New-York tribune. [volume], August 02, 1901, Image 1

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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BISSERT FnlM) (,I ILTY.
jI'RY ( OXVICTS WA RDMAN
IX TWO nor us.
CAPTAIN DIAMONDS MAX GETS RED IN
THE PACE WIIKN HE HEARS
.. VERDICT.
;
The Jury in the trial of George IH—rrt. Cap
tela Diamond's wardman. charged with accept
ing a bribe of 1590 for protection from Lena
c j.jni<Jt, the keeper of a disorderly bouse at
\'O. 27 Stuyvsant-Pt.. found him guilty last
{light. The case was given to the jury about
4:10 o'clock In the afternoon, and it returned
to tbe courtroom about two hours later to an
jsoauee the verdict.
Many persons in the courtroom at the time
»jjonp"ht that IWsseit would be acquitted, and
thty appeared to l>e greatly amazed on hearing
?jjf \-erd!ct. Biasert looked puzzleH for a mo
j-eat and his face reddened. He quickly re
g^jsed self -composure, nnd calmly gazed at each
juror as th«y were polled by the clerk of the
court When the poll eras ended, Henry W.
•jj-ger, of counsel for the defence, moved thai
the verdict be set at-ide on the ground thai it
iras contrary to the law, contrary to the evi
dence and contrary to the weight of the evi
ience. This was denied. Mr. Unger then asked
thtt the prisoner be remanded lo the Tombs
rntll Wednesday, when bis counsel would have
gßßje motions to make. Record--:- doff granted
this request, and Bmnett was I ken to the
Tombs. Th£- Recorder thanked the jury, and ex
pressed his regret that he had felt compelled, in
the interests of the public, to make the condi
tions of their service so hard by confining
them.
As he was leaving the courtroom. Alberto 11.
Caffee, the sixth juror, said that he hr.'i formed
bis opinion early In the case. He added that
BiEsert hurt his case by poii? on the stand.
Captain Diamond was then introduced to Mr.
Caffee.
SELF-PRAISE FROM DIAMOND.
"Well, Trl:at do you think of m* cow that you
gee me closer?" aFk*-d the captain pleasantly.
"Oh. you are all right." said Mr. Caffee.
"But you don't seem to have believed the
•little speech I made on the stand. Where do
yon live?"
"Fifteenth-st. and Second -a ye."
•Then you are familiar "with the region about
Bt. Mark's Church?"
"Yes, and It has been pretty bad."
"You come down and look through that region
T.o^ t and you v. 11l see that there has been a
great change there since I have had that pre
cinct, and it Is through the activity of the man
whom you have found guilty on the charge of
one of the women whom we drove out."
The defendant's counsel expressed surprise at
the verdict, and Mr. Unger said they would ask
(or a new trial.
Captain Diamond, when asked about the ver
<Uct. said he war- greatly disappointed, but he
did not care to discuss the result further than
to say that no one knew better than he did how
ectlve and zealous Bissert had been in fighting
Vice.
There were many persons present in Part 11,
Cereral Sessions, in the morrinpr when the last
day of the trial began. Before he began sum
ming up Abraham Levy, of counsel for the
defence, recalled Ferdinand W. Kelltr, a Brook
lyn lawyer, who desired to correct the testimony
that be gave on Wednesday. Keller said that
the purchase money for the property at. No. 27
.Stuyvesant-st. was paid by Minnie Kurtz with
a draft on the Dry Dock Savings Bank, and
Dot by Lena Schmidt in cash.
After Keller left the tand Mr. C»sborne moved
to amend the Indictment by changing the date
of the alleged payment from October 18 to Sep
tember 29. 11+00. Mr. Unger objected to the
amendment, on the ground that the averment
of date was a material fact, and that the State
ought to be held to the time specified. Re
corder Goff overruled the objection and allowed
the amendment to be made.
Lewis J. Vorhaus, of counsel for Bissert. then
moved that the court direct the jury to acquit
the defendant, on the grounds that the indict
ment averred one date- and the proof pointed to
another; that the court had no power to amend
the indictment ; that the section of the Penal Code
under which the District Attorney elected did not
apply to the defendant; that the only proof was
the uncorroborated testimony of two depraved
women; that the alleged c orroboration was in
nfflcient. and that iht State had failed to make
out a case.
The Recorder denied the motions, and the de
¦fenoe took exception.
OSBORNK ATTACK? DIAMOND.
Mr. Osborne, in summing up for the prosecu
tion, vehemently eked the methods of Cap
t£!n Diamond in deaHiig with the house at No.
27 Etuyvesant-et.
Recorder Goff was about an hour in making
Us charge to the jury. He said that the ques
tion to be decided was whether fTlssr it ac
cepted the money on agreement to neglect his
5° r> . not whether he carried out the agreement
*¦" *wther the woman was disappointed.
"The agreement need not be In express words."
•adsd the Recorder. "An understanding is suf
¦¦saL Subsequent acts may som times lead
"•tne identification of the criminal, but never
2*** n away a crime one- committed, so if he
¦sac the agreement and arrested the woman an
••¦rafter, that does not wipe out the crime."
TRANSPORT HELPLESS AT SEA.
