THGIRG YESTERDAY . WAS
G
OOD EVENING.
TODAY'S News Today! '
. J That it what it making The Journal
the llvett newspaper - proposition in
Portland. ' , " ' .
-' i .
Thf Weather t . ' '
Tonight and Thursday, showers;
south to west, winds.
VOL. II. NO. 301.'
POETLAND, OREGON, -WEDNESDAY EVENING, . FEBRUARY 24, 1004.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
NAVAL BAl
OTGED AT PORT ARTHUR IN
4,030'
"ST" - . A TT T
b V AS
WHICH
VICTORY
DENIED
Japanese Say They Have
No Information and
Discredit Report.
RUSSIA IS CONFIDENT
Dispatches State That Battle Occurred
Early Yesterday Morning After ;
Mikado's Men Had Failed .
in-Midnight Attack.
(Journal Special Service.)-
London, fab. 24, p. m. A
Xusslaa report reached here, this
" afternoon that . four Japanese
battleships and two transport
ware sunk In an engagement ' off
e Port Arthur yesterday, . The die- '
e patch adds . that the . Japanese
e made the attach and were re-
, e poised with the Jose stated. The
dispatch also says that the Bus
e sUn battleship BeKtvawfeion
was seriously damaged la the
first attack, was active la battle
, and carried off high honors for
e skillful fighting, -, ' .'
later t London, Teh. 94. i p. m.
e Japanese Minister ; XayashT
e stated late tonight that hs has
e Information whioh dlsoredlta the
St. Petersburg- report of a Japan-
anese naval disaster.
(Journal Special ferric.) ,
London, Feb. 84. A dispatch , from
Chefoo to the Evening- News declares
the Russian consul there confirms the
statement that four Japanese warships
have been destroyed at Tort Arthur. The
battle occurred early yesterday morn'
In
The Russian consul declares that the
Japanese fleet began the attack shortly
after midnight and passengers arriving
from Chtnwangtao say continuous firing
was heard oft Port Arthur between 1 and
4 o'clock ' on the morning of the 23d.
There wss no moon and conditions were
ripe for a surprise. They declare that
undoubtedly the Japanese were trying
to steal through the entrance to the
harbor when they were discovered and
defeated.
A report from St Petersburg this
evening asserts that six Japanese war
ships were sunk off Fort Arthur yester
day. Washington. Fob. 14. The Japanese
legation here has no advices of a naval
defeat and the report Is discredited.
TOXXO PXSCXZDXTS XT.
ports Cay That JTo Action Occurred at
Port Arthur Yesterday.
(By Paciflo Cable.)
Toklo, Feb. S4.-The war office says
there has been no fighting of any con
sequence on the Yalu river for two days
and no action of the fleet since the 20th,
- despite the story of a Japanese disaster
yesterday at Port Arthur. , ,
Operations of the Japanese fleet' are
.now as much a mystery as that of the
Vladivostok squadron, though the latter
is back in the harbor.
The Russians are said to have can
' celed all orders for railroad material
with Germany because of their inability
to protect . the line from Japanese as
saults this side tf Harbin.
Japan alleges that the enemy has only
40,000 troops on the Yalu but it is
thought there Is a reason for giving out
' this information (part censored).
Japan is not wholly pleased with the
action of China in threatening to fake
a hand in the atrtfe as it Is feared It
will bring about trouble in Europe.
THIS
Vw. tirlsi- -v;'7'1' 'fe h'his, i I,, it k i, , friHUiLkUi,. -. ,,,.M;-ti-K,ii. ,;;.-,. . 1
THF TAP
THIS PICTURE SHOWS
r
HUNDREDS OF HOMES
LOST TO SETTLERS
Supreme Court 'Gives to Northern - Pacific, Land
Now Held by 300 Families in Clarke and tow
litz CountiesGovernment May Relieve, ' '
As a result of the decision t of the
United States supreme . court yesterday,
giving to the Northern Pacific railway
absolute title to the. land embraced' In
the "overlap" district, about 300 set
tiers are left without title to their homes
and may be ejected... The "overlap" dis
trict contains 48,458 acres in Clarke and
Conilts counties, most of wh'ch is -rich
land... Borne of It has bee'n under cul
tivation for years, and been improved
Into valuable farms. Great orchards,
hop fields and -dairies have been devel
oped and some of the farms are worth
thousands of dollars.
The government has granted patents
to at. least 10 settlers, some of whom
have lived on their homesteads for 15
years. , The decision nullifies the past
action of the , interior department and
leaves the - homesteaders without any
legal right to their homes In spite of
the fact that a government patent ' is
generally recognised as absolute owner
ship. . .
The circumstances leading up to the
legal blow which prohibits the settlers
from retaining their homes are unusual
and extend over a period of years. The
government, the settler and the railroad
company are all to a greater or less
degree responsible for the litigation
which has taken place and that which
must necessarily follow. . ' -
In 1804 the government granted to
the Northern Pacific every, odd section
HCiUKE SHOWS A bECTlOAL
THE JAPAKESE ON THE YALU
. The Pictrjrt Map Shows the
In a belt which extended for. 20 miles on
each side of the right of way from St.
Paul to the coast.- According, to 'the
first surveys the road ' was to be built
down the -Columbia river1; to Portland
from the locality of .Pasco.., Later Ahe
western end of the road was changed
to run up the Yakima valley and across
the mountains to Tacoma and a branch
south to Portland. A .new,: grant . was
given by congress to. cover the line of
the road to Tacoma and south. , The old
grant down the' Columbia river was de
clared forfeited' prior to 'this and was
partially taken up . as . public domain.
In the second grant some of the land in
cluded that which had beeni reserved to
the company under the first grant, which
created the overlap, and it was a ques
tion which ' of the two should' have
precedence. Up to 1895. the department
of the Interior recognised . the authority
of the last grant as legal and that the
lands ! In the "overlap" Were under - the
Jurisdiction of , the railroad company. In
deciding some land litigation in 1895.
Secretary 'of the Interior Hoke Smith
held that the"ovcrlap"rdld not pass into
the control of the Northern Paciflo .un
der the grant of 1870, as' it had , been
previously' reserve; He ordered that
patents should be issued to settlers on
the tract The railroad 'Company con
tested the right of . the government and
(Continued on Page Two.)
i
vVitW; OF. THE PR0lECTtD;.CKUISR B0YAR1N, KJECEHILY : BLOWir .UP AT. P0XT ARTHUR BY.
ANESE SUFFER VERY H
RIVER AND THE TYPE OF CAVALRYTHE MIKADO IS SENDING 1
Position of the Opposing Forces According 1o the latest1 Balletins " ' !
Bora
Transport Buf ord to Take
SoIdiersrFrom Van
couver to -Isthmus.
The army 'transport Buford, which
arrived in. Portland at.l o'clock this af
ternoon, will probably take on soldiers
from , Vancouver, barracks ! to replace
marines now doing duty in Colombia as
it is the intention of 'the government to
withdraw majinea .and .substitute sol
diers. The statement that the Buford
will take on marines at Portland is
thought in Washington to be erroneous.
The war department will not verify the
statement as to the taking on of soldiers
at Portland for Colombia, but in all
probability this will be their destina
tion if they are embarked.
The Buford docked at the Eastern A
Western mill, where she will take on a
shipment of lumber for the Philippines
consisting of about 1,600,000 feet. She
left 'Astoria at midnight last night and
about half ' way up the river dropped
anchor for the night. At daylight she
proceeded up the river and reached Port
land without incident She had a good
passage all the way up.
The Buford is drawing 23 feet and
(Continued on Page Two.)
' - -r, f.
FOLSOM CONVICT
IS IN MORE GRIME
Murderous Thugs Working Trade in Calif ornia
:Ohe?Arrested;Confesses to Robbery; of the
V Colcmial Club at San Francisco.
. , (San rraucisco Bureaa of The Joaniat)
San Francisco,; Feb.; 24. There -Is no
further doubt that Austin Hooper, who,
with George Carson, " is in Jail at San
Rafael, ' the Marin ' county officials
have one of the gang who held up and
robbed ' the game at the Colonial club,
133 Powell street. In. the early morning
of February 18. " .
Hoper repeated to Sheriff Taylor and
Detective ? Wren the . story day before
yesterday, and while all details are not
made- public - by the police,; for fear of
preventing the capture of , the other
thugs,. the -' following J facts-were given
out by Sheriff Taylor today:
Hooper declares that Ray Fahey, the
notorious convict who escaped from Fol
som last July, "English Dick," another
desperate thug who has plied his trade
all over the country, and "San Jose
Blackle," himself, and a flftti man whoso
name he will not divulge, were the five
who committed the remarkable Colonial
club robbery. .
Hooper ' says : he was . the man who
wore the patent 'leather shoes. . Ray
Fahey was the ringleader, and. with the
thug whose name is withheld,' planned
the robbery.' -Hooper says that Fahey,
"English Dick" and San Jose "Blackle"
have been in San Francisco all winter'
and have committed robbery after rob
bery under the very noses of the police
without fear of detection. Hooper, who
was discharged; from San Quentln, Jan-
EAVY
AGAINST. THE COSSACKS.
, J, '
uary 18, of this .year, immediately Joined
the gang in San Francisco. Charles
Carson, or "shorty," , who was released
February 15 from San Qnentln, also im
mediately joined forces with the thugs,
and their operations from "that date un
til last Sunday, when- the vigilance of
Marin police resulted In the capture of
Hooper and Carson, Includes) four suc
cessful holdups in San Jose, Sacramento
and San Rafael, an attempted robbery
at Petaluma, which was frustrated, and
a murderous assault by Carson upon
Constable Louis Hughes of San Rafael.
To all of these crimes Hooper has made
full confessslon.
GRAVE FEARS FOR
EMPEROR WILLIAM
(Journal Special Service.)
London, Feb. 2 4. A Manchester dis
patch today says: "It la learned from
high authority that the malignant
growth in the kaiser's throat is the
cause of grave apprehension and the
worst news may be heard any day." The
paper adds that sincere hope is every
where expressed that the reports are
erroneous, but unfortunately there is
little ground for hope. ;
COUTiO Hi CCIITACT WITH 'AEKE.
LOSSES
Shrinkage of Russian Se
curities Cause Many
Failures in Europe.
ENGLAND FAVORS JAPArf
France, Austria, Germany and Italy .
Are Pro-Russia Hurrying
Troops to the Yalu, Still
Continues -
(Journal Special Service.)
Xiondon, reb. 84. Careful in
vestigation show that the)
European pnbllo as s rule favors
, Knssla la the - present conflict.
Vraaoe to bow close bound than
ever; Austria,.- naturally favors
the Muscovite; Oermany is pro
& use lan; . Italy Is hound by the
driebund. and Spain favors Ras-
..sl. England. . however, Is a
staunch friend of Japan, and
Sweden la becoming more so on
aooount of tit Xlanish aatt-Xua-
siajB feeling1.
' (Journal Special Service.)
- London, Feb. 24. Regardless of the)
feeling of friendship for Russia by sev
eral powers or heads of powers, the un
easiness In the commercial centers of
these same - countries shows that the
people regard the czar's ability to over
come the far eastern situation with sus
picion, hence . Russian securities are
dropping and Urge failures are reported.
It Js reported from; Berlin that heavy
failures occurred there yesterday and to
day as a result of the tumble of Russian
securities. . Mors failures are expected.
Financiers are surprised at the show of
weakness on the part of Russia, but they
have all along known that she was mors
or less financially embarrassed.
The exchange hers is crowded today
with people looking for war news, but
none is received of a satisfactory char
acter. -. -' '.; - .. :
Two- directly contradictory messages
were received this afternoon regarding;
the Russian forces on the Talu, and both,
were alleged to emanate from official
sources. One declared a Russian ad-.
vance across the river to a new posi
tion; the other states there has been no
move of any Importance except in the
vicinity of Harbin. v
When Admiral Makaroff arrives ' at
Port Arthur it is thought an effort will
be made by bis-fleet to drive away or
damage the Japanese coast patrols.
Makaroff has seen -much service and is)
a bold and successful officer. -
XWDEPEJTDZVCB TO lOUi,
Stats Department Beoelves Advloes of
Treaty JTegotiations.
(Washing-ton Boreas e The Journal.)
Washington, Feb. 24.--The state i
partrnent this morning received advices
that Japan and Korea have concluded
the negotiation of the treaty guarantee
lng to Korea her Independence and integ
rity. , It Is supposed that under its
terms Japan is allowed to temporarily
occupy the country with troops, with the
understanding that at the close of the
war with Russia it will be the signal for
immediate' withdrawal.' This move com
ing as it does on the heels of the protest
filed yesterday by . Russia is regarded
here as a most effective answer to Rus
sia's representation that Japan violated
the neutrality and integrity of Korea. ' '
(Continued on Page Two.)