The San Francisco call. [volume], December 19, 1903, Image 1

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

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1903.
Continued on Page 2, Columns 2 and 3,
Continued on Page 2,; Column' 2.*
Continued on Pace 2, Column 1.
BLOOMINGTON. 111., Dec 18.— W. C.
Hodge, one of the organizers of the
Republican party and a member/of the
first Republican convention in Califor
nia, died to-night, aged 78 years.
Death Claims Old Republican.
The Tribuna S oes on to relate tnat
just about the time this scene was be
ing enacted in the papal apartments an
electrician, while removing the hang
ings in the late Pope Leo's chamber in
order to get at the electric light wires,
found in a' hole in the wall several bags
which were carelessly tied. These bags
when opened were found to contain 9,
250,000 francs (51.850,000). "
PARIS, Dec. 18.— The Rome corre
spondent of the Figaro says that Car
dinal Gotti, Prefect of the Propaganda,
and one of the executors of the will -of
Leo XIII, was received by the Pope yes
terday and informed his Holiness that
he held a; large sum of money confided
to him by. the late Pope" withUhe mis
sion that he should hand it to the new
Pontiff four . months after .] his election.
The alleged reason for . Pope Leo's
course is that he. wished his successor
to learn how, difficult.it -would "be; to
rule the church ¦ 1 without ; money, there-*
by impressing .upon' him' ¦ the; necessity,
for economy." The ; sum" left by Pope
Leo is said to "amount to ' $7,000,000.
four months had elapsed. This I now
do in the presence of Monsignor Marzo
llni, who has been the only other per-'
son to share the 'secret."
TJie Pope was much affected.
Intense curiosity was aroused by this
act, as it was believed to have some
relation to the missing wealth and the
wildest rumors were circulated. It soon
became known, however, that the bag
contained 45.000,000 francs (59,000,000) in
bank notes. When Cardinal Gotti en
tered the presence of the Pope he sank
to his knees and, pointing to his bur
den, said: ,
"Your Holiness, the lamented Leo,
just before his death, confided to me the
money which I . now. lay at your . feet,
saying that if I succeeded him I was to
use It as* I thought best, but that if an
other took his place I was to turn the
money over to him after a period of
BUNDLE^ OF BANKNOTES.
Cardinal Gottl, Prefect of the Propa
ganda, accompanied by Mgr. Marzo
llni, one of the late Pope's secretaries,
drove up to the Vatican to-day and,
getting out hurriedly, began tugging
at a heavy object in the carriage. As
sistance was offered, but it was re
fused, and Cardinal Gottl and Mgr.
Marzollni between them carried Jhe
mysterious object to the apartment of
Pope Piu3. They were immediately ad
mitted'and remained ror two hours.
ROME, Dec. 18.— According to the
Tribuna. the Vatican had sudMen
wealth poured Into its coffers to-day.
For some time certain sums which
were known to be possessed by Pope
Leo were looked for without result, the
search toward the end becoming some
what feverish.
The Del Norte left this city on De
cember 16 for Crescent City in charge
of Captain C. Green. Her net tonnage
is 2S0. She is owned by H6bbs, Wall
& Co. of this city.
The steam schoor.er Del Norte ran
down and sank the schooner Mary
Buhne yesterday eight miles off the
Humboldt Bar. None of the cVew of
the schooner were drowned, but one cf
the sailors of the Del Xorte lost his
life:
But meager reports of the accident
have been received. All the Informa
tion that has reached this city came
late yesterday afternoon to .the Mer
chants' Exchange. The Del Norte res
cued the crew of the ill-fated schooner
and proceeded to her destination. Cres
cent City, where she reported the
wreck. The name of the sailor who
was drowned Is r.ot known.
The Mary Buhne left San Francisco
on December 11 for Eureka, in charge
of Captain Dannebig. She was owned
by Charles Nelson & Co. and is well
known by shipping men along the
coast. The vessel was built in Eureka
In 1S76 and her net register was 133
tons. She was 102 feet long, 29 feet 5
Inches breadth and 7 feet 5 inches deep.
Steamer Sends Ves
sel to Bottom in
Collision,
Riches of Pope Leo
Given Into Care
of Pius.
