Newspaper Page Text
The Banner Will Give Von All
xhe News of Conyers aud Rock
dale County.
.***'*' —-i * x ■Buramj
m n OF feffiajass; on
Former Chief Executive of Georgia Passes
Away at His Home In Newnan.
announcement causes sorrow throughout state
Dying Statesman Was Surrounded By Family and
Faithful Friends==A Brief Sketch of His Life.
Ex-Governor William Y. Atkinson
Jied at his home in Newnan, Ga., at
9 o’clock Tuesday morning. The end
came peacefully. The dyiug man was
surrounded by all the members of his
immediate family and many of his
friends. He had been slowly sinking
. . , ,,
for se\eia ( ays, anc iiom ay a er
noon his physicians announced that
he could not recover, His sickness
lasted about fifteen days,during which
time every attention and care that
medical skill could offer and loving
hands could bestow, were given him.
The circumstances surrounding his
death were peculiarly sad and have
ca-t a gloom over the city of Newnan
and community, and causes sorrow
throughout the state. Early Tuesday
morning it was conceded that in a few
hours the great man would pass away,
and his anxious and inquiring friends
formed an almost unbroken chain as
f
m 1
■ w t §
9
I Isa i#S||pi
>
mmt I 3
P
&
t. /igMk M
- \ I
■r:
£ e
I A
# % 1
- *
i >■:
§ i
1 /5
EX-G OVERXOR ATKIN SON,
Wlio Died at His Home in Newnan,
Ga., East Tuesday,
they went to where the statesman lay,
hoping for some ground for hope,
Sorrow was depicted on the counte
nance of those advised of his condi
tion, and the expression on their faces
was evidence that the end was near.
The announcement that death had
brought to an end a career that had
found success and fame in Georgia
Politics and stilled ihe heart that was
generous and liberal in the distribu
tion of affection, was no surprise to the
friends of the govornor at the capitol,
for nearly all the heads of departments
had but recently returned from New
nan, where they went to inquire into
Mr. Atkinson’s condition and to offer
their services aud sympathy to Mrs.
Atkinson.
The last great effort of Mr. Atkinson
Mas made in the supreme court about
three weeks ago. He appeared before
that body to argue for the people of
Newnan in the Atlanta and West Point
railroad rate case. It wall be
bered that he spoke for several hours
before the court and delivered a pow
erful speech in favor of his side of the
question.
He had not been well prior to mak
’Mg fore this speech and he appeared be
the court under the disadvantage
°f ill health, but he stood for hours
on his feet discussing the controversy
with great force.
His last illness began shortly after
bis return home from Atlanta and at
first it was thought that he had only a
temporary but sickness to contend devel- with,
after a few days the disease
oped began into dysentery and his physicians
to take steps to check the dis
f ase and it was thought that he would
FIFE SENTENCE FOR N1TE.
f ’ ole Survivor of tho Dalton Gang Con
victed at Henderson, Texas.
The Jim Nite murder trial was end
e at Henderson, Texas, Saturday
.
SUX'cXXt
h jessing e imprisonment. defendant’s The punishment state succeed- at
5 *b° m assisted proving in that robbing Nite is Jim Longview, Jones,
the
^ iexas > bank and killing Citizens and wound
several prominent in the
that followed. Nite is the only
^rviving ^ton member of the notorious
gang, the others having been
"■“» —* Si “' tWs
lie 1 1 ockdale Banner.
be brought around all right. A week
ago his condition became more serious
and the friends of the ex-governor
were told that he was a very sick man.
Other physicians were called in and
everything jrossible was done to save
the patient, but to no avail. His rela¬
tives and intimate friends watched at
Ins bedside dav and . night, . . . and ,. he waut
ed for nothing during his sickness. He
brought his great vital power into the
fight for life and resisted to the last
the grasp of the baud of death, but it
was too much for him, the victor of a
great battle of the same kind a few
years ago.
Telegrams expressive of condolence
poured in from every quarter of the
state, from men of high and low sta¬
tion in life and from those who, for¬
getting petty differences, join in prais¬
ing the high qualities of the man.
Sketch of His Life.
William Yates Atkinson was born in
Meriwether county, Ga., on the 11th
of November, 1854, at the little post-
office of Oakland, whither his parents
bad removed from Brunswick county,
Va. His father, John P. Atkinson, was
a native Virginian, a man of sterling
traits and irreproachable character,
On his father’s side he is a descendant
of the Sudys, the Yates and the At
kinsons, who settled in Virginia in the
colonial days. He is named for V il
limn Yates, one of his ancestors, who
was a professor in the William and
Mary college in Virginia in the early
history of that institution. He is the
sixth of eight children. The death of
his father left him on his own re
sources at an early age. Nothing
daunted by the difficulties that await
ed him, without means and without
influence, he set to work to educate
himself.
