I
UBUSHIl PULL AtBOOIATfD PRIM IMPORT
OOVCRS THK MORNINQ PIILO ON TH1 LOWER COLUMBIA
VOLUMK LVIV. NO.: 1 38
ASTORIA, OREGON. FRIDAY, MARCH 24. 1905.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
ROSIN ARMY
Conditions In Manchuria
Unfavorable.
WILL NOW LOSE HARBIN
Russian Army Gradually Retreat
Ing Followed by Japanese
Army. ;
ANOTHER BATTLE PROBABLE
Russia Contemplating lmmditly
Providing Vladivostok. With War
Munition and BuppH for a Two
Yar 8ig If It Can 8 Don.
m. Petersburg.- Maruh llU li
possibility thut if the Russian army
ahe-nld not 1 tliln to hold fb lower
Hnr of thi Hungarl river at Chunchl
taau or tnny be compelM retreat,
not only to Hufbln, but also further
westward along the railroad, abandon
Inf to the Jnpunese northern Man
,1'tiurla ami Russian murium.1 nmur
provtnv, wU, U lb latest atari
ling new from the front.
The , strngeUts weaknea of flenral
Llhevluh'a tngtlon a ht fall back
northward la made clear by Ounihu
dlmtrhe in the AssoHated Pre, in
which It la pointed out that unle
ChurohlaUu and Bungsrl lines. acant
10ft mile below ltiirbln, ran be. held, It
will be difficult to maintain a poaltlon
further buck bfor Hitrbln where, with
the front of the army paralelltnjr the
railroad, and the practicability of
turning movement which completely
aevera th communication and laolst
Ing an army 100 miles from homo la
too eerlous for consideration. In view
of ihla possibility the dispatch alluded
to suggests the advisability of Im
mediately providing Vladivostok with
war munition and auppllea for a two
year siege. The correspondent estl
nmtea that the number of reinforce
ment needed to give Oeneral tJne
vltch the requisite superiority In force
would require 200,000 men.
That such a dispatch should have
ween permitted to paaa the censor at
the front la considered significant, and
If Llnevltch rommunlcnted a slmllai
estimate of the situation to the em
peror, It may account for hla majesty's
Increased disposition to (Men to pence
rnunaefa and open negotiations before
the Japuneea estnhllsh themselves on
Russian aoll.
With Manchuria entirely abandoned
to the Jupnncae and Vlndlvlstnk only
left aa b Russlnn aolllary aentlnel on
the Purl Hp, It la realised thnt Russia
will be practically nt Japan's mercy In
the matter of peace terms.
St. Petersburg, March 2S. H I an
nounced her that the Japanese army
I marching to Vladivostok and thnt oil
the women have been ordered to leave
the city,
It la now definitely stated that the
decision to appoint Grand Duke Nicho
las Nlchololevltch to j the k supreme
command In the far east has been re
considered because th outlook at the
front does not warrant the risk of
compromising the preatng of a mem
ber of the Imperial family.
Military authorities here believe that
unless Llnlevltch Is sure of his ability
to hold lower Sutigarl line he will risk
til whole army If he fortifies and con
centrates there, for If he be defeated
Ills line of retreat lies alopg two sides
of a triangle, the third side of which
will be open to the enemy's advance.
At the general staff headquarters the
view of Oeneral Llnlevltch may b
compelled to abandon Harbin and re
tire toward Lake Baikal, leavlngVlad
Ivostok to Its fate, Is regarded as un
warranted by anything officially known
there, It being pointed out that Oyama
would have a long and laboroua task
to bring up an army of 300,000 or 400,
000 men. Meanwhile Russia relrt
foreements are arriving at Harbin at
the rate of 1200 men a day. Never-
theless It la significant that there am
now well marked pence party ut the
wlntttr puluce.
The report persist In slating that
the Japanese turning movements are
cut both fiaiika of the Russian army,
The Chine state thut the Jupatwss
have mrultsd many Chinese bandit
and probably they will now be able to
count a superiority ,ln ravalry a Wfll
aa Infantry. The branch of the Rus
ao-CliltuMM bank tfi bin removed
from Klrln to Harbin after the attack
on the, bank offlea In which two guard
were woundej with cobble atone,
Captured Japan report a terrible
affray In the streets of Mukden on
March 10. when a big detachment of
tulnna, the lat to leave the city
were eiitrapid by Chine baiwllt and
a few Japanxae aoldler. who ulod
llio gat of Mukden and blocked the
narrow atrot't. According to tho re
port, which I not confirmed, not
Hulun ea'iped. :
EQUITABLE LIFE.
Effort Being Mad to Have 52 Irlatead
of 28 Dlrotora.
