Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Jan. 7, 1909, edition 1 / Page 1
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r 10 PagesjTo-Day I ONE StCTlOS J , Weather To-Day U i S fAlR-COlD WAVE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $8.00 A YEAR, s CHARLOTTE, N. C, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1)09. PRICE FIVE CENTS. Si 1 I t ? h: r - 8 WILL BEAD HIS MESSAGE GEXERAIj ASSE3IBLY ORGANIZES First Day's 6edoo of Legislature is Marked by Sensation Created by Report That Governor TO Himself I lead HI Valedictory Considerable - Speculation a to What Will He Recommended Much Interest Cen " Mr la Appointment of Members of Leading OimmlUfM Senator H an iline- W1U Introduce Important Bill Concerning Attorney General Some of the Thing the Measure Provide lor Why Sir. Dowd Lost Out. EpeclaLby Staff Correspondent Raleigh, Jan. '4. Nothing short of . a sensation waa created in the legls I lative hall this afternoon when the .report waa noised abroad that Gov. R. 8. Glenn would seek again to read ' in person his valedictory message to the General Assembly at the Joint , session of the two houses to-morrow Th-,fact of ttaelf.was not so much, but it called to -the minds of every ' member the Incident two years ago when the Governor, recommending special legislation, appeared In per eon and read his message. His course then was sharply' criticised and doubtleas will be to-morrow, al though the desired permission will .undoubtedly be granted. The Gov ernor possesses a fine voice, and those who'would read the message anyway will doubtless welcome the relief. The Incident, however, will not pass unnoticed-by the older and ultra-eon servative members who maintain that the executive and legislative depart ments should be kept entirely sepa rate and distinct Their attitude, however, may be expressed by the following remarks of two prominent members or the Mouse, une sain; "This is the Governor's valedictory and if he wants to read it himself let him do It. I have no objection.' An other remarked: "It is contrary to the spirit or the constitution and seta a bad precedent. I am therefore op posed to it" However mat may oe. the message will be read, and that by the Governor himself to-morrow morning. SPECULATION AS TO RECOM MBNTATIONa SDeculatlon is keen among the members as to what he will recom mend.. That he has something on hand, to evidenced by his desire to offer It in person. The light win break to-morrow morning shortly after the hour designated as the time for gathering, namely, 11 o'clock. In reerular session the General As sembly convened this morning. The business of the day was the organixa- tlon or .tne two nouses ana ino irmiB- l action of such matters as are neces sary In order to straighten the way for actual business to-morrow and the days following. Interest, aside from the Governor's message, now centres about the ap jjrjfnrmwnt -ef tKevarioue committees of the 'House and Senate. Some of these will be made known to-morrow and the rest probably the day follow ing. Interest 1 keen for the reason that some idea may be had of the trend of events from the personnel of the several Important boards. Noth ing of a substantial or definite nature can be had as to who will direct legis lation until these committees are named. Everything ts now at sea and will remain so pending these appoint ments. For the present, that is to morrow morning, the Governor oc cupies the centre of the stage. TREND OF LEGISLATION. At this time it is well-nigh Impos sible to forecast the trend of legisla tion of the present session. It will not be, as previously stated, in the lino of Industrial and general com mercial affairs, for, by tacit agree ment, peace and quiet has been prom ised tho mill men and others engaged in allied trades. It Is currently believed that the leg islation of the present Assembly will be largely directed towards improv ing the civil administration of affairs of the State. For instance, the bill relating to the Increasing of the Judi cial districts, the bill regarding per emptory challenges, the numberless bills concerning cities and towns, pro viding charters and the like, the bills to increase the salaries of certain high State officers, the bills designed to make more effective the enforcement of the State prohibition law, and oth ers all point to this. It will be i-eadlly observed that not one of these Is directed against State industries, railroads or trusts. of course there will arise, measures designed to curb bad monopolies, but these will not excite the interest they orree did. The Legislature of 1909 will be conspic uous for the lack of railway rate and tryst legislation, which heretofore have been so vigorously prosecuted. AS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL. A measure which jjromises interest Is that of Senator J. S- Manning, of Durham, formerly chairman of the House committee on public service corporations, which is' designed to In crease the ' duties and enlarge the powers of the Attorney General of the State, or, in other words, as Mr, 'Manning was heard to remark to day, to arrange so that the office of Attorney General of North Carolina shall be what it should be, one of the pre-eminent ones of the State. This bill Is a new one although others embodying several of its features have been offered before.' Mr. Manning, as chairman of the House committee on public service corporations, dur ing the last Legislature, and as counsel for the State In the freight rate liti gation, is peculiarly qualified to draft this bill and champion its enactment. No member' of either , body is better qualified to speak of the limitations and 1 needs of the attorney general ship ; Mr.. Manning la striving to enlarge toe office so that it will not be necessary to go outside, when liti gation la to be prosecuted. For years past the State has been paying, out from $.O09 to 17,008 annually in counsel fees tfr various .lawyers over the j. ,-state.