North Carolina Newspapers

w . J ft MIIIHIIIIIIIIIIHMIHIM f The Throen whkhvew ' 1 58" o year in A.dx)ance ', Job PriotnJ PromiKly ad Neatly Don. iiiiimiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii' ! I people ff Medi-n County I T ADVERTISING RATES ON A jn nn POLITICAL REFORM AND THE GENERAL UPBUILDING OF MADISON eCUNTY. VOL. XI. MARSHALL, N. C, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1909. NO. 52 maaison uounty decora i ' i ,' "-i - t - 1 . 1 ' - - - . 1 ' ' i " . . '-j&SE$p& . ; PPLICATON COOK LOSES COPENHAGEN FILES THE REPORT. PEARY SAYS VERY LIRE. No Proof That He Reached the North Pole. Commodore Gustav Holm Declares That Dr. Cook's Papers Convict Him of Being a Swindle rand Pro fessor Stromgren, President of the Comimttee, Characterizes His Treatment of the University as Shameless. Copenhagen. By Cable. The re port of the special committee of scientists which the University of Copenhagen appointed to scrutinize Dr. Frederick A. Cook's claims tliat lie had discovered the North Pole was submitted to the consistory of the university Tuesday morning, endors ed by that bcdy, and given to the public. The report shatters completely, al most contemptuously, the great Am erican explorer's title to such a dis covery, and fills the officials and people of Den'iiark with chagrin at the figure Denmark is made to as sume in the eyes of the scientific world. The public was prepared for a verdict of '"not proven,.7! but did branded as nn impostor. Many still elirig to Hie belief that Cook acted in good faith, but harbored a delusion. Explorers and scientists almost unanimously have lost faith in Cook's honesty, while one of his warmest -supporters, Kntid Rasmussen, the ex plorer, helped to frame tho report. The evening papers attack Cook and severely reproach him for hiding, which they regard as a sign of a " guilty conscience. The rector of the university, Dr. Salomonsen. when questioned as to the possibility of the university can celing the degre which it conferred ' on Dr. Cook, said that no decision had been reached, hut he thought that the degree could be withdrawn - in the ajuc way as a government could de prive a person of an order obtained under false pretense. BRAND HIM SWINDLER. Commander Gustav Holm, the Arctic explorer and a member of the committee, said: "Cook's claim that he made the observation 89 degrees 439 minutes 46 seconds near the Pole , proved immediately that he was a bad observer, but nothing indicated i lml hp was a swindler. Now his papers eon vice mm oi Deing a swina- ler. We examined Cook s observa tions first, and agreed unanimously r that they were worthless. Loose's - observations were not used in papers submitted to university." Profesor Oluensen. secretary of the . Danish Geographical Society, said: . It is the saddest event in my life. As an explorer there seems to be no doubt that Cook is absolutely un reliable. " "ft rne committee appointed ny tne .university to examine Cook's records recently presented its report to the consistory of the university, which re viewed the deductions of the experts -' with the greatest care and discussed the findings from every standpoint. That both the committee and the con sistory were disappointed, was soon , known. The consistory met Tuesday tod Adopted a written report to tie effect that the alleged records submitted for examination by. Dr. Cook failed to prove his claim that he had reach ed the' North Pole. After obtaining all available informal ion the com mittee finds as follows : COMMITTEE'S FINDING. '.'First, the report of the expedition sent to tbe university by Dr. Cook is the same as that printed in The New York Herald and other papers during the month sof September and October last. "Second, the copy of Cook's note books does not contain any original astronomical observations whatsoever but only results. "Third, the documents presented are inexcusably lacking in informa tion which would prove that the astronomical obsrevations theerin re . ferred to wen really made; sad also tain no details regarding tbe practical work nf the expedition and the sledge journey which would en able the committee to determine their reliability. "The committee therefore is of the opinion that the material transmitted for examination contains no proof that Dr. Cook reached the Pole." The report, is signed by all the members of the committee, which was Elis Stromgren. director of the astro nomical observatory ; Dr. C. F. Pe chule, astronomer, attached to the observatory; Gustav Holm, explorer; Prof. A. B. Von son. president of the school of navigation; Dr. Reiyder, director of the met ero logical office, and Dr. F. E. Eugstrm, director of the Lund observatory. The university council issued this statement : "The documents handed the uni versity for examination do not con tain observations and information which can be regarded as proof that Dr. Cook reached the North Pole on his recent expedition." EXPLAINS WHERABOUTS. New York, Special. Thus ends one of the most fascinating chapters in all the