Evening star. [volume], May 28, 1913, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER.
Generally fair tonight and Thurs
day. with warmer temperature
Thursday; light variable winds.
About every one in Washing
ton who reads at all reads The
Star.
CI*09IXG SRW TURK
STOCK Ql'OT*TI(>\?
PAGE iS
WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1913 -TWENTY-TWO PAGES.
TAXICAB INQUIRY
NOW IS PLANNED
Public Utilities Commission
Will Take Up Subject
of Rates.
HEARING TO BE GRANTED 1
VARIOUS COMPANIES;
Jurisdiction of District Body Is j
Questioned?Herdic Transfer Case
Comes Up Monday.
As a prelimlnar\ step looking toward a
proposed Investigation Into taxicab rates .
In the District of Columbia the public I
utilities commission, it ?as announced'
today, has decided to give a hearing to
representatives of the tax^rab companies;
who claim that those corporations do not;
come under the jurisdiction of the com
mission.
The utilities board recently requested
local public service corporations to sub
mit to it certain data. This request went
to the taxicab companies, which, it is
stat*1*!. disclaimed jurisdiction by th?
commission over those concerns on the
ground that they are not common car
riers.
It was stated today that representatives
of the companies will be given an oppor
tunity to defend this position at a public
hearing to he conducted by the commis
sion probably early next month. If the
hoard arrives at the conclusion that it has
jurisdiction in the matter, it probably
will proceed immediately with plans for
an investigation to determine whether
local taxicab rates are excessive.
Hcrdic Transfer Case.
The commission will conduct its second
public hearing Monday. June 2, when the
complaint of the Metropolitan Coach Com
pany against the Capital Traction and i
Washington Railway and Electric com
panies for the failure of the latter con
cern to enter into reciprocal transfer
relations with it at the intersecting points
of 13th street and Pennsylvania and New
York avenues will be formalU considered.
It is probable that the commission's third
rubllc hearing will be with respect to the
taxicab situation.
That a new schedule for the operation
and equipment of street oars in the Dis
trict of Columbia will be promulgated
within a week or ten days is believed to
he likely. It is the plan of the members
of the commission to consider immeUiately
the testimony offered at yesterday's hear
ing concerning the various features of
the proposed schedule. New rules gov
erning the street car situation will be
adopted and put Into operation with as
little delay as possible.
Can They Bide Free?
The commission now is looking into the j
question whether, under the public util- j
Ities law. policemen, firemen and other
persons may ride on street cars without
paxment of fares.
The law provides that "it shall be un
lawful for any person. Arm or corporation
to solicit, accept or receive any rebate,
concession or discrimination in respect to
any service affecting or relating to any
public utility."
Whether the giving of free transporta
tion by the street railway companies to
certain persons constitutes discrimination
Is the question that confronts the utili
ties board If Corporation Counsel
Thomas, legal adviser to the board, de
c des that the issuance of passes is pro
hibited by the law. the commission proba
bly will issue an order to that effect at
an early date.
HEIRS WIN 25-YEAR SUIT.
Get Damages for Sailors' Deaths
When Vessel Sank in 1888.
CHICAGO. May a*.?'The "J"*) heirs of
the twenty-seven sailors who lost their
ll\es in the sinking of the steamer Tioga
In the Chicago river in 1S*>* have won
their damage suit against the steamship
company after twenty-five years of liti
gation ?'oiinsel for the many plaintiffs
!>-arned today that the I'nited States Su
-rt-me Court had refused to interfere
with the decision of the circuit court of
appeals.
Kight of the original plaintiffs are dead,
as also are original counsel for both the
heirs and the company.
Tie Tioga snnV( following the explosion
r>f h la'ge shipment of benzine, and
twenty-seven bodies of members of the
c-en were identified. The hulk, valued
at JlW.oon. v as impounded, ami after
?.?-d jctinE court costs this approximately
r- the amount t'nai "ill be distributed.
LORD AVEBURY IS DEAD.
English Banker and Scientist Vic
tim of Heart Trouble.
LONDON. May IS.?Lord Avebury
died today of heart disease after a
ehort illness at the age of seventy-nine
vttrs
Lord Avebury. formerly Sir John
Lubbeck. was prominent as a banker,
famous as a scientist and popular as
an author of nature studies. He was
president of the Corporation of Foreign
Bondholders, lord rector of St. An
drew I'niversity. president of the So
ciety of Antiquaries, president of the
? entrai Association of Hankers and
<,fflc?-r of nearly a score of other or
ganizations having to do with finance,
t duration and natural science.