- Tor Instance, in . ' the freight - Tate cases, the briefr'ef the attorneys for the State, while splendid in execution, and fall . of detail were not so comprehensive and exhaustive as those prepared by the attorneys for the railroad. The . - explanation far apparent. The rail road attorneys, had made this matter their special stndy. or years grid hence were better posted than - ths . attorneys for the State, who had gtv ;"errThts question 'bnt a- few-moa the' Study. Should the, bill which Mr. -: Manning has prepared become a law, , then a vast rtrlde forward. -rill be - ' taken in the line-of the accomplish ment X Mr, Manning's end. . . WHAT THE BILL "PROVTDRSL . I .v, . .- This bill Brovides for the following 1. The appointment by the Gov - - ernor upon recommendation of the Attorney Genera of ope Assistant At torney General ; who shall ) bear ; the iCcniicued : on Page Sarta.). ERB CASEWITH JCHY. After Eight Days of Evidence Taking and Speeth Making the Jury Gets the (axe Against MM. Eri and Airs, lleizl htroiijr Arguments Are Mile liy the Closing Attorneys' Jury, Alter Being Out Foot Hours, Is Ixx-ked Ip l'-ur the Night. Media, Pa., Jan. . The fate of Mrs. Catherine Belzl and Mrs. M. Florence Erb, charged with the mur der of Captain J. Clayton Erb, at his country home. Red Gables, on October Sth, hans in the balance. The case was given to the Jury at 4:30 this af ternoon and after deliberating lor hours they Were locked up for the night. Not an Intimation was given as to a poll of the Jury. When court opened B. Frank Rhodes began the closing address In favor of the defendants. He ridi culed the Commonwealth's case, and said not one scintilla of evidence had been adduced to show that Mrs. Erb was in any way connected with the murder of her husband and that Mrs Belxl, the other defendant, had shot Erb that her own life and that of her sister might be spared. He un mercifully scored the "Philadelphia gang," as he termed them, for the part the' Philadelphia detectives and coroner's ph'yslcian, Wadsworth, took in securing evidence and testifying against the accused. He closed with a pathetic plea for the acquittal of me aerenaants. Mr. Rhodes was followed by Dis trict Attorney MacDade. The latter bitterly resented the "slur cast upon the Phlladelphlans, who. he declar ed, had been asked to aid the Dela ware county authorities, who at the time were busy on the Chester strike troubles. The Jury gave the district attorney closer attention than they had evinced at any time during the trial which had been In progress for eight days, and when he spread upon the floor of the court room the blue print of tho second floor of "Red Gables," where Erb was murdered every Juror left his seat in the box and seemed Intent upon gaining all Information possible. As MacDade described In the minutest detail the brutal murder" many of the Jury men questioned him as to his version of the crime. He pleaded for a first degree verdict, saying "The murder was a diabolical Dlot conceived bv shrewd, cunning women." With withering sarcasm he referred to the "Innocent wife, who had black ened the character of a man kind enough to give her his honored name. Mr. MacDade closed his address bv again reading the endearing letters from Captain Erb to his wife which wert offered In evidence yesterday. LYNCHING IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Negro Attempts the Usual Crime nd is Summarily Dealt With Near Lexington Sheriff Wounded - la I eg by the Culprit. Lexington. S. C. Jan. 4. One of the most brutal crimes that have ever shocked the people of Lexington county occurred about four miles north of here to-night An unknown negro attempted to criminally assault Mrs. Thomas Wingard, wife of a most highly respected farmer. It ts reported here at 9:30 o'clock that the negro baa been captured and that Sheriff P. M. Corley has received a bullet wound in the leg from the ne gro's weapon. Those returning from the scene re fuse to say anything about the cap ture, and It Is safe to say that the negro has been lynched. Mrs. Wingard, who Is E2 years old, was In her back yard when the negro seised her. She screamed and the negre ran off, her husband being In a nearby lot at the time. News of the affair spread like wildfire and It was not long before the entire neighbor hood was aroused. Sheriff Corley was notified and 'eft Immediately with bloodhounds to capture theJ negro. Mrs. Wingard Is said to be in a highly nervous state and is under a physician's care to-night NEW TURN AS TO JUDGESHIP. Name of Ex-Judge W, S. O'B. Robin son Presented to president ami He Postpones Appointment to Investi gate His Reeord. Observer Bureau, Congress Hall Hotel, Washington, Jan. t. Late to-day the contest for the udgeship took a most Interesting turn. Some friend of ex-Judge W. S. P'B. Robinson, i of Goldsboro, pre sented this name and record In such way as to attract the President The appointment will be postponed several day eoythat recommendations can be sent In. Judge Robinson nev er applied for the place or asked any one for an endorsement H. E. C. B. Venesnelaa Matter Not Yet Settled. Washington, Jan. I.