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About Heppner gazette. (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1907)
HAPPENINGS GATHERED IN AND AROUND WASHINGTON. D. C. ADVANCE WILLIAMSON CASE. Hoyt Wants Decision Before Supreme Court Adjourns. Washington, March 22. Next Mon day Solicitor Goneral Hoyt, represent ing the attorney general, will submit to the Supremo court a motion to ad vance tho appeal of ex-Representative Williamson in tho hope that tho case can ho tried this session and licforo ad journment in May. In a formal mo tion, which ho huH prepared to Hiibinit to the court, Mr. Hoyt briefly reviews tho progress of tlie WilliamHon trial from its inception to and including tho action of the Circuit Court of A ppenls on March 11, and then states that his motion to advance is based on the" fol lowing reasons: First, this is a criminal cape; set; ond, a constitutional question appears to bo involved; third, it is a case of public importance involving tho ones tion whether the immunity from arrest granted to senators and members of congress by tho constitution extends to a sentence of imprisonment after legal conviction; fourth, an independent writ of error from the Circuit Court of Appeals has been dismissed by that court as to Williamson. Will Carry Relief to China. Washington, March 21. The United States army transport Buford will take a loud of provisions at once to China for the relief of the famine suffeiers. The War department advised the State department today that the transport, which is at San Francisco, is at the disposal of the Red Cross Cross for immediate use in the shipment. The transport will stop at llono.ulu on its way to Shanghai and probably will carry a special party of congressmen, who are to visit Honolulu as guests of the citizens of the Hawaiian islands. Displeaing to Veterans. Washington, March 19. The United Spanish War Veterans, District of Co lumbia department, today adopted a resolution vigorously denouncing the action of the constitutional convention of Oklahoma in adopting a clause in its constitution disfranchising soldiers, sailors and marines, and characterizing Much action us a direct insult to all American soldiers, sailors and marines "who have fought in the several wars in which the country has been engaged, and who have never known defeat in any war." Conference Proposal Received. Washington, March 21 .President Roosevelt bus received from governor Johnson, of Minnesota, the letter re cently sent by him bearing on the sub ject of a national conference with a view to reaching a common understand ing as to the powers to Ik exercised by the states in the event of an extension of Federal authority in railroad regula tion. The president has discussed the queston and expects to promptly reply to tiovernor Johnston's suggestion. Meet Only in Washington. Washington, March lfl. The work of the Interstate Commerce commission has grown so heavy that it has been de cided to discontinue the hearings which have been conducted by members of the commission outside of Washington. Hereafter, when it is found necessary to conduct investigations in other cities, special agents will take the testimony and report to the commission and the arguments on the case will be heard by the commissioners in this city. Grain Sacks May Be High. Washtucna Warehousemen are ad vising their customers to buy grain Kicks at 10 Vg cents, believing they will he higher before the harvest. So far very few sacks have been sold and some of the warehousemen have not sold a single one. Buyers say they hae been informed by their companies that even at the high prkes at which sacks were sold last year the companies made no profit. " Coal Land is Reopened. Washington The general land office lias issued a statement giving the loca tion of the following public lands re opened to entry by the president's or der of March 12 last: Montana, 2,000, 000; Oregon, 710,000; Washington, 320,000 The land was, previous to the order of March 12, included in land classed as coal land and withdrawn from entry. Cost of Pacifying Cnda. Washington, Match 22. Kxt inordi nary expenses to the United States up to date caused hy the sending ot an army of pacification to Cuba, aggregate about $2,500,000, according to figures which have been prepared by the War department. It has not been determ ined exactly when the mcney will be collected from Cuba by the United States. Oregon Middy Graduate. Washington Krnest Purr, of Taker City, will graduate from Annapolis Naval academy this year, being the only midshipman from the Northwest to graduate this peason, except Albert T. Church, of Ikiise. Church stands 12 in a class of lOfi. Let Roosevelt Arbitrate. New Orleans President Zelaya, of Nicaragua, is quoted as acceding to a request of President Roosevelt for arbi tration of the war troubles in Central America in a letter received here from Bluefields. Supreme Court Takes Recess. Washington, March 20. The chief justice announced today that the Su preme court would take a two weeks' recess, fiom next Monday until April 8. 4ed DISCUSSED ALTON DEAL. Roosevelt Denies He and Deneen Are Booming Taft. Washington, March 21. "Governor Deneen and Attorney General Stead did not come to Bee nio on any politacal matters at all." Tho above were substantially the words the president used in his talk with Senatoi Hansbrough today when the latter asked him about the report that Saturday's conference at tho White House with the Illinois officers during which Secretary Taft and his brother (failed, was for the purpose of launching a boom for Secretary Taft for the pres idency. From authoritative sources it was learned today that the visit of Governor Deneen and Attorney General Stead hud to do with the Chicago & Alton deal which figured in the Harriman in vestigattion before the Interstate Com merce commission. The president was anxious to learn what was being done or what the state contemplated doing in the matter. Secretary Taft issued the lol lowing "I had an appointment with the president at 3:30 p. in. Sunday am went to the White House to keep it. found Governor Deneen and Attorney General Stead with tli president and was introduced. They left immediate ly. There was no political conversa tion." Much Land is Reopened. Washington The secretary of the interior has restored to entry a large quantity of government land which was withdrawn last summer on the siippo sition that it contained deposits of merchantable coal. In all 1 10,000 acres are restored in Oregon and 320, 000 acres in Washington. The geolog ical survey, after examining, reported its inability to find coal indications in this land. The land now becomes sub ject to entry under the general land laws. Oregon land is in the Portland Roseburg, Dalles and La Grande dis tricts, the Washington land in the Se attle, Olympia and North Yakima dis. tricts. Ballinger's New Assistant. Washington, March 20. Land Com missioner liallinger announces the se lection of Fred Denett, of North Da kota, as assistant commissioner, sue ceeding George F. I'ollock, of Ohio, who becomes chief clerk in the general land office. Pollock takes the place of James F. Macev, assigned to field ser vice as inspector of surveyors. Mr Rallingcr states he will redistrict the field force in order to secure a more perfect organization, enlarge some di tricts, eliminating others, and bring all special agents under the control of field chiefs. Extends Sympathy to Russia. Washington, March 21 . The execu tive council of the American Federation of Labor today listened to addresses by Alexis Alauyn, representing the droup of Toil in the first douma of Russia, and Nicholas Tchykovsky, representing the revolutionary paity, regarding the question of economic improvement, ma terial advancement and political liberty for Russian woikmen. The council unanimously adopted resolutions ex pressive of its sympathy in the struggle of the laboring men of Russia for their freedom and pledging co-operation. Ross Demands Inquiry. Washington, March 20. Iieclama tion Engineer I). W. Ross, in charge of government irrigation projects' in Idaho, today telegraphed a demand for an immediate investigation of bis work in Idaho, satisfied that a fair investi gation will clear him of charges made by Special Inspector Greene. The re clamation service is unable to act, as Secretary Garfield has taken no action on Mr. Greene's report and has not even called for an explanation. - Theft of Mule Caused War. Washington, March 19. One mule a mule belonging to Senor Ireno Sal- gado was the chief object of dispute between Nicaragua and Honduras when they began the quarrel which finally ended in the war that is threatening the peace of all Central America, ac cording to the official communications exchanged by the ministers between the two lepublics, copies of which com munications have been received in Washington. President Confers With t oakum. Washington, March 20. The presi dent had a conference today with B. F. Yoakum, chairman of the board of di rectors of the Rook Island Railway company. This is the second confer ence the president has held with Mr. Yoakum within ten l:iys. Mr. Yoak um declined to state the purpose of this interview. Not Dead, but Sleeping. Washington, March 21. The ship subsidy bill is not dead, but sleeping. When congress reassembles, in Decem ber, the bill will he reintroduced; in fact it will prolwbly he reintroduced in various shapes, and then the friends of subsidy will join bands and attempt to pass tome compromise bill. Will Open Antung to Trade. "Washington, March 21. W. P. Straight, the American consul general at Mukden, notified the State depart ' ment today that he has assurances that the Antung custom he use will be open- by the Chinese soon FARMS UNDER WATER. Sacramento River Never Known to Be So High Before. Sacramento, Cal., March 22. From all down-river points come alarming news that th Sacramento river is high er than ever known, and that the eit uation all along the levees is appalling. There is alieady suffering and every able-bodied man is assisting in the fight against the water that is pouring into the bleaches and inundating thousands of acres of the finest farming land in the state. Specif 1 dispatches to the Union from Freeport, Courtland, Walnut Grove and Franklin state that the river has reached the highest stage ever recorded and it Is predicted that the terrible scenes witnessed during the trernen dous floods of 1004 will be surpassed Standing on the levee near Courtland one may see for GO miles to the south east across an unbiokeu sea of water which extends clear to Stockton. Thousands of cattle are being shelter ed on top ol the levees, as there is nc other place for them, and if the water does not fall soon an indescribable con dition of disaster is considered inevit able. This morning the blockade on the Southern Pacific lines was made com plete, when the line to the Fast was made helpless by a washout of 200 feet of track at Applegate, but during the afternoon the situation changed for the better when, with the report that the Applegate washout had been repaired came another stating that it was ex pected the track would soon be open through to Stockton. A trestle was placed in the gap at the Applegate washout this afternoon and more trains were dispatched East One of these, a Portland train, will be sent to Utah and via the Oregon Short Line. The Placerville line is in full commission again, but no trains are operated on the Marysville branch fur ther than Wheatland. On the Portland line no trains are running beyond Redding, the tracks be ing out at Keswick, Campbell and Ken- nett, and it is not expected that travel can be resumed beyond Redding for at least ten days. ADDITIONAL TRAIN SERVICE. Canadian Pacific to Enter Portland on O. R. & N. Tracks. Portland, March 22. Canadian Pa cific trains will be running into Port land May 1. Contracts were signed up here yeS' terday by traffic officials of the Cana dian road with R. B. Miller, general freight agent for the Oregon Railroad t Navigation company, allowing the use of the tracks from Spokane to Port land. The Canadian Pacific now reach es Spokane by the Spokane Interna noma railway ironi the V. f. li.a main line at the Canadian boundary. Freight service from Portland to all points in Canada, as well as to the At- antic seaboard, w ill be started May 1 by the new traffic arrangement. Pas senger trains will be put on at a later late. Through passenger service is promised from Portland to St. Paul. The use of the (). R. it N. tracks by Canadian Pacific equipment was ar ranged for recently at a conference be tween President G. M. Bogworth, of the Canadian line and Traffic Director C. Stubbs, of the Harriman system. This meeting was held in Chicago a short time ago. Historic Fort Swept Away. San Francisco, March 22. It is re ported here that all reelamaion districts in Sutter county have been flooded. Near Meridian the water is in the sec ond stories of the houses. Many fam ilies are said to be in want. Effcits will be made to send them lelief. Probably all the stock in these districts has been drowned. The people of Yuba county district, above Marysville, are reported safe. Near Tudor a bieak has occurred close to an Indian mound which was situated near the old iron fort brought from the East in sections by General John A. Sutter in the days before gold was discovered. Tiie fort is repoited to have been swept away. Steer Clear of Jerome. New York, March 22. In the course of an argument upon the indictments of the theatrical trust, Edward Lauter bach, counsel foi Klaw it Erlanger, said in court today that Dixon and Zimmer man, who also were indicted on a barge of conspiracy, are in Pennsyl vania, and will not voluntarily surren der themselves in New York. He add ed that they wanted the New York dis trict attorney to e'ause their arrest in Philadelphia, so that the question of their extradition could be taken up be fore the governor of Pennsylvania. Austria Guards Frontier. Vienna, March 22. The Austrian minister of tho interior has ordered a considerable inciease in the number of gendarmes upon the Roumanian fr 'ti tier in order to prevent riotous peas ants from crossing the frontier and starting disturbances in Austria. The opinion is expressed at the foreign omce mat unless t lie Koumanmn gov ernment promptly suppresses the a era-' nan movement in Roumania it is liable to soon get beyond control. Giving Away Sage Money. New Yoik, March 22. Announce ment was made today that Mrs. Russell Sage has donated $150,000 to the American Seamen's Friend society, to Ik? used by that liody in the erection of a proposed sailors' home and institute. Mrs. Sage has also given $75,000 to the Syrian Protestant college, of Beirut, Syria. WALL STREET IS INVOLVED Scope of San Francisco Indictments Widening Rapidly. More Deals Yet to Come to Light ot Which Public Has Small Concep tion Heney and Burns Assert They Have Only Begun Many Bg Capitalists Involved. San Francisco, March 21. Sixty-five indictments were filed by tho grand jury today against Abe Ruef and 10 against T. V. Halsey, of the Pacific States Telephone company. They all charge bribery. Assistant District At torney Heney and Federal Agent Burns assert that it is only a beginning. The total amount represented in the indictments is $218,750. When to this is added the amount which went to Ruef and Schmitz, the total will reach $1,000,000 in five deals exposed today There are more deals of which the public has small conception. They in elude not only local magnates, but men who have mansions in New lork, who have trafficked for special private gains in San Francisco for their corporations. It is understood that a power in Wall street who recently testified before the Interstate Commerce commission will be given an opportunity to defend him self. Tonight Ruef and Schmitz are abject and forlorn. The entire board of su pervisors has confessed. Schmitz is ready to do the same. Ruef is awak ening rapidly. By the end of next week the indictments which will con front him will be mountain high. By that time it is expected that Ruef will offer to confess. PUTER TELLS STORY. Admits of Deals With Hermann Steal Land. to Washington, March 21. Oregon con victs occupied the limelight in the trial of Binger Hermann today, while men under indictment played minor roles. S. A. D. Puter, the government's heavyweight witness, was put on the stand this afternoon and began the narration of his relations with Her mann in connection with land opera tions that have subsequently tinned out to be fraudulent. Puter was preceded by Dan W. Tarp- ley, who told in considerable detail the manner in winch he, Horace G. 31c Kinlev and F. P. Mays attempted to get rich quick" through the absorp tion of land in the Blue mountain for est reserve. The stories told by Puter and Tarp- ley did not throw any new light on either the Blue mountain or the 11-7 land fraud cases, which were threshed out in Portland. But the stories of both men were retold today to show their relations with Hermann and to aid the government in its efforts to show Hermann's motive for destroying the fateful letterpress copybooks. STREETS ARE FLOODED. All Business in Stockton SusDended by High Water. Stockton, Cal., March 21. Water ia running through the streets of this city like a millrace. In some places it is six feet deep, while in others it varies from one to three feet, the latter being the mean average. All business is sus pended; as most of the business houses are Hooded and the people in many parts of the city are afraid to leave their homes. No portion of the town escaped. Main, the principal business street of the ci'y, is the high point, and even here the water averages nearly a foot in depth. All the cellars and many of the first floors of the business houses were submerged and the loss in the city alone will urn into hundreds of thous ands of dollars. Recruiting Labor for Canal. raris, March 21 I.erov Farke, gen eral agent of the War department, has been in Europe for some months, so liciting foreign labor for wcrk upon the Panama canal, and although be has encountered much opposition, he has ucceeded since October in shipping 4,- 500 men, neai lv all Spaniards or Ital ians, and they are now going forward at the rate of about 500 a month. They are given free trunsortation, repayment to be out of their earnings at the rate of $4 a month, and are guaranteed pay at the rate of 20 cents an hour. Prefers Federal Control. New York, March 21 . Asked if he thought the conference between the railroad and the government would be beneficial, John D. Rockefeller f aid: "I cannot say. It is my idea that Fed eral control would le better for the roads. They would then understand the laws and plan ahead intelligently without one state's suddenly demand ing one tlung and another state being equally insistent on something entirely different State Will Pay Their Fare Concord, N. H., March 21. A bill ' forbidding state olficers to use or solicit free passes on the railroads passed both houses of the legislature today under suspension of the rules, follow ing a re port from the judiciary committee. By the bill the governor is authorized to contract for railroad transpertation for members of the legislature and house cf congress as needed. AFTER BIQ ONES. Mayor Schmllz and Boss Ruef May Go Free if They Tell All. San F'ancisco, March 20. Following the wholesale confession of members of ther ard of supervisors before the grand jury yesterday, there was a scramble today of bribetakers and bribegivers to get from under. The rush to Ileney's office began with dawn and continued far into the night. The greater part of tho volunteer army was turned away, but a few who ! were able to throw new light on some I of the bribery scandals were allowed to , pour forth their tales of degradation. it may De stateu at the outset in pos itive terms that District Attorney Lang don and Assistant District Attorney Heney will grant immunity to those supervisors who have confessed. It may also be stated that every member of the original board, with possibly two i x :eptions, have confessed. With equal positiveness it may be stated thatjthe ultimate object of the prosecution is not the conviction of Mayor Schmitz and Abe Ruef. If Schmitz and Ruef will reveal the full details of their nefarious transactions and make conviction of the millionaire bribegivers doubly sure, they will eith er be pardoned after conviction or will be allowed to go free. Should they reiuse to confess th evi dence at band will be used against them, and it is sufficient to send them both to jail for the rest of their lives. Convictions can be obtained against Ruef which will result in a total pen alty of 300 years. Each time Ruef birbed a supervisor he laid the founda tion for a fresh indictment, and he biibed 15 of them time and time again. AMERICANS IN PERIL. Nicaraguans Threaten to Loot Cap- tured Cities of Honduras. Puerto Cortez, Honduars, March 16, via New Orleans, March 20. A turn of sinister significance was given to the Central American war today by the finding on the persons of captured Ni- caraguan soldiers proclamations prom ising them loot of the first cities which they can capture in both Honduras and Salvador. Americans in Puerto Cortez are anx ious, because American residents are the principal property holders of most Of the Honduran cities. Any doubt as to the completeness of Buch a loot is dispelled not only by the wording of the proclamations, but by the experi ence had in 1894 by some of the per sons not living at Puerto Cortez, who were present at the looting of Cholu- teca, Honduras. LOST BRIDGES STOP TRAFFIC. Child"Drowned in Creek Fruit Crop MayBe Ruined. San Jose, Cal., March 20. More damage has been done by floods in the creeks in the last 24 hours than in the past 15 years. The washing out of bridges, notably the Southern Paufic on the Almaden branch, will stop all tiaffie from San Jose to Los Gates by way of Campbell for weeks. The dam age in the vicinity of the latter town will reach many thousand dollars. Fruit farmers generally are of the opinion that theie will be light crops this year, if some do not prove utter failures. The rains are believed to have washed out much of the pollen, which will prevent the blooms matur ing into fruit. At San Martin, Harold Bole, the 5 year old son of a well known rancher, fell into the swollen Lagas creek and was drowned. At Santa Clara several families were driven from their homes by the overflow of the Guadaloupe creek. Unwilling to Presecute Fencers. Cheyenne, Wyo., March 20. The announcement was made today that B. M. Auhserman, of Evanston, recently appointed LTnited States district attor ney for Wyoming by President Roose velt, had declined to qualify for the office caused surprise in local political circles. It is repoited here that the intention of the administration to in sist upon criminal rather than civil prosecutions in the cases of illegal fenc ing of the public range had a bearing upon the decision of Mr. Ausherman. new selection will be made. Salt Lake is Isolated. Lake City, March 20. Wash- Salt outs on the Southern Pacific and on the ; San Pedro, Los Angeles it Salt Lake roads, have isolated Salt Lake City temporarily from the Pacific coast. The iron bridge at Yerdi, 20 miles west of Reno, Nevada, is out and a wagon bridge over the Truekee river at the same ioint is also down. No trains have arrived in this city or in Ogden from the coast since yesterday niorn- ing. More Floods in Ohio Valley Tittsburg, March 20. The Mononga hela, Allegheny and Ohio rivets are ris ing rapidly on account of heavy rains 'throughout Western Pennsylvania. Many small streams in this vicinity are already overflowing their banks. Fore caster Penny forecasts a tomorrcw noon. 24-foot rise bv j Suit for Kingston Insurance. Kingston, March 20. The first suit against tho insurance companies to re cover for losses su.-tained in the earth- quake was filed yesterday. The York- shire company is the defendant. Other j I companies will nin be sued. Successful Train Hofdup. ! Yekaterinoslav, Russia, March 0. ' Ten armed men held up a train on the . outskirts of this town txlayand secured $7,500 in cash, with which they made I their escape. ' 'ASTOUNDING EXPOSURES Evidence Piling L'p Against Grafters In San Francisco. Board of Supervisors Breast Deals Up Traction Company $450,000-- Money Makes Clean in Millions Mulcted of Taken from Two Telephone Companies. San Francisco, March 19. Before tomorrow morning dawns, Abraham Ruef, fallen boss of San Francisco, now on trial for extortion, will have been indicted by the grand jury on various counts, aggregating nearly 100 in num ber, covering a period of many months and based on bribes running into hun dreds of thousands of dollars. With him will be criminally involved Mayor Schmitz, almost a score of the officials of the city government and a number of millionaires of prominence in San. Francisco and in the East. Seventeen of the 18 county supervis ors went before the grand jury today and confessed in detail graft operations and their magnitude carried on during their tenure of office. Principal among these was the award of a blanket fran chise to the Unted Railroads to trans form its cable lines into an overhead trolley system, for which Ruef had mulcted Patrick Calhoun, president of the company, in the sum of $450,000. But the corruption surrrounding the history of the franchise granted to the Home Telephone company was even more damnable, and explodes the cher ished proverb that "there ia honor among thieves." The board of super visors was bought twice, once by the Pacific States Telephone company, which wished to keep the rival corpor ation out of the city, and once by the Home Telephone company, which was fighting to get an entiance into the city. The Pacific States company paid the most money.- This was brought about by the pur chase of Mayor Schmitz and Abe Ruef by the foreign concern, and they, with their pockets well lined, cracked the whip over the supervisors and forced the granting of the coveted privilege. Most of the supervisors had got $5,000 apiece from the Pacific States com pany. A little later the Home Tele phone agents paid a number of the su pervisors $3,000 each, but Ruef and Schmitz, having been seen meanwhile, the sum was considered enough to com plete the transaction. The confessions revealed details also of the Ocean Shore railroad fianchise deal anil others less extensive, but in volving in the aggregate upward of $1, 000,000. It is believed that the super visors who confessed have been prom ised immui ity from prosecution. HERMANN WROTE ANSWERS. Many Letters Received at Land Office Sustain Case. Washington, March 19. Yesterday opened the sixth week of the trial of Binger Hermann on the indictment charging destruction of 35 letterpress copybooks alleged to have contained official correspondence of the general land office. The prosecution will prob ably conclude by the end of the week and it is expected the defense w ill occu py two weeks with its witnesses before the case goes to the jury. To date ap proximately 1,000.000 words of testi mony have been taken. Yesterday the prosecution placed on the stand seven chiefs of divisions of the general land office who served under Hermann, and all identified original official letters from the land office files which were answered in person by Her mann as commissioner. All testified that they have been unable to find in the files copies of the replies to these letters, the memorandum in each case stating specifically that the letters were answered by the commissioner. There were no such letteis. Smallpo Hits Paris. Faris, March 19 The appearance of a few "ases of smallpox here has greatly alarmed the people. Thousands of persons have been vaccinated during the past few davs and the hospitals and academies of medicine are besieged by ; crowds of people anxious to be vacci- jnated. The authorities, however, say j that there is no real danger of an epi jdemic. Dr. Mesquereur, director gen eral of public service, informed the j Associated Piess that the reports that ,the situation had grown worse were untrue. Will Tell bout Land Deals. Seattle, Wash., March 19. Henry C. Robertson, a court, stenographer, and A, G. King, former deputy clerk ab Portland, Or., were subpenaed Saturday I night and will be sent to Wellington tomorrow to supply data in the trial of Binger Hermann, ex-commissioner of the general land office. Rolettson and j King have full data of all the circum stances relating to the Ian 1 deals, and i their appearance in the trial is very necessary. Civil Service for Porto Rico. San Juan, Porto Rico, March 19. The legislature adjourned today, after the most important ses-ion since the American occupation. 15 bills of the introduced beim: passed. Anions the measures approved is a civil service bill which will become effective next January. Appropriation bills finally were passed in the form presented by the governing council.