STREETCAR BRIBE WAS NEEDLESS Defense in ford Graft Case Gains Startling Admission. WILL BECOME STATE, Ex-Supervisor Gallagher, of San Fran Cisco, Declares Belief That Over head Franchise Would Have Been Granted Without Use of Money- Carried Notes for Ford. San Francimsco, Sept. 26. Twice yesterday during the Tirey L. Ford trial, wherein the chief cojnsel for the United Railroads is charged with brib ry of public officials, it was affirmed that confessed bribe-takers, members of the board of supervisors, would have voted to grant the United railroads i franchise for an overhead trolley eys tem without the use of the money which is alleged to have been so lavishly dis- trilubed. James L. Gallagher, ex chairman of the board of supervisors, xpliiitly declared his belief that the franchise could have been secured with out any attempt to influence the opin ions of the members. Supervisors Samuel Davis, the only other witness of the day, reiterated this assurance on his own account. Gallagher occupied the stand during four hours of the session, and every ecrap of testimony he gave was thresh d out by the attorneys for either side. To Davis scarcely an hour was devoted. It developed that Gallagher had ar ranged immunity for himself and the other members of the board in the course of two or three interviews with Rudolph Spreckels. Gallagher admitted having had sever al conferences with Ford. At one time he carried a note from W. M. Ab bott, one of the United Railroads' at torneys, to Abraham Ruef. Afterward ho took the note to Ford, who permitted him to see that it contained a hint that an attempt was being made to trap the supervisors. Judge Lawlor is considering what form of punishment he will administer to the people connected with the de fense of Ford, who were caught by De tective Burns in the act of getting a trap to spirit away former supervisor Thom as F. Lonergan, chief witness against the defendant. The offense of seeking to take a witness out of the jurisdiction of tne court is clearly provided tor in the code, and Bome punishment will be meted out to serve as a warning against auch tactics. President Roosevelt to Approve the Constitution. Washington, Sept. 27. President Roosevelt announced this afternoon that he had decided tc approve the Ok lahoma constitution, which means that all doubt regarding the addition of other star to the national flag is re moved; that two more Democratic sen ators win soon take Beats in the upper branch of congress; that four DemO' crats and one Republican will be added to the rolls of the house and that seven bran new votes wil) be added to the Democratic column, in all probability in the next electoral college. Announcement that Oklahoma's con etitution is to receive formal executive approval comes as a surprise to many of those most directly interested, for the tip had gone out that the constitu tion would be rejected. Undoubtedly it would have been re jected, too, had the president felt free, after consultation with his legal advis ers, to act upon the merits of the docu ment as they appeal to him, or had the convention's work not been so over whelmingly ratified by the voters of Oklahoma and Indian Territory. It was stated at the White House that the tremendous majority for the constitution at the recent election was the impelling force. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the executive judgment wis, generally speaking, con fined to the Question of whether the provisions of the enabling act had been ebserved. The final decision followed conference with Attorney General Bonaparte this noon. Approval, as ap plied to the president's action in con nection with the constitution, is tech meal and does not express the execu tive's real position. He does not ap prove of the constitution at all, but simply signs his name in response to the will of the people who must live under it, for the reasons above stated. Mr. Roosevelt's actual opinion of the constitution, according to those who are in his confidence, would hardly be fit for publication. WITNESS CONFESSES PERJURY Anything to Secure Advanced to Immunity Money Dummies. Boise, Sept, 6. The first sensation in the trial of United States Senator; William K. Borah came late yesterday, when Albert Klanop Nugent, the sec ond witness produced by the govern ment, admitted on cross examination that hexommitted perjury in taking out a timler claim, admitted that he had been promised absolute immunity by an officer of the Federal government for testifying, admitted that at there quest of the Federal officer he had sworn to a complaint against a man whom he did not know, and last pro claimed that he believed it to be a part of his bargain for immunity that he hould swear to any comlaint against any person, regardless of any know ledge that he might have as to the per conn's guilt. When the name of the Federal officer who induced him to sign the