. Further Japanese re-enforcements arrived an hour later and Gen. Mishtchenko was forced to retire.

WAR NEWS IN BRIEF.

All foreign consuls in Newehwang have been notified officially that martial law is in force. Irkoff, the Russian government official convicted of selling secrets to The Japanese’, was hanged. The -Vladivostok squadron is reported to have captured several prizes, including a Japanese warship. The government is ordering the construction of an immense dock for Port Arthur, to be completed in four months. The Russian armored cruiser Dmitri Donskoi and three torpedo boats left Bizerta, Tunis. Their destination is not known.

At Newehwang American and British flags were removed by the Russian military from the property of citizens of those countries. The Japanese infantry won a fight with Cossacks between Anjjjatid Chong Ju. Fifty Japanese were killed. The Russian loss is unknown. » The Czar has telegraphed to Vice Admiral Mnkaroff an order decorating the officers nnd men of the torpedo-boat destroyer Silni with the St. George’s cross for their valor in the repulse of the Japanese attempt to block Port Arthur. The Japanese squadron made nnothcr unsuccessful attempt to block Fort Arthur harbor. Their four tire ships were sunk and three of the crews were lost.

Smallpox has become epidemic in the interior around Irkutsk, Siberia. The authorities have taken measures to stamp out the disease, which has yet affected the troops. So that the Russian troops shall not present a bright target for the enemy, an order has been issued by the ministry of war directing that gray' instead of white shall be the color of the uniform during the summer season.

IOWA MINES SHUT DOWN.

Conftrence of Workmen and Operators Unable to Settle Dispute. Unable to agree to an arbitration of their differences, the lowa miners and operators split in joint conference Thursday, with the result that every mine in the State will be shut down, throwing 13.500 miners out of employment. The conference adjourned a session covering a period of six weeks, the latter part of which was devoted to an attempt on the part of both to arrive at some amicable conclusion.

The split resulted front a refusal on the part of the operators to raise the wages of the unskilled and to lower the price of blasting powder demanded by the men. The refusal to increase the wage of unskilled miners’ workmen, such as m.ule drivers and top men, at the beginning of the conference extended only to certain districts where that class of labor is unusually expensive, but at the close of the conference the operators demanded that it should be universal and apply to every district in the State.

Summed up. the situation is thus: The miners demand a reduction in the price of blasting powder from $2 to $1.75 per can. They demand a uniform advance in the scale of wages paid top men, and that drivers in districts Nos. 1 and 4 should receive the same scale as in districts Nos. 2 and 3. The operators claimed they were standing by the Indianapolis agreement and in so doing could not submit to genet al increases in the wages paid unskilled labor throughout the district. There was no dissatisfaction with the scale paid skilled workmen in any district.

President White of the lowa miners said: “The miners made every attempt to arbitrate' and were unable to reach an agreement. There is nothing else now to do but to fight it out to the end. I shall never sanction an agreement under the present conditions.” Leading operators say the position of the miners is untenable and that they cannot reach them so long as they cling to their present position.

The strike and lockout will Include mines in Appanoose. Mahaska, Keokuk, Wapello, Marion, Jasper, Polk, Boone and Webstc-- counties, lowa, and those in Putnam County, Missouri. In Tolk County there are 4,500 miners, while more than $2,000,000 is invested in the business in this county alone. The struggle is likely to be long and bitter.

OHIO BANK IN CRASH.

Federal Trust Co. of Cleveland Assigns— Boston Institution Closes Its Doors. Uneasiness caused by the strange disappearance of George F. C’lewell, its secretary and treasurer, and rymors that he had embezzled a large amount, forced the assignment •of the Federal Trust Company in Cleveland. News of the failure caused a panic among the depositors of the Pearl Street Savings and Loan Company, and a run was begun on that bank. The prominent institutions downtown, however, rushed coin and currency to the assistance of the bank, and when the clamoring crowd of depositors were admitted they found the counters piled high with silver dollars and smaller coins. The sight of the great piles of wealth was magical, and the crowd melted away. The Federal Trust Company assigned to the Guardian Trust Company. The action is said to have been taken as a result of the disappearance of Clew’ell and reports that a shortage had been found in the funds of the concern.

The company's total assets will be about $3,000,000. It has a capital stock of $1,500,000, a surplus fund of $50,000 and about $140,000 undivided profits. According to its last report it had $2,188,862 in loans and discounts, $45,300 In real estate loans, and owned $729,000 stocks, bonds and mortgages. An agreement practically was reached between the directors of the Federal Trust Company and the Guardian Trust Company several days providing for the merging of the turn concerns. The disappearance of Clewell, however, precipitated matters, and the directors decided that an assignment probably would avoid a run on the bank and protect all Interests.

Unable to provide for the unusual demands of its depositors, the Union Trust Company of Boston closed its doors. The liabilities of the company are placed at $l;600,000, with nominal assets of about the same amount For some time past depositors have been making heavy withdrawals, and the management of the bank was finable to realize on securities quickly enough to meet these demands. The Union Trust Company was incorporated in 1888. It was capitalized at SIOO,OOO, and its president is former Congressman William E. Barrett.

THE RAILROADS

Orders for 50,000 tons of steel rails have been placed by the Harriman lines, at the schedule price of S2B per ton. The Southern Pacific has been granted a concession by the Mexican government to build a lino through the peninsula of Lower California.

