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VOLUME LVII.
ASTORIA, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1904.
NO. 193.
HILL GIVES
FACTS ON
COMMERCE
States In Examination Before
Merchant Marine Commission
That Trouble Is Purely
Commercial.
Savs Government Aid Is Essen
tlal to Success of American
Shipping Interests.
TROUBLES OF EXPORT TRADE
IIII1 Advocate a Tounage Tax
on Gondii 8blpfd,ln Foreign
IlottwiiiM m Protective
Measure.
New York, May 24. James If. Hill,
president of the Northern ficurlUcs
Company and of tht Great Northern
railroad, appeared thla afternoon aa a
witness before the merchant marine
commission, the joint congressional
commission, which I Investigating the
caueef of the decline of American ehlp.
ping. IU1I beltevea itbe question to be
purely commercial. If there ! porflt
In It people will engage In It, It there
la not they will not
"What the country wanta la a mar
ket," aald he. "Outside our agrlcuN
tural producta there aro very few
thing we can export because the coat
of production Is so high we cannot aell
them." Afur relating hie experience
In building ship,' which he says he
does not care to repeat. Hill continued:
"Our business on the Pacific la hard;
we have to compete with all natloni
and they are fighting very hard for
the oriental trade, and I think we have
placed obslrurtlons In the way of this
trade. Uo to Pugct Bound the heada
of the unlona are boarding house keep-
era, and the man who la dead broke
and broken down by excesses la the
man sent to ui. It Is the aome way
along the shore. You hire 200 men as
stevedores, and tell them to come next
day. They don't come as long as they
have money and others are sent."
A brick dialogue followed between
Hill and HpreenUUve McDermott
concerning govenment aid, Mr. Hill
contending that the tonage Ux on
goods exported In foreign bottoms
ould force shipments In American
crrtt.
Hill said he was satlafled that there
must be some sort of government aid.
or It was a case of get of out business.
SAYS He KNOWS NOTHING.
Man Quoted as Authority on Corwln
Wreok Disclaims Knowledge.
Victoria, D. C May 14. Victoria was
last night deluged with requests for
details of a disaster to the Nome liner
Corwln, formerly an American revenue
cutter, supposedly wrecked In the In
side passage between Vancouver Is
land and the mainland, with consld
erably fatality. Th rumor was traced
to a Seattle newspaper, which alleged
ly had received It from J. H. Oreer,
a local shipping man. Oreer denies
all knowledge of the supposed wreck
and the canard la believed to have
originated with a use of the name by
some unknown party.
The circumstance that the Corwln
before leaving Seattle, bad been com
pelled to stow her Intended deckload,
being adjudged topheavy by the In
spector,' gave color to this rumor, and
caused general misapprehension In
shipping circles. The steamer called
at Nanalmo several days ago for
bunker coal, however, and Is probably
now well on her way to her port of
destination.
REVENGE WITH RIFLE.
San Bernardino Bay Shoots Com
panion Fatally.
San Bernardino, May 21 Because
his companions had ostracised him on
account of bis nationality, and would
not permit him to go rabbit shooting
and horned toad hunting with them,
little 11-year-old Peter Moreta, an Ital
ian boy, shot MacDonald Durbln, lead
er of the opposition against him, to
day, sending a 22-callber rifle ball com
pletely through his body, the bullet
flattening on his ribs and tearing. In
consequence, an ugly and probably
fatal hole through his lungs.
The shooting occurred at an early
hour within sight of the Durbln boy's
home. Durbln, with the sons of a
neighbor, all the same age, had started
on a hunting trip In nearby fields.
when they encountered Moreta with
his rifle. He wanted to go, but was
refused, and while CO feet distant,
raised his rifle, calling out: "See me
wing you," and aiming directly at
Durbln pulled the trigger.
The bullet entered the right side
near the armpit, ranging downward
and came out at the bock. Durbln
managed to reach home, while Moreta
ran off and has since been missing.
SURRENDER OF KINCH0U
TO BESIEGING JAPANESE
MOMENTARILY EXPECTED
Rumored CossacHs Captured Two Jap
Transport Columns, Leaving Brown
ies Without Supplies.
Active Preparations Are in Progress for Reduction of Port Arthur
by Japanese Japs Have Evacuated Fengwangchan g
Russians Defeated and Compelled to Retreat
NearYinkau.
Seoul. Msy 25-The correspondent
of the Dsily Telegraph says that Kin
ohou Is being besisged by the Jap
snese and the surrender of the eity is
momentarily expected.
Included In the score of rumors is
one sent by the Shanghai correspond
ent of the Post to the effect thst the
Russisns have been defeated near Yin-
kau, abandoning 50 guns, and thst
Kuropstkin hss been advised by Alex
ieff to retreat to Harbin.
Miner Missing.
Wallace, Idaho, May 24. L. Lovell,
a miner at Prospect, near Borax, Mont,
has been missing for 10 days and It Is
believed he has perished from exposure
and hunger. Searching parties have
gone from Wallace.
FOR ALL WEATHERS I
W3 I
TRAIN llAVU Ml
IS ? . I
.....V
t&7 v If
Jxl v r j . f
' ' A fill
1 .J" .i"S?-lft
f v.' rj i 1 'amis
1 II?,
1
OopfriiM 1M br But SsbAMr Hum
The nice thing about a rain
coat ia, you can wear it in shine
as well aa rain, and look well.
The best fact about our rain
coats is, they're made for us by
Hart Schaflher & Marx, which
ia only a short way of sayirg
that there are no better rain
coats to be had anywhere ; and
that you'll think so yourself if
you buy one. "We have plenty
of other good overcoats to show
you; we'll show you the Hart
Schaflher & Marx label in
them: a small thing to look for,
a big thing to find.
P. A. STOKES One Price To Everybody
London, May 25. The correspondent
of the Post at Mukden, under date of
May 24, ssys It is believed General
Rennenkampff s eottscks captured two
Japanese transport columns, leaving
the Jspsnsse army without supplies in
a difficult country.
Preparing to Reduce Port Arthur.
London. May 25. The Dally Mail's
correspondent at Shlmonosekl, Japan,
cabling on May 24, asserts that active
preparations are In progress for the
reduction of Port Arthur.
Very heavy artillery, the correspond
ent says, Is being landed on Llao Tun
peninsula.
Dispatches to the Telegraph say the
telegraph line between Fengweng
cheng and the south has been cut by
Russians disguised as Chinese. A Rus
sian transport Is moving from Llao
Tang In the direction of Mukden, but
It Is not known whether this means the
retirement of the army or merely the
removal of the winter clothing.
The Telegraph's Nluchwang corre
spondent declares that Kuropatkln Is
determined to check the Japanese at
Lino Tang, where probably t great
est battle of the war will be fought
He adds that the Japanese land opera
tions against Port Arthur are meeting
with little success and that General
Stoessel continues to make well direct
ed but desperate sorties against the
advance of the Japanese.
Fengwangehang Evacuated.
Llao Tang, May J5. It ts reported
from a Chinese source that the Jap
anese have evacuated Fengwangcheng
and are occupying villages In the sur
rounding territory. There Is no ex
planatlon of this move, but It Is
thought It may be connected with the
prevailing cholera epidemic.
Jap Fleet Busy.
Chefoo, May 25. (12:10 p. m.) Four
Japanese cruisers and a fleet of tor
pedo boats and torpedo boat destroy
ers passed midway between Port Ar
thur and Mlao Tao Islands at 4 o'clock
this morning, but no sounds of firing
have yet been heard.
The Russians have again removed
their guns and troops to the forts at
Nluchwang.
Continual 8kirmishing.
Llao Tang, May 24. There Is con
tinual skirmishing between the Rus
sian cavalry and the Japanese. Cos
sacks are pressing the Japanese in the
hills and by the roads, generally driv
ing them back.
The general plan of the Japanese has
not been divulged. They are apparent
ly marking time, awaiting the arrival
of the reserves from Korea, who have
been delayed, owing to the Impassa
blllty of the roada
The Chinese report the destruction
of another Japanese battleship ot Port
Arthur, but the report Is unconfirmed
and Is not credited.
Japs Wiped Out.
Llao Tang, May 24. A report has
been received from Nluchwang, say
ing that on May 18 five battalions of
Japanese troops reconnottered to the
south almost as far as KInchou and ran
into General Fock's artillery, which
was strongly posted on the heights In
the narrow sections of .the Llao Tung
peninsula, and that the Japanese were
entirely wiped out The report lacks
confirmation.
Prince Hiikoff Arrives.
Llao Tang, May 24. Prince Hllkoff,
minister of railroads, has arrived hero
from Harbin.
bringing down a big log drive. They
were attempting to com down the
rapids in the boat when In some man
ner it was overturned.
ATTORNEY LOSES FEES.
State Entitled to Every Cent Collected
on Liquor Licenses.
Olympla, Wash, May 23. The su
preme court of the state of Washing
ton has sustained the state treasurer
in his refusal to pay over to the at
torney general 10 per cent of the
amount of a judgment secured by the
state against the city of Seattle. This
money was recovered in an action
brought by the attorney' general, who
claimed the money was due the state
on account of liquor licenses collected
by the city.
When the suit was decided in favor
of the state the attorney general
claimed 10 per cent of the fees col
lected by virtue of a territorial law
which provided that in addition to an
annual salary of $1800 the attorney
general should also receive the further
sum of 10 per cent on all money col
lected and paid into the territorial
treasury upon legal process Instituted
to enforce payment of any claim
against the territory. The state treas
urer refused to allow the 10 per cent
rakeoff and the matter was left for the
courts to decide.
The court finds that the action of
the territorial legislature was annulled
by the adoption of the state constitu
tion, which fixed the salary of all state
officials, including that of the attorney
general, and It Is held that compensa
tion of the attorney general Is limited
to the salary prescribed by the constitution.
This decision by the court keeps W.
B. Stratton, the present attorney gen
eral, out of about 17000 fees. During
his term the state has been successful
In collecting 170,000 In claims against
the cities and from various sources.
BASEBALL SCORES.
MAY ABOLISH EMBASSY.
Trouble Bstwsen France and Vatican
Goes to Deputies.
Paris, May 24. The government has
decided to fully present the Vatican
controversy, culminating In the recall
of M. Nlsard, to the chamber of depu
ties. A violent debate Is expected and
the government Is preparing Itself for
more radical action that has been here
tofore taken, since It Is anticipated
that an effort will be made to abolish
the French embassy to the holy see.
Officials express the belief that the
embassy will not be suppressed, but
they say the present feeling may lead
to that result when the appropriation
for sustaining the embassy comes be
fore the chamber a month hence.
VICTORIA DAY OBSERVED.
Washington University Narrowly Ds-
fested In Bsieball and Rowing.
Victoria, B. C, May 24. Victoria's
annual celebration of Victoria day has
on this occasion been the most suc
cessful In history. The principal ath
letic events decided were the defeat
of the University of Washington, at
baseball, by Victoria, by a score of 12
to 11.
The James Bay athletic association
senior four-oared crew beat the Uni
versity of Washington, after an excit
ing race, by barely a half length.
INEQUITY OF MORMONISM.
Presbyterian Conference Commends
Work of Church Women.
Buffalo, May 24. The work of the
Presbyterian general assembly consist
ed In the consideration of the home
missions report of the standing com
mittee, being presented by Rev. John
F. Carson of Brooklyn, chairman of the
committee. As a part of the report
Dr. Carson stated: "We heartily com
mend the work of Christian women of
all denominations In carrying on so
successful a campaign against the
Inequity of Mormonlsm."
The afternoon session was devoted
to the report of the standing commit
tee on aid for colleges and the discus
sion of the subject of college education.
EDITORS ELECTED.
Methodist Conference Rushes Things
Through at Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, May 24. The Metho
dist conference held two long sessions
today. The greater part of the . day
was taken up In speech-making, Inci
dent to fixing the places for episcopal
residences. At the morning session
the editors for 10 church publications
were elected, the Epworth Herald be
ing omitted from the list
There was very little of Interest In
the election of the editors, as the field
had been thoroughly canvassed by the
respective candidates and In most
cases there was but one nomination
for each office.
FOUR DROWNED AT BOISE.
Boat Filled With Loggers Is Overturned
In the Rapids With Dire Result
Boise, May 24. John Bowen, John
Conley, John Bedore and a man named
McDonald, were drowned In the rapids
of the Payette rlvor this morning. The
remains have not been recovered.
The four men were a part of the crew
Paeifio Coast.
At Seattle Tacoma 4, Seattle 5.
At Oakland Portland 4, San Fran
cisco 0.
At Los Angeles Oakland 2, Los An-
geles 1.
American.
At Boston Chicago 2, Boston 6.
At New York St Louis 0, New
York 8.
At Washington Cleveland 10, Wash
ington 8.
At Philadelphia Detroit 8, Philadel
phia 4.
National.
At Pittsburg Boston 0. Pittsburg T.
MURDERER
ON TRIAL
FOR LIFE
Norman Williams Arraigned Ai
The Dalles Charged With
dering Alma Nesbitt and
Her Mother. .
Case Is Probably the Most Pecu
liar in the Criminal History tt
the Pacific Northwest
EIGHT JURORS ARE CK05ET!
Circumstance Seem to Point to
William as the Murderer
Will Probably Be Found
Guilty.
The Dalles, May 24. The trial f .
Norman Williams, on the charge g
murdering Alma Nesbitt near EmI
River, Ore, October 10, 1850, was com-,
menced at 1:30 this afternooa. Eight
jurors had been secured when the court
adjourned.
The case is probably the most pe
culiar in the criminal history of thm
Pacific northwest Almost five yeara
ago Alma Nesbitt and her mother.
Mrs. L. J. Nesbitt, both from Omaha.
Neb., were seen to get into a rig Just
at nightfall with Norman Williams, six
Hood River, to go to the homestead
claim, which Williams had induced
Alma Nesbitt to locate. The tv
men, it is said, were never again :
alive. On October 29 last Williams
Indicted at the instance of the
ernment on a charge of forging the
name of Alma Nesbitt to a homestead
relinquishment The Associated Press
account of the indictment and the al
lusion to the almost forgottea disap
pearance of the two women was
brought to the attention of George
Nesbitt the son and brother, who came
to Oregon in search for his lost relatives.
The mother and sister were aot
found, but evidence of their havta
met with foul play was discovered.
abundant enough to warrant the au
thorities in causing WBBams arrest
The man was arrested at BeUlngfeaai,
Wash, February 8, and" brought to Wm
city to answer to the charge.
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EMBROIDERIES
For corset covers, all beautiful pat
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prices from 4c to 81.35 a yard.
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