North Carolina Newspapers

THB GAZETTE-NEWS HAS THB associated Press SERVICE. IT IS tS EVERT .. RESPECT COMPLETE, it WEATHEB FOSECASTj , PROBABLY RAIN. OLUMEXIX. NO. 271. ASHEVILLE, N. C., WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 23, 1914. PRICE FIVE CENTS POLAND IS STILL SCENE OF DESPERATE FIGHTING ID CAUSING pie jennans Claim to Have Forced the Russian Line Which, . However, Has Been Straightened. Reinforcements from EAST TO WEST, REPORT lav Indicate Germans Are Preparing for Renewed Offensive in France and Flanders. night violent counter were all repulsed. attacks which London, Dec. 23. The eigh ly-milo battle front in Russian jpoland, west of Warsaw, where the Germans and Russians are it grips on the banks of the zura, Rawka and Pilica riv- 1- A- 1. - IX. its, continues 10 ue uie scene ui the most desperate fighting in llthcr the eastern or western paters of war. When the watlior conditions are taken into consideration, it is possi ble to appreciate the suffering wiiiili the i'omhatants are uu Jtrgoiug. Nevertheless, the 'onflu't continues in full force. Each side has suffered enor mous losses. ' Although the Germans con I tend that thev have forced the Paris, Dec. 23. The fonowing offi cial statement was given out by the French war department yesterday: 'Between the sea and the Lvs dur- lngthe day of December 21 there were no other than artillery engagements. Between the Lys and the Alsne we have repulsed attacking columns en deavoring to come out from Craycz and our troops have taken several houses in Blangy. "In Champagne and In the Argonne, in the vicinity of Souain, there have been violent bayonet engagements. We have made perceptable progress, here occupying In the Buburbs of Perthes les Hurlus three German positions representing front of entrenchments IB 00 yards long. To the northeast of Beauscjour we have consolidated our positions which we occupied on De cember 20 and have occupied all the trenches in the vicinity of Mount Cal valre. ! "In the forest of Legrurle our pro gress has continued. An attack at St. Hubert has been repulsed. . In the for est of Balants we have recaptured about 2-3 of the ground which we had lost In previous engagements. "Between the Argonne and the Meuse we have made slight progress in the Buburbs of Vanquols. North of the forest of Malancourt we suc cessfully encountered the barbed wire entanglements of the enemy and took possession of certain trenches where the enemy maintained themselves. "On the right bank of the Meuse In the forest of Consencoye we first lost and then recovered, after a lively fight, trenches which we had captured on December 20. "On the heights of the Meuse and In the Vosges there is nothing to re port. "An attack on Amotz and nearby trenches was made by our troops and we gained ground in this direction. "At Llhons three attacks of the en emy were repitysed. . "We have made slight gains to the east and west of Tracy-le-Val and our artillery delivered an efficacious fire on the chateau of Noupron. "In the section of the Alsne and In the vicinity of Rhelms there have been artillery engagements." , GERMANS m A PROTEST ON III! ponncon Second Invasion of African Possessions Small Portu guese Force Retreats. '. - " Lisbon, (By way of Paris), Dec. 23. The Germans have again invaded Rngola, the Portuguese African col ony, according to an announcement made In the chamber of deputies today by the minister of colonies. He stated that the Germans had made a fresh attack on the military post at Naulila In the province of Angola. The com mander of the post, Colonel Rochacs, stated that he had only a small force and that he Judged ltbest to retreat and secure reinforcements. No Further Objections From Fayetteville Underwriters Association Concerning the Reductions. II IKiGHI Asheville's ? nd Municipal Christmab festival to Be Held in Pack Square This Evening. DEFEAT FORCES OF PROHIBITION BRIEGS STEPS LOWER 1-YEAR RATE, V HIGHER 3-YEAR RATE Britton's Backers Are Com plaining of H, G. Gulley 's "Pernicious Activity" in Postoffice Fight. The first Invasion of the Portuguese colony by the Germans was late In October, according to a report from Laurenca Marques in East Africa, a small German cavalry force arrived at the post and asked for an interview with three Germans were killed. Ber lin Issued a denial of the reported in vaslon. A report from Lisbon stated that 3000 men were