WHAT IS THE CHIEF VALUE
OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION?
University and College Presidents Will
Give Their Answers
Next Sunday in The Sunday Call
\ r OLUME CVII — NO: 167.
TAFT WROTE
BALLINGER
LETTER
President Gives Inside History
of His Exoneration of In
terior Secretary
LONG STATEMENT SENT
TO ENLIGHTEN CONGRESS
Draft Prepared by Lawler Under
Instructions Was Rejected
After Consultation
BACK DATING ORDERED
BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE
W\SmSGTQ?!, May 15.— President
TaXt In person tonight took a
hand In the situation concern-
Ing the "Inside" history of his letter
of September 13 exonerating Secretary
Ballinger from the charges of It R,
Gla.vis and authorizing the dismissal of
Glavla
Over his own signature he addressed
a. lonjr letter to Senator Knute Nelson,
chairman of the Ballinger-Plnchot in
vestigating committee. Betting forth in
mlnut* detail th<* sequence of events
following his receipt at Beverly August
IS of the charges of Glavis.
The preeident makes no direct men
tion of the statement of Frederick M.
Kerby, the young stenographer in Sec
retary Ballinger's office, in which the
*tenogTs.ph«=r declared that the presi
dent's letter of exoneration was pre
pared in Ballinger's office s *by Oscar
Uwlfr. assistant attorney general of
the interior department. Tonight's ut
trranr* of Taft was obviously pro
voked by Kerby's statement
Small Part of Draft Used
Taft declared that LawJer did pre
pare «ich a letter as Kerby *aid, but
that he did so by the president's specific
direction. When ha received it he
found, he Fays, that it was not what he
wanted to issue and he wrote the letter
himself in the form In which he desired
It. using from XAwler*s draft only one
cr two general statements.
The president goes still further and
takes up the question of the "back
dating" of Attorney General Wicker-
Kham's summary of the Glavis charges,
*.o which Attorney Louis D. Brandeis
ha? drawn attention. Taft said that
the attorney general's letter was in
fact "back dated" and that this also
was done by his specific direction.
Full Text of Taft's Letter
Following is the full text of the
president's letter:
The White House, Washington,
May 15, 1910.
My Dear Senator Nelson: In the
hearings before the committee to
Investigate the interior department
and forest service, reference has
been made to my decision on the
complaint and charges of Mr.
GJavie. filed with me on the 18th of
August last, against Secretary Bal
linger and certain other officials of
the interior department- The ma
jority of the committee have de
cided my action in this case was
not in the jurisdiction of the com
mittee to investigate. In spit* of
this ruling, references to the mat
ter have crept into the record. For
this reason I deem It proper to
writ* you and state the facts with
such accuracy as my memory per
mits.
Consulted by Ballinger
Glaris* statement and charges
were left with me by him on Au- -
gust 18. ISO 9. I turned them over
to the attorney general, who hap
pened to be In the neighborhood,
and he made notes upon his read
ing 1 . We both had personal knowl
edge in respect to Secretary Bal
; ing fcr' s attitude toward the Alaska
coal claims, which was the chief
subject of Innuendo and complaint,
for Mr. BalUnger had, very early
in the administration, consulted us
both regarding them.
Within two or three days after
the filing of the charges at a meet-
Ing: at which the secretary of the
treasury, the attorney general and
the secretary of the navy were
present, a full discussion of the
Glavis statement was held.
It resulted in a general conclusion '
that jealousy between the bureaus
of the interior department and the
forestry bureau probably "explained
the attitude of the interior depart
ment officials, but that- the intima- '
tionp of bad faith by Glavis against
Mr. Ballinger and the others re
quired that the statement be sub
mitted to them for answer. Ac
e*«-djngly, copies of the statement
•were Eent to Secretary Ballinger,
<\u25a0<» Assistant Secretary Pierce, the
commissioner, Mr. Dennett, and to "
Chief of Field Service Schwartz.
Charges Were Discussed
Mr. Ballinjrer was at Seattle, but
on receipt of the charges he came
to Washington to, prepare, his an-
Continued on Page 2. Column 5
The San Francisco Call.
The Census Roll
Will Be Closed
Here June First
Last chance to be enumerated
for San Francisco. The United
Stales census bureau, 507 Chron
icle building, telephone Sutter
551, toill remain open until June
1,1910. // you have not been
counted for San Francisco, or
knom of any one else, send word
to the above address.
