Polk County news-gazette., March 05, 1914, Image 4

About Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?

Image provided by: University of Tennessee

                
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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
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. . . .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
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POLK COUNTY NEWS-GAZETTE. BENTON. TENNESSEE.
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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
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no decision as yet.
in Atlanta.
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