Morning Oregonian., May 23, 1905, Image 1

Jw
VOL.XLV. NO. 13,870.
PORTLAND, OREGON, TUESDAY, MAYi . 23, 1905.
IPRIOE FIVE CENTS.
i
WILLIAMS IKES
RINGING SPEECH
Bold Challenge to His
Detractors Given.
HE. NAILS CAMPAIGN LIES
Says His Official Life Is Free
From Graft.
HE POINTS TO WORK DONE
in Language Vigorous and Terse,
Republican Candidate for Mayor
alty Opens Municipal Cam
paign in Albina.
Mayor Williams made his first cam
paign speech last night in Gomez Hall,
Albina, before a gathering of 400 persons,
most of them residents of that district of
the city. In the gathering were prominent
citizens from all parts of Portland and
on the platform beside the Mayor sat
W". B. Glafke. one of his rivals in the
primaries for the Republican nomination;
Willis A. Fisher, who, as vice-president
of the Republican Club, an organization
whteh indorsed H. S. Rowe for the noml
nat'on and has now swung Into line be
hind the nominee, presented the Mayor;
J. C. Jameson, captain of the Ninth Ward
of the Republican Central Committee,
who actod as chairman; J. B. Werleln.
c'arididate for City Treasurer, andJ. P.
Sharkey, candidate for Councilman-at-large.
The Mayor spoke an hour in vigorous
fashion, and when he left off his voice
was as strong and clear us when he be
gan. The speech reached many climaxes,
the chief of which was his declaration
that ministers had been uttering false
hood against him.
The audience greeted this utterance with
loud and long cheers. Many times in the
course of his '-emarks the speaker was
interrupted by applause. His Honor spoke
with his form erect, his eyes aglcam. his
gestures so forceful that they made the
platform shake, and his face lighted up
with frequent smiles as his words found
their way home to his audience and
brought back responses of cheering and
band-clapping.
The most important part of all the May
or s speech was that in which he said
lines had been imposed on gamblers as a
temporary expedient, and -described the
conditions under which the system had
been inaugurated. Another important ut
terance was that in which he said he had
made no compact with liquor interests
and that he had not solicited their sup
port. The Mayor explained in detail the
contracts which the Executive Board had
entered into for Tanner Creek, Front
street bridge and Morrison-street bridge,
and asserted that taxpayers had been
fully protected as to their interests. He
challenged his detractors to name one
dishonest person among his appointees,
and, naming members of his various
boards, prominent in the city's life and
affairs, asked if they were grafters.
Other speakers were: J. C. Jameson,
who presided; Willis A. Fisher, who in
troduced the Mayor; W. B. Glafke, who
announced that he would support Will
iams, and J. E. Wcrlcin and J. P. Shar
key. The Mayor said:
Now, gentlemen, I come to the yrreat ques
tion tttat has agitated and disturbed the peo
ple of this . city and has worried our pood
friends, the Municipal League, until ome of
them have become almost fit for the Insane
asylum (laughter and applause), and that Is
this qucrtlon uf gambling. II has been i-ald
that I made, promises btfore my former ejec
tion that 1 would do this thing or that thing
or the other thing. The statement Is a false
hood. I defy any man in the City of Pojtland to
show that before my former election 1 made
any promises as to whom I would appoint or
as to what I would do if I were elected
Major; and I will make no promlw at this
time to anybody as to what I will do or what
men I will appoint. If I cannot be trusted
upon the record which I have made in the
Stale of Oregon for the last 52 years as a
pub'Ic man, and upon my services as Mayor
of this city for the last three years, then I
cannot be trusted after making promises, for
I have found from my experience that the
men who make the most promises for the
pake of obtaining office are the most readv
to break them after they have attained mio
c?fs. (Great applause.)
I made very effort In my power when I
came Into office to put down gambling In this
city Every man who is acquainted with
tne knows that I am opposed to gambling as
much as any person in the City of Port
land; and--when they tell you that I stand for
sin open town they know that they lie.. I have
nevr said' a word or done anything to indi
cate that I stand for an open town. There Is
nothing of the kind
Council and Board Made Plan.
