. -'.r .i " i ' ' '
THE WEATHER.
LOST! AN OPPORTUNITY!
The day a newspaper reader falls to
glance through the advertising- of
newspaper Is probably a day of lost
opportunity. The .Want Ada especially
are a mine of opportunities.
Pair Tuesday, warmer east portion;
Wednesday fair, cooler interior. -
VOL. XCVn-NO. 33.
GERMAN LIEUTENANTS
PURPOSE WAS TO STOP
SHIPMENTS
Robert Fay Admits Came
to America Throvf Aid
of German Of -f-vials
to blow ifr Reamers
five Charged gr Complaint
With Conspiracy to
late Federal Statute.
Fay Declares German Agents
Are Not Implicated.
Xev; York, Oct. 25. Details
of a plot to hamper the shipment
of munitions of war to the Allies
by placing clock-worked bombs
on the rudders or propellers of
ships, so timed that the ships would
be disabled on their way across
the Atlantic, were disclosed today
in the confession of one of five
men charged in a complaint filed
with a United States commission
er with conspiracy to violate a
Federal statute.
Following upon the confession
of Robert Fay, a lieutenant of the
Sixteenth Saxony infantry, who
said he came to this country last
April through an agreement with
the German secret service to blow
up or delay steamers laden with
Tvar supplies for the Allies, "Wil
liam J. Flynn, chief of the secret
service, tonight filed before United
States Commissioner Houghton a
complaint, in which not only Fay
but four other men are charged
with promoting the . conspiracy.
The hearing on the Federal charge
was set for November 4th.
Came Supplied With Money.
Fay confessed that while on the bat
tlefield he talked with his superior
officers about a device to blow up
ships, that later his idea of coming
to America and carrying his scheme
n,a; :r"r"' : .Z" t y "c"
enough supplied with money- to act
on his own responsibility and that he
talked" with Captain Von Papen, mili
tary attache, and Captain K. Boy-Ed,
r.aval attache of the Germany embassy,
about the plan, but they had refused to
have anything to do with it. '-
'ihe confession of Fay, who said he
had been decorated with the iron cross
' for fighting in France, covers his arri
val in the United States on April 23
last, his making of clock work bombs
since and his experimenting with ex
plosives along the Hudson river. Quan
tities of acid in the room occupied by
ay and Walter L. Scholz in Weehaw
kn, X. j., and boxes containing chlor
ate of potash, used in making bombs,
in a boat house on the Hudson, had
been found after the arrest of these
men Sunday. Scholz , a brother-in-law
of Fay, is a mechanic.
Three Other In Complaint.
Two other men were arrested today
and another, making the fifth, was
named in the complaint, but he had. not
been apprehended. The new arrests
v. ere:
Paul Daeche, Jersey City, N. J., who
said -he was a graduate - of Cologne
Liuversity and cam to the United
States in 1912. " -
Dr. Herbert Kienzle, 28 years old,
manpger of a clock company, charged
in the complaint with "having aided in
Procuring explosive materials used by
'ay, committed to the tombs for ex
amination on November r4. .
-Max Breitung, about whose identity
r-o details were disclosed also was
named in the complain 3" one of the
conspirators. '
If v as stated that Breltung had not
been apprehended. -
In his complaint to Commissioner
-Houghton, Chief Flynn stated that Paul
Siobs. tormerly of the German army,
had become a government .witness. It
u - s set forth that Siebs had' received
y trom fay and Breitung: for
borate of pojash, . said to have, been
Prt of the material found by detec
t;Vf:s in the boathouse.
( barged With Criminal Violation,
e men are charged with conspir
. i; l- to violate a section of the United
criminal code which says:
W henever upon the high seas or in
rr;y other waters within the admiralty
'- maritime jurisdiction of the United
Vs by surprise or by open force
-a ic-ousiy attacks or sets upon any
' r beioneins- to another with an
: unlawfully tq plunder the same
r'i io despoil any owner there of any
r.inr-fys. goods or merchandise laden
board thereof shall be fined."
-Ntter the police had announced thart
V bad made a complete confession
his activities here, the prisoner
out a statement to the newspa
I trs, which said:
Statement to Newspaper.
