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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1904)
QooU Morning CIRCULATION OP TUB -f IjHI JOURNAL YESTERDAY IftVgiV Ths Weather: Sunday Occasional ' reins; southwest wlrfda, decreasing. VOL. I. NO. 86. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER W. 1104 FOUR SECTIONS M PAGES. PRICE FIVE CENTS. NEW DISCOVERES OF LAND FRAUDS IN OREGON WHICH INVOLVE ROSEBURG OFFICIALS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE ' PLAIN CASE OF JOBBERY That's What's the Mat ter With the Tanner Creek Sewer. WORK WORST EVER DONE FOR CITY OF PORTLAND Information Before Star Cham ber Committee la Strong Enough to Send Soma Man to the Penitentiary. Despite the extraordinary precau tions which., have been taken to keep from the publlo the disclosures con earning the Tannar eraek sewer, full particular of tha expert' report have finally been obtained. The Job la one of tha worst ever perpetrated In thia It Bo far doea the work fall below the apeclflcatlona that the Ufa of the aew er, if It should be left In Ita present condition, would probably be measured by month, rather than by year. The defects In nonatructlon are ao flaring that the action of tha city engineer in approving the work la uicomprehen alble. "Either there ta at tag Incompetence )n the city engineer's department, or eiaa there Is th groggait corruption." said one property owM who attended the star chamber aeaaldgf of the council committee and heard the report or the expert a. "No other explanation la poe- ibl." Uvea the meet sensational of the rumors of defective work In the Tanner creek aewer are within the facte. The expert found a condition which ensued them. The speclftcatlona had been dis regarded In many moat vital portlcu- lara. The quantltiea of material used had been grossly exaggerated. In the language of one man who la thoroughly conversant with the fact, "the whole Job t rotten." The text ef the report submitted by the four experts who examined the ewer I still Jealously withheld by the council committee, but from a property owner who has read tha report and heard it thoroughly discus, a com plete summary of It content waa ob tained yesterday afternoon. Briefly It Is as follows: The experts found that In places the aide walla of tha new sewer have ae foundation whatever, hut rest only upon the ground The specification call for a ease ef eeaneat, but la places this waa wholly omitted by the eon tractor. At one place tha timbering above tha sewer had sagged badly, so I Sat It had carried dowa the sewer, ta order to save the expense of patting In new timbering at thia point, the contractor put only two layers of brick on the arch. Instead of three aa required. The quantity of cement used waa far short of the specification and of -1 hills rendered by the contractor. In place the brick were simply laid la place without any oemeat whatever, ao that a slight pressure waa sufficient to remove them. Some of them could be lifted out by hand. for a number of t t underneath one of the manholee there la ao paving In tho bottom of the sewer. In the old sewer the belglan blocks were laid "flatwise" instead of on edge, oon trarv to the peotftcatuns. At the point where the new sewer Joins the old sewer, the work waa don ao bunglingly aa to be almost value less. These are the main defects found by tho expert. At the iWug of he council committee Friday afternoon, the report was read and City Engineer i.l llott unaortook to explain his approval of the Jh. HI main defense consisted tn throw- ' (Continued o twg Seewn. DEALERS SAY THAT TURKEYS ARE SCARCE 4 a If you have your mouth fixed for a Thanksgiving turkey you had bettor he sure you are going to get turkey. For turkey are rare birdg this year. : : : If you Invent orders your turkey already, some of the deal ere darkly prophecy, you Will have to put p with roast beef or eome other daily staple of the sort. The ..iim of turkeys thus far are very imall, and the prices in the retail miiraeia is imm jo to as oent apound. Tha former price is for what the dealers ex pressly describe sa "scrubby stock." Dealers haw been entirely at aaa thia year n regard in prions and they themtelve do not know from one day o the other which war tha markrt oat Is going to SEWER EXPERT'S REPORT t Summary of the findings of the experts who investigated, the tTanner creek sewer : . Portions of the side walls of the sewer are withoat any foundation whatever, resting upon' earth instead of on a bed of cement, as required by the. specifications. The timbering above the sewer has sagged ip places. ,arr,rln 4ciavrl li. nrlirkle ttriirlnre '1 11 U Voill the eXIll'tlNO of retimbering, the contractor put the arch of the sewer, instead by the specifications. In various places the bricks were laid without cement, so that they can be lifted out by hand. The slightest pressure will dislodge them. For many feet the floor of the sewer is without any pav ing whatever. The connection between