As Sir John Lubbeck he won great
popularity among the working people
in 1ST1 when he succeeded in passing
the bank holidays act This added
four national holidays every year to
the statute book and these days were
for a long time known as "Lubbeck
days "
Besides banking, on which he was
a recognized authority, he also took
great Interest in the reform of
municipal life and in movements for
the welfare of the working classes.
Me Introduced legislation to rescue
open spaces from th?- builders so as to
provide playgrounds for the children
He also devoted himself to the condi
tions under which clerks worked in
stores and succeeded in passing a bill
iegulating their hours of labor. An
other bill provided for the establish
ment of public libraries by munici
palities
CONVENTION TO CLOSE.
Northern Baptists End Sessions in
Detroit With Rally Tonight.
DKTRi >!T. Ma> 28?The Northern
Raptist convention, which has been in
session hejp for the last week, will
doge tonight with a devotional rally
At the business sessions today the
reports of the commission on city mts
siona and of the brotherhood council
were discussed.
'
JUMPS FROM WINDOW
AND DIES OF INJURES
I: i
!
Mrs. Hannah Herman, Maid at
New Wiilard Hotel,
Ends Her Life.
Mrs. Hannah Herman, thirty-five years ,
old. who had been employed as a maid |
at the Xcw Wiilard Hotel for the past j
few weeks, ended her life about 4 j
o'clock this morning by leaping from a j
four-story window of the building at
1418 Pennsylvania avenue northwest, in
flicting injuries from which she died
four hours later.
Early morning patrons of a nearby
lunchroom, hearing the woman's screams
as she made the fatal plunge, rushed
to her aid. and Fred Wiggington, an \
employe of a cafe. telephoned for an !
ambulance. Or. Newhouse of Emergency
Hospital responded, and the injured
woman was rushed to the hospital,
where it was found she had sustained
fractures of the right arm and left leg,
and had also suffered intetnal injuries.
She was still conscious when taken to
the hospital, but was suffering intense
agony from her injuries. An hour or
so after she leached tlie hospital Mrs. j
Herman seemed to he somewhat improved. ;
but shortly after o'clock this morn- |
ing she began to sink, death occurring !
about X o'clock.
Reason for Act Unknown.
The reason which impelled Mrs. Her
man to end her life is unknown to
those with whom she has associated
in Washington, though friends living in
Alexandria said today that she had fre
quently remarked that "there is so much
trouble in this world that life is not
worth living."
It is understood that, although mar
ried. Mrs. Herman had not lived with
her husband for some time. She rented
a room at the home of D. R. Smith, $*>"
Cameron street. Alexandria, last Sep
tember, and still retained possession of
the room for the purpose of gaining a
legal residence in Virginia so that she
might obtain a divorce.
Before working at the New Wiilard.
Mrs. Herman was employed as a maid
at the Shoreham. leaving there several
weeks ago. She shared a room in the
Pennsylvania avenue building with Mary
Williams, also employed at the New
Wiilard The latter informed the police
today that she was awakened by Mrs.
Herman's scream? and at first believed
her roommate had walked in her sleep
and had fallen from the open window.
She found, however, that Mrs. Herman
had dressed, had climbed to the window
ledge, closing the Inner blinds behind
her. and had then leaped from th# ledge.
She struck fully twenty feet from the wall
of the building.
Coroner Nevitt viewed the body at the
morgue later in the day. Two letters ad
dressed to her husband were found pin- !
ned to her undergarments They had no 1
bearing on her contemplated suicide, how
ever. but the coroner learned she had
threatened to kill herself. He gave a cer
tificate showing the woman jumped from
the window with suicidal intent.
BUYS MIUSTON ISLAND
May Be Site of Future Plant
of Washington Gas
Light Company.
If a new and larger gas plant is need
ed in the "future by the Washington
Gas Light Company a site has now
been secured, as Joseph Leiter. presi
dent of the company, has agreed to
purchase Analostan Island from the
Chicago owners.
The transaction is entirely a personal
matter with Mr. Letter, as the island
will be bought by him and owned by
him. At the same time it will be in
hands friendly to the interests of the
company, and if in the changes of the
future a larger plant is needed or th?*
making of coal gas becomes more profit
able than oil gas. then the island will
be available for the uses of the com
pany.
The consideration is not given, but it
is said the price agreed to be paid to
the present owners, who acquired the
property several years ago. is $80,000.
STUDENTS BATTLE FLAMES.
Thousands of Dollars Lost at Uni
versity of Michigan.
ANN ARBOR. Mich., May 2S.?The
south wing of University Hall of the
University of Michigan was destroyed
b> fire today. The propert\ loss will
amount to several thousands of dol
lars. the burned part of the building
having been used by the mechanical
and zoological departments, which lost
much valuable apparatus. The univer
sity's treasurers office was also de
stro\ed. I'nlversity Hall was built in
IMS.
