Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (July 30, 1915)
.4 jJ VOL. LV XO. 17;0G1. PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY. JLL.Y SO, 1915. PRICK FIVK CENTS. LAST EFFORTS TO SAVE BECKER FAIL Execution Hour Is Set for 5:40 A. M. PRISONER ISSUES STATEMENT Governor Bitterly Accused Spreading Calumnies. of NERVE IS KEPT TO LAST Ex-Police Lieutenant Shows No Sign of Fear as End Approaches and Asks to Die Before Ne gro Is Electrocuted. OSSINING. N. T., July 29. The last hope of ex-Police Lieutenant Charles Becker, twice convicted of instigating the murder of Herman Rosenthal, gam bler, died when he was told early in the evening that his wife had failed to move Governor Whitman to com mute his sentence to life Imprison ment. This Mrs. Becker asked of the Governor at the conference which she had with him at Poughkeepsie. Falling in her mission she started forth in her automobile to break the news to her husband, but it had al ready reached him. Becker Assails Whitman. Becker, it was said, had not expected clemency. Almost at the moment the news was received, the prisoner gave out a letter he had written to Gov ernor Whitman, in which he attacked the executive for having, be said, given to the newspapers statements which cast a "foul aspersion on my character, and for which he demanded a retrac tion." In this letter Becker reiterated bis Innocence. "To these charges and to all others, I answer," the letter read, "by repeat ing solemnly, on the brink of the world to which you are sending me, before my time, what was my constant answer while in the world: I am as innocent as you of having murdered Herman Rosenthal, or of having counseled. procured or aided his murder, or having any knowledge of that dreadful crime.'- Accusations Are Denied. The alleged statements which Becker referred to as being credited to the Gov ernor were that he had offered to plead guilty of murder in the second degree; that quoting from Becker's let ter, he "had offered to give testimony against several persona (whose names are undisclosed) of having shared with me in collecting money from law breakers," that he had sent counsel to two men arrested for complicity in the Rosenthal murder and that Tvith a cruelty almost inconceivable, it i stated that my first wife died under circumstances warranting suspicion that I had caused her death.". Becker explained the death of his first wife by declaring .liat she died or nasty consumption, ana that no breath of suspicion had ever -een raised against him in that connection. Life "Surrendered Without Rancor." "Mark well, sir, these words of mine," the letter concluded. "When your power passes, then the truth of Rosenthal's murder will become known. But not while your nominees remain District Attyrneys and can hold the club over these persons. "With the aid of judges who were misled into misconceiving the testi mony offered in my trial and ii to mis stating it both to the jury and on ap peal, you have proved yourself able to destroy my life. But, believe me I will surrender it without rancor. Not the judges in this state, nor in this country, nor the Governor o- this state, nor the District Attorney, nor all of them combined, can destroy per manently the character of an innocent man." Prlnonrr Sleeps Well. The letter was mailed to Governor "Whitman tonight. Becker had spen ncarlv t)iA XL- Vi n 1 ( ilo v In Vila foil rrt paring it. The statements which elicited it appeared in copies of the I morning papers which were sent to his I cell shortly after he arose at 6 A. M (to spend what were to be the last 24 hours of his life. He had the night ibefore received the news that his ap plication for a new trial had been de Inied by Supreme Court Justice Ford in IXew York, but he had slept well never ftheless. He ate his usual morning meal. Then Ine was taken to tne prison DarDer lor the usual hair clipping which is given o prisoners who are to go to the elec trie chair. After a bath his clothes were changed for the "death suit" o black, and he was taken back to hi cell. He found that all his personal belongings had been removed. Becker, however, obtained paper and began the preparation of his statemen finishing the first draft about noon Meantime his attorneys. W. Bourk Cochran and Martin T. Manton. were vummoned from New York. They wen o the cell and read the statement. Neither would discuss its contents bu it was understood that Becker subse luently modified the original draft. Statement Mot "Legal Matter." "All I can say is that the statement s not legal matter," Mr. Cochran said. Father James Curry, of New York, ho has been Becker's spiritual ad- Iser ever since his first conviction, Concluded on Face Column 20 ARIZONA JUDGE