The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], October 18, 1913, Image 1

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
_THE BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERALD
(VOLUME XX XXIII _ BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1913 14 PAGES NUMBER 1<>:>
IN STRIKING STATEMENT SIJLZER 'BRANDS
AS FALSE CHARGES PREFERRED AGAINST HIM
Practically Every Accusation
of the Board Emphati
cally Denied
A VICTIM OF POLITICAL
CONSPIRACY HEADED BY
MURPHY, SAYS SULZER
Impeached Official Removed From Office and Martin H. Glynn
Sworn in as Successor—Sulzer in Statement Bitterly At
tacks Tammany Hall and Appeals to Sober Reflec
tion of Public Opinion
Albany, October 17.—William Sulzer ceased to be governor
of the state of New York at noon today. He was removed from
office by the high court of impeachment by a vote of 43 to 12,
two members not voting.
Martin H. Glynn, lieutenant governor, was sworn in as his
successor, the first in the history of the state to step into it?
high office in this manner.
The verdict of the court was that Sulzer was guilty of fal
sification, perjury and an attempt to suppress evidence against
him. Of all other charges he was acquitted, the court today
unanimously voting him not guilty of the four remaining
articles of the impeachment.
fly n virtually iiiiiiulmoiiK vote, also,
the Impeachment tribunal decided that
Sulrer should not he punished by dis
qualification to hold office of honor
and trust In tlila state In the future.
This would have been the extreme pen
alty under the law.
The ousted executive was nerved with
a copy of the court’s verdict at the ex
ecutive mansion—christened by hlmselt
“The People** House”—a few minute*
before 41 o'clock tonight.
“Good, I thunk you,” be said to the
acrpriint-at-arnis of the senate, who
delivered the document.
SULZER TO LEAVE
CAPITAL SUNDAY
Mr. Sulzer, private citizen, will leave the
capital probably on Sunday—where he
will go he has not disclosed.
The incoming governor issued a state
ment in which he said ids endeavor would
be “to give the people of the state an
honest, peaceful, progressive and wise
conduct of public affairs.'1
The outgoing executive Issued a state
ment in which he denounced the tribunal
which had removed him as "Murphy's
high court of infamy.”
jYiiupny control leu me assemoiy ana
ordered the impeachment,’’ he said. “He
controlled most of the members of the
court and dictated procedure and wrote
the judgment. He was the judge and
the jury; the prosecutor and the bailiff."
Sulzer declared his trial was a “politi
cal lynching as far as the Tammanyized
part of the court was concerned—the con
tinuation of a deep-laid political conspir
acy to oust me from office.”
“A horse thief in frontier days,” he
•aid, “would have received a squarer
deal.”
He characterized the secret sessions of
the court as “star chamber proceedings,
where the enemies of the state could
work for my conviction undiscovered.”
WHY HE DID NOT
TAKE THE STAND
He asserted he had not taken the stand
In his own defense because he realized
that his story attacking the Tammany
leader would be ruled out. He entered a
general denial of all charges in the im
peachment articles, denied he had ever
asked Allan Ryan to obtain the influence
of Murphy or Republican State Chairman
Barnes to stop the trial; said that the
testimony of Henry L. Morgenthau could
be explained; asserted that every dollar
given him during his campaign had been
properly accounted for; that he was $76,000
in debt; that he had been “faithful to
his trust,” and that he “handed back to
the people the commission they gave me
untarnished and unsullied.”
“Had I but served the boss with half
the zeal I did the state, William Sulzer
would never have been impeached, ’ he
said.
At today's session of the court, which
lasted little more than an hour, most of
the members recorded their votes with
out. explanation and much of the ponder
ous formality required by the rules of
procedure was dispensed with. Presiding
Judge Cullen, who voted “not guilty” on
•very article of impeachment, stuck to
his convictions to the last. He asked
to be excused from voting on the re
moval of the governor, and following out
his logic, made a similar request on the
vote of disqualification. It fell to Judge
Cullen to pronounce the verdict of the
court. His last word was spoken almost
on the hour of noon and a minute later
the court dissolved.
