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OL XIV NO 11 AVATERBURY, CONN, TUESDAY, T)ECE3rBER 18, 1900. PRICE TWO CENTS. WRECK OF ALPHA News Just Brought in Says it Was a Bad One. PLUCK OF ONE OF THE CREW. Saved' the Lives of Thirty-four of the Crew The Captain Was Drowned The Ship Was Valued at $40,000 and Had On a Cargo of Salt and Coal. Vancouver, 15. C Dee IS. News of ihe worst marine disaster of llie sea Eon iu British Colombia waters lias been brought here by the steamer Czar from Union bay. on the east side er .Vancouver island. The famous steam er Alpha, whose unauthorized trip to Cape Nome last May brought her into trouble with ihe treasury department Washington was wrecked on a reel." neat the entrance to Union bay. a:;d not a vestige of the steamer remains. Her managing owner, captain, pur ser, two engineers two able seamen and a stowaway were drowned, and the rest of the crew of thirty-four were saved by the pluck of an un known member of the ship's crew, who gwani in a raging sea from the wrec to a lighthouse with a line around IPs waist. Drowned : Samuel Barboe, of Vancouver, man aging owner. "Captain F. X. Yorke, Victoria, mas ter Engineer Dunn Victoria. Second Assistant Engineer Murray, .Vmcouver. H. I.. Whit.?, purser. Vancouver. Crosby, able seaman. Sullivan able seaman. Stcwawav. name unknown. The ship Alpha was valued at !?!5. "X0. Her cargo eomnriscd 750 tons of salt, salmon and 3m tuns of coal consigned to Yokohama and value 1 at fcS i.ooo. The total insurance on the shin and her cargo was !ro.0ii0. li is two weeks since the Alpha, tirst started from Vancouver for Japan. Alter she had been four days eit slit returned to Victoria partly i". Rallied and accusations of tampering with her engines were made. Seme of the crpv and several of the olticers left the steamer declaring that she had been improperly loaded and one of the u ra cers was tried and sentenced to six weeks" imprisonment for desertion. Last Saturday the Alpha left Victoria for Union, to replenish her eoal supply. A Urritic gale was raging and !aie Sunday night the s Learner ran on a rock at Baynes Sound at the entrance to Union bay. She was quickly dashed 1 pieces and all would have perished had not one of the cri w made the d;.'s 1 erate am! successful effort to swim with a line to the lighthouse on Yel low island. In the raging sea only part of those on the ill-fated ship niau aged to reach safety the officers and owner remaining on board and fad ing to reach the rock. The twenty lie survivors remained on Yellow is land, which is a rock 2C0 yards wide, until Sunday night, when the sea mod. praurt somewhat p.nrl a sloop was fible ot call and ake them to Union. But the storm which had wrecked the ship had also prostrated all wires ami so i:o tidings of the shipwreck readied the outside world until the little steamer Czar brought this story to aVneouver last night. The Alpha gained notoriety last spring, when as a Canadian ship she landed freight and pasesngers at Nome in dtfianee of the instructions of the tiasury department, and, it Is said, r.gainst the advice of the British em bassy at Washington as well. Sue was chased on her return trip from Nome by a United States revtnu cut ter, but managed to shew her pursuer a clean pair of heels. Sinpe that ex citing experience- the Alpha has been enensed in the British coaling trade, until she started on her present disas trous trip. WRECKED FISHING SCHOONER. The Crew Stuck To Her Although Everything Was Swept Away. St .Toiius. N. P.. Dec IS. Tiie Allan lino steamer, Corean, Captaiu Stewart, which sailed from Philadelphia. De cember 12 for this port and Glasgow, and which arrived hero last sight, re ports that while off Sable Island, Saturday,- she sighted the Gloueuester, Mass fisherman Anglo-Saxon, with a crew of fourteen men. flying a signal of distress. She had been dismasted In Wednesday's hurricane and had lost spars, sails, rigging, deck gear, dories, water cask and everything movable. The Anglo-Saxon was on her beam enila for six hours and every particle, of provisions on board of her was spoiled. The crew had been without food or shelter for forty -eight hours when sighteel by the steamer. The Corean supplied stores sufficient to last for ten days autl the requisites ne uessary to enable the Anglo-Saxon to rig up a jury mast and make for some port on the Atlantic seaboard, her t-rew having decided to stick to their 3hip. The Anglo-Saxon hails' from lilouster, Mass. She Is of 104 tons gross, and was built in 1899," at Essex, Mass. DEATH OF CADET BOOZ. Being Inquired Into By ' a Court of .' ' . Inquiry. West Point, X. Y., Dec IS The military court of inquiry, appointed by the secretary of war to investigate the charges or hazing at the military academy two years ago, will arrive here at 1 o'clock this afternoon to . continue the Investigation which was begun at Bristol, Pa, yesterday. - Jnst