"While 1 waa trying to put down gambling,
and not with much success, for Juries were
constantly acquitting the men when they were
arr&sttd and tried, the Council and the Ex
ecutive Board had a. secret raectlnr without
my knowledge and consent, in which .they
decided to try this pystem of fining gamblers.
hen the matter came to my knowledge I
obje ted to it. and the argument ma.de to
me was this: We have no money In the City
Treasury, we are down to bedrock; the Lewis
and Clark Fair Is approaching and we must
have corns money with which to put the City
of Portland in a presentable condition when the
Lewis and Clark Fair comes on.
They argued that our engine-houses were
all rotten and decayed: that our elevated
roads were rotting and falling down; that
our bridges were failing down, and some of
them did fall down. One fell and killed a man
and Injured others; and they said, we must
have some means with, which to prepare the
city or the Lewis and Clark Fair. We have
no money In th treasury and what shall we
do?
Now, these arguments. I admit, had force
with me. I was put to the necessity, as men
are sometimes compelled to choose between
evils. A man cannot always have his way, and
here was a question, on the one band, whether
this city should be left la its dilapidated and
dkvr&ceful condition, as It was then, cr
whether I Should accept this programme that
.was made by the Couacil aad Executive jjoaiti,
and I concluded that It was my duty, under
the circumstances, to acquiesce In their ac
tion. The consequence was that these men
were arrested.
Method Conformed With Law.
It has been 6ald that the law was not en
forced, and that all those proceedings were
In violation of law. I eay that all those
proceedings were In strict conformity with
law. Those men were arrested, taken before
the Municipal Court and they gave a money
ball for their appearance. "When the time for
their appearance came, they failed to appear,
and forfeited their ball. Then they were ar
rested again. Putting up. some of them $50.
some $150. romc $250. they forfeited the
money, and that money was paid into the
treasury of the city- The proceedings were
In strict conformity with law. and there was
no understanding, no arrangement, no agree
ment, expressed or Implied, between the city
authorities and the gamblers that they should
have the right to gamble. When eome of
those Municipal Leaguers came to me to com
plain, I said. "Go and make your complaints;
there Is nothing to prevent you having those
men arrested; there Is no arrangement or
agreement that will interfere with your right
to have them arrested." No; they would not
take that responsibility, but they woula" stand
up and howl about this gambling. (Laughter
and applause.)
Mayor "Williams here read a lengthy ex
tract from a newspaper report covering
conditions of the various engine-houses
throughout the city, showing that they
were badly in need of repair and unfit for
the use of the firemen.
Engine-Houses in Bad Repair.
Xow. gentlemen, that Is a specimen of the
condition In which our engine-houses were at
that time. We had no money with which to
make necessary repairs. Three men upon
whom you depend lor the protection of your
lives and property from fire, every man of
whom takes his life In his hands every time
he goes to extinguish a fire, those noble men
were treated llko brutes and compelled to
elecp in those places while the rain was falling
through the roofs upon them. I visited one
of those houses and the floor was ao rotten
where the horses stood that It broke through
under their weight.
Now, If I never did anything more wicked In
my life than to wcure a part of the Ill-gotten
gains of the gamblers for the purpose of
providing thone noble men with comfortable
quarters, I shall be ready at the judgment
scat to meet the Judgment of Him who rewards
according to deeds done In the body. IGrcat
applause.)
v Why Mayor Assented.
The condition of the engine-houses Is simply
Illustrative of the condition of the city at
that time. Under those circumstances I was
put In this predicament, and I should like
to know how any man could do otherwise than
I did. These men said to me. "We will stand
responsible; we require thce gamblers to help
pay money Into the city treasury to help tho
taxpayers of the city prepare It for the Xwls
and Clark Fair."
If I had refused, then the responsibility
would have been thrown upon me of having
left the cits- In this miserable and wretched
condition. It was an unpleasant predicament
to place mc In; they all knew I was opposed
to gambling; 1 told them I waa opposed to
It; they inew very well that I am no gambler.
