Newspapers / Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.) / April 10, 1911, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN. THE WEATHER: FATE. Complete Associated Press Reports VOL. XXVH, NO. 171. ASHEVILLE, N. C, MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 10, 1911. PRICE FIVE CENTS . DOCUMENT BY REPUTABLE MEN CHARGES FRAUD AND PERJURY IN o RECENT COMMISSION ELECTION Citizens of the Fifth Precinct Declare That They Have Sufficient Evi dence to Prove That Illegal Voting Was Flagrantly Carried On, and That it Has Been Going On for Years, EVIDENCE TO GO BEFORE THE NEXT GRAND JURY BASEBALL SEASON IS READY TO OPEN , IN ALL ITS G' wo Pennants for New York Is Cry of Great Metropolitan City Fans CHAMPION ATHLETICS HAS STAND PA I" TEAM The Names of Fourteen Men Who Voted Fraud ulently Have Been Secured, With Evidence Which May Convict Nine of Perjury. The persistent rumors of fraudulent voting in the fifth precinct ,vhich have b een heard since the day of the commission ' government election, took 'definite form yesterday when well-known citizens of the fifth pre cinct affixed their signatures to a document in which charges of perjury and fraud are openly made. The matter, however, is not to rest here, but will be carried before the grand jury with evidence and affidavits which these citizens claim will convict nine men of perjury, and will show that fourteen men voted fraud ulently in the fifth precinct on March 21, the day of the commission government election. Mr. 8. P. Davis, a voter of the fifth precinct ,ln an Interview with The Citln last night declared' that fraudulent voting had been going on In his precinct for twenty-five k years and that the better element " of citizenship had decided to put a Stop to it "The fight has only just begun,'' ho said last hlght, "We have evidence which no grand jury can turn down and to which no so licitor having regard for the purity of the . ballot can turn a deaf ear." Registrars Sign. Among the signers of the state ment in which the charges are made, and which are printed below ,are the names of J. B. Grlce and D. C. Led- i ford, who were ergtstrars of the com mission election, and Mr. J. C. Bed ford, who were registrars of the com ls a registrar In the next municipal election, May 2. The charges,, made by men who are well and favorably known In this city, will cause a sensation in this section, and later developments will be watched with Interest. The Cit izen made an effort last night to com municate with Solicitor Reynolds as to his course of action .but he was at Brevard, where he attends court today, and had not been reached when this was written. Those who know the solicitor declared last night that he would not hesitate to do his duty. For Fair Klevtlon. The citizens who have taken this step are determined to secure a fair expression of the popular will, not only in tomorrow's primaries, but III the May election, and to this end, it fa stated, the services of private d teetlva will be brought into play In the Fifth precinct, and possibly In other precincts. Evidence will . be curefully collected, and should occa sion warrant, will be presented to the grand Jury. Additional fish will then be pulled Into the net which is go ing to be thrown out after alleged perjurers and fraudulent voters. Mr. Davis' Statement, "This Illegal voting," said Mr. Da vis, "has been going on In the Fifth precinct for the last twenty-five years, and grows worse In each election. After the polls closed and during the days that followed the commission election we employed a lawyer to Investigate the fraudulent voting which was done In that precinct and we have proof and evidence which will be placed before the grand Jury that fourteen men were voted in the Fifth precinct who were not entitled to do so." Here Mr. Davis produced the names of men who were fraudu lently voted against the commission form of government. Continuing. Mr. Davis said: "It Is not our purpose now to contest the commission gov ernment election, for the reason that we realize that court action could be j Htaved off for two years, and in that j time we expect to again appeal to the I people for commission government. but we do Intend to vigorously push forward this Investigation, and we are going before the grand Jury