romance of exploration. Hojj, ored by the King of Denmark, ''her alded by the University of Copen hagen, garlanded with wreaths of roses by young girls, accorded the freedom of the city of New York, and acclaimed by thousands for the length and breadth of the land as the bravest man who ever dared the silent terrors of the Arctic, Dr. Frederick A. Cook stands discredited in the house of his friends. His brother and Charles Wake, a close friend, say he is in Norway with his wife and that his children are in a school in this country. HAS MADE A FORTUNE. Henry Wellington Wack. Dr. Cook's lawyer .and t lie friend, both asked how much money they thought Dr. Cook had made from the sale of his narrative to newspapers in this country and abroad, and from his lectures. "More than $80,000," said Mr. Wack. "More than $100,000," said the friend. Both agred that, should the doctor elect to spend the remain der of his days in retirement he has thus far chosen, he need never want for comfort. PEARY'S COMMENT. Washington, D. C. Special "Three month's ago 1 sounded an explicit and deliberate warning to the world, based upon complete and accurate in formation in regard to Cook's claims. "I have known the outcome of this since weeks before I reached this country- on my return from the Pole. It was not a matter of belief with me but of absolute knowledge. "However, I shall not discuss this matter in detail for publication. It is not necessary." Worth About $220,000,000. New York. Special. Edward H. Harrimati was really worth, at the time of his death, over $200,000,000, although a recent appraisal of his estate placed its value at $149,000, 000. Since Mr. Harrimnn's death his estate has profited by a rise in mar ket values and it is stated that the wealth of Mrs. Harrinmn may he con servatively estimated at $220,000,000 which would make her probably the richest woman in the world. Public Benefactions Large. New York, Special. The total pub lic benefactions in the United States during the past 12 mouths was $141, 250,000, an amount just $40,000,000 greater than any previous year in the history of the country, according to statistics compiled by a New York newspaper. The amount this year was over twice as large as was riven away last year, the panic of 1907. The total benefactions in the United States reponed in l lie public press iir the last seventeen vears add u: to no less than $1.00(),l'.-0.0f;0. Crowned King of the Belgians. Brssels, By Cable.-rPrince Albert, son of the late Prince PhiUippe, Count of Flanders, has been crowned King of the Belgians, assuming the title of Albeit I. With his Queen, Eliza beth, and their sous, Princes Leopold and Charles,, .the new King rode in state form Laekeu to the Parliament, acclaimed byihausauds along tho gay ly decorated streets. The oath of of fice was administeerd before a joint season of the House of Parliament, and tbe feeble attempt of Socialists to sound a discordant note was drown ed by the cheering. Candidates For McLaurin's Place. Jackson. Miss.. Special. Formal announcements were made last Sat urday that C. H. Alexander, former Governor J. K. Vardaman and Con F. S. Candler. Jr.. will be candidates for tho unexpired term of the late United States senator A. J. McLanrin. Plan Canal Exposition New Orleans, Special. An exposi f inn will 1m held in Now Orleans to celebrate the opening of the Panama London eats MO.OOO tons of ich'jear. NEWS BREVITIES Condensed from Wide fields, Domestic and foreign. AS THEY ARE HAPPENING DAILY Baited to the Wants of Busy Readers Seeking a Knowledge of What is Going on. Suddenly becoming violently in sane G. C. Cheuvront, a rancher kill ed his wife and one child, wounded three other children and ended his life under the wheels of a railroad train at Fresno. Cal. A triple murder and suicide oc curred at Pittsburg, Ky., a mining villager when William Murray, a miner, shot and killed his wife and her mother and Elbert Cole and him self. Samuel Hogau is dead and a negro is in a serious condition at Starke, Fla., from drinking whiskey that is alleged to have been poisoned. The whiskey was sent to John Bennett, a well-known resident, and in the package was the following note: "From a friend wishing a happy Christmas. ' ' At Albany, Ga., H. D. Manning, a clerk in the Albany postofflce, was arrested by Postofflce Lispector Wil son of Atlanta, charged with em bezzlement of money order funds and with destroying first class mail. Judge Benjamin S. Liddon of Mariana, Fla., former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, died at New Orleans. Judge Liddon was 53 years old and one of the best known jurists in the South. Twenty lives are said to have been lost and thirty injured are in the hospital as the result of a fire which gutted the department stores of Ardoig & Hobbs at Clapham Junction in London. Seven hundred persons were in the store making Christmas purchases when the fire broke out. A monument to the memory of the Confederate soldiers will be erect ed at Lonoke, Ark., next spring by the T. C. 1 lindmau chapter U. D. C. At Paris an enormous crowd from all classes of society besieged the Steinhcil house, where an auction of household effects was held. Prices brought were very low, the murdered artist's painting bringing from $4 to $40. Edhera Pasha, commander of the Turkish forces in the Graeco-Turkish war in 1897 is dead at Cairo, Egypt. Clarence W. Marks, a well-known business man and horseman, died on an elevated train at Chicago. Mr. Marks once owned Joe Patcham, the famous pacer. William J. Bryan last week visited tho site of the camp of his Nebraska regiment during the Spanish-American war at Savannah, Ga. He re called, too, that it was here he first gave utterance to his views on the Philippines. He visited the cotton exchange, where he made a short ad dress, visited the city hall and mads an address at the Guards -Rail. He was accompanied by Frederick Town send Martin. From Savannah he went to Jacksonville, thence to Cuba. In a five handed duel on a crowded street at Meigs, Ga., between Ben Lewis. Sr., and Ben Lewis, Jr.. on one side, and Charlie Lewis and H. S. Dennard on the other, Charlie and Lewis Dennard were wounded, the latter probably seriously. The dif ficulty was the result of an old grudge between the Lewis and Den nard families. E. A,- Moore serving a life sen tence in the penitentiary for mur der at Atlanta, Ga-., was pardoned by Governor Brown. Moore was sen tenced in Savannah, Ga., in 1905, where he, while conductor on a street car, became involved in a difl)culty and fired at a passenger. The bullet went wild and killed a woman across the street. A bear stopped a jail delivery in Texas. Richmond's long delayed water settlement-basin system is pronounced complete at last, and water from the basins has been turned into the city reservoirs through a new flume just constructed. At Rosebud, Texas, Coke Mills, a negro, who shot and fatally wounded Marshall Williams was taken from jail by a mob and lynched. 'Williams was shot while attempting to take the negro into custody on a minor charge. William Alexander Harris, United States senator from Kansas from 1897 to 1903, died suddenly of heart disease at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Lydia M. Maekey, Chicago. Fire completely destroyed a busi ness block at Dardanelle, Ark., with a total loss of $85,000. The. fire is the second of the kind here itrthe past two weeks. It is believed to nave been canned by a defective flue in tho telephone office. . Tfae manager of a theatrieaLajom pany was killed and three women and ot tne troupe were wouna- ree fight at Memphis. of tbe year finds trading very good. I two men MANY STARVING "Bread Instead of Bullets" is the Watchword. RED SOCIETY TO LEND AID. Prospects of Food and Medical At tention Will Win More Than Any Other Plan. Washington, Spcial. Following a peremptory warning to President Ma driz that the United States will hold him personally responsible for the safety of Americans in the western part of Nicaragua, the State Depart ment has extended more than moral encouragement to the revolutionists. Under orders from Secretary Knox, American Red Cross funds are to be expended in caring for the sick and wounded troops of both the Estrada and Zelaya armies, more than 2,000 of whom are incapacitated in Blue fields. This, move on the part of United States is expected to be more affacious than the dispatch of a strong force. "Bread, instead of bullets," is the watchword of the State Department and it is generally believd that the prospects of food and medical atten tion will win over more men from the government ranks than any other plan that could be adopted. According to the latest reports, the medical corps of the various war ves sels now at Bluefields has installed hospital ashore where scores are be ing cared for. The procession of sick end wounded men through the town is said to be pitiful, and although Estrada is doing everything in his power to relieve the suffering, his re sources are meager. Captain Fowler Leading Insurgent Forces. Austin. Tex., Special. Associated Press dispatches announcing that Captain Godfrey Fowler is leading the insurgent forces in Nicaragua caused great surprise in the adjutant gener al's department here, as Captain Fow ler i 'ilk only a member of tbe Texas national guard, but a member of the Governors staff and under the law all such officers have to obtain permission to leave this country to join any kind of revolutionary move ment in another country. This per mission has not been secured and, the departmcn! lias started an investiga tion. It is thought possible that complications may arise and an effort will be made to recall Fowler. Fowler is a grandson of the late Judge John H. Reagan, who was Post master General in ihe Jefferson Davis Cabinet during the civil war. CALHOUN STATUE RECEIVED. Will 3e Formally Presented to Unit ed Stages Jan. 19th. Washington, Special. The statue of John C. Calhoun by F. W. Ruckstuhhl, in the national "Hall of Fame," stands approved and will be formallv presented to tho United