HE LENNOX DRIFTING IN THE PACIFIC, j
WHILE PASSENGERS GO HUNGRY.
IBT rsasnaarsj TO ii:!: TltlßfXE. J
¦ Kan Francisco. Aug. The transport Lennox
-scrJftlng. disabled, at the merry of wind and j
•«•» three hundred miles southwest of San Fran- j
*»0. while her passengers and crew are on '
•«tt ration*, waiting for assistance. The big j
ray tug Slocum left here this afternoon In j
"= fch of th eripplM steamer. The Lennox is I
wranfl from Honolulu to this port. Seven men ,'
-» the transport were- picked up at sea off '
"•¦*•¦ BUncas lighthouse Wednesday evening |
t ',, £team «- «;.- ( , rK^ I^oml* from Ventura to |
The Port, and sr«re hiwnin to San Francisco. ;
j% en " m the Lennox include .Third Mat- i
Gov^ U: David Itankln - of New-Jersey, and
6i!r>it r Clark * retarnln 1 from Manila.
-,77* and th " IX oth " r men constituted a |
t Vedn/!T Cre *" that pUt off from the Lennox 1
' i tn» ? V mornins to reach the «oast and send !
* » the transport's assistance. They re- \
**> it. on July S,. when the steamer was !
Ft »Mt ll* *"* at " f San Fr *"'is'o. the tall i
d *4 c*£. , renderins the vessel helpless. A j
ro ȣ?.2 Bled at the tlme - and for twenty
lh«»orThii, ' when the wlnd rose fro m i
;r -» Unnox IV ° mpanlo<l by a rough sea. On i
H ««*s£*r £eventef>n «»«» and forty-five
al C beenVnnr" 10 , 8 "' 1 trei^ transport I
**n«» ft£!g ,"l nn , ln « «>«ween Portland and I
>* -27. eS^SS \\ W ° years ' Sh « Manila i
$****iki or<3wl J" ° B ° lo Po «>and. but at !
*""*** °£«" w «re received to rome to San !
jS^:.:'. .¦ ¦ ¦¦¦¦-¦¦¦:¦¦:¦ :¦;¦',.:
£°*°n hi« ao salii ' he , pr °P ellfr - Captain Will" '!
'- •V*sV«* »*• to us. awnings for only thing
hands set about to s«w sails. "What made the
situation really serlou?," Ppratt says, "was the
shortage of provisions. We had the most or
dinary tare to begin with in leaving Manila, and
the only thing on hoard in any quantity was rle?.
Waca the food supply got dangerously short.
Captain Williamson onjered the Chinese crew to
man a boat ar.d ;ry to reach snore, but the cow
ardly Chinese refused. The chief officer then
asked fur volunteers, and the old pallors started
<-ut with two kefs of water, two tins of oriied
beef an.) up.*' i-n?.' .if biscuits. We were picked
up by the LoomJfl twelve hours later. Those on
board the f<wnnm an- very short of supplies, r.nd
will suffer if the transport is not foun.l soon."
" CORN KING" INVOLVED.
GBOBGE 11. rim. 1. IPS. THE CHICAGO
OPEBATOR, TKANSFKUS IMS IU SI
NKSS DOESVT KNOW IF [IE IS
IVOBTB ANVTHINi;.
|lIV TELEGBJirII TO HI VUiniNi:.l
Chicago, Aug. I.— Notice was sent out by th"
George H. Phillip? Company this morning that
it had transferred Its trad., to Mcßeynolds &
•Co. This was a surprise to Board of Trade peo
ple, for. although it had bee.i taken for granted
that Phillips had been out of step with the
market of late, there was no idea his risks had
been large or his losses great. The notice was
satisfactory in one regard. The transfer to a
rich house meant the Board of Trade people
would make no loss. Phillips himself declared
he owed nothing to his bank and nothing to
the Board of Trade houses. What tver he owes
is to customers.
There was a formal announcement that the
bouse was solvent, but in private conversation
Phillips end those Interested with him said their
books were in such a tangle they did not know
where they stood and hail been compelled to
stop in order to find out. The experience is an
illustration of th? d< ceptiveoais, of surface signs
In the matter of speculation. The Phillips con
cern had been doing an enormous commission
business, earning at the rate of $40,000 a
month. It had ¦ capital only recently an
nounced as I8K7.Q00; yet Phillips said to
day: "I do rot know whether I have anything
left or not. I thought I was a rich man when
I went to New-York a few weeks ago, but it is
possible now I have nothing."
Those conversant with the affairs of the firm
say customers owe it $347,000. money that prob
ably will never be collected, as a result of fail
ure to call margins. Those who are Interested
in the May corn deal were overpaid to the ex
tent of $100,000, a result of poor bookkeeping.
Phillips had a talent for getting business, but
no talent for running the office end of the busi
ness, and evidently he had no one associated
with him to supply his lack. There were twen
ty-seven clerks employed in the Phillips office,
and yet Phillips, when he came back to New-
York a fortnight ago, found his affairs were in
an inextricable tangl*-.
As the firm's business kept increasing at a
remarkable rate the machinery of the house
was found Inadequate, and at midnight on July
:;i it was decided to simply transfer all trades
and for the time being throw the business of
the house into other hands until a complete
new- set of books shall have been compiled. Mr.
