The new era., June 13, 1907, Image 2

About The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??

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THE NEW ERA
WALDEN, --- - COLORADO.
Nikola Tesla says he can Inrent
thing he wants to. Then let him get
s>usy on an automobile that will con
sume its own smell.
It Is always well to look on the
bright side of things. The lata spring
has delayed the opening of the fool*
Iwho-rocks-the-boat season.
A San Francisco woman dropped
dead while giving her husband a cur
tain lecture. Cut this out and take it
'‘home with you to-night.
i A London authority states the Eng
lish girls “wink the left eve.” That
’confutes the common impression that
they wink the right ear.
Among the humors of the season is
the report that Pittsburg is shocked
at unclad figures in a picture in the
Carnegie institute art rooms.
A college of foreign languages has
been opened in Canton, China, the
port from which most emigrants sail
Co distant parts of the globe.
“Do something different every day,”
advises a contemporary. At any rate,
that is better than advising people to
do somebody different every day.
However, dementia baseballitis is a
much saner disease to have than brain
storm or some of those others that
only millionaires who hire strong ex
perts can afford.
“Can a newspaper paragrapher
enter heaven?” asks the Atlanta
Georgian. Can’t answer, says the
Houston Post, but it is pretty certain
that the other place can't risk him.
New York city boasts the largest
and finest public school building
in the world. It is of fireproof con
struction throughout and cost $2,000,-
.000. It has accommodations for 4,000
pupils.
Francisco Jose, who was born in
1788, is still alive and at work, and a
good shot with the rifle, at Oporto,
Portugal. He served in the Portu
guese army, which in 1810 opposed
;the invasion of the French under Na
poleon I.
Authorities on the subject have esti
mated that only about 100,000 surviv
ors of the civil war have not been
pensioned. Of the men who actually
served in that struggle it is estimated
that 782,000 are living to-day, and that
out of this number 675,000 are on the
pension roll.
Theodore N. Vail, who has been,
plected president of the American Tel-’
ephone ft Telegraph company of Bos-
Itnn At a sAlajy of -ifIOO.OOO, has rJoon
to his present position from a farmer
boy. He was born in New Jersey 62
•years ago, and in his youth worked on
a farm in lowa.
' Judge John V. Wright, of Tennes
see, now an attorney in the general
•land office at Washington, who will
be 80 years old In June, has been con
nected with public life for a greater
than any other living Ameri
can. He is still as vigorous as a man
«>f 60 and keeps up with the things
of to-day without forgetting what has
ipassed and gone.
Prof. Todd is going to the Andes to
look at Mars from a high elevation to
gee for himself whether it is inhabited.
(Suppose it is and a scientist on Mars
jis trying to communicate with us.
(What complications will arise if in
Mara the people shake their heads
.when they mean yes and nod vigor
ously for no! Then there would be no
common starting point for the scien
tists of the two planets.
We iometimes see in the city papers
(much fun poked at the country press
for its insignificant personal items.
i“How is this from the New York Trib
une?” asks the Ohio State Journal:
‘“August Belmont w#ll dance to-night
at the Belmont clubhouse.” This
fbeats that local item in a rural con
temporary: “Last night, Billy Jones,
dressed up in his Sunday clothes, was
going somewhere —where?”
New Yorkers ate 500,000 bushels of
oysters last season. A bushel aver
ages 200 oysters, so that at least 100,-
1000.000 oysters were eat«A there be
tween September 1, 1906, and the end
,of April. These figures mean 8,300,000
“stews” or as many “fries,” if the
(oysters had been placed in, that form
ion hotel, restaurant or family tables.
jßut that would be only two meals of
joysters in a winter for every man,
jwoman and child in the greater city.
J Very few have ever seen the kaiser
ion foot, except on his yacht, the
'Hohenzollern. He always drives or
,rides. The reason for this would be
more apparent than it is were it not
that he wears very thick-soled boots.
