Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1906 — Page 3

DIE IN A FIRE PANIC.

■ , —+ . ' . EIGHTEEN I PERSONS DEAD ■ IN PHILADELPHIA CHURCH. ■ —• ———— ——* L , ! -—* ; r Worthiper* Flee at Slgtit of Smoke, -Stair Railing' Given Way, and Women and Children Are Fatally 11 Trampled Upon. £ Eighteen i)ersons wore trampled to death and fifty more were injured Sunday evening in a panic following a cry of “Fire” in St. Parti’s Colored Baptist Church in Bth street, near Girard gypnue, Philadelphia. The worshipers were on the second floor of the building, and the deaths occurred in the crush on the narrow, winding stairs. Most of the victims were women and children. In the height of the panic men -knocked down and trampled on the weaker members of the congregamothers threw away their babies in order to escape themselves, and all their primitive passions were revealed in flie wild scramble for safety. Scores of the worshipers rushed to the north stairway, in which there was a sharp turn. The struggling persons became wedged at the turn, and the railing;gave way, precipitating scores to the floor below. Others leaped upon the prostrate bodies and made their way to the street. Only one man of all those in the congregation perished, and he was killed by leaping out of a window.

- Small Fire Cannes Panto. The panic was caused by a small blaze in the room below the church. The pastor, Rev. E. W. Johnson, had Just concluded a sermon on the text, “Why Sit We Here and Die?” and the collection was being taken, when a woman in the front of the church saw smoke coming from a crack in the floor near the pulpit and shouted the alarm. Instantly the cry was taken up by others and in a moment the whole congregation joined in a rush for the doors. The pastor tried in vaTn to Btem-lbe tide. He exhorted his eongregatioif to remain calm, but to no avail. Finally, seeing that he could do nothing, he led a hundred of the worshipers who heeded Jiis advice, to safety hy means of a rear stairway, and uot one was injured: - * At the front of the church, however, the scenes were vastly different. Men and women tore the clothes from each other's backs as they sought to gain the stairs. In the first rush several women and children fell, and over their bodies the frantic throng poured, some being tripped as they went, and soon the entire stairway was covered with prostrate forms. It became a case of the survival of the strongest.

Hu Mil Quickly Over. Iu spite of the crush on the stairs it was only a few moment before the 400 uninjured members of the congregation reached the street. There the excitement prevented any attempt at rescue until the arrival of the firemen and police. Women, nearly nude, ran about wringing their hands and calling for missing loved ones. Men, strong and willing, lacked the directing brain, and stood idly by. When the fire department arrived the work of rescue began. In the hallway on the first floor lay a heap of bodies, the living and dead mingled. The living were hurried, Into ambulances and taken to hospitals, and the dead were removed to near by morgues. On the stairway, under a heap of bodies,'was that of a baby which probably had been dropped by its mother In her flight. On the floor below a 3-year-old boy lay dead, his features trampled beyond recognition. The injuries of those who had escaped death showed how frightful the struggle for life had been. Bones were broken and features were battered and scratched by heavy boot heels. Fingermarks showed that in the struggle those fighting for their lives had not heeded the lives of others. • .

Fire Quickly Quelled. The fire In the room under the church was quickly extinguished, and did little damage. The police investigated the report that the church was overcrowded, hut could not substantiate if. The pastor Insisted that It was little more than half filled, and that there was no occnslon for anyone being Injured If the congregutiou had remained caliu.

Escaped in Petticoats.

“Little Bill” Howard is once more In jail at Asheville, N. C. Seven years ugo Ben Ross, a neighbor of Howard, was found shot to death in his home. Howard was arrested on suspicion, tried and sentenced to be hanged. One day his wife, carrying her baby in her arms, visited him in his ceil. When the visiting time was over the gunrds opened the doors and permitted what they supposed to be the woman to walk out. Later it was discovered that Howard and his wife had exchanged clothes and the murderer hnd walked out, carrying the baby. Since then, though there has been a reward standing for his capture, he has never been seen by the authorities, until this week, when he was found at home.

