North Carolina Newspapers

THE ALAMANCE GLEANER. ■'■ ■ ■ ■ 1 VOL. XLI The IWffioaDollar Mystery By HAROLD MAC GRATH Illustrated from Semes In the Photo Drama of the ' Same Name ky the Thanhouser Film Company (Copyright, UK by Harold MwOntU wop/rigst, IUI, i CHAPTER XI. When Jones received the telegram that Florence was cafe, the Iron nerve of the man broke down. The außpense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hys terically weak. Three weeks of wait ing, waiting. Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the princi pal actors in the abduction had been found. From a great ship In mldocean they had disappeared. Doubtless they had hidden among the immigrants, who, for little money, would have fooled all the officers on board. There was no doubt in Jones' mind that the pair had landed safely at Uadrld. As for Susan, she did have hyster ics. She went about the room, walling and laughing and wringing her hands. Tou would have thought by her actions that Florence had lust died. The sight .of her stirred the saturnine lips of the butler into a smile. But he did not remonstrate with her. In fact, he rather envied her freedom In emotion. Man cannot let go In that fashion; It is a sign of weakness; and he dared not let even Susan see any sign of weakness In blip. So the reporter had found her, and ■he was safe and sound and on her way to New York? Knowing by this time something of the reporter's cour age, be was eager to learn how the •vent bad come about When be had not had a telephone message from Norton in 48 hours, he had decided that the Black Hundred had finally succeeded In getting hold of him. It bad been something of a Mow; for while he looked with disfavor upon the reporter's frank regard for his charge, he appreciated the fact that Norton was a staff to lean on, and had behind him all the power of the press, which Included the privilege of going everywhere even If one could net al ways get back. As he folded the telegram and put It into his pocket, be observed the man with the opera glasses over the way. He shrugged. Well, let him watch till his eyes dropped out of his head; he would see only that which was Intended for his eyes. Still, It was Irksome to feel that no matter when or where you moved, watching •yes observed and chronicled these movements. Suddenly, not being devoid of a tense of dry humor, Jones stepped over to the telephone and called up "her highness the Princess Perfgoff. "Who is ltT" He was forced to admit, however Surrounded by Strange and Oqilnous Faeee. PROFESSIONAL CARDS JOHN J. HENDERSON Attoraey-at-Law GRAHAM, N. C. MDn ever Natteaalßeakel AlasMM f- e. coos, Attorney -at-Lew, TRAHAM, .... . N. C. Oilea Patterson Building Second rieor. . . . . . DR. WILL S. LOW, JR. . . . DENTIST . . . »*>«■ - - - - Hsrtt Caroline OFFICE is HIMMONB BPILDINO AOOB A. Una BLMBB LOM LONG * LONG, -tttornajrs and CotinMlors at a OB A HAM I. ". JOHN H. VERNON AUwsqi aad Ceaaeelor-et-law POBKS-Oflee IM Bsdlisn Ml Burlington, N. C. Dr. J. J. Barefoot omoi otkb hadlkt's mobs Leave Message* at Alamance Phar macy 'Pbone 97 Residence 'Phone 882 Office Hour* 2-4 p. n». and by A DDoi fitment. * oj tuu-oia iieunMi reluctantly, that the woman had a marvelously fine speaking voice. "It is Jones, madam." "Jones?" "Mr. Hargreave's butler, madam." "O! You have news of Florence?" "Yes." It will be an embarrassing ' day for humanity when some one in vents a photographic apparatus by which two persons, at the two ends of * the telephone may observe the facial expressions of each other. "What is it? Tell me quickly." "Florence has been found, and she ' is on her way back to New York. She was found by Mr. Norton, the report er." "I am so gladl Shall I come up at once and have you tell me the whole amazing story?" "It would be useless, madam, for I ' know nothing except what I learned from a telegram I have just received. But no doubt some time this evening you might risk a call." "Ring up the instant she returns. Old she say what train f "No, madam," lied Jones, smiling. He hung up the receiver and stared at the telephone as if be would force his gase in and through it to the womsjj ut the other end. Flesh and bloodl Well, greed was stronger than that. Treacherous cat! Let bar play; l let her weave her nets, dig her pits. The day would come, and it was not far distant, when she would find that the mild eyed mongoose was just as deadly as the cobra, and far more cunning. The heads of the Black Hundred ' must be destroyed. Those were