comlaint was asked by Borah's -counsel, the witness swore positively that lie could not remember it. The day was given over to tho intro duction of a mass of papers on file in the land cilice at Boise relative to 31 alleged fraudulent claims, and to the evidence of two men who said they re ceived money from John R. Wells, with which to prove up on their timber land claims. SVells is one of the men indicted with Borah. Counsel for the latter did not object to this testimony, on the understanding that the trans action in question would ultimately be connected in some way with the sen ator on trial. IDAHO FRAUD CASE. Another Alaska Strike. Tacoma, Sept. 26. Private advices from an authentic source report a rich gold discovery on Valdez creek, in the Sushitna valley, 75 miles from Copper Center, which is on the Valdez-Fair- banks trail, 300 miles from Valdez. Peter Monahan, the discoverer, took out $"0,000 two years ago and during the past summer, with machinery to work the bench above the creek, took out one nugget valued at $940 and sev eral running from $200 to $300. It is predicted the stampede will result in a mining town equal to Fairbanks. Lose Money at 2-Cent Fare. St. Louis, Sept. 26. According to compiled statements made by officials of the various railroads of the elate, the operation of the 2-cent passenger law lias caused the railroads of Missouri to lose $1,500,000 during the past three months. The law betame effective in Missouri on June 17, and by agreement with Attorney General Hadley the railroads decided to reduce the fares and test the law until October 1. The trunk lines will fight the law. Snow Storm Over Lakes. Cleveland, O., Sept. 26. A terrific jrale from the west has been raging over the lower lake region for more than 24 hours. So far as known no damage to shipping has occurred. With the storm came a heavy drop in the tem perature and this morning there have been flurries of snow. Thirteen Dummy Entrymen Tell of Sale of Claims. Boise, Sept. 27. After having spent all of the previous day in bringing out the testimony of 13 persons who ad mitted they had taken claims to timber land for the express purpose of selling tfiem to members of an alleged land grabbing conspiracy, the government attorneys in the trial of United States Senator Borah yesterday turned the line of evidence into new channels, which they say will tend to affect the defendant senator. The testimony ad duced up to until now has been con fined to the activities of John I. Wells and Louis M. Pritchard, two of the men under indictment. None of the "dummy" entrymen examined was cross examined and the testimony that they received from Wells the money with which to prove their claims and from Pritchard the $250 bonus for sur rendering their titles went uncontro- verted . Just prior to adjournment the prose cuting attorneys identified the signa tures cf ex-Governor Frank Steunen- berg and William Sweet to a document said to have been a contract. It is al leged that Steunenberg and Sweet jointly furnished the money with which the first alleged faudulent trans actions were carried on. The government has divided its case into three secti6ns. The first deals with the claims which were turned over to Allien t.. rainier, or Spokane, who is said to have acted as "dummy" trustee for the Barber Lumber com pany. All the testimony bearing on these claims, it is alleged, was handled through Horace S. Rand, of Burling ton, Iowa. The third and last set were handled by George S. Long, who, the government promises, will eventually take the stand as the most important witness for the prosecution. HAPPENINGS GATHERED IN AND AROUND WASHINGTON, D. G. SEVERELY CENSURES FRANCKE Uhler Says Dakota Was Lost Through Captain's Carelessnes. Washington, Sept. 26. In an official communication to Captain Emi Francke, who was commander of the ill fated steamship Dakota, wrecked on Kinkone reef, coast of Japan, March last, George Uhler, supervising inspect or general of the steamship inspection service, severely censures him on ac count of the loss of the ship. The local board of eteamstcat inspectors at Seat tie had investigated the wreck of the Dakota and suspended the license Captain Francke for two years. The captain appealed to Supervising In Epector General Uhler. Mr. Uhler after having analyzed thoroughly the evidence adduced at the hearing, says in his letter to Captain Francke: "I am forced to the conclusion that the stranding of the vessel and her sub sequent total loss was due entirely to your careless and indifferent naviga tion, as an hour before the disaster vou assumed charge of the watch and took the bridge and directed the navigation of the ship yourself. "It is evident from the testimony adduced at the in vestigation that a large portion of the ship remained above the water many days, and yet witnin two hours from the time the ship struck she was totally abandoned, not a single man being left aboard to protect her, and the ship lef a prey to those who looted her without restraint and without meeting any pro test from any one." War With Japan Inevitable. St. Petersburg, Sept. 27. Secretary laft s tour of the world is.,being fol lowed with unusual interest here. The government is taking measures to pro tect the journey through Siberia and European Russia, and the press is bus ily speculating on the likelihood of the adoption of a Russo-Ameriean conen tion, the object of Mr. Taft's visit to Russia being, it is alleged, to negotiate n agreement between the United States and Russia. 