VOL,. XL.VIII XO. 14,812.
-PORTLAND, OREGON, ..WEDNESDAY," MAY 20, .1908.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
TRIED TO SECURE
PIATT'S LETTERS
WAITING TO DIE
OF HYDROPHOBIA
AGREES TO SOUND
RIGHT KEYNOTE
REPRESENTATIVE
- OF ENTIRE WORLD
PRAYER AND ARSON
STRANGELY MIXED
N1GHTRIDERS BURN TOBACCO
BARS RELIGIOUSLY.
T
SAVES DISGRACE
RULE GLEVELAND
RICH MAX CALMLY PREPARES
FOR ETERNITY.
BVRROWS SEKS TAFT AND KE
- MOVES OBJECTIONS.
DOUBLE
TRAGEDY
RAH
MOBS
Miller'sCharge Against
Loeb and Wynne." '
MADE AT MAE WOOD'S REQUEST
Tells of Conspiracy to Force
Her to Surrender.
PLATT FULLY INFORMED
Ex-Consul's Attack on Consul-Gen-eral
and President's Secretary
Brought Out Ietters to Hold
Over Piatt's Head.
NEW YORK, May IS. That high Gov
ernment officials at Washington tried to
obtain possession of love letters written
by Senator Thomas C. Piatt to Miss Mao
C. Wood was stated in the testimony In
today's trial of Miss Wood's suit for
divorce from the aged Senatpr. The
court denied a motion of counsel for
Mr. Plaft to dismiss the complaint. The
statement bears the authority of J. Mar
tin Miller and Miss Wood, who said she
did not see the signature affixed, but
was assured by Mr. Miller that it was
genuine.
The statement was prepared at her
request, she testified. It declared that
Miller was asked by "high Government
officials" in Washington and New York to
get possession of Mr. Piatt's love letters,
that the papers were not to be given to
Mr. Piatt, but were to be turned over
. to "Mr. Loeb at Washington," and that,
i when the plan to get possession of the
original papers "failed, a scandal was
' begun In the newspapers to force Miss
Wood to come to terms,
Wynne "Started Ball Kolling.
"Wynne, First Assistant Postmaster
General, started the ball rolling by get
ting a New York newspaper to print the
article as it first appeared," says tha
statement, which concludes:
"I was gotten into the conspiracy by
powerful officials whom I. dared not dis
please from a newspaper or political
standpoint. I consulted Mr. Howe, Sen
ator riatfs secretary, frequently, and
acted at all times under the direction
of Loeb and Piatt."
Bx-Postmaster-General Robert Wynne
Is the present American Consul-General
to London. J. Martin Miller, a former
newspaper man, recently was American
Consul at Rheims. France.
"Did Miller every say anything to you
about the letters?" asked the examining
attorney of Miss Wood, who had been
on the witness stand in her own behalf
since early yesterday.
"Tes," she replied, "he said that if
he got the letters the Platts would never
get them."
"What was he going to do with them?"
"Hold them over Piatt's head, I be
lieve," she answered.
Miller's Story of Conspiracy.
The statement purporting to have been
signed by Miller bears date of October
15, 1903. It reads:
1 was asked by hiirh Government officials
in XVsahlnKton and New York to got posses
sion of Senator Piatt's love letters to Mas
t Wood. In order to do this. I had to
pretend I would ret out a book, for which
the gave me the manuscript on October 8.
llo3. It was agreed by all parties inter
ested that 1 was to get her to New York
and set the papers out of her room. Mr.
l.oeb railed up Ptatt In New York and told
him Miss Wood was suing him for breach
of promise. Then Piatt said he would be
a party to the srheme. I failed to get pos
session of any original documents or letters.
We then beican the scandal In the newspa
pers to force her to come to terms.
Wynne. First Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
Continued on Page T
This photograph was taken at
llic National resources of the country.
Fairbanks, Justices Harlan, Brewer,
i fl if If f fl V 'rf 1
Knowing End Must, Come Within
Three Days, V. H. Marsh Ar- '
- . ranges Earthly Affairs. I .
NEW YORK, May 19. (Special.) Will
lam H. Marsh, a wealthy manufacturer of
witter meters, whose residence at 74 Ocean
avenue is one of the handsomest in "the
Flatbush section, has hydrophobia. He
knows it, too. ' -'
- Mr. Marsh bolieves he is going to die
within the next thee days, and he Is now.
in his home quietly arranging his busi
ness affairs so that, when the end comes,
everything will be In shape.