the. orders. What good to denounce them, to send them to a prison from which, with the aid of money and a tremen dous secret political pull, they might readily find their way out? They must be exterminated, as one kills off the poisonous plague rats of the Orient A woman? In the law of reprisal there was no sex. Shortly after the telephone episode (which rather puzzled the princess) she received a wire from Bralne, which announced the fact that Florence and five had escaped and were coming to New York on train No. 25, and ad vised her to meet the train en route. She had to fly about to do it. When Captain Bannock released Bralne, he had been In no enviable frame of mind. Tricked, fooled by the girl, whose mind was as unclouded as his own! She had succeeded In bribing .a coal stoker, and had taken him un r awares. The man had donned the dis guise he had laid out for shore ap proach, and the blockhead Bannock ' had never suspected. He had not rec- , ognized Norton at all. It was only | when Bannock explained the history of the shanghaied stoker that He real ized his real danger. Norton! He must be pushed off the board. After this episode he could no longer keep up the pretense of being friendly. Nor ton, by a rare stroke of luck, had forced him out into the open. So be I It. Belf-preservatlon Is in no wise | looked upon as criminal. The law may have its ideas about it, but the in- 1 dividual recognizes no law but its own. j It was Brain's whom he loved and ad mired, or Norton whom he hated as a dog with rabies hates water. With Norton free, be would never again dare return to New York openly. This meddling reporter aimed at bis ease aad elegance. He left the freighter as soon as a boat could carry him ashore. The fugitives would make directly for the railroad, and thither he went at top speed, to arrive ten minutes too late. "Free!" said Florence, as the train began to Increase Its speed. Norton reached over and patted; her band. Then he sat back with a sudden shock of dismay. He dived a hand into a pocket, into another and another. The price of the telegram be had sent to Jones was all be bad , bad in the world; and be bad borrowed that from a friendly stoker. In the excitement he had forgotten all tbont ■ such a contingency as the absolute ■ need of money. ' "Florence, I'm afraid we're going to have trouble with the conductor when be comes." "Why?" , He pulled oat his pockets sugges tively. "Not a postage stamp. They'll i ■ put us off at the aext station. And," , with a fiance In the little mirror be tween the two window*, "I shouldn't blame tbem a bit." Be waa unshaven, be waa wearing the suit substituted for hie own; aad Florence, eartorially, was not much better off. She smiled, blushed, stood np, aad turned her back to him. Then she sat > down again. Ia her band she held a small dilapidated roll of banknotes "I had them with me wbea they , abducted me." she said. "Besides, this ring ia worth something." i "Thank the Lord!" he ogstalmeri, ' rellevedly. So then was joothlng more to do bat be happy; aad happy they were. They were qnite oblivious to the pecu liar Interact they aroused among the other passengers. This unshaven - young man. In 'his ragged eoat aad I soiled Jersey; this beautiful young girl, la a "wrinkled homespun, her glorious blonde hairy awry; aad the l way they looked at each other during thoee lulls In conversation peculiar to levers the world over. Impressed * the other passengers with the Idea that something very ■aueual had hap. peaed to theee two. The Pullman conductor waa not es peclaUy polite; but money was money, aad the stockholders, waiting for their dividends, made It impossible for him i • to (eject it The rsgnlar conductor J 4' • «. * • (jRAnAM, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18. 1915 paia itrcm no more attention tnsn rz grumble over changing a S2O bill. So, while these two were hurrying on to New York, the plotters were hurrying east to meet them. The two trains met and stopped at the same station about eighty miles.from New York. The princess, accompanied by Vroon, who kept "well in the back ground, entered the car occupied by the two castaways. In the mirror at the rear of the car , Norton happened to cast an ldje j glance, and he saw the princess. 