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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1905)
VOL.XLV. NO. 13,809. POKTLAND, OBEGOX, MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1905. PRICE FIVE CENTS. WIVES ALL DEAD Branton Has Been Thrice Married. TWO WERE INSURED Third Refused and Tried to Leave Him. SEIZED WITH CONVULSIONS Cottage-Grove Man Now En joys Property She Left THEN FLETCHER WAS SHOT Wounded Man Declares Man He Be lieved His Friend Did This, and Denounces as Forgery the Let ter Signed With His Name. COTTAGE GROVE, Or.. March 12. (Staff Correspondence.) Is Lane County going to give to the criminal world an other Johann Iloch? This Is the question that the good citizens of Cottage Grove and a nost of people livjng In Xane Coun ty have been, asking- themselves since John Branton was arrested for the at tempted shooting of John Fletcher, on the morning- of March 9. Whether Branton will prove to be a Hoch on a small scale depends upon the Investigation that is being conducted now by District Attorney George M. Brown. Branton. who is languishing in the Jail at Eugene, has been .married three times. Three different times he has lcd.a blush lngijridto llie marriage altar, and three times ho has seen the soli tumbled Into 5 Alonghe McKcnzie River, and at tbo little town of WaHerville, where Branton married two -of his wives, the people be lieve that Branton is guilty of having dis posed of them. Hero 1n Cottage Grove thero Is a strong suspicion that Branton had something to do with wife No. 3's fudden death, which occurred during the Christmas holidays. Coils Are Tightening. All this, however. Is mcroly suspicion. The man may be innocent, as he declares lie is- If ho Is. he is a victim of that monster thing called circumstantial evi dence, now that he is in the toils of the law. It will task the skill of Medley & Johnson, of Cottage Grove, and Lark Bll ycu, of Eugene, to their utmost, in order to extricate him from the deadly coll that District Attorney Brown Is weaving about him. The history of John Branton and that of his family is1 an interesting one. It may be that he is innocent. His friends, and they aro many, believe that John Branton is suffering for the sins of his brother. Claud Branton, who was hanged in Kugono several years ago. This may be true. If he is a victim of the stigma cast upon a family because a renegade eon brutally murdered an old man and burned him up, then the wind that was tempered for the shorn lamb should tem per the ugly suspicions that have been cast upon Branton. Since the death of his first, wife, years ago now, Branton has lived under a cloud. This cloud grow black and somber when Ills second wifo died. It became a sin ister thing when ho became Involved in trouble in tbo collection of $3000 worth of life insurance held by this wifo. There was Insurance on both wives. The first wife bold a policy for 51000, and the sec ond wife was worth more, or would havo been, at least. If Branton had not been forced into a settlement, so It is alleged, to stave off an Investigation. There was no insurance on the third wife, but Branton is said to havo tried to persuade her to tako out some insurance. Mrs. Branton, the third, refused bocause of tho ugly rumors and suspicions that were afloat over the deaths of tho former spouses. By tho death of tho third woman, how ever, Branton becomes possessor of a house and lot in Cottage Grove. This house and lot, so the story goes, has been mortgaged by Branton since the death of "VYlfo No. 3. Shooting of John Fletcher. "W hat has brought the storm that has fallen on John Bran ton's shoulders Is the shooting of John Fletcher. The talk which sprang up last December, when the third Mrs. Branton died, resulted In a warrant being sworn out against him. Tho Sher iff from Eugene came to Cottage Grove to serve it, but it was nevor served. There was a reason for this, which will come out later. It was first given out that Fletcher had committed suicide. This was because the morning of March 9, Marshal II. E. Un derwood received a letter purporting to have been written by Flotcher, stating tbat Jhts body would be found on the trail botween Cottage Grove and the Branton ranch. The Marshal was just gottlng ready to make an investigation, when Dr. J. E- Corpron. who had been summoned to tho Branton ranch to attend Fletcher, who was wounded, returned. The physi cian had been ant for by John Branton. who explained to