what scope the investigation .will cover or the length of time the sourtvwillTemain in session here can Dot be ascertained until after the ar rival of the officers. - So far the evidence heard by- the ;onrt was given by relatives and friends of the former cadet Oscar L-. Booz. who, it is alleged, died . two weeks ago from the effects of hazing and brutal treatment while he was at the academy here two years ago." ANOTHER BANK ROBBED. Nitro-Glycerine Used to Blow Open the Vaults. Hope Ind, Dec 18. Kennedy's bank was burglarized early to-day Ly three men who destroyed the vault with a heavy charge of nitro-glyceriue and secured, it is said. $15,001. So quietly was the job done that Ihe robbers securd their plumler ami were entring a carriage, which they had iu waiting in,a elarkeneel part of the main street on which the bank was locat ed when their, actions were observed by the operator in charge of the tele phone exchange. The alarm was quick ly spread and a posse of c:ti?.cns began at once to scour the surrounding coun try. No trae-o of the robbers has yet be-e n found. ARRANGEMENTS FOR RACE. Yale's Secouel Crew Will Race in Southern Waters. New Haven. Conn, Dec IS. Man ager A. II. Richardson of the Yale uni versity crew and Manager Fisher ot the Annapolis naval cadet crew, have conclueled their negotiations for a third aunual race in seiuthern wafers between the second crew ef Yale and an eight representing the middies in the- United States naval academy. The race is set for May 11. but the hour of the day and place is not set tled. It will depend on weather con ditions prevailing. It will, however, be either on the James liver or the Severn. The Yale crew will be selected rath er earlier iu the season than usual ow ing to a desire on the part of Captain Blagden to induce crew work. The men to compose the eight, will be the first substitutes. The univt rsity gymnasium is being refitted with the tanks used for early practice, and the new candidates will bo called cut soon after January 10. Head Conch Allen will not assume' charge until the preliminary weeding out work lias been finished. KILLED II IS WIFE. The Murderer Then Turned the Pistol and Took His Own Life. Hunting. Petiu. December IS. A. C. Metztier, of Newark, shot ami killed his wife this morning ana then com mitted suicide with the s:-.iue- weapon. The shooting took place at a hotel in Hopewell, in Bedford county. Mrs Metzger was the leading lady of the Davidson Comedy company and way playing in Hopewell. Last night sin was escorted from the theater to her hotel by Manager Davidson. Her i:. bantl. from whom sht hael been sepa a rated for some -time, had previously concealed himself iu her room. Soop after her entrance with Davidson, he emerged from his hiding place and shot his wife down. He- then ended his own life with a bullet iu the brain, falling dead across his wife's lifeless body. CLEVELAND LIKES IT. Says Ex-President. Harrison's Speech Is The Best Yet. Princeton. Dec IS. Former Presi dent G rover Cleveland was asked by the Associated Press representative if he hael seen Mr Harrison's speech at. Ann Harbor. Mr Clevelanel replied: "I saw a synopsis of it in the papers and regard it as tiie best argument: yet made on the subject which if dis cusses. It seems to me that for those who elesire to acquaint themselves with precise cjuestions involved and what territorial expansion means to our republic-, and what it threatens, a better means of enlightenment can not be offered than Mr Harrison has furnished. SICK SOLDIERS RETURNING. Over One Thousand Men On Their Way From Philippines. San Francisco, Dee IS. Within a few days over 1.000 sick soldiers will be on their way home from the Philip pines. The transports Grant and Sherman are now en route with 050 men and the Sherielan is sehetluled to leave on December 22 with 000 more. The convalescents will be mustered out as soon as possible after thoy ar rive and if the SOT available beds at the Presielio hospital become over crowded a tented annex will be built to accommodate the overflow. SHUTS DOWN ON FIGHT?. Chicago, Dec IS. There will be no more prize lights held in Chicago un less Mayor Carter Harrison shall veto an anti-light resolution almost unani mously adopted by the council last flight. The unsatisfactory ending to the Gans-McGovern contest at Tatter sails last Thursday night stirred up such feeling that the council deeieled all pugilistic encounters should be pro hibited in the future. 