PONTIFF'S
MILLIONS
UNEARTHED
DEL NORTE
SINKS THE
MARY BUHNE
COUNTY CLERK AND ONE OF HIS CLERKS. WHO, WITH TWO OTHER
EMPLOYES IN' HIS OFFICE. WILL BE INDICTED BY THE GRAND
JURY AT ITS NEXT MEETING. .
hony owed sums of money and paid
with salary warrants, the latter's name
going down In the book as a regular
employe, although he never did any
work In the office. In all Davidson re
ceived 5700 In warrants from the Coun
ty Clerk.
Davidson admitted that he did not
earn this money in the office. He was
Mahony's milkman and the County
Clerk owed him a large bill. He was
put on the salary list at the office and
given a position at 5100 a month, al
though he never worked in the office.
Davidson testified that he was lg
r.orant of the fact that he was required
to work in the office In order to become
a bona fide clerk. He testified that he
did a little work on the books of the
office, but that he performed it all at
his residence, and not at the office, as
is required by law of all city employes.
Davidson further admitted that the
work he performed was not at all val- j
uabie to the city. He stated that it
could easily be accomplished by an or
dinary clerk in three weeks at the
mcEt, although he was kept on the
salary list for a period of seven months
and received salary warrants for 5700
from Mahor.y. which were cashed by
Broker Reg?nsburger.
Alonzo Davidson Jr. corroborated the
statements made by his father in the
matter of the work performed for the
County Clerk.- The son stated that he
br'mself had done several pages of
copying: for his father at his home and
that the father never worked in the of
fice of the County Clerk.
The next witness called was Alonzo
Davidson, the milkman, to whom Ma-
John J. Cassidy was asked to appear
before the jury yesterday afternoon,
but he did not materialize. He was
telephoned for several times, but he an
swered that it was impossible for him
to appear. He was then requested to
be present next Wednesday afternoon
at the next meeting of the jury, and
then In all probability he will share the
fate of the other four.
Frank French was the first witness
called. He was closeted with the jury
for an hour and during that time gave
some damaging evidence ajrainst the
County Clerk. He testified that he
knew the Inside workings of the of
fice and was in a position to tell many
things, and he did this readily and
Tsithout hesitation.
According to French's story Mahony
began to levy assessments on the em
ployes of his office when he first as
eumed charge there. For a starter the
County Clerk made a raise of $2000
from among his men. French swore to
this, and also that he himself collected
JSOO from various employes of the of
fice and turned this sum over to the
County Clerk in person.
It was also learned that Mahony bor
rowed money from John J. Cassidy of
the United Railroads. He made these
-touches" frequently, and in return
gave Cassidy Balary warrants, which
•were cashed by Broker Regensburger.
For this* Cassidy will have to appear
before the Grand Jury and explain.
DREW GOOD SALARY.
County Clerk Albert B. Mahony and
three employes of his office— "Colonel"
Martin Brady. John Pierce and Alonzo
Davidson— will be indicted by the
Grand Jury. This determination was
reached by that body after a two
hours' session yesterday afternoon. The
charges against the four men are de
frauding the city and securing salary
warrants by fraud and device.
The decision of the Grand Jury will
come as a mild surprise to Mahony and
his followers. Although it was feared
by all of them that the jury might
decide to indict them, rone of those
that thought they were "on the inside"
had the faintest suspicion that the jury
would take such severe action during
the very first day of the healing.
According to the present indications,
these four men arc not the only ones
that may have to answer to serious
charges. John J. Cassidy of the United
Railroads will be asked to appear be
fore the jury on next Wednesday aft
ernoon and he may be indicted also on
the same charges the others must face.
Three witnesses were examined yes
terday afternoon, and the evidence
{riven by one, Frank French, formerly
chief deputy in ilahony's office, was
deemed sufficient by the jury upon
•which to issue an indictment at some
later date. Alonzo Davidson and his
son, Alonzo Davidson Jr.. were the
other two to apr»car as witnesses, and
they also made startling admissions.
CASSIDY IX DANGER.
French Makes
Some Startling
Admissions.
Brady, Pierce and
Davidson Must
Answer.
GRAND JURY WILL INDICT
MAHONY ON FELONY CHARGE
GIRLS LEAP
FROM FIRE
TO DEATH
Terrible Catastrophe
; at College for
Women.
Negro Students Caught in
a Blazing Building
at Night.
Four Bodies HaveBesn Recovered and
at Least Fifteen Persons Are
Fatally Injured;
WASHINGTON, Dec. IS.— The relationship of the United States to the
new republic of Panama continued the leading theme In the Senate to-day,
but the discussion was confined to ontr'Senator and was not so excitJnjr su
that of yesterday. \.
