IEATH PENALTY FOR JAMES E. WILCOX Dafty of Murder In tbe First Degree is the Jary'g Verdict. frne trisoners lawyer weeps Hit Fitter, Too, If Deeply Affected -Tie Local Opinion Considers the Punishment Jnt Judge Oeorge A. Jones Sentenced tUm to Be Hasted on Friday, April 28 Ap peal to Be Tikes to Slit Supreme Court Elizabeth City, N. C, (Special). James E. Wilcox, charged with the mur kier of Ella Maude Cropsey, was con victed of murder in the first degree by tle jury. Judge George A. Jones sentenced him to be hanged by the neck on Friday, April 28, between the hours of 10 and 3 o'clock. The jury filed into the courtroom as the town clock tolled out the hour of 10 P. M. G. F. Derrickson was made sookesman. Henry Jennings, clerk, commanded Wilcox to stand, raise his rieht hand and face the jury. ""Gentlemen." said the clerk, in the usual form, "have you agreed upon your verdict ? "We have," was the reply of the spokesman. "What sav you guilty or not guilty?" "Guilty." " "In what degree ?" "First." 'So say vou all?' "We do.'' This fell like a death knell upon the cars of the prisoner. But he never moved a muscle. A deathly pallor overspread his face, yet no emotion was apparent. In delivering his sentence the Judge (aid the duty had to be performed. "No one save yourself," he continued, addressing Wilcox, "knows whether or not jrou committed the deed. I would not say anything to wound your feel ings; no, nor the feelings of your father, nor the feelings of the Cropsey family. I hope the jury in coming to a verdict was not influenced by public opinion. The sentence of the Court is that James E. Wilcox be hanged by the neck until he is dead." The Judge went on. referring to the scene that occurred in the courtroom when Lawyer Aydlett was making the last plea for Wilcox's life and when part of the crowd deliberately left. He fcad been informed that it was prear ranged, but he hoped this was not true. If he knew it was lie woujd jail every man, woman and child for contempt who took part in it. He paid the people of Pasquotank county a high compliment on their general good behavior. Ex-Sheriff Wilcox, the father of the prisoner, sat with'Lawyer Aydlett near him. They were hoth" affected deeply, lawyer Aydlett wept while the sentence was being passed. There is general sympathy for the Wilcox family, but the verdict is consid ered by most of the people here as just. Wilcox's lawyers will appeal to the State Supreme Court. A MONOPOLY OP THE AIR. Orraaay Fears England Will Get .It for Marconi Messages. Berlin. (By Cable). Professor Slaby. who, with Count Arco, invented the Slaby-Arco system of wireless teleg raphy, is advocating international agree tnent to regulate the wireless transmis sion of messages on the ground that otherwise the greatest good cannot be obtained from such telegraphy. He says that with his backing of Brit ish capital Marconi may obtain a mo nopoly for aerial transmission, as has already been done in the case of ocean telegraphy. In this connection Professor Slaby mentions the refusal of the Mar coni station at Nantucket to receive wire Jess dispatches from the Hamburg American steamer iJeutschland. Professor Slaby says he has the tikhest personal regard for Mr. Mar com, whose system of wireless teleg raphy he believes to equal his own. COSSACKS SENT TO ORIENT. Vaulaas Preparing to Meet tbe Anglo Jipanese Move. St. Petersburg, ( By Cable). In con nection witii the eastward movement of Russian troops it is announced that the Erst section of Cossacks i already in the Far East and that the second section has been mobilized. The movement has been extensive recently. On the subject of the Franco-Russian declaration the Novoyi Vrema says: "The Franco-Russian alliance was compelled to restore the balance of power in the Pacific, which was distrib uted by the Anglo-Japanese agreement. The policy of a free hand expressed in the declaration is, in accordance with Russia's interests." BQERS ARE WELL SUPPLIED. Barghers of Western Transvaal Art Fall of Fight. London, (By Cable). A dNpatch to the Times from Kierksdorp, Transvaal Colony, says that the Boors in the West ern Transvaal are well supplied with runs and ammunition and have unlim ited support and a large amount of atock, that their numbers give them con fidence, while the blockhouse system has not yet been extended enough to alarm them. What is possible has been done, con tinues the correspondent, but owing to the insufficiency of troops, the British columns have been too small to cope adequately with the Boer forces, which are all composed of fighting men with out any intention of surrendering. Prince Henry's Thanks. Berlin, (By Cable). Admiral Prince Henry of Prussia has sent a telegram to Secretary John R. Jackson, as charge d'affai res here, in the absence of Andrew W. White, the American ambassador, ia which the Prince says: "I pray you to accept for yourself and the members of the American embassy my very best trunks for my welcome on my return from the United States. I shall never forget the cordial and splendid hospi tality I met with in your country or the kindness shown me by the American neople." Art Show of All Nations. Vi.Mina (By Cable). Emperor Fran cii Joseph opened the International Fine Arts Exhibition. Prominent among the exhibitors is the Paris Society of Anier iran Painters, including the works of Hitchcock, Stewart. Weeks, Bndgmann, JIcLwcn and Humphreys. The Vienna