31aaf Election Protest. HALIFAX, Dec. IS. The political parties in Canada seem determined to fight the recent" Dominion campaign over vgain through the medium of the courts. Pour more elections in Nova Scotia were protested yesterday, making ten in this provuice alone. All the elections Prineo. Edward Island are protested, among them one against Hon. L. H. Da- vies, minister of marine. President to Be at Lnnncliins. WASHINGTON, Dec. 18. President Scott of the Union Iron - works, Sun Francisco, the builders of the new bat tleship Ohio, saw the president Tester day and received hi3 assurance that if nothing occurred to prevent he would go to San Francisco some time next May to witness the launching ot the big vessel. The exact date has not yet been decided upon. , ' s A Kw Flag For Speaker's Desk, WASHINGTON, Dec. IS. A new silk American flog was placed on tho speak er's rostrum in the house yesterday. The old flag, which has been there since 1SS2, had ojily 38 stars in it. The new one has a star for each state. " Indian Appropriations. WASHINGTON. Dec. IS. The Indian appropriation bill has been completed by the house committee on Indian affairs. It carries something over $9,000,000, the exact aggregate sot yet heics determined. mm The Consolidation Movement is Merrily Booming-. Very Little Known Y'et As To The Real Merit of The Bill Now Being Prepareel Another Meeting Was Held Last Evening How To Handle Suborelinates Seems To Be- The Great Stumbling Block The consolidation committee he hi a meeting last night and discussed the lites and cons of the draft of the bill which will soon be presented to the aldermen. It is not known whether the committee is a unit upon what is being done or not. but juelging from ' what i-; being said o nth... outside it is j hard to st'e how they can be. for it is j said that the Townspeople are to bo made full Hedged citizens without pay ing any mure taxes than usual. If llim be true the city Is thinking of doing something like the I!'--;;! wiio had his nose chopped off to spite his face. The end sought, it seems, is to get riel of tile S: led men. no matter what sacri fices have to be made to do if. The residents of the town school elistricts will vote at city elections and will be o:t eeiua! fooling with those inside tln old city lines so far as representation is cone jrned. but they will be excused from paying city taxes. Of course they will not be entltleel to public im provements from city funds unless they j can muster up strength enough to get it in the same manner as it was snatched lor the people in the new city lines at tiie meeting of the aleler men last night, but they imiy be trust ed to look out for that part of the ante ihetiisclves. The- town school districts will remain :is 1 lie-y are at present until such time as they vote to come into the city, a move which they are ftot likely to make during the lifetime of any one living to-elay. that i provided they can get representation l the city boards and a little assist ance now aud men irom tneir ne'gn- bors. When the city folks consider what they have to face in the matter of expenses for sewage disposal, which iney can get an uiea ot by reaumg Rudolph Hering's report in to-day's Democrat. $1 SO .000 or more for an ael- ditional water supply, a bond issue of a quarter of a million dollars to meet the Heating mdebteduess ot the center school district, together with the regu lar expanses of the several depart ments, which is constantly on the in crease, they will be able to appreciate the wisdom of those who have fled to the rural districts and made up their minds to siav there and let the fellows on the inside bear the burdens of city taxation. The aspiring politician, who is feathering his own nest by further ing the passage of any kind cf legisla tion that promises to give him a lease' of office, is all right, but what about the great army of citizens, republicans as well as democrats, who never real ized a penny out of a public office and who do not look. for any revenue trout that source? Thes people should take a business view of th? question and see to it that consolidation tloes not come without an equitable, adjustment of the matter of taxation, for heavens knows every man has enouth to elo to meet his legitimate demands without shouldering burdens that should be borne bv others. ST JOSEPH'S HOME. Has Been Newly Painted and Fitted Up. Workmen have been engaged for a week or more in beautifying the in terior and exterior of the Sj: Joseph's club house on East Main street, by making repairs, alterations, .etc. re painting the wood work and re-papering the Walls, anel it is safe to say that when the repairs are completed the St Joseph's society will have as oo;ey a suite of club rooms as one could ele sire. The exterior of the house is now resplendent with a new coat of olive green with white trimmings, thus ef fect' ng a vast improvement to the building and i!s surroundings. The fence will in a short time receive a fresh coat of dark jrreen so as to be in harmony with the other improve ments. Within, as one enters the library, he at once perceives the changes that the brush of a skilleel painter can effect. All the wooel work has been repainted of an olive color. As one leaves the library and enters into the little room off It." formerly known as the commit tee room, he perceives a vast change. Instead of a little roomjie sees rather a large room. The partition between the two committee rooms has been torn down and the two rooms made iuto one and henceforth will be known as the blue room from the predominat ing color cf the handsome paper which adorns the ceiling and side walls. Two new pretty carps ts have been pur chased for this room and the library. Leaving ihe blue room we find our selves in thf reel room, which also re ceives its cognomen from the beautiful paper. This is the room where the members gather to, amuse themselves by playing cards, checkers or other games. Some line new furniture con sisting of tabies and chairs will elo ser vice in th's room and the committee room in ihe future. The wood work of this room, aa that of the sitting room, has been made beautiful with a fresh coat of olive. The chandeliers throughout the building have been cleaned and reburni'shed. new curtains have b' eu bought for all the rooms aud everything possible has been done to make the rooms as. cosy. as com fortable, as cheerful and as beautiful as possible. The members of the so cietv feel proud and justly so of the pretty home which they possess. ELK POINT FIRE. , Sioux City, la, Dec IS. Fire nt Elk Point, S. D., to-day destroyed the en tire business portion of the, town, in eluding a loss estimated at lof,000. CONSIDERING THE TREATY. Washington, Dec 18. The senatj nt half past twelve to-day went into ex ecutive session for the further consid eration of the Hay-Pauncefote-trev.y.' LANDLORD AND, TENANT. West End Men Have a Slight Differ ence As to Making Repairs. An actual illustration of the expres sion "frozen out" was given on West Main street yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock. The scene was the cobbling shop next eloor to Michael Igo's saloon and the actors were Igo aiul F. W. Adams, the cobbler. The shop is a part, of the building occupied by the saloon and the whole is rented by lgo, vlio sub-rents the shop to Adams. Ful some time there appears to have been considerable content ion between the cobbler aud the saloon keeper over making certain repairs in the shop, and it is also claimed that lgo saw the cob bler was making so much money he wished to rid the place of him and put it! a friend. Whenever it rained, Ad ams claimed. die had to swim out. ami when the Vind was unusually cold he had to burn large quantities of eoal to keep his blood warm. On , the other hand it is e-laimed that, it Was 1o cool off this same blood that lgo refused to make the repairs askeel for by his tenant. However, lgo was apparently obdurate and the cobbler Was equally so. How to rid the place of Adams, the it: tore, caused Igo many hours of serious meditation. Adams was will ing an el ready to pay his rent. $7, as soon as Igo woulel make the repairs in question, therefore he could not pro ceed legally against him on that score. The mouth's rent has been due for some time and on every occasion th:' men would tnet Adams would show the money to Igo and tell him it wou"nl be his when the cold blasts anel the "wintry rains were shut out from his working domain. If was pretty cold yesterday after noon, so cold that the cobbler could not. 'stay in his shop. He demaneh-el of Igo to know if he was going to make tiie repairs anel lgo told him he was not. Nevertheless. the cobbler re paired to his shoii aud helpeel out the e-oal trust some more, anel was settling down to work when there was a crash about his cars as if the whole build ing was going away on the wings of the wind. Crash after crash followed in quick succession, and with every crash a gale of wind wot"d enter upon the now shivering cobbler. At length when peace came and the cobbler deemed it prudent te move, he looked around anel saw that every light of glass in the shop was shattered. The shop has since been deserted by Ad ams. He was actually frozen out Mr Adams has retained Attorney T. F. Lawlor to enter suit against Igo for $1,000 damages for trespass and loss of business. IN FAVOR OF MR FRYE. Cubans May Appoint Him Com missioners of Schools. New York. Dec IS. A cable from Havana to the Tribune says: A manifestation prepared against the appointment of Lieutenant Hanna as commissioner of schools.' was pro vented by Mr Frye, iu whose interest it was to be held. The office of com missioner of schools is higher than that of superintendent, which is held by Mr Frye. The Cubans thought that Mr Frye ought to have it. The move ment was letl by the entire board of education of Havana. The Cubaii teachers will petition General Wooel. anel teachers all over the island will join the movement. The controversy may result seriously for the schools, but the episode demon strates the great confidence the Cubans have in Mr Frye. BISHOP M'CABE'S TRIP. Omaha Neb Dee IS. Bishop Mct'abe of the Methodist church, at a reception by the local ministers at the Commer cial club gave out the itinerary of his coming trip to South America. The bishop will sail from New York .lan ttary S, going first to leiuique in Chili, to meet the West Coast conference there. From there he will go to Val paraiso anel by train to the summit of the Oneler mountains and to Mtneloza. He will then journey to Montevideo, where a meeting of the ministers anel teachers of the East. Coast mission will be- held. Afterward he expects to visit Buenos Ayres and Rosarie and go up the river Platte to Asuncion, Paraguay. STRIK FENDED. Shamokin. Pa. Dec 18. The strike at the Natalie colliery :iieled this morn ing, l.iitie) empleives returning to work. Thy Shamokin Coal Co agreed to grant tile employes the Id per cent increase, to reiit.-t.Uo the dischargee! men. to give tho non-union men two days in which to settle their differences with the union men, otherwise the former will be discharged. WEATHER REPORT. Washington. Dec IS. For Connecti cut: Fair, warmer to-night: Wednes day partly cloudy and warmer, prob ably rain or snow in west portion, var iable winds becoming fresh south. .Weather notes: The low pressure area whie-h was in the extreme north west yesterday morning is now central over the western portion of the Lake region. It will probably pass out the St Lawrence valley on Thursday and this vicinity will be on the southern edge of it. At present it is ace.'ompa nied with very little precipitation, but has produced a decided rise in temper ature In the central sections. Pleas ant weather prevails generally in all sections. The lowest temperature re ported this morning was 14 degrees bs low zero at Northfild, Vt. Barom. Tern. W. Wciv. Bismarck Boston Buffalo I Cincinnati . Chicago ........ Denver . : Helena Jacksonville . Kansas City . Xantfcket . . . New Haven New Orleans. New York . . . Northfield ... Pittsburg St Louis St Paul Washington . Hotteras . . . , .30.20 .30.24 ,:;o.i4 .30.08 ,'ifj.!2 .S0.1S .30.34 .30.30 ,30.10 .30.20 .80.18 .30.20 j .30.30' .30.32 .3,0.14 .30.08 .29.90 .30.28 .30.32 24 20 10 42 30 34 30 44 ,40 30 13 G2 20 -14 40 40 32 32 40 XW sw s SE w X w NE N .W XW E w S ' sw w w s XW Clear -Clear Cloudv Ft Cldy Cloudy Clear Pt Cldy Pt Cldy Clear Clear -Clear Cloudv Cloudy Clear Clear . Clear Clear Aldermen Vote to Make an Appropriation of $1,000. The Action of the City Fathers Has Set reople to Thinking and Talking If the Suburban Residents Want Lights, Police? aud Sewers the Tax Will Also Have to Apply to Them. The action of the board of aldermen in appropriating $1,000 for electric lights in the new city limits ought to I hi; an eye opener for people in side the old city lines who are talking consolidation of the town and city-governments. It was stated in the Dem ocrat the 6ther day that, with consoli dation, it would be among the possibil ities to see men in the aldermanic chamber wfth sufficient outside inter ests over and above what they have on the Inside to prompt them to appropri ating large sums of money for the ben efit of the outlying districts, although the people might not have to contribute a. cent to the fund from which this money was to be taken. Some of our neighbors considered this a pretty far fetched idea, aud we desire to call the attention of all who thought so to the vote passeel by the aldermeu last night appropriating $l.ot'u for electric lights in the new district, more than has been spent for that purpose inside the old city lines during the present ye'ar. al though people have been look ing for lights in all parts of tiie city. and at present mere are in tiie neighborhood of twen ty petitions for electric ligiits in thick ly settled portions of the city which tlu city officials would like to act upon favorably if they hael the money to pay for ihc-m. Imagine how these pe titioners must feel when they learn that the cannot have lights next year cither, and that it has been decided to light up property that is not taxed one cent, for tliis purpose. The matler was introduced by Al derman White, who statetl that if ih people on the outside are not paying as much taxes as they .ought to that was no fault of theirs. :inel that ne doubt they would be ready and willing to pay more if ihe law called for it. He cited an incident that happened recently near the terminus of the trol ley line on North Main street, where John Blair came near colliding with a live wire that fell to the ground, but the place was sei dark it was Impossi ble to see it. Mr White said these peo ple ought to get something anel mads? such aa earnest plea in support of his motion that he won all 1he members to his way of thinking with the excep tion of Aldermen Morris and Ooss. men who are, too keen to be caught napping. "The outside people' ought to get something." said Mr White. Of coursa tliev ought. No one but a footpael woulel try to gainsay that. But isn't it a fair deal to give them all they are i ntitled to'.' Tiny are paying their school taxes; that's all it. amounts to. no matter what way yon regard it. Tiie school expenses amount to one half the sum raised by direct taxation, anel property in the new district being taxed but one-half the amount assessed against properly insieh? the old lines it must be plain to everybody that all tiie rest of the money is raised by the peo ple inside the old lines. Resieleuts in the outside distric ts have the same school accommodations as those who live in Exchange place, and inasmuch as this is all they are paying for it is difficult to understand why they should feel aggrieved at not getting more than that. Does any one suppose that properly owners inside the eild lines are so well lixed that they can afford to donate $.1,000 to their neigh bors.' Thai's exactly what it amounts to. aiid the worst feature of it is that the money is being wrung from people who can ill afford to meet it. Think of the man with a little home on one of our city streets, mortgageel for prac tically all" he can get cm it. paying full taxes, and yet he must get along with out an electric light, iu front of his premises while the man who pays but half taxes is enjoying this luxury! These people woulel not dream of ask ing their neighbors to pay their gro cer's or butcher's bills, but they make no bones of coming along anel setting up the claim that they are entitled to public improvements whether they cost them anything or not. Porter street, with a grade crossing that, is a men ace to life and limb, other places in the Brooklyn district, where there are no lights, must wait: various petition ers iu other districts, people who are footing the bills, cannot be accommo dated, but. forsooth, because a few people who have 110 jnst claim upon the city for such service have a pull, the ligiits must go to them, no matter who foots the bills. There is nothing new in this theory. It was publicly proclaimed by Mayor Barlow when he was in ofliec who openly stated that no administration would give the outside district public improvements of any nature under the present system of taxation, and that this matter would be straightened out at the next session of the general as sembly: but it was not. and we are not aware that any one is looking to wards an equitable adjustment of the tnx question now. If the people on the outside want public improvements they have no right to get them at the expense of their neighbors. The state ment has been made by more than one alderman during the past few months that residents of the outside districts would prefer to pay more taxes and set the improvements. Probably that Lis true, but judging by tho way the giune Is neing woriceu mey win not oe likely to make a move in that direction so long n's'they can get the Improve ments without a corresponding in crease is Ihe size, of their rate bills. There ..'Is n big howl on the part of some peopl? on nccount of the hih rnt of taxation in Waterbnry. but it should be rempuibereil thnt the burden is not felt outside the old city lines, and the reason it weighs so heavily in this dis trict ia tlue entirely to the fact that In adelitiou to meeting our own obliga tions we're held up. so to sneak, atri innele to shell out our hare! earned money to meet -obligatiw-, which do not belong to us, ;, - . TROLLEY MEN ACTIVE. - Numerous- Petitions For Now Fran chises and Extension of Olel Ones. Judging from the number of appli cations for trolley franchises and ex tensions of franchises that are to come before the next session of the general assembly, it is doubtful if Waterbnry will be able to get a hearing mi its consolidation and sinking fund meas ures, for no matter how important other things may be it is safe to state that the trolley men will have their inning, no matter who gets left. The Connecticut Lighting anel Power Co will ask to have the franchise, over certain streets extended. and the chances are that the petition will be granted, though there are many in Waterbnry who hope that our local representatives will enter a vigorous protest against any extension of fran chises for the Connecticut Lighting and Power Co unless it enters into some agreement to go ahead with the work of giving Waterbnry the trolley service it requires. It looks strange to see The company spending fabulous sums of money for surveys and rights of ways through sparsely seitleel elis tricts of the state1 while people arc clamoring for the service in the crowel ed districts of Waterbnry. The com pany was granted these franchises several years ago, but it has made no elfort to use them, and it seems about time that the people look a hand in the matter ami made an effort to lind out what it menus. Look at the north end. the south end anil the whole dis trict commonly known as Town Plot, all crowded with working people?, who have to travel long instances to and from their work. ;ui,l not a word about giving them trolley service. It woulel be just and proper if the board of al dermen should pass a resolution . re questing the city attorney anel our rep resentatives at Harttord to inquire' iuto this question anil ascertain if the company intends to give Waterbnry any additional trolley ser ice in the m ar future, and if not. instruct them to endeavor to preve'nf. any further ex tension of the franlH-ise. Other com panies would jump at the opportunity to step iu and occupy all our streets where the trolley is needed, and if we are1 going to have to wair for the trol ley until the Connecticut Lighting ami Power Co gets through in other parts of the slate, and decides to attend to us. it would be the part of wisdom on the part of the public to secure legis lation which will open the way for a little competition iu the street railroad business. . BOERS' MASTERLY PLANS. Entire British Force Narrowly Es- capeel Capture. Johannesburg. Monday. Dec IT. Details of the defeat of the British a$ Nooitgeelacht indicate that Ueiieral Clements" entire force had a narrow es-i-ape from capture. The Boer plans were splendidly hi id. If the main Brit ish column hail tarried a little longer there would have been a complete suc cess for the Boers, who exposed them selves undauntedly, yelling anel wav ing their arms. Their lushes were only stemmed by artillery. After the British retreat the Boers helel a prayer meeting. Their hymns e-oulel be heard by the retiring British. All accounts indicate a heavy Boer loss. Colonel Legge exhibited splendid bravery. He shot live Boers with his revolver be fore he fell with three bullets in his body. PRIVATE SKINNER'S CASE. Cause of His Imprisonment He Quitted Ouard. Washington. Dec IS. The war de partment yesterday took official notice of the report that. Leonard Skinner of the Forty-third infantry hal been sen tenced to be shot in the Philippines for sleeping at his post. A statement of the record of the case', showing the re port to be untrue, was prepared iu the adjutant general's office aud given to the press for publication. The state tntiit shows that Leonanl skinner was sentenced to four months' imprison ment for eiuitting guard in violation of the fortieth article of war. CIT1 NEWS Attorney N. R. Bronson. represent ing the joint owners of the property known as South Park, has consulted with City Attorney Kellogg regarding the eonelltions upon which the city will accept the property so that the eleeel will be handed over to the city any day now. A meeting of the class of 1901 of the High school was helel to-day and a committee was appointed to arrange for a soiree for members only, in the High schoed building on Thursday night of this week. The committee is composed of the following pupils: Den nis Murray. Joseph Flemining anel the Misses Butler, Manville and Winship. The ejectment suit of Thomas Clere against Miss Margaret Joyce, neigh bors on Scovill street, came to a sud den termination in the district court this afternoon. Judge Bradstreet ele1 terminiug in response to a motion for non-suit thnt the case shoulel have been brought for trespass instead of eject ment. Tha point in contention was a boundary line which has maele no end of trouble for the parties iu the suit. Clere -asked $130 .damages. The case of Earl AVilmot against James T. O'Brien aud Constable George O. Booth for $1,000 for false imprisonment was taken up this af ternoon. Last February O'Brien, who is a contractor living on South Main street, started a relative named AVard in business in Simpnsville. Warel closed the , store without giving any explanation to O'Brien anil, departed for parts unknown. VA warrant was issued for hie arrest, and this took place in Xaugatuck , om night when Wiluiot was it his company. - AVil mot was also 'arrested' and detained in the Naugatuck policf station one night aud conveyed to the local police sta tion the follovvinji morning without any warrant or-.cars? for his apprehension by Constable BoGth. The warrant was for the arrest of O'Brien's relative only. lut the constable seeing AVilmot in his company anel hearing O'Brien sav to him. 'You are the cause of it all," he arrested him. Judge Root ap pears for the plaintiff , and - Attorney Ourant for the defendant y'.i A CRUELMOTHER Raised Welts on Body of Her Step-Daughter. JUDGE BURPEE'S WARNING. The Father and Step-mother Given To Understand That They - Must Chastise Their Children Properly . Small Boys Also In Court For Xot Attending School After a Crying Spell The Boys Were Allowed To Go. A story of great cruelty on the part of a step-mother was told in the city court before Judge Burpee this morn ing. Mrs Alice Stepney of AVatervillt was charged with cruelly beating her" step-daughter. Gertruele. aged ! years. The witnesses for the state were Mrs Jennie Phihps, principal of the AVa terville school. Miss Mabel Sullivan, teacher in the same schoed. John D. AVaelhams, an agent of the state boaril of education and Carrie Stepney, a sister of Gertrude. The principal story was told by Mrs Philips and sub stantially it ran thus: Reports ot" the little one being cruelly beaten by her step-mother, the principal examined her last Friday afternoon. On various parts of lier boely were ridges made by a whip or something of that nature'. but the -worst indications of severe punish-, ment were apparent on the child's nether limbs, which were not only -black and blue but were also full of welts. The witness could not say how many there were exactly, but wail . sure there were tifteeii or twenty. AVitness warned Mrs Siepuey against cruelly beating the child. She- had also heard that Gertrude was obliged to run from tin? school directly home at the noon recess aud this she found -to be true oil. two occasions. This she considered very cruel on account of the child's tender age. Carrie Sti'pnoy testified that she witnessed the beating Gertrude was given last Thurselay and that her step-mother vnelressed the child and then, after putting on her night dress, beat her about the body and limbs with a " switch. The cause of the- healing wa that while her step-mother was out of the house Gertrude brought in a neighbor's little girl 10 play with. Carrie testified that her step-mother frequently beats her also for no rea son, and Gertrude stated that she hail no fellow playmates and she. has te run home from schoed at noon to lay the table for dinner. If she did not she would get whipped. Mrs Step ney's story was to the effect that she is in elrcael of her life from Carrie, who has tried live times to poison her. The last attempt took place a short time ago. Then she jioisoneel a kettle of cabbages and aelmitted so to lr Rus sell. She was aware that her neigh- bors were forever trying to pry .into her business auel she warned Gertruele repeatedly to have nothing to do with the neighbors' children. The older girls told the neighbors that, they are obliged to elo family washing Sunday evenings and ihe neighbors came around and peeped in at the windows to see if this was so. She sent a note to one woman that she need call no more at the house. The court warned Mrs Stepney against beating any eliilel again as allegotl and warned her hus band also that if either he or his wife beat any of the children for testifying in court they would be taken care of by the law and he hoped that if any of the neighbors hear of the Stepuews disobeying this warning they will be gooel enough to so in form him. The case was then con tinueel thirty days to se?e how matters get alonf. - Frank Smith, a resident of Water ville, was charged with failing tri send one of his chilelreu to school. Miss Mary MeGowan, teacher in the Wa'.erville school, testified to young Smith's absence from school the greai- er part of the present term. The ac cuseel consielereel he was justified in keeping the boy from school in order- that he could attend his sick mother, but the court tolel him what the coin sequence will be if he fails to keep the boy at school. " - Another man complaineel ' to the court that ho could not get his twrt boy to go to school aud wanted them, sent to the state school for boys. .Tuelge Burpee showed the boys tnei difference between their home and the state school for boys and they critNl their eyes out. aud promised to ha very good boys. A complaint for theft against Toney Blake and Paola, D'Archi was uolleel without cost-1 They were charged with stealing S PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION. ' St Louis, Mo, Dec 18. Members MS the Pan-American exposition comnii sion met here yesterday and dtcideit to ask the legislature for an appropria tion of $100,000. Already the eonimis sion has secured thousands of dollars' worth of valuable products, both min. eral anel agricultural and it is desirei to properly house aud elisplay them. According to a member of the com mission $100,000 will be an adequate sum for this purpose aud a committee will appear before the legislature to urge its appropriation. - .," . ; ' i APPLICATION DENIED. Jefferson City, Mo, Dec IS. In an opinion handed down by Judge Sher wood, the supreme court to-tlay denied the application of the St Louis Star for a writ of jnanelamus against the Associateel Press, with a view to se curing the news service ot that asso ciation. GOA'ERNOR AA'OLCOTT S CHANCES Boston, Dec .IS. A bulletin . issued to-day by Dr -Putnam, tx-Governor Wolcott's physician, says tliat ex-Gov-. ernor Wolcott is holding his own anil at least doing .well this morning. o crisis js expected to-tlay. , ; 2,000 TONS OF COAL BURNED. ' Providence. R. I.. Dec IS. Th Wilkesbarre pier at East Providence: the property of the N. Y., X. H. and H. railroad, was burned to-day with 2,000 tons of coal. The loss is ti siated at $200,000 - - i