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r I t .M" !. 1 1 1 e ' " ' LURED OVER RIVER AHOTTI VERGARA KILLED BY BAND OF , FEDERALS AFTER THEY HAD CROSSED INTO TEXAS. COLQUITT WIRES. TO BRYAN Texas Governor Denies Intention to Invade Mexico.But Wants to Ap prehend the Murderers. 1 Austin, Texas. Ranger Captain J. J. Sanders, reporting to Gov. O. B. Col quitt, made the direct charge that Clemente Vergara, an American ranch man, was shot to death while in the custody of Mexican federal troops, os tPKihlT en route from the jail at Hi dalgo to federal headquarters at Pie dras Negras, Mexico. Governor Col quitt telegraphed Secretary of State Bryan asking what method should be followed in an effort to apprenena 4 Vi aqa pocnnn sihlB for the killing of Vergara. CaDtain Sanders, in his report, said: "Will advise that on the morning of February 13, five federal soldiers un der command of Apolonio Rodriguez crossed the Rio Grande to an island belonging to the United States, taking therefrom eleven horses belonging to riompntn Vereara. carrying them to the Mexican side of the river. In pass ing the house of Vergara, which stands on the banks of the river on the Texas side, one of the men went to the river and. called to Vergara, re questing him to come across the river, as the captain wanted to arrange with him about paying or the horses. "Vergara and a nephew of his cross ed in a skiff to the Mexican side, where two more men came to the water's edge, leaped into the skiff and struck him three blows on the head with a pistol, dragging him to (he bank and carrying him to Hidalgo. On Sunday at 2 a. m. he was taken from the Hidalgo Jail and started with guards ostensibly to Piedras Negras, but was shot to death after proceeding only a short distance. Vergara was born, and reared in Webb county, Texas, and I am Informed that he had a pass to cross the river, signed by Sheriff Sanchez, of Webb county, and Garza 4Solan." ' ' The text of Governor Colquitt's tele gram to Secretary Bryan was: "Your telegram In answer to the one writ to me to the president is re- Veived I dojiot want to invade Mex y ico with a military" force. I askefl your co-operation in maintaining the rihts "and dignity of this state 'and ywjfconsent to allow me to send state rangers, who are peace officers, in twaaft 1 of . those who are constantly transgressing our laws. Again I ask the president to advise me who is rec ognized by him as the constituted au thority in Mexico. I repeat the in quiry and ask who you recognize as constituted in the state of Nuevo Leon, as I desire to present requisitions to the proper authorities of that state for the surrender of fugitives from Texas justice, notably those responsi ble for the theft of Clemente Vergara's property and his subsequent murder." FAVOR COTTON SALES BILL Measure Would Require Specification of Grades With stanaaro. Washington. The senate commit tee on agriculture and forestry submit ted a favorable report on the bill in troduced last spring by senator .anuui f smith Carolina, to regulate the sell ing of cotton. The bill, designed to re form the rules and regulations of the Npw York and New Orleans cowou ex changes, would require any person or .ration in the making of an offer delivery of cotton, to spvci- ih frrade or grades contracted for. Thfl secretary of agriculture would be required to standardize the grades of "upland" and "gulf cotton sepa mtPiv. "gulf cotton not to include anything below the grade of "good or dinary" or above "middling, fair." The bill further would require tnai in dealing with long-staple cotton the length of the staple shall be designat ed in all contracts and deliveries must be made according to contract. Any dealings in violation of this sys tem would be punishable by a fine not to exceed $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than a year or both. Two Guilty in Everglades Lottery. 1 Kansas City, Mo. 01. H. Martin and Joseph Borders, Kansas City agents of the Florida Fruit Lands company, pleaded guilty in the federal court at Kansas City to the charges of conspir acy and the conducting of a lottery in the sale of lands in the Everglades of Florida. Judge Van Valkenburgh reserved sentence. Martin and Bor ders were indicted with six other of ficers and agents of the lands company . last November on the general charge of misuse of the malls. It was charg ' ed they misrepresented lands sold. Frelaht Rate Case Postponed. Npw Orleans.'1 La. The Georgia rates cases, involving Injunctions se wi h h Atlantic Coast Line, the Southern railway and the Central of ' nnrcia against freight rate reduction ordered by the Georgia railroad com- mission, were set by the United biaies rnnrt of aDneals in session at New Or leans for hearing in April before the court in session in Atlanta circuit. Judge Pardee, Judge Newman of the northern district of Georgia and Judge Grubb of Alabama, will hear the cases 1 DEATH SCENE OF CASTILLO'S HORRIBLE CRIME A V 4 tf - 4 , 'CV e ' . . - ,- X 1 . . . .o of th Mexican bandit set afire, causing the engine is 'seen drawing ran into the blazing tunnel. 