ALASKAN CLAIMS THROWN OUT. « w "* Cunningham Gnal Entries Are Disallowed. DENOUNCED AS FRAUDS Pinchot and Glavis Upheld by Decision of Secretary of Interior—End of Controversy. The famous Cunningham Alaskan clonl land claims, by means of which,, it has been alleged, the Morgan-Gug genheim syndicate had planned to extend their vast interests In Alaska and to control one of the most val uable coal fields In the world, were finally disallowed by the department of the interior. Secretary of the Interior Walter L. Fisher, having approved the depart ment's decision, as handed down by Fred Dennett, commissioner of the general land office, the last door is be lieved to have been closed to the Cun ningham claimants. Their attorneys have threatened an appeal to the United States supreme court, but such an appeal can be based only on some point of law involved, and not on the findings of fact as an nounced by the department. The Cunningham claims have been in the public eye constantly for more than two years. They brought about the nalllnger-Pinchot investigation by congress and the dismissal from the public service of Gifford Pinchot, aa chief forester; John R. Glavis, a chief of field division in the land office, and several minor officials. Doth Pinchot and Glavis were dis missed for insubordination Incident to their attacks on former Secretary of the Interior Baliinger, who, they charged, was favorably disposed to ward the claims. These claims and the bitter controversy they started, It is believed, had much to do with the re signation of Mr. Baliinger last March as secretary of the Interior. One of the first acts of his successor, Mr. Fisher, who is a friend of Pinchot and of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, was to start these claims toward a final de cision. Commissioner Dennett, in his de cision holding the claims for cancella tion on the ground of fraud, declares that each of the thirty-three entries was improperly allowed because of fa tal defects apparent on their face. He asserts that the government conclu sively established the charges brought against the claimants, and that there is no doubt but that an agreement existed among them in violation of law. The thirty-three claims involved amounted to an aggregate area of 5250 acres. The value of the land has been estimated high in the millions. The coal embraced in the claims Is said to be among the finest in the world. Commissioner Dennett makes fre quent reference to the work of Glavis in prosecuting the government's case against the Cunningham claimants He also refers at longth to the nego tiations between Cunningham and rep resentatives of the Guggenheims, who were shown at the Ralllnger-Plnchot hearing to have taken an option on these coal lands, which were to be worked In connection with the other extensive Guggenheim Interests In Alaska. The government charged against Cunningham and his associates that their entries of the coal lauds were made in pursuance of an understand ing and agreement entered Into by all the claimants prior to location, to combine the several claims for the joint use and benefit of all. It was fur ther asserted that the entries were made with the unlawful purpose that they should inure to the use and ben efit of an association or corporation. After reviewing all of the facts brought out, Mr. Dennett reached the conclusion that the claims had no legal standing and ordered them cancelled. Secretary Fisher promptly approved this finding. 1000 Turkish Troops Slain. Rebels in great force surprised and cut up a Turkish column commanded by Mahomed All Pasha outside Ghee san, a town on the Red sea, In Arabia, about 100 miles north of Hodeldah. A thousand Turkish soldiers were killed. Mahomed All himself is missing. The fighting was so desperate and at such close quarters that 500 Turk ish fugitives are suffering from serious dagger wounds. The survivors fled in disorder to Gheesan, pursued by the rebels. The Turkish gunboat Sutebbe, in tending to shell the Arabs, shelled Gheesan Instead, killing or wounding several hundred of the soldiers. The rebels captured four big guns, two Maxims, 2000 rifles and a quantity of ammunition and ultimately retired. Gheesan Is a seaport of the Turkish vilayet of Yemen, In southwestern Arabia. Yemen is a mountainous dis trict whose people are engaged chiefly in stock raising and who are almost continuously in revolt against Turkish authority. Find Skeleton at Gettysburg. While they were doing some work Bear the Gettysburg, Pa., battlefield, two men came upon the bones of a dead man, supposedly a soldier, near ■which were a lot of bullets, two Ver mont plates, a belt and a cartridge box. The skull was missing, but all lhv other bones were found. Mickey's Big ij : Firecracker :• TWO mnmmoth firecrackers stood In the window of Casey's gro cery. They were twelve Inches long and proportionately thick. For a month before