critics highly compliment the Ameri cans' exhibition and especially refer to the work of Messrs. Hitchcock and Stewart. The Emperor praised the American works and asked to see Mr. ilitclK-ock, who arranged the exhibit. He expressed regret at hearing that the nit had gone to Paris, ' THE NEWS BRIEFLY 10LO. Domestic A person known as William C. How ard, who died at Canandaigua, N. Y., proves to have been a woman. The convention of anthracite mine workers at Shamokin. Pa., favors a strike, but again deferred a final deci sion. A subprena server offended J. V. Mor gan by getting into his house by a ruc and .summoning him to testify in a rail road suit. Outlaws attacked the town of Lyt ton Springs, Texas, but a posse of resi dents surrounded them in an intrenched position a few miles distant. Padcrewski's special car had to be turned around on a drawbridge at Dav enport. Iowa, because he would not sleep with his feet toward the engine. A switch engine in Indiana, after a mad race, caught a freight train and prevented a collision on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern. Trial of Major Waller and Lieuten ant Day, of the Marine Corps, on the charge of executing Filipinos without trial, was begun Jiy court-martial at Ma nila, the court having decided that it had jurisdiction. MV. Cleveland, when shown a dispatch stating that W. J. Bryan, in the Com moner, denounces hint as a "traitor and ingrate," said he was not at all troubled about it. The barge Hamilton, from Newport News, is believed to have gone down with Capt. John A. Shoemaker and his crew of four men. On the first ballot, the jury acquitted Stewart Fife, who had been on trial in Savannah, Ga., for the murder of Frank W. Richardson. Belated stormbound passengers from Montana arrived at St. Paul, Minn., after having endured great hardships during the blizzard. Stanislas La Croix, who murdered his wife and an old man who tried to protect her. was hanged in Hull, Quebec. Harry J. Anderson, a postoffice robber and cracksman, who is wanted in a dozen cities, was arrested in Pittsburg. Rev. Dr. Granville Souther, pastor of the Methodist Church in McPherson, Kan., was served with papers notifying him to defend himself at the conference on charges of heresy. The .sentiment at the convention of the miners of Virginia and West Virginia held at Huntington seemed in favor of a strike unless the operators make conces sions. Rosenberg, .who served under1 both flags in the South African war, was sent to jail in Richmond. Va., for 15 days for stealing a pair of shoes. Filipinos nay that the concentration camps in Batangas Province are very carefully maintained and the reconccn trados well cared for. Conrad Krcmer, an eccentric and wealthy resident of Winchester, Va., died at the residence of his son, near Lebanon Church. Suits were instituted against six com panies in Chicago, accusing them of vio lating the Interstate Commerce Law. Ex-Justice Noah DnvU at th Tweed and other celebrated trials 11 new 1 or, aica ot old age. Mrs. Annie Lukas drowned herself and her child in the Passaic river, near PaV saic, N. J. Foreign. Emnernr Wtlli.im hna n new- navai yacnt Alice Koosevelt. Ihe trench Budget for this year amounts to $720,000,000. A Carlist rising is again feared in Spain. Emperor Francis Joseph opened an in ternational art exhibition in Vienna. Colonel Grimm, the Russian officer who was arrested at Warsaw, confesses high treason. Chinese rebels captured the town of Kan-Chow, in the province of Kwang Tung. The Edinburgh Association of Retail tobacconists declines to sign the Im perial 'I obacco Company's agreement not to seil American goods for a term of years. The Belfast dealers decided to accept the American proposition. Lon don tobacconists also refused to sign the Imperial Tobacco Company's agreement. I here was a strange performance in the French Chamber of Deputies. After the adoption of amnesties to various of fenders, the deputies, by a new vote, annulled their previous action. Prince Henry has expressed his thanks to the members of the American Em bassy in Berlin for their welcome to him on his return from the United States. Lord Francis Hope secured a divorce in London 011 the ground of the mis conduct of bis wife, May Yohe, the act ress, with Capt. Putnam B. Strong. The Allan Line steamer Huro:ii;,n. from Glasgow for St. John's, a month overdue, is believed to have foundered and all 011 board lost. M. Delcasse, foreign minister, denied in the French Senate that a proposition for a Franco-German understanding had been made to htm. Senator Gntteron contended that M. Delcasse, in his re cent visit to St. Petersburg, gave Great Britain an intuition that France was supporting Russia on the Manchurian question, which caused Great Britain to conclude an alliance with Japan. John Dillon, Irish nationalist, was sus pended in the British House of Com mons for calling the colonial secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, ('a d d liar." T lie civil tribunal in Paris, on applica tion of the Panama Canal Company, ap proved the eventual cession of the canal property to the United States. Germany, it is stated, would not have joined in the Franco-Russian declaration as to Eastern Asia even had she been asked to do so. The steamer Elbe arrived at South ampton from the Azores with the passen gers of the disabled Cunarder Ftrnria. Charges were filed in Pekin against Minister W11 