Demoralic {a Bellefonte, Pa., Nov. 17, 1899. P. GRAY MEEK, - - - EpiToR. Ta Terms or SusscriprioN.—Until farther notice this paper will be furnished to subscribers at the following rates : Paid strictly in advance........ccuveu..... Paid before expiration of year........ Paid after expiration of year........... 2.00 The Mistake of Anti-Quay Republicans. The anti-QuAY Republican element in this State, whose representatives met in conference at Philadelphia since the elec- tion to arrange for the fight against QuAY- ism next year, would bave shown more earnestness in their purpose, and given more of an appearance of sincerity, if they had availed themselves of their opportuni- ty to fight the machine, toa greater ex- tent than they did, at the last two State elections. Last year those Republicans who profess to abominate the Boss and his methods, had a chance to help elect to the Gover- nor’s office one of the ablest and purest public men in the State as against a candi- date who was put up by QUAY, and is con- tent to act as his pimp in the gubernatorial position. But what proportion of this pro- fessed anti-QUAY element was willing to go out of the party lines to help effect what the united honesty and conscience of the State could have brought about ? This year the issue in the State contest distinctly involved the corruption of the Boss and the misrule of the machine. To what extent was assistance given to the right side of this year’s contention by that class of Republican anti-Quavyites who al- ways find a reason to defer, to some other year, the blow that is required to knock out QUAYism and its numerous abuses? This year it was thought that such a blow would be construed as a condemnation of the MCKINLEY policies. There is a proba- bility that the Republican enemies of Quay who are now arranging to fight him next year will then conclude that State and National issues are so closely associated that they can’t be separated in voting. The mistake made by these Republican anti-QUAvites is in believing that they can effect anything by fighting QuAYism inside the party enclosure. They are conscious that there is something wretchedly wrong, but they allow themselves to remain blind to the fact that the party itself is the real culprit. With this wrong view as to the actual nature of the malady, they adopt the practice of the horse doctor who would attempt to cure a case of glanders by inter- nal remedies when the only sure treatment of the glandered animal would be to knock it in the head. The only sure cure for such political infections as QuAYism is the total defeat of the party that generated them. A Mistake in the Returns. The official returns, as published in the WATCHMAN last week, were absolutely correct because they were compared with the table of votes certified to by the court. There were, however, very ridiculous er- rors in the statement of the majorities which CYRUS BRUNGART had for sheriff and Dr. W. U. IRVIN had for coroner. It was ridiculous because anyone who looked at the total vote given the nominees for the respective offices would perceive that the majorities given the successful ones were not correct. As stated above the returns were correct and the footings in our table published last week were correct, but in- stead of the difference between the vote for BRUNGART and HERMAN being 461 it was 561. Our candidate for sheriff ought not to be deprived of a tithe of the triumph he scored in his splendid campaign and for that reason we call your attention to the fact that his majority was 100 more than our subtraction gave him credit with hav- ing. In Dr. IRVIN’S case the error consisted in the transposition of the figures repre- senting the total vote he received. In place of him receiving 4,291, his vote was 4,129, leaving his majority as stated, 166. Tr —————— ——There is no question about the good work the Philadelphia North American is doing in the cause of good government and honest politics. It has been under its pre- sent management but a few months, and in that short time has done more to uncover hat have been disgracing the state and robbing the people, debauching elections and corrupting the political mor- als of the public, than all the other Phila- delphia papers combined. For its good work it deserves the good wishes and the substantial support of every good citizen of the Commonwealth. A Good Platform. There is not much Democracy in the chap who won’t approve of or applaud the following. It is from a speech deliver- ed by Mr. Bryan, during the campaign at Lincoln, Neb: ! “My friends, I have a higher ambition than