-Dally advices are being received at the 8tate De partment from William I. Buchanan, the American special commissioner, who Is now. In Caracas, conducting ne gotiations with , the , Gomes govern ment having in view (he reaching of an understanding regarding a basis of settlement of the international questions pending between the Unit ed States and Venesuela, as & pre requisite for ths resumption of diplo matic relations. Mr. Buchanan's dis patches are hopeful In tenor but show that no definite conclusions have been yet reached. His Instruction are very broad ana form the basis on which his negotiations with the Venegueltn government are conducted. i I. .i .i . Grounds Off Cape Charles. Norfolk. Vs., Jan.. ft. Losing her bearings In the dense fog early yes terday morning the British steamer Anglo-African, with a cargo from Toeoplta. Mex, bound for- Baltimore, brought up en . Smith's Island, oft Cape Charles. There la little wind and only a moderate sejrunnlng. She is reported in good condition. It is said it will be : necessary to lighter the cargo before the vessel can be hauled off the beach. It ia ex pected that she will, be floated -to morrow. , - ; - Wagner Denies Report. Chicago,. Jan, I. Charles L. Wag ner. secretary or the lecture bureau, which has charge of the public ap pearances of Mrs,. Florence Maybrlck, to-day entered a vigorous denial .of a report that he and Mrs. May brick are to wed. ; "Mrs. Maybrlck is a -charming?' woman,! whom. I know however, in a purely business way," said Mr. Wagner, "The report that we are to marry la an.tlnjusttea.te. both of us." .- .- .. (.-? SENATE GETS A CALL DOWN MUST LET STEEL CASE ALONE President Roosevelt Lays Down the I .aw to Uie Senate in Regard to the Steel Corporation's AbsorpUou of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company Has Approved the Mat ter and Will Assume the Responsi bility Senate He 9 No Right to Give Instructions to the Executive De partment in Affairs of This Kind iiif-rriM'ts the Attorney ueneral to ilve the Senate No Reasons For His Non-Action In tho Case. 8ENATE8UMMARY. The postal savings bank bill was before the Senate yesterday and many amendments were proposed to It, some of them requiring the deposit of postal savings funds in State as well as national banks. It is expected that voting on amendments and a further discussion of the measure will be nrsumed to-day. The iyenate also received two mes sages from the President one recom mending additional interstate com merce legislation and the other relat ing to the absorption by the United States Steel Corporation of the Ten nessee Coal and iron Company, and passed several bills on the calendar. At 4:11 p. m. the Senate adjourned. HOUSE SUMMARY. The only Incident worthy of note In the proceeding? of ths House of Representatives yesterday and which caused a good deal of amusement was a brief discussion of the forthcoming African hunting trip of President Roosevelt. Incidentally there was a reference to the famous so-called Ana nias Club. The whole debate hinged on the newspaper story stating that Major Edgar O. Mearns. of the army, was to accompany the President and that in order to do so lie bad been put on the retired list with Increased rank. The matter was brought up by Mr.- Msnn, of Illinois, in connection with the consideration of a bill authorising the Issuance of commissions to officers who retire with Increased rank. The remainder of the day was de voted to the consideration of a num ber of miscellaneous .hills and resolu tions. At 5:18 p. m. the House adjourned. Washington, Jan. f. President Roosevelt to-day -informed the Sen- ale in no uncertain tones that he had given his approval to the absorption of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Com pany by the United States 8teel Cor pnratlon and that he had Instructed Attorney General Bonaparte not to respond to the Senate inquiry as to the reason for his failure to prose cute the steel company. The President concludes his mes sage with the statement that he does not conceive it "to be within the au thoxlty of the Senate to lye dlrec tlons of this character to the head of an executive department." The message to the Senate Is In re sponse to a resolution Introduced by Senator Culberson calling on the At torney General to state whether he had brought an action against the steel company, because of Its acqui sition of the Tennessee concern, and It not, the reason for non-action. While the resolution was not di rected to President Roosevelt his at tention was called to It by Attorney General Bonaparte. LETTER TO BONAPARTE. The President say: "As to the transaction In question, I was personally cognisant of and responsible for Its every detail. For the information of the senate I trans mit a copy of a letter sent by me to the Attorney General on November 4th. 1907. as follows: " The White House, Washington, November 4th, 1(07. My Dear Attorney General: " 'Judire E. H. Oarv