1 lie conviction pre vails here that war between Japan and the United States is inevitable. Wu Ting Fang is Impeached. Washington, Sept. 27. Secretary Root today received a cablegram from Minister Rockhill at Pekin notifying him of the appointment of Wu Tine Fang as minister to Washington. There reason to believe that unofficially some representations have been made at the State department within the last 24 hours, impeaching the character of the proposed new minister, not only on the ground of his conduct when former ly in Washington, but it is stated Mr. Wu Ting Fang took advantage of an abnormal state of affairs in Pekin to se cure his reappointment to this post. May Burn Alaska Coal. Washington, Sept. 26. The lowest bid for coal for the battleship fleet while on the Pacific coast was submit ted today by the Pacific Coal & Trans portation company, which offers to de- iver 40,000 tons of Chignik, Alaska, coal at San Francisco, half at $8 to $9 ton, the other half at $8 per ton, pro- ided the department takes the full amount of the bid. This is cheaper than the department can buy and trans port either Welsh or WeEt Virginia oal to San Franiso, but the Navy knows nothing about Alaskan coal. Water on Land Next Year. Washington, Sept. 24. A part of the Umatilla irrigation project in East ern Oregon will be supplied with water during the season of 1908, but the pro ject as a whole may not be ready for cultivation until the season following. The Umatilla River Water Users' asso ciation recently forwarded to the Ore gon delegation a letter indicating some uneasiness because the project had no been thrown open to settlers this sea son. REDUCED RATES TO TROOfS. Law May Be Amended to Avoid Hard ship to Them. Washington, Sept. 24. The War department will recommend to congress at the coming session that an amend ment be made to the railroad rate law, permitting the railroads to grant re duced fare to members of families of army officers and enlisted men. Prior to the passage of the rate law, reduced fares were freuently issued in such cas es, oui me interstate commerce com mission has held that the new law will now prohibit a continuance of the practice. This restriction has worked great hardship on officers and men who have been ordered to far distant posts. There have been cases where companies and regiments stationed on the Atlantic coast have been ordered to the Philip pines. Transportation across the Pa cific is furnished by the government, but the men with families have been compelled to go into their pockets to the extent of about $100 for each mem ber of their family, and this is a tre mendous tax, particularly upon non commissioned officers and enlisted men, whose families accompany them. There would appear to be considerable justice in the claim of these men, for their change of station is not of their choos ing, but at the bidding of the depart ment, and the enactment of such an amendment is not altogether improba ble. BORAH CASE OPENED. Prohibition for Washington. Washington, Sept. 28. A determin ed effort will be made next winter, it is said, to bring about the enactment by congress of a law making Washing ton a dry town" in every sense of the word. Information received here to day from Norfolk, Virginia, where the Anti-Saloon league of America has been in session, to the effect that a cam paign having as it object the eradica tion of the saloon from this city will be yaaugurated at once by the leagues and other temperance organizations in the states, and that pressure will be brought to bear upon senators and rep resentatives irom many sources, urging them to vote for the proposed law for total prohibition in the District oi Co lumbia. Government Begins Prosecution for Land Frauds. Boise, Sept. 25. Tho government yesterday revealed the charge in the case of United States Senator Borah, charged with timber land fraud. The jury was completed at the morning ses sion, and during the afternoon Judge M. u. tfurch, of Detroit, Mich., special assistant to the attorney general, made the opening statement of the prosecn tion. He arraigned the late governor. J? rank Steunenberg, as the central fig ure in the alleged conspiracy by which it is alleged that more than 17,000 acies of virgin forest land, thick with towering pines, came