with proofs that cannot be disputed. I am a democrat and always expect to be a democrat; 1 believe that the highest form of democracy should stand for a pure ballot, and the con ditions which have existed In the Fifth precinct for so long, but which we propose to stop, are not only a disgrace to the city and the precinct. but they are a foul blot upon the purty," Statement of Citizens. The signed statement of voters of the Fifth precinct follow: "TO THE CITIZENS OF ASHE VILLE: "It Is a well known fact that nu merous Illegal votes have been cast in the primaries and general elec tions In the city of Ashevllle; we need not go beyond the recent election held for the purpose of determining whether or not the people should have commlslson government for this city. By the votes cast It appeared upon the face of the returns that the majority of the people did not want commission government. While the vote was In progress our . attention was called to several voters who were being herded up and Influenced by ex-convlcts and other people whose business It Is to violate and defy all law when it conflicts with their Il legitimate business, and causing these men to perjure themselves In order to get to cast their vote against com mission form of government. "We, the voters In the Fifth pre cinct, call upon every decent and law-abiding citizen to rise up in their might, as they have a right and as Is their duty to do. and condemn such lawlessness, disregard for the oath and most flagrant debauchery of cit Isenshlo. Some of us In the Fifth prscuiet hy rnada tip our minds to atop at tir cost tni rottenness at our voting place, and, as before stated, we call upon every good and law- abiding citizen to give us their moral support. "Upon Investigation as to the legal ity of some of these votes cast . in the Fifth precinct we have what we be lieve Is evidence enough to convict nine men of perjury, and more than enough other Illegal votes to change the result of that election. As to the result of the election we consider that settled, and we accept the result, but we have not, and do not propose to stop our prosecution of these Illegal voters. We are going to present the evidence we have to the grand Jury which convenes here this month, as we are prepared to prosecute such matters to the fullest extent of the law, not only now but hereafter. "Respectfully submitted by "S. P. DAVIS. "J. N. TRKADWAY. "S. P. Bl'RTOX. "D. C. LEDFORD. "OTTIS GRKKN. "H...J. OLIVB. "R. V. WAIiTERS. "K. J. 8AM 8. "J. C. IKDFORD. J, B. GRICE." Chicago Cubs Will Enter Sea son With Better Chanc of Pennant Than Ever JUDGE ORDERS CAPITAL , CASES TO ANPTHER GDUNTY Tells Jury What He Thinks of It for Verdict of Not Guilty at Wilmington WILMINGTON, April 9. Outraged at a verdict of not guilty by the Jury In the case of Jos. Stephens, acquitted of murder Friday after having been previously convicted and sentenced to electrocution, then granted a new trial by the Supreme court, Judge Robert B. Peebles, of the -State Su perior court, yesterday Issued a bench warrant for the defendant In the 'former case and he was arrested and held until the next term of court on a charge of carrying concealed weap ons, the Judge certifying In the war rant that under his own admissions at the former trial he is at least guil ty of the latter charge preferred against him. Judge Peebles severely criticised the Jury which returned the verdict, ordering members from the court house, and yesterday on affidavit of the state solicitor removed three oth er capital cases to an adjoining coun ty for trial. COTTON BROKER UNABLE TO SECURE BAIL THUS FAR Other Three Members of Firm Expected to Plead Guilty in Court Today ABERDEEN. Miss., April . Re peated efforts to secure bail for J. 8. ! Miller, found guilty Saturday of fraud through the mails during his connec- tlon with the defunct Steele, Miller Cotton company, have failed but re newed efforts will probably be more i sucecsful Monday. It is expected that the other three members of the firm, L. C. Steelv . H. G. Linde and James I. ?.cKnlght, will tomorrow plead guilty to a con spiracy charge in the District court or using bogus bills of lading and throw themselves upon the merry of the court. One witness, F. Schuank, of Havre, France, under $15,000 bond failed