STAYS HANGINGS OWN OIIDER REVERSED TO AL LOW APPEAL- TO MEXICAN'S. Habeas Corpus Writ First Denied, Then Case Is Reopened Tech nical Points Raised. PHOENIX. Ariz., July 29. Vacating his own court order made earlier in the day. Judge McAllister, of the Su perior Court, granted tonight an appeal to the State Supreme Court in the cases of four Mexicans sentenced to be hanged at Florence penitentiary tomor row. An appeal previously had been taken in behalf of the fifth condemned Mexican. Judge McAllister reopened the cases tonight after it was shown that his previous decision in denying writs of habeas corpus prevented an appeal that would act as a stay of execution. The appeal will be considered by the State Supreme Court at its session here next September. Attorneys for the anti-capital punish ment adherents based their applica tion for writs of habeas corpus on echnical defects in the death warrants of the prisoners. After vacating his earlier order. judge McAllister denied a motion to ischarge the prisoners from custody. The appeal then was based on this action of the court. SIRE, 100, SURVIVES SON, 70 Michael Damplioffcr. Jr.. Passes Away at Vancouver Home. VANCOUVER. Wash, July 29. (Spe cial.) Michael Damphoffer, Jr.. 70 years old, son of Michael Damphoffer, Sr.. 100 years old. died today at hii home. Thirteenth and Reserve streets. wnere ne naa lived lor many years past. Michael Damphoffer, Sr.. who round ed out a century on this earth last January, is being taken care of at the Blanchet Home for the Aged. here. He had lived with his son until a short time ago. Mr. Damphoffer, Jr.. was a Grand Army veteran, and fought In the First Oregon Volunteers, shoulder to shoul der with his father. GERMANS FINE BRUSSELS Penalty Declared Duo to Destruc tion of Zeppelin. PARIS, July ' 29. Another fine of 1,000.000 has been Imposed on the City of Brussels by the German authorities n consequence of the destruction of Zeppelin dirigible balloon at Evere by aviators of the allies, according to the correspondent at Havre of the Petit Parisien. A dispatch from Amsterdam June 24 said that British airmen had attacked the Zeppelin shed at Evere, north of Brussels, and had set fire to the build ing. BIG SPOT FOUND ON SUN Object Is Six Times as Large as Earth In Diameter. ST LOUIS, July 29. A spot, six times the diameter of the earth, was observed on the sun today by astronomers at Christian Brothers' College. The spot appeared on the edge of the disk today and will be visible until August 10. It first appeared last Feb ruary and now is on its seventh ro tation with the Bun. ! I V' "1 '' 1 v .v V i A O a : i i--) J J '''-:' XJs iSr-';: . j ".-;y 22 e-TcT wY S.fsJ S fife cqL -vv 'CAV ' -r-?y ymcJ EVACUATION OF ALL POLAND PROBABLE Petrograd Gives Hint of General Retreat TIME TO EQUIP ARMY NEEDED Kaiser and Wife Expected to Enter Warsaw in State. EMPRESS NOW IN RUSSIA Czar's Forces Are Likely to Strip Country of Resources, Withdraw, Reorganize and Return to Drive Austro-Gcrmans Out. LONDON. July 29. The probable evacuation of Warsaw and the whole Polish salient by the Russians is indi cated in dispatches received from Pet rograd today. This decision would come as a sur prise to all outside the inner councils of the Russian general staff, as the re sistance which the Russians have been offering, apparently with considerable success, to the German efforts to en circle the city were believed to be evi dence of Grand Duke Nicholas" inten tion to fight it out with Germany. Battle to Be Avoided. It is pointed out, however, by the Russian military critics, after conver sations with competent military au thorities, that until the army is prop erly equipped to oppose the perfect Austro-German machine, the sensible thing to do would be to avoid battle and withdraw until the armies are organized and equipped and in a con dition to take an aggressive offensive and drive the enemy from Russian soil. Politics, rather than strategy, de cided the Russians' advance into East Prussia and Galicia. It Is explained by the critics. While In doing so they ren dered great service to the western al lies and Inflicted heavy losses on both Austrians and Germans, they may now give up all and more than they gained. Country to Be Stripped. It Is believed by the Petrograd papers that the whole country, if evacuated, will be denuded of resources which might prove valuable to the Ger mans, as has been done In most of the territory heretofore given up. The capture of Warsaw naturally would be made the occasion for great celebrations in Germany, and it is re ported that Emperor William has ar ranged to make a state entry into the city, accompanied by the Empress. The Empress has been on a visit to Field Marshal von Hindenburg's headquar ters at Allenstein. East Prussia, and left yesterday with the Crown Princess Cecile for Niedenburg, which is across the Polish border. In the meantime fighting of the greatest intensity continues around the Polish triangle, and as Berlin asserts no important success, except the re pulse of Russian attacks, it is pre sumed that the Russians are holding off the Austro-Germans. UNITED STATES ATTORNEY AND TWO OF GOVERNMENT'S STAR WITNESSES INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. TEPTKRDA Y'S Maximum temperature. 