The university water plant was not
connected, men having been at work
upon it for some time to increase its
efficiency. About 3.000 students turn
ed out to fight the blaze, however, and
their efforts saved the rest of the
building.
CHUHCH SERVICE "CANNED."
' Pastor Will Send Records to All the
Non-Attendants.
ROSELLE. N. J.. May 2^?For the
I benefit of those who cannot or will
; not go to church the Rev. Clarence S.
Wood, pastor of St. Luke's Episcopal
i Church of Roselle, has had a talking
machine record made of a church
service, including choir music and ser
mon.
duplicates will be made from this
record and the pastor will address him
self to the task of getting non-attend
ants to accept the duplicates as gifts.
I . Field Marshal Would Retire.
BERLIN, May 28.?Field Marshal Kol
mar von der Goltz. considered one of
: the foremost strategists of the age.
has presented a request to Emperor
William to be allowed to retire. The
field marshal, who entered the army in
1SH1. and fought through theh Prussian
: Austrian and Franco-German wars.
; would have commanded the main Gcr
' man army in case of the breaking out
I of war.
C. W. Morse Again in Power.
NEW YORK. May 28.?Charles W
Morse was elected today president of
?h?* Hudson Navigation Company, own
ers of a line of steamers operating on
th?? Hudson river. Morse was head of
the company In 19f'i*. but was deposed
! a year later. John W. McKinnon. who
, succeeded him. sold his interest in the
? line to a syndicate of bankers, who
; placed it in Morse s hands, thus giv
| Ins bim control.
CLERK DEAD SEATS
AGAIN ARE SCORED
Underpay No Reason for Dis
honesty, Says Retail Mer
chants' Head.
LIVING BEYOND MEANS,
STRASBURGER CHARGES
Large Percentage of Government
Employes Fail to Pay Bills, He
Declares. Answering Gordon.
"The fact that government employes
are underpaid Is ni> reason why any of
them should he dishonest. If a govern
ment clerk gets a salary of a year
he should see that he keeps his mode of
living on the twelve-hundred-dollar scale.
He should not purchase goods for which
he knows he will he unable to pay and
then make the merchant suffer."
Such was the statement made today bv
President Strasburger of the Retail Mer
chants' Association in commenting on the
letter sent to President Wilson by Fulton
R. Gordon, a real estate operator, in
which he declares that the percentage of
government employes who knowingly and
willfully avoid paying their obligations is
very small.
In his letter Mr. Gordon says that !f it
is true that many government employes
fail to pay their bills, the fault lies in
the fact that they get salaries which are
not as high as they should be.
President Strasburger decla ed that.
Washington merchants-, especially the
proprietors of retail stores, have found
that a large percentage of government
employes do not pay their bills.
Called "Dead Beats."
"The government clerk should be the
most desirable class of customer, for he
is paid twice a month and his pay is al
ways regular," said Mr. Strasburger.
"But the fact of the matter is that many
of them are 'dead beats' of the worst
type. Many live beyond their means, and
for this reason have many unpaid obli
gations. Others willfully purchase goods
on credit, knowing that they have no in- j
tention of making paymqnt. The met - j
chant has no redress, for the heads of ?
the various departments refuse to assist j
in seeing that the employes pay their i
bills."
Mr. Strasburger explained that the re
tall merchants of Washington would wel
come an increase in the salaries of gov- j
eminent clerks, and are anxious to assist I
in getting such legislation passed. I ntil
relief in the form of advanced salaries is
given, however, he maintains that the j
government clerk should live within his :
means, and that only those who have had :
sickness or other misfortune should be
excused for getting in debt.
Mr. Gordon's Letter.
Mr. Gordon's letter was based on ac
tion taken by the Retail Merchants As
sociation Monday night in drafting a let
ter to be s^nt to President W ilson, ask
ing that an arrangement be made by
which government employes can be forced
to pay their just debts. The letter is as
follows:
"I see by the morning paper that the
Retail Merchants' Association will request)
you to formulate a plan whereby they.;
th^ merchants, can. through you, forcp
the civil service employes to pay their
just debts. After twenty-five years' ex
perience in the business world, 1 can
truthfully say that the percentage who
knowingly and willfully avoid paying
their obligations is very smail.
"Now- to the point: If there is just
cause for this complaint, in other words,
if those who do not pay in the govern
ment employ is greater than usual, there
certainly must be a reason, and in my
opinion it is the I nited States govern
ment who is the real offender. As proof ,
of this fact, the government employes are
working virtually under the same scale,
of wages that was established sixty
years ago, notwithstanding the fact that
in the meantime the high cost of living,
which has been doubled, has practically
cut their salaries in two.