Phillips, while regretting the necessity of this
action, said it was absolutely the only course
open to him. "This does not mean we are quit
ting business." he said. "On th« contrary, we
shall ercerute all orders, but .will have to n?k
that usual margins accompany all orders until
our books are checked over."
The following is the statement given out by
Mr. Goodwin for Mr. Phillip-?:
The company was Incorporated in November.
! lit**}, with a capital of £.;.•.<•-•<?. The business
I grew so rapidly that in the spring of this year
| the capital was Increased to $250,000. and with
; that Increase came still additional increase in
business, so that the office force was simply
overwhelmed. We hive been doing the. largest
commission business of any house in the world,
bet it bad recently come to the attention of the
; firm that the records of the transactions were
I not :>• .nt.: ke»»t In 'he proper shape for such
j deal*. About a peek ago expert accountants
I were put to work on the books. I have gone
over the legal end of the firm's affairs, and have
I found it absolutely correct. The expert account
| ants found that It would be absolutely necessary
i to make a new set of books, dating from Janu
ary 1, ISKKt. aid checking off every Item of the
immense uusiness. The errors were apparently
1 made without partiality, credits being debited,
1 and vice versa. Hut up to -1 p. m. yesterday.
I aUer a week's work, and after all errors had
i been corrected up to that time, the books showed
| fit- firm to be absolutely solvent. On my advice
| they cut off, however, all old liUPineps at mid
j itight last night, the last day of the month, and
: transferred all their open trades to Mcßeynolds,
i and every trade of the bouse Is protected and
j every trade made yesterday vas made at a
! profit for the customers.
We are sending out a circular asking all our
! customers to send us a statement of their
claims again. » the company, so that we may
have them audited, and use them in preparing
a new set of books, with the expectation that,
unless something happens, which do. not seem
probable, we shall take care of every claim and
proceed with the business as heretofore. The
i accountant so far has found no evidence what
: ever of criminal irregularity, but simply mis-
I takes due to the immente amount of business
handled with Inadequate facilities for caring
: therefor.
The announcement of the turn of affairs
caused scarcely a ripple in the Board of Trade
markets. Corn eased about three-quarters of a
cent, but soon regained the loss. The wheat
market was only slightly affected, and oats fol
lowed the course of the corn market. About the
only excitement risible was the unusual scurry
cf settling clerks, hurrying; about checking up
open trader. The after effect of the suspension
was not apparent In the corn market until near
the end of the session. The professional element,
it developed, had sold short in the forenoon in
anticipation of liquidation for the Phillips ac
count This selling failed to materialize, and
when shorts attempted to cover September shot
up from r,.V cents to 58 cents, and closed at
that price.
!3rok<?r3 at the Produce Exchange yesterday mani
fested interest la the report from Chicago that the
George H. Phillips Company was in trouble, it
was said that in the corn deal which culminated
en May M Phillip* carried nearly U. 000.000 bushels
for the pool be had form-<i. The pool at one time
bad a paper profli of about 2" cent* a bushel on
the deal, but the attempt to sell out at the top i, i -..
:.rok< the market and the pool realized only about
six cent* a busheL Tb,i^ were said to be about
two hundred members of th» pool.
HIT) \I\TU sy •••!/ With- ICCUBED
-
CHARGED WITH DRAWING A REVOLVER ON
A POLICEMAN.
j William Malberg. a real estate dealer, of No. 21
1 West Sixty-flfth-st.. was locked up In the West
I Sixty-eighth-st. station at 1 o'clock this morning,
i .'harmed with attempted felonious assault in drawl
: Ing a revolver on Patrolman Higgins. In Flfty
| nJnth-6t.. between. Broadway and Columbus-aye.
Malberg is known as. "Wllhelm. the Mayor of
! Klfty-nlnth-st." He Ik said to be the proprietor of
; Nos. I*o and 342 West Fifty-nlnth-st.. known to the
police as ".Spanish Flats." After the passage of
, the new Tenement House law Captain Donohue,
; of the W*st 'Forty-seventh-st. station told Malberg'
that he vould hove to comply with that law. Ye.«
terday M;< y er 5 D 3.'l the furnishings in the flats
i and a Urge furniture van took away six loads. A
j sign was hurg In front of the houses etatlng that
; they were for rent to colored families only,
i Early this morning Malberg was riding his hi
cycle :n FJfty-nlnth-Bt. when, It li" |d, he knocked
down a newsboy. Policeman Hlggins ran to the
boy'« a instance, but the latter ran away unin-
Jured. J'l«lr.B then uked Malberg why he » Slit
careful and the latter, it is allege? B Wore at him
Then, it is allied, he drew a revolve;.
NEW-YORK. FRIDAY. AUGUST 2. 1901.-TWELVE PAGES.-* x^SttVS.,,..
500 TO CARE FOR 2»800.
QOYERXOB ODELL lIM>S BIG PATROI*
AT ONE Ilnsi'lTAl.,
RETRENCHMENT MAY RESULT FROM HIS
TOUR OF INSPECTION AMONG jv .
