Pages 1 to 12
ANGELS TREMBLED
LOCAL OPTION IS
DRYING UP OHIO
EXPLOSION KILLS
275-GOAL MINERS
J. A. FINCH KILLS
RALPH B. FISHER
DIRECT PRIMARY
COSTLY IN KANSAS
E
AT LOUD RAPPING
f :
.NEGRO DREAMS HE SAW ROOSE
VELT IX HEAVEN".
SUPPORT TREAT!
FOR FREE HIDES
EXPERIMENT CAUSES EXPEND
ITURE OF $140,000.
STOPS XOT ONLY LIQUOR SUP
PLY, BUT FUXDS OF STATE.
' VOL. XXVII. NO. 48. POKTLAXD, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 29, 1908. PRICE FIVE CENTS.
i i i
EUBOPEAN
POMS
UNIT
demand
Bar Prosecutor Shot
by Lawyer.
VENGEANCE MOTIVE OF SLAYER
Assassin Had Been Disbarred
. by Victim's Efforts.
GIRL WITNESS OF TRAGEDY
JUnrdcrrr, Although Caught Red
Handed as He Tries to Flee. De
lileii All Knowledge of Shoot
ing When Locked in Jail.
Attorney Ralph P. Fisher, prosecutor
Cor the Grievance Committee of the Ore
gon State Bar Association, wan shot and
killed almost Instantly at 1:30 o'clock
yesterday afternoon by Attorney J. A.
Finch, who had recently been disbarred
a the result of chances of drunkenness
that wvre prosecuted by Mr. Fisher.
The tragedy occurred In Mr. Fisher's
private office. 32 Mohawk building.
Third and Morrison streets. Miss Verna
Burkhart. Mr. Fisher's stenographer. 428
3-j.st Thirty-fourth street, was the only
witness, and she tied screaming from the
room. The assassin emerged deliberately
from the room where lay his victim,
walked down the corridor and was about
to tuke the elevator when seized by Dr.
SI. F. Leonard, who detained him.
Murderer Res-Ms Ilia Captors.
Attorney Chester V. Dulph. who. with
Dr. Leonard and others, followed Finch
to the elevator shaft, disarmed him with
Jlttle difficulty, though he offered resist
ance. He InsLsted on being permitted to
descend, but Instead was locked in an
office on the third floor and held until
the arrival of the police.
Finch was at once taken into the ofTlce
from which sulphuroua smoke still was
pouring, and looked down upon the pros
trate form that he had slain. He gazed
coolly and apparently unmoved upon the
bleeding figure, uttered not a word,
turned and walked out In the custody of
the officers.
'I wouldn't speak to him. and I'll get
the rest of the bunch." Finch said to one
of the officers who rode In the patrol
wagon with him to the station.
limit Denies His tiuilt.
At the City Jail Finch positively denied
the murder to District Attorney Cam
eron. He had been in his own office
nearly nil day. he said, and had not been
rear Mr. Fisher's office. He talked con
fusedly and at times unintelligibly, ap
parently under the Influence of either
drugs or liquor, or premeditutingly pre
paring grounds for the defense of ln-
anliy.
Awaiting Wife and Baby.
Fisher, at the time of his death, was
eated at the desk in his private of
fice, awaiting the arrival of his wife
end baby. Only a few moments before
the entrance of the assassin, Mrs.
Fisher had called him by telephone
telling- him that she would be down
presently and would bring- the baby.
The attorney was smiling In anticipa
tion of the visit and the smile was still
im his features as he glanced up into
the hideously distorted face of an in
truder at whose hands he met instant
Heath.
Miss Furkhart. who had opened the
Boor of Mr. Fisher's private office and
(witnessed the tragedy us she stood
her, terrified and powerless to tuy
It. ftl Into a swoon after hysterically
fleeing down the corridors of the build
ing. She was removed to her home,
where she had recovered sttfflclently
Jast night to. tell in detail the story of
the deed she was forced to witness.
Mrs. Fi.-lH-r Is Overcome-.
