VOL. XLV. N.O 13,806.
POKTLA1ND, OKEGON, THURSDAY, MAEGH 9, 1905.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
FULL FLIGHT
Russians Are Fleeing
to Tie Pass.
FIGHT AS THEY FLY
Japanese in Close Pur
suit of Ar my.
LEFT WING IS IN DANGER
RennenkampfF May Be Cut Off
and Captured.
KUROPATKIN'S FATE SEALED
Choice of Successor Discussed Talk
of Peace Revived Defeat Raises
Liberals' Hopes of Reform
at Home.
TOKIO, March 0, 4. A. 31. The Jap
anese have cut the railway north of
Mukden.
GENKRAI, KUHOKI'S HEAUQ.UATI-
TEItS IX TUB FIELD, via Fnson,
March S (Morulas;)' The Russian last
night, under cover of the darkness,
eraucated the whole line along: the
Shakbc River and are doit in full re
treat northward. The Japanese Infantry
in presslnc theni closely.
Before retreating the Ruscian set
fire to great heaps of supplies, Trhlch
burned thronehout the night.
The fall of Mukden appears Imminent.
The Japanese are puslilne "the Rus
sians hard on the east.
WA-JvUINGTOXr MrrcU S. The State
Department Ik officially Informed, from
Tokio that the Japanese have achieved
A jcrcnt victory before Mukden and that
the Russian army Is In full retreat. The
casualties are numerous on both sides.
MUKDEX, March 8 (10 A. 31.). A
heavy cannonading: is in progress north
Treat of .this city, causing: the walls of
houseM here to tremble. An engagement
Is In progress at the Imperial tombs.
TOKIO, March 0. Advices received
here Indicate that General Kuropatldn
Is badly beaten in the bloodiest battle of
the present war.
TOKIO, March 9 (8 A. 31.). It Is offi
cially anuounced that the Russians be
gan retreating yesterday morning. The
Japanese armies are pursuing them.
3IUKDEX, March 8(40 P. 31.). The
Russian army is evacuating Its posi
tions south of 3Iukden.
RUSSIA CONFESSES DEFEAT.
Kuropatkin's Failure Will Mean
Losses'of His Command.
ST. PETERSBURG. March 9.-(3 A. 1L)
The battle of Mukden has resulted la a
Russian defeat.
Field Marshal Oyama has once more
proved himself one of the greatest masters
of offensive strategy since Napoleon,
"while General Kuropatkln Is now endeav
oring to defend his title as a master of
ruocosslul warfare and bring off his army
with its immense train safely to Tie Pass,
whore a position was long ago prepared
with this contingency In view.
The problem before the Russian. Commander-in-Chief
is much more difficult
than the one he met successfully at Liao
Yang, since now he is threatened on both
Hanks, his left wing being entangled in a
mountainous region far from the railroad.
Nevertheless Russian military men here
express a fair degree of confidence in
General Kuropatkin's ability once more
to extricate his army and avoid a Rus
sian Sedan. Besides his skill in rear
guard action, thej' base their hopes on the
physical condition pf the ' Japanese sol
diers who, though they are conceded to
be the greatest marchers In the world,
are well-nigh exhausted by their strenu
ous endeavors of the last fortnight.
Breaking the News Gently.
Only to the initiated Is the news of the
reverse positively known at this time.
Emperor Nicholas and high military offi
cers of course were informed by General
Kuropatkin's telegram of Tuesday, stat
ing that Mukden must be abandoned, and
they received details of the beginning of
the withdrawal as they appeared In por
tions of the official dispatches given out
yesterday. Last evening a newspaper
contained a vague report of doubtful
origin, credited to Chinese sources, but
tho first positive statement was derived
from the Associated Press dispatch irom
General Kurokl's headquarters, the -contents
of which were quickly telegraphed
to many Liberals from friends abroad.
The report probably will not be printed In
this morning's papers, the government,
true to Its policy of breaking the news
gently, only preparing the way by author
ising tho publication of a number of tele
grams. The Tiews, however. Is only what
was expected, ultimate retirement having
been discounted from the moment Oyama
Inaugurated his brilliant move westward.
From information lit the possession of
the Associated Press it is known that
General Kuropatkln contemplated retire
ment before the beginning of the battle.
and that he had hoped to accomplish It
without serious combat. The Japanese,
however, forced him to accept battle. The
double turning movement compelled him
to send the major part of bis reserves to
the fighting line and rendered an effective
counter-stroke out of the question, and
the decision to retire was immediately
taken on March 6, as was stated by the
Associated Prcfs'on that day. With
drawal was actually begun durjng the
night.
Race for Tie Pass.
The great question now, -and -the one
over wbioh the general staff butned its
lights late into the night, is whether
Field Marshal Oyama has entangled
the Russians In his strategic net suf
ficiently to prevent a succesfUl retreat
to Tie Pass. General Rennenkampff's
force to the eastward admittedly is In
great danger of being cut off, and a
considerable force of Japanese appears
to be operating on the Russian right.
well toward Tie Pass. If tho Japan
ese succeed in reaching the railroad
and interrupt traffic if only for a few
hours, it may have the greatest conse
quences for General Kuropatkln, who
is now engaged in a literal race with
the Japanese to reach a naturally de
fensible position 40 miles northward.
Thus far he has stood off all attacks
directed against the Hanks of his army
and holds the way of retreat open. He
undoubtedly was forced to abandon a
number of siege guns on his Shakhe
position, but If he succeeds in turning
over the army intact, with the princi
pal portion of Its artillery train, to his
successor, the Russian case will be by
no means desperate, for Oyama will
again have missed bis quarry and a
comparatively barren victory -will have
been purchased at enormous cost of
life.
AH reports indicate that the Japan
ese were utterly reckless of sacrifices.
making attack after attack, especially
on the center and west, against ma
chine guns and infantry fire, which lit
erally mowed down the advancing col
umns; making human flesh so cheap
that the survivors could bastton them
selves behind piles of corpses.
Kuropatkln Will Be Deposed.
After this action General Kuropat
kin's deposition may be regarded as
certain. War Minister Sakharoff is
picked as his probable successor,
though Grand Duke Nicholas Nlcholae-
vitch. of the Board of Strategists, may
be entrusted with the direction of af
fairs. A strong faction of the army,
those high in influence about the Em
peror, opposed General Kuropatkin
from the first, and though his early
defeats were condoned because It was
realized that he was doing all that man
could with the tools at his com
mand, it Is now felt that, after twice
having had the opportunity to show
-what he could do with a powerful army
and having failed to accomplish vic
tory either time, his removal is ad
visable. A high military official said last night
that the Emperor bad had enough of a
Goueral who?a Interpretation of victory"
was a successful retreat; that Fabian
tactics are well enough in their way,
but that Kuropatkln went beyond those
of Fablus and neglected to take account
of favorable opportunities for counter
strokes. Friends of Gereral Kuropatkln, how
ever, say that no other General Is apt
to do as well as he has done and declare
that his removal may mean, as In the
American Civil War, the exchange of a
Hood for a Johnston.
Talk of Peace Revived.
The news of a retreat on Tie Pass
Is bound to revive talk of peace, though,
If Field Marshal Oyama has failed to
crush -General Kuropatkln, peace Is no
more imperative now than It was last
month. Peace advocates point out the
departure of Vlce-Admlral Rojestvenskys
squadron from Madagascar simultaneous
ly with the loss of Mukden and intimate
that perhaps the movement of the fleet
may have been adopted In view of the
latter event. The movement, on the
other hand, may be in pursuance of a
plan for a Junction between Rojestvensky
and the reinforcing squadron preparatory
to giving battle to Togo's fleet. The
peace movement admittedly has a strong
following even in the ministry; but It
cannot be stated now whether the de
feat at Mukden has been effective enough
to turn the scale. No decision can be
taken at least until the extent of the
reverse is known.
Defeat Rejoices Liberals.
More important still, howe'er. is the
effect on the international affairs of
Russia. Defeat is not unwelcome to the
Liberals who argue that the graver the
government's difficulties, the greater the
extent of the reforms which It may be
forced to concede. At the present crisis
the project of the reform rescript of
March 4 Is not worked out, although
It has been the subject of much deliber
ation. A commission is yet to be ap
pointed. Whereas yesterday the idea was
to have a purely consultative body, meet
ing perhaps separately according to es
tates, the existing condition of affairs
may force the commission to propose
long steps toward a more Influential body
possessing the initiative In legislation.
The strange spectacle is thus presented
of men who claim to be patriotic Rus
sians rejoicing over the defeat of their
country on foreign battlefields.
The revolutionists probably will use
the result as a pretext to renew demon
strations against the war.
FIGHT TO GUARD THEIR REAR
Russians Attacked Near Railroad
North, of Mukden.
MUKDEN, March 8 ((11 A. M.) Muk
den Is still In the hands of the Russians,
but withdrawing of the line on the Shakhe
River is In full progress. The Japanese
are making a strong attack north of Muk
den, where they occupy a right-angled
position, one side parallel with the rail
road and three and a half miles distant,
and the other facing northward' three
miles north of the Imperial tombs.
The Russians have retired fro pi the po
sitions they occupied yesterday in the
region of Tatcbeklao. but are making a
strong stand against the force there. The
Russians also arc holding the village of
Ushuntun, which at nightfall was partly
in the hands of the Russians and pary
in those of the Japanese. At - o'clock
this morning the Russians succeeded in
i Concluded on Fourth PxceJ
HIT TRAIL HOT
Cowboy's Experience at
Inauguration.
SOUP BOWLS A PUZZLE
His Legs Shoot Apart on Paul
Morton's Rugs.
SCENES AT BALL SHOCKING
When They See Women Attired Only
in Lariat and Saddle-Blanket,
Men From the Plains
Blush.
CHICAGO, March S. (Special.)
"Skinner" Humphrey, of Broken Timber,
Mont., passed through Chicago today on
his way home from the Inauguration cere
monies at Washington. Mr. Humphrey,
In company with "Long" Thompson, of
Garry Owen; Fred Maxey, of Crow Hills,
and "Slider" Avery, of White Creek, had
a strenuous three days in the Nation's
Capitol last week. Humphrey's impres
sions of what happened arc vivid. In
speaking of what stood out most dis
tinctly in his mind, he said:
"Cuspidors, rugs and women what
don't wear clothes took the eyes of all
the boys noon 's we struck the town. We
went up to give the President the glad
hand cause we all knew him when he was
on the range, and, as wo were hitting the
trail bot, Maxey says to me: '
" 'Get on to the soup bowls.'
"In every room everywhere we ponied
around was a bowl.
" ' 'Taint for soup, Fred,' says 2, 'but
then, I can't get on to its lay.'
"Just then (we were waiting now for
Mr. Loeb, who was going to palaver us
in to the President) a big fellow with long,
black, hair and,an eagle eye came Into
the room and be stands off about ten feet
and lets drive at one of these bowls, bit
ting It square In the eye.
" 'Gosh, says 'Long Thompson, 'them's
cus-pi-dora ' 'Long's traveled some and
has more curves than the rest of us.
' "Must be kind of lonesome, obfervea
Maxey, not to bave a" mile or so of
prairie for that kind of work.
Mr. Loeb Solves Mystery.
"Weil, Mr. Loeb came in and he tells
us 'Long Thompson was right about the
bowls. After a time we got accustomed
to seeing 'cm everywhere, but none of the
boys 'cept 'Long Thompson would use
'em, the rest of us just sidled up alleys
or went where we could hit the grass.
"Some of us made a call on Secretary
Morton, 'cause we like him, and we bad
a hot time In his private rooms. They was
covered with fur rugs and underneath It
was sllppler than a back slope of a draw
when It's melting. We all had our boots
on and spurs and were togged to catch
a pretty girl on a mlle-away sight, but
the rugs got us.
"I goes In first and a tiger's head or a
bearskin or something else got mixed
up with my feet and I began to slide do
the split right then and there, and all
the boys whooping.
Humphrey Splits end Splits.
" 'Rope me In," I yells, seeing I was go
ing, but not a danged one of 'em would
help. They Just grinned and whooped.
It was worse'n a buckln broncho on a
frosty morning. I went right straight
across the room, splitting and splitting
until I couldn't split any more, and I
landed In a heap 'gainst the waJK
"Avery gets over to me by coming on
his hands and feet and hauls me out
where I bad sound footing, but after that
we all steered clear of rugs. Maxey had
one in bis room, but he bung It out the
window for fear It would start In the
night when he was sleepin' and carry
him off.
"But say, tajk about dressing. We do
some dog In clothes at Broken Timber,
but we were laid out cold at the Inaugural
ball. I guess the President fixed It we
should have tickets, for we was taken
care of proper. Thompson wanted to take
his six-shooters along, but we reckoned
bis nibs- at the White House wouldn't
need any gunplay that night, so he left
'em in bis grip. Made bun feel kind of
uneasy, though, for a fellow don't like
to be without his weapon in a corner.
Shocked at the Ball.
"We gets into the ball and the first
thing we see was a stunning woman ca
vorting across the floor with a fellow in
a swell uniform. But the girl didn't ap
pear to bave any clothes on she looked
cold and lost.
" 'Long Thompson turned his head
away and blushed, something he hasn't
done since he was a cs.1l on the range
of life. He whispers to us, especially to
'Slider Avery, who was staring until his
eyes begun to bulge:
" 'For God's sake, fellers, don't look.
That poor heifer's broke loose without
knowing how she looks. Give her &
chance to duck.'
"So we all shuts our eyes but Avery
he never was respectable, anyway. After
a time, when It got tiresome, we opens
our eyes and there's a hundred or more
women skating around like the first noth
ing on but a lariat and a saddle blanket.
" Tra going to bed, says Maxey, 'for
If I ever talk in my sleep after I get
borne and my old woman gets onto what
sinful things Fve seen here, it's all day.'
"So we backed out, ' rejoicing we didn't
have to live where clothes was so scarce.
Otherwise we had a bully time.
"Teddy's all right. We arc going to
send hlra a horns this Spring that will
beat anything Washington ever saw."
The party remained In 'the ' Polk-street
station for an hour today before starting
Wert. With the Montana men was "Sun
down Bus." of Deadwood. also returning
to the wilds.
Roosevelt Receives Cowboys.
WASHINGTON, March .-Captain Scth
Bullock and his company of cowboys,
whose picturesque appearance was a fea
ture of the inauguration day parade, were
given a reception tonight by President
Roosevelt. They will lcavo lor home to
morrow. BALTIC FLEET IS BETUBH1N&
Sails North From Madagascar to
Jibuti! In the .Red Sea.
PARIS, March S. A dispatch to the
Temps from Tananariro, capital of the
Island of Madagascar, says the entire
Russian fleet has left the waters on its
return to Jibutll, French Somallland.
indicates Desire for Peace.
LONDON, March 9. No confirmation
has reached London of the report that
Vice-Admiral Rojestvensky's squadron is
returning from Madagascar to Jibutll,
nor are there any dispatches printed in
the morning newspapers throwing fur
ther light on the position of affairs in
Manchuria. Should the report concern
ing "Vice-Admiral Rojestvensky be con
firmed. It will be regarded here as a
strong indication of Russia's desire to
arrange terms of peace with Japan.
RUSSIAN PLANS UNDECIDED.
Arrangements for Coaling Baltic
Fleet Show Czar's Irresolution.
HAMBURG, March 8. Shipping circles
are not surprised at the return of the
Russian fleet to the Red Sea, since re
cent events here indicate that the Rus
sian government is undecided with refer
ence to further attempts to send the
fleet to Eastern Asiatic waters. The
chartered steamer St, Nlnlan, wnlch was
on the way to Batavla with coal for
tho second Pacific squadron, returned
here the other day upon orders from the
Russian government.
The recent muddle about the buying
of Hamburg-American Steamship Com
pany vessels further emphasizes Russia's
irresolution. It is now stated that Russia
I has actually arranged to buy eleven Ham-
uuK-Aincncan steamers anu was nego
tiating for the purchase of others.
As the Hamburg-American Company an
nounced on Saturday, these negotiations
were without result. Then It was stated
on Tuesday that Russia had decided to
buy only the Palatla and Phoenicia, but
today the Palatla and the Armenia sailed
for Libia under the German flag for
transfer to Russia. These two steamers
loaded the coal of the British steamers
Franklin and Conway, which bad been
chartered by the Hamburg-American Com
pany to carry coal to Port Arthur but
were ordered back, by the Russian gov
ernment after the fall of Port Arthur.
The other nine steamers pass again into
the possession of the Hamburg-American
Company. 4f
It was a ?reat surprise here when the
Russian order arrived directing the ts-
peniiion -of xjJgo-Uklng."
CONTENTS OF TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
TODAY'S Fair; winds mostly north to east.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 72
dec-; minimum. 46. Precipitation, none.
Tho War in tho East.
Russians in tell retreat from Mukden, with
Japanese in pursuit. Page 1.
Effort will be made to stand at Tie Pass.
but Japanese have cut railroad and may
block retreat. Page 1.
Details of the last fighting. Fags 1.
Russian army badly demoralized. Pace 1.
Kuropatkln. will be recalled. Page 1.
Baltic fleet returning north, and may go
home. Face 1.
Affairs in Russia.
Troops sent to Caucasus to put down revolt.
Page 4.
Open advocacy of massacre of rebels.
Pace 4. -Feasant
rising la Central Russia spreSds.
Pago 4.
Foreign.
British government sustained on fiscal ques
tion. Fage 2.
Balfour has difficulty in filling places in
Cabinet. Fage 2.
Indignities suffered by tourists in Venezuela.
Fage
National.
Senate committee amends Santo Domingo
treaty. Fage 3.
President's message In favor of treaty.
Fage 8.
President will remove some Canal Commis
sioners. Page 4.
Expenses of Government during last four
years. Fage 4.
Marshal Matthews will sot be removed.
Page 1.
President will appoint Democrats to office
in Georgia. Fage 4.
Politic.
How Boss Murphy, of New York, maiej
money. Page 1.
Republican split In Colorado may Veep Gov
ernor Adams In office. Pago 5.
S&ata Fe official refuses Information in Kan
sas rebate investigation. Fage 3.
Domestic.
Cowboys tell bow they enjoyed themselves
at Inauguration. Fage 1.
Trafflo Director Stubbs, of the Union Pacific,
resigns. Page 3.
New York rapid transit lines operated by
nonunion men. Fage 3.
Government case against Mrs. Cnadwlck
completed. Fage 5.
Facia o Coast.
Washington Legislature will end its 60-day
session; many bills are still on the calen
dar. Fage 6.
Referendum movement is meeting with ap
proval of rural voters In the Willamette
Valley. Fage 6.
Woodmen of the World hold convention to
elect delegates to bead camp. Page 6.
Commercial and Marine.
Weekly 'review of local produce and Jobbing
markets. Fage IS.
Slump in July wheat at Chicago. Page 15.
Tone of hesitation in stock market. Fage 15.
New wool reaches San Francisco market.
Page 15.
Trouble threatened between Longshoremen's
and Sailors Unions. Fage T.
Nnmantla clears for Orient with valuable
cargo. Page 7.
Portland and Vicinity.
Gasoline motor car to run on West Side line
Is built for speed and safety. Fage 24.
Contractors charged with placing obstacles
In streets appear In court. Page 10.
Exposition strikers xnay get help from other
labor unions. Page 14.
Land fraud Investigation to be resumed this
.month. Page 14.
Columbia Theater is sold to Belasco-Mayer
for $100,000. Page lL
Charges against Chief of Police Hunt to be
investigated today. Page 14.
Effort by Mayor Williams friends to get
him again to run for office. Fage 10.
Willamette Valley people want better rail
way service. Page 10.
Sheriff Word wins suit brought against him
by Chinese. Page 7.
Water Board plans new and extensive sys
tem for East Side. Page 10.
Congressional committee tovlslt Exposition
is named. Fage II.
Forestry building Is completed. Page 0.
Governor Chamberlain may call extra ses
sion to eettle normal'school matter.. Page
MILLIONS IN IT
Murphy Family Com
pany Has No Equal,
TAMMANY BOSS1 CRAFT
its Profits Would Make Jweed
Green With Envy.
GETS ALL THE FAT CONTRACTS
Jerome Is on Its Trail, and May Make
It an Issue, but Murphy Has
Raked In Seven Million Dol
lars Already.
NEW YORK, March E.-(Speclal.) "It
would make Tweed turn over In bis grave
with envy."
In these words District Attorney Jerome
gave bis opinion of the New York Con
tracting' & Construction Company, better
known as the "Murphy Family Com
pany," and It Is an open secret that the
affairs of tho corporation are now under
going Investigation at the hands of the
District Attorney's corps of county de
tectives. The prediction Is confidently
made that before the. primaries 'ire held,
legal action of some kind will be taken,
enough, anyway, to make the matter an
issue at the polls.
Every time Tammany bas been, beaten
it bas taken an issue to do It. Tweed
was the Issue In 1S73, when Edward Coop
er was elected Mayor. The Lexow com
mittee exposures of crookedness and' cor
ruption all along the line made the issue
in 1KH, which gave Strong tho victory,
and Low won in 19-31 because of one issue,
the personality of William S. Devery,
"the best Chief of Police New Tork ever
had," to quote Bob Van Wyck of lament
ed memory.
But none of the Tammany leaders since
the days the organization was formed
have made the money that Charles F.
Murphy has cleared during the trifle over
a year' that McClellan bas been In office.
"Ho bas made Tweed look like a piker,"
Is tha comment of one envious district
lead.and the. charm qt the'Sjrstemr
that, even admitting everything charged
against him. It 3 doubtful If any crimi
nal charge can be preferred.
For Murphy himself is a trust. Tou
might call him the "pull trust," for he
has so arranged things that nobody has
a pull except himself and the New York
Construction and Contracting Company.
Tweed a Novice by Comparison.
Tweed's methods were as crude and
childlike as those of the detectives of 1G0
years ago compared with the up-to-date
deductions of a Sherlock Holmes.
Tweed awarded contracts to firms at
exorbitant rates, and received 15. 20 and
sometimes 50 per cent of the amount.
Murphy hasn't asked a contractor for a
cent, for ho is the contractor himself.
The New York Construction & Con
tracting Company was organized Just be
fore McClellan's election. The principal
stockholders of record are John J. Mur
phy, brother ot the leader, and Alderman
James E. Gaffney, hls'brother-in-Iaw.
John J. Murphy was tending bar when
the company was formed, and was taken
from behind the bar to become a "con
tractor." Gaffney also was a saloonkeep
er, but, so far as that is concerned,
Charles F. Murphy has spent all his life
In running resorts of more or less un
savory character. Officially, Charles F.
Murphy has nothing to do with the com
pany, although be is naturally Interested
In the welfare of his kinsmen.
One Year's Profits, $6,750,000.
In the year just closed this firm of barkeeper-contractors
has received three con
tracts aggregating $27,000,000, upon vulch
It Is estimated that the profits will be at
least 23 per cent, or $5,750,000.
The "Gas Trust presented It with a
$15,000,000 contract to do work for the
mammoth plant prepared In Astoria and
the connecting pipe, lines.
The Murphy family has the contract for
the Pennsylvania's subway In the city,
amounting to $,000,000, and the New Ha
ven road gave a contract of a like amount.
In all these Instances other firms under
bid the Tammany corporation, but Mur
phy got the contract Just the same. Here
after, this embarrassment will be avoid
ed, for the large contractors realize that
It the Murphys want the Job, the be3t
thing to do is to let them bave it.
Why?
Why He Has No Competitors.
Not a foot of public highway can be
opened without a permit from the Bor
ough Superintendent, upon the recom
mendation of his Superintendent of Pub
lic Works.
These permits could be refused for reas
ons that are too numerous to mention, and
even if the aid ot the courts were in
voked and the Issuance ot the permits
forced, the work would be restricted to
three blocks at a tlmq, and the 'work
within these limits would have to be en
tirely completed before another 600-foot
permit need be issued. This would make
an endless job of it, and would almost
double the cost.
Besides this, the contractors could be
harried by all of the city and borough
officials and the firm could be compelled
to pay a lot of corporation Inspectors.
By these methods the cost could be made
so great as to wreck any firm without
the capital of the Nation at its back.
It was because of these reasons, pre
sented strongly to the directors of the
New York & "New Haven Railroad Com
pany, that It Is said Murphy got the
$5,000,000 job from that company. That
the firm, will get all of the Pennsylvania
work of tunneling across this borough
and under the East River to Long Island
is said to be certain. The cost ot this
Job will aggregate upward ot $15,000,000.
The power of the Murphy firm has be
come so famous that work la being thrust
upon it. It has inspired tho respect and
fear of every corporation designing to
make Improvements within the limits of
this city, and the peculiar thing about the
situation is that the firm stands alone.
It has no entangling and costly alliances.
It doesn't have to "divvy "up" with any
body, and what it gets, it keeps.
Big contractors who know what Is going
on in the city say that Murphy's profits
are fully 25 per cent. They base this
estimate on the fact that conservative
contractors, in figuring on the cost of a
big Job, add 15 per cent for profit, and
that the increase by the Murphy firm
would raiso this to at least 25 per cent
Does Not Descend to Bribery.
But the probabilities arc that the net
profit is much, greater, as the Murphys
are free from Interferences by any public
official, and do not have to bribe any
body. For it is a moral concern, this
Murphy family firm. No money Is given
inspectors to get them to wink at what
is going on. And any one who dared to
interfere would be locked up probably, and
lose his job certainly.
In a recent Interview Alderman Gaff
ney said that the New York Contracting
& Construction Company had progressed
very slowly to Its present magnificent po
sition. Within a very few months after
it, was organized It got a 30-year lease
of the pier and dumping board privileges
at the foot of West Ninety-sixth street
at the ridiculously low Tent ot $37S0 a
year. It Is said the firm could make a
profit from the lease alone ot $1,000,000.
and the dumping privileges are worth
$220 a day for SCO days a year. It was
also said that if this lease had been
put up at a public auction It would have
brought '$20,000 a year. Tho firm also
got from the city a long lease of the
pier and dump at West Seventy-ninth
street at $1200 a year; It also got numer
ous other leases directly and Indirectly.
During -the investigation of the giving
away of these leases it was said that
the city through undervaluations of this
property would lose $2,000,000.
Working It at Both Ends.
In order to show that the Murphy
firm does not confine Its Industries to
million-dollar contracts, mention may be
made of the fact that it uses its trucks
for city work, when they are not other
wise busy, and that the piers which it
has secured from the city It permits the
city to use for dumping of ashes at the
usual rate. It has received from the
city between December 21 and January
20, $5055.79 for permitting the city to
use the piers for which it pays only $4S00
a year.
Simply stated, the. firm receives irom
the city for dumping privileges $130 a
day, and so the city very probably re
turns within a month all the money
that it receives from the company in
rentals for a year.
But the situation calls to mind the
words bt Tweed on a famoiu period' of
his life: "What are you going fo do
.about Itr
Mr. Murphy, although the recognized
leader of Tammany Hall, occupies no
official position. He does not draw a
cent In salary from the city and has
a perfect right to form all sorts of
companies to do anything he wants, and
persons desiring work bave a perfect
right to allow him to do that work at a
higher figure than somebody else.
It Is doubtful whether he has ever even
asked anybody to give his firm work,
or If he bas made a single threat. That
would be unnecessary. And Murphy does
not do unnecessary things.
The work he has done for private firms
Is a matter between them and him.
The dock3 voted him by the city, it
Is safe to say, were voted without even
a request from him. The salaried secre
tary of the firm simply asked for it,
and, of course, a man has a right to
ask for anything be wants. The Dock
Commissioner may have something to ex
plain in courts, but how can Murphy
be bothered?
Jerome on His Trail.
But Jerome is on his trial, and Jerome
has landed some rich men during the
time he has been in office. And Jerome
is looking for an issue to use in the com
ing campaign. Jerome says he doesn't
want to be Mayor, he wants another
term as District Attorney, but perhaps he
will not be able to choose.
And If he does succeed George B. Mc
Clellan, one thing is sure: The New
York Construction & Contracting "Com
pany will not be as big a thing as It
has been In the past.
It Is doubtful whether Murphy cares.
Two fat years two years with more "mil
lions In It' than Colonel Mulberry Sel
lers ever dreamed of, have doubtless sat
isfied him.
"He won't kick," said one Tammany
Hall man the other day. "Charlie don't
want to be no Rockefeller.. He's got
his, and he's happy,"
Ten years ago Charles F. Murphy ran
a cheap groggery In the poverty-stricken
East Side. Today he Is welcomed with
acclaims in the ranks of New York's
millionaires.
A self-made man. If ever there was
one I
But Jerome Is busily trying to unmake
him:
Says Stock Was Illegally Reduced.
TRENTON, N. j., March 8. Harold a
Cooke, of New York, today filed In the
Court of Chancery a bill asking that the
Illinois Car Sc. Equipment Company, a
New Jersey corporation, show cause why
the reduction of the capital stock of the
company from $2,000,000 to $SOO,000 should
not be set aside. This reduction was
made December 19, 1904. Mr. Cooke claims
that the requisite two-thirds of the stock
was not voted In favor .of the proposi
tion. ,
Hoch Moves for Habeas Corpus.
CHICAGO, March 8. A motion for a
writ of habeas corpus was made before
Judge Kersten today by an attorney rep
resenting Jobann Hoch, confessed biga
mist and alleged murderer. The petition
covers a wide range including- the allega
tion that Hoch Is Innocent of murder.
Arguments on the petition will be heard
tomorrow.
Convicted of an Old Crime.
BRYAN, O.. March 8. George Letcher
was tonight convicted of arson alleged
to have been committed 20 years ago.
"MViMnn fnr a nnw tlal rtr.j a m n A c an7-wf1T
"be heard March 13. Letcher-was brolht
nere rrom uamornia, wnere ne was en
gaged In business.
ETREflTA RDUT
Russian Army a De
moralized Mob.
SUPPLIES GIVEN UP
Japanese in Pursuit
Have Cut Railroad.
LOSSES ARE ENORMOUS
Rough Estimate Makes. Total
Over 100,000 Men..
DETAILS- OF THE .FIGHTING
Tremendous, Conflict at Manchum
tan, In Which Russians Were)
Driven Out Retreat May
Be Blocked.
General Kuropatkln is giving ground
before the armies ot Japan, and yester
day he abandoned positions south and
southwest of Mukden, burning- such of '
his supplies aa be could not carry with
him.
The Japanese artillery Is thundering at
the very gates of Mukden, which posi
tion tba Russians still bold, but which
they are admittedly prepared to evac
uate, changing their base to Tie Pass,
which Is 40 miles north of Mukden. So
far aa the retreat bas progressed, it has
been orderly.
"What the Japanese may have in store
for the defeated army on its retirement
northward remains to bo disclosed. There
are reports that General RennenVampff,
the foremost cavalry Genera, of the.
Russian army in Manchuria, bas been
cut oft on tie east from .the ,mai a. force
and Japanese troops In considerable num
bers are said to be already In the vicin
ity of Tie Pass.
Tbe retirement unquestionably cost tho
Russians dear in the matter of supplies
and heavy guns.
Neither commanders nor correspond
ents bave yet ventured to estimate the
number of killed ' and wounded In tho
11 days' fighting. The Russian casual
ties in the fighting- Tuesday on the left
flank are said to have been fully 7000.
i
TOKIO, March 9. Defeated all along
the line, with thousands of men killed and
wounded, his army turned Into a demor
alized mob ot men who no longer obey
the orders of their officers, an enormous
percentage of his munitions of war and
artillery lost to him, having been aban
doned to the victorious Japanese or de
stroyed to prevent falling Into their hands,
General Kuropatkln is at last reports
making a frantic effort to save something
from the wreck and Is withdrawing all
of his reserves northward to a point
where he can reasonably hope' to reor
ganize his defeated army. In the mean
time the Japanese soldiers on the right,
left and center are pressing in on the
fleeing Russians and will make an at
tempt to completely annihilate the soldiers
of the Czar.
The result . of the fortnight's fighting
south of Mukden is the worst disaster
to the Russian, arms of the war. Even
tbe bold Cossacks, who in other days
have repeatedly proved their valor on
bloody fields, have been compelled to give
way and run before the steady, relentless
pressure of the troops of the Mikado, who,
scorning death In every form, have con
tinued battering away at the Russian en
trenchments and piercing them, one by
one, until today the entire vast system
of earthworks below and to the eastward
and westward of Mukden, which were
constructed as a haven ot refuge after
Liao Yang by the Russian engineers, and
which were proclaimed to be absolutely
Impregnable, are In the hands of the Jap
anese and above them floats the ever
victorious Buh-rayed flag of the Mikado.
Losses on Both Sides Enormous.
Oyama's hands have been well upheld
and Nogi's veterans from Port Arthur,
fighting side by side with the heroes of
Feng "Wang Cheng and Liao Yang and
using the same sledge-hammer tactics
that won success against the flower of tho
Siberian brigades and the Russian army
corps that up to now had been supposed
to be Invincible, have overwhelmed the
Russian army In Manchuria and inflicted
a most disastrous defeat. The losses on
both sides during the past fortnight have
been enormous, although it 13 at present
Impossible to estimate them. The Rus
sians at first held the advantage of po
sition, and their shell Are wa3 well di
rected, their shrapnel tearing great gaps
In the ranks of the attacking forces. So
soon as one man fell, however, another
took his place, and they pressed on up
the 'slopes to the very muzzles of the
Russian pieces, driving the enemy away
at tbe very point of the bayonet. From
day to day the fighting bas continued,
the subordinate commanders following, out
tbe carefully arranged plan of campaign
that had been decided on Immediately af
ter the fall of Liao Yang ana" permitted
nothing to interfere with the fulfillment
of their orders.
An official statement is expected to
(Concluded on Tilth Page.)