700,000 WORDS
IN TESTIMONY
The stenographer's record showed that
«MitM«Mliaail(«MtlllIMaaeeaaeeeMaeau>a>Ba>e>
r-::i
♦ SI l./.EK ASKED TO ACCEPT j
♦ PROItHBSMI VE LEADERSHIP *
t l.\ ( OMiRESSION AC RACE •
♦ i
4 New York, October 17.—A tele- 4
4 gram was sent to William Sulzer 4
4 tonight asking him to accept the 4
4 nomination of the progressive for 4
4 congress in the Twentieth district, 4
4 to take the place of Oscar S. 4
4 Straus, who recently declined the 4
4 nomination, according to announce- 4
4 ment by Max M. Huerlenstein, a 4
4 member of the progressive party 4
4 committee on vacancies In the dis- 4
4 trict. The committee will meet to- 4
4 morrow night, tomorrow being the 4
4 last day given it under the law to 4
♦ fill the vacancy. 4
4 Francis W. Bird, progressive 4
4 county chairman, when asked if he 4
4 had heard of this action tonight, 4
♦ admitted he knew some of the pro- 4
4 gresstve committeemen of the 4
4 Twentieth congressional district 4
4 wanted Mr. Sulzer as their candi- 4
4 date, hut said he 'did not take 4
♦ the matter very seriously," as he 4
4 did rot believe the majority of the 4
4 committee on vacancies were in fa- 4
4 vor of such a nomination. 4
♦ *
.—"
more than 700,00 words of testimony and
argument had been uttered since the trial
began September 18.
Probably the most dramatic feature of
the day was the serving of the copy of
the court's order of removal on the ousted
governor.
It was a few minutes before 6 o’clock
tonight when Thomas C. Nolan, sergeant
at arms of the senate, and George A. Mus
tard, the process server, who located
I/Ouis A. Sarecky, the governor's cam
paign secretary, after a long search, ar
rived at the executive mansion. They
were admitted immediately and escorted
upstairs to the study.
Sulzer and Chester C. Platt, his secre
tary, were seated at a table. Nolan hand
ed the document to Sulzer. It was written
on a piece of ordinary foolscap paper.
Patrick E. McCabe, clerk of the sen
ate, and one of Sulzer's political oppon
ents, was the penman.
Sulzer took the paper, crumpled it in
his hands, paled slightly, threw the docu
ment on the table without reading It
and said:
“Good; I thank you, sergeant.’’
The whole transaction was over in
les sthan two minutes.
In the meantime a score of newspaper
men who had been summoned to the ex
ecutive mansion to meet the governor at
G o’clock, waited on the veranda outside.
Nolan passed out and the newspaper men
were admitted. In a hall outside Mrs.
Sulzer played with "Patsy,” an Irish ter
rier dog. The animal growled and snapped
at a shawl she held while she scolded
him gently. A moment later Platt ap
peared with copies of Sulzer's statement.
"The governor will see you in a min
ute," he said.
Suddenly, from out of a darkened room
to the right, Sulzer stepped Into the cir
cle. If he is the nervous wreck that some
have reported him to be he did not show
It. He was pale, but smiling. He shook
hands warmly and told every one he
was "glad to see him,’’ Some one started
to ask him a question, but he inter
rupted.
“I haven’t more to say than my state
ment contains,” he said.
“When are you going away?” he was
asked.
“I cannot tell that nor where I am
going,” he replied, "but I am going to get
out of Albany as quickly as l can.”
Another question was started, but Sul
<Continued on Pace Eight)
VOLTVRNO OFFICERS LEAVE
U. S. FOR ENGLAND TODAY
Must Attend Inquiry Into Disaster By British Board of Trade.