"My only objet when I came to this,
country was to interfere with the enor
iious shipments of artillery ammuni
t'on to the Allies. Being a manufac
turer myself, and knowing that any
wcinary damage that may be done to
(Continued on. rage Eight.)
b- -si ' "'.vl
TO ALLIES
Entrapped on Upper Floors of
Four Story Building.
12 OF DEAD ARE WOMEN
Many 'Burned Almoat Beyond Identifi
cation Mayor of Pittsburgh Or
dered Investigation Some
''Heroic Rescues.
Pittsburgh, Oct. 25. Thirteen per
sons were killed. and eight injured by
a nre in a four-story building, the
two upper floors of which were occu
pied by the Union Paper Box Com
pany, here today. Of the dead all were
young women employed by the com
pany except one. Many of the bodies
were so badly burned as to make: iden
tification difficult. Mayor Joseph G.
Armstrong at once ordered that the
police, city council and the coroner
make thorough investigation of the
tire.
The flames started in a pile of straw
in the rear of the first floor "of the
building. William C. Kimble, general
manager of the box factory, at once
warned the girls employed on the third
and fourth floors to leave. The flames
gained headway so rapidly, however,
that escape by stairways and . fire es
capes was soon cut off. Some of the
girls attempted to go to the dressing
room for their hats and there firemen
found a majority of the bodies.
Joseph L. Bash, aged 24, and A. J.
Seagle, employed on the second floor of
the building, were about to jump when
tuey were attracted by the screams of
girls "in the window above. The men
told- the gins to jump. One; by one.
as - tne grria ieapea xsasn ana seagle
caught: them; lowered them ' as far as
they could and then let them drop to
the sidewalk.
C. R. Carlisle, driver of a transfer
wagon, drove his wagon into an alley
in the rear of the building and threw
up a rope to girls in the window above.
Making one end fast, they slid down
the rope to safety.
Margaret Steigerwald, aged 17, who
was injured by Jumping rrom a third
floor ' window, said she and five other
girls were trapped in the building
when somebody closed a door at the
head of the stairway on thel second
floor. They had to jump to the ground.
At attempt of a man to make mov
ing pictures of the removal of bodies
from the building was stopped by the
; police.
Three Girls Missing.
Fire Chief Shanahan said tonight
that it has been found that three oth
search of the hospitals and morgues
had failed to furnish any trace of
them. One of the heroes of the fire
was Peter Vallon, who is among the
dead. .When the Are was discovered
he was workine in the building. He
groped his way through the smoke to
the street where he heard girls franti
CContlnued on Page Eight.)
TEXTiLTUNlON BUSK
Management Orders Judson
Mill, at Greenville, Closed.
Several Employees Recently Have
Been Discharged, and When They
Were Sot Reinstated, . Sev
eral Others Walked Out.
Greenville, S; C, October 25. The
Judson mill, one of the largest of the
fourteen in this locality, will be closed
by order of the management November
5th, was the substance of a notice
posted at the mill today by B. E. Geer,
president and treasurer. Several weeks
ago delegates of the United Textile
Workers of America organized a local
here and recently the management dis
covered its presence. Seventeen em
ployees were summarily discharged, the
management said, because they neg
lected their work in seeking new mem
bers for the union during working
hours.
The men say it was because they
joined the union.
Some eighty employees of the weave
room walked out, because the men were
not reinstated. -
Sunday night a meeting was held and
some 30D of the employees joined and
refused to go back to work today. The
mill was picketed and other employees
were persuaded not to return to work,
many staying from the mills. Employ
ees have been walking out throughout
the day, it is learned. It is understood
that other mills are being rapidly or
ganized in this locality and, in fact,
through this section.
So quietly are the organizers carry
ing on their work however, that Jt can
not.be learned where the organization
is being carried on.'
While no trouble has yet occurred,
the sheriff and chief of the rural po
lice are apprenensive, and are watch
ing the situation. . , . .
13 PERISH In FIRE
IN A BOX FACTORY
AMONG
MILL WORKERS
WIIMTNGTOK, X. C,
FORGES TO UNITE
DEFENSE PLANS
Mobilization of Full Strength
of Administration Assured.
MR. HAY FOR ARMY PLAN
With HI ; Co-operation Secretary Gar
riamt Thinks SaeecM in House la
Assured Senator Chamber
lain Also in Harmony.
Washington, Oct. 25. Mobilization
of the full strength of administration '
forces in support of the national de
fense programme apparently . was as
sured today when Representative Hay,
of Virginia, chairman of the House
military anairs committee, after a
conference, with President Wilson, an
nounced himself in favor of the army
increase plans.
Senator Chamberlain, chairman of
the Senate military
committee, has
approved the proposal to build up a
regular and continental army of more
than a million men in six years. For
mal publication of the plan will fol
low Senator Chamberlain's conference
with the President next week. The
navy's $500,000,000 five-year building
programme already has been approved
by both House and Senate leaders.
The importance attached to Repre
sentative Hay's announcement was in
dicated by the fact that, soon after It
was made Secretary Garrison broke
the silence he had maintained as to
army plans ever since he received
President Wilson's letter directing him
to have prepared a comprehensive re
view of the Nation's military needs
and recommendations for strengthen
ing the national defense. Mr. Garrison
issued this statement.
Garrison is Delighted.
"I am, of course, delighted. This
will insure the best possible results.
With the aid of Mr. Hay's experience
and skill in formulating the measures
and his powerful advocacy in support
thereof, success in the House is assur
ed. I understand that Senator Cham
berlain, of the Senate military commit
tee, takes a precisely similar attitude.
so that there win JJhjaTyjco-opera-J
uon .ana unuea , extort, au aiong-tne
line. This situation should hearten
and enthuse all those who are inter
ested in seeing this vital subject prop
erly considered and properly settled."
Representative Hay said he believed
the necessary army bills to provide for
the proposed increase of the regular
establishment, the organization of the
continental army and the increase of
present coast defenses and building up
of an adequate reserve of cannon,
small arms and ammunition would
pass the House without serious oppo
(Contlnued on Page Eight.)
WILSON WANTS 10 TALK
II
Majority Leader Not in Line
on National Defense.
Will be Invited to White House for
Conference, at Which the Presi
dent Hopes to Win His Sup
port of Programme.
(Special Star Telegram.)
Washington, D. C, Oct. 25. With
practically all of the most prominent
Democrats in the House pledged to
the administration's National defense
policy, with the exception of Majority
Leader Claude Kitchin, the President
will now make an effort to get the
support of the North Carolinian on
these measures. With this matter
foremost in his mind, the President
will ask Mr. Kitchin to visit him at
the White House at his earliest con
venience when he will appeal to Mr.
Kitchiik's patriotism and party loyalty
in an effort to have him lead the ad
ministration's policy along, this line.
Mr. Kitchin has always been a small
navy man and in recent interviews he
has expressed the hope that there
would be no extensive building of bat
tleships of the dreadnaught type at
this time. He, like many others, con
siders submarines, torpedo boat de
stroyers, mines and cruisers of the
lighter and faster type would be suffi
cient for defensive purposes.
While Senators Tillman and Cham
berlain, chairman of the naval and
military affairs committees, and Mes
srs. Hay and Padgett, holding similar
chairmanships in the House, will sup
port the administration's measures, it
is known that at least two of them are
not in' favor .of the President's plan.
They have consented, however, in the
interest of party harmony, to adopt the
administration's views and do all: in
their power to put the plans through.
Because of these comprbmises, the
President hopes Mr. Kitchin will do
likewise, and, as stated, he will be in
vited here to confer with the President
in order that Mr. Wilson may person
ally urge him to support his pro
gramme. Ruling on Claims.
The recent ruling of the auditor of
the War Department that only a cer
tain per cent of the money allowed in
the omnibus claims bill should be paid
lawyers, regardless of former con
tracts, was today overruled by the
Court of Claims. It means about $40,
000 more in fees for the lawyers, which
comes out of the pockets of claimants.
Leslie Jordan, of Raleigh, has been
promoted from an ensign to lieuten
ant in the navy. ... P. R. A.
VR
WITH
KITCHIN
TUESDAY MORKIG,
ROUTE 10. TURKEY
IS
, f ....
Armies or v vusiro-uermans
and Bulgarians in Serbia
Only, Few Miles Apart
FRENCH JOIN SERBIANS
Severely Defeat, the Bulgars
at Krivolak, who Retire
Towards Strumitsa
London, Oct. 25. While the Austro
German and Bulgarian campaigns in
northern and eastern Serbia are being
carried out according to the plan, de
spite fierce Serbian resistance, and the
Bulgars who crossed the Timok and
hold the town of Prahovo are separated
from the Germans whOi crossed the Dan
ube near Orsova, by only a few miles
on the south, things are not going well
for the invaders in ''the latter region.
The French troops have joined with the
Serbs, and, according to ' French ac
counts, have inflicted a severe defeat
on the Bulgarians at Krivolak, forty
miles north of the-point where the Sa-loniki-NIsh
railway crosses the Serbo
Greek frontier.
This success places the Bulgarians
who reached Istip, "Veles and Uskop in
rather an awkward position, for a further-advance
of the-Allied army woold
seriously threaten their flank. In fact,
onofficlal reports state that the advance
of the French, who are being closely
followed by the British, -. has already
cahsed the retirement pf the Bulgars
toward Strumitsa., ' '-
Opening Route to Turkey.
The first desire-of the Germans, how
ever, is to open a route thrpugh north
eastern Serbia and Bulgaria. tC,Turkey
and this is on the. eve of being accom
On the Other hand, military writers
here do not believe that the position of
Serbia is so desperate as has been
painted. It is serious, of course, but
they claim the Serbians can hold out
for weeks In the mahy natural defens
ive positions' in the mountains, that,
with the quadruple powers carrying out
their determination to ! help Serbia
rushing reinforcements to Saloniki and
other points, the Bulgars will have an
extremely warm reception, and that the
Germans and Turks, being fully occu
pied elsewhere, will not be able to send
them much help.
British correspondents in France have
disclosed the fact made known to them
by the British staff, that even after
the Anglo-French offensive in Septem
ber the Germans had the greatest dif
ficulty in securing new reinforcements
to meet that adventure and had to util
ize men Just returned from Russia for
rest to fill the gaps in the western
lines. From this, it is argued that the
Germans cannot spare a great many
men for the Balkans, especially as the
Russians are keeping them fairly busy
from the Baltic to the Rumanian bor
der.
The Italian offensive is compelling
the Austrlans to strengthen their lines
(Continued on Page Eight.)
More Peaceful Feeling Said
to Prevail in Republic
Roalroad and Telegraph Service Great
ly Improved Russian Ambassa
dor .Makes Inquiry at State
Department.
Washington, Oct.' 25. Conditions
throughout Mexico are showing mark
ed improvement, according to an an
nouncement today by Secretary, Lan
sing. The Secretary was able to give
an optimistic report of . the situation
to George. Bakhmeteff, the Russian
ambassador, who made inquiries today
preparatory,' it is believed, to advising
his government concerning , recogni
tion. -
The British and French ambassadors
recently made similar inquiries and it
is believed many of the Jsuropean pow
ers will in the near future . recognize
the Carranza government. -
The State-Department issued tonight
what Vas - generally regarded as the
most hopeful summary of conditions
yet received from consuls and ' special
aerents throughout Mexico. , it saia:
"Advices ' dated October 23, from
Monterey, state that through Pullman
service has been estaDiisned rrom Xa
redo to Mexico -- City for the first timfr
in a year and a half. It is stated that
there is also improved train service to
TampisO and Matamoras, and that tel
egraph lines are operating between
most cities and towns, a more peace
ful feelinsr is said to prevail, and the
friendly feeling toward' Americans is
more manifest than tor a long time.
"Conditions are reported to be peace
ful throughout the state of Tabasco
Los Mochis -ahd Topolobampo are re
ported quiet and there is no change
In the situation at Guaymas."
The statement adds thaft ' conditions
in territory . controlled by General
Villa also is improving. - " "
ABOUT
CONDITIONS
MEXICO
GROWING MUCH BETTER
OCTOBEB 26, 1915
L
A TERM IN PRISON
American Tried in Italy For
Murdering His Wife
TO BE GIVEN AMNESTY
Although Sentenced to fix Years and
Eight Months, He Will Serve Only
20 Days in PrisonHistory
of the Case.
Como, Italy, via Paris, Oct. 25. Por
ter Charlton, the American who has
been on trial here charged with mur
dering his wife In 1910,. today was con
demned to six' years and eight months
imprisonment. Baron Sciacca, the pre
siding judge, before the case went to
the jury, asked Charlton whether he
had anything to add to the defense.
With tears in his eyes, Charlton ex
claimed; - "I trust entirely in Italian justice.
I can only say that ! am a most unfor
tunate man."
Both the prosecutor and the counsel
for the defense made stirring pleas,
the' former for the imposition of a
heavy sentence and the latter, com
posed of Signers Gataneo and Michelli
Picardi, for acquittal on the ground
that the prisoner was totally irrespon
sible when the crime was committed.
Signor Picardi declared that no man
in Charlton's condition could be re
sponsible for his actions under any
law.
The Jury found Charlton - only par
tially responsible and that there were
extenuating circumstances. Owing to
amnesty, Charlton will serve only 29
days in prison.
Charlton, under the - verdict, benefits
by the time he has been under re
straint and in addition a year is taken
off the sentence under the amnesty for
all offenses committed before Italy en
tered the war.
Even though he was greatly pleased
over the verdict of the court, and view
ed with pleasure his approaching lib
eration from custody, Charlton main
tained his usual restrained and almost
passive; attitude1
-Charlton-. said-thai, aften-his reisaoe
he" would ' return to the United States
and join his family. Before departure
however, he said he would visit and
personally thank friends in Como who
had by their kindness lightened the
hours of his captivity, and especially
Ambassador Thomas Nelson Jf Page,
who, as the representative of the
American government, . has sen that
his legal rights Were observed.
Porter Charlton killed his wife in
their villa on Lake Como June 9, 1910.
He was 20 years old and she many
(Continued On Page Eight)
COLORADO'S CREW IS
STEAMER LENAPE
Wireless Message Received
From the Clyde Liner.
Mallory Liner, Which Was Abandoned
on Fire at. Sea Probably Will
Be Total Loss Was Carry
ing Cargo of Cotton.
- Savannah, Oct. 25. The crew of the
Mallory liner Colorado. . reported afire
and abandoned at sea, has been taken
off by the Clyde liner Lenape, which is
off the mouth of the Savannah river.
according to a wireless message re
ceived here ' today. The Colorado, ac
cording to the message from the Le
nape, still is afloat and is regarded as a
menace to navigation.
MAY BE TOTAL LOSS
Liner Colorado Was Carrying; Cargo
of 6,000 Bales of Cotton.
Charleston, S. C, October 25. The
Mallory Line freight steamship Colora
do, laden with 5,900 bales of cotton
from this Port to New York, probably
will be a total loss, according to
Captain uevereaux, of the steamer
Comanche, which arrived here today.
Captain Uevereaux said he passed the
burning Colorado about noon today
near where she had been abandoned
off Cape Romain, some 100 miles north
of here- Th captain and crew already
had been taKen orr, ne saia
The Colorado caught Are some time
last night near Cape Romain, accord
ing to reports bere and was abandoned
early today, mere were no aetaiis or
how the fire occurred. Captain Dev
ereaux said he thought the steamer
Suwanee had rescued the captain and
crew. Other reports said the men
were aboard the steamer Lenape.
There were no passengers aboard . the
Colorado.
CREW ABOARD SUWAXEEt
According to Message From Captain to
Mallory Line Officers.
New York, Oct. 25. No word con
cerning the origin of the Are on the
Mallory liner Colorado has been re
ceived at the main offices of the Mal
lory Line.' Captain Congdon sent a
wireless message from the Suwanee
saying he and all the- crew, believed
to number 37, were safe on board the
Suwanee and expected to reach Balti
more tomorrow night.
The Colorado was built in Chester,
Pa., in April 1879. She Was 306 feet
long. 39 1-2 broad and of 2,765 gross
tons. v ' 1
IS GIVEN
BANDI
-T01
T CONFESSES
Gives Information Which May
Cause Arrest of O thers.
EIGHT MEN NOW HELD
Prisoner Says Prime Object of Raids
la "to Secure Liberty and Inde
pendence for Mexicans In
Texas" Moore Die.
Brownsville, Texas, Oct. 25. Chano
Flores, a Mexican arrested in connec-.
tion with the recent holdup of a St.
Louis, Brownsville &' Mexico passenger
train near this city and the killing of
several Americans,, has confessed, ac
cording to a statement given out by
the sheriff here tonight, and has given
Information which may lead to the ar
rest of the leaders of .the outlaw band
operating along the Texae-Mexlcan
border. So far eight men have been
taken into custody and posses are
searching for others said to have
been Implicated by FlOres.
The prime object --of the series of
raids, Flores is quoted as saying, "has
been to secure liberty and independence
for Mexicans in Texas," with robbery
of secondary importance. Flores is
said to have described the "Texas rev-1
olutionary army" as a force of about
500 men under -Luis De La Rosa and
Aniceto Uizano, who maintain head
quarters at Keynosa, Mexico.
According to the alleged confession,
a Dana or aoout nrty men, thirty or
whom crossed from Mexico and the
other recruited on ' the Texas side of
the Rio Grande, wrecked and robbed
the train near here last week, and kill
ed two of the passengers. After the
robbery the bandits escaped on horses
an- ddispersed, the majority recrossing
into Mexico.
lores Is also said to have confessed
that he participated ina raid at SeL
bastian, Texas, several weeks ago in
which four ranchmen were killed.
Luciano Chapa, Who was arrested
at the same time Flores-was rtaken into
custody, denied that he was implicated
in the raids. Flores is a resident pf
Texas. Cnapa's home is on the Mex
ican aid of thA-Rio Grande.
X c oiou. nan cn,ucu uai - a --j.w. i i i- a
posse had found a diary containing the
names of one of the bands of raiders.
The book was found in the road and
is believed to have been dropped by a
man the posse was pursuing.
Up to a late four tonight, no trace
had been found of the bandits who at
tacked a detachment of United States
troops several miles noth of this city
last night. Private Herman E. Moore,
of Crystal, Ind., who was wounded in
the skirmish, -died today.
PRIVATE MOORE DIES
From Wounds Received In Fight With
Bandits Sunday.
Brownsville, Texas, Oct. 25. Private
Herman E.'Mopre, of the Fourth Infan
try, died today from wounds received
inan engagement with Mexican . ban
dits last night. His home is in French
Lick, lnd. Moore was the eleventh
soldier killed in tights with bandits
since last July.
It was learned today that Mexicans
arrested on suspicion in connection
with the train wreck last Monday gave
the names of several well known men,
according to officers of the sheriff's de
partment. In what connection these
names were used was not made public
Sheriff Vann said today he expected to
make several arrests.
WILL HOLD UP GERMAN
OWNED SHIPS ON SEAS
British Order Abrogates "De
claration of London"
Action Taken to Arrest Proceeding of
Number of Vessels Under Neutral
Flags But Owned Wholly or
In Part by Germans.
London, Oct. 25. An order in council
was gazetted today abrogating from
Weu-.sday last observance of article
57 of the declaration of London, which
provides that the neutral or enemy
character of a vessel was determined
by the flag she is entitled to fly. In lieu
of this article British prize courts
hencetorth will apply the rules and
principles formerly observed by them. t
i The . reason given in the order for
this change is that " it is no longer ex
pedient to adopt said article."
The' order in council was gazetted, ac
cording to Oixicial Information, in or
der to arrest the proceedings of a large
number of vessels trading under neu
tral flags, but in reality owned whol
ly or in part by Germans. The Anglo
American doctrine now reinstated con
siders the nationality of owners and
permits the condemnation of a vessel
in which an enemy subject may hold
part Interest. The vessel may be dis
posed of either by the sale of the
enemy subjects' share to the neutral co
owners or the sale of . the entire ves
sel and the appropriation of the In
terest of the enemy subject.
It is expected in government circles
that when the order becomes known
the Germans will . retaliate, as far as
they are able to do so. Some British
owned vessels . under Scandinavian
flags, y. is said, may be seized in the
Baltic or other dangerous areas, but
most of these vessels are leaving such
waters ,as - the season has closed.
A London, dispatch . last Saturday
said "trie British admiralty had posted
(Continued On rage Eight.)
HOLD-UP
WHOLE TtfUMBEB 39,363
WRITTEN EVIDENCE
OF
Letters Reveal Steps Taken to
Crush New York and New
England Railroad.
IDENTIFIED BY MELLEN
New England Trunk Lines In
duced to Route Shipments
Over New Haven."
