Newspaper Page Text
VOL X. vo •*'
GEORGIA SOLDIERS’ HOME BURNED
Haven of Rest For Aged and Infirm Followers of Lee
Reduced to File of Smoking Ruins.
inmates escape in safety
Temporary Quartero Are Quickly Pro
vided For the Homeless Ones.
Movement Immediately Begun
For Rebuilding the Structure.
The Georgia Soldiers Home, in the
suburbs of Atlanta was totally de
stroyed by fire Monday morning.
Of the seventy inmates of the home,
including eight invalids, all were ta
ken from the home with safety.
Nothing was saved from the build
ing except a few personal effects of
the old veterans. In some instances
the men came out of the home with
nothing but what they wore.
The fire started shortly after eight
o’clock, and was first discovered by
Dr. E. S. E. Bryan, the surgeon of the
home. At 8:30 o’clock Dr. Bryan went
into the lavatory, which was located
in the center of the building on th--
first floor.
In the lavatory the Smead system of
disposing of the refuse was used. Daily
the crematory in connection with the
lavatory was flred up.
The negro porter who started these
fires placed a wheelbarrow load of
shaving and other timber from the
premises into the furnace Monday
morning. The Are burned fiercely and
broke through the top of the furnace.
When Dr. Bryan went into the de
partment he noticed the flames. He
ran out and asked if the flames were
not too high.
Superintendent James L. Wilson see
ing the condition of the fire quickly
gave the alarm. By this time the
flames had commenced to burn the
woodwork in the vicinity, of the fur
nace.
The smoke was pouring into the cen
ter of the house in great volumes, and
owing to the draft at this place the
flames spread rapidly.
The sight of the smoke brought all
the veterans able to be out to the
building. Eight invalid soldiers were
in the building and these were taken
out.
The fire apparatus which extended
throughout the building was put into
use. Two large tanks of water oa the
top of the building were turned on.
Demoralization, however, prevailed
among the old men on the premises,
and the hose in the home was not long
enough to reach to the lire.
No check on this account could be
given the flames. In twenty minutes
the building could not be entered, and
all hope of saving it or the contents
of the home, even the personal effects
of the old veterans was gone.
The Atlanta fire department was no
tified, and Chief Joyner responded
with a hook and ladder wagon from
headquarters. When the firemen
reached the home the entire roof w r as
gone and they could do nothing.
Within an incredibly short time a
grim array of blacKened chimneys,
rising like specters from a smolder
ing, shapeless mass of charred and
twisted debris, was ail tnat was left
of the abode that for the brief space
of four months only had sheltered the
confederate soldiers of Georgia who
claimed it as their home.
The Soldier’s Home was insured for
SIO,OOO. Five thousand of this amount
is with the Hamburg-Bremen and $5 -
000 with the Scottish Union National
Insurance Company.
The work of the people of the state,
coveting a period of nearly twelve
years. Jo provide a home which they
had long owed to the surviving rem
nant of gray-haired soldiers of the
days of ei\lJ strife was swept away
even as the doors had just swung open
to these true and fearless hearts.
The Home, with the additions and
improvements that had been made
thereon, represented a cost of $30,000.
Inside the building were furnishings
to the amount of $3,500. The building
was insured for SIO,OOO and the furni
ture for $2,000. The actual loss, there
fore, is something more than*’s2o,ooo.
The building was a uiree-story frame
McKinley will probated.
Judge Day and Secretary Cortelyou
Appointed Administrators,
At Canton, 0., Monday, the will of
President McKinley was admitted to
probate by Judge Aungst. The court
appointed Judge William R; Day’ and
Secretary George B. Cortelyou admin
istrators of the estate. A joint admin
istrator's bond of SIOO,OOO was filed.
In their application for letters testa
mentary Judge Day and Secretary Cor
telyou say that the amount ot personal
property left by the late president will
he about $140,000 and of real estate
about $70,000, aggregating about
$210,000.
STATE OF DADE NEWS.
structure. It contained seventy-five
rooms, of which sixty were sleeping
apartments.
With the first word of the disaster
the news spread like wildfire through
out the city, and car after car went
to the scene of the conflagration,
crowded to its fullest capacity. From
the heart of Atlanta came one mighty
throb of sympathy for the veterans
who, without warning, had been rob
bed of the home that gave them shel
ter and comfort.
When the officials of the Home real
ized that the saving ot the building
was impossible, they at once set about
arranging temporary quarters for those
who had been occupants of the home.