sent from Portugal to the African colony In September and October, and In November prepara tions were made for the dispatching of 4000 additional troops. This action on the part of Portugal was caused by the report that the Germans were arming the natives and were having them trained by German officers for the purpose of Invading Angola. THREE LONG I GEH- Russian line, it is a fact that the Russian front has been straightened, and it is difficult to visualize which of the con tenders has the strategic ad vantage. Again there comes trickling through from Holland reports of a vast movement of German troops from the east to the TCt. It is reported in Amster dam that thousands of German soldiers have passed through Aix-la-Chapelle to the north of France. This action, if true, may he the fore-runner of a re sewed German offensive in the Test or it may simply indicate the intention of the Germans to offset the reinforcements which Great Britain has been pouring into France. , As the situation now stands in the west there is assurance that the allies are more on the "Tensive thai; defensive and that they are .making slight Sains from clay to day. It is lielieve'd in London, that notwithstanding the failure of the plan for an armistice dur- I inR the Christmas season, some rt of lull will set in on Christ ens day itself. The Ixmdon PnIT8 have signified their in tention of not getting out issues jj" Christmas day and the of ''ial press bureau' has an nounced that it will suspend ""rations from the afternoon f December 24 to the afternoon December 2H. Thonsanda of tons of Christ mas presents have been sent to front. Their distribution nl enjoyment is another argu "nt for the suspension of hos- ''ites on Christmas day. ro. n7-h follow-In T1 14 "ommunlmtlon was Issued by the ;"h wv nmn, t ntght: t V th north of Pulnalenn. nuth "Ton, th nemy executed last Among the Three is John Cam eron, Serving for Murder of Raeford Police Chief. SPLENDID PROGRAM HAS BEEN PERFECTED GUI REPORT Decision to Remove Postmaster at Raleigh Big Surprise to Mr. Briggs' Friends. Hobson Resolution to Submit i Prohibition Amendment to the State Legislatures Is Beaten. Music and Pictures in Keeping With Spirit of the Occasion and Presents for Chil dren Are Features. BIG BLACK BEAH GOES Unwelcome Guest at Several Farms Where Bruin Feasts on Nice Fat Calves. (By W. T. Boat). Raleigh, Pec. 28. Three of the state's long termers escaped from the penltontlary farm yesterday morning according to a telephone message to Warden T. P. Sale, and until late evening nothing had been heard from them. They are men of history, John A. Cameron is serving twenty years for the killing of the chief of police in Haeford In 1913, and Irish Jimmy, cracksman whose real name la Wil liam Dunn, was up for eight years on conviction of blowing open a Gasto-j nla safe. The third was Joe Zachary, a Jackson county prisoner, who was serving three years for murder In the second degree. The message carried no detail. Cameron was steward at the farm and had held the position since May, 1918. He is a man of intelligence ana of better make-up than the average prisoner. He la a fellow of fine ap pearance weighing nearly 200 pounds being slightly under six feet. Irish Jimmy la a Brooklyn man, a very short, fat fellow of five feet, two inches. He Is 47 years old. Zachary Is twenty-three and also a big, tall 200 pounder. All the men were white. This In stallment makes eight within the last six week who have escaped from the farm prison. The' number at large now Is six, two having been captured. A reward of $25 each for the capture and return of these fel lows Is offered by the state. Special to The Gazette-News. Marlon, Dec. 23. A large, black bear from tho Black mountains, driv en to the low country by hunger caused by the extremely cold weather made a raid upon several farms with in a mile of Marion yesterday. He succeeded in his search for food by capturing several fine veals, thereby proving himself to be a connoltseur even when tempted by hunger, xne presence of bruin in the community called forth every Nlmrod In Marlon and the surrounding country. Hacks, horses, and other conveyances were called Into service, and many took to the country afoot. Every comer to town had a story to tell of the bear's appearance along the roadside. A large crowd with dogs and guns chased the bear back and forth from Sevier to Greenlee, but without suc cess. Finally, bruin, having furnished the community with enough sport for one day, and having secured enough food to satisfy his hunger until the snow disappears from the mountains, evidently made his way back towards Mitchell's peak, where he- soon be came lost In the wilds of the mountains. DANISH DANCERS WEEP; PARIS SLIPPERS LOST HOLIDAY FOR SOUTHERN TICKETERS UP TOWN The city ticket office of the Southern Railway will be closed Christmas day according to an announcement mado yesterday. This action Is taken In or der to allow ths employes an oppor tunity to observe the holiday. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH CHILDREN TO ENTERTAIN Member of the Christian church will give a Christina entertainment thi evening at t, o'clock for th Sunday school boy and girl of that church. , Copenhagen, Dec. 28. (Correspon dence of the Associated Press.) Olrls of the Royal Danish Ballet are placed In a serious dilemma. They cannot get ballet shoes from Paris. The ballet shoe manufactured here are so heavy that the girls cannot dance with them. If the conditions do not Improve, the ballet master will he compelled to arrange ballet with naked foot-dance. Bomb Explode. Rom. Deo. 13. A small bomb ex ploded In th courtyard of th Basilica of Bn Clement, th Titular rhunh or Cardinal CConnell of Boston. An other bomb that failed to explo-le was found. Window of th church wer khattsrtd. ELKS GIVE FUND TO CITY'S NEEDY Adjutant John Tlouterse, local bar racks. Salvation Army, received yes torday a check from the Ashevllla Lodge of Elk for th sum of 1(0, to be used for the purpose of purchanlng supplies for the poor. Th Star mar ket donated through the Elk 60 pound of meat for th relief of the suffering. A donation of 28 pounds of sausage was mad by William J. Cocke through th Elk also. North Carotin. rostmaMPT. Washington. Dec. It. Th follow Ing North Carolina postmaster wer appointed yesterday: Brsnkton. Bun combe county, Jame B. IlradHy: Gen, Buncombe county. John B. HIM: Orandvlew, Cherokee county, Olen O. Davis; Teague, Haywood oonnty, R. Weston Oreen; Vultar. Northampton county, Carolina U Vlnoent (By W. T. Bost.) Raleigh, Dec. 23.: Insurance Com missioner James R. Young declares he has received notice of no further pro test in tne recent insurance reductions i than that of the Fayetteville Under writers association's action of a few days ago. The Fayetteville people demur to the proposals because they change the whole system of writing the threo year policy. Under the old form of making out policies, the person who was able to pay the three-year bill received Are protection at Just twice the regular annual rate. When the men higher up met they could see no real reason for reducing the rate so radically and were led to see that if they could afford such cuts, either the annual rate was too high or that the three-year rate was too low. They ac cordingly raised the three-year rate to two and a half times the regular rate of one year and cut the annual rate to eighty-Hve per cent of the old rate. A policy that formerly cost $10 a year now costs $8.50 and the 3-year policy now Is sold at $25. The value of the reduction is its meeting the man of small means and Is , ; concession to an - Immemorial prit?st against the high rates that flf at assailed the poorer man. Under the new system, ' the poor man gets the immediate reduction of 16 cents on the hundred. He cari buy Insurance even at the two and a half times the annual premium to slight advantage, but doe3 not impoverish himself, to meet the original charge. Insurance men believe the recent reductions are so substantial that the incoming legislature will see no need of taking up the Investigation which the report of the legislative committee might have projected. The smaller local companies declare these rate." are for North Carolina and are offered as a desire to meet the demands of the state. The next general assembly will have many companies here ready to put themselves between the lower rates and any project to make them still lower. After Bailey's Deputy. Backers of Edward E. Brltton In the postoffice contest declare that charge are In the making against H. G. Gulley, one of Collector J. W. Bai ley' deputies with headquarters in Greensboro, the protest coming under Mr. Cleveland' famous term, "perni cious activity." The quarrel that the antl-Gulley men make Is that