7,465 BANKSENTER SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE NOT COME IN NEW SYSTEM ARE SMALL. Less Than Fifty National Banks Failed to Respond Some State Banks. Washington. The new federal re serve system, will begin -business withl mmmjfl,wiKT sevaH.wo " rlcb hundred and sixty-five bants. This was known when, at the close of the last day On which the national banks could signify their Intention of accepting the terms of the currency law, less than fifty of the 7,493 national banks of the country had failed to respond fa vorably. More than enough state in stitutions had applied lor memDersmp to bring the total to 7,465. Official count of the banks and tab ulation of their resources and liabil ities will begin at the treasury depart ment. . . , Most of the institutions mat nave not come into me new tya.w comparatively small, and it is esu mated that 97 per cent, of all the capi tal and resources in the present na tional bank system is represented by those whose applications are in. VILLA'S STORY OF KILLING Rebel Leader Says Englishman Tried 'to Take His Life. Chihuahua, Mexico General Villa's story of the killing of William S. Ben ton, told to reporters here, differs but little from the official statement given out at Juarez. The Juarez statement declared that when Benton reached for his hip pock--t4iiq tnnritpd him down with ' a blow of the fist. Villa said that when Benton made this move he poked his own pistol Into Benton'B stomach and then turned him over to the guards. villa insisted that Benton came to take his life, and referred to Benton's mission concerning the welfare of bis ranch as a pretext to gain admittance. According to Villa, Benton, after the verdict of the courtmartial, confessed his guilt and declined to ask for mer cy. He merely requested tnai ms prvy erty be turned over to his widow. Mississippi Race Riot. Pohinaville. Miss. There were no Indications here of further trouble be tween whites and negroes after the race riot, in which Morris Love, wmie, and two negroes were killed. White men, said to have been incensed by hoIbr a score or more negroes made, Vrmpfi a Do'sse to arrest them. The negroes, it-was Claimed,- oegan suwi- . , AnA 'In Vu Cl- . -u- jng ana aaivc iw ..uru. change of shots ttyo negroes-were kill ed. The white men, reireaieu wuc their ammunition was exhausted and the negroes fled. ' ' ;. ; 19 Persons Poisoned. Birmingham, . Ala. Every physician at Mountain Creek, a small town south of. this place, wb at , work to pre vent death to any of the 19 persons poisoned from eating "soused meat. Rveral traveling men "to whom the meat was served at a hotel were among those taken ill. The meat Hioirihiited hv a local market man vhn had Durchased it from farmer. Town authorities are inves tigating the cause, but have reacnea i . . - .- ... . . POLK COUNTY NEWS-GAZETTE. BENTON. TENNESSEE. " t J -2 r.umbre tunnel which Castillo, the death of a number of men. In the out the wreckage of the train that ; BECKER NAY BE FREED COURT DECISION PROBABLY MEANS BECKER CASE WILL BE DISMISSED. Decision Alleges That Goff Was Un. fair in His Treatment of Becker. ' New York. The conviction! of For mer Police Lieutenant Charles Becker of the murder of fnon !W!r Her tnan Rrfke&thal. waS'SftiKuired iy the courts of appeals at Albany, ne nign est court in the state. He is entitled to a new trial, but It seemed probable that he might go free without lacing a second ordeal. It was made known that District Attorney Charles S Whitman believes , that under the pre vailing opinion handed down by the .niirt conviction a second time will be impossible. ADDeals taken by the four gunmen, "Whitey" Lewis, "Lefty Louie," "Gyp the Blood" and "Dago Frank," con victed as actual murderers of Rosen thal, and whom Becker was accused of having instigated to commit the crimp, were not sustained and they will have to die in the electric chair, nmhahiv in March, except in the - event of executive clemency. Ossining. N. Y. "It's a long lane that has no turning," Charles Becker said in the "death house" of Sing Sing prison, when he received news of the court's decision. WOMEN BRAVE SNOW TO VOTE Thousands of Them Took Part in Pri maries at Chicago. Chicago. Thousands of Chicago women had their first real experience in Chicago' with the ballot box and took part in the actual nomination of candidates for the city council. In wards in which women cauu.UaK. were running in opposition to men for places in the city council, me women candidates toured the wards and hustled for votes in approved po litical fashion. A snowstorm early m tne aay ue- layed many voters, and a movement fostered by many suffrage leaders, who believed that women should not formally ally themselves wiui any y cific party, kept hundreds rfom voting at the primaries. Jim Conley It Convicted. Atlanta. Jim Conley begins the ser ving of a year's sentence on the chain gang following the verdict of a jury in his case, which reported against the former pencil