Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume], January 11, 1906, Image 1

About Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
E E
-.J
"V I
ftd
O E
A,Y
VOLUME 58
pfj-i
1
SINE DIE IN
HOTEL FIRE
MINNEAPOLIS H08TELRY, THE
WEST, 18 SCENE OF EARLY
MORNING CONFLAGRATION
S&BtV
oxo LEAP FROM
WINDOWS TO DEATH
'Mors Name* May Yet Be Added to
tha Death List—Many Thrilling
^Rescues Made by Firemen—Captain
|of Hook and Ladder. Company
-^Among the Deajt'p^W
Minneapolis, Jan. 10.—Nino persons
ilost their ltvea In ai fire which burned
the fifth, sixth and seventh stories of
the West hotel this morning. The
blaze started In an unknown manner
In the packing room on the first floor,
gscending the elevator shaft It
spread when it reached the fifrh floor.
There were 700 guests in the hotel
•vjjhen the fire broke out. The West
)3 the leading hotel in Minneapolis.
&The blaze broke out In the upper
^lories of the building and the electrio
flls
immediately sounded ah alarm
all the rooms. Many guests who
"/re already up escaped down the
.^ru'ways, but these exists were soon
off by the fire and impenetrable
s~oke-
Fireman t.oses His Ltfe,~"
Captain John Berwin of the lire
".artment fell while trying to lower a
woman to safety from the fifth floor,
and was killed. The woman was
oaught by another fireman and was
-J not badly injured, but will die from
inhaled smoke. An unknown man
Jumped for the roof of an adjoining
building, but misBed It and was gllled
by the fall. A large, middle aged wo
man jumped from the fourth floor and
met Instant death.
•., .i.« Many Narrow EscapesiM'®:1^"
There were many nanfow esccapes
and the firemen made numerous thrill*
3 .Thr rt-irt nm™
4MRS. J. B, HODGES of Minneapolis.
•CAPTAIN JOHN BERWIN of hook
and ladder company.
ALICE LARSON, chambermaid.
W. G. NICHOLS, grain merchant of
Minneapolis.
J. P. PEISINGER of New York,
-CLINTON LAMME of Duluth.
THOMAS SOMHRVILLB, Spring
field, 111.
J. E. WOLFE of New York.
5, ONE. UNKNOWN MAN.
The search of the rooms continues,
Mrs. Emaline Barlow, to save whom
Captain Berwin lost his,, life, will die
from Inhaled smoke.
A colored porter Is reported to be
missing.
The property loss^ i? estimated at
$25,000. v'a.'A
Mlne Fire Near Oskaloosa.
Oskaloosa, Jan. 10.—(Special).—Fire
destroyed the engine house at the
JRfimsay mines last night, causing a
Ss of $ 5,000. Two hundred men are
iered idle as the result of the
and production of coal at the
"i3^ will not be resumed for some
kM FEVER AT HARRISBURG.
•Session of Legislature Called
Enact New Laws.
irg, Pa., Jan. 10.—A supple
|1 has been issued for an ex
of the legislature to enact
rimary election laws, estab
|il service system, prohibit
money at elections and to
&r a greater Pittsburg. The
kslon called some time ago
on January 15, and the sup
pesslon will meet Immediate
it adjourns.
1
-rr
SgiiS?
DIES
IT OF CHICAGO UNIVER
|OSES LONG STRUG
SLE FOR LIFE
fan., 10.—Dr. W. R. Harper,
I Chicago, university, died
bck. Dr. Harper has been
lthan a year, a cancer
fed his death. Noted special
months to his case and it
that he had recovered his
recently he. has declined
lie was one of the most
Educators in the entire
his death will be widely
lis popularity among the
I the faculty, the students
If Chicago university was
1
_lfe
|ED BY FLYER.-'/|||
Fast Train Strikes
|f Men at Erie, Pa.
in. 10.—While waiting a{
lay for a freight train to
rkmen were suddenly
|fast Lake Shore Limited
to trains. John Maras,
Is instantly killed, and
Inan. superintendent for
[Milling pnmnonv nraq
gwim in wi mi nj.«"
'iw^f^ijj||gwiip»*»Mww^*^PW^ ~'WlW|WAgiWWW»lW -jwpi^SNpW*'. ., iPJIfl' ^'WW"",,
"TRUST" GETS POSTPONEMENT.
