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About The Augusta daily herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1908-1914 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1909)
THE AUGUSTA DAILY HERALD VOLUME XIV., No. 9 PRESIDENT CHARGES SENATOR TILLMAN WITH GRAFTING FOR PERSONAL GAIN Says That the Senator used His Office to Make Rail roads Give Up Lands that He Wanted. WASHINGTON.—President Roose • It Thursday night made public the details of an investigation by post office inspectors and secret service agents of Senator Tillman's connec on with an alleged “land grab’’ in °rcgon. As he presents the evidence to •iator Hale, in response to the lat ,'s request to the heads of the va ous executive departments for a ’atement of the operations of the "eret service, the president under akes to show: Tillman Used Office. “That Mr. Tillman used his influ ence as a senator in an effort to force the government to compel a railroad corporation to relinquish its control of land grants from the Uni ted States in order that he and his family and his secretary, J. B. Knight, might profit through pur chases of some of the land; that the senator used his government frank ing privileges in numerous instances for the conduct of private business. ’ Comparatively few senators were favored with the opportunity of read ing the president’s report to Senator Hale, but those who did read the re vert' took a serious view of it, al though most of the senators refused to believe that Mr Tilhhan had ever done anything in violation of his cath as a senator. Tillman’s Statement. Senator Tillman did not permit the fact that the president was giving cut charges against him to alter his determination to make no statement until Monday. He said that he could rot make his reply so complete as he would desire for tomorrow’s papers, and that he would, .therefore, with hold whatever remarks he might have to make until Monday, when he would make a statement to the senate. No effort was made by him to con ceal the fact that when he had learn ed the facts concerning tho railroad grant, he had made an effort to ob tain portions of the land in the names of himself and members of his family, but declared that as at most, he could have gotten posses sion of only a few hundred acres, his efforts were, after all, also the pub lic’s and not especially in his own interest. Immediately after the conclusion the chaplain’s prayer Monday, Mr. Tillman will ask the recognition of the chair on a question of personal privilege. Departing from his cus tom of extemporaneous speaking, he will read his statement, thus insur ing more careful adherence to what he desires to say than he would be able to give in an off-hand speech. The communication to Senator Hale is nearly 3,000 words long, and in addition there are appended nu merous exhibits, including copies of letters written by Senator Tillman and his agent, Willik'm E. Lee, show ing that they did make an effort to secure several quarter sections of the Oregon land, and the reports of the post office inspectors who investi gated the transactions of the land agents. It was through this investi gation that the alleged interest of Senator Tillman was brought to light, and fatefully, it appears, that it was at his instigation the inquiry was begun. THREE KILLED IN TENEMENT FIRE NEW YORK —Three persons lost their lives and five were Injured in a fire that swept a tenement on Ninth street Saturday morning. The dead are John Carr, the janitor Jno. Carr, Jr., unidentified man. More than forty persons wsre cut off by the flames which rushed rapid ly up the stairways, but the skillful and daring work of firemen Roach and Maloney with a ladder probably saved all of them. GERMAN KAISER HAS ONE DEFENDER Dr. Burgess Applauds the Recent Interview Given Out to London Papers. WASHINGTON. The German Kaiser "biasing Indiscretion” in giv ing the London Daily Telegraph in terview has at least one conspicuous defender. That Is Prof. Jghn w. Bur gess, of Columbia, who lectured in the University of Barlin a year or more ago. Dr. Burgess applauds the interview because the Kaiser abjured the garments of diplomatic secrecy, and because he called the attention of all nations to these greatest of per ils to civilization and the peace of the world—the suspected purpose of Borland to isolate Germany, and the sufßected future purpose of Japan to cg'TFoI China and middle Asia and slam the open door. "Lincoln,” said Dr. Burgess "de feated Douglas for the presidency by speaking wnat his friends warned him was an indiscretion.” Senator Ben Tillman I"T"- ■■.