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o VOL XXXVIII No 106. WILMINGTON N C DECEMBER 29, 1905 81.00 PER YEAR Lor c r ii l MOSCOW SITUATION ReyolBtionists Operating In Three Sections EH AID III FIGHTING Troops. With Artillery, Are Pouring into the City Desultory Firing Continues -Military Encaged in Guerrilla Warfare With the Revolutionists Tiostaff Regi ment Has Joined the Insurgent Forces Bloodshed at Moscow IIa3 Been Frightful Several Collisions Between Troops and Strikers Occur in St. Petersburg News From the Provinces Shows Alarming Extension of tlie Strike. St. Petersburg, December 27. A brief message from Moscow of today's date Bays that troops, wilb artillery are pouring into the city, but that the sit uation has not greatly changed. The revolutionists hold sections of the Moscow-Kazan road. Desultory firing is taking place. The military patrols are engaged in guerilla warfare with the revolutionists who are seek ing refuge on the roofs of bouses and in the narrow thoroughfares. Another 'message from Moscow says that during the night the artillery worked at destroying the barricades. The revolutionists, this message, says, are divided into three "armies"; the first, consisting of 800 men armed with rifles and pikes, is. operating between Moscow and Perovo, using the railroad which it controls. Artillery and cav alry are being employed against this orce. The second ' array' is armed specially with bombs and-revolvers. and is composed of a thousand'persons in whose ranks are many women who display not oul3r bravery but ferocity. This force is operating in the region be tween the Sadovia district and the Jewish market. It has many barri cades to prevent the passage of troops and is operating in small groups and is attacking patrols. When pressed, these revolutionists disappear into al leys and houses. Artillery, cavalry find infantry are used against this body. The third and largest army is operating in the region between the Brest railroad station. and the trium phal gate. It also has many barri cades and is engaged in guerilla tactics,- making it difficult for the troops to enclose it. Some of the barricades were battered down by artillery but they were re-erected by the survivors. The school where the Moscow revl lutionary committee held its sessions bus beeii" destroyed, but the committee managed to escape. The engineers union here has just received news from revolutionary sources at Moscow that the Rostoff regiment has joined the revolutionists. List of Casualties Swelling. Moscow, December 27.-3 p. m The cannonading continues and the list of casualties is swelling. The revolution ists are operating in three sections. There are about 1,000 of them in each section. They are all armed with re volvers and rifles. The women who are participating in the fighting are guilty of the worst of cruelties. St. Petersburg, December 27 --1 25 p. ra. An inspired statement in the Slovo today says the government ex pects the revolt at Moscow to be com l vie:;- crushed within four clays. The duration of the rising is explained by rre small number of troaps av;.'!a b.e Fresh troops have now arnvaJ and the eud i? said to be near. From an independent source the Slovo declares it has learned that the bioodshed at Moscow has beei fright ful and that the casualties wii. reach !5.)00 and tint about 100 Rl Cross workers have been dispatched from St. Petersburg to Moscow to aid in caring for wounded. Miao: collisions between the troops and strikers, of whom there are almost 50,000 still out. are taking place con stantly in St. Petersburg. Cossack pa trols are charging and dispersing workmen whenever they collect. The most serious affairs occurred at the Narva Gate and on the Moika canal in which! fifty persons were killed or wounded. Automatic guns have been mounted on the bridge over the Fon ta na canal fron which they can sweep the Nevsky prospect in either direc tion and also both ways of the canal. The 'battery is enclosed in a collapsi ble shed in order not to attract too much attention. W 0 M Following the example of the au frthorities at Moscow about half the "yy -police of St, Petersburg are now arm ed with rifles and the unwontea spec tacle of policemen with bayonets on their rifles adds to the -public alarm. . It is reported that the strikers this HERB PLACED III HIM Dominican Vice-Presidem Assumes Functions of the Absent Morales SANTO D03IINGO CITY IS QUIRT Some Light Tlirown on the Recent Revolutionary Disturbance No Actual Change in the Dominant Par- . ty in Santo Domingo President Morales Reported to Have Been Shot and Seriously Wounded. Washington, December 27. The