to hold office. I do not care whether ‘I ever hold another office, but I serve no- tice to my Republican friends that I pro- pose to stay in politics until the lid closes down on my coffin. The Republican party to-day stands for the right of aggregated wealth to dictate to the remainder of the nation, and the reform forces will not halt until they have secured an income tax, election of Senators by the people, the res- toration of bi-metallism ; until they have driven the banks ont of the business of gov- erning and given to the government the sole right to issue money ; until we have turned back the tide of militarism and driven the trusts out of existence ; until we have stamped out those ideas of govern- ment imported from Europe and set the na- tion again firmly on the foundation of the fathers.” ——You ought to take the WATCHMAN HOW THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WAS MADE IN PHILADELPHIA. STARTLING CONFESSION OF A HIRE- LING OF THE STATE RING. Stuffing Ballot Boxes.—Impersonating Election Officers, Repeating and Other Crimes Against the Ballot Resorted to. The confession of George Kirkland, one of the five men arrested for ballot frauds in Philadelphia on Tuesday, is the most start- ling story of bogus election work ever pre- sented in Pennsylvania. The confession was made in Magistrate Eisenbrown’s court in the presence of the other defend- ants. The other four defendants are John F. Sheehan, 1348 E street, N. W., Washing- ton, D. C. ; William H. Cook, 929 H street, N. W. Washington, D. C. ; Harry McCabe and R. M. Drinkert, also of Washington. These men were arrested Tuesday night on warrants issued by reporters of the North American, who had been following them and keeping watch on their actions during the entire election day. Kirkland’s statement is in substance as follows : Under the leadership of Joseph G. Rodgers, lieutenant of the police at Washington, a gang of repeaters was brought to Pennsylvania on Monday last ; that this gang traveled on free passes ; that they were housed at the Hotel Scott, under an arrangement previously made by Charles Seger, a member of the Philadel- phia Building commission and a political lieutenant of Insurance commissioner Israel Durham. Seger paid the hotel bill for the gang. BOGUS ELECTION OFFICERS. Seger, a year ago, paid the bills of a similar gang, under the leadership of lieu- tenant of Police Rodgers, of Washington, at the same hotel. The gang brought from Washington by Rodgers on Monday last received $10 each and all expenses for the day’s work at the polls. The gang left the Hotel Scott early on Tuesday morning, some going forth to serve as repeaters, and others as election of- ficers. Kirkland, who acted as agent for the North American in uncovering the work of the gang, and William H. Cook, an employe of the mailbag repair section of the Postoffice Department, at Washing- ton, acted as election officers in the Thir- teenth division of the Seventh ward, Cook as judge ef election and Kirkland as min- ority inspector. Kirkland and Cook were directed by Lieutenant Rodgers to go to 525 South Sixteenth street, the home of the Hon. Samuel Salter, ex-member of the Legisla- ture, one of the ‘‘stalwarts’”’ who voted every time last winter for the return of M. S. Quay to the Senate. Salter took the two men to a room on the second floor of his home and there gave them 200 ballots, marked, folded and sealed, all ready to de- posit in the ballot box as though they had been voted by 200 separate citizens, and instructed Cook and Kirkland to vote them immediately on taking charge of the poll- ing place of the thirteenth division of Dur- ham’s ward before the legitimate voting began. This was done according to the in- structions of Salter. THEY CLINCHED THE JOB. After 85 illegal ballots had been received at the polling place of the thirteenth di- vision, Salter and John Silverman and John Hanna, two members of the election board, marked and folded 15 more ballots and placed them in the ballot box, making a total of 100 votes in addition to the 200 frandulently deposited in the beginning. After the polls opened Salter told George Kirkland that he had concluded to change Kirkland’s name to Clarence Boyd, and gave him a card to inscribe, which name Kirkland signed to the returns. Twenty-four persons whose names were included in the 200 fraudulent votes first deposited honestly voted later. They were given specimen ballots, which afterward were identified and thrown out in order to keep the count straight. The board re- turned 329 citizens as having voted, whereas, in fact, only 123 had