vettmm.
VOL. XLV.- NO. 14,030.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1905.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
ADAMS CONFESSES
THEFT OF 60LO
OneHundredThousand
Is the Amount
DESERTED BY HIS BONDSMEN
Period of thefts Extends Over
Two Years.
ONCE A PORTLAND MAN
Seattle Mint Cashier Breaks Down
Under Strain Hides Behind His
Mothcr-ln-Law Will Sell
Property for Reparation.
SEATTLE, Wash., Nov. St. (Special.)
George Edward Adams, up to yesterday
cashier at the Seattle Assay Office, is a
prisoner in the King County Jail aban
doned today by his bondsmen, alter they
had listened to a confession of his guilt
Bankers Jacob Furth and M. F. Backus,
also personal friends of the cashier, re
fused to have anything further to do with
him, although Adams is a heavy depositor
n each of the banks they represent
Adams must have been a thief prior
to June of this year, the date when he
has twice fixed his downfall. Adams
claims that he took from the gold deposits
in the Assay Office approximately 535,000
within the last six months. To have done
so he must have averaged $200 a day or
better, and secret service offiqlals, skep
tical over this story, believe his stealings
date back far beyond the beginning of
the Summer. Secret Service Agent S. A.
Connell estimates the total shortage at
approximately $100,000.
Receipts for gold deposited by Alaskans
have been produced dated back from
one to more than two years which show
a remarkablo discrepancy between the
original weight given the gold dU6t and
the weight returned from the meltlng
room After5 tho "gold had been cleaned. A
loss as great as 13 per cent Is showing In
some of these receipts, a preposterous
situation.
Gold Shrinks ik Melting.
The experience of J. C Green, who paid
$500 for a quantity of gold and saw It
shrink from 27.80 ounces to 23.47 after de
positing it in the Assay Office; of Horace
M. Sproul, who divided his gold Into two
equal parts, both weighing $6000, and
shipped one to San Francisco and sold
the other here, where he lost $SO0; of a
Government official at Skagway, whose
$10,000 shipment was reported $700 less
than a careful examination indicated, and
other claims, indicate Adams' operations
have extended over a long period.
Adams had no money when he went to
Portland about seven or eight years ago
as cashier of the Mutual Benefit Life
Insurance Company, of Newark, N. J.
Just previous to that he had. been, .found
by the Massachusetts Life Insurance
Company to be more than $5000 short in
his accounts. He had attempted to float
an Alaska steamship enterprise, and it
had collapsed. Adams fled when his
books were examined, but friends made
good the shortage, and the matter was
hushed up. Then he went to Portland,
and was there with the Mutual when
Fred Wing was' named Ass&yer in 1S98.
Wing had known all about the Seattle
defalcation, but he believed Adams hon
est at heart, and brought him back to
become a clerk In the Assay Office.
Salary Was Only $1800.
Starting seven years ago as a clerk
and never drawing a salary larger than
J1S00 per annum, Adams has accumulated
real estate roughly valued at $100,000, an
Interest In a local real estate firm, some
thing over $30,000 in deposits in two Se
attle banks; had $13,000 in currency on
his person when arrested, and owns a
home fitted up in as costly a manner as
any other in Seattle.
More than that, Adams lias been a
clubman, a social lion and "good fellow."
lie owned automobiles and maintained a
private garage. His wife, mother-in-law
and Adams himself, were sociallv am
bitious and they entertained lavishly. All
this Adams has accomplished on his $1500
salary.
Four years ago Adams father died in
New York. He claimed mysteriously to
have been left a fortune, but secret ser
vice men say ho got nothing, or com
paratively nothing. Adams supplemented
this fortune story with another tale that
tie had made fortunate investments, but
he lived far beyond the $150 a month that
the Government paid him In salary.
Bondsmen Desert Adams.
Yesterday afternoon when Adams made
tils first confession he limited his pecula
tions to the present Summer. Today,
when he repeated his confession he told
a. story of social ambitions following his
marriage that would tend to indicate he
began taking gold much earlier. It was
after this second confession that Jacob
Furth and M. F. Backus, bank presi
dents and intimate .friends, decided Ad
ams was not worthy of confidence and
gave him up to the Federal officials.
tTp to that time they had confidence in
him. After his bondsmen had surren
dered him, Adams was taken to the
County Jail.