70 degrees; minimum, U decrees. TODAY'S Unsettled; probably shower; westerly minds. Foreign. American marines restore order In HalU. l'age 3. War. British arrest German with cleverly forged American passport. pi 3. Russia hints at evacuation of all Poland to await equipment. Page 1. Use of shells in mar declared prodigal. Page 3. Majority of Spaniards pro-allies, but nation wants to avoid war. Page 1. Mexico. Lansing makes demand on Mexican Generals that, food b permitted to reach starving people. Page 1. Peace prospects Improve. Pago 4. National. Britain defends rlicht to maintain strict blockade. I'ago . Itomentlc. Ex-Police Lieutenant Becker to die at 5.40 A. id. i-age 1. Study of vocational art urged. Paga 2. Two Federal Inquiries begun in Eastland case. Page A. Arizona Judge delays execution of tour Mex icans, set lor today. I'age 1. Mrs. Becker's plea for husband's life is futile. Page 2. Sports. L K. Kichardson not likely to be able to defend tennis title. Page 10. Phillies win and Increase lead In National League. Pag 10. Pacific rot League results: Vernon 6. Portland 4 (11 innings); Los Angeles ft. Salt Lake 0; San Francisco -3. Oakland 2- lag 11. Pacific Northwest. Public Service CommlHlon orders reduction In eastern Oregon lighting rates, t'age A. Ministers conference at Eugene names com mission on church unification in small towns. I'age u. Commercial mad Marine. English buyers offer higher prices for new ana ou nops. fag l.,. Clearing weather causes sharp drop In Chi cago wneat market, i'age ij. war stocks break after reaching record quotations. Pag 13. Tariff to prevent unfair storage use of city oocks being sought. Page 12. Portland and Vicinity. Weather report, data and forecast. Pag 15. Xodce attorney In timber fraud trial charges iramea cruise- msae. page 12. Mr. and Mrs. William Jennings Bryan du in Portland today. page v. Japanese forestry official to study North' west woods. Page 7. Government expects to close Cashier pros cutlon tomorrow noon. Page 1. College graduate arrested for selling ziancee s ring, page 4. Films of Orecon industries soon may b snown. visitor promises. Page tl. GERMAN TRADE FALLS OFF American Imports Drop From $14,- 99-1.585 to $1,153,257 in Year, WASHINGTON. July 29. The effect of the war on the trade of this country with Germany is clearly shown in I statement of the declared value of ex ports to the United States through tb ports of Hamburg, Kiel and Luebeck during the first six months of this year, made public by the Department of Commerce. During the first six months of 1914 these ports sent to the United States goods valued at J14. 991.585. This year. In the same period, the shipments amounted to $1,153,257. OLD INDIAN SPEAR FOUND Forest Guards Find llellc of Early Days on MeKenile River. EUGENE, Or.. July ' 29. (Special.) An Indian spear, estimated to be from 50' to 100 years old, was found this week by forest service guards on the McKenzle River. 60 miles east of here. The shaft it of cedar and in a pood state of preservation. The shaft Is about 12 feet long, and has a. tip of flint. When found It was leaning against a huge cedar and a knotty limb of cedar had grown entirely around it. The limb had been dead for many yearn. GOVERNMENT CASE TO REST SATURDAY First Epoch in Cashier Trial IMears End. INVENTOR IS UNDF.IE Patent cial Again Star Witness Against Concern. BASIC IDEAS EXPLAINED Prior Dc ices Declared to Dominate and Control Principles of Com pany's Machines and Hacli Is Considered by Kxpert. The Government expects to close Its case In the United States Cashier Com pany trial, which has now been in progress for 14 days before a Jury In Federal Judge Bean's department of the United States District Court, by noon tomorrow. Clarence L. Reames. United States Attorney, so notified Martin I Pipes chief of counsel for the defendants. Just after court adjourned last night. Mr. Pipes laughed. Reames." he said, "do you smoke? Tes? Well. I'll Just bet you a cigar a box of cigars that you don't get through then." "Oh. all right. If they are good cigars." returned the United States At torney. "Hold on, there." he ejacu lated a second later. "I won't do that. either. You'll hold one of my wit nesses on the stand and cross-examine him until you go over the time limit.' Mr. l'ipi- laughed again, Mr. Reames laughed, and the bet was off. Frank Menefee. president of the United States Cashier Company, one of the prli. defendant, who had been an in'. -rested listener, also l"-heL He' seemed as much interested in the little side play as In the case. t'sit May Be Held Over. It was only one of several good natured colloquies between the attor neys on both sides In the course of the triaL which, so far. has been remark ably free from displays of bitterness.