done so. When the polls closed John G. Rodgers, lientenant of the Washington police, paid George Kirkland $15 as wages for his day of supposed crime. When the defendants were arraigned all of them, except Kirkland, were brought directly from prison. Kirkland had been released on hail. FALSE NAMES WERE PROVED. The formality of identifying the election papers, showing the thirteenth division be- ing disposed of, Miss Haggerty, living at No. 1614 Naudain street, was called to tes- tify. The returns showed a vote of 337 for Colonel Barnett and 5 for Wm. T. Creasy, the Democratic candidate for State Treas- urer. Two of the election officers, Clarence Boyd, minority inspector, and E. E. Rank- in, judge of the election, were registered from the House of Miss Haggerty. The latter stated that she knows neither of the two men. Kirkland produced $15, which, he said, Rodgers had given him as pay for his serv- ices, and then stated that whenever he signed his name to the election papers he placed a letter ‘‘K’’ at the end of Boyd for future identification. He, in this way proved his signature on the tally, and re- turn sheets. He concluded his testimony by stating that he had engaged to ‘‘show up’’ the repeaters at the instance of R. M. Johnson, reporter of the North American ; that he had been up here in previous years with them, and identified the names on the register of the Hotel Scott, where the men stopped. Magistrate Eisenbrown held the defend- ants in $2,500 bail for trial at court. HE HAD TO BE SICK. William Hamilton, the judge of election, testified that he was unable to officiate owing to illness and to the fact that, in or- der to do so, he would have to resign his position as laborer in the postoffice. The clerk of the hotel at which the Washington men stopped Monday night said the bill was paid by a prominent local Republican politician. R. M. Johnson, a newspaper reporter, testified that he was in Washington Sun- day. He saw Kirkland there on that day and also on the train enroute to Philadel- phia the following day. Counsel for the prosecution announced that, in view of the evidence, he would ask for warrants for several others who had been implicated and that he would demand the extradition of Lieutenant Rodgers. Ex-judge Gordon is counsel for the pros- ecution and Attorney John R. Scott for defendants. Lieutenant Rodgers, who has not yeu been apprehended, went to Washington from Philadelphia about ten years ago and secured his first position in the Postoffice Department through the influence of Rep- resentative Bingham. About four years ago he was appointed on the Capitol police force and two years later was made a lieu- tenant of police through the pull he had with Messrs. Quay and Penrose. WHO THE DEFENDANTS ARE. Rodgers’ reputation as a colonizer of voters has long been established. He boasts of his ability to round up more floaters and repeaters for work in Phila- delphia every election than any of his com- rades. Sheehan is a bartender in the res- taurant in the House of Representatives. Reynolds Drinkert, the youngest and ap- parently the most respectable of those ar- rested, belongs to an excellent Washington family, although he has been rather wild himseif. After reviewing the evidence already brought forth in the hearing the North American said editorially : ‘All this is but a beginning. The case, as it develops in the courts, will take a wider reach. The larger scoundrels of the machine are not to escape.’’ Nip and Tuck in Kentucky. Democrats are Ahead, but the Republicans Claim the Earth and the Offices—Gobel Will Be Inaugurated. LouisvILLE, Ky., Nov. 12.—The second week of uncertainty regarding the result of balloting for governor of Kentucky hegins with little prospect of immediate definite result. The official count has been in pro- gress two days, and official returns from a large majority of the 119 counties have nar- rowed the contest to a close finish. Each side claims the election of its ticket, but the estimated plurality of either does not exceed, 3,000. While the returns so far received favor Taylor, the result of the count may hinge on the decision given by the county election commissioners in sever- al places where contests have been begun, on the ground of alleged irregularities. One of these contests, that in Nelson coun- ty, bas been decided adversely to the Rep- ublicaus. It involves 1,198 votes—nearly as many as either side claims as its plural- ity. “The Democrats will contest the votes of some of the mountain counties, which re- turn large Republican pluralities. The most important county involved is