Admitting that he would rather die in
some other way, having studied medicine
sufficiently, to know the horrors of death
from such a disease, Mr. Marsh says,
however, that, as he must end his early
career in this way, he can face it and
do so calmly.
Mr. Marsh waited too long before he ap
plied to the Pasteur Institute for treatment.
WOULD WHIP ALL INTO LINE
Word From Roosevelt Means Pas
sage of Anti-Betting Bills.
ALBANY. N. Y., May 19. Much in
terest was shown here in a statement
of Senator Agnews, of New York, that
one of his constituents had talked re
cently with President Roosevelt and
represented the latter as expressing
himself in favor of. the passage of the
much-discussed bills for the abolition
of legal protection of public gambling
at race tracks in this city.
None of the Republican leaders would
talk about the matter, but the gen
eral feeling was that any authenti
cated expression of the President In
favor of the bills would Insure for the
anti-gambling bills practioally a party
vote.
PRESIDENT NOT TO INTERFERE
Says He Keeps Out of Alltate Leg
islation as Policy.
WASHINGTON, May 19. That Presi
dent Roosevelt has authorised no one to
speak for him regarding the antigambling
legislation pending at Albany was the
only comment obtainable at the Whlta
House regarding the report from Albany
that the President has privately ex
pressed himself on that Subject. Presi
dent Roosevelt's policy. It was stated,
has- universally been to Interfere in no
way whatever in state legislation, and it
was added that he baa made no excep
tion to' that policy in the present in
stance. . ,
ALL CHILDREN SERGEANTS
Police Inspector Appoints Pupils to
Report Misconduct of Force. ' '
NEW TORK, May 19. Inspector
Miles O'Reilly has appointed all the
pupils of public school No. 52 in East
New York police sergeants. He has
asked them to watch the patrolmen
and report any misconduct. The other
day Mr. O'Reilly dropped into the
school and explained hla plan.
"I want the co-operation of you
children to increase the discipline of
my men," he said.
EXPEDITE THE DECISION
Mrs. George Gould Arrives in Paris
for Conference.
PARIS, May 19. Mrs. George J. Gould
and her children arrived here today from
New York. Her presence in Parts is
expected to expedite a decision on the
question as to whether any opposition on
the part of the executors, to the mar
riage of Madame Anna Gould to Prince
Helie de Sagan, will be withdrawn.
PRESIDKNT,'
the front door of the White House. It
In the front row reading from left to
White, McKenua. Moimee, Day, Moody.
Son Shoots Father and
-Then Himself.
DISLIKES SECOND MARRIAGE
George E. Sterry About to Wed
Young Lady. '
LEAVES AN OPEN LETTER
George K. Sterry, Jr., Says ' He Is
Sure God Has Told Him to Do
This Act In Rambling Kplstle.
Both Prominent in Business.
NEW YORK. May 19. A family es
strangement which had driven one of
the members to Insanity, culminated to
day in the murder of George E. Sterry, a
millionaire drug exporter, by his son,
George E. Sterry, Jr., and the suicide
of the latter. The elder Sterry' was shot
down at the Pine-street office of Weaver
& Sterry, Limited, where he had been
closeted for a few moments with the
murderer. The son immediately after
ward shot himself and both men were
dead when others of the firm hurried into
the room.
The' determination of the father to re
marry led to the tragedy. A letter left
by the son made plain that his acts were
deliberate and the result of a deranged
mind.
The senior Sterry was 72 years eld and
in addition to his drug interests was
president of the Bloomfleld . Mills Com
pany and a director In the Spring Coal
Company. He was socially prominent
and active in religious affairs.
Was About to Remarry.
George E. Sterry, Jr., was 40 years old
and with his wife lived at the Manhattan
Square Hotel. His wife had known of the
unpleasantness in the. Sterry family but
had received no intimation that her hus
band's mind had become unbalanced as a
consequence. ; ' ' ' '
The murdered man' was president of the
firm of Weaver & Sterry, the murderer
was its secretary, while "William DeWitt
Sterry, a second son, is the treasurer.
John W. and James W.. also sons of the
elder man, are directors. Mr. Sterry's
wife died four years ago, and last Janu
ary he announced his intention of mar
rying Miss Rachel Blatkie, a public
school teacher of East 'Orange, N. J.