the Fourth of July theso gigantic Indicators of en thusiasm had stood in the window like British soldiers on dress parade, while a predatory spider liung a filmy ham mock between them and calmly killed his buzzing victims over two powder mines. The firecrackers were the admira tion and the envy of all the boys in Cooney Island. It was seldom that a youthful nose was not flattened against the window pane In ardent covetous ness. But the price demanded by Casey for the thunderers was prohibitive, so far as the boys were concerned, and there was not one of them pa triotic or courageous enough to Invest 25 cents In a single ecstatic explosion- Bald Mickey Finn timidly one even ing when he had been sent by his mother to get a quarter of a pound of tea and bulf n pound of pork: "Mr. Casey, X suppose now that whin one o' tblm big fellows wlnt off It would blow the stars out of the skyV" his mind filled *7lth blissful thoughts of mighty explosions, Casey stopped measuring out a half pint of New Orleans molasses, raised a monitory finger and replied: "Mickey, my boy, I'd be afeerd to tell you what would happen If I stood wan o' thlm big fallows out on the sidewalk and touched the stem wid the lighted end of a five cent clga-ar. The noise would be terrible, my son. 'Twould make your hend ring like an anvil, and you would see sparks like fireflies." "Would it blow the house down?" asked the boy lu an awed whisper. "No, I don't think It would," snld Casey. "It might shake the chlmly down and break all the glass In the wlndys In small pieces, and there would be paper in the street as would fill an empty barrel o' flour. Oh, but thlm big fellows Is mighty powerful, Mickey; mighty powerful. They use them In China to kill murderers and robbers. They put wan of thlm big firecrackers bechune the teeth of a murderer and make him light the fuse wid his own hand and blow his own head off. Thim Chinese is mighty crool, Mickey; mighty crool." This vivid description Inflamed Mick ey's desire, which was Casey's, motive "I'lil. NIP IT OUT AFORE IT OOEB OFF." in telling it, for the incident occurred on the eve of the Fourth, and Casey was afraid that the big firecrackers would be carried over the national holiday and remain a loss on his hauds. In order to deepen the Impression al ready made upon the boy Casey per mitted him to handle one of the twins. The boy's eyes had widened to their utmost capacity when he was outside of the window, but now thnt he could feel the red Jacket his hands trembled with the eagerness of possession, and he would readily have given ten years of his life to own It. "Take It along wid you, Mickey," said Casey cajolingly. "Thlm crpckers were made In Chowchow, In China, for the Cooney Island trade, and 1 want to get rid of thlm I have on hand be fore I send another order to Wan Lung, the haythln." "But 1 have no money," said Mickey Borrowfully. "My father Is goin' to give me three bunches of little fire crackers and a plnwheel, but I know he wouldn't buy wan o' thlm big fire crackers for me." "Well," continued Casey, "you come ftrfwn here tomorrow mornln' and car ry Inn half ton of coal for me, and I'll give you the big cracker." The next morning Mickey was busy for two hours carrying chestnut coal in a nail keg and dumping It In Casey's cellar. Just after noon, with a smile covered with coal dust and a bosom full of chuckles, he received his prize. No grass grew beneath his bare feet is be ran homeward, the precious pow der mine clasped to his bosom. Hold ing the big firecracker aloft as he dart ed through the kitchen door, he ex claimed: "Mother, I have ltl Ain't it a beau ty?" "Well, I don't Bee anything about It (o be makln' a fuss over," said Mrs. Finn, who, like most mothers, had no love for fireworks. "Now, don't be bringin' It nearer to me," as Mickey ran toward her. "I don't want to be blown Into the middle ©' next weefe. Throw the dirty thing awayl I'm afreed o' me life while you have It In your hands I Now, don't be goln' near the stove wid ltl Arrah, ye little spal peen, will ye take It off the stove 7 Take It off afore ye blow the roof off the house!" And the frightened wom an ran Into the bedroom and peered through the keyhole. With the recklessness of boyhood Mickey exclaimed as he lit a match and reduced his mother to hysterics by pretending to light the firecracker Btem: "You needn't be afeered, mother. I'll nip It out aforo it goes off." In this simple fashion the afternoon of the Fourth passed away In the Finn household, varied by the boy with oc casional visits to the neighbors, whom he threw Into a panic of fear by pre tending to light the big explosive. Mrs. Murphy and her three children were gathered around the kitchen ta ble when Mickey placed the lighted mammoth In the middle of the table. Two of the boys went head first PLACED IT UNDER IIIS FATHER'S CHAIR. through the window, while Mrs. Mur phy tried to crawl