Increases in Salaries.
"Our representatives and senators rec
ognized the importance of the fact when
thev voted their salaries from $3.<?0o tn
$3,000, and later from $3,000 to $7,500. A
like percentage of increase was given to
all the high officials, including tiie Presi
dent. and totally ignoring the clerks. Do
you think they set the people a good ex
ample by totally ignoring their subordi
nates? . i
"I will be very glad to call on you an?l |
explain the matter more fully if you j
care to have me do so. 1 really believe j
there is a good and just cause, and it
seems to me that you should call our law
makers' attention to their neglert in th:s
matter in > our coming message to Con
gress."
SEALS WILL BE COUNTED.
Department of Commerce Plans to Se
cure Their Vital Statistics.
A census of the fur seal herd of the
Pribilof Islands. Alaska, is to be taken
by the I'nited States government. Enum
erators have been appointed from the
Department of Commerce to visit the
haunts of the seal herd and ascertain
their number, age and condition. It is j
the intention of the I nited States gov
ernment to keep a close account of thei
birth and death r..tes of the seal in the
crusade to preserve them for the com
fort and adornment of posterity.
The revenue cutter service will assist in
the work. Secretary McAdoo of the
Treasury Department has instructed the
commander of the Bering sea revenue
cutter fleet to place a revenue cutter at
the disposal of the enumerators in their
visits among the islands.
NO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH.
House Leaders Believed to Be
Against Creating New Body.
There will be no House committee of
public health, under the present plan of
the House leaders, it was declared today,
although the creation of such a commit
tee has been vigorously advocated. It
wa? assumed that if the committee was
named it would be headed by Representa
tive Foster of Illinois, a piiys cian him
self and who. as a member of the rules
committee, has been active in health mat
ters
The decision of the leaders was fore
casted yesterday on the floor of the House
when Representative Pa\ ne of New York
asked if there was any intention to ap
point committees on new subjects, such
as public health. Mr. I'nderwood replied
that the wa\s and means committee was
not prepared yet to submit its committee
recommendations.
It was doubted today if a health com
mittee would be created at anv time in
the neai future. Leaders feel the subject
is amply provided foi in the interstatt
commerce committee, where such leg sl.t
uon has been considered in the put
News Xotc.?Mr. Bryan Always Hoes His Own Marketing.
PROGRESSIVES CONFER
ON COMMUTE PLACES
Under Leadership of Repre
sentatie Murdock Caucus Is
Held This Afternoon.
Party politics resume] activity at the
Capitol today. The progressives of the
House, under the leadership of Repre
sentative Murdock of Kansas, conferred
this afternoon regarding committee as
signments, with a possibility, at the out
set, of an airing of strong adverse views
regarding outside suggestions of amal
gamation with the republicans. The pro
gressives will have thirty-seven places on
committees.
Republican Deader Mann decided to call
a caucus of t!-ie House republicans for
Saturday afternoon. Mr. Mann has full
! authority to determine the republican as
j signments to the House committees, but
will submit his recommendations to the
caucus before delivering then to the ways
and means committee majority the com
mittee on committees.
Democrats Caucus Monday.
Democrats in the House will caucus at
2 o'clock Monday afternoon when Ma
jority Lea?ler 1'nderwood will formally
submit for approval all tiie committee as
signments for t >e present Congress.
The democratic congressional commit
tee will be called together Monday
night for reorganization for the cam
paign work. Chairman Moyd probably
will issue the call late today. Repre
sentative .Johnson o' Kentucky, who is
likely to be elected chairman to succeed
J Mr. IJoyd. and the chairman, probably
will l?e authorize*! to name the treas
! urer, a post now filled by Representa
tive Mood of Virginia, and the various
committees, including the finance, the
committee on literature and the commit
tee of live to act with five of the demo
crat! ? national committee as a joint
campaign committee
STRIKE BENEFITS EXPLAINED.
Railway Trainmen Accept Final Re
port of Grand Officers.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 28?Discussion
of proposed changes in the constitution
and by-laws was resume^ at today's ses
sion of the convention of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen.
The proposal to hold conventions of
the body triennially instead of biennially
was defeated*
By accepting finally the report of the
grand officers upon the <5rand Trunk
I strike of several years ago the conven
I tion sets at rest questions raised concern
ing the payment of in benefits to
strikers. When this report was brought
up at one of the early sessions of the
convention the grant! officers were called
upon to answer many questions concern
ing the payment of strike benefits. It
was stated that the matter had been
fully and satisfactorily explained.
GIBSON CASE TO JURY TODAY.
If Acquitted, Must Stand Trial for
Forgery and larceny.
NEWBl'RGH. N. Y? May Js ?The at
torneys for both sides i;i the murder case
of Burton \\". Gibson summed up this
i morning. The case will go to the jury
j late this afternoon. In the event of
; another disagreement, Gibson will not
i again be tried in Orange county.
If he is acquitted the district attorney
I of New York county is ready to take
(Gibson in custody on charges of forgery
: and larceny, growing out of Gibson's
handling of the estate of Mrs. Roza
j Szaho. whom it is alleged he murdered,
j Gibson was executor of the estate.
Exchange Firm Suspended.
BOSTON. May -jv The suspension ? f
the exchange livm of Charles K, l.ogg &
' i"o was announced today. Mr. Degs
?aid that the firm's liabilities were small.
'The failure was due, he said, to the fall
ing off of i lie stock brokerage commis
sion business.
SUFFRAGISTS TO MARCH
Washington Women Complet
ing All Arrangements for
Baltimore Parade.
i
Washington suffragists who aii> to take ?
part in the big "votes for women" parade '
in Baltimore Saturday were busy today ?
completing their uniforms, packing their
banners and getting new recruits.
Every detail of the march has now been 1
arranged. The Washington women expect
to have at least 4iiO suffragists from th?
District in line.
Mrs. Austin Kautz will be accompanied
in the parade by her young sun. who ;
will carry an American fla~. "Col." Mrs. '
Owen, the marshal of the District dele- '
Ration, will occupy a conspicuous position '
in the line of march.
Among "Col." Owen's assistant mar- j
shals will be Mrs. Kautz, Mrs. Nevil
Alonroe Hopkins. Mrs. Helen Munroe,
Mrs. <). H. Hasbrouck and Mrs. Irving;
Moller. committee made up of Miss
Joy Webster, Miss Anna E. Hendley, Mrs.
Henry Lockwood. Mrs. Helen Uunn, Miss !
Gertrude Leonard and Miss Elizabeth
Fairroil is in general charge of the
delegation.
. -
9
RICH MANUFACTURER SLAYS.
Shoots Man Who Goes to Assistance
of Girl Striker.
TERKE HAI TI-;. Jnd., May 28.?Emil I
Ehrmann, wealthy manufacturer, last j
night shot and killed Edward Wade, a 1
teamster, when the latter went to the j
assistance of a girl striker whom Ehr- |
rnann is said to have attacked. Ehr- .
mann was arrested on a charge of
' murder, and K. A. Rockert, managcr
of an overall ?:onipan\ of \\ liich Efir
mann is president, also is held in con- j
uecti"ii with the shooting.
\ Girl strikers at Ehrmann's plant
\ have hail pickets on duty there for j
; four months, and it is charged that,
I Ehrmann, becoming angry at the per-'
i sistenre of Miss Cora Hill, slapped lite j
? girl Wade went to her assistance and !
| was killed.
I . ? . j
SOCIETY HAMPERS STUDENTS. ,
Held to Cause More Failures in Col
lege Than Athletics.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn., May 2*.?"Un
due attention, not to athletics, but to so
ciety. is responsible for the most serious
dissipation of student energies today and
for the majority of the failures in col
lege work," says the Wesleyan Univer
sity Bulletin today in discussing student
social life there. It adds:
"The multiplication of social functions
and thejj- increasing expense during re
cent years is becoming a serious prob
luem in undergraduate life."
TWO KILLED IN WRECK.
Engineer Sticks to Post and Dies in
Ohio Railroad Crash.
YOU XGSTOW X, Ohio. May 28.?Two
Pennsylvania railroad employes were
killed and one injured when a passenger
j train collided with a freight train be
I iween Xiles and Alliance early today.
; The dead are George W. Wasson, engi
' neer passenger train. Mahonington. Pa.,
and J. P. Lakner, fireman, freight train,
Cleveland.
Injured: H. D. Kantler, fireman pas-J
senger train. Sharpsville. Pa., fractured j
right leg and bruise?.
The accident, it i< alleged, was due to j
a misplaced switch. Engineer Wasson i
saw a collision was inevitable and told
his fireman. Kantler, to jump. Wasson
stuck to ids post and was killed. Xo
passengers were injured.
Killed by Gas in His Garage.
PHILADELPHIA, May 28.? Alter,
| Weiss, fifty-five years old, a clothing!
? manufa -Hirer, was found dead today ?
, sitting upright in his automobile in his '
; private garage. Gas was escaping i
I from a fixture in the garage, and the)
! police "ay the man undoubtedly com- I
| untied suicide. 4
4
STEPHEN ISTILLWELL
Former State Senator Sen
tenced Not Less Than Four
Nor More Than Eight Years.
