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EVERYBODY 10 PAGES NEEDS IT. EVERYBODY 10 PAGES READS IT. J LAST EDITION. MONDAY EVENING. TOPEKA, KANSAS, DECEMBER 26, 1904. MONDAY EVENING, TWO CENTS. TERMS JEJEGTED. Gen. Stoessel Offers to Sur render Port Arthur. If Garrison Re Permitted to Re turn to Russia. GEN. NOGI DECLINES. And Ills GoTeinment Proceeds to Raise Another Army. Tokio Is Once More a Great 31 Hilar j Camp. Nagasaki, Dec. 26. A message from Dalny reports that the Russians at Port Arthur have proposed to surrender on terms which Gen. Nogi has refused. The terms were that the garrison and ships be allowed to return to Russia. Another Bis Army. Tokio, Dec. 26 Tokio is again a great military camp, and the scenes of last spring, when the first armies were mo bilized and sent out are being duplica ted. Thousands of recruits and reserv ists are assembled, drilling and equip ping preparatory to taking the field. The permanent and temporary barracks are filled and it is necessary to billet the soldiers brought to the city. Aoyama field is the center of activity, where infantry, cavalry and artillery ale constantly drilling. The batteries fire biank charges for the purpose of breaking in the new horses. The gen eral military preparations are enor mous. It is planned to give Field Marshal Oyama a rough total of half million men with a heavy increased artillery army, besides providing a defense for Formwa tnd l he Southern islands in anticipation of the Russian second Pacific squadron's Attempt to seize a base. The port of Kelun.? in Formosa has been declared in a state of siege and ether positions in Forme sa and the Pescadores are progrrtsing. Winter is not interfering with the Jnparcse transport service. The rail way between Dalany and Yentai is working well and the running tim be tween Tokio and Liao Yang is six days. SEVEN KILLED. Two Passenger Trains Meet in Collision on the Southern. Louisville. Ky Dec. 26. The pas senger train which left St. Louis at 9 o'clock Saturday night on the South ern railway collided head-on with the rassenger train leaving Louisville about the same hour, near Maud's Station. 111. One passenger and six employes were killed and two pas sengers and eight employes injured. The St. Louis-Louisville and the St. Louis-Knoxville sleepers were drawn by both trains, but none of the pas sengers in these four cars were in jured. Both engines were badly dam aged and four coaches destroyed. The collision occurred between Mount Carmel. 111., and Princeton, Ind.. and according to the Southern railway officials was caused by the failure of the operator at Brown's, 111., to deliver to the east-bound train an order naming a meeting point for the trains. All of the employes, with the excep tion of the trainmen, were in the com bination baggage and smoking car. The Icad. CHAP.LES SCHMIDT. Centralia. 111. KNCIXEKR hUVVEX, Princeton, Indiana. FIREMAN CIIAS. IIUTT, Prince ton. Ind. MAIL CLERK H. D. HOGAN, Georgetown, Ind. SF.CTIOX FOREMAN UXDER WOOD. Princeton. Ind. EMPLOYE HENRY OSKIN, Tenny Bon. Tnd. EMPLOYE JOHN HUDSON. Tlie Injured. Albert McXelly, Princeton, Ind.; bruised. Albert Oskin, Tennyson, Ind.; ankle sprained. Express Messenger C. D. Minter; broken leg. Employe Eugene Corlton, Dale, Ind.; hurt internally. Conductor W. H. Beatty, Louisville; shoulder dislocated. Mail Clerk M. G. Mitchell, St. Louis; hip injured. Employe Cyrus Hutchinson, Tenny son. Ind.: slipht. Express Messenger J. A. McWil linms. St. Louis; slight. Flagman Joseph Lowe. Section Foreman Henry Austin. FIGHT A DUEL. Tvm Italians Shoot Fntll One of Them Falls. New York. Dec. 25. A fatal duel has been foufrht in West Farms square, borough of The Bronx, between two Italians. Fully 200 people saw the battle, which occurred in tiif street at the terminus of a trollev line. Many were within a few feet of the combat ants but ran away screaming. The duelists alighted from a trolley car after a quarrel. Both drew re volvers, backed apart, and began shooting without preliminaries. Sev eral shots had been fired when one of the men fell with a bullet through the head. A policeman arrived and gave chase to the uninjured Italian Several times the officer fired at the fugitive, who finally fell and was cap tured, but showed no wounds. The cause of the duel was not learned. rXIOX PACIFIC CHANGES. a. M. Gruber, Former Topeka Man. Is Slated to Go to Oregon Short Line. Important changes, it is said, will be made in the management of the Har riman lines on January 1. W. H. Ban croft, general manager of the Oregon Short Line, is to be made general man ager of the Southern Pacific at San Francisco, in place of W. H. Thrall. He is to be succeeded by J. M. Gruber! general superintendent of the Union Pacific at