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
M >? ; - •. :,
Retrenchment 'n the running expenses of
State institutions, particularly hospitals, is to
follow Governor Odell's tour, finished yesterday,
when he visited the State hospitals' at Central
Islip and Kings Park. The Governor would not
talk about what be saw in his long trip, but
at Kings Park he found a payroll of T>oo em
ployes »o minster to the wants of 2.800 inmates.
The force of employe? at Central Tslip was pro
portionately large, but the patients there num
ber only about thirteen hundred.
The visit to Long Island yesterday wound up
sixteen days of almost continuous hard work,
consumed in examining forty Institutions which
receive money from the State. The Governor's
party included Senator Ellsworth. Speaker ,
Nixon and Assemblymen Allds and Kelsey: Mr ;
Graham, the Governor's secretary; Calvin M*"-
Knight and Colonel Reuben L. Fox. of the !
State committee. The Governor has worked
the party so hard that yesterday Assemblyman
Jotham P. Allds told him that if he ever did
it again he (Allds) nnd his associates would "
ganize a labor union and limit the hours of labor
to eight a day. Since the mi. Idle of July the
party has covered about two thousand miles, by
half a dozen different railroads.
HE ASKED MANY QUESTIONS
The Governor and his friends left Long island
City yesterday morning at 8 o'clock by special
train, reaching the Manhattan State Hospital. at
Central Islip. at 10:30. They were met by Di
George A. Smith, superintendent, and George L.
Thompson, a lunacy commissioner. Dr. Smith
has about thirteen hundred patients, and when
the new buildings are completed there will be
accommodations for M.."t00. Five hundred acres
of land are cultivated. Governor Odell asked
many pertinent questions about the cost per
capita of maintaining the hospital.
At Kings Park he was met at the station
shortly after noon by State Senator William M.
McKinney, of Northport. Commissioner Thomp
son accompanied the party. Dr. O. M. Dewing
superintendent of the hospital, is sick with grip.
Dr. George O'Hanlon, first assistant physician
In charge, received the visitors.
Owing to lack of time the stay at Kings Park
was brief. The new ice plant and the power
plant received attention. Many of the 2.500
patients filed pa-«t the Governor's carriage on
their way to dinner, and a woman patient was
so fearful that she would not be noticed that she
pirouetted on the lawn and caused a good deal
of merriment. A crazy man at a third story
window began a political stump speech as the
Governor passed, but it was somewhat inferior
to the ordinary run of stump speeches, and the
visitors were glad to get out of earshot
COMPARING NOTES.
Superintendent Aldrlrh, of the farm depart
ment, has GOO acres under cultivation. He said
his Irish potato crop was a failure, but he would
have about one thousand bushels of the finest
sweet potatoes, which, he declares, do well in
Long Island sand. Mr. Aldrlrh said *»'s . I>lk ',
dairy was as good", according , to the official tjr
ures.*as the competing dairies at the Pan-Ameri
can Exposition, He employs 200 patients at
farm work.
Governor Odell. at the close of the Inspection,
declined to comment on what he had seen. Re
turning on the train he compared notes with
Messrs. Ellsworth. Allds, Nixon and Kelsey. Mr.
Allda said afterward:
Our tour of Inspection has been a itretca of hard
work in hot weather, and I'm glad 11 is over, but
It has paid. A!! of us now know from personal In
spection th« physical condition of th.- lnHtitution*
which we vldlted. The Ooveraot ha* phown in ex
traordinarily keen *rra*J> of the practical phases of
the subject, and what he may any ii; his next
message about hospitals will be timely.
OFF TO LAKE MOHONK. l
After returning to New-York Governor Odell \
took si train for Lake Mononk, where his family i
Is. He will be Senator Platt's guest for a week I
at the oriental Hotel this month. one of Gov- \
ernor Odeli's party, in commenting last night on !
the trip, said:
We were Governor Odeira Kuestß. Thf inform.. j
tion obtained on our observation tour will guide us I
In legislation next winter. The Governor in his !
iapt rne-MHRe suggested thnt $7.'.n.000 ought to '•¦ ;
saved in running the State honpitals. We shall
probably try to carry out his suggestion an far as J
possible. The Institutions we visited, generally
¦akinif, present a handsome appearance Th«
"best foot" of each was put forward for our visit
no doubt. Vast sums have been spent on our Si..
Institutions of late rears. It Is time to iret them
upon an economical working bests. I think th*
Governor will be able as a result of his observa
tion tour to make the .le-lrod retrenchment* with
out Injuring the institutions in any important par
ticular. ' "
LI VCII LAW IN MISSISSIPPI.
MOB STORMS A JAIL AND HANGS THREE
NEGROES. TWO WOMEN AND A MAN.
New-Orleans. Auk I.— "Picayune" dis
patch from Winna, Miss.,. says two women and
one man— Betsy McCreary, Saiiif Leytori and
William MeCreary— were lynched at Carrollton
this afternoon t>y a mob that stormed the- Jail,
took the prisoners and hanged them.
These three persons were remanded to Jail by
the coroner's Jury that investigated the mur
der of Mr. and Mrs. Tallaferro. who were killed
at their home on the night of July 30.
Governor Longlno, who passed through here
this afternoon, was taken to Carrollton by an
extra train, but It Is supposed 1 , he arrived too
late. There was a rumor that troop* were or
dered to Carrollton. but they did not arrive
prior to the lynching.
There are reports that others may be lynched.
Jackson. Miss.. Aug. Governor Longino
has Informed the Sheriff of Carroll County. Mis
sissippi, that be will send troops, if needed, to
protect the six negroes who were confined in th.
ct.unty Jail there, on suspicion of having mur
dered the Tallaferros last Tuesday night. The
negroes were strongly guarded, but It was feared
a mob would assault the Jail, and these fears
proved to be Justified.
The mob was composed of about five hundred
white, citizens of Carroll County, who marched
to the jail in order, demanded the keys from the
Jailer, proceeded to the cells of ;he negroes,
bound them by th. necks and hands and carried
them to the corporate limits of the town, where
they hanged them to a tree by the public road
side and riddled their bodies with bullets.
Th* mob resisted the earnest appeals • 4 Judge
Stevens and the Hon. W. S. Hill, who stood on
the steps of the Jail and appealed to the mob
in the name of law and order. They even fol
lowed the mob to the cell doors, with their
arms around the necks of the leaders, pleading
"' let the law take its course, but with no ef
fect.
The girl Ida confessed to the knowledge of the
murder, and stated that her mother. "Betsey."
and. her brother helped commit the murder.
She further Implicated others, who will prob
ably meet 'i like fate.
Governor A. H. Longlno arrived on the scene
by special train from Jackson Just a few min
utes after the hanging.
After an exciting chase and escape- from- a
mob, bent on lynching th.- prisoners. Sheriff Ma
gee, of Simpson County, arrived In Jackson to
day, having In custody Sterling Johnson ¦ and
Reuben Tezelle. negroes, who murdered a young
white man named Mangum, near MaKee, Miss..
Tuesday night. A mob surrounded the Jail last
night and endeavored to break down the gate.
The Sheriff escaped through the back way with
the prisoners.
TAKES BIG RISK FOR A TEST.
BSOKEB Will. BE ARUKSTED AT HIS
<»W.\ INVITATION.
FRIENDS SAY IF COURTS DECIDE AGAINST
HIM HE MIGHT BE FINED OVER A
MILLION AND GET FIVE
IICNDRED YEARS' IM
PRISONMENT.
George C. Thomas, one of the directors of the
Consolidated Stock and Petroleum Exchange,
is to be arrested to-day on his own invitation
by an agent of the Internal Revenue Depart
ment, In order to give occasion for the ar
reft. Mr, Thomas hes openly refused to comply
with the regulations under which Charles 11.
Treat, the Collector of Internal Revenue for the
lid District of New-York, has been collecting
for ; he government -52 for every one hundred
snares of stock sold by the brokers in the ex
changes. The tax on stock transfers has been
a part of the war tax. Mr. Thomas and other
brokers were advised months ago by lawyers
that the tax was unconstitutional. Mr. Thomas
decided to make a test case by transferring
stock without affixing the stamps and paying
the tax.
On May 22 Mr. Thomas began to defy the
Collector of Internal Revenue, and. in order
that there should be no concealment of his dis
obedience of the revenue law, he made a re
port to his legal advisers, and the lawyers sent
notice to Collector Treat. Mr. Thomas has con
tinued to transfer stocks unstamped since May,
find the lawyers have continued to keep Mr.
Treat informed of the broker's contumacious
attitude, but the Collector made no move to
enforce the regulations in the case of Mr.
Thomas until yesterday, when a revenue agent
waited upon Mr. Thomas and told him to appear
at the office of Collector Treat at noon to-day
and be arrested.
It was learned yesterday afternoon that there
was an arrangement to have Mr. Thomas taken
befnre United States Commissioner Shields and
held for trial on the charge of violating the In
ternal Revenue law. Mr. Thomas will be able to
give bail, and his counsel will demur to his trial
on the ground that the law providing for the tax
he fused to piy is unconstitutional. If the
contention of the lawyers Is sustained by the
courts. Mr. Thomas gets off easily. If the law
is declared to be constitutional, he has no de
fence and must plead guilty to the charge of
violating the law.
Some friends of Mr. Thomas said yesterday
that he whs taking a great risk in making the
test case. The penalty for violating the tax
regulation is a fine of not less than $.-><)») and
not more than $1,000. or imprisonment for six
months, or both. In th«» discretion of the court.
As Mr. Thomas has been refusing to pay the tax
for more than two months, his friends say that
he has made himself liable to fines amounting
to more than $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for
about five hundred years. He was reported to
have said yesterday that he might be willing to,
be kept in Jail live hundred years if the fines
wore remitted. Many brokers will be Interred
in the cane of Mr. Thomas, because the taji on
stock transfers will have to stop if the law is
declared unconstitutional, and brokers who have
paid the tax will have claims against the gov
ernment for the amount of the tax collected.
Mr. Thomas is a popular broker in Wall Street
and has been well known there for years. He
formerly was connected with a firm having
membership in the Stock Exchange, but a few
years ago he became a member of the Consoli
dated Htcrck-*n'}-P^rrr»rnrni*Kxchan|:?'*^T[n «*»
elected a tMr«*ctor. .