the doctor that Fletcher had attempted suicide. Fletcher told a different story to- the physician, and when he was brought to town he made a. statement accusing Branton of shooting him. The conflicting stories roused the citizens of this place and they were worked up to a point where there was some talk of taking the law in their own hands. This was stopped by the prompt action of District Attor ney Brown, who ordered Branton ar rested. For a time the arrest of Branton was a joke. He was allowed his .freedom, and wandered about the streets. Later he was taken to Eugene. What roused public sentiment as much as anything against Branton was the similarity of conditions and locations of the wanton murder of old man Linn, in the Cascade Mountains, and the shooting of Fletcher on the trail leading to the Branton ranch. Murder of Old Man Linn. Claud Branton and a boy named Green lured Linn, who owned a bunch of horses, into the mountains. They camped for the night, and while the old man slept Claud Branton shot him to death. Then the boys built a huge funeral pyre, placed the old man's body In the center of it and set fire to it. The crime was discovered and arrests followed. Green turned state's evidence, and the testimony being so strong against Claud, he was convicted and hanged. Now for the similarity. There was a campfire on the night that Fletcher was shot. It was in a lonely spot in the hills northwest of Cottage Grove that the shot which will ever mar the features of Fletcher was fired. Fletcher says he was asleep when shot. Old man L.lnn was asleep when the leaden messenger of death plowed Its way through his head. The mountain scene where old man Linn was murdered and the setting of the scene where Fletcher says he received his wounds is only changed because of lo cations. Linn was shot from behind. Fletcher says he was shot from behind. Is it to be wondered at that John Bran ton is in prison? Branton Sticks to His Story. ' Branton sticks to the story he told that Fletcher, while he, Branton, was asleep alongside of the campfire, shot himself. Fletcher 'declares over and over again that Branton is the one who fired the shot that has deprived him of his left eye. Today, with his face swathed in bandages, his voice weakened by the pain he has suffered, Fletcher told over again the story of the shopting. "I thought John Branton was the best friend I had," he said, "but I am convinced that he tried to kill me for my life insurance. I was insured in the Woodmen of the World for $2000, and the policy was made out to him. I gave the policy and several important papers to him several days before the shooting to put in the bank for safe keeping. "After I had reached the ranch he tried to get me to say that I had shot myself. 2 refused, and he said that if we sold the ranch that he would cancel a mortgage for S2S00, which he held gainst me. iprjsy j-jTexUAtu ihe fianc 2fcoIffnot sell 'ne SromUed to cancel ihe debts anyway. Letter Was a Forgery. "I never wrote the letter which Mar shal Undorwood g-ot. The letter was 'written by Branton." This letter, by the way, will be a prominent factor in this case. If it is proven that Branton wrote tho letter, he Is under the shadow of the peni tentiary. If. on the other hand, Fletcher wrote it. there are breakers ahead for him. Letters written by both Flotcher and Branton are in the possession of Attorney Brown, and they will be sent to the best experts in the state. Letters and notes wherein Branton has written the name of Fletcher have been found, and they also will come un der close scrutiny. The letter which was mailed to the City Marshal, and which is said by Fletcher to be a for gery, was shown to Fletcher's father, and at once he declared that It was not the writing of his son. It will take some tlmo for the of fioials to gather together other letters which both men have written, and much will depend upon the report of the expert after he has examined all the letters. Branton's Marriage Ventures. Bran ton's matrimonial ventures, ter-' mlnating in the death of three wives that he took to wedlock, have been a subject of gossip in Lane County for many years. Ho may not have had a hand n. the death of any ono of these three women. If the state attempts to prove that he was instrumental in the death of any of them it will have under taken a colossal task. In his marriages John Branton is al most a duplicate of the now famous Chicago Hoch. His last wife has only