under the kitchen Btove. All this excitement afforded the boy a good deal of delight, but lie reserved for tho evening the culmination of his Joy. He Intended to blow his father up as he sat In his chair on the back stoop. Mickey thought It would be ai\ in spiriting Bight to witness his father flying across the back yard and plow ing up the ground with his nose. In order that he might have an audience appropriate to so great nn occasion Mickey had spread the news among all the boys of the neighborhood, and at 0 o'clock fifty boys sat on tho fence surrounding tho back yard. Mr. Finn, tired of the excitement of the day, had fallen asleep In bis rocking chair on tho back stoop when Mickey lit the stem of the big cracker and placed It carefully under his father's chair. Tho moon shone brightly, illuminat ing tho grin on every boyish face. Ev ery ear was strained to catch the faint hissing of tho fuse and every eye in tent upon tho sleeping man. The fuse burned Itself out, and the ellence and suspense were deepened. A mluute passed and another until Mickey could stand tho strain no long er. Fie renched down nnd lifted the firecracker from beneath the chair. As he held it up in the moonlight to examine It a mosquito lit upon his father's nose, and the old gentleman awoke. Grabbing the firecracker from his son's hand, he arose and, holding It aloft, said; "Hoys, there will be no explosion to night I'm sorry to disappoint you. 1 was afeered that Mickey might do Bome harrum wid that big cracker, so whin he wasn't lookin' this afternoon I took the powder out of It and filled It wld clay. So you see that the show Is over, and ye may as well go home and goto bed. There'll bo no more explosions only what I'll give Mickey wid a shingle afore I turn in. Good night to ye all. Come around some other night whin there la somethlu' doluV'— Washington I'ost The Patriots. mHE burly cannon cracker to the slender little ling Said: "How are you to celebrate the day? Tou never make a single sound, yoti can not Jump nor shoot. And where they put you there you have to stay." The rockets, roman candles and the giddy, racy wheels With patrlotlo zeal began to brag Of how they'd leap and bang and tlzz and flare and whirl, and all United to deride the silent flag. » But when the day was done the crackers lay in scattered shreds, And bits of wheel were clinging to the trees. fhe rocket sticks were lying prone, but high above the scene The little flag ■till frolicked with th« ■— InonvmAua. GERMAN EMPEROR DECORATES MORGAN Delighted With Sift of Lulliar's i Autograph Letter. ! J. Pierpont Morgan presented Em peror William of Germany at Kiel with the autograph letter written by Martin Luther to the Emperor Charles V., and lor which 'lie Ameri can banker recently paid $25,500. His majesty was immensely please:l and forthwith conferred the grand cross of the Order of the Ked E:igle on Mr. Morgan. This is the second highest order of knighthood in the gift of the German crown. The letter, which is in Latin, is of groat historical importance. It was written in 1521 during the reformer's return journey from the Diet of Worms and described the proceedings and defended his attitude. The letter never reached the emperor, as its con tents were such that no one dared deliver it. A Florence dealer, representing Mr. Morgan, obtained the epistle nt an au tograph sale at Leipzig, May 3. As soon as it became known that the document was togo to America the annoyannre of the German public was expressed in many newspaper edi torials. GENERAL MARKETS PHILADELPHIA FLOUR dull; winter clear, 40tfj3.80; city nulls, fancy, $5.25 Di 5.80. IfYE FLOUIt steady; per barrel, s•"> © 5.25. WHEAT steady: No. 2 roil, 8!)?/90c. CORN firm; No. 2 yellow, file. OATS firm; No. 2 white, 4S@48 t / ic.; ower grades, •IdT.fcc. POt'LTKY: Live steady; hens, ID/a (fj'ir.c,; old "roosters, lie. Dressed steady; choice fowls, 15c.; old roost el s, 10c. P.UTTER firm; extra creamery. 25Vic. per lb. EGGS steady; selected, 21 fiT 23c.; iieaiby, IK<-.; western, INC. POTATOES steady: old, per bushel, $Hf(1.I0; new, f2.2'.Cc 1.50 per barrel. Live Stock Markets. PITTSPURG (Union Stock Yards) CATTLE higher; choke, sfi.4 >(f/H.fiO; prime, ss.9(iif/ fi.lo, SIIEEI' higher; prime wethers, $3.80 <st 4 : culls and common, $I 112 /1!: spring lambs, $4(T®7: veal calves. sßf>/'5.25. HOGS higher; prime heavies, t>s; mediums, heavy and light Yorkers, Jfi SO.ff 6.85, pigs. $fi.70®.'