I never so Into a gambling-house; I never bet
a cent, even at a church fair. (Laughter and
applause.)
Only Temporary Expedient,
I considered, under those circumstances,
while this system was not altogether Justi
fiable. It was excusable; It was a temporary
expedient, it was not to benefit the gamblers,
as has been represented. It was to make the
gamblers contribute money that the taxpayers
had to pay in order to prepare the city and
put It In a proper condition for the reception
of people from all over the United States,
whrn the Lewis and Clark Fair should open.
That Is the situation, and I have been
abused and reviled and denounced and rep
resented as going Into partnership with gam
blers' and all that sort of thing. There Is not
a word of truth In the statement; I have told
you just exactly what took place.
I waa not responsible for inaugurating the
KyUem: I am responsible for acquieseing in
the system. I" agrte to that; but I think,
under all the circumstances, I would be ex
cusable. I believe wc raised nearly fPO.OOO
of money out of the gamblers, every dollar
of which was economically and Judiciously
used In Improvement ef this city.
Look at your arc lights that have been es
tablished; look at your signs alt over the
city. None of these things existed when I
came Into office, and the money that was
taken from the gamblers was used In making
these improvements In the city.
I tell you It was a. temporary expedient,
nothing more, simply to get the city Into
condition for the Fair that was all that was
intended.
System Was to End January I.
Nobody dreamed that the system was to
become permanont at all. I said to H. W.
Scott, who called on me one day about it.
"Don't worry. Scott, about this gambling
business; I will have our gambling-houses In
Portland closed up by the first of next Janu
ary." Sometimes I pass clergymen on the street,
who look at me as though I was a monster
of Iniquity. (Laughter.) They kind of sidle
away as If in fear of being contaminated by
my presence llaughter) because I have been
connected, as It Is said, with the gamblers.
They have said Portland was a Sodom and
Gomorrah. Everything has been said to de
fame the reputation of this beautiful city by
those political creatures, for the purpose of
promoting the Interests of a political party.
Material Interests Mnst Bo Looked After.
I am not Mayor to take care of the morals
of the city exclusively; I have to look after
the material Interests of the city; I have to
see that tho city is Improved and grows;
that Is my business. The preachers can
.take care of the morals (laughter and ap
plause), and I am perfectly willing they
should. And if they would give more atten
tion to morals and ' lesjs to politics they
would do much more for the city than they
do. (Applause and cheers.)
Challenges Specific Graft Charges.
Kow you will find the newspapers, one of
them at any rate, full of charges of grafting,
grafting, grafting. But you will not find
a specific charge that any grafting In this
city has been done by any member of the
city administration for which I am respon
sible. I challenge any man in the City of
Portland to point out any member of my
cabinet, any man whom I have appointed,
who Is grafting or who has been guilty of
a dishonest act.
Who are those men? Whitney L. Boise,
Rodney L. Gllsan. S. B. Cobb. Mr. Flledner.
Sig Slchel and General Beebe ten of them
constitute the Executive Board. They are
all responsible men. They represent mil
lions of dollars of property In this city and
pay immense taxes. Do you suppose they
desire to squander the taxes of the city when
they have to pay such a large proportion of
the taxes? There Isn't a man In Portland
that has the courage to come out and say
that one of them has done a dlfhonest act.
Who constitute the Water Board? They
spend $500,000 every year In Improving the
water system of this city. Who are they?
William M. Ladd. Dr. Joseph!, Dr. Raffety
and George W. Bates. Will any man stand
up and say that these men are grafters?
You will observe that the charge is made
that the administration is rotten with graft
and these men with others constitute the
administration.
Who Are the Grafters?
Will any man come forward and say that
William M. Ladd Is a grafter, or that Dr.
Josephl or Dr. Raffety or Mr. Boise is a
grafter? There Isn't a man In the City of
Portland who dares to do It. You know It.
is a great deal easier to indulge in this
slang-whanging and abuse and vilUfl cation
than to point out any specific act.