the old and Xhc new sewer was made so bunriinelv that the work must be done -over. The belgian blocks in the bottom of the old sewer, which 1 the specifications required should be laid on edge, were laid "flatwise," thereby "educing by one-half the thickness of the ilooring ana me "quantity 01 uiuciut uu, The a.uantitv and the quality of the cement used in the sewer were far short of the requirements, and of the amount a j .1 v.:u t cnargea lor in inc cunirtiui o OAKLAND POLICE ADMIT BURGLARIES Four Officers Confess to Many r Wholesale Robberies While on Duty. SERGEANT ACTS AS A LOOKOUT ON OUTSIDE Seventeen Place. They Admit Were Looted and Soma Were Entered Repeatedly. t special Dispatch by Leased WW to The Jeers!) Oakland. Cel.. Nov. II. The coots slons of Police Sergeant Charles S. Clark and Patrolmen John F. Staht. baa K. Andrews and Charles W. Hamerton. all of whom have been dismissed from the Oakland polio force for acts of burglary and theft, ware mad public tonight by tha police commissioners, and the record I about as black aa could be produced against any four thieves ta the country. The commissioners, who are Mayor Warren. Olney, City Attorney J. H McElroy and City Engineer Fred Turner, gatr out the record of the confessions tor the benefit df the public, hut they adopted a resolution declaring that they had done their full duty tn dismissing the thieve from the municipal employ and they had ao Jurisdiction to bring criminal proceedings. An astonishing feature of the case Is that, although there la ao question about the confessions having been made to the officer of the P' lice department, each offender Implicating the others and two of tha confessions being signed, aad al though some of the burglarious police men were detected tn their criminal work. It la asserted that aa the evidence aaa been declared Insufficient, ao' at tempt at proeecutloa Wttl ha assess, Tha only chance of bringing the disgraced policemen to trial la believed to be fat tha possibility of action by the grand Jury. Stahl, tn. his signed confession, tell pf the burglaries committed by himself and tha other criminal policemen at IT different places, and so ass of these places were entered repeatedly. Gro ceries, dry goods, clothing. Jewelry, meats and articles of various sorts were taken. At the coactuatoa of the state ment. Stahl says: "On nearly ail of these occasions Ser geant Clark went Inside while I stood guard, he opening the doors on most of the occasions." Ths burglars operated while on duty and tn the regular police uniform, so that the detection of them waa not aa easy matter. Andrews also signed his confession, admitting that he had en tered atore numerous times. . RAILWAY TICKETS CAN EXPIRE BY LIMITATION Ml ihI I lisp. Mi by Ismuhs! Wire to The Journal) Saa Francisco. New. la, A. decision aa to the life of a railroad ticket, which to ottractlng a great deal of attention, baa just been rendered in fnvor of the South ern Paoifio company by the civil court of appeals at San Antonio, Tex. The court has just decided that a railroad ticket, which is not used within a reason able time after Its Issuance, Is barred by the statute Of limitation, the same as a promissory note. The case arose out ef the sale of a ticket by the Southern Pacini; on April . Has. The ticket "was for a trip from Houston to San Antonio. The man who bought It died without using It, Fife teen years after It waa sold, late In IHW. it was offered to a Southern Pacific oon ductor. The latter refused to accept It and the man refusing to pay his Tare waa ejected. There waa nothing Irregular In the ticket or In Its purpose and transfer In deciding against tha man In his hesvy damage suit for ajootment the oourt hold that "It was newer con templated that tits ticket should be held for nearly halt of an seal age lifetime before It waa presented for the purpose for whloh it waa purchased The ticket held hy the appellant could not occupy any. better position aa tn the statute of limitation than a uromlseorv uola pay - able on demand.'' only two layers of brick in X of the three layers called for t mno. GAMBLERS' LAST HOPE DESTROYED Sweeping Decision of Judge George Sounds Knell of Queer Claaa Hera. SHERIFF NOW UPHELD IN HIS OFFICIAL ACTS Conducting Poolrooma Violation of tha Law, and Council Cannot Ucenaa Them. Hi a decision which members of the bar say Is on of the most comprehensive relative to gambling known to tha annals of Jurisprudence, Presiding Judge George of tha circuit court yesterday denied the application of at. ,Q. Neaae for an order enjoining Sheriff Word from holding pos session of the premises of the Warwick Commission company. Judge George held that gambling ex ists whenever anything of value Is wagered on an event or act la which tha element of chance enters. Selling pools an races he declared to be an In fraction of the Oregon statute governing gambling, as well as a violation of that section which prohibits anything out raging publlo decency or subversive of public morals. He held that the city council has no authority to license poolrooma. because conducting them la In violation of the statute. The possession of such a license will not afford the offender Immunity from punishment. The moral side of the case was expatiated on at length The court stated In two paragraphs of the decision that a court of equity will not interfere with a public official in the performance of the function of his of fice unless it la clearly shown that ha to exceeding kla authority, aad asserted that the extraordinary power of Injunc tion will not be exercised tn the case ef a man engaged hi a questionable and un lawful occupation who finds himself tn conflict with the sheriff. TO say that the opinion has created a sensation would be to put it mildly. The gambler expected an adverse decision, but not en so sweeping. The emphatic language used by the " court aad the reason given for the opinion have de stroyed their bast vestige of confidence In affair so shaping themselves that an "open town" will again be san. "I guess It's all off," said on of the iramblers. disconsolately. Thl decision seem to sweep the last chance away. Any man that depend on gambling. for a living might aa welt emigrate." One of the moet Important results fol lowing from the decision. It 1 learned. Is that the damage suits agajnat Sheriff Word wffl In all probability be abandoned. Several prominent lawyer have refused In unequivocal terms to take such ce bn contingent fee, demanding that the cah be put up before they enter any or the damage suits. One prominent lawyer said ha did not care to have hie name connected with a gambling case under any consideration. In view of Judge George's decision and what seems to be the sentiment of a large majority of the resident Of tile city. PAY FIFTY THOUSAND ELECTION WAGERS Ihpeelsl DtsiMtcb hr Unset Wire tn The Jnornal) Butte. Mont,. Nov. U,-nfty thou sand dollars In election wager wa paid In Butt today. $40,008 of that amount being settled by BUtta hotel pool-room on national, state and local wagers. The Montana Club gambling house paid 110,000. Of this sum one men won trt.oon on a single bet, while anothsr In dividual' pulled down W.oon. l Inapsfrtt hj- lessee Wire to The Journal! Paris. Nov. tS. A. Hurt McKee sailed on the. ftoamnhlp La Savoie today He said: "I am not engaged to Mrs. Tevls. The report itlnt our stn terrmm adjoined on leaving ?ew mrs is rinse. i am I ol ng home to attend to business. My furrier wants me at home.' Mrs, Tevls jt now visiting Nice, and well Mpend the 3 winter on ilia Rlvlara. PRESIDENT INSISTENT Does Not Want the Peace Conference Postponed Indefinitely. BURKE ROCHE DELIVERS DESTROYER TO RUSSIA Daringly Runs tha Vaaael on Bill of Sale Only to the Port of Libau Defies German Cruiser at Kiel. (Copyright. Hrt News Serrlre. b; Wire to The Jouraal.) London. Nov. It. It Is hot believed hare that President Roosevelt will per mit his project for a second peace con ference at The Hague to be postponed indefinitely by the reluctance of Russia to participate until the war with Japan la ended. The feeling Is that Washing ton, sctlng in full knowledge of the ap probation of London and Paris, will push the matter forward, largely because American statesmanship 1 convinced that the chief direct benefit from tha congress will be International moral pressure open Russia. A a secondary advantage it Is pointed oat that, in a remote contingency, of ultimate suae ess. the naval powers of the west would desire to he la a position calculated to disturb the political bal ance In tha Par East. The latter sug gestion la not dismissed as visionary by Britons, who recall Kuropatkln a throat about dictating panes at Tnklo. In British financial circles no doubt Is entertained of Japan's final triumph, awl the eagerness of the city to take up England's allotment of the second Jap anese loan shows how firm Is the confi dence of Lombard street. In tha re sources of ths Island kingdom. Already the economic consequences of Japan's winning ars discussed. Atten tion Is called to the fact that among the moat Important will be the opening up of China with a haste. probably never be fore witnessed in sny country. In this era of concessions of every sort In commercial countries will profit." says a week-end writer, "and China will be In a position to do a trad with tho United States, England and Japan of which these powers scarcely have dreamed.' Such condition. If the London Finan cial Press Is not mistaken, are back of the promptitude with which Japan's bonded offerings are snapped up here and in New York. Exaggerated though the reports of the disturbance on the Afghan frontier un doubtedly were, they have supplied fresh reason for the prompt return of Lord Curson to India. Ho will leave for Simla next week, thus disposing of all rumors that he would be succeeded by Lord Mllner. PIRATE ROCHE. of a Wan (CsgSTSJBt. Besrst SW Service fir Lesse'l Wire to The Journal. ) Olasgow. Now. 19. Burke Roche, the dashing Irish ex-member of parlia ment, society man of Paris and New York and father of Cynthia Roche of Newport, has given official England a (Continued on Page Two.) BEATING ITS WAY TO LEWIS AND CLARK FAIR Aa he steamed up Che coast from San flasjulana Captain Webber of the steamer Despatch ays that he towed a aaa monster for several hours. ft seined the propeller of the ship's tog tn its teeth, and held on with great tenacity. Coal waa poured into the furnace In lib eral quantities and the engines were taxed to their full capacity, hut It was all (hat tho steamer could do to make progress am long a the unknown Inhabitant of tha sea ems tugging and floundering behind. Finally one of the blades of the propeller broke and the hlg flh ispened Its Jaws and loosened Ita hnld. The leviathan moved aWay In an opposite di rent ion to that in which ths ship waa going. Only ths rippling wave indi cated Its course. The log wna drawn In and although It Is made of heavy steel It waa oaverort with deep Indentures made In tha serpent's powerful teeth. It I so badly damnum I that It will never be of any further use. It In now on exhibition it the Couch street duck. At times a portion of tha mon ster's head would appear above the surface at the water, but none on board had the faintest nonowprion sa to what family of sea monster the head heltingad. t a gagagagaaP " BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrV ' 4BSBSBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSbSSSSd sssV m M I h ssssssssssL 'sfllKV sww4 w 'w?. yrisaay BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBsP wVB BBBBB1 BBBBsl BBBBBSW BBBBB1 Circuit Juage M. C. George. Whose Decision Yesterday Struck g Death Blew to Open Gambling in Portland. RAGING BLASTS MENACE SHIPS Eighty-Eight Mile an Hour Storm Off Mouth of Co lumbia River. MUCH ANXIETY IS FELT FOR COAST VESSELS Craft Sean Outside Before Gale ' Buret in Fury Over tha Coast. Off tho mouth of the Columbia river yesterdby afternoon the wind was blow ing at tha rate of UX miles an hour. It waa far the heaviest storm of the season, aad coeaiderabto anxiety la felt for the safety of several vessel now known to be la this latitude. Although nothing aaa been learned concerning the jetty, tha opinion ie expressed by those who have been apprised ef the severity of the storm that portions of the trestle have been carried away. Knowing that a big disturbance waa brewing. District Forecaster Seals or dered storm warnings displayed all along the coaat at 7 o'clock yesterday morning. Shortly after a southeaster came sweeping up the coast, wnlen Sradually gathered strength until It ent sipping along at a velocity of S8 l nlesa she wa stoutly built, says the weather man. no ship could have with stood tha fury of the gale. A four masted bark and a three-maated schooner are known to nave been on the outside, liarly In the morning they came within full view of the observer it North head, but a few minute' later they again drifted out to sea well In advance of the I hlg blow. The steamers Praacla H. Lag ged and Bedondo are also supposed to be n earing the Columbia river from San j Francisco. If they fell into the path of tho storm tha officers probably had all Oiey oould do In looking after the safety j at nha a raft. Although Port Crescent has a hel- j tared location, the wind there waa bear-1 dig at the rate of 19 mile an hour. It ta said by thou lir charge of the weather bureau that these figures indicate that i that gala was fully 70 miles on hour at i Tattooah. from which point no worn aa to that atmospheric conditions was received. Even so far Inland as Spokane end Walla Walla the wind had a velocity of milng an hour. While tha hrees was not an stiff at Portland It played many prank. Oooa- I tonally It wotld come sweeping around the street corners with such fnrsa- aa to turn umbrellas inaids out and even carry cain-enaked hats high Into the! alt m few of which found lodgement on elevated moss-covered rrteftfc Mejnsr of the boards on the rickety fnnoeat tunri!ng In ihe outskirts of the which ervd for sign palming WOMAN HORSEWHIPS A NOTED EDITOR William Allan White Incurs En. mity of Mrs, Delia Meffert with Dire Results. ATTACK RESULT OF STORIES HE PRINTED Finds Hard Work Escaping from tha Blows of a Whip Wielded by Enemy. (.per la I DtopsMi hy Leased Wire to The loarnsl) Top Ira, Kan., Nov. 1. William Allen White, editor, ef the Emporia Owaetfe and one of the best known Kansas an thorn, the writer of "Boyvllle" and "What's the Matter With Kansas ' as horsewhipped near hi office yesterday afternoon, by Ifrs. Delia Mffrt, the dl voced wife of Dr. L A Meffert, whom Whit has severely erttrelsed In recent edition of hie newspaper. The whip ping administered to White eras wit nessed by several Km porta people, among them William Martindale. ft ta aid that Mrs. Meffert and the woman who was with her when the whip ping occurred had been waiting several days to meet White on the street. Tha stories, of the affair differ. No report of It reached the public from Emporta lat night. Today, how ever, the Emporia Republican, a rival newspaper, gathered up the fact to print a story, and White printed his ver sion. It Is reported thst the attack on White la the result of a number of stor ies about Emporia woman whleh have been printed in the assert and which are resented by the women. Thi account say that White, who wigh more than 200 pounds, found hard work escaping tha Mows of the woman with the whip. The account also say that a bystander Interfered to assist White and tried to take the whip from the woman. Whit admits in his story that he ran to Ma office. Kb does not say anything about iitivmg been struck with the whip, hut reports which were received here tonight say that he received several fles s Mows on the head and si law TOBACCO IS WHAT APE MORTON ILL t.tnectsl Dtspatrti hy Lessen Wire to Th Journal) Washington. Nov I Secretary ef the Navy Morton wss Jollied consider ably here today by people who knew that oe is in nni oesirn. ann WHO read the oe wa iasn mmosniy ill ai ISNasonlCO worron wa nearly SgggJ itn I Ha dowawi aw, and be a certain tMa dunns FRAUD IS UNEARTHED Official of the Roseburg Land Office May be Involved. ANOTHER SCANDAL MAY BE THE RESULT Invaatigation Recently Ordered by Secretary Hitchcock, Dis closes Qroaa Irreg ularities. (Weaklngts Pares ef The JnarnaL) Washington, Nov, It. Sensstlon! disclosure have resulted from tha re cent Investigation of the Rosrhurg, Or., land office. The Investigation was made under special Instructions from Secre tary Hitchcock, snd though no formal report has yst been made It Is known that gross Irregularities were dis covered. Numerous fraudulent enlrle on gov ernment lands are said to have been un earthed snd the scandal may Involve both the receiver and the register of tho Hosemtrg office. It is but a few months since both were reappointed upon the recommendation of the Oregon dslegsttrm. All Information as to tha nature of ths charge I refused si the Interior department, and until ths report af tha Inspector who mode ths tavestffttlon id received, no action by lb department is probable. J. T. Bridge Is register nd J tf. BTiITi I receiver of the Rowetrorg hrnd office They have been In office shout flv years, having been reappointed last yaar. Three weeks ago W. W. Ranks, as sistant fnlfed States district attorney, nd fol. A. R. Qreen. special agent of ths Interior department, took a trip to southern Oregon for fbe purpose of mak ing certain Investigations in behalf of the government. Although they ob served sll possible secrecy it became known that they were Into I ring Into suspected entries upon public Isnds. These entries had been made through the Roseburg land office. Southern Oregon has been a prolific) field for the land thieves and from tins to time report have become current to the effort that many of the entries mad through the Roseburg office would notr bear close invent Igatlon. The fact that J. H. Booth, the receiver of the office. Is a brother of Kfate Senator Booth, th head of the Booth-Kelly Lumber com pany, and untn recently himself the sec retary of the company, gave point to these nrmorg. snd It has bean sswerted lhat this relationship redounded greatly to tho advantage of the corporation. These reports reached Washington and when th Oregon delegation recom mended to the president 14 year that Booth and Bridge stiould be reappointed. he wa at first reluctant fo comply with the recommendation. Roosevelt was especially unwilling to reappoint Booth, but finally consented to do so on con dition that th latter should sell an his tock In the lumber company snd resign hi office ss secretary. This Booth did, and the appointment waa made. Blnger Hermann was largely Instru mental In "ecurlng the reappointment of Booth and Bridge. His home is In Roseburg. where tho land office Is lo cated. The character and1 extent of the fraud which have now been discovered are not known, but It la oon lectured thst they are similar to those perpetrated bv the McKlnley-Puter-Ware ring, which nourished during Hermann's adminis tration of the general land office. It Is believed hy persons who ar familiar with-the facts mat the Investi gation which has been mad wfll result In the removal of both Booth oil Bridges. ROOSEVELT DICTATES TO PANAMA REPUBLIC (Special Dispatch hy Iyssed 0 Wire to The Journal.) a Washington. Nov, 1. Presl- a dent Roosevelt. according to d transactions at the state depart- a ment does not propose to allow a i any iggurrectlnns or revolution a i In Panama It now develops that a when Minister John Barrett at w Panama notified the state depart ment of the Imbroglio brought Ml hy Oeneral iluertas of the Panama army he was promptly directed to Inform President Amador and Hurts that the In tended revolution must oeasa and that the latter should resign. .Th Instruct! were mat lees tranquitoty should be re stored snd (tales