VOL. XIX. SAL.I2M. OUI'.ON. MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1000. NO. 201 Will Deciac 0 wner ship of Automobile and 13 Other Prizes in C ontest UNDO BLAZE Five Persons Dead ,Fifty In the Hospitals and Many More Are Missing. ARDING & HOBB'S STORE BURNS AT NOON HOUR Throe Hundred Persons In the Store at the Time Scene Bordering on Panic Ensued Clerks and Patrons Madly Jump Prom Fourth Story Windows to Pavement Below. UNITED I'ltnSS LEASED WIRE. London, Dec. 20. Five persons are known to be dead; 50 are in hospitals, suffering from injuries, and many are missing as the result of, a building, r-riiTi, min nmtu i i linmii mni. iimnum iiniiiiiHiMMMi great fl'ro that destroyed the great Arding & Hobsb store, In Clapham suburbs at noon today. Three hundred persons were thb Btore when the Are started, scene of confusion, bordering on panic, ensued when tho scores shoppers and clerks rushed for the lifts and stairs. Several clerks and patrons leaped from third and fourth-story windows to the pavement. Others jumped from an interior balcony to the main floor, which already was burning fiercely. Within an hour after tho fire was discovered, the great dome collapsed, covering adjoining stores with a mass of burning debris. The entire block In which the store was located was soon a mass of uncontrolled flames. It is feared that many of those who leaped from the balcony into the burning court lost their lives. When tho dome collapsed, this section of the store was buried in the blazing ruins. The firemen believe that many of the missing He beneath this debris. The fire Is said to have started from a defective electric light wlrp. TITo extent of the damage has not yet been estimated. BEING BALLOTS AflE COUNTED AT LIBERTY THEATRE Cnll to a Sunday Morning Firo T,he fire department was called yesterday morning to a residence on North Fifteenth street, where a small blaze had been started on tho roof from a burning chimney, and the shingles were smoking vigorously. me chemical engine soon put out tho blaze with very litttlo damage to the The great Capital Journal voting contest to determine tho ownership of the Ford automobile, three $425 pianos, three diamond rings, three gold watches, and three scholarships, and the ?85 bedroom set as a spe cial prize, is being determined this afternoon at Ye Liberty theater, whlh has been engaged for the pur pose, the regular theater program being concelled for tho occasion by tho courtesy of Manager Waters. Tho contestants are there, their friends are there, and the five judges are there. At 1:15 the autocar called at tho oflces of the United States National Bank and the Rail way, Light & Power Company and took in their expert accountants David Byre and 13. J. Lally with their counting machines, and took them to tho theater, where they were assisted by C. L. Starr of the State Tax Board, Jos. H. Albort of tho Capital National Bank, and P. H. D'Arcy, proprlotir If Ye Liberty theater building. Tho count will probably take sev eral hours to complete and will be qandidates In tho Capital Jtournal Tuesday. The count is being supervised by C. B. Holllster, tho manager of the Capital Journal voting contest, and the prizes are ready to bo handed over to tne winner. The capital prize carries insurance of S900. nn1 tlin state license will bo issued to the aucKy person -who gets tho capital prize. 1 The choicest lines 6t Xmas Goods at Sale Prices to insure quick selling. Don't wait until next week to do your Xmas shopping, for there is sure to be a scramble. Here you will find quality and prices to suit everyone. Half Price on Ladies' COATS and SUITS At the Chicago Store you will find tho greatest stock of up-to-date coats and suits in Salem. REMEMBER we are not looking for profits now. It Is a matter of dis posing of the stock before Xmas. Right after tho holi days we begin taking stock, consequently wo want all our cloaks and suits closed out, at Half Price and less Hero is a chance to buy this season's newest coats and its at prices that were never quoted before In Salem. $10.00, $12.50 and $15 Coals, now $4.50, $6.50, $7.50 $15, $18 and $20 Suits, Now 7.50, $8.90, $9.90 Silk Underskirts and Furs at Reduced Prices. WAfflT POWDER RIVER WATER A writ of review was filed with tho clerk of tho circuit court today In the case of R. S. Cocklnsdmm and v. A. Thatcher against John H. Lewis, H. L. Holgate and F. M. Saxton, com prising tho board of control of tho state of Oregon, and also O. C. Fln kelburg, trustee. tuo petition sets forth -that on April 12. 1909. a document wn'a filed with tho board by the state en gineer settlngMforth that certain an: plications for tho appropriation ' of tho water of the Powder river, in aanor county the applications con sisting of thoso of the petitioners and O. C. Finkelburg had been referred to tho board for their consideration: also stating that tho use of the wator m each case proposed would bo h menace to tho public safety and wel fare. It then sets forth that prior to the examination of thoso annllca- tlons that tho unappropriated lands embraced in the application hud been withdrawn from entry under the public land laws for irrigation by the state, and that tho withdrawal was mado at the request of the land board. It. Is alleged further that the land board, looking to Um re clammatlon of theso lands, under tho Carey act, entered Into a prelim inary contract with O. C. Finkelburg, trustee. A date was then named by tno uoara, it is alleged, for a hear ing of tho application, aud tho bunrd. In its decision hold that tho public interest demanded that the porralt bo Issued to parties having a contract with tho Desert Land Board; that the petitioners had no such contract but that O. C. Finkelburg had en tored Into a contrnct along the.ie linos, and directing the engineer approve tho application of the par ties succeeding In making a final contract with tho Desert Land board. ino petitioners in tno writ con tend that tho board Is without juils diction to sny what the public In torest demands; also wlthoit Juris diction to Bay whether tha appropria tion or tne waters would be a men ace to the public, and- that the stato engineer had no authority to refer thu petitioners' application to tho board. Tho case' will oo hoard Judge Galloway. thought differently, and that's all there Is to it, "It is my honest belief that ef frles and Johnson will fight in Salt Lake. "Tex." Rlckard declared to mo with all posltlvoness tho day be fore that I started west that tho 'Mtormjbn metropolis will got tho battle. Ho really bolloves that more peoplo can bo drawn from tho groat centers of population to Salt Lnko than to San Francisco and to prove his contention ho simply hauls out the geography. Salt Lake, he points out, is only 24 hours from Los Ang eles, 24 hours rrom Donvor, two days from Chicago, 17 hours from Butte, 24 hours rrom tho big Nev ada cities, and about 30 hours from San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Tn coma and Spokane. Ho is not sore at San Francisco, as some of the In terviews .coming ofat of tho east have made him say ho waB. It's sim ply a matter of bUBiness with him, as ho believes the fight will draw more monoy in Salt Lake than It would hero. "I saw both Joffclos and Johnson shortly before I started for homo and both wero looking well. Jphnson Is having a good time in a mild wr,y, but ho is not mlsbohaving." i WILL HAVI . NO TRIAL So Says Committee Appointed to Investigate Charges of Law Development League WILL ORDER POLICE TO CLOSE THE LID DOW W Tho Enforcement of All City Law Concerning tho Charges Set Forth in the Complaint Against Chief of ' Police Gibson to Bo Carried 1 Out' to tho Letter. ' ' News has leaked out today regard ing tho star-chamber Investigation, mado during the paBt fow days, by n special commltoo, appointed by tho mayor, on tho complaint presented' to tho city council by tho Law De velopment League against Chief or Police Gibson, to tho effect Ui.nt Ghlof of Pollco Gibson, will bo exonerated' frdm a trial, but tho charges prefer red against him woro found to bo Mistaking a mineral water bottle 1 substantial, to a cortal ncxtent. by Taken Under Advisement. 5000 Yards;of, FINE DRESS GOODS and SILKS Now on Sale Wo realize that the Holidays is a good time for soiling Dress goods and Dress Silks. Wo have marked them at prices that will induce quick sell ing. Wo show the most complete lines of these goods in Salem; all spick and span new goods. Dress Goods, yard ....25c, 35c, 49c, 75c and up Dress Silks, yard ....25c, 35c, 49c 69 and up bargains m HOLIDAY GOODS Dolls, Toys, Games, Drnms, Airships, Books, Guns, Wagons, Mechanical Toys and hundreds of others. . Ladles- Shopping Bags, Kid Gloves and Silk Umbrellas now pn sale at vory low prices. $7.50 Dress Silk Waists, now $3,90 $7.50 Silk Underskirts, now , ...$3.90 $1.25 Leather Shopping Bags, now 65c $6.90 Dress Skirts, now only $3,90 Smoking Men's Jackets $5.00 values nowfor$3.90 CHICAGO STORE SALEM, OREGON MTho Store That Saves You .Money" Men's 45c All Silk NECKTIES now only 25c Washington. D. 0.. Doc. 20. a final appeal of John R. Walsh, the convicted Chicago banker, was pro sontod to the United States supremo court today m tho form of a pntitlon for a writ of review. It was taken undor advisement. This Is the last thread of legal action between Wulsh and tho five-year term in the pen! tontlary. AN ANGISCO LOSES THE BIG FIGHT UNITED i'SKBS LIMBED W1IU4.1 San Francisco, Dee. 20. Express ing his bollof that the Joffrlos-John-son fight will be hold In Salt Lako city. Promoter Eddlo Granoy arrived here today from Now York. I didn't get what 1 went aftor." said the "honest blacksmith," "but I have no kick coming. I put In what I could, but the other follows full of sugar of lead for tho origin al liquid, and drinking nearly half of tho polsonoiiB formula was tho ex perience of J. A. Cooper, a promlnont auctioneer salesman of Salem last night. Mr. Cooper had Just roturnod from a business trip to Sprlngllold, Ore gon, when, upon entorlng tho homo of his brother, Ross Coopor, on Stato street, ho noticed the bottlo laboled "White Rock Mineral Water," stand ing upon a sideboard. Mr. Cooper, thinking It was really mineral wator, proceeded to sample it. After taking tho first swallow ho came to tho conclusion thnt It must bo soda wator, owing to tho sweet taste, and continued to qunff tho sugar of lead, until It began to feel queer on Its downward courso. Discovering his mistake, through his knowledge of tho fact that his brother frequently kept on hand a bottlo of sugar of lend as a medlclno for poison oak, Mr. Coopor immediately began a sor pontlno dance nbout the room, with tho usual vocal accomplishments. Ills brother, Ross, called up Dr. Byrd, and requested his attendance at tho Coopor home at onco,.und the doctor Instructed that tho poisoned man bo given salt wator to make him dlsgorgo the unsavory drink. After drinking threo pints of lukewarm salt water, and choking down a quart of milk, without results, a pint of "firo water" was Bwallowed by Mr. Coopor when tho physician arrived, to find his pationt resting easily, al though badly frightened. A fow oncouraglng word .on tho part of tho doctor and un extra sup ply of nerve mustored up by Mr. Cooper, soon put him out of dangor, notwithstanding tho deadly effoct tho sugar of load gonernlly hns upon tho human syste m. Today Mr. Cooprr'i In fine spirits, although ho is some what suspicious of tho linn I lv-mlts ol the r olflon cuk killer. It was charged in tho complain In troduced by tho Law Development Leaguo, whlc his headed by several of Snlom' lendlnglng ministers and other religious peoplo, that Chief. G'bson was not performing his duty, and requested that ho bo removed from ofllco. Tho allegations uhargod him with pormlttlng gambling to be carried on, In vlolntlon of tho city laws; tho soiling of liquor unlawful ly by both saloons and bawdy houses. Tho committee composed of Council mon Millard, Lowo and Borgonwlll. complete their Investigation this ev ening and a full report fill ho hand od to tho city council. It Is roported thnt tho commlttoa will not recommend n ' trial to tho council, owing to tho chargos bolng" Instifllclont, but tho Investigation brought out facts that load to nogll gonco on tho part of tho chief in small matters which havo boon in' ovldenco for years, and which have not boon tnkon particular notlco of. owing to tholr insignificance. From tho Information that could bo gleaned today, tho commlttoo on Investigation consider themselves as much to blnmo for th eactlon taken as tho chief himself, duo to tho fact that thoir attention has not boon di rected strictly to tho actual condi tions of tho city affairs undor pollco restriction. In all probability, tho public will bo assured that In tho futuro tho enforcement of the city laws concern ing tho charges set forth In . tho complaint against Chief Gibson will bo enforced to tho Jottor hereafter, and tho chief will bo glvon tho hear ty support of tho council putting a stop to tho violation. Tho smolco of tho fall elections over, thoro Is much of promlso for bettor things rovonlod. Dosplto a set back horo and there, the workors for tho Uplift may toko courago. GASO LINE MOTOR SERVI SALEM TO INDEPENDENCE Service direct botweon Independ ence and Salem Is tho latout. The first train was run over today, roaomug west saiom at n a. ni. It was lu chnrgo of Jos. lllruchberg, president of tho Indopendonce & Monmouth motorllno. This new motorllno servlco which Is to bo operated dally will connoct Salem with Independence, Mon mouth, Simpson, Lucklamuto, Coch ran, and Alrllo. Ho will connoct via Indopendenoo for points as far south as Corvallls. A Journal ropreaontatlvo met the first train and escorted tho party to Salem. Tho first motorcar over tho Falls City & Salem railroad pullod into West Salem at 11 a. m. today, and among tho passongors woro II. Hlrs chburg, the owner of tho now line; Hon. B. F. Jones, register of tho land offlco nt Rosoburg; Mrs. Cora Hub bard, president of tho Robokahsof Oregon, and Mr. Fischer, of tho Sil vorton flouring mills, and a number of other passengers. Following Is tho time tablo of tho Indopondonco-Sulom motorllno for the present, dally service: Leave Indopendonce ... 9:30a.m. Arrlvo at West Salom.. 10:30 a. m. Leave Salom 1:00 p.m.. Arrive Independence ... 2:00, p, in. Connects at Indopendenoo with west sldo train for Portland and in termediate points, and for Mon mouth and Alrllo.