Captain Inch to Remain in United States Until He
Recovers From His Injuries
New York, October 17.—All the officers
and crew' of the lost Volturno, brought
\ to this port by the steamers Grosser Kur
furst and Kroonland, excepting Captain
Inch, will sail for England tomorrow on
1 the Oceanic of the White Star line. They
are going back to attend the inquiry into
1 the disaster conducted by the British
Board of Trade.
Captain Inch will stay here until he
has recovered from hardships and in
juries. He probably will sail Wednesday
on the Mauretania. The Cunard line to
day notified the Uranium Steamship com
pany, Captain Inch’s employers, that thi
best suit on board would be reserved for
tile heroic commander.
"His bravery warrants for him the best
treatment that can be accorded.” said
General Manager Charles Somner, "and
the Invitation extended by the Cunard line
is In appreciation of the fearlesB work
done by him in the face of death."
The survivors who sail tomorrow in
clude 10 of the Volturno's officers, among
them Second Officer Edward L. Lloyd,
Third Officer Walter Dussellman, six en
gineers and two wireless operators.
General Manager Edward O. Thomas of
the Uranium company said today that
there would be no investigation In this
country either by the company or the
government.
MARTIN H. GLYNN
ASSUMES OFFICE AS
Two Unique Features Mark
Assumption of Guberna
torial Powers
SWORN INTO OFFICE
BY COURT OF APPEALS
First Occupant of Executive Chair to
Rev **-»sition by Reason of
fr* Impeachment of
Predecessor
i f? -
w e, October 17.—-Two features
if lu the history of New Yorl<
tv marked l.lcut. Gov. Martin H.
i's assumption of the office of
^ *vrnor today. He la the first occu
lt of the executive chair to reach
thnt position by reason of the Impcncli
ment of a predecessor and he was
sworn Into office by the chief judge of
the court of appeals.
The constitutional oaths of office here
tofore have been administered almost
without exception by the secretary of
state or by some attache of his office.
When William Sulzer was inaugurated
governor last January he expressed the
desire to have Chief Judge Cullen of
the court of appeals administer the oath.
However, the law was looked up and it
was found that no provisions specifically
gave such power to the head of the high
est court in the state. Subsequently, at
the suggestion of Governor Sulzer, the
legislature passed a law conferring upon
the chief judge of the court of appeals
pow'er and authority to administer oaths
to public officials.
Invoked for First lime
That law was invoked for the first time
today when Judge Cullen, who had voted
against the conviction of Governor Sul
zer on every one of the articles of lmr
peachment and who but a few hours be
fore had excused himself from voting on
the question of his removal from office,
administered the constitutional governor a
oath to the new chief executive.
Mr. Glynn was not in the capitol when
the vote removing his predecessor was
taken, lie arrived shortly afterward,
however, raid was Immediately surround
ed by friends eager to offer congratu
lations.
"Don’t offer me congratulations," Gov
ernor Glynn admonished the throng.
"This Is not a time for them. I do,
however, accept your good wishes and
thank you heartily for their sincerity and
cordiality.”
Governor Glynn met the newspaper men
late in the afternoon. To them he said
he had no aspirations to become the
"leader” of the democratic party of the
state.
To Move Carefully
"I shall be content to be governor," he
said. "I intend to move slowly and
carefully. I propose to be governor of
all the people first and to serve the pub
lic. After that, of course, I am a demo
crat.”
Earlier in the afternoon he had issued
a brief formal statement outlining his
future policy.
Governor Glynn announced he would
make no appointments tonight and prob
ably not until Wednesday. The legis
lature today recessed until Wednesday
night. When Governor Glynn assumed
office the duties of the lieutenant governor
fell to Robert F. Wagner of New York,
president pro tempore of the senate.