Knox, which gave Taylor 1,398 plurality. There are also contests in three precincts in Louis- ville which went Republican. In any event it is difficult to see how a bitter con- test before the legislature and the courts can be avoided. All the contests now be- ing considered by the county election offi- cers will have to be argued before the state board of election commissioners, which must meet at Frankfort within a month. The situation in figures summarized to date is as tollows: Goebel’s officially re- ported pluralities, 32,038. Taylor’s offici- ally reported pluralities, 29, 459. Goebel’s plurality, 2,597. Goebel’s unofficial plur- alities, 439. Taylor’s unofficial pluralities 3,906. Much hinges on the result of the Louis- ville count, which is progressing slowly. Goebel has made a net gain of ninety votes over his opponent’s figures so far. No trou- ble has been reported today. Determined crowds of citizens effectually prevented fraud in the official count in Knox and Lewis counties. No more trouble is expect- ed now until the Central board meets. GOEBEL GAINING. LouisviLLE, Ky., Nov. 15.—Goebel gained fifty-two votes this afternoon on the official count from the returns of the Eighth ward of this city. Aside from this, there was no change anywhere in the State to- day. It is thought the canvassing of Jef- ferson county complete will be completed in a few days. Then the question of con- tests will be put before the state board, which will meet at Frankfort some time between now and Dec. 4th. FRANKFORT, Ky., Nov. 15.—There is renewed confidence around the Goebel headquarters to-night, probably as a result of the decision of the court of appeals to- day, dealing an unexpected blow to the Republicans by a ruling which practically decides adversely in advance the manda- mus suits filed by Taylor’s attorneys in several counties to compel the county election commissioners to certify the vote. It is probable now that the Jefferson board, which includes Louisville, will proceed to throw out several precincts in that city con- tested on grounds of fraud, especially where the state militia was present or near the polls on election day. France Over a Volcano. Troubles at Home Halt Intervention in Africa. Satur- day's Villainous Raids on Priests and Nuns Raises a Storm of Protests. NEW YORK, Nov. 13.—The present French Government, according to a cable- gram from Paris to the Evening Post today, is more than sufficiently occupied at home, and cannot think of advising or taking a part in intervention to stop the war in South Africa. It is quite certain that Count Muravieff’s mission had for its main result the establishment of this fact. Even the National press has given up all hopes of anything more than concerted Russian and French action at some future time in China and Morocco. Itis now believed that Spain will definitely follow the lead of Germany and England. The aggressive steps taken by the Gov- ernor against the communities of priests and nuns who publish in Paris and the pro- vinces the popular Clerical paper, La Croix, meet with dubious appreciation from all but the extreme Radical press. RIBALD PARODY ON NUNS’ HYMN. One of the offensive features of Saturday’s domiciliary visits was the fact that in reply to the ‘“‘Hymn of the Holy Ghost,’’ begun by the sisters, the police inspector had the bad taste to intone a single verse of a well- known blasphemous and obscene anti-relig- ious song. Due punishment has been in- flicted upon him by the police authorities, who simply executed orders. If violent measures are not continued the whole affair will blow over as a political manoeuver. Otherwise, there is to be fear- ed a renewed excitement of religious and anti-religious passions. Concerning the existence of the republic itself, Catholics already say that their own rights to ex- istence and equal liberties are at stake. At noon the police service at the Lux- embourg was changed and strengthened to prevent possible manifestations. PROPOSE TO TAX NUNS DOUBLY. If such measures as were taken on Sat- urday are repeated in other religious houses, all the disquieting effects of Jules Ferry’s similar campaign must be ex- pected. . This is intimated by the announcement made of ministerial bills to be presented to Parliament. One excludes students of clerical schools from State offices and re- stricts other rights of private schools. Another renders effective the collection of obnoxious inheritance taxes by which the inmates of convents pay twice for the single payment of the ordinary citizens. —If you want fine job printing of every description the WATCHMAN