and Mr. H. C JFrlck, on behalf of the steel corpo ration, have just called upon me. They state that there Is a certain business Arm (the name of which I have not been told, but which Is of real Im portance In New York business cir cles) which will undoubtedly fail this week if help is not given. Among Its assets are a majority of the se curities of the Tennessee Coal Com pany. Application has been urgently made to trve steel corporation to pur chase this ' stock as the only means of avoiding a failure. " Judge Gary and Mr. Frlck in formed me that as a mere business transaction they do not care to pur chase the stock; that under ordinary circumstances they would not consid er purchasing the stock, because but little benefit will come to the steel corporation from the purchase; that they are aware that the purchase will be used as a handle for attack on the ground that they are striving to secure a monopoly of the business and prevent competition not that thia would represent what could hon estly be said, but what might reck lessly and untruthfully be said. They inform me that as a mat ter of fact the policy of the com pany haa been to decline to acquire more than so per cent, or tne steel properties, and this purpose has been persevered In for several years past, with the object- of preventing these accusations, and as a matter of fact their proportion of steel properties haa slightly decreased, so that It is below this (0 per cent., and the ac quisition of the property In question will not raise it above (0 per cent A BREAK THREATENED. " 'But they feel that It Is immensely to their interest, ss to the Interest of every responsible business man to try to prevent a panic and general Industrial smash up at this time, and that they are willing to go into -this transaction, which they would not otherwise go Into, because It seems the opinion of those best fitted to. ex press Judgment In New York that It will be an important factor In pre venting a break that might be ruin ous; and that this has been-urged up on them by the combination of the most, responsible bankers In New York, 'who -are now thus-engaged In endeavoring to save the situstlon. But they asserted they did not wish to do this If I stated that it ought not to be done. - I answered that while, of course, I could not advise them to take- the action proposed, I felt it no public ditty of mine to interpose any objection. Sincerely yours. "TH EODO RE , RXOSEVELT. " 'Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte, At torney Opneral.' -After sending this letter I was ad vised orally by the Attorney Gen eral that In his opinion no sufficient ground Existed for legal proceedings against tbe steel corporation and that the . situation had been in no way changed by Its acquisition of the Ten nmeo Coal and Iron Company. ' "l have thus given to the Senate all the information la the possession BARBEE AGAIN ARRESTED INDICTMENT BY GRAND JURY True Bill Found Against Reuben Barbee For Killing Engineer Holt, and He Is Arrested In Open Court ami Landed In Jpil What New Evidence Stele Hm Is Not Known Barbee Goes to Cell Without a Pro tect Cannot Be Tried Before May Term Not Yot Known Wlieiber Eflort Will Be Mude to Secure Hal N'at Laws Arraigned on Criminal Assault Charge White Prisoner Given Lecture by Jndge. Special to The Observer. Durham, Jan. 7. Reuben Barbee, who was discharged two weeks ago by Mayor P. C. Graham because of the Insufficiency of the evidence against him. was re-ar rested this morning upon the grand Jury's flndlna- a true bill against him for the mijy der of Engineer J. A. Holt, and Is again in Jail. Barbee, was In the court room at the time of the finding. He was not the least perturbed and went to his cell ss he usu ally does. What new evidence the State has in not known. The ca.se had been thoroughly exploited before and the de tccttve's hand waa shown before the trial actually began. This time. If there Is anything new. it will probably stay In the keeping of the lawyers until the time of trial. Barbee cannot, of course, be tried at this term. The arrest, therefore, means his confinement until the May term of court. Whether or not there will be any effort to have him released by habeas corpus proceedings will depend largely npon hia lawyers' view of the matter. They are thoroughly convinced that he Is not guilty and that the fresh arrest has nothing in It The foreman of the grand Jury is Ilr. W. I. Crawford, professor of philosophy In Trinity College. Nat Ijiwi, charged with criminal as ault. Is to be tried FTtday A special ventre of SS men was summoned to-Qay and the case can be concluded In a day or less. He was arraigned to-day. JUDGB I.ECTUHES BLIND TIGER Judge Long stuck It to a white man to day who was Indicted tor selling whiskey and pleaded In extenuation that he had purchase! It from a negro. The fellow was fined by the Judge andi was told that ths If tux upon him was made because he went to the old negro's house and made lilm violate the law. He gave the old man five months on the roads, and addressing the white fellow said: "Mr. Jones, you are a hos raiser and you will have to sell a good big one to pay the fine that I am going to put on you. We white folks pretend to be smarter than the negroes and when we make them vio late the low we ought to be made to suf fer for It." ANANIAS CLUB