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Tim j ones that £ f News
M. C. QREENE, Editor and Proprietor.
MINESHAFTHORROR
Men and Animals Entombed
in Pit by Explosion.
OVER SCORE LOSE LIFE
Catastrophe Occurred at Plant of th*
Cooper Mine Company at Coaldale,
West Virginia—Rescuers Very
Quickly Begin Work.
Twenty-one miners were killed in
an explosion of mine gas in the shaft
of the Cooper Mine company at Coal-
ilaie, W. Va., at noon Thursday. Im¬
mediately following the explosion,
which was heard for several miles,
rescue parties set to work to explore
the wrecked shaft.
Coaldale is a mining town situated
on the Norfolk and Western railway,
and is 15 miles west of Bluefield. It is
in Mercer county, and wire facilities
are inadequate. Some idea can be
formed as to the force of the explo¬
sion when several hours after the ex¬
plosion, one of the miners, who could
not be identified on account of being
so badly mutilated, was found a dis
tance of several hundred feet from
the mine mouth, having be’dn blown
there, together with a mining car by
the explosion. News of the explo¬
sion soon spread through the coal
fields, and a great party of miners
from the numerous operations gath¬
ered to assist in the rescue.
MADE A SCENE AT WHITE HOUSE
Woman Insisted on Seeing President
and Was Carried Out Bodily.
A Washington dispatch says: A
distressing scene was enacted at the
white house executive offices Thurs¬
day in which Mrs. Minor Morris, aged
fifty years, was carried screaming
from the building because she refused
to leave without a resort tft f~~ — ~
Mrs. Morris tMd Assistant Secreta¬
ry Barnes that she wanted to see the
president. She said that her hus¬
band had been discharged from the
government service, and she wanted
to demand from the president his re¬
instatement.
Mr. Barnes explained to her that
the president had nothing to do with
such subjects, and that she would bet
ter takd up the matter with the head
of the department from which her
husband had been discharged.
Mrs. Morris declared in a loud tone
that she had come to the white house
to see the president, and proposed to
see him even if she had to camp out
there for a month. The white house
officers tried to get her to leave, but
she defied any one to touch her.
Two of them lifted her up bodily
and carried her screaming to a polico
call box, where a patrol wagon was
summoned. She was taken to the
house of detention.
Mrs. Morris was released from the
house of detention shortly after $
o'clock p. m., and returned to the New
Willard hotel. She refused to
see any callers, sending word she
was indisposed.
She had been a guest at the Willard
for a long time.
DIXON ALLEGES INFRINGEMENT.
Author of “Clansman” Seizes Baggage
of Theatrical Aggregation.
Thomas Dixon, author of “The Clans¬
man," Hirough attorneys at Raleigh, N.
C., attached property of the Oorinne
Runkel company for presenting “In
Reconstruction Days,” a play which he
claims is an infringement on the copy¬
right of his “The Clansman,” but
which Thaddeus Breton of the Runkel
company says he wrote in forty days,
from Dixon's and ether novels of re¬
construction times.
Statehood Bill Considered.
The senate committee on territories
met Thursday and began consideration
of the joint statehood bill. This was
the first meeting of the committee to
consider the admission of states.
SLAV REDS STILL DEFIANT.
Admit Defeat, But Will Organize a
Fight on New Basis.
A St. Petersburg dispatch says :
The general meeting of the work¬
men's council and of representatives
of the proletariat organizations,which
was held across the Finnish border,
lasted for 36 hours.
The practical result of the meet-
• ing was a confession that tiie gov¬
ernment had proved to be too strong
in its fight against the strikers and
the proletariat organizations, and that
it would be necessary to organize on
a new basis tha armed revolution.
LANDSLIDE CAUSES FATALITIES.
Three Men Killed and Others May
Die of Injuries.
A dispatch from Richmond, says:
On account of recent heavy rains
a landslide occurred Wedneslay on
the South and Western railroad, in
process of construction, near Pine
Ridge. N C., killing three men and
.
fatally ii ijuring two others The bod-
ies of ti ie dead men hart been re-
covered
GEORGIA STANDS SECOND
In Production of Fleecy Staple Ac¬
cording to Official Report Just Is
sued by Ginners’ Association.