office is the place to have it done. A Republican Confession. The Debauchery of the Ballot Box. “Not an Honest Election for Many Years.” Needed Reforms in Our Voting Methods. The New York World of Tuesday printed an interesting interview with ex-Postmas- ter General John Wanamaker on the frauds in the recent elections in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania politics generally. We give the principal points of the interview. As they come from one who has spent his time, his money and his thought for the success of the Republican party in this State, and who knows what he is talking about, his statement should show to men of honest purposes the necessity of the change he suggests. It shows further how the Republicans have been main- taining their grip in Pennsylvania, how their victories have been won, and how little reason, honest or decent men have to rejoice over success won in that way. Mr. Wanamaker says : ‘The recent revelations of corruption in the conduct of elections in Philadelphia ought to deeply impress thoughtful citizens, the entire country over, with the urgent necessity for ballot reform. By ballot re- form I mean such legal exactments and re- gulations as will, first, make the ballot ab- solutely secret, and therefore absolutely free, and, second, such devices, whether mechanical or otherwise, as will make a true count and return of the votes legally cast as near as may be an absolute cer- tainty. VOTING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION. ‘“This, it seems to me, is the desideratum of modern politics in this country. Po- litical freedom and equality are secured by Constitutional and statutory enact- ments, and the one thing needful is an electoral system which will enable the free- men of the country to cast their votes with- out intimidation or coercion, and to have their will thus freely expressed, honestly recorded and returned. WOE IS PHILADELPHIA. “In Philadelphia we have not had an honest election for many years, and the debauchery of the ballot has acquired the system of precision of a science with the dominant so-called Republican machine. This has not been the growth of a day or a year, but has been perfected by a steady, systematic development of the minute de- tails of original ingenuity. MACHINE EDUCATES ITS FOLLOWERS. ‘‘The Machine has educated its followers in election crime, rewarded them accord- ing to their perfection in fraudulent arts, and extolled and honored the leadership which knew best how to devise and avail itself of corrupt practices, and protect and promote its debased tools and disciples. Of course, it would have been impossible for the dominant machine in this city to have 80 thoroughly subordinated the electoral system to its dishonest uses had there been a minority organization of even ordinary honesty and competency. WHACK AT THE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZA- TION. ‘‘But there is no such minority organiz- ation in this city. What is called the Democratic organization is but an agency of the corrupt Republican machine. Asa result, the Democratic vote has shrunk more than two-thirds, because honest Dem- ocrats declined to follow the leadership which treats the party organization as an article of merchandise, and that has no principle or purpose in politics other than its own sordid gain. ‘All the machines are against ballot re- form, for the machine cannot live and thrive a day if the people, the honest masses, whose heart is right, can ever ob- tain an opportunity to express their con- demnation freely, and have it honestly re- turned and recorded. BALLOT REFORM COMES FIRST. ‘Ballot reform, therefore, I place first on the list of the political needs of the hour, and in Pennsylvania it is the issue which overshadows all others in its deep importance and far reaching effects. *‘The Republican government does not exist in this State, because, we have no adequate method for their ultimate expres- sion in a secret, free and pure ballot, guard- ed and conserved by devices competent to insure its purity and protect it from dis- honest perversion at the hands of corrupt political power. “JOHN WANAMAKER.” The Fall of Ladysmith Reported. Not Credited in London. It Causes Much Anxiety, However, and Further News is Impatiently Awaited. PARr1s, Nov. 15.