7
VOL. XL VI. XO. 14,400.
PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
r
LURED TD RUIN BY
FAT. UGLY MAN
Evelyn Thaw's Story
of White's Crime.
GIVEN DRUGGED CHAMPAGNE
Old Roue Works His Will With
Senseless Girl.
WHY SHE REFUSED THAW
Wronpert Girl Bares Her Heart to
ave Her Husband White Cir
culated Slanders About Thaw
to Prevent Marriage.
NBW YORK. Feb. 7. Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw told her storv today. To save the
life of her husband, charged with mur
der, she bared to the world the inner
most secrets of her soul. It was the
same story she told Harry Thaw In
Paris In 1903. when he had asked her to
become his wife the confession of one
who felt there was an insurmountable
barrier to her ever becoming the bride
of the man she loved.
In the big witness chair she appeared
but a slip of a girl, and she told the piti
ful story of her eventful young life in a
frank, girlish way. When tears came
unbidden to her big. brown eyes and
slowly trickled their way down her scar
let cheeks, she strove in vain to keep
them back. She forced the words from
trembling Hps and by a marvelous display
of courage, which took her willingly to
her staggering ordeal, she shook off a
depression which once threatened to be
come an absolute collapse.
Struggle Ends in 'Wrecked Girlhood.
As the young wife unfolded the narra
tive of her girlhood and told of the early
struggles of herself and her mother to
keep body and soul together: of how
gaunt poverty stood ever at the door and
how she finally was able to' earn a live
lihood by posing for photographers and
artists. &he won the murmured sympathy'
of the throng which filled every availa
ble space in the courtroom.
Then came the relation of the wreck ot
that girlhood at 16. years of age. It was
the story of her meeting with Stanford
White, the story of the sumptuous studio
apartments, whose dingy exterior gave no
hint of the luxurious furnishings within;
of a velvet-covered swing, in which one
could swing, until slippered toes crashed
through the paper of a Japanese parasol
swung from the ceiling; the1 story, of a
glass of champagne, of black, whirling
sensations, and of mirrored bedroom
walls. In short, she told the story.
"Don't scream so. It is all over. It is
all right."
"And this was Stanford Whiter"
The question came from D. M. Del
was, now conducting the defense.
"Yes. sir."
Still a Girl at Heart.
The stillness of the great crowd was its
own tribute to the effect of the girl's
story. Into the narrative there entered
nothing of the woman of the world. Mrs.
Thaw was still a girl as she withstood
an ordeal which might well have startled
into terror a woman of mature years and
harsher experiences than hers.
Into the narrative she injected maay
little touches of a young girl's hopes and
disappointments. Of her early life she
related how her mother had gone from
l'lttsburg to Philadelphia to secure assist
ance, and how she and her brother How
ard were placed on a train by friends and
sent on to the mother. She recalled that
the two little travelers had trouble with
the conductor, who wanted to put their
cat out of the car. But, she naively add
ed, they held fast to it.
She told of her arrival in New York,
of her life there, and eventually the ac
ceptance by her mother of the thrice re
fused invitation of a girl for her to
meet some friends at luncheon. The girl's
mother told Evelyn's mother they were
In New York society and perfectly proper,
else she would not let her girl go.
"When she came for me In the
tiansom," said the witness, "I remember
hoping we were going to the Waldorf. I
had heard so much of It and wanted to
go there. The hansom stopped in front
. of a dingy-looking building In West
Twenty-fourth 8treet, and I was told to
get out. Mother dressed me. My skirts
were just to my shoe-tops then." This
was in August. 1901.
In "Big, Fat, Ugly Man's" Den.
"He was a big and fat, ugly man I
remember him meeting us at the head of
three flights of stairs," she continued.
"He gave me presents, and my mother
let me go to other parties. Then he said
my mother should visit some friends in
Pittsburg. She said she could not leave
me. He said it would be all right: that
he would look after me. Finally she
went. Then came an invitation to a
party, but no one else was there Just
two.
" 'They all seem to have turned us
down,' he said. After we had dined and
I wanted to go home, he said I had not
seen all of the apartments and we went
to the bedroom with the mirrors all over
the walls."
Thus the story ran, with here and there
an Interruption by Mr. Delmas to advise
the girl to tell just what she had to say
to Harry Thaw when he had asked her
to become his wife. It was through the
'act that she had "told everything to
Harry" that she was permitted under
the rules of law to give her story to
the jury.
Thaw and Wife Both in Teats.
Thaw sat pale but brave beside his
counsel when his wife took the stand.
The two exchanged glances and the faint
est of smiles played about the firmly set ,
Hps of the girl. !
In the sympathy-impelling story of the
girl, the girlish fascination of a voice of
softest quality, yet ringing clear in enun
ciation, the courtroom lost view o the
prisoner. But when there came a halt
In the girl's fight against the tears, the
people who had gazed unceasingly at her
lowered their eyes, as if the relief from
their stare might bring her the composure
she finally won.
Harry Thaw, with his whole frame
shaking, sat with his head buried in his
hands, a . handkerchief covering his eyes.
Where the defendant sits, he is all but
shielded from the jury. Bent over the
table as he sobbed. . he could not be
seen at all. Thus Thaw sat for many
minutes and, when he finally lifted his
head, his eyes were red and swollen.
Even If they could have seen, the jurors
would have had no eyes for the prisoner.
They, too, had turned their gaze from
the witness, as the tears came to her
voice as well as her eyes, and each man
of the 12 seemed intent upon some object
on the floor by him. Justice Fitzgerald
looked out the iron grated windows. The
scene and the story marked a new prece
dent in the history of criminal proceed
ings in New York.
Gropes Way Out as if Blind.
Mrs. Thaw was still on the stand, her
direct examination uncompleted, when
the day was done, Once during the after
noon she was excused for an hour while
Frederick Longfellow was sworn to fix
the date of certain letters written to him
by Harry Thaw, subsequent to the revela
tions Miss Nesbit had made to him in
Paris. The girl had identified the writ
ing, but the court held that the date
must also be a matter of competent evi
dence. Mrs. Thaw seemed to appreciate the re
lief this Incident offered, although during
the hour and a half recess for luncheon
she had recovered from the fatigue of
the two hours spent in the witness chair
during the -morning. As she left the
stand for the recess she walked unstead
ily and, passing back of the jury box, ran
the fingers of her left hand along the
wall as a blind person might;
- Letters Corroborate Story.
The letters, which eventually were of
fered in evidence . after much objection
by Mr. Jerome and a flood of argument
by opposing counsel, are regarded as
corroborative of Mrs. Thaw's testimony
today, which she often declared, in re
sponse to objections by the District At
torney, was a repetition of the reasons
she had given Thaw for refusing to be
come his wife. They also were offered as
tending to show the state of mind of the
defendant Just after he had heard from
the lips of the girl he loved of her rela
tions with the man he says he killed as
a insult of insanity inherited in part and
induced by stress of circumstances.
The. letters were written by Thaw to
Mr. Longfellow as his attorney. He
told of his coming marriage to Miss Nes
bit and of the "row they want to raise."
Disconnected and jerky, jumping from
subject to subject, they nevertheless show
the love he bore the girl, and he wanted
among other things that provision should
be made that. In the event of his death,
all his property should go to her. The
letters constantly referred to "that black
guard, who poisoned her as a girl," and
said her name was falsely connected with
two others beside "that blackguard."
Other Letters to Come.
Only two of a half dozen letters offered
in evidence were read during the after
noon session. The others probably will
be presented tomorrow, when Mrs. Thaw
Is again called to the stand.
The completion of the direct examina
tion of the prisoner's wife will possibly
require all of tomorrow's sessions. There
is an impression that Mr. -Delmas may
strive to have it occupy the entire day,
in order that the young woman may take
advantage of the adjournment over Sat
urday and Sunday to recover from her
fatigue and be prepared for the cross
examination of District Attorney Jerome.
Mrs. Thaw was not allowed to state the
names of certain persons, but by consent
of counsel for the defense she gave them
In whispers to Mr. Jerome, "In order,"
as Mr. Delmas said, "that the-irosecu-tlon
may have the fullest possible op
portunity to refute any of her statements
If he can." avs
Effect of White's Slanders.
While most of the afternoon session
was given over to the' argument as to
the admissibility of letters written by
Thaw to Mr. Longfellow. Mrs. Thaw re
viewed at length the narration of her
story. She told of how she came back
from Europe a month ahead of Thaw.
During that month friends of Stanford
White had 4old her many stories about
the young Pittsburg millionaire and, when
she returned to America, she refused to
see him except in the presence of a third
party. When he sought an explanation,
she told him the stories.
One was that Thaw had put a girl Into
a bathtub and turned scalding water
upon her. 'Another was that he was ad
dicted to the use of morphine and a-
third declared he had tied gtrls to bed
posts and beaten them.
"He looked very sad," she said, "and
told me they had been making a fool
of me. He said he understood why it
was done. Afterward I got so many
conflicting accounts from the persons
who had told me the stories and heard
their reputations were so bad , that I
finally told Mr. Thaw that I did not be
lieve the stories. He said:
'You know. I have never lied to you.'
And he never had."
She paid other tributes to her husband
to save whose life she has braved all.
Called Her His Angel.
"When I told him the story in Paris,"
she said, "he came to me and picked up
the hem of my skirt and kissed it and
said he would always love me. He
nearly always called me his angel. We
sat together that night until daylight
talking the matter over. The effect on
Harry was terrible.
"Stanford White sent me to school in
(CoatiiuiAcL on P
IS
BEATEN IN HOUSE
Representatives Pass
Coffey Bill.
BUT THREE VOTE AGAINST IT
Bitter Fight in Multnomah Del
egation Before Ballot.
SUBSTITUTE IS OFFERED
Freeman Leads Opposition lit Val
iant Battle for Rival Measure
B Revoking All Perpet- .
ual Franchises.
SALEM, Or., Feb. ".--(Special.) To re
peal the two state franchises of the
Portland Gas Company, the House to
night, amid scenes of excitement, passed
Representative Coffey's bill by a vote of
50 to 3, after sharp skirmishing of the
majority members of the Multnomah dele
gation, led by Freeman, to substitute for
the Coffey measure another bill applying
to the entire state and revoking all priv
ileges, rights and franchises granted to
any person, company or' corporation,
whether for use of streets or not.
The CofTey bill would terminate the
gas franchises December 31, 1907, compell
ing the company to secure new franchises
from the city. The majority report,
signed by seven members of the Multno
mah delegation, to which the Coffey bill
was referred yesterday, reported in favor
of the substitute bill. The seven mem
bers were Freeman, Chapin, Beutgen,
Northup. Beverldge. Farrell and Wilson.
The minority report signed by Driscoll,
Adams, Burns and Coffee, recommended
the Coffey bill.
Speaker Davey rejected the majority
report because it offered a bill covering
the whole state, while the Coffey bill
had been referred to the Multnomah del
egation as a bill affecting only the City
of Portland. The report of the minority
was adopted by a vote of. ?5 to 23.
Freeman's Fight Is Lost.
Later In the evening the Coffey bill
came up in regular order for final pass
age and Freeman endeavored to have it
made a special order for 10:45 tomorrow
morning. Shortly before, he introduced
his own substitute bill as a new measure
and had It referred to the committee on
corporations, of which Chapin is chair
man, and which reported. It back at once
with recommendation that it pass.
McCue of Clatsop was then in the
chair. Speaker Davey having stepped out
of the House Chamber. Freeman Im
mediately moved a suspension of the
rules and the passage of his bill, but Mc
cue held the motion out of order be
cause the hill was for a general act,
while the evening had been set apart for
local legislation.
Freeman appealed from the decision of
the chair. The House sustained the
chair. Thereupon Freeman had his bill
made a special order for 10:30 tomorrow
morning.
Consequently, when the Coffey bill came
up for final passage. Freeman endeavored
to have his own bill put ahead of it and
to make the Coffey bill a special order
15 minutes later than his own tomorrow.
His motion that this be done was de
THE SOLID NINE I DON'T
MONOPOLY
feated by vote of 30 to 21, the vote being
as follows:
How the Vote Stood.
Ayes Belknap, Beutgen,' ' Beveridge,
Brlx, Brown, Chase. Dye. Farrell, Free
man, .Gray, Hendrick, Holt. Jackson,
Jones of Clackamas, King, Kubll, M.eCue.
Northup. Perkins, Vawter, Wilson 21.
Noes Adams, Barrett of Umatilla. Bar
rett of Washington. Bayer, Beals, Burns,
Carter, Coffey, Connell. Crawford, Dob
bin. Donnelly, Driscoll. Eaton, Edwards,
Jones of Polk, Knowles, Merryman,
Moore, Newell, Purdy, Rackleff, Rey
nolds, Rothchild, Settlemler, , Simmons,
Blusher. Upmeyer, Washburne. Davey 30.
Absent Bones, Campbell. Chapin, Hunt
ley. Jewell. McCallon, Rodgers, Steen,
Pike 9.
On the question of passage of the bill
there were but three noes Gray. Kubll
and Wilson, the latter" being the only
Multnomah man voting against the bill.
When the roll was called Beutgen, Bever
idge' and Chapin of Multnomah and
Brown of Linn voted no, but changed
their votes before the announcement of
the Speaker.
There were several skirmishes before
the Coffey bill passed and they threw
the House into a high pitch of excite
ment. The effort of Freeman to have his
bill take the place of, and then take pre
cedence over the Coffey bill, was aided
chiefly by Northup and Beveridge. and
the fighting on the other side was borne
by Coffey and Driscoll.
At every turn of the battle the Free
man forces were defeated, but they took
their losses gamely and came back each
time- as before. Their first fight was to
have the Freeman bill put on the calen
dar as a substitute for the Coffey bill.
Defeated there, their next flgnt was to
defeat the minority report of the Multno
mah delegation. Next they tried to pass
the Freeman bill ahead of the Cbffey
bill tonight. Then they endeavored to
have the Coffey bill deferred until tomor
row as special order. Failing in all these
directions, they finally voted for the Cof
fey bill.
Coffey BUI Takes Precedence.
The Freeman substitute,1 when coming
up tomorrow, will receive the support of
Coffey and Driscoll and numerous others
who voted for the Coffey bill, but as it
is a far-reaching measure, extending
beyond Portland into every part of the
state, considerable opposition to it may
develop. Coffey and Driscoll have no
fight to make on the Freeman bill, but
Insist as the Portland franchises were
the ones in which Multnomah County Is
especially interested, the . Coffey bill
should be enacted first.
Just before its passage,' Freeman said
that since the Multnomah Legislators had
pledged themselves to revoke perpetual
franchises In the election, he was not
opposed to the Coffey bill, but he wished
to go further than did the Coffey bill.
Coffey responded that one of the issues
of the election was the termination of the
gas company's franchise and the mem
bers from Multnomah should redeem
their pledges.
When the report of the Multnomah
aelegatkm was read, early, in ' the evo
ning, on the Coffey bill, ttat-re were two
reports, one from the majority and one
from the minority. The minority report
was recognized by Davey and the other
! ejected.
The following colloquy took placet
Davey UpholdsCoffey.
Mr. Freeman In the first place, the
Multnomah delegation did not approve of
that bill tcoffpy's). A bill was referred
to the Multnomah delegation, and the report
was on the desk of the Clerk, on behalf of
eight members of the delegation, ofTerlng
a substitute for the bill (Freeman's).
Speaker lavey From the reading- of the
title of the bill. It Is of tbe nature of a
bill to repeal all franchises throughout the
State of Oregon all perpetual franchises.
The -original bill referred only to a cer
tain franchise in the City of Portland. The
chair will hold that the substitute bill Is
not a proper substitute. It involves an
entirely different principle, and should come
In under a separate hill.
Mr. Driscoll That Is the ease as I saw
It exactly; I made that same proposition
this morning. It was not proper. I myself,
as chairman of the committee, refused to
sign the majority report.
Mr. Coffey Mr. Freeman, of Multnomah,
says that eight of the Multnomah County
delegation were in favor of his bill. There
are 12 members of the Multnomah County
delegation, and I believe five of them are
in favor of the bill as It -was Introduced
yesterday, and Ave from 12 would leave
seven. I fail to see .
Speaker Davey It Is an unimportant
(Concluded run Pnge 7.)
SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH
TS
BY ROCKEFELLER
$32,000,000 for Gen
eral Education.
LARGEST DONATION IN HISTORY
Distribution to Be Directed by
Him or His Son.
UNDER NATIONAL CHARTER
General Education Board Amazed at
Unexpected Announcement From
Oil King's Son Dedicated
to Service of Man.
NEW YORK, Feb. 7. Thirty-two mil
lion dollars' worth of income-bearing se
curities is the gift which John P. Rocke
feller, through his son, John D. Rockefel
ler, Jr., announced to the General Edu
cation Board when it assembled for a
special meeting today.
The gift, which is the largest single gift
handed gut for such purposes, will he
used for general education purposes
throughout the country. Mr. Rockefeller
had previously -given the board $11,000,000
for the same work, his contributions now
amounting to $43,000,000.
The General Education Board was not
prepared for this gift, which was an
nounced simply in a letter from John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., in which he said:
Letter Announcing Gift.
"My father authorizes me to say that on
or before April 1, 1907, he will give the
General Education Board Income-bearing
securities the present market value of
which is about $32,000,000, one-third to be
applied to such specific object within the
corporate purposes of the board as either
he. or I may from time to time direct,
the remainder not so designated at the
death of the survivor to be added also to
the permanent endowment of the board."
Members of the board were amazsI, say
ing they did not know of the donation
until the letter was read. The board
voted to accept the gift, and In apprecia
tion drafted a letter to the elder Mr.
Rockefeller.
Largest Gift In History.
"This is the largest sum," wrote the
board to Mr. Rockefeller, "ever given
by a man in the histlry of the race fo"r
any social or philanthropic purpose. ' The
board congratulates you upon the wise
and high Impulse which has moved you
to this deed and desires to thank you In
behalf of all educational Interests, whose
developments it will advance; in behalf
of our country, whose civilization for all
time it should be made to strengthen and
elevate, and In behalf of mankind ev
erywhere, in whose Interests It has been
given and for whose use It is dedicated.
"The administration of this fund en
tails upon the General Education Board
the most far-reaching responsibilities ever
placed upon any educational organiza
tion in the world. We will use our best
wisdom to transmute your gift Into in
tellectual and moral power, counting it a
supreme privilege to dedicate whatever
strength we have to its just use In the
service of men."
"While the board was in session today
PERPETUAL FRANCHISES
GIN
gifts to oflve colleges were ordered, '
amounting in all to $400,000.
In 1903 the General Election Board was
chartered by Congress. It employs a
force of experts in the continuous and
systematic study of education in the
various states by means of gifts and
otherwise.
The members of the board who will '
administer Mr. Rockefeller's Immense gift
includes some of the best known edu
sators, financiers, publicists and philan
thropists in the country.
MORMONS DESERT GOODING
Vote Solidly to a Man Against Idaho
Railroad Commission Bill.
BOISE Idaho, Feb. 7. (Special.) De
feat of the Railway Commission in the
House was the feature of the day in the
Legislature. The vote was preceded by
the liveliest debate heard during the ses
sion. Great earnestness was shown and
much feeling displayed. The vote was 22
for the bill and 26 against It. There was
one pair and one absentee.
It was noticeable that the Mormon
members were solidly against the meas
ure, a feature that has aroused much
comment. This was Governor Gooding's
favorite measure and the Governor has
been one of the best friends of. the Mor
mons in the state, fighting th&ir battles
at all times with vigor. The solid vote of
the 13 Mormon members was therefore a
surprise. There was no other alignment
of interests. The Democrats were about
equally divided and in most cases coun
ties were divided, but the Mormons were
united to a man.
There is some talk of one or more ar
rests being made for violation of the anti
lobby bill, but it is scarcely likely any
such action will be taken, though there
have been numerous lobbyists busy
against the bill. Ballantyne. author of the
bill, said this evening he had been asked
to introduce a bill providing for -submission
of the question to a vote of the
people at the next election. It is ru
mored an effort will be made to bring
the Seawall bill forward. It is a Demo
cratic measure. Still another story is
that a modified bill will be introduced and
passed.
In the Senate, on motion of Jensen, the
sergeant-at-arms was instructed to arrest
any lobbyists found working around the
capitol building.
JAPANESE MINERS RIOT
Plunder and Burn Liquor Store and
Blow Up Buildings.
TOKIO, Fob. 7. Troops have been
sent to the copper mines in the Ashio
district, where yesterday the miners
made an attack upon the property,
using dynamite freely.
Fifteen rioters were burned to death
In a storehouse, which they had plun
dered for provisions and liquor, and
which they set fire to while in a drunk
en condition. 1
It is now known that the disturb
ances were instigated by Socialists,
whose leaders have been arrested.
OREGON WHEAT IS DONATED
Red Cross Society Receives Message
From T. B. Wilcox, of Portland.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 7. The State De
partment today cabled Minister Rockhill
at Pekln that the American Red Cross
Society had sent, through Consul-General
Rogers at Shanghai, $40,000 for famine
sufferers, of which $35,000 was contrib
uted by the Christian Herald. The Red
Cross was today advised by T. B. Wil
cox, of Portland, Or., of the donation of
more than 5000 bushels of seed wheat.
JIM CROW CAR IN MISSOURI
Democrats Carry Anti-Xegro Meas
ure Through, Senate.
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo.. Feb. 7. By
a party vote of 20 to 11 the "Jimcrow"
bill was passed in tne Senate today.
The Democrats supported the bill and
the Republicans opposed it. The bill
requires all railroads in the state to
furnish separate coaches for white and
negro passengers. It permits a parti
tion in the car to constitute separate
coaches.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
Domestic.
Mrs. Harry Thaw tells pitiful story of
White's Tlmps against her and of Thaw's
conntancy. Page 1-
John D. Rockefeller (fives away $32,000,000
for education. Page 1.
J. Ross Clark tells how Harriman forced
Salt Lake & Los Angeles road Into mer
ger. Page 11.
Hafkin tells stories of fs-mous Americans.
Pago 1.
National.
Stevens threatens to resign If canal la dug
by contract. Page 2.
House passes river and harbor bill. Page 3.
Senate rejects scheme to sell Indian land.
Page 3.
Fulton asks Roosevelt to -withdraw sus
pension of land patents. Page 8.
Foreign.
French cabinet proposes income tax for
rich to relieve poor. Page 8.
Oregon. Iegl stature.
BUI to repeal Portland Gas Company's per
petual franchise passes House. Page 1.
Bill to eliminate two normal schools passes
Senate. Page .
Railroad commission legislation up In the
air; discussion In Joint committee.
Page 7.
Jones free locks bill shows strength 'In
House. Page 6.
Bailey bill, amending direct primary law,
likely to pass Senate. Page 6.
Commercial and Marine.
Advance in export flour prices. Page 15.
Strong European demand for wheat in East.
Page 15.
Broad advance in stock market. Page 13.
Big fleet arrives In Portland harbor. Page 14.
Tug Stranger wrecked in Fraser River.
Page 14.
Schooner Alpha ashore above Umpaua.
Page 14.
Portland and Vicinity.
Independent Portland printers complain of
trust methods of Franklin Association.
Page 10.
Flood in Willamette River 'will be at its
highest in Portland today. Page 10.
Half block on Ankeny street sold for 100.
000. Page 14.
Portland to have big livestock show next
Fall. Page 10.
Attorney John F. Logan fined three times
for contempt of court by Judge Frazer.
Page 10.
No coal In Portland and no prospect of
early relief from fuel hortage. Page 8.
STORIES ABOUT
NOTED PERSONS
Senator Pettus Oldest
Public Man.
BELOVED OF ALL ALABAMANS
Southern Mountaineers Who
Never Heard of Jesus.
GRAHAM BELL'S INVENTION
Trouble Made About It by Inventive
Xewspaper Men Dr. ' French's
Answer to Allopath Mrs.
Storer's Pottery Fad.
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN".
"WASHINGTON. Feb. 2. (Special Cor
respondence. ) The oldest man in public
life in the United States is Senator Ed
mund Winston Pettus. of Alabama, who
will soon be 86 years of age. He is also
assured of a longer term of office than
any other Senator, having been re-elected
for a term of six years beginning in
March. 1909. If he lives to serve out
his term, he will be nearly 95 years old.
Mr. Pettus was born two months after
the death of Napoleon, during the "era
of good feeling." while James Monroe
was President of the United States. This
was 'before the admission of Missouri to
the Union and only two years after his
own State of Alabama was created. He
was 5 years old when Thomas Jefferson
and John Adams died. He has watched
the quadrennial battles of presidential
elections 16 times since he reached his
majority, and he has seen the Union
double in size from 23 states to 46.
Mr. Pettus was a lieutenant in the
Mexican War, he rode horseback to Cali
fornia with the "forty-niners" and was
advanced from the rank of major to that
of brigadier-general in the Confederate
Army. He was admitted to the bar at
Gainsvllle, Ala., when he became 21 years
of age. At this time Texas was an in
dependent republic. California was a, part
of Mexico and Great Britain was disput
ing the American claim to the Oregon
country. Andrew Jackson was then su
preme in politics and was yet to succeed
in making Polk President of the United
States.
The last time Mr. Pettus was re-elected
to the Senate the Alabama Legislature
unanimously set aside a law as old as the
state, which requires that a Senator shall
shall appear before the Legislature in
person to accept election. The legislat
ors were not inclined to require their
aged Senator to make the trip In the
dead of Winter. Alabama loves him as
it would a father, and his affection for
his state is paternal and unbounded. His
wife died last year, after a happy mar
ried life of 65 years.
Never Heard of Crucifixion.
Miss Mary X. Murfree, the brilliant nov
elist who Is known as Charles Egbert
Craddock, has had some amusing ex
periences with the unlettered mountain
people of the South. Some of these
mountaineers are unbelievably ignorant of
either sacred or profane history. On
one occasion, when Miss Murfree stopped
at a wayside house for a glass of water,
she found a party of old women stol
idly engaged in patching clothes. With
characteristic hospitality they asked her
to be seated and rest herself before con
tinuing her journey. A few questions
made it plain to Miss Murfree that the
old women were hopelessly ignorant, so
she told them the story of the cruci
fixion. As she surmised, there was not
a gleam of recognition as she told the
simple tale, but Its pathos almost moved
one' of her listeners to tears.
"You say they done him like that fur
nothin' more'n jest tryin' to save 'em?"
the asked anxiously.
"Yes," said Miss Murfree. Then th
old woman leaned over, stroked the nov-'
elist's knee and said:
"Well, stranger, let us hope that hit
ain't so."
Xewspaper Men as Inventors.
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor
of the telephone, is a familiar figure as
he walks about Washington for his recre
ation. He has white hair, white whisk
ers and glowing pink cheeks. It would be
hard to find a more perfect picture of
health. To a newspaper man who re
marked that he approached a great In
ventor with some trepidation, Mr. Bell
replied:
"My hat Is off to newspaper men as the
greatest inventors of the age."
He then told a story to illustrate the
necessity of keeping a new idea a pro
found secret. Some years ago Mr. Bell
placed a sealed packag? In the Smith
sonian Institution containing a mechanical
contrivance, the nature of which he was
not ready to make public. The greatest
curiosity prevailed as to the character
of the new invention.
Finally a newspaper man wrote an ar
ticle saying that the mysterious package
contained an attachment for the tele
phone which would enable its users to
see each other at any distance. The news
of the marvel flew all over tho world,
immediately thereafter two celebrated
English scientists came out in Indignant
Interviews, declaring that Mr. Bell had
stolen their idea. Then an American
scientific Journal gravely announced that
a young inventor of New York had filed
the specifications for uch a contrivance
In Its office long before the sealed pack-
iConcluded on Page 16.)
J.