INDEX OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO CALL'S
NEWS TODAY
TELEPHONE KEARNY S6
MONDAY. MAY 16, 1910
EDITORIAL
Mr. Hearst on exhibition as star. Page 6
Refused terminal rates for Spokane. Pa^e «
Th« BalTation of an imperiled burean. Pace 6
Mr. BrwnTs reriew of the Taft administra-
Uoa - • Page 6
CITY
Court to hear witnesses as to alleged attempt*
to fix Flannery Jury. Page 4
Two young m«n marooned by tide on half «üb
merted rock* in bay. Page 10
Victim pursues trio of robbers and alleged
highwayman is caupht. Page 7
Womaa dances off sea wall into bay. drag
ging husband with her. Pagr 9
Grand jury will call for. books to fix respon
sibility for fish monopoly. Page 14
Grand Officers Breuner and Meek to install of
flrcrs of Knights Templar. Page 14
Congregation of St. Dominic"s will hold picnic
Thursday in Fairfax park. Page 10
Two more victims are claimed by rerolrer they
"didn't know was loaded." Page 14
Congress expected to act on Panama-Pacific
exposition at present session. Page 10
Former con-rid fails to identify his "double"
who was Vtlled by policeman. Page 7
Eminent Santa Clara antrotvnner tells of effect
of Halley's comet on camera. . Page 2
Farewell concert of Paul Stelndorff's symphony
orchestra draws crowd to Idora. \u25a0 Page 14
With Impressive ceremony cornerstone Is laid
fcr new First Free Baptist church. Page 10
SUBURBAN
Oakland butcher* boy lays claim to German
barony and title.. Page I
Alameda lodge of Elks op*B« new home with
impressive ceremony. . Page 5
James K. Moffitt may be re-elected president
af alumni association. Page 3
CniTersity girls will dance with ankles bare
in farce in Greek theater. Page 10
Senior pilgrimage today to np»n university
celebration of Jubilee week. Page 3
Alameda county women's clubs plan many
events for the coming week. Page 5
Doctor Wheeler speaks in Baptist church on
separation of church and school. Page ;>
Three physicians rushing to patient are ar
rested for exceeding speed limit. Page 5
Tragedy, comedy, minstrelsy and Juggling
please audience at the Bell theater. Page 5
Rer. G. G. Eldredge delivers baccalaureate
sermon to seniors at state university. Page 3
COAST
Stanford girl students go swimming each
morn at 6 o'clock. Page 5
Harry D. Loveland appointed pay master gen
eral of national guard. Page 4
Millionaire Kent would incorporate the lower
portion of Marin county. Page 7
Los Angeles aad vicinity shaken by series of
heavy earthquake shocks. Page 1
Wealthy ranches is found dead after slaying
htmaelf with his own rifle. Page 1
Ckiah. in gala attire, awaits opening of
Eagles' convention and carnival. Page 7
Sheriff's posse searches, for. Diomingi Bulotti,
wanted for crime two years ago. Page 3
EASTERN
Support glTen by financiers causes improve
ment of stock market." Page 10
Astronomers of world prepare to greet Hal
ley*« comet on May 18. Page 1
Hyde jury retires for night without reaching
agreement in Swope case. Page 3
President Taf t declares that he wrote letter
exonerating Secretary BalUnger. Page 1
Senate regulars begin to talk of compromlsa
at conference with President Taf t. Page 7
FOREIGN
Roosevelt leaves German capital for England
with three rousing cheers. Page 3
SPORTS r-;Q
Fresnoviana take advantage of fielding errors
and win both games. Page 0
Jeff goes four fast rounds with Bob Armstrong
and is in high spirits. Page 8
Six players reach third round in park handicap
Eiogles tennis tourney. \u25a0 Page 0
Mrs. George Isnam of Rio Vista catches 27
pound bass with a line. Page 8
Blufeo.it rides beside colored -rtampian, rush
lnjured man to hospital. Page 8
Shell Mount and National revolver clubs held
shootfest across the. bay. Page 8
Santa Rosa tops percentage column in Central
California class D league. Page 0
David Moir captures annual Century club cross
country race at Fruitvale. \u25a0 . Page 8
Seal* regain prestige with Miller on the
mound, taking two games. Page 0
Jack Johnson starts work* by going eight
rounds at breakneck speed. Page 8
Sloop yacht Geneeta. wins Aeolian club \u25a0 trophy
race; Ruby beats Discovery. Page 8
Vernon takes the fourth straight gamp from
Sacramento;' score is 13 to 5. Page 0
Strong San Fraadsco cricket team taken Into
camp by champion Wanderer*. Page 9
Three day - program -of automobile races '. an
nounced at *lndUnapol!s speedway. . Page 7
Five - colleges " that \u25a0 participated In Berkeley
