Newspaper Page Text
THE NEWS AND FARMER.
J. W. WHITE, Editor and Proprietor.
VOLUME XVIII,
PRICES
PROSPERITY CLAIM DEMOL
ISHED BY OFFICIAL FIGURES.
flFact.s from the Statistical Abstract —Un-
precedented I’rod action of Gold In
creases llio Volume of Money and
Atones Somewhat for Lo.it Double
Standard.
The gold standard people asserted in
1596 that the one great need of the
country was a dearer dollar, a dollar
that would buy more of the products of
the farm and the factory. In other
words, their contention was that prices
were too high, and that the adoption
of the gold standard by reducing the
amount of money in circulation would
reduce prices by giving greater pur
chasing power to the dollar.
The silver men admitted that the
adoption of the gold standard would,
by contracting the currency, result in
a fall of prices, but asserted that this
instead of being a benefit would be a
calamity, disastrous to all producers.
That a dearer dollar meant smaller
prices of all products of labor and that
falling prices in the past have always
brought ruin and disaster to the busi
ness world.
These positions were clearly defined.
Both agreed that the gold standard
meant lower prices. They disagreed
only as to the effects, the gold advo
cates asserting lower prices to boa de
sirable thing, the silverites maintain
ing that a general fall in prices would
be a calamity.
The Republicans won, we have the
gold standard, but to some extent the
predictions of both sides seem to have
failed. The silver people still main
tain they were right, hut that unex
pected conditions have temporarily
averted predicted results, while the Re
publicans are now issuing campaign
literature showing that we have had
an increase in the amount per capita
of money in circulation, that we have
had prices and that the country is
prosperous because of higher prices,
forgetting apparently that they are
thereby proving the claim of the Bry
anites in 1896.
In spito of the gold standard, it is
true we have now more money in cir
culation than in IS9S. In that year the
amount was, according to treasury
statistics, $21.10, In January, 1899, it
was $25.25. It now probably exceeds
$26.00, the largest amount since 1865.
This has relieved a money stringency
and has been brought about probably
by the enormous and unexpected iu
™ crease in gold production which rose
from $118,000,000 in IS9O to $237,000,-
000 in 1898, and over $300,000,000 in
1899, when the Alaskan gold was add
ed and the South African miners doub
led their product. The amount of gold
in the United States increased from
:>590,000,000 in 1396 to $801,000,000 in
ISS3 and the increase since then has
been equally rapid. Owing to the vast
'expenses of the Spanish, Philippine
and Chinese wars, this gold has not ac
cumulated in the treasury, but bas
been paid out and is now in circula
tion, the amount now in the treasury
'being much less than it was in 1898.
Steadied Prices.
This increase of the world’s gold has
steadied prices of those products
which depend upon a world’s market
and prevented a disastrous fall. Other
conditions have assisted in this. The
greatest famine of the present century
has occurred in India, where millions
of human beings have actually starved
to death. Russia, cur principal com
petitor in wool, has lost 25,-
000,000 sheep by drought. Our
wheat crop in 1897 was the
largest in our history, and our ex
ports of wheat in the two fiscal years
ending July 1, 189S, were 440,000,000,
•the largest in our history, hut the
'prices of wheat remained stationary.
, iThe treasury statistics show that 59,-
r jOOO.OOO bushels exported from New
(York in IS9G and 1897 brought 75.2
■cents in New York, while 104,000,000
ibushels exported from New York in
; 189S-9 brought 75.0 cents. The high
jest price in Chicago in 1896 was 94%c,
|and in 1899 was 79 V 2 cents. But while
the prices of our farm products, which
to some extent are regulated by supply
and demand and by the world’s supply
of money, have remained stationary,
in the face of an extraordinary foreign
demand, as in the case of wheat, corn
and dairy ropducts, or have risen
• slightly in the case cf wool, cotton,
cattle and sheep, or decreased as in the
case of hog products, the prices of
those articles controlled by trusts have
been arbitrarily advanced beyond all
reason. Among these may be men
tioned coal, coal oil, gasoline, all iron
.products, especially wire and nails, and
nearly all manufactured articles. This
latter advance ha3 not been accom
panied by any material increase in the
wages of men employed, so that al
though farmers are compelled to pay
higher prices.’for these articles, labor
ing men who constitute the chief home
market for farm products arc unable
to purchase more or to pay higher
■prices. The price of farm products i3
therefore maintained by the export de
mand and must fall when the Indian
famine and European shortage are
over and the world wide war now’ in
progress shall cease. Even now the
.farmer can buy much less with his
■products than ever before. What shall
ibe the case when the extraordinary
foreign demand is over?
"ITosiiorlty" anti (be Farmer.
: The following is a table of average
export prices of the products named
'for the four years of the Cleveland ad
ministration, as compared with the
three years of the McKinley adminis
tration. It was taken from the statis
tical abstract of the United States
treasury for 1899, on page 436, and was
Issued by the McKinley administration,
hence car-not be accused of being par
tial in its treatment of the Cleveland
period.
As will be seen, It shows that the
prices of agricultural staples were
higher during the Cleveland adminis
tration, than they have been on the
average, during the McKinley admin
istration.
In further explanation, it may bo
said that there have been famine in In
dia and short crops In Europe, which
have had an influence in holding up ag
ricultural prices. The drought in Aus
tralia has had much to do in holding
up the price of sheep and wool, the
flocks of that country having been al
most totally annihilated; yet, the
statistical abstract, page 378, shows
that the total value of our sheep has
fallen from $125,009,2G4 In 1593, to
$107,097,530 In 1899. The value of oxen
and other cattle, exclusive of milch
cows, as shown by the statistical ab
stract, page 375, has risen from $547,-
882,201 in 1893, to $037,931,135 in 1899.
But the value of all farm animals has
fallen during this period $500,000,000,
see page 378 statistical abstract 1900.
This is accounted for by the fact that
the number of meat cattle has de
creased from 35,954,190 In 1893, to 27,-
994,225 in 1899. A decrease of 8,000,000
meat cattle has taken place, while the
meat-eating population has increased
16,000,000 during practically the same
period.
The comparative table of agricultural
prices, from statistical abstract 1599,
page 436, is as follows:
CORN.
1893 to 1896 (Cleveland period). .47%c
Three years of McKinley 35 l-3c
COTTON.
Four years of Cleveland 7'/2C
Three years of McKinley 6 2-10 c
BACON.
Four years of Cleveland 8 9-10 c
Three years of McKinley 7 7-10 e
LARD.
Four years of Cleveland 8 l-10c
Three years of McKinley 5 5-10 e
PORK.
Four years of Cleveland 7 l-100
Three years of McKinley 5 2-10 c
BEEF.
Four years of Cleveland 5 6-10 c
Three years of McKinley 5 2-10 c
BUTTER.
Four years of Cleveland 17c
Three years of McKinley 15 2-10 c
CHEESE.
Four years of Cleveland 9 l-10c
Three years of McKinley S 7-10 c
STARCH.
Four years of Cleveland 3c
Three years of McKinley 2c
WHEAT.
Four years of Cleveland 07 5-10 c
•’Three years of McKinley 82c
OATS.
Four years of Cleveland 31c
Three years of McKinley 27 8-10 c
••Had it not been for the Leiter cor
ner, which ran wheat up to 98c In
1898, the wheat product would have
shown a lower price level during the
McKinley period than during the Cleve
land period, in harmony with all of the
other products quoted.
CONCLUSION.
These facts and figures taken from
the records of the government, show
ing that the export prices of agricul
tural products have been lower under
the “prosperity” administration of Mc-
Kinley, than they were under the panic
administration of Grover Cleveland,
ought to effectually dispose of the fal
lacy that the farmers of tho United
States have been benefited by the pol
icy of the Republican party.
REMEDIES FOR TRUSTS,
“AVe have a remedy and our remedy
is, first, to put every trust-made article
on the free-list; second, we propose
hat congress .shall provide that before
any corporation does business outside
of the state of its origin it shall take
out a license frojn the federal govern
ment, and this license shall only be
jiven when the corporation shows that
t has no water in Its stock and that
it is not attempting to monopolize any
branch of business. I believe that
would be a remedy for the trusts. I
believe that no private monopoly could
exist.” AV. J. BRYAN.
** * j
"Destiny is not a matter of chance,
it is a matter of choice; it is not a
thing to be waited for, it is a thing to
bo achieved.” W. J. BRYAN.
* * *
"The fruits of Imperialism, be they
bitter or sweet, must be left to tho
subjects of monarchy. This is tho one
tree of which the citizens of a repub
lic may not partake. It is the voice
of the serpent, not the voice of God,
that bids us eat.”
W. J. BRYAN.
* •
“Wars of conquest have their origin
in covetousness, and the history of the
human race has been written in char
acters of blood because rulers have
looked with longing eyes upon the land
of others.” W. J. BRYAN.
OLD GROVER IS SILENT.
Perhaps tho severest condemnation
Bryan’s candidacy receives is from the
continued silence of ex-Prcsident
Cleveland. As the leader of the old
line sound money Democracy, Mr.
Cleveland can have no sympathy with
the unsound financial theories repre
sented by Mr. Bryan, and, as his po
litical principles will not permit him
to affiliate with the Republicans, ho
maintains a strict silence, which, to
those who believe as he does, is quite
as eloquent as words.—Philadelphia
Dodger.
On the contrary, the greatest glory
of Mr. Bryan is that he is hated by
Mr. Cleveland. Cleveland’s support
would be a positive injury to Mr.
Bryan. Mr. Cleveland’s room is much
more to be desired than his company.
k. Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Material 4 latelleetaal Advancement of the Ceaaty.
LOUISVILLE. GA.. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 8. 1900.
LIVES ARE LOST
IN EXPLOSIONS
A Disastrons Accident Occurs In
the Heart of New York City.
CAUSED BY DRUG STORE FIRE
Exploding Chemicals Wreck
Buildings and Many Victims
Are Buried Under Burn
ing Debris.
A New York special says: Tko long
list of fire horrors that have occurred
iu and around tho city of New Y’ork, a
list that includes the Royal hotel five,
tho Turk Place disaster and the Wind
sor aud Hoboken lires, was added to
Monday by a fire and explosion that
shook the lower end of Manhattan like
an earthquake, hurled a seven-story
building into the air and set firo to
two blocks of buildings, with a loss of
life that only the efforts of hundreds
of men who were rushed to the work
of digging away the ruins as soon ns
the lirewas extinguished will reveal.
The big building of Tarrant & Cos.,
makers of medicinal specialties, stand
ing at the northwest corner of Green
wich and Warren streets, and filled
with chemicals, took firo in some way
that may never be known, at about a
quarter after 12 o’clock Monday after
uoon. It was sixteen minutes after
noon that a citizen rushed into tho
house of fire engine 29, on Chambers
street, near Greenwich, and shouted
that Tarrant’s drug house was ou fire.
Ue had seen a volume of black smoke
coining from the third story window.
An alarm was turned in.
Soon afterwards second and third
alarms were turned in. One fire com
pany had just arrived when a terrific
explosion occurred aud threw the en
tire engine’s crew down the stairway.
The firomeu, realizing the danger of
their position, rushed out of tho build
ing to the street. Tho explosion had
filled the street in frout with a Bhower
of falling glass aud small debris, mTiich
sent the crowd, which had alroady
gathered ou the opposite sidewalks,
fleeing for safety.
Captain Dcvanucy, of tho company,
ordered his crew back into the build
ing again. The mere dragging the
lino to the doorway a second time
when another explosion, more terrific
than tho first came, nnd the whole
crew was hurled across Greenwich
street.
In tho meantime the other engines
that had responded to the alarm had
collected, nnd the firemen were rescu
ing people from surrounding build
ings. Firemen had already taken many
girls down the only firo escapo upon
tho building, nnd moro persons had
been carried down the escapes of the
Homo Made restaurant, next door, and
the buildings adjoining upon Warren
street.
The second explosion occurred about
five minutes after the first.
From the accounts of witnesses, tho
building seemed to leap into the air,
and iu a moment massses of brick
wall, timbers aud stone were falling
into the streets. The force of the ex
plosion toro away the walls of the big
commission store house fronting on
Washington street, and caused them
to collapse.
Across AVarren street to the oppo
site buildings the flames leaped, set
ting them all afire at once, the force
of the explosion demolishing windows
nnd all wooden structures about the
houses. In a moment Warren street
was choked up with a mass of debris
and the whole place was aflame.
The great explosion was followed by
half a dozen more scarcely less in
tense, nnd by a countless number of
smaller ones. By this time the fire
apparatus was arriving from every di
rection, and a fifth alarm sent out, fol
lowed by a general call for ambulances.
The explosion and fire together had
now assumed the proportions of a
great catastrophe, and it was at first
thought that hundreds of lives had
been lost. Throngs of people were
rushing abont the nearby streets,
many of them panic-stricken, fleeing
from the fire.
AFTER PROFESSIONAL MEN.
Many Lnwyorf, Doctors ami Dentists of
Atlanta Failed to Fay Special Tax.
An Atlanta special says: Unless all
indications point in tho wrong direc
tion, there will shortly be a large
number of lawyers, doctors and den
tists urrested on indictments for prac
ticing their various professions with
out having paid their professional tax.
The law provides a professional tax
of $lO from all doctors, dentists, law
yers and other professional men. Tho
tnx collector, A. P. Stewart, has a list
of nearly 100 who have not paid this
tax, some for several years. Tho
grand jury has called upon Mr. Stew
nvt for this list.
Carolina Fair Closes.
The state fair at Columbia, S. C.,
ended Friday. In three days the
paid entrances reachod about thirty
three thousand. Wednesday and Thurs
day the electric street railway handled
81,000 people. Tho fair was the best
that has ever been held.
Paper Mills Destroyed By Fire.
Fire Friday destroyed the Golden
paper mills, at Golden, Colorado,
owned by R. C. Wells, entailing a loss
of $50,000, covered by insurance.
QUICK RETRIBUTION
Gus Fellows Sentenced to Hang
For Assault On White Girl.
EXECUTION FIXED FOR NOVEMBER 24.
Taken From Atlanta Jail Under Guard of
Soldiers and Tried at Jefferson,
On,, For Ills Life.
The trial of Gus Fellows, who as
saulted Dolly Hood, was begun at Jef
ferson, Ga., Saturday morning.
A company of soldiers accompanied
tho prisoner from Atlanta.
Soldiers surrounded the court house
all day, but there were no threats or
disorder, as the citizens of the county
are willing for tho law to take its
course. Oidy jurors, witnesses, pat
ters, attorneys, ministers and report
ers arc allowed in the court room.
This rule was adhered to strictly.
The case was sounded at 9 o’clock.
Both sides announced ready and the
jury was stricken iu twenty-eight min
utes. The general opinion is that no
better jury could have beon had in
tho county. The first witness for the
state was Miss Dora Hood. She said:
“At 10 o’clock Wednesday morning,
October 24th, I went to the turnip
patch and had just finished getting
salad and started home, when some
one grabbed me.
“It was the negro who sits there,”
pointing to Gus Follows.
“I was carried to Athens jail to
identify him, but I was so excited aud
nervous and the jail was so dark,
when they took me in I made a mis
take and pointed out another man,
but wheu they brought him in the
yard I pointed out that man. The
negro had on a black square cut coat
torn on the left pocket. Gus Fellows’s
brother came before me and I knew
he was not tho man, but I knew he
had on the coat my assailant wore. I
knew that was the coat as soon as I
saw it. I never saw Gus Follows be
fore that day.”
Here the state rested the case aud
the defense introduced a number of
witnesses to prove an alibi for the
prisoner.
Gus Fellows in a lengthy statement
denied being the assailant of Miss
Hood. He recited his movements
frwm tho time he left home, after
whipping his wife, up to the time of
his arrest.
After charge, delivered by Judge
Rdsseli, the jury retired to their room,
where, after the deliberation over the
evidence, they returned a verdict of
guilty without recommendation. The
court immediately sentenced the de
fendant to bo hanged on November
24tli, just thirty days from the com
mission of the crime. Gus fellows
was returned to the tower in Atlanta
Saturday night on a special train sur
rounded by a strong guard of the
state militia.
Fellows is spending his time in the
Tower praying. He stoutly asserts his
innocence. He believed he was going
to be acquitted, and he had savcral
witnesses to swear he wns far from the
scene of the crime at tho time it was
committed.
NEAYS FROM MANILA.
Large Stores of Rico Destroyed— Some
Successful Skirmishes.
A Manila special says: Last week
was devoted to active scouting. The
insurgents, having failed to crush a
single garrison, are now experiencing
a reaction.
Lieutenants AVilson and Dority, of
the Forty-fifth volunteer infantry, de
stroyed large stores of rice, four gran
aries and a barracks near Bato.
Captain Atkinson, with thirty-four
men of the Thirty-seventh volunteer
infantry, attacked 150 insurgents un
der Colonel A r alencia, recovering two
American prisoners and capturing a
considerable quantity of ammunition
and supplies.
A native orchestra lured the United
States troops from their quarters near
Dagupan, while the insurgents attack
ed the rear, killing two Amercans and
wounding three.
Sunday Sonor Deueamina, repre
senting the principal insurgents in
Manila, requested Judgo Taft to for
ward to AVasliiugtou a signed expres
sion of their loyalty.
There is considerable excitement
over the presidential election, with a
good deal of betting on tho result.
GERM ANS ROU T CH i NESE.
Five Guns Were Captured and the Gor
man Flag Whs Hoisted.
The Chinese question continues to
overshadow all else in Berlin. Tho
Tageblatt, Saturday, printed a special
dispatch from Pekin saying:
“A detachment of the Second Ger
man infantry, under Major Von For
stor, has fought a victorious engage
ment against a Chineso force of 800 in
a mountain pass near the Chinese
wall, not far from Tsi Ting Quan.
Five guns were taken and the German
flag was hoisted. Major von Forster
was wounded, seven other Germans
were wounded or killod and the Chi
neso lost fifty killed.”
BOERS STILL FIGHTING.
Elclit Itccont Engagements Reported to
London War Office By Lord Report *.
Lord Ilobertß in a dispatch from
Johannesburg, dated November 2, re
ports no less than eight fights at dif
different points, all unimportant, but
significant of the activity of the Boers.
Prisoners in the hands of the British
say tho Boer losses in the fight with
Gen. Bartou, October 25th, were 140
killed, wounded or missing.
n e
l Legislative l
l • • • ® Brevities l
srjrsirjrsjratxjrarsSi
Nominations Confirmed.
Monday afternoon the senate went
into executive session aud confirmed
the following nominations for county
judges aud solicitors sent in by the
governor:
B. T. Castellow, judge county court
Clayton county.
Levi O. Stein, solicitor city court of
Douglass in Coffee county.
Bichard Hobbs, judge city court
Albany.
E. K. AYilcox, solicitor county court
of Echols.
N. J. Norman, solicitor county court
of Liberty.
P. AV. Williams, judge city court
Tattnall county.
F. P. Louglov, judge city court of
LaGrango.
W. T. Tuggle, solicitor city oourt of
LaGrange.
John P. Cbeatfield, judge county
court of AVilkiuson county.
AV. F. Eve, judgo city court of
Richmond county.
I). L. Henderson, judge of the
county court of Dooly county.
W. M. Weaver, judge of the county
court of Greene.
P. P. Profitt, judge city court of
Elberton.
P. N. Ramsey, judgo county court
of Jefferson.
Robert U. Hardeman, solicitor coun
ty court of Jefferson.
James P. Clements, judge of county
court of Irwin.
R. AV. Roberts, judge of the county
court of Baldwin.
The senate also confirmed tho fol
lowing as trustees of the State Uni
versity:
Clark Howell, for tho state at large.
A. O. Bacon, Sixth congressional
district.
D. B. Hamilton, Seventh district.
May Repeal Dog Law.
The dog law fight is to be revived.
Two bills were introduced in the house
Monday morning to repeal the cele
brated dog law of “Dewes of Randolph,”
passed at the last session of the legis
lature.
These bills were introduced by
Foster of Floyd and Stewart of Cal
houn. They provide for the uncondi
tional repeal of the present law, which
becomes operative in any county of
the state upon the grand jury recom
mending its adoption.
The law is very popular in some
sections of the state and very unpopu
lar in others. These bills will pre
cipiiato one of tho warmest fights of
the session.
* *
Five Contests on File.
Clerk Boifeuillet received Monday
morning another notice of contest over
a house seat, making five contests in
all that that body will be called upon
to decide at this session. The latest
notice received was from W. A. Buch
anan, who contests the seat of Repre
sentative C. R, Narramore, of Early.
The other contests, of which notice
has already been received, are as fol
lows:
W. E. Maun, who contests the seat
of Representative W. F. Yates, of
Catoosa.
A. Wilson, who contests the seat of
Representative E. J. Stafford, of Cam
den.
Henry J. Strickland, who contests
the seat of Representative Calvin
Thomas, of Pierce.
Thomas A. Brown, who contests the
scat of A. S, J. Hall, of Fannin.
All notices of contests will first go
to tho committee on contested elec
tions as soon as that committee is ap
pointed by Speaker Little.
* * *
Will Tackle Income Tax.
Efforts will be made at the present
session of the legislature to pass au
income tax law for Georgia, similar in
its provisions to the late federal in
come tax law. Such a bill will proba
bly be introduced by tho chairman of
the appropriations committee, who will
be Colonel Ed Wight, of Dougherty.
It will come as a part of the general
tax act, and the indications are that it
will pass.
* * *
To Limit Taxing Power.
Senator Chappell laid before the
senate Tuesday his scheme to limit tho
taxing power of the legislature. His
bill provides that after January, 1905,
it shall be unlawful for the general
assembly to impose a tax exceeding
five-tenths of one per cent. The bill
provides that the question shall be sub
mitted to the people at the next gen
eral election.
* • •
Test Vote on Terminal.
A test of strength on the Atlanta de
pot bill was made in the house Tues
day morning, and the friends of the
depot bill came out with flying colors,
notwithstanding the strenuous effort of
Mr. Hall, of Bibb, to stem the tide.
The vote was 72 to 48. This was on
the King substitute to Senator Allen’s
resolution to appoint a joint committee
of seven from the senate and ten from
tho house to consider all questions af
fecting the depot problem. The King
substitute made this committee a
stauding one, and conferred upon it
the power to send for men and papers,
take oral testimony and report in
writing their findings.
* * *
A flood Bill.
Mr. Park of Green introduced a
measure providing for the admission
of females to the textile department of
the school ofTechuology. The devel
opment in cotton mill building in
Georgia for the past few years has
made this step imperative, and opera-
tives m these mills will bo m great de
mand iu the near fulu'e.
♦ * *
Wants Negroes to Pay.
The senator from the 39th district,
Air. Bell, is the father of a proposition
to make the negro pay for the educa
tion he gets, lie scut in a hill Tues
day morning forbidding the appropria
tion of any taxes to the education of
the negro except those pail by per
sons of his Own color.
SLEW HIS SON IN LAW.
Parmer Wilcoxon Empties Con
tents of Double-Barreled Shot
gun Into Flowers’ Body.
Thursday morning about 10 o’clock
AA’iley F. AA’ilcoxon, a farmer living
seven miles west of Eatontou.Ga., shot
0. C. Flowers, his son-in-law, killing
him instantly. AA’ilooxou used a shot
gun, firing both loads, hut only one
took effect, in the leftside of Flowers.
Flowers has been living oil AVilcox
on’s place for several years, managing
tho affairs of the farm and bearing the
brunt of the burden.
The killing was tho result of a se
rious misunderstanding the two men
had a year ago or more ago, which, at
tho time, so Wilcoxon says, necessi
tated his giving up home and family
and seeking pe?ce elsewhere. After
being absent some time he returned
several mouths ago, where he resided,
apparently contented, until the terri
ble tragedy which transpired Thurs
day morning.
It appears that AA'ilcoxon borrowed
Flower’s gnu to go hunting. After
questioning particularly as to tho
manipulation of tho gun, it being a
breech-loader, and about the character
of the cartridges with which it was
loaded, he turned nnd walked away,
ostensibly to go hunting. AA'ben
twenty-five or thirty feet distant, he
suddenly, and without provocation,
turned and emptied the gun’s contents
into the side of Flowers, who was still
standing in tho kitchen door.
The deceased leaves a wife to mourn
his untimely end. Wilcoxon was a
confederate soldier, serving through
the entire war in the Third Georgia
regiment. After the tragedy he was
arrested.
KA. I SEIFS ADVICE TAKES.
Germans Give No Quarter ami Chinese Aro
Considerable impatience at tho mea
gerness of tho nows from China is
finding expression in Berlin. Tho in
ference is (but German censorship
over such information is very strict.
Letters from privates in China began
to find their way into the Soeial Dem
ocratic papers showing that tho Ger
man troops give no quarter. Tho
Bremen Buerger Zeitung publishes a
letter from a soldier in Pekin, who
said he witnessed the following scones:
“Sixty eight captives, some of them
not, yet adults, were tied together by
their pig tails, compelled to dig their
own graves and shot en masso - ”
The Halberstadter-Volke-Zeitung
prints a communication from Pekin,
in which the writer says:
“No prisoners nre taken. All are
shot, or preferably, sabered to save
ammunition. On Sunday afternoon
we bad to bayonet seventy-four pris
oners. They had killed one of our
patrolmen. An entire battalion pur
sued them and captured seventy-four
alive. Jt was cruel. It was inde
scribable.”
KILLED BKOTHEIMIGLAW.
James Hammond Fires Loud of Shot Into
Thomas Wall. Near Klberton.
Thursday afternoon Jim Hammond
shot and killed Thomas J. Wall, a
few miles below Elberton, Ga. The
shooting occurred near Wall’s homo.
Full details have not been learned,
but from the best information it seems
that Wall was beating a negro tenant.
Mrs. Wall, his wife, tried to stop him,
and failed. She sent for her brother,
Jim Hammond, who came, and re
monstrated with Wall.
This seems to have angered Wall,
and he made a rush at him. Ham
mond ran and was followed part of
the way by Wall. Hammmd went to
a neighbor’s, where he secured a shot
gun. He then returned and met Wall,
who shot at him, but missed him.
Hammond then shot Wall, the entire
load entering tho left eye, killing him
instantly.
Both men belong to good families,
and were brothers-in-law. Wall leaves
n wife and several children. Ham
mond has not been arrested. Wall
was constable of his district.
Public Debt Statement.
Tho statement of the public debt
shows at the close of business October
31, 1900, tho debt less cash in the
treasury amounted to $1,104,402,320,
n decrease as compared with last
month of $1,573,351.
CHASING WHITE BRUTE.
1I Attempted Criminal Assault on Young
Lady and Hope Awaits Him.
Chief of Police Hill, of Chattanoo
ga, received a telegram Sunday even
ing from W, F. Groover, town marshal
of Summerville, Ga., stating that a
white man having a snndy light com
plexion, weighing 160 pounds, thirty
years of ago, five feet eight inches tall,
with middle right finger oil between
first and second joint, had attempted
to criminally assault a young lady at
Raccoon, Ga., aud requested him to
send bloodhounds to the scone at once.
The chief sent tho dogs, and later
learned that they had struck a trail.
bakscription : SI.OO in Advance.
NUMBER 49.
MINERS KILLED
IN EXPLOSION
Terrible Catastrophe Occurs In a
West Virginia Coa! Pit.
MUTILATED BODIES TAKEN OUT
More Than a Score of AVorkere Are
fiiss ing— Ugly Rumors As To
Cause of Accident.
One of the greatest calamities in the
history of Barbour county, A Vest A'ir
ginia, occurred Saturday morning at
1 o’clock at the mines of tho Southern
Coal and Transportation Company, at
Berrysburg, six miles front Philippi.
Asa result a score of miners are dead
and many badly injured.
The explosion was so great that
mules were killed at the mouth of the
miue and cars blown forty feet from
the track. One matt was blown in two
at tho loins and his body thrown
against a pilo of lumber at the mouth
of the mine.
The night shift went on duty at 7
o’clock. Everything went on smoothly
until about midnight, when tho explo
sion occurred. The dead were muti
lated beyond recognition, and the
scene was calculated to make tho
strongest heart faint.
The explosion was probably the re
sult of an accidental discharge of dy
namite caused, perhaps, by the con
cussion of a blast. The property loss
is light.
The force of the explosion was so
great that two men were found sixty
feet from the mouth of the mine. An
hour after the explosion hundreds had
visited the mine. The call for relief
brought every physician in Phillip: to
the scone. The sight was a most horri
ble one. Strewn along the main channel
and about the opening were the arms,
legs, bands aud other portions of the
bodies of the dead miners.
Fathers and mothers were frantically
hunting for sons, and as fast as a body
was recovered they would glance at it,
and recognizing it would give hysteri
cal screams. The hotel has been
turned into a hospital and those still
alive when brought out were taken
there. There is a great deal of com
ment about about the enuse of tho ex
plosion. The authorities refused to
discuss the matter further than to say
it was caused by an excessive charge
of powder being used. Tho miners
insist that it was caused by fire damp.
The miue was recently inspected and
pronounced to be iu good condition.
John AV. Green, who was in the
mine at tho time of the explosion
aud escaped injury, gives tho follow
ing account of it:
“I went into the mine at 7:30 o’clock
and wont to room No. 1. I had been
at work an hour or so when I smelled
black damp. I noticed my lamp flicker.
I went to the mine boss aud told him
about it. He laughed aud said it was
all right. I went back to work and
about midnight heard a terrific noise,
which knocked me down and put out
my lamp. I was stunned for a mo
ment and then realized what had hap
pened. I wns close to the eutranee
and crawled over the bodies of two
men.”
As tho work of removing the dead
went on things looked worse. Four
men were brought out within an hour
and the searchers reported that a dozen
were still in the mine. Most of those
brought out were mutilated beyond
description. The mines of Berrysburg
hnve only been operated a short time.
They have had a great deal of trouble.
First the mines were flooded and then
ihe men struck. Last week the stables
were set on firo and twenty-six horses
burned. Now comes the explosion.
Most of the miners had been at
work but a few weeks, nnd as they
were almost unknown to each other,
consequently it was hard to recognize
a man when he was found. Most of
the men came from North Carolina
and District of Columbia.
A later message from tho mines stat
ed that the bodies of twelve men had
been brought out, eight of whom were
recognized.
HOWELL CASE SETTLED.
Plea of Guilty Made and Crime Reduced
To a Misdemeanor.
Col. Albert Howell, Sr., plead guilty
Tuesday to a misdemeanor in Judge
Candler’s court in Atlanta. Solicitor
Hill consented to a plea of guilty ou
condition the offense should be treated
as a misdemeanor. Judge Candler
can use his discretion in sentencing
the prisoner.
Solicitor Hill, in speaking of (he
case after tho verdict had been render
ed, said to a reporter that the fact that
Mr. Howell had not followed Huuter’s
example in running away, and had
made good tho shortage had mitigated
in the prisoner’s favor-
GEORGIA LAWMAKERS FIGHT.
Disgraceful Cutting Scrape Takes Vluce
On Special Legislative Train.
Wednesday night’s specicl train
from Atlnuta carrying legislators and
senators to the state fair at Valdosta,
stopped at Forsyth, aud while waiting
for a freight train to pass Senator
Caun, from west Georgia, seriously
cut and stabbed Representative Har
din, of Wilkes county, in a row on a
car of the special.