TO hISFRASfIHSF. XEdROES
: MARYLAND DEMOCRATS DECLARE FOB
ELIMINATION OF COIORED RACE
FROM POLITICS.
Baltimore. Aug. 1.- The Democratic State
: Convention, which met here to-day, declared
[ that the purpose of the party. If successful In
I the rooting election was to eliminate the
I negro from politics in Maryland, if it is possible
! under the constitution. Upon this, the para
j mount linuf of the campaign, will stand the
i candidates nominated to-day for state offices
: and those chosen iri the various county and dis
: trlct contentions as candidate! for places In the
¦ legislature >•{ liXr_\ which will elect a United
j States Senator to succeed George L. Wellington.
1 That *iis successor, in the event of Democratic
j victory, would be Arthur Pue Gorman, Is
| thought to i>e probable, although no formal an
nouncement of his candidacy has yet been made.
The nominal purpose for which the conven
tion met was to select candidates for the offices
of Controller and Clerk of the Court of Ap
peals, and It fulfilled this task by unanimously
naming Dr. Joshua W. Hering, of Carroll, and
J. Frunk Turner, of Talbot, to succeed them-
I selves.
Under the guidance of Mr. Gorman, the fol
lowing declaration upon the chief Issue in the
campaign was prepared and adopted:
The Democratic party represents more than forty
thousand majority of the whit.- people of Mary
land. Tiny, in common with their brethren of
other States Into which large masses of colored
voters have been Injected Into the body politic.
I recognize that th« peace, good order, personal safe
: ty and proper development of our material inter
j ests depend iii.on the -o.itr >i of the commonwealth
by its intelligent white residents. Without the aM
of the sixty thousand colored voters the Republican
| party In Maryland would be a hopeless minority.
We therefore without hesitation proclaim that,
the success of the Democratic party will mean
thnt. while we shall deal with perfect fairness in
securing all the benefit! of good government and
I full and free opportunities for education to all
i classes, such action must He token, as to prevent
i the control of the State government from passing
I into the hands of those who have neither the abil
ity nor the interest to manage public affairs wisely
and well.
Other planks in the platform ieafllrm the de
votion of the local party to the principles enun
ciated by Thomas Jefferson; declare the course
of the Governor in calling n special session of
the legislature and the action of that body In
passing laws to limit the exercise of the right
of franchise to those who are able to read and
write to be patriotic in the extreme, and de
nounce the Federal authorities for alleged frauds
and irregularities in the late census.
The platform went through without a dissent
ing voice. The only rift in the lute of perfect
harmony came when the announcement of the
members of the new State Central Committee
was made and it was discovered that every op
ponent of I. Freeman Rasin in municipal pol
itics had been dropped from the list and that
the places had been filled with those whose
loyalty to the organization is unquestioned.
CREBCEI 8 » Y/> ABBOT WILL RACE.
TWO GREAT TROTTERS TO COME TOGETHER
AT BRIGHTON BEACH ON AUGUST 15—
THE ABBOT'S FAST HALF MILE.
Columbus. Ohio, Aug. I.— Cresceus and The Ab
bot will race over the Brighton Beach track on
August 15, during the meeting of the New- York
Breeders' Association. This announcement was
made here to-day, after W. 1.. Marks, manager of
The Abbot, had seen the champion trotter work a
mile in 2:11. last half in 1:01. ami last quarter in
?9>i seconds.
! The Abbot has h.i I a touch of distemper, and It
was reported last week that the special match race
was "off. The horse has improved wonderfully,
however, and •«.•• :•¦* to have all his former, .-,..-.•. 1.
: Mr. Mark* arrived hero to-day, saw The Abbot
work ...it. in.l held n conference with Trainer
Geers. He then Informed Secretary McCully of the
Brighton Beach Association thnt his horse would
meet Cresceus on . th*> scheduled date. , The race
will be three In five heats to harness.
STRIKE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
J. PIERFOIXT MORG AX SAID TO HAVE REFFSED TO GRAXT
A X( ) TIIER t ( 'XFEREXL E.
SHAFFER CANNOT (JET ASSOCIATES TO ACCEPT TERMS
It was reported in Pittsl.urg last night that I. Pierpont Morg
refused to grant the request of list CXCCUtm board d tin \ • ilj
cation of Steel. Iron and Tin Plate Workcn for another conference •
subjects on which there was failure to agree before the strike was declared.
The association ia expected to declare a general strike, which will ma
ll the sted industries d the country, and may extend to ot!:
The meeting of the executive board esta •¦' - »-<lay
without any action, and it was stated by the official organ of the strikers that the
answer ofl Mr. Morgan was awaited.
Wall Street operators expressed the belief that some of Mr. Shaffer's as
sociates were in league with manipulators of steel stocks and were delaying
settlement because they were not yet ready to have the shares g O up in the
market.
MR. MORGAN'S REFUSAL.
SAID TO HA VI-: RETURNED NEGATIVE
REPLY TO REQUEST FOR FUR
THER CONFERENCE.
Pittsburg. Aug. — "The Commercial Gazette"
to-morrow will say:
The Amalgamated executive board last even
ing received by telegraph a flat refusal from J.
Plerpont Morgan to reopen the wage conference
where It was broken off at the Hotel Lincoln
nearly three weeks ago. The powers of the
steel combine insist in this communication that
the only basis of settlement will be on the terms
which the financial backer of the combine. Presi
dent C. M. Schwab and Chairman F.lbert H.
Gary laid down at the meeting with the Amal
gamated executive in New-York last Saturday.
A member of the executive board of the as
sociation last night said: "These terms are de
nominated by those who have the best interests
of the organization of steel workers at heart as
the most unfair, the most unjust ever proposed
to any body of workingmen by a set of em
ployers or a corporation. The terms are such
that the executive board of the Amalgamated
Association cannot accept and has already gone
on record to that effect."
To-morrow morning the answer of Mr. Morgan
Is expected by mail. There is scarcely a frag
ment of hope that the Amalgamated Associa
tion will back down from its well known posi
tion. The leaders of the workers will in reply
outline their plans to the Steel Corporation for
a continuation of the great struggle. They will
include the stopping of every wheel possible in
the works of the combine and the extension of
the strike in all possible directions by the Amal
gamated Association.
To-day may develop much, but If the combine
cannot be made to waver through the influences
that will _be_b£gu£hi_ta tear. .the great confii;t
will probably be f ought" to the bitter end.
After* two days of patient welting, at about ."»
o'clock last evening, the Amalgamated men in
waiting at headquarters were inform**! by tele
phone from the Carnegie Steel Company's of
fices that the answer from the New-York head
quarters of the steel corporation was awaiting
them. Hasty preparations were made to ad
journ and get to the Carnegie Building without
letting the newspaper men know what was. In
the wind.
President Shaffer, in making his exit from
headquarters, was ashed If he would return.
His reply was: "If it is necessary, I will."
Shaffer. Williams an 1 one or two others, by
making long detours, eluded the reporters and
reached the Carnegie offices unnoticed. The re
ply from New- York was shown them, and with
out much comment the members dispersed with
the announcement that the matter would be pre
sented to the entire board and action taken
without delay.
ELECTRIC FREAK IN < HURC'U.
LIGHTNING BETS FIRE TO INTF.HIon
WITHOUT A TTKA» TEW ATTKNTION.
One of the most amazing freaks of lightning
e>-er witnessed in White Plains was reveale 1
yesterday, when George I.t-nt. sexton of the
Kirst Baptist Church of that village, entered
the building for the first time since Sunday. The
church, a stone edifice. Is situated in Mamar
oneck-ave.. in the heart of th«- village, and its
congregation is made up of the fashionable
people of the place. No service has been held
in it since Sunday, and the only one havins
keys to the chores sj the sexton. The church
stands back from tlie avenue about a hundred
feet on a plot of ground feet square. There
Is Issjtionsj nearer than a hundred feet. There
are only two rooms In the building, one being
the main auditorium a:id the other a larg'- |
day school room. 90 feet wtde and r>O feet long.
It was the Sunday school rx>m that Lent
entered. The first thing to attract his eyes RSJ
smoke stained walls. Then he saw that •
had been a tire. He walked up the aisle to
where a large organ stood when he last saw
it. There was n<> organ to be seen, and a hole
about twelve feet square, just Where the
had Stood, was burned through the tl.ur. The
:_: _ , ¦ ¦ I :• \t the wall at the cast M
th.- room Over it bad been a rus fixture. The
bMMf wall was torn awaj frum the ceiling to the
floor, so the stone used in the outside con
struction of the church was in plain view. There
was a hole about threo inches long in the roof.
The pas fixture tM torn away and the gas
arai turning brightly in the ej n- >••
Further ny I • showed that ten of the
heavy floor beams had been burned tht :.
The sexton let himself down into the cellar
through the oneateg. He found a pile of ashes,
which was the only trace left of the organ.
The doors and side walls of the Sunday school
room were badly blistered and showed that a
hot lii' ht 1 h»M raging in the room.
The only explanation gtvaa h II ll UM I ¦
was struck by lii;htnin>,' on Moiul.ty afternoon
about 4 o'ciock. How the interior was so badly
burned and the organ destroyed, without at
tractlng uttenti :. mnot be -\ I I !".¦¦¦
¦extra says all the wtadWW* and doors were
I .n fhinitl] niKht. The costly stained
; : ; >^ win. tows were black with smoke, but
,>ne was broken I •VM I I 1. Among the
thtegl burned up were chairs, hymn books.
prayer books and many Biblical quotations
m ' fa hong ;n frames i I v*Jh\
ROfKF.FF.LLER ADDS TO COUXTRY PLACE.
HB PAYS $30,000 FOR THREE ACRE? IX POCANTICO
HIM. .
•John D. Rockefeller haj bought the country
place of Rufus A. W. «-k* in I'ocantico Hills, com
prising three acre.", with a dwelllns house and out
buildings. The price paid was $50,000. Mr. Weeks's
property l- only i short distance from Mr. Kocke
feller's house. Mr. Weeks si the actuary of the
New- York I.;: Insurance Company, and has lived
In Pocantlco Hills for years. Mr Rockefeller will
take possession un November 1. *
The best r..ut.> from Now-Vcrk ; ¦> Huffalo H th»
Sew-Tork »>ntral A train every hour. AJM.
PRICE THREE CENTS.
\<>T DISPOSED To YIELD.
THIS WAS DECI^\RED TO RE THE ATT I
TUDE OF THE AMALGAMATED
ASSOCIATION.
(BT t::le<;kapr TO TniL tribi
Pittsburg. Aug. I.— There has been nothing to
day to change the current of events in the steel
workers' strike. The executive board of the
Amalgamated Association is still badly divided
on the question of accepting the Morgan com
promise terms, hut ther. ,3, 3 beginning to be a
glimmer of hope that President Shaffer and
Secretary Williams, aided by M. M. Garland and
j Joseph Bishop, ex-presidents of the association,
and Messrs. Schwab and Preston, of the United
States Steel Corporation, will win out on the
lines suggested by Mr. Morgan and President
Shaffer.
The feeling among the .numbers of the execu
tive board is intense and all sorts of petty arti
fices are resorted to to gain time. The Amal
gamated Association is closely watched by spe
cial detectives, who are unknown here, and th«
officials of the steel corporation are also watched
by detectives in the employ of the Amalgamated
Association. Neither side can make a personal
move that the other ride is not aware of at the
moment. President Shaffer is even under the
eyes of detectives employed by the opposition
members of the executive board and has not
Ai rel to meet the officials of the steel corpora
tion openly, as he should do. All this ia simply
confirmation in the eyes of those who are oppos
ing a settlement because they believe here that
Shaffer and Williams practically agreed to settle
the strike last Saturday and the opposition is
killing time to prevent them from carrying out
th" promises supposed to have been made at
that time.
SHAFFER MEETS STEEL MEN.
President Shaffer. has been in close communi
cation personally with Very] Prestor. and Joseph
Schwab, of the United States Steel Corporation,
almost all of to-day, and something is expected
to drop soon In that direction. Nothing ha*
been heard from the men v.-ho are fighting .i
settlement and have gone out over the country
to stir up the steel workers to the point of a
revolution, not only against the steel corpora
tion, but against the president of the Amalga
mated Association. If they can secure enough
skilled steel workers to join the strike to cripple
the general steel plants, the strike will go on
until one side or the other is defeated decisively.
In the mean time efforts are at work to induco
the steel corporation to amend the terms sub
mitted by Mr. Morgan to President Shaffer last
week.
So far neither Mr. Preston nor Mr. Schwab
have yielded an inch, and it Is not expected that
they will. In fact, it is stated with some free
dom that President Shaffer is not anxious at
this stage that the steel corporation make any
change in the terms offered by Mr. Morgan at
New- York. He proposes to win out on that line,
and he has the majority of the strikers at his
back, although personally not so popular as
many other presidents have been.
fMia*Mit ~r "i J n ' rrrnr L -nT if-i 7flirri-rP~"LrilflHssl
EXECUTIVE BOARD STILL. AT WORK
The excitement at the mills that are idle is
dansrerouj. The strikers are divided like the
| executive board. Many are in favor of return
ing to work, while others are standing firmly for
the terms demanded by the conferrees three
weeks ago. It would not be surprising to any
I one in touch with the strike if enough of the
men broke away to end the trouble without the
consent of the executive board.
President Shaffer made his first public state
ment to-day, but it contained only the an
nouncement that the executive board is still at
work, and that nothing can be given out re
garding the terms of the steel corporation.
The only definite statement made was a denial
that a difference of opinion existed amons the
members of the executive board. This was saM
with one eye closed. President Shaffer is an
admirable actor, bat if he la acting the enthusi
asm and good feeling that fairly beam from a
face that is not too cordial ordinarily, he is
deceiving his best friends and Those who have
placed the most implicit dependence on him hi
the present trouble. He seems to say in every
gesture that the trouble has virtually end. At
the same time it is undeniable that unless the
executive board com to Mr. Morgan's terms
this week or unless the present session leads to
another conference with the steel corporation
ctllciala with a permanent wage adjustment In
view, there is serious trouble ahead.
Mr. Morgan is determined to have the matter
decided one way or another this week, and his
preparations are under way for operating th»
idle plants. He will break in and try to run
the mills when he becomes convinced that *ne
executive board is simply working to gain valu
able time. Should the steel corporation attempt
to run the plants in the present condition of the
trouble, there . ill certainly be an explosion.
While several extensive plants are still run
ning, among them the Carnegie chain of mills.
it is known that President Shaffer has enough
men in every plant to hamper the operation of
all. if not actually compel a suspension. It is
the knowledge of this that is permitting the
workers to take so much time to a matter that
might be disposed of in two hours. The steel
corporation does not care to expose its position
fully, which would happen in case President
Shaffer is forced to act against his judgment to
day regarding the advisability of ending the
strike.
ORGANIZING CLEVELAND .MEN.
Cleveland. Ohio. Aug. 1 —It developed to-day that
Vice-Presldent John F. Ward of the Amalgamated
Association has within the last few days organized
the men employed In four plants operated by th*
... i combination in this city, which have hitherto
been known as non-unio" mills. Primarily the oh
ject In organizing these plants. It is said, was to
prevent the men employed In them from beln«
transferred to the new hooo mill -syjilah tba ateel