he Is energetically circulating a petition throughout the county asking support for Bart M. Catling for the postmastershlp of Ral eigh. Mr. Gulley has been spending most of his time In Greensboro, but his return here recently set his foes upon his trail again. Prior to his go ing to Greensboro he had been verv active In behalf of J. P. Stell, chief field deputy of Collector Bailey, though Mr. Stnll had resigned and left the service. When the champion still smasher returned, Collector Bailey asked for charge If there were any, and Chief Stell resumed operations. The opponents of Gulley, who la much the smoother politician of th two field deputies, declare th:it Greensboro Is still his military bnsi and that he Is here only a he hss come from time to time. But the kick Is lusty. Complaint will b made di rect to Washington, It I said charging Gulley with violation of the civil ser vice law. No man on the force of Col lector Bailey has been more valuable In- the peculiar capacity In which he acted during the 1912 campaign for the senatorshlp than Gulley. Th Supreme court will today dis pose of the Will Newsome murder case from Greene, wherein Newsome stand under death sentence and Is asking the court to give a new trial. though th appeal was not perfected. Newsome ho been In the state pris on twelve month and will go to the governor In the event of failure to get hearing. Th court ha not had chance to Hand down an opinion be cause the case ha not com properly before It. The last of the 1914 opinion will be for th nlght'i handed down today and the court then take a reces to January 18 when the unfinished case will be settled. An other roc cm of three week will fol low. The Acme Warehouse company of Acme. Columbu county, waa Incor porated yesterday, W. O, Gilchrist, d. II. Smith and J. O. McCormlrk being th Incorporator. Th amount paid I $210. 197 FOR AND 189 AGAINST MEASURE ' Asheville will celebrate Hb second municipal Christmas festival tonight and a splendid program has been perfected for that event. Pack square parked with evergreens and the giant Christmas tree will be a blaze of glory tonight. The citizens have Joined in the festal program gener- j ously making the event one of unity and splendor and it is planned that no child in Asheville who is able to attend the exercises will fail to get a present and none of the poor of the city, who have let themselves be known will be overlooked by Santa Claus. The program as given out by the executive committee for this evening's exercises, follows: Invocation at 7:45 will open the festal after which the crowd will sing: "Joy to the World." As this se lection is being rendered seven pic tures will be shown, the stereoptlcon slides carrying reproductions of fa mous paintings as follows: "Annun ciation to Mary," "Mary and the Doves," "Visit of Mary to Elizabetn," "Madonna and Angels," "Madonna and Babe." "Annunciation to Shepherds," (2). i - Upon the close of the first song, the second number on the program, "O, Little Town of Bethlehem," will be sung and as the strains of this familiar hymn are heard, pictures will be thrown on the screen a fol lows: "Sistine Madonna," "Virgin and Angels," "Wise Men and Star," "Wise Men on Way to Bethlehem," "Holy Night," "Babe of Bethlehem," "Adoration of Wise Men." "Silent Night, Holy Night," will be sung next with pictures being shown as follows: "Manger," "Babe of Bethr lehem," "The Nativity," "Madonna of the Chair," "Flight Into Egypt," "Baby Jesus Walking," "The Carpen ter Shop." Madonna"will be presented upon the colse of the song and as It fades from the screen Old Glory will be draped over the canvas as those In attendance upon the celebration sing: 'America." The tree will be kept In darkness as the songs are being ren dered, but as the canvas Is covered by Old Glory, the switch which con trols the hundreds of electric bulbs on the limbs of the tree will be pulled down and the giant of woodland will stand out as a tree of fire. Children will pass Into the main entrance of the city hall where they will be pre sented with bags of good things to eat by the members of the fire de partment who have been named by Santa Claus to distribute presents among the boys and girls of the city. Twelve basket were placed at con venient points on the square for the placing of bundles of clothing and provision which will be distributed among the poor of the city tomorrow