Governor Glynn is an Albany newspaper
publisher 42 years old. He lias Deen
active in politics the last 10 years. He
served one ternf in congress—from 1893
to 1900— and one term as state comptroller,
from 1900 to 1908. In 1901 President McKin
ley appointed him a member of the na
tional commission on the Louisiana ex
position and he was elected its vice presi
dent. He is married. He is a democrat,
but has been indorsed in his campaigns
by both that party and the independence
league.
CHINESE BRIGANDS
MURDER 300 PEOPLE
Two American Missions Burned in the
Province of Fo-Kien, China—Gov
ernment Troops Inactive
Pekin, China, October 17.—A force of
brigands commanded by Gen. Hwang
Liang has murdered 300 people in tho
province of Fo-Kien and burned two
American mission churches.
The American missionaries from the
disturbed district are still In Fu Chow,
where they took refuge during the recent
troubles.
Government troops sent against the bri
gands have not shown much activity re
cently.
Mobile Woman Has
Slit Skirt Torn Off
By Her Husband
Mobile, October 17.—If a man's wife
wears clothes which the husband believes
are immodest, the husband being fur
nished funds of tho proof of the same, it
is the husband's privilege to destroy
them, even if they are creations of Paris.
This is the ruling of Judge , David R.
Eddington of the recorder’s court hete
yesterday afternoon.
Sam Ledbetter was arraigned in the re
corder's court on the charge of disorderly
conduct. Ledbetter, it developed in court,
had a controversy with his wife as a re
sult of his disapproval of a slit skirt she
wore and tore the dress from her, she
having him arrested.
“GRANDFATHER”
CLAUSE CONSIDERED
Washington, October 17.—Validity of
the "grandfather" clause in the Okla
homa state constitution, said to dis
franchise negro voters who cannot read
or write, was up for oral argument to
day before the supreme court.
;
L™ ■ -
HUERTA MAY RESIGN
OFFICE, SAYS REPORT
FROM ENVOY LIND
United States May Be Called
Upon to Give Opinion on
Action — Informa
tion Reliable
Washington, October 17.—-John Lind,
President Wilson’s personal represen
tative In Mexico. has reported from
V era Crus Indications of General Huer
ta’s Intention to resign the provisional
presidency.
Mr. Lind has advised the President,
that if the information that has come to
him is reliable, the United States may
be called upon indirectly to Indicate
whether it will recognize or open nego
tiations with Huerta’s successor. Appar
ently various names are being suggested
and acceptability to the American gov
ernment, it is thought, may influence
the final choice.
From Mr. Lind's report, which was
filed Wednesday, there arose today ru
mors of fresh negotiations with the
Huerta government by the United States,
but at the White House and state de
partment it was declared communication
had not been resumed.
opeecnes in » ungress ann omer sug
gestions today for an armed protectorate
over Mexico in conjunction with other na
tions were met by high administration
officials with the declaration that such
an act would impair the sovereignty of
Mexico. Attention was called to President
Wilson original instructions to Mr. Lind,
in which "he said:
“It is our purpose that whatever to
do or propose in this perplexing and dis
tressing situation not only to pay the
most scrupulous regard to the sover
eignty and independence of Mexico—that
we take a matter of course to which
we are bound by every obligation of right
and honor—but also to give every possible
evidence that we act In the interest of
Mexico alone, and not in the interest of
any person or body of persons who may
have personal or property claims in Mex
ico they may feel they have the right
to press."
Will Not Interfere
It was declared today by those who
know President Wilson’s attitude on
these questions that no matter what
emergency may arise, even though dras
tic measures are eventually required to
compose the situation in Mexico, under
no circumstances will the present ad
ministration at Washington Interfere in
any way with the sovereign or terri
torial rights of Mexico.
London dispatches declaring Great
Britain looked with disfavor on the sug
gestion of armed intervention because
it would not benefit British interests,
while it might by annexation of terri
tory or indemnity recompense the United
States, brought out from officials the com
ment. that territorial acquisition would
never he considered in connection with
interference In Mexico, any policy that
may hitherto he adopted looking merely
to the restitution of constitutional order
and peace.