Telegraphic Brevities.

At Newark, Ohio, the wife of former Cashier Lingnfelter has been indicted for alleged forgery. Feh. 15 has been fixed by the House committee ou judiciary as the date for a hearing on the proposed constitutional amendment providing for woman's suffrnge. • —• The cqnrse freight steamer E. D. Carter, building'for E. D. Carter of Erie, Fa., wee successfully launched at the Wyandotte yards of the American ShipBttilding Company.

GETS ANOTHER CHANCE.

The Mint Remarkable ' Defease la Criminal History, ' = Albert T. Patrick, the condemned -New York, lawyer, who has put up one of the most Remarkable‘fights for life known inT f criminal history, JpBS been granted a reprieve until March 19 by Gov. Higgins, that his attorneys may move for a now trial on the grounds of fresh Evidence. The crime for; which Patrick was convicted was that of being the principal in the murder of OsIPJJ/ William Marsh Rice, \ \ . an aged and - very . } * wealthy reeiuse, in -A- .?• patbi ck. # thc latt(lT * s apart-' ments in New' -York Sept. 23, 1900. It was alleged that Rice was the victim of a plot in which his valet, Charles F. Jones, gt. the. instigation and . under the direction of Patrick, murdered his master by 'the use of chloroform. A check against one of Rice’s bank accounts, found to be a forgery, led to the arrest of Patrick and Jones on Oct. 4, .1900. Jones confessed to the murder in several contradictory statements. He was accepted as a State witness and was never tried. He is now living in Texas. Patrick, himself an able criminal lawyer, had the assistance in his defense of spite - Uf"ati"walS' found guilty of murder in the first degree and April 8, 1902, he was sentenced to death. Then began that remarkable fight for a retrial. Every possible means have heen used to delay execution of sentence and get his case once more before the courts. An appeal in * very court in the State open to him has been made, but always in vain. The plucky fight put up by the condemned man has attracted world-wide attention, and a great deal of sympathy for Patrick has been shown. Commutation of sentence was asked for recently in a petition signed by, suck .men as . Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton, former President Grover Cleveland, Mark Twain anil others.

HIGH TIDE OF PROSPERITY.

The Country Never Before Jfo Prosperous as It Is To-day. Never before in all the country* history has,it been so prosperous as it is at the opening of 1906, says Leslie’s Weekly. The products of its farms for 1905 amounted to over $G,000,000,000. This is not only several times larger than the products of any other country, but it marks a gain of $250,000,00 over the highest previous record iu the United” States, which was' for 1904. The yield of the country’s farms in 1905 Equaled the country's aggregate wealth of alf sorts for 1845. Tlie country’s gold mines furnished $90,000,000 for 1905, which was $10,000,000 in excess of the largest previous year, and double the output of 1895. Its mineral products sorts for the year aggregated $1,800,000,000, which is twice- that of 1899 and four times that of 1886. In gold production in 190 p we ltd the world, except the Rand, in South Africa. In mineral output in the aggregate we exceed that of Great Britain. Germany and France. For 1905 the country’s foreign trade passed the $2,500,000,000 mark for the first time, but our domestic, trade was immeasurably in excess of this, being far above $20,000,000,000. VTe produced 22,500,000 tons of pig iron in the year, or as much as our three nearest competitors combined —Great Britain, Germany and France. In manufactures, in which we have had a precedence over England since 1880, and have Keen increasing our lead ever since, the country has been particularly active iu the year. The country’s railroads, which exceed those of all Europe in mileage by about 25 per cent, have been scoring new records in enrnings and activity. More than $3,500,000,000 has been added to the wealth of the United States since Jan. 1, 1905. bringing the total up to $112,000,000,000, which exceeds that of any other two countries in the world put together.

The Comic Side of The News

Before we discover the north pole in an airship, hadn’t we better first discover an airship? That’s right about the inelasticity of currency. It never did have a tendency to slap Jt>aek. Hazing seems to have been as prevalent at Annapolis ns salary raising in an insurunee company. So McCall found he was “treed” and crawled down before the Insurunee hunters had time-to fire. A few tons of mining stock seem to linve been placed right in the track of the Joint Statehood bill. . The Cxar appears to have come down to policy of a sorely hnrnssed police- department. It looks ylmost like mockery when Edward Atkinson, a student of perfect cooking, dies of acute indigestion. Dispatches from Bauama contain news about everything except that work on the canal is progressing rapidly. Attorney General Moody says Annapolis liazers must have a fair trial. Wouldn’t that lodge some of them in jail? Miss Grigsby lias not as yet declared her intention of going on the stage. Isn’t she entitled to a vote of confidence or something? The pen !• mightier than the sword, but it lan’t likely to supplant either the pick or the steam shoTel in the Bauama canal matter. , In the Dodge-Morse divorce case some people believe that “Abe” Hummel worked the "dodge” and th# other gentleman is the justly renowued U. E. Morse. There is s perjurer among the naval cadets at Annapolis. The evidence tends to show . that there are also several kinds of donkeys at the academy, not to mention some officers who must be blind and deaf.

—Chicago Record-Herald.

MURDERS AROUND CHICAGO.

Brutal Killing? , of ~Women Hai Stirred ui» Whole City. Chicago citizens are discussing ways and means to check murders and robberies throughout the city. The fiendish killing of Mrs. F. C. Hollister on Friday night has thoroughly aroused the authorities and citizens generally. A movement by all interests in the city toward safety and more adequate protection to the Individual, especially women, is ‘ the result One thousand more policemen are demanded. In a revolting murder, the circumstances of which are unparalleled in the criminal annals of Chicago, Mrs. Franklin C. Hollister, a woman of refinement, choir singer and philanthropic dark alley on the North Side Friday night at the hands of Richard G. Ivens, degenerate son of a carpenter. While Mrs. Hollister was undergoing the fearful experience which resulted in her deatH severaT women friends and fellow choir singers were expressing deep astonishment at her absence from the rehearsal and from the funeral of the morning. Following Is a list of the very recent wanton and atrocious murders of women In Chicago: Mrs. E. F. Mize, murdered at Fiftyeighth street and Washington avenue by a man whose identity is not known, Aug. 22, 1905. Miss Maude Reese, murdered in her flat, 200 Evanston avenue, by a man whose identity is not known, Nov. 21, 1905. Mrs. Carl O. Almberg, murdered by J. E. Moeller in an alley off North Clark street and Buckingham place, Jan. 5, 1906. Mrs. A. W. Gentry, murdered in her apartments, 582 La Salle avenue,.by a man known as F. J. Constantine, Jan. 6, 1906. Mrs. Franklin C. Hollister, murdered in the rear of 368 Belden avenue by Richard Ivens, Jan. 12. From the pulpit the cry of alarm was given Sunday. A mass meeting of citizens was announced. Resolutions were adopted on the subject at the ministers’ weekly meetings. Laymen generally expressed their approval of the stand of the clergymen. The Rev. J. N. Hall, pastor of her church, referred to the crime and to their loss. He said: “When we think of the atrocious crime which has taken from us one of our members it Is evident that only the power of the gospel makes possible our marvelous restraint at this time.. While we do not cry for revenge, we do demand Justice, and It Is our hope that out of this wanton murder will come a greater protection for the women of Chicago and the greater safety of the home.” The Dally News says: Where mur--d*Y is so frequent as it is In Chicago, and where the murderers so often select women as their victims, these crimes cannot be regarded as mere sporadic outbreaks. They Indicate a widespread and dangerous contempt for law and defiance of organized society. Furthermpre, they Bhow that Chicago has within Its borders a spirit of animalism which causes men to kill for the mere pleasure of killing.

All Around the Globe.