New York, March 2 J. A committee
headed by John D. Crltnmln and
claiming to represent a large number
of policy holder In the Equitable Life
Anaurance Company, met toduy and
announced their Intention to work for
tho election or equitable of the entire
53 director by policy bolder, instead
of SB a propoed by ten director a
few day ago. Crlmmln hit applied
to the atate superintendent of Insur
ance for a hearing on th subject, &ud
the hearing has been set for Tueaday
Ceori Cau(ht
Heattle, March !3.-IK'n Williams
colored, who had confessed to slabbing
Jack Frank at Ravensdnle ftaturday
night, wa taught by the deputy alur-
Iff. - Ills victim,, whom h atabbvd dux
lug a saloon fight, cannot, according
to the pbyelelari ret?rvert and will not
I! v more than a day or tw'a
ATTEMPTED WRECK
Timber Placed Across Track of
Southern Pacific.
OCCURRED NEAR ALBANY
The Only Thing Thst 8svd a Diss
trous Trsin Wrck WA That ths
Timber Plsosd on th Trsck War
Rotten and Discovered in Tim.
Albany. Ore., March 23. When the
south bound ptisenger on the South
ern Pacific railroad, the overland train,
reached here Wednesday night, a piece
of timber was found wedged under the
pilot of the 'engine. It was thought
that the timber had fullen on the track
accidentally. An Investigation today
shows that a few blinks north of the
station where th street crosses the
track, a bridge timber eight Inches
square had been placed across the
track against the end of the guard rail
with the evident Intention of wrecking
the train. The only thing that saved
the train was the fact that the tim
ber waa old and rotten and when the
engine struck the timber the guard rail
cut through the rotten wood, allowing
the timber to slide along In front of
the engine until It became wedged In
under the pilot. Several other pieces
of timber were found lying across the
track. The matter la being Investigat
ed and suspklous persons ar under
survellnnce).
Wont Register Bonds,
Topeka, March 22. State Audltff
Wells announced today that -he would
refuse to register state oil refinery
bonds unless ordered to do so by the
supreme court. This will force the Im
mediate test of the legality of the
bonds. The auditor's action Is friendly
and Is taken for the purpose of giving
the bonds a proper standing.
Only a Report.
New York, March 25. It Is reported
that the government of Bolivia intend
to send many young men who display
talent to Santiago to study In the mili
tary academy. This is accepted as
significant sign of the rapprochement
of the sister republics.
INVWTIN
Beef Trust Trial Now
'in Chicago.
WITNESSES EXAMINED
District Attorney Will Close Inves
tigation After Examining ,
Fifty Witnesses.
STRICT CENSORSHIP IS KEPT
A Number of Witn Supposed to
8 Employtd by th Bf Trust,
Wr Examined Today and Evidano
Adduced a to Prie Paid Breeder
Chicago. March 23. Twelve out of
fifteen witnesses, supposed to bitfe
Won employed by the various packing
firms and retail meat dealers, have
thus far been examined, and testified
before th special grant Jury hearing
evidence against the so called beef
trust.
Although the censorship against any
publicity of what transpires In the Jury
room Is strict as on the first day of the
Investigation, and the witnesses have
been so thoroughly coached that they
fear to make the names public. It was
learned tonight thnt during almost all
f the day's session, District Attorney
Morrison sought evidence concerning
the price the rethll dealers wer forced
to pay the packers and the prices some
of the packers have been paying cattle
raisers for beef on hoof.
District Attorney Morrison announc
ed tonight that If 25 or CO witnesses
gave evidence sufficient for Indictment,
the Investigation would close with
their testimony. Since the Investiga
tion begun names of witnesses have
been rolling Into the prosecutor's of
fice by the score, but subpoenas wer.e
not Issued for these persona
FROZEN TO DEATH.
J
Mother and Thirten-YarOld
Son
Found Dead.
Denver. March 2S. The Republican
special from West Cllffe, .Col., says
that the body of Mrs. Henry Fall was
found today three miles from Junklns
Park frosen to death. A 13-year-old
son waa lying benlde her, frosen stiff
but still alive. It is believed he too
will die. The mother and son left
Junklns Park to 'walk to Cllffe and
were overtaken by a bllasard.
BELL NOT CAPTURED.
Albert E. Bell 8till at Largs and no
Clu of Him.
Tacoma, March 23. A staff corre
spondent of the Ledger, who Just re
turned from McNeils Island, reports
at 10 o'clock tonight that no trace hat
been discovered of Albert B. Bell, the
noted mall pouch robber and fwger.
who escaped from the federal prison
on McNeil's Island yesterday. Fifty
armed men ar patrolling the beach
and Island.
Last night was unusually rainy and
boisterous and the officials believe Bell
must soon become desperate and come
out from hla hiding place and en
deavor to ateal a boat and make a
break for the mainland. If he la not al
ready there. They have, however, ab
solutely no clue to work one. When
pell escaped It waa only 300 yards
from the thick timber and since enter
ing the woods nothing has been seen
Of him.