They may have committed errors la judg
ment. I do not deny that, but they are as
likely to be right in their judgment as the
men outside, who know .nothing about- the
business of the city. (Great applause.)
rhi is the first time In the history of
Portland and I have lived here -40 'years
when there has been no graiung in tne Po
lice Department (appiacsei. I nave been
told by members of the Police Department.
who freely talk to me now, that there was
grafting before the present Chief was ap
iolnted. "We were all In It." they say. They
don't deny It: but there has been no grafting
since Hunt became Chief of Police. He is
an honest man; to be sure, he Is rigid, he
may be somewhat arbitrary, and he requires
the utmost discipline, but he is a man of
great experience in public lire. He has held
high offices In the Bast: he is a man of
learning and ability and an honored soldier
of our Cm! War. and I will .stand by him
(great applense). If any man can brluc for
ward any proof whatever that Hunt or any"
t envnoer of this aatnlafetratlcn has been
iCoacladcd ea. Tixe 10-
HAS DEATHTAKEN
ROJESTVENSKY?
Paris Has News Russian Ad
miral Is No More and Nebo
gatoff Commands.
COLLIERS - SEEN .ON - FIRE
Snips Will Be Total Loss Russian
Fleet Will Rendezvous at Islands -Xorth
of Luzon to Dodge.
. Togo's Torpedoes.
SPECIAL CABLE.
PARIS, May 22. A sensation has
been created Here. by the circulation of
a report that advices have- been re
ceived by a well-known firm of French
bankers, wfco have been active in the
past In floating the Russian loans, from
their confidential agent at St. Peters
burg, stating- that Admiral Rojestven
sky has died of dysentery and that
Admiral NcbogntofC has nssumed com
mand of the Joint fleets of Russia in
Far Kastern waters.'
The report caused a semi-panic in
certain quarters, but it is impossible
to trace it or to determine where i
originated. At the Russian embassy the
agent of the Publishers" Press was in
formed that, while they had heard such
a report, they had received no advices
of that character from the home gov
ernment, and the secretary declared
that, if such a report had been received
at St. Petersburg; it would have been
communicated to the Embassy without
'delay. Ho. was not inclined to believe
the rumor, although he admitted that
it might be so.
On the other hand, persons best ac
quainted with Admiral Rojestvensky's
condition 'declare that the report may
be well true, as. the last information
received from the Baltic fleet stated
that he was very III and had to have a
burgeon In constant attendance upon
him.
RUSSIAN COLLIERS OX FIRE
Slcemcr Passes Large Fleet on Way
to Hongkong.
SPECIAL CABLE.
HONGKONG. May 22.-The steamer Isle
of Worth, which left Saigon on May 17,
reports having passed 50 Russian trans
ports and colliers en route here. Several
of the latter vessels were on Are and arc
likely to prove a total loss.
MEET AT BABUYAN ISLANDS
Russian Fleet Sails North of Luzon
to Avoid Togo's Attack.
PARIS, May 22. The reports in cir
culation here to the effect that colliers
belonging- to the Russian fleet intend
to rendezvous at the Babuyan Islands,
north of the Island of Luzon, Philip
pine Islands, are not based on precise
information, but are the results of
figuring- on the latitude and longitude
where a portion of the fleet was last
GEORGE H. WILLIAMS, MA,YpR OF PORTLAND,
observed. This course. If continued, it
is pointed out. would take the ships
into the Balllntang- Channel, near
which the Babuyan Islands are situ
ated. ,It Is therefore inferred that the
Russians will rendezvous in that lo
cality for" the purpose of coaling-.
Much attention is given here to Vice
Admiral Rojestvensky's probable passage
into the Pacific north of the Island of
Luzon, and suggestonssare made that the
reported Intention of the Russians to ren
dezvous at the Island of Babuyan will
give thq American authorities in tho Phil
ippines the same difficulties in preserving
remote points against the 'incursions of
Admiral Rojestvensky. that the French
authorities have experienced in the waters
of Indo-China.
