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ORGANIZED TO MEDDLE IN POLITICS Aim of Los Angeles' League for Better Government. Conducted in the Interest of a Trio of Cor porations. Its Mission to Antagonize the Regular Republicans of the City. GANG RULE ITS POLICY. Membership Hns Fallen From Four Thousand to Lees Than Two Hundred. Special Dispatch to The Call. cloak of a l.ame which appeals strong ly to every fair-minded and patriotic citizen, the League for Better City Government in Los Angeles has und ertaken to do things that would have brought down the severest condemna tion upon any organization that had not succeeded in deluding the general public as this has done. Organized ostensibly for the purpose of bringing about better conditions in Los An geles, its name is now used for the self-advancement of certain individ uals in the interest of a few corpora tions and as a means of splitting the Republican party in the interests of the local Democracy. The movement for better city govern ment was instituted under the aus pices of the league about eighteen months ago. Its membership increased rapidly, and Just before the munici pal election hfld in December of 1896 there were more than 4000 names on ■ mbership roll The manner in which the league con ducted its campaign in this election and the manner in which the league affairs were handled by a certain small clique which represents corporation interests, the • newspaper combination of Lop Angeles and the concentrated antagonism to the regular Republican party has caused the membership to fall off to such an extent that there are not to-day more than 200 members in good standing, and possibly less than half that number. Under the bylaws adopted by the league's affairs are controlled by a board of directors, consisting of twen ty-three members. This board is now constituted as follows: S. A. Butler, Harry Chandler. O. P. Clark. H. J. Fleishman. T. E. Gibbon, J. M. Grif fith, Bttrt Eates Howard, Lee A. Mc- Connell, D. M. McGarry, Robert Mc- Ciarvin. Octavius Morgan. M. H. New , . William Pridman, Ferd. K. Rule, ■Alfred Stern, W. L. Valentine, J. V. Warhtel. G. 11. Wadleigh, T. S. Wads worth. I. A. Weid, M. Welsh, J. R. N< wberry and W. D. Woolwine. Because The Call, in connection with its investigations regarding the School B"ard scandal, has been giving all the facts and giving them fairly as they develop, it has aroused the league to a childish and impotent antagonism of this journal. It was not so much that The Call published unprejudiced re ports of the sessions of the Hoard of Education which was hearing the Webb case, but the fact that this paper called attention to the felonious action of another member of the Hoard of Ed ucation, who is also a member of the league, that caused the league by for mal resolutions to pet up a howl against The Call in unison with the yelping and barking of the three news papers — the Times, the Herald and the Express — that run the paper, or are run by the league's inner clique. At a cowardly secret session a hand ful of men — a bare quorum of the board of directors of the league — passed a pet of resolutions which has not one fair or truthful statement in it, and which smacks strongly of the charac teristic whinings of a hypocrite ex posed. These resolutions are as fol lows: Resolved, That we call the attention of the business m. ■ . of this city to the treatment which the E B^urd scandal is receiving in thi Francisco Call, a newspaper which pro fesses to be friendly to this section, and which has some circulation in this city, but which has persistently misrepresent ed th< dvantage of the forces at work for municipal inform and to the detriment of this city. Re= .• the League for Better City Government, an organization which has for its object a business administra tion of the city';- affairs, without .regard to party, hereby emphatically condemns the San Francisco Call for Its impudent <1 baseless attacks on respectable citi i us and its attempted defense of boo dlers. At the meeting at which these reso lutions were passed there were present cut of the twenty-ihree-dlrectors here tofore named only eight, as follows: S. A- Butler, Lee A. Connell, Robert Mc- Garvin, W. L. Valentine, J. V. Wachtel, G. EL Wadleigrh, T. S. Wadsworth and W. D. Woolwine. These men repre sented in spirit if not in fact- those persons and interests which have been forcing the prosecution against Walter