State by South Carolina at noon on January 19, the commission consisting of Governor Ansel, W. L. Mauldin and J. A. Banks, Mrs. R. Moultrie Bratton and Miss Margaret Gist, met in Statuary Hall Thursday afternoon, viewed the statue and unanimously pronounced it most excellent. They formally accepted it on the part of South Carolina and paid over to Mr. Ruckstuhl, the sculptor, the $9,000 agreed upon. This left $1,000 for the expenses of the commission, which will have used something like two thirds of it, turning the other back over to the State. Drys Carry Virginia Town. Roanoke, Va., Special In a local option election at Buena Vista, Va., the drys won by a majority of 71. The total vote cast was 258. At the last local option election in April, 1907, the town went dry by a major ity of 45. Pay $75,000 Dividends. Charlotte, N. O, Special. The Observer says approximately $75,000 will be distributed among the stock holders of Charlotte's banking insti tutions, all the banks declaring their regular semi-annual dividends rang ing from 3 to 5 per cent. - The total capital stock of the banks of Char lotte amounts to $i,voo,uu. Indicted For Peonage. Montgomery, Ala., Special. It de velops that seven men were indicted by tho recent Federal court grand jury as a result of charges that Wash Gardner, a negro, of Butler county, was held in peonage. Butler, Andrew and Sam Searcy, Henry Shanks and Lloyd Killough are indicted for alleg ed enslavement of the negro and John Searcy and Dr. K. W. Harrison, for alleged suppression of testimony. Dr. Harrison refused to testify to the grand jury- All the parties who are from Crenshaw and Butler counties, made bonds in the sum of $2,Q00 for trial January 84. ( MOB HANGS WHITE MAN Mob in Virginia Strings up Murder er to Steam Pipe of Saw MilL Hurley, Va., Special. Following the killing here on Christmas Eve of Samuel Baker and the serious wound ing of his wife and two children by the former's enemy, Henry Penning ton, a mob of one hundred citizens took Pennington from an improvished jail, where he had been incarcerated under heavy guard, and hanged him to a steam pipe. Pennington, who had been drink ing, picked a quarrel w-ith Baker and shot him while the latter whs on his way to a Sunday school Christmas tree with his wife, two children and a friend. Wyatt Meadows. Seeing that be had killed Baker, Pennington started to run away. Mrs. Baker called after Pennington and implored him to help her take the body home. The ruse worked and Pennington went back to the spot wheer his victim lay dead. Bent upon avenging the dead, Mrs. Bakpr grabbed Pen nington's pistol from his pocket aud shot twice at him. Ilcr aim was bad but she succeeded in wounding him, in the hand and thigh. Pennington recovered possession of the pistol and then shot the woman and attempted to kill Meadows, who was running away, it is alleged, and the two children. M'LAURIN'S SUCCESSOR NAMED Governor Noel Appoints Col. James Gordon Only Temporary. Jackson. Miss., Special. The ap pointment of Col. James Gordon of Okolona as United States Senator from Mississippi, to succeed the late Senator A. J. McLanrin, was an nounced by Governor Noel Monday. The appointment i; only until the Legislature can elect a Senator for the unexpired term and is made with the understanding that Senator Gor don will not be a candidate for this term. He is 70 years old, a native of Mississippi, and served with distinc tion in (he Confederate army. He has not been prominent in public life during the past twenty years. Governor Noel announced that one of his principal motives in appoint ing Colonel Gordon was as a compli ment to the -omers x the Con faderacv. OVER 500 KILLED. Freezing Weather Adds to Distress Portugal Suffers. Madrid. By Cable. Ret urns from the flood-swept Spanish provinces indicate thai over ."t)ll were killed. The freezing weather alter the Hood had added greatly to the distress. The government is trying to relieve the suffeimg. The destruction of many miles of railroads makes this dilficult, and it may be days before some provinces are reached. The Gaudelquiner rivers are strewn with bodies bodies of the wreckage. Many farmers lost their entire herds of sheep and cattle. Portugal is. al most as bad. GRIER ARRESTED IN NEW YORK Former Cashier of Southern Pines Bank Faces Charge of Embezzling Country Club's Funds. New York, Special. Russell B. Grier was arested here and held for the authorities of Moore county. North Carolina, charged with embez zlement of $688 from the Southern Pines Country Club, near Raleigh. Grier was treasurer of the club and the alleged offense was committed more than a year ago. To Test Tennessee Laws. Nashville. Tenn., Special. With the approach of the new year, inter est has beer, renewed in the action of distillers and brewers when the manufacturers' law. passed by the last legislature, becomes effective. It is stated that some of the manufac turers proposed making a test ease of the law at an early date, but the manner of procedure could not be learned. Russia