Nte OF THE WEEK
In a Gcndenssd form for Ocr
Busy Readers.
HAPPENINGS OF TWO CONTINENTS
A Resume of the Less Important but
Not Less Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
Owing to the crisis in Morocco, the
French navy yards show great activity.
England ia again enveloped in a
heavy fog and all ships are detained at
the mouth of the Thames, unahle to
proceed.
Admiral Kazankoff has been recalled
as Russian commissioner in the North
sea inquiry and will be replaced by
Vice "Admiral Doubasoff . Sickness is
given as the reason.
The Montana agricultural exhibits at
St. Louis are being packed for ship
ment to Portland. The mineral ex
hibit will leave Butte (or the Iiew is
and Clark fair shortly.
Kuropatkin is absolutely certain that
he will ultimately win over the Japan
ese, while the vice governor of Japan's
national bank says Japan must win;
that no sacrifice is too great.
The Japanese attempts to raise the
Russian cruiser Variag have lnen dis
continued. It will lie impossible to re
commence work before spring, by which
time the steel plates forming the hull
will be useless.
The Colorado canvassing board has
given certificates of election to two Re
publican senators, whose places were
contested by Democrats. Democrats
regard it as highly probable that Gov
ernor Peabody will be reseated by this
action.
Prince YildarofT has licen reported
as among the killed in a recent list sent
to St. Petersburg.
The recent retirement of Rear Ad
miral Silas Terry has resulted in the
promotion of Captain Joseph E. Craig
to be admiral.
An officer from an English steamer
just out from Vladivostok says no Rus
sian torpedo boats have arrived there
from Port Arthur.
Reports from points along the shore
of Lake Michigan indicate that the
damage resulting from the storm - wlil
aggregate $500,000.
An unknown steamer has been
stranded in Hell's Hole, off Cape Hat
teras, as a result of. the storm raging
along the Atlantic coast.
M. A. Meyerdorff, a special land
agent, on the way to Portland to help
in the land fraud cases, attempted to
commit suicide at Denver.
Chinese warships are keeping a close
watch on the Russian war vessels at
Shanghai to prevent their escape or of
the officers and men on them.
Two Japanese cruisers have been
sighted off Hong Kong. It is Ielieved
they are scouting vessels from the fleet
sent after the Russian Baltic squadron.
Governor Pardee desires to have the
Mission type of architecture exempli
fied in the construction of the Califor
nia state building at the Lewis and
Clark fair. The work will Btart soon.
Several lives' have been lost in Chi
caog as a result of the severe storm.
Congress will have to buy r'lver bul
lion to make much needed small coins.
The president is presenting his ideas
on railroad freight rates to congressmen
personally.
Vice Adimral Lord Charles Beres
ford will assume command of the Brit
ish Mediterranean squadron May 1 .
Many Russians believe a brihgter
day is in store for their country when
. the announced reforms are put in prac
tice. Great Britain has assumed control of
the legal and financial administration
of the Tonga islands, the native chiefs
consenting.
T. C. Powell, of Portland, is to be
appointed United States marshal, at
Nome, Alaska, to succeed Frank Rich
ards, recenlty removed.
The government of Holland announc
es that the same neutrality will be ob
served in her colonies as at home in re
gard to the Far Eastern war..
A British tramp steamer is ashore on
the Atlantic coast on Fire island bar.
Owing to the storm the vessel will be a
total wreck. The entire crew was
lost.
Free press, freedom of conscience and
compulsory elementary education have
been promised in Russia.
The Dawes commission says the
rights of aborigines have been well pro
tected in Indian Territory.
Seven people were killed and eight
others injured in a wreck on the South
ern railroad near Louisville, Ky.
'BILL BY ELKINS.
Its Object Is Regulation of Railroad
Freight Rates.
Washington, IVo. 31. Senator S. B.
F.lkins, of West Virginia, chairman of
the senate committee on Interstate
commerce, is busily engaged In fram
ing a bill for the purpose of carrying
out the views of the president in rela
tion to the abolition of freight rebate.
The senator, in discussing the subject
today, said among other things:
"There should be some power in this
country to declare what rates should be
on the railroads. The United States
supreme court has decided that the fix
ing of a railroad rate is a legislative
and not a judicial power. So we can
not depend upon the interstate com
merce commission to fix these rates,
and, in fact, no commission or other
court can be depended on for that im
portant function. What we can do is
to empower a court to declare when a
rate ia excessive and in that way send
the rate back to the railroad to lie low
ered. "I do Hot think we need fear that
the roads will attempt to evade the ex
ecution of such instruction in good
faith, by attempting to come back
again with another rate, slightly low
ered, so as to result in no benefit. We
can depend upon public opinion as a
Hwer to force them to mvept this
met hod of regulating the rates in good
faith. If the lower rate they fix is not
low enough, it can again lo declared
to be too high and would go buck to
them.
"For several reasons I think the in
terstate commerce commission is not
the proper tribunal for the fixing of
rates by this method. It should lie
done in a circuit court of the United
States, and that court should lie pre
sided over by a justice of high char
acter, who ought to receive a salary of
$10,000, 112,000 or $15,000 a year.
Such a judge would, of course, lie ap
Miinted for life, and would be in a jo
sition to fix these rates. lie could de
vote his entire thought to the questions
that would come to his attention.
"Just think what might happen if
these jsiwers were placed in the hands
of a commission, the members subject
to reappointment by the president,
with limited terms. Such a projxisai
would not meet the approval of the
conservative men."
CHOATE COMING HOME.
To Resign as Ambassador to England
After the Inauguration.
London, Dec. 31. While numerous
statements have been published here
that Ambassador Choate is about to
retire from diplomatic circles, it can
be stilted that Mr. Choate has not sent
in his resignation or any communica
tion on the subject to President Roose
velt or the State department, nor has
he received any inquiry either from
the president or Secretary Hay concern
ing his future plans. It can be safely
asserted, however, that it is Mr. Cho
ate's. intention tp tender his resigna
tion soon after the inauguration of
President Roosevelt.
"Six years i is a longtime slice out of
the life of a man of my age," said Mr.
Choate, recently, to friends here, "and
while I have enjoyed the life and ieo
ple I have met in England, I have de
termined to go home and devote the re
mainder of my time to looking after
my own affairs."
Dredges Stop Work.
Portland, Dec. 31. All but two of
the river dredges operated by the Unit
ed States engineers in the Columbia
river and its tributaries are laid up for
lack of funds with which to carry on
operations. The W. S. Ladd, on the
lower river, will probably continue in
operation for a month yet and then will
quit for the same reason. The dredge
Willowa, on the Snake, is also still in
ojieration, but the Columbia dipper
dredges, No. 1 and No. 2, and the snag
boat are all out of commission, as the
engineers have not sufficient funds with
which to operate.
Mail Service in Bad Shape.
Chicago, Dec. 31. As a result of
storm conditions, trains on nearly every
railroad entering Chicago were one to
four hours behind schedule today.
Great difficulty was experienced by
railroad officials on securing tele
graphic reports of the movements of
trains. Wires were down in many
places. Points in the northwestern
states could be reached only by circuit
ous routes. The mail service of the
entire middle west is in bad condition.
Transfer connections with a number of
outbound trains were missed.
Snow Is Ten tee Zeet.
3 La Crosse, Wis., Dec. 31. A drcv
in the temperature of 40 degrees fol
lowed the blizzard which ceased at
midnight. Snow is drifted to the
height of eight and ten feet in the
streets, and a large gang of men are en
gaged in shoveling snow from the street
railway tracks, so traffic can be resumed.
ATTEMPT A BREAK
Seven Convicts at Folscm Make
Dash for Liberty.
THREE ARE KILLED BY GUARDS
Four Are Fatally Wounded and One
Slightly Two Guards Hurt by
Bullets of Comrades.
Folsom, Cal., Dee. SI. A break that
was clever in plan and Imldj in execu
tion took place at the Hniteutiary
here this afternoon. The guards qlieycd
the standing orders of the warden to
shoot regardless of the danger to free
men, and as a result seven of nine
convicts, who had planned to get away,
were almost riddled with bullets,
three lieing now dead and three in a
critical condition.
The break was similar in general
plan to that of last July, but the fact
that it was made within the range of
the guns of seven reliable guards, nil
dead shots, and one of those within 50
feet, makes it more Udd and desperate.
The convicts who engaged in the
break were all employed on the rock
crusher, where 325 of the most descr
ate prisoners were at work. Captain
Murphy was acting as general overseer
about the rock crusher, and four other
attaches, L. Daley, M. llogan, Charles
Taylor and Charles Jolly, were employ
ed as "pushers" to keep the men at
work.
A large sledge hammer was thrown
into the crusher, causing the ponderous
machinery to come to a standstill.
This attracted Captain Murphy, Charles
Jollv and Taylor to the place iiumodi
ately. Thereupon the desperate con
victs rushed to seize Murphy, Jolly ni d
Taylor. They enceceded only in catch
ing the two first mentioned. During
this time the scene of trouble was under
cover, anil the guards on the outside
could not see the struggling men, al
though they soon lunl an intimation
that something was wrong. Five of
the gang surrounded Captain Murphy
and two others had Jolly. The con
victs had knives in position for iinme
diat execution, should the guards at
tempt to free themselves. The convicts
were very liold as they approached
Guard Harris, who stood ready to act
according to the standing orders to
slmot regardless of consequences.
When within 40 feet of the outside
guards, one of the convicts gave the
command: "Hand out your gun, or we
will stubIurphy to the heart."
Instead of handing out his ritle, Har
ris sent a bullet into the fellow's Imdv.
and he fell to the ground. In quick
succession Harris fired at each of the
remaining convicts, who were trying to
shield themselves behind Murphy and
Jolly.
In the meantime bullets from other
jmsts were flying thickly about, many
of them striking the convicts.
Captain Murphy was struck by one
of them, a slight wound lieing indicted
in the leg, and Jolly was struck in the
neck, the bullet coming out through
the cheek and inicting a very serious
wound, though probably not a critical
one. Two of the convicts, named
Campbell and Ford, intended joining
the others, but their courage failed
them when the shooting began.
Moors Commit Outrage.
New York, Jaan. 2. In a garden of
a British subject, only one mile from
Tangier, a bold murder has been com
mitted by Moorish robbers, according
to the Herald correspondent of Tangier.
The MoorH entered the garden and car
ried away four cows belonging to the
British owner, after murdering a Span
iard working on the place. One of the
roblM!rs was severely wounded by the
wife of the Spaniard. It is rumored
from Tetuan that the garrison there
has deserteil and fled from the town.
Two months' pay was due them.
Santa Claus to World.
New York, Jan. 2. The United
States played Santa Claus to the world,
according to reports secured from the
money order division of the New York
postoflice. From December 1 to De
cember 24, the njght before Christmas,
no less than 334,084 international
money orders were forwarded to other
lanils from this city, and these orders
called for $4,067,692. The remittances
were the . largest in the history of the
postoflice. The figures show an unus
ual distribution, too.
Tried to Reach Vladivostok.
Shanghai, Jan. 2. According to pri
vate advices from Sasebo received here
today Commander Pelem, of the Rus
sian torpedo boat destroyer Rastoropny
and another officer of that vessel have
been identified among those on board
the captured British steamer Nigretia.
VESSELS IN VERY BAD SHAPE
Russ Says They Would Not Be Able
to Reach the East.,
St. Petersburg, Deo. 211. In an oat
spoken article, in reply to a recent
letter of Admiral Bier i left, which ap
pealed to Russians ifot to criticise the
condition of the navy openly, the Russ
today declares the time is past for si
lence, in view of the fact that the "old
system of concealing facts Is resmnsl
bio tor the loss of 150,000,000 roubles'
worth of warships and has covered us
with shame and grief. It would U
absurd to hide the defects that can still
lie repaired In the ships w hich remain
at Cronstadt and Li ban. We have al
ready criminally wasted enough time."
The Rush enumerates the defects iu
the ships still in Russian waters, aver
ring that the "peculiarities of structure
of several of the vessels destined for
the Far East muke the voyage danger
ous, and the toricdo boats are in such
shocking condition that it is u matter
of surprise that the authorities accepted
their delivery. Torjiodo boats intend
ed to reinforce Vice Admiral Rojest
vensky must clearly not bo dispatched
with the numerous defects which have
lieen proved to exist iu them.
"Even if Admiral Uojestvcnsky is a
clever leader and his 12,000 comrades
are hemic sailors, everyone knows that
we have imposed npiui them an almost
superhuman task in consequence of our
not being furnished w ith a true account
of the gravity of the events which have
occurred since the fatal night of Feb
ruary 8."
WILL TRY SEVEN.
Federal Grand Jury Files New Indict
ments in Land Case.
Portland, Dee. 20. The Federal
grand jury made its second public up
iearance yesterday afteronon, nt which
time it returned indictments against
Salmon It. Ormsby, of Salem; William
II. Davis, of Albany; Clark E. l-ooinis,
of Eugene; Henry A. Young, George
Sorensoit, of Portland ; John Doe and
Kichard Hoe. The charge is that the
indicted men entered into a conspiracy
on December 29, 1901, having as their
object the defrauding of the govern
ment of the 1' nited States out of a por
tion of its public lauds in township II
south, of range 7 east, and that by
means of false and forged affidavits and
proofs of hi unestead entry and settle
ment, some in the names of real and
some in the names of fictitious persons,
the government was induced to issue
patents to the lauds.
It is charged that in furtherance of
thceonspirucy William II. Davis swore
to tin affidavit liefore 8. B. Ormshy in
which be said t hut he had resided iihui
the claim taken by him as by law re
quired, uud it is also alleged that the
conspiracy was u part of the one entered
into by S. A. D. Filter, Horace G. Me
Kinley, D. W. Tarpley and Emma L.
Watson.
IN FOG AND ICE.
Great Storm Rages from Rocky Moun
tains to Atlantic.
Chicago, Dec. 20. One of the sever
est storms of recent years has raged
throughout the territory lying between
the Rocky mountains and the Great
lakes since curly this morning, and has
caused much trouble to street car com
panies, railroads and telegraph com
panies. The latter were the greatest
sufferers from the blizzard, which
swept through tho West and Northwest
during the lust 24 hours, and which
was preceded by a heavy fog and driz
zling rain, which made the wires almost
unworkable.
The intense cold a,tid terriffic gale
that followed close upon the fog coated
tho wires with ice, and later in the day
threw poles to the ground, crippling
the companies badly. Railroad trains
were badly delayed all through the
west, some of them being 24 hours late.
Street-car traffic In all the cities of the
West and Northwest wus practically at
a standstill at somo time during the
day.
In its extent the storm was the most
widespread of any during the last 15
years. Counting the fog us a com
ponent part of the storm, it stretched
from the Rocky mountains to New
York, and from Winnipeg to New Or
leans. Will Make Lots of Money.
Portland, Dec. 20. It was decided
yesterday that the offer from the gov
ernment to install two coin machines
in the government building at the fair
will be accepted, though tho cost of
operation will fall on the management
of the exposition. The machines will
be run by electricity and an expert will
he sent from Washington to take charge.
All the workings of a largo mint will
be shown in this exhibit, and the meth
ods of making coins displayed. It is
expected to be one of tho chief attrac
tions of the government buliding.
Hurry Work on Black Sea Fleet
Sevastopol, Dec. 29.-- The dockyard
laborers have been released from their
obligation as members of the reserves
in order that they may continue the
work on the vessels of the Black sea
fleet, which is being pushed with great
energy.
BEFORE GRAND JURY
Senator Mitchell and Represent
ative Hermann Appear.
WERE CALLED DY GOVERNMENT
Congressmen Were Not Informed Be
for They Entered Jury Room of
Testimony Against Them.
Portland, Dee. 20. Tho Federal
grand jury listened to the testimony of
Smator Mitchell all of yesterday morn
ing and (or a part of the afternoon.
The rest of the time was taken up by
Representative Hermann, who was in
the jury mom when the svmd.m was ad
journed for the day. He will resume
his examination this morning and will
iu all probability finish by noon. In
spite of the fact that Isith Setyitor
Mitchell and Mr. Hermann hud an
nounced that they would not appear
before the jury unless the names of the
government witnesses and tho charges
to lie made against them u-ere shown
prior to their entrance to the jury
room, IkiIIi congressmen were ready to
answer the call of the government at
torneys when it came.
Senator Mitchell went into the i-ismi
at 10 o'clock in the morning and re
mained until noon. The senator is
much chagrined at the notori"'y he is
receiving as the result of the land fraud
invcstigations'itud does not take kindly
to any of those who urc conducting the
case. Before entering the rsuu in the
morning he was silent and distant,
lie emerged at noon tired and "bowing
the strain which the ordeal had ap
parently been to him. I'jhiii the con
clusion of bis testimony in the after
noon he left the building for his hotel.
Tiie afternoon with the jurors might
have been a session of congrses, bow
ever, for all the effect it had upon Mr.
Hermann. He upHured shortly after
2 o'clock in the afternoon and went in
to seclusion in the inner office of the
district attorney, after he had greeted a
few iicquuiutuiu'cH in the outer office
and the hall. When called to the jury
room shortly lie fore 3 o'clock he shook
hands with those whom he knew ill the
corridor and putt it! Mr. Ilcney heart
ily on the buck us he entered J he dtair.
When the session hud cloned for the
afternoon, Mr. Hermann remained in
the jury room for some time conversing
w ith Mr. Heney uud the jurors, among
w hom he found several w bom he hud
known in various parts of the state.
These he gave eordiul handshakes.
PRESIDENT TO GIVE HIS VIEW
No Railroad Administration Measure
To Be Sent to Congress.
Washington, Dee. 30. President
Roosevelt embraced the opiortunity to
day to take up w ith the members of
the cabinet many questions of detail
in departmental administration, the
semi-weekly meeting of the cabinet
lieing longer than usual. At the con
clusion of the meeting the members of
the cabinet said in resionse to inqui
ries that little business of serious iju
Mirtunce was considered. '
After other members of the cabinet
hud left the executive offices, Attorney,
General Mtsidy discussed wiih the pres
ident some phases of tho railroad
freight questions. Both the president
and the attorney general recently huvo
devoted much time to that problem.
The latter is giving particular atten
tion to the legal side of the question,
so that he may lie prepared to advise
with the president on the subject und
with such members of congress as may
wish to consult him. It is understood
not to be the intention of the presi
dent and attorney general to prepuro
and press the consideration in congress
of an "administration measure," deal
ing with the railroad freight problem.
Such a bill, it is thought, (to qnoto
a member of the cubinet), would bo
destined to defeat.
Burning Their Cotton.
Fort Gaines, Gu, Dec. 30. The
farmers ami merchants of this county
met today ut Fort Gaines and decided
to burn their share of 2,000,000 bulcH
of surplus cotton A starter was made
today when a bonfire was made on tho
streets. It is not yet determined w hero
it will stop. The farmers have decid
ed to set the puce, and are moving de
terminedly. A largo ejowd paraded
with much spectacular ceremony. The
object is to show that the farmers are
ready to sacrifice a few bales for tho
benefit of the masses.
Big Dock for the Navy.
Washington, Dec. 30. Tho bureau
of yards and docks, Navy department,
today awarded tho contract 1 for the
completion of the drydock at the Mare
island navy yard to tho Schoflcld com
pany, of Philadelphia. Tho amount
of the contract is $1,385,000, and the
drydock is to be completed in 83
months. This drydock will be the
largest in the United.States navy.
i