Standard Oil Obtalnd Respite When
Ordered to Explain H. H. Rogers'
iy:.J-onfl
8,l0nc®-
New York, Jan. 10*—When the
order to show cause why H. H.
Rogers should not answer the
questions asked him by Attorney
General Hadley, of Missouri, was
taken up In the supreme court to
day counsel for the Standard Oil
asked a postponement of the hear
Ing until Friday. Justloe Glider
sleeve granted the request.
1
E
s'M'l:1
MOVE PRISON?
PENITENTIARY AT FORT MADI
AS SON MAY BE VACATED
HI
Sis
A DISGRACE TO IQWA
nw"c
1 -i
Thus It Is Described In Commission's
Report After An Investigation of
Cohdlttons—Fort Madison May Lose
Instiutlon—Question of Reformatory
W 4
,U^
Des Moines, Jan. 10. It is not un
likely that the legislature will be con
fronted with a proposition for the re
moval of the state penitentiary at Fort
Madison to a better location.
The committee of the assembly nam
ed two years ago to investigate the
proposal to establish a reformatory
and adopt the indeterminate sentence
system for Iowa is now considering
the. question of how far it should make
recommendations in this regard,
There is no special disagreement
among the members of the commission
as the situation is understood. But
whether it should pass the matter
without the recommendation or rec-»
ommend that a new site within Fort
Madison be secured for the prison, or
to urge the removal of .the institution
to a more central and better adapted
location within the state are inquiries
with which the commission is now
spending its spare time,
Tsommlsfiioners •tire Senator
Sounders and Representatives Temple
and Jones. It is understood that Sen
ator Saunders is not Inclined to recom
mend remfoval and that Representative
Jones rather favors such a recommen
dation. It is possible that a compro
mise may be reached, suggesting to
the legislature the advisability of mak
ing extended appropriations for an in
stitution to be used as a penitentiary,
the legislature to act then with the
views, merely, of the commissioners as
individuals before it instead of their
recommendations as agents of the as
sembly.
Reformatory Depends.
The commission is well agreed upon
the main points of the subject which
it has considered. It favors the estab
lishment of a reformatory as soon as
sufficient prison cells of a suitable
character are provided for the convicts
and the adoption of the indeterminate
sentence with all of the equipment
and machinery to make it effective—
a board of parole or pardons, etc.
To make a reformatory in the fu
ture possible it is essential that suf
ficient prison room be provided for the
convict population, the reformatory
being only for the men under 32 who
are committed thereto. To provide
this room it has been proposed that
Fort Madison be made a modern pen!
tentiary.. At present it is a disgrace
to Iowa. The management of Warden
Jones is commended in the highest
terms by the commissioners, but the
prison equipment itself is a half cen
tury behind the times and really is a
relic of the days of barbarirm. To
equip it properly a new cell hohse
should be erected to accommodate
about 800 convicts. There is no land
adjoining the penitentiary where this
addition can be built
A RATE CLUB
KANSANS "HAVE PERMANENT OR
GANIZATION FOR SECURING
RAILWAY LEGISLATION^
ms "ft*
r&S i??.
Wichita, Kan., Jan. CL0. A freight
rate mass convention, made up of 600
delegates representing commercial
and farmers organizations from all
parts of Kansas, was held here today
and a permanent organ'zation for the
purpose of pushing,railway rate legis
lation was perfected. Resolutions
were adopted urging congress to give
a railway rate commission power to
control railroad rates. Speeches were
made by S. R. Van Sant, former gov
ernor of Minnesota, J. L. Lenroot,
speaker of the Wisconsin house of rep
resentatives and others..
Governor Hoch was to have been
one of the speakers, but he sent word
he was too ills.to attend the conven
tion,
,%- Roads Are Indicted.
Utica, N. Y., Jan. 10.—The United
States grand "jury today reported two
bills of indictment for alleged viola-,
tions of the Elkins law against giving
rebates to shippers. One indictment
is against the New York Central rail
road and the /3ther against the Dela
vw&i'Q' At Hurlsfin.