Mr. Atkinson was drst elected to
the legislature in 1886. and from that
time on his career may be summed up
as follows:
He was for years a leader in the
legislative halls aud party councils,
He was a member of the general
assembly for eight years,
Twice president of the democratic
state convention.
Four years chairman of the state
democratic executive committee.
Two years speaker of the house of
representatives. the board of
Five years president ol Normal and
trustees of the Georgia
Industrial college and a trustee of the
University of Georgia,
And before attaining the age of 40
years was governor of Georgia,
In 1S80 he married Miss Susie Cobb
Milton, of Florida. She has mdeei
been a helpmeet to him.
GOLD CERTIFICATES ORDERED.
Demand Is Made Upon Printing Depart
,nent For More Paper Currency.
The treasury department Saturday
made requisition upon the bureau of
! -*«*■« wg of $10,000,000 go.d ft in
denominations of twenty dollars each.
Thetreasurer now hmds a.large ums
sued supply of certifieateB of the larger
denominations. It is the evident in
tention of the treasury departmen to
be in a position to msue goldcerM
cafes freely for goid coin, shou.d the
fall movement or enrrett y lead to .
SEE «&SS7.25 ^
CONYERS, GA, FR IDAY. AUGUST 11 1899.
AfilllNALDO ISSUES APPEAL.
Rebel Leader Asks All the Powers
to Recognize “Filipino
Independence.”
Advices from Manila under date of
August 8th state that Aguinaldo has
appealed to the powers for recogni¬
tion of ‘‘Filipino indej en lenee,” in a
document dated from Tarlac, July 27,
aud signed by Bnencamiuo. It has
been received by all the foreign con
snls in Manila with tho request that
they forward it to their respective
governments.
The Filipinos declare that they had
"conquered Ihe sovereignty of these
islands from Spain before tho signing
of the treaty of Paris, and therefore
Spain was in no position to cede them
to the United States.
They argue that the possession of
7,000 Spanish prisoners captured with
their arms, fighting against the
Filipinos, “is eloquent proof of the
nullity of the Spanish sovereignty, as
when they surrendered Spain’s hold
was irrevocably lost.” The document
then says:
“Rep'ying to the Spanish commis¬
sioners’ request to release the prison¬
ers because Spain no longer has polit¬
ical interests in the island, we asked
for a treaty of peace and friendship
between Spain and the Filipinos,
whereby the prisoners would be re¬
leased. But the " commissioners re¬
fused, because it would mean recogni¬
tion of our independence. This is
equivalent to sayiug that the prison¬
ers must stay in our hands indefinitely,
because their possession is our most
efficacious method to adjust our ac¬
count with Spain and obtain from her
recognition of our independence.”
The Filipinos claim that they con¬
quered all the couutry except Manila,
and that they co-operated in securing
the latter’s capitulation by surround¬
ing it at the cost of thousands of lives.
They also claimed they conquered the
country unassisted except for sixty
guns Admiral Dewey gave Aguinaldo,
and that Admiral Dewey and the
British and Belgian consuls recognized
the Filipinos’ sovereignty by asking
for passes to visit the country.
They repeat the claim that they have
letters from American consuls and
generals recognizing their sovereignty
and promising that the Americans
would recognize their independence,
“which was at the disposition of the
powers.” The Filipinos attempt to
make capital of the statement that Ad¬
miral Dewey had such confidence that
Aguinaldo would serve and fulfill the
rules of war that he gave him a hun¬
dred Spanish prisoners which the
Americau navy had captured.
Finally the Filipinos appeal to the
powers to influence Washington to
bring to a termination “the unjust war
which is devasting the country.”
No Apprehension Felt.
A Washington dispatch says: The
state department is entirely without
information as to any addre’ss by Ag
uninaldo to foreign powers for the
recognition of the Filipinos, either as
beiigerents or as constituting an inde¬
pendent government.
The appeal is looked upon,however,
as creating no particular change, as it
has been the desire of Aguinaldo and
his associates from the first to secure
such recognition. The appeal puts
this desire into rather formal shape,
and it may bring to an issue the atti¬
tude of outside governments. There
is no apprehension, however, that any
foreign government will heed the ad¬
dress.
FIRED ON FRENCH VESSEL.
Boat Encroached on English Ground* and
Was Pierced By Solid Shot.