Omaha. W. L. Park, su perintendent of the Wyoming division. Is slated to succeed Gruber at Omaha. FEDFIIATIOX OF CIIVKCIIES. One Planned to Include All Presby terian Bodies. New Yprk. Dee. 26. Official an nouncement is expected this week ac cording to the Times of the details of the plan whereby it is hoped to bring aii the religious bodies of the United States having a Presbyterian form of government into one organization which, while not providing organic union, shail afford a basis for co-operative work that has not heretofore existed. The plan provides for the organization of a federal council of the reformed churches of the United States of America holding the Pres byterian system." The plan of federation, if carried out, would bring into one organization the two million or more members of Presbyterian and reformed churches and will be made public this week in order that it may be thoroughly dis cussed and may be acted upon in the synods and assemblies of the various bodies next spring. LONGEST FLIGHT. Ever Made in America by an Airship. Los Angeles, Cal., Dec. 2 6. Captain Baldwin's balloon, "The Arrow," piloted by Roy Knabenshue, made the longest flight yesterday ever made in America by an airship. Starting from the southern part of the city "The Arrow" moved across the business sec tion toward Pasadena. The distance covered is estimated as between twelve and fifteen miles. Mr. Knabenshue says his motor was going most of the time at a rate of fifteen miles an hour. "The Arrow" remained up for an hour and a half, returning to a point near the starting place. The flight was successful in every respect. Several times the operator stopped to make evolutions in the air, showing the machine to be under per fect control. The previous record for an American airship was ten miles, made by "The Arrow" at St. Louis. The wind was blowing from ten to fourteen miles an hour. . In descend ing the aeronaut encountered a ground current of wind, going at the rate of about twenty miles an hour. The gasoline motor of the balloon can make but fifteen miles and the driver was obliged to land at Pico and Stan ford streets, twelve blocks from the starting place. As showing that the principles? of construction made use of in the bal loon are correct the trip was a com plete success. Mr. Knabenshue trav eled the greater part of the time at an elevation of half a mile, where he found the wind not too strong for his motor and demonstrated that the plan of the machine was beyond question one that, if added to by increased power, would solve the requirements of aerial navigation. When Captain Baldwin gave the word to loose the airship shortly after 3 a'clock the trail rope was untied and the ship rose rose clear in the air with such grace as to call forth a cheer from the 5.000 persons who were watching. Knabenshue stood on the frail frame work, grasping the tiller ropes, and coolly nodded assent to Baldwin's shouted instructions, "Don't speed the motor until you get 500 feet up." As the ship rose over the heads of the spectators the bow was pointed almost due north, the wind being northeasterly, its speed at the surface being estimated at about twelve miles an hour. Knabenshue evidently was feeling the temper of hia craft, for he shifted the helm as he steadily rose, sending its nose to the right and the left and shifting his ele vation, but constantly increasing his heisrht. After about half a mile on his start ing course the aeronaut shifted readily to the northwest and showed some very pr-ty naigar.on in- his attempts to tack against the sea breeze which was directly in his face. Several times he tried his .ngines dead ahead in the face of ihe wind bu it was too strong for the plucky little two cylinder motor, and even by veering and taking the t-reoze at a loig angle he could not make "he way n -eded. At this juncture he rose still higher, and seeking a more amenable current, traveled northerly at about three or four miles, and, turning as readily as a catboat in a good breeze, sailed easter ly and southerly, intending by a long loop to return to the starting point. The evolution was well worked out and the skilled aermanship showed won instant admiration. Slowly but surely Knabenshue forced the little craft back to the south, veer ing away to the east when the wind struck the sides of the swaying gas bag too strongly. As soon as the gust would pas back to his course he would bring the ship around, until hehauled it within a couple of blocks of bis starting place, but something more than half a mile in the air. He scored the most interest ing part of his evolutions, winding up and down and then letting just enough gas escape to aid his maneuvering. As he approached the 500 foot level Knabenshue found himself in an air current of about twenty miles an hour. This his little motor could not stem. He had descended too low to enable him to rise above it, and the hour was grow ing late.so he evidently decided to make the best landing he could. He still had control of his ship.and -was near enough to the earth to enable sharp eyes to de tect him peering over the slender rail of the craft, seeking a suitable place. While he hepded toward the Chutes park the wind carried him north by east and finally he reached ground at a dis tance of twelve blocks from where he started. He secured the ship to the telegraph poles without injury to it or himself and slid down the trail rope. BANliTwmSKERS. Employes of French Government Must Shave Clean. New York. Dec. 26. A peremptory decree reported to have been made by the minister of foreign affairs com manding that all employes of the for eign department, high and low. shall shave off their moustaches and beards, has created considerable excitement, says a Paris dispatch to the World. Protests from the federation of gov ernment employes are said to 'have brought the reply that even the mous taches of the employes were at the service of the state. The federation has now appealed to the society for the protection of the rights of man kind. T?cv. .Tohn MacKenzie Bacon Dead. London, Dec. 26. Rev. John Mac Kenzie Bacon, lecturer, scientist and aeronaut, is dead at Cold Ash, New bury, of pleurisy, aged 68 years. SHOOKJALIFAX. Explosion of a Powder Plant Ten Miles Away. Kocks Erery Building In the Nora Scotia City. SEVERAL LIVES LOST. Seven Hundred Cases of Pellet Powder Blew Up. A Number of Workmen Were About the Premises. Halifax, N. S., Dec. 26. A terrific explosion shook the city of Halifax to day, the buildings rocking as if affect ed by an earthquake. A report reached here from Waverly, 10 miles away, that the concussion was caused by the blowing up of the plant of the Acadia Powder company at that place. A telephone message from. Waverly later confirmed the report that the powder works had blown up. It was believed that several lives were lost. The explosion occurred in the dry house of the plant, which contained seven hundred cases of pellet powder. A number of workmen were about the premises before the explosion took place. ON THE SHOALS. British Freight Steamer Goes Ashore on Fire Island. New York, Dec. 26. The British freight steamer Drumelzier, which sailed from New York yesterday for Havre, Dunkirk and Swansea, went ashore on a shoal off the point of Fire Island bar at 7 o clock last night and had not been floated this forenoon. The crews of the Fire Island and Oak island life saving stations went to the assistance of the stranded steamer as soon as her predicament was dis covered about daylight today. When the life savers reached the steamer shortly after daylight today they found that she was lying well out side of the breakers and as only a moderate sea was running was lying easy without pounding. The Drumelzier arrived in New York from Baltimore, December 18, and took on board a general cargo for Havre and Swansea. She is com manded by Captain Nicholson and carries a crew, of about thirty men. CANT HAVE CHADWICK. Extradition Papers Not Honored in the Doctor's Case. Albany, N. T., Dec. 26. Sheriff Barry, of Cleveland, O., was refused an extradition warrant for Dr. Leroy S. Chadwick at the executive chamber here this morning. The ground of re fusal was that his papers failed to prove that Dr. Chadwick was in the state of Ohio March 5, 1903, when the forgery of the signature of Andrew Carnegie, in which he is accused of having been concerned with his wife, Mrs. Cassie L. Chadwick, is alleged to have been committed. Sheriff Barry went on to New York. ORIGINAL GOLD BRICK MAX Is Reported to Have Died at a Penal Settlement. New York, Dec. 26. A report has reached this city that Thomas O'Brien, the notorious confidence man and alleged inventor of the "gold brick" swindle, is dead in the French penal settlement at Cayenne, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of his partner. Kid Waddell, in Paris in 1895. O'Brien's career was a remarkable one. He was born 5 3 years ago in Chicago, and aided by an attractive personality managed to make an unenviable record. Many bold swindles running into -the thou sands were credited to his genius. Nosebleed Causes Death. New York, Dec. 26. Nosebleed has caused the death of Edward Murray, 17 years old, a clerk living in Brook lyn. He returned from work Christ mas eve in his usual health but awoke in the morning with a severe head ache. A few hours later blood began running from his nose. Doctors were called but could not stop the flow and Murray soon died. i Mil fp LARGER BUSINESS Holiday Shopping Greater Than That of last Tear. Topeka Merchants Well Pleased With Christmas Trade. VOLUME WAS DOUBLED In Many Stores Sales Were Twice Those of 1903. Stores Were Kept Open Satur day Night Until Midnight. The Topeka merchants say that they did a larger business this Christmas than in 1903. In many instances the volume was doubled. Practically the same report is made on every hand, that people had money to spend and spent it freely. Most of the Christmas shoppers bought large quantities, and good stuff, meaning that Santa Claus provided his subjects with valuable presents. The good weather worked in two ways. It cut down the sale of cloaks and furs, blankets, comforts and kin dred warmth giving material. On the other hand it gave buyers a chance to get out at any time of ' the day or evening to make thier purchases. Good weather invariably means good trade, and the gods of snow and rain stayed conveniently in the background this year until the buying was over. The business on last Saturday night was exceptionally fine. At many places the stores remained open until almost midnight to handle the trade. Many people do the bulk of their holiday buying on Christmas eve, and last Saturday night was not an exception to the rule. Short interviews from a number of the stores in Topeka are herewith given: W. W. Mills, Mills Dry Goods com pany: "Our trade was better this year than last. Every department averaged better. People seemed to be inclined to buy more. They seemed to want nicer stuff. They had money and were willing to spend it." Warren M. Crosby, Warren M. Crosby Dry Goods company: "The total result at our store was an im provement over last year in every de partment, save that of blankets and comforts. Here there was a falling off. In the cloak and fur department, however, despite the warm weather, an improvement was ghown. But tak ing it all the way through it was a good Christmas." J. W. Robinson, I'obinsjan-Marshall and Company: "Our sans were 40 per cent heavier than last year. We did a heavy business. m 1903, but this time we beat -all our' previous records. We never had such a trade before. It commenced the middle of the month and went at full blast until Saturday night." J. W. Rodman, Rodman, the Florist: "My trade was very good this year, and a big improvement over last Christmas. Lots of flowers were ship ped in. The sales were heavy." E. H .Crosby, Crosby Dry Goods company: "Our trade was very good, but fell off in the cloak and fur de partments from last year because of the warm weather. But in the other departments a gain showed itself. All in all the season was a good one." E. J. Emahizer, Emahizer & Spiel man Furniture store: "Our trade was double that of last year. It was the best business we ever did in Topeka. That probably is due largely to our bet ter location and better chance to show off our goods." D. J. August, August Clothing Co.: "We did twice as much business this Christmas than in 1903. On Saturday we sold more suits than in any one day since we have been in the state of Kan sas." H. A. Auerbach, Palace Clothing com pany: "We had the best Christmas sales we ever had. The trade was unusually fine." C. H. Morrison Jewelry store: "Our trade was very fine. The sales were very heavy." Jones Dry Goods company: "Our Christmas trade w-as up to expectations In every particular. We had a very fine business.". Weather Indications. Chicago, Dec. 26. Forecast for Kansas: Generally fair tonight and Tuesday, ex cept snow in east portion tonight: cold wave tonight; brisk to high northwest winds. Temperatures in Large Cities. Chicago, Dec. 26. Temperatures at 7 a. m.: New York. 26: Boston, 18; Phila'del phia, 24: Washington, 26; Chicago, 32; Minneapolis, 24; Cincinnati, 42; St. Louis, 48. At the Salvation Army Hall. CZlMEBjgV gHftlsilrUAS.Xl n iflniiiiiVr i n S' 1 ! H tf rf Where Dinner Was Seerred to 1,000 Poor. DINNER FOR 1,000 Salration ArmySpreads a Bown tiful Board for Poor. Eire Long Tables Loaded With Good Things. REMEMBERED ORPHANS William Sells Looks Out for Homeless Little Ones. How the Hay Was Obserred at Charity Institutions. A bill of fare consisting of roast beef, turkey, chicken, rabbits, spareribs, corn, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, . pickles, cheese, celery, cake, bananas, oranges, apples and canned fruit of all descrip tions, bread and butter, and finally cof fee to top off with and the finishing touch of 20 pretty Salvation Army las sies acting in the capacity of waitresses, would arouse even the jaded appetite of an epicure. And when the guests invited to par take of the bountiful spread are not epicures but hungry men, women and children to whom the hand of fullness is extended but seldom, you can imagine what happened to that spread which the Salvation Army gave today from the hours of 11 this morning until way Into the afternoon. It was bleak and gloomy outside but in the dining room improvised by the Army at the Salvation Army hall it was all warmth and cheerfulness. Waitress es were scurrying about with trays la den to the brim treading on each oth er's heels in the endeavor to supply the insistent demands of the crowds seated at the five long tables extending across the reach of the room. Back of the scenes, as it were, in the kitchen large bustling housewifely women were hov ering over the pots and keetles prodding to see of the turkey was completely browned or the potatoes sufficiently cooJfed. Everything was on a large scale. The potatoes were cooked in large metal wash tubs, the meat in great pans that looked ample enough to take care of an army of people. It was an army to that was being fed for provision .was made for 1,000 guests and before the first call to dinner was announced several hundred had crowd ed into the dining room watching with impatient eyes the tables with which were receiving the finishing touches. The little amenities were not forgotten in the rush. napery of the whitest covered the rough pine boards and the plates and other dishes were arranged with as much care as if the guest were the most honored in the land. It was a motley crowd that asked ad mittance, the old and young were there. The grizzled face of care and the mis chievous face of the street gamin. Over against the stove, which was in the cen ter of the room, a young mother upon whom the hand .of poverty had rested heavily was endeavoring to quiet a nervous child which cried with insistent voice. She was bent prematurely with the cares of motherhood, the romance of life had taken wings. Still it was a cheerful crowd in the main and what had been their lot was evidently taken philosophically. The money for the dinner was collect ed all over town, the passerby on the streets and the housewife had been so licited and responded liberally until the amount collected represented in the neighborhood of $400. Everything, al most without exception, was pail for and the donations of food were t.he ex ception. Eight turkeys, 25 pounds of spare ribs, 200 pounds of roast beef, 100 chickens and 125 pounds of rabbits made up the meat bill. The other amounts. Captain Stinnet in charge stated, he had no definite idea were represented by what figures. The dinner was thrown free to anyone who cared to come and no questions were asked. Tickets had been given out for the past week to those who asked, to the frequenters at the meetings of the army and to those who p'resented themselves at the doors in the morning. REMEMBERED THE ORPHANS. Christmas at the Orphans' Home was a great treat for the children. As usual William Sells, the show man, proved himself to be the chief donor. He was out of the city and sent a telegram to the president, Mrs. J. F. Daniels, to give the children a good time at his ex pense. So a big dinner was prepared for the eighteen waifs at the home, and some articles of clothing provided for each one of them. Enough provisions remained over to last the youngsters a week. The other outside contributions were not as lare this year as last. At Crittenton's Home, the inmates were the recipients of a gift of provis ions and fruit from Rev. Lee's church got lin Wanamaker. The donations were large. At Ingleside the holiday was made much of, and friends provided the eld ladies with many gifts. A big dinner was served. The inmates of the home presented Mrs. Jonathan Thomas, the president, and Mrs. M. E. Dowdine, tne matron, with handsome vases. The girls of the sewing school and their brothers were entertained on Sat urday afternoon at the rooms of the Topeka Provident association with a Christmas tree and treats. On Tuesday night tne fathers and mothers of these children will be similarly entertained at the same place. NOT MRlMONTH Gorernor Hoch Will Announce No Appointments at Present. Ex-Congressman Simpson Op posed to Mew Mexico Statehood. Governor Hoch has given it out that no more appointments will be made for a month or so. This is taken to mean that the next governor will fol low the usual plan of the practical politician and hold up his appoint ments until the closing days of the leg islature. This is done, of course, for the sake of using the influence of the various candidates for offices to hold the legislature in line. Governor Hoch will put in most of his time now in getting his message into shape. He has submitted his mes sage in rough form to a number of the Republican leaders. It is said to deal largely with the nature of the bills which should be passed to redeem the pledges made by the Republicans in the last campaign. There will be the minimum amount of statistics and "boom stuff." Jerry Simpson was in Topeka Sat urday, on his way home to Roswell, N. M., from St. Louis. He said: "I am opposed to the admission to I statehood of New Mexico and Arizona as one state, though that is better than to allow things to remain as they are. I think we have enough people in New Mexico to enable us to get statehood without Arizona tacked on. "No, I am not making any fight to be elected United States senator in case the states are admitted. There are older settlers there who are en titled to the honor. My chief interest just now is to secure the removal to Roswell of the Fraternal building at the St. Louis exposition grounds. We want to locate that building at Roswell as a sanitarium for members of fra ternal erders. The government should set aside certain tracts at Roswell as they have done at Hot Springs, Ark. We have wonderful natural springs of hot water, and In order that these may be preserved for the government and the free use of the public, it is neces sary that they be made a government reserve." Saturday afternoon. Governor Bailey granted a conditional pardon to Rich ard Graham, who in 1901 was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary for shooting his brother. Graham's wife and five children visited Governor Bail ey Saturday, and made such a good case for him that the pardon was issued, and Graham was released at 8 o'clock Sat urday night to spend Christmas with his family. Richard Graham and his brother Will lam lived together at Kansas City, Kan. They had a row, and William drove Richard's family out hf the house. Rich ard's wife was sick in bed with a three-day-old baby. William struck Richard i and Richard got a gun and shot Will- I iam dead. The judge, prosecuting attorney and eight members of the jury which tried the case petitioned Governor Bailey for a pardon. ! "This is not a Christmas pardon in the sense that there is any sentiment about it," the governor said. "I pardoned Graham because he is entitled to a par don, not because his application was ta ken up at Christmas time. I believe he has suffered enough for the offense he committed, if it really was an offense. The evidence shows that the man was sent to the penitentiary for defending ; himself and his sick wife from the as- i sault of a brutal brother." I "Mulberry" Kelly, - the present state oil inspector, is a candidate for reap pointment. It is possible to take ef frontery too far, and this is the limit. Kelly never ought to have been ap pointed in the first place nd to rein- ' state him now would be er. outrage. It is all right J.O retain men who are de serving, but Kelly has been a reward taker all his life and never has made good to the party. Lawrence World. COLO WAVE COMING. Look for Falling Temperatures To nhrht. Says Forecaster. Look out for a cold wave. The wind at noon from the north was blowing 20 miles an hour. The weather man at Chicago says that it is due here to night. The report given out at the weather bureau office here says: "Generally fair tonight and Tuesday, except snow in east portion tonight. Cold wave to night; brisk to high northwrest winds." The rain this morning amounted to two hundredths of an inch.-The hourly temperatures recorded by tne govern ment thermometer today were: 7 o'clock 34 I 9 o'clock 33 8 o'clock 34 I 10 o'clock 33 11 o'clock 32 WILL BE NEW TRIAL Jerome Says He Will Hurry Up the Patterson Case. New York, Dec. 26. District Attorney Jerome has announced that proceedings for a new trial for Miss "Nan" Patterson, the "Florodora" chorus girl, charged with the- murder of "Caesar" Young, the turf man, while in his eomDany in a cab in New York, would Le hurried as fast as possible. COVERED WITH SLEET. Central Kansas Is In Grip of a Storm. Abilene, Kan., Dec. 26. Central Kansas is covered with sleet and a high north wind prevails. The tem perature is falling. BUT FEWPARDONS Gorarnor Bailey Not a Belierer In Wholesale Releases. Durijg December 250 Appli cations for Freedom ilecelred. ONLY FIVE GRANTED, Not Fair to Courts to Release Penitentiary Conricts. Many Pitiful Stories Told by the Applicants. Governor Bailey is not a believer in the "Christmas ' pardon" system for penitentiary convicts. Out of 250 appli cations for rardons received at the gov ernor's office in the last 30 days, onlr four or five have been granted, and only one of these was granted on th day, before Christmas. Some years ago, it used to be the cus tom for the governor to allow, for sen timental reasons, anice bunch of pardons a day or two before Christmas. The plea was made that the convict should be allowed, whenever possible, to spend Christmas at home with his family. It is a mighty good plea to put up, too, and it takes a governor with consider able strength of character to withstand the temptation, and allow his sympa thies to get away with his better Judg ment. But Governor Bailey is not lacking In sympathy. He has a big, genial heart, and would have liked, no doubt to send Christmas pardons to about half the in mates of the state prison. He says: "The rush of applications for pardons is something enormous just now; the pressure which is brought to bear In many cases is great and it is hard to withstand. Some of the most pitiful cases are brought to my attention. I listen to some terribly sad stories. But I can't grant many pardons; it wouldn't be right, nor would it be fair to the courts of the state which have put these men and women where they are." Just at this time, the convicts and the friends of the convicts think that they have a double hold on the governor. They counted first on the Christmas pardon idea, wl.ich nowadays is largely a myth, and second, on the fact that Governor Bailey is about to retire torn office, and is therefore supposed to be a little more lax in his investigations of such matters. Every governor, when he is about to retire from office, is besieged with applications for pardons, but Gov ernor Bailey has been "getting his" in double measure. During the past week, applications for pardons have been comine in on every mail at the rate of about twen ty a day. The rush may let up a bit, now that Christmas is over, but it will not stop until Governor Bailey rerlies from office. As a matter of fact, an application for a pardon does not receive very ex tended consideration unless it is back ed up with some exceptionally strong evidence of merit. Scores of applica tions are filed away in the governor's office with little investigation, simply because it would consume too much time to study their merits. Those which seem to be backed up with Im pressive evidence, or which bear on their face the stamp of genuine merit, are looked into, and a few of them are allowed. But the people who think that it is easy to get a pardon appli cation allowed have probably never tried to get a pardon for anybody. There are a number of old timers down at the state prison who come in with their application for pardon al most as regularly as Christmas time comes around, hoping that some time they may put their case before some governor whose sympathy will be touched by the appeal, and who will, out of the generosity of his heart, al low them their freedom. Perhaps their time will come some day, but as a general proposition it takes evidence as well as sympathy to move a governor to act in such matters. When a new governor comes in, the penitentiary inmates are always anx ious to find out whether or not he is going to be easy in the matter of par dons. Governor Hoch will come in for his trial before long, and there are doubtless a good many convicts wait ing: and hoping for that time to come. PARDON BY PRESIDENT. Three Men Have Sentences Iledacccl as Christmas Gifts. Two federal prisoners confined In the federal penitentiary at Leaven worth were made happy Saturday afternoon by being released from that institution upon the order of President Roosevelt. This was bestowed upon these prisoners as a Christmas gift. It s the custom of the president every year to pardon some men from the penitentiary and many of the prison ers were expectinj their release. Some put in papers for commutation of sen tences and some put In for pardons. There were only three men in the prison that had their sentences re duced. The two men who were released were George R. Langan, late post quartermaster sergeant at Fort Mac kenzie, Wyo., and Elzle Coleman, late private. Troop L, Tenth cavalry. Lan gan was sentenced by a general court- martial to serve a four years' term for embezzlement. He was received at the penitentiary January 30, 1902. Cole man was tried and convicted of assault to kill at Fort Columbus, New York, and sentenced to serve a term of five years and was received at the federal penitentiary on June 11, 1903. The sentence of Lewis Henderson, late pri vate. Troop D, Tenth cavalry, was re duced to three years' confinement, the original sentence being five years. He was convicted by a general court-martial for assault with intent to kill. He was to be released on August 20, 1907, but will now be released on August 20, 1905. Japanese On a Tour. Yokohama, Dec. 26. The steamer Manshu, bound for the neighborhood of Port Arthur, left here today. She car ried as passengers 10 naval attaches, 4 peers, 17 members of the house of repre sentatives, one secretary of the filet, and a lieutenant commander. There will be no press representatives on boarl during the voyage, which it is expected will occupy three weeks. L L