IN THE SENATE ATTACKS ';
GOVERNMENT: FOR PANAMA POLICY
GALVESTON. Tex.. Dec. 13.— The Fort Worth (Texas) Record this
morning, prints a special cable from Havana, Cuba, In which it. is stated
that a Colombian plot -has been unearthed there and that an *moloye In
the War Department of tho island has connived with other Colombian syna
' . pathizers and looted the arsenal of the city of Havana.
More than half of the contents have been moved to islands adjacent to
Arato River, near the boundary line of Colombia and Panama, conveniently
accessible to whatever point the conspirators may wish to remove the arms.
Thls'was taken on vessels secured from the . semi-plratlcal Haytien and
• 'Jamaican craft. Now that it has been discovered that the arsenal was
robbed it may be that further plans for the removal of the remainder of
the war implements will be defeated.
; The cable also says that an expedition of Cuban sympathizers with
has gone to the Isle of Pines as a rendezvous, prepared to sail
¦' at a moment's notice to assist In whatever marching order3 the Colombians
-may give: *
CONSPIRING FRIENDS OF COLOMBIA
LOOT HAVANA GOVERNMENT ARSENAL
PARIS, ' Dec. 18.-The "United Colombian Committee"
" here gave out a statement to-day. saying that Colombia would
first seek through a commission to induce the United States
to recognize Colombia's rights under the treaty of 184»6; sec
ond, if the commission fails, Colombia will ask for the sub
mission of the question to The Hague arbitration court;
third, if its submission to The Hague court is refused, Colom
bia will go to war and rely on the Latin' republics to come to
her aid.
The formal organization of the "United Colombian Com
mittee" was announced from Paris Wednesday. It was re
ported to have a membership of Colombians throughout Eu
rope, and its purpose was said to be to infoym the European
public of Colombia's rights in the Panama affair.
Representatives of the Central American Republic
Announce in Paris the Plan for Action.
STATESMEN IN THE UPPER HOUSE OF CONGRESS WHO ARE TAK
ING A CONSPICUOUS PART IN DEBATES REGARDING ADMIN
ISTRATION'S ATTITUDE TOWARD COLOMBIA AND PANAMA.
OFFICIALS
ACCUSE HIM
OF BRIBERY
Interior Department
Arrests John A.
Benson;
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec 18.— Four
persons are known to have bpen killed
and perhaps thirty others injured, fif
teen of them fatally, in a fire here to
night which consumed the Central Ten
nessee College for Young;Negro Women,
a department of Waldcrn University.
It is possible that the ruins may con
tain the bodies of other.; victims. The
property loss is estimated at $25,000.
The known dead are: , .k. '.
STELLA ADDISON./Port
.Miss -v*-v i .... <~**.;.. - -ov ¦¦: ¦ '<'¦
MATTIE MOKRE./Hvmtsville, Ala.
SALLIE DADE, Hopkinsville.Ky.
NANNIE JOHNSON, Hattiesburg,
Miss.
Among the fatally hurt are:
ANNA HAM. Birmingham, Ala.
ELLEN VAUGHN/ Columbus, Ky.
BLANCHE BURR, Chicago.
JANIE DOUGLASS, Huntsville, Ala.
BESSIE ELLI VER; Tuscaloosa, Ala.
FRANK C. WALKER, Huntsville. J
LULU CAVOTTE, Macon, Miss.
One student, name unknown. •
The severelv injured are: Eleanor
Moore (white), preceptress, Chicago;
Lucy Knox, Greenville, Miss.; Minnie
Alston, Ccvington, Ky. ; Bertha Mon
ford, Chicago; Lulu Terry, McKinns
ville, Tenn.; Lulu Miller, Covington,
Ky.; Ernestine C. McCleary, Fernan
dina. Fla.; Leona Miller, St. Louis;
Nannie Harris, Clarksdale, Minn.; Min
nie Booze. Marysville, Ily.
The fire broke out about 11 .o'clock
in the top of the building, which was
four stories high and without fire
escapes. It was occupied by about
sixty students, who were asleep when
the alarm was given. The wildest
panic ensued, women and girls rushing
screaming to the windows, from which
they jumped In droves, tho dead and
injured lying in heaps where they fell,
to-be JV.llen upon by those following
them from the flaming windows.
Every ambulance in the city was
soon on the scene and the injured were
hurried to hospitals. When the flames
weie first discovered they seemed to
entirely envelope . the building and It
is considered almost certain that some
of the terrorized occupants were over
come by smoke before reaching the
.windows.
VANCOUVER. B. C Dec. 18. — The
long trip of the Canadian Paciflc-Lynn
Canal liner Amur from Skagway is
causing a great deal of speculation
along the water front. The Amur has
been out from the Lynn Canal port
since Saturday and was due here
Wednesday noon. The only feasible
explanation . seems to be that she has
encountered rough weather in the
north and been forced to lie up in
shelter.
Steamer Amur Is Long Overdue.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 18.— John A.
Benson, a wealthy San Francisco real
estate operator, charged by the Interior
Department with being the head~t»f the
alleged land frauds " extending over a
dozen Western States and Territories,
to which Secretary Hitchcock referred
vigorously and at length in .his annual
report, was arrested here to-day at the
Willard Hotel by Secret Service Officer
Burns just as Benson Was. preparing to
leave the city for New York.
The charge on which the arrest was
made was bribery," it -being alleged in
the affidavit of Burns and in the war
rant that Benson had j paid 5500 to
Woodford D. Harlan, formerly chief of
the special service' division of the-Gen
eral Land Office and now a- clerk in
that office, on March 15 of this year
for the purpose of extracting from him
information regarding the investiga
tion of his operations at that time be
ing made by United States Commis
sioner Anson . S. .-Taylor. c ,.
As soon as Benson had been , appre
hended by Burns he was , taken before
Commissioner Taylor. .He wished to
have a preliminary hearing of his. case
postponed, and the date for- such hear
ing was flxed at Wednesday, December.
SO. He gave bail for his appearance on
that date, when the. Government attor
neyswill ask ; to have him held for the
Grand Jury.
ARRESTS WILL FOLLOW. 7
' The statement was made by an officer
of the Government to-night that; the
information obtained' regarding the al-"
leg^d -. conspiracy; implicates aV number
of persons at: present; employed in I the
Interior Department; at Washington
and elsewherci Numerous . arrests . are
expected •* to follow that of Benson ,in
short Vorder,^ and. some '.employes,
who may not be arrested Twill be; dis
missed from the service. -• It is said that 1
Secretary Hitchcockand the special at-*
torneys '. in the case r have . considered it
absolutely necessary;- to." the; successful!
working of the .case that no : action be"
taken with reference to any of the oth'-'
T Y } ASHIKGTON, Dec. 18.— It became plainly apparent to-day that the administration believes the situation on the isthmus is rapidly approaching an acute stage. An important dispatch
IjL/ which was received from Rear Admiral Coghlan this morning zvas sent to the State Department and brought about an immediate conference between Secretary Root and Acting Sccrc
ary Loomis, at which the sending of troops to the isthmus was discussed. Isthmian affairs were discussed long and earnestly at the Cabinet meeting. It was stated that a battalion of marines
to be assembled at League Island 'will be the last that zcill be sent to the isthmus, the' inference being, that troops will be sent if it is concluded that the American force there needs further strengthening.
COLOMBIA MAKES BOLD DECLARATION OF PROSPECT OF WAR
ENEMIES OF PANAMA LOOT ARMS FROM ARSENAL OF HAVANA
VOLUME XCV— NO. 19.
THE VEATgga.^.Tl'
Forecast aiafie at San Fran
cisco for thirty hours *r,<m-ng
mlonlffht, December 19:
San rrancUco and vicinity
Cloufiy. unsettled weather * Sat
urday, with showers; brisk to
hljrh southeast winds.
A. O. McADZS,
District Forecaster.
THE THEATESS.
Alcazar— "The CMrl I'Xieft" b£*
hind Me." Matinee To-Day.
California — "Foxy Grandpa."
SSattnee To-Day.
Central — "Tee Scout's Bcvensre."
Katkiee To-Day.
Columbia — "Dolly Vardea." Mat
inee To-Day.
JTiscaer's — "X. O. XT." Matinee
To-Day.
Grand — "The Bonnlo Brier
Basil." Mr.tlnec To-Day.
Crpheun — Vaudeville Matinee
To-Day. \ •
Tae Ctutea — Vaudeville.
The San Francisco Call