and his brother-in-law, Consul-Genera! Ho Tow, in San Fran cisco. ' The political situation in Hayti is be coming critical. The authorities continue to arrest the agitators. Financial. General Chemical Company has de clared !,' per cent, regular quarterly dividend on preferred stock, payable April 1. The International Coal Company has been incorporated with a capital of $1,000,000 to do a general coal mining business in Ohio. The Texas Cotton Products Company has been organized at Albany with a cap ital of $1,000,000. The objact of the com pany is to grow and clean cotton, manu facture and refine cottonseed oil, make son;i, cic. The American Locomotive Company has declared a regular quarterly divi dend of 1)4 per rent, on the preferred stock, payable April 21. The Allis Chalmers Company have no tified employes that wages will be in creased 5 per cent., beginning April !, and working hours per week reduced to fifty-five. Jt is reported that the L'niled States Steel Corporation is making renewed enorts to assimilate the American Iron and Steel Company. The latter company as at present constituted was organized two years ago, with a capital of $20,000, 000. It has five p'ants tliree at Lebanon and two in Reading. MANILA HAS NEW CASES OF CHOLERA Rigid Precautions Believed (0 Have Averted an Epidemic. SENDINQ COLONISTS TO MANILA Men of the Third Infantry Hurried Aboard Tntsport to Escape Running Ihe Risk of the Pest Tbe Ship to Sill for Sin Frinclsca a Week Ahead of Time Signal Corps Men Attacked by Moros. Manila, (By Cable). There have been four more cases of cholera here, and two more deaths from the plague are reported. The health authorities "be lieve that their rigid precautions have averted an epidemic. As General Chaffee did not want the men of the Third Infantry to run the risk of cholera, as a result of contact with the city, that regiment has already been taken aboard the United States transport Grant, which will sail for San Francisco one week ahead of her sched ule time. Five cases of cholera have been re ported from the provinces. Gen. George V. Davis, stationed at Zamboanga. Island of Mindanoa, reports that a detachment of the signal corps, consisting of 17 men. has besn attacked by 200 Moros near Paran-Pann, Min danao. One of the signal corps men was killed. The Moros captured the trans portation of the detachment, including four pack-mules. San Francisco. ( Special). Efforts are being made by a number of local capi talists to take advantage of the low rail road rates from the East to send a num ber of colonists to Manila. The project ors of the enterprise hope to get up rusri to the islands that will equal, if not eclipse, the rush to the Northern gold fields. As soon as the legislation relating to the islands now pending before Con gress shall be finally passed a wholesale descent will be made upon the islands. It is the expectation of the nromoters that the land laws of the United States will be applied to the islands, and that thousands of acres now idle will be filled with American farmers and miers. PEOPLE LIVINQ ON ACORNS. Many Hive No Food is the Result ot Ar kansas Famine. Kansas City, Mo., (Special). In an effort to relieve the condition af set tlers in the drouth-stricken section of Northern Arkansas, the Live Stock Ex change is raising contributions to buy provisions for the sufferers A deplorable story of want and des titution was brought from Arkansas by A. L. Doss, of Sharp, one of the five counties in which the suffering is most intense. He says : "Since last April there has' not been a good rain in our section. What little vegetation the sun did not dry up was nipped by the fall frosts. Even peas, Kaffir corn and turnips were a failure. "The people have no source of income. They have had neither food nor water for their stock, and finally, when re duced to the extremity where they had no food for themselves, were forced to sell their cattle, horses and mules. Their present condition can hardly be de scribed. Many families have subsisted for days on acorns alone." VENEZUELAN REVOLT SPREADS. Castro Pressing Into His Service Every Available Mao. Willemstad, Curacao (By Cable). During the past five days the revolution in Venezuela has broken out almost everywhere. The Government cannot control the country east of Cumana. Barcelona is still besieged by the revo lutionists and Carupano is partially in their power. President Castro has sent First Vice President Gomez, with 1,500 men, against the revolutionists under General Riera, who is in the vicinity of Capa dare, in the State of Falcon. Second-Vice-President Ayala, who had pre viously been sent against Riera, returned to Caracas without defeating the revo lutionary general. It is believed that if the revolutionists win one important battle all Venezuela will rise against the government of President Castro. Castro is recruiting day and night. Every man and boy pro curable is being pressed into the service. yaamite Blew Up la Burning House. Houghton, Mich. (Special.) A terri ble explosion of dynamite occurred near Oskar, eight miles north of Houghton, resulting in the death of two men and serious injury to another. The scene of the explosion was in the house of John Boullard. The building caught fire while the family was at church, and when the heat became intense two boxos of dyna mite, which were stored away for blow ing up stumps, exploded. Jenkala and Kalianen were