The San Francisco call. [volume], October 15, 1904, Image 1

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

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PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1904.
. Dispatches from the front give a vivid picture of the desperate character
of the fighting along the whole line. The Russian plainsmen have been
again forced to engage in hill fighting, which Is little to their liking. There
have been desperate and repeated attack3 upon almost inaccessible posi
tions, which leave no question of the resolution and gallantry of the Rus
sian forces. Guns have been captured and recaptured in fierce hand-to-hand
fighting, while a pitiless downpour of rain, the inevitable accompaniment of
a great battle, has flooded the trenches and drenched both armies without
allaying the desperate conflict^
The latest word directly from the field of battle is the Mukden dispatch
to the press, in which It Is said that 15.000 Russians had been wounded,
which, together with to-day's casualties, would make the total probably
exceed the figures of Llaoyang and make the fight rank as one of th£
bloodiest battles in history. A pitiable feature is the coming of tho^
sands of wounded to Mukden. The roads and fields are covered with crip^
pled men, dragging themselves to the shelter of the hospitals, the wounded
helping each other, as few able-bodied men are being spared from the
fighting line. .
It must be borne in mind In reading the descriptions by correspondent*
Friendp of General Kuropatkin say the present offensive movement was
Inspired from St. Petersburg, as was doubtless General Stakelberg*s for the
relief of Port Arthur, and If Kuropatkin's star has set. others than he are
responsible. At the same time, the supporters of General Kuropatkin argue
that, whatever may be the direct outcome of the past few days' fighting.
it Is not likely to be an irretrievable disaster to the Russian army.
It is pointed out that even if General Kuropatkin was forced to advance
against his better Judgment, he is too good a general to have undertaken an
aggressive movement which he did not feel strong enough to carry through
without leaving open a road for retreat and while the Russian forward
movement may be an absolute failure, so far as the relief of Port Arthur
is concerned, and though Kuropatkin may lose many men and some guns.
this is the worst that can happen. If General Kuropatkin succeeds in keep
ing the alignment of his forces— and the dispatches indicate that he is doing
this and the Japanese do not succeed In breaking up or cutting off any
considerable portion of his army, he will not be in a much worse position,
even If he should be forced to retire to Mukden, than he was before the ad
vance began.
The probabilities are that the losses on both sides will be about equal.
LOSS EXCEEDS THAT AT LIAOYANG.
The depressing feature of the situation is that every one is willing tr»
believe the worst. Thus, reports from Tokio and elsewhere stating 'that
the Japanese are advancing and the Russians falling back, are accepted
with faith based upon the previous Russian retreats.
Naturally many reports are current as to the genesis of the forward
movement. It is stated that General Kuropatkin was forced into tak
*ing the offensive by pressure from the authorities here. This has been of
ficially denied and as General Kuropatkin's order to advance was given
over his own signature It seems likely that he will have to bear all the
responsibility, whether the situation is of his own making or not.
KUROPATKIN'S FRIENDS STILL HOPEFUL.
ST. PETERSBURG, Oct. 15, 2:30 a. m. — The great feeling of concern
which exists in high circles in the Russian capital to-'nlght by no means
equals the foreboding of coming disaster pervading the general public,
which is indulging In the deepest pessimism. In the absence of official
news the public is being fed on the wildest rumors of defeat suffered by
General Kuropatkin to-day- The fact that no word regarding the battle
has been, officially given out only confirms the popular fear. The explan
ation offered that to-day was a holiday does not suffice to allay the ap
prehension. .
General Kurooatkin's report of the result of the day's operations has
reached Emperor Nicholas at Tsarkoe-Selo, but It had not been returned
here before the War Commission, which sat only until 9:30 o'clock, ad
journed. The Emperor himself is represented as being bitterly disappoint
ed and spending hours with his Cabinet, studying out, with the help of
his military aids, the reports of the battle.
The general staff, however, by no means despairs. Though admitting
that the tide the last two days has been against General Kuropatkin the
general staff says the battle is not yet over and that in any event there
is no Question of a rout.
News From the Front
Disappoints the Czar
Wounded soldiers are being brought In from all directions. The roads
are crowded with long trains of wagons, baggage and transport wagons,
as well as ambulances, being pressed into service, even Chinese two
wheeled carts filling the -mandate of the military.
.Men afoot art limping: in, using: their guns as crutches, the less severely
wounded supporting their comrades after a first-aid dressing on the firing
line. Even across the fields you meet them taking the shortest and
straightest road for help and shelter.
It is the most pitiful feature of the bloody drama being enacted at
the front, when, stiffening with wounds, pain-racked bodies sink to the
roadside after the support of the danger and glory of the active. fight have
been withdrawn.
