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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1907)
VOL. XLVI NO. 14,477. PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1907. PRICE FIVE CENTS. i LETTERS MAY BE WORK OF DEFENSE Scheme to Save Necks of the Baxters. MYSTERY IN MURDER CASE Damaging Evidence Against ; Men Now on Trial. GANG HAD OTHER MEMBERS Father and Son Identified by Man and Woman Who Saw Them. Bending Over Hying Man. Sheriff Has New Theory. BY WILL, G. MAC RAE. KALAMA. Wash.. May 1. (Special.) Did the Baxters, father and son, now on trial here for tile murder of James Connors, the tramp who was shot at Woodland on March 3d, have a hand mi the murder of the unidentified man whose body was found yesterday two und a hulf miles north of here, as monymous letters to the officials of "owlits County said it would be? Or Jld the grans of yegg men with whom the Baxters traveled, kill this man and nave a hand in the crime for which father and son are being tried? This is the mystery that Judge W. 1V. McCredle and the county officials are trying to olve. If the Baxters nd their pals did commit both crimes, they have worked up a most elaborate . scheme to savo the Baxters from the hangman's noose. The story of the murder of Connors at Woodland is old, but the finding of the body of a young man with two bullet holes in his head, a supposed companion of the gang that had been drinking and quarreling thnt March Saturday afternoon and evening- at Woodland Is new. and it is by the LH4llflf.tOi Jbody that tha pain of the Baxters huve hopes of se curing their freedom. Whether they escape rests with the Jury that Is trying the case, but unless the testimony that will be offered by the defense tomorrow is stronger than District Attorney B. L. Hubbell has any information of, there is every rea son to believe that the well laid plans of (he gang that was in Woodland will fail. Saw Baxter Beside Bead Man. At the trial today two eye witnesses, L. V. Flanders and his wife, both testified to having seen the two Baxters bending over Connors as he was dying. The Flan ders were in the cars occupied by the men who were building bridges, and when they heard the shots both rushed to the car door and on the witness stand swore they saw the Baxters in the act of kneeling beside the dying man. Other witnesses testified to having seen the Baxters and the four other members of the gang drinking and quarreling dur ing the afternoon. They identified Tom Baxter, the son, as one of the men quar reling with a man that answered the de scription of Connors. This is as far as the prosecution can go, and District At torney Hubbell rested his case late this afternoon. Tomorrow the defense will have Its in ning. George Baxter, the father, will testify in his own behalf. J. A. Carter and his son will also be placed upon the stand by Attorneys Imus and Stone, who are defending the Baxters. By the testi mony of Carter the defense hopes to throw some light upon the murder of the man found yesterday. Heard Two Shots Fired. Carter and his son are supposed to have seen three men on the Kalama bridge going north a short distance from where the body was found, and a little later heard two shots. Considerable import ance is placed upon the hearing of two shots because the dead man had two bullet holes in his head. It was through three anonymous letters that the discovery of the second murder was brought to light. One of the letters was written to Sheriff, A. F. Kirby, one to District Attorney Hubbell and the third to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The letters to the District Attorney and" to Sheriff Kirby were written by the same man, but the letter to Sheriff Kirby was written by a woman, or by someone who made a wretched attempt to disguise the writing. Two of the letters were mailed at Spokane. The one to the Sheriff was mailed at Pasco. Wash. . If the letters are a plot to help free the Baxters of the killing of Connors it has been well attempted but bulgingly done. In the letter to Sheriff Kirby the writer says that he met a man, who, while drunk, confessed to the killing of both Connors and the- man found yester day. It also says, that the man who made the confession was killed a few days later In a wreck at Kennewick in which five tramps were killed, and that he had gone to Kennewick and identified the murderer. Letters Have Things Mixed. This letter falls flat, for the two other letters, supposed to have been written by the murderer himself, bear the date of April 27, while the Pasco letter was mailed April 25. The Ken newick wreck took place April 21, so it is ex'ident that the man who is supposed to have made the confession was not killed. It shows that the plot ters got their dates mixed. Tha theory of tho officials here ia that some member of the gang got a woman to write the Pasco letter and then tried to back it up by sending two others from Spokane. The fact remains that whoever wrote the let ters knew of the second murder, for the body was found in the spot .de scribed In all three letters. The let ter