VOL. XVII., NO. 217.
WILMINGTON, N. C, THUESDAV, SEPTE1VIBER 8, 1904.
FIVE CENTS
YARH MANUFACTURERS- MEET.
IMPORTANT SECRET CONFER
ENCE HELD IX CHARLOTTE.
A. AND M. IS IN DANGER
OF BEING DISRUPTED
BIG BANQUET
I CASUALTIES ARE HEAVY.
IN PROGRESS
i
TWO DAYS' FIGHTING BETWEEN
BROWNS AND BLUES.
Students Demand that
Senior Privileges be
Restored
FACULTY IS
UNYIELDING
Thirty-nine of the Seniors of a Class
of Forty-two Have Taken an OatU
to Leave the College Unless They
"Are Given the Same Privileges as
Senior Classes in the Past Have
En joyed -The Seniors Say That
They Are Backed by the Juniors in
a Body, 85 of the Freshmen and
Many Sophomores Four Members
of the Senior Committee W hich
Called on the Faculty Expelled A
Telegram is Sent Commissioner of
Agriculture Patterson, Who is at
Home President Winston Makes a
Statement, and He Says the Faculty
Will Remain Firm in the Stand
They Have ' Taken -Work Has
Stopped, at the College and Both
Sides Remain "Unyielding.
Raleigh, N. ., Sept. 7.-The state
Agricultural and Mechanical college
here is in danger of being disrupted
by the threatened departure of over
150 students who yesterday signed
agreements to leave the college uiess
privileges recently taken awa from
the senior class are restored and four
seniors who were expelled are rein
stated. The senior class was not permitted
last night to eitheil eat or sleep at the
college.
Work has stopped and both faculty
and student body are unyielding.
(Special to The Messenger.)
Italeigh, N. C. September 7.- There
is trouble at the Agricultural and Me
chanical College, and the senior class
say that the other classes are backing
them up. The seniors were on the
streets of Raleigh this afternoon in
large numbers. They said they had
done no duty and had no recitations
today, that all the seniors except three
out of a class of forty-two had taken
an oath to lease the college unless they
were given the same privileges as en
joyed by seniors last term; that all the
juniors had taken an oath to support
the seniors; that eighty-five freshmen
ha'l signed an oath, and that the soph
omores were rapidly signing it.
The faculty met this afternon and
expelled Howard, Squires, Graydon
and Harper, four of the committee of
the senior class, sent by the latter to
represent it before the faculty. The
Seniors claim that' they offered a com
promise, but that the faculty refused.
They say the faculty wanted the sen
iors to sign the liberty book, as other
classmen do, and be back to college
by 10:30 p. m.
The senior classmen met in Pullen
Park this morning; the juniors, met
this afternon in a cornfield three
quarters . mile from the college;
the sophiiiiores met in the park, and
the freshmen in the fourth dormitory,
while the sophomores stood guard.
Only ' the freshmen were at the drill
this afternoon. All these statements
are made by seniors. They say they
have telegraphed Commissioner of
Agriculture Patterson, who is at home,
and that representatives of the senior,
junior anL sophomore classes signed
this telegram.
President George T. Winston was
interviewed tonight, and he said:
"The struggle at' the college be
tween the faculty and seniors is really
as to whether the college shall be sub
ject .to discipline and the proper regu
lation of hours for study and work, or
whether the students shall be left to
regulate themselves, leaving their col
lege, duties and visiting Raleigh at
will. To such question there can be
only one answer. The college has
grown -so rapidly and so greatly, at
tracting a large mass of diverse and
nonhomogeneous elements, that it's
government and discipline offer very
perplexing problems, its proximity to
the city renders it necessary to safe
guard the cadets by proper regulations
as to the hours of study and work and
the liberty to visit Raleigh. The pres.
ent struggle is apparently for liberty
to visit Raleigh at will. Ii is really for
looser discipline. The permission to
visit Raleigb is now given at times
when the students are free from their
college duties, that is Saturday after
noons and Sundays. Besides this gen
eral liberty, special permission is also
given on special occasions and when
ever any necessity requires. For a
student to go oftener and without the
proper restrain!;, would mean the ne-'
gleet of duty in the college, and the
exposure of idleness, extravagance,
temptation and vice in the city. Such
license cannot be permitted. It is not
good for young and inexperienced lads,
far from their home, nor is it condu
cive to preparation for the industrial
careers. A few pestiferous mischief
makers among the senior cadets have
stirred up the whole college, have or
ganized oathbound promises and writ
ten agreements not to obey the regula
tions and not1 to remain in the college.