1 Vroon, however, escaped his eye. I "Be careful, Florence," he aald. "The I princess is in the car. The game be-! gins again. Pretend that you suspect! nothing. Pretty quick work on their 1 part And that's all the more reason i why we should play the comedy well, i Here she comes. She will recognize | you, throw her arms around you, and agy. ;JH Fejl Into an Ambush. ■how all manner of effusiveness. Just keep your head and play the game." "She lied about you to me." "No matter." "O!" cried the princess. She seized Florence In a wild embrace. She was an Inimitable actress, and Norton could not help her. "Your butler telephoned me! I ran to the first train out And here you are, back safe and sound! It Is wonderful; Tell me all about it. What an adven turet And, good heavens, Mr. Nor ton, where did you get those clothes? Did you find her and rescue her? What a newspaper story you'll be able to make out of It all! Now, tell me Just what happened." She sat down on the arm of Florence's chair. The girl had steeled her nerveß against the j touch of her. And yet she was beautl ' ful! How could any tone so beautiful be wicked? "Well, It began like this," said Flor ence; and she described her adven tures, omitting, to be sure, Bralne's part In it. She had reached that part where they had been rescued by Captain Ban nock when a thundering, grinding 1 crash struck the words from her lips, i The three of them were flung violent | ly te one side of the car amid splinter ing wood,tinkling glass, and the shriek of steel against steel. A low wall of horror rose and died away as the car careened over on Its side. The three were rendered unconscious and were huddled together on the floor, under the uprooted chairs. Vroon had escaped with only a slight cut on the hand from flying glass. He climbed over the chairs and passen gers with a single object In .view. He •aw that all three he was Interested In were Insensible. He quickly exam ined them and saw that they bad not received serious Injuries. He had but little time. The princess and Norton would have to take their chance with the other passengers. Resolutely he •tooped and lifted Florence in his arms and crawled out of the car with her. ft was a difficult task, but he managed It. Outside, in the confusion, ino one paid any attention to him. So ha threw the unconscious girl over hLs shoulder and staggered on toward the road. It waa fortunate that the accident had occurred where It did. Five miles beyond was the station marked for the arrest of Norton as an abductor and ' i the taking In charge of Florence as a I j rebellious girl who had run away from iher parents. If be could reach the Swede's hut, where hi* confederates were in waiting, the game was his. After straggling along for half an hour a carriage waa spied by Vroon, and he hailed It when It reached his side. "What's the trouble, mister?" asked the tanner. "A wreck on the railroad. Mr daugh ter la badly hurt I must take her to the nearest Tillage. How far la It?" •About three milee." Til give you twenty dollars for the nee of that rig of yours." "Can't do It alster." "But It's a case of humanity, sir!" indignantly. "You Me refusing to aid The farmer thought it over for a mo ment. "All right Yon can have the , boggy for twenty dollars, when you 1 get to the Tillage take the nag to Doe Banders' livery. Hell know what to do." "Thank you. "Help me in with her." Vroon drove away without the least Intention of going toward the village. Aa a reeult, when Florence came to her senses (he found herself sur rounded tar strange and ominous faces. At first she thought that they had taken her from the wreck out of kind ; seeaj. but when she saw .the cold, I • - . M-'l- 1 ' • ■ Impassive l»u» oi tne man Vrwa sne closed her eyes and lay back la the chair. Well, IU and "weak as she was, they should find that she was not without a certain strength. In the meatlme Norton revived and looked about in vain for Florence.* He searched among the crowd of terrified passengers, the hurt and the un harmed, but she was not to be found. ' He ran back to the princess and helped j her oat of the broken car. 1 "Whero Is Florence V she asked ' dazedly. "God knows I Here, come over and I sit down by the fence till I see If there | Is a field telegraph-" , They had already erected one, and 1 his message went'off with a batch of 1 others. This time he was determined | not to trust to chance. The shock ' may have brought back Florence's re cent ffMmtal disorder, and aha mav have wanderea on without knowing what she was doing. On the other hand, she may have been carried off. And against such a contingency he must be fortlfled. Money! The curse of God was upon It; It was the trail of the serpent, spreading poison In