The Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, December 18, 1896, Image 1

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    VOL.. XXXIII.
CORVALLJS, BENTOX COUNTY,: OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1896.
NO. 40.
the kbjhbe m
From All Parts of the New
World and the Old.
OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS
Comprehensive Review of the Import
ant Happenings of the Put Week
Culled From the Telegraph Columns
The Medford. Or., distillery, which
has been in litigation for the past year,
has been sold at auction by the receiver,
for (3,000. The original cost of the
plant was 110,000.
The heavy rains of the past few days
have again caused Mill creek, in Salem,
to rise and overflow its banks, in con
sequence of which Chnrch and Marion
streets and ' adjacent property are
flooded.
In Pierre, S. D., in the mandamus
case to compel the issuance of certifi
cates to Republican electors on a par
tial canvas, the court has held that the
board has a right to adjourn and secure
complete returns. This gives the vic
tory to the Bryan electors.
It has been reported on the Sound
that a band of eighteen Indians are
snowbound near the base of Mount
Rainier, and that they are in danger of
perhhing. The government has sent
oat a relief expedition with instruc
tion to spare no expense to bring the
suffering Indians out safely. Among
the party, it is said, there are several
. women and children. - The- party bad
been out hunting and got lost during
the snow storm two weeks ago.
Wm. C. Powers, conductor on the
South Mount Tabor (Or.) line of the
East Side Railway Company, was shot
by one of two highwaymen at the end.
of the line. His injuries are, for-
. .. i. . i... i r v.i
buuuicij, uui latai. xfcuuuery was ujc
purpose of the thugs who fired the shot.
In Keswick, Cal., there was an ex
plosion of gasoline, resulting in the
uurjjiiig ui bwcivo men, auiuug tueiu
A rtlinr Dflfln nf 'Rnritllncr Huan hail
charge of the electrio plant, and it is
presumed that the explosion took place
in the power-house.
. Lieutenant-Commander Drake, of the
battleship Oregon, has enlisted the
services of the police of San Francisco
in finding Edward Perry, steward of
the vessel. He deserted the ship after
having squandered about $100 which
had been ' given him to purchase, pro
visions.. An attempt was made to wreck a pas
senger train on the Iowa Central rail
road, near Latimer, la. Iron rails
. were laid on the track on the upper end
of a curve, where the obstruction' could
not be seen by the engineer. -. An extra
freight train ahead of the regular pas
senger train ran into the obstruction,
without damage. '.Robbery was the
evident motive or tne wrecKers.
' Fiank H. Cheeseman, of South Berk
ley, CaL, has made an eighth attempt
I BUW1UQ MIU UID IB JJUW UCBIHUVU
of. In a fit of despondency he shot
himself through the lung, inflicting
what is thought to be a fatal wound.
Cheeseman is only 24 years of aire, and
the physicians give insanity as the
cause for his repeated efforts to end his
life. - .
Powers of Vermont, chairman of the
house committee on the Pacific rail
roads, heartily approves that' portion
of President Cleveland's message relat
ing to the Pacific railroads "Some
thing must be done at once," said be.
" We will bring np the bill agreed upon
by the committee in the session -at the
earliest possible moment." . He feels
confident that the measure will be set
tled at this session.
Liquor dealers in California are np
in arms over the announcement that
Governor Budd .has on hand a plan to
seoure the enactment by the next legis
lature of a law establishing a state
liquor license. The liquor men say
they now pay federal taxes, and also
local, county and municipal lioenses,
and they propose to fight the proposed
state license, the proceeds of which, it
is proposed, ..shall go towards the main
tenance of the public asylums.
The steamer Dalles City, that sank
.last week opposite Sprague's landing,
on the Colombia ' river, has been suc
cessfully raised by the aid of several
scows. . The damage to the bull, while
it is considerable, consisting of a hole
more than twenty feet long, can be re
paired without injury to the boat. The
Dalles City has been towed to the Cas
cades, where a temporary bulkhead
will be built around the damaged por
tion. It is possible she may be taken
to Portland that she may undergo per
manent repairs.
A tragedy occurred in Schuyler, Neb.
As a result of a rejected lover's insane
attempt to murder his sweetheart and
exterminate her family, Deidrick Gles
ing is dead, bis mother and father,
brother and Bister dangerously wound
ed by a terrible clubbing, another sis
ller almost crazed by being repeatedly
fired upon at close range, and Clans
Destefef, the murderer, is being pur
sued by a determined posse. The mur
derer is a young man of the neighbor
hood, who was infatuated with Miss
Glesing. His advances had been re
fused, and.for months he had threat
ened murder.
: Ex-Treasurer G. W. Boggs, of.. Ta
ooma, is again in jail in that oity,- he
having surrendered himself to the sher
iff at Spokane. Bogg's attorneys are
preparing to petition the supreme court
f oi? a rehearing of his case.
The Newaukum river, in Washing
ton, is booming since the reoent rains,
and has done considerable damage to
pr perty. The dam at the lumber mills
of Stone & Sons, near Chehalis, has
been washed oat and between 12.000
and 3,000 worth of damage to their
property -has resulted. . -
The purchasing agtnt of the Valley
railroad, who lives at Cleveland, O.,
announces that 750,000 people visited
MoKinley daring the recent campaign.
He further states in his estimate that
the men who visited McKinley paid
the railroad companies an average of
more -than $1 each. This Indicates
thai the railway receipts were close to
$1,000,000. - Another important item
was that the railroads ran excursions
from every point in Missouri to. Can
ton for $1.50 for the round trip. : i .