- If the Government is able to close by Saturday noon, which is tomorrow the defense will probably be ready to begin Its case by 2 o'clock Monday. If however, as Mr. Pipes Intimated na has stilt cross-examinations, mr which he has previously reserved the right. In store for some of the Govern ment's witnesses who have already been on the stand, and the Government will not be able to close before Mon day. the defense will a?k fur a day for preparation. The United States Attorney assured Mr. Pipes yesterday that he would not oppose such a request. Illness Delays Trial Lost. Although the trial has been In jes slon It actual court days, it has been on since Ju y 6. or 23 days. One week was lost during the serious Illness of Frank Menefee from a threatened at tack of appendicitis. Besides Mr. Menefee. the other six (Concluded on Pace 8. Column 2.) IN UNITED STATES CAS1IIER COMPANY TRIAL. Thursdays War Moves THERE are signs that momentous events are occurring- around War saw. If the evacuation of the Polish capital has not already begun. It is said In many quarters that the withdrawal of the Russians la not far off-wln various parts of Poland the Russians continue to check the Austro-Gcrmans In their efforts to encircle Warsaw, but the consensus of views of the military critics of the Petrograd newspapers seems to point to the fear that the Russians will not Ions b able to keep back the tremendous pressure of the Teutonic allies. neither the Germans nor the Aus trians are making; claim to any new advances along the seinl-circular line which runs from the Baltlo provinces acroes-the frontier of Galicia. On the contrary, it is admitted by them that the Russians on the . arew front, to the southeast of Warsaw, in the Gora Kalwarya region, and in Northern Ga licia, near SokaL arc barring; their way with heavy counter attacks and that the situation north of the Niemen River and in the southeast. In the Lublin dis trict generally, is unchanged. Despite this, however. Petrograd's Journalistic war observers, after con versations with "competent military uthorlties." seemingly are preparing their readers for a new retreat by the Russians. They ask that th Rus sians view the events which are about to transpire with confidence and tran quillity to maintain their faith "In the glorious Russian array until such time as it shall undertake a decisive aggres sive to break, once for all. the power or the stubborn enemy." The Rech says the Russians will re tire eastward to new defen.lv. nol Uons along the line of the fortress of Kovno, Grodno and Brest Litovsk. These points lie lust outsldo lha . llsh border on the east. Such a move if carried out, would give the Ger mans and Austrians full possession of 50.000 square miles of I'oland and Its population of more than 10.000.000. Another newepaper " says that 70 Ger man divisions, all the German cavalry and a big part of the Austro-Hungar-lan army are operating against Rus sia and urges the evacuation of the fortresses on the Narew-Vistula line. Kxcept for the capture of a new Ger man position in the Vosges, there has been relative calm on ths western front from the sea to Alsace. In the Italian war theater the Aus trians and Italians are allll battling for supremacy, with both sides claim ing slight victories. A belated report tells of a recent defeat of the Turks by the British near Masirlyeh. Asiatic Turkey. In which the Ottoman forces lost 2500 men In killed, wounded or prisoners, and large sup plies of war material. The British cas ualties were 5C1 men, 101 having been killed and the others reported as wounded or missing. Simultaneously with representations to Germany by the United States that German spies apprehended In England are reported to have had !n their pos session American passports supplied them by German officers, one German has been sentenced to six months im prisonment in England for- landing there with an American pasjport which the evidence showed was forged, and another has been taken Into custody with a similar passport which he Is said to have admitted was not genuine. After a visit of the German Chan cellor to the headquarters of Emperor William, the Chancellor and the Ameri can Ambassador to Germany held a protracted conference on relations be tween Germany and the United States. It is oaid unofficially that it is not be lieved the onference will lead to any marked change in Germany's subma rine warfare. SPAIN IS FRO-ALLY BUT WANTS NO WAR Warring Nations Seek New Entanglements. ROYAL FAMILY IS DIVIDED Conservatives, Including Army Officers, Favor Germany. CHURCH OPPOSES FRANCE Wives, More strongly llclljrlou. Of. ten Found KMiuln; Cause of Teutons, While Husbands Are on Other Side. BT WILL IRWIN'. (Coprr'eht. by the New Tor Trib une. I'ub.:ibtd by rruitmeat) MADRID. July 1 Every chancellory "'"""S me warring t-uropean j-owers is spending all Its spare time Just now In trying to drag the neutral nation tf Europe Into one side or the other ft Armageddon. They have done a good deal of work on Spain especially 1 the Germans. At present the work seems to hare been vain on both sides. In these tangled ' and terrible days it Is probably unsafe ?' to prophey any-? thing but the. safest Just no prophecy Is that Spain will keep out of the mesa. The forces favoring the Hill Irotav allies and those favoring the Germans are so well balanced that neither could make a decisive movement without tearing the country to pieces. I make lheio statements, not on my own poor authority 1 have spent only a week in Spain but on the authority of American. Brltlch and German resi dents who have lived here long enough to know the politics of the great Iber ian kingdom as well as they know their native politics. Majerity t-'avor Uratrra Allies. T put it in a nutvhell. a mnjorlty of the Spanish people, were a vote taken on the subject, would favor the western allien. The preponderance of pro-French and pro-Sriiih feeling is variously estimated by various ob servers. One Spaniard of revolutionary tendencies has declared to me that not more than 10 er cent of the Spanish people favor Germany. Another of a cor.iterva tive and clerical bent, while admitting the majority in favor of France, declared that the vote would be very close. Perhaps the best qualified witness Is a neutral diplomat who has recently visited all the Important cium of Spain. His guess is Si pro-German to Sj pro-ally. However, tho minority, whether li be lo per cent stronger or 35 per rent or per cent, has this In its favor It comprises some of the strongest elements in the kingdom. Coa.ert atlves Are I'nvdtraM. ' The lineup Is almost the same In all the neutral countries of Europe; where local Interests do not effect the prob lem the conservative element Is every where pro-German; the liberal and revolutionary element anti-German. Such Is the state of affairs In Holland: such was the state In Italy before the liberals forced Italy Into the war. The conservative nobility, with such of the middle class as follow them, believe In the German principle be-aue Ger many, they say. has shown how au tocracy can be made successful In mod ern conditions. This Is the class which deplores Par liaments, ""noisy democracies" and ed ucation of the "lower orders." This war. with the early success of Ger many and the proof that a military au tocracy can be very efficient, has given new courage to the extreme conserv atives, so that they lare speak their opinions aloud. It is true, they admit, that Germany has assembled Parlia ments and has educated the lower or ders, even beyond ail other Kuropeaq countries: but those were merely con ccssslons to diplomacy. C ssrrs Ostpoaea Prssrt. The priesthood, again. is almoet unanimous on the side of Germany, and that for reasons more tangible than a conservative Mas. Since the abolition of the concordat, Catholic Spain has generally regarded France as the enemy of the church. Moreover. AuMrla Is the one first-class power of Europe which Is still Catholic In its state re ligion. The priesthood sees Germany, with a strong Roman Catholic mi nority, and Austria, all Roman Catho lic, arrayed against Protests nt Eng land. Greek Catholic Russia and France, which they consider apostala. In Spain, as elsewhere, women are the strongest lay adherents of religion, and everywhere in Spain one encoun ters the phenomenon of wives who are pro-German because France Is th-e "enemy of the church." while their husbands are outspoken for Trance and England. Add to this the army by which I mean not the conscript rank and file, but the officers and the men in high control. Just why they are pro-German no one has explained to me ex actly, but they ale. I'erhaps It Is be cause soldiers are always conserva tive; perhaps, also 11 Is admiration of the German military machine, upon 1. ;-h tCwaciuded oa rtt Culuiua X.