Neither the secret service men nor
those who were Adams' friends up to
yesterday have the remotest Idea how
much money Adams stole. There is ab
solutely no means of ascertaining the
losses suffered. The system employed at
the apsay office was so easy to beat and
so hard to trace that Adams might have
taken gold from each deposit without
the secret service men being able to trace
it. Between the time the weigher re
ceived the gold and the melting-room got
It, the gold was in the vault under Adams
Jurisdiction only. He had every oppor
tunity to abstract a part from each con
signment and to substitute black sand. It
was not in sealed packages that would
betray a theft
Seattle papers for more than a year
have angrily denied stories that at tho
Philadelphia mint and in San Francisco
better returns could be had for gold. The
thefts might have been going on at that
time, for complaints were numerous.
Thief Sold Dust to Bank.
Within the past six months Adams has
sold $33,000 in gold to the Seattle State
Bank. Sometimes he disposed of it in
small amounts and again it amounted to
several hundred dollars. Adams story
that he owned an Alaska mine and was
depositing his gold in a bank because he
could not sell it to tho assay office on
account of Governmental rules- was be
lieved. Adams had an open account in
nt least two banks here whero gold would
be received, and there is no means of
ascertaining whether the $33,000 that went
through the Seattle State Bank is all
he took within the past six months.
Adams did not drink to excess. He
never gambled. He was an automobile
fiend and owned one of the finest ma
chines in town. He furnished his home
lavishly, liked club life and spent money
freely to keep up his end. He was so
cially ambitious and courted entertain
ment giving in return. That is probably
the way most of his money was spent
The fact that Adams had purchased an
interest in the real estate firm of Gulon
& Co.. with which Assay cr Fred Wing
was once connected, and intended to Join
the company on January 1, may have re
sulted in recent thefts being excessive.
The Government paid little or no atten
tion to earlier complaints and acted
on the more recent and more startling
discrepancies discovered in weights of
shipments and final returns.
Kerfoot Traces Stolen Dust.
D. H. Kerfoot a special representative
of Superintendent Leach, of the San Fran
cisco mint Is the man who actually traced
the assay office frauds to Adams. Two
months ago Kerfoot was sent here to in
vestigate what the mint officials thought
was merely a miners' complaint and prob
ably groundless. Mistakes In handling
gold dust in the melting-room were be
lieved to have been responsible for some
loss and the first inquiry was directed in
that direction.
By the process of elimination, the melting-room
was finally found to be cleared
of suspicion. Then Kerfoot discovered the
shrinkage in values was so great that
fraud must be perpetrated somewhere,
and he began a. careful "inside" investi
gation of weights and the methods in the
office. There were 57 employes, and
vAd&ms "was the most trusted. Because of
his high standing, be was not suspected.
and a ' tedious Inquiry resulted until the
discovery that' losses occurred at night
made it almost certain he was guilty.
With Secret Agent Connell, Kerfoot sent
several decoy consignments of gold
through the assay office. Then the mint
representative checked the assay office
results. Morning sales were correct, but
when Kerfoot found that sand appeared
in the afternoon sales he had Adams.
Three Ounces Is Charge.
Technically, Adams Is accused of steal
ing three ounces of gold that were taken
from a deposit by Secret Agent Connell.
It was because he told his banker friends
that he was accused merely of stealing
three ounces of gold that they furnished
bond for him. When he confessed the full
details of his thefts today, they aban
doned him. Adams defiantly denied his
guilt at the outset but broke down when
Secret Agent Connell threatened to search
his house, deprecating the necessity for
disturbing Mrs. Adams and her five-days
old babe. Adams was a physical wreck
when he left the secret agent's office, but
this morning when ho reappeared with his
pastor, the Rev. J. P. D. Lloyd and his
two bondsmen, he- had recovered himself,
He gavo the Government about $123 in
gold dust which he had secreted in his
house, and then plunged into a full con
Tcssion. The Government will prosecute
Adams under a section of the code that
defines the crime of stealing from assay
office deposits, and which provides a max
imum of ten years Imprisonment Then
an attempt will be made to recover from
his property the losses that miners and
banks have suffered.
Adams Is Worth Much.
Government officials tonight roughly
computed Adams' assets as follows:
Twelve thousand dollars In cash, taken.
from him at the time of his arrest; $23,000
deposited in banks; a partnership in a
real-estate firm A3ams said yielded him
$SO0 last year: his residence property and
525,000 worth of ' furnishings; an auto
mobile; and Seattle property roughly val
ued at $35,600.