COLLEGIATE EDUCATION.
Curicujum of Collsge Rult in Som
Brokn Heads.
Golden, Col.. March 25. Harry B
Clapp of Denver and Arthur J. Welnlg
of Durango, Cel., both freshmen at the
State School of Mines, are suffering
from Injuries received In a class bat
tle which occurred between frechmer
and sophomores. Clnpp Is unconscious
from concussion of the brain and may
die. Welnlg Is Injured internally and
I In a critical condition. A flag fight,
beginning ui 'l o'clock In the morning
and continuing Intermittently through
out the day, culminated In a clash on
the campus at dunk.
A rought and tumble fight lasting an
hour and a half followed in which a
number of the students were bruised
and cut.
CASE OF 8UICIDE.
Woman Found in Chicago Leaves
Nets of Her Intention,
Chicago, March 21. The finding of
ar note declaring her Intention to take
her life has cleared the mystery sur
rounding the finding of the body of a
young woman In the lake at Wtlmette.
The body was Identified as 'that of
Miss Annlu Nelson, a nurse girl, and
a note addressed to her brother de
dared her life had been a failure and
that she feared falling health. It Is
believed, however, that dlsappolnt-
In a love affair was the prime cause
of the suicide.
8TIL RUNNING,
Russian Hurrying to Get Out of th
Way of Japan. ,
Toklo, March 23 (Noon) An official
report from imperial army headquar
ter ay:
"Our detachment pursuing the enemy
entered Changtu on March 21 at 2:30
p. m.
"A large body of the enemy In dis
order is retreating toward the north
east, along the line of the railway.
"A part of the enemy's cavalry ho
halted at a point within two mites of
Changtu."
Working Overtime.
New York. March 23. Explosions of
Vesuvius have abated, cables the Her
ald's correspondent at Naples. . The
only sigh of Internal activity Is an
occasional light puff of material and
smoke:,
TACOMA CAPTURED
Prize Court at Nagasaki Making
Investigation.
GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE
John P. Hartman, Rprsnting th
Northwitrrv Steamship Co., Wires
That th Taaoma Wa Not Carrying
Contraband Good for Ruciia.
Seattle. March 23. Acting Secretary
of State Adee today wired the North
western Steamship Company that the
steamer Tacorou had been captured by
the Japanese In Aniwa bay on the
southern end of the Skatatan Island
and was being towed to Nagasaki.
where the Japanese prize court wad
sitting. John P. Hartman, represent
ing the Northwestern Steamship Com
pany, at once wired Mr. Adee to the
effect that the Tacoma was not carry
ing contraband goods, that she was
bound direct for Shanghai and that
every barrel of beef she carried was
consigned to Shanghai merchants. The
state department has been asked to
intervene and prevent. It possible, the
condemnation of the Tacoma.
SCIENCE OF EGG0L0GY.
San Franeiaoo' Prefor Mak
Unimportant Discovery.
Chicago, March 23. A dispatch
to
the Tribune from San Francisco say
Prof. Jacque Loeb has discovered in
producing artificial life by fertilising
the eggs of the sed urchin that they
were best fertilized by the use of
acetic or vinegar of formic acid, fol
lowed by common salt.
Large numbers of sea urchin larvae
normal and healthy, can be produced
from eggs by purely chemical an! phy
sical meana Many students of hered
ity have long been looking for means
for raising animals tn large enough
numbers for experiments, which should
possess the hereditary character of one
parent only. .
Detailed comparlsona of such Indi
viduals with those which derive thetr
character from both parents will lead
to results In the field of heredity of far
reaching Importance.
P4NAMA GRAFT
Poh Vns on the Canal
V emission.
POOR ORGANIZATION
Bay Roils are Padded and Various
Forms of Petty Graft
Practiced.
DUE TO BAD MANAGEMENT
Ths Present Canal Commission is Da
ds red to B a Failure by Every Man
Who Ha Visited Panama During
th Past Six Months.
Washington, March 23. Graft has
already made Its appearance among
the employes of th United State on
the , Panama canal, according '. 'tof an
American engineer who was on the
Isthmus only three weeks ago. It Is
evidently high time President Roose
velt were carrying out his plan for a
complete reorganization of the , canal
commission. This engineer, who had
exceptional opportunities to gather In
formation as to conditions on the Isth
mus, declares It is within his personal
knowledge that pay rolls are already
being padded and that various forms
of petty graft are practiced.
The trouble is said to be lack of an
efficient organization. Chief Engineer
Wallace is working like a Trojan in
the field and has almost worn himself
out trying to push the work at Cule
bra hill and to bring order out of chaos
In the organization. The present canal
commission Is declared to be a failure
by every man who has visited the isth
mus during the last six months. The
commission remained at Panama Just
long enough to establish certain Iron
clad rules, whose literal enforcement
has been a great detriment to the
chief engineer and the other officials
who are trying to push the work. Then
the members of the commission, with
the exception of General Davis, re
turned to the United States, and are
here yet Evidently they do not care
to live on the Isthmus, and prefer the
climate of New York and Washington.