Mrs. Fisher, who. with the baby, ar
rived at the office as the Coroner was
removing: the last, vestiges of the
(Lonciunea p i ,.. , . ... - -- - ,
e,eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e,e J
J LAST WEEK'S DOINGS SKETCHED BY HARRY MURPHY
I ;)
j U ' Uo, W"c- Q H W,,..d gadder by
Secretary of State Collects Figures
and Is Promptly Accused of.
Scheming for Repeal.
TOFEKA. Kan.. Nov. 18. (Special.)
The Western stales that have enact
ed or have contemplated enacting pri
mary election laws will be Interested
in the fortlrconilns report to be made
by Secretary of State C. E. Denton.
Kansas tried a primary election law
for the first time this year, and Mr.
Denton believes It would be a good
thing to find out what the new re
form cost the taxpayers.
Accordingly on his own motion, he
prcpai d a list of questions and sent
them to each of 105 County Clerks In
the sthte. requesting these officials to
furnlsl him with this information.
About 60 of the Clerks have complied
Willi the request. It Is known from
reports alieady at hand that the cost
to the sta e will be about 1140.000.
Mr. Denton has been criticised se
verely, his opponents charing that it
was a move of the old machine fac
tion and was Intended to pave the way
for a fight this Winter to repeal the
primary election law.
HAS SEEN REAL CANNIBALS
Boy With Jack London in South
Sea Wants to Come Home.
TOPEKA. Kan.. Nov. 2S. I Special.)
Martin Johnson, liie Kansas boy who
is now with Mr. and Mrs. .lack London
on their tour around the world, writes
to his parents at Independence that he
has seen some real cannibals on one
of the South Sea Islands, and that he
wants to get away from It all and
come home, but Jack London refuses
to relinquish him. Writing from
Pennduffryn, Solomon Islands, young
Johnson says:
"1 am sure that Mr. and Mrs. London
and myself are seeing more strange
things than any person In the world
now traveling. We are now going
among the most savage people on
earth, and. although cannibals are
supposed to he a thing of the past, I
know that two men have been eaten
within the past year. The tribes 'In
the interior of all these larger Islands
are all head-hunters, and It la never
safe to go unarmed or alone in the
Interior."
FLEET NOT FOR THIS COAST
Roosevelt Has Utile Regard for
Hobson and His Opinions.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S. (Special.)
Representative Smith called today at the
White House, and on mentioning naval
matters .the President Intimated that he
did not wkh the California delegation
to embarrass him by urging that the
Atlantic fleet be retained in the Pacific
Ocean. He said that the plans for the
future movements of the fleets, ending
in its return to Hampton Rouds. had
been fully worked out, and that they
could not be changed. This was In reply
to recent appeals in California for the
retention of the fleet. Smith made a
jesting remark about Hobson and his
alarms, to which the President gave one
of his characteristic and Impetuous re
plies to the effect that he had small
regard for Hobson and his opinions.
HOW TO GET OFF CARS
I os Angeles Schoolgirls to lie
Taught by Regular Instructor.
IX)S ANGELES, Nov. 2S. (Special.)
How to alight from streetcars will be
taught in the city schools by Wilson
Blue, a Huntington motorman. who will
probably be officially designated as
instructor of Car Alighting." He alma
to give lectures weekly with models
of cars and dummy figures to illustrate
his points. Each week the girls from
one school are to be taken to a sub
urban town by trolley and there shown
how to 'get on and off moving cars, and
also to wait until cars stop.
The officials of street railway llnea
are backing Blue, and they hope to
avert many accidents and damage suits
brought on by women getting off back
wards.
Tanners and Shoe Mak
ers of One Mind.
CAN BEAT WORLD IN LEATHER
One Shoe Manufacturer Is
Ready for Free Shoes.
BEEF TRUST UNDER FIRE
House Committee Informed Leather
Duty Only Helps Monopoly, Xot
Growers of Cattle- Catgut
Cries for Protection.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 28. A genera as
sault on the hide and leather tariff was
made before the House committee on
ways and means today by tanners from
all parts of the United States and by
manufacturers of hoes and other leather
goods. The cry was for free trade In
hides, the beef trust being declared the
only beneficiary of the duty, which Is a
tax on every consumer. One great shoe
manufacturer In New England tele
graphed the committee, recommending
the entire removal of the duty on shoes,
saying he was ready to compete with
the world on equal terms. Pleas for pro
tection were made by manufacturers of
gloves and catgut.
