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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1904)
Merry Christmas CIRCULATION OP THE "f CftA JOURNAL YESTERDAY IfatHHJ The Weather: Cloudy and threaten -Ins. occasional rain, poaalbly part anew. I VOL. I. NO. 41. PORTLAND. OREGON. SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 25. 1904 SIX SECTIONS 72 PAGES. PRICE FIVE CENTS. SENATOR BROWNELL IN THE FACE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SAYS HE HAS NO CAUSE WHATEVER TO FEAR GRAND JURY RESPITE OP A FEW DAYS Inquisitors and Accused in Land Fraud Cases Enjoy a Rest SHADOW OF THE GRAND JURY ON MANY MEN Indictments Likely to Be Found Against Prominent Office Holders Who Were Con- nected With Puter Ring The adjournment of the federal grand jury next Tuesday morning has occa sioned an Interruption of the sensa tions which have come with bewildering rapidity since the sessions be ran. In qQlsltor and accused will have a brief respite. Ituraor is still busy, however, with the names of prominent men who are amid to have been connected, directly or indi rectly, with the land frauds. It la as serted that the evidence presented within the past two days plaoaa Dr. W. H. Davis, mayor of Albany, in a very un pleasant Unlit, and that the grand Jury la seriously investigating transactions In which be was concerned. There la strong reasons to aspect Indictments against C. K. Loomis and & B. Ormsby soon after the Jury reconvenes. Nothing new has developed as to Bena- tor Mitchell and congressman ner mann, and their cades) have not yet been i-onsMaved. Umtsra tnettmfthy has been given, which Incidentally touched upon thetr relations with Puter and some of his confederates. State Senator George C. Brownell pro fesses to be undisturbed by the prospect of investigation by the grand Jury Into hia alleged connection with the land frauds and says that he can readily clear himself of all suspicion. Brownell Bays ate lent Worrying. "I have nothing to say with regard to the matter." he said yeaterday, "ex cept that I invite the fulleat taveatt gatlon. Any Instrument 1 may hsVe at tested as a notary was attested in good faith, and In no instance have I ever exceeded the authority of my notarial office. While I dislike to have my name associated with any affair of a criminal nature. I have no grievance against the government a going into remote details, for It Is often necessary to pursue this policy In order to get at the truth. If I am connected with such details, I stand ready to explain and aaslst the authori ties In their Investigation. 'T have no fear of the action of the federal grand jury. I have never had anything to do with land deals or land speculation. I have never even taken ad vantage of my homestead rights under the law, and have never made a dollar In the land business. "I am not worrying at all." There Be Peculiar Circumstances. Notwithstanding these declarations by Senator Brownell, there are clrcum,- stances which, unless satisfactorily ex plained, will be regarded by the govern ment as evidence that he was connected with the frauds. Not only did he attest, as notary public, signatures which are now said to have been forged and fic titious, but he also appears frequently In the records of the surveyor's general's ortlce as the officer before whom Mel drum's field parties swore to their field notes upon surveys known to have been fraud u lent. Hrownell's intimate relations with Meldrum. the former surveyor general. make, these facta especially significant 1 It was Brownell who caused Meldrum to be appointed to the office, and the latter had Men In office only a few months when be began his fraudulent practices Brownell defended Meldrum in the trial which resulted In the coii vlctlon of the ex-surveyor general. No witnesses were called by the defense, and it was common report that the reason for this whs the fear that any attempt to rebut the government's evidence might result In Implicating Meldrum a accomplices. Since the grand Jury began Its work, there has been an extraordinary influx into Portland of persons said to have been engaged In questionable operations In public lands. Many others are here who have had personal and business re lations with some of the men who are under Investigation by the grand Jury. These persons have been under close surveillance by the secret service de tectives. The Wonder Is Way They Come. Several former employes of the land department are also here, although not subpoenaed by the grand Jury. One of these Is Charles A. M. Schllerhola, who was