State Department today received by cable from Santo Domingo advices which throw much needed light on the revolutionary disturbance reported from there yesterday. These were to the effect that the diplomatic corps had been notified by the dominican minister for foreign affairs General Tejera that the president (Morales) having abandoned the capital, leaving the government without an acting head, the cabinet had called upon the vice president (General Caceres) to tike charge pending the temporary failure of the president to exercise his functions. The city of Santo Domingo was quiet and the cabinet officers were exercising their, functions without in terruption. President Morales was reported to be at Jaima, ten or twelve miles from the capital, among a band of revolu tionists who were fighting there. As the situation is understood here, there has been no actual change in the do minlcant party in Santo Domingo as the result of Morales abandonment. The fact is the party known as Hor acia, of which General Caceres, the vice president is the principal figure, has all along controlled the cabinet, and this cabinet In turn, owing to the peculiarity of the Dominican constitu tion has completely dominated the presidential office. As Morales was ambitious to conduct his own govern ment, he fell under suspicion of disloy alty to his party, and also was suspect ed of intending to join the opposition, or Jiminez party. Finding himself without power because the cabinet controlled the party. Morales antici pated removal by the xarty leaders and fled to the revolutionists, with the intention of securing a sufficient force to re-enter the capital and drive out his enemies. The navy department has received a cablegram from Commander Cham bers, of the Nashville, dated at Puerto Plata last night, stating that he had been informed from a governmental source that President Morales had been shot and seriously wounded. READY FOR TRIAL OF COFFIN Charges Served on the Midshipman Accused of Hazing. Annapolis, Md., December 27. Lieutenant Commander William K. Harrison, judge-advocate of the court martial that will convene at the naval academy tomofrow morning for the trial of Midshipman Trenrhor Coffin, Jr., of Carson City, Nevada, on the charge of hazing Midshipman J. P. Kimbrongh of Germantown, Tenn., today served the charge upon the ac cused midshipman. The court will convene at 10 o'clock in the morning, and it is though that the trial of Cof fin will take about two days. It is became known that Midship man Kimbrough has testified before the board of officers which is investi gating existing conditions as to hazing at the academy .since the hazing oc curred, but the nature of his testimony has not been disclosed by the officials. It is understood, however, that no mid shipman other than Coflm was impli cated in the hazing of Ivimbrough. Midshipman Coffin has engaged At torney Theall of" Washington as civi lian counsel. Sale of S. A. Ij. Stock Was a Bona Fide One. Richmond, Va., December 27. John Skelton Williams, former presi dent of the Seaboard Air Line railway, gave out an interview tonight in which he confirms the purchase of 66,000 shares of Seaboard Air Line stock from the P.uhstahl committee. He says the sale was a bona fide one. that the etock will be turned over absolutely, and that the money -for the purchase was provided and in hand before the deal was announced. He refuses to reveal the identity of his alleged asso ciates in the transaction.- afternoon erected barricades in the vi cinity of the Narva Gate. The news from the provinces today shows an alarming ' extension of the strike. Kovna, a fortress town of Lithuania, having almost 80,000 in- habitants, seems absolutely in the I hands of the socialists who have sum moned the people to an armed rising and the situation is so serious at Kre mentchug, south Russia, that the gov ernor has declared martial law. At Saratoff, in eastern European Russia, wholesale arrests have been made the strike is extending. At Kiff : serious collision have taken place be- j tween the troops and strikers during ! which about forty persons were killed' or wounded. ' . The Tsituation is really far more se rious in the Baltic provinces, Cauca sia and other non-Russian provinces where the entire populace is hostile. In the case of the Baltic provinces It is realized that it may be necessary to practically reconquer them. The first divisions of the first army crops which belongs to the St. Petersburg province have begun to' arrive here from Manchuria but they are being dispatched to the Baltic provinces without stopping here. .J ii OF MILTON Statement Read