The main building of the normal school at Albany was destroyed by fire. The loss Is 9200.000. Conductor Simon Geiger and Brakeman Fred Anderson were killed in a freight wreck at Brandtsville, Pa. Robert Adafns, his wife and two children were burned to death fn a fire that destroyed their home at Cove, near Huntingdon, Pa. Mlsa Cora Cutifhnll, a Methodist missionary, who recently returned to her home in Franklin, Pn., from Sierra Leon, Africa, died tin-re of African f.wr. San Fram-isoo plans a world's fair for 1013 to celebrate the opening of the Panama canal and show the resources of the State and the power of the city as a commercial center. Leonard B. Imnoden and Jamea A. Hill, convicted of conspiracy to wreck the Denver Savings bank of Denver, were sentenced to, from ntue to ten years in prison at hard labor. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., has been elected dm innsn of the Harvard freshman smoker committee, the chief duty of which Is to promote democracy and good fellowship a mane undergraduates.

ANOTHER ENGINEERING PROBLEM.

CURRENT COMMENT

Admiral Rojestvensky has published, with the approval of the minister of marine, the preposterous assertion that ths British fleet had assembled at Wei-Hai-Wei last May to annihilate the Russian fleet in case the Japanese fleet should fail to destroy it. A St. Petersburg correspondent suggests that the- publication was intended to absolve Rojestvensky and prepare public opinion for his impending acquittal and rehabilitation, “which are considered indispensable. for the sake of the reputation of the Russian navy.” But how that astonishing assertion can help therepuTatlbhof either Rojestvensky or the Russian navy passes understanding. It is known to all the world that Togo destroyed tha Russian fleet without British or other assistance. Besides? Rojestvensky asserts that he knew Togo’s exact whereabouts two days before the battle, made his dispositions accordingly and went into the battle with a full understanding, of the situation. If this can help the reputation of the Russian fleet or its commander it must help upon the theory that they went into the fight to get annihilated and accomplished their purpose. Even Count De Witte admits that no level-headed man in Russia will believe what Rojestvensky says about the British fleet, and he Ventures to account for the publication on the ground that the minister of marine was giving so much attention to other parts of the document that he entirely overlooked that ridiculous statement. That explanation will have to serve in lieu of a' better one. —Chicago Chronicle. _

APPLAUD TRUST FOE.

Hadley of Missouri Create* Unusual . Scene In New York. Herbert S. Hadley, Attorney General of Missouri, was applauded and cheered by the crowd in the courtroom in New York when he arraigned Henry H. Rogers for the position the magnate has taken in the hearing of the case of the State of Missouri against the Standard and other oil companies. The scene was an unusual bne In the Supreme Court of the State of New York and Justice Gildersleeve, before whom attorneys were arguing on the rule to compel Mr. Rogers to answer certain questions asked him, was compelled to rap loudly before order was restored. In referring to Mr. Rogers’ complaint that the proceedings in the oil Inquiry were sensational and taken for the purpose of advertising the attorney general, Mr. Hadley said: “If there have been any sensational re*

HENRY H. ROGERS.

porta of those proceedings they have been due to the witness Rogers—to his flippancy, to bis frivolity and tho attempt he has made to show contempt for the highest court of Missouri.” He said Mr. Rogers had acted In a way to inflame the prejudice and'-passions »f the common people nnd saw flt to sow the wind and reaped Ha- whirlwind of disaster.” Missouri’s legal war upon the corporation which Is generally regarded as the king pin In the vast aggregation of American trusts, is the latest stage In the campaign begun to enforce the anti-trust laws of the State. The aim of the bearing Is to show that certain alleged Independent oil companies are In reality operating for tho trust to overcome comeptitlon and restrain trade. Officers of these companies began at once Jo refuse to answer pertinent questions by advltre of counsel, including Henry H. Rogers.

WAR SEEMS NEAR.

