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The Georgia Record. VOL. I. CHARITY BILL IS AMENDED Porto Rican Measure Changed to Satisfaction of Democrats. THE PRESIDENT IS RESTRICTED Uses to Which the Relief Funds Are to Be Put Must Be Strictly Specified. / The senate Thursday passed the Porto Rico relief bill amended in a •way to meet the criticisms urged against the measure by the Demoerats of the house. The action of the sen ate demonstrates that the members of the house were right in the objections they made at the time the bill was un der consideration there, the Republi cans of the senate themselves indors ing the Democratic position. There were two points in which the Democrats criticised the house bill and on which they based their refusal to support it. One of these was the clause which gave the president un limited power over the Porto Rican funds, not only those now raised, but those which may hereafter be raised. This was insisted upon by the house representatives, but the senate com mittee immediately struck it out. The other provision was the absence of specifications as to the uses to which, these funds were to be put. The Democrats insisted that these should be specified. When the bill came from the senate committee it had not been corrected in this respect. Senator Bacon took it to the house, consulted with Messrs. Richardson and Bailey, and then gvt the senate committee to put in the bill the exact language upon which the Democratic leaders agreed, so the position of the house Democrats is in every way sus tained. After the morning routine Mr. Sul livan, of Mississippi, took the floor to deliver his announced speech on the relations with the Philippines, but at the request of Mr. Allison yielded for immediate consideration of the bill ap propriating for the benefit and govern ment Porto Rico, revenues collect ed on importations therefrom. The debate on the appropriation bill devel oped a decided difference of opinion, as Mr. Jones, of Arkansas, offered as a substitute for the measure a bill to return the duties to those who had paid them and providing for absolute free trade between the United States and Porto Rico. Mr. Jones substitute was as follows: “All duties collected upon articles imported into the United States prior to or since the first day of April, 1899, the date of exchange of ratifications of the treaty of peace between the United States and Spain, be returned to the persons from whom they were collected and from and after the passage of this act no duties shall be collected on asticles coming from Porto Rico.” This substitute precipitated a lengthy discussion of the constitutional questions involved. Mr. Hoar then came forward with a proposition to fix a time for a vote the heated colloquy said no more. There was objection to naming a date and Mr. Hoar postponed his request until Friday. Mr. Hoar then ad dressed the senate on the Porto Rico appropriation. He expressed his will ingness to let the appropriation pass for humanitarian reasons, but took oc casion to repeat his views on the gen eral question of expansion. Before the discussion of the pend ing bill bad been concluded Mr. Wel lington, of Maryland, presented an elaborate argument against the seat ing of Mr. Quay. At 5 o’clock the senate adjourned. Rhode Island Democrats Meet. The Rhode Island Democratic state convention met at Providence Thurs day for the nomination of state officers and the selection of delegates to the Democratic national convention. Na than W. Littlefield was nominated for governor. FOURTEEN LOSE LIFE Fearful Holocaust In a Newark, N. J, Tenement House. WAS THE WORK OF AN INCENDIARY Nearly All of the Victim# Were Helpless Children—House Wm a Ver itable Death Trap. Fourteen persons lost their lives, two persons were seriously injured and many others slightly burned in a fire in Newark, N. J., at 5 o’clock Monday morning. The firemen, after the flames had been subdued, took thirteen bodies from the ruins and while they were thus engaged another victim of the fire died in the city hos pital. One family was wiped out com pletely and of another only the father lives and he is in the city hospital, where it is believed he will die. The building in which the fire broke out was a veritable fire trap. It was of frame construction and extended two stories above the ground floor. Until three or four years ago the structure had been used as a church, but it was converted into a tenement. The lower floor, fronting on 50, 52 and 54 Four teenth avenue, was occupied by three stores and the upper portion of the building was divided into twenty living rooms. As nearly as can be learned, the structure was occupied by ten families, all Italians. Two of the occupants, Vito Credanza and one other family kept boarders, and though the total population of the rookery could not be definitely ascertained during the excitement attending the flrethere were said to be forty or fifty persons of both sexes and all ages in the building when the fire started. The police are confident that the fire was of incendiary origin and they have arrested Vito Credanza on sus picion. There was a disorderly card game in one of the rooms that lasted well into the morning. Credanza was a participant and is said to have made violent tharats against his fellow play ers. A few minutes before 5 o’clock every one in the building was awaken ed by the flames. They found them burning at the foot of the stairs leading from the first to the second stories. The«hallway and the stairs were burning fiercely, cutting off the only egress from the upper floor on which six families lived. It also ent off the escape by the door for those who lived in the rear part of the first floor. Those who could made for the windows. From these they leaped or dropped. The whole neighborhood was awake in at instant and from the burning building came agonizing screams and calls for help. From the basement and ground floor the inmates of the building poured naked, or almost so. From the upper story men and wo men leaped to the sidewalk. By the time the firemen reached the scene the building was wrapped in flames and those who had not escaped were dead or doomed. They must have died within a few minutes for the fire rushed through every room in the building within ten minutes. There was fearful excitement about the burning building. Men, women and children who escaped rushed about almost naked, looking for their relatives. For a time it was thought there were many more lost than the events later proved, because several naked were picked up by neighbors and carried indoors. Thus fathers and mothers missed their children and rushed screaming about. The fire lasted only a few minutes. The search for the dead began within twenty minutes after the alarm was sounded, so quickly was the fire con quered. VAGRANT ACT READ. Would-Be Negro “Emigrants” Forced to Disperse at Athens. A special from Athens, Ga., says: The 300 negroes who have been en camped at the Seaboard Air Line de pot since last Saturday waiting for a train to carry them to Mississippi, were dispersed Monday morning and quiet has been restored again. The vagrant act was read to the “emigrants” Monday morning, and at noon there was not a negro to be seen at the depot. ATLANTA, GA,. S. “PEGLEG” AGAIN ARRESTED. Alleged Labor Agt-nt Is Having Plenty of Trouble On Hand. An Atlanta dispatch says: R. A. Williams, better known as “Peleg” Williams, the man who has been in so much trouble about sending negro emigrants westward, has again been arrested on the fame old charge of hiring negro labor for emigration with out a state license. There is also a warrant for Williams from South Carolina, and still another warrant which is in the hands of the sheriff of Fulton county. Chief Manly, of Atlanta, received a warrant for Williams several days ago from South Carolina, but Williams was not in the city and the warrant was temporarily pigeon-holed. Saturday a warrant came to the po lice authorities from Athens, Ga. Sun day morning Officer Hill found Wil liams just as he stepped from a train at the depot, and the alleged labor agent was arrested and locked up at the police barracks. Later in the day the prisoner was turned over to the county officials, the sheriff having a warrant for him. In the meantime the South Carolina warrant was brought to light, and Williams now has three new charges for labor hiring to answer to. Williams was arrested on a warrant in South Carolina last summer, and he got out of that scrape in some way and came to Georgia. He was arrested on the charge of hiring negroes in Morgan county. The case went against him, and he gave bond and took an appeal. He was again arrested in Greene county and gave bond, the case being postponed to await a decision by the supreme court in the Moigan county case. The prisoner is charged with em ploying squads of negroes for planta tions in Mississippi and Arkansas. There is a state ’4* in Gosrgm, he states, which necessary for a labor agent to haverti 8500 license for each county in wlich he operates. This he considers and unconstitutional. He has appealed his case on the ground that the law is not constitutional and that he can no more be taxed than any railroad agent. Williams does not admit that he is working for the owners of the western farms, where the negro labor is want ed, but states that he is employed by the railroads, on a salary, to induce emigrants to travel over certain routes. GROWTH OF THE SOUTH. The Various New Industries Established the I’ast week. The more important of new enter prises reported during the past week include brick works in Tennessee and Texas; a bridge construction company in West Virginia; coal mines in Texas; two cotton mills in Georgia, one in North Carolina, three in South Caro lina, two in Tennessee and one in Texas; one cotton seed oil mill each in Alabama and Texas, and two each in Georgia and Mississippi; a cracker factory in Alabama; a 8300,000 electric light and power plant in Virginia; an engine and machine works in West Virginia; flouring mills in Georgia and Tennessee; two furniture factories in North Carolina and one in South Carolina; a grain elevator in Ken tucky; hardware companies in Louis ana and Tennessee; ice and cold stor age companies in Kentucky and North Carolina; iron ore mines in Alabama and Georgia; an irrigation company in east Texas; lumber mills in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee; planing mills in Alabama and North Carolina; a plaster company in West Virginia; sandstone quarries in Texas; a stave factory in West Virginia; telephone companies in Alabama and the Caro linas; a tobacco factory in North Car olina; aSIOO,OOO water power company in Georgia; zinc mines in Arkansas.— Tradesman (Chattanooga, Tenn.) FROM CHAPEL TO GRAVE. Goebel’s Body Is Consigned to Earth In Frankfort Cemetery. Monday evening the remains of Governor William Goobel were taken from ihe chapel at Frankfort, where they have been under guard since February Btb, and buried in the plot of ground west of the chapel on the hill overlooking the Kentucky river. The services were brief, consisting simply of prayer and singing. Mem bers of the legislature attended in a body. Memorial services were held in both houses of the legislature dur ing the day. TURDAY, MARCH 11. 1900. TRUCE IN KENTUCKY Taylor Remains In Power White Beckham Acts Governor. LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS SINE DIE i Temporary Peace Patched Up at Confer. ence Between Adjutant General. Collier and Castleman. The legislature of Kentucky adjourn ed sine die at Frankfort Tuesday as- I ternoon. A conference between Ad jutant Generals Collier and Castleman resulted in a perfect understanding being reached. Governor Taylor will continue to act as governor. Gover nor Beckham will make no move to- I ward securing possession of the state buildings until after the court of ap peals has decided the disputed gover i norship. The legislature appropriated 8100,- 000 for the use of Governor Beckham in reorganizing the state militia. This in brief was the situation in ; Kentucky politics Tuesday night. Among the more conservative ele i ment in each party the opinion pre vails that the worst is over and that when the court of appeals renders its I decision the dangers of civil war in the I commonwealth which has been terribly imminent will entirely have passed away. To the Democratic leaders, with a full understanding of the situation, only one cloud appears on the political horizon—that is Governor Taylor’s future course. Governor Tayjor himself will net rontnne hfs plan or action beyond the : statement which he made to an Asso ciated Press correspondent Tuesday that he would “continue to act as gov ; ernor.” Republicans in Governor | Taylor’s confidence, however, say that he will remain in Frankfort in the dis charge of his duties until the court last ■ of resort passes upon the question at is ' sue. Then if the decision be against I him he will step out at once and turn over the state buildings to Governor Beckham. The Republicans will make every effort to carry the dispute into the federal courts in case the decision of the court of appeals, the supreme court of Kentucky, is against them, but failing in this, they will consider the question settled. The Democratic leaders assert that they will cheerfully abide by the de cision of the court of appeals. The legislature adjourned late in the day after one of the most remarkable sessions in the history of the state. In spite of the fact that there was the usual disorder attendant on the clos ing day of the session, especially in the house, considerable important leg islation was accomplished, including the passage of the Senator Triplett resolution appropriating 3100,000 to enable Governor Beckham to “reor ganize, extend the organization and I recover the munitions of war of the state.” The debate on the bill in the house naturally took on a strong partisan tinge, but it finally went through amid wild cheering by a vote of 53 to 13, ' most of the Republicans refusing to vote. The bill is regarded as a “war fund” Iby the Democrats. A bill appropri ating 35,000 for the Covington library, the only bill introduced in the legis lature by Senator Goebel, was also passed. In the senate the bitter feeling ex isting between the Goebel and anti- Goebel Democrats was shown when Senator Carter, president of the sen ate, announced that he would certify to the absence from most of the ses sions since January 30th, the date of Goebel’s assassination, of four anti- Goebel Democrats, thus preventing them from drawing their per diem during that time. The evening trains from Frankfort were crowded with legislators return ing to their homes, and the city is practically deserted by politicians, and, beyond a few soldiers in the capitol square, little remains to show how near Kentucky has been to civil war. APPROPRIATION APPROVED. Tuesday night Governor Beckham approved the Triplett 3100,000 appro priation resolution. NO. 38. BLOEMFONTEIN IS EVACUATED Lord Roberts Takes Possession of Orange Free State Capital. BURGHERS LEAVE HURRIEDLY British General’s Headquarters Are Now at President Steyn’s Palatial Home. Advices reaching London Wednes day announced that Bloemfontein sur rendered at 10 o’clock Tuesday morn ing. The city was occupied at noon. President Steyn, with a majority of the fighting burghers, fled north. General French was within five miles of the place at 5 o’clock Monday afternoon. He sent a summons into the town threatening to bombard un less it surrendered by 4 a. m. Tuesday. A white flag was hoisted Tuesday morning and a deputation of the town council, with Mayor Keener, went out to meet Lord Roberts at Spitz kop, five miles south of the town, making a formal surrender of the place. Lord Roberts made a state entry at ! noon. He received a tremendous ova | tion. After visiting the public build ings he went to the official residence of the president, followed by a cbeer- I ing crowd, w’ho waved the British flag I and sang the British national anthem. ■ They wrTtf .in ei xmnxllHxm • excitement. I On Monday afternoon previous to the surrender there had been a little sniping and shelling, but the enemy j then retired. Lord Roberts has his headquarters at the president’s house and there are many of the British wounded in the building. ROBERTS’ DISPATCH. The following is the text of Lord Roberts’s dispatch to the war office announcing his occupation of Bloem fontein: “Bloemfontein, Tuesday, March 13, 8 p. m.—By the help of God and by the bravery of her majesty’s sol diers, the troops under my command : have taken possession of Bloemfontein. The British flag now flies over the presidency, evacuated last evening by Mr. Steyn, late president of the Orange Free State. Mr. Frazer, member of the late executive government; the I mayor, the secretary of the late gov j ernment, the Landrost and other offi- I cials met me two miles from the town , and presented me with the keys of the public offices: “The enemy have withdrawn from the neighborhood and all seems quiet. The inhabitants of Bloemfontein gave the troops a cordial reception.” LONDON REJOICES. Lord Robert’s dispatch caused a feeling of great relief in London. The absence of the news eagerly looked for had provoked some apprehension dur ing the earlier part of the day that the British had met with a check before Bloemfontein, and anxious inquiries were made at the office in the lobbies of parliament. At Windsor the news was received with much joy. The queen command ed that it be immediately published and she instructed her equerry, at the | dinner table, to send a note to the of j fleers of the household brigade. The battalion was on parade at 10:15 p. m. Major St. Aubyn read her maj esty’s note and called for cheers for the queen aud Lord Roberts. The band played “God Save the Queen.” Wherever Lord Robert’s dispatch was read, his reference to the “late” President Steyn and the “late” execu tive was immediately fastened upon as highly significant. The lord mayor announced the news at a banquet to the masters of the city companies which was in progress at the mansion house. It was recesved with great cheering, the company rising and singing “God Save the Queen.” The evening papers in Liverpool, Manchester and. Glasgow published special editions, causing joyful demon strations in those cities.