NEW YORK. May 28.?Former State
Senator Stephen J. Stillwell. convicted
last week of bribery bv "a jury after he
had been exonerated by the New York
state senate, was sentenced today to
serve not less than four years nor more
than eight in Sing Sing prison.
Supreme Court Justice Seabury. who
presided at Stillweil's trial, pronounced
sentence and granted a stay of execut'on
in order that the convicted senator's
lawyers might apply for a certificate of
reasonable doubt.
No trace of emot'on crossed Stillweil's
face as he heard his sentence Justice
Seabury's words had hardly died away
before Stillwell was led back to the
Tombs He smiled at friends and sym
pathizers who crowded close to the rail
ins as he walked away.
Convicted of Bribery.
Stillwell. state senator from the
Bronx, was convicted of attempting to
obtain $;:,500 from Georgt H. Kendall,
president of the New Vork Bank Note
Company, for favorable consideration
by the senate and assembly codes com
mittees of a bill to make illegal dis
criminations against bank note com
panies by stock exchanges.
Kendall refused to pay, and laid his
case before Gov. Sulzer. who called on
Still a ell to resign. This Stillwell decline J
to do.
The senate investigated the charges,
heard Kendall and other witnesses, and
exonerated Stillwell by a vote of 2S to
:;i after he had made an emotional
plea in his own behalf.
Thereafter the case was placed, by
Gov. Sulzer's instructions, in the hands
of District \ttorney Whitman. Still
well appeared before the grand jury,
afti :? signing a waiver of immunity.
The convicted senator is forty-seven
years old. and had been long in poli
tics. His conviction automatically re
moved him from the senate.
HEADS NEW DEPARTMENT.
Philadelphia Has Comprehensive
Plan for Improved Transit.
PHILADELPHIA. May 2S.?A. Merrit
Taylor was appointed yesterday by
Mayor Blanket)burg as director of the
new department of transit, recently cre
ated for this city by the legislature.
His salary will be $10,000 a year and
he will assume office July 1
Mr. Taylor has been serving for the
past year without pay as the head of
a commission engaged in studying tran
sit needs of the city, and !n a recent re
port to the mayor he outlined a com
prehensive planr for the construction of
additional subway and elevated systems.
The mayor In announcing Mr. Taylor's
appointment stated that if pending legis
lation is passed by the general assembly
th'e city will, in large measure, be en
abled to finance extensions to its trans
portation facilities as suggested by Mr.
Taylor.
RYAN ASSAILANT ON TRIAL.
Echo of "Dynamite Conspiracy" Case
in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS. May 28?The case of
Robert J Foster, a detective employed
by the Nationai Erectors' Association
during the Investigation of the "dyna
mite consn rai-v" cases here, charged with
having assaulted Frank M. Ryan, presi
dent of the International Association of
Bi dge and Striictu ai Iron Workers" As
sociation. wa* < ailed in the criminal
court ".his morning.
Four counts allege assault and battery.
Trespass, carrying conccaled weapons and
draw na dead v weapons, all growing ojt
of an encounter between Foster and Ryan
early in the dvnamite investigation. Mr.
Rvan will be the chief witness for lh?
?tat*.
SEEK CO-OPERATION
IN JULY4PAGEANT
Celebration of Independence
Day to Be Most Entertain
ing, Committee's Aim.
BIG FORCE OF CLERKS
SENDING OUT LETTERS
Teachers. Students and Singers In
vited to Take Part in Exercises.
Costumes and Groups.
' INVITED TO MARCH. i
Boys and girls of the Pistrict are
i Invited to take part in the Inde
Ifndfntv dav celebration. .luly 4.
i Those desiring to participate are
invited by the pageant committee
to flli in the follow inn blank and
forward it immediately to the com
mittee's headquarters at 142S F
street northwest:
1 will march in the pageant
procession in the group
checked below:
Age
Name
Address
j !
| Liberty Group, boys and
girls, high school age.
Camp l ire Girls.
Indian Girls;
Middy Girls,
i Flower Girls,
Boy Scouts.
Rase Hall Boys,
Cowboys,
Indian Bovs,
Middy Boys.
Organization of the preparations for the
"nig Independence day celebration to be
held in Washington July 4 was begun in
earnest today at the headquarters of the
joint committee in charge, at 14:!S F street
northw'est.
The conviction is growing daily in the
minds of those closely associated with the
work that the celebration will be the most
entertaining that Washington has ever
witnessed.
A large force of clerks, under the di
rection of the drama committee, worked
far into last night and were busy today
mailing invitations to teachers and pupils
in the public and parochial schools of
W*ashington and Alexandria to take part
in the celebration.
At the same time letters are being sent
to members of choirs, clubs and vocal or
ganizations generally. It Is desired to
have a volunteer body of singers to
give four-part patriotic songs in the open
air with the accompaniment of a mil tary
hand. The di .erent singing organizations
will not be represented as such, but the
individual members are invited to take
part.
For Patriotic Chorus.
j Miss Jessie MacBride is chairman of
the patriotic chorus committee, and
! singers are invited to send their names
J to the committee headquarters, marked
"patriotic chorus."
The children and young people of all
the day schools and Sunday schools are
invited to march in the pageant pro
cession on the afternoon of the Fourth
of .1 u 1 v. Pupils of high school age are
invited to join the liberty group.
Pupils of the grade schools, or any
other children under fourteen years
old. may choose any of t he other "roups
named 'on the pledge slip, and are re
quested to check the group they pre
fer.
The costumes in these latter groups
will be as follows:
Costumes in Parade.
Boy Scouts in their regular uniform.
Base ball boys, in their base ball suits,
grouped by clubs and colors.
Cowboys, in the regular cowboy p'ay
suits.
Indian boys, in their Indian play suits.
Middy boys, in white suits with sailor
collars and duck hats, brim turned
down. Boys who do not already possess
the white trousers and do not wish to
' buv them may wear dark ones, with
I white sailor blouses and the duck hats.
| Camptire in tlieir regular uni
, form.
Indian gills, in their Indian play dres=.
Middv sirls. in white middy blouses.
| white "skirts. white stockings, white
; shoes. <iir s who do not already pos
sess white stockings and white shoes and
do not wish to buy them may wear black
ones. All should wear white duck hats
like the boys' hats.
Flower girls. in white muslin dresses,
with' wreaths In their hair and flowers in
| their hands.
PASSING OF ASTOE HOUSE.
Demolition of Gotham Landmark
Makes Room for New Subway.
NEW YORK. May 28?From time to
time Broadway parts with Its land
marks with quite as little concern as
j due the loss of old teeth, but remark
1 able sentiment was aroused today over
j the passing of a favorite oid molar?
j the Astor House. Many old-time vis
j itors to New York from Chicago.
I Washington and New England points
gathered in the corridors of the eighty
year-old structure today to have a last
look at their haunts and to spend their
last night in the ancient beds.
The stripping of the hotel will be be
, gun as soon as the guests depart to
: morrow, and rooms which have been
! occupied by such famous men as Lin
jcoln. Webster and C*ay and scores of
| other prominent men will be laid bare
for the wreckers who will begin work
in July.
The demolition of the structure is
j made necessary by the purchase of the
j site by the city in connection with the
' new Broadway subway.
TONS OF MAIL FORWARDED.
First Dispatch of Year Started To
ward Alaska's Interior.
SEATTLE. Wash.. May 28.?The first
dispatch of mail for the Interior of
I Maska \ ia the Yukon river was sent
north last night, ton* of accumulated
'matter being forwarded to Skagway.
\ Id
| ,\t Sltagway several more tons have
accumulated, and when the first mail Is
sent down the river with the openlne
;of navigation on the Yukon twenty
tons will he ready for distribution
| among the Inland stations.
ROOSEVELT VETOED
Wanted Only "Nominal" Dam
ages From Michigan Editor,
Lawyer Says.
FRIENDS RECITE HABITS
OF FORMER PRESIDENT
Not Even at Royal Feasts, Says
O'Laughlin. Did He Use
Liquor to Excess.
MARQI ETTK. Mich.. May 2S -Intro
ductlon of further testimony to show the
abstemious habits of the plaintiff ads re
sumed today in the libH Fui, of Theodore
Roosevelt against George A. Xewett. puh.
' *7 "f ,h" ,ron u,> of l-hpeming.
who charged him with drunken
John ('allan <rl.*ughlin. a Washington
Correspondent. was the flr?t witness.
Ihe tpn^rifss which pervaded th* at
mosphere of Judg?? Flannigan's court the
rs: two davs owned to have subsided,
lawyers. witnesses and principals en
gaged in the suit confessed to profound
8 umber last night and ravenoup perform
ances at the breakfast table and smiling
ly took up the thread of the case where it
left off j es:erday.
okI01 I5V?8<>Ve,t ente'?'d with lieorg*
Shiras, his host here, and took his a<
rnU*,.om.^ SPa| ??th a row Of spectator,
inside the railing His gaz, tnrned upon
th^ i,^ Hnd then U|,on U'l-aughlln as
the latter wa8 sworn.
Caresses His Watch Chain.
' Roosevelt sits quietly caressing his
heavy watch chain which stretches like
a cable across his vest. He does It slow
ly and reflectively, rather than nervously.