A mountain of magnetic iron ore has
discovered in Lapland- :- ;
CONGRESS IN SESSION.
Senate.
Third day. The senate, by the dc
eisive vote of 35 to 21, adopted a mo
tion to take np the Dingley tariff bill.
Unexpected and surprising as this ac
tion was, it did not have the signifi
cance which the vote itself appears to
oonvey. Immediately following it,
Aldrich of Rhode Island, one of the
Republican members -of the finance
committee, moved to recommit the bill
to the committee, and this motion was
pending when, at 3 o'clock,, the morn
ing hour expired, and the matter lapsed
as though no vote had been taken. Nei
ther the bill nor the motion to recom
mit will enjoy any privilege or prece
dence as the result of the action today.
Early in the day three sets of vigorous
resolutions for Cuban independence
furnished an interesting feature. They
came from Cameron of Pennsylvania,
Mills of Texas, and Call of Florida,
and while differing in terms, breathed
the same spirit of recognition by the
United States of Cuban independence.
Fourth day The senate got into the
regular channel of business today, tak
ing up the immigration bill and partly
perfecting it, and also hearing the first
of the speeches on Cuba, these of Cul
lom and Call. The immigration bill
was not passed upon np to the time of
adjournment, but the senate agreed to
whit is generally known as the Lodge
bill, as a substitute to the house meas
ure. The substitute 'requires that all
immigrants over the age of 14 years
shall be able to read and write their
native language and shall be' required
to read and write in the presence of an
United States offioial oertain lines of
the United States constitution.
Fifth day Call renewed- attention
to the Cnban question by three resolu
tions, one being a bitter denunciation,
of the manner in which it, is alleged
General Antonio Maoeo had been killed,
while under a flag of truoe. Other
resolutions by Call requested the presi
dent to demand the release of United.
States prisoners at the Spanish .'penal
settlement on the island of Ceuta, and
also asked the secretary of state for a
list of Americans held in Spanish pris
ons. The three resolutions went to the
committee on foreign relations. . Sev
garal spirited political colloqui s occur
red on the floor ' during the day.
Allen's speech, protesting against in
temperate criticisms of populism in Ne
braska, led to a passage at arms be
tween him and Hoar, in wihch the
Massachusetts senator declared it was
a novel departure for senators to appear
as representatives of political parties,
instead of . representatives of their
states. In the course of Allen's re
marks, he paid a glowing tribute to
William J. Bryan, as the foremost
citizen of Nebraska, and the greatest
orator since the. days of Webster and
Clay.- "
House.
Third day. The house held a three-1
hour session and passed a dozen bills of
minor importance. " Among them were
the following: To extend five years
the time in which the university of
Utah shall occupy the lands granted
it; to authoriza the use of the aban
doned Fort Bid well military reserva
tion in California, as a training school
for Indians; to provide for the location
and purchase of k public lnds for reser
voir sites in Montana, South . -Dakota
and Wyoming; authorizing Flagstaff,
Ariz., to issue bonds for the construc
tion of a water system. The Shafoith
bill, for the protection of forest reser
vations from fire, was defeated.
Fourth day Pending the preparation
of the next appropriation bill, the house
again today devoted its time to the con
sideration of bills on the calendai, but
only two were passed during the four
hours session. One of them was a bill
to piotect musical compositions under
the copyright law. The other measure
made a law was to prohibit the sale of
liquor in the capital building. A bill
advocated by the delegates from the ter
ritories, to modify the law forbidding
the alien ownership of lands in the ter
ritories so as to give them the right to
acquire under mortgage and to hold for
ten years, real property, was defeated.
Fifth day Beyond agreeing to a two
weeks' holiday recess, beginning Da
cember 22, the proceedingsln the house
today were alomst entirely devoid of
public interest. Most of the day was
spent in a struggle over the bill of
Morse of Massachusetts, to render the
laws relating to the sale of intoxicat
ing liquors in the District of Colubmia
more stringent. The opposition was
incined to filibuster against the meas
ure, but it was .finally passed. Sev
eral minor relief bills were passed.
The reported . assassination of Maceo,
the Cuban patriot, and its effect on the
attitude of the country toward the
revolutionists, was almost the sole
topio of conversation on the floor before
the house met, and there was a general
expectation -that some radically sensa
tional resolutions would be introduced.
No resolutions, however, were offered.
Tne Butte Company formed.
Butte, Mont.,' Deo. 17. One hun
dred and six" able-bodied men of Butte
tonight signed the roll which calls on
them to.aid the insurgents. Resolu
tions were adopted condemning the
methods of Spain in the war and pledg4
ing co-operation of the Cuba Libre Club
and calling on the representatives in
congress - to do all -possible' to have
Cuba's belligerency reoognized.
Secretary Olney has received cable
grams from the United States legation
at Petropolis, Brazil, announcing that
.Brazil has accepted the rules for the .
prevention of collisions at sea, framed '
at the maritime conference held atj
Washington. The chief maritime na- !
( tions of the world have now given
I assent to the international rules, and j
, they will go into effect July 1, next
' year, a humane end that has been
1 reached only after protracted negotia. '
tions.
. - .No Apparent Provocation.