L. Webb, against whom no adverse tes- timony has been brought out except that given by two self-confessed per jurers. These same persons and inter ests have Bet th-ir forces to the work to shield and protect J. H. Braly, a member of the Board of Education, a member of the League for Better City Government and the president of the Southern California Savings Bank. This attitude of defense on behalf of Braly has been assumed in the face of documentary evidence of an incontro vertible character that has been shown t" >-xist against Braly, and which shows him to have been guilts' of a. felonious act and to have involved his ba:;k in transactions frbidden by law in order to protect savings bank de positors. Among the eight members present and participating in the star chamber proceedings of last Tuesday night will be noticed the name of W. I). Wool wine Mr. Woolwine is the ca-hier of the Southern California Savings Bank, of which Mr. Braiy is president. A brief history of the League for Better City O.jvprnmoin throws con siderable light upon the ulterior ends for which it was organized and in interests it is and has been used. • It. was incubated and hatched in the \Lx>s Angelas Chamber of Commerce by C. D. Willard. then secretary of that body and now manager of "the Los Angeles Express. WiUard was also a member of the first board of directors elected aftf-r the league was inr.. r j>M rated, in May of last year. Among the other directors elected at this time was L. E. Mosher. who is the first lieu tenant of H. d. Otis in the manage ment of the Times. "While Mr. Wil lard's name does not aopear in the present board of directors of the league, he is still one of its most ac tive spirits. In tho existing: board o f , directors the Times Is represented by Harry Chandler a son-in-lay.- of H. O. • Mis. and the superintendent of the cir culation of the Times, whilf the Her ald newspaper is represented by T. K. Gibbon. In both the o-ld board and in the new the three corporations which are look ed upon by the taxpayers of this city as being m"st Inimical to thoir Inter ests are well and numerously repre sented. Th^e corporations are the Loa Angeles City Water Company, the Loa Angeles Lighting Company and the Los Angeles Electric Company. Incidental ly, th<- significant fact may be noted that nearly every officer of the water company was a vice-president at the mass meeting held in this city under the auspices of the Leapue for i city Government in reference to the School Hoard scandal. Another significant fact in reference to the league is that four of its leading spirits— T. EL Gibbon. (". D. Wiliard, Henry W. O'Melveny and Charles For man — are Democrats, while most of the other prominent men in the leapue are what are known as "Otis Republicans." The Otis wing of the Republican party of this sectjon of the State is but a very small minority. What local strength it has lies in this city. In the interior Otis men are nearly as scarce as hen's teeth. It is the unquali fied opinion of the Republicans allied with the regular organization of that party that the league Is nothing more than an instrument to be used by this unholy alliance of Democrats and pseudo Republicans to disintegrate the local Republican party and to bring victory to the local Democratic ticket. It is asserted that with the city pnv ernment in control of Democrats it would be a comparatively easy thing to secure control of the c«unty offices. Among the best citizens of the city the opinion is freely expressed that if a league ticket is elected and such a tit k< t would be energetically supported by the syndicated press, consisting of the Times, Herald and Express— the people would be delivered over to the mercies of the three corporations pre viously named. There is no question but that there are still a large number of disinterest ed and well meaning citizen? who are members of the league, but this class ! of people has been withdrawing more and more rapidly as it became more \ and more apparent that the league was j a delusion and a snare, and that the good people In It were simply being used as figureheads to subserve the vicious ends of the conspirators who instituted, who have shaped the course of and now absolutely control the mis named league for better city gov ernment. WHISKY URGED HIM TO SHOOT An Intoxicated Man's Reckless Handling of a Shotgun at Fresno. Fires Seven Charges Through the Walls of His House Before Ho Is Restrained. Fp^lal Dispatch to Th' Call. FRESNO. Jan. 15.