W1TTE Willi*
RUSSIA'S PREMIER INACTIVE UN
TIL AFTER "RED SUNDA^"^
VM1"?,'
ANNIVERSARY
A
hii
SCOPES THE MODERATES
WSsS$8i&
v'
Replying to- the Plea of a Delegation
of Citizens of St. Petersburg Asking
for Less Drastic Police Rules, Witte
Offers No Hope Until After Jan. 22.
•—Revolution In Transcaucasia.
,L
si11H
St. Petersburg, Jan!' 10.—Premier
Wltte today in a 'statement to a delega
tion headed by the mayor of the city,
which requested a relaxation of the
orders of the prefect of police against
meetings, in the interest of the elec
toral campaign, said he could not prom
ise to do anything until after January
22.
•Harsh Measures Necessary.
While personally he did not sympa
thize with the hkrsh measures of In
terior Minister Durnovo, Witte said, he
regarded them as essential. Tlje pre
mier could not assume responsibility
for a course which, if It resulted in
bloodshed, would make him a scape
goat*s v-'-'irv
Scores Moderates.
He spoke bitterly of the failure of
the moderates to give the government
their support, saying that upon their
shoulders largely rests the burden of
compelling the government to resort
to repression.
Revolution In Trans-Caucasia.
St. Petersburg, Jan. 10.—The latest
news from Trans-Caucasia is that com
plete revolution prevails in Georgia
and Mingrelia. The viceroy is dis
patching all th© troops available for
Service Into the revolutionary terri
^7*
Rebel Leader's Escape. jgg|
Riga, Livonia, Jan. 10.—An attempt
was made last night to arrest M. Max
im, the ring leader of the social dem
ocrats, in the Baltic provinces, while
he was addressing his companions in
the Lett theatre here. Maxim,' how
ever, managed to escape in female at
tire.
Horrible Scenes at Tifiis
Tlflis, Caucasia, Jan. 10.—The plun
dering of this city continues. Last
night bombs were thrown at the mili
tary patrol, whereupon the house from
which the bombs were hurled and the
adjoining buildings were bombarded
by artillery, with the result that many
persons were killed or wounded. -The
house in which an Armenian who at
tempted to assassinate an officer had
sought refuge, was set on fire and
the man was burned alive.
Dragoons Kill Revolutionists.
Mltau, Courland, Jan. 10.—A squad
ron of Dragoons which was ambushed
near Hazenpot, losing two men killed
and four wounded, received reinforce
ments and later surrounded the revo
lutionists. No quarter was given" and
the revolutionists numbering eighty
nine, were killed to the last man.
NOT THE MURDERER.
Traveling Man Arrested at Joliet is
Not Much Huntea Chicagoan.
Joliet, 111., Jan. 10.—A man believed
to be Frank J. Constantino, the Chi
cago murderer, was arrested here
early today. The prisoner claimed to
be J. Morris, a traveling salesman for
a Chicago firm.
~''£'Si
Is Soon Released.! ^.
Chicago, Jan. 10.—Morris was
brought to this city by the officers and
after a short' examination he was re
leased by the police.
.'I*."
TROUBLE FEARED IN 6HINA.
Reports of Unsettled and Unsatisfact
ory Condition Reach Washington.
Washington, D. C., Jan. 10. Re
ports continue to come to the state de
partment, the source of whiteh is not
conditions
MINERS' WAGES TO STAY UP.
Commissioner Fixes Scale Six Per Cent
Above Basis Submitted.
Mahanoy City, Pa., Jan. 10.—Com
missioner Charles P. Neil has notified
the miners and operators that the
wages of the former for January, com
puting on the selling price of coal ai
tidewater at $4.82 per ton, will be sis
per cent above the basis fixed by the
strike commission. This Is the same
as the December scale.
FORMER BANK DIRECTOR HELD.
Official of Central State Institution at
Kalamazoo Arrested for Fraud.