Following is the compilation of the
reports from cotton ginners over the
south, showing number of bales gin¬
ned. Issue! at Dallas, Texas, Friday
by liie National Ginners' Association:
Alabama .. .. . . .1,176,7G3
Arkansas .. .. . .. 506,870
Florida .. .. 711,464
Indian Territory...... 292,153
'Georgia...... . ..1,667,628
Louisiana .. . .. 454,440
Mississippi .. . ..1,016,073
Missouri...... .. .. 35.646
North Carolina . 627,559
..
Oklahoma . .. 279,597
South Carolina......1,081.806
Tennessee 243,956
Texas 2,224,143
Virginia and Kentucky .. 15,791
The report is of rotten ginned to
December 31, and shows the total per
cent picked 98.6, and total ginned 97.3.
The amount ginned from December 13
to 31. inclusive, was 402,041 bales.
This, added (o the last census re¬
port, makes 9.691,041.
According to a Washington dispatch,
additional safeguards are thrown
about the secrecy of government crop
reports by a bill which Representative
Burleson of Texas has introduced in
the house. The measure not only pro
vides for the punishment cf govern¬
ment employees who divulge secret
information before its official publics,
tion, but also provides punishment for
employees who use this information
in operatin on th stock markets, even
if it is net given to other persons.
I-a response to a request of New Or¬
leans anil other cotton exchanges the
secretary of commerce and labor Fri¬
day imrtructc i the director of the cen¬
sus to postpone the publication of the
cotton ginning report from Monday,
January g. to Tuesday, January 9, at
2 p. m. January S was found to bo
a legal Mliday in Louisiana.
FEARS TROUBLE IN ORIENT.
American Troops and Warships
v ^ M»sietL Cl'-ee to China.
A brief dispatch from Manila
nojuncing that, there is great
anliong the troops stationed there and
that three regiments are under field
orders in view of “possible
ties in China," has given rise to much
talk in Washington.
If the state department’s advices
reflect the possibility of trouble in
China as the result of anti-foreign
feeling growing out of the boycott,
there is close concealment of the
fact.
However, those who have carefully
studied army orders for the past two
or three months have noticed that an
unusually large force of field artillery
has been sent out to the Philippines,
where there is no need of artillery,
and that the American force in the
islands has been considerably strength
ened of late.
There have been suspicions that
this had to do with China rather
the Philippines, but this is the
intimation that has come from
islands. Friday night Secretaries
Root, Bonaparte and Attorney
eral Moody were in conference
the president at the white house.
It. had been announced that this con¬
ference woyld have to do only
pending legislation in congress,
the coincidence of this night confer¬
ence following immediately upon the
heels of Ihe appearance of the dis¬
patch from Manila lias given rise to
much speculation.
It is also noted that the Asiatic fleet
will soon be strengthened hv sending
the cruisers Galveston and Chattanoo¬
ga to Manila.
CASH FOR JAMESTOWN SHOW.
State of Virginia Turns Over Appro
priation for Exposition.
The sum of one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, appropriated by
state of Virginia for the Jamestown
exposition was turned over to the
exposition company Friday, Some
time ago $50,000 was paid, and this
payment completes the total appro¬
priation of $200,000.
WRECK TAKES TWO LIVES.
Engineer and Firemen on Southern
Engine Crushed to Death.
A through'freight on the Southern
railroad was wrecked near Fair For
est, S. C., Wednesday morning. The
engine left the track, turned over,
and the cars piled on top of cne an¬
other.
Engineer J. A. Lucas of Greenville
and a negro fireman were killed. Oth
ers of the crew were fatally injured.
A washout apparently caused the
wreck.
A DAGO TOWN ENGULFED.
Earth Opened and Swallowed Up the
Houses and Many People.
At Gezano, a town of 8,000 inhab-
itants in the province of Potenza,
Italy the earth suddenly opened, en
gulfing ten houses and shattering
many others, which threaten to fall
Many persons were buried in th
GRAY. JONES CO.. GA.. THURSDAY. JANUARY 11. 1906.
STORMHITSALBANY
List of Killed and Injured
Miraculously Small.
PROPERTY DAMAGE GREAT
Whirling Terror Came and Was Gone
in a Twinkling, Leaving Wido
Swath of Wrecked Buildings
in Its Path.
A tornado of terrific force passed
over Albany, Ga., and vicinity Wed¬
nesday at 1:15 o'clock, coming from'
a southwesterly direction and spread¬
ing wreck and desolation over por¬
tions of a dozen blocks.
Several persons are dead and otli
ers will die as the result of injuries,
while many are more or less seriously
hurt.
Viewing the wreckage left by the
tornado, it seems a miracle that a
score were not killed outright, the
tribute claimed in the way of human
lives being astonishingly small.
The list is still incomplete, owing
to the fact that much of the destine
lion wrought was well beyond (he city
limits.
The storm was immediately preced¬
ed by a blinding deluge of rain; the
heavens were darkened as at twilgiht,
and the wind attained a frightful ve¬
locity. It struck the Thair place, just
southwest of the city, where it killed
a negro boy and fatally injured two
members of the family of Jeff Davis
(colored). The buildings on the place
were completely demolished.
Striking the big plant of the Vir-
ginia-Oarolina Chemical (Company, the
storm demolished the two principal
buildings in .he twinkling of an eye.
The acid chamber, four or five stories
high, was crushed like an egg shell,
as was the large brick structure con
taining the battery of ovens. A col¬
ored employe was killed in the col¬
lapse of the latter building.
Walker Sanders, assistant manager
of the plant, was standing besule the
negro and received serious injuries.
His escape was a miracle.
The track of the tornado was not
more than 75 yards in width, but it
left, (he face of the earth clean where
ever its full force was felt.
From the guano factory it jumped
to a thick settlement of negro cabins.
Here twenty-five buildings were com¬
pletely demolished. Some were oc¬
cupied by as many as a Half dozen
persons, mostly women and children,
and while a great, many were injured
not one was killed outright. Furni¬
ture, bed clothing, etc., were blown
entirely away.
In the midst of this group of
houses was the colored Methodist
Episcopal church, a largo and rather
imposing structure. It was complete¬
ly destroyed, together with its furni¬
ture.
The stormed turned at thin point,
and passed almost due east through
Residence street, though its full force
was not felt again until several
blocks had been passed over. How¬
ever, on Residence street the dam¬
age was great. A number of pretty
cottages were unroofed, the deluge
flooding them and ruining their con¬
tents.
The storm descended again at the
intersection of Washington and Tift
streets!. Here it demolished the par¬
tially completed cold storage plant
of (be Albany Artesian Ice company.
It passed to the plant of the Georgia
Cotton Oil company, where it demol¬
ished the large two-story warehouse,
containing thousands of tons of cot¬
ton seed.
Groat havoc was wrought in the
yards of iho Central of Georgia and
Albany and 'Northern railways.
Dozens of freight cars in the two
yards were unroofed. A delivery wag
on on Washington street, was picked
up, with horse and driver, and car¬
ried through the air a considerable
distance into the railroad yards. The
driver was seriously injured.
Hundreds of negroes in the city are
homeless, and many have lost all
their household effects. The injured
are being cared for, and efforts are
being made to secure shelter for all.
EXPRESS FRANKS ARE OFF.
-tenpanies Will Follow the Lead S
by the Railroads.
The express companies have deck!-
1 to join with the railroads in ro
ring to issue passes for the carry-
• -g of business free of charge. An
r.onncement to this effect was mad'’
' i New York Friday at the offlr ••
Adams Express company.
The action of the railroads In ce
1111 r off free business has made
practically necessary fo.- the expre.
.sanies to do likewise
LAFOLLETTE TAKES THE OATH.
New Wisconsin Senator Sworn in by
Vice President Fairbanks*
After waiting for almost a t ear, R.
M. LaFollette appeared in he senate
when it. reconvened Thursday, after
the holiday recess, to clalr,. his cat
as a senator from Wisconsin ud Ike
oath of office was administered to
him by Vice President I airb.sn ,. The
ceremony was witnessed by. a rowd-
oj gallery, which maaife#te’i mtK*h
Interest in the proceedings.
JORDAN RILES SPINNERS,
Manufacturers Take Exception to the
Remarks of President Jordsn of
Southern Cotton Association.
In an interview at Bostcyi, Mass.,
Thursday night on the proposed pre¬
liminary conference between cotton
growers and manufacturers in New
York, January 24, J. R. MacColl, pres¬
ident of the New England Manufac¬
turers’ Association, took exception to
remarks said to have been made by
President Jordan of the Southern Cot¬
ton Association at Atlanta Wednes¬
day. President M’acColl said:
“The remarks attributed to Presi
dent Jordan of the Southern Cotton
Association, in a speech at Atlanta,
are misstatements of fact, and I trust
lie has been incorrectly reported by
the newspapers. He is stated to have
said: ‘Now these spinners have to
conic to us for a conference with the
view of arriving at a satisfactory price
for cotton.’
“At the Atlantic City meeting of
our association, held in September,
Richard Cheatham, secretary of the
Southern Cotton Association, said:
“ The policy of the Southern Cot¬
ton Association lias been since Us in¬
ception to cultivate friendship and
better trade relations and understand¬
ing with the manufacturers of our
great
“‘To that end, the association lias
appointed a committee from among its
most intelligent and competent mem¬
bers, to confer with you at such a
time as may be convenient to a sim¬
ilar representative committee from
your body to take under consideration
such matters as vitally affect the In¬
terests of both. I feel that much last
ing good will result from such a con¬
ference.’
“As a result of this and other sug¬
gestions a preliminary conference of
delegates from manufacturing and
cotton growing associations have been
arranged for January 24 in New
York.
“The purpose is, if deemed advisa¬
ble, to formulate plans for a joint
conference of cotton manufacturers
and growers to be held in April, at
which there will he present A repre¬
sentative front the international fed¬
eration of Europe. Fixing the price
of cotton is, in my opinion, not like¬
ly to receive much attention. This will
continue to be determined as it al
ways has been by the old economic
law of supply and demand, but apart
from this, there are many matters that
can well be discussed at such a gath¬
ering, and with beneficial results to
all the interests represented.”
SCHIFF PREDICTS A PANIC.
Well Known Banker Declares Curren¬
cy Reform is Imperative.
Unless there is currency reform, a
panic, besido which , former panics
will seem insignificant, was predicted
by Jacob 'Schiff, head of the bank¬
ing firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Company,
in a speech before the New York
chamber of commerce Thursday.
Mr. Schiff said he did not regard
such a panic immediately imminent,
but believed it will come unless some,
thing is done to remedy the lack of
elasticity of the present currency sys¬
tem.
EXPRESS POUCH WAS LOOTED.
Sum of $18,000 Swiped in Transmis¬
sion from Augusta to New York.
It developed in Washington Thurs¬
day that about $18,000 was taken from
an express pouch between Augusta,
Ga., and New York. The Southern
Express company received lhe # paek
age at Augusta, from there it went
to Columbia, S. C., and it arrived in
Washington early Sunday morning.
The Adams Express company then
sent it to New York, and there the
loss was discovered. Officials of the
express companies are making an in¬
vestigation.
Philippine Conditions Deplorable.
A telegram setting forth the alleg¬
ed deplorable condition of the sugar
planters in the Philippine Islands was
transmitted to the senate Thursday
by President Roosevelt.
McLAURIN BIFFS VARDAMAN.
Senator Declares Governor is “Vile
Slanderer and Despicable Creature.”
In a statement given out at Jackson,
.Miss., by Senator A. J. McLaurln, Gov
ernor Vardanian Is handled in vigor¬
ous language, being denounced as a
“vile slanderer and a despicable crea
ture.”
Senator McLaurin is well known
as a man to back up his words, and
Governor Vardaman’s reputation as a
duellist gives the belief that this heat¬
ed denunciation may result In some¬
thing more than mere talk.
SMOOT CASE A JONAH.
Committee Tires cf it-, Ceneidcrrtion I
and Will Soon Report.
Member of the senate committee
on privileges and elections make it.
plain to all who discuss the case with
them that they are extremely anxious
to get i ld of the Smcr.t case to which
tin--,- * - devote i m much time, and
an eat -Y? report Is looked 3 'i'll it
this report wifi be again i*
very generally believed.
CAUSED MUCH TALK
Ejection of Woman From the
White House a Sensation.
INDiGNATION EXPRESSED
Under Pressure Secretary Barnes
Makes a Statement Which Differs
Radically From Story Told
By Mrs. Morris.
The forcible ejection of Mrs. Minor
Morris from the white house in Was i
lngton last Thursday, has since ue«.n
the universal subject of conversation
in ttie city. In select society the
affair has been talked about and al¬
most without exception extreme crit¬
icism is expressed of the whole af¬
fair.
Secretary Barnes, who seems to
have been responsible for at least the
commencement of tne proceedings, is
sued a statement Friday regarding
the affair. His statement differs ma¬
terially from the story told by Mrs.
Morris and some of the eye-witnesses.
Grouping the stories, however, to
some extent, the facts seem to be that
Mrij. Morris, a respectable woman,
not insane, whose husband had bee l
an officer in the army medical corps,
and who had been dismissed, went
to the white house in an effort to lay
her case before the president.
She saw Secretary Barnes, who toi l
her the president could not see her,
and, then, after some conversation, de¬
scribed by Secretary Barnes as disor¬
derly, he ordered the policemen to ro
move her.
This ejection-was carried out with
great vigor. Mrs. Morris, being car¬
ried and dragged from the white house
across the asphalt walks and finally
bundled into a cab and taken to the
house of detention, two policemen and
a colored man taking part in the re
movttl. General opinion expressed
was lhat the president would order
an investigation of the affair which
would be thorough and serious. Mr.
Barnes’ statement, In part, is as fol¬
lows:
"Mrs., Morris called at the
office Thursday at about. 1 o’clock and
asked to be allowed to see the presi¬
dent. At the time Secretary Loeb was
engaged with the president, and Mr.
Barnes saw her. Upon inquiry as t >
the nature of her business she stated
with considerable reluctance that her
husband had been unjustly dismissed
from a branch of the war department;
that she did not propose to have any¬
thing to do with the secretary of
war concerning it, "but. that, she want
oil the president to take ft up and
see
“She was informed that the presi¬
dent, could not give personal attention
to such a matter and that the decis¬
ion of the secretary of war would be
final. She insisted that she must, see
the president, and was told that that
was out of the question.
“She replied in a low voice that
she would see Him and that j^lie would
stay there until she did. She watt then
advised fo drop the matter and go
away quietly. This, in still louder
tones, she refused fo do. She was
then I old that she must either leave
the office at once, voluntarily, or it
would bn necessary fo have her put.
out of the building, At this she
shrieed at the top of her voice:
• “ ‘I will not be put out,’ rushed
to
a chair, threw herself into It, and
shouted, ‘Don't you have > any hands
laid on me; I am going to stay here
until I see the
“The officers repeatedly asked her
to stand up and walk quietly with
them so that I hey would not have to
force her, but she refused to do so,
and defied them In sbiieks that wero
heard throughout the while house.
“There is no truth whatever In the
statement made by many of the Frl
day morning papers that a negro laid
hold of Mrs. Morris, and assisted In
carrying her. One of Die colored mes¬
sengers of the office followed the po¬
liceman, and gathered up small arti¬
cles such as were dropped in (lie wo¬
man's struggles, but there was no
other foundation whatever for ihe
statement.”
PAYNE PLEADS FOR FILIPINOS.
New York Representative Makes Ex¬
tended-Speech in H ouse -
The house resumed its sessions on
Thursday after the holiday recess.
The cause of the Filipinos was advo¬
cated on the floor by the republican
leader, Mr, Payne of New York, for
nearly four hours. He presented the
views of Ihe majority of the ways
and means committee on the Philip¬
pine tariff HiII reducing the duties on
sugar and tobacco to 25 tier cent of Ihe
Dingley tariff rates and admitting
other products of the. islands to the
United 'States free of duty.
WEDDING DATE IS SET.
Nuptials of Miss Roosevelt and Nick
Longworth to Occur February 17.
A Washington special says: The
president and Mrs. Roosevelt havo an?
nounced that, the wedding of Miss Al¬
ice Roosevelt to Representative Nich¬
olas Longworth of Cincinnati, will
occur on Sat u; day, February 17, at
12 o'clock i con In the east room of
the white house.
VOL. XIL NO. ».
A "SHAME AND DISGRACE"
Says Husband of Woman Who Was
. Roughly Handled In Ejection from
the White House.
"This white house outrage is a
binning shame and a national dis¬
grace."
Ho said Or. Minor Morris, husband
of Mrs. Morris, who was forcibly ro-
moved from the executive offices In
Washington, and taken to the house
of detention. l)r. Morris arrived In
v\'a. hlngton early Saturday morning,
and found his wife still confined to
her be J, suffering from nervous shock,
but much Improved. He was indig¬
nant, but was guarded in his atato
meats as to w.iat he proposed to
do.
Mrs. Mot ids' Condition was such
lhat she was permitted to receive
newspaper men in her room, where
3he and Dr. Morris discussed with
them the stoi'y of her father’s will,
which brought on an estrangement
between Mrs. Morris and her brother,
Representative Hull, and which led
to much personal bitterness, crimina¬
tion and recrimination.
According to Dr. Morris, he was re¬
moved from the surgeon general’s of¬
fice on charges filed by Representa¬
tive Hull at a time when Mrs. Mo
ids was about to go to Pueblo, Colo.,
to get at certain facts pertaining to
the will, which she alleged had been
made to appear in the ease.
It was these charges, Mr. Morris
said, which Mrs. Morris desired the
president to have Investigated, inas¬
much as both she and her husban 1
had exhausted their efforts to havo
Secretary of War Root and other of
ficlnir, of the war department to take
action. In view of their refusal to
act, Dr. Morris said the president was
the only person left to whom such
an appeal could be made. What he
desired, lie added, was a vindication
of the charges filed by ills brother-
in-law, rather than reinstatement.
Acting on the advice of friends, it
is probable that Dr. Morris will ad¬
dress a letter to the president, urg¬
ing him to investigate, not only the
charges against him, but also certain
officers of the war department, who
are alleged to have permitted them¬
selves to tie improperly influenced In
case.
“I do not desire a reinstatement to
my position," he said, "but I do want
those charges looked into. They are
unjust and false.
“According lo my present determi¬
nation, I feel that so far as the treat
ment of Mrs. Morris is concerned, I
will take no action, believing that the
sympathetic letters and telegrams
which have been received from friends
and strangers from all parts of the
country, as well as the attitude of
many newspapers on the subject, have
accomplished more than could be
done if a protest wero to be made
to the president."
ROGERS REFUSED TO ANSWER.
Standard Oil Official Averse to Giving
Oyt Information.
It developed from tlio questions
asked by Attorney General Herbert
S. Hadley of Missouri of Henry H.
Rogers, vice president and director
of the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey, that one of Mr. Hadley's chief
purposes in conducting an examina¬
tion of officers of that company in New
York is to find out whether that com¬
pany owns a controlling Interest in
the Standard Oil company of Indians,
the Waters-Pierce company of Missou¬
ri and the Republic Oil company.
Mr. Rogers declined to reply lo
questions as to whether he controls
any stock in the Waters-Pierce Oil
company, whether M. Van Buren of
New York holds a controlling Interest
in that company for the Standard Oil
company of New Jersey; whether tin)
New Jersey company controls the
Standard Oil company of Indiana or
the Waters Pierce company, and
whether two-thirds of the dividends
of the Waters-Pierce company are not
paid to H. M. Tilford.
Mr. Hadley declared that he would
take all ihe questions to the supreme
court cf New York state to secure
an order for Mr. Rogers to show
cause why he shall not answer them.
PERMISSION TO FOIST A FAKE.
Rojestvensky Declares England Was
Ready to Assist the Japs.
A St. Petersburg special says: The
remarkable allegation that, the Brit¬
ish fleet was held In readiness to de¬
stroy the Russian fleet if the battle
of the Sea of Japan had gone in the
Russians’ favor, is made by Admiral
Rojestvensky in a letter published in
the Novoe Vremya Wednesday with
the permission of the minister of
marine.
STORM WRECKS SCHOOLHOUSE.
Two Boys Killed and Ail Other pu¬
pils More or Less Injured.
A tornado struck the schoolhouse of
Josie beat, in Alabama, Thursday,
and two boys were killed by falling
Umbers.
The schoolhouse was demolished,
and none of the occupants escaped
without Injury, although the wounds
of only fourteen are serious.
When the wind struck th8 building
the aides j/ve way and the root fell
upon the occupants.
SLAVS’ CHRISTMAS
Proved Be Quiet Day i
to a
Throughout All Russia.
TROUBLES AREFORGOTTEN
Reds Seem to Have Quieted Down.
Witte Deplores Exaggerated Press
.
Reports— American Property
Damaged.
Fine snow sifting down from a cold
sky furnished ideal weather for the
Russian Christmas, which was usher¬
ed in Sunday, January 7. All the the¬
aters and other places of public
amusement, even the restaurants,were
closed ill St. Petersburg, and the day
was given up to the proverbial Rus¬
sian hospitality.
The dissensions which have torn
and distracted the country seemed to
have disappeared for the moment,
and even the radical newspapers, ani¬
mated by the sentiment, of peace amt
good will to all, silenced their guns.
The day passed quietly and without
untoward Incident. The religious ser¬
vices in the churches were largely at¬
tended.
At the palace of Tsarskoe-Selo, the
emperor himself presided at the
Christmas tree. Later, accompanied
by the Imperial children, his majesty
visited the quarters of his imperial
Cossack escort to the members of
which he distributed presents.
According to the Novoe Vremya, the
revised budget, as- submitted to the
emperor makes the revenues for 1906
$1,014,000,000, as against $1,027,000,-
000 for last year. The expenditures are
estimated at $1,055,000,000 as against
$1,2000,000,000 for last year.
Mr. Meyer, the American ambassa¬
dor at St. Petersburg, received from
consuls at Moscow and Odessa de¬
tailed reports of the injuries suffered
by American property during the re¬
cent riots. A statement, of the dam¬
ages claimed will be forwarded by Mr.
Meyer to the slate department for in¬
structions.
Interviewed by the Official Tele¬
graph agency Sunday, referring to
(lie situation in Russia, Count Witte
protested against what he character¬
as the unfounded and sensational
spread in the foreign press,
expressed the conviction that Rus¬
would emerge from the present
rejuvenated. He concluded by
that France continued to
towards Russia sentiments of
and good will, which Rus¬
reciprocated.
BATTLESHIP IN COLLISION. !
Alabama Crashed Into Kentucky While
Latter Wai Aground.
While the battleship squadron up-
der command of Rear Admiral Robley
D. Evans, was proceeding to sea from
Now York Sunday, the battleships
Kearsarge and Kentucky ran aground
in the lower harbor off the west bank
light. The Alabama and Illinois were
following next lr. line and before
they could alter their course the Ala¬
bama collided with the Kentucky,
striking her a glancing blow. The
Illinois just got clear of the tangle
and proceeded down the bay anchor¬
ing outside the bar with the flagship
Maine. The accident occurred short¬
after 1 m.
The Alabama remained by to rendor
assistance to the Kentucky and Kear-
sarge and wireless messages were
lent to the Brooklyn navy yard for
tugs.
At. 2:45 o'clock the Kearsar-e and
Kentucky both weie floated and slant¬
ed for sea accompanied by the Ala¬
bama. The Kentucky, however, was
ordered back, and returned to Tomp-
klnsvtlle.
A wireless message was received at
Ihe Brooklyn navy yard Sunday mgnt
from the battleship Kentucky, statin?
that the starboard side of the vessel,
above the waterline, had been quite
badly damaged in the collision with
the Alabama.
“KICK ME” SION PROVED FATAL.
Boys of Thirteen and Fourteen Have
Fight and One Is Killed.
At Dallas, Texas, Oliie Clay well, 14
years oid, stabbed Carl Owens, aged
13, and is in jail eharged with mur¬
der. The boys were employed in the
Texas Pacific general office. Some one
pinned a placard on young Clay well’s
back, reading
“KICK ME.”
The Owens boy kicked and a fight
was started. The boys were separat¬
ed, but met in the street and the stab¬
bing followed.
DECATUR IS EXONERATED.
,
Acquitted by Courtmartial, Restored to
Duty and Re-A rrested.
The developments Saturday at the
academy in Annapolis, were im¬
portant. Stephen Decatur, Jr., first
the members of the first class to
put on trial, was declared acquit¬
ted and restored to duty, but was ro¬
under rrested. ot*’r portly charges after and will be tried
of