Colonel Calhoun, the head officer, very
soon after was told tnat the Thomp
son hotel, on Marietta street, had been
rented, furnished, for one month by
The Atlanta Journal as a temporary
home for the veterans. To this hos
telry the occupants of the late home
were taken in afternoon on special
cars, and so far as personal comfort
was concerned, nothing was lacking
that desire could dictate or suggest.
When the Soldiers’ Home was ac
cepted by the state an appropriation
of $15,000 for its maintenance during
the first twelve months was made. To
this was added something like $5,00$
from other sources, this latter coming
in the nature of contributions. Treas
urer Amos Fox said that there is still
on hand about $7,000 of this fund,
from which the bills Oi last month
must be paid. It is said, however, that
this amount will bridge over the needs
for the present until some definite ac
tion can be formulated looking to the
future.
Will Be Rebuilt at Or.ce.
When tidings of the destruction of
the Home had gone out, the sentiment
was uttered with one accord that the
home shall be rebuilt. It was a senti
ment that found a responsive echo in
the hearts of every being within At
lanta’s gates. It was a sentiment that
is destined to go resounding through
out the cities of Georgia and the south
land. The home was a gift from
Georgia to the survivors of the grand
est army that ever faced death in re
sponse to duty’s call, To Georgia be
longs the right to give another home to
take the place of the one that is no
more.
When the flames were at their fierc
est, and even while ihe remnants ■>!
the home had not yet been consumed,
material expressions looking to the
immediate erection of another struc
ture came pouring into the offices if
Atlanta’s newspapers, and ere the last
wall fell, a fund had sprung into ex
istence to give back to the veterans
as a tangible expression of gratitude
that which is theirs by rignt—another
home.
A GHOULISH FAr\E?
Story of Guard at McKinley Vault Is
Now Discredited.
A special from Canton, 0., says: The
officers and men of Company C, of the
Fourteenth United States infantry, on
duty at West Lawn cemetery guarding
the resting place of President McKin
ley, worked diligently Monday inves
tigating the strange story in which
Private DePrend, who was on duty at
the top of the vault Sunday night,
figured so prominently. Tne same re
ticence imposed by military regula
tions which prevented the officers and
men from making detailed statements
concerning the incidents was still op
erative. The representative of the As<
sociated Press saw all of the commis
sioned officers, several non-commis
sioned officers and a number of pri
vates and gleaned the following:
All the commissioned officers and
: the members of the company in gen
eral accepted fully the story related
by Private DePrend Sunday night and
really believed that the prowlers were
about the vault with no good purpose.
Now only one of the commissioned of
ficers adheres to the belief that an at
tempt had been made upon the senti
nel for ghoulish purposes.
WHITE REPUBLICAN ACT,
Members of Party In Georgia Will
Send Petition to Roosevelt.
The fight of the white republicans of
Georgia for less recognition of the ne
gro in the south during President
Roosevelt’s term of office has appa
rently begun in Savannah.
The members of the Savannah Cot
ton exchange have signed a petition to
President Roosevelt asking that when
the present term of John H. Deveaux,
the collector of the port, is out that he
be not reappointed, but that some
white republican be given the place.
TTtFVTOV. G.A FRIDV v. OCTOBER 1.1901.
CREAfI OF NEWS
Summary of the Mart
Important Daily
Happenings Tersely Told.
—The Georgia Soldiers' Home, in the
suburbs of Atlanta, was completely de
stroyed by fire shortly after 8 o’clock
Monday morning. Ail inmates, 72 in
number, got out in safety, but all of
their little effects were consumed with
the building.
—“Fighting Bob” Evan# was a wit>
ness before the naval inquiry court
Monday and went over the entire
Santiago campaign.
—Senate committee at Washington
begins investigation of charges
against Col. Heistand in connection
with alleged Manila hemp combine.
—President McKinley’s will was pro
bated at Canton Monday. The court
appointed Judge Day and Secretary
Cortelyou administrators of the estate,
which aggregates about $210,000.
—Democrats favoring ratification of
new constitution in Alabama are or
ganized and will open the campaign
actively this week.
—Railroads are preparing a grand
display of trains at the Charleston ex
position for the observation of winter
tourists.
—According to a Manila special Com
pany C of the Ninth infantry wa3 al
most exterminated by Filipino rebels
Saturday. Of the seventy-two men in
the company, fifty were killed and elev
en wounded.
—ln a pitched battle between a mob
of strikers and policemen in San
Francisco Sunday seven men are
known to have been shot, one of whom
will die.
—The guard at the McKinley tomb
at Canton claims to have been atteck
ed Sunday night. He fired a shot, and
received a knife thrust from a second
man prowling about the vault.
—Lord Kitchener is banishing cap
tured Boer leaders and confiscating the
property of those still In arms. He
asks for 25,000 more mounted men.
