Newspaper Page Text
% 9 ' \ - ______________________ J * the evening star ~ - ' ~ " 7 ~ ~ ~ i ~ . WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION. 4 uatneaa 0 ffice. 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Avenue. ^ ? \JLT I* /Yi UA afritrti^rr-fYrY ctjCTvytn ea European Regent England. l.l i 1^^ i ii 1/^ iii i i i i i i " Raw York Office: Tribune Building. 1/ H ^ ^ H H / ^ H B H H Chicago Office: BuUding. vgpr g i ^ g i/w\ >1/ WW/g^ ^ colder tonight: tempcraThe Keening Star, with the Sunday morning I f y | f edition. is delivered be mrriers. on tneir own *r V ^ /A/ 1 ./ turc about 18 decree* Toinorcount within the ettv at 5ft rents Prr month: o without The Sunday Star at 44 cents per mouth. - . ' v row tair. Br mall, leverage prepaid: ~ "~ . I Pallr. Similar included, one month. 10 cents. JS&5tiK.,sy?v.'K.arfc" *"" x?. 17.31.3. Washington, d. c, Thursday, February 20, 1908-twenty pages. two cents. Sunday Star, one year. Sl.W). ____ I _ FISH LOSES FIGHT AGAINSTJARRiMAN Injunction Dissolved in Illinois Central Case. DECISION BY JUDGE BALL Stock May Be Voted at the Coming' Meeting. BE VIEW OF NOTED CONTEST Court Says the Complaints Are Based on Unproven Fears of Future Injury. E. H. Harriman won today the court battle with Stuyvesant Fish involving the voting of Illinois Central stock held by the Union Pacific railroad, the voting of which Mr. Fish sought to restrain by injunction. Judge Farlin O. Ball rendered the decision in favor of Harriman in the superior court of Cook county, this morning. In his decision Judge Ball says: '*1 am of the opinion that the Securities Com pan v and the T ~nion Pacific have full ownership of the shares of stock they severally claim to own and hold in the Illinois Central, including the right to vote that stock at the committee of stockholders' meeting of the latter company, and that such right to vote is not forbidden by the statutes of this state, nor' by the decision of the supreme court, nor by the public policy of Jllinois. Therefore, the motion to dissolve the injunction is allowed." fTflCAGO. February 20.?E. H. Harriman today gained a complete victory in the Illinois Central liti"?tion. which has been in the superior court since last October. Judge'Ball todav rendered a decision dissolving -the temporary Injunction granted to Stuyvesant Fish, by vhlch 286.231 shares of stock were enJoined from being voted at the annual meeting of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. This stock, which was held by the I'nlon Pacific Railroad Company and the Railroad Securities Company of New Jersey, can now be voted at the annual meeting, which will be held In this city March 2. The decision of Judge Ball was quite extended, amounting to about 10,000 words. After citing the history of the case and going at considerable length into the various claims and assertions made by both sides the court went on to - . a No Injury Shown. "No act prejudicial to the Illinois Central or to its stockholders is shown to liave been done unless the mere fact that the Union Pacific and the Railroad Securities Company own 29 per cent of the stock of the Illinois Central lie considered to be so. Since Ihe retirement of Mr. Fish from the presidency the policy of the company has been the same, and its executive officers, with one exception, caused by dea?h, have remained the same from that day to this. "The relations between the 1'niun Pacific and the Illinois Central are now what they were when Mr. Pish was in power and assisted in shaping; ami consented to such relations. Nor is any change intended. If the affidavits of wellknown and reputable men be considered as true. The bill, however, charges many things which may happen to the detriment of the Illinois Central and its stockholders if the Union Pacific and the Securities Cotupany be permitted to vote at such meetfhg. but no facts are alleged or proved which even tend to brir.g about such results. Courts of equity act on facts alleged and proved, and not on fears or supposed prophecies. If it w^ra not for the fact that the name of llanlman 1* a name to conjure with these allegations would not be taken so seriously. Intentions Not Acts. "There are many things stated in the bill as to the intention of the defendants which, if put in force, or even attempted to be put in force, would call upon the court to intervene, but a diligent search of this record 'fails to show that such things exist in any concrete form The complainants say that If the I'nlon Pacific and the Securities Company are permitted to vote at the coming election, the hold of Mr. Harriman upon and his domination over the Illinois Central will be