The times dispatch. [volume], January 10, 1912, Image 1

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
r^??, D'?PATCH FOUNDED UM.
THB TIMES FOUNDED
WHOLE NUMBER 18,800.
RICHMOND, VA., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1012.
THE WBATUB? TO-1JA V ? lm?? l-rl. PRICE TWO CENTS
Byrd Says Governmental
Activities Must
Pause.
REPLY TO CHARGE 1
IS MADE BY DEW!
Explains Action as to Clerkship.
Senator Martin Suggested for
President?Debate Over
Code Revision?All Legis?
lative Officers Renomi
nated in Caucus.
Accepting the nomination for Speak?
er of the House of Delegates ut the
hands of the Democratic caucus lust
night. Richard Evelyn Byrd laid down]
the proposition that there should h* |
for the present no further expansion ]
of the agencies of the government. Ho I
thought th; -..'iriouu boards nnd insti?
tutions :'!iould take time to rtn I them
?:clvos, to organize and adant them?
selves to conditions, before asking for
further growth at a tlmo of flnanc.u.1
embarrassment- As an Illustration, le
opposed the granting of further f.inda
to the Dapartment of Public Instrue
tlon. whose revenues have grown from
$1,500,000 In 1905 to $2,300,000 In ISM.
The greatest applauso greeted Mr.
Byrd when he cald that Instead of
teaching essentials, the tendency In
the public schools Is to ?eck novel llclda
of little practical value. After prais?
ing the enlightenment which hag fol?
lowed the administration of .Superin?
tendent Kggleston, tho Speaker 'said
that Instead of being taught to read
and write and cipher, the boy Is being
?schooled In non-osscntlals; he Is taught
to model clay when he does not know
how to spoil, and to draw when bo
dots not know how to write. "ritop
this foolishness." he said. "Cut cut
the courses' In hloloejy and hygiene,
and ttop this hpeetarle of a ten-year
old child burdened with an armful of
books."
Tan KqiiaUxntloo.
But tho weight of his argument was
directed at the subject of taxation, and
he emphasized the inequalities whlon
exist, describing those counties wal'Jh
draw from those more honest, to pay
port of their own domestic exposes,
Bs ". 'jlworins on the treasury.*'
This Speech was characterized by
Judge Martin Williams, the Dirnocratic |
door leader of the House, as "tho most ;
loslc.il. practical, far-reaching and lm
p-irtant address I have ever heard de?
livered on this floor.*'
There were no unexpected devi'op
rnents Iti the selection of Senate nnd
House officers by the separate caucuses.
All of the old officer?, without excep?
tion, wsre re-elected, save that Sena?
tor CeorKo T. Bison, or Pittsylvanla.
was made chairman of the Senate cau?
cus, to succeed General W. W. Sale.
C, A- Truslow. of Stafford, was easily
the winner In the contest for sscond
doorkeeper of th* House, securing a
clear majority of the caucus on the
first ballot This was the only fight.
Candldntea ot Work.
Candidates for the various offices
are continuing a most vigorous cam
?palgn. and all still >.eem hopeful. By
?tt.-eement reached last night between
the two bodies, a Joint caucus will In
held to-morrow night to take up !he
nomination of officers. It may be that
the election of Judge? and other tin
contested plaeis will consunio this ses?
sion, or It may be that some or ail
of the contested offices will be do
ejded upon at that time.
The Republicans held no caucus last
night, and will have no candidates In
ihe organization of the two bodies to?
day. They will hold a meeting to-day
or to-morrow.
Tho dinner at Murphy's Hotel, ten?
dered the members of the legislature
by the Richmond delegation, will bo
tho event of to-night.
The General Assembly of Virginia
will meet In biennial session to-day at
noon. Organization will quickly fol?
low, the nominees of the meetings nf
last night belnsr cloctcd without oppo?
sition. The committees will he an?
nounced. Tht-n the Governor's messapre
will be heard. Many new bills will be
Introduced, but It Is not expected that
the day's session will bo loner. Rev.
James Y. Pair, D. D.. will offer tho
opening prayer In the House.
JudKa John G. new. who desires to
truccced himself aa Second Auditor, is?
sued a ronly yesterday to the charges
made ngainu him by the joint Audit?
ing Committee of the Legislature, and
which tiavc been uf?d In the present
campaign. It appears below.
Martin for President.
Senator Thomas S. Martin was nomi?
nated for President nf the United
States last night by Colonel P. M. N'ew
honae, of Culpopcr. In accepting the
office of first doorkeeper. The sngge.t
tlon received considerable applause.
A general debnto was prccloltated In
the House caucus over a rcsolu'lon
passed on the Sonnte side. d!scourac!ngt
candidates for positions as revisers
of the Code of Vlrplnla from prose.e.ut.
Ing a canvass. One member th.iughtl
he saw a Joker, nnd opposed the reso?
lution most vigorously. It wns finally
thrown out on a point of order.
A movement was started In the Son?
nte caucus to secure an enrly report
on the general appropriation bill.
Senate ('miens Held.
Senator Edward Rebels, of Staurt.-yh
called tho Democratic: caucus to order
In the Senate nt S:20 o'clock, nnd de?
clared nominations In order for tho
office of permanent chairman. Senator
J. M. Hart, of Roiinoke, nominated
Senator George T. RIson. of Plttsyl
vunta. for the office In a short speech
in which ho dwelt upon hin candidate's
eminent fitness for tho place. "While
Ihe Senate of 1012 is especially rich
In men who would do honor to the
high office," said Mr. Hart, "the gentle?
man whom I have named. In my onin
lon. Is by his experience in legal nnd
legislative uffalrs, and more esp?.ctnlly
(Continued on Second Pagf> .?
SOUTHERN n.UMVAY'S now train
for Atlant? and Birmingham leaves
Richmond 6 P. at dally: arrives At
lanta 10:30 A. M.; Birmingham, -I P. M.
Hloctrlo lighted sleeping car service.
907 Bast Main. Phono Madison 272?
10 INVADE CHINA
Fifteenth Infantry to Do
Police Duty Between
Peking and Sea.
CALHOUN ASKS
FOR SOLDIERS
Notified State Department That
Other Powers Were Looking
to United Statea to Fumi3h
Its Share of Armed Men.
Beginning of Disrup?
tion of Empire.
Washington, January ?.?After a,'
lapse of more than ten yearn, Ameri?
can troops ar? aga4n to Invade China j
They are to aid In keeping open th".
railroad from Peking to the Sea. In
the course uf eight or nine days jUO
regular infantry will bo disembarked;
at tho little Chinese port of Chin-1
wangtao. The movement was order?
ed after mature consideration of the
policy Involved In landing American
troops In a foreign country under tho
peculiar conditions now existing in
China.
Several days uko Mr. Calhoun 'ntl
mated that some of the other power?
were looking to the United status to
contribute a quota of troops to meet
treaty obligations lu keep open com?
munication between the capital and.
tho coast. It required the intervjplng
time to develop the exuet needs of the
situation, and It was not until to-day
that Minister Calhoun was able to in?
form the State Department that r.OO
troopB would sutltco to discharge the
United States's obligation.
It was near the close of the official
day when tho State Ucpartmcnfs re?
quest for the dispatch of troopB reach
cd the War Department, but a cable?
gram to Major-General Bell was dis?
patched within a fuw minutes after it
had been approved by Secretary Stlm
son and signed by Ma jor-Genc-r.tl
Wood, chief of staff, Instructing tilm
to dispatch the force, together with a
hospital corps detachment. It la un?
derstood the Fifteenth Infantry wlli
be called on to supply the troops, who
will bo embarked, on tho transport
Thomas.
HuHtnu Urccd.
Reports that an armistice had been
urraugod to prevent a renewal of the
fighting between tue republicans and
the impirrialietb in China were .wel?
comed at the .State Department us In
dlcatlng that there eTtill was hope for
the conclusion of peace, thougli It In
feared thut thin cun only be arranged
on the basis of a division of the ex'st
ing empire. When attention was di?
rected to tho action of Russia In as?
serting an individual interest in the
future of Mongolia, a fact reported to
the State Department by Minister C?l
houn through the delivery of the 1*0
lice to that f-ffect from the Chinese
Foreign Otlice. It was pointed out that
tho virtual dismemberment of China
had already begun. Though no of?
ficial notice has been taken of this;
latest development .n tho eltuaUon, It
lb taken to mean that the course
adopted by Russia has given rise to
grave forebodings as Indicating the
breaking down of the agreement be?
tween tho six powers to refrain from
tho purbult of any Individual advant?
age, which was brought about through I
the overtures of the State Department
litre.
MARTIAL LAW AT M'COMB
State Troopa to Protect Men Who De?
sire to fleturn to Work.
McComb. Miss.. January 9.?Mc.Comb
City, which wintssod some turbulent j
scenes at the outset of the strike of i
Illinois Central l.ailroad shopmen in !
October, was to-night placed under
martial law on orders from Govcrnoj
Noel at Jackson.
The State troopH. whlcn have been
on guard here .since the Inception of
the strike, were lncreused to-day by j
tho arrival of a company from Book- i
haven, and Adjutant-General Fridge |
Is here In active- charge.
The action of Governor Noel. It is
sold, was based on reports that strik?
ers, who had evinced n desire to re?
turn to their former employment, had
been intimidated end threatened wlt.i
violence.
No disorders have ho far occurred,
and it Is believed the troops will ex?
perience llttlo trouble In preserving
order.
The Illinois Central division .?hops I
are here, and several hundred of the
employes have been on u strike threo
months.
ELECTED A LIFE MEMBER
.Mr*. GrOTCr Clcvelaud Honored by
American Forestry Association.
Washington. January 9.?Mrs. Grover
Cleveland, whose husband. the late
President. Clevelnnd, signed tho orig?
inal bill providing for tho creation of
national forests, was elected a life
member of tho American Forestry As?
sociation at the thirtieth annual con?
vention of the organization held here
to-day. Governor Robert P. Bass, of
New Hampshire, was re-elected pres?
ident of the body.
A resolution was adopted recom?
mending that the forest service bo
taken entirely out of politics and
placed upon a purely scientific basis.
Another resolution urged Congress to
continue Its appropriations for the
purchase of tlmberland for the Ap?
palachian and White Mountain Forest
lleservcs.
Among those chosen as vlcc-presl
dentfi were former President Boosevolt.
former Forcstor Plnchot. Secretary of
Agriculture "Wilson. Secretary of the
Interior Fisher, Curtis Guild, American
nmbassador to ltussia, and Governor
Johnson, of California.
Altlrlcb Hill Heportrd.
Washington, January 9.?The final
report of the National Monetary Conr
mission was formally presented In both
nouses of Congress, to-day and refer?
red to committee. Senator Pen rose
chairman of the Fln.ence Committee,
to which tho Senate referred, stated
late to-day that there might bo a
hearing on tho monetary bill, and that
the measure may bo reported to tho
Senate at this session of Congress.
BEST SERVICE TO CAUTt. .:NIA.
Standnrd or Tourist. Latter personally con?
ducted without change. Berth Id Wush.
?unsot Route, SOI JE. Main BU
DEATH SENTENCE
FOR RICHESQN
Murderer Stands the
Ordeal Without a
Tremor.
SHOWS OLD-TIME
JAUNTINESS
Counsel Declares Governor Will
Be Asked to Comnrutc Sen?
tence, but Refuses to State
the Grounds to Be Set
Out in the Pe?
tition.
BoBton. January D.?With the an- |
pearance of a man who had abandoned |
all hops of life, the Rev. Cl?ren-:? v.
T. Rlcheson stood to-day at do her of I
justice, declnred his guilt of the rre
niedltated murder of his foimer sweet?
heart, Avis Dlnnell, and without a
tremor heard Judge Sarderson sen
t?nre him to death In the clec'rl? cha'.r
during the week beginning Uiy *3
While displaying remarkable siot
clsm, the young Virginian appeared to
tho3e who crowded the llttlo court
room as If he were conducting his own
fun?ral. yet as he walked out of the
court room there was a trace of toe
old-tlmo Jauntlness that seemed to
many to indicate that his fight was not
yet finished.
To the half dozen questions which
Judge Sanderson put to Rlcheson as to
whether he realized the full nature and
effect of his acknowledgment of guilt,
he answered without the slightest
emotion, always in the affirmative.
Rlchison's counsel declared after the
proceedings that an appeal for execu?
tive clemency would follow soon, and
that every effort would be made to
obtain life Imprisonment Instead of
death aa the punishment.
Cpon what ground the petition will
bo based has not yet been decided.
Some well-Known attorneys remarked
to-night that Judpe Sanderson's ac?
tion In accoptlng the plea and ordering
It spread upon ths records of the court
might have an echo In tho Supremo
Court, on the ground that a jury alone
could accept such a plca.
P!en of Guilty.
As Rlcheson was called to the bar
Clerk Manning said:
"Clarence V. T. Rlcheson. this In?
dictment charges you with murdsr In
the first decree. On November 13 yon
pleaded not guilty to It. Do you de?
sire to retract that plea?"
"Yes, sir." replied Rlcheson.
"What say you to the Indictment?"
ask 3d the cierk.
"Guilty," was the reply, without a
change In tone.
"The only penalty provided by law,"
said Judge Sanderson, "for murder In
the first degree 1$ death.. Ifave you
pleaded guilty to murder In the first
detrreo after due consideration and
with tr.e full knowledge and under?
standing of the nature and effect of
such n plea?"
"Yes. sir."
"Is thp Plea made by you free and
voluntary?" continued the Judge.
"Yes, sir."
"Did you consult counsel with refer?
ence to the nature of the offense and
the plea?" asked the Judtre.
Again came simply, "Yes, ?lr."
After the district attorney had read
Rlcheson's confession, watch was made
a part of the record. Judge Sanderson
asked:
"Clarence V. T. Rlcheson, havo you
anything to say why sentence of death
should not he passed upon you?"
The young man apparently swal?
lowed a hard lump in his throat, but
without even a shadow acrosr. his face
he replied:
"No. sir: nothing further than I have
stn ted."
Rising tn his seat Judtre Sanderson
nronounced the death -penalty, ending
with the Impressive words: "And may
Go.i In Tils infinite goodness have
mercy imon your soul."
Will Petition Governor.
RIehe<=on's nnpearnnce In court to?
day differed hut little from that at the
Um', of his nrralcmment, hut hi* face
w?s pale nnd there were noticeable
ilnes on elthpr side of his far". His
wordM were evenly modulated, although
at times so low that Judge Sanderson
had to r;quest him to repeat what he
had said. Throughout the proceedings
(Continued on Sixth Page.)
BALTIMORE GEIS
THE CONVENTION
Democratic National
Committee Selects June
25 for Gathering.
BRYAN DID
NOT ATTEND
Mack Made Head of Subcommit?
tee on Arrangements?Fifth.
Regimental Armory Will Be
Used as Hall,' With Seating
Capacity for Twelve
Thousand.
Washington, January P.?The Demo?
cratic National Committee completed
Its work here to-day with the selection
of Baltimore as tho convention city.
June 2o was fixed as. tho date of tho
national gathering, when Candidates
for President and Vloe-Prcsldent will
bo selecteu. The Republican National
Convention Is to be held in Chicago,
j June IS.
The Democrats adopted a "permls
| Blvo'' primary resolution In connection
with the coll for delegates, and such
States as have laws on the subject or
desire to do so. can select their rep
resentatlvea In the national convention
by direct vote. Thero arts 1.U71 dele?
gates to be chosen.
Harmony marked to-day's Bitting ?l
'.he committee, which was given over
almost entirely to tho arguments 01
tho representatives of the various
cities bidding for tho convention. Wil?
liam Jennings Bryan did not 11'.tend
the meeting. 11- had not finished his
speech at the Jackson Day banquet un
1 til well ufter 3 o'clock this morning
There was a brief controversy over the
J proposed recognition of tho I'rogres
l slvo League Club, an organization
said to have grown out of the Irde
; pendence League movement, Btartcd by
William Randolph Hearst. When ob?
jection was made, the question of
recognition was deferred for four
years.
National Chairman Norman 13. Mack
was named to bond the subcommittee
i on arrangements for tho convention.
Vice-chairman Hall, of Nebraska, and
Secretary Crey Woodson, of Kentucky,
will be ex-olllclo members of this sub?
committee, and there will be soven
additional members to be named later
by Mr. Mack.
Primary Ileaolatiou.
The primary resolution adopted was
a modification uf one proposed by
Sena'.or Chamberlain, of Oregon. It
was framed by a subcommittee headed
by Clnrk Ho well, of Georgia, ond wbb
as follows:
"That, In the chotce of delegates,
and alternates to the Notional Demo?
cratic Convention -f 1912, tho Demo?
cratic Slate or territorial committees
may. If not otherwise directed by the
law of Such States or Territories pro?
vide for the direct election of such
delegates or alternate*. 1f in the opin?
ion of the respective committees it Is
deemed desirable and possible to do
bo with proper and sufficient safe?
guards. Where auch provision Is not
made by the respective committees for
the choice of delegates and alternates
and where the State, laws do no', pro?
vide specifically the manner of s-:uch
choice, then the- delegates ond alter?
nates to tho .said national convention
shall be. chosen in tho manner that
governed '.he choice of delegates from
the respective Slates and Territories
to the last National Democratic Con?
vention."
Led From First Ballot.
Baltimore led in the tight for tho
convention from the very first, but
two ballots were required before St
Louis succumbed. Then tho vote was
mada unanimous. The Baltimore bid
was accompanied by a certified check
for tlGO.Otid. The date of the conven?
tion, Juno 2?, suggestud by F. B.
Lynch, of Minnesota, was unanimous.
The first ballot for the convention
city gave Baltimore 25 votes and St
Loula 19. with scattering votes for
Denver, Chicago and New York. On
tho second ballot Baltimore had 29
votes, a majority of the committee,
and sufficient. St. Loula went uo to
22 votes, hut* tho fight for that city
carried up to tho last minute, proved
vain. The first ballot resulted as
follows:
For Baltimore?Alabama, Arizona.
" (Continued on Sixth Page.)
6 MEN PERISH; 12 MEN INJURED;
$6,000,000 LOSS IN EQUITABLE FIRE
-?-??-r*"N
IsqmTAHLK LIFE ASSU11A .\CE SOCIETY'S 111 il.DINi;.
ALARM CLOCK
SECURED ALIBI
McManigal Told How He Ex?
ploded Bomb by
Clock.
FAR AWAY WHEN IT WENT OFF
Could Set the Alarm and Be in
Another Town When Explo?
sion Occurred.
Indianapolis, Ind.. January 9.?How
Ortio E. McManigal, in blowing up
machinery owned by an "open shop"
contractor at Mt. Vernon, 111., on April
IS, 1910, tirst used tho alarm clock
attachment as a time regulator In act
ting oft his bombs, was Investigated
to-day by the government olTlclals, who
are conducting the grand Jury's inquiry
Into the dynamite conspiracy. Tho
clock experiment at Ml Vcrnon waa
pronounced by McManigal to be such a
success that it was later used in blow?
ing up the. Uos Angeles Times build?
ing and other places.
In his confession McManigal told how
he prepared for the Mt. Vernon "Job,"
which happened on tho same night
that an attempt was made to blow up
a hotel in Salt Lalto City. Utah. Mc?
Manigal said a few days before, lie
had been called to Indianapolis by
John J. McNamara and while here In
tho office of the International Associa?
tion of Brliigo and Structural Iron
V orkers he was shown the alarm clock
scheme, which McNamara called "a new
Invention."
"Tho purpose of the clock was to
enable ua to secure alibis," said Mc?
Manigal. "McNamara explained how,
setting the alarm to go off several
hours after wo placed tho bomb, we
could mako a good getaway on the
train, and the clock being blown up,
we could prove we were In some other
town when tho explosion occurred.
It was agreed I should go to Mt. Ver?
non and try it out It also was tho
first time I used nitroglycerine. For
the Mt. Vernon Job I received J125 at
my home In Chicago."
In another Instance McManigal
said ho was "safely asleep" on a train
several hours before an explosion took
plnco, for which he was responsible.
SCANDAL IN FRENCH CABINET
Minister de Selves Refuses to Confirm Statement Made by Premier Caillaux
and Relinquishes Portfolio, Saying He Would Not
Sit With His Chief.
Paris, January 3.?The Franco-Ger?
man Moroccan treaty, which endad the |
war crisis a few months afro, brought
about this evening In a dramatic man?
ner the resignation of tho French
Foreign Minister. Justin de Selves.
This threatens to be followed by a
general parliamentary Investigation
and a ministerial upheaval.
Charges that financiers of Franco
and Germany were permitted to carry
on secret negotiations relative to tho
Congo and Morocco caused tho rup?
ture. Premier Caillaux, before the
state committee, gave his word of
honor that there had heen no such
negotiations, but the Foreign Minister
declined to back the premier, and re?
fused to make a statement pro or con.
The crisis has heen brewing ever i
since tho treaty was signed, duo to re- |
.pooled allegations that the French
ambassador, Jules Cambon, did not have
a free hand In thJ negotiations with ?
Germany, and thnt other negotiations, l
of which the Foreign Offlco and am- |
bassador were ignorant, wore being |
secretly conducted between the two
countries concerning railroad conces?
sions In tho Congo, Camerun and Mo?
rocco,
The storm broko at the meeting of ,
the Senate committee with ex-Prcmler i
Cem-mcenu holding a great advantago.
Premler Calllaux denied there had boon J
semi-official pourparlers before tho j
Interview at Kissingen. He had. he ,
snld. repudiated a contract for rail-;
road concessions alleged to have been '
made between a Frenchman named j
Fondere and Dr. Semler. a member of I
tho Reichstag. Ho narrated tho nego- j
tlatlons relatlvo to proposed railroads i
In Morocco, and affirmed that he was
happy to glvo his word of honor that
there had been no negotiations except I
those of which the Foreign Office and
If. Canihon were fully cognizant.
M. CiJmencoau arose nnd looked fix?
edly at the Foreign Minister.
"Will you confirm' ihe statement o?
the Premier?" he p-sked. ' I
M. De Selves at first refused to
answer, but pressed by Senator Bour- |
geols, chairman of tho committee,
dually said:
"I cannot answer the question. I j
am tied between a double duty?to1
stick to tho truth and toll all, and not
to hurt the Interests of the country by
deserting fho Cublnot-"
1 Tl?.o9o words caused u sensation and
the ,-onimittce adjourned In great con?
fusion.
Later a second scene was enacted In 1
the antoroom, to which Premlor Cull
laux. Foreign Minister Do Helves and
ox-premier Clemenceau withdrew. M.
Clemenceau according 10 friends of M.
do Selves reproached Premier Calllausc
In violent terms for fostering secret
negotiations, of which M. Clemenceau]
said he had been for a long time In- i
formed. Tho foreign minister for h'a
part frankly told the premier that he
could no longer sit beside him In the,
Cabinet, and therefore roslgncd. i
In his letter of resignation to Presi?
dent Falllercs M. de Selves pointed out
that he no longer wished to assur.ie tho
rosponslbllltp of tho foreign portfolio
with a special agent in the Cabinet fie
added that ho could not publicly pro?
test against the statement of Premlor
Oallluux. On the other hand, als con?
science forbade him to contlrm It.
Tho premier likewise Issued a state?
ment in which he insisted that ho had
told the whole truth.
To-night the other Cabinet ministers
mot to discuss the situation, but no
action wan taken.
Dc Selves RenlKna.
HAY DISCUSSES
MILITIA PAY BILL
Says It Will Not Pass at
This Session of
Congress.
MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED
Democratic Caucus Must Pass
Upon Question Before It
Reaches House.
[Special to Tho Tlmes-Dlspatch.] I
Washington. D. C, January 9.?Tho
inllllla pay bill, which Is being stub?
bornly opposed by m^jiy odlcors In
tho army and by about 7.000 civil
employes, who Icur that If It passes
thay will bo required cither to un
11st or lose their places, may not pass
at this session of Congress. Further?
more, there Is serious doubt, accord?
ing to a statement made here to-day
by Representative James Hay. of Vir?
ginia, chairman of the House Com?
mittee on Military Affulrs, whether tho
measure will oven be presented to the
Houso for consideration.
Nothing will be doteruilued regard?
ing this matter, Mr. Hay said, until tho
Democrats In tho House have hold a
caucus, somo time In the noar future,
for tho purpose of laying out a plan of
action to decide upon what measures 01
various kinds shull be acted upon and
brought up at the present session of
Congress. Until tho caucus decides
what It shall do, I do not caro to matte
any statement regarding tho mutter
either ono way or the other. Of course,
? t may bo that tho caucus will dccidu
to have tho moaauro acted upon. WhtiO,
on tho other hand, there Is a possibility
that It may decide to await action until
somo otber time."
While many of the members of ilia
National Guard are In favor of the
b'll, there Is stubborn and prono...
opposition on the part of many lead?
ing ariny olllvora. Tne more Important
sections of the bill provide for Increas?
ing the tlmo of enlistment, from ink.
to five years; cuttlns off Increased pay
for foreign service; consolidation of
the quartermasters, subsistence und
pay departments. Into a supply corps;
tho merging of the Adjutant-General's
and Inspcctor-Goneral'a olllcers with
tho general staff, and the abolishing ot
the statutory ofilco of tho chief of
coast artillery and tho chief of division
military affairs.
The caucus will bo held sumo tlmo
during the next week or ten days.
P. II. McG.
WILL RULE ON MOTION TO-DAY
Kllort to Dxelud?- From Pickers' Triol
Important Documents.
Chicago, 111., January 0.?United
States District Judge Ceo. A. Carpen?
ter Is expected to, rule to-morrow
morning on a motion mude by coun?
sel for the defense to exclude, from
the record or tho packers' trial the
documents Identified by Witness Je?
rome H. Pratt, including the letters
ulloged to contain pencil notations In
the handwriting of. J. Ogden Armour,
Arthur Meeker and Thomas J. Conuers,
Ciree. of the defendants.
The motlttn to exclude was presented
sohrtly after the opening of court to?
day, or District Attorney Wllknrson
was prepurlng to read the exhibits to
the Jury.
Nearly the entire day was tnkei? up
with the argument of counsel on the
legal points Involved. After counsel
had concluded their argument Judge
Carpenter said:
"My view is that all the circumstan?
tial evidence should bo put In. oven
If It docy not at tho time seem signi?
ficant. You are a*>kln?? m? to weigh
this uvldcnco as it oomes In. It ap?
pears certain that the proof of conspir?
acy in this caso Will not be by u docu?
ment, signed and soaled by these de?
fendants. The conspiracy will have to
be proven by circumstances.
"I . think anything that shows tho
method of conducting the business of
these corporations le competent at this
{time,"
Immense Stone Building
Totally Destroyed
Yesterday*
RESCUES ARE
SENSATIONAL
-
Giblin Taken Out of Vault, and
Campion Given Last Rites by
Priest Through Bars Just Be?
fore Fire Reached Him?Valu?
able Libraries Go Up in Smoke,
and Financial Business Brought
to a Standstill.
New York. January 9.?Tho Immense
marble nnd granite homo of the Equi?
table Life Assurance Society, covering
a whole block In lower Broadway, a,
historic landmark of New York's early
period of skyscraper buildings, ami
one of the city's important financial
centres, was to-day destroyed by fire,
with a loss of six lives and probably'
$fi.l)OO.nno In property. A dozen per?
sons were Injured.
Valuable records, Including the biog?
raphy of E. H. Harrlman and two
priceless libraries which cannot be re?
placed, went up In flames, and the fato
of hundreds of millions of dollars*
worth of securities, stored In safe de?
posit vaults, was to-nlght In question.
Tn tho heart of the financial district,
the fire upBot the financial machinery
of Wall Streot, and business was prac?
tically suspended throughout tho day,
Tho great structure, which, besides
containing tho main offices of the
Equitable Life Assurance Society. Wttsj
tho home of the Mercantile Trust Com?
pany, the Equitable Trust Company,
tho .banking houso of Kountzo Broth?
ers, August Belmont & Company, tho
Harrlman railroad lines, tho Mercan?
tile Safe Deposit Company, tho Law?
yers' Club, and many of the city's!
? most prominent law firmt?, stands to
! night a shell of lee-coated granite,
with Its once magnificent interior com?
pletely gutted.
Spectacular Sight.
Besides Involving heavy financial
loss and Korlona disturbance to bi?
business interests, tha fire, starting on
ono of tho coldest and windiest morn?
ings of the winter, wait otto of tho
most spectacular ever witnessed In tho
far downtown section. Its progress
was replete with harrowing incident-.),
narrow escapes and brave rescues, and
the men who fought it did so under
conditions that taxed both skill and
endurance.
I Tho intsnsc cold acted', almont . In*
i stnntaneously upon the water pour-ad,
j upon the flames, and a thick Ice coat?
ing speedily formed on the facades of
towering skyscrapers adjacent and
upon tho pavements for blocks aro tnd.
The bulwark of modern fireproof
structures nearby, according to Flro
Commissioner Johnson to-nlght, was
Invaluable as a protection to the en?
tire financial district. As It was. tho
damage, except by water, was confined
entirely to the Equitable structure.
Loss of Life.
Of those who lost their lives, thre?
men wero killed by Jumping fram a
coping of the roof of the structure to
which they were driven by the flames.
They wero employes In the building.
Battalion Chief William J. Walsh
disappeared In a whirl of smoke and
flames, when a cave-In occurred on
the third door where he was fighting
tho llames. No trace of his body had
boen found to-nlght.
Two other men, William Campion,
captain of tho watchmen lu tho Mor?
cuntile Safe Deposit vaults, and Frank
J. Neider, a special officer, whoso
bodies have not been recovered, com
plcto the list of dead so far ua known.
Several persons, watchmen and oth?
ers who were In the doomed structure,
when the fire broke out nt an early
hour, have not been positively account?
ed for, hut are believed to have os
capod. Tlie death total, however, may
not bo definitely fixed until tho tlamoa,
which wore still burning to-nlght,
have boen extinguished and the ruins
cooled.
Locked In Vault.
Among the injured is President Wil?
liam J. Giblin. of the Mercantile Saf*
Deposit Company, whose rescue crom
the basement vnults whero he was im?
prisoned, after two huurs" work by fire?
men, was ono of tho most sensational
episodes of tho lire. He had gone Into
a vault to save socurltlos and accident?
ally locked himself in with an employe
whu accompanied him. Their erlog
wero hoard by tho firemen, who bad tri
saw through the steel bars of u door
leading to tho street beforo they could
rescue tho Imprisoned men. Mr. Gib?
lin was removed to a hospital suffer?
ing from exhaustion and smoke.
One man In another vault of tho
Mercantile Safe Dopoalt Company, be?
lieved to be Campion, could be joen
from the street with h!a legs pinned
down by a mass of debris, but could
not be rescued hecauso of heavy "jtuol
doors which barred tho way of th.j
firemen.
Through tho smashed windows of
tho door he was given tho last rltCM by
Chaplain McGean, of the Fire Depart?
ment. Just as ho was swallowed from
view by the dense smoke and not seea
again.
Some estimates of the loss run 04
high as $15.000,000, but moro conserva?
tive authorities to-night thought that
the damage would not run over $6,000.*
000.
Kept Securities Cool. .
An officer of the Equitable said that
the society's own loss probably would
not amount to moro than $300.000. cov?
ered by Its own contingent Insurance
fund, and that duplicates of every re?
cord destroyed were ? stored In utib
sldlary offices.
Stored away lit :i fire-proof v.iu!t
over the main entrance of the build?
ing on Broadway were between SUSI?.?..:
000.000 and $300.000,000 of the securi?
ties of tho company, while tho vault
was subjected -to fierce heat. Gage 15. v
Tarbell, a trustee of the Equtt.?h!?v
(Continued on SlVth"~PaS*.)
ATLAXTA-BIItMI.NOHAM SEJlVICB,
Via Southern Railway. Leave. Hich-.
mend 6 P. M. dally. Electric lighted
drawing room sleeping car, without
change- Two othar fsat trains dally,
907 East Main.