f
VOL. XIVXNO. 14,410.
PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
DEATH If! OCEAN
OR FREEZING
' Steamer Passengers
Meet Awful Fate.
COLLISION DURING BLIZZARD
Larchmont Knocked to Bottom
by Knowlton.
SURVIVORS DIE OF COLD
Bnats and Life Rafts Com Ashore
on Block Island With Half of
Occupants Frozen to Death,
Fully 175 Dead.
BLOCK ISLAND. R. I.. Feb. 13. A
marine disaster with appalling loss of
life and entailing suffering almost be-
yond the limit of human endurance
. came to light today, when a lifeboat
of the Joy Line steamer Larchmont,
bound from Providence to New York,
drifted Into Block Island harbor.
In the boat were several bodies of
men who had died from the effects of
long hours of exposure to a death
dealing temperature. In the boat also
were 11 men whoso suffering was so
intense that they seemed oblivious to
the fot that death was in their midst
and they had escaped only by virtue
of their ability to withstand the rigor
of sero weather in an open boat at
sea.
The boat brought out a tale of dis
aster that has rarely been equalled In
New Kngland waters, and it is be
lieved that, when the final outcome Is
known, it will be found that not less
than 150 lives were lost. Following
closely in the wake of the solitary
lifeboat came bodies, lifeboats and
rafts, cast on the beach by the angry
waves.
Dead Number About 175.
Owing to the condition of the surviv
ors It was impossible to get from them'
n estimate of the loss of life. From
150 to 175 persons went to their death,
and at a late hour tonight It was be
lieved that the latter figures are nearer
correct.
The steamship officials estimate that
rbout 150 passengers and a crew of
50 were on board the steamer when
she left Providence last night. Forty
eight bodies reached these shores to
day, and 19 were alive when taken
from the lifeboats. There are still 138
persons to be accounted for. The only
positive evidence of the steamer's vie
tlms Is lying at the bottom of Block
Island Sound. The list of passengers
and crew, handed to the purser Just
before tho steamer left Providence,
was locked In a safe and was not re
covered.
Kach Captain Blames Other.
The cause of the accident has not
been satisfactorily explained. It oc
curred Just off Watch Hill about 11
o'clock last night, when the three
masted schooner Harry Knowlton,
bound from South Amboy for Boston
with a cargo of coal, crashed into the
steamer's port amidships. Captain Mc-
Vey of the Larchmont declares that the
Knowlton suddenly swerved from ner
course, luffed up into the wind and
crashed Into his vessel. Captain Haley
of the Knowlton asserts that the
steamer did not give his vessel suffi
cient sea room.
The steamer, with a huge hole torn in
her side, was so seriously damaged that
no attempt was made to run for shore,
and she sank to the bottom in less than
half an hour. The Knowlton, after she
had backed away from the wreck, began
to fill rapidly, but her crew manned the
pumps and kept her afloat until she
reached a point off Quonochontaug, where
they put out in the lifeboat and rowed
ashore. There were no fatalities on the
schooner.
Fac Blizzard in Xightclothes.
A majority of those aboard the Larch
mont had retired for the night, and, when
the collision occurred, there were few,
with the exception of the crew, prepared
for the weather which prevailed. They
hurried from the warm staterooms to the
deck of the steamer and into a zero at
mosphere. Chilled to the bone, many
rushed headlong below to secure more
clothing, while others, barefooted, bare
headed, and clad only In nightgowns,
stood on the decks, fearing that to go
below would mean certain death.
The Larchmont left her dock in Provl
deuce last night with a heavy cargo of
freight ana a passenger list estimated
from 150 to 300. A strong northwest wind
was blowing as the steamer plowed her
way down through the eastern passage
of Narragansett Bay, but the full effect
of the gale which wae blowing out in
the Sound was not felt until the Larch
mont rounded Point Judith.
Rush to Avert Collision.
Captain George McVey was preparing
to retire, after a turn around his ship,
when he was startled by several blasts
of the steamers whistle. He rushed into
the pilot-house, where the pilot and quar
termaster pointed out a three-masted
schooner sailing eastward before a strong
wind.
The schooner, which proved to be the
Harry Knowlton coal-laden, from South
Amboy. for Boston, had been bowling
along on her course, when ehe 6eemed
suddenly to luff up and head straight for
the steamer. Again several blasts were
sounded on the steamer's whistle, the
pilot and the quartermaster at the same
moment whirling the wheel hard aport
In a mad endeavor to avert a collision.
As the steamer was slowly veering
around, the schooner came on with a
speed that almost seemed to equal the
gale that had been pushing her toward
Boston.
Water Rushes in Gaping Hole.
Before another warning could be
sounded the schooner crastied into the
port side of the Larchmont, and the
Impact of the big vessel was so terrific
that the big, clumsy bow of the sail
ing craft forced its way more than half
the breadth of the Larchmont. When
tho force of the Impact had been spent
the schooner temporarily remained
fast in the steamer's side, holding? in
check for a moment the lnrushlng
water. The pounding sea soon sepa-
rated the vessels, however, and the
water rushed into the gaping hole In
the steamer with tremendous veloc
ity. As the water struck the - boiler
room great clouds of steam arose, and
the passengers were first under the im
pression that a fire had broken out on
board. Captain McVey could not com
municate with his subordinate offi
cers below, the signal apparatus be
ing wrecked.
Frostbitten, They Fill Boats.
The passengers meanwhile rushed to
the deck. Few of them had walled to
clothe themselves. The intense cold
made. them, want to obtain their cloth
ing, but they found It impossible to
return below and do so. Their rooms
were flooded soon after they had been
deserted, and the steamer, flounder
ing around In the high seas that are
feared by all Sound navigators, was
sinking with a rapidity that sent ter
ror to the hearts of the officers and
crew.
Some of the seamen held back the
frantic passengers by brute strength.
while others were lowering the boats
and rafts. There was no time to think
(Concluded on Pare 3.)
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
Tho Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum terperatur,
54
degrees; minimum, 38 degTees.
TODAY'S Fair; northerly wlnOa.
Foreign.
British Parliament opens and King's speech
foreshadows war between nouses. ag .
Two infernal machines for Wltte. Pass 3.
National.
Roosevelt finds way to settle Japanese Ques
tion and calls on Congress, to help. Page
2.
Senate debates bill giving1 Government right
of appeal. Page 2.
New Santo Domingo treaty sent to Senate.
Page 2.
House refuses to order coal for Navy bought
from lowest bidder. Page 2.
Domestic
Alienist declares Thaw insane after bitter
quarrel between Jerome and Delmas.
Page 1.
Marine collision in blizzard off Block: Island
costs 175 lives; many survivors frozen to
death. Page 1.
Eleven Jurors impaneled for Hermann trial.
Page 1.
"Western Union operators In Chicago t will
Haskln writes on American wit in retort.
Page 1.
Ex-Governor Hlggtns, of New York dead.
Page 2.
Ftociflo Coast
Insurgents in Olympla Legislature will here
after vote as unit. Page a.
Jury panel exhausted in trial of Steve
Adams at Wallace. Page 5.
Indication that split In Idaho Legislature
will be repaired, page o.
Oregon Legislature.
Serrate and House lock horns over commis
sion bill. Page 7.
BUI to amend primary law Is killed. Page 9.
House passes bill to end Coos Say land
monopoly, v age t.
Proposed $50,000 appropriation for Corvallla
College cut to J37.500. page a.
New corrupt practices act introduced. Page
Joint committee on ways and means recom
mends repayment of money to Lsvnd
Swindler Puter's victim. P&ge 7.
Portland mod Vicinity.
J. D. Meyer resigns from the Park Board t
me request of Mayor lane. Page 16.
Judge R. A. Balllnger. of Seattle, new Com
missioner of General Land Office, spends
cay in .roruana. "age lo.
Hardware men of the Pacific Coast will
meet In annual convention at Chamber of
commerce toaay. .fage lO.
Work will be in in & week on United Rail'
ways system. P&ge 14.
Chinese New Year festivities are at their
neigm. fage iv.
"Wedding of David T. Honey man and Miss
wooa a Dm nan i event. Page lO.
Rev. John F. Mangle, noted Methodist min
ister, is ceaa. .rage 11.
Mrs. T. W. Taylor is released on bail: H. H
Wilson is unable to secure bondsmen.
.r&ge IB.
Nitro-glycerlne cartridge Is found on "Wav
. ex ly-Woodstock line. Page 10.
Commercial and Marine.
Wool contracting active in Western States
Page 10.
Hops are moving fast. Page 15.
Business of Portland Stock Exchange grow
ing, jrttge tt
Steamer Thode Fagelund diverted to Puget
cnooner Alpha may -be saved. Page )
i $inft- v I
! ' As? s f ' -II
x -"- f mrinfatt.i-mnliMm -nfllfriitf ffniffinfrf -ftlft ?! I
I Frank W. HIkkum, ex-Governor of
LAWYERS
STORM
ATONE ANOTHER
Jerome and Delmas
Have Clash in Court
OYER TESTIMONY OF EXPERT
Protest About Operation Per
formed on Mrs. Thaw.
THAW DECLARED INSANE
Hereditary Brain Disease Culmin
ated in "Brain Storm," Which
Caused Him to Kill White,
Says Dr. Evans.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12. District At
torney Jerome and Delphin M. Delmas
came together" late today in the first
serious clash between counsel in the
Harry K. Thaw trial. The California
attorney, who is directing the defense,
took exceptions to certain statements
of 'the. prosecuting officer and had in
serted in the record of the case a pro
test against "the misconduct of the
learned District Attorney."
Mr. Jerome hotly accused Mr. Del
mas of trying to Instill into the minds
of the jury the Implied suggestion that
the operation performed on ' Kvelyn
Nesbit in 1903 before Thaw took her
to Europe was of "a criminal nature,"
when, as "a matter of fact," he said,
It was for appendicitis.
Storm Between Attorneys.
Mr. Delmas called the attention of
Justice Fitzgerald to this, saying the
District Attorney was stating facts not
in evidence and that a "very serious
exception must be taken to his re
marks." "Send the jury out of the room if
you want to," exclaimed Mr. Jerome,
"but I am going to get this thing
straight. I am- not going .o have these
false impressions fostered before this
jury."
Dr. Britton D. Evans, superintendent
of the State Hospital for the Insane
at Morris Plains, N. 3., was testifying
at the time of the disagreement. He
had declared that he was of the opin
ion that Harry K. Thaw was Insane
at the time of the tragedy. He had
been called upon to answer a long
hypothetical question, in which refer
ence had been made to a "serious if not
capital" operation on Miss Nesbit, when
the storm broke. '
Justice Fitzgerald did not rule out
any of the District Attorney's remarks
before the Jury, and Mr. Delmas took
care to have every exception he made
"seriously noted."
"Brain Storm" Caused Killing.
Mr. Evans was by far tha most sat
isfactory expert witness to the defense
so far produced. He detailed to the
jury his observations and examina
tions of Harry Thaw during his eight
visits, to the prisoner in the Tombs,
and declared it to be his opinion that
Thaw was suffering from "a brain
storm or an explosive or fulminating
condition of mental unsoundness" at
the time he shot and killed White.
His mind. Dr. Evans said, slipped its
AS
moorings and was like a ship without
a rudder. Ordeals of stress have added
their work-to the psychopathic taint
which came from heredity.
Dr. Evans may be cross-examined to
morrow, although Mr. Jerome has not
indicated his course. It may be that
Mr. Delmas will recall Mrs. Thaw to
continue her 'story; now that expert
witnesses have testified to Thaw's in
sanity prior to the' tragedy. The de
fense has other alienists, however, who
may be cailed to testify.
THAW'S MIXD BADLY DERANGED
Dr. Evans Says Stress Aggravated
Hereditary Brain Disease.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12. The first witness
called by Mr. Delmas for the
defense in the Thaw trial today
was Dr. Britton D. Evans, Superintendent
of the State Insane Hospital at Morris
Plains, which he said contains an aver-
State Senator X. II. Bingham, Whose
Ruilroad Commission Bill Has
Passed the Oregon Senate.
age of 1800 patients. Dr. Evans said he
had written and spoken a great deal on
the subject of insanity and had appeared
in a majority of the important cases in
New Jersey where mental derangement
or incapacity had to do with the mat
ter under investigation. In several cases
the witness declared he had represented
both the prosecution and the defense by
consent of counsel and under appoint
ment by the court.
The witness first saw Harry Thaw
August 4, 1906, in the Tombs, and In
all visited him eight times. -
Dr. Evans said he Was alone upon the
visits of August 4 and October 1. At
other times he was accompanied by Dr.
Wagner, who testified yesterday.
"What, during th-sse visits did you ob
serve in the -Tientl enViciltkr. of Mr.
Thaw?" ie wm asked. 1
"On the first visit on August 4 he ex
hibited a peculiar facial expression, glar
ing as if suspicious of his surroundings
and of me, nervous agitation and rest
lessness, such as comes from a severe
brain storm, common in those who have
recently gone through an explosive or
fulminating condition of mental unsound
ness. He exhibited delusions of a per
sonal character, an exaggerated ego, and
along with them delusions of a persecu
tory character. He thought himself of
exaggerated importance and believed
himself persecuted by a number of per
sons." By an "exaggerated ego" Dr. Evans
said he meant a "disproportionate Idea
of Importance of self, a belief that one
Is clothed with powers, capacity and abil
ity far above normal, or above those
actually possessed."
The symptoms, he said, were character
istic of several mental diseases.
Insanity Result of Heredity.
One of the mental diseases indicated by
Thaw's actions. Dr. Evans declared, is
adolescent Insanity. It is characterisic
of the supreme period of life from 10 to
40 years. The person thus afflicted is
known as having a psycholopathic taint, a
predisposition to mental unsoundness, the
result of heredity.
"Another form of insanity indicated,"
said the witness, "is known as paranoia,
or fixed insanity on some subject. The
third is maniacal, where the patient
(Concluded on Page 4.)
THE THAW l A-MliX AJTEAIW WSG H II
1
iMggSIBBqlM H . .'".It. W ! 1
L- I J' I-
' ' WA J
m,, I, hi in --".3 Bri- - T
ELEVEN CHOSEH
TO TRY HER
Only One Man Lacking
to Complete Jury.
FOR BURNING LETTER -BOOKS
Evidence May Bear on Blue
Mountain Case.
BIG ARRAY OF WITNESSES
familiar Faces From Oregon I.nnd
Fraud Trials Numerous at Wash
ington Hermann Shows the
Effect of Mental Strain.
ORHGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington Feb. 13. The trial of Representa
tive Binger Hermann on the indictment
charging the destruction of 35 letter
press copybooks alleged to have formed
part of the official files of the General
Land Office will begin In earnest tomor
row. When the case was called this
morning in Criminal Court No. 1, Justice
Stafford presiding. Hermann was ar
raigned and entered a plea of not guilty.
The selection of the Jury was then be
gun, but proceedings for the day were
abruptly halted shortly before noon by
the exhaustion of the entire panel, when
the eleventh juror had been chosen. A
new panel will be presented' in the morn
ing and when the twelfth man is se
lected, the trial will begin.
Many Oregon Witnesses.
The scene in court this morning was
decidedly reminiscent of scenes familiar
at Portland at the trial of the famous
land-fraud cases. Many of the principal
figures in the Portland trials have been
summoned to Washington to appear
against Hermann prominent among them
being Mrs. Emma Watson, ex-Surveyor-General
Meldrum, George Sorenson and
Dan Tarpley. all convicted in Oregon
courts for complicity in land frauds, as
well as Judge A. H. Tanner, who con
fessed to perjury in the Mitchell case,
and C. E. loomis. George A. Waggoner
and Joost H. Schneider, all under indict
ment and now awaiting trial in Portland.
In addition J. T. Bridges and J. L. Wells,
who turned state's evidence In the Ore
gon land cases, are hero to testify against
Hermann. .
The courtroom was fairly well filled
this morning when the case was called
and considerable interest was taken in
the opening statement made by District
Attorney Baker, In which Be explained
the indictment and showed wherein it
was alleged that Hermann had violated
section 6408 of the revised statutes. It
is to be inferred from Baker's remarks
and from the array of witnesses sum
moned that the prosecution will not only
undertake to prove that the letter copies
destroyed by Hermann were official in
character, but that some of the letters
copied therein dealt with transactions
which Hermann and his correspondents
wished to conceal.
Surprise to Government.
Something of a surprise was sprung
while tho jury was being selected,
when John Norrls, a merchant, said
that ne was on the grand jury in
MAC rtfiGKENZIS m& OEQ L. CAHHEOIIL ;
U SEATED KEAB THE PRISONER. IX COCKE.
March, 1905, when the Hermann Indict
ment was returned, but he declared he
knew absolutely nothing about the
Hermann case. The Government's rep
resentatives explained this by saying
that Norrls may have been ill or ab
sent when the letter-book indictment
was found; nevertheless Norrls was ex
cused. -
Joost H. Schneider, who will soon be
placed on trial here in the Benson
Hyde land-fraud case, was an unwill
ing witness against Hermann. He was
served with a subpena in Tucson, Ariz.,
and, it is understood, declined to come
to Washington until threatened with
proceedings as a defaulting witness.
Representative Hermann, who show3
the strain under which he has labored
for the past , two years, was accom
panied in court this morning by his
son, Shlller B. Hermann, and his son-in-law,
H, P. Gatley, who is also his
associate attorney.
May Affect Blue Mountain Case.
The Hermann trial promises to be
j '
1 - 1 Hi j
Howard F. Gatley, Son-ln-lAW of
Btngrr Hermann, Who Is Attorney
for His Defense.
protracted and, if prosecution Is given
full sway, it is expected that much
evidence will be produced bearing on
the Blue Mountain land frauds, as well
as on the questions related directly to
the letter-book indictment. If Her
mann is convicted here and land-fraud
evidence is produced which materially
strengthens the prosecution, the Gov
ernment believes it will have gained a
material point in the Hermann land
case to be called in Portland after the
present trial is concluded. On the other
hand if the present trial results, in an
acquittal the Government fears such
a verdict will have an adverse effect
in Portland. I-'or that reason the pros
ecution will put forth eve-y effort to
sustain the indictment.
NORTHERN FLYER WRECKED
Passengers Badly Jarred, but Only
Few Slightly Injured.
SEATTLE. Feb. 12. The northbound
Great Northern flyer from Seattle to
Vancouver was derailed about two miles
north of Stanwood shortly after 7 o'clock
last night. According to the reports
reaching Stanwood, a pin on the engine
shaft broke, and threw the engine off
the track, two cars following it. The
track was torn up for considerable dis
tance. The passengers escaped with
ellght injuries.
DEMURRAGE BILL PASSED
South Dakota House Acts Also on
Bill Against Corruption.
PIERRB, S. D., Feb. 12. The House to
day passed the reciprocal demurrage bill.
The bill to prohibit corporations to con
tribute to campaign funds was passed.
Another bill approved by the House pro
hibits "treating" in saloons. All these
measures have passed the Senate and
now go to the Governor.
lERIHIS
SHDWN IN RETORT
HowStephensSilenced
Giant Toombs.
GROSVENOR'S CAUSTIC TONGUE
Defends His Whiskers From
Emaciated Vandiver.
INGALLS IS PUT TO ROUT
Blackburn's Sarcastic Allusion to
War Record Andrew .Johnson's
Reply to Henry ' Parson
Brownlow's Exclamation.
BT FREPER IC J. HA5KIX.
WASHINGTON-. Feb. 7. (.Special Cor
respondence.) Mr. William Shakespeare,
who codified our English-speaking conver
sational laws, made hit admirably wipe
fool. Touchstone, divide the more or less
pleasant custom of giving one's adversary
the lie Into seven clas.?e, ranging from
the retort courteous to the lie direct. The
field of politics is more prolific in fa
mous instances of retort than any other.
Tho rules of Parliament which govern de
liberative bodies, controlling to an extent
the conduct of political debates, have
eliminated but one of Touchstone's seven
classes, and that is the lie direct. The
retort courteous, the quip modest, the re
ply churlish, the reproof valiant, the
countercheck quarrelsome and the lie cir
cumstantial still live and thrive in Amer
ica, as In Kngland.
An illustration of the nlmhle and caus
tic wit of Alexander H. Stephens, of
Georgia, in Senatorial debate, occurred
on the floor of the Senate during a heat
ed argument with Robert Toombs, also
of Georgia. Stephens, although possessed
of one of the most powerful brains of his
time, was lame and had a wizened little
body. Toombs was one of the largest men
In the Senate and was of a blustering,
spluttering type. He had argued with
Stephens until he was hoarse and became
so exasperated that he threatened to
fight. However, consideration of the size
of his opponent deterred him, and, turn
ing, he said:
"I won't fight you, but I could swallow
you whole." Stephens quickly retorted:
"If you did, you would have more brains
In your stomach than you ever had in
your head."
Grosvenor as Santa, Clans.
General Charles H. Grosvenor is the
hero of a hundred wordy battles in the
House. He ha-s a luxurious snow-white
beard and a caustic tongue. One day
William D. Vandiver, now Insurance
Commissioner of Missouri, launched Into
a furious attack upon "the gentleman
from Ohio," and Champ Clark innocently
inquired :
"Which gentleman from Ohio?" The
Missourian shook his finger at General
Grosvenor and replied:
"I mean the gentleman from Ohio wfio
looks like Santa Clans and talks like
Satan." Grosvenor, white with, rage,
shouted back:
"But my picture has never served as a
warning on poison pots in pharmacies."
This was a stinger.because Vandiver had
such a thin face and bony frame that h
had been nick-named "skull and cross
bones." The lata Senator Ingallf, of Kansas, the
iridescent orator, was attacking General
McClellan and General Hancock, two
Federal Generals of the Civil Wrar who
were afterwards Democratic candidates
for the Presidency. Senator Blackburn,
of Kentucky, arose and Interrupted with
the reproof valiant:
"When General George B. McClellan
was leading the armies of his country and
General Winfield Scott Hancock lay
wounded "by the enemy's bullets under
the flag of his country, the Senator from
Kansas, in the capacity of Judge-Advocate-General
was prosecuting noncom
batant Jayhawkers for robbing henroosts,"
Poor Head on That Barrel.
In the old days, when parliamentary re
strictions were less binding on the raging
stump, Tom Marshall and one Graves
were rival candidates for Congress in the
Blue Grass region of Kentucky. Marshall
was an aristocrat. Graves was the son of
a cooper, and he was always making an
appeal to the "peepul" by boasting of the
humble occupation of his father. Mar
shall found It was hurting his chances,
and he decided to stop it by the counter
check quarrelsome. In reply to Graves,
he said:
"My opponent boasts of tho humble call
ing of his father. For aught I know, his
father may have been a good cooper, but
it is easy to see that he put a mighty
poor head on this whisky barrel," clap
ping his hand on Graves' head.
Tennessee bred two great orators in the
olden days Andrew Johnson, a Democrat,
once President of the United States, and
Gustavus A. Henry, a Whig, known as
the "Eagle Orator of the South." They
ran against each other for Governor, and.
when a long series of Joint debates had
reached its close, Johnson addressed the
Whigs In the audience:
"I have spoken with the boasted eagle
orator from the Mississippi River to the
ITnaka Mountains, and as yet I see no
flesh in his talons nor blood on his beak."
Quick as a flash, Henry was on his feet,
saying:
"The American eagle is a proud bird,
and feeds not on carrion:"
Champ Clark, in a speech on civil serv
ice reform, told a story of a sharp retort
to an examination question propounded
by the civil service board. A man apply
ing for a position to run an elevator was
asked:
"How many troops did England send to
ICoucludel on Page 15.)