DISCtSSED. President's Fan-ions Club Bobs Cp In tlie House and FunilKhes Fun For the Members Hill to Inoreaxe Ranks of Hrt I red Officers Gets Through. Washington, Jan. t. The newspa per announcement that Major Mearna, of the army, who has been rettred on account of disability Is to accompany President Roosevelt on his African hunting trip was the basis of an Interesting, though brief col loquy In the House to-day. Tne question came up In connection with a bill providing for the Issuance of commissions with Increased rank to retired officers of the army, navy and marine corps, which was callod up by air. nun, cnairman or tne committee on military affairs from which it had been reported. Mr. Mann, of Illinois, called atten tion to a newspaper item saying that Major Mearns had been "designated by a President In office to accompany an ex-President to Afrlva " "Maybe," Interjected Mr. Clark, of Missouri, amid laughter, "this officer experienced a sudden and miraculous cure after he got his Increase." "Then, said Mr. Mann, sarcastical ly, "it's a libel on the President. I haven't heard anybody put in the An anias Club on account of It." While the members crowded all about him Mr. Hull declared that "If the membership in the Ananias Club is to be Increased by every report In the newspapers that is not true, it would grow to such proportions that it would constitute a majority of the people and the rest of us would be In a bad fix." After the bill had been mora se- riously discussed It was passed. Prominent Georgian Held on Peonage u arge. Valdosta, Ga., Jan I United States Commissioner Powell here to day held T. T. Ramsey, a well-to-do Brooks county farmer, for trial before Judge Emory 6 peer, on the charge' of peonage. The Alleged peon, Uus Scott, a negro, and appar ently half wltted. testified that one of Ramsey's neighbors who was at outs with Ramsey had induced him to swear out ths warrant. The ne gro had sworn that he had been held In. a state of peonage for six years nd had received but 9 for his serv ices in all that time. Ramsey Intro duced witnesses to show he had fre quently paid the negro more than that He was held in a 1500 bond to the Federal Court Cold Wave Will Last Till Sunday. Washington. Jan. 6. A cold wave which swept over the entire country to-day, spread to-night over the aEst and South to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, .cawing a drop In the tem perament of 20 to 49 degrees. The temperature will be lower to morrow, and the weather bureau states that the xero line will extend into northern and extreme western Virginia by Friday morning. The cold weather will continue, to be severe untf Ithe end of the week. of the executive departments which appears to me to be material or rel evant on the subject of the resolu tion. I feel bound, however, to add that I have instructed the At torney General not to respond to that portion of the resolution which calls for a statement of his reasons for non-action. I have done so because I do not conceive It be within the autaorily f, the Benats to. KUs.dlrw- I lions of this character to the head of an executive department er to de mand from him reasons for his ac tion. Heads of the C2?.itlve de partments are subject to the constitu tion, and to the laws passed by ths Congress in pursuance of .the consti tution and to the directions of the President of the United States, . but to no ether direction- whatever., t - ' "THEODORE ROOSEVELt." " The White House, , January th. VISITORS BESIEGE MK.TAFT HEARS CHILD LABOR It EI "OUT The Prejldent-F.left Is Kept Buny Greeting Callers and tonferrliig With Prominent Republicans After Jifarinjc IU'iHrt on Conditions of Chllil ljibor in the South. Mr. Tat tiays Keffulating Tills Mat ter Am AH HUrnt. But That They Need Enforcing Will Cut ills At lanta Visit fehort anil Spend a lew Hours r.t Alliens Willingly and Smilingly Ponca For tlie Augusta 1'hotogra pliers. I Augusta, Uu., Jan 6 -The President-elect Is a member of the nutlonal child labor committee, and to-day he listened to a report on general con ditions fif child labor In the South, from A. J. McKelway, secretary of the committee for the Southern States. Mr. McKelway has headquarters at Atlanta. It was his corn luslun that the child labor laws of the rfoulliein States are pretty well adapted to conditions, but that there is laxness in their enforcement. No action on the subject Is understood to be con templated at this time National Chairman Frank II Hitch cock returned from his trip to Bir mingham and Atlanta, this morning, and this afternoon had an extended interview with Mr. Taft. John Hays Hammond, who visited Atlanta, canio back with Mr. Hitchcock. Chauncey Dewey, of Chicago, recently appointed Inspector general of the Illinois State militia, is here to see Mrx Taft and Mr. Hitchcock. Mr. Dewey was one of the two Taft delegates from that State in the convention, and It 4 understood he has some political friends he wishes to Intercede for. A call was made on -Mr. Taft by Judge William H. Jackson, of New York, and his brother, Henry Jackson, ot Atlanta. The latter is a Georgia Re publican of prominence. They came from Atlanta with Mr. Hitchcock and Mr. Hammond to-day. WILL VISIT GEORGIA UNIVER SITY. Mr. Taft will leave Atlanta after his forthcoming visit at 1 o'clock Satur day afternoon, January 16th, that he may visit the