killed, being struck by Hying timbers. They were neighbors o'f the Boullards and met death while fight ing the flames. Pbyslciaa Killed by a FalL Pittsburg, Pa., (Special) The dead body of Dr. Harry Whitcsell, a rising young physician of Sewicklcy, was found resting on a ledge of rocks along the Ohio river bank, near his home. At first it was thought he had been murder ed, but investigation by the coroner showed that he was killed by a fall. His family say he was called to see a patient at 6 o'clock, and it is euposed that in walking along the high bank at 'that point he slipped and fell to the rocks be low. Florcoce Bnras Free. New York (Special). After six weeks in prison, the center of interest in a sensational hearing in a crowded court, the agony of being picked to pieces, and having even her emotions dissected by those who feed on criminal cases. Florence Bums was set free. The pretty young Brooklyn girl who was charged with the murder of Walter Brooks, who was found dying in the Glen Island Hotel the night of St. Val entine's day. was discharged from cus tody by Justice Mayer. Link for Philippine Cable. The Hague (By Cable). The Gov ernment of the Netherlands has submit ted to the States General an agreement with Germany providing for a joint sub sidy for cables extending to the Dutch colonies in the far East. It is proposed o connect the islands of Menado and Celebes, in the East Indies, with the American Philippine cable, which will he connected with Shanghai. The im portance of the agreement lies in Ihe tact that communication will thus be established with Europ.; via America by rabies belonging to different nationalities. NATIONAL CAPITAL AFFAIRS. Making Malted Money Safe. The bill recently introduced in the Senate by Mr. McMillan, of Michigan, to prevent robbing the mails, provides a safer and easier method of sending money by mail and to increase the pos tal revenues, has been introduced in tbe House by Mr. Gardner, of Michigan. The bill is indorsed by the American Newspaper Publishers' Association. It nrovides that all naoer moncv here after issued by the United Slates of the denomination of $t, $2 and $5, except national bank notes, shall be of the form Known as the post cnecK ana snail De convertible by the holder thereof into a check to a named payee. These post checks will be exchangeable at any United States money order postoffice for vurreiu uinas, ancr wmcn me posi- mncUr ...ill .......... 1 I,a.h .. .. .1 fn.,.,..! --...-. win vuniii infill biiu ivinmu them to a repository designated by the Postmaster-General and shall receive credit therefor. This paper currency win nave appropriate blank spaces in which the holder may write his name and postoffice address of a payee, and wherein the payee may give receipt. Protest From Uompers. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation nf I nhnr lm nt to the Senate a protest against the "Conspiracy," or Anti-Injunction, bill, as renortcd tn tin. n,i h f nm. mittcc on the judiciary. 11c says mat when the bill was first reported February 3 "it was received bV all nartica tn inlnrct no n ...a.......-,. calculated to rioht (lured. 'I his feeling, however, was rude ly changed, he says, by the latest report. He quoted the opinion of an attorney to the effect that the hill as now re ported "is completely subversive of all principles of liberty,' and added: "Or ganized labor seeks no immunity from the law applicable to all other citizens and people of ottr country, but must in sist that those things which are legal when performed by other citizens ought not to be illegal when performed by members of organized labor, and it was to recover those rights to the members of organized labor that the original bill urauea. . He concluded by saying that the labor itrterests would prefer the defeat of the bill as amended to its passage. He asks, however, that the original bill be fa vorably acted upon. More Room tor President. , President Roosevelt and Reprcscuta ive Mercer of Nebraska, chairman of the House Committee on Public Build ings and Grounds, discussed the enlarge me"t J facilities for transacting the W hite House business. Heretofore there have been plans for remodeling and enlarging the White House in order to meet present require ments. It appears, however, that Presi dent Roosevelt is opposed to changing in any materia"! way the arrangement of this historic structure. Under these circum stances enlarged facilities would have to be provided elsewhere. At one time there was a suggestion of a presidential residence outside of the White House, which would be devoted to official busi ness. But the tendency now is in favor of making the White House a residen tial establishment for the President, lo cating the official quarters elsewhere. Senator Fairbanks has proposed that the new Department of Justice have a branch for the executive business. It is under stood also that Attorney-General Knox has a plan for increasing the executive facilities. Many Farmers Keep Bees. The Census Bureau issued a comnlete report showing that for the country as a whole on June I, 1000, there were 707, 261 farms keeping bees, or substantially one for every eight farms in the nation. These farms reported 4,109,626 swarms or colonies, valued at $10,186,513, averag ing a little less than six swarms to each farm reporting. The twelfth census is the first to report the number and value of bees or the number of farms reporting them. During the year i8'X there were pro duced 61,196,160 pounds of honey and J .6S.31.S pounds of wax, of an aggregate value of $6,664,004. Of the States reporting honey Texas reports the largest quantity, 4.780,204 pounds. I,2M,8I9,I86 Dozens of Eggs. The agricultural division of the cen sus bureau has completed its tabulation of poultry and eggs on farms and ranges by States and Territories. Of the 5,739.657 farms in the United States, 5,096,252 reported poultry. The total number of fowls three months old and over reported were as follows: Chickens, including guinea fowls, 233, 508,085; turkeys, 6.509,367; geese. 