from ttie Leg islative Agent OF THE NEW YORK LIFE ExbaostiTe Reasons for Organization of Confidential Serrice Legislative Matters Were Undertaken With the Understanding That There Was to be No Accounting Not One Dollar. lie Asserts, Has Been Used Improperly or for Improper Pur poses Representatives Retained at the Capitals of Every State to In fluence Legislation Public Press Employed on Occasions for Advo cacy of Certain Views Other Wit- . nesses Testify Before the Investi gating Committee. New York, December 27. Andrew Hamilton, the legislative agent for the New York Life Insurance Company who, according to testimony, has been entrusted with hundreds of thousands of dollars by the company, and has not accounted for $235,000, has been heard from by the legislative insurance investigation committee, but has de clined to make an accounting. A state ment by Mr. Hamilton was read for the record today. It was presented by Secretary John C.'McCalf of the New York Life, who went to Paris to secure an accounting from Hamilton. In his statement Mr. Hamilton says that he is unable to produce any books or accounts but he undertook the leg islative matters for Jhe Life Insurance Company with the express understand ing that he was to make no account ing. Absolute secrecy was necessary in retaining assistants, therefore no checks were used in making payments. Mr. Hamilton went into an exhaus tive explanation of the reasons for the organizing of this confidential service, as he characterized it, covering his methods of work and citing a number of legislative bills in which he had been interested. A list of expenses from 1899 to 1904 was appended to the state ment. The sum of $235,000 unaccount ed for, he says, would be greatly re duced by his running account still un settled and open, and as a matter of facts, pending a settlement, he offers to deposit $100,000 with the company. Mr. Hamilton in his statement says that at the time of his employment by the New York Life, the life insurance companies feared that unless concert ed action was taken they might be practically legislated and taxed out of existence. "The usual practice of de pending alone upon counsel to attend and present arguments was determin ed to be insufficient," says Mr. Ham ilton. "The very fact that the great life insurance interests of New York favored or opposed pending legisla tive propositions, would itself often concentrate the opposition against their views, so likewise did the knowl edge that we were represented at the capitals of various states lead to de mands that political favorites should be employed in the role of counsel, which, if acceded to, placed our affairs at the mercy of those who did not possess our confidence. These and other considerations led the three companies to but one conclusion. We felt that if a secret service was a per missible governmental agency, a con fidential service would be the only ef fective, and at the same time proper, plan to guard the welfare of the most extensive commercial interests in the world, the life insurance business of the state of New York. This confiden tial secret service was decided upon as the only feasible plan of protec tion." Mr. Hamilton gives a long summary of the various styles of bills hostile to insurance companies, many of them taxation measures. "Bills to compel the company's reports to be repeatedly and unnecessarily published in news papers are avoided," says Mr. Hamil ton. "To gain favor with the press for increasing their revenues, outrag eous propositions, such as the 10 per cent tax proposed, in Arkansas, or ab surd propositions like the Michigan bill, where a doctor's certificate of ill health would excuse the payment of the insurance premium and keep a policy in force; or the Virginia bill, making it actionable for a life insur ance agent to enter the office of a man with a sign "No agents allowed" Is displayed, find legislative favor. How ever ridiculous these bills may seem they demand attention. "At the capital of every state we have either retained representatives for the companies, or are in co-operation with some one who has retained representatives duly Influential. It has been found advisable, as the result of experience, to avoid as far as pos slble any exact public information as to who represents us. The known presence of a corporation representa tive at the legislative halls is signal for renewed vigor , In the attacks of blackmailers and cranks, and unfor tunately members of the legislative body are frequently deaf to reasoning where a non-voting or corporate inter est is at stake. Where It becomes necessary we have often occasion to