The sons disapproved of the proposed
alliance but were unable' to influence
their father against It. '
George Sterry, Jr., today went to his
place of business as usual, and passing
through the office of his brother, ad
dressed him. casually anu then entered
his father's private room. Perhaps five
minutes' later the reports of a revolver
twice discharged attracted others to the
private office.
Both Dead When Found.
The body of the elder Sterry sat up
right in the chair before his desk, wfth
blood trickling down the face from a
bullet hole in the right temple. Stretched
out in a chair near his father's desk was
the lifeless form of the son. He had
been killed by a bullet over the right
ear. His right hand clasped a revolver.
A letter in the pocket of the son read
as follows:
To Whom It May Concern: The Coroner
first, I presume. I took a solemn oath to
myelf that my father would never dis
grace the memory of my -sainted mother.
There is not a bit of selfishness in me. Had
my father engaged himself to a lady of ma
ture age I would most certainly bid him
good luck, and trust he would live forever.
I certainly always desired a long and happy
(Concluded on Page a.)
VICE-PRESIDEST AND CO VER.XOIIS. MOST NOTABLES GRO TP" OK UNITED STATES. PUBLIC MEN EVER PHOTOGRAPHED.
shows the President. Vice-President, I:.land "Waterways Commission, Cabinet officers, members of Supreme Court, and was taken on the opening day of the convention called to discuss the conservation of
right are Governor Harris, of Ohio; Governor Hiighes. ot New York; Governor - Davidson, of Wisconsin; Andrew Carnegie, W. J. Bryan, Jamts J. Hill. John Mitchell, President Roosevelt, Vice-President
Secretary of Treasury Corteiyou, and. Attorney -aeactal Bonaparte. ' ...
Opening Speech of Republican Con
vention . to- Be Satisfactory to
' ' . Conceded Nominee. - :
WASHINGTON, "May . 19.-(Speclal.)-Gradually
' the excitement caused by the
unexpected selection of Senator Burrows,
of. .Michigan,, to be temporary chairman
of .the. Republican National . Convention,
is subsiding: ' ; ' , . '-''
-Mr.-Burrows has had a conference with
Secretary ' Taf t, conceded to be the nom
inee of the convention for' President,-and
it is understood the National committee's
designated, ch9l.ee. for. .temporary presid
ing officer will deliver a 'keynote" in
V -
1
M
t)
Senator C. A. Culberaon, of
Texan. Whom Bryan Will Sup
port for Democratic Nomina
tion If He Cannot (jet It.
full sympathy with his environment and
of a character satisfactory to the pros
pective nominee and the Roosevelt ad
ministration as a whole.
MEET AFTER MANY YEARS
Portland Woman, Kidnaped by
Father, Reunited to Mother.
--- v -v - , ... , -
HELENA, fM'ont, May 19. A special to
the Record from Dillon says that after
18 years mother and daughter In the
persons of Mrs. Jacob Hartwig' and Mrs.
Charles Jellison, the latter a resident
of Portland, Or., have been reunited in
that city. The daughter had been placed
In a - convent at Deer Lodge, and was
kidnaped by the father, who spent years
in traveling, visiting nearly every state
in the Union, but the mother could never
catch them.-
Ftnally the child was placed In a hos
pital at Beloit, Wis., where she became
a sister. Later she removed to Portland,
where she met and married Mr. Jellison
last year. Mother and daughter finally
located each other's whereabouts and
their reunion occurred yesterday. . Fur
ther details they decline to disclose.
CURRENCY BILLS ARE DEAD
Deadlock in Conference Delays Ac
' tlon for This Session. ,
WASHINGTON. May-M That -there
will be no.' ciiffenVy legislation at this
session .of .Congress is now believed by
many members to be almost a certainty.
The conferees "on the' Senate and House
bills have held several sessions in an
effort to work out something under -the
head of the "Aldrieh-Vreeland bill,' but
they are' said almost to have abandoned
hope. -
The Senate . committee on finance has
submitted an argument for -bankers and
commercial interests against the Vree
land bill: The opposition has been based
chiefly on the charge that. It proposes
an asset currency through clearing
houses being permitted to issue notes.
Methodist! Conference
Cosmopolitan.
GREAT ENTHUSIASM SPREAD
Question of Temperance Thor
oughly Arouses Body.
RESOLUTION TO CONGRESS
Committee of C4 Bishops Visits
Speaker Cannon With Memorial
' Favoring Passage of Iittlefield
Bill Conference Sidelights.