The naval expert of the Temps length
ily points out that the information brought
.by the various steamers to Chinese ports
confirms the previous view that Rojest
vensky is skirting the north of the Phil
ippines into the Pacific It is maintained
'that the strategic object thus accom
plished is avoiding Japanese torpedo at
tacks and the mines in the Straits of For
mosa and the subsequent concentration
of the Japanese fleet in the Straits of
Corea, leaving Rojestvensky free to make
a long detour and reach Vladivostok
through one of the northern straits of
Japan. However, it Is pointed out. that
'the .presence of the Russian fleet north
of the Philippines leaves the Russians
only a few hundred miles from the Jap
anese naval base, at Kelung, In the north,
crn part of the Island of Formosa, and
that a fight is "still possible before the
detour commences."
NAVAL EXPERTS ALL AT SEA
They Cannot Do Business With Con
flicting Dispatches.
SPECIAL CABLE.
LONDON, May 23. "LOST One fleet of
warships. A reward will be paid-for in
formation of their whereabouts. Address
Nicholas, St. Petersburg. "
The above facetious advertisement, post
ed last night on the wall of one of the
best known of the sen-ice clubs, indicates
the bewildered condition of the British
naval and military experts, who arc well
nigh dri-en frantic by the conflicting re
ports that continue to come in from the
Far East as to the whereabouts and in
tentions of Admiral Rojestvensky. One
report has him on the Pacific Ocean, and
the experts set out to figure how he
reached there, but before they havo the
task completed, along comes another re
port from an equally reliable source, and
it places the Russians in the China Sea.
And so the reports go. and from the mass
of contradictory statements it Is well
nigh impossible to deduce anything that
would seem to be the truth. Rojestven
sky's whereabouts are a mystery, and will
remain so until he either encounters th&
Japanese or .gets Into the track of the
coasting- vessels again.
Single ships flying tho Russian flag are
reported this morning from several loca
tions, and there is a possibility that the
Russian Commander-in-Chief has divided
his squadron and given orders to his cap
tains to make the best of their way alone
to Vladivostok, or possibly to some secret
rendezvous in the Pacific, nd-ln thin way
deceive the Japanese Admiral, who nat
urally would be expected to keep his own
fleet intact in order successfully to give
battle -to the Russians.
Some of the London and Paris news
papers chartered vessels more than a
week ago to make the trip to sea in order
to get the first news of tho naval battle
that was believed to be Imminent They
have not Inco been reported, and there
is a possibility that they have fallen In
with the Japanese and are being detained
at the base oft Formosa, It Is reported
from Saigon that dense fogs have, pre
vailed for several- days in the China Sea,
and there Is a chance that the Russians
have succeeded In getting at least some
of their ships past the danger zone under
the friendly cover. This, of course, is
(Concluded on Page 4.)
CAMPAIGN LAST NIGHT
FULTON FIGHTS
APPOINTMENTS
Objects to Hitchcock's Choice
for Receiver of Roseburg
Land Office: -
EDDY GHOSEN AS REGISTER
Senator Protests Against Cabinet Of
ficer's' Selection of Appointees
" " and Threatens to Fight Con-
firniation by. Senate.
: OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington, May 22-When Senator Fulton and
Secretary Hitchcock agree upon two men
for. Register and Receiver of the Roseburg
Land Office, the present incumbents, J. T.
Bridges and J. H. Booth, now under sus
pension, will be removed and the new men
appointed. For reasons brought out be
fore the Federal grand Jury at Portland,
Bridges and Booth were suspended and
one of them subsequently indicted. In
the eyes of the Interior Department neith
er is fit to resume public duties at Rose
burg, regardless of what disposition is
made of the charges against them, and
Secretary Hitchcock has determined' there
shall be a change. The President ap
proves this course. "
But before that change comes, Mr. Ful
ton and Mr. Hitchcock have got to thresh
out tho controversy that has been in pro
gress several weeks, which will deter
mine who Is to control Land Office patron,
age In Oregon. At the time Bridges and
Booth were suspended, the announcement
was made at the Interior Department that
Mr. Fulton would not be consulted in this
matter, but. when .the Senator took the
matter up in person with Mr. Hitchcock,
he was assured that, when the President
was ready to appoint new land officers, he
(Fulton) would be notified and would be
requested to submit the names of men
he wished appointed. He was not prom
ised that his men would be appointed, but
was given to understand that he could
control both appointments, provided the
men he recommended proved satisfactory
to Mr. Hitchcock.