to appear and foreflted It. IS SCATHINGLY ARRAIGNED NEW TORK, April . "Two pen nants for New Tor" Is the cry of New York's army of baseball enthU' slasts who confidently expect the two local nine totapture the coveted ban ners in both" the National and Amer lean lesguea this season. Hence there is keen Interest ta the opening game Wednesday when a. line can be had on the New Tork Nationals in their clash with the Philadelphia club. The Brooklyn club will make Its d but here next Saturday on the 01' ant s ground but frill not play the opening- game on their own dia mond until next week. The High landers of the American league do not show on the Hill Top until April zo when they, play Washington. The Giants have had a fine condl tlonlng down In Texas and Manager Mcuraw said tonight that he never brought back a team from a spring practice In such excellent shape. "It Is the beat ball elub I have had since 1006 when we won the world's series trom tne Athletics," remarked Mo Graw. . '.,!" Pitcher Matthewaon hat a tore fln. ger on his left hand and probaMy Ames or Raymand will he on the hurling mound lit the opening event. DKTKRMIXED TO WIN PHILADELPHIA,' April Full of the spirit that carried them to oase ball glory last fall, the world's cham pion Athletic will open the Ameri can league season i at Shlbe -park on Wednesday, ApnJflJ with New Tork which expects make :ktron Wd forttenhaiSi th la year. ' For the nrst time since tie American league has been organised the Philadelphia representative In that t circuit will inn me eeason with a stand pat team. Connie Mack, the astute leader, haa looked over the veterans and has tried opt his youngsters and has' de cided that the men who brought the highest honors In baseball to this WORKERS BRINGING STREAM OF BODIES FROMBANNERMINE Total Number of Victims of Mine Explosion Believed to he 128. TheConvicts Volunteer for Rescue Work. Having Trouble. (Continued oh Pago Hix) LITTLETON. Ala., April Wllh the precision of clockwork a trained corps of recurer tonight Is bringing a steady stream of bodies from th Banner mine of th Pratt Consoli dated Coal company In which a dis astrous explosion occurred. It 1 be lieved tonight that US I th exact number of victim. Only Fourteen ar White- Thl figure was obtained after mak ing a careful check of all the -men who entered the. mine yesterday morning. Thr 1 ho longer any hope of finding men alive under ground. Of th 128 dead only 14 were whites. It was 3 o'clock thl afternoon when th rescuers wera able to a. tabliah working conditions In th mine ana at J.JO o'clock th first thfee bodle war brought to th sur face. Thav were all n,rrn,i within two hours ten more had bee brought up including Lee Jones and O. W. Bpradllng, both whit. Btate Mine Inspector James HIII house expressed, th belief nnlht that th mine would b cleared to morrow, . : JPowdor Caused Troble Th aaneral belief tnnlvht i that powder caused th trouble, th opin ion being expressed that dajmatr wn heaviest nr th point where th oey uppiy of explosives was kept. Whan th reciter asked for assis tance thl afternoon enmnanv nffinlai called for voluteers among th con vict stating mat no man need go If he wa afraid. Sixteen of th ne groes In StriDes steoned forwin) In respones to th call and aocompalned inspector Minnoute and ait whit mn under (round, ....... Ther an practical I v n mA,.n.w at Banner, non of th convicts had relative near, iut a fw curlou . TO Women Stood erniin k and wou)d brak Into a low mournful oirge-iiK enant wnn , bodle wr brought j wL Twenty consols thtt afternoon dug a long trench in the tery for th burial of those convict wnoso oodles am not claimed by re lative. One hundred coffin were sent to Banner today from Nashville. Ten., and undertaker are preparing the bodle for burial as fast as they ar taken from th mine. Government Investigation tr. J. A. Holmes, chief of the gov ernment bureau of mines Is enrout to Banner to assist In the Investiga tion of the disaster. fhe first party of tan government rescuers, headed by Dr. J. J. Rut ledge, who entered th mine at 3 o clock this morning had a narrow escape from death. An accident oc curred to th boiler used for th fan and th air stopped for a few minute. Within a few seconds a faint cry for help wa heard from below and men with