By Daniel L. Rader, Editor Pacific
Christian Advocate.
BALTIMORE, Md., May 13. (Special
Correspondence). Any great repre
sentative legislative body is of espe
cial interest to those who belong to
the . organization which it represents.
When such a body has to do with mat
ters which are of general interest, it
becomes interesting and important to
all those who are interested in the
public good.
The general conference of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church is such a body
as this. - Its representatives are from
every land and clime, and belong to
almost every nationality in the world.
Here are men and women from Corea,
China, the Philippines, India, Africa,
from all parts of Europe, from South
America and from' all parts of the
United States. ' These people are of all
conditions of intelligence and social
refinement; they are Coreans, Chinese,
Hindoos, Africans, of all grades of
color. Among the representatives are
three Governors, H. A. Buchtel, of Col
orado; J. Frank Hanley, of Indiana;
and Edward W. Hoch, of Kansas. 'With
them may be classed United States
Senator Jonathan P. Dolllver. These
re among the most conspicuous mem
bers of the body, representing the lay
men. They, secure recognition from
the chairman readily, and are frequent
ly upon the platform. There are 574
members, half of whom' are ministers,
and the other half laymen, repre
senting 123 conferences.
' The bishops sit upon the platform,
which seems exceedingly vacant, since
the greatest men among their number
have died since the last session of the
general-, conference." The absence of
Bishops Andrews, Merrill, Fowler, Fltz
geralS, Joyce and McCabe very greatly
weakens the body. The others look
very old, as the death of their col
leagues has given them extra work
and brought upon them very greatly
Increased burdens. Some charges of
mal-adminlstration not of a serious
character have been brought against
these men by the .chronic accuser of
the brethren, Rev. A. C. Cook, of the
Troy conference. This is the man who
has been railing -at such men as Dr.
J. M. Buckley and James R. Day, and
who is now invading the tallest tim
ber. He seems to have a grievance
against Bishops McDowell and Moore,
charging not that they have been guilty
of any immorality, but of unwholesome
and illegal decisions.
The case of the Rev. Bishop M. C.
Harris, who was elected at the last
general conference bishop of Japan
and Corea, presents some very griev
ous problems which will tax the in
genuity and the most extensive re
sources of the most astute legal minds
in the church.
About a year ago all the members
Continued on Page T.
Force Young Conple to Attend Serv
ice, Singing Hymn as Flame :
Leap High.
...LACENTER, Ky., May 19. Kneeling
on the ground in the moonlight, with
their heads bowed, while the leader,
his masked face turned toward heaven,
offered prayer, a band of night riders
last night destroyed the big tobacco
barn of H. D. Maddox, not far from
this place. .
The-' spectacle was witnessed by a
young couple who " were returning
from a party and who were captured
by the riders and forced to accom
pany them to the prayer meeting and
barn-burning. After the flames were
under headway the young people were
Instructed to go home, and, as they
left, the raiders were singing "Nearer,
My God, to Thee."
BOYCOTT CROSSES OCEAN
Chinese Refuse to Sail From San
Francisco on Japanese Steamer.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 19. The Chi
nese boycott of Japanese, growing out of
the seizure of the Tatsu Maru, has ex
tended to this city. Twenty Chinese ci
gar merchants, who had planned to return
to theif homes In China today, refused
to take passage on the Japanese liner
America Maru, but said they would wait
a week until the Siberia leaves.
Lieutenant .Accused of Frand.
CHICAGO, May 19. John Hamilton,
who claimed to have been a Lieutenant
of Infantry In the United States Army,
was arrested here today on the charge
of obtaining money by false pretenses.
He is wanted by the police of Cincinnati,
where he is said to have obtained money
from various people by means of ad
vertisements inserted in the newspapers.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
YESTERDAY? Maximum temperature, 62
degrees; minimum, 4ti degrees.
TODAY'S Probably showers; southwest
. winds.
Domestic.
Nijrht riders play and aing hymn while
burning barn. Page S.
Federal grand jury begins investigation ot
New York Cotton Exchange. Page 2.
Exciting scenes in great Methodist Confer
ence. Page 1.
Wealthy New Yorker calmly awaits death
from hydrophobia. Page 1.
tiHer siory oX conspiracy with Toeh and
Wynne to get Piatt's letters produced in
court. Page 1.
Furious rioting in Cleveland Mrike. Page 1.