— F. C. Cretser, while drunk early yesterday morning, proceed ed to shoot his house to- pieces. With a No. 10 shotgun he fired seven shots through the dwelling, tearing big holes in portions of the house and shooting the doors down. The tiring attracted all th« neighbors in the vicinity of his home, at 3320 Fresno street. When the shooting had ceased they gathered around the house, thinking that a tragedy had been committed, as Cretser was known to have had trouble with his wife at different times. Finally several men ventured in and found Cretser, his brother and a third man named Erigelbretson lying in a room in a half-drunken stupor. It was almost a miracle that the freak of the drunken man had not resulted in the loss of several lives, as a charge of the shot entered the home of William Shepp. across the street. Some of the shot fell on the roof, while one charge entered through a window of a room, but had spent its force. All three of the men In the house were arrested this morning by Constable Shaw. It was learned that i Creston had been deserted by his wife a few days ago. and he proceeded to drown his sorrow. While under the influence of whisky he deter mined to shoot their home full of holes. He succeeded well in his undertaking. The three men were charged with disturb ing the peace. PRINCE COLLONNA TO WED A BEAUTIFUL HEIRESS. Fell in Love With a Photograph of Miss Moran and Now Society Reports That They Are Engaged. NEW YORK. Jan. 15— A Richmond dip patch to tho Herald says: It is rumored in society here that Prir.ee Fabian Col lonna of Paris is engaged to a beautiful Virginia heiress, Miss Eleanor I; Moran. The Prince recently dedicated a poem to Miss Moran. nn«l it was pub lished In Paris. Miss Moran, with her s;sii-r arid mother, will sail fur Europe in the sfirin«. it is said, to mc-t th-- Prince. Prince Collonna is said to be a trie several of Mrs. Morarra ft nd th« story is that be f'-ll in lov« with ;i ; graph of the Southern beauty and asked permission to dedicate :i poem to her, which was granted by the mother. Soci ety now declares that the two hav<- be come engaged. It is well known that Miss Moran is an heiress. She !s a famous beauty and was a reigninp belle at White Sulphur Springs, Narragansett and other watering places. CLAY'S YOUNG WIFE IS WALKING HOME. No One Would Lend Her a Horse Because They Were Afraid of the Vengeance of Her Brother Clell. NEW YORK. Jan. 15— A Valley View. Ky.. special to the Herald says: General C.-issius M. Clay's wife. Dora. start<-<! t'> walk to Whitehall, his home, this after noon. She tried all the morning to get a horse, but nobody would lend or hire one to her for fear of her brother, Clell. v. t: . shot at her yesurday. The gtrl \v.>i»t bit terly when all her neighbors refused to aid her, but Boon dried her tears and Bald she would walk the distance, no m how bad the n >:<.ils Were. General Clay learned <>f her latest trou ble with her brother about noon and said he was not surprised. He feared Clell Richardson would kill hr-r. He Bays Rich ardson h;us used her money and kept her under the influonee of drugs untji her mind has bocom<> unsettled. Richardson, it is said, still threatens to kill Dora and his brothers if th<>y interfere with him. CORITA TEMPLE INSTITUTED. Organization of Rathbone Sisters Formed at Santa Rosa. SAXTA ROSA, Jan. in.— Past Grand Chief Mrs. Lily Samuels of Oakland in stituted rortta Temple of Rathbone Sis ters at Hahman Hall this evening. The temple has 100 charter members— the larg est list in the State. The decree work was done by the Oakland team. Many prom inent members of Calanthe Tomple of Oakland and the East Oakland temple were present. The affair closed with a banrjuet. Advances made on furniture and pianos, with or without removal. J. Noonan, 1017-1023 Mission. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 1898. DEATH FOR THE SLAYER OF ANDREWS Winters Found Guilty by a Redwood City Jury. First Degree Murder With No Recommendation ©f Clemency. Unanimous Verdict Reached on the Taking of the First Ballot. FORSAKEN BY HIS NERVE. The Convicted Man Checked In an Excited Attempt to Revile His Ex posers. Special Dispatch to The Call. REDWOOD CITY. Jan. 15.— "Guilty of murder In the first degree." Such whs the verdict rendered this afternoon by the Jury impaneled tn try Harry Winters for the murder of Charles A. Andrews in the Grand Hotel at Baden last November. When the case was given to the Jury it was evident to every one present in the courtroom that the twelve men would certainly convict the prisoner, but it was thought, after the Jury had retired, that imprisonment for life would be the punishment, instead of death. During the short time the Jury were deliberating the defendant appeared nervous and excited, and a Deputy Sheriff was at his side continually. When the foreman announced the ver dict Winters Jumped to his feet and began to address the Jury, but was silenced by the court and Sheriff. He , looked pale and haggard. When court adjourned yesterday af ternoon Winters was on the stand. This morning Attorney Nagle further questioned him with respect to the clothes he wore on the 16th and 17th <j{ November. A number of people at Baden who identified him said he wore a black Fedora hat. He denied this morning that he ever wore such a hat, and denied that the hat found in the hall of the Grand Hotel was his. He said that on the 16th he wore a stiff Derby hat and on the morning of the 17th he changed it for a light slouch hat given to him by James L.. Xagle, the brother of his attorney. He did not have a blue Melton overcoat on the day he was in Baden, as testified to by Witness Hi ley. Upon cross-examination it was Shown clearly that his whole story given In direct examination was fabri cation. He made many contradictory statements, which greatly prejudiced his case. He admitted that he knew Raymond and knew him well, but that he was acquainted with him under the name of Samuel Moore. His acquaintance with Raymond dated back a number of years, and as Raymond has been confined in State's Prison for a long period and until very recently, it must be that the acquaint anceship was formed there. He ad tnitted that he had been convicted of a felony, but of what felony the court would not permit to be shown. His appearance and every action betoken the criminal. Especially was this notice able yesterday, when he was shown th~ revolver taken from him in the Grand Hotel and the one taken from Ray mond on the morning of the 17th. when he was captured. He took them and handled them as no one could who was iv*t very familiar with such weapons. He gave it as his opinion that pistols ■uch as those could be purchased for $1 90 each. James L. Xagle was called as a wit ness for defendant. He identified a hat shown him, and testified that he gave it to Winters on the 17th of No vember. He had given the defendant the suit of clothes he was wearing. Winters, he Bald, had been doing odd Jobs about the office for him for some time past, and he had seen him every day from the 17th to the 24th of No vember, on which latter date he was arrested. On the 17th he noticed noth ing unusual in the appearance of Win ters. He bore no marks of a confUd of any kind such as would have attract ed his attention. This completed the defendant's case, and in rebuttal District AtUrrney Walker called John Nelson, who testi fied that he was night watchman at the Salvation Army quarters on New Montgomery street in San Francisco. Tic said ho know Winters, and had seen him at the Salvation Army pla;e on several occasions, thus contradicting Winters, who said he was never there ! before the nipht of the 16th of Novem ■ ber. He further testified that he had p°en him there with Raymond, alias Moore,, and also with a man by the name of Willett. Willett is wanted for : this same murder, and for his arrest a reward of ?2~>Q has been offered. Constable PescteUo was called In re ! buttai and testified that soon after the crime had been committed he went to San Francisro and stationed himself !at the entrance to the building in which Mr. Hagle had his office. He ; took this position about 7:30 o'clock la the morninp and remained there all ; day, with the exception of about an hour fur lunch, for four or five days watching for Winters, but saw him : only one- in all that time. At U:M the District Attorney began his opening argument to the Jury, fin ishing at noon. At 1 o'clock Attorney Nagle spoke in behalf of the defendant and was followed by the closing argu ment from the District Attorney. The court then instructed th^ Jury and at 2:90 o'clock it retired. While' the jury was out the defendant tried to appear unconcerned, but tailed utterly. And when the Jury returned he half started from his scat, seeming to expect the worst. The Jury was out only about twenty-flve minutes before it reached Its verdict. But two ballots were cast, and each of these was unanimous The first ballot was as to whether the de f. odant was guilty or not guilty, and the second was as to the punishment to be inflicted. The result was mur der in the first degree, without fixing the punishment. This means that un less the Supreme Court grants a new trial Winters will be hanged for the murder of C. A. Andrews. When the foreman had announced the verdict Winters Jumped to his feet and addressed the Jurors. He said: "Gentlemen of the Jury. T don't blame you for what you have done, but T do blame these liars, perjurers, bribers and murderers." BOOTH IS AGAIN IN AMERICA The Arrival of the General in New York. Will Make an Extended Tour in Canada and This Country. Plans to Meet His Son Balling ton and His Sick Wife. TALKS OF HIS CHILDREN. Great Good Will Result From the Visit of the Chief of the Sal vation Army. Special Dispatch to Th« Call. ,NKW YORK. Jan. IK.— General Booth, the hond of the Salvation Army, reached this city to-day on board the steamer St. Paul from Southampton. In honor of his visit to America twelve new shelters for the homeless poor and three new rescue homes for women will be simultaneously opened In the coun try. The general, now in his sixty ninth year, made his first trip to this country in 1894, holding 200 meetings within three months. Since then the army shows an increase of member ship of 2438. The colonization scheme, the pet project of General Booth, will be pushed during his stay. The general was met down the bay by Commander Booth-Tucker. On the pier a large delegation of headquarters Salvationists were awaiting their chief, and he was given a warm re ception. "The general." said Commander Booth-Tucker, "will stay at my house in Pordham until Monday, when he will leave for Canada, where he will be met by his daughter, Miss Eva Booth, who Is in charge of the Salvation Army there. He will remain three weeks in Canada, inspecting the work of the army, and will then return to the United States. He will begin his Amer ican tour <>n February 1" In Washing ton. After that he will visit Pittsburg, <'<.lumbus. Cincinnati. St. Louis, Kan sas city, Denver, L»s Angeles. San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Spo kane at which last place he will be on March 17. The general then will cross again over into Canada and visit Vic toria Vancouver and Winnipeg. On March 19 he will be in Minneapolis and Bl Paul. From March 20 to 21 he will be in Chicago. From then until April 14 he will visit successively Cleveland, Buffalo. Boston and Philadelphia. Gen eral Booth will conclude his American visit with a series of meetings and ! demonstrations in New York from April 14 to 19. On April 20 he will sail for England. "General Booth's idea is not alone to look over the work and progress of the Salvation Army in the United States and Canada, but in traveling through these countries he will confer with a number of the citizens of th» leading cities concerning his schemes fcr the assistance of the poor. He will inspect ami sugest Improvement* in tho social institutions which we have established in this country, which now have ac commodation for 4000 persons." I Miring the day General Booth made a >l>'tailed statement of his plans to the newspaper reporters. Incidentally, he si.<-k.> of his relations with his son. Bal ' llngton Booth. Upon this subject he Bald that full explanations of the cause of separation were given at the time of the disagreement, and to these he was unable to add anything. "As to the present condition rrf my daughter-in-law," he went on, "I have I already expressed n.y deep sympathy with my son, both by cable and by let ' ter. With respect to the causes that have led up to this illness. I am to tally in the dark. Commander Booth- Tucker and my daughter, the Consul. ', have, I believe, already denied all i blameworthiness on th«> part of the leaders of the Salvation Army here for this painful affliction "Of my daughter, who is known to every Christian throughout the length and breadth of the world, I net-<l not s.iy anything, while my long and inti , mate acquaintance with Commander Booth-Tucker and personal knowledge ' of th^ honorable career he has sacri ficed in the Indian service to become a worker with mo. gave me the highest confidence in th<* wisdom of his admin istration and the oorrect&ess of all ' statements he may have made on this i or any other phase of the subject. "A great deal of curiosity has been ' manifested, I am Informed, as to \ whether I am going to have an inter ■ view with my son. To that I reply that I have already asked for an inter view on th» occasion of my present ■ visit. Whether it will be granted to me in the form I have asked for— that ! is, without the Interference of any other person — remain" to be seen." Commander Balllngton Booth, of the i Volunteers of America, was asked If he would be willing to meet his father. H said: "Most assuredly. I will meet my father under the following condi tions* which have been drawn by the \ Rev. Josiah Strong: "First— That there shall he arranged an interview between General William Booth and Commander Ralllngt.m Booth at as early a date as possible. "Second— That th»>y meet not In their official capacity but as father and . son. '■Third— That Rev. Joslah Strong of the Evangelical Society be invited to be present as a witness, and that Dr. Strong shall give th« result of such an interview to the public." SUED BY A MOTHER. Oakland Woman Accused of Obtaining Property Fraudulently. SANTA CRtJZ. -Inn. ir> -Suit was brought to-day by Catherine Gallagher of Watson ville against her daughter, Jane Klee of Oakland, to set aside a <I< >ed to property valued at $27,000. Two years ago Mrs. Gallagher executed a deed to her daughter, with the understanding that It was not to be recorded until after her death. This was done so as to aviod probate proceedings. The deed was kept in a tin box in the bank. It was agreed that neither should remove it unless the other one was present. A few days ago Mrs. Gallagher was surprised to learn that the d»'e<i had been recorded. She charges that the defend ant surreptitiously removed the deed from the box without her consent. The plaintiff's entire Income i» derived from the property. HAMPERED BY A LACK OF DOCKS How the Navy "Would Fare in Case of War. Urgent Need of Better Facilities Cannot Be Overlooked. Construction and Rapairs That Should Not B© Longer Delayed. STARTLING FACTS STATED. Only On« Dry-Dock on the Pacific Coast Which Would Hold a Largo Battleship. Special Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK. Jan. lo.— The Herald's Washington correspondent sends the following: In the event of war ope rations the United States navy would be seriously hampered by a lack of docks; this is particularly true of the North Atlantic squadron. Secre tary Long- declares that the most urg ent need of the navy is an increase of docking facilities. Of eleven Govern ment docks — nine on the Atlantic and two on the Pacific Coast — three were designed to accommodate battle-ships of the first class, one at New York, one at Port Royal, S. C, and one at Brem erton, Washington, on Puget Sound. Civil Engineer M. T. Endicott, who returned to-day from the Brooklyn navy-yard, where he has been in con sultation with Naval Constructor Bowles in regard to making repairs to dry dock No. 3, informed Secretary LK>ng that there is grave danger that the key wall will give way. It is not believed that the dock will be ready for service until the entrance has been rebuilt, and at least six months and probably longer will be required to do this. There is not only an insufficiency of water at the entrance to Port Royal dry dock, but the cross section of the dock is too small to admit battle-ships with bilge keels. There is only one dock on the Pacific Coast of sufficient size to dock modern battle-ships. This is on Puget Sound, 900 miles from San Francisco. Ac oesa to it is through a narrow channel twenty miles long, onf side of which is in possession of a foreign Government. The battle-ships Indiana and Massa chusetts were docked some months ago, the former at Halifax and the latter in dry dock No. 3, just before the Brooklyn structure developed the de fects. It is recognized by Naval au thorities that Great Britain in case of war would not per mit United States men-of-war to Use Canadian or English docks, and this Government would consequently he thrown on its own resources. At the present time the department has been ; Informed that the hulls of the battle- ; ( ships lowa. Indiana and Massachusetts j , art- foul and their speed has been ma- ; '. terially decreased. Even should Xaval } Constriu-tor liowles be successful in ' makinp repairs, some of the officials of the department say that the dry dock might be found to he too weak to ac commodate a ship of 11,000 tons dis plae.-nvnt. One of th» se pentlemen pointed out to-day that the dry dock is built on soil of a quicksand character, j "Constant driving of sheet piling." he said, "has undoubtedly resulted in loosening the soil. You will recall that •>n January 7 the earth back of the winp wall on the easterly side of the '. dock settled, carrying; with it the crane tracks. Water and fine sand entered j the pit between the caisson and the tarn, and the flow finally resulted in a cave-in. That illustrates the weakness of the dock. The department will not trust one of its costly battleships in a structure of this character until small er vessels sufficiently strong to stand tumblinK about have tested its strenpth." When T saw Mr. Kndicott to-day he declined to discuss the Brooklyn dry dock question, but from another official who knows what Mr. Kndicott did while at the navy yard. I learned that his Investigation shows that there is ; prave danger of the collapse of the en tire entrance to the dock. In his reports to the Senate and House Naval Committee, Secretary i Lone urped that docks be constructed at Boston, Portsmouth, N. H.. and Marc Island. Cat.; that dry-dock No. i 2 at the New York navy-yard be fitted with a concrete entrance ami widened sufficiently to accommodate our larpest battleships; that the present timber dry-dock at Leneu* 1 Island be widened and provided with a concrete entrance. and that at Norfolk dry-dock be j 1 lengthened 150 feet, which will enable j it to accommodate all except the very \ '■■ largest ships. A sub-committee of the I i House Nnval Committee i«s considering ; the naval appropriation Mil, and the ! Recretciry believes that the sub-com mittee nnd committee, recognizing the Imperative needs of docks, will make provision for their construction, as he I recommended. SHOT BY HER SON. Accident That May Cause the Death of a Phatnix Woman. PHOENIX. Ariz.. Jan. 15.— Mrs. J. C. Rigdon. nped H years, is dying at her home, four miles east of Phoenix, from the efforts of a gunshot wound accident ally received through the carelessness of her 12-year-old son. The lad was clean ' Ing his shotgun this evening, finishing by loadlng the weapon wtt'n duck shot. One of the hammers whs tripped in some way, | and the load was discharged into his i mother's knee, she being distant but three feet. Attending physicians say that the wound Is fatal, more through the shock received than the loss of blood that en s'i^'l before medical assistance could be : secured. SUGAR AND WOOL IMPORTS. Interesting Advance Reports Made by the Bureau of Statistics. WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.— The advance j reports of the Bureau of Statistics show i that during December last the imports of > wool at the three leading ports amount ed to 17.765.246 pounds, valued at $1,508,974. This is an increase as compared with the December returns for 1896 for the name } ports of over 7,600.000 pounds and $880,000 ! in valuation. The sugar imports at Boston. New York, Philadelphia. Baltimore and San Francisco during December last, exclu sive of Hawaiian sugar (free), amounted to 100.132.14S pounds, valued at 51, 923.793. Tills is a decrease over November IV.C of about 23,275,000 pounds. DR. SCHENK'S DISCOVERY DISCUSSED Attention Given Laws Regulating the Sexes. Professors Speak of Some Experiments Made With. Insects. Food an Important Factor in Determining the Problem. CASE OF THE BEES CITED. Starvation Known to Have Produced Males and Good Feeding Females. Special Dispatch to The Call. BOSTON, Jan. 15.— Dr. Schenk's re cently announced discovery of the law regulating the sexos has been received with a great deal of attention at Har vard, especially among the biologists, who lo<,-k upon the theory with kindly eyes, being of the opinion that the doc tor is possibly right. In the meantime, the professors are discussing the sub ject with much interest. Professor C. B. Davenport of the de partment says on the subject: "It is probably possible to control the sexes. Experiments have been made with in sects, butterflies and even other groups, with more or less success. There haa been a theory prevalent for some time that the sex can be determined by the amount of nutrition taken by the moth er during the embryonic stage. The idea that excessive feeding may fix the sex is in consequence nothing new, Hnd the idea was the foundation of (ieddes and Thomson's 'Evolution of Sex.' "The problem of sex revolves about the idea as to whether the sex is deter mined before fertilization, during it or after fertilization. The general belief hns been that it was determined subse quently, and that the food of the moth er had some influence in the deter mination. Dr. Schenk's theory then is new only in regard to the method he employed, and, as he does not say what that method is, I cannot be expected to make any extended remarks upon it. But he may be on the right trark. It is quite possible that he has solved the question." Professor Parker has the following to say: "The trouble about this whole matter of the determination of the sex is that very little is authoritatively known on the subject. There have been many experiments upon insects in which starvation brought on males, and feeding resulted in females. Undoubt edly food has much to do with sex, but it is not the only thing, and any the ory depending upon that al«me is one sided and does not answer every case. The case of bees which is so often cit ed, it must be remembered, is a fer tilization. The difficulty with this the ory of Dr. Schenk is it explains a cer tain number of cases, but not all of them. A good theory of sex will in clude every kind of stimulus which is known to- influence sex at all. By stim ulus I mean natural cause. This stim ulus may be made up of factors, in some cases it may be fertilization, in others it may be fond. In short. I think that feeding is one of the factors, but not the only one." Dr. Henry P. Bowditoh of the Har vard Medical School said: "I have made this prcblem of ?ex a study at one time, and Dr. Schenk has at dif ferent times sent me copies of some of his papers. From what has been pub lished of the solution which Dr. Schenk has found I am able to say very little, still I see no reason why some law should not be found which will deter mine the sex of a child. It is a great problem, and the man who- solves it will gain everlasting fame." Lord Doug/as of Hawick. NEW YORK. Jan. 15.— Lord Douglas of Hawick, eldest, son of the Marquis of Queensberry, was a passenger on the American line steamer St. Paul, which arrived here to-day from Southampton. He la on his way to Sauli Ste. Marie. Canada, where he will stay for six months at least, with Lady Douglas and his two children. Lord Doug-las has con siderahle property interests there. NEW TO-DAY. J|Q___BHL 1 n , v v."T;: *-^ ■!■— — ■—^— ■— I" 1U of a ten-story I window * ~j g jf |j~ \[ — you'd natu- t— »7 ■ •}! — ' — ]! — "■*"}!" "~ rally say he ■ jff_ f^ / * • ** UCdu .^JC. jfytT C^>^-^ I'" perhaps he _ )L— -I p^^Vs^ is and then J 1 again, per- m m ay save ts^£ /id/SS^ in s that win let him down /tr^^f '^KB easy, so he \ s'iy 88 may be sound y>»^ and well to- "V- morrow. You never know what may save a man who seems to be as good as dead. Many a man who seemed to be dying of consumption, and whom the doctors pro- nounced just as good as dead, has got we" and strong and hearty again by usip_- or. Pierces Golden Medical Discovery. This wonderful medicine has shown the doctors that consumption isn't always a fatal dis- ease. It can be cured if you get at the germs of it in the blood and clear them out ♦ u -..ou£hly. That is what this " Discovery" does. It makes new blood, — healthy blood. The germs of consumption can't exist in healthy blood. They simply let go their hold and are carried out of the system ; then the new blood builds up new tissue, new flesh, new power, new life. It carries vitality to the lungs, the bronchial tubes and every other part of the body. It cures people after cod liver oil has failed, because their digestive organs are too weak to digest fat-foods. The " Discov- ery " makes the digestion strong. For thin and pale and emaciated people there is no flesh-builder in the world to compare with it. It doesn't make flabby fat, but hard, healthy flesh. It builds nerve- power and force and endurance. It is never safe to pronounce any one " dying of con- sumption," or any other wasting disease, until this marvelous "Discovery" has been given a fair trial. Dr. Pierces thousand-page illustrated book, "The People's Common Sense Med- ical Adviser "will be sent free paper-bound for the cost of mailing only, 21 one-cent stamps. Cloth-bound, 10 stamps extra. Address Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y. -V NEW TO-DAY. 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