In the distance the sounds of battle are still plainly heard. The rain
has ceased and the sun is shining serenely.
MUKDEN, Oct. 14, 3:45 p. m.— The fighting has raged to-day with the
same bitterness as on the previous days of the engagement, and the result
is still in the balance. The losses on both sides are enormous, that of the
Russians being 15,000.
PEKING, Oct. 14.— Mr. TJchida, Japanese Minister, in
formed the Chinese authorities here to-day that the Jap
anese will endeavor before again pausing, to drive the
Russians off the Hun River, out of Mukden and probably
out of Tie Pass. He declared that the islanders have
never had the situation more thoroughly in hand than at
the present time.
TOKIO, Oct. 15, Noon — General Oku captured ten ad
ditional guns yesterday. Heavy fighting continues.
Roads Leading to. Mukden
Are Crowded With Wagons
Filled With Injured Men
FIFTEEN THOUSAND
SLAVS ARE DEAD
OR WOUNDED
Continued on Page 2, Columns 3 and X,
Continued on Page 5, Column 3.
Continued on Page 5. Column 2.
In Mrs. Gregory's complaint Gregory's
name was given as "Edward H."— an
obvious attempt to conceal the insur
ance man's identity. She set forth that
they were married at New Whateom,
Wash., February 27, 1892. Recently, she
cald, he removed his effects from their
apartments and announced hfs purpose
cf not living with her longer, as he pre
ferred the society of other women. She
charged, too, that in his anxiety to get
a dl\*orce from her he had her followed
by detectives. This humiliated her.
The report of Referee Tyler contained
the testimony of Mrs. Gregory and T.
C. Hughes. The plaintiff said her hus
band packed up his effects on the eve
of a departure for New York, then
wrote her that he would not return to
live with her. His letters explained
"Without the inconvenience of appear
ing In court. Grace Gregory was yes
terday granted a divorce from E. H.
Lestock Gregory, general agent for the
Aetna Life Insurance Company. Judge
Kerrigan accepted the report of Referee
James Tyler, and besides the decree of
separation awarded Mrs. Gregory the
custody of her daughter, Vivian, $150 a
month for the support of herself and
child and $150 for the services of her
attorney, Percy E. Towne.
An instance was related of his en
gagement one evening to play cards
with his wife and a party of friends.
He did not appear, she said, and later
she went to dine with the friends. They
were returning home between 1 and 2
o'clock in the morning when she saw
Gregory on the street with another
woman. The sight made her ill and she
was sent home. Nervous prostration
followed and she was confined to her
bed for two weeks. She says the cir
cumstance became a matter of gossip
among her friends.
Regarding the detectives that were
on her trail, Mrs. Gregory said that
"he was bound and determined to get
a divorce from me and to find some
thing against me, but he could not. I
did not believe him when he told me
he had employed detectives. He admit
ted that their reports proved nothing."
The evidence of Hughes was to the
effect that Gregory had told him that
he intended to get a divorce from his
wife and was infatuated with another
woman. . »
"that he loved somebody else"; he had
tried to live with his wife, but '.'simply
could not, as his love for her was
dead." She told of his receipt of letters
and telegrams from the unnamed rival
of his wife's affections.
Tnns or a well-known insurance man who was yesterday
GRANTED A DECREE OF DIVORCE BECAUSE HER HUSBAND NO LONGER
i LOVED HER. BUT PREFERRED THE SOCIETY OF OTHER WOMEN'
The resolution of the Grand Jury and
an accompanying letter from Foreman
Lilienfeld were presented to Presiding
Judge Lawlor last evening asking him
to instruct the District Attorney to
prosecute the Election Commissioners
for misfeasance in office, in an endeavor
to have them removed. The Judge took
the matter under advisement, explain
ing that he wished to look into the law.
He would not say when he would be
ready to take action.
The Commissioners are not to escape
accusation of violating the law in con
nection with their appointments of pre
cinct boards. At a meeting of the dN
rectors of the Merchants' Association
yesterday it was decided to have
charges preferred by complaint in the
Police Court should Judge Lawlor or
the District Attorney's office fail to set
the machinery of law in operation.
The matter was placed in the hands
of the attorneys for the association,
with directions to act forthwith in the
event that either Judge Lawlor or Dis
trict Attorney Byington should refuse
to act. The .resolution of the grand
jurors, passed in lieu of an indictment
because a minority was able to block
the latter, is not regarded as 1 having
much authority in law to compel action,
and the directors of. the Merchants'
Association were determined that the
Commissioners should be brought to
account.