Its wake. By and by the princess was able to walk; and, supporting her, he led her to the road, along which they walked slowly for at least an hour. They might very well have waited for the relief train. But he could not stand the thought of Inactivity. The > princess had her choice of staying be hind or going with him. He hated | the woman, but he could not refuse her aid. She had a cut on the side > of her head, and she limped besides. They stopped at the.first farmhouse, explained what had happened, and the mistress urged thera to enter. She, she had seen no one, and certainly not a young woman. She must have wan i dered off in another direction. She ran into the kitchen for a basin and towel and proceeded to patch the princess' hurt*. She was extremely uneasy. That she should be under obligation to Nor ton galled her. There was a spark of conscience left in her soul. She had tried to destroy him, and he had been kind to her. Was be n laol or > was he deep, playing a game as shrewd i as her own? She could not tell. Whpre i was Vroon? Had he carried Plorenco • off? An hour later a man came In. LLj "Hullo! More folks from the i wreck?" "Where's the horse and buggy, 1 Jake?" his wife asked. ' "Rented It to a man whose daughter waa hurt. Ha went to the village." "Will you describe the daughter?" ■ asked Norton. ' The princess twisted her Angers. The farmer -rudely described Flor ' ence. ' "Have you another horse and a 1 saddle?" 1 "What's your hurry r % "I'll tell you later. What I want now 1 la the horse." • "What Is to become of me?" asked ' the princess. "You will be In good hands," he 1 answered briefly. "I em going to And l I r— ———————————————i "They Tied Him to the Track." out what has become of Florence. Ia there a deserted farm-house here abouts r ha asked of the farmer. I "Not that I recollect" "Why yea, there la, Jjke. There's that old bat about two mIW bp tko * fork," volunteered the wife, 1 the Swede died last winter." ■>! "By Jingo! I'm going into the tfl -1 lage and see If that man brooght 'ln .... J | ' w i . ine "rig." "But get my horse first Hy name is James Norton, and I am on the Star in New York. Which way do 1 go?" "First turn to the left. Come on; I'll get the horao for you." Once the horse was saddled, Norton set off at a run. He was unarmed; he forgot all about this fact. His one thought was to find the woman he loved. He was not afraid of meeting a dozen men, not while his present fury lasted. And he fell Into an ambush within a hundred yards of his goal. They dragged him off the horse alid buffeted smd mishandled him Into the hut. "Both of them!" said Vroon, rubbing 1 his hands. t "I know you, you Russian rat!" cried Norton. "And If I ever get out ' of this I'll kill you out of hand! Damn you!" "O, yes 1 ; talk, talk; but It never hurts any one," Jeered Vroon. "You'll never have the chance to kill me out of hand, as you say. Besides, do you know my face?" • j "I do. The mask doesn't matter. jjji)" Hk wm&'JMg lAaff,- > Br /ApSi^fr H§s&»/ 71 JM ■■ i . Em "Dt Siltnt, You Sounv" You're the man who had me sbang- 1 haled. The voice I* enough." "Very good. That'i what I wlihed ' to know. That'a your death warrant, j We'll do It like they used to do it at the old Academy; tie you to the rail road track. We shall not hurt you at all. If some engine run* over you | heaven Ii witness we did not guide the engine. Remember the story of the boy and the cat?" with elnlater ami ability. "The boy laid he waan't pul ling the cat'a tall, he was only holding It; the cat did the pulling. Bring him along men. Time Is' precious, and we ! have a good deal to do before night aettlei down. Come on with hira. The track la only a ahort dlatancc." "Jim, Jim!" cried Florence In an (Utah. - x "Never you mind, girl; they're only blufflng. They won't dare." "You think to?" *ald Vroon, "Walt and ace." He turned upon Florence. "He I* your lover. Do you wlah him to 4t«r "No, BO!" "We promise to give him hi* free dom twelve hour* from now on condl- 1 tlon that you tell where that money ! to." "Florence!" warned Norton. I Vroon atruck him on the mouth, i "Be allent, you scum!" "It U In the cheat Jonei, the butler, threw Into tha sound," abe said brave ly. And ao It might be, for all ahe knew. Vroon laughed. "We know about where that to." "Florence, say nothing on my ac count. Tb«y are not the kind of men I who keep their word." "Eh?" snarled Vroon. "We'll aee ; about that." He glanced at bla watch. "In half an hour the freight comes along. It may become stalled at the wreck. But It will serve." Norton knew very well that If need 1 aald must tbey would not hesitate to execute a melodramatic plan of thla character. It was tin way of tb» Mgr; I tbey bad to make crime abnormal In order to enjoy It Tbey could very i well have knocked him on the bead then and there and Dave done with , him. But the time used In conveying him to the railroad might prove bla salvation Nearly four hours bad passed alnce the sending of the tele gram to Jones. They bound Florence and left her •eated la the chair. Aa soon as tbey were gone aba rolled to the floor. She waa able to right herself to her kneea, 1 and after a torturous Ave minutes reached the fireplace. Bhe burnt bar bands and wrtota, but the tlaze was the only knife obtainable. She waa i *rm. ■ • • • • e * e Jones arrived with half a dozca . policemen. Vroon alone escaped. I 1 Th* butler caught Florence la Ma " ' . „- . . " * ' ■ . arms ana nearly Crusneo tne oreata i out of her. And she waa ao glad IB I > see him that she kissed him half g dozen times. What if he was bar father's butler? He waa brave aad loyal and kind. l "They tied him to the track," she cried. "Look at my wrists!" The bat t ter did so, and kissed tbem tenderly. "And I eared'him" ' Jones stretched out a hand over > Florence's shoulder. "When the time 1 comes," he said; "when the right time comes and my master's enemies are i , confounded. But always the rooks, I never the hawks, do we catch. Qod bless you Norton! I don't know what j I should have done without you." "When a chap's in love," began Nor • ton, embarrassedly. t "I know, I know," interrupted Jones. l "The second relief train is waiting. Let us hurry back. I sha'n't feel so r cure till we are once more in the I house." *. i So, arm In arm, the three of them , went down the* tracks to Ihe band car which had brought the police. And now lor the Iron bound chest '*• • fit th* (To be continued) WEATHER FORECABT. Movements Due and Thalr Local Effects For the Cotton Stataa, February 21 to 38, 1916. Carotliom Ohnervatory Foracaat Sunday, Fob. 21; Monday, Feb. 22.—The week will open with warm weather In the South; mini ma ranging from 40 degree* along I the Mason & Dixon line to 60 de grees on the coast, with maxima generally unsettled. Tuesday, Feb. 23; Wednesday, Feb. 24; Thursday, Fob. 28.—A cool wave will develop In the South Tuesday, bringing minimum tem i peratures around 40 degrees, but actual frosts are only expected In Eastern Cotton Belt Wednesday or ! Thursday. Friday, Feb. 2«; Saturday, Feb. 27; Sunday, Feb. I*.—■General, rains will Immediately set In. with probably tornadlc storms In parts of the South. A cool wave will overspread Western Cotton Belt- Friday and the remainder of the South Saturday, with clearing weatherPand light frost* over the Cotton belt, except on the Imme diate coast. [STATE ITEMS] OF INTEREST TO ALL NORTH CAROLINA PEOPLE. j The Greek steamer Elkin baa been | loaded with cotton at Wilmington. 'Charlotte Bakeries have increased retail price of bread-to six cents. Among the 27 trustees of the North : Carolina University named recently 10 are near members., Danger of lire at the Bostlc coal yards baa now passed. Fire recently destroyed a cotton gin, 75 bales of cotton and 1,000 bnabels of cotton seed at Warsaw. The Bank of Stokes at Winston- Salem has recovered f1,43S of the 13.000 alleged to have been stolen by "General" A. Hill, route mall carrier, recently. A large stock barn valued at 14,000 t was burned at Stateavlile. | Holding that the fact that Solicitor , Charles L. Abernethy did not alt down , when told to do so was contempt of * court Judge Frank Carter, who to ® presiding over Craven County Super- * lor Court, placed a line of |M on th* t prosecuting attorney. - f SUBSCRIBE FOR THB ULEAHBR , 11.00 ▲ YEAR * EEBIUNY ITMD 6REHT BBITWIL GET NOTES DIPLOMATS AND OFFICIALS AT WABHINQTON ARE DEEPLY INTERESTED. WAITING FOR THE REPLIES Believed Thst Great Britain Will Qlve Asaurancss She Will Not Sanction Uee of Neutral Flsgs. Washington.