I regret to say they have caused much
trouble, influencing some young men
against their real inclinations and bet
ter judgment to sign silly papers.
Four of the ring leaders have been
dismissed. On account of the excite
ment of the moment', others have quit
college and have sought to persuade
all other classes to quit. We shall
hope to save the young men the trou
ble, expense and humiliation of such
folly. The parents of all are being in
formed of the situation, and we shall
permit no minor t'o leave without au
thority from home. Parents who ob
ject to such regulations and discipline
will withdraw their sons. Of course,
the college will speedily fill up again
with the sons "of those who value edu
cation in economy, regularity and
obedience to authority, as well as In
books and handicraft."
i The following account of the trou
. bio1 between the faculty and seniors at
the A. and M. is taken from yesterday's
News and Observer:
The A. and M. College seniors, who
are aggrieved at the rule recently in
augurated at the college preventing
them from visiting the city without
permission, except on Friday even
ings, Saturday afternoons and Sun
days, were to have met last night
with the junior and sophomore
classes to take action towards forcing
the authorities to withdraw their
ruling. .
Instead of this rr. Winston called
the senior class together, addressed
them briefly and ordered them to
their rooms.
.After the meeting the students
tried to meet in the hall, but were
again confronted by the president,
who told them that ?f they did not
disperse he would expel the entire
crowd.
Upon this the students scattered to
their rooms and quiet fell upon the
college.
The contention foeiween the stud
ents and faculty grows out of priv
ileges which have been taken from
the seniors, and from the incipient
development of hazing on the part
of the sophomores.
Last year the seniors were per
mitted to visit the city at will, but
now their, only peculiar privilege is
th? Friday night outing.
. When the boys were . informed of
the change, they agreed, met and de
clared that they would leave the col
lege in a body. In this determination
they were to be backed by the other
two classes had not the president
spiked their guns.
Some of them said last night, how
ever, that they would meet again to
day and if the class was willing to
"hold out" would "resign" their
offices in the battalion and leave the
college.
-Besides the complaint of the sen
iors, the sophomores are angry at the
expujsion several days ago of one of
their number for hazing, and the jun
iors are .standing by the higher class
t with the idea of preserving their- "dig
nity" next year.
'"The class has gone too far to back
out now," said a senior last night, "and
if the rule is not rescinded we will
leave." ,
Dr. Winston's Statement.
President Winston was seen last
night.
"This is a military college," said he,
"and it is going to be run on military
principles. The discipline instead of
being, lightened is to be intensified.
The boys at the A. and,M. have to
work in the day and they cannot study
satisfactorily except at night. Consid
ering the distance of the college from
;town, the students will not be allowed
to visit the. city except at such times
as they have no work to do. I told
the senior class that they had no busi
ness ,to be meeting as a class to com
plain of leaving college as a class, and
I advised them that they had better
hear from their parents before they
left. Of course, any individual who
doesn't like the college can leave it;
there are' plenty to take their places.
I also told them that the class would
not be permitted to meet during study
hours."
As to hazing, Dr. Winston stated
that it had never taken root at the
college, and he didn't intend that it
should; that he would break it' up if
he had to expel every boy in the col
lege to do so. One hazer had been
caught andj- promptly expelled, and if
the trouble reoccurred others would
follow.
While he would not like to lose his
senior class Dr. Winston states that
the college is 'long" on applicants, as
his notice that no more students can
be taken shows. Of course, if thirty
or, forty leave, he can take that many
more from the hundreds that are anx
ious to come-.
While the college boy ist a great
hand at resolutions, his species is gen
erally lacking in the moral backbone
which makes a mass meeting effective.
The senior .class will probably remain
to tamely do their courting on Friday
nights.
Major Delniar Ties the World's Trot
ting Record.
Syracuse X. Y September 7.
Major Delmar only succeeded in tieing
the world's trotting record of 2:02 1-4
without1 a wind shield in his attempt
this afternoon at. the New York state
fair. Tjie Major" accompanied by a
rynner, trotted the first quarter In
30 seconds, the half in one, minute,
the three-quarters in 1:31 1-4 and the
mile in 2:02 1-4. .
Situation of the Trade Was Discussed
and Several Resolutions Passed
Members in the Sonference Are Very
Reticent Concerning Wliat Occurred.
Charlotte, N. C, September 7.
Hosiery yarn manufacturers, repre
senting 285,000 of the 400,000 spin
dles engaged on that line of goods in
the South, held what was said to be an
important secret conference here to
day. They held two sessions lasting
the greater part of the day, and after
adjournment it was given out that
there was nothing for the public in
the proceedings, that several resolu
tions had been passed and the situa
tion discussed, but nothing else about
the meeting could be secured from any
of the 24 men in attendance. One of
the resolutions looked to the fixing of
the tare at a figure between 5 and 10
pounds to the case of yarn. Samuel
A. carter, of Atlanta, was chosen
chairman, arid J. F. Taylor, of Kin
ston, secretary. The principal feature
of the morning, to those on the out
side, is the reticence of those concern
ed, which is quite unusual.
Mr. Taylor, the secretary, said the
meeting was entirely informal and had
no connection whatever with any or
ganization. It was called by six or
eight prominent spinners, who, along
with many others, realized the neces
sity of concerted action and took upon
themselves the responsibility of calling
the meeting. The meeting, said Mr.
Taylor, was for the purpose of discuss
ing the situation and getting" to a better
working basis. The outlook he said is
more favorable, if the present cotton
crop can be kept out of the hands of
the speculators. If the crop should
prove to be more than 11,000,000 bales,
spinners believe the speculators will
hardly be able to manipulate it.
Atlanta, Ga., September 7. About
focty of the prominent colored cotton
goods manufacturers of the South met
here today and organized under the
name of the Southern Colored Cotton
Goods Weavers' Association. F. O.
Moring, of Raleigh, N. C., was elected
president and a committee was selected
further to perfect the organization and
to notify all manufacturers of this
line of goods of the action of the meet
ing. This committee includes J. A.
Smith, of Bessemer City, N. C; C. W.
Johnson, of Charlotte, N. C, and B.
S. Robeston, of Burlington, 1ST. C.
The discussion at the meeting today
is summed up practically in the fol
lowing resolution, which was adopted
unanimously:
Resolved, That this meeting recom
mend to the members of this associa
tion that final action be taken at an
adjourned meeting to be held at Char
lotte, N. C, October o, binding its
members not to place goods on mem
orandum or to guarantee prices ro
customers. Furthermore, not to allow
cancellations of contract by customers,
and that fulfilment of all contracts be
rigidly enforced. We also recommend
that action be taken on freight allow
ances, which have grown to be exces
sive." About twenty millions of invested
capital are represented in the new or
ganization. One of the most prominent men
attending the meeting is R. S. Rein
hardt. of Lincolnton, president of the
American Cotton Manufacturers' As
sociation.. Mr. Reinhardt does notsee
anything particularly encouraging in
the outlook and thinks it is "up to"
the spinners to do something for their
benefit. "Yarns continue t'o sell at low
prices," he said, "and cotton fails to
decline, despite the fact that the sea
son for lower prices has arrived."
"Won't the price decline when the
crop begins to come in?" asked the
reporter.
"It ought to, but it doesn't,'' replied
Mr. Reinhardt. -
From , interviews with various spin
ners who are attending the meeting th&
reporter learned that the curtailment
of production since May would ag
gregate 25 per cent, of the southern
spindles running hosiery yarns.
THE OLYMPIC CONTESTS.
Two American Records in Swimmim
Races Brolren.
St. Louis, Mo., September 7. In the
Olympic swimming races today the
American record of 6:18 1-5 was brok
en by C. M. Daniels, of the New York
Athletic club, who won the 440 yards
championship swim in 6:16 1-5. This
was not allowed, however, as one of
the three stop watches required to
record the time stopped.
E. Rausch, of Germany, in swim
ming the half mile championship race
in 13:11 3-5, broke the American
record dr13:22 2-5, held by E. Car
roll Sche.efer, of the University of j
Pennsylvania.
New York won the team champion
ship; with a score of 40 points; Ger
many was second with 32 points.
The Olympic fencing championship
was won by Ramon Fonst. of Havana,
Cuba,' with A. V. Z. Post, of New York
city, second.
Pretty Polly Wins Her 14th Succes- j
sive Race. ,
London, September 7. Pretty Polly ;
won the St. Leger stakes at Dorcaster '
today. Pretty Polly's win makes her
fourteenth successive victory. The til- ;
ly has never yet been beaten.
, -fci m "..I,.,,,..
Bedlam in a Class by Herself.
New York, September 7. Bedlam,
the great three year old filly, won the
September stakes, one mile and three
furlongs, at Sheepshead Bay today.
She made practically all the running
and won with ease? Ortwills was deci
sively beaten, finishing a bad third.
Graziallo finished second. In the opin
ion Ctf TT atll hnrspmAn TlaHhm'c.onnr
y J W i . X J.UJf
victory today places her in a class by
herself. --v-,r
500 Democratic Editors
in Conference in
New York
TO VISIT ESOPUS
The Editors Are From AH Sections of
the United States Well Known
Newspaper Men Respond to Toasts
on Political Subjects Speech by
Henry Watterson on "If I Were a
Republican" "Dixie" Arouses Great
Enthusiasm, tlio Southern Editors
Greeting it With the Rebel Yell
Letter from Joseph Pulitzer. '
New York, September 7. Nearly
five hundred Democratic editors, from
all parts of the United States, met at
a banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria to
night, the occasion being a national
conference of Democratic editors,
which was called at the instance of
the Democratic committee.
The toast list included several of
the best known Democratic editors in
the country, and all of them respond
ed to toasts on political subjects. S.
E. Johnson, Washington correspon
dent of The Cincinnati Enquirer, and a
former president of the Gridiron, club,
was the toastmaster. A large orches
tra furnished music during the din
ner. When "Dixie" was played, the
diners, many of whom were from the
South, jumped to their feet and the
rebel yett was given several times.
Enthusiasm was at the highest pitch
when the selection was encored.
A letter from Joseph Pulitzer, writ
ten from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Chair
man Daniels, in which the writer stat
ed that physical infirmities prevented
his toeing present, was read. The let
ter in part was as follows:
"The result in Vermont reported
today should be accepted as a warning,
not as discouragement. Remember
that the largest total vote ever j cast in
Vermont is only fifty-six thousajnd. It
is absurd to suppose that the result of
the presidential election is deciped, or
even foreshadowed. The contest is
io be fought in New York, the empire
state, whose habit it is t'o votp inde
pendently; in the rich and pdpulous
industrial cities of Connecticut and
New Jersey, on the wide plains and in
the busy marts of Indiana, Wisconsin
and Illinois, and in the doubtful states
of the farther west. There are signs
of a reaction against protection, priv
ilege and plutocracy; against person
al government, militarism, extrava
gance and the political power of the
trust'. Mr. Roosevelt's weakness as a
candidate in his own state has been
demonstrated at every election.
Should he carry the country in No
vember, as it is possible that he may,
the adverse vote of New York would
serve as a salutary check on his usur
pation of power, and no effort should
be spared t'o secure this result.
"The lesson of the Vermont election
is that the independents and the Dem
ocrats must work with increased vigor
and under a more thorough system.
Truth may be self-radiant, but it is
but self-enforcing. Truth is mighty,
but it will not prevail without all the
aids of publicity. Truth must be pro
claimed, illustrated, established, en
forced. Most' important of all, truth
must have a leader.
"The result of the Vermont election
makes it, in my judgment, all the more
imperative that Judge Parker shall
realize and perform his duty to the
millions of honesJ voters who seek no
office, look for no personal gain in this
election, but who see in him an ideal
and a hope.
(Signature)
"JOSEPH PULITZER."
Editor Henry Watterson, of the
Loisville Courier-Journal, responded
to the toast "If I Were a Republican."
Mr. Watterson's Speech.
Mr. Watterson said:
In order to allay curiosity and sup
press conjecture or words to that
effect lei' me say in the beginning
that I believe we can win this presi
dential battle. I will go even further,
and say that, with anything like an
even show-down of powder and ball,
it will be our own fault if we lose it.
The two parties will go to the finish
fairly united. Each will poll very
nearly, if not quite, its normal
strength. The independent vote, there
fore, will decide the result.
In the five debatable states of New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut in
the east; Indiana and Wisconsin in the
west, there are, on a rough estimate,
a million of these independent voters.
Half a million of them are Germans.
The other half are mugwump and
floaters. For the life of me I cannot
see how any self-respecting mugwump
can vote for Roosevelt", the recreant
civil service reformer, nor how any in
telligent German, much as the Presi
dent resembles the Kaiser, can be
willing to take even a lottery chance
in a war with the mother country, pre
cipitated upon the dr.op of a hat, x'o
glorify the administration.
Parser, the jurist, means peace with
all nations, entangling alliance with
none. Roosevelt, the war lord, means
complications abroad and corruptions
at home, designed fo prolong a single
(Continued oh Fifth Page.)
Many Spectators Enjoy the Sights of a
Battle in Real Progress Militia
Troops Show Inexperience General
Grant's Forces within Two Miles of
the Objective Point.
Corps Headquarters Gainesville, Va.,
September 7. The first maneuver prob
lem closed at noon today, with Gener
al Grant's force pushed through the
left wing of General Bell. This put the
Blue force within two miles of Thor
oughfare Gap? the objective point.
However, General Bell had Smith's
brigade on the right and Barry's bri
gade on the left of this breach in his
line and Colonel Wagner, Chief umpire,
draws no conclusion as to what might
happen had not hostilities ceased under
the command , previously issued by
General Corbin to cease hostilities at
noon so that the tired troops might be
given relief.
This attack on the part of the Blue
force was made by General Wint, with
Price's brigade, consisting of the 70th
Virginia, the (First .Maine. First Ala
bama and Sixteenth Infantry.
Previous to this there had been
severe fighting on the line to which
General (Bell had fallen back during the
night. This line, the Antioch Road, was
within two miles of the western limit
of the maneuver zone, and extended the
five miles of the width of the zone.
While General iBell was falling back
to the new line from the Carolina road,
which had been the scene of the con
flict the day before, General Grant oc
cupied the hours between midnight and
daybreak. He withdrew all of his cav?
airy from the southern portion of his
line, the position on the first day, ana
threw two full brigades and sixteen
guns to the point indicated. His artil
lery was so well placed that it had un
obstructed play for an hour on the
Brown line.
The effect of this fire was not taken
into account by a decision rendered by
the umpire on the field early in the bat
tle when the Blue force was required to
fall back, but was taken into account
later and credit given accordingly to
the effects of the fire of the Blue ar
tillery. The spectacle of a battle in full prog
ress was produced in the maneuvers
today and the field was .viewed from
near and far by many spectators. Gen
eral Corbin went among the troops of
both armies and made close observa
tion of the progress of the battle. Mrs..
Corbin and MrsGrvaiiand :Miss Pat
ten viewed the maneuvers from an au
tomobile. During the afternoon the
troops returned to their respective
camps, to rest until 6 o'clock tomorrow
morning, when the problem will be re
versed and the Brown army will take
the field against the Blue in the effort
to strike at Washington.
The militia troops displayed the usual
disadvantage of inexperience in the
field. (Many of them went hungry to
day. The regulars set them a good
example in this respect, dividing their
supplies equally between the two days.
Complaint of depredations by militia
men came to headquarters today from
Wellington, where it was claimed that
the First .South Carolina regiment had
cleaned out a provision store absolutely.
The loss will be reimbursed to the pro
prietor and the amount deducted from
the pay of this regiment. General
Corbin and both divisions commanders
unite in praising the conduct cf the
militia.
A daring attempt was made last
night to capture General Bell in hts
headquarters at Thoroughfare. Tha
capture was not made because .Bell
heard of the plan and Utterly took up
bed and walked. He secreted himselr
in a farm house nearby and slept till
morning. The capture was planned by
a scouting party, and would undoubted
ly have been successful had not Gen
eral iBell made his escape in time. He
had stripped his headquarters of its
guard for other duty and if confronted
by the armed scouts would have had to
accompany them to the lines of the
Blue army.
It is estimated by army officers that,
the casualties during the two days of
fighting have depleted the Blue army
by 1,800 men and the Brown from 1,500
to 1,800.
PARTICIPANTS IN A MOB.
Seven Men Fined $50 Each and Sen
tenced to One Day in Jail. .
iDanville, Va., September 7. W. T.
Harris. Wicker 'Armes.Dan H. Talley,
CBud IF. Pruitt,, George C. Mills, R. J.
iLynch and Whit Meyers, were convict
ed today in the Corporation court of
being participants in the mob, when
an attempt was made several weeks ago
to lynch the negro, Koy Seals, charged
with murder confined in the city jail.
The men were sentenced to pay a fine
of $50 and to serve a term of one day
in jail. The men were recently con
victed by mayor's court and the jail
sentence fixed at 60 days. The case
was appealed to a higher court. The
men were marched out of the court
room to t be prison and will serve the
time. They were placed in fhe same
jail with the negro they attempted to
lynch. "
Postoffice Robbed of $550 in Stamps.
Greenfield, Tenn., September "7. Early
today several robber? entered the
Greenfield postoffice and blew open the
safe. They made two unsuccessful at
tempts and the third time brought it
open. (Nitro glycerine and other chem
icals were used.
About $150 in cash and $550 in stamps
were taken from the safe. Postmaster
Farmer has been authorized by the
postoffice department to offer $200 re
ward for the capture of the robbers.
Ex-3ra y or McCoe Arrested for the
Murder of His Wife.
Richmond, Va. September 7 J.
Samuel McCue, ex-mayor of Char
lottesville, Va., has been arrested for
the alleged murder of his wife.
Great Battle Said to be
Raging in Front
of Mukden
NEWS SILENCE
The Authorities at St. Petersburg
Consider fiiat tho Critical Stage of
the Russian Retreat is Passed and
That Kuropatkin's Army is Out of
Danger Silence Concerning Kuro
ki's Movements Since Sunday The
General Staff is Not Displaying Anx
iety Over the Report from Mukden
that Part of the Russian Army is in
Danger of Being Cut Off.
There is no news from the far east,
either from Russian or Japanese sourc
es. For the world watchers of the great
tragedy the curtain has been propped
and all is conjecture. Not even an ex
pression of opinion comes from Japa
nese sources, but from St. Petersburg
it is indicated that authorities are con
fident the critical stage of the Russian
retreat is passed and that Kuropatkin
is no longer in danger of loosing any
part of his forges to the pursuing Japa
nese. The Russian commander has ar
rived at Mukden, and it is given out in
St. Petersburg that the bulk of his
army is now near there, while a dis
patch from Mukden to the Associated
Press, filed Tuesday says the main
Russian army js pushing northward
and evacuating that place. It is indi
cated that the Japanese are still har
assing the Russian rear.
'Further than this nothing is known.
An absolute news silence prevails.
tSt. Petersburg. 'September 7. 5:33 p.
m. xne bulk of the Russian Manchu
rian army is near 'Mukden, where it
now appears, General Kuropatkin has
been since 'Monday. iHis troops, it is
understood, are not entering the city,
tut are taking up prepared positions
around Mukden. While there is no spe
cific information on this point the gen
eral taff believes that only a small
rear guard is in the neighborhood of
Yentai. No further fierhti ner of imnrtr.
tance is expected south of Mukden.
xne critical stage is regarded as having
passed and the announcement was
made this afternoon that the war office
will no longer give out two' bulletins
each day. .
Tokio, September 7.-8 p. m. The gen
eral staff has not yet made public any
details of the battle of Liao Yans-.' Thn
people are still celebrating the victory
out mere is considerable speculation
over the official silence regarding Gen
eral Kuroki's movements since Sunday.
It is reported that the Japanese now
in the ravages of fire captured vast ac
cumulations of Russian stores and am
munition at -Liao Yang. The report
that Lieutenant Teraouchi, son of Lieu
tenant General Teraouchi, minister of
war. was killed in the fighting before
iMukden, Tuesday, "September 6. (De
layed in transmission) Part of the
Russian army, which is coming to Muk
den by wagon road, is in danger of be
ing cut off. All day and night fMonday
the 'Japanese in the hills on the east
road shelled the Russian troops. In
one instance the Japanese infantry at
tacked a large force of Jlussian infan
try and artillery which had taken to
the hills, running parallel to the Japa
nese, in protecting the flank of the
retreating army.
Troops, guns and transports, are
pouring into Mukden by train and road.
Ccnsicrable transport was left behind.
The roads are in a frightful state,
owing to the Heavy rain 'Monday.
The main Russian army pushing
northward is evacuating CMukden.,
Paris, September 8. The (St.. Peters
burg correspondent of the Echo De
Paris says: j
"A great battle is going on before
Mukden. The first and seventeenth
corps are engaged against General Ku
roki. 'General Kuropatkin with the bulk
of his troops is moving toward Tieling."
.St. Petersburg, September 8.-2:30 a.
m. The general staff is not displaying
great anxiety over the report that
General Kuropatkin is in danger of be
ing cut off.
The members also decline to say that
they know whether General Kuropat
kin purposes taking his army north of
iMukden. An officer of the general staff
said to the Associated Press Wednes
day night:
"ii believe it is safe to say that Gen
eral Kuropatkin's army is now out of
danger. Our advices since Monday in
dicate that fighting is of an insignifi
cant character, and I do not believe
that, the tired troops are capable of
seriously threatening the line of re
treat. The greatest difficulty our army
is now having to contend with Js the
terrible roads owing to th erain of Mon
day and Tuesday. Our Information is
that the bulk of the baggage has al
ready passed through Mukden. This is
the usual proceedure in the case of any
retreat." .
A man who is unable to stand his
grocer off for a month loses faith in
his financial ability when he finds his
neighbor has failed for 1500.000.
I Washington Post