lactory BWfcv. charged with being accessory after the it (n the murder of Mary Phagan bv Leo Frank. Conley took his. sen- icncp stocaiiy. e suwcu ,a tnld by his' attorney that he "had o-nt off lieht." The second day's de- lrvnnipnts in tne suiuiu . . . .1 ! .1 ,.lnl Tm ceedings in which Conley was princi pal were not sensational. : Fwe of Slain Girl Photographed. Aurora, 111. Yielding to persons who have faith in ages old superstition, the 0,,thnritles here have photographed the eyes of Theresa Hollander. State's Attorney Tyler admitted this, saying that it was the' belief of many that th retina of a murdered person re tains the Image of the murderer. But whether the negative neid Dy tne au thorities showed anything of this na ture was not revealed by the state'g attorney. Neither did he say whether it would be introduced as evidenpe In clubbing to death of Miss Hollander. STORM OVER IT ALL THE EASTERN PART OF U. S. ASSAILED BY STORM OF RAIN, SNOW AND WIND. 3 PERSONS MEET DEATH New York One of the Worst Sufferers. Wires Are Down and All Train Service Demoralized. Savannah, Ga.-Developing suddenly in southwestern Georgia, a storm swept through south Georgia in a northeasterly direction. It will con tinue its course up the Atlantic toast. The first news of the storm's approach was received by the local weather bu reau in the following' telegram from the central bureau in Washington: Hoist northeast storm warnings, 8 p. m. Fort Monroe to Savananh. Ltorm central in southwest Georgia moving northeastward and increasing in inten sity. Will' Rive strong winds along south Atlantic coast, shifting to north west. vw York. A northeast storm, which in tiip. northwest rt hr.mcht rain, then suuw, .ahC. t-liiife mi ,r,-,A over New York and vicinity, cutting the city almost completely off from telegraph and telephone coiuiuuw.- tion. Reports snoweu be widespread. Three deaths due to tne siu.ui curred here, two togetner collapsed under the weigm oi w , , on1 a hov. An- snow, crusning a man - other man, blinded by snow, was kill ed by a train. Several persons were, overcome by exposure, and a number were injured in street accidents. Trains for the most part ien u. railroad' terminals on time, but, wui wires down, quickly, were lost ua of Nothing could be learned con cerning Incoming trains except as they arrived late on all lines. Wet snow snapped teiegrayu . : u n nola telephone wires, ana, wim blowing 72 miles an hour at times, many poles toppled over. At local offices of teiegrapn colo nies, it was said conditions were among the worst in years. Ships due to reach this port were held up outside. On advices from Washington, the local bureau warned shipping not to put out to sea. The disturbance centered at Cape Hatteras, and moved north, gaining in intensity, and was expected to pass directly above New York. Albany re ported a 6-inch snowfall; in New York the weather bureau recorded a fall of 9 1-2 inches. More snow and cold er weather was foreasted. Philadelphia, One of the worst storms in years raged in this city and vicinity, paralyzing wire communica tion to eastern points anu unus-us train service between this city and New York to a standstill. The Penn svlvania Railroad company estimated that on its lines there are between twputv-five and thirty trains stalled 1ip two cities. while the Reading was in equally as ba dshape. LINES OPERATED BY POOLS House Committee Finds Dissolution of Combinations Would Cripple Traae Washington Foreign and domestic shipping of the United States is so. combined by agreements, poois auu conference arrangements that an at- ton,nt tn dissolve the combinations would cripple trade. This is the con r.hision reached by the house mer Pliant, marine and fisheries committee in a final report of . the so-called ship ping trust investigation, made public here. The committee, after two years f cvhanstivp. innauiry, recommends thnt both foreign and domestic ship ping combinations be placed under the strict control or tne mtersia.ie wui r.pmfl commission, and that, if neces sary, the commission be enlarged to care for the additional v.orK. The final recommendations pi tne commmittee embodied in the fourteenth-volume of its report,, just com- niipd. sets forth that snipping lines in virtually every trade route from nr to United States ports are operat ed by agreement or conference to re strain competition. The report de clares that the advantages accruing to hnth Rhinner and ship lines xurougu these agreements are so great. that combinations should be allowed to con tinue, under the supervision of the interstate commerce commission Debts of 48 States Total $342,251,000. Washington. Preliminary figures made , public by the director of the census, W. J. Harris, show the total indebtedness of the 48 states of the Union, less sinking , fund assets, on June 30. 1913. was $342,251,000. an in crease of $107,342,000, or nearly 50 per cent, over the total tea years ago. Including sinking fund assets the to tal debt amounted to $419,157,000, of which sum about $19,000,000 represent ed the floating debt. The funded debt was $400,000,000, of which about $359, 000,000 represented the floating debt. Changes From "Wet" to "Dry" -Memphis. Tenn. Of seven hundred revenue licenses held in Memphis. 57b were surrendered to County Attorney General Z. N. Estes when the "nui sance" act. passed at the last session of the state legislature, became op erative, ending the open saloon in Ten nessee. A number of the saloons, transformed into "soft drink" estab lishments, reopened to serve non-alco-fc,vn nni other beverages coming in the requirement of the state prohibi tion laws of less than two per ceni j alcohol. Rate Hearing Petre- The hearing in il.e to and OBe-hair cents railroad p"' r:"- , February 24. wa i-.tpond l-y aereement cf counsel until Mann Only one witness rmiius to be cross examined. V. A. RUSM-ll. ptT traffic agent of th Lo-wviUe Nn vllle railroad. fco ""J"4'" chief by the defendant at the U,l hearing of thecal According to 8,atemenU made by members of commission, there will ve no further postponement of the final hearing of !.. -ftPr March 24. No time will be used in the preparation of the case on the part of the state. x Anti-Saloon League Finance. In answer to criticisms made by a Middle Tennessee prohibition paper, the State Anti-Saloon league has given out a statement of Its financial af a rs for the year ending December 31. 1913. The balance on hand December 31. 1913, is shown to be $?51.89. and to this was added $8,967.06 in receipts. The disbursements for twelve months were $9,106.68. Of this sum, $2,7J8. went to the superintendent and two field secretaries In the way of sal aries, attorneys' fees and other ex penses for law enforcement took $456.10, and the American Issue com pany got $340.44. There was a consid erable expenditure for oifice expenses and office salaries, and more than $800 went toward paying the expenses of the superintendent and co-worum The telegraph and -teiepnon bill amounted to $220.50. Cuban Saved From Chair. Gov. Hooper used his commuting power to save Altonzo uiai, a convicted of murdering his wife near Gallatin, from the electric cna.r. sentence of life imprisonment will be served by the prisoner. In commut ing the Cuban's sentence the governor took the position that the trial jury s recommendation of "mitigating cir cumstances" should be observed. Diaz was brought to Nashville wnen a uuy by Tennessee soldiers in the Spanish American war and grew up on the streets of Nashville without advant ages of any kind. Will Re-nominate Hooper. Th T?pnnhlican state committee has raited bv Chairman J. S. Beasley to meet in Nashville February 27 to take steps to nominate candidates for supreme ;udge and governor, io voted for in August and November next. It is likely one convention will name candidates for both places. The plan is understood to oc to name ulc candidates and for the independent Democrats to indorse them. Williams, Hooper's appointee, will oe nominal for judge and Hooper for governor. There are no other candidates in the field. Would Revive Tobacco Market. Thomas Bradford, chairman of the local committee of business men. which has been taking steps in con junction with the Industrial Bureau to revive Nashville as a great tobacco market, has returned from New York and other points. While absent he visited Lexington. Ky.. and gained much Information in regard to hand ling tobaccp at that point. It is ex pected that steps will be taken in a short time to incorporate a warehouse company. Four Cities to Raise $50,000. nQ(lne of $50,000 for a suitable building and exhibit for Tennessee at the Panama-Pacific exposition, to be ia at San Francisco next year, is the proposition now before the four nrinrlnal cities of the state. It has heen nroDOSed that Nashville, Mem phis, Chattanooga and Knoxville eacj- raise $12,500 of tne amoum. nnnncement is made that Chattanoo ga and Knoxville are ready and pre pared to do their part. Government After Saloonists. it Wilson and Meyers & Under wood, local saloonists, have been cited n nnnear before United States Com missioner Luck for the alleged sale of liquor. These men surrendered their last November. This ICUCilHI - is the first time the federal govern ment has taken action in liquor cases in Nashville. Instantly Killed at Crossing. G. A. Wagner, u years oiu, a mm . 1 J 114 wnrkcr. was instantly killed by freight train while crossing the tracks at Liberty Mills. i iVrv Company Chartered. Secretary of State R. R. Sneed has issued a charter to the City Auto & T.tvprv Co. of Carter county, wun normal of $10,000. The incorporators s W. Duncan, W. E. Grindstaff, r 't nnnr.an. Jr.. H. E. Wilson and VV A ' John Tipton. Ma.huille to Entertain Drummers. Tt, Tnnessee division of the Trav elers' Protective Association will hold i. annual convention in Nashville be- mninir ADril 24 and continuing throughout Saturday. April 25. Engineers Indorse McDoanld The local branch of the Engineering Association of the South has adopted resolutions urging the selection ot Hunter McDonald, chief engineer of the NashVille, Chattanooga & St. Louis railway, as chief engineer of the Alaskan railroad, to be built by the government. Ransom Succeeds Baxter. . A B. Ransom of Nashville, member of tlie board of trust of Vanderbilt Uni versity to take the place of Nat Bax ter Jr., deceased. WEST 15 in GEORGIA SffilOR APPOINTEE CNE OF BEST NCWfc MEN OF SOUTHERN GEORGIA. WILL FINISH BACON'S TEffM 1 Has Eeen Prominently Idenvted With Polities in the State lor Many Years. 4 Atlanta. Governor Slaton appcinte William Stanley West of Valdotta, oiiA of the tebt Known men in the state, to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator A. t). liacon, whose death oc curred in Washington, February 14. Governor Slaton did not write any formal announcement. He mtrely walked out into the reception room, saw that the newspapers were all rep resented and spoke one word: "West!" In an instant the news traveled i throughout the capitol and was nu-!:ea to all parts of the city and state. Commenting on the appointment. Goveri;cr Siaton said: It was only a moment ago that i came to a definite decision. Any time up to five minutes ago 1 was free to change my mind. 1 had toiu no one- of my intention. Colonel West was naturally grauneu when he heard tne news oi ms ap pointment When seen after tne statement nau been made at the capitol that the gov ernor had appointed him, Mr. West said: I have been in Atlanta ror several days, but I have not ODtruuea ujjCu upon the governor. After the burial of Senator Bacon my friends not only from all parts of south Georgia, duu throughout the state, notified me that they would present my claims to the governor. Many of them asked me to meet them in Atlanta for a conference on the situation and I have been here for a few days with that end in view. , I was imoressed from the beginning that thiavas a south Georgia appoint ment and my friends were good enough to take the position that I was the man for the place. Frankly I do not know whether I am or not, but I do know that I have at all times been a loyal and a zealous supporter of Gov ernor Slaton and that I nave oeeu flaeeine in my zeal in behaii oi me section of the state from which I come. 1 have never let my enthusiasm in pe- half of south Ceorgla lessen T&a&4W vocacy of what I tielieve to be for tne i best interests of the state at large and I consider myself fortunate in bavins as many friends in the upper part of the state as I have in the section around my home county." William Stanley West, the oldest surviving son of James and Mary a. West, is a leading member of the Lowndes county bar, with residence and office in the city of Valdosta. He was born in Marion county, Georgia, August 23 ,1849; was educated in Mer cer university, where he graduated with the degree of bachelor of arts. subseqquently receiving the degree ot, master of arts from the same institu tion, completing his education when he was 33 years of age. wnne a stu dent there he was honored with the presidency of the Ciceronian Literary society and was anniversarian of that tn 1R80. In the early portion of his business: I : ii life he was engaged in teaching, con tinuing in this occupation for some time after leaving college. He waf then identified with sawmilling and lumbering interests, as well as other enterprises, after which he graduated in the law department of Mercer uni versity, and was admitted to the bar upon completing his course. From 1S92 to 1897 he served as a member of the lower house oi the state legislature, and in 1S98-99 was a . mem ber of the state senate. In 1900 he declined a return to the lower house but was elected to that body in 190 and served until 1904. In 1905-06 he was again returned to the state sen ate witho.it opposition, and was, then elected president of that body. In 190S he was sent as a delegate at large from the state of Georgia to the na tional Democratic convention, held at Denver, Col. Snow Throughout the South. Atlanta. Atlanta was in the grip of the most persistent snowstorm she has had in years. The snow was by no means confined to Atlanta, but on the contrary Atlanta was one of the last cities which the blizzard visited. Snow fell in Charleston, Savannah and the cities of the mountain sections be fore it began to fall in Atlanta;. The snow stretched its blanket over the entire south all the way from Rich mond to New Orleans, leaving out only a small part of Florida and possibly a few isolated spots here and yonder. Canadian Pacific Won't Use Canal. ' Washington. Assurances that the Canadian Pacific railroad has no In tention of attempting to evade the provision of the Panama . canal act barring railroad-owned ships from the canal, reached Washington through of ficial channels. With this assurance! rnme a further declaration that the! Canadian Pacific would not send itil fleets through the canal even If then were no question about its right t do bo, because the company's official could see no advantage in changicu present routes. I r no decision as yet. in Atlanta. i i i . " ' , - '