An unconfirmed report reached Wash
ington today that In the conference of
diplomats called by the Spanish minis
ter at Mexico City Wednesday, prac
tically all those present, except the Brit
ish and American representatives, rec
ommended armed intervention. State de
partment officials, however, said no such
report had reached them.
Situation Unchanged
The situation seemed unchanged to
night with respect to further diplomatic
parleys by the Washington government,
which is disposed to treat no further with
the Huerta regime, though admittedly
in a receptive mood for suggestions or
declaration of purposes on the part of
the constitutional chiefs.
Constitutionalist representatives here
are maintaining, silence with respect to
such negotiations. The only development
to which they called attention .tonight
was the appointment of Gen. Felipe An
geles as minister of war to Governor
Carranza. They said Angeles was com
missioned a major general in the fed
eral army before Madero was overthrown,
that he remained in Mexico City until
a month ago and at tlie first opportunity
sailed for Europe and came to the United
States at once, urriving in JVogales, So
nora, today, to join Carranza. News of
his active participation in the constitu
tionalist movement, its local representa
tive said, caused a sensation today in
army circles in Mexico City.
Late tonight it was learned on reliable
authority that most of the diplomats m
the conference at Mexico City Wednesday
thought It advisable to ask for legation
guards, but that the British and Ameri
can representatives did not agree with
the suggestion.
Another report that reached AVashing
ton tonight was that Jorge A'era Estanola
and Manuel Bonilla, both former cabinet
members, and prominent liberals, had
fled from Mexico City and were thought
to be en route to Europe.
United States Must Take Action
Mexico City, October 17.—That the
United States must act to put an end
to the *impossible conditions consti
tuting a daily menace to the lives of
their nationals.” was the opinion ex
pressed by several diplomatic repre
sentatives who assembled for an in
formal conference In the German lega
tion here AVednesday. Among those
who attended were the ministers of
Great Britain, ‘France, Germany, Spain,
Austria and Norway.
No definite plan of action was agreed
(CMtlsued ob Paso Fourteen)
...
Mother of Accused Woman
on Stand — Corroborates
Other Testimony of
the Prosecution
i "
Greenville. October 17.—City f lork hJ
.1. Thuenr«l ban been appealed to by of- j
f loin Im of Plymouth, >Ihmm., for Informa
tion relative to Rear Admiral .loMeph
fallen Katon, tv hone wife In oii trial ]
there, an bln alleged a layer, which Im !
dcnlred for une In the proaecutlon.
Before the civil war no adequate ree-1
ords were kept, and what few records
were made were destroyed many years
ago when the Butler county courthouse
was burned. Old citizens here recall the
fact that a Professor Katon came to
Greenville before the war between f*.e
states, and while here* a child, said to !
he the late rear admiral, was born to his
wife.
Plymouth, Mass., October 17.—Mrs. Vir- !
glnia Harrison of Alexandria, Va., mem- i
her of a prominent family of that state,
was called by the prosecution today to
tell about conditions in the home of her |
daughter, Mrs. Jennie May Katon. who is
being tried on the charge of murdering
her husband, Rear Admiral Joseph Giles
Katon, U. S. N.t retired, by giving him
poison.
Mrs. Harrison said her daughter mani
fested “hysterical tendencies” toward the
admiral at times. During the last four
years the witness spent much time at
her daughter's home in Assinippl. She
testified she had considered her son-in
law “always very much of a gentleman."
Her daughter, she said, seemed actually
to believe that the admiral dabbled in
; drugs and was Insane. Mrs. Harrison
saw' no signs of these things. She had
seen the admiral intoxicated, she testified,
but never detected any signs of the drug
habit. She first noticed the admiral's final
illness on March 6 before he had eaten
the roast pork which Mrs. Eaton claimed
was the cause of that attack.