Tanners Say Beef Trust Favored.
The ianners started the contest in lively
fashion today by asking the committee
to restore hides to the free list. Fred
Voel, Jr.. of Milwaukee, declared that
the tariff of li per cent on cattle hides
did not protect stockralsers and added
that the domestic consumption of hides
and skins wag inadequate and was -not
increased or stimulated by the tariff.
Then David P. Leas, a Philadelphia
manufacturer of leather, stated that the
Chicago packers had a monopoly on
hides, to which every man, woman and
child paid tribute. Representative Boutell
suggested thai the way to break up that
monopoly .was to put not only hides, but
shoes on the free list.
"If necessary we tanners are willing
to have shoes on the free list," added
Mr. Leas.
"Drop out that qualification and we
will be getting together," Interrupted
Representative Clark.
There was so much applause over a
suggestion by Elisha Cobb, a leather
manufacturer, of Boston, to place hides
on the free list that Chairman Payne
found difficulty In maintaining order. .
Shoemaker Wants Free Shoes.
Mr. Payne made public the following
telegram from A. E. Little & Co., shoe
manufacturers, of Lynn, Mass.:
"As probably the largest manufac
turers 'of women's fine shoes in the
world, we desire to go on record as de
claring the present tariff on such shoes
as we manufacture wholly unnecessary
to our state and a distinct injustice to
the consuming public. We favor the
complete abolition of this tariff in wel
coming the competition of the world.
We should be glad at the convenience
of the ways and mefcns committee to
present arguments for the removal of
the duty on boots and shoes like those
of our own manufacture."
Beat World With Free Hides.
"Put hides on the free list, and the
American tanner will beat the world."
was the statement that Mr. Cobb made
to the committee. As a result of ques
tions by Representative Gaines, Mr.
Cobb was led to say that the tariff on
hides added only 3 cents to the cost of
upper leather in a shoe to the con
sumer. "So this 3 cents that- every man,
woman and child is paying to the huge
monopoly Is not so heavy after all,"
observed Mr. Boutell.
Mr. Cobb qualified his previous an
swer bv saying that the upper leather
was not all the leather that went Into
a shoe.
H. M. Hill, of Cleveland, represent-
Has 54 Dry Counties and Eight
More Will Hold Elections.
More Taxes Necessary.
CLEVEIJVND. Nov. 25. (Special.) The
voting out of 1T06 saloons by the Rose
county local option law has serlously
affected the state treasury. The loss
to the state thus far In the four months
since the law became effective has been
SiOO.OOO. Each saloon voted out must quit
business at the end of M) days, and gets
a refund of such part of the Aiken tax
as is due for the period between closing
and the end of the six months for which
the tax is paid.
Legislation may be necessary at the
coming special session of the legisla
ture to provide additional revenues for
the state.
Within the four months since the Rose
law went into effect 56 counties have
voted on the proposition, 49 of them
voting out 1706 saloons. The other sevm
voted to retain 413 saloons. Previous to
holding of the county elections five coun
ties had gone dry under the Beal law,
making a total of 54 dry. Also a num
ber of counties which have not voted
at all have gone dry. Before the close
of the year elections will be held in
eight more counties.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 48
degrees; minimum. 33 degrees.
TODAY'S Rain or snow; southerly winds.
Foreign.
Britain alaorted et growth of revolution in
India. Section I. l-age 3.
Natlonsl-
European nations approve American-Japanese
treat . tfe'-tion 1. rase 1.
Howe commit 'ee hears arguments for fr.
hldcn and free mho from tanners and shoe
manufacturers. Section 1. page 1.
Politic.
Direct primary proves very expensive in
Kansas. Section 1. page 1.
Fu;ion eiler.t. hut satisfied with conference
with Hitchcock on Oregon Senatorfhlp.