employ the columns of the public press for a discreet advocacy of par vievrs, this method has been found to be very efficacious, but it has also been found very expensive. I have found that in my work in every legislative body in the United States there was as large a proportion of honest men as there is any body of men in any walk of life. Permit me also to state that In my work I have not found it so difficult to defeat blackmailers. A man who is out to blackmail corporate Interests, Is generally well known, and his character thoroughly understood. These men never retain influence for any length of time, and I have found that requests to the honest member of the legislature for help In defeating the blackmailer, is always readily and cheerfully granted." A statement of money received by Mr. Hamilton shows a total of $720. 550 for the years from 1899 to 1905. He calls attention to an expense of $83,100 for "retainers and newspaper articles," in 1904, and says a large portion of this expense was occasioned by an attempt to create public senti ment throughout the United States In favor of national supervision of insur ance. Under the same heading $97,- 000 is charged for 1905 and the Increase was due, he says, primarily to the troubles in the Equitable Life Assur ance Society. In concluding his statement Mr. Hamilton says that "the injunctions of the president of the New York Life to me were always unmistakeably ex plicit that my expenditures and my work were to be strictly confined with in the limitations of the law of land. These Instructions have been faithful ly followed to the letter. There has never been a disbursement made by me of the company's funds which tres passed upon the instructions given me by the president of this company and 1 want it thoroughly understood that not one dollar of any moneys ever paid to me by the New York, Life In surance Company has been used im properly or for improper purposes, or in a way that transgressed either the statutory law or the moral law." A statement of legal expenditures othr than those to Hamilton were produced by Mr. McCall, showing a total of such expenditures of $1,103, 920 from 1901 to 1905. Secretary McCall was questioned by Mr. Hughes as to what further light he could throw on the statement of Mr. Hamilton, but he said he could give no information. He did not question Mr. Hamilton's figures nor the large amounts for traveling ex penses. He asked Mr. Hamilton for a full statement and relied on his honesty to explain everything. He did insist that Mr. Hamilton produce checks or check books but Mr. Hamil ton said he had none. When Mr. McCall was excused Henry D. Appleton, of the state insurance de partment was called. He was told that Mr. Morgan, former president of the Bankers Life Insurance Company had testified that Mr. Appleton had said it would cost the Bankers' Life $50,000 to reincorporate. Mr. Appleton somewhat heatedly said: "If Mr. Morgan said that he is a liar." He was called to order by Chairman Armstrong. Louis F. Payn, former superinten dent of insurance of the state of New York, was called to the stand late in the day, and explained a large num ber of appointments of confidential examiners, on the ground that an un usual number of examinations were made during his tenure of office. Mr. Hughes produced a list which showed that in 1897 two examinations were made and in 1898 two more were made, while in 1899 the last year of Mr. Payn's administration the number had not been brought out when ad journment was taken. The affairs of the Mutual Reserve Life Insurance Company were taken up with the witness and during this line of examination Mr. Payn stated that he had been opposed to Mr. Burn ham as president of the Mutual Re serve and said he had tried to get him out. Mr. Hughes asked why he had tried to get him out and Mr. Payn flatly stated "Because I thought him a crook." Mr. Payn will resume tomorrow. A point of Interest in insurance matters developed in the courts today when Justice Greenbaum, in the su preme court, granted a writ of man damus to Clarence H. Venner and one hundred other policy holders direct ing John A. McCall, president of the New York Life to furnish them with a complete list of policy-holders. The board of trustees of the Mutual Life Insurance Company held a meeting today and elected Emery McClintock, the actuary of the company as vice president and director. He will be in active charge of. the company s tech nical affairs. President-elect Charles A Peabody was also elected a direc tor. These two succeed Elihu Root and Rufus W. Peckham. The trustees voted to abolish the Metropolitan agency of C Reymond and Company and all , agencies are to be on a salary basis. Condition of Chancellor Hill Athens. Ga. December 27. The condition of Chancellor Walter B. Hill, of the University of Georgia, who is suffering with pneumonia remains, un changed . tonight. The crisis has not yet passed, but the attendhiff physi cians hold out little hope of recovery. RECEIVER FOR BUI Hants Trust Co. of Jen -phis Closes Doors DEPOSITORS PROTECTED Another Local Trust Coopany Also Suspends Paynent Officials of Both Institutions Say That the Depositors Will be Paid Dollar for Dollar Failure Was Caused by the Lending Owt of Too Much Money and Inability to Realize on Its Loans Fast Enough to Meet the Demands. President Schultt of the Clearing House Associations Gives Out a Statement. Memphis, Tenn., December 27. An ticipationof a heavy run on the Mer chants Trust Company, 11 Madison street preliminary Intimation of which was given by the withdrawal of many deposits Tuesday afternoon, was the immediate cause of the suspension of that bank and the appointment "of a receiver today. The American Savings Bank and Trust Company, 176 south Main street, which is dominated by the directors of the Merchants Trust Company fearing that the failure of the other institution would cause a run on its own deposits, also suspended payment until the af fairs of the Merchants Trust Company shall have been adjustd. The Ameri can Savings Bank and Trust Company, it developed, recently absorbed the Me chanics Savings Bank, at Main and Calhouu streets, and took charge of the latter company's business. It is stated by the officials of both institu tions that the depositors will be fully protected and paid dollar for dollar. The stockholders of the Merchants Trust Company, it is said, will suffer to the extent of 20 per cent, on the capital invested, as the liquidation of the banks finances are expected to en tail a slight loss. The assets of the Merchants Trust Company generally exceed the liabil ities. The American Savings and Trust Company, according to its latest state ment is in excellent condition and is carrying more ready cash than is usual for an institution of its size. The Merchants Trust Company has cn hand only $30,000, the remainder of its capitalization being loaned out. The fact that the bank had overloaned and the stringency of the New York market are given as the direct cause of the suspension. John P Edmondson, a prominent at torney of this city and one of "the di rectors has been apointed receiver for the Merchants Trust Company. A. Y. Allen, cashier of the American Savings and Trust Company has been appoint ed receiver of that instituion. The decision not to open the doors of the Merchants Trust Company today was reached after an all night session of the board of directors. Felix T. Pope, president of the Mer chants Trust Company, gave out the following statement: "The bank is amply solvent and every depositor will bo paid In full. The stockholders will undoubtedly realize a large percentage of their in vestments. "The Merchants Trust Company had loaned too much money and was una ble to realize on its loans fast enough to meet the demands. "I am not in a position to make 'a statement now as to reorganization or future plans." W. A. Percy, attorney for the Mer chants Trust Company and the direc tors of that institution make the state ment tbat all depositors, both of the Merchants Trust Company and the American Savings and Trust Company will be paid in fulL Statements of the financial status of the closed banks at the close" of business December 26: Merchants Trust Company, assets $3,665,055; liabilities $2,132,310. American Savings Bank, assets $7.18,783: liabilities $75S,703. The deposits in both institutions ex ceed $2,000,000. C. W. Schultt, president of the Mem phis Clearing House Association made the following statement in behalf of the association: "Fifteen days ago the Merchants Trust Company applied to the Memphis Clearing House Association for Help. "The Clearing House Association ap pointed, a" committee to Investigate the matter. The committee went over tlie assets of the Merchants Trust Com pany as carefully as the limited time allowed and the association advanced through the Merchants Trust Com pany the sum of $100,000. "Subsequent investigation revealed the fact that while it was the opinion FIVE DAYS REST AT PIfJE Kf 0 The Preside:! lo Suci fclftn ca His firfirii Estate RACK TO WASHINGTON" SUNDAY The President Was Accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt and Several of the aiildren Only One Secretary Yu Taken Alone The Chief Executive Docs Not Expect to Do Any Hunting. Washington. December 27. Presi dent lloooscvelt will pas bis holiday at Piae Knob, tho pretty little estate in Virginia, acquired about a year ago by Mrs.. Itoosevelt Accompanied by Mrs. Itoosevelt and their children. Miss Ethel, Hermit and Archie, tlie President left Washington at 1 1 -.30 o'clock today for a fire days outing. The trip was mad via the Southern liailway, in the private car Rover, attached to a regular train. The President was accompanied on the trip by M. C. Latta, bis penoual ste nographer, and James Sloan, the Presi dent's secret 'service guard. Mr. Locb and his other secretaries remained In Washington. The President said he was going to Pine Knob to enjoy a genuine rest. He added that while be and Mrs. Itoose velt would ride horseback over the fine roads in the vicinity of their es tate, he did not expect to do any hunt ing. Masters Kennit and Archie took a gun with them, and will do some rabbit shooting. Archie took with him the smal ldog "Skip, which the President brought to him from Cool rado last Spring, and he will be used, in the hunting of rabbits. William Wllmer, whose plantation adjoins Pino Knob, was at the railrond station to day to wish the President and Mr. Itoosevelt a pleasant outing. As the President's horses are in Washington, he and Mrs. Roosevelt, in their rides will use the horses of Mr. Wilmer. The President expects to remain at Pine Knob until next Sunday afternoon. According to present plans he will reach Washington Sunday night He was accompanied on the trip today by Colonel L S. Brown, peneral agent of the Southern Railway, who had charge of the railroad management for the Journey. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., will join his father and mother at Pino Knob tomorrow, and will remain with them until they return next Sunday night to Washington. Richmond, Va., December 27. The President and Mrs. Roosevelt aud their children, Ethel, Kermit and Ar chie arrived at North Garden, eleven miles below Charrj::tvl! tbis af ternoon and took vehicle tutre for the twelve mile drive to "Pine Knob," marie county where the presidential the Roosevelt country home in Albe marle county, where the presidential party are comfortably established to night. There was a crowd at the station la Charlottesville through which I be train bearing the party passed on the way to North Garden to see the Prss. Ident but there was no speechmaking. At North Garden one of the resi dents of the village presented to Mrs. Roosevelt a bunch of mistletoe, which &he smUiigly acknowledged. 3IATIi IX WRONG BOX Explanation of Complaint Made hr Senator Blackburn. Frankfort, Ky., December 27. Ed ward C. Leigh, secretary to Governor Psckhain. when shown the Associae Press telegram from Washington las; night in relation to the complaint from Frankfort that mall had been Improperly opened, said: "This piolably refers to soma let ters that have teen dropped into :he postoffice box vsed by the executive department and the scretary of state's office addressee to Senator Blackburn. A postoffice inspector came to my of fice about ten days ago, and explained that Senator Blackburn had made complaint that his mail had been open ed by some one in the executive office, "I told him that something like a year ago in a hatch of mall there had been a letter for J. C. S. Blackburn which was cpcrcC and when It was scn that the letter was not for Gov ernor Beckham, It was forwarded to the Senator with an explanatory not. A few weeks ag? a similar mistake occurred. I suppose that the similar! ty Ic apnea' ance ol the name of J. C. 3. Blackburn end J. C. W. Beckham caused the Ivcal jrostal clerks to drop the Senator's tcail in our box." of the members of the Clearing House Association that the depositor of the concern are safe, yet It would take an extraordinary large sum to pay all Im mediate demands. In the interest of the city and the depositors, and of the various institu tions of the city, which for the last month had anticipated some such movement, it was deemed wisest to al low the concern to closo Its doors. "Representatives of the large banks of New York, Chicago and SL Louis are in the city with great quantities of ' money In furtherance of the legitimate business interests of, the city. "Old and experienced bankers and members of the 3Iemphi Clearing, House Association have the situation well in hand. No danger in appre hended and the commercial interests of the city are competent to meet any, situation that 13 liable to arise."
The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Dec. 29, 1905, edition 1
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