The Grand Trunk shareholders, at ■ meeting, in Loudon, ratified the agreement with the Canadian government for the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific. The Railroad Commission of Louisiana has adopted a uniform bill of lading for all freight on all roads in Louisiana and ordered the railroads to adopt the same.

The New York Central Railroad has opened negotiations with the American Locomotive Works for the purchase of 112 locomotives for use on the Central and the Lake Shore. The work of double-tracking the line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railway, the only line between Richmond, Va., and Washington, D. 0., Is progressing rapidly. V Between 12,000 and 15,000 home-seek-ers, bound for Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, started from Chicago • few days ago over the Santa Fe, making th* trip in special train*.

CONGRESS

The bill authorizing the c rection of an additional executive department building In Washington was the subject of a spirited debate in the Setrate Tuesday, but no action was taken on it. There was renewed effort to pass the bill prohibiting the misbranding of salmon, but owing to the opposition of Senators who held that the measure is calculated to interfere with the rights of individual States under the guise of an effort to control interstate commerce n vote was not reached. The bill authorizing nn investigation into payment of the claim of the Indiana State board of agriculture against the United States on account of the occupancy of its buildings by troops during the war with Spain was passed.

Mr. McCumher .addressed the Senate nt the opening of the session Wednesday in support of his bill providing for a uniform federal standard of classificaand grading of grains. The postmlice appropriation bill was taken up. Senator Gorman spoke for two hours, renewing the demand of the D-.-inocrats for an investigation of the im.-t office Department. Mr. Penrose, chairman in the Senate committee on postoffices, replied that he had concluded none was needed, Mr. Lodge also replied to Mr. Gorman, and Mr. Clay spoke in favor b£ an investigation. Substantial progress was made by the House in consideration of the sundry civil bill, and only twenty-one pages remain to be read. An amendment by Mr. HuILOf lowa to strike out the appropriation of $5221,990-for a new army post at Indianapolis was defeated. Mr. Bnrtiett of Georgia replied briefly to statements on the negro question by Mr. Gillett of Massachusetts, and Mr. Crumpacker of; Indiana declared that 3,000 persons have been mobbed, and put to death in the United States ip the last twenty-live years.

The bill for the repeal of the desert land, the timber and stone and the homestead commutation laws was taken up for discussion in the Senate Thursday. Mr. Clark (Wyo.) contested the position taken by Mr. Gibson that there have been great frauds in the administration of the land laws in the West. He declared that there is a lobby in Washington in the interest of the repeal bill, and engaged in a colloquy with Mr. Batterson, during which each characterized the statements of the other ns untrue. The general debate on the postoflice bill ■was confined largely to a speech by Mr. McCreary and interruptions by the Rcpublican/Segators. Consideration of the sundry civil appropriation bill was concluded in the -H.ouse and the bill was about to be passed when a roll call on a motion to commit the bill with instructions to strike out the paragraph appropriating $136,000 for rental of the New York custom house showed a quorum was not present. The right of boards of directors of State homes for disabled- volunteer soldiers to retain certain portions of pension money received by the inmates was discussed at length. Mr. Bell of California assailed his own State for permitting a canteen to be established in_ the California State Home and charged a scandal in the management. His amendment correcting the evils complained of was adopted. A violent attack on the coast and geodetic survey was made by Mr. Robinson of Indiana, '.'ho charged that scandal attached to that office in connection with allowances for commutation of subsistence.

The session of the Senate Friday was devoted to an almost continuous discussion of political questions. The time until 2 given to a consideration of the Carrack resolution proposing an inquiry into the legality of the recent executive old age pension order. The latter half of the day was devoted to the postoffice appropriation bill. Mr. Culberson proposed an amendment providing for an investigation of the department by a joint committee of three Senators and five members of the House. The committee is authorized to sit during the recess of Congress and report on ' or before Dec. 5. Bart of the investigation proposed is to pass upon the postal laws, with a view to recommending Mr. Foraker introduced a bill to amend the act for the government of Hawaii, prescribing the manner of appointing public officials and for their removal for cause by the Governor. The House passed the sundry civil appropriation bill after voting down a proposition to recommit it, with instructions to strike out the appropriation of $136,000 for rent of the New York custom hotyip. The remainder of the day was devoted to discussion of the conference report on tho army appropriation bill. With the exception of one amendment providing certain increases in the signafcorps the House disagreed to all othey important amendments and the bill was sent back td conference.

In the Senate Saturday Mr. Mallory continued his speech on the Carmack resolution looking to an inquiry into the old-age pension order by Secretary Hitchcock. He declared the order was n usurpation of legislative authority. Mr. Warren spoke on the land law repeal bill, opposing wholesale repeal ns against rapid settlement of unoccupied areas. In I lie House 310 pension bills were passed. A bill was passed conferring jurisdiction upon United States commissioners over offenses committed in a portion of the Hot Springs reservation, Arkansas. Tile State of Texas was authorized to place in Statuary Hall, in the national capitol, statues of Sam Houston nnd Stephen F. Austin. A resolution wns adopted calling for n convention between the United States and Great Britain for the protection of the fur seals of Alaska.

In the National Capital.

The President sent to the Senate the nomination of Capt. Theodore J. Jewell to be a rear admiral; also_ot her promotions in the navy. ~

Senator Cullom, by direction of the foreign relations committee of the Senate, reported the consular reform bill, advocated by the National Business League, favorably. W. T. Nichols has been appointed by the President to be secretary of Arizona to succeed Isaac T. Stoddard. Mr. Nichols is chairman of the territorial Republican organization of Ar|aona.