Witness in Tears
Today was the first time she had seen
her daughter since Mrs. Eaton left home
March 20 to attend the inquest at Hing
ham, where she was arrested on the
charge of murder. Often, as she an
swered the questions of District Attorney
Barker, tears rolled down her cheeks.
Whenever she seemed on the verge of
breaking down, Mrs. Eaton would leau
forward and smile reassuringly.
Mrs. Harrison took the stand after her
16-year-old granddaughter, Dorothy Ains
worth, lmd finished six hours of testi
mony. She corroborated much of what
Dorothy had said about friction In the
household.
Court was kept sitting beyond the usual
hour in order to let .Mrs. Harrison finish
her testimony, but attorneys for the de
fense said they might call her again.
The district attorney sought to bring
out In Mrs. Harrison’s testimony cor
roboration of Dorothy Ainsworth's
statements that her sister, June, ex
ercised great influence over her moth
er. Both witnesses said that June’s
absence from the Eaton home was due
to the admiral’s objection to her pres
ence and that June was the cause of
much of the discord between the ad
miral and his wrife.
In cross-examination of Mrs. Harri
son, William A. Morse, counsel for the
defense, asked whether the cause of
the admiral’s dislike for June was her
repulse of an attempted attack on her.
(Chief Justice Aiken ordered the ques
tion stricken out.
Quarreled Before Death
Mrs. Harrison testified that Admiral
and Mrs. Eaton quarreled on the Mon
day preceding his death.
Mrs. Harrison admitted that Mrs.
Eaton was very jealous of the admiral
at times.
Regarding Mrs. Eaton’s statements
that the admiral was insane. Mrs. Har
rison testified that her daughter wont
ed him examined and that she hud a
nurse come to observe him. Mrs. Eaton
also wrote to her mother in Virginia
that she thought the admiral Insane
and intimated that she feared him.
Mrs. Harrison said she hurried to her
daughter's side and not finding any
thing out of the way, told Mrs. Eaton
her fears were without foundation.
Many times, said Mrs. Harrison, sin
heard June and her mother express
fears of poisoning. Mrs. Harrison -aid
the admiral was very fond of his wife.
-•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••a
TODAY’S AGE-HERALD
1— Sulzer denies charges against him.
Martin Glynn now governor of New
York.
Huerta reported intending to resign.
German dirigible destroyed by Mre
2— Prisoner said to have been shot by
sheriff.
3— Billion bushels of wlieat made in
North America.
4— Editorial comment.
5— 55,000 people pack fair grounds.
North Alabama strong for i’nderwood
Engineers oppose viaduct plans.
Advocate private subscriptions to re
inforce police.
6— Society.
7__i!->or**
8— Mississippi A. and M. downs Ken
tucky team.
9— '• miessee extra session adjourns.
’ ’• *% ° nniston.
11—Many advances in dentistry.
113—Markets.
H—Big crowd attends revival despite
weather.
Movement to Impeach
Mississippi Governor
EARL BREWER
Political enemies of Governor Earl
Brewer of Mississippi are conspiring
to bring impeachment proceedings
against him, according to his friends
at Jackson, Miss, It is alleged that
Lieutenant Governor Theodore G.
Bilbo, Mayor S. J. Taylor of Jackson,
several state senators and representa
tives and C. R. Boyce of Memphis are
behind the movement to impeach the
governor. Boyce was involved in a
cotton deal criticised by Governor
Brewer.
ELLIS CONFESSES
IN CHICAGO HOTEL
Says Mind Was Affected.
Wife Grandest Woman in
World — No Trouble
Between Them
Chicago, October 17.—William C. Kills,
the Cincinnati leather merchant, who was
found wounded in a hotel room here yes
terday near the body of his wife, con
fessed to a coroner’s jury today that he
killed the woman. He was held to the
grand jury charged with murder.
After a conference with members of
his wife’s family. Kills abandoned his
assertion, first made to the police, that
the tragedy was the result of a suicide
compact. He assumed the entire blame
for the killing and devoted Ids statement
to oblierating the Impression, given llrst,
that, jealousy was the motive of the
crime.
Kills, suffering from a bullet wound
In his chest and from outs on his wrist
and throat, self-inflicted after killing Ids
wife, listened almost all day to the tes
timony in the coroner's court. Ills con
fession was made in a few words.
Mind Was A fleeted
“I will state that 1 shot my wife,” he
said. "I suppose my mind must have
been affected. 1 was worried over busi
ness troubles and the state of my health.
I want to say that my wife was the
grandest, little woman In the world and
the most virtuous. There was no trouble
between us. She couldn’t do anything
wrong.
“She was in bed when I shot her. She
did not know what l was going to do.
1 did not have any intention of doing
this when I came to Chicago. I shot
her first and gashed her afterward With
a knife.*’
Ellis, approaching collapse, begged to
be allowed to take farewell of his wife’s
body. He was allowed to see it. From
testimony today it appeared that Ellis,
who is 47 years old, killed his wife, who
was 12 years younger than himself, some
time, in tlie late hours of Wednesday
night. He remained for many hours with
the body. Mrs. Fills' body will be taken
to Cincinnati by her brother-in-law, Phil
lip C. Fosdick. Neither he rior Mrs. Ki
lls’ cousin, Morris R. Ebersole, who lives
here, took any steps to procure counsel
or other aid for Ellis, saying that their
interest was in the murdered woman.
Ellis was taken to the bureau of iden
tification and then returned to the House
of Correction hospital.
ANTI-ALIEN LAND
LAW CONFLICTS WITH
THE CONSTITUTION
Tallahassee, Fla, October 17.—Gov
ernor Trammell has decided that <in
anti-alien land law would he In con
flict with the state constitution which
expressly forbids it, and that no special
session of the legislature would be
called.
Representative Clark recently called
on the governor to convoke the legis
lature to pass a law similar to Cali
fornia's.
GEM DIRIGIBLE IS
DESTROYED BY FIRE;
28 MILITARY MEN ON
BOARD ARE KILLED
j Newest and Largest of Zep
pelin’s Warships Is Com
pletely Destroyed by
Cas Explosion
| ENTIRE ADMIRALTY
TRIAL BOARD MET
DEATH IN ACCIDENT
Hundreds See (Jiant Airship Blunge
to (ironml in Shroud of Flames.
Many Bodies Are Burned
and Mutilated
Merlin, October 17.—Twenty-eight
i»«tmohn were killed todny near .lohnn
nlMtbal In th«* cxplo*l«»n nml full of
fount Zeppelin** latest dlrlgllilc bal
loon, the 1,-11. The -S represented the
entire personnel of the mlniirn It > board
which wim to eoiMluet the filial trial of
the dirigible looking to It* acceptance
liy the government a* a new unit of
the Merman aerial navy, the pilot and
crew and Invited guest*. ICvery person
that went aloft in the big arshlp is
den d.
Twenty-seven of them were killed al
most instantly by the explosion of gas
in the balloon or burned to death as
the flaming wreck fell to the ground
from a height of 900 feet and enveloped
them. Gne man. Lieut. Baron Von Bluel,
of the Queen Augusta Grenadier
guards, a guest of the admiralty hoard,
was extricated alive from the mass of
l twisted wreckage. His eyes were
burned out and he suffered other ter
rible hurts. Begging his rescuers to
I kill him and end Ills sufferings, he was
taken to a hospital, where he died to
night.
Explosion Due (o Gas
The L-ll, haVl It proved successful,
would have been attached to the aerial
corps of the navy, which after today’s
fatalities now has only two men trained
to command airships. The official re
port of the accident says the explo
sion was due to the ignition of gas in
or above the forward gondola, but not
within the body of the airship.
The navy was not the only sufferer
today through aviation accidents, for
three army office^ were killed in aero
plane flights —Captain Haeseler, Lieu
tenant. Koch and Sargeunt Mantem.
Spectators who bad been watching the
impressive movements of the L-II saw
the great gas envelope burst into a glar
ing Marne and then fall. A second later
there was a heavy thud.
A second later the reverberating sound
of the explosion reached them. It wus
impossible for them to approach the nam
ing dirigible beneath which the members
of the crew had 1.. crushed and burned. .
One of the directors of the aviation com
pany at the Johannisthal aerodrome was
an eye witness of the disaster.
He describes it as follows:
"1 was working in my office about
500 yards from the scene of the wreck
when I was startled by an explosion of
extraordinary violence.
Plunges to the Earth
“I rushed to a window and saw the
new airship in flames and plunging to
the earth. Tin- outer cover of the air
craft had already been burned off and
the balloonettcH containing the gas had
disappeared.
“The naked aluminum framework
with its long center pieces; its inter
laced ribs and its tapering ends and
the gondolas containing tin* motors un
derneath fell rapidly, bow foremost.
“When tin* skeleton of the immense
craft struck the earth the heavy gon
dolas buried themselves In the ground.’*
Coming st> shortly after the destruc
tion of the E-I In a hurricane in the
North sea on September 9 when lt>
men were killed, today's catastrophe
gave rise to a fueling of consternation.
The dirigible before leaving the bal
loon aerodrome at Johannlsthal. took on
board her naval crew and a number
of subofficers. She headed for Berlin,
a short distance away, in a light wind.
About one dozen aviators were cir
cling tlie aerodrome at the time. Every
thing was apparently in good order on
tiie airship.
Sin- wus gradually getting- up high
er speed when suddenly an explosion
was heard by those on the ground evi
dently in one of the motors in the cen
ter gondola. There was a blinding
flash of flame. The next instant the
whole ship was on fire and plunging
down ward.
Every inch of the canvas covering
and the balloonettes disappeared in a
moment. A second later and more vio
lent explosions were heard. The fire
then had reached the gasoline tanks
filled vtith about a ton of liquid fuel.
Before tiie echoes of the report ha 1
died away the wreck of the most mod
(Continued on V'nce Nine*
THE MONEY TRUST SHOULD
WORRY, SAYS W. J. BRYAN
Only Wall Street Has Anything to Fear From Currency Legis
lation, According to the Commoner—Secretary of State
Speaks on the Currency Situation at Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, la., October 17.—Secretary
of State Bryan, speaking htre today,
declared that only “The money trust
lias anything to fear from the currency
legislation pending before Congress."
The legitimate banker had nothing to
fear, he added. Mr. Bryan predicted that
the new tariff law would lower the cost
of living, bring substantial benefits to
the consumer, ami remove for a genera
tion “that fear that has been* excited
before each election by the advocates
>f protection."
“I believe that the new tariff will
lower the cost of living on some sched
ules mere than on others.” said Mr.
Bryan in an interview. “The extent of
the reduction Is difficult to calculate
in advance, because a number of fac
tors enter Into the situation. The ten
dency of a fall In prices Is to Increase
the demand and an Increase In the de
mand to some extent will check the
fall. Then against the fall In prices
tends to Increase the demand for better
qualities In goods, which has to be
taken Into consideration.
"There has been a material reduc
tion In the tariff on : woolen goods
which means that part of the saving
will go Into better quality. Less shoddy
and moru wool will be used. In pre
dicting the future of this country a's
the consequence of the tariff law, al
lowance must be made for the change
in factors that conspire to produce the
results. If prices are rising, a part or
the reductions resulting from the tarltf
would be absorbed by the rise but it
must be remembered In such a rats
that but for the tarifT redacting tUg
prices would be still greater."