South Bend, Ir.d., Jan. 10.—George
Polasky, formerly a director of the
State Central bank at Kalamazoo,
Mich., is under arrest here on a charge
of fraud. It Is alleged that Polasky
atteaint.ed t" wreck the Kalamazoo
tRI'
m*
OTTUMWA, WAPELLO COUNTY, IOWA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1906
I1M|A¥0 "'WS
+DOS iwauuisit'
.18. MORRIS IS ILL.
Woman Who Was Ejected From the
White House Is In a Critical
Condition.
Washington, D. C., Jan. 10.—
•Mrs, Minor Morris, who last week
was ejected from the executive of
fices at the White House, Is today
In a state of complete collapse.
hier husband stated this morning
that her condition was. critical and
her physicians have refused to
permit any one to see her.
*.*..«
LAWSON IS
I NOT "NEXT"
iltS
*4
BOSTON MAN SAYS-w'HADLEY
MUST ASK ABOUT STANDARD
OIL AT 26 BROADWAY
Boston, Mass., Jan. 10. In a
lengthy reply to a telegram from At
torney General Hadley for Information
regarding the oil probe, Thomas W.
Lawson of Boston last night informed
the attorney, general that he, person
ally, knew nothing of the relations he
tween the oil companies and that
while he was aware of certain acts of
the Standard Oil "monopoly" he could
not "fairly come within the wise re
strictions" of Hadley's telegram.
"While I have no personal knowl
edge of the three things of which your
telegram treats/' continued Mr. Law
son, "I have sufficient general knowl
edge of the subject matter of your in
vestigation to make it appear farcial
to me that you, with the power of the
great state of Missouri at your back,
should want testimony of anyone oth
er than the band of conspirators at
No. 26 Broadway and their hirelings to
prove any case in which the name
'Standard Oil' appears."
How to Reach Rogers.
"If you play your game to the full
strength of your cards," says Law
son's message, "there will come a
trick—a sinj0%j£jJ3k—rln „the taking of
which will change Henr/' H. Rqgers,
the master, mind of Standard Oil, to
an ordinary man. His $tce will
blanche, his hands will shake, and in
a tired voice he will say: 1 am not
well, Mr. Attorney General I am not
well. I ask your indulgence for an
adjournment.'
"And'hfe will mean it—mean it from
the center pucker of his soul, from the
under fringe of his heart, and he will
take to his bed, and he will be a sick
man, and Standard Oil will be sick
unto death, for when Henry H. Rog
ers goes down the puppets behind him
"whom he has for years and years pro
tected, will become pfinic-stricken,
and this practice of the Alexanders,
McCalls and McCurdys will be as that
of Roman warriors compared with a
stage stampede of Chinese laundry
rabble.
"I repeat, I speak by the card. I
have seen Henry H. Rogers' face
blanch, his hand shake and his voice
grow wearied as in consultation he
has weighed, the possibilities of the
detection of perjury.
"This is the only trick which, if
you can take it, will win your case
and the people's case.
"Thomas W. Lawson."
A BIG STEAL
RAILWAY CLERK IS OHARGED
WITH DEFRAUDING EMPLOY
tf^J^ERS OF $200,000.
Minot, N. D., Jan. 10.—George
againBt
in China are still unsettled and unsat- „„iv »oo -r
isfactorv. No details nrn imwnraWo
isfactpry. No details are procurable
as to the nature of the trouble expect
ed and the situation is puzzling in
view of the disclaimer by the Chinese
minister here of the least apprehen
sion of an outbreak.
ill.
Smith, a clerk in the Great Northern
division superintendent's office here,
charged with carrying "straw men"
on his pay roll, was today bound over
to the district court. Bogus time
checks aggregating over $200,000 have
been located but the specific charge
the alleged defaulter is for
NEGRO IS LYNCHED.
Ai
Texas Mob Kills Wretch Accused "of
Assasination.
Houston, Tex., Jan. 10.—Ben
Harris, a negro charged with the
assassination of Orzo Polk on Mon
day night, was lynched this morn
Ing at Moscow.
-4 SMsesSi
LAND BRINGS RECORD PRICE.
Quarter Inch Strip at $1,000 is High
est Ever Paid in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, N.. Y., Jan. 10.—A strip of
land one-quarter inch in width has just
been""Fold at the highest rate for real
estate ever paid in Brooklyn and al
most the highest In the Greater city.
The purchase price was $1,000, which,
figured out to a twenty foot lot, would
bring the valuation up to the enor
mous amount pf. $960,000. The parcel
In question lies'in Seventh avenue. The
quarter Inch was needed to nerfect
PROBE FOR
INSURANCE
i'ryr
:t
SENATOR MOLSBERRY'S PET1
TION FOR INVESTIGATION
CREATES 8EN8ATION
AIMED AT 10WANS?
Representatives of Companies In the
Hawkeye State Think the Resolu
tion Is Directed Especially at Them
—Blythe at Des Moines-^-Hughes
Anti-Pass Bill.
vsrn:
Des Moines, Jan. 10.-^(Special.)
—Anti-pass bills were the order of
the day in the legislature today.
Representative Hanna In the
house offered a
yblll
to compel
railroads to Issue passes to state
officers, legislators, congressmen,
and judges. Senator Hughes of
fered a drastic anti-pasa bill ap
plying to public officer}!, political
committees and delegates to con
ventions., It also prohibits the
use of telegraph, telephone and
express franks. It applies to
street, cars and to city officers
and prohibits editorial mileage.
Bonaflde employes of railroads
only are exempted from its provi
sions. The penalty is imprison
ment for from one to five years
or a fine of from $200 to $1,000.
Koontz offered a bill to appro
priate $5,000 for the KIrkwood
statue In Washington.
[SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.]
Des Moines Bureau of the Courier,
Des Moines, Jan. 10.
^Senator Molsberry certainly created
a sensation in and out of the legisla
ture yesterday when he offered his
resolution for the investigation of the
insurance companies doing business
within the state of Iowa.'
He provided for an inquiry by a com
mittee of seven members, three sen
ators and fomv^jnbers. of the. house,
into the following subjects with respect
ttj every insurance concern:
Methods of doing business.
Relations to other corporations,
Salaries of officers. "Sf"
Securities and investments.
Relations of officers and members of
company.to investments,
Amount of taxes paid. I
Extent of liability to policy holders
under contracts written.
Expense of getting business and of
the company.
Relative compensation to subsidiary
companies.,
Expenditures for lobbies. •',
Expenditures, for campaign funds.
The committee is authorized by the
resolution to codify and revise the
laws of the state with respect to this
subject.
1
No sooner had the bill been offered
than' a half dozen senators were on
their fee't and the resolution was
promptly tabled until today, under the
rule which requires the resolutions of
fered on one day to go over until the
next. No effort was made by Senator
Molsberry to suspend the rules, as he
quietly sat enjoying the profound sen
sation he had created.
Senator Garst- presently proposed
that the resolution be sent to the com
mittee on insurance of which Senator
Whipple is the chairman. This, the
president held, was out of order. His
thought was that the resolution must
lay over until the next day under the
formal rule to that effect.
Iowa Concerns Anxious
The resolution, following on the
heels of the message of the governor,
wherein the subject of insurance was
handled without gloves, has aroused
much excitement among the insurance
men and a lobby of some proportions
is not impossible.
The Iowa insurance companies' rep
resentatives believe that the inquiry is
aimed especially at them. They think
that the outside companies have been
so thoroughly investigated by the east
ern inquisitors that they will not be
Interested in the Investigation. But
the local companies will be.
Hughes With a Pass BIII7
Senator. Hughes expects to offer his
antlpaas bill within a day or two. He
is busily engaged in making drafts
of the measure. It will be far more
drastic than the measure he proposed
two years ago. When Governor Cum
mins appeared in the senate chamber
(Continued on Page 4.)
Durham's action also means the end
of Senator Penrose as a factor in state
and city politics Without Durham,
Penrose had absolutely no following in
this city, and he was utterly helpless
in the state.
From Inside sources it became
known yesterday that Penrose quite
tHAS NO HOPE..
Chinese Minlstsr at Washington Does
V,„Not
Think Anti-Exclusion Bill
hiM Possible.
Pekln, Jan. 10.—The Chinese
minister at Washington has tele
graphed his government that any
satisfactory legislation on the
exclusion question Is Improbable.
He says the majority of the con
gressmen favor greater liberality,
but' that the Influence of the la
boring class is too strong against
the Chlrtese. iO'
WANTS NAMES
SENATOR 8IMM0N3 ,WOU
KNOW FACTS ABOUT CANAL
TALKS OF HIGH WAGES
*€1
James M. Lytle, Washington. Netfij
si. i^.
Overstreet Quits Committee.
Representative Overstreet of Indi
ana, secretary flf the republican con
gressional campaign committee an
nounced today that the President's
failure to allow him to name the sur
veyor of the port at Indianapolis has
dlscohraged him so badly that he will
Be a a in it
WOMAN GETS REPRIEVE.
'.u:
New Jersey Governor Grants Thirty
Days of Life to Murderess.
Trenton, N. J., Jan. 10.—Mrs. Tolla,
who was to have beeti hanged on Fri
day for killing Joseph Santa, was today
granted a reprieve of thirty days by
Governor Stoker.
BREAKS FIRM
CLEVELAND BROKER'8 SUICIDE
RESULTS IN SUSPENSION'
OF COMPANY
r*1-
fv
Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 10.—Formal
announcement of the suspension of the
firm of Denison, Prior & Co., Invest
ment bankers, and brokers, was made
today. The action was taken as the
result of a large number of the firm's
checks being thrown out by banks, who
hold that since the death of L. W.
Prior, who committed suicide yester
day, the checks could not pass the
clearing house.
It is said that the banks hold ample
funds and securities to.provide for all
the claims against the firm.
Leland W. Prior,, was president? of
the Cleveland stock exchange, and a
member of the New York stock ex
change, and the Chicago board of
trade. He killed himself at the Hoi
landen hotel this city last evening.
PHILADELPHIA RING BOSS,
DURHAM, IS DOWN AND OUf
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 10. Israel ganization, but that proposition was lg
W. Durham, for ten years leader of nored. Penrose was given to under
the Philadelphia political ring has stand that no proposition from him or
surrendered absolutely to the reform David Martin, or ex-Sheriff Miles was
organization. Ho has released all his to be entertained and,.4hat the fight
friends from allegiance, politically.
recently made an offer through emiiV- party will be absorbed in the new com
.aarlosir to sret into the new nolitical ox-J bination.
His suicide was due to knowledge
that his firm, Denison, Prior & Co.,
was on the eve of failure. The firm
made an assignment to
(a,
committee
of bankers late last night.
Mr. Prior was about 45 years of age,
married, and had two children. He
paid $60,000 for his seat in the New
York stock exchange two years ago.
would be continued against all three
until they were driven out of politics.
Mack New Leader.
Monday night the new organization
w.ill be born with John M. Mack, as
phalt king, millionaire and capitalist
at- Its head. In the reorganization of
^he republican city committee Mack
will gain control and the Lincoln
fl
MILLIONS
Z, .IN FIGHT
NAMES OF SMOOT'S OPPONENTS
ARE ALMOST
'i vv:
K?
f-vr
iW
nsn
Following Up His Action of Yesterday,
Simmons 8ays Ho Does Not Want
to Embarrass Anyone, But Wants In
formation*—Philippine Bill In House.
Washington, D. C.f Jan. 10. The
discussion of the Philippine tariff bill
was continued in the house today.
As soon as the routine business in
the senate was disposed of Senator
Simmons called up the resolution mak
ing a request for the names of the
high salaried employes of the Pana
ma canal commission. He said l\e had
no. desire to embarrass anyone I but
wished to procure for the senate such
information as could be had,
Presidential Nominations"
Presidential nominations today were
as follows:
Register of land office Luther D.
McGahan of Mlnot, N. D.
Postmasters Illinois, John C. Bak
er, Golconda Jas. H. Braden, of Ross
tille Cornelius Mogden, Westville.
Iowa Ellsworth E, Secor, Buffalo
Center- George Lciim
.ton.
ka Mons Johnson, Valley, S£t. Di, ^.
Wm. A. Carter, Castlewood
Thousands of Petitions Asking
Senate to Expel the Mormon Law
Maker Are on File at Washington
and Case Attracts Much Attention
—Smoot, the Man,
A
[SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE],
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
Washington, D. C., Jan.
V'"'
NUMBER llli
WITHOUT
NUMBER .•V""''
WOMEN FOREMOST
IS IN THE MOVEMENT:
The protests of more than 1,000,000
women of the United States against'
the membership of Senator Reed?
Smoot, are on file in the senate and
within a few days a monster petition
will be presented to -the senate com
mittee on privileges and elections
praying for the expulsion of Senator
Smoot as a rebuke to the polygamous
practices which exist In the church ot
which he 1b not only a member but ft
high offlciaL
'Thousands of petitions have: r»been
received from Iowa, from religious and
social organizations and womenVever
clubs and from people not banded re
gether in any way. The petitions ltesV
ceived from women's clubs alone ito inw
been bound Into twenty-eight la'fsequeii
volumes which contain a million slgplaina
natures, urlng
A
The Mormons' Oath. T, -be
The action of the senate appears to
hinge almost entirely upon the nature
of the oath which is obligatory upon
all members of the Mormon church,,
and which Senator Smoot admits that!
he took. Some witnesses swore to
the details of the oath wiule others de»
nled it. Senator Smoot on his part,
would not disclose the nature of tfya a
fldlltlx. I^euators,
the unseating of Smoot Vf*+«
the testimony clearly Indies
that the chtirch dominates everytbKMM
even the members' obligations to.
country, and that in this event, Sen!
tor Smoot has forfeited hia right to si J,1,.
in the senate. ullde
The Smoot case lias probably at-1
tractdd more attention than any other
matter that has been before congress
since Brigham H. Roberts was expell
f,d from the house: Every senator has
jeceived thousands of letters and pe
tltions urging them to vote against tha
retention of the Mormon. The peti
tions have all been filed and tjiere ar«
wagon loads of them stored away.
Senator Smoot has gained a notoriety
that causes strangers entering tha'
senate galleries to Inquire almost the
first thing to be shown the senator
from Utah.
Senator Smoot, the Man.
Senator Smoot.v personally, is tha
very last man that would excite at
tention. He is the incarnation of ap»
parent Inoffensiveness, mild mannered,
blue-eyed and quiet. His conduct is
without fault he has borne himself
in a manner above criticism during
his term in the senate there Is no
criticism of him personally or of his
own marriage relations. His offense,
In the Judgment of those who seek his
dismissal is that he is part and parcel
of a church organization which toler
ates polygamous relations, and that he
has not protested against this practice.
Nobody would ever pick Smoot out
as a polygamlst or the husband of plu
ral wives. In fact, one would fancy,
to look at him, that he would hava
trouble to get up courage to propoaa
to one woman. He looks like a main:
who is under the domination of one
woman, let alone being tied to twoi
or three. He has sort of scared,'
hunted look, and this is probably not'
surprising, considering what he has
been through. When one stops to
think about it this young man, meels
and innocent-appearing, has had a
strenuous time of it ever since ha
donned the toga of a senator threa
years ago. Practically all of the wo
men of the country, and a good many
of the men, have been on his trail day
and night. He has been fighting for
his political existence. He has fought
well, too. On the wltpess stand ha
made an exceptionally fine witness.
His testimony was clear and straight
forward. Of course he declined to re
veal the nature of the oath, but hav
ing taken the oath one cannot con
demn him because he Is disinclined to
reveal it. That he should not have
taken an oath that was stronger than
his obligations to his country—If in
deed the oath was such—of course ad
mits of no controversy.
Looks Like a Professor.
All*are disappointed when they get
a view of Smoot. There is nothing
of the Mormon or polygamous air
about him. He looks like a young
minister or professor of botany in a
college. His muBtache droops
enough to give the impression of a™
laek of decision, yet he seems to hava
this characteristic ib large quantities.
He decided to stay in the senate atf^th aU
long as he could hang on and put uprer had
the best fight that was In him and ha
has certainly done it. ^3moot claims
to have done all that he could to dig*
tcoumaa jrolxsmg tha teptimoor
6
eb-«
!Ct
to
trk
In-,
m
±e
3ng
nee
»ln
lme
j."-
n*ver