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ESTABLISHED 1887.
CARTERS' CHARGES
Aga’ns'. Judges Reese and Sweat to a
Committee Yesterday
WHO WERE BUSY* ATE LAST NIGHT
Investigating it, the President
Os me X
SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF HOUSE
together With Clerks May Remain Over
For a ;Few days ito Finish Up Jibe
Business—Dbcuesion Comes Up About
Pay For Next Sunday, but is Vo’ed
illovn.
Atlanta. Dec. 17.—The general as
sembly is rapidly winding up the busi
ness of the session and everything is
bling got in readiness for adjourn,
meat on Saturday night. In both
houses bills are bt-ing considered with
little delay and many measures of a
local and unimportant nature have
been passed today.
There was an interesting discussion
on the question as to how many days
pay members should be allowed to
draw from the treasury of the state.
But for the taking of a yea and nay
vote it appeared that the house would
have voted in favor of taking fifty
days pay when in fact only forty-nine
days will have been due them if the
general assembly adjourns Saturday
night as agreed upon. The constitu
tion of the state limits the sessions to
fifty days and it has been decided that
that means fifty legislative days. In
cluding Saturday the assembly will
have worked forty-nine days in ac
tual session, Not being allowed to
hold a session on Sunday the mem.
bers agreed to adjourn on Saturday,
although in the law Sunday is includ
ed as a day of the fifty.
It was proposed to allow membeis to
draw pay for Sunday and on that there
was a lively debate between members of
of the special joint committee appointed
to ascertain as to when the assembly
should adjourn Mr. Meldrim, of Chat
ham, Mr, Boynton, of Spalding and Mr.
Hall, of Coweta, defended the report of
the committee, which was signed by
Mr. Meldrim and Senator Battle, which
recommended that tne general assembly
adjourn on Saturday and draw pay for
forty-nine days only, the actual number
of days the assembly will have been in
stssou. They declared that it wi uld be
a palpable act to say that members were
entitled to fifty days ] ay when they work
only 49. They said it was only a mathe
matical impossibility to make 49 equiva
lent to 50.
Mr. Johnson, of Hall, and Mr. Fogarty
of Richmond, led those who wanted $4.
pay font Sunday and they had a strong
following while the house voted by voice
and by divison but when the yeas and
nays were called the members feared the
wrath of their constituents and they re
pented and voted against officially assert
ing the proposition that 49 makes 50
arithmetic to the contrary, notwithstand
ing. Only 10 men voted for the 50
proposition, Mr. Johnson himself weak -
emng and voting against it.
in the house this morning the bill to
appropriate $3,000, to be used in making
au exhibit at the Nashville Centennial
Exposition, which was defeated at the
session of Wednesday night, was recon
sidered and again placed on the calendar.
,The bill is i.ow before the house, but
those who want the state Io make an ex
hibit have decided on another method of
getting the money appropriated. They
will attempt to tack the appropriation on
the general appropriation bill now pend
ing in the senate, and in that way hope
’to get it through in the rush of tomorrow
an<i Saturday. It is hoped that the biU •
will get through by the governor and the
committee which visited Nashville re
cently.
The house and senate have passed a
joint resolution authorizing the president
of the senate, the speaker of the house,
the clerk and secretary of each, and the
postmisstress and chairmen of the com
mittees on enrollment to remain at tl.c
capitol five days after adjournment to!
finish up the work of the session by sign
ing bills and arraiging other matter?
which will be unfinished.
The house defeated the bill to au
thorize girl graduates of the Girls’
Normal school of Milledgeville to
teach school without special examlna
tion.
Senator Turner’s bill to prohibit the
taking of orders for intoxicating
liquors in dry counties, which created
a lively discussion in the upper branch
of the assembly, reached the house
this morning for a third reading and
the bill was defeated, not receiving a
constitutional majority of 88 votes. |
THE ROME TRIBUNE.
The attendance was small at the time
the vote was taken and Mr. Hid, or
Troup, will move a reconsideration
tomorrow.
The sensational charges against the
judges of the supreme court made t>y
Senator Carter reached cue bouse to
day and were read .cud considered at
the afternoon session. A committee
was appointed to investigate the mat
ter fully.
SWINDLED UNCLE SAMUEL.
A Gang of MiMouri Moonshiners Defrauded
the United States Government,
St. Lours, Dec. 17.—During the last
week the city has been invaded by a
number of revenue agents who have
been quietly endeavoring to pick up the
local threads to a swindle that is baiug
perpetrated upon the government.
For several months past the govern
ment officials have been in possession of
information given them by interna)
revenue collectors in Missouri and ad
joining states to the effect that the gov
ernment was being defrauded of reve
nue by the operations of a gang of
moonshiners who were shipping illicit
whisky to interior towns in barrels
labeled “cider.” Under this harmless
cognomen the tanglefoot evnoed the
duty imposed upon tiie product of the
still.
When the revenue agents wore ap
prised of the swindle they made a quiet
investigation. A number of the barrels
in which the moonshine has been con
signed to the country districts have been
found to bear the brands of a number o:
well known and reputable inanu a -turers
of cider and vinegar. Many of the man
ufacturers are located iu St. Louis, and
it is for the purpose of pushing their in
vestigations here that the revenue agents
visited this city last week. What they
propose is to trace, if possible, the cus
tomers of the St. Louis houses to whom
the cider has beeu shipped in the vicin
ity of where the swindle lias been dis
covered.
RUSSIA FAVORS REFORMS.
Anxious That Tui-ki.li Qiir.tiou Be Settled
but 1.-* Against U*e of Foies,
New Yobk, Dec. 17.—A dispatch to
The Herald from Coustautiuople says:
The return of the Russian ambassa
dor, M. De Nelidoff, created a mild flut
ter of speculative excitement, as he is
the bearer of the latest directions of the
czar for the future policy of Russia.
The general opinion here is that Russia
has not changed her policy of firm moral
pressure to obtain the necessary re
forms, iu conjunction with tiie other
powers, but will show equal firmness
against force being u<ad.
The powers will, in the opinion of a
high diplomat, now formulate exten
sive demands, but are prepared to ac
cept- much less than they ask for.
A dispatch from Canea. Crete, states
that the gendaarmie reorganization
committee has arrived there and lias
calmed the excitement that was pie
vailing.
Suing For Intore-t on Bonds.
Prescott, A. T., Dec. 17. —Suit has
been instituted in the dis’rict court by
Attorney T. W. Johnson on behalf of
Kitchen & Co. of Now York to recover
about $260,000 from the county for in
terest and principal on bonds issued on
and iu the construction of the Prescott
ami Arizona Central railway. The bonds
were issued in 1886, the road being con
structed under tiie provisions of an act
ami operated till October, 1893, when it
was forced to suspend on account o: a
competing line. The county paid the
interest on the bonds until 1X93 and re
deemed $27,000 of them. The board of
supervisors subsequently failed to pro
vide any tax levy for the payment of in
terest aud accrued interest.
Charged With Murdering a Mexican.
San Diego, Cal., Dec. 17. Frank
Thing was brought here from the Po
tero. where he was arrested Monday on
charge of murdering Santiago Socias,
a Mexican. The killing occurred near
Tecarte last April and the coroner’s
jury at the time exonerated Thing on
the ground of self defense. Tiling was
assisting his brother, a deputy sheriff',
to arrest Socias. Socias refused to be
arrested. 'The Mexican consul of this
city, however, took up the matter aud
there was considerable correspondence
between Washington and the City of
Mexico, as the result of which a war
rant was issued on tiie complaint of tne
dead man’s sister.
Accident to the Cruiser Boston.
Victoria, B. 0., Dec. i7. —The United
States cruiser Boston has been so badly
strained by running ashore on the Oo
reau coast that it is expected she will
have to return home for repairs. News
reaches here in a private letter to one of
the officers of her majesty’s ship, Impe
rious, that on Nov. 5 the Boston was
proceeding to Chemulpo when she struck
heavily on a. sand bank in •‘Flying
Fish” channel, 12 miles from the city.
She succeeded in getting off next morn
ing. with the rise of the tide, and it was
at first supposed that her injuries were
slight, but since then she was found to
be leaking, owing to a badly strained
plate amidships.
To I’rpvnnt the Uniting of Bite*.
Charleston, Dec. 17. -Thu traffic
managers of the Southern, Plant ami
Central of Georgia railway system*
have been in this city all day discussing
the rates on fertilizers. Mr. Culp rep
resents the Southern, Mr. Pupy the
Plant, and Mr. Winbnrn the Central
road. The meeting has been hold be
hind closed doors and nothing has been
given out for publication. It is under
stood that ita object is to arrive at a gen
eral agreement which will prevent cut
ting the rates iu the. utnre.
ROME, GA., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1896.
IS MACEO Yet alive
Passengers From Havana Say the
Cuban Is Not Dead.
WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY WOUNDLD
The Claim of His Death Be
lleved to ba Made
TO SECURE GREAT SYMPATHY
Tiie Insurgent Chief Said to Be Moving Tn.
ward* Oriente—Fe*tivitle* at Havana to
Celebrate His Death Ordered Stopped.
Dr. Zertuchu’ei llejhience Guarded by
Spanish Soldiers.
Key West, Dec. 17.—Passengers who
have just arrived here from Cuba report
that General Pratt had wired General
Weyler from tiie province of Matauzas
that he had au engagement in that
province with Antonio Maceo’s forces,
led by Maceo himself, and that upon
receipt of the telegram conveying this
information all the festivities which
wore in progress in Havana to celebrate
the death of Maceo were ordered to be
suspended.
The passengers further stated that a
number of newspaper reporters, to con
vince themselves of the falsity of the
report of Maceo’s death, went to Pnnta
Brava, province of Havana, and one of
them had an interview with the insur
gent chief Baldomero Acosta, who told
him that the Spanish committee who
had come to search for Maceo’s body
would not find it. as Maceo was at the
head of his army and was moving to
wards Oriente.
He also said that he had accompanied
Maceo to the province of Matanzas,
where he lert him, alter au affectionate
parting. When he left Maceo, the lat
was suffering from a slight wound.
RIVERA NEAR THE TROGHA.
Cuban and Spanish Armins Are Slowly
Closing In Upon Havana.
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 17.—Word
has beeu received from Cuba that Colo
uel Rins Rivera has advanced part of
his army nearer the trocha. Severa!
skirmishes have ensued in the Pinar del
Rio section. Weyler is increasing the
forces in Havana, having recalled sev
eral battaliions that were near San
Christobal.
Fighting by the guerillas is still lively
iu the east, aud west suburbs of Havana.
It show’s that the city is almost encom
passed by them. No serious engage
ments have been reported, although
many houses have been burned aud one
train captured by the insurgents.
Dr. Z u-r.uclia is rarely seen on the
streets. His residence is guarded by
Spanish so diers. He has received many
anonymous letters threatening his life.
Cuban IlffiidquarieiM A'oriCai.kd.
Dallas, Dec. 17. —The report that
United States Marshal Love has con
templated a raid ou the local Cuban
headquarters is an error. Hearing that
the local Cuban organization contem
plated equipping men for Cuba, Marshal
Love called at their headquarters and
informed the officers that such action is
a violation of the law. There ?pon the
officers of the club issued au open letter
declaring that their purpose was to give
moral aid to the Cubans through con
gress, and that under no circumstances
could any movement looking into the
recruiting of a company be tolerated.
The headquarters of Cuba in this state
are at Galveston, where the New York
junta has a representative. Offers of
assistance of both men and money for
the Cubans have been received here
from Kansas, and even as far north as
Michigan, and have all beeu forwarded
to Galveston.
C<»ngre.4*inan Patternon on Cuba.
Cincinnati, Dec. 17.—Congressman
Josiah Patterson from the Memphis, dis
trict, Tennessee, while here,cm his way
home said ou the Cuban question: "1
for one believe that it is about- time in
the interests of humanity and on behalf
of American citizens on the island and
to save great property interests, for in
tervention by the United States. It has
reached that point now where we do not
need to recognize Cuba’s belligerency.
She has nut any permanent sent of gov
ernment, anyway, but we would step in
and stop the butchery in the name of
humanity, and then if the matter could
not be settled any other way why fight.
I believe that something is going to be
done shorfl v.”
I’oles to Help the Cnb*»t-.
Chicago, Dec. 17. -At a meeting o
the executive committee of the Pelt*?
National alliance SSOO was appropriates,
for the aid of Cnb ?, and it was decided
to collect $2,000 more for the same pur
pose among the Polish citizens of Cln
cago. Resolutions of grief for the death
of Maceo ami sympathy for the cause of
Cuba were also adopted.
<’ill lam mid Mills at Work.
New York, Dec. 17.—Franz Mayer,
president of the American Friends of
Cuba, has received letters from Senators
Cullom and Mills in which they prom
ise to call the attention of the commit
toe on foreign affairs to the appeals of
the society.
Olney to Go Before the Committee.
Washington, Dec. 17.—1 tis stated
that Secretary Olney will go bofore the
senate committee ou foreign relations
Friday and give the committee a great
deal of confidential information relative
to Cuba, which ia in his possession.
ENGLISHMEN IN PANIC
An Earthquake Rock> Houses and Over
turns Furniture.
THE GREATEST ALARM PREVAILED
The Shakeup Appears to Be
General
IMPARTIAL IN ITS VISIT THERE
bht'tikx From Four ’to Thirty Sec
ond*, "ere Accompanied by a Rumbling
Noit'id anti Followed by Loud CrasheA.
People Thought the l£tid of the World
llad Come.
London, Doc. 17.—Great Britain is in
the throes of a genuine and unprece
dented sensation. Au earthquake, the
most violent ever experienced iu this
country, lias shaken every spire from
Durham to Surrey and from London to
the Welch coast. The subterraneous
disturbance was first noticed at about
5:30 a. m. and lasted from 4 to 30 sec
onds. At many points two distinct
shocks were experienced.
The most severe shocks were felt at
Cnilienham, Ledbury and Dean Forest.
The eartiisiiaking was accompanied by
a lond, rushing sound. Buildings were
violently shaken, furniture was shifted,
doors thrown open and pictures aud
other ornaments were upset. The in
habitants were panicstriuken and fled
frbm their nousps.
The earthquake also visited Birming
ham aud various points iu Shropshire
and was violent in Worcester and the
country surrounding that city. Houses
rocked and the furniture was over
turned. The shocks were followed by a
tremor of earth and were accompanied
by a rumbling sound. The greatest
alarm prevailed everywhere. Chimneys
were overthnnvn and windows, etc.,
were smashed. At some points persons
on the country roads were thrown down,
a number of people were thrown out of
the beds.
Herford cathedral was injured. There
the dull rumbling beneath the earth’s
surface was followed by two loud
crashes and a terrible lifting and rock
ing. The panic at Herford was so great
that one woman died of fright. People
rushed wildly into the streets. Many
chimneys fell crashing to the thorough
fares, and all the pinnacles of St. Nich
olas’ church toppled over and part of
the pinnacle oft the cathedral fell to the
ground. Ja.
At Liverpool the earthquake was pre
ceded by heavy thunder and a fearful
hailstorm. In London the earthquake
was only slightly felt.
A singular phenomenon occurred at
Bridgenortn, near Strewsbury, previ
ous to the disturbance. The streets sud
denly seemed to be astir and there was
a violent report, accompanied by a
shaking of the earth. People who were
going abroad iu the vicinity say that
they were, for a time, unable to walk,
owing to the vibrations.
There was very great excitement
among the rustics about Poole, who
thought that the end of the world had
come.
THE FOURTH DAY'S WORK.
American Federation of Labor Still In
Session at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, Dec. 17. —When Presi
dent Gompers called the American Fed
eration of Labor to order tor its fourth
day’s session the rollcall showed a full
attendance. There has been a disposi
tion to keep out such questions as the
socialist agitation, made at Denver, the
silver issue at New York ami other
questions that disturbed the other an
nual convention, and not to protract
this session longer than the present•
week. But after the discussion of the
Cuban reso ution Wednesday, it was
announced in the lobbies that the silver
question would be sprung again.
In the lobbies there was considerable
canvassing for the election of officers
which takes place Friday afternoon. It
is the general opinion that all of the
general officers will be re-elected except
Secretary August McCraith, who is op
posed by Frank Morrison of Chicago,
the representative of the International
Typographical union.
A special committee was appointed to
visit the proprietors of the Cincinnati
Free Presse to get them to unionize
their office.
HOUSE PASSES ARMY BILL.
File Hot Springs iluitpitiil Excepted From
All Benefit* In the Appropriation.
Washington, Dec. 17.—When the
house met the pending question was on
the adoption of the amendment to the
army appropriation bill to except the
army and navy hospital at Hot Springs,
Ark., from ail benefit in the appropria
tion for hospitals.
Mr. Little (Dem.. Ark.) asked for the
ayes and nays, but the amendment was
adopted by a vote of 151 to 81). The
army bill was then passed without di
vision.
Mr. Curtis (Rep.. N. Y.) reported the
military academy appropriation bi 1.
Mr. Babcock (Rep., Wis.), charman
of the committee on the District < f Co
lumbia, under the agreement made on
Monday, claimed the day for the bud
ness from his committee. Three resolu
tions relating to the inauguration of
Mr. McKinley were adopted One per
mitted the railroads entering the city to
lay temporary tracks for the accommo
dation of the traveling public; an
other permitted the inaugural commit
tee to occupy government reservations
along the route of the parade, and the
third authorized the secretary pf war to
-loan all the Umted States ensigns, flag
ami signal numbers not in use at tne
time of the inauguration for the pur
pose of decorating the streets ou that
occasion.
Sec ate agreed to a change in immigra
tion bill, making the age limit of exclu
sion above 16 years. Mr. Morgau pro
posed an exception as to Cubans and
the amendment caused considerable de
bate.
MR. M’KINLEY AT CHICAGO.
The President. Elect Goes to the Windy
City For a Few Days’ Rest.
Chicago, Dec. 17.—“ I’ll take some
more of the beefsteak and a little more
of the ham, captain,” said President
elect McKinley? in Vice President J.
T wingbrook’* car, of the Pennsylvania,
at the union station, Chicago, at 8:40 a.
m. The ride of 175 miles from Canton
during the night was made with ease
and without special incident.
Around the breakfast table of the car
were seated the Major, his brother, Ab
ner McKinley. Hou. Charles G Dawes
of the Republican national committee;
George B. Freiuse, editor of the Canton
Repository; Captain H. O S. Heislaud
cf the United States army, and Captain
Lafayette McWilliams of 3691 Lake’ ave
nue, Chicago, Mrs. McKinley’s cousin,
at whose home the president-elect will
stop.
Major McKinley’s appetite was on a
keen edge in the bracing Chicago lake
air, as he remarked he came to Onicago
for a rest, but his health was never bet
ter. He showed no signs of the tre
mendous strain of the past 10 months.
His last trip away from home, aside
from several two hour runs to Cleve
land, was made to Chicago Feb. 10 last,
when he made his famous address at
the Marquette club banquet, when the
campaign for the nomination for the
presidency was begun in Chicago.
Magician Hermann Die* Suddenly.
Rochester, Dec. 17.—Hermann, the
magician, died in his private car at
Great Valley, near Salamanca. He was
on his way to Bradford. The remains
will be forwared to New York. Her
man completed an engagement at the
Lyceum theater in this city Wednesday
night, and had later been entertained
at the Genesee Valley club by a num
ber of his friends. Death was caused
by heart disease.
Delk Given a New I.vhhb on Life.
Atlanta, Dec. 17. —Tom Delk, the
young outlaw convicted of killing the
sheriff of Pike county and sentenced tc
hang at Zebulon on Dec. 18, was granted
a respite until Jan. 29. The respite is
granted solely on the ground that Tom
is wanted as a witness for his father,
who is under sentence of death for the
same crime but whose motion for a uew
trial is now pending.
Supmine Court Justices Elected.
Atlanta, Dec. 17.—Elections were
held in every county in Georgia for su
preme court justices. The following
ticket was elected: Samuel Lumpkin,
W. A. Little, Andrew J. Cobb, W. H.
Fish. The ticket polled a practically
unanimous vote.
Cliarlea R. Crisp Fleeted to Congress.
Americus, Ga., Dec. 17—Charles R.
Crisp was elected to congress from the
Third district to fill the uuexpired term
of the late Judge Crisp. There was nc
opposition, but despite this he was given
a handsome vote.
A German Hanker Murdered.
Tangier, Morocco, Dec. 17. —A Ger
man banker named Haessner was mur
dered close to the town gate.
Former Bank OGtaera Arrested.
Charleston, Dtc. 17.—J. Fred Lil
ienthal and August Bequest,' former
officials of the German-American Trust
and Savings bank, were arrested here,
charged with a conspiracy to defraud
that institution last. May. Lilienthal
was president and Bequest cashier of
the bank at the time, it is alleged that
Lilienthal, as president. drew a check
that had been given to him. with fraud
ulent intent, by Bequest. Both men
waived the preliminary examination
and gave bond in the sum of $1,060.
The same men have been arrested be
fore on similar charges aud cases are
now pending against them in the couit
of sessions.
Decision That Affects Alabama Banks.
Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 17. The
Alabama supreme court has handed
down an opinion in the case of the
Jefferson County Savings bank versus
the tax collector of Jefferson, which is
exceedingly important. The bank was
assessed in the amount of the capital
stock aldne, the stock being assessed at
par. The bank, however, owned cer
tain real estate on which it declined to
pay taxes, claiming it was part of the
capital stock. This decision holds that
the real estate is liable to taxation s pa
rately from the capital stock. It will
very materially affect all the banks of
the state.
What Butler Think, nt Watson.
R aleigh, Dec. 17.—Senator Butler’s I
paper contains the following editorial:
“And now it is announced that Hon.
Thomas E. Watson will contest the seat
of Black, from the Tenth Georgia dis
trict. We have strained ourselves right
much to be loyal to Watson since Ins
nomination for tiie vice presidency, but
our strength is now exhausted mid wo
give up the job of loyalty to him.”
Deaths From the Bubonic I’lagna.
Bombay, Deo. 17.—1 t lias been offi
cially announced here that there have
been 1.151 cases of bubonic plague in
this city, and 1,094 deaths from that
disease up to date. The exodus from
Bombay continues. Tt'is stated that
200 persons have fled from the city.
. n»" ni—« 1 ■ 1
PRICE FIVE CEN'IS.
FIRE IN PITTSBURG
ihe Casino Skating Rink and Summer
Theater Burned.
‘FLAMES STARTED BY EXPLOSION
I
Christmas Consualties Now
On in Earnest
NO LIVES ARE LOST HOWEVER BY IT
File Loss Is Over Half a Million Dollars,
With Little Insurance—Firemen Were
Unable to Cope With the Blaze—Several
Persons Slightly Injured During the Pro
gress of the Contlitgratioii.
Pittsburg, Dec. 17. —The Casino Ska
ting Rink and Summer theater, a mag
nificent ,jl*asure resport in Schenely
park, has been entirely destroyed by
fire. The loss will approximate $500,-
000, on which the insurance is small.
The fire was caused by the explosion of
an ammonia cylinder in the ice skating
plant. Almost immediately the entire
building seemed to be a seething mass of
flames, and iu less than two hours the
beautiful structure was in ashes.
It was 2:15 a. m. when the explosion
occurreed, and the lire department re
sponded promptly, but considerable time
was lost in getting effective streams of
water on the building on account of the
deep hollow, which extends along the
side where the fire started.
I The noxious vapor that filled the in
terior prevented the firemen from en
tering the Casino aud fighting the
flames from the inside, and it was not
long until the flames reached the whole
interior, and soon burst from the roof
in many places. By 4 o’clock the whole
structure was burning and formed a
grand sight in the night. Although it
was such an unusual hour, hundreds of
people soon assembled in the vicinity
and gazed on the spectacle.
, Shortly before 5 o’clock the Schenely
park bridge caught fire and burned rap
idly. but the firemen, by strenuous
efforts, succeeded in saving it from to
tal destruction.
The Casino cost $309,000, aud its
equipments more than SIOO,OOO. The
ice skating plant, which was the first
thing reached by the flames, alone cost
$30,000. In the rear of the second floor
was stored the fine aud c stly scenery
used by the summer theater, and this
was sjou devoured. Loss, SIO,OOO.
During the progress of the conflagra
tion tiie bridge across the hollow was
crowded with people, and inanv were
apprehensive that it would be uusafe.
When the fire appeared at the eastern
end of the balconies and communicated
to the bridge there was a great scat
tering.
Manager James Choant said the loss
would exceed $500,000. The building
was insured for 575.000 and there was a
small insurance on rhe contents. A
number of persons were slightly in
jureud, but none seriously.
Dißastrnu<» Blaze at Detroit.
Detroit, Dec. 17.—An explosion oc
curred at the Detroit College of Medi
cine and immediately following the ex
plosion flames broke forth from the
third story windows and iu less than
two hours later the building was a mass
of ruins. The janitor of the institution
and his wife narrowly escaped with
their lives. The loss on building will
reach $75,000, partly insured. Besides
the building itself, valuable instru
ments, such as microscopes, etc., and
costly furniture has been destroyed.
The cause of the fire is as yet not fully
cleared up, but incendiarism is stronly
suspected.
BLACKMAIL, SAYS DR. HECK.
Hn.ba>i<i an<l AVlfe Charged With Trying
t.<» Kxtor.t Money Front llieir Paetor.
Baltimore, Dec. 17.-Theßev. George
L. Heck, the young pastor of the Con
cordia German Reformed Evangelical
church, this city, applied for warrants
for the arrest of William Volz and wife,
members of his congregation, whom he
accuses of attempted blackmail.
Charges were recently preferred
against Mr. Heck. He was arraigned
before the church officers and tried for
alleged improper intimacy with Mrs.
Volz. The woman testified that the
charges were true, but subsequently re
tracted. Mr. Heck yvas acquitted.
Mr. Heck now says that Volz, prior
to the ecclesiastical trial, demanded SIOO
as the price of his silence, and asserts
that Mrs. Volz acted in collusion with
her husband. Volz is a laborer. Mrs.
Volz is an attractive woman.
I.ease«l the Mountain Iron Minn.
Cleveland, Dec. 17. The Oliver
Mining company, of which the Carne
gie Steel company and the Oliver Iron
and Steel company are the principal
stockholders, has secured a 50-yenr lease
of the Mountain Iron mine, on tiie Me
saba range, wnicl; practically means
that the Pittsburg firin has bought the
property. The Mountain Iron was a
Rockefeller mine and operated by the
Lake Superior Consolidated Iron mines.
The capacity of the mine is said to be
about 600.000 tons annually. The terms
of tne ueal are uot made public. The
Oliver Mining company, which pur
chased the Mountain Iron mine, also
purchased the 4>ig Oliver mine on the
Mesabti range, which, during the season
just closed, shipped about 800,000 tons
of ore. and the Carnegie Steel com
pany’s interest in that mine insures an
output close of 1,000,000 tons of ore
uext year.