John De Roboam, 18 years old, the
eldest son of Emil and Rosa De Ro
boam, county hospital contractor, liv
ing one mile east of Jacksonville, Or.,
returned from Medford the other even
ing, and, without apparent cause or
provocation, shot Sohuyler Hammond,
an employe of the poor farm, who had
been sent out to take oare of the team
driven by young De Roboam. . The
ball took effect in Hammond's light
arm, below the elbow. -Young De Ro
boam has been arretted and placed in
jail to await sctinn hy the grand jury.
1 QUADRANT LAND CASE
Supreme Court Eeeides in
Favor of Government..
RAILROAD FORFEITED ITS CLAIM
Good News for Several Hundred Bet
tiers in Washington County Dis
puted Land Contains 200, OOO Acres.
Washington, Dec 16. Chief Justice
Fuller announced today the opinion of
the supreme court in the case of the
United States vs. the Oregon & Cali
fornia and Oregon Central railway
companies, involving titles to valuable
lands near Portland, Or., reversing
the decision of. the cirouit court of ap
peals for the ninth circuit. Chief Jus
tice Fuller did not give the court's rea
sons for the conclusions reaohed.
. The court announced a recess for the
holidays from Monday until the first
Monday in January. "
(This is a final decision in what is
generally known as the quadrant case,
which involves the title to some 200,
000 acres of land in Washington coun
ty, an1 the news will be a welcome
Christmas gift to. the settlers on the
land, who number nearly 500, and
who, for several years past, have been
on the anxious seat in regard to their
titles. .
The land in question, as has been ex
plained many times, consists Of a
quadrant-shaped tract having a radios
of ten miles, situated adjacent to the
point above-, the railroad which was
started to run from Portland to As
toria, stopped, and turned at a right
angle, and ran south to McMinnville.
The government claimed -that there
were two roads to which grants were
given, the Portland & Astoria road,
and the one running south from near
Hillsboro to McMinnville, while the
railroad company claimed that the
whole was one continuous road, and
they were entitled to a grant ten miles
in width along the whole Ijne. When
the grant on the line from Hillsboro to
Astoria lapsed, many settlers, consider
ing this quadrant tract government
land, took up homesteads and pre-emption
claims from' the government.
Many who bought claims from the rail
road company quit- paying them and
entered their claims under the law as
public lands, and some bav& kept on
paying the railroad company till this
time. The government filially brought
suit in the oourt here to quiet the title
to these lands, and the case was de
cided in favor of the government by
Judge Bellinger some three years ago.
The company appealed the case to the
circuit court of appeals, and it reversed
Judge Bellinger. The government then
appealed to the supreme oourt of the.
United States, which has now reversed
the court of appeals, and sustained
Judge Bellinger. -
The settlers who' have taken their
claims under the government will be
rejoiced at this decision. Those who
have been paying the railroad company
will probably endeavor to secure the
return of their money, and there will
be interminable litigation over the
matter. '. '
This is the first case decided by
Judge Bellinger which has gone up to
the supreme court of the United States,
am it will be a source of gratification
to him, as well as to Mr. J. M. Gearin,
who acted as special counsel for the
government in the case, to learn that'
his opinion has been sustained.)
STAMPS AT YOUR DOOR.
Radical Improvement Made in the Pos
tal System.
Washington, Deo. 16. Postmaster
General Wilson has issued an order ex
tending the house-to-house collection
and delivery letter system so as to pro
vide for the sale of postage and special-delivery
stamps through orders to
letter-oarriers on slips contained in a
unique offioial stamp-selling envelope
to be furnished by the Postal Improve
ment Company. The order provides
for one of the most radioal improve
ments yet made in the postal system.
It will be tried in Washington at once,
and, if found practicable, extended
generally. It affords the . conduct of
one's business with the postoffloe at
home, at least so far as ordinary trans
actions are concerned, and it is expect
ed to largely increase stamp sales as
soon as the system, becomes general.
The house-to-house collection of mail
by means of ingeniously contrived
boxes has already been adopted 'and ex
tended to twenty-five free delivery
cities. . -, ' . ; '.
Schooners Collided in the Dark.
New York, Dec. 16. The Clyde
steamer Saginaw, Captain Johnson,
which arrived today from San Djniiogo
and Turks island, brought from the lat
ter port Captain -Records, Mate Thomp-,
son and five of the crow of thesohobhef
Amelia P. Schmidt, of Bridgeton, N.
J. , which sailed from Wilmington, N.
C, November 1, for Jacmel, Hayti,
lumber-laden. Captain Records reports
that on the evening of November 80 be
was run into by an unknown two-masted
schooner and his ship became water
logged. - . Captain Records and. his crew
stood by the vessel until the 5th, when
they, were rescued by the brig Gabriel.
Columbus, Ind., Deo. 16. Elder Z.
T. Sweeney, in his sermon at the taber
nacle Sunday, created a sensation by
exhibiting a warlike spirit and declar
ing that if the Spaniards had murdered
Maceo, the Cuban general, as rf port
ed, the United " States government
should lose no time in acknowledging
Cuba's independence and leaving noth
ing else undone to wipe every vestige of
Spanish rule from the American conti
nent. The utterances was followed by
a great outburst of applause.
Daring; Staman.hip. . . .
: South Bend, Wash., Deo.. 16 Yes
terday morning the iron vessel Midas,
from Marysport, . England, bound for
the Columbia river, for orders, came
into Willapa harbor in distress and is
now anchored off Tokelund. She had
been driven too dose in shore to beat
off, and when -first Been at the North
Cove lighthouse, she was in the break
ers. Before ' the tug could get - up
steam to go to her assistance, the vessel
was seen tor head directly for the en
trance 'to the bay, and pass over the
south spit without injury. . -
MANY UNIONS REPRESENTED
American Federation of Labor Sleets at
Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, Deo. 16. The sixteenth
annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor was called to order
here at 10 A. M. today by President
Samuel Gompers. - About 150 dele
gates were present and many visitors.
Martin Fox, president of the Iron
Molders' Union of North America, had
been selected to deliver the address of
welcome. Owing to the death of his
mother, his address was read by E. L.
Denny. More effective action for
the eight-hour law and other reforms
were recommended. Special greet
ings were extended to Delegates Samuel
Woods and John Mallinson, of England,,
and Louis Vigoroux, of Farnce. Presi
dnet Gompers, in responding to the ad
dress of welcome, referred to the at
tacks upon the organization because
it was merely a federation, and not a
more compact union. ' He showed how
the fullest soope was given to indvidual
opinions and rights and thus affiliation
of different labor organizations was
possible in one great federation. He
appealed for oontinned efforts for the
cultivation of public opinion as well as
favorable legislation and mot earnest
co-operation in all labor organizations.
At the hotel last night President
Gompers and John Phillips were robbed
of $60 each. Woods and Mallinson,
the English delegates, of cash and
jewelry and several ' delegates of other
articles.
SKELETON -IN A TREE.
Peculiar Find Made by a Banter In
' California.
Ukiah, CaL, Deo. 16. While hunt
ing on Pine Ridge," ten miles from
here, Charles Ryan found the skeleton
of a man seated astride a branoh of a
tree, sixty feet from the ground. , One
of the leg bonea had fallen off, and the
skeleton, which was wedged between a
limb and the trunk of a fif tree, had
apparently been there for many years.
The discovery may solve the mysteri
ous disappearanoe of Andrew Nobriok,
a pioneer settler, who left his,, cabin
.seventeen years ago, and was never
seen - again. Ryan believes that the
skeleton is that of a man' either driven
to the tree for ; refuge from . wild
animals, or, being lost in the woods,
climbed the tree for observation, and
fell, lodging in the crotch of the tree,
from whioh he could not extricate him
self. . -- . - ' - ... -
UNREQUITED LOVE. ,
A Negro Bootblack, Crazed With Love.
Rons Amuck.
Waoo.Tex., Deo. 16. Edward Brooks,
a colord bootblack, aged 17, ran amuck
with a revolver in his hands, and shot
five persons, one fatally. He started
on the east side of the oity by shooting
two colored men, inflicting flesh
wounds.' Leaving them he tried to
shoot a woman, but the pistol failed to
work. .. He then took a street-oar and
went to the Baptist ' tabernaole, where
he shot two more oolored men, one in
the leg, the other in the arm. -Going
a mile further, where a dance
given by colored people, was in pro
gress, and shot another man, killing
him instantly. The ' man killed was
Alexander Willis. . 1 ' 4 '; , .;
Shortly after he shot Willis he was
oaptured by the police, just as he was
in the act of shooting another - man.
The theory is that Brooks was crazed
by love of a girl, who did not reoipro
sate his passion. -
MORTON TO CLEVELAND.
the Governor Expresses Bis Tiews on
the Cuban Question.
New York, Deo. 16. Governor Mor
ton,' acoording to a statement published
in. the Evening World, sent a telegram
to President Cleveland yesterday in re
lation to the oritioal condition of Cuban
affairs and the assassination of General
Maoeo in particular. The message con
tained the novel suggestion that Presi
dent Cleveland invite President-elect
McKinley to Washington to discuss'
the most feasible plan to be followed
by the president concerning the atti
tude Xt the United States toward Cuba
during the remainder of Cleveland's
term.
The t Porld article says:
"It V not probable that Governor
Morton would have proffered his sug
gestion unless he thought it would be
accepted by President-elect McKinley;
indeed, it is said the governor has had
some correspondence with the presi-deot-eleot
on this subject.'
'THREE BANKS SUSPEND.
Pennsylvania Institution does Down,
. Taking: Smaller Concerns.
Hollidaysburg, Pa., Deo. 16. The
First National bank; the oldest in this
section of . the state, and '.ohje of the
original fifty-seven national banks of
the United States, suspended business
jtbis "morning. The following notice
was posted: . "On aooount of the heavy
drain upon this bank during the past
thirty., days, especially the last two or
three days, the board of directors has
decided to suspend business until fur
ther notice." -:
The First National bank of Holli
daysburg bad a capital of $50,000.
,BAnks at Martinsburg and Williams
burg failed as a result ol the failure of
the : Hollidaysburg .bank. r
- Spanish Warships'oii Florida Coast.
Cincinnati, Deo. .16. A Commercial
Tribune speoial from Key West says:
It is said by spongers coming in that
there is an unusually 'large number of
Spanish war vessels lying off -the Flor
ida keys; that they go to sea during the
day, and a night come close to land,
throwing searchlights in all directions.
They have been sighted several times
by people on shore.. . ' r -
- Main railroads are giving more of
the crossing-tending jobs to women.
. Pennsylvania Town Indignant.
Maroushook. Pa., Deo. 16. This lit
tle town was ablaze tonight with indig
nation against Spain. Fully 2,000 cit
izens of the plaoe and of Chester held a
parade, speeches in denunciation ol
Spain were made, and an effigy ' of
Welyer was rigged up on a pole, fired
at from many revolvers and finally
burned, together with a Spanish flag.
Intense excitement prevailed during
the demonstration. "-" "- " V;"
A stock company has been formed in
Springfield, Mass. . to amnufacture mu
sical instruments of aluminum.
Maceo Was Murdered Under
a Flag of .Truce.
LETTERS TO THE CUBAN JUNTA
Decoyed Into a Trap by , Spaniards,
Aided by a Traitor, and Then Shut
' Down hi Cold Blood by Cirujeda.
Jacksonville, Fla., Deo. 15. Justo
Carillo, a well-known Cuban of this
city, brother of the Cuban general,
Carrillo, has received the following
letter from a trustworthy source in Ha
vana concerning the reports of the
death of Antonio Maceo, and showing
he wasilled by treachery: ,
"Havana, Dec. 12 Dear Friend
Justo: Our brave general, Antonio
Maceo, and the greater part of his staff
have been murdered by the Spaniards,
the Spanish major, 'Cirujeda, acting
the part of assassin, with Dr. Maximo
Zertucha as an assistant in the horrible
drama.
"Convinced that, notwithstanding
his enormous army, he could do noth
ing against our gallant leader, who
had so repeatedly defeated . the Spanish
generals in Pinar del Rio, Weyler con
ceived the idea of appeasing his beastly
instincts by cold-blooded murder, and
making the best of the secret relations
between Dr. Zertucha and the Marquis
Ahumada, he planned with the latter
his hellish scheme.
"Weyler took the field, and in his
absenoe Ahumada - proposed through
Zertucha a conference with Maceo, to
take place at a oertain point in the
province of Havana, with the view of
arranging plans .for the cessation of
hostilities. The basis was to be Cuba's
independence, and a monetary indem
nity to Spain, together, with certain
advantages that should be agreed upon
for .Spanish commerce and .Spanish
capital invested there. '
"To carry out the plan, agreement
was that orders should be given to the
detachments of troops stationed on the
trocha on the section between Mariel
and Guarajay, to allow Maceo, with
his staff, to pass the military line un
molested. Time was required to ma
ture these arrangements, and to give
them all the appearance of truth, Ahu
mada feigned that, before acting he
must make them known to Weyler for
previous approvaL
, "This explains Weyler's sudden ar
rival in Havana and his prompt de
parture for Pinar del Rio. The condi
tions and place of meeting having been
agreed upon.-Maceo orossed the trooha,
over the road to Gnanajay, without be
ing molested by the forts, but as soon
as he arrived at the place decided upon,'
be and his party were greeted by a tre
mendous volley from the troops under
Major Cirujeda, who lay conveniently
in ambush ' 7
"Most of the officers of his staff fell
with General Maceo.- Zertucha is
alive, because be was aware of the
scheme and remained in the rear.
"The Spaniards know where the
bodies are, but are bent on feigning ig
norance to blot out the vestiges of the
crime.. , ; ; ::
' "Havana and all Spain are rejoicing
because in their stupidity they hope the
war may end with the death of this
leader. - Far from it . The spirit of
the Cubans has grown more ardent,
and today they are resolved to- make
every sacrifice before surrendering their
arms to their relentless tyrants. In
this very province of Havana, in which
our army is least and has the least
meanB of defense, the Cubans are
operating with greater and greater
sagacity and activity, and hot a day
passes that we do not hear in this city
the firing on Guanabaooa.
"The Spaniards may treacherously
murder some of our patriots, but no'
earthly power can annihilate the spirit
of liberty flowing now as ever over the
Cnban people. " -..'.-
Falma Confirms It.
New York, Dec. 15. Estrada Pal
ma made the following statement: "I
received a telegram from my agents in
Jacksonville, affirming the news that
General Maceo and staff came in con
flict with Ahumada, Weyler's lieuten
ant, and were murdered. Dr. Zertucha
was present. The news does not sur
prise me, because the first reports of
General Maceo s death were so contra
dictory that I saw mystery in them. I
was inolined to bleieve the news was
false, but that if General Maceo had
really been killed it was "through- the
assassin's knife. It seems now he has
been murdered."
, Abolition of Sugar Bounties.
: Paris, -Deo. 15. The Temps an
nounces that an international confer
ence of representatives . of Germany,
Austria, Belgium, France and Russia
will meet at Paris in March, of next
year, for the purpose of considering the
best means of bringing about the aboli
tion of the sugar bounties.
Hamburg; Strike a Failure.
Hamburg, Deo.' 15. At a meeting
today the striking, dockers adopted
resolutions in favor of coming to some
agreement with their employers. A
conference between the strikers and
employers will. decide upon the com
position of the board of conciliation.
Mother and Daughter Asphyxiated.
Indianapolis, Deo. 15 Mrs. Cath
erine Corbett, aged 70, and her daugh
ter Mary, 40 years" old, were found
dead in their home today. -The odor
of gas was strong in the house, and it
is supposed they were asphyxiated. - . .
, Chicago, Dec. 15. Daring a drunken
quarrel ata christening at the home of
William Keenan, on' Aroher avenue,
this evening, Keenan was fatally shot
by John . Meeban, godfather to the
child. ' The murderer is in jail.
Sultan's Idea of Reforms .
Constantinople, Dea 15. The am
bassadors of the powers have sent a
joint note to the porte, demanding the
recall within forty-eight hours of the
porte's special envoy to Crete, Saad-ed-Bin
Pasha, who is accused of thwart
ing the reforms projected there. . These
reforms included the nomination of the
Christian governor of Crete, which
was accorded economic autonomy, with
the payment of a tribute to the sultan,
thertorganization of the gendarmes by
European officers and the independence
of the judiciary of Crete by the crea
tion of a high court at Canea.
WEEKLY MARKET LETTER.
Downing, Hopkins & Co.'s Beview of
- Trade.
Portland, Or., Dec. 15. The for
eign news regarding the wbeat sit
uation has been uniformly bullish
during the week past . Seeding in
France and Central Europe has been
stopped by cold weather, and the acre
age planted will show a decrease com
pared with last year. The reduotion
in French acreage is estimated at ten
per cent. Advices from the Argentine
report crop prospects worse, and esti
mate their exportable surplus as Bmaller
than last year's. Australian require
ments for American wheat during 1897
are estimated at 100,000 tons, or 8,
730,000 bushels. The news from In
dia is rather more favorable, but the
real scarcity there will not be felt until
next year. The position in America is
even stronger than in Earope. Two
small crops in succession have followed
a large reduction in surplus yields
from previous crops. The amount of
wheat still in first hands is estimated
at 65,000,000 bushels less than in De
cember last year. The quality of much
of the winter wheat remaining is too
poor for milling ' purposes. The ' de
mand from interior millers for wheat
from centers of accumulation continues
brisk, and their advices indicate that
supplies of red winter wheat for mill
ing are - practically exhausted. The
speculative condition have changed
considerably during the week. Longs
have been eager to secure profits. The
volume of trade has fallen off materi
ally and the market has lacked specu
lative support. The result was a de
cline to 18)4 fr May wheat on Thurs
day, which was followed, however, by
a rally on Saturday to 80 7-8o, making
the loss from a week ago a trifle more
than one cent The local sentiment is
bearish, temporarily, and with the ap
proaching holidays and laok of general
trade values may sink a little lower.
We- regard conditions as warranting
higher values next year, and on any
further decline in prices consider wheat
to be a safe and profitable purchase.
During the last week the corn mar
ket ruled weak in tone, prices showing
a decline of about o per bushel.
Liquidation by longs, cold, dry weather
thorughont the West, and a consequent
increase in offerings by country ship
pers all contributed to the heaviness.
In order to effect sales, holders were
obliged to make sacrifices. Sentiment
continues conservatively bearish in
view of the large supplies at points of
accumulation and lack of speculation.
The oats market showed the effect of
liquidation, sales prices declining lc,
closing with a slight improvement
This cereal has many friends, as the de
mand for cash is jjood, while supplies
are not Overburdensome.
Provisions have been fairly active
during the past week on the bog esti
mates. ; We are of the opinion that the
consumption of the product will be
large the coming year, and advise pur
chases of May product on breaks.
Prices are low, the trade .selling pro
duct relatively cheaper than the live
hog; therefore do not .believe there is
any profit to be made in selling on the
low basis of a 3o hog.
RUSSIA HAS CONTROL,
JHantchuria Ceded to the Czar China's
Treaty Made Public.
London. Dec. 15. The" text of the
Russian-Chinese treaty, reproduced
here from the North China Daily
News, has aroused considerable disous
sion on all sides, and it is regarded as
a matter of the greatest importance.
Some of the newspapers refuse to be
lieve it authentio, as it would be such
a victory' for Russian diplomacy. The
Spectator says today, however, it be
lieve! it to be exact, and adds:
"No forger would have tried so
elaborately' to protect the pride of
China. While securing every Russian
object, nothing is ceded openly. - Kus
sia is permitted to run a railway to
Kiirin, and is expressly authorized to
keep all the troops she pleases to pro
teot the Mantchurian stations, and she
is also to fortify Port Arthur for China.
"No glass is required to interpret
phrases like these, which completely
invest Russia with military control of
Mantchuria and the Liao Tung penin
sula." -
Continning, the Spectator, says it
thinks the arrangement threatens
Japan more than Great Britain, "whioh
can resist when her commercial rights
are threatened." ,
a . '
Killed by a Woman. '
Indianapolis, Deo. 15. Mrs. Graoe
Dolan, a comely white woman, about
24 years old, shot and killed Henry,
Jackson, a young negro porter em
ployed at the New Xork store, at her
home, on Liberty street
Her husabnd was away from borne,
and Emma Ott, a young friend, was
staying with her. The negro, whom
they had never seen before, tried . to J
climb into the window, but Mrs.
Dolan fought him off with ' a curtain
pole He returned, but by this time
she bad got a revolver and frightened
him off with a threat to shoot
When they thought he had gone the
women ran out to give the alarm, but
found him rushing back towards the
house with a brick. He forced his way
into the house and Mrs. Dolan pulled
out the revolver and fired three times,
killing him. She was placed under ar.
rest - .
Fatal Boiler Explosion.
Marseilles, Deo. 1 4. The boiler of
the Messageries Martimes steamship
Saghalien exploded shortly after she
left Hong Kong recently, killing sev
eral stokers . The Saghalien succeeded
in reaching Saigon. - '
' ' A Slump in Sealskins.
London, Dea 15. At the late sales,
Alaska sealskins declined 16 per cent;
Copper island declined 1 7 per cent;
Northwest coast declined 20 per cent
Walling to Be Hanged. '
. Frankfort, Ky., Deo. 15. The court
of appeals today reaffirmed the decision
of the lower court of Newport, Ky.,
sentencing Alonzo Walling to be
hanged as an accomplice of Scott Jack
son in the murder of Pearl Bryan last
June. ' It is quite likely that the date
fixed for the execution of both men
will be about the anniversary of the
murder, early in February. , . ,
; China Buying a Navy.
Rome, Dea 15. Special Chinese
envoys now in Italy have placed several
orders for large battleships and ornisers.
li I IAIF IL
Ways and Means Commiityc
Will Soon Begin Work.
PROGRAMME DECIDED UPON
fhe Fall Republican Contingent Will
Work Together on the Measure
The Difficulties That Are In the Way.
Washington, Dao. 14. The house
trays and means committee will begin
work before the holiday recess upon
the tariff bill, which is to be the chief
feature in the policy of the incoming
administration, and will endeavor to
perfect the bill so it may be presented
to the house of the fifty-fifth, congress
early in the special session which Presi
dent MoKinley will summon for re
vising the tariff laws.
This programme was formally deoid
ed upon tonight by a conference of the
Republican members of the oommittee,
held in General Grosvenor's room a at
the Cochran hoteL It give xu-offi-oial
confirmation to the announcement
reoently made that the president-elect
had concluded to have an extra session,
and that the Republican leaders had
abandoned the Dingley bill, the tem
porary measure which was passed by
the bouse in the last session and amend
ed with a free silver substitute by the
senate. Ail Republican ways and
means members attended the conference
tonight, exoapt Steele, who was de
tained. They decided that Chairman
Dingley shall call a meeting of the
full oommittee for an early date, at
whioh the formality of giving the min
ority members an opportunity to vote
upon the programme will ba enacted.
The proposition to be laid before the
oommittee is that hearings be given by
the full oommittee, at which all parties
having an interest in the tariff will be
invited to give their views, the hear
ings to be commenced within a few
days.
Apart from this official plan, the Re
publicans , determined to take up the
framing of the bill themselves, the
usual oourse pursued by a majority
party, soon after the hearings are un
der way, and to work to that end in
formally at onoe.
. There wiH be no subcommittee given
charge of the measure, but the full Ra
pnblican contingent will work together.
Acoording to the trend of discussion,
'he reciprocity polioy is to be made an
important feature of the Republican
system, even more important than it
was in the Harrison administration, if
a practical scheme can be devised. The
reciprocity features of the tariff will be
woven into the original bill. In the
last Republican tariff they were mostly
afterthoughts.
- Tonight's conference was of two
hours'- duration, "and the 'participants
said tney had agreed unanimously on
the polioy to be pursued. "A moder
ate tariff bill," they explained, was to
be the object -A moderata bill is un
derstood to be one whose average rates
would be somewhat lower than the
rates of the MoKinley bill of 1890,
though a considerable average advanoe
over the Wilroa-Gorman duties, and
the committeemen said they would not
hesitate to advance ' rates beyond the
McKinley bill in cases where experi
ence had shown the advanoe to be ad-1
visable. ' ' -
SHOT AT HI 3 FATHER.
A Tragedy on a Business Street of an
Iowa Town.
Missouri. Valley, la., Dea 14. Ben
Freeman, the only son of Dr. George
Freeman, of this city, killed himself in
the prinoipal business street this even
ing, after an ineffectual attempt to
kill his father. He fired two shots at
the latter and then ran down the street
After a flight of a block, he put the
revolver to his right ear and fired, the
ball penetrating the back part of the
head, resulting in instant death. But
one of the shots fired at the father were
effective, the ball cutting through his
right sleeve and striking near the
shoulder blade, causing only a slight
wound.
Ben was 20 years old, and came
from Stockton, CaL, last Sunday, on
a ticket sent him by his father. The
father says he cannot think of any
reason for the terrible deed, claiming
their relations since Ben's arrival from
the West, where he has been for eight
een months,' have been amicable in
every respect. The son had just taken
supper with his father. Dr. Freeman
says he bad no idea that Ben was
armed, and had not the least warning
or intimation of the attempt upon his
life. '
An English Coaling Station.
San Diego, Dea 14. The steamer
Pacbeoo, which arrived from Lower
Califtroia today, brings news that it is
currently reported at Guyamas and
Mazatlan that the British are taking
steps to establish a coaling station at
Clarion island, off the coast of Jalisco.
Mexican officials displayed some con
cern over the report and had dispatched
the steamer Oaxaca from Guyamas to
the island to ascertain whether the
story was true. The rumor was that
a quantity of coal had "been taken to
the island and a landing was being
built "
The Rebellion in Madagascar.
Paris, Dea 14. Advices received
from Antanarivo, -capital of the island
of Madagascar, announoe that the in
surgents, during .the night of . Novem
ber 18, looted Ambohemanga, ten
miles from Antanarivo. The insur
gents captured forty prisoners and all
the cattle. The English residents had
a narrow escape from being massacred.
The bones of -aged persons having
more lime in them than those of young
people are, therefore, more brittle.
Opium in Cracker Tins.
Honolulu, Dea 14. About 480 half
pound tins of opium were oaptured by
customhouse authorities here. They
were found oonoealed in tins of soda
crackers in a shipment of 174- cases,
per Monnt Lebanon, by the Portland
Cracker Company and the Washington
Feed Company. . Morris and Lowden,
of the latter company, are nnder arrest
They probably did not know the opines
was contraband. - :
' An album containing the photo
graphs of 20,000,000 stars is being pre
pared by a Frenoh astronomer.- -
X-QUEEtt L L'UOKAL Nl.
Has Arrived In San Francisco From
Honolulu.
San Francisco, Dec. 14. Among the
passengers on the steamer China, from
Honolulu, today, was ex Queen Liliuo
kalani, of Hawaii. Much speculation '
was indulged in by the passengers re
garding her destination, about whioh
she was nnoommnnioative. It was
freely said she was en route to Wash
ington to plead with President Cleve
land and the congressmen for American
intervention in Hawaiian affairs look
ing to her restoration to the Hawaiian
throne.
On the ex queen's behalf it was said
she was merely on a pleasure trip to
the United States; that she would ex
tend her trip to Earope and that the
trip was taken with the full knowledge
and consent of her government at
Honolulu, whioh reoently granted her '
a full pardon for her oomplioity -in the
native uprising of one year ago.
When the passengers disembarked
from the steamer, the ex-queen went to
the California hotel, where no intima
tion of her ooming had been received.
She had to wait until apartments could
be prepared for her. She absol ntely re
fused to discuss her plans and give any
reason for her snudden departure from
Honolulu. It is intimated, however,
by Colonel McFarlane, the queen's
agent, here, that she will represent to
the president that the Hawaiian repub
lic has been a failure, and that a ma
jority of the Hawaiian people would
welcome a return to the monarohial
institutions. - Lilioukalani has been
under the surveillance of the Hawaiian '
government- ever sinoe the last native
uprising. She seems to have taken
advantage of the first opportunity given
by the pardon to leave the islands.
TRAGEDY OF THE SEA. '
An Emmlgrant Steamer Lost With All
on Board.
' Vigo, Spain, Dea 14. The Italian,
steamer Salier, formerly the property
of the North German Lloyd Company,
foundered off Corruna Celerbedo, on
the Spanish coast, in the reoent -heavy
gale.
There were 210 passengers on the
Salier. Her crew was composed of
sixty-five men. All on board pecished.
The Sallier's passengers consisted of
115 Russians, 85 Galioians, 61 Span
iards, and one German. The steamer
was bound from Bremeq to Buenos
Ayres, via Corrunna and Villagaroia.
The passengers were mostly in the
steerage.
' The Salier was a brig-rigged iron
steamer, and was for many years in tha
Atlantic trade between New York and
European ports.
BACK IN PiNAR DEL RIO.
Maceo Again In the Lsnd of the Living.
So the Cubans Say.
St Louis, Dec. 14. A special to the
ftexrablic-fronr rjallasrTex: ; say a:
The head of the local Cuban commit
tee today received a dispatoii- from Key
West making absolute denial of the
Spanish reports from Havana of the al
leged killing of Antonio Maceo.
The dispatoh states that at 0 o'clock
last night Maoeo was again in Pinar
del Rio province, and that his army
was making successful operations
aginst Weyler's forces; that since the '
turning of Weylers left flank. Decern--ber
1, Maoeo had captured more than
1,200 stands of arms and immense
quantities of ammunition, medicines
and commissary supplies.
The dispatch also states that within
the next three days the Cubans are
likely to turn Weyler's flank and win
a decided viotory.
SIX YEARS FOR BOQGS.
Sentenee of
Ks-Treasurer
Affirmed. ,
of" Taooma
Olympia, Dea 14. The supreme
oourt today affirmed the judgment of
the lower oourt in the case of the State
of Washington, respondent, vs. G. W.
Boggs, appellant Boggs was treasurer
of the City of Taooma, and placed $30,
000 of the funds of the oity in the Ta
ooma Trust & Savings bank, on which
be ntade a profit for himself by appro
priating the interest This constitutes
a penal offense, and Boggs, being found
guilty, was sentenoed to six years' im
prisonment at hard labor. The opinion
is by Judge Dunbar, all of the judges,
exoept Hoyt, concurring, and holds
that it was the intention of the law
makers that an officer should receive
his compensation through the medium
of the salary provided, and should not
be allowed in any way to speculate '
with money in his care.
The Monitor Bam Puritan.
New York, Dea 14. One formid
able addition to the navy of the United
States was made today, when the moni
tor ram Puritan was put into commis
sion. It is thirty-two years sinoe the
keel of the Puritan was laid, and four
years since she was launched. Now
that she is ready for service, she is re
garded, for defensive purposes, as su
perior to navy vessels of the first class,
while for offensive warfare she is a lit
tle inferior to first-class craft. She is
300 feet long and 60 feet wide, and
has a displacement of 6,200 tons. Her
equipment oonsistsof four 13 -inch rifles
in barbette, six four-inoh rapid fire
rifles, six six-pounders, two one
pounders, and two revolving cannon of
thirty-seven millimeters.
No Practical Result Expected.
New York, Dea 14. The Post's
London ' correspondent cables as fol
lows: The truth about the . reported
agreement for the settlement of the.
Turkish problem is that the powers .
agreed upon a joint peremptory demand
on Turkey for speoifio reform on the .
return of Neidloff, the Russian ambas
sador, to Constantinople. But Russia
absolutely excludes coercive measures,
so that no practical result is expected .
in reliable quarters.
' A Cave-in at Ogilby. .
Los Angeles, Dea 14. Private ad
vices from Ogilby, CaL, were received
tonight that several miners had been
killed in the Queen mine, one of the
properties of the Golden Cross Com
pany. It is said a cave-in occurred,
but the number killed is not known, ;
as reports are conflicting and cannot be 7
verified. v
London, Deo. 14. A colliery has been
flooded at Abernathy, in the south of
Wales, and 130 men in the mine had a '
race for their lives. Two were
flrowned. . - '