—The people of nineteen Russian
provinces are facing starvation owing
to the failure of the crops. The gov
ernment is taking measures to relieve
the distress.
—Prince Chun, the head of the Chi
nese expiatory mission to Germany,
left Berlin for home Monday. The
kaiser would not permit him to visit
other European capitals or the United
States.
—The empress of Germany is report
ed to be seriously ill. Professor Gls
>hausen, specialist, has been sum
moned.
—The closeness of the first race be
tween the Columbia and Shamrock
greatly raised the hopes of British
yachtsmen as to the outcome of the
series.
—Georgia’s department of agricul
ture has paid into the state treasury
$47,457.19 as receipts for the inspec
tion of fertilizers and oils for the past
fiscal year,
—Saturday’s session of inquiry court
developed the fact that Admiral
Schley’s message was garbled and the
original cannot be found.
—The yachts Columbia and Sham
rock succeeded in making their first
race Saturday. The Columbia won,
but the Shamrock was dangerously
close up.
—Another effort has be*ep made by
Kentucky officials to secure extradi
tion papers from Governor Durben of
Indiana for W. S. Taylor and Charles
Finley.
—A riot occurred at Canal Dover, 0.,
late Friday night between non-union
men and strikers in which two of the
latter were killed.
—The United States will pay no
money for ransom of Miss Stone, the
American missionary held by Bulga
rian brigands.
—Seth Low has accepted the nomi
nation of the anti-Tammanyites for
mayor of New York,
—The United States cruiser Cleve
land was launched at Bath, Me., Sat
urday. The vessel was ( ctiristened by
Miss Ruth Hanna, daughter of Senator
Mark Hanna.
—Owing to light winds the first
race between the yachts Shamrock
II and the Columbia at Sandy Hook
was called off.
—The will ol' the late President Mc-
Kinley was read to his widow at Can
ton Friday. He leaves the entire es
tate, valued at $250,000, to Mrs. Mc-
Kinley. but specifies that SI,OOO shall
be paid annually to his mother.
—Before the Schley court of inquiry
Friday a letter was read from Admi
ral Sampson, asking that counsel
might appear for him. The court re
fused to grant the request.
—According to a Paris dispatch
Russia, France and Germany have
agreed to combine against Turkey.
—Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicara
gua openly giving aid to Colom
bian insurgents.
DISPATCH (iAKHiiI)
The Original of Schley’s Message
Cannot be Located by Court.
CIPHER EXPERT ON THE STAND
He Stoutly Affirms That Message Was
Not Changed, Yet Fails to
Produce the Original t
Copy.
In the Schley court of inquiry Sat
urday Captain McCalla, of the Marble
head, concluded his testimony begun
Friday, and the court heard the testi
mony of Lieutenant Commander W.
H. H. Southerland, who commanded
the Eaglo during the Spanish war and
ateo that of Lieutenant Cassius B.
Barnes. The latter la a cipher expert
in the navy department and his evi
dence was devoted to showing that tho
dispatch from Commodore Schley to
the navy department of May 28, 1893,
saying that he could not, much to his
regret, obey orders of the department,
as printed in the official report, was a
correct translation of the message as
forwarded from the Harvard at King
ston.
Before Lieutenant Barnes was call
ed, Mr. Hanna made a statement con
cerning the two version* of the Schley
dispatch of May. 28. He referred to
the fact that not onty. Uie translation of
thia dispatch, but also translation
of a navy department dispach of May
27 had been called into question. He,
however, gave his special attention to
the Schley message, saying:
“There is no more important paper
before the court than this telegram,
and in order to discount Its impor
tance, in order to weaken its terrible
effect, there have been introduced oa
tho record here suggestions that the
dispatch as printed by the government
is net correct. Now, we propose to
show that that dispatch as printed in
the appendix to the report cf the chief
of the bureau of navigation for 1898 is
precisely word for word as that dis
patch was received by the navy de
partment from the wires and confirmed
by the telegraph company. We pro
pose to show further that that dispatch
as received by the navy department
was cipher word for cipher word as i
left the West Indies. As It was placed
upon the wires at Kingston, so it is
printed in the appendix.'
Original Strangely Missing.
Mr. Raynor cross-examined Lieuten
ant Barnes, first asking him whether
he had any knowledge that th# ci
pher dis.patch in question is a correct
translation of the dispatch that Com
modore Schley gave to Capain Cotton.
"I have no special knowledge that it
was,’’ the witness replied.
“Now, in Admiral Schley’s letter book
I want to show an entry. The word
‘confirm’ occurs. Doe-s not that mean
that the navy department has confirm
ed that dispatch by comparing it with
the original?”
“tt does not mean that to me.”
“What does it mean?”
“I do not know who put it there.”
Mr. Raynor: “I am quite sure we do
not know who put it there.”
The witness: “That was there
when I first looked at the book, so was
also the word ‘canceled’ in some of the
other dispatches.”
“Who has that original dispatch, th"
original English dispatch of which this
is a press copy?”
“I do not know. I suppose that tho
captain of the Harvard has it among
his papers. It cannot be found among
the papers he has turned in at the
navy department.”
Mr. Raynor: "Then we have here
this case: We have a dispatch sent by
Admiral Schley, delivered to Capta:n
Cotton, translated into cipher and you
do not know whether that cipher is a
correct translation of the original and
you cannot tell us where we can get
that original dispatch so that we can
ascertain whether this press copy does
not correspond with the original dis
patch delivered to Captain Cotton?”
"I cannot.”
Mr. Raynor and Captain Parker clos
ed by stating there was no intention on
their part to cast any imputation on
the department.
NEW CRUISER LAUNCHED.
Daughter of Senator Mark Hanna
Christens tno “Cleveland."
The United States cruiser Cleveland
was launched Saturday at the Bath,
Me., Iron works. At a few minutes be
gore noon the christening party, in
cluding Miss Ruth Hanna, Senators
Hanna, Frye and Hale, and Congress
man Littlefield, mounted the platform
at th bow of the cruiser, and almost
at the stroke of noon Miss Hanna,
with a daintily mounted silver hatch
et, cut tire cord and as the big craft
began to move broke a bottle of Amer
ican over the bow, chris
tening the cruiser “Cleveland.”
IJ. T. HKOrfi, Ijlltor m<‘ I* r<j #■ i • *
CZOLtiOSZ EHfcAkb DuV>l
On Reaching Auburn Prison Assassin
Suddenly Collapses and Gives
Guards Trouble.
Czolgosz, President McKinleys’ mur
derer, in tho custody of Sheriff Cald
well, of Erie county, and twenty-one
deputies, arrived in Auburn, N. Y.,
at 3:15 a. m. Friday. The prison is
only about fifty yards from the depot.
Awaiting the arrival of the train
there was a crowd of about 200 peo
ple. Either for * fear of the crowd,
which was not very demonstrative, or
from sight of the prison, Czolgosz’s
legs gave out and two deputy sheriffs
were compelled to practically carry
the man into the prison. Inside the
gate liis condition became worse, and
he was dragged up the staira and into
the main hall.
He was placed in a sitting position
on the bench while the handcuffs were
being removed, but he fell over and
most abject teror. As soon as the
handcuffs were unlocked the man was
dragged into the principal keeper’s of
fice. As is the case of all prisoners,
the officers immediately proceeded to
strip him and put on a new sui* of
clothes.
During this operation Czolgosz cried
and yelled, making the prison corri
dors echo with evidence of his terror.
The prison physician, Dr. John Ge
rin, examined the man and ordered
bis removal to the cell in the con
demned row which lie will occupy
until he is taken to the electric chair.
The doctor declared that tho man was
suffering from fright and terror, but
said that he was shamming to soma
extent.
The collapse of the murder was n
surprise to every one. En route from
Buffalo he showed no indication ff
breaking down. He ate heartily of
sandwiches and smokod cigars whan
not eating. He talked to some and ex
pressed regret tor his crime. He said:
“I am especially sorry for Mrs. Mc-
Kinley."
He reiterated his former statement
that he had no accomplices and de
clared that he never had heard of the
man under arrest in St. Louis, who
claimed to have tied the handkerchief
over his hand, concealing the pistol
with which the president was shot.
He says the handkerchief was not tied.
He went oehind the Temple of Mu
sic, arranged the handkerchief so as
to hide the weapon mod then took bis
place in the crowd. To Jailer Mitchell
he sent this message to his father:
"Tell him I am sorry I left such a
bad name,”
Friday afternoon Czolgosz was in
a normal condition and seemed to have
fully recovered from his collapse.
There are five eells for condemned
men in the prison and Czolgosz was
placed in the only vacant cell, so all
are now ocupied.
HURLED INTO ETERNITY.
Six Men Die instantly and Seven
Others Injured By Explosion of
Bifl Oil Tank.
Six men, and possibly seven, were*
killed and seven injured by the explo
sion Thursday of an oil tank of the
Essex and Hudson Gas Company at
Newark, N. J.
The known dead are: Lawrence
Kirch, William Meyer, Otto Newman,
Alfred Snyder, Nicholas Miller and an
unidentified mau.
Many witnesses say there is a body
in the river, as they saw it hurled
high in the air and thrown in that di
rection,
The tank which exploded was one
of a number of immense steel rcser
voirs which was undergoing its pe
riodical cleaning.
The men began witli chisels to cut
a largo ring in the tank. It is suppos
ed one of the chisels in striking the
steef caused the emission of a spark,
for instautly there was an explosion
like that of a cannon and then a sheet
of flame.
Ten men were on the top of the
tank at the time. They were swept
away in all directions. Miller, Sny
der, the unidentified man and the one
supposed to be in the river seem
to have borne the brunt of
the terrific shock. The three first men
tioned were not badly mangled, but
not a bone in their frames was left
unbroken, says the county physician,
this fact being due to their being
blown many feet into the air and the
force with which they struck the
ground. The tank was rent in twain
and after all was over the bodies of
the three men iu it were takeu out.
FIFTY KILLED
BY FILIPINOS
American Troops Surprised
While at Breakfast.
SAMAR ISLAND THE SCENE
Of Twenty-Twe Who Escaped Eleven
Were Wounded—All Stores, Rifles
and Ammunition of the Amcri- ..
cans Were Lost—Disaster
Shocks Washington.
A special from Manila says: A dis
astrous fight between United States
troops and insurgents occurred Satur
day in the island of Samar, near Bal&n
--glga. A large body of insurgents at
tacked company C, Ninth infantry,
only twenty-two members of the com
pany escaping.
All the others are reported to have
been killed.
The company were at breakfast when
when attacked and made a determined
resist-ence; but the overwhelming num
bers of the insurgents compelled them
to retreat.
According to the latest returns the
strength of the company was seventy
two. The survivors include Captain
Thomas W. Connelly, First Lieutenant
Edward A. Bumpus and Dr. R. S. Gris
wold, surgeon.
Captain Edwin V. Bookmiller, of the
Ninth infantry, reports that General
Hughes is assembling a force to attack
th# Insurgents.
The insurgents captured all the
stores and ammunition of the company
and all the rifles except 26.
Saw Service In China.
Company C. was a portion of the
Ninth regiment of United States infan
try, which went to China at the time
of the boxer outbreak and while there
troops went to Manila and were en
gaged in provost duty in that eity. Dur
ing the past summer a battalion of the
Ninth was sent to Sasnar.
Washington Is Shocked.
News of the disastrous fight between
troops of the Ninth infantry and the
insurgents in the Island of Samar was
sent promptly ljy General Hughes com
manding in that island, to general Chaf
fee, at Manila, and by him transmitted
to the war department. It reached the
department during the early hours of
Sunday and Adjutant General Corbin
realizing its importance, at onoe made
it public, after sending a copy to the
white house. General Chaffee’s dis
patch, which agrees with the Associa--
ted Press dispatch, is as follows:
“Manila. September 29. —Adjutant
General, Washington: Hughes reports
following from Bassey, southern Sa
mar: Twenty-four men Ninth regiment
United States infantry-11 wounded —
have just arrived from Balaragiga; re
mainder company killed. Insurgents
secured all company supplies and all
rifles except 12. Company was attack
ed during morning September 28; com
pany was 72 strong; officers, Thomas
W. Connally (captain), Edward A.
Bumpus (first lieutenant.), Dr. R. S.
Griswold (major surgeon), escaped.
“CHAFFEE.’*
The news created a sensation in offi
cial circles. It was the first severe
reverse that has occurred for a long
time. Still, the officials were not un
prepared for news of just this charac
ter. From Samar, in which the revo
lution started by Aguinaldo still con
tinues. Samar is a country about as
large as the state of Ohio and the
American forces of occupation num
ber in all between 2,000 and 2,500 men.
These are distributed among various
posts in the island, a large number be
ing located at the more important cen
ters. Spain never made any effort to
occupy Samar, and it only has been for
probably three months past that the
United States has undertaken that
work.
The latest report made by General
Hughes to the war department was
that tile number of insurgent rifles In
the island aggregated about three hun
dred. The Filipinos carried on a guer
rilla warfare, and operations against
them were difficult. The disaster to
Company C occurred, it is believed,
while it was engaged in an expedition,
to clear the country of roving bands of
these insurgents. The faot that tho
Americans were attacked while at
breakfast indicates the pluck and dar
ing cf the insurgents.
Immediately upon receipt of the dis
patch Adjutant General Corbin cabled
General Chaffee to send a complete re
port of the fight and a list of the cas
ualties.
Colonel Dempsey Retired.
Colonel Charles A. Dempsey, com
manding the Thirtieth regiment of In
fantry in the Philippines, was placed
on the retired list Saturday after forty
years’ service, >