The whole situation as to uprooting
the conspiracy of ballot-box stuffers
was discussed by the association's dir
rectors. There was.a.vigorous.unanim
ity in the decision that every resource
of the organization should be expended
If need be to protect the purity of the
ballot-box. Without regard to politics
or any consideration whatever, the sen
timent was expressed by every director
that .there should be no let-up ¦ in the
"When acquired, the parks and
playgrounds, embracing- three propo
sitions, will be cared for by the Park
Commissioners and the library site and
even the construction of a building
"We believe that it is important that
these properties, involving desirable
improvements, should be purphased
now. Real estate may enhance in
value, and under the limited author
ity of the bond issue, the Supervisors
might be unable, at a later time, to
meet the increased cost. Further
more, in justice to the property own
ers, an early decision should be made.
These considerations are apart from
the important one which actuates this
association to assist in promoting the
progress of. the city on lines of beauty
and adornment.
SHOULD BE BOUGHT NOW.
"These four propositions aggregate,
in round numbers, $2,000,000 and they
contemplate simply the purchase of
lands by the Board of Supervisors as
provided by iaw. They have been ap
praised by former City Engineer C. E.
Grunsky and the above estimates were
made by him.
"We are informed that it is the in
tention of the Supervisors, as soon as
thf bonds be taken, to bring con
demnation proceedings as the fairest
method of determining the exact
values, and that thirty days after Judg
ment shall have -been obtained, pay
ment must be made by the city.
"For the acquisition of land to be
used as children's playgrounds — one
south of Market street in the neighbor
hood of Seventh and Bryant streets,
and one north of Market street in the
neighborhood of Stockton and Filbert
streets, estimated to cost $740,000.
"For the acquisition of a block of
land for a free public library site in
the neighborhood of Van Ness avenue
and Fulton street, at an estimated cost
of $647,000.
"For the acquisition of Mission Park,
to consist of two blocks of land, for
merly the Jewish cemetery, bounded by
Eighteenth, Twentieth, Dolores and
Church streets, estimated to cost $292,
000.
"To the Honorable the Board of Su
pervisors of the City and County of San
Francisco — Gentlemen: As an associa
tion interested in the improvement and
adornment of San Francisco, we regTet
that certain contemplated improve
ments, involving no possible waste of
public funds, should have failed for
lack of buyers for the city's bonds.
Among the propositions voted upon and
approved by the people and for .which
bonds will be issued as soon as they
find purchasers we beg to call your at
tention to the following:
"For the acquisition of seven blocks
of land between the Golden Gate Park
and the Presidio, bounded by Thir
teenth and Fourteenth avenues, to con
nect the Presidio and the park, at a
cost estimated at $328,000.'
FOR MISSION PARK.
The offer is an important one in view
of the fact that when bonds aggregat
ing 55,600,000 were offered for sale by
the Board of Supervisors bids aggre
gating: only $277,000 were received. The
communication on the subject follows:
"SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14, 1904.
The Association for the Improvement
and Adornment of San Francisco has
filed a communication with the Board
of Supervisors to the effect that certain
commercial and savings banks have de
cided to offer to buy a large portion of
the bond issue for public improvements.
The ,. communication _j»tate«-,Uia,tithe.
Mutual Savings Bank offers* to take the
entire issue of $328,000 for the purchase
of lands to connect Golden Gate Park
with the Presidio. The German Bank
it is said will buy $200,000 of the rest of
the issue.
Offer Is Made Through the Association
for Improvement and Adornment
of San Francisco.
Assurance Is Given to the
Board of Supervisors
ol the Sale.
Banks Agree to Pur
chase Securities
for Lands.
THE resolution of
the Grand Jury
asking Presiding
Judge Lawlor to in
struct the District
Attorney to proceed
against the Election
Commissioners for
their removal from
office was communi
cated to the court last
evening and taken
under advisement
Foreman Lilienfeld
sent an accompany
ing letter in which
he wrote unsparingly
of the character , of
ttie^meiL who r were
appointed to: the pre
cinct boards.
If the District At
torney fails to act,
complaints against
the Election Board
will be sworn to by
representatives of the
Merchants' Associa
tion. The directors
decided on this step
at a meeting yester
day.
The preliminary
hearing of Charles
Wyman occupied half
the day. The people's
case will close Tues
day. The defense will
probably offer no tes
timony.
Await Action of Judge
Lawlor and District
Attorney on Request
SOON TO MAKE
MORE ARRESTS
Directors Determined
in Campaign Against
Ballot-Box Stuffers
ROW OF JURORS
IS DISCUSSED
New Impanelment Not
to Be Urged While
Good Work Goes On
investigation" of ttis frauds so flagrantly
committed on primary day. J
WILL GO "AHEAD WITH ARRESTS.
More arrests are soon to be made.