Conclusive- proof of Bella Gunness's death
Page 3.
- roil tic.
Bryan will support Culberson if he cannot
get nomination. Page 1.
Gavin McNab abHirste- as boss of California
Democracy. Page 5.
Burrows agrees with Taft to sound right
keynote at Chicago convention. Page 1.
Bryan says Alabama primaries were victors'
over trusts. Paje 2,
- National.
Director North defends census figures on
paper prices against Bidder's attacks.
Page 2. .
' Pacific Coat.
Astoria expects 10.000 visitors to se- fleet
today. Page 3.
Defense in Hembree murder trial severely
cross-examines all witnesses. Pago 6.
Oregon Oddfellows In session at Salem.
Page 6-
Closing arguments in Ruef trial. Pag 2.
Cannon explodes while firing salute to fleet
and kills one man and injures four per
sons. Page 7.
Sports.
President Ewing discusses extension of Coast
League. Page 4.
Commercial and Marine.
Eastern Oregon wool prices likely to open
low. Page 15.
Good gain in wheat prices at Chicago.
Page IS.
Stocks reach record values on present move
ment. Page 15.
French bark Bretagne ' clears for Europe
with a mixed cargo of wheat and barley.
Page 14.
Portland and Vicinity.
Episcopal conference committee's session
ends. Page 14.
Health Board prosecutes citizens failing to
report smallpox cases. Page 7.
Suitter'B lawyer makes sensational opening
statement in murder trial. Page 30.
Oregon Eastern will be extended to Cali
fornia line. Page 10.
Emma Goldman will not speak In Y. M, C.
A. chapel. Page 11.
Republican County Central Committee
meets. Page 2.
Shoot Down Carmen
- and Burn Cars.
GIRL KILLED; MOB WOULD LYNCH
Spectators Eager for Venge
ance on Conductor.
FIGHT BATTLE WITH POLICE
Head Severed From Body by Non
union Mntornian, Who Flees.
Strikers More for Referendum
to Forfeit Franchise.
CLEVELAND. O.. May 19. The most
serious violence of the streetcar strike,
which has been on here since Sunday, oc
curred in Lakewood, a suburb, tonight
when four men were wounded with bul
lets, one car burned and another par
tially t wrecked.
Trouble , had been anticipated, and tha
first car to Clinton carried no passen
gers. When It stopped before a railway
bridge, a crowd which had been lying in
wait, leaped from hiding places and
opened fire on the crew and guards.
Guards W. G. Barnes and John Swanto
returned the Are, more than 30 shots
being exchanged.
Gasoline Poured on Car.
While the shooting was In progress tha
crowd grew to nearly a thousand. An
other car arrived and Its crew joined in
the fight. Gasoline was poured on the
second car and' it was burned to the
trucks. The Cleveland police were
notified and 60 officers were sent to the
rescue. The first car, riddled with bul
lets and- windows broken, proceeded to
the barn.
P. C-J lilsliolz, motorman, was shot in
the lee. John Gray knd J. Alexander,
guards n -the second, .car, were shot In
the chest and Mace Burlingame, who was
in the crowd which made the attack,
was shot in the hand. All were taken
to a hospital, where they were reported
to be seriously wounded.
Girl Killed, Mob Furious.
An earner disturbance occurred in
the downtown district, when Yatta
Wolkinson, a little girl, was killed by
a car while attempting; to cross the
street. As soon as ho realized what
had occurred the motorman .speeded
the car several blocks ahead, where
the police were notified. The conduc
tor tnen left the car and sought ref
uge in a nearby drug store. A crowd
attempted to reach him, while others
attempted to catch .the fleeing car.
The police arrived just in time to save
the conductor, at .whom the mob was .
yelling "Lynch him, lynch him." The
girl's head had been severed from her
body. By mistake two morgue keepers
had, been called and when their dead
wagons arrived one took the girl's head
and the other her body. The frantio
parents of the girl, excitedly trying to
obtain possession of the severed parts
of the body, inflamed the mob spirit
and more serious trouble was narrow
ly averted by the police.
Still Trying to Arbitrate.
The state arbitrators took up the task
of endeavoring to effect a reconciliation
between tlie strikers and the Municipal
Traction Company early tonight and re
mained in session several hours.
While the car service was slightly im
proved today the general situation ap
peared so serious tonight that possibility
Continued on Page 15.
FH 1 04.0