oxygen helmet hurried down Th entire party wa overcome by th after damp and wheh they wer brought to th surfao physician had to work over them for nearly an hour before they wr abl to b moved to th rcu oar. Member of th first party glv 'a harrowing account of th experience. Harrowing Experience 'We war going along all right un til we got to th fourth ntry," said Dr. It. H. Hamilton, " and in a few seconds naarly every man in th party was down, I attempted to carry on man over th lift but failed and fell myself. That 1 th last I re member until th urfaea wa reach d.M . , Or. Carraway managed to stagger to th bottom or th ahaft and cried, "get uo, out, we ar dying." It wa when thl cry wa heard at th top that th second party headed by Dr. Wright wa lent down. The caus of th xplolon la atlll a mystery. While th loss of life at Banner I th most disastrous In the history of Alabama mining, th damage to th win Itself, . is slight. Mr. Rmy estimate that 11,100 win cover It tullr. , IiiNlietor on Berne . , Th entire stat board of convict Inspectors 1 on th cn. Of th III men In th mthe before th reacu work started, fiv ' war , free, two white and' thre negroes: lit wer convict, 11 of whom were whites, Practically U of them -wer short term mn Qt from Jeflereon county. On of th most pathetio Incidents wa th death of O. W. Bpradllng, on of th mine foramen. Following th explosion he escaped with other and then returned to th mine to render aid. H wa found sitting today on a rock with his head in his hands. He wa only a short distance from the open air. He lives st Leeds, Ala., and leave a wife and one child. He had been handlnng convict men work for th past 10 year. EXTRA SESSION 0 F GONGRESSWILLBE VERY STOWOHE There Are Virtually Four Part ties and Each With Large Representation REMARKABLE UNEASINESS OVER POLITICAL EFFECT Proximity of Nominating Con ventions Causing Every. . thing to beWatched ;.; DISTRICT OF TOKIO IS SWEPT jfflERCE FIRE Five Thousand Houses Burned in Area Approxi mating Four Sq. Miles WOMEN HOMELESS Baptist Preacher Declares That Voters Were Bought and Liquor Used PROMIXEXT CLERGYMAN DEAD. KXOXVILLE. Tenn., April 8 Rev. Samuel Ringgold, D. D . aged It years, dean of the convocation of East Tennessee of the Episcopal church, and rector emeritus of St. John's Episcopal church, died here today. He spent fifty year In the ministry, coming to Knoxvllle as rec tor of St. John's church In 1887. Dr. Ringgold was a native of Mary land. .. -: r. 200 Bl'R.NED TO DEATH. BOMBAY. British India. April . Two hundred men, women and chil dren were burned to death tonight in a fire which destroyed a thatched structure in which they had gath ered for a festival. Five hundred persons were In the building when the fire broke out. There was only one exit and an Indescribable panic ensued. CHARLOTTE, N. C, April . In a scathing arraignment of the leaders of the local democratic party from his pulpit tonight. Rev. Dr. Herman H. Hulten, pastor of the First Bap tist church, declared that money and liquor had been freely used "to pros titute manhood and foster anarchy," In the recent municipal primary, not sparing prominent members of his own congregation. He declared that the polls were steeped In slush: that votes were open' bought and he had the evidence: that liquor was used to debauch even a prominent member of his congregation. Drug stre, he said, took the! place of the open saloon here I nprohlbl tion Charlotte and he urged the grand Jury to do Its duty. Even In the ward meetings, classes, had been arrayed against masses and anarchy encour aged. The congregation that heard his terrific arraignment packed the big edifice to the doors. TOKIO, April 9 The notorious Toshlwarl, the principal quarter of Toklo, Inhabited by the licensed he talrae, was destroyed by Ore. Many If these houses were almost palatial in appearance and thousand of them burned In a little more than three hours. 8I thousand female Inmates were rendered homeless. The Ynshlwarl Is conducted under FIRE SWEEPS BUSINESS SECT! OFDM, El QUARTER MILLION LOSS Lack of Pressure Made Fighters Helpless As Section Burned Tl ONE MAN INJURED DAITON, Ga., April 9. The main business block of this little city lies a mass of ruins today as a result of the most disastrous fire that has occurred In this section. It la estimated that the loss will reach a quarter of a million dollar with Insurance of about 178,000, The fire started at midnight In the local hotel on the third floor but the go ernment licenses, which .prlvide exact cause probably never will be for the establdRhment of hoirpi4ila j known as the building was In flames and several of thooe Institutions also J from one end to the other within a were' burned. Th. fire which began f'w mlnut "'r the '"n " ivrii. FAIR OVER AIJi SOCTH. WASHINGTON'. April . The weather bureau weekly weather forecast tonight say that In the South fair weather will predominate. Floods will continue In the Tennes see river below Chattanooga, Tenn., for veral days. MISS GOCLD UTTn SAILORH NORFOLK. Va., April . Miss Hel en Gould, who takes a great Interest In the welfare of the enlisted men of the army and navy, was greeted by hundreds of bluejacket at the naval Y. M. C. A. today. Miss Gould at tended a dinner and religious services and mingled freely lth the sailors. In speaking of the men she referred to them as "th boys" and said she believed the sailor of the American navy ar th finest body of men In th world. t 11. JO o'clock In the morning spread over a iat area. It wa fanned by a strong southern wind nd the ameswere swept to the sur rounding structures. Altogether It Is estimated that 5.000 nouses are In ruins, covering an area approximat ing four square miles. A large number of women were severely Injured but so far as Is known no deaths have occurred. Five hundred troops are guarding the territory tolghl When the wind died down on the clear night, the entire northern skies of Toilo were ablaze from the glowing embers. It Is Impossible at present to estimate the. total loss. 4ni I FAIR A 4T1 r a WASHINGTON. April I. Fore cast: North Carolina: - fair slightly warmer Monday; Tuesday, fair. warmer; light to moderate portheas( wire. At 1.3 0 a. m. the fire was practi cally extinguished. Lack of water Is responsible for the fire getting beyond control. Practically every telephone In Dal ton Is out of commission tonight. Plans are under way for the rebuild ing of the burned district. C. V. Downing of Atlanta was the only man Injured during the progress of the fire. Downing was seen to climb out of the window of the Hotel Dalton when the building was a mass of flames. A ladder was being raised to take him down and the crowd urged him not to Jump. Unheeding the frantic voices he swung from the window, grasped for a water pipe, mimed It and went tumbling to the ground. In his descent he struck a mass of tele phone wires which broke his fall and he landed badly bruised but not se riously Injured. Assassins Who Own Papers Should Oome Out of the Dark He Declares SOMEWHAT VIGOROUS CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., April . In an address before the Stat Y. M. C. A. convention today Wm. J. Bryan quoted Theodore Roosevelt as saying that there wa scarcely a pre datory conspiracy agalmrf the country that did not have Harvard brain be hind IL Those men, said Mr. Bryan, who provided the way of escaping re spondblllty and consequence of their conspiracies were no better than the men who held the horses In a dark place for thieves to get. away after burglary. Discussing criminal corporations. Mr. Bryan referrsd vigorously to newspapers owned by them and in their Interest. He said It Is now possible to learn who owns stock of some of these Journals. advocated a national law to make "these assassins who own papers come out of the dsrk and stand before the public gaze." The criminals who have been grow ing rich by selling poisoned food and especially those who were "coining the blood of little ones," Mr. Bryan vigorously denounced. Mr. Bryan predicted that (he pres ent congress would so amend the law requiring publications of contributions to campaign funds that the voters would know before election which side predatory Interests were on. the run not the He WASHINGTON. April II I dallf becoming more manifest that ea- gress is facing a stormy session, and that there can be mad no forecast of the probable legislative result. Lead r appear to hav little hop of re storing anything mor than turfac harmony, .., r.vv:" , - There ar virtually four parties, each with a large rprntatlnn, working at