Section I, page 2.
Domett le.
Officer's of Western L-lfe Indemnity Company
to repay f&tf.OOO in plunder. Section 1,
page 2. .
Russian rebel not allowed to betrsy com
rade? at extradition hearing In Chicago.
.Section I. page '1.
Judge Wnlverion and Kohlsaat may conflict
in decisions- on Booth bankruptcy ca.ee.
Section 1, page 3.
Local option depletes Ohio's revenue and
makrs new taxes necessary. Section 1,
page 1.
Three boy frozen to death In California
mountains. Section 1. page 2.
Great number-of fatalities in hunting .winon.
Hectlon 1. page 3.
NeKTo tells good mory about Roosevelt. Sec
tion 1, page 1.
Pacific Coat.
Heads of state untver It if p to hold conven-
tlnn
In Portland in 1"8.
Section 1.
page . .
North Bir.k road begins condemning- land fori
extension to Grays Harbor. Section Jr,
page 6.
Good roa!s convention , at Rugcne attracts
large crowd. Section 1, page .
Judge Ohadwick may be na:ned to nil unex
pired term ot Justice Root. Section t,
page J.
Sports.
AP-Xorthwest football team i selected. Sec
tion 4. page 7.
Portland will be only minor league city in
country with two teams. Section 4,
page 0.
Portland Automobile Club drafting bill for
Legislature. Section 4. page fl.
Both Ketehel and Papke are otTered many
matches. Section 4. page 6.
O'Connell and Heinrlch to meet on mat. Sec
tion 4. page 6.
Australians win world' tennis championship
againat Americans. Section 2. page 2.
Army win football game with Navy. Sec
tion 2. page 2.
Commercial and Marine.
Beer production In October shows sharp de
crease. Section 4, page 9.
Wheat closes weak at Chicago. Section 4.
page 9.
Minor stocks boosted In New York market.
Section 4. page ft.
Surplus reserve of New York banks brought
down. Section 4. page 9.
Steamer H. B. Kennedy Is launched. Section
4. page 8
Portland and Vicinity.
Ralph B. Fisher shot and killed by James
A. Finch. Section 1. page 1.
Attorney Finch maintains that he does not
remember killing Attorney Fisher. Section
1, page 8.
How Attorney Fisher helped to mitigate
Finch's punishment for offense against Bar
Association. Section 1, page 8.
Petitions again to be circulated absolving
Statement legislator Section 2. page 10.
Bond k-wie Is proposed for purchase of mu
nicipal lighting plant. Section 1. page .
O. R. - N. will open Troutdale-Bonneville
line. Section 4. page 8.
Agent for vltrltled brick concern defend that
type of pavement. Section 1, page 11.
Oregon fruitgrowers will meet In Portland
this week. Section 4. page 8.
Women review suffrage fight at 87th anni
versary. Section. 4. page 4.
State Grange will study domestic science.
Section 3, page 10.
Healthy tone shown in Portland realty mar
ket. Section 3. page 8.
Old buildings make way for modern struc
tures. Section 3. page 8.
Many Important sales made on East Side.
Section 5, page v.
Shaft Near Pittsburg
Becomes Tomb.
RESCUERS'TERRIBLE STORY
Every Man in Fatal Chamber
Stifled by Firedamp.
ENTRANCE OF MINE CHOKED
Rescue Parties Compelled to Remove
Huge Piles of Debris Before Lo
cating Dead Bodies Force
Caused Earth to Tremble.
PITTSBURG. Nov. 28. An explosion
occurred In the Pittsburg-Buffalo Coal
Company's mine. Rachel, at Mananna,
Washington County, yesterday at noon,
and it is believed that all of the 275 min
ers at work were killed outright. Up till
.midnight the rescue parties had taken
out but one man alive. He is Peter Arn
old, an American.
, Joseph Kearney, one of the rescuing
party, reported there were other men
alive. Arnold was found unconscious 100
feet away from the Agnes shaft. When
he reached the surface he said the ex
plosion occurred close to the Agnes
shaft.
Arnold's statement is the first authen
tic news to be brought from the mine
regarding: the explosion. It Is believed
that the vapors which followed the
igniting of the gas in the mine were
responsible for most of the fatalities.
When the first rescuing party reached
the workings at 8:30 o'clock 'tonight It
found bodies scattered about the floor of
the mine.
Smothered by Vapors. '
Few, if any. of the bodies are mutilated,
and the men were undoubtedly smothered
by the deadly vapors which followed the
explosion. All but two of the bodies
In the mine it is said, are those of
foreigners. No effort has yet been made
to remove them. Instead, the rescuers
and the mining experts are making a
complete exploration of all of the. work
ings to see If these are now safe. This
work Is expected to occupy several hours.
The workings in which today's catas
trophe occurred are known as the Rachel
and Agnes mines. In reality a double mine
with underground connections. Construc
tion work was practically finished and
Dtputy State MJoe Inspector Henry
Louttet a few minutes before the ex
plosion had completed a two days' in
spection which had revealed " no cause
for apprehension. He and General Man
agjr Kerr came to the surface a few
minutes before 11 o'clock. Mine Foreman
Henry Thompson and two miners entered
the cage and it was started toward the
bottom of the 500-foot shaft.
Felt Like Earthquake.
Suddenly there was an ominous rumb
ling, then a trembling of the ground
around the mouth of the shaft, as from
an earthquake and an Instant later there
was a terriffc report and the cage was
hurled up the shaft and through the roof
of the shafthouse, the mine foreman and
the two men still In It. Their bodies
were tossed through the top of the build
ing and far beyond it. Thompson was
dead when picked up and the others mor
tally injured.
So great was the force of the ex
plosion that shattered portions of the
woodwork about the mouth of the shaft
were blown Into Ten Mile Creek. 2090
feet away. Besides the three men In the
cage, portions of at least two other bodies
were blown from the shafthouse and
were found In a field nearby.
Immediately following the explosion a
dense column of smoke Issued from the
shaft and it was feared a fierce fire was
raging at the bottom of the mine.
'A short time afterward the smoke
almost ceased, but those on the sur
face were unable to tell whether the
fire had been smothered or the shafts
so filled with falling debris that the
smoke could not escape.
Tells Police Judge What Happened
When tho Big Stick Knocked
for Admittance.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2S. (Special.) It
Is not often a good story of National
interest comes out of a Washington po
lice court. Today a colored preacher
was awaiting his turn to testify in Judge
Kimball's courtroom, and while waiting
he told of a dream he had had.
"Ah dreamed ah was in heaven the
other night. As ah stood jest inside
de golden gate dar came ah rap and
George Washington was announced by
St. Peter.
" 'Let him come up an' sit on mah
right side.' said de good Lawd, who was
eittin' on de throne.
"Pretty soon there wuz anothah knock,
an' Abraham Likum wuz anncunced by
St. Peter.
" "Let him sit or. mah left side.' said
de Lawd.
"Den ah heard a terrible knockin' at
de gate, an' de angels all trembled.
"St. Peter opened de gate carefully,
and den he turned 'roun' an' sed to de
Lawd: 'You'll have to get down an' give
him your seat, Lawd. It's MiFter Roose
velt.' "
LABOR UNIONS TO BLAME
Eliot Says They Prevent Training
of Young in Trades.
BOSTON. Mass.. Nov. 28. (Special. ) In
the rooms of the Twentieth Century Club
today the Massachusetts State child-labor
committee was orgadzd. President
Charles W. Eliot, of Harvard, the prin
cipal speaker, said he was iniersted in
the child-labor question al-nost entirely
from the educational standpoint. He
said:
"In this state a child of 14 years, when
leaving the grammar school, is absolutely
unfitted to become a skilled laborer, and
as a consequence takes a position in
which there Is little hope of advancement.
A child of 16 Is little better fitted. We
need very much that co-oporation which
proves so beneficial in Germany and we
seriously need to do something for chil
dren between the ases of 14 and 16.
"Labor unions are mainly responsible
for these conditions. They seek to mono
polize tha skilled labor of the country,
restricting the number of apprentices to
less than is absolutely needed to .fill
the demands of skilled labor. These exist
and I am sorry to confess that I do not
know what can be done to improve them
while the labor organizations are run as
they are."
FLEET TO PUT ON PAINT
Aavy Department Orders Slate Color
for Vessels on West Coast.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28. (Special.)
The Navy Department has ordered that
war color be applied to those naval
vessels on the west coast of -the United
States. ' Accordingly a slate color will
be applied to the West Virginia, Colo
rado, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennes
see, Washington, California, South Da
kota, St. Louis, Oregon. Buffalo, Mil
waukee and Rainbow. The ships
forces will do the painting.
HEAVY STORMS IN KANSAS
Will Benefit Wheat Crops in Three
States.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 28. A
heavy rain and snow, the latter from
six to 12' Inches In depth In some
places, has fallen all over Southwest
ern Kansas, In Oklahoma and the
Texas Panhandle, and as far west as
New Mexico, during the past 24 hours.
The wheat crop will be greatly bene
fited by this moisture.
ROB TRAIN OF $125,000
Russian Bandits Kill Three and
Wound One in Hold-up.
TROITSKOSAVRSK, Russia, Nov. 28.
A local mall train was attacked today
by a band of robbers while running be
tween Kiachta and Urga. The thieves
got away with 1125,000. Three of the
train escorts were killed and one se
verely wounded.
Nations Lend Sympa
thy to Japan and U.S.
SOLVES EASTERN QUESTION
Believed Agreement Will Main
tain Peace of China.
IS READY FOR SIGNATURE
Baron Takahlra In Conference With
Secretary Bacon Lends to Be
lief Tl-at Text Will Soon
Be Made Public.
I
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2S. Cordial
support of and sympathy with the ends
sought to be obtained by Japan and
the I'nited States in the agreement
respecting China and the Pacific as
outlined in the Associated Press dis
patches printed today, has been given
by some and. It is believed, will be
given by nil the nations of Europe
having interests, in that section of the
world. Its Influence In maintaining
the status quo on the Pacific and the
peace of China is considered to be
great enough to make the agreement
second to few recorded in recent pages
of the world's history.
The reticence of the State Depart
ment on the - subject permitted com
paratively little to become public con
cerning the negotiations and this lit
tle was confined to the announcement
that there would be a restatement of
the positions of both countries regard
ing China, designed. It Is said, to clear
up any misapprehension that might
exist.
S Ready for Signature.
That the negotiations have pro
gressed to, the point of actual signa
ture of the agreement, thus indicating
a tacit acquiescence in the course by
the other nations having large inter
ests In the Far East, marks, so diplo
matic officials asserU a decided step
In the solution of the Eastern ques
tion. The American Government has
fully sounded the nations of the world
having Interests In Asia as to their at
titude on the subject of the new agree
ment. These included the govern
ments which heartily gave their as
surances to the "open door" policy, so
warmly advocated and consistently
urged by John Hay, while Secretary ot
State. Answers have already been re
ceived from some of them.
Having reached an entire accord on
the principles of the agreement, all
that remains to be done Is to agree
on the text. This work has made
splendid progress, and it was said at
the State Department today that in all
probability the agreement would soon
be made public. Baron Takahlra, the
Japanese Ambassador, called at the
State Department today and remained
for some time in conference with Act
ing Secretary Bacon.
Covers Period of Years.
The agreement reached between
Japan and the United States Is the cul
mination of a long line of conventions,
treaties and understandings between
the two countries, dating back to the
controversy over the Japanese school
question in San Francisco, which, for a
time. In the minds of some persons,
threatened a rupture of the friendly
relations of the two countries. That
was settled amicably. Later there was
a copyright and trade-mark conven
tion; an arbitration treaty; a prompt
answer to an invitation by Japan to
participate in the Tokio Exposition,
and, last of all, the visit of the battle
ship fleet, the rapid succession of
which events In the minds of the State
Department officials has but tended to
strengthen good feeling between the
two nations, which Is now vitalized by
(Concluded on Page 7.)
i