On account of the unsatisfactory state
of affairs on the Isthmus many en
gineers and other employes of the
commission are giving up their Jobs
In disgust and returning home.
A SMALL MATTER.
Legal Batil in Philadelphia Over
f Small Estat.
Philadelphia, March 23. A legal
battle over the hundred million dollar
estate left by William Welghman, the
manufacturing chenftst. to his daugh
ter. Mrs. Mlna A. Walker, Is threat
ened by the widow of Welghman'a son.
Attorneys are engaged In drawing up
papers in the suit which. It is under
stood will be brought at once on be
half of six grandchildren of the manu
facturer.
Their mother has remarried since
the death of her first husband and now
bears the name of Mrs. Jones Wlster.
She asserts that William Welghman
pledged himself to remember the 'off
spring of his son In a codicil. Mrs.
Wlster states that since the death of
her first husband's father she has
through her attorneys made efforts to
have Mrs. Walker carry out Mr.
weighmans alleged promise and to
have received Mrs. Walker a flat re
fusal and dental that the will
bears such a codicil. When Weigh
man died he made his sole surviving
child Mrs, Walker, sole heir. She is
considered the richest woman in the
world.
WORK ON JETTY.
Th Chinook Will Not Com to Attori
Thi Yr.
Portland has succeeded In prevent
ing the Chinook coming to Astoria
Had it been used to dredge the channel
near. Portland there would have been
The following is from yesterday's Ore
gonlan: "The work of Improvement at tha
mouth of the Columbia river this sum
mer will be confined exclusively to
Jetty extension, in accordance with the
provisions of the late river and bar-
bor bill. Th chief of engineers will
soon award the contract for furnish
Ing stone for the Jetty and as soon a
possible thereafter delivery will com
mence and the Jetty will be pushed
seaward. 4 ' ,
"It has leen finally determined to
abandon dredging on Columbia river
bar. Major Langfltt is not Impressed ,
with what was accomplished by' tha
dredge Chinook lost season, and In
clines to the opinion that the 'money
required for operating this dredge
might better be expended on perman
ent work on the Jetty. This view Is
now concurred in by the department
officials. What will be done with the
ininooa nas not Deen aeiermineo. one
may He up at a dock or be sent to some
other t locality where dredging pro
duces better results." ,
Uprising in 8amr.
Manila, March 23. Major Allen of
the constabulary, commander of the
federal troops in the Island of Somar,
reports that the uprising among tha
Pulajanes is now under control, ana
that the majority of the regulars will
be withdrawn. Major General Corbln
and General Allen are now at CaJ
bayojr. Samar, holding a conference
regarding- the measures which will be
necessary to take In the future, i
. A Woman Principal..,
New - York, March 23. The Chap
paqua Institute In Westchester, one of
the best known Quaker schools tn the
country. Is to have a woman principal,
the first In Its history. She Is Mrs.
John Cox. wife of an architect living
In this city.
B
Albert E. Bell Made a Successful
Dash for Liberty. ,
ELUDES PURSUING OFFICERS
Notorious Robber and Forger Who Has
Committed Crime in Many Cities of
th United State Escape and 1 Be
ing Pursued by Bloodhound.
Tacoma, March 23. -Albert E. Bell
one of the noted mall pouch robbera
and forger, In the United States, made
a successful dash for liberty at the
United States, prison at McNeil's Is
land yesterday, escaping into the heavy
woods near the prison.
Bell covered his tracks so thorough
ly that all trace of htm was lost soon
after entering the timber, and a gen
eral alarm was turned In at the prison.
Lguards being sent out to scour the
woods and guard all avenues of escape
from the Island.
At a late hour tonight Bell had not
been captured and it was believed he
was still In the woods on the island.
The bloodhounds at the prison wen
pressed Into service last evening.
Bell Is wanted In many cities In the
United States, and waa arrested in
Tacoma last April for stealing a mall
pouch at Seattle and sentenced to two
years' Imprisonment.
ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
Indications Point to Another Slugging
Match.
New York. March 23. Jacob White,
the champion lightweight pugilist of
England, has started tor the west, ar
rangements having been practically
completed by telegraph for him to
meet James Britt before the Yosemlte
Club. In San Francisco, in the latter
pert of April. '
White is fen route to California and
will begin training at once under the
care of Charles Mitchell and the tat
ter's eon.
At Kslamazoo.
Kalamaxoo. March 22. Willie Fits.
Jerald of Brooklyn, knocked out Otto
Scloff of Chicago' In the sixth round
of a 15-round contest tonight.
ROB
ER AND FORGER