odd In th present ion, ; , 1 The republican minority of ', th' hous g divided between regular gnd Insurgent, as was evidenced by th vote in the speakership contest. Th breach : between these two" faction 1 even wider ln th republican ma jority of th senate. . , t Mtum Being' Drstvn, A. aharp lln ha ben drgwn be tween th conservative democrats of th ssnate, who are opposed any attempt at dictation on th part of Wm. Jennings Bryan and th pro gressive damocrat. Including prm il eal iy all of th new member nl vera! veteran Ilk Senator Etnnn, of Missouri, who ar Bryan adhorents, Th hous democratic majority seem thu far to hav escaped a break but th leaders fear that th party contest In th senate may at any time spread to th other branch. Th sltuntUm haa interfered , with th selection of committees and th beginning of leg islative work, " ' , Th real caus of, th remarkable uneasiness In congress I believed to be due to th proximity of th party conventions which - will Select the standard bearer , for 181), and i' t knowledge that avt!p byeithur u i ing th xtrordinary assslon or th regular cession to follow may very, aslly dstermln th rult of th next national campaign. Many Measure, There I no doubt that meaeurc on direct election of senator, pub licity before election of campaign contribution. Canadian reciprocity, revision of the woolen and cotton schedules and ' any furthar - tariff change the majority desire will b lent to th senat In whatever order I decreed by th , way and mean 1 committee. The republican will b powerless to prevent Th real prob lem will be In th senate. Of the fifty republican In th n ate twelv hav practically formed a separate organisation, The commit tee on committee probably will c- ' cede to their request for ona-fourth of th majority places. Of the forty (Continued on Pag Ftotir.) OF Tl E VIGTI Surviving Miners in Body Pay Respect to Dead and . March to Funerals ' CAUSE YET UNKNOWN HAIL AXD WIND STORM. O.N'DITIO.N I ISRAFX BAD NEW YORK. April I The Rev. Stephen Slnz. rabbi of the Free Synagogue, speaking at Carnegie tiall said: "The situation of Israel waa never worse than It Is today.' Half of the world' Jewery ji wells In lend of per secution and as far a the Jew of continental Europ le concerned u th importance of th weak, or worse UIUbUPbgCt.fbs strnn.'l,M LIVONIA. Ga.. April t As a re sult of the worst hall and wind storm known in this county in the past thirty year, which swept this section, more than a dozen houses are wreck ed and scores of tree blown down. Many farmers In the county had every outhouse on their premise damaged. No lives hav been report ed lost. KILLED BY TKAI.X... . FLOltATON, Ala, April . Cary Barrond, of Richmond, Va., . run vr br a train her t" i - jr--"-! 8CRAVTOX. Pa., April .Every nook and cranny of th working of the Pancoast colliery, where the 7I; miners and United State Rescue Foreman Jo. M. Eevang I oat their lives Friday, hav been searched since noon yesterday but no other bodle were found. Th laying out and bury ing of th bodle I now going on.. . Among those that lay beneath sheet : awaiting caskets were thre brothers -and a cousin In one room. Fiv fun eral of Hungarian were held today. The 1.200 surviving miners of Throop marched from one house to th other to pay respect to the dead and then to the cemetery to attend th buri als. All the church bell toiled con tinually. The other funeral occur to-. ' morrow. . ; ' . President Taft telegraphed ' hi sympathy and a head of th Red Cross society offered aid. The citi zens relief fund has reached nearly ten thousand dollars. Including th Red Cross contribution of $7,00. Each of th adult victim belong to the colliery "keg" fund which pro vide $10 as a benefit to th family of each msmber who dies, . It I Intended by the local relief committee to raise $200,000. . Nothing new haa developed in th story of how th catastrophe occur, red except the verification of ithe -Company official' claim that prior to ending men In to urge the f;'---! workers to hasten out, a i ' message was sent Into t , mine to warn them of ' dered them to p-' Coroner PiHr-
Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.)
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April 10, 1911, edition 1
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