—Reading of the ofii clal texta of the two notee from the United States to Germany and Oreet Britain, developed in Intense Interest among officials aad diplomats la the question of what would be the nature of the replies from the two belliger ent Governments. That Great Britain would give as surances of no Intention to sanction the general uae of neutral flags by British merchant ships was the be lief of many officials. But the widest sort of speculation, based on a variety of conceptions of Oerman'a plans to w aglng a submarine war on merchant ships, waa heard as to ths probable response of the Berlin Foreign office. Count von Bernstorl, the German Ambaasador, declined to discuss the note to Germany as he had received no advices from Berlin concerning It' The British Embassy also was silent What excited most attention in Con gress and among diplomats, however, was the serious tone of the notee even though qualified by the polite terms of diplomatic usage. The determina tion of the United States Government lo have the American flag used only by ships entered to fly It and the wsrnlng that Germany would be held "lo a strict accountability" If Ameri can lives or vessels were loet In the attacks on merchant vessels In ths newly-dellmlted sea zones of war, practically were the aole topics of dls cusslon In executive and congreeslonal quarters aa well as among the Ambas sadors and Mlnlstera of belligerent and neutral nations. RUSSIAN INVASION CHECKED Moving Back From German Territo ry, Alae In Poland. London^-The Russian Incursion In to east Prussia appears to be as short lived as were the previous Russian rslds Into German territory. Oerman'a superb equipment of stragetlc rail ways have enabled her within a few days to. tl.tow Immenae bodies of. troops agalnat the Invaders. In the present case the Oerman sol diers appear to have been rushed Into east Prussia from both Poland and Ihterior points. The situation In the Carpathians looks favorable to the Russians who In spite of snow blocked roads, are pressing agalnat the Austrian defenses at three of the moat important pass es. Berlin admits the Russians havs entered Hungarian territory at sev eral points In the Carpathian district but declares these positions were most dearly bought. Big Speotaeulsr Aerial Attack. London.—Aerial warfare was' wsg ed on the largest scale In Its history and under adverse eircumstaaeee from the standpoint of tbe weather. Brit ish airmen, buffeting snow In the air, swept over cities of Northern Belgium held by tbe Germans, droped bombs no Ostend, Brugee aad other places. Thirty-four aeroplanes and sea planes of the British navy took part In the operations aad all returned to their base, without caaualtlss to their drivers, although two machines wsrs damaged. Tbe rait waa made to pre vent the development of submarine bases and eetsbllshments which might further endangsr British warships and merchantmen. Although no submarines were teen the British admiralty atatement Indi cates that the raid bad aatlafaetory re sults for considerable damage la said to have been done to Oerman posi tions, railway llnee and railway sta tions. At vsrious points tbe airmen were received by a German fire from anti aerial guiia and rlflea. None of tbe airmen la reported by the admiralty to have been wounded. Citrus Fruit Record Broken. Tampa. Fls-—Shipments of citrus fruits from Folrida this season total more thaa 20,044 carloads, acoordiag to flguree announced here. Present eatlmatea Indicate this year's crop will bresk all previous records. FLASHES FROM THE WIRES. Csat Brewer of the American steam er Wllbeimlna, bound for Oennaay with a food cargo, aald that the voy age from New York was the roughest be had known In 28 years experience. Extra watchmen have been employ ed at Portlaad, Me., to protect the bridgee between the city sad ths Can adiaa boundary. Mrs. Fannie famous hymn writer died la her ISth year at her home at Bridgeport Coon. Tbe cornerstone of the two mo tion Lincoln memorial structure at Washington has been laid. The 1111 convention of the National Association of Merchant Tailors has bees awarded te 8t Louis. A bill for statewide prohibition was passed SI to 10 by the lowa senate, ft now goes to ths bouse. English Spavin Linimnet re moves Hard, Soft and Calloused Lamps nod Blemisheefrom bones; also Blood Spavins, Curbs, Splints, Sweeney, Ring Bone, Stiflt-s, Sprains, Swollen Throats, Coughs, etc. Save 950 by use of one bot tle. A wonderful Blemish Cars. Sold by Graham Drag Ct. apnny. ndv GEM WANTS FOOD UNHAMPERED HINTED BY AMBASSADOR THAT WARFARE ON MERCHANT SHIPPING BE RELAXED. BUT ONLY ON CONDITIONS Conditional Contraband Doaianod For - s Civil Population la Not to Ba Molsstad.