The case against Charles Wyman has
been made out well at the preliminary
examination now in progress in the Po
lice Court, and the directors felt en
couraged to go ahead with charges
against others against whom evidence
of "stuffing" has been gathered. It had
been deemed best to await the outcome
of the "Wyman case In order to learn
what kind of a showing could be made
in court with the evidence available.
The result Is satisfactory already, be
cause at no point has the prosecution
been weakened.
The attorneys are therefore to be in
structed to go ahead at an early day
with the other cases.
The work of the present Grand Jury
was also considered. Its indictment of
Adolph Steffens for illegal voting, of
Joseph Rebstock for misconduct while
serving as an election officer and the
demand on Judge Lawlor and tht Dis
trict Attorney to take steps against
the Election Commissioners were re
garded as evidence of an earnestness
to do something toward uncovering the
alleged conspiracy.
True, an element in the Grand Jury
appears to be trying to block the in
vestigation of the frauds. The dis
cord which broke out into violent dis
agreement and refusal of several mem
bers to participate in the finding of
indictments at Thursday's session Is
discouraging. It was a question, the
directors thought, if any further for
mal accusations would be made by the
Grand Jury in connection with the
ballot-box offenses.
But the directors were content to let
well enough alone and do nothing
toward urging a dismissal of the jury.
A new impanelment might result in
greater disadvantage to the campaign
against the alleged violators of the
purity of elections law. The present
body has at least not shown a dispo
sition to interfere with the prosecu
tions of the Merchants' Association and
the directors found some gratification
in this, for in the beginning serious
misgivings were entertained.
CAN ACT BY RESOLUTION.
The Grand Jurors who are seeking
to press the probing of the frauds are
willing to go ahead, although they do
not feel certain they will be able to
muster the twelve votes necessary for
indictment. If the course adopted as to
the Election Commission proves suc
cessful in the bringing of charges, they
can avail themselves of it in other
cases, for a resolution can be passed
by a majority vote. Should Judge
Lawlor and the District Attorney fail
to accede to the requests to institute
prosecutions, the Grand Jury can at
any rate give aid and moral support to
the Merchants' Association in its cam
paign.
If the minority of the jurors attempt
to have the Grand Jury dismissed by
order of court, as is planned, the ma
jority-will oppose the effort.
The following is the communication
submitted to Judge Lawlor by Fore
man Lillenfeld:
To the Hon. William P. Lawlor, Presiding:
Judge Superior Court: ¦
Dear Sir: I desire to present to you the
following resolution adopted by a • majority of
the members of the Grand Jury of this city
and county to-day, viz.:
"Resolved, That the Grand Jury instruct its
foreman to kindly request of the presiding
Judge of the Superior Court to instruct the
District Attorney of this city and county to
commence proceedings to oust from office the
INSURANCE MAN'S WIFE FREE
Tells Her His Love Is Dead
WILL TAKE
PORTION OF
BOND ISSUE
Gregory Bonds Severed
Merchants' Association Will
Prosecute Election Commission
If Grand Jury's Effort Fails
RUSSIANS MEET WITH DEFEAT AND ARE RETREATING
LONDON, Oct. 15. — The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at Yentai, telegraphing October 12, via Fusan, October 14, says: 'The Rus
sian attack failed everywhere, and the Cossacks are in full retreat along the whole line, pursued by the Japanese. Thirty Russian guns
were captured, and the Japanese turning movement is pressing the Russians back to Mukden. The Russians made sixteen counter attacks
with splendid bravery, sacrificing themselves freely, but unavailingly."
THE TTEAXHEB.
Fcc«CBXt rn&fc» at Eaa rnrnriinto tor
¦fl'jr^y < inn i« »n<TH>y Twirtr^g-trt, Ocl»
b*x IS.:
Era riraca dec* znA TlctEltr — Prr>tmli*y
Aimwi* Bacnrfijcr: JirSi v«t Triad.
GL. B. TVIUjSOV. Local Forecajaer
fef ni'PTf-riTy to rlim Re)-
The San Francisco Call.
I *
\xjTAT.An— -^ar* and Tmir Algy.~
CAXJTOfCflA— "Tfce Twiderfbct."
CENTRA!*— "Sh«."
CHUTES — VandevUle.
OOLCMBIA— 'The Offtc* Boy."
"Down th* Line."
G RA2/D— **B«isom*»ter..**
LTBJC HAUL— "Twelfth. Xlrfet-" Mat
inee to-day. "Macii Ado Afeout
Nothing."
MAJKSTiC— "A JaosacM Niraiin
gmle."
ORPHXTTSf — •Vaadevtn*.
TTYOLJ— **Dw Basttata&r.
yiHn«j« aj. gjl theaters to-dtT. '
VOLUME XCVI— NO. 137.