strengthened, and that^ finally tiie Illinois Central will be reduced to a servient position, and wil! be given the lean end of the carrying trade. But they fail to allege and prove facts supi>ortmg these allegations. "There Is bu: on>? ground upon which thir bill can he maintained if the Cnton Pacific had no right to buy. hold or own. stock in the Illinois Central, or the securities company or either of them is intruding on this election wholly without right then I think bona fide stockholders without alleging irreparable injury may ask the court to throw them or it out. Law on Voting Stock. "This brings us to the question, is I here in the public policy of this state a prohibition against the voting by a foreign corporation of stock in a domestic corporation. which stock it purchased and paid for. and ho.ds under an express power framed to It by the stale or its creation.*" The court declared that the corporations per se are not debarred from buying and holding the stock of other corporations, and said that the fact that the purchaser might be a foreign corporation and the stock that of a domestic corporation could not change the rule of law. "I am of the opinion that the securities company and the Union Pacific have lull ownership of the shares of stock they hold in the Illinois Central, including the right to vote that stock at the coming meeting of stockholders, and that such right tp vote is not forbidden by the statutes of this state nor b> decisions of our supreme court, nor b> the publicpolicy of Illinois. "The motion to dissolve the injunction is allowed." Nature of the Case. Mr. Fish, who waa formerly president of the Illinois Central, filed a bill October 14. 1JWY7. asking that 286.231 shares of II ' linois Central stock, owned by the I'nioi I Pacific Railroad Company, the Railroai Se< urities Company and the Mutual Lif i Insurance Company of New York be en | joined from being voted at the annua moering of the railway company, set fo October 16. The matter was taken befon Master in Chancery B owning, who rec intmended the issuance of the temporar; I injunction as asked in the bill. Thi , recommendation was acted upon by Jttdg j Ball, who issued a temporary restrainiui ' order. Mr. Fish was joined in his suit b< former Senator Oeorge F. Kdmtinds o ' Vermont. John A. Kasson. fo-mer minis tet to Austria, and by William H. Km rich. Further Action Certain. Long before t lie time sot for the readini of the decision rhe courtroom was dense): packed with attorneys and business met anxious to hear it. Several women in tin room who had no especial interest in tin proceedings were compelled, on aecoun of the crowd, to leave. Mr. Fish was no ; in court, nor was President Haraiian. Plans of Mr. Fish. The attorneys foj Mr. Fish agreed tha ; the opinion of Judge Ball could pot tie appealed from. "It is a non-appealable order." said Attorney Farrar. between puff's from a larg. black cigar. "The merits of the case mua now be tried, a decree entered, and tlier we will he able to take an appeal." "Will you go ahead to try the merits ol I the case?" was asked. "Yes," replied Attorney Farrar. "When?" "As soon as the matter is readied ! There are issues raised in this proceed| ing which can be heard at any time." \ President llarahan of the Illinois Central railroad was overjoyed at the decision of Judge Ball. "My head Is too full of that decision just at present," he said "to permit me to saj much, but that I am pleased and htghlj I pleased is putting it mildly.'* Principals Decline Comment. NEW YORK. February JO.?E. H. Har | rlman declined today to comment on the decision of the Illinois Central railroad j case until he had time to read the de! clsion In full. "I hope it is so clear cut as to remove : ail doubt." he said. i At the office of Stuyvesant Fish it was said lhat Mr. Fish would make no comment on the case until lie had seen the ! text of the decision. ? $1,000 FOB, HIS ABBEST. / ???????? A Notorious Post Office Bobber Held at New York. NEW YORK. February 20? Joseph Hobhs. alias Joseph Kelly, is under arI rest here as a result of the request made by the police of Boston. He is charged with robbing three post offices in Massachusetts. The description sent out by the Boston police, which resulted in the arrpst of Hobbs last night, describes him as a safeblower with a national reputation. It is alleged that he has served sentence^ in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts for safe robberies, and that there is a reward of $1,000 for his arrest on a charge of safebiowlng and setting tire to a house in Kansas City in which four persons were 1 burned. KILLED HIMSELF AT HIS DESK. t Express Company President's Suicide in New York Tgday. Special Dispatch tc* The Star. .NEW yUKK, feDruary ay.? Sitting at his desk in his office at 1S8 Chambers street at 11 o'clock this morning Kug?ne Guindcn, president of Fuller's Express Company, shot himself through the head, dying instantly. Mr. Guindon lived with his wife at the Marie Antoinette Hotel. He iias one daughter, Mrs. Duval, whose husband is senior member of the Duval and Cone Woolen Goods Company. There were several clerks working in tiie exprew company's office, ciose to Mr. Guindon at the time lie shot himself, tun none of them knew what wjts happeinlng until they heard the shot. According to A. E. Roome. a director of the express company, itt-health and not worry over business affairs was the reason for the ! suicide. For some weeks past, said Mr. j Roome. Mr- Guindon has been in very ! poor health, having suffered from bronj chial trouble and asthma. MATRIMONIAL TRUST EXPOSES Hundreds of "Soul-Mate" Bureaus in Big Syndicate. CHICAGO. February 30.?The Tribune today says: A gigantic matrimonial trust, embracing all "Cupid-hunter" agencies, similar to the Marian Grey Searchlight Club oi Elgin. was unearthed In the federal grand jury room yesterday. Information leaked out thai evidence had been securred positively proving the hundreds of "soul-mate" bureaus operated in every section of the country were controlled by a Chicago and a New York man and possibly two other men. Secret service, men headed by Col. Stuart and Walter S. Mayer, chief gost office inspector of New York, were called as witnesses before the grand jury, and ?ave valuable testimony In regard to the ! matrimonial trust. The government at, torneys expect to break up "traffic in marriages" in one swoop by the arrest and conviction of the officials of the combination. Secret service men, given the lead by information secured in the Marian Grey trial, have shown that the matrimonial agencies in the country use the same testimonial as sent out by Miss Grey, as well as the same stock pictures. CHARGED WITH POLYGAMY. ??? ? ' Recent Visitor in This City Seekc Arrest of Hubby in Utah. SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. February 20.?A dispatch to the Tribune froir Provo. Vtah. says that Mrs. Robert Cono ver. who arrived from Washington, D. C. this week, declined to accept the part ol a feminine Enocn Arden and lias appliec . to the county attorney for a war ran cliarging her 4iusband with polygamy. H? I married her in Salt I.ake City in 1U01. ani : in August, lfkt", espoused Miss Anna Rich ; mond of Provo. with wiiom he is now living. The first Mrs. Conover was in San Fran eisco during the earthquake and fire. Sin escaped unscathed and has since been vis 1 iting friends in Delaware. Maryland auc j the District of Columbia Conover de olares that he received a report of th? : death of his wife in the San Francisci ' disaster, but up to this time he has fallet to convince her that his statement is true "Want the Job Very Badly. COhl'MBI'S. Ohio. February St-Whei the delegates to the republican converitior of the eighth congressional district todaj took the 4'Cd ballot at Marysvilb to dec a successor to Representative Cole then ! was no break from the deadlock o'f yea ' terday. Rumors of adjournment U | another city in the district are rifa. % I \ n 3 h . l 1 -'V ^ r ! < <, :! ? v* 1 ^ \sS| * | I :: IiSK^'In"16 :! jr, i ^BQn0BR^^^B^DK| jSBMBWigj TO fflTl COST s Chairman Smith's Proposed Public Utilities Commission. WOULD SERVE AS MODEL Three Experts to Be Appointed by the President. WOULD REPORT TO CONGRESS Opposition- to the District Commissioners' Bill for Begulating Local Public Service Corporations. ! i Chairman Smith of the House District committee came ou,t in most decided fashIon today in favor of a public utilities t commission with a membership of three ' ; to be appointed by the President, charged ] with general supervision of The publk i service corporations of the District of ! ,-._i ii. | ? IllUIIIOlil. .) Somo days ago mention was made in j The Star of the introduction by Mr. Smith of a bill conferring upon the District Commissioners the powers of a pub1 lie service commission. This bill .-was prepared at the District building and. in 1 trod need by Mr. Smith in his official .capacity as chairman of the House District committee. But lie does not favor the proposition. He thinks there should be a public utilities commission composed o> men of the highest standing and best ' training which would be a model of its I kind. In discussing the subject today with a Star reporter Mr. Smith said: i "Although I have introduced the Com; missioners' bill asking that the powers I 1 of a public service commission be con| ferred upon them, another bill will shortly be framed by the District Commissioners providing for the appointment by the President of the I'nited States of a public utilities commission of three members. whose recommendations to Congress shall be the basis of all laws enacted governing public utilities corporations in the District, ^nd regulating the prices they shall charge for their products and se;vices. Expert Views Wanted. "I have heard the complaint frequently made that the price of gas. electricity j and telephone service in the District if I too high. This commission's first duty I j would be to inquire into those matterf ; and make recommendations to Congress The commission should be of such a char! acte \ of such admittedly high standing ' and technical ability, that Congress could i . follow its recommendations without tear, "1 do not believe that tiie salaries pale to the members of 'this . yommissior ' should be fixed by any standards of elost t economy. The salaries should be suf . ttciently compensatory- so as to enabh the President to obtain the services oi ' the three best-known men in this coun " j try with respect to their knowledge oi 1 public- service matters, t "I should be glad to see thip commis ? sl.jo made up in tiiis way, so that the . evolution of the regulation of public service corporations here from the pres eir. stale 10 approximate penec-nuii uiigu r ' be looked upon in the way of mode ! procedure by all 'the rest of the country "There Is no question of the need, anc i the pressing need, for such a commlssior i here in the District. There is a great de ! mand for cheap gas. Now. I do not feel i | qualified to fix the price of gas. I do not ! know anything about the initial cost of a ; gas plant; I do not know how much il i I costs to make gas, and I do not know how > much it costs lo distribute it. In ntliei i words, 1 should feel a great delicacy in shouldering the responsibility of arbitrarl' ly naming the figure at which the WashI ingtop Gaslight Company, or any othei gas-making concern, should furnish Iti ; product to the consumer. (think, more 1 o\?i. iliat tins view Is the view taken bj i a majority of the members of the House of Representatives. The same rule ap' plies with regard to electric Ifghts. telet J phone service, and every other commodity that is furnished to the citizens of Wasn* i ington by the local public service cor porations. , > Wants a Modal Commission. J "Now tbe best way to stark is to. start r ... %, t 1 right. The creation of this publfc service commission as I have proposed it would be the best thing, the most forward step, the most comprehensively modern advance that has happened in this city in many years. | "The Commissioners have been asked that they be given the powers of a public servicp commission. But if this were done they would of necessity be compelled to employ experts. And consequently it occurs to me that the best possible way to solve this difficulty which confronts us ?and admittedly It Is a dHflcutty? would be to create this commission of recog? nized experts and let them look into all these matters which are now In dispute ?the public service corporations claiming that they are now furnishing their product or services to the public at the lowest compensatory rate commensurate with a fair return on their investment and the public claiming on the other hand that \ they are forced to pay extortionately for what they receive." Mr. Smith seems to feel very hopeful that a bill such as he proposes will be enactpd at this session of the Sixtieth Congress. He is inclined to this belief from the fact that the many members of the House have already expressed them. selves as highly in favor of the creation of a public- utilities commission of such admittedly, high standing and qualification as to make its conclusions and recommen: dations to Congress worth a great deal . In the way of guiding advice. There is : no question that such a bill will be favor I ably reported to the House from the Dis! trict committee. Just when this will be i I , done is not certain, hut from the way i . ; Mr. Smith talked today it is highly im- , . j probable that he will permit any grass : to grow under his feet. 1 TO COME UP SATURDAY I ? ? . DISTRICT BUSINESS POSTPONED BY THE HOUSE. : Today was supposed to be set aside for | the consideration of the Union station permanent trackage bill, but the House adjourned at a little after 1 o'clock with'' out anv District business having been reached." Chairman Smith of the House District committee was on the floor when the House met. ready for -business, but , i he had lust started to make the formal ; motion that the House take up District 1 r business when Reoresentative Waldo of j ! New York rose to a question of high privilege and sent to the clerk's desk for j reading a memorial asking for the im- j peachment of Judge Wilfley of the United ' States territorial court at Shanghai, China, on various charges -of high crimes ' and fnisdemeanors. It took the clerk an r hour or so to read the memorial, ant) at its close the House adjourned out of respect to thehnemory of Senator l^atinrier df South Carolina, who died this morn. ing. , ' Just before adjournment Chairman Smith obtained the cdnsent of the House ' that District business should "be consid' ered Saturday instead of loday. DROWNING OF STEENERSON. t Report Received From Lieut. 1 Creecy. A brief report from Lieut. R. B. Creecy, commanding the marines at Newport, re? garding the drowning of Privates Steener son and Mcintosh has been received at ' marine headquarters here. This' report agrees in the main with published sfater rnents about the drownings and says: "The captain of the tug (Annie It. - j Woodt stated that the men went aboard > I at the landing in Newport and when the > i tug was off Conanicut Point, in the bay, -' jumped overboard. A civilian passenger 1 | on the tug admitted, however, having had 1! a fight on board, and as Private Steener son's uniform coat was smeared with I blood the civilian was locked up by the Newport authorities pending investigation." 1 , ; AMBASSADOR STERNBERG. t r He and Mrs. Sternburg to Make a ' Trip to Cuba. Ambassador Sternburfe of Germany, accompanied by Mme. Sternburg. left here t ( this afternoon by the Atlantic Coast L4ne . for a trip of two weeks in tite south and r Cuba. Their first stopping place will be Tampa, where the ambassador is to make ! addresses before the Tampa Chamber of - Commerce on Washington's-birthday, and at the laying of the foundation stone for . the German Club on the following day.; Then they go to Cuba for a tour o; the island, on which he mill be accofnpanied . i?y .at) .arrpy. oflteer detailed for that pur11 posa. / 3ss : ^? ~ I % MAIL DELIVERY SLOW Business Men Complain of Post Office Conditions. MIIPU MCCni CQQ nci AY muwii iibbi/wuuw L/bun i Two Possible Explanations of Inefficient System. INSTANCES OF BAD SEBVICE Special Letter Thirty Hours on Short Trip?Efforts Not Concentrated to Avoid Congestion. Something is wrong with the distributing division of the Washington post office. This fact is established beyond a doubt by careful investigation. Complaints have been frequent that letters have been delivered after unreasonable delays, and have even sometimes iteen lost entirely. From the division itself come stories of mismanagement, and even when these tales have been liberally discounted as ex parte statements there still remains some- j thing to be explained. l^ast week the trouble culminated when j letters and postal cards were in many oases held in the office two or three days before they Were delivered. The mute testimony of postmarks recorded the. exact time when the pieces of mail were received at the office, and this could not be gainsaid or explained away. Dan Cupid Is Blamed. But last week the post office authorities had an excuse, and it was brought forward on every occasion. For St. Valentine's day fell on last Friday, and all delays of ordinary mail were attributed to the flood of postal cards that were said 10 be choking the channels of distribution. A reporter from The Star was taken behind the scenes of the office and shown the pile of cards heaped up on a table. One man was busy sorting them, and there were thousands of cards in the pile. Mixed with the valentine cards were ordinary- postal cards, bearing business messages. These shared the general fate and took their turn at delivery with the picture' cards. That day The Star received a card mailed two days before, from near the city, conveying information that should have been received the previous day to have been of any value. Similar instances were so numerous as to fall into the category of the expected. The valentine cards undoubtedly interfered somewrhat with the distribution and delivery of the mails, but the suggestion is made that the added delay merely emphasized.the accustomed dilatory delivery. Almost any business man has complaints to offer tif tardy service that affects his business 'unfavorably, and near branch offices the statement is made that not even by affixing special delivery stamps to letters and telephoning to the central station that such letters are awaiting a messenger can satisfactory service be obtained. Instances are given of such special delivery letters being dispatched to Baltimore, and being moft than thirty hours on the way, totally nullifying the efforts of the dispatcher to have his letter expedited by the additional payment of 10 cents, plus the cost and trouble of telephoning. Two Explanations. It would seem that there are but two possible explanations of the situation. First, that the distributing service is in-^ competently superintended. Second, that the force of employes is i united in an effort to discredit the head of the distributing service and thus effect his removal. " Hither horn of the dilemma puts the problem squarely up to Postmaster t t Barnes. hut thus far ho lias expressed hi entire satisfaction with tho work of Capt Henry I,. Johnson, superintendent of th delivery division. I<ast sumroor Postmaster Parnes ap pointed Capt. Johnson superintendent Capt. Johnson took hold of the job an' was learning the ropes when along earn the Christmas rush. Then, it is said, th post office and found itself unable to oop with the situation. Various modifications of the systen which he found in vogue have been intrn duced by Supt. Johnson, but none of radi cal importance. In discussing the matte with authorities in the Post Office IV partment. who take a lively interest ii what is going on in the turmoil of th city post office downstairs, a reporter o The Star was told by an official who ha had many years of experience: "The trouble down In that delivery divl sion is that effort is never concentrate' upon any point of congestion. Matter are permitted at all times to run along a usual, each man tfoing a certain appoint ed task, whether he has much or littl to engage him. One man may at a eortaii time be overwhelmed by an amount o work which it is impossible for him t clear out of the way in time, while ar other man. who should be sent over t help him. has at that time little or noth ing to do. except to dawdle perfunctoril through routine work. Men should hav K*x?n (iMufhol from duties where the' could have been spared for a little whil and put to work -on tlie rush of valentin mail, and that would have helped at tha time, though it would not have served t clear up the general difficulty, withou constant attention and practice of th same system." Postmaster Is Satisfied. As for Postmaster Barnes, he expresse complete, satisfaction with the work o Capt. Johnson. He denies certain state ments that have been attributed to hin in interviews. He told a reporter for Th Star that tie had never, as charged, pro moted a man in that division after si: months' service, saying that such a thini would be impossible under the law. H also denies having made sixty transfer in tlie service, as charged, saying tha lie substituted only three men for threi other men, making a total of six transfers Two of these men thus transferred, Mr Barnes says, had signed a petition thre< months ago for a restoration of the Sun day schedule system formerly in vogue but tHis. Mr. Barnes says, had nothing ti do with the transfers. The postmaste aiso denies that he has received a peti tion from the clerks of the distributini division for the removal of ('apt. Johnson And this brings the question to the sec ond possible explanation of the trouble ii the division. it is known that a petition, signed b about seventy clerks, asking for the re rr.oval of Capt. Johnson from rhe heai of ihe delivery division has been sent t Mr. Barnes. Mr. Barnes denies havin: received it. One explanation of Mi Barnes' denial is. one clerk said, tha perhaps the petition was mailed in th Washington office and is still on its wa; to 'the addressee, suffering the usual de lays. In the meantime the public is the suf ferer. To a business house the delay o two days in a letter may mean serlou financial loss. To an individual such delay may. conceivably, lie a matter o life and death. It is of the utmost im portance that it should be possible l trust the mails and to be able to eoun confidently upon the delivery of a lette within a reasonable time. No statement could lie obtained froi Postmaster Barnes today, as an effoi made to see him by a reporter from Th Star was met with the announcement tha Mr. Barnes was out of town and migh not return until Saturday. SUCCESSOR TO LATIMER. Considerable Interest in the Matte; Shown at the Capitol. Considerable interest was manifested a the Capitol today in the question of Sen ator Latimer's probable sucoessor. Th legislature is now in session, but is du to aujourn next fsaiuraay. me inieresi in? point is raised whether if the legisla ture snould adjourn without electing hi successor the Senate would recognize th governor's appointment of a senator. Th Senate has held