He resumed this motion as he listened to
the testimony today.
Air. Xewett. the defendant, came into
court with his counsel. He is very ill,
but his ruddy countenance hid this l'rom
all but those who know him well. He
sat looking straight In front of him and
not at any one In particular, utterly mo
tionless as he has sat thus tar in tha
proceedings. He was an exception to
those whose appetites are reflet-ting the
keen, clear atmosphere of this region,
for his food is regulated by the orders ul
his physicians.
Resisted Royal Temptation.
Although Col. Roosevelt on returning
to Kurope from his African trip hm
obliged to attend banquets and recep
tions tendered him by monarchs, na
never indulged in champagne to an iin
tnoderate degree, was the testimony of
O'l.aughlin. who said he had Iteen as
sociated with Col. Roosevelt for twenty
years. The witness said he met the
former President the night after the
African hunt, and accompanied him as
far as Paris, acting as secretary to <*ol
Roosevelt. O'l.aughlin also accompanied
the colonel on various campaign trips
in this country.
"During your twenty years' experience
with Col. Roosevelt, have y?>u ever seen
him in the slightest degree under tiie
Influence of liquor?"
"I not only never saw him under the
Influence of liquor, but it seems abso
lutely silly to me to have any one suggest
the fact that he ever was." replied
O'Laughlin. emphatically.
"At banquets have you evet seen him
drink any liquor?"
"At banquets he sometimes took *.
glass of white wine. I never saw him
drink more than one glass of cham
pagne."
O'l.aughlin described the various din
ners. official and otherwise, given at
Washington, including dinners at the
Gridiron i'lub.
"Will you tell this jury whether Mr
Roosevelt mixed his drinks or not?"
"If he took champagne he never took
anything else."
Customs at White House.
A question involving the custom of for
mer Presidents in regard to liquors at
, banquets caused objection by counsel for
the defense. Court held il was comp?- ,
1 tent for the plaintiff to show whether
! Col. Roosevelt followed custom in the use
j of liquor in the White House.
O'l.aughlin s.iid his first experien- e witn
i Presidents began with the second <ieve
I land administrat'on. and Col. Rooseve i
' followed the precedent of Presid< <t
j Cleveland and McKinlev in serving vv.ne.
i at public dinners.
' "Are you nut in charge of some vv>rk
of the progressive party?" O'Laughlin
was asked on cross-examination.
"I atn not." lie answered.
O'Laughin said <'ol. Roosevelt had ap
pointed him assistant secretary of staU
and he had gone on a mission t?> Japan
fo; the Roosevelt administration. He
said he went to .lapan the same year th;it
Col. Roosevelt ordered the Atlauli'' fleet
to the Pacific.
"Now. you mention that Col. Roosevelt
sent the fleet to the Pacific. Was that
a measure taken because of the relations
between this country and Japan? W-ts
It to prevent war?"
"Well. yes. it was perfectly evident
that Japan would not go to war with this
country If it was apparent that this
country was more powerful. It was one
of the measures taken by Col. Roof eve t
to prevent war. It was a measure of
peace."
Rome Incident Barred.
One reference was brought out in
O'l-aughlln's testimony to the incident
of Col. Roosevelt's visit to Rome with
regard to the Pope. Mr. O'l-aughlin ex
plained he had been acting as the
colonel's secretary after the colonel
left Kgypt for the tour of the < onti
nental capitals and he communicated
with Ambassador Leishmati at Rome to
arrange for the reception of Col. Roose
velt by the King of Italy and the Pope.
"You wrote to Ambassador Lelshman*
to arrange for Mr. Roosevelt's reception
by the king and the Pope?was that
your purpose?"
"Yes: it was to arrange those recep
tions."
Here objection was entered by Col.
Roosevelt's attorney on the ground that
this line of questioning w as Immater al.
"1 regret that this subject came up. '
said the court. "I suggest that it stop
right where it is."
The Inquiry along this line accordingly
was dropped.
?*I will ask you if in 11112 and for some
time prior there was not a gene-a 1 repo: t
among newspaper men that ? ??!. Roose
velt drank to excess?" aske I Attorney
Belden.
O'Laughlin. shaking his linger at th->
lawyer, replied: "There was not a reput
able correspondent In Washington but
who thought the report was silly; too ab
surd to be regarded or repeated "
Counsel on both sides were on their feet
with regard to this reply and the jury
was excluded.
Answer Is 8tricken Out.
Attorney Pound said he found the an
swer "embarrassing" and Belden explain
ed that he proposed to show what oth?r
newspapers had to say on this subject
The answer was stricken out by order
of the court. The lawyers then sug
gested. In the absence of -the