been dead sinco December, yet it is said that ho has been in correspondence with at least two women, with a view of matrimonial intentions. Amy Price, who was last week di vorced at Eugene, is said to have told a friend here that John Branton had bocn awfully good to her. Mrs. Price is also, said to have told this same friend that John Branton had supplied her with money with which to obtain her divorce. In a little town in Iowa is said to live the other woman that John Bran ton had in view as tho fourth Mrs. Branton. It Is not known how John Branton conducted his affairs or how ardent a fiovcr ho was when he was in pursuit of a wife. It is not said of him, like it was of Hoch, that he paved his way in lovo making by peeling potatoes. Three Children by First Wife. Branton's first. wifo, whom ho mar ried some 14 or 15 years ago, was a Miss Elliott, tho daughter of an old soldier, who lived on the McKeazie River. Three children wero born to this wedlock Blanche, now aged 12; Samuel, aged 10, and Marvin, aged 9. These little tots are at the homo of tholr late stepmother, vaguely wonder ing in their childish innocence why their father does not come home. When the first Mrs. Branton died Bran ton received $1000 insurance money. Bran ton had a fad for Insuring his wives. All or a part of this 51000 John Branton is wild to have spent in lifting a mortgage which his father had placed on his farm for tho purpose of defending his son Claud, who was on trial for ihe murder of Linn. Mrs. .Branton the seconder as Mrs. Anna ConcJcdl."a Third -PareO'i CDATEDWITHTAI Holy Roller at Golden dale Suppressed. ORDERED TO LEAVE TOWN Former Portland DentistRouses Wrath of Public. WOMEN DRIVEN TO FRENZY Wild Exhortations of the 'Free Lance Preacher Had Also Attracted Many Prominent Citizens' to His Meetings. GOLDENDALE, Wash., March 12. (Special.) Dr. Kaywood, said to formerly have been a dentist at Portland, Or., now a Holy-Roller preacher, who has been holding meetings at the Free Methodist Church, was the recipient of a liberal coat of tar and feathers this evening at 7 o'clock. Just after services had com menced a crowd of about ten young men entered the little church on Broadway street and took the minister out of his pulpit and hustled him out into the street. There they were met by about 40 more men and the preacher was taken on a swift trot to the bridge on Little Klicki tat River. By this time about 100 men and boys had gathered there. The preacher was stripped to the waist and several cans of tar were poured over his shoulders and back. His bald head was also coated and the tar was daubed on his face. The contents of several sacks contain ing feathers were then plastered all over him. He was then told that if he did not leave town before 10 o'clock Monday morn ing he would be lynched. The crowd then left him, but he was soon joined by two members of his flock, who escorted him to the residence of I. Hlnshaw. The whole affair had "been planned so carefully and was executed so- quietly that the authorities did not have any vahauaij in r-rffKertachep.ec throush'Sk- the ordeal and did not say a word until the Job was through with, when he said: "Boys, will you allow me to talk to you?" , He was promptly informed to shut up or he would be submerged in the icy waters of the Klickitat. The affair has caused great excitement in Goldendalc, as many prominent people are mixed up In it. The animosity toward the preacher la caused by tho fact that several -women who have been attending are on the verge of insanity caused by tho preacher's wild exhortations, and it Is also said tllat lie has attacked many promlnont people from his pulpit. On the other hand, his meetings havo boon at tended by many prominent citizens. Kaywood, on being Interviewed by an Orcgonlan representative, said that he had no statement to make regarding the af fair and that h Intended to leave Gol dendalc tomorrow to conduct meetings elsewhere. A Dr. Kaywood had dental offices in the Hamilton building in Portland about three years ago. He was a young man. and came to this city Immediately after graduating from a dental college. While here he did fairly well in his profession, and dentists who recall him say that his character was then considered of the best. ST. LOUIS AWARDS GO FOE CASH Utah Legislature Committee Scores Exposition Management. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. March 12. The special committee recently sent to St. Louis by tho lower House of the Utah Legislature to investigate irregularities in the accounts of Utah's commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition has pre sented a report that is severe In its crit icism of tho management of tho Exposi tion. The report says: "We are unanimous in reporting that, according to our knowledge and belief, tho so-called awards, consisting of med als, ribbons, etc, supposedly given as marks of merit by tho St. Louis official award ribbon committer, by authority of tho Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to the so-called successful exhibitors, are. In our opinion, an immense and gigantic fraud." The report charges that so-called awards of merit are being issued "by a straw corporation," for the sole purpose of being sold to bo used in a commercial way as advertising matter. Tho committee reports the substance of a conversation with an agent alleged to bo employed especially to sell these awards -on commission. The alleged agent, the report says, exhibited one award "of special merit," that he said he had sold for 5300, and stated to the committee that a certain well-known manufacturer had paid as high as $20,000 for a .so-called offi cial award, to be used for advertising pur poses. The committee further alleges that legit imate medals aro being held back by the Exposition management to promote this traffic In awards. In its investigation of the Utah commis sion, the committee verified various charges of Irregularities, including for geries of vouchers aggregating $2108. The Legislature was asked to appropriate $7000 to cover the deficit la the funds of the state commission. Representatives S. J. St op key, W. N. Gundry and II. S. Joseph composed the subcommittee which reported on condi tions at St- Louis. Palace for American Ambassador. ST. PETERSBURG. March 1 Georgo von 1- Meyer has leased the famous Kleinmichel Palace for his residence 'during' hia Jstm s American Ambas sador here. It Is an imposing struc ture, located In the fashionable Scrge iefskaia. near the French and other Embassies. Its interior is one of the most gorgeous in St. Petersburg. The palacch.B3 been the scene in the past of many famous entertainments. The family of Klienmlchel was en nobled by Catherine the Great. Since the death of the late Count Klelmichel SITUATION AT THE TROXT. While General Kuropilkln hu appar ently succeeded in savior more of his artillery than seemed possible; his losses in men, ammunition and commissariat supplies in the battle of Mukden axe far creater than earlier reports indi cated, and even that portion of his army which he succeeded in extricatlnr from the positions around Mukden is Mill in serious danger. The Japanese Generals, reallzlnff that with a little more speed they could have inflicted a crsshlnc defeat oa the Bus. elan army after the buttle at Liao Tan p. determined not to allow again an oppor tunity to pass, and axe following after the defeated and sorely tried Russian forces. While a small portion of Xuropatkln's army ha reached Tie Pass, the greater part of those who escaped from the bat tle of Mukden are still struzcllng on ward, being, at last accounts, between 12 and 16 miles from then- goal, with Japanese, flushed with victory and rein forced by fresh men. harassing them from all sldesi Even should the rem nant of the army 'reach Tie Pais, It Is hardly possible for It to make a. stand there against the overwhelming force op posing it, and especially es the Russians must be worn out and weakened by the loss of men. guns and ammunition. It Is more likely that Kuropatkln will fall right back to Harbin with what he can cave, and wait there for the rein forcements that St. Petersburg has al ready promised htm. A possible obUcl to the plan Is General Kawamcra's army, which has sot yet been located, and which may aIho be heading for the northern capital. General Kuropatkln admits that 1100 officers and 43,031 men are not respond ing to roll-calb. This Is rather vague. It may or may not Include the thousands of wounded who have pen sent north, and again It may not Include the losses suffered by the Third Army, with which the Commander-in-Chief was not In com munication for some time. The figures given by the Japanese "War Office appear more reasonable; namely, 40,000 prisoners, 8,500 dead left on the field and 00.000 killed or wounded, me latter figure, of course. Including the dead found by the Japanese. The Bus elan losses, therefore, total more than 100,000 men, or more than one-third of the whole army. The fact that the Japanese report the capture of only 60 guns Indicates that ' Kuropatkln, at the last moment, suc ceeded In sending a considerable portion of his artillery northward on the rail way. The Japanese losses up to this morn ing .were reported as -112. T-ot Includ ing the army which -unshed 'noflh' be- l tween. Mnkdencd whu.,'... v,V.,..