Secret Agents Connell and Kerfoot had
estimated Adams' thefts at $20,000 for this
year, but he confessed to SS5.000. This
upset the calculation they made that he
had stolen more than $100,000 during the
past thrss years, the time they believe
he was stealing gold dust It is Impos
slble. Government officials state, a ecu
rately to compute the losses through
Adams' thefts, but by a careful computa
tion of results from each shipment they
can approximately estimate it and recom
pense losers. If Adams' property will not
pay tho losses in full, the contingent fund
may bo drawn upon, or Assaycr Wing
held responsible.
Adams, the secret agents say, did not
touch gold consignments of less than 100
ounces. The Government tested this pret
ty thoroughly, and found he graded his
thefts well, too. Out of $177 worth of
gold sent through by the Government he
took throe ounces. From a $250 deposit
he extracted five ounces. Secret Agent
Connell and Mr. Kerfoot found what they
termed two, three, four and five-ounce
capsules, for holding the sand Adams used
In "bringing the gold deposits back to
weight
Springfield Is Adams' Home.
SPRINGFIELD Mass.. Nov. 2. George
;(CoBclude4Mm race 6.)
BOLD ATTEMPT
ATE
Meier & Frank Company Ac
cuse the 'Proprietors of
German Paper.
ALLEGED SMALLPOX STORY
Management nt Store Asserts That
Big Advertising Contract Was
Demanded Under Threat of
Publishing Humor.
THE ATTEMPT AT EXTORTION
Dr. Paul J. A. Semler and A E. Kern,
publisher of the DeuUche Zeitung. a
weekly newspaper. proposed to sup
press publication of & defamatory ar
ticle containing an alleged .expose of
the existence of smallpox in the
Meier & Frank store if the Meier
& Frank Company should sign an ad
vertising: contract for a large sum.
This Is the charge of Julius L. Meier
of the Meier & Frank Company. The
offer was declined and the Deutsche
Zeitung printed two sensational ar
ticles, one In English and one In Ger
man. In succeeding Issues, attacking:
the Meier & Frank Company.
THE FACTS Four weeks ago an
employe of the Meier & Frank store
was seized with an Illness afterwards
diagnosed as smallpox in a mild form.
About two weeks later four cases of
varioloid appeared among the em
ployes of the firm. None of them,
however, were exposed at the store.
The first case, four weeks since. Is
the only one from which there could
have been dancer of Infection at the
Meier & Frank establishment. These
are the statements of Dr Franklin
Cauthorn, City Physician.
Because It is alleged they attempted to
force the signing of an advertising: con
tract for $590 by threatening to publish an
article In their paper that there was an
epidemic of smallpox among the employes
In the store of Meier & Frank, Informa
tion will be filed In the State Circuit
Court today against A. E. Kern and Dr.
Paul J. A. Semler. publishers of the
Deutsche Zeitung, charging them, with
blackmail. The complainant is Julius
Meier, and the charge is based on the -al
legation that the publishers of the
Deutsche Zeitung tried - to extort money
h we uiui in wie lunn oi an advertis
ing contract
Working; on the Case.
For two days Deputy District Attorney
Moser has been conducting an investiga
tion of the charges- and stated last night
that in all probability the information
would be filed today, or Monday at the
latest as It Is already in the bands of
the stenographer. Neither Dr. Semler
nor Mr. Kern was represented at the In
vestigation, although they were notified
by Mr. Moser. Dr. Semler has been a
practicing physician in Portland for about
25 years, and the Deutsche Zeitung has
only been in existence since near the
first of this year. Mr. Kern has been in
the German newspaper business In this
city for many years, and both are well
known here.
It is alleged .by Meier & Frank that
Dr. Semler and Mr. Kern were so unprin
cipled as to attempt to obtain business for
thIr publication by other than legitl
mate means. Believing that they could
force the firm to give them a large con
tract for advertising It is alleged they
made it known that they had an article
written and the type set which would
prove detrimental to the business interests
of the department store.
Says Case of Blackmail.
Julius Meier, anxious to avert the ap
pearance of any article which would ma
liciously injure the store, called upon Dr.
Semler and Mr. Kern. It is said that
when he consulted with the publishers of
the paper he discovered that it was a
clear case of blackmail. To make sure
that he understood the purport of their
offer to him he had them draw up a
contract which he refused to sign. Mr.
Meier says he had no intention of allow
ing Dr. Semler and Mr. Kern to extort
money from him, and that the only rea
son he discussed the matter with them
was to satisfy himself of their intent
Last week, after the alleged negotia
tions with Mr. Meier had been dropped,
the Deutsche Zeitung appeared with a
story relative to employes of the store
having been taken down by the disease.
It was printed in German, but last night
the paper was sold on the street corners
with an article on smallpox set up In
English.
The First Intimation.
"Our first Intimation that the Deutsche
Zeitung was going to publish a libelous
article about our store was received
Wednesday. November 13." said Julius
Meier, of the Meier & Frank Company,
last night "On that day a reporter
named Klug came to my office and told
sne that an article stating that there was
a smallpox epidemic at our store had been
written, and was to appear in the edition
of the Deutsche Zeitung which would be
published the following day. I told him
that there would be no truth in such an
article, and that no good would come of
publishing it His only reply was that the
article was all ready to be printed and
that I bad better arrange an Interview
wilth Dr. Semler, editor of the paper, and
fix things up.
"After he had left I called up the office
of the publication, 6ut Dr. Semler was out
and A. E. Kern, his partner, talked to me.
I told him of what had happened, and he
corroborated what his reporter had told
irp in regard to the character of the arti
cle, suggesting that I call at his office.
r Call at 'the Orficc.
"When I went to the office of the
XTORTIQN
Deutsche Zeitung, at 6& First street I
found Kern and Semler there awaiting me.
I lost no time with preliminaries, but
asked to see what they had. They pro
duced tho. printed proof of a three-quarter-column
editorial, written In German,
which was read to me. It was a. very
scurrilous and direct attack upon the firm
of Meier & Frank. It spoke of our store
as 'infected, and misrepresented condi
tions completely. I told them, as I bad
their reporter, that there was no truth
In it, and that there bad been no smallpox
exposures at our place of business. They
spoke of their large circulation among the
Germans of Portland, and threw out many
threats as to the effect of such an article
upon our trade, and intimated that it
would be possible for us to have the piece
suppressed. k
"I told him that Meier & Frank would
do nothing at all, but wishing to find out
what their scheme for blackmail was,
turned at the door and beckoned to Semler
to come outside. 'Well I said, 'what is
your proposition? He replied that he
would have to talk tho matter over with
his partner, and then I put the samo
question to Kern, but was told I would
have to return the following morning.
The paper, he said, would go to press at 9
o'clock, and If I did not see them before
that time the article would be published.
Kern Talks Advertising.
"I then left and did nothing more about
the matter until tho following morning at
It when I called up the Deutsche Zeitung
by telephone and found out that the paper
had not yet been printed, although it was
past the regular hour for issuing it I
then went again to the office and found
Mr. Kern alone. 'We have concluded that
your firm ought to tako $200 a month ad
vertising with us for one year,' he said.
I answered that we could not possibly do
so, and he said that he would eliminate
the article if we would take $75 monthly
advertising for one year. At last he
agreed to hold the piece out if we would
sign a contract for advertising to the ex
tent of $10 each month for the next year,
and in addition pay them $70 for an ad
vertisement in a special number which
they were preparing.
"Mr. Kern then wrote a contract "on his
typewriter, while I called up Mr. Frank
on the telephone on a pretense of obtain
ing his consent to the contract Mr.
Frank was not in, but I succeeded in get
!tng our attorney, George W. Joseph, upon
the line. Then, with the receiver still
down, I asked Mr. Kern to read the con
tract which he did. I repeated it after
him. and Mr. Joseph was able to hear
clearly.
Does Not Sign Contract,
"I then left the office without signing",
although they urged me-strongly to do so.
This is absolutely the best we can do for
you,' he said, 'and if you do not sign the
contract before 3 o'clock, I shall let the
article go to press.'
"That was the last time I had -any deal
ings with the publishers of the Deutsche
Zeitung. although they hel&up their Issue,
which had been due Thursday morning,
until Saturday. The article then published
was much different; from tho- one that had
beca UMi la iciiihe threats to 'me."
Dr; Carathorn's Statereeat.
In regard to the smallpox situation in
Portland, and with special" reference to
conditions In the establishment of Meier
& Frank. Dr. Franklin Cauthorn. City
Physlcian, last night gave the following
statement to The Oregonlan:
"The City Board of Health has been
cognizant from the very first of conditions
in this matter, both at the store of Meier
& Frank, and throughout the entire city,
and has given It thorough and unremit
ting attention. The first case of smallpox
in the city was reported about September
1. During September there were 17 cases
in Portland; in October, there were seven
new cases, and in November, upto the
present time, there have been 10. These
cases came from many different parts of
the city.
"There was a slight case of exposure
at Meier & Frank's a little more than
four weeks ago. An employe in the re
pair department. Mrs. H. I Williams.
appeared with an eruption on her face.
and was at the store part of one after
noon. This was on October 23 or 24.
Three days later her physician diagnosed
the case as smallpox in a mild form.
31eler Asks His Advice.
"Mr. Julius Meier immediately sent for
me, explained the situation and asked my
advice. I said that employes of the de
partment in which Mrs. Williams bad
worked should be vaccinated immediately,
and that all employes should be vacci
nated as promptly as possible. That
afternoon each of the 65 employes of the
repalrdcpartment was vaccinated. As
result no other cases have developed in
this department, which shows that what
ever exposure there had been from this
case had been prevented.
"A little less than two weeks ago four
cases of varioloid occurred among tho
employes of Meier & Frank in different
departments. None of these came down
at the store. These cases were Freda
Wlsmer, EJ W. Hamilton. Hugo Hoyla
and Clarence Edncr. One was taken ill
November 11, one November 13, one No
vember 13 and one November 17. As they
were not at the store during eruption, or,
so far as is known, for more than an hour
or so after complaining of illness, I do
not look upon these cases' as exposures to
others.
Only Seven Cases In Portland.
"These are the only cases that have ap
peared In the storo of Meier Sc. Frank,
and they, a well as others which have
broken otltln various parts of the city
on hoth sides of the river, and in both
the north and south sections, are probably
due to exposuro from some cases of vario
loid which have masqueraded as chicken
pox. "I have never considered the store of
Meier & Freujk Infected. There Is as little
likelihood of contracting smallpox in that
establishment as in any other public place
in Portland. Shortly after the beginning'
of the trouble. Julius Meier met with
Mayor Lane. Dr. Matson, of. the health
office, and myself and we have done
everything to minimise the-' risks of dti
zens'ln regard to cases in all parts of
Portland.
"There has been a great deal of clamor
and exaggeration over a small thing.
There' are at present -only seven cases of
smallpox in the pesthouse- asd -two people
Concluded oaS-pete" 3.)
MADE Ml
GENERALISSIMO
New York Life Syndicates Run
in Interest of Hamilton
and Perkins.
COMPANY GETS THE BONE
Bookkeeper Reveals 3Iore Wonders
of High Finance Equitable
Puts Up Money for the ,
Profits of Others.
LAWSON CLAIMS CONTROL.
BOSTON", Nov. 24. (Special.)
Thomas W. Lawson said tonight that
he had received so many proxies that
his control of both the New Tork Life
Insurance Company and the Mutual
Life Insurance Company is absolute.
NEW YORK, Nov. 24. Startllg develop
ments wer brought out at today's session
of the Armstrong committee on Insurance
Investigation, In the course of a minute
Inquiry by Mr. Hughes into the syndicate
transactions participated in by the New
Tork Life Insurance Company. The most
Important witness of the day was Milton
M. Madison, a bookkeeper of the New
York Life, during whose, examination It
was brought out that In the case of the
United States Steel Corporation Syndi
cate, the managers of which were J. P.
Morgan & Co.. theer appeared In one In
stance a profit due to the New York Life
of $S7,1S7, from which was deducted, no
reason being given, the sum of $39,310 paid
to Andrew Hamilton, who has been de
scribed In the course of the Investigation
as the 'insurance legislative generalis
simo.
It appeared from records produced by
Mr. Hughes that an account of J. P.
Morgan & Co. with Hamilton showed that
in December. 1S01. that firm had ad
vanced to Hamilton $56,720; that on Octo
ber 1, 1502. this account amounted, with
interest, to $59,310. and that it was then
acnceled by the entry of that amount to
Hamilton's credit "The entry of this
amount in the account of the New York
life read: "As per canceled statement
ana, arrangement with Mr. G. W. Per
kins.'" It was also developed that the
particlpatlo i In the syndicate of the New
York Life was effected through the New
York Security 8c Trust Company, by
which one-fourth of the profits of the
former company were retained.
Perkins Pockets the Cash.
Pressed by Mr. Hughes to tell whether
he knew of any other Instance of money
due to the New York XJfe being paid to
a third party, as In the Hamilton case.
Mr. Madison recalled the payment In 1904
of $40,000 to George W. Perkins, represent
ing the profit on a loan of $330,000 to the
Boston firm of Kidder, Fcabody & Co.
The profit, witness said, came in the form
of a check on tho First National Bank.
which he cashed, gilvng the money to
Mr. Perkins. What the latter did with It
the witness did not know. No entry of
the transaction was made on the books
of the New York Life.
Other witnesses examined during the
day were George T. Wilson, fourth vice-
preslden; of the Equitable; Francla W.
Jackson, auditor, and Gerald Brown, in
charge of the bond department of the
Equitable.
What King Was There For.
Mr. Brown, In reply to questions, said
the King model houses on One Htfndred
and Thirty-eighth street New York, were
taken by the Equitable Society under a
foreclosure, sold to D. H. King, Jr., and
that the Equitable Society supplied $3,100,
000 for construction and improvements.
Meantime the society held a mortgage on
the houses, and when completed, Mr.
King deeded them back, to the society.
Mr. Bro-m said he supposed Mr. King
::was there" to make a. profit In sublet
ting the. contracts.
The Equitable put up all the money
and King took all the profits?" asked
Mr. Hughes.
"Yes. if you want to put It in that way,'
said Mr. Brown.
"What officers were responsible for this
trar taction?"
"The executive committee." said Mr.
Brown, who added that Henry B. Hyde
had the matter In charge.
Mr. Madison testified that the New
York Security & Trust Company partici
pated in the United States Steel Corpora
tion Syrdlcato to the extent of $323.000.
Mr. Hughes produced a blotter showing
that tb New York Life Insurance Com
pany received from the Security & Trust
Company $52,417 as a three-quarters profit
of the account
Mr. Madison said the New York LIfo
Insurance Company did not pay any
money on that account but had deposited
$3,33T,GO0 with the Securit &. Trust Com
pany. George Perkins, vice-president of
the New York Life Insurance Company,
thad charge of the transaction, and J. P.
Morga" & Co. were the syndicate man
agers. Perkins Says Deal Was Proper.
George W. Perkins, of the firm of J. P.
Morgan & Co., tonight gave out the fol
lowing statement in relation to the testi
mony brought out today:
"The transactions referred to before the
Investigating committee today were prop
er ones. If the natural course of, the in
quiry does not saake this clear, I am
sure the committee will give me an op
portunity to offer further testimony In
the matter
McCardy's Right-Hand Man.
.. NEW YORK, Nov. K. Jullea T. Davies
was appointed general solicitor for the
Mutual Life Insurance Company yester
day, by order of President Richard A.
McCurdy.
It was Mr. Davies who seconded tho
original resolution of Investigation when
President McCurdy proposed it He ha3
been considered as Mr. McCurdyg closest
adviser throughout the Investigation of
the Mutual by the Armstrong legislative
committee. He also acted as counsel for
the investigating committee until the
appointment of James B. Dill.
Another President Summoned.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.. Nov. 2L Presi
dent John A. Hall, of the Massachusetts
Mutual Life Insurance Company, of this
city, has been requested to appear short
ly arter December 1 before the legislative
Investigating committee now sitting In
New York and furnish detailed state
ments of the company's business. Presi
dent Hall expressed his willingness to fur
nish tho Information desired.
ONLY HONEST ELECTIONS
Sole Cause for Which Hearst's Law
yers Are Fightings
NEW YORK, Nov. 24. "Personally, the
success of Mr. Hearst will be distaste
ful to me. as it will be to most of his
counsel." said Austen G. Fox. counsel for
W. R. Hearst In an argument before
Justice Amend In the Supreme Court to
day, on Mr. Hearsts efforts to open the
ballot-boxes of the recent city election for
a recount.
'I supposed that this action was In the
Interest of the people of the city for hon
est elections." continued Mr. Fox, "and
if you can hear the motion, by all means
hear It now.
The first real test of the question wheth
er the ballots shall actually be recounted
came today. When the case was opened
before Justice Amend. Alton B. Parker,
counsel for Mayor McClellan, objected to
taking the case before Justice Giegerltch.
Eventually the lawyers were sent to the
appellate division of the Supreme Court
for a decision as to which Justice should
hear the argument
Found No Ground for Contest.
HONOLULU. Nov. 16. via Victoria. B.
C, Nov. 24. The Supreme Court yester
day disposed of A. Fernandez contest of
the election of E. R. Adams as Supervis-or-at-Large
for this county. Fernandez
demanded a recount of the rejected bal
lots, and then discontinued It after going
through four precincts without making
any gains.
EXEMPLARY YOUNG MAN
But Cashier Disappears With $18,
000 of the Ban's Funds.
FREDERICKTOWN. Mo., Nov. 24.
Granville Gwyn. cashier of the bank of
Hayti. Mo., has disappeared, and it Is
charged that he has absconded with $18.-
000 of the bank's funds. A reward of $000
has been offered for hte apprehension.
Tho first Intimation that something was
wrong was when a letter was received
from Gwyn by his brother, mailed from
St Louis, and enclosing an assignment
of his property at Hayti. worth $5000.
This property has been turned over to the
bank. Another $2000 will be paid by
Gwyn's bonding company. The $S0CO bal
ance will be loss to the bank.
Gwyn was regarded as an exemplary
young1 man.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
yESTERDAT'S Maximum temperature. 33
deg.: minimum. 30. Precipitation, none.
TODAY'S Cloudy and warmer. Easterly
winds.
Russia.
Renewal of mutiny on Black Sea fleet
Page 3.
Zemstvo Congress divides on Polish autono
my. Page 3.
Peasants Congress adopts radical pro
gramme. Page S.
Employers unite against strikes and Wltte
helps them. Page 3.
Foreign.
Powers may allow Austria to seite Mace
donia. Page 4.
Allied fleet sails for Mitylene today. Page 4.
Sultan's reply contains veiled threat Page 4.
Bulgaria prepares to Invade Macedonia, but
is ordered bock by powers. Page 4.
Balfour decides not to resign. Pace 4.
Cuban rebels take arms and government
seizes their arsonaL Page 4.
National.
Foraker bill to regulate rates. Page 3.
Coinage of mint in 1003. Page 2.
Hitchcock stands firm against Umatilla irri
gation. Fags 3.
Burton testifies In his own defense. Page 5,
Member of Meriwether court-martial chal
lenged: autopsy on Branch ordered.
Page 4.
Domestic.
Convicts break jail at Jefferson City; three
killed in desperate fight. Tago 1.
More graft exposed in insurance Inquiry.
Pago 1.
Labor Federation deolarea for woman
suffrage. Page 4.
' Sport
Los Angeles wins from Portland's patched
team. Paso 7.
Tacoma loses to San Francisco and outfield
stops game at Oakland. Page 7.
Willamette University badly beaten by Cor-
vallla at football. Page 7.
Pacific Coast.
Caahier of Seattle mint steals $100,000 In
gold dust. Page 1.
Night messenger of Pacific Express steals
41000 at Pendleton. Page 8.
Saa Francisco florist beats sister-in-law
to death with chair. Page 9.
Tacoma School Superintendent says foot
ball Is as bad as bullfight. Page 6.
Attorney-General of Washington says grain
buyers are liable to Federal indictment
Page 8.
Commercial aad Marlae.
Holiday prices for turkeys not yet fixed.
Page IS.
Heavy buying checks decline In wheat at
Chicago. Pago 15.
Choice hops bought In Independence- district.
Page 15.
Denso fogs tie up shipping between Port
land and the sea. Page 14.
D. P. & A. N. Company buys steamer
Stranger. Page 14.
Steamer Btackheath arrives from Victoria
to load lumber tor Callao. Page 13.
Portias oad Vicinity.
Witness may not testify aa to his age as ho
knows it only by hearsay, rules Judge
Cameron. Pago 14.
Eastern Oregon demands representative In
Congress. Pago 8.
Legality of ordlnanco prohibiting racing on
the river within city limits Is being tested
in court. Page 11.
Patrolmen's tlma all taken up reporting
lights out. Page II.
Anti-Saloon League will fight amendment to
local-option law. Page 10.
Bold attempt to extort money from Meier &
Frank Company by proprietors of a Ger
man paper. Page 1.
Ten thousand dollar damage suit against
the Oregon Water Power & Railway Com
pany begun by Mrs. Josephine E. Brown.
Page 10.
Women organize at the home of Mrs. W. M.
Ladd to fight the equal suffrage move
ment. Fare 16.
CONVICTS VAINLY
TRY FOR LIBERTY
Kill Two Prison Officials in
Mutiny at Jefferson
City.
FIERCE FIGHT. ON STREET
Four Desperate Prisoners Shoot All
Who Hinder, Blow Up Gate and
Flee, hut Arc Hunted
Down by Police.
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo.. Nov. 21. A
desperate attempt to escape from the
state prison was. made by four convict?
at 3:13 o'clock this afternoon, resulting
In a terr'flc battle with weapons and
nltro-glycerin at the prison gate, a run
ning fight through the streets of Jcf
fersqn City and the final capture of the
four convicts, two of whom were shot and
wounded. Two prison officers were shot
dead and a third seriously wounded.
The dead:
JOHN CLAY, gatekeeper.
E. ALLISON, officer of the Commissary
Department
HIRAM BLAKE, convict
Wounded: Deputy Warden R. E. See
shot in ana and hip: Harry Vaughn
convict. St. Louis, shot In arm.
Mutineers captured unhurt: George
Ryan, from Kansas City: Charles Ray
mond, a 3-year burglar from St Louis.
Blake, who was wounded In the battle
with the posse, died tonight
warden Matt W. Hall, Yardmaste:
Porter Gilvin and five prison guards
departed this morning- for Fort Leav
enworth, Kan., cn a special train con
veying- 71 Federal prisoners, who arc
being- transferred from the Missour
state penitentiary to the Government
prison at Fort Leavenworth. It is be
lieved that this fact had much to dc
with the outbreak- today, as It Is sur
mised that the convicts had countec
largely upon Mr. Hall's absences In
their premeditated attempt to escape.
At Signal Ballets Fly.
There was not the slightest premoni
tion of any trouble within the prison
walls. Suddenly Harry Vaughn. Charles
Raymond, Hiram- -Blane, George Ryu
and EH "Zeiglcr, dbnvicts, who wert
working- in close proximity to the pris
on gate inside the inclosure. as If by
given signal, made a rush for the gate
From their pockets they drew pistols
and. It Is presumed, that at least one
of them carried a bottle of nitro-gly-
cerin. Where the weapons and the ex
plosive were obtained has not yet beer
discovered. Rushing- past the gate, thej
entered Deputy Warden See's office anc
shot him as he sat in his chair. He sank
back and was unable to resist them.
Guard E. Allisan, who was attracted
by the shooting-, was their next victim.
He was shot through the head and died
almost instantly.
Instantly they returned to the gate and
met Gateman John Clay, who had been
alarmed by tho shots. Before he could
raise his weapon he was shot dead. Then,
as if to signal the convicts generally that
the attempt to escape had been started.
the convicts secured the bell rope hang
ing by the gate and momentarily rang the
bell.
Blow Up Gate With 2fItro-GIycerlne.
Clay had left the wagon gate ajar when
he appeared and was shot dead. The
convicts rushed through, dragging his
body with them, and fastened the gate
on the inside. They were then in the
wagon entrance to the penitentiary, this
entrance being 40 feet long by 15 feet wide
and leading to the public street through
another double gate of steel. This outside
gate was locked, but the desperadoes were
deterred but for a moment Placing their
nltro-glycerine under the outside gate,
they blew a. hole through the massive
steel doors, and before the smoke had
cleared from the opening they had dashed
through, past a number of "trusty" con
victs working in tho street and ran mad
ly for 12 blocks. Zeigler. it was found,
bad failed to leave the penitentiary
walls.
Pursuit Throngh. Streets.
Almost before the escaping convicts had
covered the distance of one block, the
prison officials, heavily armed, were in
pursuit, shooting as they ran. Pedestri
ans Jumped behind trees, ran into houses
and crouched down behind any obstacle
that presented refuge. Those living in
houses along the line of flight, alarmed
by the shooting, rushed out to ascertain
the cause. Women shrieked and fled,
while the majority of men seized weap
ons and joined the prison officials pur
suit A desperate fear gave speed to the
convicts, and they outran their pursuers.
Near the Missouri Pacific Railway sta
tion they came upon a wagon being- driv
en by Orvillo Lane. Jumping into this
wagon they seized Lane and held him
to act as a shield from the bullets ot
their pursuers. One convict lashed the
horses into a run. The wild ride was of
short duration, however, as another posse;
consisting of city police, augmented by
citizens, appeared in front of them, and,
seeing that further flight was cut off. they
stopped the horses and made a desperate
stand.
Come to Bay and Surrender.
Lane was thrown to the bottom of the
wagon, and, crouching over him, shielding
themselves to the best possible advantage
to be had beside the vehicle, the convicts
opened fire, back to back, on their pursu
ers. The prison officials shouted to them
to. surrender or they would be shot deadj
Their only reply was a volley from the
revolvers. Then followed a desperi
street battle. The posse jumped be'
(Concluded on page 3.)