A London special says: The British
torpedo gunboat Leda found a French
boat fishing within the three mile
limit Wednesday morning. The fisher
man attempted to escape and did not
stop when a blank shot was fired. The
Leda then fired a shot, disabling the
fishing boat, the Etoile de Mor, and
killing the helmsman.
The fishing boat was afterwards
towed to London with the body of the
helmsman on board her. The incident
caused the greatest excitement.
The admiralty express supreme fishing boat sur
prise at the fact that the
disregarded the Leda’s signal to heave
to, and in the absence of the official
report, they assume that the command¬
er of the Leda only resorted to drastic
measures when other means were inef
fectual.
TIRED OF THE STRIKE.
Cleveland, O., Business Men Take Action
to Stop Disorders In That City.
Five hundred business men of Cleve¬
land Ohio, held an anti-boycott meet¬
ing Wednesday afternoon in the cham¬
ber of commerce rooms. A fund of
$10,000 was started to ferret out the
criminals who are dynamiting cars and
creating discord in the city. than
In a few minutes time not less
$5,000 was subscribed and the rest of
the amount will be fully made up.
The meeting was largely attended
and it was a representative one in ev¬
ery respect. Millions of dollars were
represented in the men present.
DREYFUS TRIAL
IS UNDER WAY
French Captain Is Again Arraigned
At Rennes, France.
PRISONER DECLARES INNOCENCE
A Number of Notable Witnesses
Are Absent From the
Courtmartial.
The proceedings of the courtmartial
before which Captain Dreyfus is on
trial opened at Rennes, France, Mon¬
day morning at 7 o’clock. Captain
Dreyfus entered the courtroom with a
firm step, though his features were
I>allid. He is partly bald, and what
hair he has is partly gray and close
cropped.
He answered the formal questions of
the judge as to his name, age, etc., in
a clear determined voice. He sat fac¬
ing the judges with his hands resting
on his knees, an impassable figure.
The trial opened, so far as Rennes is
concerned, in an atmosphere of per¬
fect tranquility. The population is
apparently indifferent. A small crowd,
at the most fifty persons, had gather¬
ed outside the entrance to the Lycee
by 6 o’clock. A majority of these
were journalists.
Fifteen minutes later the prefect of
police gave the order to close the
avenue De la Gare for 300 yards in
front of the Lyceo and also by streets
leading to the avenue. The gendarmes
were immediately drawn up along tho
avenue and the space in front of the
Lycee was cleared of all spectators.
The crowd, which by that time lad
increased to a few hundred, was kept
by the gendarmes at a distance of 150
yards on either side of this passage.
Captain Dreyfus emerged from the
military prison under escort of a lieu¬
tenant and four gendarmes. He cross¬
ed the railroad quickly and disap¬
peared within the Lycee, the hedge of
soldiers hiding him from view.
The official list of the members of
the court is as follows:
President, Colonel Jouaust, director
in the engineer corps; Lieutenant Col¬
onel Brongniart, director of the school
of artillery; Major de Broon, of the
Seventh regiment of artillery; Major
Profillet, of the Tenth regiment of ar¬
tillery; Major Merle, of the Seventh
regiment of artillery; Captain Parfant,
of the Seventh regiment of artillery;
Captain Beauvais, of the Seventh reg¬
iment of artillery.
■Notable Witnesses Absent.
On the court proceeding to the roll
call of witnesses, the most notable ab¬
sentees being Esterhazy, Du Paty de
Clam and Mme. Pays, Dreyfus half
turned his head toward the seals of
the witnesses, especially when the
clerk of the court called Esterhazy.
But when no response was received,
Dreyfus returned to his previous atti¬
tude, looking straight in front of him
at Colonel Jouaust.
Altogether about one hundred wit¬
nesses will be called on both sides.
Major Carriere, tho government’s
commissary, then said that in view of
the official mission of Genernl Cha
nonine and M. Paleologue to furnish
the court with all the necessary expla¬
nations respecting the secret dossier,
their depositions, as witnesses, would
be dispensed with, adding that the
consideration of the dossier would
probably occupy four days.
Dreyfus Breaks Down.
When the trial begun Col. Jouaust
banded the prisoner a long list of card
board, upon which the bordereau was
pasted. recognize this document?”
“Do you
Dreyfus replied with a passionate
outburst: “No, my colonel, I am in¬
nocent. I declare it here as I declar¬
ed it in 1894,1 am a victim.” His voice
here was choked with sobs, which must
have stirred evei^ spectator in court.
It resembled the cry of a wounded ani¬
mal.
As he ended his reply with the
words: “Five years in the galley!
My wife! My children! My God! I
am innocent, innocent.” Colonel
Jouaust said:
“Then you deny it?”
Dreyfus replied: “Yes, my colonel.”
OTIS CONFIRMS NEWS.
General Semis Particular* of tlie Bout of
Six Thousand Insurgent*.
General Otis confirms the report of
a battle at San Fernando as follows:
( < Manila, August 9.—Adjutant Gen
era), Washington: MacArthur with
4,000 men attacked insnrgent army,
6,000 strong, concentrated around Ban
Fernando at 5:15 this morning. At 10
o’clock a. m. had driven it five miles
in the direction of Angeles. Casualties
few. Attack ordered for 7th instant,
but rain did not permit movement.
Railway from Angeles north badly
washed by unprecedented floods of last
six weeks beyond ability of insurgents
to repair. (Signed) Otis.”
PLANS SUIT DEWEY.
The Arrangements For His Re¬
ception Are Very Satisfactory
to the Admiral.
A Washington special says: Chair¬
man Moses, of the committee of 100
having in charge the reception of ad¬
miral Dewey on his arrival in Wash¬
ington, which includes the presenta¬
tion of the sword voted him by con¬
gress, has received from the admiral
the following letter approving the
plans under consideration for the affair:
Flagship Olympia, Trieste, July
2!), 1889.—Messrs. W. H. Moss ami
W. P. Van Wyckle, Chairman and
Secretary of the Reception Committee,
Washington. Dear Sirs: I have tho
honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 8th inst. informing
me of the arrangements proposed for
my reception in Washington, also of a
telegram of similar import sent by the
secretary of the navy.
I am deeply sensible of the high
honor your committee proposes to
confer upon me and have telegraphed
to the secretary that tho arrangements
approved by the president and by him
are entirely agreeable to me. I note
with pleasure that it is proposed to
make the exercises as simple as possi¬
ble. It is impossible at this time to
fix the date of my arrival in Washing¬
ton, but I will not fail to give you the
information on that point as soon us
possible.
Thanking the committee for the
great honor it has paid mo, and you
personally for your courteous letter, 1
am very truly yours,
George Dewey.
An interesting historical fact dating
back to 1873 has come to light in
which Admiral Dewey was the central
figure. Dewey, then a commander,
was in command of tho United States
ship Narragansett on the Asiatic sta¬
tion, having taken charge of the ves¬
sel on March 1, 1873. The vessel wus
on surveying duty when the Virginias
trouble was precipitated and a war
with Spain seemed imminent.
Dewey wrote to the navy depart¬
ment requesting that in case war was
declared he would he assigned to tho
duty of capturing Manila. The peace¬
ful settlement of the controversy with
Spain avoided the necessity for a hos¬
tile demonstration, but the interesting
fact is that tho doughty officer had his
eye on Manila over a quarter of a cen¬
tury ago. A search will be made for
the letter in the files of the navy de¬
partment, and, if found, it is expected
an effort will be made by the citizens’
committee to have it reproduced as u
souvenir of the reception.
COUNCIL POSTPONED ACTION.
Atlanta City Father* Wait For Mayor to
Recover From IIIiuhm
The Atlanta, Ga., city council Mon¬
day afternoon postponed action on the
proposition to demand tho resignation
of Mayor Woodward until Thursday
afternoon at 3:30 o’clock.
At 3 o’clock council met. The cham¬
ber was crowiled with spectators, who
had -dropped in to hear what was to be
said about the matter.
No resignation had been received
from the mayor, who was reported to
be very ill and being constantly at¬
tended by physicians.
He had not been advised, his friends
said, that his resignation had been
asked for, nor had he been allowed to
see any of the newspapers in the
meantime and was ignorant of the
action of council in demanding his
resignation. stated
Alderman Turner to the
chair that he had been advised that
the mayor was very ill, and in view of
his condition, he thought it was only
just that the matter he postponed sufficient¬ un¬
til the mayor should recover
ly to appear or at least to give the
matter his attention.
He then moved that the case go
over until Thursday afternoon, as the
aldermanic board would meet at that
time and the aldermen would have to
be at the council chamber.
It was then unanimously voted that
the entire matter be postponed until
the date named.
Strike of Printers.
The New York state allied printing
trades council, in session at Pough¬
keepsie, adopted a resolution con¬
demning The New York Sun and in¬
dorsing the printers’ strike.
GOVERNOR SAVED MULLENS.
Presence of Georgia’s Chief Executive
Prevented a Lynching.
John Mullens, the negro who at¬
tempted a criminal assault in Coweta
county. Ga., Wednesday, and is now
safely in the Atlanta jail, owes his life
to Governor Candler.
While the mob was forming on the
outside of the Newnan jail Governor
Candler hurried to that city, where he
personally gave directions to the sher¬
iff and the military.
It is the first time on record where
a governor of the state has gone to the
trouble to prevent a lynching, and has
taken personal command of the mili¬
tary aud possa,
Official Organ of Rockdale Coun
ty. Has Largest Circulation in
I he County.
NO 31.
CONSIGNED TO GRAVE
Remains of Hon, W, Y. Atkinson
Laid to Rest at Newnan, Ga.
FUNERAL SERVICE LARGELY ATTENDED
Hinny Prominent Georgian* Deliver Fit
ling uml Appropriate Eulogies Over
the Distinguished Dead.
The mortal remains of ex-Governor
William Y. Atkinson were laid to rest
in tho cemetery at Newnan, Ga.,
Wednesday afternoon, aud the last
offices of the living for the dead wero
performed by those who had flow r ers
for the bier, eulogies for his iifework
and tributes for the statesman who had
passed away in the meridian of life.
Newnan saw its greatest day of
mourning. All the stores in the town
were closed, and people came from
many miles around to attend the
funeral.
Many distinguished Georgians were
present. Among them Governor Can¬
dler and all tho state bouse offioials; ex
Governor Northen, Senators Clay and
Bacon, Judge W. M. Henry, President
George C. Smith, of the Atlanta and
West Point railroad, Colonel P. H.
Brewster, Judge John P. Ross, Mr.
Harvey Johnson, Major J. W. Warren,
Congressman W. C. Adamson, Judge
James Willis, Mr. J, E. Dunston, Mr.
J. G. Truitt.
Judge Candler came from Fnirburn,
where lie adjourned court, with the
entire bar and tho jurors serving in
his court. In adjourning court tho
judge paid a tribute to the dead ex
goveruor, saying he had known him
for fourteen years, and had never
known a man more loyal to duty aud
to friends. Many members of the ex
governor’s staff were present.
All tho colored porters at the capi¬
tol attended tho funeral in a body.
The Newnan courthouse was heavily
draped in mourning. All business
was suspended, and never before in its
liistory hail the little city seen a sad¬
der day.
Tho body was borne to the Metho¬
dist church,where tho funeral services
were held. A number of the ex-gov¬
ernor’s friends, those who had been
closest to him in life, made short ad¬
dresses, in which many high tributes
were paid to the memory of the man
whose work on earth had forever
ended.
It having been the request of Gov¬
ernor Atkinson that the Masons should
have charge of his funeral, the Masons
of Newnan turned out in a body, and
ihe last rites were performed by them
at the grave.
The services at the church were con¬
ducted by tho Rov. Dr. Stacy, of the
Presbyterian church, who lias been
the governor’s pastor for several years.
He was assisted by Itev. K. C. Adams,
of the Baptist church, and Rev. W.
J. Cotter, pastor of the Methodist
church.
When the church services were end¬
ed the body was borne to the village
cemetery, where it was confided to
the grave.
There were many beautiful floral
offerings, one being a sword from the
members of his staff, aud another
from the governor and the stateliouse
officers, which was a large design of
tho seal of the state.
There in the quiet city of the dead
he will rest from a life that had its
high rewards, but which had its strug¬
gles, and the grave will always be the
tenderly eared for sepulcher of a man
who was dearly beloved by the people
of Newnan.
MINERS RESUME WORK.
Coal Creek Company, However, Still Re¬
fuse* to Recognize the Union.
The miners in the coal mines of the
Coal Creek company returned to work,
after being out three days. The union
miners declined to work for the com¬
pany because a scale which really in¬
creased the prices for work done by
them liad not been officially passed
upon by their union. The scale gave
them 45 cents on the run of the mine,
where they had received 44 cents.
The difference was settled by the com¬
pany allowing the men a check weight
man to be paid by them.
The company, however, continues
to fail to recognize the union in the
mines. Both union and non-union
men are employed.
OLD SUBJECT REVIVED.
Question of General Wheeler’s Seat In
Congress Is Up Once More.
A special to the Chattanooga Times
from Birmingham, Ala., says:
“Since General Joseph Wheeler has
been ordered to the Philippine islands
a renewal of the discussion about de¬
claring vacant bis seat in the house of
representatives from the eighth dis¬
trict has begun. The Montgomery
Journal, which is looked upon’as the
organ of the state administration, was
the first to spring the question. This
leads to the suspicion that it is sound¬
ing public opinion for the governor
with a view to his declaring General
Wheeler’s seat vacant.”