- uwoiu iuss.a. is ccicnzuaea-'iOJcarrj' on the war. and St. Petersburg reports that orders have been Issued for the mobilization of more troops. This may prove & difficult task with the temper of me Busslan people in Its present con dition. There ls-stlll hope In St. Peters burg that Bussia can exhaust Japan financially, and .for months there has been talk of the mobilization of an army on the Siberian border which would com pel Japan to Keep her vast army In Manchuria. his widow has leased the palace. It was occupied for several years by Prince Pio, the Spanish Ambassador, but for some years has been unoccupied. ST. G0THAED HOSPICE BURNED Famous House of Refuge fn the Alps is Destroyed. GENEVA, Switzerland, March 12. The famous Hospice of St. Gothard has been destroyed by fire. CONTENTS OF TODAYS PAPER The Weather. TODAT'S Occasional rain; brisk and probably high, squally east to south winds. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. -46 deg.; minimum. -45. Precipitation. 0.12 Inch. The War In the 3bab. Marshal Oyama reports 23,500 Busslan slain oa battlefield of Mukden. Page 3. Estimates loss of the enemy In killed and wounded at 90,000. Page 1. Kuropatkln telegraphs his Emperor that SO, 000 men fall to report at roll-call. Page 1. Czar will send fresh army to Far East and send Baltic fleet against Togo. Page 3. Beslgnatlon of Kuropatkln will probably be accepted. Page 3. National. Kesro appointed Bevenue Collector In New York is a man of ability and prominence. Tage 9. Congress may demand close Inquiry on Panama Canal affairs. Pago 9. 1'orelgs. Members of the new British Cabinet. Page 1. General Valencia resigns Vice-Presidency of Colombia: Reyes government has bright pros pect. Pag 1. Domestic George Sen 1st tr, a Denver teamster, wipes out neighbor's family, and has finish battle with police officers. Page Urn. Chadwick la comforted by her counsel, who will apply for new trial. Page 4. Alleged plot again President Cartro, of Vena. xuela. Is unearthed In Philadelphia. Page 5. President Booaevelt speaks at eightieth anni- versary of the American Tract Society. Page 4. Pacific Coast. PuMic interest arouMd In the fate of the three wives f John Branton, at Cottage Grove. Page 1. Dr. Kaywood. once dentist, now Holy Roller preacher. Is tarred and feathered in Golden, dale. Wash. Page 1. Whitman County farmer, eloping with broth er's wife, la overtaken and attacked by hla father. Page 5. California is visited by heavy wind and rain storm. Page . Portland and Vicinity. Attempt made to wreck O. W. P. electric train near Oregon City. Page 1. Many people spend Sunday at the Exposition grounds. Pago 8. Great activity In building lines on the fast Side. Page 8. Dr. Brougber scores city officials In sermon at White Temple. Page- 14. . Rev. B. S. Muckley speaks on qualities needed by men of today. Page 9. Registration books wlir be open for voters Wedntwlay. Page 8. Beal estate men say values will Increase after the Exposition. Page 7. Councilman Bentley will - Introduce' ordinance to regulate billboard .nuisance. - Page 9. Sport. Local golfer win matches from Seattle players Portland players getting-In form at Bakcrsfleld.' TIMBER ON RAILS Attempt to Wreck an Electric Car. . FOUR OBSTRUCTIONS MET Motorman Sees First One Just in Time to Stop. HAPPENS NEAR OREGON CITY Southern Pacific Tender of Freight Train Is Derailed Near the Same Place by Logs Across the Roadway. By .placing heavy timbers on the track in four different places, unknown persons last night attempted to wreck tho electric train of tho Oregon "Water Power & Railway line which left this city at 9:20 o'clock. The attempt was mado. about one mile north of Oregon City. An extra south-bound freight on the Southern Pacific crashed into a tree acroAs the track directly opposite where the timbers were placed on the tracks of the Oregan Water Power & .Railway line, and the tender was derailed, Ue laying the train half an hour. "Whether this was an attempt by tralnwreckers or whether the tree was blown across the