Georgia mate Univer sity at Athens on his return. This decision was practically reached to day as the result of a call from Judge Hamilton McWhorter, of AthenB. Mr. Taft's next speaking engagement Is at the dinner of the bar association of Augusta, at the Bon Air Hotel, January 11th. Henry Anderson, of Richmond, talked Southern politics with Mr. Taft at some length to-day, but nothing tangible for publication resulted. Col. Robert M. Thompson, or New rora, will play off a Hot Springs. Va.. tie game of golf to-morrow. Mr. Thomp son Ib on Ills way to Florida. Mr. Taft's ex-cellence as a golf playjer was made the subject of defense to the extent of a column editorial In a local paper here to-day. There wan no doubt, it was asserted, that he could beat Mr. Rockefeller on the Augusta links, notwithstanding reports- of his numerous defeats. Mr. Rockefeller ts expected here this week. The President-elect smilingly sub mitted himself for "exposure" to prac tically all the photographers In Au gusta to-day. They called at his cot tage, they said, to keep an engage ment made by Mr. Taft's "Japanese secretary." This meant Monlco Lopei. his Filipino valet, and Mrs. Taft enjoyed the Joke hugely. Senator Knox notified Mr. Taft to day that he would be here to-morrow. TO INVESTIGATE. MARINE CASE. Committee Asks Naval Ofiicers to Appear Before It and Tell Why Marines Were Taken Off Battle ships Thdr Withdrawal Has In--OTcascd Cost of Equipping Naval Vesselw. Washington, Jan. 6. Determined that the status of the marines shall be thoroughly considered at tho Dresent session of Congress the sub committee of the naval academy and the marine corps of the House com mittee on naval affairs has requested Secretary Newberry, Admiral Dewey and other naval officers to appear before it to-morrow to tell why the marines were taken off naval vessels. This sub-committee consists of Repre sentatives Mudd, Butler, Bates, Lilley, Talbot, Lamar, Kitchln, Hobson and Padgett The proposal has been made to tne committee that a provision be in corporated in the naval appropriation bill making it necessary, in oraer that the monsy may be available for the corps, that marines be stationed on battleships, Instead of being con fined to land duty exclusively, as Is provided for by a, recent order by the President Evidence has been submitted to the sub-committee by bfflclals of the marine corps to show that it win cost the government 1487,000 more to man the ships of the navy with sailors exclusively than with the llors and marines. The officials summoned will be asked If this state ment of additional cost, due to ths President's recent order, is correct POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS. Senate Takes Vp the Bill and a Vote May He ItenclieXl Next Week will Place State Banks on an Equality With National Banks. Washington, Jan. The bill to establish postal 'aavlngs banks Was taken up by the Senate to-day and read for amendments, Senator Carter In charge of the measure announcing that he would not attempt to get a vote on the bill nntll next week. That State banks should be used as fovernment depositaries for postal unds was proposed In amendments offered by Senators Smith, of Michl- gan; Cummins, of Iowa, and Gore, of Oklahoma. Senators McCumber, Fulton and others approved such use of State banks and declared In favor of placing such banks on an exact equality with national banks as gov ernment depositaries. Mr. Smith's amendment proposed the acceptance by the Postmaster General of State, county municipal or United States bonds as security. The bill was laid- aside without final action' being; taken on the pro posed amendments, all of which will be voted on at a future day. gtaitip Clerk Shbrt In His Account. innlalnn Aln '.fan g. Aecnrritn , u ,Uteinenef-tweofBeiaBspeeUr here to-day, Ed P. Smith, stamp clerk In the Anntston oostofflce. who suddenly left her Saturday night was short in his accounts between $1,100 and; 2,600. It is said that friends of the young man will make good the shortage. . Nothing has bee a beard fromSmlth. since the receipt of a letter Monday, saying that ha left " because he ' could not stand trouble. Ha was last seen til Birming ham Sunday night, ; . '. : . eagle company cut price, Crewe-Ievlck Representative Denies That His Company Cut the Price of Oil to Standard tuilomcn Red C Received No Complaints of Over Gauging Prom Yorkville, S. C. New York. Jan. . Testifying to day in the suit to dissolve the Stand ard Oil Company, George J L. Wolfe, Baltimore manager for the Crewe Levlck Company, said the testimony given yesterday by Bruce Robinson, a Standard witness, that the Cree Levlck Company had offered cut prices to the Standard's customers was false. Mr. Wolfe asserted the cut was made by the Eagle OH Com pany, one of the concerns absorbed by the Standard. The wltaess said a Mr. Rlaustein, who operated the Eagle Oil Company, visited the Crewe Levick Company's customers and made proffers of silk dresses, electric fans and other presents to th wives of the oil dealers if they would In duce their husbunds to buy oil of the Eagle Company. .Mr. Wolfe gulil an employe of his company who whs discharged carried away a lot of books and data from the Crewe-Ijevlck I'umpaay and was employed by Mr Blaustein. This em ploye then secured a wagon from the Eagle Company, painted It In the colors usually employed liv the Crewe Levic k Company and solicited trade from his former customers, the wit ness said. Mr Wolfe told of the tank wagon drivers he had taken away from the Standard Company and Mr. Blan steln's Eagle oil Company, each of whom had brought him quite a lot of Standard customers. "1 got more customers from the Standard than they got of mine," he added gleefully. W. H. Fasenfeld, a Baltimore em ploye of the Red C Oil Company, tes tified first concerning certain allega tions made by the Red C Oil Com pany. Mr. Fasenfeld denied that his company had received complaints concerning over-gauging in Yorkville, S. C, and one or two other small Southern towns, as alleged. "Has your company received com plaints of over-gauging?" was asked. "We received several complaints," replied the witness, "but that was when the so-called bogus companies were operating against us. We asked our customers to measure the barrels personally." He added that they lost no cus tomers on account of over-gauging. At this. point a recess was taken until to-morrow. WILL REBUKE ROOSEVELT? House Will Either Refuse to Receive the Reference to the Secret Scrv Ice or Will Severely Rebuke tlie President. Washington, Jan. 6. The special committee considering the reference to Congress and the secret service In tho President's annual message Is to report to the House on Friday. It is expected that there will be consid erable debate on the report of the committee, which will be presented to the House bv Kenresentative Perkins. of New Yofkjf the chairman. Repre sentatives:; Tawney, of Minnesota; Smith, f Lbwu; Fitzgerald, of New York, Mai 5hrley, of Kentucky, who were ,iefeif0ed4to by the President in hfs ecal' message following the ac- tlotf of tVel House In resenting the ob jectionable) portion of the President's Message; will take the opportunity to reply ito kne- President. Representative Griggs, of Georgia, oh ' Monfy . moved that the special messagejjff'ithe President be returned to the Chief' Executive, but withdrew his motion on the advice of some of his Democratic colleagues. It Is understood that the report of the spe cial committee, however, will be a rebuke nearly as severe as would have been tho action proposed by Mr. Griggs, If It ts not more so. It is statt-v that the report of the com mittee will recommend either the re fusal by the House to receive that portion of the President's annual mes sage which It Is claimed reflected on the House or will severely rebuke the President In some other manner. LOOKING FOR A JUDGE. Judge iAndls Doesn't Care to Hear the Standard Oil Case Again and the Other District Judges Art) play ing Hands Off. Chicago, Jan. 6. The distinction of hearing the re-trlal of ths Standard Oil case, in which Judge Landls' fine of 129,240,000 went to pieces in the United States appeJXite and Supreme courts, went begging to-day. United States District Attorney Sims went before Judge Landls and announced that he would like to begin a new hearing of the case on Monday. Judge Landls answered that In view of his ccnvlctlons inxthe case (fundamental ly that each v carload constituted a separate offense) he did not care to sit again In the case. "But," continued the court, "I'll ask Judge Bethea about it; maybe hs will take It." But Judge Sol II. Bethea, of the District Court, pleaded some slight connection with the matter even be fore it reached Judge Iandls and asked to be excused. "Well," Judge Landls pursued after his telephone conversation with Judge Bethea, "Judge Anderson is coming here to try a case for me soon; wait till he arrives and we'll see what can be done." Agd there the subject was allowed to rest for the present KILLED BY FALL FROM TRESTLE Bud Brown, of Mount Airy, Employed by Seaboard In Building Bridge, Plunges 0 Feet to Ills Death. Special to The Observer. Shelby, Jan. 8. This morning about 9 o'clock Mr. Bud Brown, of Mount Airy, aged about 33. fell from the Seaboard Air Line trestle over Second Broad river, two miles from here, upon which he had been work ing, and his neck was broken. Death was almost instantaneous. The fall was about tO feet, the cause being the sllckness of the crctwtles upon which Mr. Brown was walking, which was caused by the heavy rains which have prevailed here during the past lew days. It is not yet known where the Interment will take place. TBteUmeTs' Collider Thlrty-Frwr- Are- f Drowned. Odessa. ' Jan. I. The Russian steamer Svlatoslav with a crew of II came Into collision Bear Novorosslsk with the Greek steamer Poseidon to day. . .. - ' The Svlatoslav sank within three minutes. Four of her crew managed in the moment of the coUfslon to get aboard the Poseidon andxere saved. Th it jOthsTTWniheraif, th crew Wert lOst. ' -, miss STILL UNDER FIBE DIREtT TE.vn.MOXY UNSHAKEN. Defendant in Annie MorderOso : Spends Another Day In the Handa of tlio Croas-Eaxminer Makes Keveral Admissions Bat His Direct Testimony Stands Unshaken When Questioned About Ills Relations ' With His Brother's Wife the Wit ness Grown Red In the Face, Bites His JUpx and Appeals to the Judge . Denies That He Ever Tried to ; Make Love to Hei" Jndge Says Evidence Most Be In by Saturday Night Flushing, N. Y., Jan. t. For over ' six hours to-day ' District Attorney Darrln kept Thornton J. Ha in under a ceaseless fire of searching cross examination, and while the defendant frequently admitted that he could not remember some of the minor details, the main essentials of u. direct tes timony remained unshaken. Halns, on trial for the killing of William E. Annls, told the court that he had been ill yesterday which he declared caused him to be forgetful. Halns was stilt under the prose cutor's fire when adjournment came. Thornton Halns testified that be cause of the admonitions of his pa rents he kept his brother under eon-, stunt surveillance, fearing he might do some Insane thing. District Attor ney Darrln. by ingenious Interroga tlons, led and drove by turns the de ' . fendant to admit that when Annls' boat was nearlng the float he toll ' Captain Halns that he was going, home and left the army officer stand- : lng on the dock showing every evi--, dence of mental disturbance. Halns r said he had walked about 10 at 40 fleet toward the club house and when, , : he turned around Captain Halns hail disappeared. The shooting followed) within a few seconds on ths float be low the dock. ' , DID NOT THREATEN ANNIS. District Attorney Darrln asked Thornton Mains if he knew that the ' revolver with which Annls had been. , killed had been purchased at ll:4 o'clock on the morning of August 15th, the day of the shooting, at a . Broadway store. Halns said that he did not. Justice Crane informed counsel for . both sides that they must have their : evidence in by next Saturday night. Thornton Halns denied that at dinner with Captain Halns and his . wife over a year ago he had com plained bitterly of Annls because his manuscript had been refused. "Did you tell Mrs. Halns at that time that you would get even with Annls yet?" . "No, I did not." - , "Do you ever remember saying to Mrs. Halns about Annls, 'I don't want ' to meet that man. I will have to shoot him If I meet him. for you" know I have threatened to shoot hint on sight?" i ' "No, I do not." "Is W a fact that when ths captain was in the Philippines you called a , -Mrs. Halns and salt! to her, 'My God. you look sweet,' and grabbed her by. the arm?" "Your honor," said the defendant. -"I'm a prisoner here-' v Mr. Mclntyre Interrupted and aalcJ if the district attorney would agree to call Mrs. Claudia Halns he would have no objection to the line Of testi- . mony. Halns, however, declared tuut ' it was not ao. DIDN'T KNOW HI8 BROTH ETC HAD A GUN. ' The district attorney asked th witness if he had not said to Mrs. Halns that he would Ilka to kiss her If she was iut his brother's wife. Th defendant's fare became fiery red and, . he bit his lips and. turning to thei court, made a protest In low tonea against the question. Mr. Mclntyra however, directed his client to answer and the witness said "No." , Father5 questions as to whether the witness had Bought close relations with. Mrs. Halns were overruled. - " Thornton Halns was asked if h had not told Mr. Llbby, father C Mrs. Claudia Halns, at Fort Hamilton, that Annls had been instrumental in turning down his stories and" that some dav he would kill him. .;" .5 ' : , -. "It's absurd. If I killed every one who turned down my stories I would) have to have a private graveyard,' snapped the witness. - Halns said that after the shooting and when Roberts had picked up th revolver he still thought there werj undischarged shots lr the weaponi- and drew his revolver. The witness, " who had previously testified that he had never seen the revolver la his . brother's possession until after the, shooting, suddenly added that Major Halns had a similar revolver and it ! contained seven shots. 'the defendant said that when ha drew his pistol and called for an Of" fleer every one but his brother And) ' himself had left the dock. " ; Court adjourned until to-morrow. ON GAS COMPANY'S TBACK.fi Reported Death of a Washington family Caused oy Inhaling Poisonous Gases May Leaul to Iiegislatloa by Congress. Washington, Jan. t. In a" recent communication to President Roose velt. Secretary Wilson, of the De partment of Agriculture, directing attention to the circumstances sur rounding the death of a fawiity - la , this city caused by inhaling air charged w-fth carbon-monoxide, said that an examination of the : gaa supply of Washington made by the bureau of chemistry disclosed . the presence of a large percentage . of poisonous carbon-monoxide and ha referred the matter to the President for action. The President transmitted the let ter to Attorney General Bonaparte, who directed District Attorney Baker to Investigate the circumstances. Mr, Baker reported that no action In) the premises could be taken by the !? pertinent of Justice. -'" In discussing the- situation M totney General Bonaparte transmit to th . President all the cor respondence. He points out that the Washington Gas Light Company has the sanction of .' Congress for tlie manufacture of water gaa.' the en.'y restriction being that its illuminate pewee she.) I be l eerta ia--roi power. ' The remedy." says the Attorney General, "lies in .legislation. " - , s . i i Jndge Dodd Dies Suddenly In Wa-!- . tngtoo. , Washington, Jan. Stricken -:tH heart disease while talking, !(!- a frleadV Juds Frank Dodd, 1 1 y-;. - old, of Stafford countf, Va., died :,.;. derrly thU morning la the lob!j- cJ Congress Ball HotL v
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 7, 1909, edition 1
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