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CAPITOL ITEMS.
Ethan Alien Hitchcock Appointed
M nister to Russia.
LAND GRANTS FORFEITED.
he United States Consul to Columbia
Reports to the State Department That
the Case oi Charles Radford, Accused of
Murder, Ended in a Verdict of Guilty.
Restored to the Public Domain.
Acting Secretary Kyan. of the inte¬
rior department, has re-affirmed a
former action of the department in the
matter of forfeited lands of the Mobile
aud Girard land grants in Alabama,
Involving about 200,000 acres, The
lands of the incompleted road were
forfeited uuder the general forfeiture
tailroad lauds, but the law contained
t provisiou protecting bona fide pur¬
chasers of lauds which had been pa¬
tented to the company. Through sev
feral alleged sales aud purchases the
Perdido Laud company claimed to
have purchased the right in the for¬
feited lands. The decision denies that
right and holds the forfeited lands as
testored to the public domain.
Radford’s Death Sentence.
The United States consul at Med
rillin, Colombia, reports to the state
department that the long pending trial
of Charles Radford, a native of Ala¬
bama, accused of murder, terminated
an July 30 last, in a verdict of mur¬
der. The judge pronounced the sen¬
tence of death on the 6th instant, and
in appeal was at once taken to the
iighest local tribunal, which was grant¬
ed. The sentence is regarded as iniq¬
uitous and hopes are entertained that
it will he reversed. If not, further ap¬
peal can be made to the supreme
court at Bogota. After the sentence
Radford was placed in heavy irons
and otherwise troated in a most cruel
manner. The United States consul
protested to the governor against suck
aeedless cruelty, but he said he was
powerless to interfere with the alcade’s
order. The consul then telegraphed
to the American minister in Bogota,
hoping to obtain better treatment for
Ike condemned man through the Col
bmbian government. The judge who
tried the case said that he did not ex¬
pect the verdict, which was received
,with surprise and indignation by the
people present at the trial. The jury
|was composed of three very youug
men, all deficient in intelligence. Ju¬
rors Oannot be challenged in Colom¬
bia. Five names are drawn by lot.
Dne is struck out by the prosecuting
attorney and one,by the counsel for the
defense, and the three remaining con¬
stitute the jury.
Minister to Russia.
J. A. Porter, secretary to President
McKinley, has sent the following dis¬
patch from Hotel Champlain to the
Associated Press:
Ethan Allen Hitchcock, of St. Louis,
has been offered and accepted the min¬
istry to Russia and will be appointed
immediately
Ethan Allen Hitchcock is a great
grandson of Col. Ethan Allen, who
captured Fort Ticonderagua “in the
name of the Great Jehovah and the
continental congress.” Mr. Hitch
■cock’s father, Henry Hitchcock, was
born in Burlington, Vt., from which
place he went to Alabama to practice
law, in which he was eminently suc¬
cessful, being at the time of his death
iu 1839 the chief justice of the supreme
court of that state. Mr. Ethan Allen
Hitchcock was born in Mobile in 1835,
where he remained until 1840, when
he removed to Tennessee. After tak¬
ing an academic course in New Haven.
Conn., he came to St. Louis in 1851,
and engaged in business up to 1800,
when, at the urgent request of rela¬
tives in China, he left for that country
to accept employment in the old es¬
tablished firm of Olrpbant Co. Mr.
Hitchcock remained in China for twelve
years. Returning to St . Louis in 1874,
Mr. Hitchcock has sinoe been actively
engaged in business as president of
several large manufacturing and rail
way corporations, which position he
has resigued in order to accept the
Appointment abroad.
Third Assistant-Postmaster-General
Merritt has called attention to a grow¬
ing practice of certain business con¬
cerns which in extending their trade
lend registered parcels containing
their goods to the smaller postoffioes
addressed to fictitious or otherwise
unknown persons. The concern then
makes some plausible excuse to the
postmaster and asks him to examine
»nd dispose of at a reduced price
rather than return the parcels. The
opening of a package other than by
an addressee or on hi* written order is
forbidden by the postal regulations,
as has been frequently pointed out by
the department, and postmasters are
again warned to return them to ths
sending poetoffiee.
British Carry Our Merchandise.
Accordiug to the reoords of the
treasury department British Teasels
are carrying over 55 per cent, of the
merchandise of the United States, both
of imports and of exports. Examipf
tions of figures for the first six monttre
this year show the total imports in
vessels has been of the value of $432,-
680,987, and of domestic exports in
vessels $452,800,405. The percentage
of imports carried in American vessels
was 15.3, and in foreign vessels 84.65
of imports in vessels. The British
have carried 55.9 per cent., the Ger¬
mans 11.40, Frenoh 5.46; Dutch 3.3
and all other foreign 8.51. Of domes¬
tic exports only 8.19 are carried in
American bottoms, 91.91 per cent,
being carried in vessels of other na¬
tions. British vessels carry 68.23 per
cent, of the value of exports by ves¬
sels; German, 8.92; French, 2.19;
Norwegian, 2.03, and all other for¬
eign, 9.54. The value of imports car¬
ried in American vessels for the six
mouths endiug June 30. was $66,428,-
149, aud of carried in foreign vessels,
$366,261,832, the value of exports for
the same period carried iu American
vessels was $37,113,168, and of that
carried iu foreign vessels $415,687,327.
The value of sugar, which has been
largely brought from the West Indies in
American vessels, -carried the percent¬
age of imports in American vessels
higher than that of value over domes¬
tic exports. During the first half of
the present year, the value of imports
carried in cars and other land
vehicles was $20,068,149, and of
ports $27,297,619.
Anarchists Are Not Wanted.
Commissioner Powderly, of the im¬
migration bureau, has sent the follow¬
ing letter of instructions to immigra¬
tion officers at New York, Roston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Quebec,
Cauada, relating to the anticipated ar¬
rival in this country of Spanish an¬
archists: -“Information has reached
this bureau to tho effect that one Pla
nas, a leader of the Spanish anarch¬
ists, hat been expelled from France, be¬
ing conducted to Havre, from which
port it is expected he will sail for the
United States. I am also advised that
Marmal, another Spanish anarchist, is
believed to have gone to England eu
route for this country. A careful in¬
spection should be made of arriving
passengers aud should any of that class
be detected a careful examination can
be had as to their right of admission
into the United States uuder the exist¬
ing laws. ” It is stated at the bureau
of immigration that there is no law
under which persons can be excluded
on the ground that they are anarchists,
nor is anarchy anywhere declared to be
a crime, so that if Planas aud Marmal
are refused admittance to this country
the refusal must be based upon the fact
that they can eome within the general
immigration law as to paupers, crimi¬
nals, etc., provided, however, that
nothing in this act shall be construed to
apply to persons convicted of or
charged with political offenses, not¬
withstanding that such offense may be
adjudged a felony, or anything else,
involving moral turpitude under the
laws of the country from which he
came or the court convictihg.
Imports anti Exports.
The monthly comparative statement
of the imjiorts and exports of tho
United States for July, issued by the
bureau of statistics, shows that the ex¬
ports of domestic merchandise during
the month amounted to $79,203,075, u
gain as compared with July, 1896, of
nearly $5,000,000. For the seven
months the increase as compared with
the same period last year was merchan¬ over
$49,700,000. The imports of
dise during July aggregated $53,688,-
439, a gain of about $1,500,000. Over
50 per cent was free of duty. During
the seven months the increase on du¬
tiable merchandise was $10,100,375
and $65,629,918 was duty free. The
gold exports for July amounted to
$5,460,119 and the imports $592,147.
For the seven months there wag a de-v
crease in gold exportations of $24,831,-
869 and a decrease of $22,263,536 in
the gold importations. The silver ex¬
ports for July umouutcd to $4,704,974
and the imports to $1,012,391. For
the seven mouths there was a decrease
of $3,706,015 in the exports and a de¬
crease of $1,350,636 iu the imports.
Santiago Barrota has asked the State
Department to look into the arrest of
Ramon Hidalgo, an American citizen,
in Cuba.
FELON WANTS A DIVORCE.
Wife Charge 1 With Snoring and Excessive
Use of Buttormllk.
A novel application for divoroe was
filed at DenisoD, Tex., last week. E.
E. Baker states that his wife is addict¬
ed to inordinate drinking of butter¬
milk; that it makes him sick, and has
preyed upon his mind to such an ex¬
tent that he is on the verge of insani¬
ty, and it is further alleged that she
snores so loud that it is impossible to
live in the same house with her. It is
alleged that Mr*. Baker consumes a
gallon of buttermilk at the three meals
and on retiring at night.
ENCOURAGING.
Heavy Demand for Merchandise
and Other Products.
INTERIOR MERCHANTS BUY,
They Have Thronged the Big Cities the
Past Week, the Like of Which Has
Not Been Seen for Several Years—
Crop Conditions Improved.
Bradstreet’s weekly roport of traue
for the past week says :
Evidences of widespread revival in
demand for merchandise and other
products have become so numerous as
to compel general recognition, The
press has therefore ceased discussing
whether trade has really improved or
uot and has begun measuring the vol
. of business as compared with pre¬
vious seasons. A buoykney of feeling
has appeared among buyers and sell
ers at New York, Baltimore, Chicago,
M. Louis and Kansas jLjity, where in¬
terior merchants have thronged this
week, the like of whioh has not been
seen for several years. Interior mer¬
chants are buyiug dry goods, clothing,
shoes and fancy artioles more freely
than at any time sinoe 1892. Crop
conditions have improved at the south
and southwest, and merchants there
are encouraged, Southern lumber
mills are not able to keep up with or¬
ders, and innumerable small oonsum
ers of iron and stool throughout the
central material western they StutesjU'e have hot for buying raw A
as years. for
uominal advance of 75 cents a ton
steel billets is more than a feature, as
it means the confidence of makers iu
an early revival of the demand for iron
and steel, which has long been delayed.
Wheat Hcored an advance of 7 oeuts on
continued heavy experts, and the ten¬
dency is to decrease estimates of the
size of the domestic crop.
Wood is heavy, with a speculative
demand, and cotton and yarns have
advanced again.
Prices for southern lumber aro up,
as are wheat, wheat flour, Indian corn,
and last, but not least, print cloths,
the market for whioh has been so long
depressed, prices for sugar, ooffeo,
lard and petroleum remaiu unchanged,
while pork is almost the only impor¬
tant produot quoted lower than last
w eek. s _ mm „
Exports of the wheat (flour included
as wheat) from both coasts of the
United States aud froqj Montreal this
week aggregate 4,462,219 bushels, an
increase over last week of more than
1,100,000 bushels, and oomparod with
shipments in the week a year ago of
2,635,000 bushels 1,824,000 bushels in
1895; of 2,979,000 bushels in 1894 and
of 0,129,000 bushels in 1893.
The world wide character of the de¬
mand for our wheat anil flour is illus¬
trated by the export from both coasts
of this country to such far-off aud in¬
frequent customers as Bio de Janeiro
in Brazil and Burabay iu the Island of
Java not to mention heavily increased
shipments to Europe! China and thr
east.
' Total exports of Indian corn this
week aggregate 3,275,652 bushels
against 3,223,000 bushels last week,
2,367,000 bushels in the week a yeai
ago, 944,000 bushels iu 1895, 166,000
bushels in 1894 and, 1,734,000 bushels
iu 1894 aud 1,734,000 bushels iu
1893.
There are 214 business failures re¬
ported throughout the United States
this week oompared with 214 last
week, 258 in the second week of Au¬
gust, 1896, 195 in the like, period in
1895^, 234 in 1894, aud 209 iu the like
week of 1893.
There are 231 failures reported from
the Dominion of Canada this week
against 51 last week, 36 in the week a
year ago, and 59 two years ago.
LACK THE FUNDS.
i
Nashville Gold Seekers Will Wait S\
Least Until Spring.
Nashville Klonflyke Gold Mining & ; j
Transportation company has p about
concluded to give np the ghost. It
was the intention to send twenty men
at once to Alaska, but later stories from
there and lack of funds caused the
company to wait at least until next
spring. !
WOMEN DRAWN AS JURORS.
Three Prominent Fort Scott, Kan., Wo¬
men Must Serve.
Mrs. E. Rose, Mrs. A. M. Douglass,
and Mrs, A. Kaufmans, wives of prom¬
inent men of Fort Soott, Kan., were
drawn on the list of jurors of the Sep¬
tember term of the district oourL
It happened that their name* were
on the tax rolls, and Mayor Hsssor in¬
cluded them in the list of eligible ju¬
rors filed with the eonnty olerk. The
law requires that s jaror must be a
qualified elector, end ss they are elec¬
tors in municipal government it is said
they can be required to unrve.
SENATOR JA1ES Z. GEORGE.
Was Bom in Monroe County, Georgia
Sketch of His Life.
Hon. James Z. George, the senior
senator from Mississippi, died at his
residence near Carrollton, Miss., Sat¬
urday. Senator George has been in
feeble health for some months, not be¬
ing able to occupy his seat in the seu -
ate during the extra session. Ho was
suffering from a general debility and
his death was not unexpected.
Senator George was not a native of
Mississippi, but had resided in that
state since his eighth year. Ho was
born in Monroe county, Georgia, Oc¬
tober 26, 1826. After the death of his
father, which occurred early in his
life, he moved with his mother in 1834,
to Noxubee county, Mississippi, re¬
maining there for only two years and
then going to Carroll county, which he
made his legal residence until his
death. Senator George obtained his
education in the common schools amt
did not begin his professional career
until aftor the cIobu of tho Mexican
war, iu which he served in a regiment
commanded by Jefferson Davis.
He afterward took an active part in
the civil war, basting his lot with tho
South. He left the convention hall to
become a captain in the Twentieth regi¬
ment of Mississippi Volunteers. Ho
rose to the rank, of brigadier general
of state troops before tho close of tho
war.
When the civil war closed, Mr.
George returned to Carroll county,
resuming the practice of his profes¬
sion, and later entering into polities,
In 1879 he was appointed to the su¬
preme bench and soon afterwards
eleoted chief justice, iu which capacity
he was serving his state when first
eleoted to the United .States senate iu
1881. Had he been permitted to servo
his entire term he would, on the 4th
of March, 1899, have oomploted his
eighteenth year in the senate. He do
olined a re-election a year ago on ac¬
count of his health. Senator George
was well liked in spite of his rather
brusque manner. Ilia friends realiz¬
ed that beneath the outward crust was
hidden kindly aud gentle disposition
He was also greatly respected for his
eruditiou on legal and constitutional
questions. Probably there has been
no man iu the senate during tho pres¬
ent generation who had made greater
researches iu constitutional questions
and could discourse more profoundly
on tho government.
ABANDONED HIS WIFE
And CloBed With a ij-V»ar-OU Adopted
Daughter.
\V. R. Hubbard, a man of about 50
pears of ago, aud Ada Leonard, a girl
of 13 years, were arrested one night
last week iu Cleveland. Tonu., on au¬
thority of a telegram from Dalton, Ga.,
stating that the man had abandoned
bis wife and family and eloped with
this child. Wkeu searched a pistol
was found upon the person of Hub¬
bard, and he was lodged in jail, and
the girl also. Hubbard hod charge of
the coal chutes at Varnell’s aud was
considered a good, quiet man, aud tho
charges appear to have grown out of
the fact that he aud his wife hud hud a
family row and he left, going to Ken¬
tucky with this girl, whom ho had
raised from infancy, and the wife weut
to Dalton and swore out the warrants
for their arrest.
Consul General Lee Reports.
Consul Geuoral Lee, in a report to
tho state' department, says that the
$10,000 placed to the credit of the
relief fund on May 22 last dollars. was cquiva
lent to $0,775 Spanish This
fund, which lie says was expended with
tho greatest cure and'economy, is
nearly exhausted. With it about
1,400 destitute Americans have been
fed daily and provided with necessary
medicines. It cost 9J cents iu United
States money for each person pel
day, or even less, for transporta¬
tion is taken from their relief
fund. One hundred aud eleven per
sons have had transportation pro¬
vided for them to various parts of the
United States. About 95 percent, of
tho 1,400 destitute persons are natural
ized American citizens, but who have
resided in Cuba for a long time and
whose business is there. Many ol
them, the report says, do not speak
English, \ large number have never
been in the United States, being the
wives and children of naturalized
Americans.
The University of Alabama.
The advantages of being educated in
ones own State University cannot be
over estimated. Equal strength no
qnired abroad or in an Institution of less
prestige, would be far less valuable in
a practical sense. University Alumni
ars and are to be leading men iu all
walks of life.
Parents with sons to educate should
make a note of this.
Letters Written In Blood.
When Prince Henri, of Orleans,
opened his msil at Marseilles, the oth¬
er dsy, ha found several Utters writ¬
ten in blood, from Italians, wb*
threatened to assassinate him if Oen.
Albertone failed to kill him.
SHATTERED.
rhe Rocky Fortress of Desperado
Hatfield Blown Up.
IE ESCAPES UNHARMED.
i he Rocky Crest Where the Hatfields Hnv«
for Years Defied the Law and 1 rom
Which They Have Carried Out Their
?lnns, Is No Long.-r a Tenable Portress.
A telegram from Huntington, W.
Va. , says: One half tho Devil’s Back¬
bone, tho rocky fortress of tho Hat¬
fields in the mountains on Tug river,
was shattered bv dynamite last Satur¬
day, and Hatfield and his followers
were driven from their stronghold by
Sheriff Keadle and his posse after a
desperate battle. Several of tho sher¬
iff’s men aro badly wounded. Only
this has been accomplished: The rocky
crest where the Hatfields have for
years defied tho law and from whioh
they have carried out their bloody
plans, is no longer a tenable fortress.
It was decided by the besieging
force to dynamite the desperado and
his gang. All day Friday and Friday
night the closest watch was kept. At
9 o’clock Saturday morning the dyua
mite arrived and by II o’olock the ex
plosive was placed. Tho fuse was
laid, the match applied, and tho at¬
tacking force began to fall back.
Until now the besieged seemed not
to suspect what was being done, but
with the flashing of tho train which
ted to tho dynamite a realization of
their peril came. Mon jumped from
cover and rushed hither and thithor iu
full view. Hatfield was soon to start
for tho path. A rush was made down
tho side of the mountain. Three
men dropped wounded. It was use¬
less to try to escape by tho well-known
path, and tho desperadoes returned to
to the top of their rocky fort, Hatfield
directing them. Great bowlders wore
hurled over tho rookH in hopes of
brenkiug the fuso. Thou came ths
explosion. Kooks and trees flew in
every diroetiou. When the smoke
cleared away Hatfield and his men
soemed unharmed. Dan Lewis, Htova
Stanley and Jake Monroe, of tho at¬
tacking fureo, in tho excitement left
their shelter and wore shot and
wounded so severely that little hope is
entertained for their recovery.
Another charge of dynamite was
placed, but under cover of tho explo¬
sion Hatfield and his men escaped.
The obese was renewed and it is ex¬
pected that Hatfield will be captured
within tho next twenty-four hours.
BRYAN WELCOrtED.
He Is Met by a Vast Throng at Butte,
Hont., and Makes u Speech.
Amid tho screeching of steam whis¬
tles and shouts of welcome from 30,
OOO throats, W. J. Bryan was reooived
in Butte, Mont., last Thursday, The
house tops sagged under tho weight of
the thousands aud every window
where a view could bo obtained was
crowded with faces.
The orowd at tho depot was so
donso that the police were unable to
cope with it. On reaching tho hotel
Mr. Bryan responded to oills aud
made a brief address. . He referred to
tho fact that this day was the anniver¬
sary of his notification speech of ac¬
ceptance at Madison Square Garden.
New York.
“1 hud not thought,” ho said, “of
celebaatiug the occasion in this place,
but 1 am forcibly reminded of the ma¬
terial difference between the two cit¬
ies. I said on going to New York that
l was going into the enemy’s country.
It would take a liar of big dimensions
to declare that I was in tho enemy’s
country on this occasion. I urn pleased
to see my friends aud especially the
people who were so universally on our
side during the campaign."
Later iu the day Mr, Bryan went to
VValkersvilbvt suburb of iiutte, where
a monster demonstration took plucu.
CARLISrS ACTIVE.
Military Precautions Have Been Taken
Against a Probable Uprising.
A telegram from Madrid says: Mili¬
tary precautions have been taken for
some time past against the possibility and
of a Carlists or republican rising,
the steps that were taken liuve been
increased lately, cbiefiy here, at Bar
Jbloua, Bilbao aud Seville.
ACTIVK IN LONDON.
The Loudon Pal! Mall Gazottu, in
the course of a long article upon the
increasing activity of tho carlists, says
it is not generally known that Loudon
is one of the strongholds of the Oar
lists, thousands of active followers of
the claimant to tho Hpanish throne
being located in this city. Their lead¬
ers seem to think the fall of Canovas
brings their opportunity nearer. Dur¬
ing the past week they hare hold many
meetiaga to discuss the best menus of
assisting thsir colleagues in Spain in
the event of «b upriMug.