5,676, 863; ducks, 4,807.358. The numbers of nearly all these classes of poultry are smaller as reported in 1900 than in 1890, owing to the fact that in 1890 they re ported all fowls of whatever age, while in 1900 only those three months old and over were reported. The eirgs produced in 1899, as re ported, were 1,293,810.186 dozens. This is materially larger than ten years be fore, when the eggs reported numbered 819.722.916 dozens. An increase in the number of eggs produced rather than an increase in the number of different kinds of fowls marks- the progress of this iirancn ot tne industry. Foreign Sugar Convention. The State Department has received from United States Minister Townscnd at Brussels a translation of the full text of the sugar convention entered into by the governments of Germany, Austria Hungary. Belgium, Spain. France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Swe den. The government of Great Britain is given the right to adhere to the conven tion in the name of her colonies. The date for the ratification of the conven tion is set for February 1, 1903, and it is understood that the convention shall be in force after September 1, 1903. The convention applies to cane as well as to beet sugar. Capital News la (ieoeril. The House Committee on Naval Af fairs, by a vote of 7 to 4, adopted a res olution concurring in the conclusions of President Roosevelt as to terminating the agitation of the Schlay controversy, indefinitely postponing all bills and res olutions on the subject. The United States Senate pussed tH bill to repeal the war taxes and the bil, for the protection of the President of the United States. President Roosevelt nominated Ne vada N. Strahan for collector of the port at New York. A hearing was given by the House Military Committee on the bill to pay to the widow and ctiildren of Gen. Fitz hugh Porter his pay during his enforced retirement. It was reported that whatever view the Senate may take of the reflections on the administration made in General Miles' discussion of the new army bill, the President will at an early date place the General on the retired list. Chairman Payne, of the ways and means committee, presented tbe Cuban reciprocity bill to the House. The "op position" at a conference discussed the advisability of fighting the plan on the door cf the House. FAST TRAIN RUNS INTO LANDSLIDE Disaster on the Southern Railway, Near Charlottesville, Va. PORTER AND ONE MAN KILLED Thirteen Men, the Majority of Whom Were Postal Clerks, Wert Injured The Passea gers In the Pullman Csrs Were Asleep, and Luckily Escaped Without Serious Injury The Wrecked Cart Ceujht Fire. Charlottesville, Va., (Special). The "Washington and Southwestern Vesti buled Limited" train, due here at 3.37 A. M., was wrecked by a landslide in Cole man's Cut, 15 miles south of Charlottes ville. The train is one of the finest on the Southern Railway and runs straight through between New Orleans and New York. It consisted of six Pullman sleep ing cars, one baggage and two mail cars, all of which were destroyed by wrecking and burning, except two sleepers. 1 he engine also was wrecked. There were on the train, in addition to the officers, crew and the postal em ployes, about l$o passengers, not one of whom was seriously hurt, as far as is known. The railroad authorities believe that they have knowledge of all those who suffered in the wreck. It is said the train was running fast to make up lost time, it being 40 minutes late. The deposit on the track made by the landslide was small, amounting to probably two tons of earth, and in all likelihood would not have derailed the engine if it had not been at a sharp curve. The engine turned crosswise on the track and the two postal cars and baggage car were driven over it. In these three cars and the engine, all of which were wrecked, occurred the in juries. The heap of wreckage took fire nt once, the flames spreading to the sleep ers. Two sleeping cars were pulled out of danger by a wrecking engine. Wrecking trains from Charlottesville and Monroe went to the scene of the nr. cident and the road was cleared. A train was made up here and sent to the vreck for the passengers. Ihe injured went on to Washington, except John W. Tur ner, the colored fireman, who was taken to the University of Virginia Hospital, and Postal Clerk A. L. Holton, who was left at his home at Culpeper. The dead were brought here. The loss of mail was one of the heav iest that has ever occurred in the South. Only about a dozen letters were saved from the fire. KILLED AT A SPELLINO MATCH. Young Man Sbot His Rival and the School Teacher. Vienna, III., (Special). At a spelling match given at the schnolhousc at Dou ble Bridges, this county, n desperate shooting affray occurred. Frank Rushing and John