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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1905)
. 't(K' -if"" . PEICE FIVE CENTS. PORTLAND, OREGON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1905. EFIESTHEGI1T Kansas in Combat With the Standard Oil. REOPLE ROUSED TQ FURY Stalwart Men Swarm to the State Capital. FORCE LEGISLATORS TO 'ACT Powerful Unseen Influences Are Back of the Movement, and the Gov ernment Shows Inclination to Take a Hand. STANDARD OIL DIVIDENDS DE CLARED SIXCE 1895. 1S96 J31.O00, 00021901 54S.OOO.OOO 1P07 33,000.00011002 45.000,000 jk3 ::o.ooo.oooioort -44.000.000 3890 3.1.000.00011004 30,000.000 1900 -4 8.000.000 TOPEKA, Kan., Feb. 19. (Special.) The State of Kansas, with 5400,000, and a stiff-backed population, has set about the task of fighting Standard Oil, with 5400,000,003,000. and tentacles spreading all over the United States and foreign countries. The battle be tween the Sunflower State and . the greatest of all monopolies and its ul tlmato outcome will well be worth watching; jsacK oi tne state or .Kansas are powerful influences whicn have not yet appeared upon the canvas. The peo pie of that state have appealed to Thomas W. Lawson, of Boston, who has already paid his sarcastic compll mcnts to Standard Oil. to take the generalship of the fight, but it is doubtful if ho will accept- However, it is figured he muy be relied upon for any friendly counsel. In Pennsylvania there is a powerful Mndepanden't 'tflmpany. a"3 it"h03 'been asked to join hands In the battle. An English syndicate with dazzling capi tal is saia to stana rcauy to build a pipe line to the Gulf of Mexico and thus give Kansas a market for her oil. Genesis of the Struggle. Before considering the lining up of the forces and speculating upon the probable result of the titanic contest. it will be well to get at the genesis of the struggle and see what it is all about. This is necessary to form an opinion about the merits of the con lending forces and- to align one's syra pathy with one side or the other. When oil was discovered in paying quantities In Kansas, the Standard peo pie following their general policy. bought up or leased all the wells. The state was grldlroned with pipe lines and the oil, in many Instances, was purchased of the producers. Kansas now produces 27,000 barrels of crude oil daily. At the outset, the Standard Company paid tho producers 51.20 a barrel for their oil, but not long ago this was re duced to 70 cents. Meanwhile, however. the price of refined oil, which burns in lamps in every Kansas store and hamlet, even to the sod houses in tho remote districts, still sticks at the fancy price of 10 cents a gallon. Here is tho rub. The hard-headed Kansans cannot understand why the price of crude oil should be cut almost in half and the prico of the refined article continue to hang in the same notch. Roused to Fight "Dragon." This lact set men and women to thinking. Tht more they thought, the stronger grew the desire to strike at the "monster," which had set its ten tacles up"on the great Industry of tho state and was reaping enormous profits. To remedy this condition, Senator Porter, of Caney County, finally evolved the bill which has passed both branches of tho Legislature It is one of the simplest measures ever adopted by the Kansas Legislature, but lawyers who have gone over it carefully say it con tains elements for vast complexities. According to its caption, It is simply an act to provide a branch penitentiary and to furnish the labor and machinery for the refining of oil. Convicts to Work Refinery. Inasmuch as the refinery is to be lo cated at Peru, in the. heart of the oil district, and Inasmuch as it will cost 5200,000 to equip and 5230.000 addition al to maintain for one year, although It will furnish work for only 15 convicts, the Intent of the bili is plainly discern ible. The sections relating to the branch penitentiary are simply put in to override a constitutional objection, for the State of Kansas is prohibited from engaging in any line of private business. The claim has been made that Kan sas cannot provide convicts enough to refine the outproduced within her bor ders. Thero are other lines of work which must be done by convict labor, according tothe laws of th'e state, and there will be a shortage, even making allowance for tne convicts from Okla homa. It is somewhat difficult to gauge the exaot public sentiment In J.he staU. While the bill providing ror a state re finery passed with a whoop, there.were surface indications- that some of the legislators voted in opposition to their better judgrcent and in response to popular clamor. In defense of these men, it must be admitted there was nothing else for them to do. The stato was aflame and when Kansas is aflame, or bleeding It is not wise to stem the tide. Legislators Forced to Vote. Delegations of hundreds of stalwart and determined men swarmed up to tho state capital from tho oil fields and pos itively demanded that the bill pass. It is also true that not all these men were oil producers. In their ranks one could see many speculators men who have invested in "wild-cat" oil schemes. These men are anxious that the stock they purchased at 10 cents on the dol lar should become worth a trifle more than the paper upon which the certifi cates are written. The measure has been denounced as a return to populism, but any man wno would have stood out against it, would have signed his political death war rant. The air was thick with rumors of "boodle" being "handed out by the Standard people. Whatever the basis. If any, for this talk, it remains that if any legislator were bought by the Standard, he could not be delivered. Standard Makes a Break. The Standard maintained a powerful lobby at the capital and exerted all the influence it could bring to bear, but the passage of the measure could not be pre vented. This is the first step and Indi cates the attitude of the people as re flected by their legislators. But it must not be imagined that tho Standard peopla have deserted the field. They will b heard from later on. The first show of displeasure was the order to suspend all work in the state, throwing out of em ployment nearly 1000 men and paralyzing the industry. Afterwards, it was admitted this was a serious mistake and the order was rescinded. One of the officials made the frank admission that this was a serious 'break." The policy of affecting to believe that there was nothing to" be feared from the state refinery should have been fol lowed, instead of making a petulant out break and refusing "to play." According to Governor Hoch. the "Kan sa6 experiment" will stir up much trou ble for the Standard Oil people. It is proposed to obtain figures showing the actual cost of refining oil and the enorm ous profits and scatter this data broad cast over the United States. With HINT OF THE LARGE PROFITS IX KE FIXING OF OIL. ' Cost of a 1000-barrsl plant... 5150.000.00 1000 bbls. crude oil produces 4 per cent gasoline, 1000 gal lons, at lie 5 201-60 S3 per cent water-white kero-. nene, 14.700 gallons, at Sc.. 1.178.00 35 per cent parafllne, 14.700 gallons, at 8c 1,176.00 JO per cent lubricating oil, K400 gallons, at 8c 572.00 .6, per cent -was te... . ........ Total 3,225.00 Cost of 1000 barren crude. i... 5-170.00 Refining same 175.00 C45.00' Dally profit at 1000-barrel re finery 5 2.5S0.00 Thomas W. Lawson whetting his teeth upon tho shins of the Standard Company In Boston, Ida II. Tarbell and other writ ers holding it up to scorn In various magazines and the Government of the United States giving symptoms of taking a hand in the fight, Kansas feels that it will have powerful allies in the battle. Look to the Government. Hope for aid from the Government lies In the resolution introduced February 15, in the House, by Representative Camp bell, of Kansas, asking that the proper authorities begin a thorough investigation of affairs In the state. Particular atten tion is to bo paid to the margins between the price of crude and refined oil, es pecially in Kansas; conspiracy in restraint of trade, discrimination, boycotts, black lists and other weapons said to bo kept handy by the Standard Company, and, in short, a general overhauling of oil con ditions in Kansas with all the light that may be thrown upon Standard transac tions and methods. The Standard, through its representa tives, is said to hold continued proprietor ship in the "Foster lease," of 150,000 acres in the Osage Indian Territory, a district said to be Immensely rich in oil. It is held that control of this district by the Standard, Is a serious menace to the in dustry and Congress , Is asked to refuse an extension of the lcaso Frenzy of the People. However the fight may terminate, opinion in Kansas is not solidified. Sena tor Stubbs, who 'valiantly opposed the passage of the state refinery bill, but finally succumbed to popular clamor, per haps voices a large number of opinions. ANTI-TRUST BILLS PASSED. In six days the Kansas Legislature has passed this anti-trust legislation: Antl-dlscrimlnatlon bill Aimed at Standard Oil Maximum freight rate bill To pre vent railroads favoring Standard Oil. Railroad Commission bill To pre vent Standard Oil dominating state railroads. State refinery bill To compete with Standard Oil. 1 Antl-gas-pumplng bill To prevent use of artificial power, thus keeping Kansas gas within her borders. Pipe line common carrier - act Throws open oil conduits' to all com petition. or rather a large Begment or public senti ment when he put the case in these words: "I dislike to see tills measure pass. It delivers the Legislature into the Hands of the silverites and Populists. It means the rehabilitation of elements which have al ways been drawbacks to the progress of this state. All this frenzy Is wrong. It is simply a desire to strike at the monster everybody lenows has set its tentacles upon the oil fields that prompts the agitation. "No doubt the battle ' should be made. (.Concluded oa Page " 8.) FELL INTO I Robertson Was an In voluntary Informer.. HENEY TELLS THE STORY Senator Mitchell's Secretary Did. Not Betray Him. MET BY-DETECTIVE BURNS Taken Direct to the federal Grand Jury-Room With Letter Addressed to Judge Tanner, Which He Was Forced to Give Up. ORBGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington. Feb. 19. "There is nothing to add to what has already been published." said United States District Attorney Heney tonight, when asked what he cared to say about the land-frauds prosecutions in Oregon. "The whole story, as far as de veloped, has been told In the papers. There will be more' later on. but for the time being there will be no new develop ments. "I came to Washington.." continued Mr. Heney, "to argue the Benson-Hrda land-frauds case before the Supreme Court. Tomorrow and Tuesday have been set aside for that case. When that is over, I will go back to San Francisco, and will not return to Portland until the fore part of April. We then expect to resum investigation of the land frauds, and thero Is promise of further startling develop ments. Mr. Heney says the Government has strong case against Senator Mitchell and tho two Oregon Congressmen. Criticism Was Very Strong. "There was a great deal of criticism of our course," said he, "and we were ac cused of unjustly persecuting public men. We know we were not; we knew what the facts were and what we would bo able to prove. But this criticism became so in tense that. we had to bring out Judgf Tanner and allow him to make his stato ment, just to show the people what wa really had. That confession was a sam pie of the evidence we had collected. "When Judge Tanner made his stato- ment in open court, and we produced and published Senator Mitchell's letter, criti cism of the prosecuting officers and the grand jury ceased. "It is hardly fitting that I should say much about the cases at this time. I can say, however, that our case against Rep resentauve Williamson is equally as strong as our case against Senator Mitch ell. Williamson is in it deep; he Is badly entangled, but his operations have been confined entirely to Eastern Oregon. "Mr. Hermann is very shrewd and cun nlng. He very cleverly covered his tracks. and it has been difficult to obtain evidence against him." Hermann Drops into Background. Mr. Heney says tho Government started In expecting to find that BInger Hermann was the principal offender. As the facts were brought to light, however, the Inter est centered around Senator .Mitchell, and Hermann dropped Into the background Mitchell's case la more conspicuous be cause of his long public service, and his high position. In this connection Mr, Heney said: me newspapers have placed. Harry C. Robertson. Senator Mitchell's secretary "i . iitiae ngnu xney nave made it ap pear that ho betrayed his employer, and voluntarily give up damaging evidence against him. That is not the case. "We sent a secret service agent to see him in Washington before he was sub- penaed, but he refused, to tell .him any thing. Then we sent for him and he cams to Portland, not knowing why he was summoned. We sent Mr. Burns to meet him on the train at The Dalles, and he was escorted direct from the train to the grand juryroom. Secretary in Bad Box. "Mr. Robertson was In a most trying position. He either had to perjure him self, or ho had to make confessions which would be damaging to Senator Mitchell He did the only thing an honest man could do ho told the truth. He would have accomplished no "good for the Sen ator had he perjured himself; he would have done himself harm. "But Mr. Robertson volunteered no in formation whatever. He answered all questions as they were put to hJm, but stopped there. We supposed Mr. Robert son would bring papers of some sort from Senator Mitchell to Judge Tanner, so we took precautions "to get them. "When Mr. Robertson's examination be fore the grand jury was concluded, he was asked if He had any such papers, and he said he had. We demanded them, and he surrendered them. He could not have done otherwise; to have refused would have been to defy the court; and we could have secured them by other means, anyway. "Mr. Robertson has been placed before the public as- having voluntarily sur rendered, the Mitchell letter. On the con trary, he did not produce It until ordered to do so. I say this only to place Mr. Robertson right bofore the public I want to commend his course throughout." Mr. Heney dined with Secretary Hitch cock tonight, and went over with him the details of his work at Portland. All day Mr. Heney has been at the Department of Justice, preparing for his argumont 1n the Hyde-Benson case tomorrow. He says his visit to Washington has nothing whatever to do with the Oregon cases. As yet. be has not been requested to call on the President, but will probably be summoned to the White House before he leaves for the West. JUDICIAL BILL IS CALLED" UP Representative Gillette Tells Why Oregon Needs Two Districts. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington Feb. 19. Just before the House djourned last night Representative Gil lette, of California, called up the Senate bill dividing the State of Oregon into two judicial districts. Tho bill was read and unanimous consent was1 asked that it be considered. Several members -manifested a spirit of opposition, but Gillette was given an opportunity to mane a brief statement showing the necessity fOr dividing the state. He said: "The bill hag passed the cSnate and has been reported from the judiciary committee of the House. A similar bill has. passed this House granting another district to the State of Washington. Ore gon Is a great state,' fast developing, and in the eastern and southern part ot tne state It takes about a week to get to Portland where court is held. It costs a large sum of money, not only to the Government, but to private persons for witnesses in traveling that great dis tance. 'It is because of the fact that tho mountains run through the center of the state and tho eastern and southern part is so cut on irom wnere court is now held that tho people of that state feel that this is a great necessity. Representative Payne, of New iork. suggested that It would be more econom ical and would serve the same end to have two subdivisions of tho court held in Oregon, saying that one Judge could do all the business if there were two subdivisions. At this point Representa tive Howard, acting at the request of John Sharp Williams, minority leader, ob jected to further consideration of the bill and It had to go over, along with all other bills called up under unanimous consent. Another attempt will be made later to secure favorable action on tne uregon judicial bill. If it can once be brought un. it needs only unanimous vote to pas? it PART OF BRIDGE IS BLOWN UP Chinese Bandits Said to Have Aided Party of Japanese. HARBIN. Feb. 19. A party of Japanese and Chinese bandits destroyed the abut ment of the railway near Yaomln, 100 miles distant from her early this morn ing, but the damage was repaired in i few hours. Frontier guards heard an ex plosion at 3:10 o'clock and found that a charge of guncotton had been exploded against the abutment. Two telegrapn poles were also destroyed. An unexploded charge of guncotton was found 400 feet from the placo where the explosion occurred. Traffic on the rail way was resumed at 7 o'clock this morn ing. These attempts on the railways-are be lieved to have been made to cover the movements of a large body of Chinese bandits across Mongolia All Quiet at the Front. . HEADQUARTERS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY, Huan fountain. Feb. 19. All is qaiet at the front. The.Second and Third Army Corps in front of the first army of Japanese made an unimportant demon stratlon on February IS, advancing on tho villages of Stoslntun, Koutiatsze. Vatl shan and Saehetun, but retired after two hours. Russians Build Defensive Works. TOKIO. Feb. 19. Field Marshal Oyama reports that the Russians are continuing their defensive works In all directions. They continued to shell portions of the Japanese lines Friday. On the same day they essayed a small Infantry attack but were repulsed. CONTENTS OF TODAY'S PAPER The Weather. TODAY'S Occasional rain; cooler; brisk south to west -winds. T ESTER DAT S Maximum temperature. 5: deg.; minimum, 40. Precipitation, 0.11 Inch. fight on Standard OIL Pygmy Kansas commences finish fight with the giant Standard Oil. Page 1. - Incidents leading up to the struggle, and action already taken. Page 1. Land Fraud Indictments. District Attorney Heney will appear In the Hyde-Benson case before the Supreme Court. Page L benator .uitcneii s private secretary was loyal, but compelled to tell the truth. Page 1. Secretary Hitchcock will undoubtedly be re talned In new Cabinet. Page 3. Russia. Grand Dukes fear to attend funeral of Ser gius; body will remain at Moscow. Page L Closing down of big works at St. Petersburg compels government to buy war munitions in France and Germany. Page 1. Possibility that Germany may aid Russia to put down revolution. Page -4. Czar may lose his crown U he listens to the Russian cry for reform.- Page 4. CoBgreR. Services In memory of the late Senator M. S. Quay held by House of Representatives Page 3. Senate will provide conferees on statehood bill. Page 3. Hours of the House will lengthen as ad Journment day approaches. Page 3. Domestic. Gates crowd Is quieting the market, after shaking out the short-money men. Page 1 Fire In the wholesale district of Indlanapol! destroys property worth $1,500,000. Page 4, Professor T. L Gilford, of Df corah, la., who killed his neighbor, declared Insane. Page 4. Hearing In Peabody contest case is concluded at Denver. Page 3. Pacific Coast. Four-masted schooner Mrglnla runs Into trouble In attempt to sail Into the Co lumbla. Page 4. Okanogan Indian boy kills white stepfather. who abused his mother. Page 3. Paroled Russian naval officers arrived at San Francisco on the way home. Page 4 Northwest Political. Senator Brownell will open law office I Portland and quit politics. Page 3. Question whether Governor should act on capital removal bill. Page 3. Enemies of anll-gambllng bill will hear from the Municipal League Jaier. Page 3. Portland and Vicinity. Big campaign for civic Improvement to be utartcd under leadership of Chamber of Commerce. Page 11. More coplalnta are lodged of methods pur imed In conducting City Board of Char lties. Page 10. Dr. Brougher defends his sermons again: those who call them sensational. Page 7. Many candidates for Mayoralty already In the field. Page 10. Labor agitators who have been Inciting trouble at the Exposition may fall In their purpose. Page Countles will get no vote on prohibition measure, but fight will be conducted in precincts.-- Pare 10. DUKESiNTEBR Will Not Attend the Fu neral of Sergius. FEAR THE FATAL BOMB Remains Will be Placed in Vault in Moscow. LOCKOUT AT RUSSIAN'CAPITAL Ranks of Unemployed Swelled by Thousands, and Government Sends Orders for War Material to France and Germany. ST. PETERSBURG. Feb. 20 (12:30 A. M.) It has been definitely decided that the remains of Grand . Duke Serglus will not be brought to St. Petersburg for the present, but will be placed in a temporary receiving vault of the cloister of thb Caudoff Monastery to await the completion of alterations now in nrotrresn in the Romanoff mausoleum, In the fortress of 6aint3 Peter and Paul. On account of lack of space in the mausoleum it was decided last year henceforth to bury only rulers of the dynasty In the old mauso leum and a new sepulcher in the new wing of the cathedral is now being built for other members of the imperial family. This, however, is not the only reason for the decision not to bring the remains to the capital. Even Governor-General Tropoff has recognized the fact that no precautions can furnish an absolute guar antee of Immunity against an act of ter rorism, and at a great state funeral where ancient custom requires that the Emperor and all of tho Romanoff famlly asserrble and follow the coffin on foot. single bomb might wipe out the dynasty Emperor Will Not Go to Moscow. Regard for the personal safety of tho sovereign also has- led to the decision that the Emperor shall not go to Moscow to attend the funeral. It is possible that no members of thot Imperial family- will be present, except those who are now with in tho walls of the Kremlin. Grand Dukes Constantino and Paul probably will represent the Emperor at tho service. ' Constantino is personally popular, never having participated in the politics of the court, preferring to devote himself to the sciences and arts and to his work as tho head of tho military academy. So grave is the danger of a repetition of the Moscow tragedy that Beveral of tho Grand Dukes have not stirred out of their palaces slnco the murder, and In stead of going to Tsarskoe-Selo to attend the requiem there, thoy have participated in special services held in the chapels of their own palaces. This was tho case as regards Grand Dukes Vladimir and Alexis. Trepoff Marked for Slaughter. A special requiem also was held in the Winter Palace, that Governor-General Trepoff might attend. General Trepoff Is said to be under sentence by the fight ing organization of the social revolution ists, and so far aa can be ascertained haa not left his quarters since the assassina tion of Grand Duke Serglus. Dispatches from the Interior say that requiems for the Grand Duke have been held through out Russia. The public is greatly concerned over the developments of the immediate fu ture. According to reports, many cities and towns are In a condition of political ferment, and several officials have been assassinated In Southern Russia. Accord-" lng to a telephone message from Moscow. the students there are afraid to appear on the streets in their uniforms. In ad dition the strike situation has again grown menacing, especially In the matter of railroads, three of which entering Moscow were entirely tied up. Government Work Sent Abroad. In St. Petersburg the strike has as sumed tho form of a lockout, the PoutH oft Iron "Works, the Franco-Russian Works, the Russo-Am'erlcan Rubber Works, and a few smaller concerns hav ing discharged all their employes, with the notice hat the works will be shut down Indefinitely. Consequently there are many alarming reports afloat as to what tho men will do. With 20,000 or 40,000 men out of work for an Ideflnite period, even if no more Join the ranks of the Idle, rioting and collisions with the police are feared. From the attitude of the men many masters are convinced that they have received finan cial assistance from some source. The closing of the Franco-Russian and tho Putlloff Works is a serious embar rassment to the government as the former is engaged exclusively on navy work and the latter In manufacturing arms and munitions of war for tho army. Over 25,000,000 projectiles and shrapnel are being prepared at the Putlloff works, and the government has been compelled with in the last ten days to place orders In France and Germany for $125,000,000 worth of munitions. Men Conceded All Demands. At the government-owned Nevsky works the Minister of Finance has been able to hold the men only by conceding everything they have demanded. Includ ing the eight-hour day. The employers, in a letter to the Finan cial Minister squarely disclaim all re sponsibility for causing the labor trou ble, declaring that the strike Is not of economic origin and that the nature of the men's grievances can only bo adjusted by political reforms. They allege that the condition of industry in Russia renders yielding to the demands of the men ut terly Impossible. The suspension for three months of the newspapers Our Life and Our Days, fol lowing a second warning. Is probably equivalent to the final extinction-of the offending journals. The decree of sus pension assigns a "dangerous tendency" to the publications and specifies several articles upon popular manifestations; but the owners of the papers believe that the true reason is that no expression of sor row for the murder of Grand Duke Serglus was printed in their Moscow dis patches, and that there was no word of editorial comment. Perhaps the best explanation Is the fact that both papers, which circulate largely among the workmen, have printed articles bitterly opposed to the govern ment. SNOW COVERS BLOOD - STAINS Body of Grand Duke Sergius Is at the Caudoff Monastery. MOSCOW, Feb. 19. A thin layer ot snow today has dlmmmed the blood stains in the Senate Square. The win dows of the Palace of Justice have been reglazed, and other hasty repairs have -been made to obliterate traces of Friday's tragedy. Evidence, however. is being found in most unexpected places. Soldiers this afternon discov ered many pieces of the carriage in which Grand Duke Sergius was riding when he met his deatn, and fragments of flesh, were found on the top of the 12-foot parapet of the arsenal among the Napoleonic guns. Until the funeral, which has been fixed for Thursday, February 23, the remains of Grand Duke Sergius will rest in the ancient dining-room of the Caudoff monastery, to which through out the day the people of Moscow have been admitted to pay their last respects in parties of 100. This precaution was taken because It was thought neces sary to avoid the possibility of demon stration, t The body of Grand Duke Sergius. dressed in the unirorm of the Fifth (Kieff) Grenadiers, of which he wa3 honorary Colonel, rests In an oaken coffin. Only the breast of tho unfortu nate man. upon which Is an Inscription of the Savior and the -orders of the Grand Duke, Is visible. The Bible be side tho head of the coffin bears the orthodox cross in silver and the Im perial eagles. The assassin remains silent. His identity has not yet been established, and. although the police have been trying diligently, they have been un able to find any clew3 to any possible accomplice. The assassin's appearance and clothes offer no means of Identifi cation, but his pass evidently was forged, and appears never to have been issued. His photographs have been taken, to bo dispatched to all the uni versities, but It the assassin is actually a workman, and not a student, the po lico may find themselves at sea. Grand Duke Serglus coachman is still alive, and may recover. The city presents an aspect of .deep elot-m. There . was no music In the restaurants' rand thero were no per formances at the theaters. The Impe rial manifesto voicing the grief ot tho Emperor 1b posted at street corners throughout tho city, and the crime still forms the only topic of discussion. EXPRESSES HIS ABHORRENCE President Roosevelt Sends the Czar a Message of Condolence. ST. PETERSBURG. Feb. 20 (2:05 A. M.) Emperor Nicholas lias received through Ambassador McCormlck a message of condolence from. President Roosevelt. which contains a strong expression of the abhorrence with which both the American Government and people view the crime perpetrated at Moscow on Friday. Services In New York Cathedral. NEW YORK, Feb. 19. At the Russian Cathedral of St. Nicholas a requiem mass for the Grand Duke Serglus of Russia was celebrated today. The scene was most Impressive, as tho great congrega tlbn. holding lighted candles, responded to the chants of the black-robed priests officiating at the catafalque which had been placed in tho center of the edifice. Rev. Alexander Hotovsky, the pastor. In his sermon said that the assassination ot the Grand Duke was a sad blow against the Teal freedom of Russia; that the act of the assassin would not bring about a betterment of conditions, but that violence would retard the liberal ten dencies of that country; that tho act, furthermore, was not perpetrated by Rus sians or by men who had the welfare of Russia at heart, for no real patriot would throw a bomb into the Kremlin, which Is a sacred place. Russia, said the preacher, was calum nlated throughout the world, and many of the Infamous charges against the Rus sian government were wholly untrue and other happenings were exaggerated for political purposes. King and Princess Express Grief. LONDON, Feb. 19. King Edward and tho Prince and Princess of Wales paid a visit of condolence today to the Rus sian Ambassador here. Professor Was an Englishman. LONDON, Feb. 20. Dispatches pub llshcd here regarding -the murder of Pro fessor McLeanland. a lecturer in the Com mercial Academy at Moscow. February 15, by a student, says the professor was nn Englishman. Thero is no Intimation that the crime was of a political charac ter. DR. HARPER IN THE HOSPITAL President of Chicago University Be lieves He Has Cancer. CHICAGO, Feb. 19. President William R. Harper, of the University of Chicago, was taken to the Presbyterian Hospital today, where he will be prepared for the operation to be .performed on him next Wednesday. Dr. Harpera condition re mains unchanged. At a conference of the professors of the university today before his removal to the hospital. Dr. Harper said he believed ho was a victim of cancer and his chances of recovery were slight. Blockade-Runner Is Captured. TOXIO. Feb. 20 (10:20 A. M.). The nav department announces the seizure of the Britisa steamer Sllvanla. bound for vladi vostok with Cardiff coal. The place where the seizure was made is not stated. NEW YORK. Feb. 19. The Sylviana Is a vessel of 2715 tons and owned by Furness, WIHey & Co., of West Hartle pool, England. She sailed from Barry December 13, and was reported bound for Labang. Latest marine advices state that she arrived at Hong Kong about February 8. I TIE MARKET Gates Crowd Would Not Force Wheat Up Now. SEEK TO STEADY THINGS. Danger" That Heavy Foreign Supplies May Come In. "PIKERS' ARE SHAKEN OUtf Plan of the Bulls Is to Defer th Fireworks Until the Second Week In May, Too' Late to Bring Shipments From Abroad. CHICAGO. 111.. Feb. 19. (Special.) Thai great wheat corner now Doing run cjj' John W. Gates and his crowd has beea given a sedative. Sromldcs in the shapaj ot buying or selling wilt be administered from day to day, as occasion demands. Just now the vital point is to quiet thaM market and prevent the foreign -short! taking alarm. The heavy slump in the market Friday? and Saturday had a two-fold purpose. Tho first was to quiet the market, that second to shake out tho swarm of "pik-, ers," the little fellows who obstructed the field of battle. They have been thor- oushly shaken out. and the issue may now be clearly witnessed. It Is proposed to steady and pet thoi market along until about the second week in May, when fireworks of the most luridX character may be expected. It will then bo too late to import wheat. To the studious onlooker it seems to d a battle of Gates and his party with J. Ogden Armour and his party. Tho be3U infornied persons say Armour Is not lit deeply enough to get hurt. The trap has been laid for him. but he can snatch all, the bait and not lose more than one flnw ger two at the utmost. j Strange as It may seem, tho men manlp-4 ulatlng the market must use extremes caution not to run tho price too high not, before tho second jweek in May. If wheat! goes to 51.30 ?r above, it will bring la. e'nough foreign supplies to swamp tho erif tiro structure. Russia and Argentina wheat Is now on the basis of 90 cents la? Liverpool.. Wifb, .the price at $1.3J la ChU; cago, the supplies could be shipped from:, Liverpool or the Mediterranean, pay'ng the export duty of 25 cents and allowing 5 cents for transportation and handling. In this connection, it is interesting tc note that Gates and his party have twirl attempted to manipulate the "Wester' grain market, and both times they nav been badly beaten. Last Fall Gat framed up a most elaborate corner corn, taking on, it is said, between 30C 000 and 40.000.000 bushels. But the extrsj dlnary weather broke the corner. years before, he ran tho price of costj to 90 cents. But Armour kept piling. lions of bushels upon them at the' figures, and the corner was dropped. BODIES rOTOD IN THE AS J Turks Defeat Bulgarians and Village of Kulltch. SALONICA, Feb. 19. In a flghi tween Bulgarians and Turks at the of Kulltch, near Strumites, FebruaJ the Bulgarians lost 20 killed or woil Tho Turks subsequently burner i village. A commission of inquiry sent spot discovered in the ruins tho cl remains of 14 women and several dren. Put in a Bad Position. LONDON. Feb. 20. J. E. Rcdnl amendment to the address la reply tj speech from the throne, declaring! the present system of Irish govern! is opposed to tho will ot the Irish pee and which will be moved in tho House! Commons today; is expected to place, ; government Jn a position even more flcult than the fiscal debate. It is framed to enable the oppoaitior to raise tho whole question of tho poal-i tion of Sir Anthony MacDonnell and th Dunraven scheme, on which thero Is eviJ dently much dissension within the CabN net itself- The debate will extend over:, two days. Tho opposition will endeavor to drive homo their view that MacDonael Is being made a scapegoat. Quarrels of Royal Lovers. BERLIN. Feb. 19. The reports pub- lished in the United States that In con sequence of differences between Crownr Prince Frederick "William and his fiancee, the Duchess Cecilia of Mecklenburg Schwerln, their engagement would be bro ken off, is discredited here in well-informed circles. Tiflis Dispatch Denies Riots. LONDON, Feb. 20. There is no confir mation in tho newspaper dispatches print ed here this morning of the report pub lished in the United States Saturday; morning of a general uprising In the Cau- casus. A dispatch dated Tiflis denies nw mors of riots in that, section. Minister Sorsby Goes to Panama. LIMA. Peru, Feb. 19. W. B. Soreby, American Minister to Bolivia, has gonor to Panama. YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN DR0PSDEAB S. W. Battle Had Just Taken Placa by Promotion. ANNAPOLIS. Md.. Feb. 19. Midshipman: Samuel W. Battle, of the second class at the Naval Academy, and a son "of Sur geon Samuel W. Battle, U. S. N. retired, of Ashevllle. N. C.f dropped dead as tha brigade of midshipmen was called to din ner formation shortly after 12 o'clock to day. He had just taken his place a3 third petty officer of the second battalion when he was stricken with heart -failure. In 1 1 liln