track by the heavy wind prevailing is yet a. question. The electric train on the Oregon "Water Power & Railway line, which left Portland at 3:20 o'clock had reached a sharp curve about ono mile north of Oregon City when the motorman in charge of the train noticed obstruc tions on the track a short distance ahead of the car. He Immediately ap plied emergency hrake3 and was suc cessful in stopping the train within a few feet of the obstruction. Upon examination is was discovered that two .heavy timbers, either heavy 'enough to require the services of more than ono maa to move, had beeri piled: across the track in such a manner that they revealed a deliberate attempt to wreck the train. The obstructions were removed by the crew and tho train pro ceeded. Series of Obstructions. Before another 200 yards had been ran the motorman again saw an ob struction on the track, applied the brakes, and stopped the car before the obstruction was reached. An investiga tion here revealed more timbers on the track, all heavier than those first seen. Tbeso were removed, and the train proceeded again. Before Oregon City was "reached two. more plies of timbers were encountered, the last pile containing enough to cause a catas trophe had they not been seen by the motorman. As soon as the car reached Oregon City the officers of the company and the author ities were notified. Police detectives were detailed from the central station here to investigate, and they left for the scene on a special car furnished by the company. Nothing definite was learned. It was evi dent that four attempts had been made to wreck the train, but no motive could be ascertained. The idea of an attempt at robbery was not countenanced, as the ob structions were placed so far apart and were so numerous. The police pointed out that tho hold-up men could have easily boarded the car at any station and ac complished their purpose without going to the trouble of wrecking the train. It is thought that the attempt was the work of some persons seeking revenge on the Oregon "Water Power & Railway Com pany. A full investigation will be made. Freight-Train Accident. Tho Southern Pacific southbound freight, which left Portland about 9 o'clock, ran Into a tree across the track directly oppo site the place where the first obstruction on the tracks of the electric line was en countered. Tho engino rode over the ob struction successfully, but the tender was derailed. The train crew made a. hurried investigation and decided, that the tree had been blown across th track. The telegraph wires had been carried to the . ground by tho tree as it fell, and it was some time before communication could be established between Portland and points south of where the accident occurred. Tho tender was replaced on the track and the train went on to Junction City, where Conductor Bell made a report to "Portland. Tho train wasdelayed but 20 minutes. "When tho report was first received, about the same time the reported at tempt to wreck the electric train-was an nounced. It was at first thought that" an attempt had also been made to wreck the freight. Tho crew of the freight, how ever., wired back that it was apparent the tree had been blown across the track, and that the accident was not due to the work of wreckers. An investigation will be made, however, today. FIGHT OF THE POLICY-HOLDERS Effort to Make Equitable a Mutual Association. NEW YORK, March 12. The New York policy-holders of the Equitable Life As surance -Association, will on Tuesday carry their fight for the mutualizatlon of the company to the Legislature, says the World. A bill will be- introduced in tho Senate and Assembly providing that every policy-holder may vote in person or by proxy In the election of directors, and further that every;. policy-holder, may-be eligible for the office of director of the corpora tion. By giving every policy-holder a vote, and by making every policy-holder eligi ble to the office of director, it transfers the management of the corporation to the policy-holders. UTAH LAND FRAUDS DISCLOSED Great Tracts of Coal Land Filed on as Farm Land by Syndicate. SALT LAKH CITY, Utah. March 12. Special agents of ths Federal Government are reported to havo been engaged for some time past in invstigating public land frauds in Utah. Th Salt Lake Herald to day states that hundreds of thousands of acres of valuable coal lands have been acquired by corporations by questionable methods. Vast tracts of coal