—War Zona Measures. Washington. The Importance which th* German Government at tach eg to the unreatricted shipment JfM of foodatoffa for Its civilian population 1 waa emphasized at the State Depart ment by Count von Bernstorff, the German Ambassador, who conferred with both Secretary Bryan and Coun sellor Lansing. While no formal statement retarding the Ambassador** ' call waa laaued by the Department. It waa said afterward that he had hinted that warfare on merchant 1 shipping might be relaxed If Germany . - could be asaured of a continuous food • supply for her non-combatant popular ' tlon. The position of the German Govern* 1 ment. It waa explained, is that the 1 proclamation of a war tone and cam paign against enemy merchant ships ' waa almply a Retaliation against Eng ' land's alleged violations of the Decla ' ration of London in hindering condlt -1 ional contraband, for civilian* from - 1 reaching Germany. This, according ' to the German Ambassador, is no leas ' "*3 : Inhumane than the campaign on mer chants vessels. 1 While declining to authorise any ' statement, officials admitted that the ' American note to Germany waa open > to the construction that no vessels, 1 either belligerent or neutral, should ■ be sunk unless previously visited and an opportunity given for the taking 1 off of passengers. It was reiterated ' that while the rules of International law clearly compelled auch stepa, the position taken waa baaed largely on humanitarian grounds. An official who helped prepare the . American note to Germany pointed out that the strong warning tone of the communication was not Intended a* a threat, but waa a friendly act la a spirit of precaution last the sink ing of an American veeael with Amer icana aboard inflame public opinion In the United State to a degree which , could not be eetlmated In advance. ENGLAND CELEBRATE* VICTORY Great Britain Hae Advised Using American Flag for Emergency. as London.—Berlin is celebrating the evacuation of East Prussia by the Rus sians .which Is hailed in the German 1 capital as another great victory for field Marshal von Hlndenberg; Eng land Is not attempting to hide her ela tion at the succeas of her airmen'* raid on the Oennan positions In Bel glum. and all Europe Is eagerly dls- . , cussing the American notes to Great Britain and Germany and contemplat ing what the replies wil be. Great Britain has already intimated that British merchant ships have been advised to uae neutral flags only In caae of emergency, and no general •se of such flags is anticipated. The German minister of the Hague baa Is sued another warning to neutrals to the effect that In view of the alleged declaration of all the Britiah porta as war porta and the uae of neutral flaga by British ships It would be dan gerous for neutral merchantmen to visit the proscribed water* after Janu ary It. Serbian Fortress Blown Up. Berlin.—By wireieaa to Sayv ille— The Oversea* New* Agency says that according to Italian newspapers, tha Serbian fortress of Bemendria has beea blown up by the explosltlon of its powder magazine after being ahell ed by Austro-Hungarian artillery. Smallpox In County Jail. Charleston. W. Va.—The Kanawha county MU here was quarantined when four cases of smallpox were found among the prisoners. Seven prison ers were taken to the state peniten tiary at Moundsvflle after having been exposed to the disease here. 1 i Albanians Invade Serbia. Loudon. —A large force of Alban ians have croesed the Serbian front ier Into the Department of Prisrend. forcing the Serbian troop* and local authoritlee to withdraw, according to a Renter dispatch from Nlsta. Serbia. Cetten From Wilmington. Wilmington, N. C.—The Greek steamer Ellin sailed from this port for Ilverpool with a cargo of 5,550 bale* of cotton taken on here. She arrived here from Savannah with a part cargo to complete loading. Battle at Castano. Washington—Enrique C. Llorente Waahlngton representative of General Villa receiver advice# from Pledraa - Negra* declaring that the Villa troop* bad defeated the Carransa force* at Csetano. nflles south of Ifouclava Feed Scarce at Tampico. Washington.—A report to the state department from Tampico says the food situation there is serious. The local government has Imported com from Vera Crus and sold It to tie neons at a eomtnal price. Hew te Prevent Bllleas Attacks. "Coming event* ca*t their ahad i ows before." This Is especially true * of bilious attack*. . Tour appetite I will falL Yon will feel dull ana languid. If you are aubject to bll- ' ioua attacka take three of Cham berlain's Tablet* as soon as theve symptom* appear and the attack is , warrded off. For sale by all deal- * Itch relieved In 20 minutes by Woodford's Sanitary Lotion. Never 3 tafia. Bold by Graham Drug Co,