—News from South Africa is chiefly remarkable for its paucity. All the wires are controlled by the British, and even foreign governments are deprived of their code advices from Cape Town. In view of the fact that heliographic communication is said to have been estab- lished between Ladysmith and Estcourt the absence of advices from either place is somewhat remarkable. That General Jou- bert is making desperate attempts to cap- ture Ladysmith before the arrival of British reinforcements there can be no question, but why the English people should be kept in ignorance of the operations going on, or their result, is strange or significant. It cannot mean that White’s forces have been successful either in sorties or in resisting attacks, for such news would be made pub- lic by the War office immediately, and it may mean that Ladysmith has actually fallen or is on the eve of surrender. The Paris Martin and other pro-Boer papers announced yesterday that the town had been captured, but how they got the news, true or false, it is hard to imagine. A dispatch from Pretoria, the authenticity of which is not questioned in London,states that in an attack on the town the Boers got within rifle shot of the enemy. This shows that Joubert is straining every nerve to capture the place before reinforcements leave Durban. The publication of the dis- patch may also be a sort of preparation of the public mind in England for the news that Ladysmith has surrendered. The Martin and other newspapers of rather decidedly pro-Boer and anti-English tendencies publish dispatches announcing that Ladysmith has surrenderedfor been captured by the forces of General Jou- bert. Some of these papers further state that the tension caused by the almost continu- ous bombardments, the want of sufficient sleep and the scarcity of food have utterly demoralized the garrison, which had be- come thoroughly insubordinate. A dispatch from London says, in refer- ence to the announcement of the Paris newspapers, that reports from these sources are no longer credited. Nevertheless, there will be considerable anxiety here until the War office or some independent version of the latest developments at Ladysmith is known. A Taste of Real War. Furious Fighting in the Philippines. Major John A. Logan and Seven Other American Soldiers Killed. MANILA, Nov. 14. 10 p. m.—The death of Major John A. Logan Jr., was the cul- mination of two hard days of fighting on the part of the Thirty-third Infantry, un- der Colonel Howe. Saturday and Sunday Major Logan had been at the head of his battalion, leading the men, cheering them on in the face of fearful obstacles and rallying them on Sun- day for the charge against 1200 insurgents, only to be struck down by a stray bullet from some fleeing Filipino’s gun. The enemy was in full retreat when the Major was killed. The trenches had been stormed and the enemy driven out. The excited men of Logan’s battalion followed them, the Major being near the head of the pursuing column. All at once he threw up his bands and fell. There was no time for his men to stop, and they pressed on without him. The enemy was routed and many insurgents were left in the trenches. The enemy’s loss was estimated at 300, and 81 dead were counted in one section of the trenches. The American casualties were seven dead and twelve wounded. BIG FIGHT LASTED TWO HOURS. It had been the sharpest two hours’ en- gagement of the war, with an equal force of insurgents, five miles from San Fabian. When it was all over the Americans had captured 29 Filipinos and 100 rifles. General Wheaton was informed that the enemy was gathering at San Jacinto to pre- vent the Americans from controlling the road from Dagupan north whereby Aguin- aldo might retreat. The Thirty-third, Colonel Howe commanding. and a detach- ment of the Thirteenth, with a Gatling gun, Howland commanding, were sent to disperse them. WADED IN DEEP MUD. The troops encountered the worst road ever found in the island of Luzon. There was a succession of creeks whose bridges the Americans had to stop to repair, and miry ditches, and at certain places men and horses struggled waist-deep in quag- mires, A hundred soldiers had to drag the Gat- ling gun part of the way, the horses being useless. ‘The insurgents opened the fight two miles from San Jacinto, while the leading American battalion was passing a clump of houses, in the midst of a cocoanut grove, knee-deep in mud. The Filipino sharpshooters, hidden in trees, houses and a small trench across the road, held their fire until the Americans were close to them. When they began fir- ing other Filipinos opened fire from thick- ets, right and left, further away. The in- surgent sharpshooters picked off the officers first. The dead and wounded were brought to Manila to-day. The officers who are re- turning say it is impossible for General Wheaton to attempt to junction with Gen- eral Young, on account of the roads. Prisoners say it is reported that Aguin- aldo, with an army estimated at 20,000 (probably a great exaggeration), is retiring toward Dagupan, intending to leave by railroad for the northwest. The regiment then returned to San Fa- bian, it being impossible to get supplies over the roads. Broken Seal on Ballot Box. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 14.—A sensation in the Seventh ward ballot fraud case was brought out in court to-day before. Judges Sulzberger, Finletter and Audenreid, sit- ting as election court. The ballot box of the Thirteenth division of the Seventh ward, into which 200 hallots were said to have been stuffed, was brought into court at the instance of District Attorney Rother- mel, who called the attention of the judges to the fact that the seal on the envelope that held the keys to the box had been broken and the lid of the hox was not fitted on. : Though the district attorney did not say so openly, his remarks drew attention to a belief that the box had heen tampered with. The district attorney asked the court to impound the ballot hox, and an order to this effect was given. The box was sealed in the presence of the court with long strings of tape, and was double sealed. It was then placed in the custody of the clerk of the quarter sessions. There was suspicion of attempts to fix up the ballots in the box to correspond with the tally sheets, if the ballots were improp- erly put in, and if the box could be opened by any possible arrangement. Magistrate Eisenbrown to-day made a return of the case of the four alleged re- peaters to the district attorney’s office. They were W. H. Cooke, Reynolds Drink- ard, Harry McCabe and Joseph R. Green. They will come up for trial in the Decem- ber term of court. Dewey Favors the Idea. The Admiral Thinks John Paul Jones’ Remains Should be Brought Home. WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.—Renewed in- terest is manifested here over the proposi- tion to bring the remains of John Paul Jones from Paris to the United States for burial. Senator Kyle, of South Dakota, said. ‘The proposition meets with my hearty approbation. Too much honor cannot be bestowed upon the men who framed this nation. John Paul Jones was one of them, and great homage is due to his memory. Admiral Dewey was asked what he thought of the plan of bringing home the body of John Paul Jones, whose tomb was lately discovered in Paris. ‘‘I think it is an excellent suggestion,’’ he replied. ‘“The body of our first great naval commander surely should be brought home to rest in the country he helped so nobly to estab- lish.” Senator Hawley, of Connecticut: “I heartily join in any movement in Congress to bring back the remains of John Paul Jones. I have great reverence for him. He was a genuine hero.” Another Expedition to Babylonia. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 15.—The Univer- sity of Pennsylvania has just fitted out an- other expedition to Babylonia to complete the excavation of the ancient city of Nip- pur. The work is under the direct control of Dr. Hermann V. Hilprecht, Ph. D., LL. D., of the university, the most famous Assyriologist in the world. The Universi- ty has been conducting these excavations for the l ast ten years at a total expense of over $100,000. The cost of the present ex- pedition will be about $35,000. The party will proceed to Aden on the Persian gulf, and thence up the Trigris to Bagdad, from which the journey will be for several days through the Arabian desert. The expedi- tion will reach Nippur about the latter part of January. The work is done by au- thority of a special firman issued by the sultan of Turkey to the University of Pennsylvania. Trial of Molineux. NEw YorK, Nov. 15.—The trial of Ro- lond B. Molineux, charged with the death of Mrs. Katherine J. Adams, was con- tinued to-day. Efforts were directed to- wards securing a jury, but, notwithstand- ing the fact that forty-eight talesmen were examined, not one juryman was secured. Counsel for the defense closely question- ed each of the talesmen, asking for def- initions of terms and propounding hypo- thetical questions until recorder Goff sev- erely condemned the practice or any at- tempt whatever to confuse citizens sum- moned for jury duty. Of those who failed to qualify, seven ob- jected to the death penalty, about the same number declared their unwillingness to convict on circamstantial evidence, half a score were unable to define the meaning of terms submitted by the counsel, five had an insufficient knowledge of the English language, and the others, except those per- emptorily challenged, were excused on the various grounds of general consent, ill- health and cld age. To Prepare a Road Bill. HARRISBURG, Nov. 14.—Governor Stone, to-day, appointed a commission, consisting of A. J. Cassatt, of Philadelphia, Judge Cyrus Gordon, of Clearfield ; H. M. Brack- enridge, of Natrona; H. C. Snavely, of Lebanon ; Judge James A. Beaver, of Bellefonte, and Hibbard B. Worrell, of Philadelphia, to prepare a road bill for presentation to the next Legislature. ADDITIONAL LOCALS. ——Millbeim now seems in a fair way of having a co-operative shirt factory that will give employment toahout sixty people and pay out in wages from $800 to $1,000 per month. es UNION GOSPEL MEETING AT SHILOH.— The Y. M. C. A. will hold a union gospel meeting in the Lutheran church at Shiloh, next Sunday. Everybody far and near are cordially invited to attend. ——A three foot deposit of the B vein of coal was, last Friday, discovered on the Jake Swires Ophir property, near Philips- burg. Mr. Swires will develop the discov- ery by opening one or more mines at once. eT ——About half-past nine o’clock Wed- nesday evening a 600 pound stone fell from the top of McCalmont & Co’s. limestone quarries to the bottom, striking one of the Italian workmen on the head and killing him instantly. A ——The nerves of the Bellefonte dis- ciples of Izaak Walton were made to ting- le on Wednesday by a sight of a monster trout, described as being two feet in length, disporting itself in the waters of Spring Creek opposite the Bush house. ime ——The sale of seats for the engagement of Bert Coote, in ‘‘A Battle Scarred Hero, *’ at Garman’s opera house, Monday night, Nov. 20, has opened very auspiciously, and from present indication, the engage- ment will be one of the most successful of the season. A Eo is ——The flag carried by the Fifth regi- ment during the Spanish--American war will be sent to Harrisburg and placed in the flag room at the capitol, side by side with the battle riddled emblems of the Re- bellion, and a new flag will be issued to the regiment. i A oe td ——D. F. Fortney, Esq., was in New York state this week taking testimony in the suit of John Potter against a life insur- ance company to recover the amount of a policy held by his son, George, who is sup- posed to have been murdered in Potter county, this State, several years ago. PO Thus far Bellefonters have not been favored with even a glimpse of that prom- ised meteoric shower. Even if they had been whirling through space the heavens have been too densely covered with clouds all of this week to see anything upward. Mayor Naginey has put forth an edict that if anything of the kind does occur residents of Bellefonte will be notified at the time by the blowing of the fire alarm whistle and ringing of court house bell. ———— rere SKULL CRUSHED BY WINDLASS CRANK. —Last Friday, while Roy Hummel was weighing and dumping clay, by means of a block and tackle arrangement connected to a windlass, at the Woodland brick works, he met with an accident which re- sulted in instant death. The crank arm of the windlass is about 18 inches long. Hummel, by means of the windlass, had pulled a car of clay toa proper angle to dump, and fastened the crank down with a pin run through the post of the windlass frame. He had just turned away when the crank slipped, the pin having been insecure- ly fastened. The crank came around with terrible force, striking the unfortunate man on the head. His skull was crushed, the bone being broken into fragments. Hum- mel was aged about 24 years. He was married and leaves two small children. WiLL WE CELEBRATE ?—The year 1900 marks the centennial anniversary of the or- ganization of Centre county and the WATCHMAN asks the question, will the residents of the county join in a proper cel- ebration of the event at some convenient time during the year? In 1895 when Bellefonte celebrated its hundredth anni- versary the matter of a county centennial in 1900 was duly discussed and approved quite generally as the proper thing. Now that the time is drawing near it would not be out of place to not only revive the dis- cussion but take some preliminary action. No mean display would do. Centre county ought to celebrate, but it should be done on a scale commensurate with her reputa- tion and greatness. To do this will require some work and push on the part of those who may be placed in charge, and that am- ple time be given for the completion of any arrangement and the performance of any and all plans or work that may be outlined, a start should be made soon.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers