Newspaper Page Text
®he Weekly SgwmM
VOL. XI
SECRMY WILSON
REPUDIATES LETTER
ON MIDI LANDS
Declares Use of His Name
Overstatement Boosting Ev
erglade Real Estate Was Not
Authorized
(By Associated Preu.)
WASHINGTON. Feb. 20 Secretary
of Agriculture Wilson today denied au
thorship of a letter which has been
widely circulated by one of the com
panies exploiting lands in the Florida
everglades
The advertisement, headed. "Secretary
Wilsons Opinion." was credited to the
'East Coast Home Seeker,” of June, the
year pot being given. The purported
letter follows:
"There is no other large body of land
anywhere in the United States, in fact
anywhere else in the world, that will,
when the drainage is completed, be so
valuable as the once despised ever
glades
"Between 3,000.090 and 4.000.000 acres
of rich alluvial land located in a cli
mate that is almost absolute perfec
tion, where all crops can be grown the
entire season through, where there are
no long, cold winters, no excessive heat
in summer and no malaria or other dis
eases.
"I'rom the very nature of conditions,
Florida becomes the paradise of the
whole world. There a careful, thrifty
tiller of the soil can make more money
on 10 or 20 acres of land than on 150
In the north or west. The doubting
Thomases who are standing awaiting
development will in a few years see
their folly. There is no other section
of the United States where the climate
is so near perfection. There is no
where a tille of soil receives such large
1 rewards for labor. The is no other sec
tion of the state where the opportuni
ties for small capital are so great and
where In a few years the small man
can have a home and competency."
“I have no recollection of ever writing
anything of this sort.” said Secretary
WUson today. 'This sort of thing hap
pens often, and I will have to stop it.
as I have been forced to do many times
before. It is not uncommon to rind my
name and that of Ur. Wiley used with-,
out authority in advertisements. Dr.
Wiley's perhaps oftener than mine, be
cause he is more prominent.”
INQUIRY RESUMED.
Inquiry into the department of agri
culture’s connection with the everglades
was • resumed today by the house com
mittee.
J. a Wright, now chief drainage en
gineer of Florida, admitted that he
knew in 190 of tha alleged financial ir
iwiyliar ittys upon which C. G. Elliott
missed frmnWe department, but he did
not make the charges until a month
ago.
Wright said he tol4 the facts to the
agricultural department after newspaper
articles had appeared in which C. G
lUHott criticised him for part of the
delay in publishing the everglades re
port.
“Did not you think it your duty to re
port those irregularities when you
iearned of them in 1909?” asked Henry
E. Davis, attorney for Elliott and Moro
house.
“I was in the government service
then, and I did not want to make charges
against a superior officer." said Mn
Wright
"But when these alleged quotations of
Mr. Elliott appeared, you made your
charges to the department of agricul
ture as a matter of retaliation?”
"Not retaliation, but self protection."
Attorney Davis sought to develop
what connection Senator Fletcher, of
Florida, had with the preparation of
senate document 89. supposed to con
tain all of the official reports on the
everglades. Wright admitted that the.
department's everglades report as it
appeared in the senate document was
not the report as finally prepared by
Chief Engineer Elliott and set up in
type at the government printing office.
REPORT WAS JUGGLED.
Senator Fletcher, he said, had turned
the galley proofs of this report over
to him. Wright made the original re
port to the department which Elliott
revised. He testified that he rewrote
portions of the report to restore it as
nearly to the original as he could re
member, and that it was in this shape
as it appeared in the senate document.
Repreeentative Clark brought Senator
Fletcher, when he asked Wright about
a conference between the senator,
Wright and ex-Governor Jennings, at
which the Wright report as revised by
Elliott was restored to its original form.
SENATOR FLETCHER SPEAKS.
“There has been an effort.” said Sen
ator Fletcher, "to create an Impression
that there waa some special interest to
be served by the publication of that
document by the senate- Then is no
foundation for any such imputation."
•There has been no imputation.” Mr.
Clark replied. “And I don’t see any ex
cuse for the senator to make a speech
at this time. Thete can be no objec
tion to the senator taking the stand and
testifying, but the records ought to be
held down to facto."
• Representative Higgins r-iggested
that there had been intimations tliat ex-
Governor Jenn ngs was in partrership
with the land promoters. "Is that true,
senator? I'H take your word for it.”
“I reall.- couldn't say whether he is
or not." said Senator Fletcher. "1 don't
know anything about it.”
CHILDREN MAKE PLEA
FOR MOTHER IN JAIL
(Bt Associate 1 Press.)
WASHINGTON.'ban. 33. A pitiful ap
peal to President Taft from a 15-year-old
Polish girl of Erie. Pa., who begs for
the rebase of her mother from jail
has excited the sympathy of federal of
ficials although they are powerless to
act. The mother, the Child wrote the
pi evident, was sent to jail "unjustly" as
th eresult of a dispute with a neighbor.
She left behind her four children, one
a nursing babe, with no guardian or
means of support. The case was refer
red to J. A. Finch, pardon attorney of
the department of justice, who has taken
up with the mayor of Erie the question
of relieving the children's distress.
Educators to Meet
(By Associated Press. 1
MONTGOMERY. Ala., teb. 33.—The
Southern Educational association will
hold its 23d annual meeting at Ixmls
ville, Ky.. November 38 to 30. Sixteen
southern states make up the associ
ation.
HOUSTON TO GET $3,500,000
INSURANCE FOR BIG FIRE
Losses Wiil Run From 7,000,-
000 to slo,ooo,ooo—Some
of Insurance Is Said to Be
Companies Not Licensed by
Texas Laws
(By Associated Press.)
HOUSTON, Tex., Feb. 22.—Total loss
es in Houston's fire wefe >6.500,000; to
tal insurance, >4,500,000; and total in
surance to be paid about >3,000,000.
These figures were taken from nearly
complete comparison today of local, in
surance men. Salvage from the burned
district is counted on to reduce the
actual insurance payments to near
>3,000,000.
COTTON STILL SMOKES.
The 50,000 bales of cotton representing
about $2,000,000 cash, still smoked today
in the burned area with scarce abated
energy, showing that some portion of
the >2.000,0uu was still unconsumed if only
some means could be found to get the
fire out of the stubborn material. Cotton
men assert that a considerable amount
of good cotton could be salvaged from
the interior of the partly burned bales.
Firemen poured water on the cotton
and most of the burned district all night.
Much of the burned district housed ne
groes and the childlike humor of their
race burst forth even during the height
of the fire. For example a crowd of ne
groes watched a carload of hams
sizzling and frying. Temporarily the
rest of the fire did not seem to interest
them.
Charlie Favor, Jr., the infant who was
ill with meningitis and whose mother,
the only person who dared to rescue
him. sat all night in a cold- deserted
shanty, holding him in her arms, was re
ported at detention camp today as doing
well. Another child ill with meningitis
and driven out by the fire was also
taken to the camp. Both of them have
probably better medical attention and
more chance for life at the camp than
they would have had at hqme.
INJURIES ONLY SLIGHT.
Complete lists of the injured show
that almost without exception flying
shingles caused the hurts. The wind
drove pieces of shingles at times almost
like blazing Relief work went
forward rapidly today. Tnousand dollar
checks from the wealthy and humble
baskets of bread from the poor
came into charity headquarters with all
sorts of other contribution-. A remark
able feature of the tire is the absolute
cleanliness today of the flame swept dis
trict. The northwest gale swept nearly
all ashes away along with the smaller
debris. Now the district looks as if.it
bad been gone over with a gigantic
broom. • . ,
The International and Great Northern
railroad, a Gould line, appears to be
the heaviest loser among railroad*-. Two
miles of its track was practical y de
stroyed and ninety-three box ears, twen
ty-two of which were loaded with cot-
BRANDT GRANTED A NEW TRIAL;
“STOLE” TWO PINS AND SHOE HORN
(By Azsocizted Pres*-)
NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—Folke E.
Brandt, who was sent up on April 4th,
1907, to serve a term of thirty years
in the penitentiary for burglarizing the
house of his former employer. Mortimer
L. Schiff, has been granted a new trial
by Justice Gerard, of the supreme
court. The habeas corpus writ has
been sustained, and Brandt s long pris
on term is broken up. He will prob
ably be released from the Toombs, on
bail, today or tomorrow.
Justice Gerard’s decision brought to
a climax a case which has had the
absorbing attention of the public for
nearly a month and is still a matter
of grand jury investigation to deter
mine if there was conspiracy in giving
Brandt such a long term.
According to records Justice Gerard
read into his opinion, Brandt on March
SENATE WILL GET BUSY
ON TARIFF REVISION
Democrat Tariff Measures Will
Be Assigned for Hearing
at Once
(By Azaecia ted Pre* a.)
WASHINGTON. Feb. 22.—Democrat
ic tariff revision measure will be as
signed for hearing before the senate
committee on finance as fast as they
are sent over from the house.
Adoption of this plan by the regular
Republican leaders is the only progress
the senate has made in arranging for
the disposition of the big tariff prob
lems before congress.
Several of the progressive Republi
can senators have conferred informally
over tariff plans, but they have deter
mined on no definite policy. The Dem
ocratic senators are equally inactive.
The chemical tariff revision bill pass
ed by the house yesterday was sched
uled for reference to tne finance com
mittee by the senate today.
There is a formidable list of wit
nesses yet to be heard on the steel
bill. The finance committee expecta
to close its hearings on steel next
week. The chemical hearings probably
will be begun about the first week of
March.
CRAZY OLD MAN OF 72
SLAUGHTERED DAUGHTER
Police Found Body Lying in
Closet With Knife in
Throat
(By Associated Fraas.)
OLEAN. N. Y., Feb. 32.—William
Lundy, 72 years old, is in the police sta
tion here today a raving maniac follow
ing his confession that he murdered his
daughter-in-law. Mrs. Thomas Lundy. He
walked calmly up to the chief of police
last night and made his confession, say
ing he w anted to be hanged for the crime.
An hour later he was in delirium.
A policeman, who was sent to inves
tigate the story, found the body of the
woman lying in a closet at her home.
Her head had been beaten in with a ham
mer and a knife was sticking in her
throat.
From Lundy's incoherent story, the
police believe that the murder followed
a quarrel between the old man and his
daughter-in-law.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, FEBRUAKY 23, 1912
♦ STORY OF HOUSTON FIRE ♦
♦ KILLS LOUISVILLE WOMAN ♦
♦ (By Associated Press.) ♦
♦ LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 22. -e-
♦ Reading of the Houston fire had so w
♦ wrought upon the nerves of Mrs. ♦
♦ Ella Schuman, an invalid, that -a
♦- when she heard the clanging of ♦
♦- fire gongs and glancing out her ♦-
♦- window saw smoke emanating ♦
♦ from a house across the street, ♦
♦ she collapsed and died here last
♦ night without regaining conscious- ♦
♦ ness. ■*
♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦<*«-♦♦* ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
ton. The Southern Pacific lost 21 cars,
ten loaded w’ith cotton and several blocks
of side tracks.
Claims Average $75,000
On Each Insurance Firm
(Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
HOUSTON, Tex.. Feb. 22.—1 t will
probably be several days before correct
information can be secured on the to
tal losses of yesterday's fire. It is es
timated today that the total loss will
not be less than $6,000,000. Already
the insurance known to have been car
ried aggregates more than $3,000,000.
There are upwards of 120 insurance
companies authorized to do business in
Texas. The definite statement was
made this morning that not one of the
companies will lose in excess of $75,-
000. which means that the risks are
well distributed.
Among the companies carrying heavy
risks having southern headquarters in
Atlanta are the Royal. Queen, North
American and the Cotton Insurance as
sociation. The latter company is in
terested only in cotton insurance.
A careful rechecking of the losses
this morning gives the following re
sult;
Fifty-five thousand two hundred
bales of cotton, two compresses and
a warehouse. 11 industrial plants, in
cluding 2 rice mills; 1 church. 1 school,
8 brick business houses, 11 residences,
124 box and tank cars.
The following figures give approxi
mately the fire risks that were handled
through Houston agencies on the larger
plants and industries:
Childress & Taylor. $500,000.
Rice, Radford & Burns, $261,700.
Lea & Lloyd. $252,000.
O. L. Cochran, $320,000.
Torrey & Co., $275,000.
Cravens & Cage, $225,000;
W. H. Kirkland & Co., $221,000.
S. O. Cotton & Co., $200,000.
Maillot & Lubberck, $275,000.
Belk & Co., $165,000.
Painter, Relchman & Co., $15,000.
Frazier & Mclntyre, SIOO,OOO.
Duble & Co., $75,000.
fi. G. Raphael, $70,000.
Vinson & Oliver, $60,500.
Young & Felker, $41,000.
Williams & Porter, $25,000.
C. V. Bradley & Co.. $15,000.
George Gage & Co., $5,000.
Total, $3,101,700.
28, 1907, withdrew a plea of not guilty
to the todiement charging that he fel
onously broke into the Schiff home and
stole "two pins and a shoe horn” and
pleaded guilty. In sentencing him a
week later to thirty years in prison
Judge Otto A. Rosalski illegally con
demned the man, according to Justice
Gerard.
The court held that the examination
of Brandt at the time he was sen
tenced tended to refute the plea to a
charge of first degree burglary, as he
denied that he forced entrance to the
Schiff house.
“The questions and answers set forth
in the examination,” declared Justice
Gerard, “show that Brandt,. whatever
crime he committed, did not ‘break’ to
enter, within the meaning of the law,
and showed that the crime of burglary
in the first degree, or in any degree,
was not, in fact, committed.’’
DIES OF BROKEN HEART
GRIEVING FOR BROTHER
J, H. Thompson, of Jackson,
Ga n Dies Fifteen Days After
Brother’s Death
<Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
JACKSON. Ga., Feb. 22.—Qrlef over
the death of his brother, who died
here two weeks ago, Is said to have
caused the death of Mr. J. H. Thomp
son, which occurred at his home here
early this morning. Just 15 days ago
Mr. W. B. Thompson, one of the best
known citizens of the county, died aft
er an illness of only a few days.
His brother was never the same aft
er his death and following a short ill
ness he passed away. Pneumonia is
given as the cause of his death, but
it is believed that grief over his broth
er was the principle cause of his un
timely passing.
Tne two brothers were Inseparable.
They were together constantly. When
W. B Thompson died friends said ~ls
younger brother would not live but a
few weeks and in this they were cor
rect.
Mr. ’lhompson Is survived by his
sister, Mrs. E. C. Cawthon, and sev
eral nephews. He was 43 years or
age on his last birthday, December 25.
The funeral will be ’neld at Sardis
church In Henry county Thursday ana
he will be interred by the siue of his
hr..her, whose funeral was held therj
on February 7.
ALL HAWLEY’S SERVANTS
ARE CLAIMING BIG SUMS
(By Associated Press.)
NEW YORK. Feb. 22.—One of the tan
gles which the administrators of the
estate of the late Kdwin Hawley, mil
lionaire railroad man, will be asked to
unravel, concerns the lifelong savings of
the servants in the Hawley household.
All the household employes intrusted
their extra earnings to him for invest
ment but so far as has been learned
no account of the sums thus deposited
has been discovered.
Kiami Kobo, the Japanese butler who
has been in the Hawley employ for 19
wars, claims to have entrusted SIO,OOO
i to his employer’s care while Mrs. Mc-
Cales. the housekeeper, believes her sav
ings amount to more than $7,000. Other
servants claim deposits of small amounts.
ROOSEVELT FIVDRS
REGAL OF JUDGES
IND HAMMERS TAFT
Speaking Before Ohio Consti
tutional Convention Roose
velt Proclaims Himself a
"Progressive” »
COLONEL TELLS WHAT
"WE PROGRESSIVES" WANT
Former’ President Proclaims
Himself the Champion of
Practically Everything That
La Follette Has Done
(By Associated Press.)
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 21. —“Big
Business,” the fitness of the American
people for self-government, the recall
of judges, and praise for the progres
sive legislation in Wisconsin Instituted
and furthered by Senator Robert ID
LaFollette when he was governor, wcrei
topics discussed by Theodore Roosevelt
in an address today before the Ohio
constitutional convention. Colonel
Roosevelt chose as his subject, “A
Charter of Democracy.”
Os what iie termed “Big Business,”
Colonel Roosevelt had this to say:
"The anti-trust law does good insofar
as it can be invoked against combina
tions which really are monopolies or
which restrict production or which ar
tificially raise prices. But in so far
as its workings are uncertain or as it
threatens corporations which have not
b4en guilty of anti-social conduct it
doee harm. There 'Should be a fixed
governmental policy which shall clearly
define and punish wrong-doing ana
give in advance full information to any
man as to just whajt he can and just
what he cannot legally and properly
do.”
As to -the fitness of th* American
people for self-government, Colonel
Roosevelt said: '
"Many eminent lawyers believe that
the American people- are not fitted for
popular government and that it is nec
essary to kfeep the judiciary ‘independ
ent of the majority of the people.’ I
take absolute issue with all those who
hold such a position.”
Os the recall of judges, he said:
"The question is one of expediency
merely. Each community has the right
to try the eiipertment for itself in
whatever shape it pleaes.„ I do not be
lieve in adopting the recall save as a
last resort when it has become clearly
evident that no other course will
achipve tha desired A : *Sault. ‘ ■
TKIBUTU TO I*iFOLLETTE.
Senator Was mentioned
but once, as follows: « .
"Following Senator LeFollette a
number of practical workers and think
ers in Wisconsin have turned that state
into an experimental laboratory of wise
governmental action In aid of social
and industrial justice. They have ini
tiated that kind of progressive govern
ment which means not only the preser
vation of true democracy, Jjut the ex
tension of the principle of true Democ
racy Into industrialism as well as into
politics.” I
Colonel Roosevelt said in part:
“1 hold it to be the duty of every pub
lic servant, and of every man who in
public or in private life holds a posi
tion of leadership in thought or action,
to endeavor honestly and fearlessly to
guide his fellow-c-ountrymen to right de
cisions; but I emphatically dissent from
the view that it is either wise or nec
essary to try to devise methods which
under the constitution will automatically
prevent the people from deciding for
themselves what governmental action
they deem just and proper.
LET PEOPLE RUKE-
"It is impossible to invent constitu
tional devices which will prevent the
popular will from being effective for
wrong without also preventing it from
being effective for right. The only safe
course to follow in this great American
Democracy is to provide for making the
popular judgment really effective. But It
Is a false constitutionalism, a false
statesmanship, to endeavor by the exer
cise of a perverted ingenuity to seem
to give the people full power and at
the same time to trick them out of it.
“Yet this is precisely what is done
in every case where the state permits
its representatives, whether on the
bench of in the legislature or in execu
tive office, to declare that it has not
the power to right grave social wrongs,
or that any of the officers created by
the people, and rightfully the servants
of the people, can set themselves up
to be the masters of the people. Consti
tution makers should make it clear be
yond shadow of doubt that the people
in their legislative capacity have the
power to
they deem necessary for the betterment
of social and industrial conditions.
“I hold that he is the real progressive,
that he is the genuine champion of the
people, who endeavors to shape the poli
cy alike of the nation and of the sev
eral states so as to encourage legitimate
and honest business at the same time
that he wars against all crookedness
and injustice and unfairness and tyran
ny in the business world. This is the
reason why I have for so many years
insisted as regards our national gov
ernment, that it is both futile and mis
chievous to endeavor to correct the evils
of big business by an attempt to restore
business conditions as they were in the
middle of the last century, before rail
ways and telegraphs had rendered larger
business organizations both inevitable
and desirable.
“FLINTLOCK LEGISLATION.”
•'The effort to restore such conditions,
' and to trust for justice solely to such
I proposed restoration, is as foolish as
I if we should attempt to arm our troops
i with the flintlocks of Washington’s
continentals instead of with modern
weapons of precision. Flintlock legisla
tion. of the kind that seeks to prohibit
all combinations, good or bad, is bound
to fail, und the effort, in so far as it
accomplishes anything at 'all, merely
means that some of the worst combina
tions are not checked and that honest
business is checked.
"What is needed is, first, the recogni
tion that modern business conditions
have come to a>tay, in so far at least
as these conditions mean that business
must be done in larger units, and then
ths cool-headed and resolute determina
tion to introduce an effective method
of regulating big corporations so as to
help legitimate business m an incident
to thoroughly and completely safe-
(Contlnued ou Fage Nine, Column 3.)
Important Witnesses in Florida Case
... *** ' r """'1
fl-%
On the left is A. D. Morehouse, former
assistant chief of drainage investigations
of the agricultural department. On the
right is C. G. Elliot, former chief of
“/’LL KILL THE MAN WHO HAS
STOLEN AWAY MY BABY GIRL"
(By Associated Press.)
OWENSBORO, Ky., Feb. 22.—An irate
father with a revolver in his hand, two
policemen trying to restrain him and a
crowd of Interested citizens greeted the
incoming boat from Rockport, Ind., yes
terday afternoon but the eloping couple
for whom this Inhospitable welcome
home had beet) arranged, were not
aboard and a friendly tip by the tele
phone to the bridegroom averted the fur-
35 CA TS SLEPT IN HIS BED;
THIS MAN GOT EASY DIVORCE
(By Associated Press.)
KANSAS CITY, Feb. 22.—Because his
wife kept 35 cats in their home, Samuel
W. O’Dell, 74 years old and a civil war
veteran was granted a divorce at Kan-
SETH LOW STILL LOTH
TO INTERESTS OF TIFT
Believes He ShO'uW Be ’W 1
Nominated Roosevelt's
Friend Keeps Silent Here
With ruddy cheeks, sparkling eyes and
elastic step, the picture of splendid
health, Seth Low, former mayor of New
York and retired millionaire, alighted
from a New York train in Atlanta Wed
nesday, posed for The Journal’s staff
photographer, declared his belief that
President Taft would be renominated,
and the Republicans win, sh .k hands
with a number of friends —all within a
period of five minutes—and then left for
Tuskegee, Ala., where Thursday he is
meeting with the board of trustees of
Tuskeegee university.
He was accompanied by a party that
filled two private cars. They will pass
through Atlanta Friday at midnight on
the return trip, but will not stop over.
The personnel included Seth Low, Law
rence F. Abbott, president of the Out
look;. Robert C. Ogden, Frank Trumbull,
William G. Wilcox, A. G. Fraser, J. W.
Frothingham, Dr. and Mrs. S. G. Maule,
Mrs. Falconer, the Rev. Clarence A.
Vincent, Mrs. Henry C. Davis, Charles
E. Mason and other well known person
ages of New Y'ork, Boston and Phila
delphia. Mr. Fraser is *from London.
Mr. Abbot, who is a son of Dr. Lyman
Abbot, editor of the Outlook, as an as
sociate of Col. Theodore Roosevelt, de
clined to make any reference to the
possibility of the colonel’s becoming a
candidate for the presidency or as to
whether he would accept the nomination.
He said:
“Colonel Roosevelt is able to speak for
himself upon that subject.”
Mr. Abbot, however, eagerly inquired
of any news regarding a speech by the
former president before the constitutional
convention at Columbus.*
Said Mr. Low.
“I’m trying to rival Georgia now in
raising peaches. Since I served as mayor
of New Y srk, ten years ago. and quit
active business, to say nothing of poli
tics, I bought and moved to a peach
farm at Bedford, N. Y., in Harlem. And,
believe me. I'm raising some peaches.
“Politics? Hush! I’m not in politics,
but I believe the Republican party owes
it to Mr. Taft to renominate him, and
if they do this we will elect him. Per
sonally, I’m a friend both of the presi
dent and Colonel Roosevelt. What do I
think of Colonel Roosevelt's intention?
Honestly, I believe there is only one
man in the world who Knows this—the
colonel, himself. However, should he be
nominated, I coUld support him free
ly.” .
The former mayor bent almost to his
knees and took a peek at the skyscraper
district of Atlanta from beneath the
train shed at the Terminal station.
“My! But Atlanta is giowing. Wish I
could stop over,” he added.
Tne meeting at Tuskeegee today is one
held annually by the board of trustees.
FORTUNE CAME CLOSE
BUT IT MISSED HIM
* (By Associated Press.)
BOSTON, Feb. 22.—William B. Turn
bull, stepfather of Anita Baldwin, the
claimant of the “Lucky” Baldwiin mil
lions, has filed a voluntary petition in
bankruptcy here disclosing liabilities
amounting to $1,232.52. He has no as
sets, not even enough to pay the 530
fee required for bankruptcy expenses.
Turnbull is a chiropodist.
Mendez to Meet Knox
(By Associated Press.)
NEW ORLEANS, Eeb. ’.’2.—Senor
Joaquin Mendez. Guatemalan minister
to Washington, sailed from New Or
leans Wednesday on the United States
fruit steamer Atenae for Puerto Bar
rios. Minister Mendez goes to Guate
mala, to i- present at t'ne reeetpion ot
Secretary of State Knox.
the same department. They are accused
of transferring public funds by means
of irregular vouchers and they will be
important witnesses in the investigation
of the Florida Everglades affair.
ther possibility of a tragedy.
The unforgiving father was Mayor
Lambert, whose 19-year-old daughter ran
away, and married Charles Pruitt, of
Rockport. Mayor Lambert, who was in
formed they would return by the af
ternoon boat, declared he “would kill
the man who had stolen away his baby.”
Friends reached Pruitt by telephone
and advised him to spend his honeymoon
outside Kentucky.
sas City, Kan., yesterday. O’Dell testi
fied that his wife gave her cats more
attention than she gave him, fed the
pets the choicest food and ignored his
protests when the animals slept in his
bed.
NEW YORK Till IMS
ME WITCHED 8! POLICE
ritmr terßwynt'
Beginning to Implicate
Chauffeurs
(By Associated Press.)
NEW YORK. Feb. 22.—Sharp police
supervision of taxicab chauffeurs is
urged by members of the police de
partment as a means of preventing the
numerous automobile robberies which
are being perpetrated dally by bands
of motor car highwaymen. Investiga
tion of automobile chauffeurs in the
city show that no less than 20 licensed
chauffeurs have served terms in state
prison, while over 100 ’chauffeurs are
said to have criminal records.
The detection of crimes, such as the
recent holdups of, bank messengers, is
made extremely difficult by the taxi
cab which Ts used as a “get-away.”
Many of the chauffeurs 'with criminal
records came here as strike-breakers,
and while the police. know them, they
are powerless, to do anything until the
chauffeurs are detected in the act of
commiting a crime.
The licensing of chauffeurs and the
registration of automobiles at present
is in control of the secretary of state.
VIADUCT DEDICATED
A LA JAPANESE FORM
(By Associated Press.)
DALLAS, Tex., Feb. 22.—The usual
form of dedication ceremony' varies in
the plans of the opening late today of
the viaduct which joins this city with
its largest suburb. Oak Cilff. The Jap
anese dedication ceremony—that of re
leasing homing pigeons—will be ob
served instead of cracking a bottle of
wine on the artificial highway as was
originally planned.
The plans were objected to by the
women’s clubs of the city, led by the
W. C. T. If., who declared they did
not want the viaduct stained with
wine.
The Dallas-Oak Cliff viaduct, declared
to be the longest, reinforced concrete
viaduct in the world, is 4,780 feet
long. -
TWO TICKETS ENTeT
TALAPOOSA PRIMARY
.. (Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
TALLAPOOSA, Ga.. Feb. 22.-The com
ing election for mayor anx city council
men for the city of Tallapoosa promises
to be one of the most closely contested
in several years, as two separate tickets
are in the Aeld. The election is to be
held March 2. Candidates in the field are
as follows:
Mayor, C. E. Pierce and Dr. W. J.
McCurdy; councilmen. G. W. Sheppard.
A. C. Carter, Wyatt Miller, J. H. Fuller
ton, A. C. Colvin, Dr. BrocK, Jud Miller.
K. G. Kilgore, L. J. Lipham, H. B.
Sewell. >•
MISSISSIPPI TO BAR
GREEK LETTER “FRATS”
(By Associated Press.)
JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 22. —Seconding
the action of the state senate, the house
of representatives of the Mississippi leg
islature has adopted an “anti-frat” bill,
which orders the abonsmrrent of all
Greek letter fraternities, sororltls and
secret orders in educational institutions
supported in whole or in part by the
state.
The bill passed 77 to 22 and will be
come a law immediately if Governor
Brewer affixes his signature.
NEW LUK'jn LAW
URGED BT PRESIDENT
IN MESSAGE TUESDAY
Taft Strongly Recommends
That Congress Pass Bill Re
cently Framed by Employ
ers’ Liability Commission
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—President
Taft today submitted to congress the
report of the employers’ liability com
mission and the commission’s proposed
employers’ liability and workmen's com
pensation bill, accompanied by a mes
sage urging the enactment of the meas
ure which is the most advanced piece of
liability legislation yet presented. Ths
president sets forth that the proposed
law not only would insure to employes
of railroads engaged in interstate com-;
merce quick adjustment of their claims
for damages, but also would relieve the
courts of a vast amount of work anl
enable them to administer judicial af
fairs with greater dispatch.
"I sincerely hope that the act will
pass.” said the president. *T deem it
one of the great steps of progress to
ward a satisfactory solution of an im
portant phase of the controversies be
tween employer and employe that has
been proposed within the last two or
three decades.”
The main provisions of tha measure
are sketched in the message, and then
Mr. Taft takes up and disposes of three
objections that have been advanced by
its opponents.
"In the first place,” says the presi
dent, “the question arises whether un
der the provisions of the commerce
clause, the bill could be considered, to
be a regulation of interstate and for
eign commerce. That seems to t»e al
ready settled by the decision of the
supreme court in the employers? liabili
ty case.
“The second question is whether the
making of these remedies exclusive and
the compelling of the railroad compa
nies to meet obligations arising from
injuries, for which the railroad would
not be liable under the common law,
is a denial of the due process of law
which is enjoined upon congress by ti*e
fifth amendment to the constitution in
dealing with the property rfghts. This
question the report takes up. and in
an exhaustive review of the authorities,
makes clear, as it seems to me, the va
lidity of the act It is sufficient to
say that the argument of the commis
sion is most convincing to show that
the police power of the government ex
ercised in the regulation of interstate
commerce, is quite sufficient to justiify
the imposition upon the interstate rail
road companies of the liability for the
injuries to its employes on an insur
ance basis.
“The third objection is that the right
lof trial by jury, guaranteed by the sev
enth amendment, is denied. As a matter
of fact, the right is preserved in this
..get .'(ymitting a jury
"Issue''wnen duly
ance with the limitations of the act.”
President Taft then alludes to the al
leged iniquities attending personal in
jury litigation. He declares that per
jured testimony, emotional juries and
badly constructed saws limiting liabili
ty, have tended to hamper the adminis
tration of exact justice while the heavy
expense of litigation has rendered- it
almost impossible for the poor man to
command his rights. In referring to the
condition‘of the courts because of this
form of litigation, the president says:
“The administration of justice today
is clogged in every court by the great
number of suits for damages for per
sonal injury. The settlement of such
cases by this system will serve to re
duce the burden of our courts one-hr.lf
by taking the cases out of court anu
disposing of them by this short cut.”
The message concludes with the re
iterated hope that tte bill may
passed before the adjournment of tha
present session of congress.
AVALANCHES MENACE
PANAMAjCANAL WORK
Million Cubic Yards Stop Open
ations in Culebra Cut ;
Section
• - i
(By Associated Prost.)
NEW ORLEANS, 22.—Earth
slides totalling nearly a million cqbic
yards have interfered with operations
in the Culebra cut section of the Pan
ama canal according to mail dispatches
received here today from Colon. Cracks
in the earth indicate another slide
which nay assume more alarming pro
portions.
The day on which the slide occur
red was not Given.
The letter says the first slide was
of about 250,000 cubic yards and took
place on the cast bank, tearing away
a big section of the 95-foot roadway
and cloning a portion of the drainage
ditch. Tins slide, it continues, will ne
cessitate the relocation and regrading
of all railsoad tracks in tne vicinity of
the pioneer cut. The earth is crack
ed in the vicinity of this slide and ca
nal workmen are alarmed over t>ie
probably of a great earth "slip."
The second slide was on the went
side of the cut on the site of the great
slide of two years ago, and the cagfß
workers say it has "become active
again” approximately 750,090 cubic
yards having already gone in, and the
end 13 not believed be in sight.
HE HAS QUIT UNCLE SAM
FOR J. PIERPONT MORGAN
(By Associated Press.)
NEW YORK. Feb. 22.—Michael
Nathan, the United States customs de
partment’s chief expert in matters per
taining to the fine arts, will resign
from the service to accept employment
■as an art advisor to J. J*. Morgan, ac
cording to a report printed here today.
Mr. Nathan at present is in London,
where he is supervising on behalf of
the government the appraisement and
sealing of Mr. Morgan’s art treasures
which have been on exhibition few sev
eral years in the Victoria and Albert
museum. South Kensington.
Mr. Nathan first entered the customs
service of this country in 1897 and has
been in charge of the art division sev
eral years.
Postmaster Appointed
(Special Dispatch to The Journal.*
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 29.—J. A.
Union county, vice T. Alexander, resign-*
Dyer appointed postmaster*at Choestoe,
ed.
45