New York, Oct. 25. Letters to and
from Charles S. Mellen, wjidch he iden
tified for the jury today in the trial of
the 11 New York, New Haven, & Hart
ford directors on the charge of monop
olizing - New England's transportation
traffic, furnished written evidence of
the steps taken by the New Haven
road to crush its principal competitor,
the New York & New England Railroad
Company; The letters, dating back to
1893 and 1894, set forth the action tak
en by. the New Haven to require the
prepayment of freight charges by tho
New England on traffic interchanged
between the two roads at connecting
points, and the steps taken to induce
the trunk line railroads outside of New
England to route their traffic over the
New Haven instead of over the New
England road.
"Bitterest Antagonist."
"Our bitterest antagonist" was the
appellation given to the New England
in one letter from Mr. Mellen to
Charles P. Clark, president of the New
Haven, in discussing the question of
the business the New England was
getting from trunk lines entering New
York. Mr. Mellen then was second
vice president in charge of traffic.
"Your whole intention seems to ba
to drive .. us out of business, if you
can." wote H. C. Randolph, then gen
eral tramc .manager .of the New Eng-
landy to Mr. Mellen in" protesting
against the requirement for the pre
payment of freight charges.
Mr. Mellen wrote back that "no rail
road is bound under any existing law
to make joint rates, billing or divisions
with any other railroad, unless it flnd3
it is for its interest to do so. What
you aim at is to continue taking busi
ness to or from our local points by
absorbing our arbitrary (rate) and
then expect us to furnish the neces
sary capital or credit to help you de
prive our stockholders of their earn
ings. You ask us to advance to you In
cash, as expenses, your earnings on
business to local points on our line,
well khowning that we must give two
or three weeks credit before we can
make a collection."
Was Told to "Walt and See."
Randolph replied protesting that his
road was being discriminated against,
to which the New Haven vice president
replied that he might "wait and see"
whether the rule was not applied to
other roads with which the New Haven
connected.
"Was that rule applied to other
roads?" asked Frank L. Swacker, the
examining attorney for the govern
ment. "Well that was so long ago that I
don't remember," replied the witness.
The government contends that the
rule was devised for the sole purpose
of injuring the New England. To
prove that the New Haven officials
had no other purpose in mind, the gov
ernment attorney Introduced letters,
apparently satirical, exchanged be
tween Mr. Mellen and C. Peter Clark,
general freight agent of the Old Col
ony. The Old Colony, one of the lines
the New Haven had absorbed, con
nected with the New England at Wal
pole, Mass. Mr. Mellen wrote that ho
had doubts that Clark could "fix up &
good letter that will draw tears to the
eyes of those who receive it, letting
them know that we are only driven to
this by 'dire necessity'."
To this Clark replied that to write
a letter wouia mase too mucn evi
dence" but that he would send an em
ploye to see the New England people,
who "will reflect our grief at the cruel
situation."
Clark explained that this man had
just come to the Old Colony at a 16w
er salary than he had been receiving
at a time when he was just about to
have been married. "And the poor fel
low has been waiting, waiting, walt
rng ever since. I think his mournful
appearance will enable him to do am
ple justice to the sad side of this un
fortunate business."
Laughs at the Letters.
There was a broad smile on Mr. Mel
len's face while the letters were beings
read, and he joined m the laughter
that followed.
The New Haven, subsequent letters
revealed, -had a traffic arrangement
with the Pennsylvania railroad for its
through freight in and but of New
England and began negotiations with
the Lehigh Valley, the Jersey Central,
the Reading, and the Baltimore &
Ohio to get their business also, but
only on condition that they should
cease sending it by the New England
road's route. -
To this, it was apparent in one letter,-
the Pennsylvania protested,
whereupon Mr. Mellen wrote to Charles
P. Clark; on January 25, 1894: "This
business is coming in by the lines of
our bitterest antagonist- The Penn
sylvania is our favored connection,
first, last, and all the time, but we
should not be. obliged to forego busi
ness that; helps - us, weakens oar aiK
tagonist' arid "does no harm to " then ,
(the Pennsylvania)." .v ,'-.
"The business referfttf to explain
ed Mr. Mellen vin his NSstimony, -?wa ;
the Newv England's 'basrness up their
Poughkeepsie bridge rute and that x- ,':
rangement.' were- made, or Long is-
land souna sie&moof.xt ?trinaeiions.- i
was. trying' to get Iraft '-.2Jfd to otir ?
That?. was ,wUl 1 ftfasf ald ,10
(Continued QrUVai JjjU.V -
METHODS USED
BY THE NEW HAVES
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