for 10 years a special agent of the land department, but was dismissed from the service and afterward Indicted, lie had been accused of misappropriating public land funds entrusted to his keep ing, and was recalled from Oregon to Washington. D. ('.. where a demand was made for an explanation. Schlterhola tendered his resignation, but it was not accepted and he was suspended. He la now In the employ of two or three east ern concerns which are engaged In ac quiring timber lands on this coaat. sTsjlaMsaaaBssaasaaaaaaSsa W anfl bsfbftspL aMV-Sexxe B ' SsaTflBF BBFaw'BBs BLOWS' MM tel.' BsnfisBBslS ''BBs?awBVTVC' W BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBbRb LaSst M final BaY tiMm mm m . Wwte'mt- Ffaa,5 Vam i-M I si tFU V 8 f m) iC 2j U IV v JwJl I iffll II IllFweV'n In iis! J 1 Assail Al' 3wl KSssfl HswaMJMCBBl I Bal ssWaeS J 1 M, alT H EbbbI . ,awWppllwlBi! OREGON'S EXHIBIT OF FRUIT WHICH WON THE FIRST PRIZE AT THE ST. LOUIS FAIR. WIFE, DAUGHTER AND MONEY GONE J. A. Hatch, Deserted at Yakima by Eloping Spouse, Says She and Wealth May Co, But He Wants - Little Daughter. (Continued os Page Two.), Finding .the local police. Sheriff (".rant of Yakima county. Wash . and the hus band whom she had deaerted, Mrs J, A. Hatch haa managed to leave, the city. With her are Dr.- Edwin Hughes of North Yakima and ' her 15 -year-old daughter. Incidentally, It la reported, the couple took with them 12,500 of Hatch's money. Every effort haa been made by the police to locate Dr. Hughe and lira. Hatch. With the greatest secrecy. De tectives Day and Welner have followed clews, spurred on by the reward of $600 offered by the Injured husband, whose main object was to get possession of his daughter. But while they were within, an ace of winning the prise twice, their game proved too wary. Dr. Hughes la a North Yakima physi cian of distinguished, appearance and winning personality Mrs Hatch la a very pretty woman, the wife of a wealthy resident of Yakima county, whose beautiful home la located not far from that city. Some time ago the physician treated her for a mild disease, and thetr acquaintance ripened Into an Intimacy which resulted in the elope ment. With them the elopers took Mr. Hatch's daughter, a girl of 15 years. Sheriff Grant, who la a personal friend of the deaerted husband, undertook to aid him. 'My wife may go, and I don't care much about the money, but for Ood's sake help me to regain my daughter." was the plea of the ueart-broken hus band and father. From, North Yakima, which they left on a train late at night. Dr. Hughes and Mrs. Hatch were traced to Tacoma by Sheriff Grant and Hatch. They learned they were followed and left for Port land a few mlnutea after the arrival of the two officers and the husband. The sheriff and Hatch loat a day at Tacoma, and reached nere Thursday morning, taking rooms at the Imperial hotel. Sheriff Grant registered from North Yakima, while Hatch registered from Spokane under the pseudonym of Taylor. They called on Chief of Police Hunt and were closeted with him for some time. As a result of the conference. Detectives Day and Welner were as signed the task of helping locate the runaways. "I want my girl," declared Hatch, "and If you find her. It means $500 In your pocket." Two clews were obtained, and the detectives reached the postofflce only a few mlnutea after the pair had re ceived a letter there, addressed in care of the general delivery window. That thla letter conveyed a warning Is deemed certain, aa neither of the two baa been heard of since Sheriff Grant and Hatch took a train yeaterday for North Yakima. The de tective have not yei abandoned the search for the fugitives. BEEF TRUST ACTS WRECK 4C BANKS Manipulation of Livestock Cre ates Hard Times and Many Iowa Banks Fail. MANY INJURED CHRISTMAS BOMB Explosion of Dynamite Wrecks a Four-Story Tenement, Injuring Four and Rendering Sixteen Families, Includ ing Sixty Persons, Homeless. ELEVEN SUICIDES LAID AT DOOR OF THE TRUST Artificial Decline in Cattle . Causes Loss to Farmers of Twelve Millions. LOVED SOCIETY MORE THAW HER BABES Seattle Man Testifies Wife Drugged Children Fatally So She Might Leave them. i special Dispatch to The Josraal.) Seattle. Wash.. Dee. 14. Charles w. Armstrong, a well-to-do business man. on the stand In the superior court today testified that his wife, whom he Is suing for a divorce, caused the death of their three children by doping them with drugs to make them sleep that she might attend to social duties. He added that he had been told In each Instance by his physician that this was the cause of their death. In the day time, when he was about the house, he said If any of the babies worried or cried Mrs. Armstrong Jumped for a bottle of patent medicine designed to Induce sleep and forced the atuff down the infant's throat until it lost consciousness. All of the children died within a few months after btrth. "My wife never thought of leaving the house to make a call without patting her babe In a comatose state In which It would remain until her return." n this testimony the decree was granted. Mrs Armstrong la at the pres ent time In the eaat. having separated from her husband. Whether or not ac tion will be taken on the testimony, the prosecuting attorney refuses to state. sanra w sou SAm- Special I Haps t eh to The Journal.) Baker City. Dec. 24. A f "6 gold bar from the new strike on the Mayflower mine In the Cornucopia district was brought In to Manager Boggn tonight. Much interest la manifested as the ore is running high. 'Special r:pateh by Leased Wire to The Journal) Chicago, Dec 24. Because of the ma nipulations of the livestock market by the beef trust, 43 Iowa banks have col lapsed within the pant biennial period, which la covered in the forthcoming re port of the state auditor, and 11 bank officials have committed suicide because of financial embarrassment resulting from the same cause. Computing the aggregate loss sus tained by Iowa farmers by reason of the artificial decline in the value of cattle, the leading cattle men declare they have been robbed of more than 112.000.000. Each week adds to the list of failures. and It Is Impossible to say when the tide will be stemmed. The auditor con tends that a reformation of the banking system alone will reduce the number of failure. Make Time Mara. Despite the fact that thla year's corn crop was the largest ever known and conditions would indicate extraordinary prosperity, times are unuaually hard among the farmers, and banker are closely pinched. Never before were so many precautions taken in loaning money and collection are exceedingly difficult. An Incomplete list of the failures has .been complied by -Millard Cox, head of the banking department In the auditor s office. The state haa no supervision over national banks. Data relating tn thoae Is difficult to obtain. State and (Continued on Page Two.) ifporlal Dispatch by Leased Wire to The Joaraal) New York. Dec. 24 Sixteen families, Including 80 persona, were rendered home less today by a terrific explosion of dyna mite that blew into fragments more than half of the four-story tenement building at 46 Withers street, Williamsburg. The explosion occurred on the fourth floor, where most of the tenantry In the building were at breakfast. The building was completely wrecked, hut In aome marvelous way everyone escaped serious Injury except the man who was responsi ble for the accident. He la dying. The force of the detonation blew off the roof and all four sides of the building above the second floor were carried away. The concussion was so great that the hock was felt at the Herbert-Street ponce" St Hun, mere than four blocka away, and It acted aa.. a summons for the police reserve. The floor where the explosion oc curred was occupied by Stephen Mon tano. at years old: hla wife Rosa, IS year old; a workman. Maraldo Moslllo. and the owner of the building, Nlchola Cortto, 45 year old. Mbntano carried on In hi rooms the manufacture of bombs which are used at Christmas and other celebrations, the principal Ingredient be ing dynamite. Moslllo. - the workman, was Just starting hi day's labor when the ex plosion occurred. He was carrying some of the bomb material as he walked to the front of the building. Whether he dropped a stick of dynamite or whether he stumbled and fell I not known. The explosion occurred without an instant's warning. All employed in the factory were more or less aerlously Injured, but those In ad Joining rooms escaped without a scratch, although covered with falling brick and plaster. A the explosion oc curred at. an early hour, but few pedes trlana were abroad, but the few passing the building at the time bad narrow es cape. At the scene. of the wrecked building tha streets are piled high with debris, on. which the shattered walla are con stantly dropping additional maaae of brick and mortar, rendering It unsafe to peas on either side. After the explosion occurred the po lice and fire departments rushed to the soene and aided In reacuing the occu panta of the upper floors from their perilous positions. The roof Is entirely blown off the building, aa well aa the aide walla, and only the central frame work remains. FULTON AT WORK Senator Confers With Re clamation Engineers on Needs of Oregon. NEWELL ENTHUSIASTIC OVER KLAMATH BASIN Malheur, Harney County, and Umatilla Projects Also Re ceive Consideration Great Progress. I Washington Bureau of The Joaraal.) Washington. Dec. 2 Senator Pulton railed on the engtneers of the reclame" tlon service today and discussed tha needs of Oregon and the opportunities for reclamation. He took up In par ticular the status of the various project on Klamath river, also In Harney county and the Malheur project near Vale, aa well as the I'matllla project. Senator Pulton discussed a number of msttera under consideration by the state Irriga tion commission. Senator Pulton alo urged that all possible efforts be made to bring to a speedy conclusion the various projects, and In particular discussed the situation In Harney county and the necessity of legislation to de termine quickly and definitely the ques tion ef ownership of water. May Be waited. At present flood waters are claimed for the benefit of low lying meadow around Malheur lake, and it ha been Intimated to the government that ajiy attempt to store these water and tn put them to more economical use will be resisted, and the first question to be settled Is whether tuere Is sufficient wter which can be stored without in volving a protracted lawsuit with tha present claimants. Chief Engineer Newell of the reclama tion service is enthusiastic over tha Klamath basin project, and Is anxious to begin work a soon as the owners comply with the regulations and the necessary stste legislation Is enacted so that the state laws will conform to the national act. MAY BE MAN THAT KILLED POLICEMAN Oakland Police Arrest Suspicious Character, Who May Prove to Be Murderer. (Special Dispatch hy Leased Wire to The Jnnrnali Oakland. Cel.. Dec. 24 The police be- ELOPING NURSE DESERTS RUNAWAY ARMY CAPTAIN i Rpert.il Dispatch by Leased Wrre to The Journal) San Francisco. Dec. 21 "When lovely woman stoops to folly. And find, too late, that men betray. What charm can soothe her melanchol) ? What art can wash her guilt away?" Goldsmith. Elisabeth Berry man. tall, blonde, beau tiful, but repentant, hysterical, sore of heart, came bach to San Prancisco on the ateamer San Jose yeaterday. She came alone. In the arid Interior of Mex ico she left Lieut. Victor 0. Lewis, the young army officer with whom she eloped from this city nine month ago. Elisabeth Berryman haa given up the man for whom she left home and friends, never to return to him. On the passen ger Mat of the Kan Joae, Mia Berryman was Elisabeth Gardner, and aa Elisabeth Gardner she registered at the Occidental hotel. When told that her identity waa known, she broke down and gave her atory. Twice has the young woman deserted the man with whom she eloped. Three month ago ah came to this city from Mexico. She returned to find him dying of fever, and then for six week he watched and tended by his bedside, grad ually nursing him back to life. Then, when he waa well and. strong again, the left him, and now she aaya she never will return. There waa a time, ah says, when she cared for him. but now aha hates the man who. she claims, deceived her. Before Ust April Miss Berryman was the moat beautiful nurse at St. Wini fred's hospital, which la on Sutter street, near La r kin. Up to that time Second Lieut. Victor C. Lewis waa one of the gallant officers of the artillery corps of I'nde flam's army. He was stationed at the Presidio, and among hla other duties presided over the canteen. He waa a married man. hla wife being the daughter of Colonel Handbury of the engineer corpa. Mrs. Lewis waa eo she ffed by his desertion and the mys tery attendant on hla disappearance that she had to go to the hospital, where ah waa seriously III for a long time. In due course Lewi waa dropped from the army list aa a deserter. Some time after the disappearance of the pair word came up the western coaat that they were living at Colima. Mexico. Ha had set up an office aa a civil and mining engi neer. But Mis Berryman' conscience made her heart heavy. She had not been made a wife. She had ascertained that Lewia waa a married man. She left him last October, and came 1 up to San Prancisco on the steamer Cltv i of Peking, taking pasaage aa Elisabeth .Gardner On the ateamer she was not recognised. She avoided her acquaint ' aneea In this city. But some lute drew , her back. She remained here but a I week and went back to the lieutenant at Colima on the same ateamer aha had I come up on. She say she went .back i to get her belonging, j When she reached Colima. Ixwla was very 111. He had typhoid fever, and h. waa supposed to be dying. She nursed him for six weeks, night and day, and at taat she saw him convalescent. Then she left him again, and took the steamer San Joae at Mansanlllo, giving her j aa Elisabeth Gardner, aa before. lleve they have found an Important clew to the murderer of George W. Brown, the policeman who waa ahot to death near Providence hospital by an unknown footpad Saturday night last Policeman Jack Sperry arrested at the. foot of Broadway thla morning a man who gleva tha name of Andrew Anderson, and say that he I a longshoreman belonging In San Prancisco, but on whose person waa found a 44 caliber bulldog and a mask, such as Is used by footpads. Policeman Sperry overpowered the man, who was about to take a 10 o'clock Creek boat for San Pranciaco. and marched him to the Sixth-street Jail. Prom there he telephoned to head quarter for the patrol wagon, and while he waa telephoning the prisoner remarked defiantly, "Well, we got on of you fellows the other night, any way." Chief of Police Hodgktn believes that Anderson know considerable about the murder or policeman Brown, and aaya that the police have been trying to get him for several daya. The police have been watching Anderson for more than a week, for even prior to the murder of Policeman Brown he waa In the daily habit of coming to thla city on the last Creek boat from San Francisco at o'clock p. m. and returning to the me- I tropotls about to 10 o'clock In the morning. Anderson is about IS years of age and la of unprepossessing appear ance. Chief Hodgktna declares that he an swers very well the description given by M. C. Heraey. of 21 Twenty-second street, of the man who held htm up at the point of a revolver last Saturday Lnlght only IS minutes prior to the mur der or Brown. He Is about ft feet 7 inches in height, wears black suit and oft black hat. all tallying with the Hersey footpad. While Chief Hodgkln and the detectives have not an yet dis posed to Anderson their suspicions t" his ctwptsw with the recent mur der, the prisoner admit frankly i as reaay te iiji la a holdup op Cttlsens Aotlve. Advice received from the secretary of the committee appointed at Klamath Pall to organise a water user' asso ciation to act in conjunction with the) government In bringing about national Irrigation In Klamath county ahowa that he la beginning to re ceive returns from the blank sub script Ions sent out to various member of the committee last week. The com mitteemen live In different portions oT the count v. and last week the secretary sent to them blank subscriptions for the purpose of inducing landowners t enter Into the government irrigation project ' , There are 300,000 acres all told to be brought under government Irrigation. About 250.000 acre .te In Klamath county, and the remainder Ilea In Cali fornia Before the government would proceed with the work. It required a, majority of the landowners, or persons representing more than one half of tha land lying under the proposed irriga tion scheme, to subscribe tha same in the form of stock. The secretary haa received report a bowing that more man 40.000 acres has been subscribed to the scheme. Some of the committeemen had only held the papers a few hour before receiving subscriptions of nundred of acre, f'n der the report sent In. 11.004) acres are subscribed at Swan Lake, 12.000 In Alkali valley, 17.000 In the neighborhood of the town of Merrill, and 1.200 acres lying near the town of Keno. No fear are now entertained, hat that the required amount will be subscribed. The government official have rented permanent quarters there for the win ter, have a large corp of draftsmen and clerks In the office and hav. three surveying parties in the field taking the levels of the lands and the depth of the lakes and rivers. , Thpy i.eelare that they will be able to place water upon the arid lands of Klamath county within the next IX month. STRIKE RICH ORE VEIN WHILE DIGGING WELL (gpertel Inepatrk te The Journal Olendlve. Mont.. Dee. 24. Three men who were digging a well at Beach, N. D., about 40 miles from hare, hav struck a vein of Galena ere carrying rich amounts of silver. They hav not Investigated the extent of the veto, aa they do not want the location of the fin) to be made known until they lank up the mining law and make sure of good i lalms for themselves. The vein Is In Montana lose to the) state line It is ' 'I lawa'aT-' I'tckln- earn parties 'jflfcHMBff"ir.e tow sett of Tseach in