through the charitable organizations of Asheville. A basket will be found In the center of the square near the kloxk and at other convenient points. Including the city hall, Nichols snoo store, Teague and Oates' drug store, Smith's drug store and Carmtchael' pharmacy. Person who carry bundles to the observance are requested to place them in these basket, although cash donation will be taken by the usher. Each of these will bear a white card, with th word "Usher" printed In black letters. Donor are requested to make contribution to none other than those who have uch signs on their coat. This, of course, doe not prevent making contribu tion to Mayor J. K. Rankin, the treasurer of the general committee, prior to tonight' gathering. Chair man C. II. HoneMi, of the ushers' committee this morning announced that th following have been named and will serve on th square tonight: Harry Theobold, E. C. Greene, B. George Barber, J. D. Earlo, II. W. Sharp, A. C. Goodman, W. E. Reld, William Coleman, E.J. Orlset, B. E. Greene, Cloyd Pennnll. C. ). Rlgier. l. N. Trantham, William Duncan, C. K. Hughe. P. C. Blackman. H. n. Cralghton and Clarence H, lavt. Th usher will meet at th city hail tonjght at 7 o'clock to outlln plana work. Gazette-News Bureau, Wyatt Building, Washington, Dec. 23. Willis Granby Briggs, for nearly eight years postmaster at Raleigh, Is to be removed from office Immedi ately. Representative Pou has been asked to name his successor. Postmaster General Burleson decid ed to remove Mr. Briggs after he had read the report of a special postofflco inspector who had been sent to Ral eigh to investigate the office. In his report the inspector charges Mr. Briggs with absenting himself from his office, "carelessness, gross negli gence, failure to attend to his ordinary duties" and also with failure to over see the weighing of the mails leaving his office. Although Representative Pou was not prepared to say tonight whom he would recommend to succeed Mr. Briggs, it is generally believed that Bart M. Gatling will receive his O. K. The report coming from Raleigh Sat urday that Gatling had been decided upon, though denied by both Senator Ooverman arid Representative Pou, is believed to be pretty near the right dope. Senator Simmons left town for his New Bern home Saturday and no statement could be had from him. The decision to remove Briggs from office was a great surprise to Postmas ter Briggs' many friends In Washing ton. Though a republican he Is held in the highest regard by democrats and republicans alike. Mr. Pou him self paid the Raleigh postmaster a high compliment in congress several years ago, when he declared - mat Briggs had conducted the cleanest campaign of any man who had ever opposed him for office. j Those who know Willis Briggs well d6 not believe he willfully negelectcd his duties. One of his political oppo nents stated several days ago that Briggs had made the best postmaster Raleigh has ever had. He was instru mental in putting Into effect a rystem that not only received the commenda tion of the then postmaster general, Hitchcock, but was favorably com mented upon by hundreds of patrons of the Raleigh office. Mr. Briggs has always been allied with the Duncan faction of the repub lican party. Therefore he was bitterly fought by the other faction, and it is rumored here tonight that the charges preferred against Briggs may have originated with some of his political enemies In his own party. Mr. Briggs was named postmaster at the state's capital by former Presl dent Roosevelt and reappointed by William Howard Taft, who succeeded the Rough Rider. His nomination was held up In the senate by Senator Carter, of Montana. The Montana senator was acting for Marlon Butler, It is said. Both Senator Simmons and Overman favored Briggs over othpr republican aspirants for the office. Two-thirds Vote Required to I Adopt Will Probably Not Be Pushed in the Senate. Washington, Dec. 23. Opponents of l prohibition confidently predicted today that the defeat in the house of the I Hobson resolution urging an amend ment to the constitution, for national prohibition, meant that the Issue was , dead, so far as this session of congress j" is concerned. On the other hand, the supporters of the measure triumphant ly point to the majority of eight votes ! In the show-down In the house lasc I night and asserted that their expecta- tions had been entirely fulfilled. They ! declared that the failure to adept the resolution was only a temporary de feat and that they were prepared to continue the fight. Although there is a similar resolu-J tion In the senate, Introduced by Sen- i ator Sheppard, administration leaders ' expressed the opinion that it would not , come to a vote because of the action ( In the house. Chairman Henry of the rules com- ' mlttee, who vigorously opposed the resolution, predicted that as a re sult of the resolution's defeat the ques tion would not again be brought to the floor of the house as a national Issue for 20 years. Prohibition leaders, In cluding Representative Hobson, how ever, predicted that it would be an is sue in the 1916 campaign.' Representatives of the national leg islative committee of the Anti-Saloon league, In a statement today, declared that the temperance forces had reason to be gratified at the result of the vote in the house. The final vote was reached about midnight after several hours of re markable debate and after several amendments had been voted down. ' Party lines were shattered. Demo- j eratlo Leader Underwood and Repub- ' lican Leader Mann, who led the antl- i prohibition forces, fought shoulder to shoulder in opposing the passage of 1 the measure. The final ballots showed the 386 members had voted on the Issue 197 1 for and 189 against. The resolution failed of adaption by 61 votes, an af- I firmative vote of 258 being necessary. Of those who voted for the resolu- I tlon, 144 were democrats; 68 were re- j publlcnns; 11 progressives and four In- j dependent republicans. Of those who voted against the measure, 141 were I (Continued on page 9) j IE BRITISH SHIPS WIRELESS Action Taken at Panama Canal Zone for Sending Code Message. Washington, Dec. 23 Lieutenant Crenshaw, naval radio officer oi tne. Panama canal xone, ha cabled the j i.w denartment hat 'he wireles! apparatu on the British steamer rrotesllsn wa dismantled by tne police of the Panama canal xone on December 10, after the vessel naa sent a code message. into mm mull- Leader's Trip to Tehuantepec Interrupted by Actions of Zapata's Forces. Washington. Deo. 23. General Carranza's trip from Vera Crui to th lsthmua of Tehuantepec has been in terrupted by Zupata forces who cap tured Holedud and from there sent a wild locomutlve Into hi approach ing train. Neither Carranza nor any of his party was Injured. These facta were repi rted hit night In a private dispatch from a point on the railroad on which Car ranza wus traveling, j t'arrwnza returned to Vera Crut after the incident at Foledad and now COLONEL COHEN PUTS OUT FINE CALENDAR Sanford H. Cohen, manager of the Greater western North Carolina Asso ciation, has prepared for distribution a very attractive calendar entitled Th Calendar of Cheer". It contains 14 imre of helpful thought printed In two color by th Dodg Publishing company of New Tone, u i alto gether rtltlc and will doubtle b a very popular means of advertising '"ii Land of th Bky." has gone to C'urdolMv t Inspect bin troop. Ills officer say he will later continue hi Journey to the lutlimim. Heavy rains, making traveling dif ficult, resulted In postponement nf a conference between Maytorena, VUla commander at Naco, Honor, and General Scott, chief of taff lof the, army, sent to Naoo, Art., to endeavor to persuade the warring Mexican faction to discontinue military oper- tlun which endanger life and prop erty on the American side of th bor der. Mis llucrta VK The following school girl are com mended warmly by th commute for work dona In preparing gift bag for th children: Ml Edith Lacey, Mis Blanche Davenport, Mis Edith J mi o. Ml i Clara Jackson. Mis Mar- nt Kradv. XI Lm Kvelvn Burton. Barcelona, Via Part. Dec. U. A Mis Alice Horrells, Mis Iren Petrle. daughter of General Vlctortano Huer Ml Gertrud Nlrhol. Mis Lt t, former president of Mexico, ws Muv T.imlln. Mln Helen William, married here Monday to General (Continued on Tag 11.) IQulerot, Genera IIurta' aid. Stock Sold. New York. Dee. ii. Th old stock of th Chicago, RiK'k island and Pa cific railway company was sold at public- forclour yetrdy for $7,- 1SM00. Jme R Wallace, chairman of th protective commit! for th four per cent collateral truat bond of thi- company, against which th fore rlnmir action waa brought by th Central Trut company of New fork alnt th rllro1 company for In. teret du on bond valued at $7L-113.000.