(5.80. YOU WILL? rff=% and when you will, you cannot find better Clothing values than we offer at our reg tilar prices—Here is your chance to save pJjfM from 25 to 50 per cent off our regular Wl§ lM ver V ' ow P r ' ces - y° u want to dress in llMiff better clothes than ordinary, without pay- ImM m S as usua Hy i&ked for the common l|f|^ kind, you want to attend this sale. Our Wt3| TO 101l g° ods are su P er ' or 10 anything in town. ISIA If This big sale starts M \ \ IST XT D JUINC Z/, IVI 1 and will last for ten days. Buy early. Save 25 Per Cent Now on Ladies', Misses' & Children's apparel. Ladies' Skirts reduced to half price. Shoes re duced 50 cents on the dollar; will compare with the best. OUR GOODS ARE NOT THE AUCTION SALE VARIETY. Come at once to Max Mamolen's Powder Trust Must Dissolve. Judges Gray, of Wilmington; Buf fington, of Pittsburg, Pa., and Lan ding, of Trenton, N. J., filed an opin ion in the United States circuit cour 112 in Wilmington, Del., declaring that the Dupont Powder company and twenty-seven other companies and ln : divlduals are guilty of "maintaining a combination in rest raint of interstate ! commerce in powder and other emplo j sives," and ordered that it be dis ! solved. I The bills against United States Sen ator Henry A. Dupont and fourteen other defendants were dismissed. This is the celebrated suit of the govern ment against the powder trust for al leged violation of the Sherman anti trust act. The court has fixed Oct. 1G as the date for hearing arguments as to how the combination shall be dissolved. In his decision Judge Lannlng de cides that a number of companies forming the combination have com mitted certain acts which make it il legal and in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law. The decision, follow ins eiosely upon those of the supreme court in the to bacco and Standard Oil cases, is re garded as a great victory for the gov ernment. The trial of the powder caso, ! begun in Wilmington in 1907, attracted widespread attention. Hearings before United States commissioners were held in half a dozen cities and a great mass of testimony was taken. * Found Dead In Cistern. Peter Larson, a retired and wealthy farmer, was found dead in a cistern it. I Ihe rear of his home, near Fowler, | Intl., and Mrs. Larson is under arrest pending an examination. The top of Larson's head had beer. [ chopped off with an axe, there were , several cuts and gashes on the skull and it was crushed in other places. , The testimony taken by the coroner is 1 conflicting, but appearances indicate that I.arson was injured In the stable j and either was dragged or dragged himself to the cistern. Larson and his wife had been quar reling all night. In the morning Mrs. Larson went to a neighbor and said her husband had left the house and she didn't know where to find him. ' The neighbor went to the Larson house, and in the barn found a pool of blood and a bloody axe lying on the ground. The stalls and walls of the ! barn were spattered with blood. Poisonous Berries Kill Boy. Theodore Lucas, five years old, died in great agony from poisonous berries enten while uicnlel.ing in the woods near Hornell* N. J. CHEAP CANDY KILLS GIRL Oied of Ptomaine Poisoning a Few Hours After Eating It. As the result of ptomaine poisoning, which developed a few hours after she had eaten candy, Mary Evans, one and n half years old, died in the Crozier hospital, in Chester, Pa. She and her sister, Ida Evans, two And a half years old, were admitted to :he institution together. The latter is recovering. The girls bought ten cents' worth of cheap candy. They were seized with violent comitir.g spells during the night. Dr. Robert S. Maison, who was summoned, says: "Of course, it Is not always possi ble in these cases to ascertain the truth, but this looks very suspicious, and I believe It Is a case for investi gation. The coloring matter shows every indication that it caused the ptomaine poisoning." FIERCE RACE RIOT Four Fatally Hurt In Fight In West Virginia. Four Italians were fatally wounded and four other men wore hurt in a race riot between Americans and Ital ians at a point between Weaver and Junior, W. Va. The trouble hns been in progress between the two factions for some f!ays. An argument was started and this was the direct cause of the riot. The sheriff and a force of ninety men are on the scene, where they intend to remain until the trouble is at an end. Attacked by a Snake. Attacked by a large serpent while Ashing in a lake on the Zurnovian farm, a rifle shot saved B. M. Smith, of I.ansdale, Pa., from serious injury. Mr. Smith was quietly moving about the shore, when suddenly the serpent sprang from a clump of bushes and witli open mouth dashed toward him. Recognizing the snake to be of a dan gerous species, Mr. Smith ran for his rifle. He had only time to turn and tako aim, for the maddened reptilo was following him to closely thnt it appeared to be making ready to spring upon him, when a well directed bullet pierced its head. Mr. Smith found that it was a water moccasin, a very poisonous serpent, belonging to the species of the reptile family which inhabit the extreme southern part of the United States and is rarely found in this section. Tho snake measured over four feet in length and four inches across tho broadest part ol' its back.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers