iftwattttff (ft
VOL. XLVI.- Is O. 14,114.
PORTCAXD, OREGON, ; SATURDAY, MAKGH 3, 1906.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
& -M jr
(1?
CI FORFEIT THE
N
iNaving Been Sold It
Is Illegal.
CITY NOW HAS POWER SO TO DO
Adams Refuses to Tell Price
. of Purchase.
IDEAL IN HIGH FINANCE
Of Capital Stock or 3liIllon and a
Half. Seven Hundred Thousand
Is Water, on Which Con
sumers Pay Dividends.
KEFUSKS TO STATE rCHCHASE
TRICK.
President Adam?, of the gas com
pany, refused point blank to state
what consideration had been paid
Jn the purchase or the ffas plant In
1692. how paid, and to whom, there
by covering: up the deal through
whioh the transaction in high
finance was carried out.
Of the 1.500,000 capital stock of
the Portland Gas Company. S700.
000 Ih water, yet gas consumers are
compelled to pay rates high enough
to provide dividends on the water.
The franchise of the company,
having been sold without the
sanction of the Legislature, has
been invalidated thereby, and the
City Council can declare It forfeit
and reduce and regulate gas rates
bj- granting a now franchise.
Though the company has reduced
the price of gas from $1.00 to J 1.-5
and $1.15. gas bills of consumers
have Increased.
"WitncsFes showed that they had
been overcharged for gar, and that
the company had refused to give
tbem rcdrefs. and that the sts was
of poor qus.ll.
Concealing the "high finance"' of 3S22
-lierabgUie business and plant of tho
olniForcland Gas Light Company -was
yold and the Portland Gks Company was
started on its career, with an inflated
bonded debt and a stock issue of water.
President Adams, of the Portland Gas
Company, last night, before the gas com
mittee of the City Council in the Cits
Hall, refused flatly to tell the secret's of
the transaction.
At that time the company was bonded
tor 51.000.000 and capitalized for $1,000,000
additional. The stock was created out of
nothing and had no value and was held
by the bondowners. The company, tifcing
ovorflnanced, had to reorganize in 1901, at
which tlmo the water was reduced to
JTO0.OO0, which exists today as that much
of the ?l.o00,000 capital on which consum
' ers nre required to nay dividends, thus
oauplng a high price for gas.
How the Deal Was Made.
Mr. Adams testified that he and A. L.
Mills and B. G. "Whltehouse secured the
stock of the old Portland Gas Light Com
pany and turned it over to the Portland
Gas Light Company.
"Why didn't your gas company transfer
1ho stock directly to the Portland Gas
Company?" asked Henry E. McGinn, in
quisitor for the committee.
"Because they didn't own It," answered
Mr. Adams.
"Who did own it?"-'
"Mr. TVI-ito'ioupc and Mr. Mills and I
owned the stock of the Pbrtland Gas Light
Company."
"From whom did you get it?" asked
Mr. McGinn.
"Bought it from the -stockholders."
"Did you pay for It?"
"Wo did."
"With what?"
"That is our buyincs."
"That is your business?"
"Yes, sir." - -
"Do you decline to toll tills committee,
Mr. Adams, with what moneys you pur
chased it?"
"Yes, sir."
"You positively decline to tell?"
"Yob, sir."
High Finance Deal Xol in Books.
Later on, C. E. 3. "Wood, attorney for
tho company, said that the books of the
company were open for any examination
the committee might desire to make, but
,as the secrets of the high-finance deal arc
outside those records, they can glvs little
light on the matter.
"You hac offered us the books." broko
in Mr. McGinn, but you require us to go
rlo.wn there to your place to see them.
You won't let ui expert wc have go
through those books."
Mr. Wood We will.
Mr. McGinn Well, then, we will let him
go.
Mr. Wood That is to say, an expert ap
pointed by the committee,
i Mr. McGinn-When wc go down there
wo arc met by your insolent employes
Insolence or Gas Employes.
Mr. McGinn was Interrupted by storms
and Jeers from a group of gas company
cmployes, who were thick In the Council
chamber. .
"There Is their insolence right now," he
declared above the noise, and the gas em
ployes' grew silent.
Mr. Adams, while In the witness-chair,
repeated what ho had said Wednesday
night about tho cost of gas to the com
pany at the burner being C7.98 cents a.
3099 feet last year, and that to this should
lac added li-M cents for aeprecteUoH ef
plant, making a total of 73 cents. He said
that he allowed for depreciation about
500,000 a year.
E. B. Piper's Testimony.
Following him came E. B. Piper, man
aging editor of The Orcgonlan, who testi
fied as lo the high finance deal as he had
learned the details of that transaction.
Though Mr. Piper's information wa not
complete In minor details. It act forth
clearly the general outline of that trans
action, whereby the '51,000.000 watered
stock created In 1S92 was reduced, 'to
5700,000 In 1901, and still exists In the
51,500,000 capital stock of the company,
having increased In that time from a
nothing value to jar, thereby enriching
Its possessors In that sum at the expense
of the public, and compelling the public
to pay dividends on stock for which the
owners paid nothing.
lib 'said that the territorial Legisla
ture of 1839 granted a franchise in the
City of Portland under which the gas
business -was conducted by John Urecq,
H. D. Green and Mr. Leonard and per
haps others, in 1S92 the business
showed some profit and it seemed de
sirable to the owners or the company
to reorganize on a more- -extensive
basis. To that end. Mr- Adams, -Mr
Mills and Mr. Whltehouse .were in
vited into the company and the stock
of the company for an unknown, or no
consideration, was transferred to Mr.
Adams, Mr. Mills and Mr. Whltehouse.
The purpose of the transfer was no
negotiate a sale of the plant and busi
ness to u new concern.
Organization Is Efrcctcd.
An organization was effected on the
basis of 52.000.000 that Is to say the
Portland Gas Company, with a capital
stock of 51,000,000, Issued bonds of a
race value of 51.000.000, making the to
tal basis of capitalization and bond is
sue, 52.000.000.
In 1S92 the earning capacity of the old
Portland Gas Company was only 556.0M
a year. Nevertheless the financiers who
were promoting the scheme of roorgan".
zation fastened on the conoem an inter
est charge of 500.000 a year, or more
than the earning capacity of the plant.
The bond issue of 51X00.000. represented
the only rhonoy involved in the transac
tion, and the 51.000,000 capital stock was
pure water. Under the staggering debt
of 51.000,000 the company, of course, was
not successful, and bankruptcy Ma red it
in the face.
Reorganization Becomes Imperative.
The interest on the bonds was not paid,
and reorganization became imperative In
3901. It was then effected In the man
ner heretofore described In detail by
President Adams and others. The bond
holders cancelled 5500.000 of the bonds.'
put 52SO.O00 in the concern to save it,
for which they received 5250.000 in bonds,
making the total bond Issue 575O.O00, Tho
contention of Mr. Piper was that the
55(0,000 cancelled bonds were valueless
and that 5500,000 in tock iesued to them
In exchange for these valueless' bonds
was watered stock, and that It was also
the 5150.0M in stock which the bondhold
ers received, as the sole Issue for the loss
of unearned Interest on the" "cancelled
bonds which had 21 years yet to run.
"It thus developed that ahc .bond
holders by this transaction realized
bonds and stock of the race value or
51.400.090 which are now worth par
and that ror them the actual value or
their holdings at the time or the ex
change was only 5750.000 represented
in the bonds. It ivas shown that after
this transaction, as the company began
to get on its foot, created an additional
stock issue or 5SO0.OOO, which the com
pany sold for cash and turned into Its
treasury.
First Money Received for Stock.
"Is It not a fact that the 5800,000
they received at that time for tnat
new stock was . the first money they
over received for stock at all?' asked
Mr. McGinn.
"It was," answered Mr. Piper, and
this point was not disputed by tho
company. Mr. Wood conducted the
croes-cxamlnation and did not shako
Mr. Piper luosa from the details as
given in tho foregoing.
!Xo Money Put Up for Plant.
"Do you know." asked Mr. McGinn,
"whether or not any money was re
ceived on these bonds of the original
issue, or Is It not ract that they
were issued to Green and Leonard and
that no money was put up at all for
tho plant when it was purchased?"
'That ifc my understanding of the
basis of the transaction, responded
Mr. Piper.
"So that in stocks and bonds at tho
time or the reorganization in 1901 the
bondholders got 51.400,000 ror 553.D00
of bonds?
"And 5250,000 In cash."
"So that there Is 5650,000 of nigh finance
right there?"
"It looks that way, yo.."
Says Franchisee Is Void.
Mr. McGinn then announced -to the com
mittee that he would maintain tliat the
franchise or tho company, having been
twice sold, without the sanction of the
Legislature, wa void, and produced au
thorities to substantiate bis .contention
that a. public-service franchise could not
be sold without sanction of the power
granting It. The company's attorneys
were not prepared lo argue this question
and It was deferred. The effect of the
contention, if sustained, would be that
the City Council could declare the gas
franchise forfeit and could, iwuc another
In its place, fixing the price of gas at M
or 90 cents, or any rate It chose. Mr.
Adams said, from the witness chair, that
the company was preparing to reduce the
price to 51, with 5 cents discount.
TESTIMONY AT THE INQUIRY
C. F. Adams, President Gas Com-
. pany, Makes Startling Admissions.
Although the attorneys, -witnesses
and a large crowd of spectators were
present at 7:30 o'clock, it was not
until 8 o'clock -when Chairman Mcnefce
rapped the assembly to order. Presi
dent C F. Adams, or the gas company,
who had not completed his testimony
Wednesday evening, wals recalled to the
stand. Berore he was turned ever to
Mr. Teal, attorney for his company.
Henry E. McGinn asked pcrmlsslest to
put several quest lens to the -witness.
4Cc!4e4 n jge M.)
S MAKES A
FULL CONFESSION
Reveals Dark Secrets
of Inner Circle.
CONFIRMS ORCHARD'S STORY
More Sweeping in Scope and
of Far Greater Importance.
COMPLETE IN EVERY DETAIL
Oregon Suspect Breaks Down Under,,
Solitary Confinement Grand
lury Hears Rest of Dyna
miter: Testimony.
BOISE, I dab. -March 2. The Statesman
will say In the morning:
"The Statesman is authorized to an
nounce that Stcvo Adams, arrested . at
Halnos. Or., on February 20. In connection
with the Stcunenberg assassination. Itns
made a full and s weeping coufeston. This
second confession Is far more important
than that made by Harry Orchard."
This is the statement made fur publica
tion last evening by Jamas McParland. the
detective. In the presence of Governor
Gooding and J. II- Hawley. who Is In
charge of the prosecution.
Mr. McParland added that Adams con
fesslon fully and exactly corroborated that
made by Orchard at every point touched
upon by both. Moreover. Mr. McParland
continued. Adams knows rar more of the
workings or the "Inner Circle" than Or
chard did and was able to give a mass of
detailed Information that Orchard's con
fession did not cbvr.
Fully Corroborates Orchard.
The conresslon of Adams, lie said, cor
roborated that given by Orchard in every
substantial point connected w-lthk the .as
sassination of cx-Governor Steunenberg.
Adams, however, was not at Caldwell at
the jthnc or the assassination, 'nor was
Orchard at the lime of the unzucco&stul
effort In November. The man who assist
ed Orchard on the latter occasion, as set
forth in Orchard's confession, was Jack
Simpklns.
Still another statement made by the de
tective was that the Adams confession
gave the details of a large number of mur
ders that were not referred to In any man
ner by Orchard. It was further slated
that the confession had been reduced to
writing, signed and acknowledged. It was
a voluminous document, covering a great
er fiold and In more detail than tt made
by Orchard.
Promised No Immunity.
The further. statement w-as made that
Adams had made this confession without
being promised anything. When talked
with about the matter, he simply madc a
clean brcat of all he knew of this case
and of the secret workings of the West
ern Federation.
It was announced by the Governor. Mr.
Hawley and Mr. McParland, that while
they thought these facts should be given
the public, there would be no further In
formation given out or hinted at respect
ing this confession.
ORCHARD'S STORY IS TOLD
Leaves Grand .lury Room and Re
turns lo Prison.
ItT W. O. MAC n.K.
CALDWBLU Idaho, March 2. (Special
correspondence ) Again today until the
noon recess Harry Orchard unfolded his
story of murder and destruction berore
Captain W. S. Swain, of the Thirl
Detective Perrlo. OamMv, who
1 werkbc a Uw om.
the 3 men who compose the grand jury.
When he had finished the hair day's or
deal, he was like a man who bad passed
through a. century of turmolL The de
tails of the story, he told berore the men
who are hearing the evidence in connec
tion with the assassination pf cx-Governor
Steunenberg. can only bo conjectured.
That he told the full story of his long
career of crime as an agent for the In
famous "Inner Circle" Is probable, and
that he had undergone a terrific mental
ADAM
BsMlMri t
strain was plainly ffvident from his ap
pearance. immediately after he had been excused
by the grand Jury Orchard was placed
aboard a train and taken back to Boise,
and from there to the penitentiary. The
news that Orchard was in Caldwell had
already gone abroad, and when train
time came a largo and eager crowd was
on hand to get a glimpse or him. He
was strongly guarded, -and the officers
pushed and Jostled the crowd to make
way ror the prisoner before they could
get him aboard the train.
Once in the car Orchard cmed to bo
relieved, but this relief was liofi lived,
for soon the news got abroad that Orch
ard was on the train, and almost ever)
passenger going through the coach
sought tho opportunity to take a good
look at him.
This greatly unnerved Orchard, and by
the lime he reached Ooke he was on the
verge of a nervous collapse. To add to
this mental strain xthh the fact that two
men with cameras were determined to
get pictures ot him. It seem Warden
Whitney had tamed orders that should
anybody attempt to take a photograph
ho should be pktcd under arrest and
the films from his camera destroyed.
Camera Fiends Arrested.
Xo attempt to take picture; was mode
until the train reached Bote. Thro the
two amateur photographers attempted
to take snap shot. and both roll under
the ban or Sheriff Nicliols. On man. ror
taking a snapshot or Orchard was turned
over to "Warden Whitney, who. though
much excited, managed to remove the
films from the camera. The other camera
fiend convinced the officials that he had
not succeeded in taking a picture and was
allowed to go on h way rejoicing.
The grand Jury session Is a perfunctory
affair. It is a foregone conclusion that
Moyor. Haywoou, Pettlbone and St. John
arc to be Indicted. In ract. it has been
bruited about the streets or Caldwell and
Boise that .the Ittdlclmcntx against these
men have already been drawn, and that
all that is necessary Is tlie signature of
Foreman A. B. Moss.
Hutchinson Tells Ills Story.
There appeared today before the Jury
Joseph Hutchinson. Lieutenant-Governor
1 "1fcrit" ' "
tce Adnoi. "whb ba ronfe.4rL
Th- photograph was taken by
. forc7 .
under Steunenberg: Captain W. S. Swain,
of .thc.Thiel Dctecilvje Agency, who in en
titled to a great deal of "credit for the
hand he had in running down the aseasti
Jrjs: y p..Fromn, .wjtp wh mainly in
strumental in the apprehension of I lurry
Orchard.
Hutchinson, who is an cxprt on explo
sives and wlto, on the morning after tho
assassination, determined that ox-Govcr-nor
Sleunenborg had been killed with a
bomb, told th Jurors or his Investiga
tions at the Steunenberg home and of
things which he found in Orchard's room.
He told the Jurors that he found ain room
No. 19 bits of ptflslor-of-parln. which h
was reasonably sure was used In making
the bomb, and told or the finding of pow
der and other chemicals, and of the find
ing of a fishline leading from the gate
which was torn to pieces by the explo
sion: also of the reel from which this line
was taken. The reel was round among
Orchard's effects.
W. G. Fromim. wlio accompanied Mr.
Hutchinson on thin Invewtlgatkm. retold
his story, which The Oregowmn has
printed.
Captain Swain on Stand.
Among tho Important witnesses that ap
peared lcfore the grand Jury this after
noon was Captain Swain, of the Thiol De
tective Agency, which has been watching
tho operations or th Wwtern Federation
or Miners ror tho rwst wlx years. He threw
a great dal or light Uon the operations
or tills association.
In -spito or tho safeguards which art
thrown about the grand Jury's sessions,
almost all- of the testimony whirls waa
presented this afternoon was made pub
lic. It was while Captain Swain was on
the stand that a man named Kdwunl
Boyce. manager or tho Hercules mines,
was first mentioned in connection with
the recent movements in Idaho or th
Western Federation of Miners.
It Is said that Captain Swain'. testi
mony charged Boyce. whoc sympathies
with the miners h a matter or record
with the Thiol Detective Agency, with
having kept alive the rcdenitlon in Idaho,
lury May RciKirt Monday.
Tt In believed hero tonight that there
arc only a couple of more witnesses to
appear berore the grand Jury and that
this body will notiry Judge Smith that it
Is ready to report on Monday. If this is
so It means that the defendants will be
brought to Caldwell on Tuesday and ar
raigned. At this tlmo it will be deter
mined the date of their trial.
The state officials who are most promi
nent In tho pio5ccutlon or the ofllcen of
the Federation of Miners are passing
through tho same sort or experiences as
other officials who have taken part In the
prosecution of labor agitators. Anony
mous loiters have been pouring In on
them and It -Is safe to say that not an
official in the State of Idaho who has
taken any part In the running down or
the asmssins of cx-Governor Stenneriborg
has not received anonymous and threat
ening letters.
Threatening Letters Come.
These letters, have come from all parte
of the Union and are couched In about
the same terms, threatening violence and
destruction unless the "persecution" Is
stopped. These letters al?o demand the
Immediate release or all mon undor arrest.
They are signed "Kncebone." The sig
nature adopted by theso anonymous letter-writers
Is- ominous. John Kncebone
waa one or the first victims assassinated
by the '"Inner Circle." He was shot to
death July 3. ISM. He waa a nonunion
miner employed In the Cocur d'Alcncs
by the Gem Mine owners. "Ho had been
ordered out of the country, but returned,
and It is said he was shot to death In
(Ooadadca oa Fxc Six,)
M
IN WALL STREET
New Insurance Bills Will Rev
olutionize Affairs of the
Big Financiers.
THEIR CONTROL AT STAKE
3rty Lose Their Railroads Unless
They Make Big; Purchases AVlth
Real Money Fish as Cham
pion of Pollcy-Holdcra.
NEW YORK. March 2. (Special.) The.
Armstrong committee's insurance bills,
which seem pretty certain or being enact
ed into laws, are creating the gravest con
cern n Wall street. Not only will Insur
ance business be practically revolution
ized, but a number or big financiers will
find themselves deprived or support upon
which they have depended ror years.
The committee's recommendations con
cerning insurance company investments
embrace these points:
First That no investment In the stock of
any corporation shall be permitted, except In
public stock? of municipal corporal! or-a.
Seond That investments la bond. secured
t the extent of more than one-third the value
of the entire security therefor by the hypoth
eeatkM of corporate stocks shall be prohibited.
Third That no toah shall be made uton
stocks and bonds which are not the subject
of 9rcnaje under the above provision.
Fourth That every company now owning
stock or bonds of the prohibited clame shall
h required to dispose ot the tame within Ave
years from December 31. 19U6.
Kifth The statute should also forbid all
syndicate participations, transactions for pur
chase und sale on Joint account.
Sixth It should also be provided that no of
ficer or director should be pecuniarily inter
etKed. either as principal, co-principal, agent
or beneflclary in any purchase. ale or loan
made by the corporation, except in ease of a
toon upon his policy.
lily Men AVIII Lose Control.
It is estimated in the financial district
that tho "Big Three" alone have holdings
of J3fO.CCO.d00 In stocks and bonds which
come under the ban. About J123.000.000 are
In stocks and the remainder In bonds. The
"Big Three" are the "Kqultable "Life As
surance Society, the New York Wfe and
tr. Mutual Life
The stocks-alluded to above, while the
property of the companies, wee pructical
ly controlled by big financiers, who had
the proxies. Up to the time of the shake
up. E. H. Harriman and Kuhn. Loeb &. Co.
were the dictators of the Equitable stock:
J. P. Morgan, through his partner. George
W. Terklns. controlled the New York Life,
while the Standard Oil group bossed
things In the Mutual. And. to all intents
and purposes, they owned $123,000,000 In
stocks whloh did not cost them one red
cent. For they could vote It at elections
and keep themselves In control, which waa
really-all they wanted It for anyway.
How badly they need this stock Is a
carefully guarded secret, but there is no
doubt but that some of the issues mean
the practical control. But these distin
guished financiers must now go out Into
the markets and put up 023.000.000, which
is why they arc howling dismally and de
claring that the country Is going to ruin.
Woe Only Anion? Grafters.
There ia little or no excitement over tho
fact that the PX).C.0OO In securities must
be dumped on the market. The ract that
the companies have five years to dispose
of their holdings Is expected to prevent
any slump Jn the market. Averaging the
stocks and bonds at 73, there arc, in round
figures. 4,000,000 shares that the companies
must get rid of. A good day's business
on the Stock Exchange Is 1,000.000 snares,
so this only means a business of four full
days, wittered over five years.
Financiers who have become rich
through lire-insurance wealth declare the
outlook Is disntul. and that policy-holders
will soon complain when they find their
money Is earning only a trifle, when con
fined, practically, to steady, conservative
real estate and mortgage Investments. On
the other hand, there Is a very Iarce body
of conservative opinion that the methods
ami practices which have made these
great trust funds an engine of reckless
Wall-street promotion and speculation had
best be abandoned In the Interest of the
investment market itscir. It Is very slow
ly, even now, that the financial world is
learning what a discreditable and demor
alizing episode iff American finance l?0l
and 1M2 really were." At that time it was
commonly said that old precedents were
laid aside. The Insurance committee now
jsccitw to be obstinately bent upon rcstor
lnc them.
Real Control or Policy-Holders.
Policy-holders are greatly Interested
In the bill which seems to provide a way
whereby they can actually control tho
elections. At the present time the New
York Lire and tho Mutual arc mutual
companies in name, but the elections are
the most farcical that can be Imagined.
The custom has been, when an agent
secured a policy, he Immediately obtained
tho pollcy-holdcr'a proxy, which- ho
turned over to the officials o the com
pany. In this way, even it the policy
holder folt impelled to take an Interest
in the election, he round himself de
barred from doing so.
The Armstrong committee proposes a
law to authorize independent tickets at
trustee elections, whenever a group of
100 policy-holders petition for such a
ticket; to provide for official ballets with
the names of all candidates, and for the
accessibility of the lists of policy-holders,
and even goes so far as to provide that
one-half tho directors be elected yearly
Instead of one-fourth, as is tho prevailing
practice.
Insurance policy-holders have never by
vote unseated a management. Neverthe
less, an uneasy fcelbftjr aaz certaimly ax-
Isted in insurance circles over the move
ment lately started to obtain proxies for
an opposition committee. Even then the
matter was not considered very urgent
until the clash between the Mutual's man
agement and its investigating committee
came to public knowledge.
Fish Is Policy-Holders Champion.
Stripped of explanations and excuses,
the facts or that controversy were that
the trustees' investigating committee
voted unanimously to inquire' into the
past relations of the Mutual's trustees
to the company's outside transactions;
that the company's president had asked
to be excused from making the Inquiry
for the committee; that two out of the
three committeemen had next voted
against putting the inquiries directly to
the various trustees, and that Mr. Fish
had "thereupon resigned from the com
mittee and the board of trustees.
The question of the moment la not who
was right or who was wrong in this con
troversy, but what will be the effect upon
the public mind? The general feeling
among the policy-holders, aroused and
alarmed at the revelations, is to hit at
every head they see in high official power.
IC the proposed bills become laws, and
the votes ot policy-holders really carry
effect, there Is likely to be a fine old
upset In both the Mutual and the New
York Life.
There is no denying the fact that Mr.
Fish is the man of the hour. The policy
holders are inclined to believe that he Is
honestly trying to get to the bottom of
the present corruption. The general opin
ion Is that, it he prepares a ticket rep
resentative in character and makes a
straightforward appeal to the policy
holders, he or the man he recommends
will be the next president of the com
pany. Brains Outside "Wall Street.
Wall street is of the opinion that a
board elected by the policy-holders them
selves would probably be weak and in
efficient. The trouble with this argu
ment is, however, that boards oC emi
nent financiers have confessedly cut ex
actly such a figure. "A negligible quan
tity." was the phrase publicly applied to
himself and his rellow-trustees by one of
the most sagacious financiers on any In
surance board.
Furthermore, advocates or rerorm point
to these two facts:
First That many of the best-managed
smaller Insurance companies in the
country are managed by men unknown in
"Wall street circles.
Second Tht some ot the most Indefen
sible acts unearthed by the Armstrong
investigation were the direct result ot the
presence on such boards of men engaged
In large Wall street undertakings-.
There certainly will be a lively revolu
tion in life insurance circles before the
new year rollH around again.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
Taclflc Coast.
"Kid" White meets death calmly on itallows
at Walla Walla: Supreme Court refuses
to Interfere. Page tf.
Takima. Valley citizens charge E. F. Ben
son, of Prosser Land Company, with hold
ing up Irrigation scheme. Page 6.
Democrats of State will hold a mass meet
ing and love feast in Portland March. T.
Pajce C.
Citrus frultgrowors condemn Supreme Court
of United States and ask Congress for
Immediate relief from, railway monopoly.
Page 0.
District Attorney- Langdon closes down the
lid at San Francisco; gamblers cannot
understand move. Page T.
Walla Walla and Columbia counties deter
mine to build electric railway from Ca
vello to Wallula; hold enthusiastic meet
in?. Page 7.
Steve Adams, suspect arrested In Oregon,
makes sweeping confession at Boise, lay
ing bare darkest secrets of "inner Cir
cle": more Important than Orchard's.
Grand Jury at Caldwell hears Orchard's
story and examines other witnesses.
Page 1.
O. A. C. team wins basket-ball champion
ship from Dallas College. Page 7.
Foreign.
King Kdward starts on visit to European
rulers. Page 4.
French and German papers discuss war.
Page 3.
Germany fortifies legation at Pckin and
rebels gather near city. Page -4.
Czar guarantees freedom to subjects. Pago 4.
National.
Senate refuses to restrict railroad mono
poly of coal and passes five civilized
trlb's bill. Page 3.
Cromwell continues refusal to testify and
Senate committee may compel reply.
Page 2.
Senate committee kills Philippine btlL
Page 3.
Hermann demurs to indictment in Wash
ington. Page 3.
Folll'c.
High officiat of Chicago resigns and declares
for Socialism. Page ..
Effect of lndcnerdence in Philippines.
Page I.
Domestic.
Wall street alarmed at new Insurance bills
of Armstrong committee. Page. 1.
Tornado kilU over 10O persons and wrecks
half of Meridian. Miss. Tags 1.
John Jl. Walsh. Chicago banker, arrested
for making fale statement. Pago 2.
Jerome moves to unseat Judge Deuel.
Pago 3.
Baltimore & Ohio surrenders In Hed Bock
coal discrimination case. Page -i.
Sports.
Big indoor meet at armory tonight to raise
rands for American team tnat will com
pete with Athens: Page 7.
r- Commercial aad Marine.
Wheat holders not shaken by low , prices.
Tags 13.
Further decline- ia wheat at Chicago.
Page 15.
Better feeling In San Francisco potato mar
ket. Page 15.
New York stock market sluggish. Page 15.
General trade prospects bright. Page 15.
Chamber of Commerce will hold special
meeting this afternoon to discuss North
ern Pacific bridge question. Pag 14.
Cunard liner encounters terrible weather.
Page 14. .
British bark, chartered to bring cargo of
cement from Antwerp to Portland.
Page 14.
v Fertlaad and Vklaltj-.
Willamette Valley Traction Company at
Council committee meeting puts up'ccrti
fled check for 325.000 and offers to
build First-street line and donate it to
city It given privilege of operating cars,
and whole franchise matter goes over to
Tuesday. Page 16.
Cabinet puts thn Bristol investigation up to
the Oregon Bar Association. Paga 10.
National Guard ready to mobilize in case of
war with China. Page 11.
Chinese arrested for playing lottery may be
coin sweaters. Pago 12.
Ezra. Meeker hero to retrace the old Ore
gon tralL Page II.
5van divorce, decrees entered. Tage 9.
Sharp talk In dispute before Council com-'
mlttee- la asphalt pavement controversy.
Page 14.
Two sales ot the gas plant, render franchise
void, and cttr can act legally. Paga 1.
President Adams, ot tho gas company, re
fuses pal's t blank: to tell what waa paid
for the plant In 1S62. or who paid- lt
thus covering up a deal la high flaaace.
Page 1.
Democratic clabs nseit to cadorse candi
date. Pass lfc.
TORNADO WRECK
SOUTHERN
TOWN
Over 100 Persons Dead
At Meridian, Miss.
FIRE DEVOURS THE RUINS
Large Stores Crash Down and
Bury Employes.
DARKNESS ADDS TO HORROR
Resistless Gust of Wind Destroys
Principal Part of Town Xegro
Quarter Demolished and
Then Burned.
SCENE OF THE TORNADO.
Meridian is capital of Lauderdale
County. Mississippi, on the Mobile &
Ohio and other railroads', 86 miles east
of Jackson, the stato capital. It is
tho most Important manufacturing cen
ter of Mississippi and has. railroad re
pair shops, foundry and machine shops
and manufacturers of furniture, cot
ton, cottonseed oil. fertilizers, eash and
doors, blinds, etc. The East Missis
sippi Female College. Meridian Acad
emy for Colored People and Lincoln
School arc located there. The popula
tion in 10CO waa 14,050.
MOBILE. Ala., March 3. Information
has reached Mobile by telephone that a
destructive tornado visited Meridian,
MIsK.. at 6-30 last evening, killing 1 white
persons and over 100 altogether, and dam
aging property to the extent of $1,500,000.
There were also scores seriously injured
by being caught in wreckage of houses.
The tornado caught the city on the
southwest and traveled to the northeast,
spending itself in two suburbs, where
many negroes were killed or injured, a
whole tenement district being wiped out.
Two large wholesale stores, one smaller
one, the principal hotel, the electric light
ing plant and all the smaller property
between the Mobile & Ohio Road depot
and the business part of the city are
badly damaged.
Twenty-one men were caught In a res
taurant and several were killed. Two
stories of the T. M. C. A. building were
wrecked and tho upper story of. other
buildings suffered.
The negro tenement district in. tho north
of the city was demolished and the dcbrLi
caught fire, threatening a new danger,
but the local department, with tho help
of hundreds of citizens, overcame this
after a hard fight. They were assisted
by the torrential rain following the tor
nado. The city is in darkness and the full ex
tent of the disaster will not bo known
until daylight. Tho known path of th
storm was about 600 feet wide and ona
milo in length.
ALIi DONE IN TWO 3IIXUTES
Storm Ijays Low Hair of Town and
Fire Adds Horrors.
MOBILE. March 2. A. long-distance tel
ephone message to the Item from Merid
ian, Miss... says a tornado accompanied by
a heavy rain storm struck that city this
evening at 6:30 o'clock. The storm-center
was in the southern portion of the city,
and particularly heavy along Front 3trcet,
one of the principal business streets or
tho town.
Xcarly every houso on Front street la
reported to have been -demolished. The
Armour Packing Company plant is tho
only building left standing, and the roof
of that Is gone.
A later message to the Item from Mer
idian gives details of the tornado as fol
lows: Strikes Principal Street.
During a heavy rain storm at 6:30
o'clock a storm-cloud "developed in tho
south and moved on the city, striking
.Front street, tho business center, with
full force. The wind, was blowing 75 miles
an hour. Tho tornado passed over In
about two minutes, and during that pe
riod three or four squares were devas
tated. A conservative estimate places the
number of buildings- blown down at be
tween SO and 40. Among the heaviest
losers are the Meier & Ncal Hardware Co.
Tom L.ylo & Co., Joseph Moore, dry goods
and groceries; the Ncw'Orleans & North,
eastern Railroad freight depot. The Mo
bil &'OhIo depot is safe, aa well as the
Southern Hotel, but Grand Avenue Ho
tel was considerably damaged. The guests
In the latter building escaped.
Jumps to Residence District.
Prom tho business center the tornado
jumped to the east end, where a number
of residences were blown down and others
badly damaged.
The correspondent stated that the num
ber of lives lost is small, probably not
more than, three or four persons.
Several Arcs were started as a result
of the tornado, but the only on of seri
ous consequences was that in on of th
cotton compressors. All fires were ex
tinguished by 10 P. M.
The city is in total darkness, the local
electric light plant having been badly
damaged. Other Towns Damaged.
The tornado did severe damage at other
Ceachute oa pars 2.)
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