BelleU|| tli Washington that German? and France Will Fiffht. Germany’s attitude in the Morocco question and the demands •sentativeS will make at the comiiw!tiitornational conference at AlgeWraa v ill; It tsf feared in Washington diplomatic circles here, lead to a war between the empire and France, unless mediation Induces the Kaiser to niodefate his views. France is determined, it is said, not to allow Germany to interfere with her plans in Morocco and will resent by force of arms, If necessary, any such interference. That Germany’s attitude on the question has been anticipated by France is believed in diplomatic and army circles. The recent activity In nation as “mere maneuvers incident to a change In the head of the war department,” it is thought proves this belief. The French army is now in a high state of excellence, and there Is a considerable element In the republic that Is willing to undertake a test of strength with the Kaiser if driven to it by Germany’s avowed Intention of encroaching upon the rights of France In Morocco. j Apparently German opinion Is not a little disturbed by the way events are shaping. There are two sides to the question in that country, the one which Is expressed in the tranquiiizing statements of the Kaiser’s New Year’s speech to his generals, and the other by Prince von Buelow’s allusions to ‘‘perils and unfathomable abysses.”

It is pointed out here that the Kaiser counts himself more of a soldier than of a diplomatist. In his diplomatic contests he has always met disappointment He has not yet tried his military prowess. His army is larger by a million men than when he came to the throne, and he has been able to keep it at the Von Moitke level of efficiency. He regards his navy as the equal of any in the world save England’s. In addition, he Is pushing to rapid completion naval construction that will cost more than $600,000,000. _ A suggestive development in the question lias been tlie recent order for $50,000,000 worth of cars, capable of transporting troops, and bis proviso that the cars must be rushed to completion. This and the massing of troops along the French frontier is taken as significant that, despite his words of peace and infinite palaver, he Is ready for the worst if he cannot secure the settlement of the Moroccan question as he desires It.

THE RAILROADS

The Chicago and Alton railroad has just completed tests with gasoline cars -designed to compete with trolley cars between Chicago and St. Louis. A. H. Hanson, general passengei traffic manager of the Illinois Central, was chosen chairman of the executive committee of the Western Passenger Association to succeed P. S. Eustis, passenger traffic manager of the Burlington. The executive officials #f the western railroads met at Chicago and entered into an agreement whereby each is bound to inform the interstate commerce commission of illegal acts of any kind. A committee was appointed to watch for evidence. Receivers of the Wisconsin Central Company and the Wisconsin Central Railway Company were discharged upon their petition.by United States Judge W. H. Seaman of Wisconsin. The receivers have been in charge of the properties for several years. Trainmen on the Santa Fe have been greatly interfered with of late by a horde of tramps who, to the number of 2,000 or more, are said to be camping along the lines between Dewing and Albuquerque, N. M. All railroad "men are obliged to go armed and a number have been appointed deputy sheriffs to protect the trains. In the annual report of the Southern Pacific Company, which is controlled by '.he Union Pacific, an increase of $2,>OO,OOO is shown, but still no dividend is paid on the common stock, which has never drawn anything since the organization of the company in 18&L During the latter half of the fiscal year 400 miles of road had been authorized in Califorhia, Nevada and Oregon, to protect and develop the territory served by the system. The federal grand jury at Chicago indicted the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, its first vice president, Darius Miller, and Claude C. Bnrnham, a foreign freight agent, on the charge of granting rebates. The indictment contained twenty-six counts charging that rebates were granted to the United States steel products export company of New York, which is a branch of the steel trust. For each of the twenty-six offenses alleged the Elkins act provides a fine of from SI,OOO to $20,000. All the shipments were to Vancouver, B. C., and tarious roads over which the goods passed may be Involved. Eastern railroad men laugh at the statement that they hold $20,000,000 from mileage books upon which they draw interest. Governor Hanly’s statement, at the recent conference, was that the deposits amounted to $5,000,000- A* a matter of fact, the railroads say they spend SIIO,OOO annually in conducting their mileage bureau and there are never more than 40,000 books out at one time. This would mean that they held $400,000 of their patrons’ money, but at the same .time they pay 33 1-3 per cent Interest in granting a refund of $lO on every book for which S3O was paid.

TO WEEKLY HISTORIAN

1400—King Richard 11. of England murdered. * 1526—Treaty of Madrid concluded between Emperor Charles V. of Spain and Francis I. of France. 1543 —English Parliament passed measure to forbid women and apprentices . to read the New Testament in English. 1546—Martin Luther preached his farewell sermon at Wittenberg. 1549 —Liturgy of English church established by Parliament. ! 1601—Treaty of peace between France and Savoy. 1644 —Swedish invasion of Denmark. 1666—Louis XIV. of France declared war against England. 1700—Benjamin Franklin born.... Articles of union between England and Scotland ratified by Scotch Parliament. 1730 —Gov. Montgomerie granted a charter to New York City. 1739 —Pope issued edict against meeting of Free Masons ntuler penalty of the ; rack. 1777 — Vermont declared itself a free and independent State. 1778 Sandwich Islands discovered by Capt. Cook. 1778—Independence of United States of America recognized by France. 1784—American Congress ratified the definite treaty of peace with England. 1804 —MTlitary post at Natchez turned over to United States by Spain....’ Dr. Jenner first declared vaccination would prevent smallpox. 1812—King of Sicily abdicated the throne. 1814 — Point Petre, Ga., surrendered to the British. , 1815 — United States- frigate President captured by the British... .King of Spain issued edict against Free. Masonry... .Nutionnl fast day observed in United States. 1840—Forty lives lost in burning of steamer Lexington, Long Island sound, between New York and Stonington. 1 „ _ 1854 —Two railroad bridges at Erie, Pa., destroyed by a mob of women. 1858 —Attempted assassination of Napoleon 111. by Orsini. 1802 —Burnside’s expedition arrived at Ilatteras inlet, N. C. 1865 —United States Senate voted to abrogate reciprocity treaty with Canada. 1867 — Capital of Canadian confederation moved from Ottawa to Quebec. 1868 — United States Senate refused to approve suspension of Secretary Stanton. 1874 —Communist riot, Tompkins square, New York. 1884 : —New State eapitol building of lowa dedicated at Des Moines. 1886 — One thousand cigarmakers went on strike in New York. 1887 — Freedom of city of London conferred upou Henry M. Stanley. 1891 —Irish National League met at Dublin with Parnell presiding. 1893 —Rutherford B. Hayes, ex-Presl-dent of the United States, died. 1895—Felix Faure elected President of -France. 1897 —National monetary conference met at Indianapolis, Ind. 1899 — Capt. Richard O’Leary appointed military governor of Gnam. 1900— Alex. Majors, originator of the pony express overland mail service, died... .Congressman Nelson Dingley of Maine died. 1904 Asa L. Bushnell, former Governor of Ohio, died, aged 09. 1905 Japanese entered Port Arthur.

OLD TIMERS

J. Lnthrop Allen, who made the first band instruments in the United States, is still living in New York at the age of 90. Lord Strut jeonn, high commissioner ot Canada, has just turned his eighty fifth yenr, hut is still as active as most men of tiO. There nr« four Governors thnt sty-ved during the Civil War still living. William Sprngre, whose home is near Narraguusett Pier. R. I.; Frederick Holbrook of Uratfleboro, Vt.: Samuel J. Crawford of Kansas and John J. l’ettus of Mississippi. - Dr. William Rolfe, the celebrated Shakspeareap scholar, has Just Celebrated Ills seventy-eighth birthday at Cambridge. Mass. John Rartlctt of “Familiar Quota* tipns” fame, one of the most retiring in lutbits aud valuable iu service of the literates of Boston, died recently at the age of 80. j .William Thompson, who died the other ,day at Shelbyville, Ind., aged 77, ( was known as the man who sold his gold at $2.75 during the Civil War. This premium was -within 10 cents of thg highest price ever paid for gold.