meet form permanent organisation. Page 8
MARINE
1,500 pieces Vrf '.baggage* from Mongolia ire
inspects Sunday afternoon. ,\ , Page 13
WOMEN'S CLUBS
Clubwoman hope to secure national convention
of 1012 for San Francißcftj||p| Vase 10
SAN FRANCISCO, y MONDAY MAY 16, 1910,
BUTCHERS BOY
LAYS CLAIM TO
GERMAN BARONY
Son of Exiled Warrior Seeks
Restoration of Father's
Title and Estates
Parent of Young Wagon Driver
Fled From Hanover After
Fatal Duel
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
OAKLAND. May 15.— His- high 'de
scent concealed from the world under
the poor grarb of a. butcher's boy, Ar
thur yon Gieglingen, 31 years old, the
grandson of a Hanoverian baron and
the son of a distinguished exiled war
rior, is laying claim to the ancestral
titles and estates of which an affair of
honor deprived his sire nearly half a
century ago. The barony is known as
Schloss-Gieglingen.
In the last year, while the young man
has' driven his butcher wagon through
the streets of this city, there 'has been
secret correspondence between Oakland
and Germany. The result of the ne
gotiations has been that men -of high
position in Hanover have recognized
Yon Gieglingen as the legitimate heir
to one of the richest baronies of that
little kingdom. The lands and appur
tenances which once were held by feu
dal right by the family, it is said, are
worth fully $2,000,000.
Aided by Official
The long research of the last year
into the young man's claims has been
conducted in Hanover by Karl Reichert,
the justizrat at Oldendorff. That of
ficial has been retained by Yon Gieg
lingen to wage the legal fight or to
make the intercessions with the "im
perial government of Germany which
will be necessary to put the butcher's
boy of Oakland in the seat of his fore
fathers. From Reichert has come to
Yon Gieglingen history, connected with
his father's enforced exile which never
before was known to the claimant. ":
Yon Gieglingen has learned that his
family ljame is really not Gieglingen,
but Hodenberg. Arthur, knew that his
sire on reaching America had assumed
a dlpguising: name, -but hi s meager %\
formation was that, the true name was
Hollenberg. He vaguely remembered
having seen papers bearing the words,
"Frei Herr yon Hollenberg." and he
knew that by that title his father was
sometimes addressed.
Confided to Veteran
This fact and the knowledge that his
descent was from nobility -was the
total of the young man's information
when he conceived the idea of reclaim
ing the ancestral estates and titles. He
confided his intentions to J. W. Dutton.
a Grand Army veteran of this city, and
a local writer. Dutton. because the
elder Yon Gieglingen had served in the
union army, took up' the butcher boy's
case and has carried on the extensive
correspondence which has put the dis
carded heir on the road to honor and
affluence.
Franz Bopp, the German consul gen
eral at San Francisco, was interested
arid wrote to Hanover in. Yon Gieg
lingen's interest. Then Richard
Knabbe, an Oakland man. went to Han
over on a visit and he, too, mad©
search for information. Through these
lines Dutton and the young man were
put into communication with the jus
tizrat, who as an authorized official can
make the youth's fight for his lost leg
acies. .
Court Scandals Involved
This tedious search for information
covers a romantic family tale. The
court scandals that are the history of
George, the old blind king of Hanover,
before the days of the new empire, are
part of the narrative. > It was while a
military attache of that ruler's peraon
and soon after his accession to the
barony, that Frei Herr yon Hodenberg,
Arthur yon Gieglengen's father, trained
as a soldier and filled with the chivalry
of the German, forfeited his estates.
One of the high dignitaries of the court
offered an insult to a sister of the dead
baron, an aunt of Yon Hodenberg. The
young soldier, at.onca challenged the
offender, and a duel at night was ar-
Kills His Opponent
The challenged duelist chose swords,
and with the traditional weapon the
contestants met." The baron, who died
in San Francisco several years ago, Has
said that it was not his intention to'
slay the antagonist, but . merely to
mark for life the man {who had in
sulted his aunt. But his foe fought
for death and pressed the j<bung officer
so fiercely that at last Yon Hodenberg
thrust his sword point into his ad
versary's heart.