■■■■ . - -■■■ .Z* Tillman Says He'll Win Out In Controversy With President WASHINGTON— Senator Tillman was deeply engrossed today in his reply to the president’s allegations regarding the Oregon land scandal. The senator this morning said: “I am entirely serene over the sit uation and am confident of my com plete vindication and the president's discomfiture." Asked of the status of Wm. E. Lee as his representative the Senator said that when Lee announced his intention going west to look into the land proposition he asked him to make investigations for him. He re quested him to report on the charac ter of Reeder and Watkins and the quality of the land so that the Sena tor would not be a victim of a “Gold brick scheme," Private Papers Missing From Desk Makes Senator Tillman Mad WASHINGTON—In the preparation of his speech in reply to the presi dent’s charges, Senator Tillman has failed to find a number of papers bearing upon the Oregon land case in connection with which the pres ent controversy arose. These papers were, he says, enclosed in a large en velope and left in his private desk in his committee room at the capl tol when he left Washington last March on account of his illness, but they cannot now be found. The sen ator does not charge that the papers have been abstracted by the govern ment detective who may have been shadowing ium, but does say it would lie BILLS AGAINST SPARTANBURG MEN Nime Yeung Men who were Charged With Rioting in Attempting to Enter Jail to Lynch Negro Go Free. Special to The Herald. SPARTANBURG, S. C. —The grand jury of this county returned no bills against nine young men who were un der bond on the charge of rioting, attempting to enter the county Jail by force on the day of October 10 and take John Irby, would-be rapist, from the officers and lynch him. It will be re-called that an angry mob surrounded the jail and the Hampton Guards had to be called out to pro tect the jail. Several shots were fired and two men were wounded. FOUND YEGGMAN TOOLS ON TRAMP Special to The Herald. CHARLESTON, S. C,—The postof flce authorities may have another yeggman in hand In a rev days as the result of the arrest of Kirby Jacobs, who was arrested for stealing a ride between Charleston and Summerville and upon being searched, was found to have a flash light, bunch of keys, a skeleton Key, wrench, drills, etc., usually carried by yeggmeu. Pending the arriva* of one of the postoffice in spectors, Postmaster Harris has ask ed the Summerville police authori ties who made the arrest to hold the man for examination. Forecast for Augusta and Vicinity—Rain late tonight, or Sunday, rising temperature. AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, SATURDAY AFTERNOO N, JANUARY 9, 1909 Regarding :hp president’s refer ence to his correspondence with the land agents the Senator said Mr. Roosevelt was seeking to convey the impressiofi that a member of con gress hasn’t the right to buy land as an individual. Regarding the abuses of the frank ing privilege which the president charges Senator Tillman said that for years he had sent a typewriter home through the mails by his franking privilege and not until after the Mrs. Minor Morris episode at the White house has any question been raised about it. The Senator says he will make an explanatory speech before the senate Monday. j have been possible for any such of ficial to gain access to his room and | to his desk, both of which were fast ened with only ordinary locks. The papers, he says, are very important in the preparation of his case and would go far to substantiate his de fense. He says not only his desk, but his office has been searched for the documents, but without avaij not withstanding the loss of the data, Tillman expresses confidence in his ability to make a satisfactory reply to the president. “He will be hoist by his own pet ard,’’ declared Tillman sententioualy. 12,470,226 BALES CHITON GINNED WASHINGTON.—The bulletin of the census bureau shows 1 £.470,226 bales, counting round bales as half ba'es, ginned from the growth of 190.'-: to Jan 1., compared to 9,95 J,. r >os bales last year, and 11,741,089 bales the year before. The number of glnners in operation this year are £7,386. SUPPOSED PAUPER HAD FINE FUNERAL Died, in Home of the Poor Man and Left Money in Several Banks. NEW YORK—The Mills hotel in New York is the home of the poor man who has ten cents for a bed. Nevertheless a funeral oosting SI,OOO, and equalling In solemn splendor many of thdsr from the magnificent mansions of Fifth avenue, recently took place at the Mills hotel. Instead of dying a pauper as do most of his comrades in the hostelry. Patrick Milley, who dropped dead re cently, was found to have an estate valued at $9,000. He was buried with ostentatious pomp in Calvary ce metery instead of being carted in a pine box to the Potter's Field, the public burying ground. The dead man, whose body was a' first taken to the morgue, had a l-iece who identified him, and then obtained pertntssion to examine her uncle's effects. Papers in his trunk showed that he had accounts in three banks. APPLICATION POii RECEIVER IS DISMISSED Georgia-CJarolina Furni ture Company Win Out in Suit Brought by J. L. Bowles. I *“ In the United States court Saturday Judge Speer passed an order dismiss ing the application for receiver for the Gccrgia-Carolinn Furniture com pany, brought on December 5 by J. L Bowles against the company and James L. Fleming. The petition was dismissed on a hearing of the de murrer submitted by Mr. William H. Flensing, attorney for the defendant company. Judge Speer at the time of passing the order had the following to say in discussing the case: "The case seems to mo upon the statements of counsel for the com plainant to be one of which the court cannot, properly take equitable cog nizance. it, is admitted that these gentlemen were engaged in business together. Mr. Fleming wished to withdraw from any active participa tion in the sale of furniture, ills in terest in the business was large. An incorporation through the powers of the state superior court was brought about. Shares of stock in Ihe cor poration were issued to Mr. Bowles, a member of the concern. Mr. Bowles was unabie to carry on the business without means. He obtained front Mr. Fleming some $25,000. Whether it was for Fleming’s Interest in the concern, or whether it was a money loan, does not matter. The shares of stock were turned over to Mr. Flem ing as collateral security for that loan. Mr. Bowles then conducted the business. He paid some $37.50 a week to Mr. Fleming. This was lit tle more than sufficient to pay the interest. According to tho statement of complainant's counsel it only amounted to a payment upon the principal of SI,OO0 —one-twenty-flfth of the entire amount, and according to the statement of the defendant's coun sel, to a payment of SSOO, or one fiftieth of the debt due by Mr. Bowles to Mr. Fleming. “This proceeded for five and a half years or more. From the beginning, as it appears from the minutes of the corporation submitted as a part repty to the rule to snow cause along with the demurrer, Mr. Fleming had the right to vote this stock. The power to vote accompanied its delivery to him as collateral for the debt. This is plain enough, because he voted if for a number of years for the purpose of retaining Mr. Bowles as the man ager of the company. Mr. Bowles accepted the position through the ex ercise of such voting power on the part of Mr. Fleming, and thuß ratified and made conclusive that power, even though it might not have been—as it was—expressly set forth upon the minutes of the company, recounting the circumstances relating to the transfer of this stock. “Because in the exercise of that power Mr. Fleming finally concluded that Mr. Bowles was not paying him fast enough, and turned him out by means of that voting power it can in no sense follow that there is a case for equitable interference, and no case for an accounting. The debt Is due. It is admitted that Mr. Bowles cannot pay it. It is admitted that he cannot pay it if he gets his stock, his collateral back. He Is wholly unable to pay it. Now trial courts, and I believe, intermediate courts like the honorable the circuit court of appeals do not try moot cases. The supreme court of the United States may some times do so because of the great force and virtue ascribed to its every ex pression. We can render Mr. Bowles no service, even should all of his con tentions prevail. He might deprive Mr. Fleming of the remnant which he has to secure him in the payment of his debt, and that would be the whole result of the litigation. The court, therefore, cannot entertain tho bill, and cannot help anybody. It sus tains the demurrer, and drops the whole matter.’’ CITY MAGISTRATE HAD VERBAL WAR “Battery Dan Finn” Slings Classic Slang With the Police Commissioner Bingham. NEW YORK.—"Battery Dan" Finn, mest picturesque of the city magis trates, has a verbal war on with Po lice Commissioner Bingham. He says Gen. Bingham was a White House ‘‘major domo,” which he understands Is a sort of head waiter. “He swears by the nine gods of war,” declares the magistrate. ‘‘l have read a great deal of Greek and Roman history and never heard of the 'nine gods of war.’ ” General Bingham’s retort Is a ref erence to the police records, which show that one Daniel E. Finn, de scribed as “Irish” and "white” was six times arrested, the latest date be ing when he was thirty-five years old, and all of the arrests being for assault and battery. The commission er does not contend, however, that that Is the way the magistrate got his nickname of “Battery Dan.” SENATOR PROCTOR EULOGIZED WASHINGTON—The senate devot ed the day to eulogies of late Sena, tor Proctor. This was pension day in the house. PifIIENTATHENS 111 KILLED HIMSELF Special to Tho Herald. ATHENS, Ga. —Former Street Com missioner J. R. Cain, aged sixty, shot himself to death at G o’clock Satur day morning at his homo. His son', Reuben, aged 12, was in the room at the time. Tho bullot entered between his eyes. Ho lias been troubled with Insomnia, ho leaves a wife and three children. niil: REBUILD CITIES ROME —A committee of twelve of the National Italian assembly whioli was appointed to report tire question of rebuilding Reggio and Messina an naunced their readiness Saturday morning and convening the full body for reading of the result of their de liberations. It is known that they will recommend, first that the cities be rebuilt, as soon as possible; sec ond, that the work of clearing away the debrisr be put under government supervision and to commence at once; third, that a special tax be levied, the accruement of which shall be placed first to the use of reconstructing the government buildings. The chamber will likely adopt all of the resolu tions of the report. The Duke of Connaught will ar rive here from Great Britian Sunday. The preparations to receive him which under other circumstances would have been regal in their ex travagance are simple and unostenta tious. TO PROPEL CARS BY STORAGE BATTERIES The Man Who First Ac cmplishes This End will Have His Fortune Made. NEW YORK. —Thomas A. Edison and Frederick W. Whitrldge, lawyer, and receiver of the Third Avenue Railroad system are In a race to solve the problem of propelling street ■ears, by storage batteries. Each is working out a different idea. Not. only will many millions of dol lars be the prize of the man who “gets there first" with a practical storage battery, but untold millions will also flow Into the coffers of the car lines. Not only the surfaev and L roadß and subways will be driven to adopt it, but tho trunk line roads, hy common consent, will have to put. the battery In use. All pow er houses will then be abandoned. Mr. Edison is now at work on an experimental storage battery car which, by agreement with Receiver Whitrldge, he will operate in the spring on Ihe Third Avenue system. Instead of using lead, soft and quick to corrode, he has taken nickel which is tough and enduring. Aban doning the old storage battery plan of using chemicals that give an acid reaction accompanied hy bad odors, he is employing a chemical combina tion with an alkali reaction, free from fumes. The lead storage bat terly lasts but a year. Mr. Edison says his nickel battery will last flvo years or longer. Lawyer Whitrldge, on the other hand, is having an experimental stor age battery car designed and devel oped that will be a combination, so to speak, of the power agencies of gasoline and electricity. COUNT TOLSTOY OWES MUCH TO HIS WIFE The Countess Has Made Possible the Great Work of This Famous Man. PERKlN.—Professor Anuchin’s ar ticle on his visit to Count Tolstoy is concluded in the St. Petersburg pa per, Russky Vledoraostl, In which due credit is given to the devotion of Countess Tolstoy, without, which the Count would long ago have succumb ed to the trials of an author's life 111 Ruasla. The Counteßs has developed her wifely care of her famous hus band Into a positive cult. For a score of years past. Count Tolatoy has lived entirely in the regions of thought leaving everything concerning this world to his able wife. The educa tion of their thirteen children, even the necessary petitioning to secur; the sons at manhood appointments In favorite regiments, to say nothing of the housewifely care of the home and the management of the estate, all have been solely in the hands of the Countess. When the censor refused to allow the “Kreutzer Sonata” to appear, the Countess got the ear of the Czar, and on several other occasions took off her husband's shoulders all the trou ble connected with book publishing, under Russian regulations, a task which daunts many a man. "Whan I ifiarrled ” said the Countess to Pro fessor Anuchin, “I burned my diaries and a novel I had written, and be gan a new life, forgetting all my old dreams,” A sacrifice, Indeed. Fortunately, the Countess later began and has continued a diary of all that can be Interesting about Tolstoy, and her typewritten notes now flil five thick volumes. DAILY AND SUNDAY $6.00 PER YEAR IHTIETII LUNATIC TERROUIZED TOWN J. E. Bunton Shot Up Buildings and Tried to Kill His Family—Held in Savannah on Lunacy Charge. SAVANNAH, On.—J. E. Burton, a resident of Monteith, a station twelve miles on tho Atlantic Coast Line, is in jail here on a charge of lunacy. He was at first arrested for assault with intent to murder, but when the officer saw his condition he decided that Bunton was crazy and had Mrs. Bunton sign a warrant for his arrest. Bunton terrorized the town in which he lived for a day and night before he was arrested. He shot up one or two buildings with a Winchester rifle and threatened ‘o throw himself un der tho wheel of an Atlantic Coast Line train. He Hvpr very near the Coast Line track and his family had to overpower him to prevent him car rying out his threat of self deal ruc tion. This was after he had lost his rifle through the strategy of n clerk In his store, who succeeded in get ting possession of It and hiding It. When Bunton was put in jail Wed nesday night and searched eight long bladed knives wore found In bis pockets. After losing his rifle lie tried for a time to get hold of some of his family to kill them with an axe but did not succeed in doing so. He will probably be tried for lunacy in a short time. MU IS KILLED 111 KDTOJCIDEIT NEW YORK.—Edward Colt Gil man, a prominent Flushing real es tate dealer Is dead and two society women and a chauffeur are seriously Injured as a result of an automobile accideut at Little Nock, L. 1., early Saturday morning. The injured are Miss Jeauett McKlm, Miss Dorothy Whittle, Janies (Iranian, the chauf feur. The front wheel slipped from Ihe axle while the car was going at high speed. The latjies are badly cut and bruin rd while Granian Is probably fatal ly injured. UNION SAVINGS BANK OF MACON MAY BE RE-OPENED MACON, Ga.~An effort to reopen the Union Salngß bank of Macon is now being made by some of its stock holders, but If they are not. success ful in this they will ask for their money back again. Thursday a com mittee was named to Investigate af fairs and to report whether it would be wise or not to reopen the doors of the institution. The bank had a long list of patrons and as it owes no money It Is In good standing and might do well again. The hank was closed temporarily when the Exchange bunk failed, but paid ail its obligations very promptly. If the bank is reopened Macon will have easily her share of such Institu tions. All the banks of the city are making money. Events of The Coming Week NEW YORK.—Among the Import ant. news events scheduled for next week are following: Monday. Electors of each slate will meet at their respective state capltalls to cant their voles for president and vice president of the United Slno-s, cer tify the results and select messengers to take the relurhs to Washington, where they will be formally can vassed by congress on the second Wednesday In February. Executive committee of the Ameri can Federation of Labor will meet, in Washington and agree on plans for the defense of President Gompers, Vice-president Mitchell and Secretary Morrison, recently convicted of con tempt of court and sentenced to serve terms In jail. Committee recently appointed by Governor Hughes to Investigate Wall street conditions will hold another session in New York. William H. Taft will begin the week by addressing a banquet to he given by the Bar association of Au gusta, Ga. New governors will be inaugurated in Missouri, Kansas and Indiana, and legislative sessions will begin Ip Ar kansas and South Carolina. Tuesday Ohio legislature will begin ballot ing for United States senator to suc ceed Joseph Benton Foraker, who retires on March 4. Monster meeting to protest against the sentencing to Jail of the leaders of the American Federation of Labor will be held in Cooper Un ion, New York. Governor-elect Kitchen will be in augurated as chief executive of North Carolina, succeeding Governor Glenn. .1. Kler Hardle, M. P., chairman of (he labor party In the British house of commons, will address the Civic Forum in New York. MOMENT FOLLOWS KNOX’S DEPARTURE Rumor That Senate May Make fight on Mr. Hitch cock’s Appointment is Interesting. Considerably earlier than was gen erally expected Senator Knox finish ed his conferences with Judge Taft Friday evening and left for Washing ton at G o’clock in the evening. Fol lowing tho last conference with Mr. Knox, Mr. Hitchcock, who is gener ally conceded to be slated for the place of postmaster general in the cabinet, bad a long conference with Mr. Taft. It was confidently expected that Mr. Knox’s departure would be the signal for some announcements from Mr. Taft in regard to cabinet appoint ments. This, however, did not prove the case and there is ground for the supposition that Mr. Taft may with hold the announcement of his other cabinet, appointments until the date of his Inauguration. In tills connection the folowlng dis patch from Washington Is of inter est; “Acordlng to gossip about the- sen ate, the hesltnncy of President-elect Tnft in announcing formnlly his selec tion of Frank H. Hitchcock, chair man of the republican national com mittee, to be postmaster general is due to a suggestion that the nomina tion mlghi call out opositton in tho senate. It has heen said rnat if Mr. Hitchcock continued to hold Ills po sition as national chairman, consider able objection would be raised to hts anointment as the h c.\d of the post office department, which has moro Federal patronage than uny other of the executive departments. When Secretary Cortelyou was named by President Roosevelt as the hend of Ihe post office department ho was serving us chairman of the com mltee, but he bad announced his in tention to resign as soon as he had concluded certain business In hand, which occupied three or four months. He retired within a few months, in ac cordance with his promise. "Mr. Hitchcock became first assist ant postmaster general under Mr. Cor lelyou, and he organized postmasters and other Federal employes to a de gree that made him a political power. If the Hitchcock nomination comes to the senate and opposition to confirma tion is raised it Is said an effort will be made to Induce democratic sena tors to take the lead In order to save certain republican senators from em barrassment. "Intimate friends of Mr. Hitchcock declare that in the event It becomes necessary for him to choose between the national chairmanship and the postmaster generalship, he would re tain the former place. They assert that Mr. Hitchcock has a number of attractive offers to enter the commer cial field, Bnd say that It would really be a sacrifice for him to accept a cabinet, place. “Those few senators who would dis cuss this question predicted that the opposition would not be material. There Is reason to believe, however, that. Mr. Tuft Is giving some thought to the possible objection to Mr. Hitch cock’s appointment.” Battleships Ohio and Missouri of ihc Atlantic fleet are scheduled to reach Athens. United Mine Workers of America begin annual session In Indianapolis. Wednesday. Sixteenth conference pf the Foreign Mission Hoards of (he Uni ted States and Canada will begin In New York, with fortv-aevent denomi nations represented. Battleship Kentucky of the At lantic fleet is scheduled to reach Tri poli . Thurhday. Miss Beatrice Mills, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Mills, will be married to the Earl of Granard, a British nobleman, in New York. Colonel George H. Turney will as sume the post, of surgeon-general of the United States army, succeeding Surgeon General It. H. O’Reilly. President and Mrs. Roosevelt will give a formal dinner at the White house to the principal foreign en voys and their wives. National Wool Growers' association will begin annual session In Poca tello, Id. Friday. National Association of Commis sioners of Shell Fisheries will meet In New York to devise plans for the protection and extension of (he oys ter lnd\stry. Technical Society of the Pacific coast will begin annual session in San Francisco. Saturday. Association of Licenced Au'omo bilr. Manufacturers wiil open annual exhibition of motor car 3 and acces s< rice at M t tison Square Garden, New York. Nn'iuna! El ctrioal Exhibition will open In Coliseum, Chicago, to con tinue through the month. Western Golf Association will con vene In annual session at Chicago.