fraudulently into the possession of the Barber Lumber company, a Wisconsin corporation operating a plant in this city. Mr. Burch connected Mr. Borah with the land transactions only as attorney, first for Steunenberg and then for the lumber concern. He declared that Mr. Borah interested himself in all matters having an outward bearing on the land claimed by dummy entrymen, turned over to dummy trustees, and by them deeded over to the Barber company. All of the deeds went through Mr. Borah's office and stand in the county clerk's office as being recorded at his request. It is alleged that Mr. Borah approached the register of the land office with regard to several claims which were held up and was warned by that official that the claims were fraudulent and should be let alone. COREA IS ONLY STEPPING STONE THOUSANDS GO TO CANADA. Believed That Japan's Next Move Will Be Toward China. Battleship Fleet of United States Being Sent to Pacific to Prevent Such a Move President Roosevelt Is Determined China Shall Be Independent. Puts Veto on Colonial Law. St. Johns, N. F., Sept. 27. An im perial rescript forbidding the service by any colonial authority of any legal process regarding fit-hery rights aboard any American vessel and suspending all colonial statutes authorizing offi cials to seize American vessels for alleg ed fishery offenses was proclaimed here today. This, it is lelieved, will make it practically impossible for Premier Bsnd to carry out a recently announced decision to enforce the fishery laws. Great Radium Deposit in Tunnel. Geneva, Sept. 27. A newspaper sttes that Professor Joly has completed a geological examination of specimens of the strata collected in the borings for the Simplon tunnel. He found rich traces of radium, indicating larger de posits than hitherto discovered in Europe. Heney Put in Charge Again. Washington, Sept. 26. It was an nounced today at the Department of Justice that Special United States At torney Heney, who has been active in the California land fraud cases has been given charge of some of the criminal cases growing out of the land frauds in Oregon. Other cases will be conducted by the district attorney. Sloop Saratcg Not Sold. Washington, Sept. 28. Only two bids were received for the sloop Sara toga, which the Navy department pro posed selling, the highest bid, from John II. Gregory, of Perth Ambov. $2,000. As the department appraised the vessel at $4,300, it is probable that both bids will be rejected. No action has yet been taken. No Objection to Wu Ting Fang. Washington, Sept. 28. President Roosevelt announced today that he as sumed there would be no objection to the appointment of Wu Ting Fang as Chinese minister to the United States. He added, however, that lie had not formally taken the matter up with the State department. Call Central American Conference Washington, Sept. 25. President Roosevelt and President Diaz have in vited the presidents of the five Central American republics to send delegates to a conference to be held in Washington in November to agree upon a plan for the peaceable settlement of all future disputes between these countries. Root Starts for Mexico. Washington, Sept. 27. Secretary Root left at 3:30 this afternoon to visit President Diaz, of Mexico. He trav eled in the private car Signet, attached to a regular Pennsylvania railway train. Accompanying him were Mrs. Root, Miss Root and Percival Cassett, his private secretary. Hepburn's Sensational Views. Washington, Sept. 26. Representa tive Hepburn, of Iowa, chairman of the house committee on interstate com merce and father of the rate bill which forced the senate to action in 1906, on his return here from a trip to Europe i ao not see," ne saia, -now any man can nave courage to invest in American railway stocks alter tne way they have been manipulated, after 182,000,000 of indebtedness has been saddled on the Union Pacific, with probably not more than $30,000,000 of ctual .expenditure. Harriman Is Pirate. Washington, Sept. 28. Congress man Hepburn, of Iowa, in an interview criticising everybody, including Presi J i. T w i 1 .. ueuii nooseveirj, says tne president is backing the project for the deepening the Mississippi, which is another scheme to raid the treasury. He re ferred to E. H. Harriman as a "finan cial freebjter," and declared if congress fails to enact legislation to regulate the stock issues in interstate corporations there will be nothing to check "the Wall street sharks." Bids for Coal for Warships. Washington, Sept. 26. Bids were opened at the bureau of equipment of the Navy department for the transport ing and supplying of coal for the use of the Atlantic battleship fleet during its coming voyage to the Pacific'coast in December. The proposals contemplate the shipment of a supply of this coal to be delivered at various points in the West Indies, on the South American coast and at Magdalena bay and Mare Island, at San Francisco. Negroes Oppose Taft. Washington, Sept. 25. A concerted anti-Taft-Roosevelt movement among negroes all over the country is alarm ing the Taft supporters. The negroes have a permanent organization and branches have been formed in Balti more, Philadelphia and New York. W. Calvin Chase, a colored lawyer and editor of The Bee, a Republican paper published here, is the leader of the movement. Northwest Provinces Draw American Farmers. Chicago, Sept. 25. According to fig ures sent out by Chairman E. E. Mac Leod, of the Western Passenger asso ciation, many thousand Americans an nually are obeying the call of the wilds of Western Canada. In a circular is sued today to all of the lines which are members of the association, it is stated that during the 12 months ended June 30, 41,869 entrants, representing a pop ulation of 105,420, took up homesteads in Western Canada. Of this number, 13,188, representing a population of 31,500, were from the United States. The statistics apparently show that the tide of immigration from the Unit ed States into Canada is reaching a stage which should awaken interest. Mr. MacLeod states that during the last decade a total of 272,609 people have left the United States and have taken up homes in Canada, and that 57,919, or nearly one-fifth of these, went there during the 12 months ended June 30, 1906. The number increased from 2,412 in 1896-7 to 57,919 in 1905, and fell off to 31,500 during the year just ended. During the greatest year of immigra tion from the United States into Can ada, there came into the country from Great Britain and Ireland 86,796. Dur ing the past 10 years Great Britain and Ireland have sent a total of 311,747 people, who have found new homes in her American colony, and this number is not very much in excess of the popu lation which the United States has furnished Canada. IMMUNITY FOR ALTON. Judge Landis Dismisses Rebate Case Against Road. Chicago, Sept . 25. It was decided today by Judge Landis in the District court that the Chicago & Alton railroad shall not be further prosecuted for its connection with he granting of rebates to the Standard Oil company, in oil shipped between Whiting, Ind., and East St. Louis, 111. It was stated by District Attorney Sims that Mr. Morrison, the prede cessor of Mr. Sims in office, had prom ised immunity to the Alton Toad, pro vided it assisted in good faith in the prosecution of the Standard company. The attorney general held, therefore, that it is the duty of the government to see that no further steps toward the punishment of the railroad for its part in the granting of the rebates be taken. The court then called attention to a statement recently issued by President Moffitt, of the Standard Oil company. of Indiana, that, if the Standard Oil company was guilty ot receiving re bates, no other manufacturer was inno cent. The court directed tho jury to investigate the conduct of other manu facturers and directed that a subpena be issued for Mr. Moffitt. San Francisco, Sept. 24. That the Japanese question has not been settled but is merely in its infancy is the be lief of a large number of naval officers who have arrived at San Francisco with the advance guard of the fleet that is to be mobilized in Pacific waters. Ac cording to these authorities, the fleet has been ordered to the Pacific not so much as a warning to Japan f or her past actions as for a floating protest against her contemplated seizure of China. In fact, these naval men inter pret that the presence of the fleet on this eide of the continent as a message to Japan clearly saying: "Thou shalt not steal China." These authorities bring forward a number of interesting facts to support their contention. In the first place they point out that a treaty existed be tween the United States and Corea which was the nearest thing to an alli ance that the United States has under taken. This treaty under a possible construction pledged the American government to protect Corea against just such a coup as Japan has carried to a successful conclusion. It is said that immediately after the Portsmouth treaty was signed, in which, by the way, Japan guaranteed the independ ence of Corea, the island empire busied herself tying the hands of all the big European powers by means of treaties and alliances. The United States gov ernment was the only big power with the exception of Germany not included in this arrangement. The naval officers above referred to give it as their opinion that the ill feel ing stirred up between the United States and Japan was the work of the Japanese government. While Japan was belligerently protesting against the attitude of the Californians toward the Japanese, it was doing nothing more or less, f.cording to the authorities cited, than holding America at a distance with one hand while with the other it was choking the life out of Corea. The naval officers hold that as soon as Japan tcok possession of Corea Mr. Roosevelt was convinced that the next move would involve China, and accord ingly began preparations for active in terference. The United States eat quietly by while Japan put Corea in its back pocket. It will not sit quietly by if Japan makes the effort to deal in the same manner with China. The big fleet of warships to be gath ered on the Pacific coast will serve to remind Japan that the entity of China is one of the cardnial foreign policies of the American government. To just what lengths the country will go to preserve the Chinese empire from Ja pan is yet to pe aeterminea. New Peak is Thrown Up. Seattle, Sept. 25. Captain A. J. Henderson, of the revenue cutter The tis, on arrival here today from the Arc tic, confirms with official reports the accounts of a violent volcanic eruption of Mount Mukashin on September 1, and the existence of a new peak raised LAST TECHNICALITY FAILS. Washington Wins Contest. Washington, Sept. 27. The score tary of the interior has decided in favor j f,0m the sea forming a part of the Bog of the state of Washington in the case oslov formation. The latest additior of t hat state against a large number of settlers involving alout 50,000 acres of valuable lands. There were several classes of claimants, but the secretary helil against all except those who had settled on their land before the state's selections were made. Metcalf s Secretary Resigns. Washington, Sept. 25. Leon A. Clark, private secretary to Seretary Metccalf, has resigned and will leave here Monday for Oakland, Cal., to de vote himself to law. Mr. Clark has been associated with Mr. Metcalf for 'seven years. Recruit Engineers to Limit. Washington, Sept. 25. All the en gineer companies in the army are to be recruited up to the maximum limit of the law. This action was decided upon with a view to complying with a re quest made by Major General Leonard Wood, commander of the Philippine division, that two additinal companies of engineer troops are be designated at that station for service. Baker City to Have More Clerks. Washington, Sept. 27. Civil ser vice examination for a postal clerk and letter carrier will be held at Baker City October 16. ion is the fourth, anil with its appearance the bottom of the ocean has raised until channels formerly sufficiently large for the passage of ships are now dry land. Where Roosevelt Will Hunt Bear. New Orleans, Sept. 25. A special to the Picayune from Lake Providence, La., savs: It has been learned that the proposed bear hunt of the president will be made in East Corroll parish, opposite Alsate station, on the Iron Mountain railmad. The camp will be located alout 75 miles from Lake Prov idence, on the Texas river. Several noted bear hunters have been on the ground for more than a month prepar ing camp. Wu Ting Fang W.ll Return. Fekin, Sept. 25. The reappointment of Wu Ting Fang fo h's former post as minister of China at Washington, was gazetted today. Supreme Court Upholds Indictments of Accused Bribers. San Franiscco, Sept. 24. The state Supreme court late yesterday rendered a decision upholding the validity'of the so-called Oliver grand jury. On this decision depended the fate of the in dictments found subsequenvto ! March last. The attack was made on the grand jury by William M. Abbott, of the United Railroads; Frank G. Drum, John Martin and Eugene De Sabla, of the San Francisco Gas company, and other defendants "to test the validity of the indictments charging them with bribery. They contended that in Feb ruary last the names for a new grand jury were drawn and that, while the Oliver jury had not been discharged, its powers lapsed with the first step taken to impanel its successor. Justice McFarland filed a dissenting opinion. Plague Not Epidemic. San Francisco, Sept. 24. Dr. Rupert Blue, marine hospital service, and President William Ophuls. of the city board of health, today united in the following statement to the press rela tive to the bubonic plague situation: "From our knowledge of plague, the prevention of a sudden outbreak in epi demic form can be predicted with assurance, but a certain number of cases will continue to appear for a con siderable period in spite of preventive measures." No new caves appeared todav. Several May Defend Cup. New York, Sept. 24. Preparations for the defense of the America's cup has begun. At least one syndicate is being organized and possibly more. Everyone appears to be of the opinion that the management will be vested in E. D. Morgan. Tho5e mentioned as generous sulcribers are Edward H. Harriman, Colonel Robert M. Thomp son, C. K. G. Billings and Roy A. Rai ney. The cost of producing the Reli ance would be upward of $500,000. First Snow in Chicago. Sept. 24. Chicago. A few flakes cf snow fell here late yesterday. The fall was not large enough to te recognized by the weather bureau, but for several minutes it was plainly visible.