lands aro said to have been filed on and patented as agri cultural and grazing land, and then trans ferred to the coal companies. In many instances, it is stated, lands have been filed on as coal lands, under the law which permits every adult citizen to ac quire ISO acres of coal lands by purchase, upon payment of 510 an acre- for such lands when, situated more than 15 miles from any railroad, and $20 an acreswhen situated within -15 miles of a railroad. Later these filings have been allowed to lapse, and the same lands have been ac quired as agricultural or grazing land, at 51. E0 an acre. More than 2000 of these coal ontries have been made in the Salt Lake Land Office, .hut not more than one in 50 of the per sons who made the filings has completed the purchase, the filings lapsing and title being secured as agricultural or grazing land from the State Land Office through state land selections. Forty filings made in 1301 within a pe riod of 60 days have recently been investi gated, and 30 of the 40 claimants are found to have been represented by an employe of a big coal corporation, exer cising power of attorney. The land was filed on and held for 14 months, as Is per mitted under the law, without being paid for, but in none of these cases wa3 the purchase completed, title being acquired through the State Land Office at a nom inal figure under proceedings instituted while the land was covered by the coal land filings. LONG HADE IRISH SECRETARY Other Men Who Have Accepted Port folios In British Cabinet. LONDON, March 12. Official an nouncement is made of the appointment of Walter Hume Long, president of tho local government board, to succeed Mr. Wyndham as Chief Secretary for Ire land. Gerald Balfour, president of the Board of Trade, succeeds Mr. Long; the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord of the Privy Seal, becomes president of the Board of Trade, retaining his former office, and Allwyne Fellowes, Junior Lord of tbo Treasury, is appointed president of the Board of Agriculture, succeeding the Earl of Oniilow, who recently was appointed chairman of the committee fn; the House of Lords, ; i'5'"iitCaoine.t appointments hava soma- points of interest. First and most Important for the Government they In volve no by-elections, and second, Lord Salisbury and Allwyne Fellowes are both confirmed free traders, whose entry into the Cabinet is not likely to be acceptable to the Chamberlain party. Mr. Wyndham's medical advisers have ordered him to take a complete rest from all ' business. He has gone abroad for some weeks and will receive no corre spondence. "WRAPPED IN STARS AND BARS Body of General Bate Lies In State at Nashville. NASHVILLE, Tenn.. March 12. Un der the shot-rent, powder-stained bat tle flag of the Second Tennessee Con federate Regiment, which he led at Shlloh, with the Stars and Stripes float ing at half-mast from the dome of the Capitol building, the remains of United States Senator William H. Bate lay in state in the hall of the House of Repre sentatives. Twenty-five thousand peo ple passed by the bier. Tomorrow after noon the funeral will be held at the tabernacle. Three Men Want the Place. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.. March 12. A Democratic causus of the Legislature will meet on Wednesday night to nomi nate a successor to the late General Bate. It is generally believed that J. B. Fraser. ex-Governor Benton B. Mc Mlllln and R. Ll Taylor will be In the fight. GOVERNMENT MEN MAY JOIN Union Officers Permitted to Solicit Workmen at Employment. PITTSBURG, Pa.. March 12. Permis sion has been granted labor leaders to organize all Government workmen who may wish to become members of labor unions. This announcement was made today by Frank Buchanan, president of the Na tional Association of Bridge and Struc tural Iron Workers, who is here in con nection with the hoisting engineers' strike. Mr. Buchanan says President Roosevelt last week, while in conference, with a number of prominent labor leaders, gave consent for representatives of the union to go among the Government workmen for the purpose of discussing unionism, but no force Is to he used. The men must join the unions of their own free will. VALENCIA RESIGNS HIS OFFICE Prospects Bright for 'Reyes Govern ment in Colombia. BOGOTA. Colombia, March 12. General Gonzales Valencia, has renounced ""the Vice-Presidency. This action creates gen-' eral satisfaction, as It anticipates action by tho National Assembly, which will meet next Wednesday. The government has contracted with a rich Colombian syndicate for the admin istration of the national rents and they have founded a central bank with $S,000, 000 gold capital to develop business. Political prisoners have been set at lib erty. The prospects are bright for President Reyes government. Arrests Follow the Explosion. ST. PETERSBURG. March 12. The ex plosion in the Hotel Bristol Saturday has been followed by many arrests, both in St. Petersburg and in the Baltic prov inces. The papers found In the room In cluded numerous revolutionary papers and pamphlets, drawings of infernal machines- and other devices completely estab lishing the. connection of McCuIlough.wltb 'Xke terrorists. HEAPS Over 26,000 Russians Lie on Battlefield. LOSS ABOUT 100,000 Oyama Reports the Cap ture of 40,000 Men. SIXTY GUNS AMONG SPOILS Much Other Plunder From Battle of Mukden. 50,000 NOT AT ROLL-CALL Kuropatkln Confirms In Some Degre the Statement Given by Vie Field Marshal to the Japanese Emperor. TOKIO, March 13. (U A. M.) Army headquarters makes the following an nouncement: "All our forces have advanced north, pursuing the enemy in all directions and inflicting heavy damage and they have defeated the enemy who attempted re sistance at various places. "Our forces have completely cleared the enemy out of the districts 25 miles north of Mukden and on Sunday were still pur suing them. m , The Russians abandoned countless carts of supplies and ammunition in the dis trict, for 13 miles from the vicinity of Kaolltnn. south of Chlullkotzu, west' of the railroad and 15 -miles north, of Muk den. "No time has yet been had to count them. "One of the colors captured belonged to the Ono Hundred and Sixty-second Regi ment, from the Wilna district, which had been engaged in three previous" wars. "Our Slnmintin garrison has arrested, a paroled Russian officer from Port Arthur, who broke h!3 parole at Shanghai and proceeded to Slnmintin. "Additional stores intended for the Rus sians have been seized at Slnmintin." TOKIO, March 12. (7 P. M.) The fol lowing report was received today from Field Marshal Oyama: "The number of prisoners, spoils and the enemy's estimated casualties against all our forces in the direction of the Shakhe follow, but the number of pris oners, guns and spoils are increasing mo mentarily: - "Prisoners, over 40,000. including General NakhlmofT. "Killed and wounded, estimated at 90.000. "Enemy left dead on the field, 28,500. "Flags, 2. "Guns, about 60. "Rifles. 60,000. "Ammunition wagons, 150. "Shells, 200,000. "Small arms ammunition, (25,000,000 rounds. "Cereals, 15,000 koku (about 75,000 bush els). ' "Fodder. 55,000 koku. "Light railway outfit, 45 miles. . "Horses, 2000. "Maps, 23 cartloads. "Clothing and accoutrements, 1000 cart loads. "Bread, 1.000,000 rations. " "Fuel, 70,000 tons. "Hay. 60 tons: besides tools, tents, bul locks, telegraph wire and poles,! timber, beds, stoves and numerous other property. "No Tcports have been received from our forces in the direction of Singklng." The battle Is officially designated as. the battle of Mukden. BRIEF LULL IN THE PURSUIT Resumption of Japanese Advance Is Expected at Any Time. TIE PASS, March 13 (Noon). The Jap anese. It Is reported, have ceased their pursuit, at least temporarily. Somo of the Japanese are 25 miles below Tie Pass, A resumption of their advance Is ex pected. Rumors are In circulation that the Japanese are already attempting an other wide turning movement to drive -the Russians from Tie Pass. The Russian troops here have been ar riving with hopelessly mixed unlt3, in consequence of the change in the front. The troops are being sorted -out and or ganizations reformed and assigned to places to defend the new positions, but whether Tie Pass will be held or aban doned probably will not be decided for several days. It i3 still too early to tell the extent of the Russian defeat, because not all the parts of the army have been assembled and the losses during the retreat are no small portion of the casualties. Up to the time of the beginning of the- retreat it is probable the Japanese losses were heavier than those of the Russians, and at the time the Japanese broke through Fu Pass the Russians appeared to "be holding their own and even gaining a little. Preparations were then being made to launch a counter stroke. Scouts Find Weak Piace. - The Ja panes success was largelyCaJaed- HI - Concludd on aJurd: aajjT -i