Gathering Troops. Vancouver, B. C, By Cable. Rus sia is gathering troops iu Siberia, ac cording to statements of travelers from north Manchuria and Siberia, published in Shanghai newspapers, received by the Blue Funnel lines Ning Chow, which arived from Liver pool and the Orient. Half a million troops are said to be encamped near Lake Baikal. Biggest Ship Launched. Philadelphia, Special. Declaerd to have no equal afloat as a first-class figting machine, the battleship Utah, the greatest war ship ever built in the United States, was launched from the yard of the New York Shipbuilding company at Camden, N. J., last week. Dr. Cook Expelled New York, SpeeiaL The board of governors of the Explorers' club last week met in executive session and, standing in silence, voted with bowed heads that Dr. Frederick A. Cook be dropped font the rolls of tbe club for i fraads pcetlioid on its members and on the puNic. DEFICIT IS (SOWING . Loss on Second-Class Mail and Rural Service. HITCHCOCK MAKES HIS REPORT. Sets Forth in Detail Problems That Have Confronted His Administra tion. Washington, SpeeiaL Confronted with a deficit of $17,479,770, the pres ent administration' of the Postofflce Department began its opeartions. This wa sthe largest deficit in the history of the postal service. So leiig as the deficit in the department aggregated only a few millions of dollars annual ly, little attention was paid to it; but when, in the last few years it leaped to upward of $10,000,000 and finally, in 1909, exceeded $17,0OOJ00r "ordi nary business prudence suggested that the causes be definitely located. These are statements in the annual report of Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock, recently made public. The Postmaster-General said in part : "Recent investigations have shown that the two great sources of loss to the postal revenues are second-class mail matter and rural delivery. "The loss on second-class mail mat ter has been increasing for many years, until it now amounts to $ti4, 000,000. "The loss from rural delivery, a srevice begun hardly a dozen year ago and of unprecedented growth, reaches ns high as $28,000,000. "Simultaneously with the growing deficit in the postal service, the na tion 's income suffered last year a seri ous depletion incident to the financial depression Thus it happened that the department 's drafts on the Treas ury were heaviest at a time when the public funds were lowest. This has accentuated the importance of the postal deficit, making it conspicuous among the losses to, be met by the President 's plan of reducing expendi tures in all executive departments. "Since the opening pf the adminis tration the Poaimastor. Gencarl and his assistants have adopted Measures' in conformity with the President's policy of retrenchment, aud these measures are being put into effect." WINTER GRIPS NEW ENGLAND. Bitter Weather Ushered in With a Storm of Terrible Force. New York. Special. Tragedy and humor came on the wings of the heavy snow which covered New England, most of the middle Atlantic States and a fringe of the middle West and South. Sunday morning paper at at twilight, morning milk at supper time, night spent in street cars, in trains or stations contributed pictur esque and amusing .scenes to soften the general tone of such deaths as oc curred. Two peculiar tidal waves added bizarre features. At Boston water crept into the houses, left a man and wife and child dead in bed, then crept away. Cellars w:erp flooded in New York by a wavo of less gigantic proportions. ( At Philadelphia snow fell 16 inches here, which completely tied up steam and' trolley traffic for hours. Meets Sudden Death While at Bath. Redding, Conn., Special. Mark Twain's invalid daughter. Jean, met death tragically while at bath. She was his yougest daughter, endeared to him not. only by long companion ship but by her frail health caused by recurrent at tacks of epilepsy. Her death leaves Dr. Clemens without kin in this country to share hist sorrow. Jean ( 'lemens died probably of strang ulation did to an attack of .epilepsy, due to-'and attack of eplepsy, or from heart failure. The body was found in the bath tub with the head partly submerged. Death Saves Sheldon. Greenwich. Conn., Special. George Preston Sheldon, the deposed presi dent of the Phenix (Fire) Insurance Company of Brooklynunder indict ment for grafffl larceny in connection with financial irregularities in the jompany recently exposed by the State Insurance Depatrment of New York, died at his home here. Zelaya Flees to Corinto. Corinto, Nicaragua, By Cable. Jose Santas Zelaya, who relinquished the presidency of Nicaranga to Dr. Jose Madriz the same day his army met defeat by the revolutionist as at Rama lias fled the capital and is saM to he in Corinto, surrounded by his body guard and a few faithfml friends. Zelaya departed from Mana gua under cover of darkness escorted by fifty of his guard of honor, and a squad of artillerymen with a maxim gun. A later report says he is bound for Belgium, his wife's native land.