That night the baron/fled from the
kingdom. His estate was confis
cated. Not. he alone^ was : obliged to
seek refuge ; in a strange land, but a
claimant to the titles and fiefs of the
dukedom of Cumberland and Bruns
wick,, who was a son, of the, blind Han
overian king, was also implicated in
the .« fatal fray, and he, too, escaped
from Hanover. That duke, according
to Yon Gieglingen, is now ; closing his
long 't life in obscurity in Austria. .'.
Fought in Civil War
" The young baron yon Hodjen berg fled
to Prussia. When, the Crimean war
broke out he entered v the~ sultan's army.'
Continued', on Page . 2t2 t Column 7
DRIVER KILLED
AND TWO HURT
BY STREETCAR
Wagon ; Crushed; Woman arid
Her Child Are Critically
Injured
Motorman Blamed for Collision
and Is Charged With
Manslaughter
James Scott, 65 years of age, a dray
man for the municipal school depart
ment, known .for vhis interest in and
knowledge of science, lies dead at the
morgue, and Mrs; Mary Cooney and
her;jfs year old son Willis are serious
ly, if not fatally, hurt, as; a result of a
collision between r the wagon in which
they were seated arid an Ellis and
Ocean car. The tragedy occurred at
Seventh avenue and H street about 3
o'clock yesterday' afternoon. Andrew
Cooney, husband of the injured woman,
was with her on the wagon seat, but
he escaped unhurt. Both horses at
tached to the vehicle were killed.
While the if our, thrown from the
wagon and tossed, into the wreckage
by thY car, lay upon the street, a thief
in the crowd that soon collected stealth
ily opened Mrs. Cooney's handbag,
which was cast some distance away,
and took her purse, containing $12. He
then closed the handbag and dropped
if on the street; again, . and the little
family did not discover the loss until
an hour later. v -\u0084 -,'.
Shock Is Terrific
The shock of the collision was ter
rific, as the streetcar was 1 running at
a very high speed and "it did not slow
down perceptibly ;until the crash came.
All the glass in the front part of the
car was dasheel out, and particles of it
showered over Reuben Preese, the mo
torman. Threats~of violence were made
by the angry crowd when the nature
of the accident; became known, but Po
liceman J. S, Mangan placed the motor
man under, arrest and . hurried him to
the parkpollr^ station, where a charge
of . manslaughter, was placed against his
name..- -.-,. '\u25a0\u0084'\u25a0;\u25a0: ,\ \u0084.v ..:>•;'-'\u25a0 ••'. ..-: •;\u25a0''. i •".
AceorduM^^vX^yewitnQsses and the
iniftiretf -p^'^"./*Ttiems'llves; : tKe" United
Railroads;;,* Liuch to blame for the
tragedy.-' <? ."... i'eyv, was moving from
1301 V&' -. Lyopj jlreet\.to -a'- house he has
just built In Twenty-third avenue, be
tween '. J and X streets. One load of
furniture had already \been moved 'to
the little home the barpenter had.pur
chased, after years of caving, and the
family was riding out with the second
and last consignment. The wagon was
piled high with furniture, boxes and
bales.
Came at High Speed
As the vehicle came up H street after
rounding Golden Gate park at Seventh
avenue it was noticed that a car was
approaching from the ocean. The
wagon was on the outer track and
Scott turned it on the. inner track, the
right hand side of the road. The team
ster and those with him plainly saw
that an outbound car was coming along
the right hand, track, but as it was
more than a block. away when the tran
fer from one track to the other was
made no apprehension was felt.
' "The car kept right on coming down
the slight incline at high speed," An
drew Cooney stated yesterday, "and I
began to get uneasy, as its speed was
not lessened. Surely the motorman
must have seen; us unless he was not
watching the track at all.
"It was too late for us to turn back
on the outer track, for the inbound car
was abreast of us. The outbound car
came nearer and nearer and I saw that
it 'would not stop."
Torn to Splinters
/'.'Hold on, they're going; to hit us!' I
cried, "and then the came."
With a crash of broken wood, the
screams of the injured people and the
splinters' of^ glass the car had swept
down on the-wagoh, crashed into and
through it, scattering its freight of
humans and furniture in a tangled
wreck, and plowed on, crushing Scott
between the car front and the broken
wagon.
The car struck just as the wagon was
all but on the tracks, caving In- the
front wheels, and so- throwing* those
upon the seat to the ground.' 'Such was
the force of the blow* that both horses
were killed. Scott died 'within a few
minutes without regaining" conscious
ness.-; ''" " - • ' . "
Mrs. Cooney was thrown under the
wagon and crushed and bruised as the
car swept*- 'on, -piling, the wrecked
vehicle in. a mass. She crawled out,
however, and then fell *unconsclou«
from a cut and bruised ankle,- a severe
blow in the face, : deep incisions on the
wrists and internal injuries.
Boy Thrown Out
Six y*ar old Willis was thrown to
the 'street, but clear of the wreckage.
He struck on his forehead, and" sus
tained : a temporary . concussion." His
skull may be fractured. '
; Steward William Heffernan 'at the
park: emergency, hospital had the in
jured people under treatment within .a
few ; minutes r after -the '- accident^ oc
curred, for H. J. Smith, the a ambulance
driver, made record time itojL the, .scene".' 1
Steward .Heffernan \u25a0 dressed^ all "the .in
juries, /and worked over 'the* woman and'
;chlld''for two hours.V It is possibieUhaF
Continued on Page 2, Column '0 * w
VIEW OF COMET WILL BE
MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE
\ [Special Cable to The Call] '.
• PARIS, May 14. — Instead of fear at the approach of the comet we
ought to felicitate ourselves that we are going to have so magnificent a
spectacle. No' astronomer, I believe, really thinks that the comet is
a menace to life on earth.' At the same time we must admit 'that the
nature of comets is one of the most obscure chapters in astronomy.
The 'tendency of scientific opinion now- is that comets are gaseous
bodies, and spectrum analysis has revealed in the tall of Halley's comet
the presence of noxious gases. ,
We can not yet be sure that the earth is to pass through the tail
of the comet, but even if it does the gases of which it may be composed
are so attenuated that it does not seem to meat all probable that any
injury to earth or its inhabitants can be caused by such contact.
MICHAEL GIACOBIN,
' , \u25a0 , Astronomer at Observatory at Paris.
TAIL OF WANDERER MAY MISS EARTH
[Special Cable to The Call]
DONVILLE, France, May 15.— We do not yet know with certainty
whether the tail of the comet will be in contact with our planet on the
night of May 18 or not, there being still a doubt as to the actual length
of its gaseous appendage. Still there is nothing abnormal in the length
which has been attributed to it. The precise nature of this tail is not
known, although the spectroscope has demonstrated the presence of
hydrocarbons, oxide oft carbon, cyanogen and azote. It is estimated
that the density of the tail of the Donatis comet in 1858 was 154,000
times less than that of the earth's atmosphere, and the rarity of gases
forming the appendage of Halley's comet would seem to preclude its
penetration into the atomsphere of the earth.
LUCIEN RUDAUX.
Private Astronomer Observatory at Donville.
COMET'S TAIL IS UNKNOWN QUANTITY
[Special Cable to The Call]
LONDON, May 15. — We are quite uncertain as to the origin and
constitution of any comet's tail and it "is very doubtful if the tail of
Halley's comet is long enough to reach the earth. .
It is quite certain, however, that if we do pass through the extreme
of the tail its constitution is so excessively attenuated that no result
will be perceptible, except possibly a faint illuminaion of the sky.
• DAVID GILL.
President Royal Astronomical Society.
MERCHANT STABS
BERKELEY WOMAN
F. \u25a0 Wei n berg of San Francisco
; 'Wour»ds Mrsi Annie Evans,>-
Nickelodeon Cashier '
[Special . Dispatch la The] Call]
OAKLAND, May 15.— Mrs. Annie Ev
ans, cashier in a Berkeley nickelodeon,
was stabbed in the back and slightly
injured by- F. ; Weiriberg, a San Fran
cisco merchant, at San Pablo and Ashby
avenues late this evening.
Weinberg had followed the woman
from the nickelodeon, pressing his at
tentions upon her, arid drew the knife
when his advances were repulsed.
Weinberg attempted to flirt with Mrs.
Evans when she was selling tickets at
the nickelodeon and followed her on
the car she board?d, after the theater
closed, to go to her home at 1509 Rus
sell street, Berkeley. - •
Mrs. Evans alighted at San Pablo and
Ashby avenues and there her husband,
A. B. Evans, and her father, C. E. Helm,
were awaiting her. When Weinberg
saw the two men advance and greet
Mrs. Evans he drew a knife, rushed up
'and stabbed her in the back. Mrs.
•Evans was removed to Roosevelt . hos
pital.
Weinberg ran, but was overtaken and
arrested by Sergeant or Police Wooley
on a charge of assault with a deadly
weapon. The merchant lives, at. Polk
and Sutter streets and conducts a store
at 219 East street. .
BIG HOTEL OPENED FOR
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Santa Cruz Season Commences
Earlier Than Usual
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
SANTA CRUZ, May. 1 5.— The Sea
Beach hotel, the big hostelry overlook
ing the beach, has swung Its. doors open
earlier than usual "this year. This, is
due to the demand for accommodations
owing to the presence in this city of
delegates to grand lodges of the
Knights of Pythias and Pythian Sisters
and the house is •_\u25a0 filling - fast.
The biggest season In the history of
the hotel is looked for. and 'j. J. C.
Leonard, the proprietor, has" prepared
for/ the rush by putting things into
shape. : .
' Many' social functions will-center at
this hotel with Manager Van Zandt In
CITY'S REPRESENTATI VES
CONFER ON HETCH HETCHY
Manson and Professor Marx
Reach Washington, D. C.
[Special DUpalch to The -Call]
WASHINGTON,' May ;15.-^City. :En^
glneer: Marsden' . Manson and; Prof.
Charles D. . Marx of . Stanford university
arrived tonight and joined ;Mayor .'Mc-
Carthy^ arid [Special Attorney E: Ai Lane
in ,^a. ' conference! regarding .Hetch
Hetchy;- They .are % fully." prepared . \u2666 for
th^-'hearlng. before .Secretary Ballinger
"Wednesday -next.' ;"
TEMBLORS SHAKE
UP LOS ANGELES
Series of Heavy. Shocks .Break
Wishes- anS Knock vPlasterV
From Waiis ';' -'\u25a0;'
§ LOS i ANGELES, May 15. — This city
and surrounding territory was visited
today by a series of earthquake shocks
that alarmed many people. . broke
dishes, destroyed .house- ornaments and
cracked walls. ' \u25a0 .
The shocks began about 6:50 o'clock
this' morning and were felt as late as
7:53 here, at the beach resorts and in
Pasadena. Riverside, Redlands and San
Bernardino, where temblors occurred
last Thursday night.
Tourists Alarmed
_ Pasadena suffered the heaviest dam
age so far as reported. Several build
ings were cracked and plaster fell from
numerous ceilings. On Mount Wilson,
where the Carnegie observatory is sit
uated, the tremors alarmed many tour
ists who had climbed the peak to get
views of the comet.
The quake came as a double shock
with a swaying motion which gave the
mountain climbers a sensation of sea
sickness. The mountain top j rocked
perceptibly.
At Long beach the strand was
washed by a small tidal wave just after
the first shock there, shortly before 7
o'clock. Another tremor followed and
then the ocean, which had been un
usually boisterous all morning, fell
suddenly fiat and became for more than
an hour as smooth as a bay in a calm.
'Rush From Homes
In this city and In Riverside many
sleepers ware awakened by dishes
clattering from shelves ' to the floor.
Residents rushed out of their houses.
No serious damage was reported.
A second shock visited Riverside
shortly after noon. Both tremors were
heavier than the quake which shook the
orange' belt on Christmas day, 1899.
Felt in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, May 15.— There was «
sharp "earthquake shortly before 8
o'clock this morning. First camj a
light shock' lasting for a few seconds.
Scarcely .had the trembling subsided
when there came a heavier shock,
which also- continued for a few seconds.
So far as known, no damage was done.
SUICIDE DEVISES HIS
OWN DEATH WEAPON
Wealthy Rancher Equips Rifle
With Automatic Trigger
BAKERSFIELD, May 15.— After hav
ingidevised a peculiar arrangement of
cans \u25a0 and harness to conveniently dis
charge his shotgun and in other ways
making, elaborate preparations for' his
death Jean Joseph Isnard, <a wealthy
land. owner. and resident of the" French
settlement at Delano, committed suicide
last .Wednesday by sending a bullet
through his head.'- - -
{ ,; Isnard\s body wag discovered today
by neighbors, who broke into his house
after, noticing his 'absence from his
usual haunts. * * * ' .".,'
Isnard -rigged his rifle in a lard can,
clamping^the butt of the gun and tak
ing .his place upon a pile of other cans
so -that the bullet^ would strike him In
the" mouth and penetrate his brain. The
trigger/ was released by an improvised
automatic spring.
77/£ WEATHER
YESTERDAY — Clear; /southwest -ami;
' maximum temperature, 87 ; minimum, < 5 6.
FOR TODAY— Fair: conun
2^6e<r warm; light north wind, changing to
west wind.
i'-c/jO :x < mm-. : - c .
'^iffiLGE FIVE CENTS.
SCIENTISTS
WILL GREET
HALLEY'S
COMET
Earth Will Bristle With Great
Battery of Telescopes
and Rapid Fire
ASTRONOMERS DIFFER AS
TO EFFECT OF WANDERER
Prof. Hall Talks of Shower of
Meteorites as Though It
Was Merely a Rain
storm
TAIL SAID TO BE ONLY A
CELESTIAL SEARCHLIGHT
WASHINGTON. ' May 13.— Halley-a
comet will be greeted "Wednesday on
its closest approach to the earth by a,
bristling- battery of telescopes, flanked
by rapid are .lenses in the celestial
cameras of the naval observatory.
Elaborate calculations have been made
as to the minute and second the comet
will be at a given place in the heavens,
where it will be observed and photo
graphed.
Among the scientists there is some
difference of opinion as to the effect
the great star will have on the earth,
but the differences are minor. Pro
fessor Asaph Hall of the naval ob
servatory would not ba surprised if
there were a shower of meteorites. He
advanced his theory with the same
calmness he would prophesy a shower
of' rain.
No .Disturbance Expected
" Others, and they appear to be in the
majority, expect no disturbances. Ed
win F. Xaulty-of New York, takes is
sue with Professor Hall and contends
the- tail of the comet is composed nei
ther of gas nor of meteoric bodies, and
that such a shower as Professor Hall
deems possible could not follow.
"The tail of Halley's comet, to all
intents and purposes, is a celestial
searchlight," said Naulty today. 'The
tail •is nothing more than sunlight
condensed from radiant solar energy
and processed through the solar sys
tem, precisely as a lens focuses, con
denses and transmits light."
He says the tail of the comet Is not
composed of gas or of minute particles
of matter or of meteoric bodies.
The entire solar system, Naulty says,
is filled with gases in varying states of
density. All these gases, poisonous and
nonpoisonous, are prisenf in the
earth's atmosphere in dense form. The
changing spectrum of Halley's comet.
according to Naulty's theory, is due to
the fact that as the comet's great "tall"
of light sweeps through various parts
of the solar system it lights up differ
ent layers' of gases, conveying the im
pression the tail itself is gaseous.
Naulty says the spectrum of reflected
sunlight is always present in the h.sad
and tall of the comet, thus proving that
both parts of it are made visible by
sunlight alone.
Earth's Effort Causes Tremor
"The sweeping of this cometary cone
of solar force does cause disturbance in
the solar system," said Naulty. "The
earth' and all the planets are affected,
not only when they come within the
aotual cone, as the earth will do on
Wednesday, but also by the ethereal
waves set In motion by the comet's tail.
It is the constant attempt of the earth's
mass and its atmosphere to adjust
themselves to this disturbance that has
caused the prevalent earth tremors,
storms and other phenomena.
"The climax will be reached this
week. There will be no collision of the
earth and comet, nor will the earth be
enveloped in poisonous gases. The ef
fect of the passage may be to cause
great condensation of, atmospheric va
pors, so that automatically the earth
will be provided with a sort of shield
which will act like a lead screen used
to protect X-ray operators".
Comet Nearest May 18
."When the. comet approaches \u25a0 near
est the earth on May 18 the moon wiir
be full and the, conflict of her rays will
make observations of the comet more
difficult than if there were no opposl-t
tlon.-Jlii
"At the naval observatory the scien
tists have been watching the comet*
through powerful telescopes every
morning ju«st before sunrise, when it
is - brightest. The observers each day
can note the broadening of the tail and
, the enlargement of the head. The
heavenly body will Increase in apparent
size and brilliancy until -Wednesday,
when it will begin to decreased and, in
a few weeks will disappear into spac*.
not to be 'seen again for nearly a cen-
Luminous Display Expected
BOSTON. - May 15.^Agfeelng tKat- ni^'
harmful effect is to be experienced on\