His real heights Is five feet five
Inches, so he Is thus among Europe’s
shortest monarchs. But that is not
Ithe only reason why he appears so
seldom on foot He is partially para
lyzed down his left side, and his left
arm is almost useless. That is why
in all bis photographs his left arm
•appears limp.
Guns and swords in egg cases billed
•for Finland have been confiscated by
(the Swedish authorities, who were
(afraid they might hatch out a revolu
tion.
Ellen Terry asks that her marriage
be treated as a private affair. She
la so well established in her profes
sion that she does not need the adver
tising.
MAY BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES.
President Roosevelt Considers Putting
E. H. Harriman On the Rack.
Washington.—The question as to
whether the government will enter
prosecution against E. H. Harriman
for violation of the Sherman anti trust
law was considered at the conference
at the White House between President
Roosevelt and Franklin K. Lane, inter
state commerce commissioner.
Lane was with the President more
than an hour, and on leaving an
nounced that before July Ist legal pro
ceedings would be instituted to Com
pel Harriman to answer certain ques
tions propounded to him by members
of the commission at the recent hear
ing in New York when the Alton deal
was under investigation.
Previous to his conference with the
President. Lane conferred with Frank
B. Kellogg, special counsel ior the gov
ernment in the Harriman investiga
tions. Kellogg, it is understood, will
have a conference with the President
some time this week, and later will go
to New York to institute suit against
Harriman to compel him to answer
questions regarding the Alton transac
tion. At this conference ail the mem
bers of the commission will be pres
ent and it will be definitely decided
what action the administration is to
make in regard to the criminal prose
cution against Harriman.
The proceedings against Harriman
will be brought in the courts of the
Southern district of New York.
Whether the prosecution or the de
fense should win, the case will be ap
pealed to higher courts, and ulti
mately to the Supreme Court, of the
United States. According to opinions
already expressed by members of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, it
may be a year or more before a final
decision can be reached. For these
reasons it was announced severul
weeks that the commission d‘l not in
tend to await the result of these pro
ceedings before taking action on the
general subject of the investigation of
the Harriman lines.
Now Up to the President.
Washington.—lt will now depend on
the President what action shall be ta
ken, and when, against the anthracite
coal trust, the reports, however, being
that action of some kind may be ex
pected within two weeks. The first
substantial attack on the coal carrying
roads and their dealings with their al
lies, the coal operators, their various
and intricate methods of discrimina
tions. rebates, freezing out of inde
pendent operators, denial of car ser
vice and the whole category of viola
tions of law by the mine and railroad
combine, was made in the cace of
Hearst against this enormous combina
tion.
The Interstate Commerce Commis
sion has volumes of evidence taken
by Clarence J. Shearn, attorney on be
half of Mr. Hearst, and its general
character is well known to the pub
lic.
Arter the evidence in the case had
been brought in and filed, a great deal
(of it having been obtained only after
>& fight in the United States Supreme
Court to compel the coal barons to
•produce their contracts, which was
(deemed essential by the Interstate
(Commerce Commission to prove the
lease, Congress took hold of the subject
’and passed resolutions of inquiry into
the coal roads and their methods on
lines parallel to the proceedings in the
Hearst case.
Messrs. Todd and Simpson were ap
pointed special attorneys by Jhe Presi
dent to look into the subject of both
anthracite and bituminous coal and
the relations of the shipment of these
commodities to the railroads and the
mine owners. It is stated that the
Todd-Simpson report lias been re
ceived and that it furnished evidence
that the railroads investigated are li
able under the Sherman anti-trust law.
It is said that the attorneys went back
ten years to get data.
It is assumed here that these attor
neys, in order to complete their rec
ord, availed themselves of the United
States Supreme Court decisions in fa
vor of Mr. Hearst to examine the con
tracts of the railroads under the rail
road investigation. Because of that
investigation there was nothing to pre
vent the railroads and mine owners
from refusing to permit an examina
tion of their written records.
If action be taken under the Sher
man law’, there are alternatives of
fines or imprisonment. An enormous
aggregations of capital are involved in
these cases as defendants, and their
practices have continued over many
years, as shown in the Hearst evi
dence, the fines would run up into the
millions if the government succeeded
in convicting the corporations.
Whether individuals will be indicted is
still a mooted question in the Depart
ment of Justice, but as the form of pro
cedure has been apparently referred
to the White House, the responsibility
will lie therein in the form of action
to be taken.
Pullman Company Called On Carpet.
Denver.—The Pullman company may
be brought to book in Colorado as it
has been in Missouri. It is claimed
that an Illegal agreement and usurious
charges are maintained here and that
this is in violation of the company's
charter.
There Is a question of taxes in
volved in the matter, too, and* unless
the Pullman company squares things
with Secretary of State O’Connor be
fore July Ist of this year it may be
threatened with revocation of the char
ter under which it does business in
Colorado.
June Ist was to have been the final
day of grace, but Secretary of State
O'Connor was late in serving his no
tices and therefore the time was ex
tended to July Ist.
The successful war which has been
waged against the Standard Oil, the'
Pullman company and other predatory
corporations in Missouri and Kansas
has emboldened other long-suffering
states to rebel. Colorado is leading the
fight by beginning with the- Pullman
company, which cfc&rges the wayfarer
a young fortune for the privilege of
Bleeping in gpe of its berths.
TRAIL OF BLOOD
HARRY ORCHARD TAKEB BTAND
IN HAYWOOD CASE.
TRUTH OR PRODIGIOUS LIAR?
Confesses to Committing Wholesale
Murder at Instigation of “Inner
Circle” of Western Federation
of Miners.
Boise, Idaho. —There was a busy stir
in the court room on the morning of
June sth, and then there fell a silence
maintained for fully five minutes.
Judge, jury, bar and public waited un
til Sheriff Shad Hodgin nodded to
Senator Borah.
“Our next witness will be Harry Or
chard,” said the senator, quickly, ad
dressing the court.
Then the man who for eighteen
months has been closely guarded, al
most Incommunicado, in the Idaho Pen
itentiary, the murderer, who, repent
ing, has confessed, entered through the
side door leading to the judge’s room.
He walked with a quick, springy
step, precetfed and followed by depu
ties and detectives. They passed
through the bar inclosure out into the
audience along the outer rail, again
entering the inclosure at the center
gate. Orchard was sworn and directed
to the witness chair immediately in
front of the jury. At once every eye
was upon the remarkable man who
was there to place his own neck in the
noose and whose story as told upon the
stand reveals an almost endless chain
of fearful deeds done by him and his
fellows.
“Where do you live?” asked Mr.
Hawley.
Orchard did not seem prepared for
Just this question, and hesitated a mo
ment. Finally, in an almost inaudible
tone he said he was confined in the
State Penitentiary.
“Speak up, Mr. Orchard,” said Sena
tor Borah, “the court must hear you.”
“Are you charged with any crime?”
asked Hawley.
The prisoner turned his glance for a
moment at Haywood and then said:
“I am charged with the murder of
Frank Steunenberg and am awaiting
trial.
“I was born in Northumberland
county, Canada, in 1866, and am, there
fore, forty-one years old.” went on the
witness in answer to Hawley’s ques
tions.
“Harry Orchard is not my true name.
I have gone by that name for about
eleven years. My true name is Alfred
Horseley. I came to the United States
in. 1896, first to Spokane, where I re
mained a week. I went to Wallace,
Idaho, in March or April, 1896. I first
worked for Market Brothers, driving a
milk wagon, and remained there until
about Christmas, 1896. I then went to
a wood and coal yard in Burke, Idaho,
and was engaged in that business until
the spring of 1899, on my own account
for two years. In 1898 I sold a half
interest in the business to Mr. McAl
pine. My business in Canada was
making cheese.
Joined W. F. M. in 1899.
“I sold all my interests in the wood
yard and went to work in the mines
in March, J 899. I went to work at
‘mucking’ and continued at it for a
month. I became a member of the
Western Federation of Miners as soon
as I went to work in the mines.”
“State what unusual occurrence
there was at Burke upon the morning
of April 29, 1899,” commanded Hawley
from the witness.
“On the morning of April 29, 1899,
when I got through breakfast I was
told there was a special meeting of
the union and everybody was expected
to be present. I went to the meet
ing.
“The meeting was called to order,”
continued Orchard, “by the secretary,
who said it had been decided that day
to go to Wardner to /blow up the mill
at the Sullivan and Bunker Hill mines
and hang the superintendent.
“Arrangements had been made to
cut the wires along the railroad and
take possession of a Northern Pacific
train. At Gem we were to be joined
by the Gem union, and together we
were to proceed to Wardner. While
the secretary was telling us what was
planned by the central union, the pres
ident of our local union came in and
said he had not been informed of the
meeting. When told of the purpose he
objected to it, and there was a discus
sion. The motion to go to Wardner
was finally carried by a small major
ity. After the vote nearly every man
decided to go.
Took Plenty of Dynamite.
“Paul Cochran and six other mem
bers of the union took charge of the
train. We went to Gem and took forty
boxes of giant powder.
“There were about 1,000 men upon
the train, most of them armed. At
Wardner we were told by W. F. Davis,
who was in command, to line up. The
men with long guns were told to take
the front ranks, followed by men with
six-shooters. We were told to fire
upon the mill as we approached. This
we did and the fire was returned by
the guards. It soon developed, how
ever, that there were no men in the
mill, and we took possession. Powder
was placed at three places about the
mill and It was blown up.”
Orchard Lit One Fuse.
“Who set fire to the fuse?”
“I IL one; I don’t know who lit the
othei .*’
Or mrd said two men were killed
in the affair.
“Who was governor of the state at
this time?” asked Hawley.
“Governor Steunenberg.”
“Was his name mentioned at the
meeting you have described?”
"Yes, sir.
“Mr. Cochran said he did not be
lieve we would have any opposition
from the governor; that we had always
supported him and could control him.
He said to be careful about interfering
with the federal authorities.”
When the troops came into Idaho,
Orchard said he quit work and went to
Montana.
“Who was president of the Western
Federation of Miners at this time?”
asked Hawley.
“Edward Boyce,” replied the wit
ness.
Worked at the Vindicator.
Orchard worked for a time at Vindi
cator mine No. 1, near Bull Hill. He
left there in August, 1903, going out
in the general Btrike which was on
among the miners in the district.
Orchard remained in the vicinity for
nearly a year, during all of which time
the strike was continued.
“What were you engeged in during
that time?” asked Hawley.
“I had no regular occupation,” re
plied Orchard.
"What trouble was there at the Vin
dicator mine in which you were en
gaged?”
The defense objected and the ques.
tion was temporarily withdrawn.
"Where were the headquarters of the
federation at this time?” Mr. Hawley
asked.
"At Denver.”
“Who was president and wha was
secretary ?”
Haywood Was the Secretary.
“Charles H. Moyer was president
and W. D. Haywood was secretary,”
replied the witness.
Mr. Hawley then renewed his ques
tion as to the Vindicator mine. It was
once more objected to.
Judge Wood overruled the objection
upon the statement of the counsel for
the prosecution that Haywood would
be connected with the affair. Judge
Wood said that unless Haywood was
properly connected with the test!-,
mony as given by Orchard he would
rule it all out.
Confesses to High-Grading.
“I had been high-grading in the Vin
dicator mine,” said Orchard.
"High-grading is commonly known
as stealing high grade ore. I had some
powder in the mine,” continued Or
chard, “and reported the fact to Da
vis, President of our local. He said
he would give me S2OO to set the pow
der ofT and blow up the mine. The
union men had all been called out on
strike. I asked a companion, named
Scholtz, if he would like tu go in with
me. He said ‘all right,’ and that he
thought we were justified. We went
to the mine and took a couple of shots
at the man running the cage. He ran
away into a tunnel. We dM not find
the powder and came out of the mine
unmolested.
“In November some time W. F. Da
vis and Sherman Parker, who were in
charge of the strike, came to me and
asked if we couldn’t send a bomb into
the Vindicator mine and blow it up.
They said they would give me SSOO
for it. I went to Scholtz about it, but
he said he did not want to do it, for
they had not paid him for the last time
he went into the mine. A man named
Ackerman then said he would help
me.
Killed Two at Cripple Creek.
“I got fifty pounds of giant powder
and arranged it with giant caps which
were to be set off by the lifting of the
guard-rail as the cage passed the sev
enth level. We placed the bomb but
did not hear anything of it for about
a week, when it finally exploded. Su
perintendent Charles McCormick and
Mel Beck, a shift boss, were killed.
"The next day, however, both Davis
and Parker were arrested —the day
following the meeting at Victor. W.
B. Easterly was also arrested, but re
leased on habeas corpus. He went to
Denver and I followed him, where I
went to see Haywood and Moyer at
their offices in the Mining Exchange
building.
“I knew them only by sight prior to
this. I introduced myself and they
said they knew me by reputation.
Moyer asked me if I wanted any
money, and I said not at that time,
but later. Moyer said Easterly had
told him I had blown up the Vindicator
mine and killed McCormick and Beck.
Says Haywood Was Pleased.
“Haywood told me the blowing up of
the mine was a fine piece of work and
they were much pleased with it. I
talked to Haywood, Moyer and East
erly about the matter. They said there
would be nothing further for me but
night work for a while. Haywood said
he would have to clean those fellows
up at Cripple Creek.
“Moyer gave me S2O and Haywood
later, in Moyer’s office, paid me S3OO
for blowing up the mine.
“I returned to Cripple Creek In De
cember, 1903, and since then 1 have
not done any labor. Haywood and
Moyer both told me I could not go too
fierce to suit them —to go ahead and
blow up anything I could think of —to
get some of the soldiers if possible.
"I went to work and made a couple
of bombs with giant powder and dyna
mite. I was helped by Owney Barnes.
I turned one of the bombs over to a
man at a saloon who said he was go
ing to throw it. I don’t know what be
came of It.
“I wanted money for what I had al
read done,” continued Orchard
Parker told me that several of the boys
had been doing little things, and they
all wanted money, but it was hard to
get, because nothing big had been
pulled off. I decided to tell the rail
road people, because I wanted my
money. The next day I told D. C. Scott
of the railroad company. I told him
all knew about the matter. Scott
wanted me to come back again, and
I did see him again. Meantime the
bomb in the Vindicator had finally
gone off. Scott sent for me again and
wanted to know if I knew anything
about the explosion. I said no, that I
thought it was an accident.
"I met Moyer several times during
the trials which followed the explosion.
Moyer was attending the trials and
said he thought we ought not to do
anything while the trials were in prog
ress. A man named McKinney testi
fied at one of the trials about a liquid
which burned. Moyer, told me that we
must be careful not to use any of the
liquid soon or he might be conencted
with it.
Plot to Kill Governor Peabody.
“They wanted to know if I couldn’t
work up some scheme to assassinate
Governor Peabody of Colorado. They
said they couldn’t get justice In the
courts and the only way to get our
rights was to take the law into our
own hands. They wanted me first to
see if I couldn’t get acquainted with
Governor Peabody, his ways, etc., and
see what chance there was to assassin
ate him. I proceeded to watch him for
some time —at the capitol and at his
home on Grant avenue, three blocks
from the capitol.
“I reported to Haywood and Pettl
bone that there was a stone wall near
Peabody’s house, from behind which
he could be easily shot. Haywood said
he thought Steve Adams was the best
man he knew of for the work. I went
to Cripple Creek and saw Adams about
it. He said he was ready for it—was
ready for any old thing. 1 gave Adams
some money and came away. He said
he would come to Denver and tele
phone me in a few days. Adams fol
lowed me to Denver in three days. 1
saw Adams in the room over Petti
bone’a store and at headquarters.
"Pettibone sold house specialities, l
told Haywood and Pettibone that
Steve was coming, and they said all
right. When Steve came they gave
him some money, and Pettibone
bought Adams a new suit of clothes
and fixed him up.
“They also gave Adams and me two
sawed-off shotguns and shells loaded
with buckshot. The guns were sawed
off so we could carry them under our
coats. Pettibone gave us the guns.
He got them from federation head
quarters.
“We watched Peabody every night for
a week, but didn’t see him for a week.
We kept after him for three weeks.
One night we saw a hack come along
and turn in to his residence. We
stole up behind it with our guns- ex
pecting to see the governor get out.
Only two women alighted, however.
After this -we e were afraid to go
around there, for the women had
watched us closely that night. We de
cided then we would try to use a bomb
—digging a hole in the sidewalk and
burying it.”
“Did you talli to Haywood about
this?”
"Yes. Pettibone said all right, but
Haywood said he did not want this
done because the executive board was
in session, and he did not want any
thing to cccur for a while. We re
mained in the city, but didn’t go to
headquarters much."
“What next did you do?”
“We were to assassinate Lyte Greg
ory, a deputy sheriff who had been in
the mines. He had also been in Gold
field and was against us.”
“Did you kill him?”
“Yes. I believe I did.”
Meldrum was with Gregory at that
time. Orchard then told of running
away and hiding his gun. Next day lie
saw Haywood, Pettibone and Jack
Simpkins.
“They all expressed themselves as
well pleased with the job. They said
it was all right with them and he
wouldn’t get after them very hard, for
he thought that whoever bumped
Gregory off had done a good job.”
"Where was Moyer at this time.”
“He was in jail at Telluride.”
Orchard said Haywood. Pettibone,
Simpkins and Sherman Parker next
wanted ‘something pulled off’ in Crip
pie Creek.
"Haywood and the others said they
were having trouble In tlie convention
and there threatened to be a split up,
continued Orchard. “They thought that
if something was pulled in Cripplt
Creek the excitement would make
everything all right in the convention
and the delegates would go home. We
planned then to blow up the Independ
ence station in Colorado. I asked Steve
Adams if he wanted to help and he
said he did. I gave him I he money tc
get the powder with and we took the
powder to a cabin near the station at
( Independence preparatory to using il
the next night. The next day Sherman
Parker told nte some of the men from
' the convention were coming up to In
dependence to make an investigation ot
conditions there and he told us to not
pull the thing off until they went away
They went away Sunday morning anci
that night we placed the powder under
the station platform, attached a wire
to it and then waited for a train tc
come in. The trains brought non-union
men to Independence. We used 100
pounds of the powder.
Fourteen Men Die.
“Steve Adams and I both pulled the
string which upset several bottles ol
sulphuric acid. The acid ran over s
box of giant caps and these set the
powder off. The station was wrecked
and twelve or fourteen men were
killed.
“Then we went to Denver, coming
into the city on an electric car. In
Denver we met Haywood and Petti
bone in Jack Simpkins’ room. Kirwan.
now the acting secretary of the federa
tion, was also there. Our conversa
tion had to do with the blowing up ot
the station. Pettibone spoke first and
said he was pleased with the job.
Haywood also said it was a good thing
and that things had gone all right in
the convention. He said a lot of fe»
lows at Cripple Creek had been arrest
ed and we must lie low till they were
out.
“I remained in Denver Three or four
days. The next day Pettibone gave
me the S3OO. Adams told me he had
got S2OO.
Puts Btrychnine in Milk.
“Instead of going to the tall timber
I went straight back to Denver and
saw Pettibone and Haywood. They
told me at first I’d better get out of the
country. They also told me they had
another man working on the Peabody
affair. In the latter part of July, 1904,
Pettibone got me a railroad ticket and
gave me $l5O more and I went to San
Francisco.”
Orchard said he had been told to
look up Fred Bradley in San Francisco.
”1 finally located Bradley In Bari
Francisco,” said Orchard. “He had
been manager of the Sullivan and
Bunker Hill mine in Idaho and we
were after him. I went to his house
one morning and just after the milk
was delivered I opened one of the jars
and nut a lot of powdered strychnine
Into it. Nothing came of the poison as
far as I could learn, so I bought ten
pounds of powder—gelatine powder It
was. When purchasing the explosive
I had to give a name. I have forgot
ten what the name was. I said I lived
outside the city and wanted to blow up
some stumps. I put the powder into
a lead pipe. This I put up in my grip
with some giant caps, a sawed-off shot
gun and some other little things. I put
the bomb at Bradley’s door some time
ir. November, 1904. The bomb was ar
ranged with giant caps, chloride of
potassium and sugar being spread over
them. It was so arranged that when
Bradley opened the door a string at
tached to it would upset a bottle of
sulphuric acid.”
“What was the result cf this?”
“When Bradley opened the door the
next morning the explosion blew out
the whole front of the house and blew
him Into the street.”
At this point an early adjournment
was taken.
CUTTING DOWN PENSIONS.
Two Hundred Veterans Removed From
Pension Rolls Every Day.
Washington.—Civil War veterans
are being removed from the federal
pension rolls at the rate of nearly 200
a day.
Death is removing the veterans at
the rate of about 120 a day, but a
ruling made on March 27th is adding
50 a day to the number of removals.
This ruling removes from the rolls all
pensioners who enlisted for 90 days
and were on furlough a part of the
time, so that their terms of actual ser
vice aggregated less than the 90 days
stipulated by the service pension laws.
Most of the men affected by the re
cent ruling enlisted in the first days
of the war. Many of them so far af
fected were members of the First, Sec
ond, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
Illinois volunteers and the Fifty-sixth
Illinois, known as the "Mechanics Fus
sileers.”
The ruling is based on a clause
which declares that a soldier to be
eligible for a pension must have served
“in the Civil War” for 90 days, it be
ing held that they must have been en
gaged in actual services for that
period.
The “Mechanics Fuslleers” has been
discovered to be a regiment enlisted
primarily for the purpose of
only as skilled workmen. When
discovered that they were to receive
only the regular pay, they protested.
Because of this misunderstanding, the
War Department ordered that they be
mustered in and immediately mus
tered out again, the formalities taking
place on the same day.
fn the case of the six regiments from
Illinois, investigation has shown that
many of the men were really Confed
erate soldiers who were captured
i early in the war and held prisoners
for a time at Louisville, Kentucky,
and later at Rock Island, Illinois.
These men finally enlisted in the
Union army on an agreement that they
1 should not be sent South, but to the
! western border. The enlistment stipu
• lated that it was for “frontier service”
t and it N is held that they did not serve
90 days “in the Civil War.”
• The question involved has been
1 raised many times before, but all pre
■ vious rulings have been that the ser
r vice time was from the time of enlist
-1 ment until the time of discharge or
mustering out. The present ruling,
made by Assistant Secretary Jesse E.
Wilson and approved of by the secro
, tary of the interior, insists upon the
t full 90 days’ actual service.
The ruling, coming just at the time
of the granting of the service pensions
; under the law enacted by the recent.
] Congress, offers an opportunity to re
r examine a great number of claims, as
I not only new applicants, but old pen
r sloners. applying for the advance pro
= vided by that law must again submit
] their papers. It is these papers which
= are being pronounced defective, with
, the result that names are being
: stricken from the rolls at the rate of
3 60 a day.
: Ohio veterans of the twenty-two reg
• iments first to enlist, though not un
i der consideration when the ruling
l made, will suffer more severely thaflf
i any other remnant of the army. The
5 papers of men from all these regi
ments are being held up in great num-
I bers. The great mass of them have
( the defect of a furlough period, which
will prove fatal.
COLORADO DAY, AUGUST 1ST.
- Every Citizen of Colorado Invited to
i Help Celebrate the Great Day.
] Denver. —Colorado day. August. Ist,
will be the occasion of a great celebra
tion. Th? Sons of Colorado are plan
-5 ning an all-day affair, with a parade in
I the morning, basket picnic in the after
i noon at City park, in this city, and a
! costly fireworks display on the lake at
I night.
I The Sons expect to secure most of
the 2,000 autos registered in Denver
5 for the parade, so that they may pro
i vide seats for the pioneers and the
• Ladies’ Aid to the Pioneers.
First in order in the procession will
be the police department, then will
come the pioneers, prairie schooners
I and stages, then more autos. Volun-
I teer fire departments from other cities
will have a prominent place. The Den
; ver fire department will also be out in
i full force.
Garguilo’s famous Italian band has
• been secured for the afternoon for the
» picnic. There will be speeches by
promnent men, among them Governor
Buchtel.
; The Boons of Colorado have ap-
I (minted the following men to see that
fitting arrangements for the day
made: Wr
, Advisory committee, E. L. Scholtz,
. Philip Feldhaußer, Robert W. Steele,
Willis V. Elliott. L. F. Bartrees, R. .1.
Pitkin, Dr. D. H. Dongan and George
j Tritch.
Committee of arrangements. Clar
ence E. Hagar, chairman; Harry Ruff
! ner, secretary.
Ways, ineanß and finance, W. F. R.
Mills, chairman and treasurer: J. K.
Mullen, F. L. Bishop and M. M.
1 Schayer.
Railroads and rates, W. T. Chamber
i lain, chairman: G. E. Turner, Frank
I Joslin, H. P. Steele and Dennis W.
I Mullen.'*
s Volunteer firemen, teams and city
i fire department, Sidney Eastwood,
> Chairman; A. L. Barker, Samuel Howe,
i James Clarke and Harry Smiley.
( Press and invitations. Harry Ruffner.
i chairman; Col. R. N. Gauss. A. W.
i Steele, C. A. Lyman and W. C. Bishop,
t Park grounds and refreshments, A.
i G. Estes, chairman; J. I. Fillius, L. C.
Reitze, A. Mayer, C. E. Crowell. James
I Light and Ralph Beigel.
i Pioneers, Pioneer Ladies’ Aid Sooi
i ctles, J. M. Kuykendall, chairman; H.
i M. Rhoades, Wolfe Londoner, H. MJ
Orahood and T. P. Bontwell.
! Music, Dr. W. B. Keyt, chairman; J.
i G. Jenkins and C. F. Miller.
Speakers, F . C. Vickers, F. P. Bert
-1 Bchey and W. F. Hynes.
Decorations, P. C. Shaefer. chair*
i man; Geoorge N. Ordway, G. T. Wod
side, H. J. Bagley and William Davis.
1 Fireworks, C. W. Paradice, W. F.
Robinson, S. W. Cantril and Georg*
Mayer.
, Automobiles and parade, J. Hervey
Nichols, Jr., chairman; Dr. George H.
' Stover, Clarence Cobb, G. R. Gans. 4
Sidney Brown, Jr.. Harry C. James, % j
W. H. Shnrpley, E. S. Hussler and Fv
R. Ashley.