heretofore that when j legislature adjourns without electing th Senate would not recognize the appoint ment by the governor. There are a number of candidates in th field to succeed Senator Latimer. One o the leading candidates is ett-Gov. Hey ward, and his chances are said to b very good. Another candidate is ex-Gov Joint G. Evans. Others are George John ston. D. G. Anderson. C. S. McCulIough J. J. Dark In and O. B. Martin. The governor of the state. Gov. Ansel also is suspected of entertaining sena torial ambitions. Representative has been talked of in connection with th senatorship. but it is not known whethe lie will be a candidate or not. Soutl Carolina politicians at tlie Capitol sail today that Senator Tillman is likely t have an influential voice in the naminj of a successor to his late colleague. COLI'MBIA. S. C.. February ao.?Unof ficial notification of the death of Senato Ijatimer was received by the general as sembly today. Under the constitution th present legislature must elect a successo for the unexpired term of one year. Th legislature, which was to "nave adjourne< sine die Saturday, will probably take ; recess until a week from next Thursday BEATEN, SHOT AND BOBBED. Colorado Springs Man Falls Intc Trap Set by Burglar. COLORADO SPRINGS. Col . Februar; a<>.?Otto Fehringer. a druggist am wholesale liquor dealer of this city, wa beaten, shot and robbed on a countr; loan inree nines ironi i*-re i??l C\riuni by an unknown man. wito had inducei Fehringer to accompany him on the pre text that an uncle had some fine win* which he wished to* sell. Fehringer wa shot through the right lung and it 1 feared the wound will prove fatal. The robber secured a diamond stu< and ring valued at $1 .(MX), a roll of bill ai>d checks amounting to .* *??>. and i valuable gold watch with a diamond set ting. Fehringer. after living shot, walk ed half a mile to a telephone, from whicl place the police and sheriffs office wer notified. ANOTHER HOSPITAL SHIP. The Solace to Be Fitted Up Witi Naval Surgeon in Command. At the request of Surgeon Genera Rixey and against the wishes of th< naval bureau of navigation, the Secretar] of the Navy lias decided that the U.8.S Solace, now at the Mare Island navj yard, shall be fitted out as a hospita ship, with a naval surgeon in command Dr. Rixey's plan is to have three hospita ships?the Relief, to be attached to th< Atlantic fleet; the Solace, to be attachec to the Pacific fleet, and the Manchuria for the new station that is to be create* x* 11.-. uA.r Ill iviauna ua.y . The objection of the navigation bureai to the use of the Solace as a hosplta ship was due to a desire to fit her oui as a " mother" or "parent" ship for th? submarines to be taken to Manila. Tin Solace was used as a naval hospita! shij during the Spanish war under the com mand of IJeut. Commander L>unlop. ' Park on Georgetown Heights. Senator Heyburn has reported favorablj from the committee on public buildings and grounds the Gallinger bill for the establishment of a public park on Georgetown Heights. 9 'SQUADRON AT CALLAO j Preparations for a Notable } c Entertainment. I pi , ????? ADMIRAL EVANS' THANKS nj # f Government Sends an Escort for the American Fleet, (i, ??? g PERUVIANS DECLARE HOLIDAY 9 ' " Admiral Thomas Has Assumed ? , Charge of the Battleships for . 0 the Time. V ______ e ' y CALL AO. February 'JO. 7:15 A.M.?The * ' Arreriean battleship fleet has just been t siphted off this port. ? The- latest wireless dispatch from the e Cot nectlcut says that Rear Admiral Evans is still in poor health and that Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas, com3 mander of the second squadron and third ^ division of the fleet, has assumed chat** a of the vessels. e From an early hour this morninp the ~ street cars < omtnp into Callao were * crowded with passenpers who are ea#er e to witness the arrival of the American " | warships. e Voyage Uneventful. The American warships had a successful ? e and uneventful passage up from Punta - Arenas. They left Punta Arenas at 11 ' o'clock at night February 7, and in col? umn formation they made their way . through the western half of the Strait of g Magellan. The torpedo boat flotilla aci. conipanied the warships. For the first - part of the passage through the strait n they kept close to the larger vessels, but then dropped behind and turned north to y Smyth channel. A minor accident to the - engine of the destroyer I^awrence made d it necessary for her to fall back, but she o picked up the flotilla later in the afternoon g of February 8. The destroyers entered \ Smyth channel at about the same tlma ,t that the battleships got clear of the strait e and steamed out on the Pacific y Saturday the 8th the sky was overcast !- The weather was cold and the wind blew squally and fresh, forcing the low-flying clouds aside for occasional flashes of brtlf liant sunshine. The snow-clad peaks on s either side of the strait maifls a lit ting a setting to the wrlld! weather. Cleared the Straits. 0 As the vessels steamed steadily through >t the narrow confines of English Reach. r Crooked Beach and Ixrng Reach, and n finally past the Evangelists Islands out -t to the open sea. the scene was oae of e wild, rugged and picturesque beauty. One f after another the wlifte battleships forged it through the deep gorge in the bleak mountains that form the southernmost headlands of South America. To the north and to the south the mountain vaJlejs showed glinting glaciers, with cascades _ streaming down the narrow cuts and defiles to the lower levels to find their way in rushing rivuleits to the sea. t As the vessels Anally cleared in safety the last headlands and the dangerous " islands that bar the entrance to the open e ocean every man in the fleet was filled e with a sense of pride in the successful _ accomplishment of a difficult and dangerous piece of navigation. Once in the Pacific the fleet ran into s drizzling rain and fog. and the headlands e and mountains marking the western ene trance, to the strait were quickly lost to view. The warships then had fog for four e! days, during which lime they kept in - i touch by the sound of their whistles. On j the fifth day the weather cleared and remained fine until the fleet steamed into f t'allao bay. The battleship fleet, on its arrival sit r Ca'lao. completed the longest "leg" of - its cruise up to the present time. Tha ' distance from Punta Arenas to Callao is 1 "2 85b knots, a slightly greater distance J than from Trinidad to Rio Janeiro. From r the Peruvian port to Magdaiena bay. the o fleet's next slop, the distance is 3,112 ^ knots, the longest run of the cruise. j in maxing caiiao me neet nas reaction a its fourth port, the others in order being g Trinidad. Rio and Punta Arenas, in the Strait of Magellan. The fleet was a few r hours late in reaching the strait, was de_ layed some hours at Sandy Point and by e the salute to Valparaiso and is now r about two days behind schedule. It wdj j expected that the ships would reach Cala lao February 18. This discrepancy ! . slight under the circumstances. Lima, the Beautiful. To reaxih Caliao the fleet has traveled ( almost fu.OOd m'les. has weathered the dangerous Magellan and felt the hitc of the antarctic in summer. Now the battleships V have risen to tropjeal climates again, rt Callao is about 10 degrees below the equ'as tor and longitudinally is almost due south >' from New York. Callao is the seaport of * Lima, the capital of Peru, sheltered by a the Island of San Lorento. with a ba<k" ground of the lofty, snow-crested Andes. e Off San lAtrenzo is the Palominos group B of islands, where there is a lighthouse s I visible eighteen miles at sea. Callao. while its foundation dates hack i i to 1336, is a modern city in marine equipments. It has very large wliarves. a ' floating dock that will admit vessels of r.ooo inris Hiul electrical cargo shifting appliances. Tlie population is about 32." iKiO, and the port is nine miles from Lima, where there are l.TO.OOO people. Lima lies j close to the foothills of the Andes, 1a 1 oOO feet higher than Callao, and is connected with the port by two steam roads, an electric trolley line and a fine avenue for carriages. 1 It is a beautiful city, with an environment of majestic scenery and enjoying & climate of perennial spring. 1 ! Lima is famed for its handsome women. 1 There is a fashionable drive. Columbus lavenida, where doubtless the American officers will review and be reviewed. Also there will be brilliant social affairs, a bull tight or two and other celebrations in honor of the fleet's visit. Holiday Declared. The first message from the fleet yesterday conveyed the information that the fleet was then 22* miles from the port, and the sec-ond forwarded a message of thanks from Rear Admiral Evans. In his own name and that of the officers of the fleet he expressed liis appreciation of the aflfecj tionate welcome by the Peruvian natio? I and the president. > j Admiral Evans said he considered the j Peruvian escort to Ca'.lao a great honor, i and thanked the government for its offer r.j transmit his messages to the Navy Department at Washington, but added Him iio huri nothing at nresent to com mu nicate. ! The government has issued a d<*cre? - making Saturday a holiday in honor of Washington's birthday, and the Americans' visit, and It has ordered the PeruI