Adams, two I young men of the neighborhood, had been paying their respects to the same young woman. She had told Adams that she would have no more to do with him. This so enraccd him that he is said to have sworn vin.m on liic rival. At the close of the exercises, as Rush ing came out of the schoolhouse door. young Adams walked up behind him and without a word of warning shot Rushing ,n the back. Rushing fell off j ..... ii...n, ,uiu noanis snot mm twice after he had fallen, inflicting fatal wounds. Adams then shot Greeley Jones, the teacher of the district, inflicting a slight wound in the shoulder. Veteran Pnbllshcr Dead. Philadelphia, Pa. (Special.) Charles G. Sower, president of the Christopher Sower Company, publishers of school books, died here of angina pectoris, aged 81 years. Mr. Sower was a member of a famous family of publishers, the first of whom, Christopher Sower, has the fame of having issued the first Bible to be published in America in the German language. The publishing house is the oldest in its line in America, having been established in 1783. At Oil Steamer Buried at Sea. Charleston, S. C. (Special.) The steamer reported ablaze by the crew of the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station, in North Carolina, was identified as the oil steamer Major Barrett, bound from Sabine Pass, Texas, to New York though her home port was Philadelphia. It is believed some passing vessel res cued the crew of the fire-stricken ship, though no definite information to this effect has been received here. Committed Suicide by Fire. Little Rock, Ark. (Special.) A spe cial to the Gazette from Rogers, Ark., says: airs. B. F. Dyer, wife of one of the oldest and most prominent business men of Rogers, was fatally burned. Mrs. Dyer saturated her clothes with kero sene and then set fire to them. A daughter of the woman and a young girl were in the house, but were unable to restrain the woman, who had been men tally deraugjtd for some years. Getting Ahead of SI. I.cuif. Chicago, (Special) A challenge for an airship race in Chicago to be held as a preliminary event to the $200,000 aer ial steeplechases at the St. Lent is world's fair of 1003, was sent to M. Santos-l)u-moi't. at Paris, by Thcophilus Williams, of Chicago. Rules and regulations simi lar to those that arc to.be in vogue at the St. Louis fair grounds will govern the contest. Several successful tests of the Chicagoan's machine are said to have been made. Five Cremated Themselves. Kosciusko, Miss. (Special.) Five county convicts in an attempt to burn their way out of prison burned the stock ade hone in which they were confined and cremated themselves. Those burned to death are Robert Burt, Philip Newell, '. ames Culberson, Amos Ralford and James Jones, till negroes. The prisoners were leased to Robert Campbell, county, contractor, whose farm is situated 16 miles west of this place. All of them were charged with minor offenses. ' Long Journey oa Skates. ' Menominee. Mich., (Special). Two Menominee fishermen who were ma rooned on Chambers Island have arrived home, making the trip a distance of nearly 100 miles on skates aro'.md the southern part of the bay on ice, which still clings to the shore. They s,ay there are still 15 more men on the island, who took refuge there when the ioo went out. J. If, Mauley Declines. Washington. (Special). Joseph H. Manley, member of the Republican Con gressional Committee from Maine, has declined the Presidents offer of the First Assistant Postmasier-GeneraLliip. PANAMA CANAL TITLE Senator Morgan't Report Attacks the French CompanyCharges of Fraud. Washington, D. C, (Special). Sena tor Morgan, from the Committee on Isthmian Canals, presented to the Senate the majority and minority reports of that committee on the question of the validity of the title of the new Panama Canal Company and its right to transfer the Panama Canal property to the United States for $40,000,000. The objections of the majority to the title held by that company are based largely on the relations of the canal company to the Governments of France and Colombia, but the committee also discusses at length many other phases of the question. Among these is the rela tion of the shareholders, who subscribed $260,000,000 to the old Panama Com pany, whose interests, the report holds, ciinnot be lightly regarded. On this point the report says : "The spectacle of the United States Congress authorizing the President, as the agent of our government, to conduct a trade with such n corporation (the new Panama Company) without consult ing r ranee as to the claim of independ ence, the Panama Company asserts will be entirely new in the history of nations, and its consequences cannot be lightly disregarded. "Among these is the serious danger of the United States being drawn into disagreeable relations with a large and influential body of the worthy people of France, whose friendship for us has been cherished during the entire life of our republic. Unfortunately the report of the Isthmian Canal Commission reveals the fact that the men who make us this offer are chief among those who defraud ed these 600,000 or 800,000 Frenchmen of $250,000,000." Speaking further of the obligations of say "CW compan' t0 ,he old. tIle majority "If Mr. Eifell and his associates get $40,000,000 from the American people, it is well that they are sheltered from the claims of these defrauded and despoiled bondholders and stockholders by the al leged despotism of French courts. They would never escape justice in American courts and would be compelled to ac count for every dollar of the money to the bondholders and to the stocks bear ing interest before applying anv of it to the propfits of their speculation." The minority report, which was pre pared by Senator Kittredge, upholds the title of the new Panama Company, as will be seen from the following ex'tract from the opening paragraph : The title of the new Panama Com pany to its concessions and other prop erty appears from the facts and docu ments which have been laid before the sub-committee, and is clear and free from any complications. For a transfer of its concessions to the United States the consent of Colombia is requisite, but this consent has been given by the gov ernment of that country as fully as it can be now given." Killed Her Husband. Washington, Ind. (Special.) During quarrel at the supper table, Liberty Kcmpf, a well-known business man, -vihjkcu 111s wnc. ine woman manaeed to get a revolver and fired five shots at her husband, one bullet penetrating the brain. He died in a few minutes. The wife told her story to the police, and has not yet been arrested. Package Containing $1,009 Lost. Charleston, W. Va. (Special.) While crossing the Kanawha river, near Mont gomery, John More, paymaster of the Kanawha' Kanawha Gas Coal Company, 011 Snuthcrs' Creek, dronned a nurk:i containing about $1,000, which he had obtained from the Montgomery Bank and was to be used for paying the men at the mines. farmers on Strike In Italy. London, (By Cable). A dispatch from Rome to the Central News say the strike of agriculturists is spreading throughout Italy, and that 150,000 farm laborers are now out in the provinces of Ferrcra, Bologna and Vicenza, wlifc in 16 other provinces the laborers are reported to be organizing. Thus far no violence has been reported. Kaiser Names Vacbt Alice Roosevelt. Rerlin, (By Cable). Emperor Wil liam has named a yacht Alice Roosevelt. The yacht was built for a torpedo boat, and why she was transformed into yacht is not explained, but it is supposed this was on account of the rather too delicate framework, considering the British Gov ernment's recent experience with tor pedo boat destroyers. Athens Cotton Compress Burned. Athens, Ga., ( Special) .Fire de stroyed the Rucker cotton compress and 2.100 bales of cotton. The loss is $155, 000. The insurance was nearly all car ried by the Marine Fire Insurance Com pany, i.ie fire originated by a truck running over a match. Children ia Flames, Lexington. Ky. (Special.) At 1 o'clock A. M. the local fire department was notified that the State School of Re form, six miles from the city, in which 287 children are confined, was in flames. The inmates are thought to have gotten out safely. A fire engine was sent from the city. At 1.10 o'clock the hoys' build ing collapsed. The institution was erected at a cost of $100,000. There ar eight buildings. Labor President's head Blown Cff. Lead, S. D. ( Sptcirl). George W. Holvey, president of i;K. Lca Miners' Union, was killed by a premature blast on the 200-foot levl of the llomoiake mine. He was firing bluckholes and one of the charges exploded while he was directly over it, blowing his head entirely off. De cited Ma ind loo ed the Town. Hongkong. (By Cable). General Ma has Imi defeated by' the Kwang-Si reb els, who have taken possession of Fanj Clieng (Keiigh Chuan?). They have killed or captured all the mandarins un.l have bailed the town. General Ma at tacked (he rebel strongholds, but after an engagement lasting; two days wa; forced to retrcut. The rebels then established their headquarters, at Fang Cheng. Buffalo is to have a labor temple. It -t 25,000 union men are to be taxed 5 cents a week to raise the funds. ODDS AND ENDS OP TI1K NEWS. 'i he Supreme Court o( California lias decided that the properly of ex-Senator Fair, valued ut $20,000,000, trust be dis tributed among the children. W. G. Uc-dcr has been made geneial manager of the Jersey Central Railroad Company. Henry Nye shot and killed his wife :it Stephenstowii, N. Y. Jealou-y was tr eatise. Padcrewski is writing another opera '1 he Official Messenger of St. 1'tiers burg published the text cf the Ru-so-Frciith conjoint declaration ane;il tlu Anglo-Japanese run vent ion. PENNSYLVANIA , BRIEFLY TOLD. Special Dispatches Boiled Down lor Quick Reading. PATENTS AND PENSIONS (WANTED. Stabs Undertakers Horses Tbret Olfenses ol the Klud la Shenandoah la Three Months Library Oitt Rescinded Opposition to a Carnegie Project la Norrlstowa $40,000 tot Baptist Institutions. Pennsylvania pensions: Edward Murphy, Washington. $6: Alexandct Maxwell, Eric, $8; Daniel Gross. Paint crville, $12: John Vcach, Mcnch, $17: Philip Pcffer, Strodes Mills. $12: Wil liam Rimcrt, Howards, $12: Williarr Sharp. Clum, $8; Silas Biddle. Edin burg. S8; Joel Snyder, East Hickory $30: Eli Ehrhard. Fleming. $10; Thos Shuff, Alloona, $12: William Kline Warren, $12; George W. Baldwin, Clays ville, $12; James Connor, Greensburg, $12; Fnunaline MeGarvey, Bolivar, ?8i Annie Schrader. Butler. $8; Annie E McKnight. Pittsburg, $8; Sarah E. Ret tinger. North Freedom. $8: Margare' McCall. McCandless, $8; Catherine A Ruff, Wyalusing. $8. The Carnegie Library project at Nor ristown received another setback wher the School Board decided to rcconsidci its action in reference to contributing $3,000 toward purchasing a building site. At the last meeting of the board i( was decided by a vote of 10 to 8 to mak up a balance necessary to purchase i $20,000 site for a library. Andrew Car negie offered $50,000 providing citizens raised $20,000 to purchase a site. Thert is much opposition to the plan and tlu necessary amount could not be secured The School Board then voted $3,000, but President Smith announced that the ac tion must be reconsidered, as the law required that a majority of all the di rectors must vote for the project t make it successful,' whereas the numbef who did vote lacked one of making I majority. The annual oratorical contest of th Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Oratorical I mon was held in the Franklin and Marshall College Chapel, Lancaster. Tlu colleges renrcsented were as follows; Ursinus. John Lentz ; Gettysburg. W. W, Barkley: Muhlenberg. Lawrence H, Rupp; Franklin and Marshall. John R. Jones; Lehigh, George K. Goodwin j Lafayette. Frederck Starr Wright; Swarthniore, Miss Ida Wright. First and second prizes. $25 and $t;. were awarded to F. S. Wright. Lafavette. and Miss Ida Wright, Swarthmorc, respect ively. The judges were Judge Tolirt Stuart, Chamhersbnrg: Dr. S A. Mar tin, president of Wilson College, an.f Prof. Francis B. Brandt, of the'Central High School. Philadelphia. Dallas R Krcbs, of Ursinus Colli go. presided. The Scranton poor district now has two Boards of Directors, as a result of ;i dispute over the boundaries of the va rious subdivisions from which director's are elected. Friday the terms of P.vr members of the present board of m ex pire and five directors elected in Feb ruary presented their certificates. The existing board refu-ed to acknowledge them as directors, whereupon four of the elected men met in another part of the room and organized. Two horses owned bv Joseph Nc. it-sky, an undertaker and liverjmtn (,f Shenandoah, were stabbed bv some o-.u who broke into the stable. One of -.he-horses died and the other cannot re cover. This is the third instance wi:!v: the past three months when , luces owned by loc:il undertakers were c;t with knives, and in each case the ani:;i; K died. The will of Matilda Htvdriek. p- . bated at Norristown, disposes of an es tate of $40,000 to charitable purpo-es among Baptist institutions. The ex. edi tors are Judge Willson F. Sally and Kev A. A. DeLarmc, the latter a former p;i tor at Norristown, but now of'ficiatim- at Paterson, N. J. Missionary Alliance Day was nhervc I by the students of the Reformed Theo logical Seminary in connection with a classicaLamference in Santee Hall. Lan caster. Addresses were delivered bv I W. Appel, Lancaster; Rev. C. E. Schai'f fcr, Reading; Rev. Rufus VV. Miller Reading; Rev.E. S. Bromcr. Lebanon -Rev. Prof. G. W. Richards, Uno:;-r' and Rev. A. C. Whitmer, Lancaster. George Westinghouse has present'! four cannon to Pittsburg for' Schenlcy and Highland Parks. T he cannon were originally made by the Fort Pitt Foun dry Company prior to the Civil War. and were in use in many engagements rf that war. ' By the will of Evan Buckman, of Eas. ton, who leaves an estate of $75,000. the Easton Home for Friendless "Children will receive $500: the Easton Home for Infirm Women, $500, and. the Eastim Hospital. $1,000. The rest of the estate goes to the family. H. W. Miller, of Lewistown, was struck by a live electric wire while he was on his way home one niirht recently. At first he was supposed to be uninjured hut he has since become blind and part ly paralyzed. Dr. Martin G. Brumbaugh, late Com missioner of Education for Porto Rico, lectured on conditions in the island be fore a large audience in Alumni Hall, at Haverford College. Nine young men of Portland, caught by Constable Fox playing poker in a slate factory, were fined $6 and costs each. In Delaware county outside of the city of Chester there were 049 births and 619 deaths during 1901. Radnor leads the list in births witb 104 , Mrs. Bridget McCarthy, aged 75 years died at the Pottsville Hospital from burns, her cothing having been ignited from a brush fire. The Bradford JIardwood Lumbet Company has purchased 28,000 acres of hardwood lumber lands in Michigan. Burglars entered the residence of Mrs. William A. Covington at Norwood and secured a gold watch, two gold chains, five gold rings and $25. Robbers entered the schoolhouse at Mount Pleasant and stole the window curtains and other furnishings. They took their plunder away in a team stolen from Charles E. ,Zook. of Maytown, which was recovered after having been abandoned. ,' Officials of the United Mine Workers maintain a policy of silence concerning the probable outcome of the Shamokin convention. One hundred puddle helpers of the East and West works of the American Iron & Steel Manufacturing Company, Lebanon, who were out on a strike for higher wages, agreed to a compromise and returned to work. Family of A. R. Peacock, a Pittsburg . millionaire, left that city for New York, the trip being due, it is said, to the fart that Mr. Peacock received several letters sayinff that hii children would be kid napped iin'ess he gave up $25,000. Thirty hordes were burned to death in a fire which destroyed a stable at Latrobe. T be hoi sts were the property of H. S. K( rbaujli, a Philadelphia contractor in ch.re, f the Pennsylvania Railroad im rr,,v.t r.ts a. I.a'.robe.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers