Rock Island Argus., December 31, 1903, LAST EDITION. 4:30 O'CLOCK., Image 1

About Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920

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LAST EDITION.
4:30 O'CLOCK.
VOL. LIII. NO. aa.
BOCK ISLAJS D. ILL., Til OESDAY, DECH3IBEK 31, 1903 TWELVE PAGES.
PRICE TWO CENTS.
T7
Air li
TTDIPTA
A
EXPLOSION
AND BLAZE
Combine to Cause An
other Panic at
Chicago.
AT LEATHER FACTORY
Man Leaps From Fourth
Story and is
Killed.
Chicago. Dec. '.'A. An explosion oc
curred today 'ii the fourth floor of
the I'nited Slates Leather company's
faeti-v. Twenty to thirty men were
at work at t he time.
Jumps From Window.
Daniel l'heian jumped into the alley
through a window" and was killed.
Another workman is reported burned
The building was soon a mass of
ilames.
SIGN TREATY WITH
ANOTHER COUNTRY
Friendly Commercial Relations Es
tablished With Kpiothia
in Africa.
libutil. French Somnliland. Dee.
Emperor Menelik suul Consul (Jph
eral Skinner today signed a treaty he
tween the United States and the em
pire of Ethiopia, opening for the first
time commercial relations.
3I0EE NEWS IE0H LIBERIA
Knowing That Ci vlli.'a ion Ha Not Ye
Penetrated to the H.n k Districts
in That Kcgion.
London. Doe. Mrs. Allen, of the
American African Gospel mission, has
sailed for New York from Liverpool on
the White Star line steamer Celtic aft
er four years" work among the Xanak
roos in Liberia. Just prior to sailing
from Liberia she witnessed severe
Iribal fighting between the allied in
habitants of the. coast tjwns and the
bushmen. Mrs. Allen's mission hotiso
was the center of the lirst conflict, and
the Xanakroo queen sought refuge
there.
Mrs. Allen refused to leave, although
advised to do so by the Liberian troops
sent from . Monrovia to support the
coast towns. During the fighting Mrs.
Allen was not molested, but she wit
nessed remarkable scenes of barbar
ism. There was no actual cannibal
ism, but the bodies of the slain bush
men were ohoppetl -up into small pieces
and the ears., heads, arms and lags
were cut off and distributed anions the
various towns as trophies of victory.
The bushmen ultimately were worsted
and returned to the interior.
Rival to "Scrupulous Coiifwience.'
St. Louis. Dec. 31. "Scrupulous
Conscience." who scattered $100,
mostly in $."( bills, anions the rail
roads and other coriKvrations as Christ
mas presents, has a rival in 'Honesty,"
who appears to have confined his gen
erosity to the Big Four. Two Utters
have been received by the latter road,
each containing 0- Front the simi
larity of the handwriting and other
features, it is thought "Scrupulous
Conscience" and "Honesty" are one
and the same person.
Woman Adjudged Insane.
Cleveland. (., Dec. 31. Miss Julia
Ricks, who some time since created a
sensation in New York by demanding
a large sum of money from Mrs. May
Harrington- Stallo, the ex-wife of Dan
It. Hanna. has been adjudged insane
by acting Probate Judge Schwab, and
committed to the state asylum for the
Insane at Newburg.
Gold Democrats Missed It.
Indianapolis, Dee. 31. Having cap
tured the city organization and secured
the election of their mayoralty candi
date, the gold Democrats of this city
and county tried to get control of the
congressional district, but were badly
beaten. Joseph T. Fanning, the pres
ent district chairman, was re-elected.
Hard on the Mother and Father.
'Mulliken, Mich., Dec. 31. The re
mains of L. Baldwins, wife and son,
arrived here and were met by the sev
eral orders to which they belonged.
The mother and father of the lald
wins are nearly prostrated. It Is feared
iha otlier .will not survive the ; hock.
TUMULTOUSCROWD
At Meeting of Panama Canal
Company at Paris
Yesterday.
FEW OPPOSED INDORSEMENT
Vote on the (Question was J2;iO for
and 1U
Against.
Farls. Dec. 31. Owing to the recent
events at Panama the annual meet
ing of the Panama Canal company de
veloped unusual interest and excite
ment. Prior to the opening efforts
were made to secure enough proxies
to overrule the existing management
of the company, which Is favorable to
the sale of the company's property to
the United States. The meeting took
place in the Hall of Agriculture, which
was crowded with officials, stockhold
ers and prominent financiers. At the.
opening of the meeting the manage
ment Mibmittcd a report of the recent
events on the isthmus and the course
taken by the compaBy.
They Wait on Our Senate.
The report set forth that the repub
lic of Panama today exercises sover
eignty over the isthmus, displacing Co
lombia's former sovereignty: that the
United States France, Russia, Great
Britain, Germany and other countries
had recognized Panama's supremacy,
and added: "In view of the accom
plished fact, and in face of superior
force, we can only maintain and con
tinue the existing engagements with
the United States." The report also ex
plained that the fact that the United
States senate had not ratified the
treaty with I 'ana ma deferred the ex
ecution of the company's engagements
with the United States.
Threatened the Company's Kights.
"It is under these circumstances."
the report continued, "that we convoke
you to give to our agreement with the
United States your definitive approv
al." The report further disclosed Co
lombia's recent vain efforts to induce
the company to continue dealing with
the old government of the isthmus,
saying: "Prior to the Panama uin-is-ing
the committee of the Colombian
congress recommended action which
would have extinguished the com
pany's rights. It proposed to insert an
item of $1.hkuhk in the Colombian
budget to reimburse the company for
its losses. The agent of the company
at Bogota resisted, and the French
government gave assurances that it
would do all possible to prevent the
sacrifice of French property and in
terests." COroMKIA OPPOSED A TUANSFEIt
Our Position Approved by Pretty Nearly
the Whole Vote.
The report then stated that "follow
ing the Panama outbreak Colombia
notified the company. Nov. 1!8, that it
would maintain the company's rights,
but would opMse the transfer of the
concession to any government what
ever. On Dec. 3 Colombia's ageut
here, M. Samier, notified the company
that while Colombia was ready loyal
ly to uphold the company's rights yet
if the company entered into relations
with the separatist government or
transferred its rights to another gov
ernment Colombia would construe such
action as a voluntary abandonment of
the concession, which would thereupon
lapse. The company replied Dee. 5
that it recognized the existing condi
tions on the isthmus and that if Co
lombia resumed jiossession of the isth
mus the company would be glad to
resume relations with Colombia."
During Secretary Lampres rending
of the report the disaffected element
hooted and cat-called, causing much
disorder. The speech of M. Groton. a
representative of the old company, was
also hooted. Finally a resolution was
adopted approving the accounts and
the report of the management, the
vote was JVJr.I) in favor of it to 11!)
against, showing the insignificance of
the opposition to the I'nited States.
The question of approving the sale
of the company's property to the Unit
ed States did not come up formally be
fore the meeting and was iostponed
to a subsequent meeting, but the over
whelming vote siistalning the man
agers is considered to be decisive.
ntniimi and Two ChililJea Scorched.
Galien, Mich.. Dec. 31. The dwell
ing house of William Morley burned
with contents. Mrs. Morley and two
children were badly burned, but will
recover.
Kx-Ka Rail Player Killed.
Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 31. Dennis
Teahy. for several years a player in
the Virginia League and at one time a
member of the Cincinnati team. wa
shot and killed here by Frank Ragan.
Hasan was arrested.
Horror at Iroauois
DEADP
Morgues Filled With Disfigured Corpses Which Attempts to
Identify are Vain Coroner Prepares to Investi
gate Cause of the Fire.
Chicago, Dec. The latest estimate of the de-ad as a result of v e-stcrda v "s calamity in tin Iroquois theatre
is .-'!. If is stated at hospitals and hotels, to which the in.jnved were removed, that 1.17 people were injured,
probably a third of whom cannot live. The number of missing is placed at .'114. but it is e-xpected many of these
will be accounted fer. Daylight foun 1 the morgues still the sorrow-haunted centers of many sea rchers. There
were husbands searching for wives, wies for husbands, fre-nzied parents for children, so many of whom lost
their lives, and in some instance's wide-eyed children, still elated from the horror ef their experience, groped dis
tressed ly about in search of father or mother.
CORONER PREPARES TO INVESTIGATE.
P.y order ef Coroner Traeger. the theatre charnel-house was today placed under a light police guard. N
person could enter without a written order from Chief of Police O'Xeil. who was instrue-te.l to keep the thea
tre building in the exact condition in which it was left by the sweep of the fianu-s. De'tails of police ami fire
men made a thorough search of tin basement this morning. Iiut no bodies were found.
FIFTY-SEVEN UNIDENTIFIED GIRLS.
Chicago, Dec. .'51. A list of descriptions of unident ifieil dead girls was compiled today in the oflice of Chief of
Police O'Neill. The ages of the victims ranged from (I to years. The number of unident itied girls ti ihe list
was .17. For seeral of the girls the sole means ef ident iticat ion given was color, bits of shoe- laces, ami that
was generally mentioned as black. Others are scheduled as "burned -beyond description; no age."
OTHER THEATRE DISAS
TERS. In the I'nited States.
Ilrooklyn theatre. Dee. .1, s7G,
-.".tT dead.
Central theatre. Philadelphia.
April L's, 1.;):,'. dead.
Front Street theatre, Balti
more, De-c. 1 '.(., elead.
Iroepicis t hea t re. Chicago, Dee.
::, l'.to::, .ilm) dead.
Iu Foreien Countries.
Lehman's theatre, St. Peters
burg. ls;;t. 700 dead.
Cnrlsruhe theatre. St. Peters
burg. 147. MOO dead.
Uing theatre, Vienna. Dec. s.
is M, 875 dead.
L'.etr theatre. England. Sept.
o, 1SS7. ,()() dead.
F.anqtiet theatre, Oporto, Meh.
Ml. 1SSS, 2(10 dead.
Opera Comifiie, Paris. May M.I.
lss.7, 7.1 dead.
Chicago. Dec. 31. With ihe an
nouncement that one jury of repre
sentative citizens would listen to all
the evidence regarding the fire and
find a single verdict for all the vic
tims. Coroner Trae'ger today promptly
impaneled a jury. The deaths of Wil
liam M. Iloyt's daughter, .Mrs. F. Mor
ton Fox, and her 1hree children, will
be taken as a basis for investigation.
"If any persons are responsible for
this fire," said the coroner, "they will
be prosecuted to the fullest extent ef
the law. W"e will leave no stone un
turned in our efforts to fix the respon
sibility." 12O0 In House.
The house was crowded. 1,M00 per
sons, it is estimated, mostly women
and children, being prsent to witness
a peifernia nee of "Blue Beard." which
has been running there since the open
ing. The fire broke out in the flies tf the
stage, presumably from a elefect in the
electrical display. In an instant tht
draperies and flimsy stage settings hao
burst into flames. The actors and
actresses' ran wildly about fhe staje.
as the audience fought and jamme d ita
way to the front doors. ' In a short
apparently a mass of flames, and smotet
was issuing in clouds from the front
of the house. A dozen women and a
number cf men with faces and hands
fearfully burned were soon taken into
a neighboring, drug store, where the
worst injured were? hastily attended
to. ;
Women and Children In the Hush.
Women and children were piling out
of the doors, but the flames apparent
ly gained rapidly, and it was a cou
time the Interior, .of .JJie ,theater .was
rheatre G
Are Ascertained.
siderable time before a large number
of the people could leave the building.
Meanwhile special calls and a gener
al alarm had summoned an extraordin
ary number of tire cugincs.
FI K.ST FIFTV TAKEN OCT
Or Them Thirty Were I)eud, a.id Nearly
All Young People.
The chief of the city lire department,
Marshal Mushain. who li.id '-ailed a
lire trial lioard to hear the cases of
six delinquent, .iromen. left the board
room hastily at the first cell and took
personal charge at the tire. In an
hour after the tire broke out fifty
bodies had been carried from the the
alcr into Thompson's restaurant, one
door cast. Of these fully thirty were
dead, a number was showing faint
signs of life, and it was impossible to
tell at lirst glance whether about one
dozen of them were dead or alive.
There were mo.-tly the bodies of young
women under -0 years of age, and
children from S to 1J. The bodies were
placed on the floor, oh chairs, tables
and one young woman in dripping gar
ments was stretched along fhe cigar
case.
All the large dry goods stores of the
city, which are situated with two
squares of the theater Fields", Man
dels', Carson. PirieCcott & Co.. Schles
uxger &. Mayer and the P.ostou store
as soon as they heard of the emer
gency, sent wagon load after wagon
load of blankets, linen, and cotton for
bandages. All of their teams were
pli-ccd at the disposal of the authori
ties, and were utilized in conveying
the wounded to hospitals or to the of
lices of nearby physicians. Within lif
tecii minutes after the tire broke out
fully fifty physicians were ou the
scene, and trained nurses seemed to
spring from the grouiid, so rapidly did
they appear. '
Disbop Muldemn, with a prayer upon
his- lips, with his coat off, workcil
among the injured and dying inside of
the I Ilea tor. HeAvas passing tlietheatcr
when the panic started and rushed in
to le'iid a helping hand. He cbmbeil
into the gallery and fhe re directed the
work of rescue. F4rejuieu and iolice
mcu rushed upou liim?1o get him out,
but he remained among the suffering
while the smoke ami flames came
closer to him. At the top of his voice
he begged the people to put their trust
in God and to calm themselves. ,
The sight of the bishop gave cour
age to many while the Roman Catho
lics who were injured received sacra
ments from him upon the scene. It
was not until after he had been, as
sured that all theJnjured were taken
out and that there?ere no living peo
pic in the place thiir he consented to
be takin out. Sheriff Barrett, who
saw Itishop Mtddoon taking off his
coat and going Into the theater to help
the rescue work, followed in his steps.
The tireuaeit, uul police. after the ijrst
Facts
rons as
PJI
n
MPT
111 lit I
rtisn was over. tritd tf get the pre
late to leave, but he would not.
SCENES IJKYOMI DESCKIPTIOV
Horror of the Catastrophe Never He fore
Wiiiecd ly Old Ot'rierH.
Scenes during the progress of the
fire were beyond description by the
t-pectators. Old lMilicemon said they
had never witnessed anything to eepial
the horror of the disaster. Podies
were found sitting straight up in the
seats where persens had fainted from
fright and then sufl'ocate-d by smoke
ami gases. In another part of the bal
cony where the blaze had been blown
upward and back one little girl was
found dead. Her hair had bcn burned
off and her face badly scorched by
the ilames. In her lap lay a fur muff
unharmed by the Ilames which had
swept over and around the upper part
of lur body. Some had fallen back
in tlie'ir seats in utter collapse and met
tlieir fate.
Charles H. Taylor, a janitor, was
washing winelows in the University
building, directly across the area way
where the tlieater fire jese-aj.o was lo
cated. He describes a terrible scene.
Immediately after the cry of tire was
raised, he said, a score-or more men.
women and children clambereel on to
the platform ef the lire escape, eaeh
crushing the either in the mad flight
to elinib to a plaee of safety. The
terrible crush prevented any from ele
scending. While the heartrending ap
peals for help ro-se high above tin din
inside the theater, and while the aw
ful fight for mastery was going on
on the small iron platform, two huge
iron doors, which up to that time had
held the flame's inside, burst open and
a wave of tire swept upon- the mass of
uunianity.
With shrieks, mingled with curses
ami pleadings, the twenty or metre
were swept from fhe platform. One
woman nearest the outside fell heael
long to the pavement, alighting upon
her head. In a moment a pile of hu
man beings was heaped upon her. Tay
lor says he lxdieves all in that te rrible
crush were killed.
LET I S HOPE IT IS FAI.SK
ICeport That the Striking I.itery Driver
Itefiincd Their Help.
According to W. D Moone. who
agreed to send all his carriages for
relief of the fire sufferers, the livery
drivers flatly refused to elrive them to
the theater to help in the work. Fred
erick W. Job telephoned to Moone. pro
prietor of a livery stable'at I'o-Jl Wa
bash avenue, asking that he senel his
carriages. Moone assented and later
went to the uniou headquarters, tolel
the drivers congregated there that he
had donated his rigs and asked them
to man them. He said that they em
phatically refused to do so.
ESCAPE. OF ACTOR EOOIE FOY
Telia How the Fire Started and the Ait
beMtots Curtain Failed.
"Eddie" Foy said .after his escape:
"The tire began in the middle of the
eccond act. It was when the inoein
light scene was on. An elec tric wire
broke ajid was grounded, and from
Continued on Page Six.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Theme, at Meeting of State
Teachers' Association at
Springfield.
PRESIDENTS DO THE TALKING
Draper Favors Admlting Students to
Colleges on Cer
tificates. Spingiield. 111., Dec. 151. Pre'sicbnts
cf the Illinois universities addressed
the H.oifo teache'is attending the morn
ing meeting of the Illinois Te-Jciiers'
association. President A. S. Draper, of
the University of Illinois; President H.
J. .lames, of Northwestern university,
Evanston, and President A. li. Taylor,
of James Millikin university. Decatur,
were the speakers, and the general tep
ic was "Problems iu Higher Educa
tion." President Darper pleased the
te-achers with the announcement that
he favored the admission of students
to the university on certincaes from
schools on the accredited list without
examination. even if the policy is con
trary to that of eastern colleges.
i,t Lone Time to Complete.
lleginiiiiig wit ii' the- kindi-Vgarten
autl finishing with a complete univer
sity education will kee-p a student at
his sir.dics until he is past "Jd years of
ige." said Dr. Drape-r. "That is too
long a time to spend iu school: but if
.my curtailment is to be made in the
i.-ourse it mut be at the top. in the col
leges. and not iu the elementary school
ing." In closing President Draper said:
"College athle'tics as conilucted loelay
really make some- ejf the biggest uni
versities in the eee.intry."
President Janie-s in his address ad
vocated establishing in Washington a
national university to be suppen'led by
the federal government. In speak
ing of tin relation of religion to educa
tion, he asserteeL tha' the clergy of no
church, in his mind, is or has lteen
cjualiticd to educate children as they
should be educated.
ADMITS HE SWORE
TO A FALSEHOOD
More Iniquity iu Grand
Water Deal Re
vealed. Rapids
(.rand Kapi.is. Mich.. Dec. J.
P.oyel Pantlind. proprietor e.f the Mor
ton House, e.f this city, gave what the
prosecution regards as damaging tes
timony against William E. McKnight
and ex-State Senator George II. Nich
ols, of Ionia, when their examination
in the police court on the charge of
subornation of perjury was resumeel.
Pantlind testilied that during the brib
ery trial of l.ant K. Salsbury. ex-city
attorney, during which the alh'ged of
fense was committcel, he gave to Mc
Knight the key to a private par'or in
tin Morton House-.
The prosecution is endeavoring to
show that an attempt was nude in
this parlor to bribe Witness Carman,
who was expected to furnish the peo
ple's strongest testimony at the Sals
bury trial. Tic evidence regarding a
key to a parlor in the Mortem House
was in direct contradiction te that
given at an earlier session of the Me--Knight
and Nichols examination. Pant
lind stating that he swore falsely pre
viously because of friendship for Mc
Knight. Ha She Keen Kidnaped?
Meridian. Miss.. Dec. .'51. No trace
ha been found of Miss Ethel Itovclle.
the missing heiress who disappeared
from Meridian a week ago. Her rela
tives both here and in P.irniingham
now fear that she has been kidnaped
ami is. being held for ransom. It has
been learned that Miss Kovelle had
been sliadowed by unknown praties
ever sine-i it became known that she
had become an heiress.
Keview of M Union Work.
P.ostou. Den. :51. The ninety-third
annual report of the American board of
commissioners for foreign missions is
largely a review of the work which
missionaries in loreign countries have
accewnplislicd. The missionaries in
Euro) ean Turkey, the report says,
maintained a neutral attitude, not rak
ing part in the political agitations eith
er in Macedemia er Bulgaria.
Itichard Smith Widow Head.
Indianapolis, Dec. 31. Word is re
ceived here that Mrs. Emma Smith, ('.
years old. widow of Richard Smith,
former editor of the Cincinnati Coin-mercial-Gazette,
is elead of heart trou
ble in Cincinnati. She leaves three
daughters and one son, Richard, of In
dianapolis. The daughters are Mary,
Laura anel Mrs. Andrews of Yokoha
ma, Japan.
, Great men are the commissioned
jmides of mankind, who rule their fel
lows because they arc wiser. Carlyie.
SADNESS m
TR1-CITIES
Victims of Iroquois
Fire From
Here.
MRS. HART INJURED
Davenport Man Killed
Several Lose
Relatives.
There re heartaches among
ft
Kock Island people haxing relathes
and friends iu Chicago last night when
the news of the appalling tragedy at
the Iroquois theatre was e-hroiiieded
through The Argus and later by witi
deiw bulletins.
Scarcely a day passes that a number
of persons e!o not go from here 1e
Chie-ago. and it was not until ihe
morning pape'is brought the list of
the elead. injured and missing that the
anxious ones here we re given facts
e ncerning those near to ihem.
Mr. E. C. Hart SeriouHly Injured.
Mrs. Nellie Mart, wife of Emerson.
C. Hart. 1(11(1 Twenty-tirst stre'et. was
amoi;g the seriouslv injured. The was
ltmoed In the Home hospital. She
attended the theatre in e-ompany with
her cousin. Mis. Freel Smith, who was
killed. Mr. Hart, accompanied by II.
P.. Hubbard, left at noun for Chicago.
Several ti'legrams were ivceived b
Mr. Ilari l.efore his departure, but he
was unable to gain the real extent eif
his w il'e's injuries.
.Mother and Sinter Period.
Me.rt Freer. wire e-hief for the Cen
tral Union Telephone company, wa
also a passenger on the- noon Koek
Island train, going in rspoii to the
list ressiug a ii ihiii m-eiueul that his
mother. Mrs. Frank A. Free-r. wife ef
the postmaster at GaTcsburg. and his
sisler. Mrs. Henry, had perished in the
tire. ("apt. Freer, who is well-known
he-re. left Gaie.-hurg lasl night for
Chicago.
Sister and Coim'u Dead.
Ili.'ma l!erry. a siste-r. and a cousin
of F. E. I!crr. a traveling salesman
for Hart eX: Halm-en e-uiuany. are
among the dead. Mr. lierry rieeid
the sad news here this morning and
left for Chicago at noon.
Miss Delia Stoddard and her brother
Donald, of Mineink. III., who we're ie
st roye'd in the Iroejuois the-atre. were
children i f a sister f Mrs. W. S. Mar
quis. f this city. They had been vis
iting in ( hie-ago. Miss St odda rd had
many ae-ipia in t a iu-cs in liock Island.
vhere she visited her aunt occasion
ally. Mrs. Marepiis left today for
Minonk.
MIhn Plamondon Hurt Silently.
Miss Charlotte Plamondon. a nie'e-e
of l!cv. Father Mackin. pastor of St.
,l;seph"s e-hurch. who visited here elur
ing the summer, was in a box in the
lower tier when tin tire- broke out. and
was injure)! slightly in tin crush for
the main exit. She tells one of the most
graphic of the stories printed in the
Chie-ago pape-is about tin panic in the
playhouse.
Haven port lvtlm.
I). C. .lames, of Davenport, was to
day identified among the dead. He
was a traveling salesman, and his
luiine was in the Andresen flats on
West Third street.
IOWA GETS TWO TROPHIES
IN COLLEGE COMPETITION
Chicago, Dee. The Spoor trophy
was today awarded to the Iowa State?
Agricultural colleges comiieting. The
standing of Iowa was first. Ohio sec
e ml. Minnesota thin!. Kansas fourth.
In the students contest as individuals
for the (lay Sanders specials. C. X.
Howard, of Iowa, was first.
Klee Coeker Plaj Ha vex-.
Quincy. 111.. Dec. 31. By an ex
plosion of a rie-e cooker in the main
building of the Hick Brewing com
pany the building was almost com
pletely wrecked. Parts of machinery,
brick work ami girders were hurled
100 feet or more. I.eo J. vioorres. a.
watchma. was the only person in the
building at the time, and was badly,
hurt, but will live. Loss, $(J0.0X).
The StreaKR-le.
An athlete is not made in an hour,
and the giant oak is only a specimen
of endurance after its hardy conflict
with the elements. So it is with the
character of a man and of a woman.
It Is the struggle of the yars that
makes the heart heroic. Schoolmaster