The San Francisco call. [volume], May 29, 1899, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXV-NO. 180.
TREACHERY
OF NATIVES
OF NEGROS
Display a Flag of Truce and
Then Fire Upon Landing
Party of Americans.
CAPT. TILLEY MISSING
Malay Seamen Prom the Cable Ship
Reoorder Taken, Beaten and Then
Cut to Pieoes.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
MANILA. May 2S.— The cable ship
Recorder, while picking up the
cable between the islands of
Negroa and Cebu, went to the
town of Escalante, on the for
mer Island. She landed a* party
in a launch, consisting of the com
mandor, second officer and several of
the crew, and also Captain George P.
Tilley of the Signal Corps, who was on
I the ship to observe the cable
Ltlons. A flap of truce had been
■1 by the rebels, who watted until
the party had landed and then treach
erously poured a murderous volley
ur>'Ui them. Captain Tilley and one of
the men at once threw themselves Into
thf* water.
The commander of the Recorder, run
ning a great risk, managed to reach
auncfa and put off from the bank
ye it from rapture by the rebels.
• while a rain of bullets was fall
; 1 around the fugitives. The sec
ond mate was nicked up by the launch
aa he was pinking, but was alive.
He said that the last he saw of Captain
Tilley the latter was swimming feebly
by his side.
The steamer was far out from shore,
but those on board could see that the
Malay seamen were caught by the
.1 and then cut to
hip returned to Hoilo,
stopped and within an hour troops
dispatched t" the Bcene "f the at
taj k.
washtn'<;t<~>n\ May 28. — General
• to-day received a cablegram
fr.mi Major Thompson at Manila, re
ng that a party landing for the re
pair able at Escalante. Island
had been treacherously at
tacked by : atlves; that Captain fJeorere
P. Tilley, Sitrnal Corps, is missing, and
that t!i" w«»rst is feared. Tilley's serv
■ the Philippines have been
marked by such ability, courage and
thai his superiors placed him in
■st ranks of subordinate offi-
Tne cable operations referred t"
• ih"pc of the Signal Corps, but
;: .stern Kxtension Cable Com
pany, that has been permitted to repair
replace certain cables in the
Vlsayan Islands. Tilley doubtless ac
uiied the expedition as the repre
sentative of the United States, the su
pervision of all telegraph lines and
s being a part "f his duties. No
iualtles In the Signal Corps
have been as yet reported In this expe
dition. Tilley was appointed from Cali
fornia.
HELENA, Mont., May i».— <aptain
Gteorge P. Tilley, reported probably
killed by Filipinos at Esealante, Island
■ «ms, had been a resident of Hel
pna since 1884. He was an expert teleg
rapher and electrician, and a man ol
character. He was born about
thirty-eight years ago at Jamaica,
I* L, "where his father, a Civil War
veteran, still lives. Tilley enlisted early
In the war with Spain as lieutenant of
th<^ Signal Corps, and was promoted
*oon after reaching the Philippines for
• inspicuous able service. He had be-n
*r recommended for promotion to
hr*>vet maior.
DREYFUS' WILL NOW
HAVE A NEW TRIAL
Arrangements Made to Transport the
Devil's Island Prisoner Back
to France.
LONDON, May 28.— M. de Blowitz. the
Paris correspondent of the Times, com
irenting upon the steps anout to be taken
by the Court of Cassation in the case of
K Dreyfus, says: The report of M. Ballot
fee Beaupra ends by saying: "If the court-
Adopts the conclusion of its reporter it
■will order a revision of tho case and will
tend Dreyfus before a fresh court-martial
tc be Judged according to the law."
In that case acquittal is certain. I
doubt whether there will even be partial
secrecy In the new trlj'.l, .as everything
haa already been revealed and no danger
has arisen either at home or abroad.
LONDON, May 29.— The correspondent
of the Daily Telegraph at Cayenne. Cap
ital of French Guiana telegraphs .the
•:ince of an Interview he has had |
with M. L. Mouttet,, governor-general of j
the colony, as to the possibility of the
retransportation of Dreyfus to. France,
The governor-general said:
The question has been already thoroughly
considered. I have received the minutes, the
lrFtructions relating to his removal from the
11, dv Salut, which will be personally super-
Intended by myself and M. Pennele, Governor
i .■ the IleH <!" Balut. No person but the State
officials and the regular warden will- be per
mitted to witness his departure, which will
take place In the roads of [ale Royale, without
touching at Cayenne. While on the ship he
viii be invisible to the crew, the jailers alone
administering to him. I have received by the
latest Government courier a sealed dispatch
v.ith orders to open It only in the event of
revision. What arrangements there are for dls
rVntinn in France I do not know.
TELLS OF DISTRESS
ON COPPER RIVER
Prospector Robinson of Oakland Says
Death Has Been the Portion
• of Many.
SEATTLE, May Among tho arrivals
ito-day from the Copper River is T. P.
! inson of Oakland, Cal., who is- return- I
ing home crippled and enfeebled. One
brief sentence tells , a distressing story. j
He Fays:
"Snow everywhere In the Interior of j
Alaska in the region of what is known as
tho Copper River country. There are
eighty men I know of who are probably
dead, or, If not dead, will die In an effort
to reach civilization."
The San Francisco Call.
MISSIONITES DENOUNCE
THE FRANCHISE STEAL
Indignant Citizens Applaud the Intimation That a Good Stout Rope
Would Fit the Case of the "Solid Seven."
Banded Together, Three Hundred Strong, They
Will March To-Day to the City Hall to
Vigorously Protest Against the
Proposed Infamy, .
JUDAS heads the list of those who
have bartered their mortal souls
for coin. Are the' solid seven of
the Board of Supervisors ready
to complete that roll of infamy to
date by adding their names to itP
It looks like it. They seem to have
sold themselves, body and breeches,
to the Southern Pacific and the Mar
ket-street Bailway Company, and
those corporations are accustomed to
exact the limit once they pay the
price. The limit in the present case
consists of a double track franchise
for a steam railroad from Third and
Townsend streets to the county line
' and a blanket franchise for electric
street railways, to defeat for fifty
years the operations of the new char
'< ter and shut out competition.
They asked for these things Mon
day a week ago. Three days later the
Street Committee of the Supervisors
recommended the passage to print
of the resolutions, and to-day the
"solid seven" stand ready to do the
bidding of the corporations.
The "solid seven"' has never been
known to do anything for nothing,
anu it is not probable, at this late
day, that they would change their
rule. The haste they have shown to
do what the corporations required
would imply that they are not only
•out for the stuff,'' but that they
have received it. In their eagerness
to deliver the goods they forgot even
to give such semblance of good faith
j to their acts as to allow the usual
ume to elapse between the application
for an important franchise and its
full consideration. That is why they
propose this afternoon to rush the
resolutions to print.
They will not do so. brazen as they
are, shameless as they have proved
I themselves, without a protest that
i will make them quail. At a meetin-g
held yesterday three hundred citizens
of the Mission applauded the state
ment of one of their number to the
effect that the "traitors needed a
rope/a nd they pledged themselves to
descend this afternoon on the Super
visors, protest against the contem
plated infamies, plead with the
"sordid seven" not to do this thing,
and. finally, if the betrayal was com
pleted, to storm the chamber with
their indignation.
The "solid seven" may even stand
that. A few hours will tell. Will
they complete to date the list that
Judas leadsP
Throe hundred residents and prop
erty holders of the Mission, voicing th»
Indignation of the citizens of that pop
ulous section, will march in a body this
! afternoon to the City Hall to protest
' by their presence against the passage
• to print of the resolutions recommend
: ed by the subservient Street Commit
tee granting a. double-track franchise
I to the Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany and a "blanket" franchise to the
j Market Street Company for its lines
| over the streets of the city. A speclal-
I ly appointed committee of ten .will put
! the protest into form and ask that the
proposed treason be not consummated.
If, in the face of this, the solid seven
| vote to betray the people the three
' hundred present will arise, and, crying
"shame on them," point the linger of
| scorn at the traitors who have earned
their thirty pieces of silver.
No ropes will be taken to the City
Hall, as has been suggested by more
than one, and no attempt will be
! made to string up any member of the
"solid seven," but there is no telling
; what exciting incidents may take
place if the seven carry out their
avowed purpose.
"Do not betray us! Do not betray
I us:" will be the cry of the three hun
-1 dred, and it would be indeed a defiant
I lot of Supervisors to face the storm
that is prepared to break at the first
sign of treachery. The cry was voiced
first yesterday afternoon by one of the
speakers at an indignation meeting of
. iiizons and property owners of the
Iffssion at Mangels Hall, and it was
taken up by three hundred volunteers,
who raised their hands in pledge of
their Intention to join the march to
the hall.
The meeting was held at the call of
the Mission and Potrero Improvement
Club, and long before the hour when
Chairman T. B. Slevin called it to or
der standing room was at a premium.
I The men assembled were solid citizens
i of the district and they were not slow
i once they got down to business to voice
I their views of the shameless "solid
• seven" and the franchise steal their
votes were purchased to legalize.
In calling the meeting to order Chair
man Slevin recited the history of the |
SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, MAY 29, 1899.
SCENES AT THE INDIGNATION MEETING IN MANGELS HALL
I franchise grab, already so well known
'to the citizens of San Francisco. He
j told how last Monday the double-track
; resolution had been hurried to the
Street Committee of the Supervisors
and had come before It on the succeed
i Ing Thursday. At that time, he said,
! four members of the Mission and Pot
refo CMub went before the committee
i and asked that consideration of the
resolution might be postponed in order
i that citizens of the Mission might be
1 heard in protest against its passage to
print. Supervisor Aigeltinger, he said,
; then assured them that there would be
', no objection to granting the postpone
! ment, and said that the matter would
go over till next Thursday, when they
i could have a hearing. The club repre
! sentatives left with this assurance, but
; they had hardly got beyond the door
j of the committee room ere Aigentinger
! and his associates, eager to do the bld-
I ding of their new master, had recom
mended the passage to print of the
! ordinance. Mr. Slevin said that four
\ members of a committee had called on
j Supervisor Attrldge Sunday morning
; and talked with him about the ad
; visability of re-referring the ordl
i nance to the Street Committee so that
j the citizens of the Mission might have
1 the opportunity to make a formal pro
i test against its passage.
MISSION RESIDENTS
MAKE A PROTEST
THE citizens of the Mission have risen to protest against the cut
and-dried infamy of the Solid Seven of the Board of Supervisors.
In mass meeting assembled yesterday they denounced them as
traitors to the people, and planned to descend upon them in a
body to cry out against th c delivery of the city, bound hand
and foot, to the Market-street Railway and the Southern Pacific. At
the indignation meeting in Mangel's Hall the following protest was
adopted and signed by all present:
SAN FRANCISCO. May 28, 1899.
To tho Honorable the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San
Francisco:
"We. the residents and property owners of the Mission, do hereby protest
against the proposed granting of permission to the Southern Pacific Com
pany to lay a double track for railroad purposes from Third and Townsend
Streets to the sourtherly boundary line of this city and county along the
present route now pursued by said company and for grounds of protest and
objection name the following:
That the benefits conferred to this municipality will be more than offset
by the deterioration caused to the property of the adjoining owners through
the nuisances created in consequence of an additional number of trains being
run than at the present time, resulting in the undermining of foundations,
pollution of the atmosphere, greater and enhanced alarm of fires from sparks
and an increase of fire insurance rates to said owners, detention and delays
of street cars at crossings, the hazard to life and limb of citizens, and also a
condemnation of homes erected by the people of this city which have made
the Mission district a district of homes convenient for themselves and to
their places of labor.
That no occasion for this change exists, as the Southern Pacific is owner
of land along the bay shore where a roadway leading to our principal depot
could be constructed, thereby facilitating greater convenience to the public
in goneral and less damage to our people.
Wherefore, the citizens and property owners of the Mission humbly pray
that your honorable board will faithfully represent your constituency by re
fusing and denying this unjust request of the Southern Pacific Company.
It was decided, also, that copies of this protest would be left at
various places in the district for such citizens as wished to sign up till 2
o'clock this afternoon. The places selected are: H. F. Wynne's drug store,
Twenty-second and Folsom; George Mangel's grocery, Twenty-fourth
and Folsom; Mitchell Bros.' grocery. Twenty-fourth and Harrison, and
John Green's grocery. Twentieth and Harrison.
"We have his assurance," continued
Slevin, "that he will act in our behalf,
not allowing it to go before the board
to-morrow by reason of the fact that
the committee will not. report on it.
This will give us the opportunity we
desire of protesting. to the Street Com
mittee next Thursday."
The chairman then called upon
George L. Center for a statement of the
case concerning the double-track fran
chise, and Secretary E. D. Sullivan
read the following, which had been pre
pared for the occasion:
The facts and reasons why tho
doublf-track steam railroad franchise
should not be granted:
The San Jose Railroad Company
has not nor never had a franchise
from the city for its route from Six
teenth to Twenty-fifth and Valencia
struts. Whatever rights it may
have, have grown out of usurpation.
That the railroad passing through
Bald district passes over and along on
the sidewalks, In one case for a dis
tance of over eiKhty feet, making it
an impossibility to improve the prop
erty along its route; and that where
improvements already exist, on ac
count of the dust, smoke and noises
at all hours of the day mid night, it is
almost impossible to rent houses or for
people to live along its route on ac
count of the nuisances caused by the
trains. It is also detrimental to land
values and exceedingly dangerous to
life and limb. Probably 80.000 people
cross and re-cross these tracks daily,
thousands of whom are children. Also
all the street teaming and car traffic
on all the main thoroughfares leading
out of the city, from Fourth und
Townsend to the county line, are corn
nulled to cross these tracks at all
hours, at a great risk to life and limb.
The Street Committee of the Board
of Supervisors, without consulting the
people Interested, or giving them an
opportunity to be heard— as they prom
ised—have recommended that the .
steam franchise be granted for an In
definite time, thus making a nuisance
we have believed to be temporary, per
manent.
This action in the face of the ad
vanced methods of motive power of
the present day. the Street Commit
tee of the Board of Supervisors pro
pose to perpetuate this steam nuisance
through this thickly settled portion of
the city, so far as they are concerned,
for all time. Electricity as a motive
power has now advanced to such per
fection that its use should be compul
sory throughout the residence portions
of the city.
These elected guardians" of the peo
ple's rights seem to regard these rights
as their own individual perquisites to
be bartered away for their own per
sonal benefit. The question is, How
long are the people going to submit to
this condition of things, and what are
they going to do about it?
Chairman Slevin called attention to
the fact that the company had made
"an entire change of front concerning
the double-track road since its attempt
to pass a franchise through the Super
visors a year ago. At that time, he
said, Attorney Foulds had contended
that by reason of the fact that the Hne
was marked on the official map the city
had granted permission to run the line
across and along its streets. Now, said
I Slevin, Foulds contends that the com
pany has been in undisturbed posses
sion so long that no power this side of
I the Attorney General of the State
' could disturb it.
In line with these remarks of the
chairman, the secretary read the fol
lowing communication, which had been
prepared and a ropy of which will be
presented this morning to each Super
visor:
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., May 29.1599.
To the Honorable the Board of Su
gervlsors of the City and County of
an Francisco— Gentlemen: In order
that you may understand the position
of the residents of the Mission district
in relation to the proposed granting by
you to the Southern Pacific Company
of permission to lay a double track
along the present route of said com
. pany extending from Third and Town
send streets to the county line we
herewith submit for your consideration
the following facts:
First— The San Francisco and San
Jose Railroad Company possessed a
right of way and operated a railroad
from 1854 to 1868. The route of said
railroad extended from San Jose to
San Francisco, and its terminus was
at the junction of Market and Valen
cia streets.
Second— The Southern Pacific Com
pany was granted a franchise along
Townsend street in 186—.
Third— ln 1868 the Southern Pacific
Company purchased the stock of the
San Francisco and San Jose Railroad
under permission of the Legislature.
They owned repair shops at Sixteenth
and Harrison streets, and Mr. John
< 'enter, who. then owned the greater
portion of the Mission, which .was In
those days large fields, granted to the
Southern Pacific Company temporary
permission to lay a spur track from
Twenty-fifth and Valencia streets to
the said repair shops. In 1870, when
the residents of the Mission section
learned that said railroad was likely
to become permanent, they protested
to the tracks remaining in their midst.
The i railroad company assured them
that it had no intention of remaining,
and 'made application for a ■ right- of
way- along the bay shore.'. The rail
road was granted -a right of way in
1870 along said bay shore, and was also
presented with about a hundred and
twenty acres of land at the end of
Third 1 street for depot purposes. The
railroad, never moved its tracks, and
replied time and time again to the pe
titions' for removal that they would
do so as ; soon as- their bay shore line
would be- completed. The bay , shore
line has never been commenced. Now
they tell us and you that they will
never abandon said road. They have
no franchise to operate from Sixteenth
?«S e & l %> Vi , l i en cia, and it is only rot
for Mr. Foulds to say that the city has
lost ts right to its streets because of
th» L en th '° f "i 116 • intervening ■ since
the first " railroad operated its trains
v« On c -f* l^'" The city never loses
its rights to its streets. . .
Now the present" railroad is a nui
sance. : It operates through a thickly
settled j portion . of San Francisco- set
tled, - unfortunately, by poor . people
\Y c . say unfortunately, for it seems to
be pretty well. defined 'that wealth has
more claims upon public, officials than
has poverty, even though there may
be no differences on election day
Thousands of property owners' are
daily. annoyed by this railroad; thou
sands of children daily cross its tracks
to the great danger of their lives
thousands of sick and nervous persons
are Injured by the noise of passing
trains. The result of all this is that
property has depreciated in value in
our. midst, and though the Mission is
favored by nature, still the Southern
Pacific Company, through means only
known. to God and the Boards of Su
pervisors, insists on maintaining this
nuisance. In i European cities such a
nuisance would not be tolerated Rail
roads ■ should •be • operated in sections
of cities away from the residence por
tion thereof. The contemplated action
of you gentlemen in granting permis
sion' to lay a double track simply
means that our homes will be lost for
ever to us. No one desires to live
along. the route of the railroad No
property owner can now dispose of his
property. Within the last thirty
years property, on account of the rail
road, has depreciated In value 50 per
cent, and , this | double track means
simply that property valuations will
further depreciate.
We therefore appeal to you as citi
zens and ; taxpayers to . stand by us
You are our servants. Over 25.000 of
us are to be affected by your action to
day. We elected you to office, and we
want you to serve our purposes. Let
nothing swerve you from your duty.
Let your; motto be the greatest good
to the greatest number. Stand upon
your rights and the rights of your fel
low, citizens. Do not betray 'us. Re
member the lot- of the traitor is unen
viable. - No, traitor ever yet was . re
spected;, no > one desires his company
no, not even, the persons who have
purchased V> him. "Be >no Judas Is
cariot and sell your master for thirty
pieces of silver, but be true to what
is expected of you. and your fellow
citizens will reward you with that
most- cheering of all human rewards,
''Well done, thou good and faithful
servant."
Gentlemen.' do not permit a double
track to be laid in our midst.
A resolution, word for word with th
Continued oa seventh Paga.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
TORNADO'S
PATH TRACED
BY THE DEAD
Father and Six Children in
One Family Lose Their
Lives.
COUNTRY LAID WASTE
Buildings, Orchards and Grain Lev
eled by a Twister in Nebraska
and South Dakota.
Ppeclal Dispatch to The Call.
CHAMBERLAIN, S. Dak.. May 28.—
Word reached town this evening of a
disastrous and fatal tornado whii-h
passed across the country in the vicinity
of Bijou Hills, twenty-five miles south
of this city, yesterday afternoon, re
sulting in the death of seven persons
and the serious injury of two others.
The killed are:
CHARLES PETERSON.
SIX CHILDREN of Charles Peter
son, ranging from 3 to 15 years of age.
Peterson's wife and two other chil
dren were so badly injured that they
may die.
The tornado formed on a section in
plain view of hundreds and moved in
a southerly course, the first place
reached being that of Arthur Coden,
which was totally destroyed. The
storm then destroyed a church and a
schoolhouse, after which it reached the
Peterson place, where the execution
was simnlv appalling. The dead and in
jured were strewn about the premises,
all being bruised and maimed in a
shocking manner, while the buildings
were crushed into splinters.
After doing its worst here, the tor
nado passed into the range of hills
skirting the Mississippi river, where it
appears to have been dissolved. Every
thing in its course was completely de
stroyed. The path covered oy the tor
nado was only about twenty-five rods
wide and about three miles in length.
The wind was accompanied by a heavy
fall of rain and hail.
This was the first tornado that ever
appeared in this section.
OMAHA, May 28.— A special to the
; Bee from Central City, Nebr., says:
: Probably the most destructive tornado
I that ever visited Nebraska passed
through the northern part of Hamilton
County last night at 7 o'clock, destroy
ing from $75J000 to $100,000 worth of
property, including fifteen dwellings,
one church, one schoolhouse, two iron
bridges across Blue River, barns, corn
cribs, out buildings, orchards, fences
and stock.
The funnel-shaped cloud first struck
the farm of Peter Jacoby on section 8,
township 11, completely destroying the
house, barn and other buildings. The
cloud then arose and did not again
strike the ground for two miles, when
it again descended and caught the
dwelling, barn.outbuildings and wind
mill of W. P. Lantzen, leveling them.
The residence and outbuildings on the
farm of William Steel, C. R. Eastman
and T. L. Clothier were leveled to the
ground.
On the Clothier place the family had
taken refuge in a cellar. An ©Id-faeh
ioned hay knife stuck in the wall by
the side of Al Clothier's head. The
knife was blown from Eastman's place,
a mile away. W. W. Shenberger's farm,
occupied by Georer° Noble, was the
next one visited. All the buildings were
leveled to the ground. The family had
taken re/uge in the cellar, and while
there a horse was blown in. The horse
was killed, but none of the family were
were injured.
On the farm of Mr. Liebhart, one of
the finest in Hamilton County, the
house, barn, corncribs, granaries and
outbuildings w.ere smashed into kind
ling wood and a large oi chard ruined.
Cottonwood trees nearly two feet in
diameter were stripped completely of
their foliage, some were uprooted and
others twisted off. Many hugs, two
horses and a number of thoroughbred
cattle were killed.
The residences of Peter Herningsen,
Hans Luff and A. R. Buck, with all
outbuildings, were scattered to the
winds.
The Danish Lutheran Church, togeth
er with a schoolhouse, parsonage and
large barn belonging to the church,
were wrecked. Rev. Mr. Strandskow
and family and the family of Nels An
derson, nineteen persons in all, took
refuge in a cellar under the parsonage.
A large steel range dropped into the
cellar, but fortunately no one was in
jured. Every monument in the ceme
tery adjoining the church was either
turned over, broken or destroyed.
A little north of the church the storm
crossed Blue River, taking the iron
bridge, carrying It a hundred feet or
more and twisting it into a tangled
mass.
Other residences destroyed were
those of R. Olson, Chris Hansen, Chris
Rasmussen, I. C. Anderson. C. P. XH
son and George Cayahan. Cayahan
was slightly injured. A. P. Johnson's
place was the last in the track of the
storm to meet with loss. All his build
ings and much stock were lost.
The track of the storm was sixteen
miles in length and about 100 yards in
width. During the blow a little rain
fell, accompanied by immense hail
stones. In nearly every case the fami
lies sought shelter in cellars. While
there were many narrow escapes,
strange to say no one was seriously in
jured. The loss to crops will be slight,
but groves and orchards were ruined.
A majority of the t farms were insured,
but it will be impossible for several
days to get the amount of individual
losses. Household goods and clothing
were all destroyed. Probably 5000 peo
ple viewed the scene to-day.
BEATRICE. Neb.. May 28.— A severe
hailstorm visited Beatrice early this
evening. The storm came up suddenly
and hundreds of people were caught
while driving. Several runaways oc
curred, ia which many people were In