from Pasco follows: His Conscience Had Hart Him. Pauco. Wash., April 25, 190T. Sir: A few days ago I met a young- man w!ch was un der the lnnucing of liker and he told me of a crime he committed In Woodland some time In March where he shot a man four or five times and It was bothering him to know that It was other men arrested for It. He farther told me he was going to writ a letter to tho county attorney and also to some leading paper in Seattle to show that them men you got are entirely innocent of the crime. He farther stated that he killed another man a brother of tha dead Baron Kiirokt. of Japan, Who Land ed at Victoria Yesterday. man you found down the track coming north. It might be a few miles of where he killed the first one he said he shot him twice with the same gun and dragged hU body about a hundred yards from the track and burled him under a pile of brush and that he Is not found yet but stated to me wrather to see this man eacrlftst that he would make a full confession but the al mighty God fieen difference for he met a horrible death a few days after. I have taking trouble to go there and identify the deal body that made that horrible confes sion as one of the men killed In the Ken newlck wreck last Sunday morning that he called himself Slim and some other name. I have forgoten now, dear sir, be so kind to get serch body and hunt the woods along the road for I am sure he was telling the truth and oblige. I am a hard working man myself and dont wish anything to do In the matter. He further - stated he was a lone when he killed both men. A macklnaw coat was also found near the 1xdy. The elder Baxter was asked to give the names of his companions, but lit could not. He said, however, one of them wore a macklnaw coat and described the one that was found. Members of Gang Still at Large. The officials so far have been unable to determine which of the men was killed first. They are not of theopinion that the dead men were brothers. From In vestigations so far. It would seem, owing to the fact that there were six in the gang at Woodland, that three of the gang fled after the killing of Connors, and if the shots that Carter heard on the Sun day following were the one that killed the second man, he was killed because he knew of the murder of Connors. This would leave two of the gang still at large, and it is they who wrote the anonymous letters. The other two letters were written by a man of some education, the spelling and (Concluded on Page 5.) CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER The Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, OS degrees; minimum, 43. TODAY'S Fair; northerly wlnd3. Jorelgn. Rioting and many arrests - at I'aris May day demonstrations. Page J. Douma's attack on courts-martial causes Cabinet to protest. Page 8. National. Ballinger dismisses clerks who sold infor mation to land thieves. Page 2. Particulars of attack on sailors at Santiago. Page S. Politics, Democrats will make vigorous campaign In Oklahoma. Page 4. lometIc. Maskln tells how whisky Is made. Page 4. Mabelle Gilman arrives to marry Corey. Page 2. -Mrs. Yerkes-Mlzner applies for divorce. Page 3. John 1l Sullivan discusses love and mar riage. Page 1. More exposes of graft In Pennsylvania cap ital. Page 4. Arthur McEwen, famous newspaper man, dead. Page 4 Miners brought out of Fouatwell mine will all live. Page 2. Pacific Coaet. Darrow replies to Roosevelt on behalf of Mover, Haywood and Pettlbone. Page 1. Great atrlke of iron trades in San Fran cisco. Page 4. Heitlg raising money in Los Angeles to build theater in Portland. Page 1. Anonymous letter received by officials at Kalama probably scheme to save necks of Baxter and son, now on trial for murder. Page 1. Tacoma Street Railway Company voluntar ily raises wages of employes. Page 6. Portland and Vicinity. All records show prosperity of Portland, Page 11. Gas Company flies report with City Au ditor. Page 12. Council revokes Fourth-street franchise. Page 10. Speed limit on Willamette River raised by Council. Page 10. Political candidates address South Portland ' Republican Club. Page It). Ernest Lane, pink domino burglar, pleads guilty and gets 13 years. Page 11. Commercial and Marine. Hop crop prospects am good- Page 17. Wheat advances 2 cents at Chicago. Page n. Selling pressure in Union Pacific stock. Page 17. French bark Michelet finishes and opens May shipments. Page 10. Pacific Coattt. Gigantic land frauds unearthed in State of Washington; Heney expected to handle cases. Page 6. Jiaxon Kjiraki land X VicfouHa, Pam i.- L E He Lands at Victoria Wearing Khaki. BIG GANNON BOOM . SALUTE Speaks to Little Children Gath ered to Greet Him. TO REACH SEATTLE TODAY Distinguished Spldlcr Is Met by Lien. tenant-Governor Dunsmulr and ' Band Plays Japanese National Anthem as the Party Lands. VICTORIA, B. C, May- 1. General Baron Kuroki. wearing a khaki uniform and the star of the Order of Fawlonia, accompanied by a representative of the party of Japanese military men, arrived here at 5 P. M. on board the steamer Aki Man on hia way to the Jamestown exhibition. The party will leave for Seat tle in the morning:, arriving at 2 P. M. to morrow. The party includes General Myoshi, commanding the fifth (Hiroshima) di vision. Major General Umezawa of the Imperial Guards, Colonel M. Ohta, of artillery. Major Yoshida, Captain Mar quis T. Salgo, Captain S. Tanaka. Pay master . Kobayashi, Lieutenant Colonel Nagayama, Surgeon Tamara and some petty officers without decoration other than the minute shoulder straps and stars. Several wore their decorations. A salute of 17 gun's was fired from Work Point fortifications as the steamer neared the dock where a guard of honor presented arms. Lieutenant-Governor Dunsmuir and members of the local gov ernment and delegations of visiting Jap anese from Seattle and other outlying places were on the wharf. When the steamer- 'docked the General And "party were formally welcomed, ad dresses presented, and the bond of the Fifth Regiment played the Japanese na tional anthem as the General and staff landed. The Japanese colony assemled en masse and a number of Japanese children with flowers attracted the General, who spoke to the little ones and then moved to the carriage of the Lieutenant-Governor, in which he was driven to the government buildings where "he was officially wel comed. Consul Hisamidzu of Seattle, who met IT WAS GENERA KUR0K1 GOMES the Gerenal here, had invitations from nearly every city through which the General and party will pass en route. FORTS STRONGEST IN" WORLD MacArthur Kays - Those on Pacific Coast Surpass Any lu the' World. SEATTLE, Wash.. May 1. Lieutenant-General Arthur MacArthur -made his last official visit today, when he Inspected Fort Lawton. A salute of 15 guns marked his arrival at the fort, where General- MacArthur - and - wife. Colonel Winn and Major Hart were re ceived by Colonel T. Cj Woodbury and staff. '. Forts Worden and Flagler were in spected yesterday, a lack of time pre cluding a visit to Fort Casey. "The United States has the strongest coast defenses of any country," Genr eral MacArthur said on his return from his Inspection. ""On the Pacific they are not adequately manned, but they are well located, and the equip ment Is of the best and kept in good condition." - General MacArthur is quoted as say ing that in his opinion universal peace Is still far distant. He discussed the recent peace conferences more as a subject for curiosity than practical movements. Cousin of the Mikado Corning. VICTORIA, B. C, May 1. Prince Fishimt, a distinguished Japanese statesman and soldier, a cousin of the Mikado, who is now on a special mis sion to London, will pass through Canada in the early part of June. The prince will arrive in Quebec on June 6, and sails from Vancouver for the Orient on June 10. MEET FATE IN COAL MINE Three Men Dead and Four Among the Missing. CHARLESTON, W. Va, May 1. Three men were killed, tour severely burned and four others entombed and are probably dead as a result of a mine disaster at the Whipple mines, in the Leah Creek district this afternoon. The dead men. whose bodies have been re covered are: Hudson Bergess, motorman; Erastus Wiley, a sprinkler; Ira Kelley, a driver. The men missing and supposed to be dead are: Robert Armstrong, Raleigh Tucker, Charles Bergess and William Wilton, a negro. The mine- where the explosion oc curred is a shaft 450 feet dap, belong ing, to. the Dlxson Interests, who also owned the Stuart mine, where an ex plosion occurred last January that killed 86 men. ' REDUCES NATIONAL GUARD California Militiamen Not I p to the Proper Standard. SACRAMENTO, Cal., May. 1. Sweep ing orders were issued by Adjutant General Lauck today whereby ten com panies of the California National Guard are mustered out of the service for "having fallen bRlow. the standard of efficiency" and the number of regi ments is reduced from five to three, each of 12 companies. GREAT TILL THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT DARROW REPLIES FOR RIS CLIENTS Says Roosevelt Poisons Public Mind. AGAINST FEDERATION CHIEFS Asks That Passions Be Cooled Pending Trial. PRISONERS WELL TREATED Pettibone. Comedian or Trio, Keeps Up Spirits They Boast of Amer ican "fjirth Gooding Denies That Martial Law Is Needed. BOISE, Idaho, May 1. Clarence Dar row, of counsel for Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone, of the Western Federa tion of Miners, charged with complic ity in the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg, tonight issued a formal statement in behalf of the prisoners. It was anticipated that the statement would be a direct reply to President Roosevelt's "undesirable citizens" let ter, but the statement is in reality a general one and the references to the President go to the former letters of the Executive. The statement follows: We have been charged with killing ex Governor Steunenberg with a dynamite bomb. Our trial is to begin on the 9th of this month. The (f.etalla of the assassination have been pub lished broadcast throughout the civilized world for more than a year. During all this time the press of the courrtry, and especially of that section of Idu.no where we will be placed on triai, has bitterly denounced us and the West ern Federation of Miners, to which we belong. The most powerful interest of the country are seeking to take our lives. Kidnapped on Perjured Evidence. We were not in Idaho for years before the crime was committed. Under the law we could not bfe extradited from Colorado. But, In spite of this, we were arrested on a perjured affidavit charging that we were In Idalio at the time of the commission of the crime and that we immediately fled from the state, and on this perjured affidavit, known to be false, the Governors of the States of Idaho and Tnlo rado kidnaped uft'tn the night time, refusing us an interview with family, frlendw or coun sel or a chance of appeal to the courts, and brought us on a special train a thousand miles from home and Into a state and community systematically poisoned against us by news papers and officials. We have been confined In jail for 14 month against our protest and denied ball, while con stantly demanding a trial. Every effort has been made to teach the farmers, business men and worklngjnen of the community that we are assassins and outlaws. "Venom of President."-' After all this time our case is about to be reached, and the President of the United States, In no way interested officially .or other wise, sends two letters broadcast over the country charging us with guilt and crime. These are republished n every paper in the land and especially In every paper of Idaho. The Governor of Colorado a day or two later add his words of spite to the venom of the President and says that we are not only guilty of the crime charged, but of many others, too. White the President of the United States and the Governor of Colorado are sending out their statement to compass our death, the Judge of this county has brought a citizen before him for contempt on the charge that he tried to influence the mind of a prospective juror by saying that "the state administration was trying to railroad us." On the appear ance of this man 1n court the Judge promptly told the state's attorney that he should have this obscure farmer indicated for felony be cause he tried to Influence the mind of a prospective Juror. The President knows how much greater weight wrll he given to his I ' (, v ' ' J N Zi I i Mrs. Yerkes-Mizner, Who Hues for f Divorce From Wilson Mizner. words tban those of an obscure private clti sen. If we are about to be tried in court, every law-abiding citizen, however great or humble, should do anything In his power to cool the passions of men. rather than add fuel to the flames. If we are to be thrown to the mob. the officers should at least open our pruon doors and give us some chance to defend our selves. Prisoners a Merry Trio. Barring: the pallor inseparable from confinement, Haywood, Moyer and Pet tlbone show no mark of the long: con finement, nor apparent trepidation at the dose approach of the trial, so high In consequence to them. They laughed at the story told by one of the'r coun sel when they received a correspond ent of the Associated Press this after noon, and the laughter went on until a discussion of the battle of capital and labor save gravity to the general conversation. Pettlbone, whom they used to call "Happy Hooligan" down In Denver, is the fun-maker of the trio. He was marked with native wit, and a droll, quaint manner of expressing himself, and, even when today he made sport of his own condition, it was impossible to refrain from laughing with him. Pettibone has taken up pyrography since his incarceration, and after the Introductions today he showed several samples of his handicraft. He has gone to the comic supplements foi- many of his models, and with rare fidelity has reproduced "Happy Hooli gan," "Maud" and the goat. "Mr. Darrow tells me these will be worth lots more after I'm hung," ha said, "but I'm not saving any of them To the query: "How have you been treated?" the three answered: "All right." "We have absolutely no com plaint," said Haywood. "No men were ever treated better under like circumstances," said Moyer. "The Sheriff and his men have all been very fine with us. We have ab solutely no complaint." At this point Mrs. Haywood was wheeled into the yard in an invalid's chair. She has long been an invalid and has not walked for years. Her youngest daughter, a bright child of 10 years, accompanied her. Federation Born in Cell. "This cell of ours is really the home of the Western Federation of Miners," said Pettibone a little later, "for it was in here back in 1892, after the trouble up in the Cour d'Alenes, that the federation was first proposed and discussed. Tou will remember that they arrested a lot of our men In 1S92 and held up until the Supreme Court decided, in 1893, that we were illegal ly In custody. While we lay In here in this cell we planned the federation. This is indeed a historic place for the old federation." "You who have not been in the Coeur d'Alenes and underground there know nothing of the frightful a-ndi-tions that prevailed," went on Petti bone. "We were wretchedly housed and miserably fed. A company store supplied things at outrageous prices, a company doctor was supposed to look after us, and we were puid in scrip, If there was ever anything coming to us when the company got through. I've seen a company surgeon refuse to go 'to the home of a dying miner. Now what are men to do? Is there any thing too mean to do to men who grind down their laborers under such circum stances?" "Down in Colorado," said Moyer, "it was the company store for everything, an enforced assessment for a company doctor in whose choice we had . no voice: and pay in scrip." Xot Foreign-Born Agitators. Pettibone produced a copy of his reply to a letter from a San Francisco woman which discussed , the question of the extent to which the foreign ele ment in labor had created dissension. In which he said: "As to this question. I'd like to say that I am a descendant of John Petti- Concluded on Page 2.) PRIZE-RING SAGE FULL OF Sullivan's Views on Love and Marriage. WOES OF NIISMATEQ COUPLES Life With Them a Constant Scrap, London Rules. LOVE MEANS SACRIFICE But Kx-t'lianiploii's Motto Is "Marry and Have Lots of Children." Feels lce Sympathy for Mrs. Evelyn Thaw, NEW YORK. May 1. (Special.) "No.' said John U Sullivan, decidedly, "I'm not sore on marriage. It's a good thing if you take it the right way. But I'm not going to get married again just now. And no widows for mine." "The champion of champions" paused a moment, furrowed his grizzled brow and then added, ambiguously: 'Money ain't everything. It can't buy everything. It can't buy brains; now, can it?" Thus spoke the former champion today in his dressing-room at the theater, when asked about the report that he was en gaged to marry a widow, who had prom ised to give him her hand if he abstained from drink for two years. Mlsmated Coo pies and Divorce. "The trouble with marriage Is this: Lots of people get married that ain't mated: then, of course. It's a scrap for life, London rules, no rounds without a knockout, and light to a finish if It takes all your life. "Divorce makes it a limited go, with the judge for a referee, I don't know that that's any better. I never got a divorce while my parents were alive, because they were Catholics and did not believe in it. I'm a Catholic myslf. I don't know that that's any better." "What Is your idea of love?" he was asked. "Iove," said John L.. solemnly, "means sacrifice. That's what it means. If a man loves a woman, he's willing to die for her. Lots of people talk about love that don't know what it Is." Never Knocked Out by Cupid. "And have you ever loved that way?" "No," disclaimed the big man, prompt ly. "I've never been In love. I've liked several women pretty well, but I've never felt what I call love for any one but my mother and sister. My time may coma yet. That little fellow the poetry fellows call Cupid has knocked out better men than I am and he's only a bantam-weight at that. If a man is getting H5 to J18 a week and has J1000 laid by, he should marry before he's 25. Marry and have) lots of children; though, of course, that's with the Lord. Some women have three, some have none. My sister has eight living," he added, proudly. After this indorsement of Mr. Roose velt's dictum, John- L. took up the sub ject of woman suffrage, on -which, It ap pears, he has most decided views. Hot About Woman Suffrage. "This rot about woman suffrage has ru ined lots of marriages," he declared. L"Ifs all buncombe, and It's spoiled the happiness of many young girls. I m not opposed to women's clubs," concluded the champion, as though realizing that he had struck the advancement of women too hard a blow. "But a woman shouldn't neglect her home for her clubs, and I be lieve In women working for a living If they want to work, even after they are married, provided they want to and have no children. t "Women don't want to see too' much of the world, though," he cautioned. "There's too much that's bad going on in It. Look at that Thaw trial. Things like that are going on all the time in a big town. I tell you. I feel sorry for that little woman. She ' didn't get a fair chance." JOhn L. had grown very solemn again. "Virtue is everything to a woman," he said. "The moment she loses It, It's to the tall timber for her." NEW THEATER IN PORTLAND CALV1X HF.IL1G SEKKIXG CAP ITAL IX SOUTH. Los Angeles Syndicate Heady to BacK Enterprise and Manager Says Playhouse Is Assured. LOS ANGELES, May 1. (Special.) Calvin Helllg, president of the North western Theatrical Association with head quarters in Portland, is In Los Angeles for the purpose of interesting a number of capitalists In the erection of a mag nificent new theater in Portland. Another purpose of his visit was to look over the ground with a view to possibly establishing a house of his own here. He said tonight that In the matter of the proposed Portland theater he has suc ceeded beyond his greatest expectations and that the new playhouse is practically assured. He would not say who are to back the venture, but it is known that a syndicate here ht offered him Btrong financial backing, mm FPU i o3.or