Fulton and Hitchcock Disagree.
The matter drifted along for several
months, and finally Mr. Hitchcock notified
Mr. Fulton of his desire to have new offi
cers appointed at Roseburg. But, In doing
so, he submitted to the Senator two names
of men whom he would like to appoint
and asked Mr. Fulton if their appoint
ment would be satisfactory to him. Mr.
Fulton, it is understood, replied that
neither man would be acceptable to him,
and in turn sent to Mr. Hitchcock the
names of two men of his own selection.
Both men have been investigated. Mr.
Hitchcock is willing to consent to the ap
pointment of one, but declares he will
not permit the appointment of the other.
If he can help It.
He Is anxious to compromise and ap
point Mr. Fulton's man to one office and
a man of his own choice to the other. This
latter proposition aroused Mr. Fulton and
he notified the Secretary that, if any mat
not acceptaoie to mm ttruiton) was named
for Register or Receiver at Roseburg, he
WHO OPENED, HIS
would do his best In the next session to
prevent that man's confirmation. There
the matter rests today.
It is understood that B. L. Eddy, rec
ommendecLby Mr. Fulton, has been agreed
upon for Register at Roseburg, and that
the Senator has refused to consent to
the appointment of J. M. Lawrence, of
Bend, as Receiver. Mr. Lawrence is the
man whom Mr. Hitchcock wants appoint
ed to this ofEce. The Secretary will not
discuss the case further than to declare
there is no ill-feeling between the Sena
tor and himself. He says no appointment
will be made until two men are agreed
upon, as there would be no advantage In
appointing a Register without a Receiver
or vice versa. It cannot be ascertained
here whom Mr. Fulton recommended for
Receiver, or who was the original choice
of Mr. Hitchcock for Register, though
this latter preference is no longer of con
sequence. Fulton Would Fight Confirmation.
If Mr. Hitchcock secures the appoint
ment of J. M. Lawrence as Receiver at
Roseburg over the protest of Mr. Fulton,
there is a chance that Mr. Fulton will be
able to prevent the confirmation of Mr.
Lawrence when his nomination Is sent to
the Senate next Winter. Many Senators
resent the appointment of Federal officers
over their heads, especially when appoint
ees are selected by Cabinet officers, and
the feeling among "Western Senators
against Mr. Hitchcock has been so strong
that "Mr. Fulton would probably be able
to muster strong support on both sides of
the chamber.
Mr. Hitchcock Is aware of this senti
ment in the Senate and will probably
hesitate before turning down Mr. Fulton
on thl3 appointment. But for the time
being Mr. Hitchcock is waiting to see
what Mr. Fulton will do next.
SCHOOL LAND NOT AFFECTED
Richards Decides State May Still
Make Indemnity Selections.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, "Wash
ington, May 22. Land Commissioner Rich
ards, in response to ah inquiry, has ad
vised Oregon State Land Agent Oswald
West that the act of March 3, 1805. repeal-J
lng the lieu-land law has no bearing what
ever on the right of the state to make in
demnity selections of land in place of
school sections which the state may lose in
forest reserves. "Whenever school sections
are hereafter Included in forest reserves
in Oregon or any other state, the state
will be entitled to make indemnity selec
tion as heretofore, regardless of whether
the school sections so included are sur
veyed or unsurveyed.
ChaiTces Tour of Alaska.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, May 22. General Chaffee, Chief of
Staff, and Quartermaster-General Hum
phrey, on their Alaska tour, will visit
Skagway, Forts Seward, Egbert, Gibbon,
St. Michael, Davis and Liscum.
It is understood that 5104.000 will be set
aside for continuing improvements at
Fort Walla "Walla "during- the coming year.
First Lieutenant Lawrence D. Cablll,
Fourteenth Infantry, is detailed as re
corder of the examining board at Van
couver Barracks, vice First Lieutenant
Frederick S. Price, Fourteenth Infantry,
relieved.
Rural Carriers at Molalia.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, "Wash
ington, May 22. William T. -Echerd, has
been appointed regular, Otis R. Dougherty
substitute, rural carrier, route 1, at Mo
lalia;. Or.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 30
deg.; minimum, 46. Precipitation, 0.65 of
an Inch.
TODAY'S Shcwers- South to west wind.
" .War la the Tar Xaat.
Reported death of , Admiral Rojestvensky.
Page lt f
"Russian -fleet to assemble at Babuyan Is-
-iands for toy age to Vladivostok. Page 1.
Colliers of Russian fleet on fire. Page 1.
Skirmishing In Manchuria. Page 1.
Foreign;
Scenes of .wild disorder in British House of
Commons. Page 3. ,
Russia vcelebratee Csar's birthday. Page 3.
British Lords' discuss Philippine coasting
trade. Page 3. - .
National.
President will call extra session In October
to act on rate question. .Page 4.
Minister Russell comlnaEThome to testify In
Bowcn-Eoomls dispute. "Page 5.
Hitchcock .ahd Fulton disagree on' appoint
ments "to Kbsaburg land office. Page 1.
' Domestic .
Negro madman stands siega in house In
Kentucky till burned JttftjPage 4.
Presbyterian assembly de?fees on union;
Cumlrfr&na Presbyterians debate. It.
Page,?.
St. Panf road ..to reach Coast'fbjrconnection
with O'rtgprS- Short Line, age 4.
SenauCfark's. mine in Arizona wrecked.
Paef: t
RcnewexT- eUprts to settle .Chicago strike.
Page3. 9' 1
Bank, at Gedfleld. Xev., is gutted and fails.
Storm spreaiv deatb and.' ruin In Texas.
Page 4. " "
Philadelphia jiniste.rji parade In protesV
against gas.iewse. ;age a.
McCredie afJiew players. Page 7. .
Attell bas-Sa'tlrae getting decision against
Nelson. PSieT"; ixfti
Prisoner In ThADalTe'srtifi foretold the mur
der of FossT-ift- the- Mount Hood, settle
ment. PageL
Oregon Supremo CoHrt "passes on Important
cases. Page 6. " !
Half a. million pounds, of wool sold at Pen
dleton at ' good prices. Page 0.
Miss Daisy Huntington, teacher at Mon
mouth, Or., dommlts- suicide- Pago 0.
' Marbie.
New survey to be made at mouth of Co
lumbia. Pago 5.'.
Portias aad Vicinity.
Mayor "Williams opens his campaign with
strong political speech. Page 1.
Jury in Ramelin case, unable, to reach an
agreraent, is locked up- for the night.
Page 16.
Hillsboro woman celebrates' 118th birthday.
Page 14.
Dispute between Exposition boards seems
about settled. Page 14.
Petition and ordinance to close saloons near
Fair grounds by Initiative ready. Page 10.
Forces working day and night to complete
the Fair. Page 11.
Jordans are Indicted for felonies. Page 9.
Commercial Clab will clsse for opening day
of Fair. Page 1L
Wool prices are soaring. Page 13.
Five candidates file nominations at ths
eleventh how:. Page 11.
rW.; C. T. U. detefmlSredata close sa!ooas.i
"Pag 1US - .
SEES FROM HIS.
FIB-OFF CELL
Foss Murder First Re
ported by Prisoner.
SCENE OF GRIME MILES AWAY
Mysterious Gang Is Said ta
Be at Work.
WREAK SPITE ON RANCHERS
Remarkable Statements of Inmate o2
Wasco County Jail at The Dalles
Regarding Killing of the
Mount Hood Farmer.
THE DALLES. Or., May 22. (Special.)
"Was the death of Frank Foss, the aged
farmer who was shot and cremated on his
little farm, IS miles south of Hood River,
the victim of an orsanlzaed band of out--laws?
The officials of Wasco County are not
yet prepared to believe that such a sang
exists, but they are quietly at work on
the supposition that a band of men, oath
bound and terrible in their vengeance,
have been guilty of the mary depreda- .
tlons that have been recorded in this
county for several years past. The start
ling information that a number of men
had organized themseles into a sort of
"Whitecap band, who took it upon them
selves to harass farmers and neighbors
against whom they had a grudge, fancied
or real, came from a prisoner now in the
jail here.
This prisoner, les3 than a year ago.
when Foss was tried before the County
Court here, on a charge of Insanity, de
clared to Jailer John Fitzgerald that old
man Foss would be killed inside of a year.
This prisoner said that he had been
marked by thl3 band, but nothing ,wa3
thought of it at the time.
On the night of the killing and burning
of old man Foss this same prisoner told'
Nightwatch Clem Egbert that he was !"'r' m
that something had happened to FomSff
j-nis prisoner seems io De possessed wtUt s;'
a sort of clairvoyancy. '"r-'
Prisoner's Prophecy ot 3Iurder.
The killing of Foss was done between 9
and 10 o'clock Thursday night, May U.
During the whole of Thursday the pris
oner, whose name at this time is with
held for reasons, was extremely nervous.
He complained of his nervousness to
NJghtwatch Egbert when he went on duty,
and it was while he was complaining of
this condition that he suddenly stopped in
the middle of his recital to exclaim:
"Something has happened to old man
Foss. Mark what I tell you, you will
hear some news from Hood River In the
morning."
How true this prophecy was Is shown
by the subsequent events which followed.
The next morninsr Sheriff Sexton was no
tified by telephone of the killing and cre
mation of the aged farmer. ' Sheriff Sex
ton hurried to the scene of the crime and
with the Coroner viewed the remains of
Foss.
The Investigation which followed led tp
tho arrest of RIes, who was found asleep
in his barn. As soon as possible Ries
was brought here and placed in jail. The
prophet-prisoner, as soon as he learned of
the murder of Foss and that the man sus
pected of having committed the deed was
in jail, asked the jailer if he had one
arm and if his name wasn't Ries. On
being told that Ries was then locked up,
he remarked, "Just as I thought," but
further than this he would not venture.
Suffered at Avenger's Hands.
This prisoner stated to the corre
spondent of The Oregonian tonight,
after reciting over again what he had
told Jailer Fitzgerald ami his assist
ant, Egbert, who were both present,
that when the proper time came he
would give a detailed account of the
depredations done by this band of
avengers. He refused to talk until as
sured that his name at this time wouri
not be used. He himself alleges that he
has been a victim of this bloodthirsty
crew.
The murder and burning of old man
Foss was one of the most wanton in
the history of "Wasco County. He was
an eccentric old man. one who had
quarreled with almost all of his neigh
bors. He was profane and, right or
wrong, he is said to have poured the
torrents of his wrath and profanity
on all who came his way when he waa
In his tantrums.
It war- known that he had had trouble
with the man who is accused of the
crime. At first it was thought that the
murder and the subsequent burning of
his cabin, after he had been shot to
death, was the result of a neighbor's
quarrel. That was before the auburn
haired widow Rlggs name was con
nected with the killing-, before the- offi
cials .were given the empty cartridges
found at the gate and just outside of
where the doorsill stood before the
cabin was burned 'down.
Shells Fit Widow's Rifle.
These empty shells fit the caliber of '
the rifle owned by the widow Riggs
and this fact led the officials to hunt
ing up an entirely 'different motive fer
the -crime. Since the death of Foss and.
the. finding- of the empty shells that St
F Ceacluded a Page T.i